Following on from yesterday's blog article on the launch of LBH Watch I have been taken to task on a local community internet forum for referring to the group as "cross party". It is argued that by using this term I am attempting to imply that LBH Watch has the formal support of all the political parties, when what I actually meant was that its founder members are from across the political spectrum. I am happy to provide clarification.
What is more revealing though is the anger that the formation of the group seems to have invoked from forum users with a political axe to grind. My two critics hail from supposedly "opposite" ends of the political spectrum, one being a former Labour councillor and the other having Conservative leanings.
In the case of the Labour critic it would appear LBH Watch is opposed simply because it intends to identify bad practice whilst the Tory just seems generally pissed that ICG members are still active, lending some credence to my theory that the main objective of the recent Conservative election campaign (incredibly, over and above the desire to actually retain office and keep Labour out) was the sidelining of the ICG by means of a pincer movement involving both of the major parties.
I can confirm that LBH Watch will be just the first of many initiatives through which to compensate the community for the democratic deficit that the reversion to two-party hegemony must inevitably bring in its wake.
13 comments:
The numpties on Tw8 seem to think LBH Watch is some kind of replacement for the ICG. Labour seems don't like the thought of their officers being watched and the thick Tories are just catching up with the fact that the ICG is alive and well. They thought you'd disappear after the election and they'd step right into your shoes. Flippin' eejits.
Anonymous
The ICG is just taking some time out. Either the new Labour councillors perform for our community or we'll be back. It's a win-win for the residents.
But will this new collective actually have any 'teeth' Phil ?
After all, if personnel at the Civic Centre were openly defying democratically elected ICG coucillors, why would they bow to mere unempowered residents ?
I don't expect them to bow. I expect the residents to draw attention to any deficiencies so that currently elected members will have all the information they need to take appropriate action.
If they choose not to act, then maybe the prospect of the return of some democratically elected ICG councillors might make those in a position of influence sit up and take notice.
"The ICG is just taking some time out".
So where does that leave the fine men & women who volunteered for committee duty back in January ?
The ICG is taking some time out from being on the Council. The Committee is busier than it has been for a long time.
Sorry if that wasn't clear.
It feels eerie having the ICG all around but not as council. Feels all the time like something is waiting to happen, really odd, unreal.
Fair enough Phil, but the reason I asked was because the ICG seem to have shut up shop since the election.
The website hasn't been updated with any info and you're still credited as being serving councillors.
Similarly, I don't believe any editions of the "Village News" have hit the streets since early May - has production stopped ?
C,mon Phil, throw us dogs a bone every now and then !
That's fair comment too Anon.
I think it would be difficult to overstate the fatigue that everybody felt immediately after the election. None of the "auld hands" is getting any younger and I think the priority, once we'd recuperated, was seen to be realigning the group to meet the challenges of the future.
In addition to that there has been the small matter for many of us of having to look for work!
As regards the ICG operation itself, this has been made less easy by the fact that to some extent we face a moving target. At one point it looked as though the new admin was going to be different and that we might be able to play a supporting role, but the signs are now that the old oppo is already starting to revert to type.
To that end there has been a huge amount of discussion behind the scenes but, yes, on the surface I can see how it might look that we've shut up shop.
We haven't, and all the issues you've raised will be attended to within the next two or three weeks.
"the main objective of the recent Conservative election campaign (incredibly, over and above the desire to actually retain office and keep Labour out) was the sidelining of the ICG by means of a pincer movement involving both of the major parties."
Whilst one of my objectives is for the Conservatives to make progress within the London Borough of Hounslow, and I am seen (rightly) as being loyal to the Conservative cause, I have always recognised that there is a world outside of my party and great people elsewhere. I therefore do not recognise or agree with the above analysis.
I was genuinely sorry to see you and Paul lose in Isleworth. You are both friends and I admire you greatly, especially as you both left a lasting impression at the Council. I am proud of what we as a coalition achieved.
Mark
Thanks for your kind words, and be assured that the respect is mutual.
However there are certain facts that cannot be escaped:
1. For more than a year before the coalition ended with Labour's victory, the Conservatives were underhandedly attempting to prise members away from the ICG and to persuade them to defect. You may be aware that I have challenged John Davies to confirm or deny this on the TW8 forum and he has unsurprisingly clammed up. Hardly an act of good faith towards a coalition partner.
2. The ICG supported your party in almost everything you attempted to achieve. Ours isn't by nature a slash and burn philosophy but we had taken it on trust that we would support each other, as the things you wanted to achieve and the things that we wanted to achieve weren't mutually exclusive.
However on the first occasion when we needed real support - Mogden - several of your colleagues considered the desire to ingratiate themselves with their officers a much greater priority than standing by their partners, and without so much as a second thought stabbed us in the back.
To add insult to injury Communications was then instructed to produce an article for HM Magazine which was not only an apologia for the actions of your colleagues but which also rubbished the ICG position on this vitally important issue.
I asked Mark Gilks to take Mike McCabe to task for this appalling act but he wouldn't, and of course he couldn't because in all likelihood Mike had been acting on his instructions!
It was at that point that we realised just how little our goodwill, as opposed to our votes, meant to our partners.
3. As you are well aware we were being consciously and systematically undermined by both the Director of Environment and the Chief Executive. It is quite clear to us that this situation was permitted to continue because these officers were being supportive and helpful to your party in pursuing its low tax programme.
I don't blame your party entirely for this because as Leader of the CG I ought to have been more robust and demanded deadlines for action rather than accepting effete promises that "something will be done". But, again, this was hardly a demonstration of goodwill towards us.
4. I accept that you party has every right to field candidates wherever it pleases, however your leadership and election strategists were warned, not only by us but also by certain of your own members, that any advantage given to you by the coincidence of a general election being held on the same day as the locals would not be enough to land you Isleworth or Syon.
It was explained in no uncertain terms that the only change you could help bring about in those wards would be to split the anti-Labour vote and deliver a Labour win.
Any fool could see this, and yet you persisted regardless. Within 24 hours of the election result your colleague David Giles was bragging about our defeat and taunting us on the local forums that the next contest in those wards would be between Conservative and Labour.
To me this demonstrated two things. Firstly extreme naivete in the assumption that, for some peculiar reason, the ICG would just disappear into the ether as a result of its election reverse.
And secondly that this fanciful scenario had clearly formed part of Conservative thinking when its local election strategy had first been drawn up.
Under the circumstances Mark, and with respect, I think my comments were accurate and not at all unreasonable.
As for the future, I don't envisage your party gaining an overall majority in Hounslow in the forseeable future and you would appear to have burned your bridges (you'll understand I have used the collective "you" throughout here) when it comes to any possible revival of the coalition, even if we do decide to run again and we recapture the seats that we lost.
So what is the strategy now?
I do think that there much to look back on with pride. As far as I am concerned Peter Thompson & I enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Community Group and with you and Paul especially.
There are some things in your posting where I (I am confident you will acknowledge) was not involved in so do not believe I will add much value in commenting on those but can say the following:
I am genuinely not aware of any colleague trying to prise away any member of the Community Group. It is not something I have done and would not have recommended colleagues on the Council doing it either.
"Firstly extreme naivete in the assumption that, for some peculiar reason, the ICG would just disappear into the ether as a result of its election reverse."
I never heard anyone either within the Conservative Group or the B&I Conservative Association express that view. Of course, I am a member of the F&H Conservative Association but have many friends in B&I.
"Under the circumstances Mark, and with respect, I think my comments were accurate and not at all unreasonable."
I am just saying I disagree with your analysis. I was, and remain, very positive about a majority of the former Community Group Councillors and I am confident that my colleagues *collectively* feel the same
"So what is the strategy now?"
In terms of my strategy, the top priority is holding the new administration to account. When we were the administration, we were never afraid of questions. This administration has radically reduced the amount of Borough Council Meetings (does this remind you of a previous period?). They may try and reduce such provision to hold them to account but we are not going away. We will offer Conservative messages to residents but also work with others in the best interests of the Borough.
Mark
I like to think I enjoyed a good relationship with members of your Group, and particularly with yourself and Peter. Indeed I cannot think of any member of your Group with whom I had any personal quarrel.
And yet, notwithstanding the fact that I acknowledge you weren't involved in many of the issues I raise, all of them are for real and they truly happened:
"I am genuinely not aware of any colleague trying to prise away any member of the Community Group. It is not something I have done and would not have recommended colleagues on the Council doing it either."
I'm more than happy to take you at your word, but do have any idea as to why John Davies would appear to be avoiding my questions relating to this on TW8.com?
Or what he meant when on this very blog he expressed his view that six ICG councillors would be returned in 2010 but that he couldn't say how many would still be independents a couple of years hence?
"I never heard anyone either within the Conservative Group or the B&I Conservative Association express that view [that the ICG would disappear or disintigrate after an election defeat]."
Take a look at the comments by David Giles on the local community internet forums a day or so after the outcome was announced.
"In terms of my strategy, the top priority is holding the new administration to account. When we were the administration, we were never afraid of questions. This administration has radically reduced the amount of Borough Council Meetings (does this remind you of a previous period?). They may try and reduce such provision to hold them to account but we are not going away. We will offer Conservative messages to residents but also work with others in the best interests of the Borough."
That is all admirable, and I wish you every success with it. But is nobody thinking beyond 2014?
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