A Stitch Up

[fred c]

http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/

I wonder if all members of "The Mob" will be awake when the vote is taken, or will Robbie Payne have to act as a "Puppeteer" again this month.

Do any of us really expect anything else from this unsavoury crowd, the more we see the more we realise that things need to change.

[steveL]

What I find interesting about this story is how long-lasting Labour's committment to neutrality was when faced with even the possibility of one of Brash's mates being voted in as Chairman. A case of their own spite easily trumping any temporary committment to fair-play.

Now the precedent has been set, then next year the group will again feel free to effectively choose who occupies the Chair of the Committee whose main function is to scrutinise their own council leadership with a 'labour friendly' councillor being the most likely choice . . . and, just like public questions,  another of the 'checks and balances' disappears.

I suppose that you could argue that this is not dissimilar to Marj previously occupying the Chair of the Scrutiny position but we all know how that worked out, don't we? Besides, Marj's job was to scrutinise Drummond and his Cabinet and was routinely used to undermine the whole system. It would seem that similar scrutiny of labour's own leadership of the council is not something to be left to chance.

[testing times]

My thoughts are over just what a calamitous start labour is making to its new position as leading the council and we haven't even got to the official start yet. We've had the whole Brash and Hargreaves episode, public questions being denied, Wilcox out on bail and cauught out paying staff below the minimum wage, cranney has his mattress scam and the A-B's hypocritically calling for restraint on basic allowances while accepting generous increases tpo their own allowances.

It's almost as if they are seeking out holes to fall in to (mind, there's are plenty to choose from if my street is anything to go by)

It makes you wonder just what is to come ........

[craig finton]

When you put it like that TT it's hard to disagree with your conclusions. I guess we'll all have to watch this space.

[for fawkes sake]

There is a boat load of irony here. At a time when we read almost daily of yet more reasons why our council and councillors need to be subject to having their decisions and actions open to questioning and scrutiny, we also read, just as frequently, of actions they are taking to limit the scope of both.

I would say a lot rests on Mr Mitchell's enquiry. Let's all hope he delivers. 

[marky]

don't you think that the national Labour Party has basically lost control of its local counterparts?

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Looking at the agenda for the meeting, who reckons that there could well be some hissing, spitting and flying fur?

http://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/egov_downloads/02.05.13_-_Extraordinary_Council_Agenda.pdf

[steveL]

Once again we see PHF exluded from any Chairs or Vice-Chairs making a mockery of proportionality rules while Wells and Morris get a Chair and Vice-Chair as reward for their voting record.

[SRMoore]

As was agreed over a week ago with PHF, the Conservative group supported Geoff Lilley as the Chairman of Audit & Governance.

[TSteels]

Did you vote against Labour on everything? Like good Tories Shane?

[steveL]

... and how did you feel about George talking to someone on his phone while Wells paid his heartfelt tribute to Drummond?........ FFS

[steveL]

As was agreed over a week ago with PHF, the Conservative group supported Geoff Lilley as the Chairman of Audit & Governance.

If you're proud of what the Tories did tonight, Shane including defying Devlin's advice on proprtionality and voting with Labour then there's no hope for you - or your Party.

[TSteels]

Someone explain?? What happened?

[fred c]

I really wanted to be there tonight....  but i was detained by a 3 hour, pain in the backside online course for a new job....

Look forward to the news about what happened with "The Mob`s" shenanigans, they just can`t help themselves......

[steveL]

Essentially, a joint exercise between Labour and the Tories to deny PHF any committee chairs or vice-chairs with the added factor that anyone associated with Brash or Hargreaves was also to be excluded at all costs. Fisher was supported by Labour for the important Audit Chair as per the font page story and when Peter Devlin advised that, in order to maintain proportionality, two positions should go to either Independents or PHF, the Tories joined with Labour in ignoring his advice and voted for two labour.

George Morris decided to take a phone call and talked as if he was the only one in the room while Wells was paying his fake tribute to Drummond (he had to be told to put his phone down by Wells)

Steve Gibbon was voted off the Housing Hartlepool Board in favour of Paul Beck who had already said that he wasn't interested on the position. Geof Lilley was voted off the regional flood defences authority, something that he's done for years, in favour of Mad Dog who has never shown any interest in the subject and probably won't even turn up at the meetings.

Any paid positions were shared between Labour and the Tories 

The Tories with 3 councillors now have 1 Chair and 1 Vice-Chair
PHF with 5 Councillors have none.

One day the Park area of Rural West will wake up to realise that there are NO Tories in Hartlepool Council.