PHF Wins Seaton By-Election

[pensionater]

Why not just follow the Mayors way of thinking and give Seaton to Middlesbrough.

[not4me]

"I was wrong, this clearly has NOTHING whatsoever to do with ensuring a lower perecntage turn out. His detail explanation regarding the importance of the 21 day period with only 66% council representation on Seaton has definitely convinced me. "
Right, well that's sorted then. Next topic.....

[fred c]

My Heads Hurting............................................ Reading this thread, it has various merits, but i have to say, its almost as entertaining as listening to Jonathon & Pammy in a full council meeting.

Whatever the argument, lets not resort to abusing each other....

anyone can throw a bucket of sh*te.... again a bit like a full council meeting.....

however unlike a full council meeting a reasoned & respectful debate can take place on HTH.

Just a thought.

[marky]

November the 15th is going to be all about Drummond so yes, if I lived in Seaton I would be a little miffed that there was precious little debate about ward issues going on. I bet there are quite a few that would like to see more discussion about the landfill sites and other issues and what the views are of the different parties.
Seaton, like The Headland, is a gift to the town and should be far better utilised than it is. I never thought I'd say it but I'm with UKIP on this one. As for Mr Wells, anyone would think that UKIP was responsible for large scale seepage of members from the Tories. 

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

A bi-election should be small news compared to the big issues we have in our town.

Explains why this town is in such a mess.

Never mind the waste of money on unions, there is a 'lamp post' over the road from my house that has probably cost as much as the bi-election will do, going by the number of council departments that have been involved in it's installation and it still doesn't have a lantern on top of it after 6 months so a bulb can be fitted
(thankfully as it is not wanted).
Look at the heaps of dirt covered in dead weeds on Seaton front as a result of the supposed remodelling to give us something interesting to look at when the weather is too crap for flowers. If that is how our taxes get spent then I would rather it was 'wasted' on a bi-election than used to improve things.

It's squabbaling over the pennies as the millions get frittered away. It's a non issue compared to just about everything else going on in local politics.

[marky]

spot on there, Stig

[fred c]

A bi-election should be small news compared to the big issues we have in our town.

Explains why this town is in such a mess.

Never mind the waste of money on unions, there is a 'lamp post' over the road from my house that has probably cost as much as the bi-election will do, going by the number of council departments that have been involved in it's installation and it still doesn't have a lantern on top of it after 6 months so a bulb can be fitted
(thankfully as it is not wanted).
Look at the heaps of dirt covered in dead weeds on Seaton front as a result of the supposed remodelling to give us something interesting to look at when the weather is too crap for flowers. If that is how our taxes get spent then I would rather it was 'wasted' on a bi-election than used to improve things.

It's squabbaling over the pennies as the millions get frittered away. It's a non issue compared to just about everything else going on in local politics.

As someone who was brought up in Seaton as a kid i have to agree with both Stig & marky, who`s comments on the town being gifted to have Seaton & The Headland are spot on.

The simple facts are that they have both been partly destroyed by poor planning & inept forward thinking management, both areas have a lot to offer both to locals & visitors.... look at the crowds that thronged both promenades in the recent good weather.

The disgraceful state of the paddling pool area on the Headland is a sad indictment of how something has been left to go to ruin for the want of a bit of maintenance.

Seaton has for many years been blighted by Coasters, it amounts to the village being held to ransom by tossers, drummonds promise to rid the town of it`s "Grot Spots" has been a complete misrepresentation of his manifesto & will go down as one of his many bullsh8t soundbites.

The Bus Shelters are screaming for a coat of paint, it took donkeys years for the council to repair & repaint the place a couple of years ago, & now instead of stopping the rot by painting it again, it will fall into disrepair & become the eyesore it once was.

Stig........... i spoke to Councillor Thompson on Thursday about the mounds of mud on the " new & improved " ( not in my opinion ) grassed area on the Cliffe...... The mounds are awaiting a pre-grown material ( Sedum ) i believe to cover them.

I also mentioned that the Prom was becoming Dogsh8t City again, more enforcement required, i do realise that Dog Muck is a town wide problem though.

Councillor Thompson said he was going to look into both points.

I realise these comments are off-topic.............. but hopefully the electorate of Seaton will send a message to the ruling group, that they want a different view of local politics....... politics for the people of the town......... not politics for the politicians of the town

[steveL]

In a forlorn attempt to sound like the Alan Titmarsh of Hartlepool, Sedum is one of the better known, low-level Alpine plants known for its ability to spread sideways and thwart alternative plant growth i.e. weeds. It's not so good at preventing the growth of grasses sneaking through the gaps.

[mk1]

Well I think the tone has improved considerably in the last few posts.
We have  one poster talking in the third person (like the Queen) berating the Council that is run by a que...........
err........better not go there.

Talking of which did you notice in yesterdays Mail that  SCAB 1 chairs the  Council Clap Committee?
I presume certain 'fahionable' ailments will be top of the agenda.
I have a feeling we are  gonorrea  a lot more about this in the future.......................

[steveL]

"However, at Thursdays council meeting, the public gallery witnessed 30 odd councillors all elected by the people to speak on their behalf, ALL, (seemingly) condemn this issue and voice their desire to have it overturned. Only bi-election law and the 'tied hands' of Mr Devlin stopped this.

As far as I'm concerned, if the vast majority of the 34 councillors elected by us want to make a decision, but they can't because two old men, bitter at their parties lack of success, throw a spanner in the works that is NOT democracy.

If anything, it's almost a dictatorship. "

I'm starting to have a problem with this on so many levels. The obvious one first.

This is the second time that you have made reference to 'old' men. Sometimes it's best to review your own words carefully in order to properly see what you have actually written. What is this inference that the opinions or actions of people with a few years behind them are of less worth and should therefore be discounted in some way? Within what age range, exactly, do you believe people should be entitled to have their own views and to have those views heard?

Secondly, the law, is the law, is the law. It is the notion that politicians, whenever the mood takes them, should have the option to disregard the law which leads to the road of dictatorship.

Perseus, you're not the only person on here who has fallen into the trap of believing that there are only two ways of viewing things: YOUR way and the WRONG way, but you are the first to claim such intellectual superiority at the same time.

I think your viewpoint shows a lack of maturity. When people don't go along with it, you jump up and down in the corner and call them names, bemoan their stupidity or put it down to their age. You are entitled to your point of view but always you must remember that's all it is - your point of view - and it's no more correct or important than anyone else's. 

[steveL]

You have the makings of a politician, Perseus - note how you simply ignored your ageist slur.

...and the point is that the actual reasons don't matter - what matters is that they were entitled to do it - and I'm quite certain, if there was advantage in other parties calling the by-election early, then they wouldn't have hesitated.

Complaints about wasted money are a bit laughable in the context of hiring a coach to take Councillors from the Civic Centre to the Interchange, never mind the £1.3m overspend on the TS.

Complain about perceived cynicsm by UKIP if you like, but you can only get away with it if you thrown in the hypocrisy of those other councillors complaining. Otherwise it just looks like a personal swipe at UKIP in line with what's becoming to look increasingly like an obsession.

I reckon you're a Tory myself, pis*ed off with the large number of defections to UKIP.

[Ryehill]

 Perseus the weakness in your argument is that you are assuming that a low turn out will somehow benefit U.K.I.P I don't know what you base this assumption on, but the history of stand alone, low turnout, by-elections involving U.K.I.P. in Hartlepool shows that they do no better ,or worse, than in the normal May elections.

[SRMoore]

I reckon you're a Tory myself, pis*ed off with the large number of defections to UKIP.

Steve, you have mentioned this so-called mass exodus of Conservatives to UKIP twice in recent days and I would love for you to provide evidence to back this claim up. I hear lefties and Kippers alike claiming it's going on but other than a handful of party members who have always regarded themselves more as libertarian than Conservative, I've not seen anybody else 'jump ship'. In fact the small numbers in reality are probably equalled out by the UKIP defectors we see jointing our party on a regular basis.

So please, evidence or stop making this ridiculous claim.

[fred c]

Thats enuf for me......

[Ryehill]

 Perseus, your last posting reminds me of this little quote
           If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers.