A little bit of cynical politics

[steveL]

Not long before the May elections, the question of the free buses to English Martyrs popped up. It became quite an issue but, being so close to the elections, retaining the buses was slipped through as an amendment to the budget supported by Labour.

With the elections out of the way, the matter is back on the agenda and this time it looks like the buses are a dead duck.

[fred c]

There was an awful lot of parents (Voters) who would have taken a bleak view of the buses being knocked on the head, hence the cynical amendment to keep the service running, but it was always going to be a short term measure.

I suppose the thinking now is that by the time the next election comes around Parents (Voters) will have either forgotten about the bus service, or made alternative arrangements.

I seem to remember that quite a number of Labour Candidates touted a return to a proper public bus service in their election fantasy leaflets, the cheeky sods even claimed credit for the recent return of the 1 & 7 services.

Fortunately no6 blew that little bit of propaganda out of the water.

[steveL]

It will be interesting to see how this one develops. There's a story in the Mail tonight announcing Cabinet support to keep this service running and officers have been told to find the £133,000 elsewhere. When they do, I suspect the consequences will be resisted by Labour and we could well be looking at another 'amendment' to the budget come February.

From what I hear, Labour now see any Cabinet decisions between now and May as irrelevant and it is they who will decide on the budget most probably through another string of fag-packet amendments. If I was connected to any of the faith schools I would be keeping my powder dry for the moment. With no elections to worry about next year this one is far from being a done deal.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

I hope the issue over buses at faith school opens up the argument about having sectarian schools in the first place.

[steveL]

Won't find out till February. The Cabinet will put a budget forward which, as it stands, will include a provision for the buses to continue but it has to get through the full council in February. I fully expect Labour to have a version of their own budget by then which will be voted through with Tory support - which is virtually guaranteed.

If officers have 'found' the £133,000 by cutting something Labour wants then I would think the buses will still be at risk.

[SRMoore]

http://m.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/joy-at-bus-decision-1-5148681
Well played by the Mayor and cabinet. Will make Labour look very bad if they now overturn the decision come February.

[steveL]

Labour need a two-thirds majority to do so and at the moment they are one short to achieve that in their own right. They will need the support of other councillors to get it through. Any idea where that support will come from, Shane?

[The Great Dictator]

Drummond will now offer anything in sight before he goes to make the Labour group look like tw*ts if they refuse it..

[SRMoore]

I guess it could come from the three tories councillors, Independents or the Hartlepool First councillors since they are under no whip.
No doubt it. Will depends on the overall package being voted on like last time. HF Cllrs supported funding for the bus but then voted against it in the overall budget vote. I guess it'll all depend on how Labour want to try and adjust it for their gain.

[steveL]

I think Paul Thompson does a pretty good job of defending their corner but he's more aligned with the Brash wing of the Labour group. I don't really think it matters what the faith schools do right now. What I'm suggesting is that if it's a choice between £133,000 on school buses or the same amount being assigned to Labour's own pet projects then I'm afraid the buses will be history.

Labour like to use composite amendments consisting of several separate elements, some good some bad, but which are pushed through as one item in an all or nothing approach. Remember Mandelson's Freedom of the Borough? That's how they'll try and do it this time too.

[steveL]

That may be true but it's a different subject entirely