BBC News review.

[Inspector Knacker]

Caught it when I came in this morning and it showed two local people being interviewed after the election. The reporter was criticised by some 'viewers' when the two interviewees complained about the court closure and the vacant police station.
Two of the 'viewers' appeared on screen and blamed the Tories cuts for these actions.
In the case of the court that may well be true, but in the case of the police station the actual decision to close the police station facilities was made locally by Cleveland police, not the Tories.
The major point they missed out that riled people at the time, was that the Labour Council's  reaction to every major cut to services staring with hospital. They paid minimal lip service and in most cases endorsed the actions that resulted in cuts to services. For such a flamboyant, self promoting group of publicity seeking egotists they suddenly became mute political bystanders when it came to a fight for services, suffragettes they most certainly were not!

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

The lies have been repeated that often that many believe them to be the truth.

[Inspector Knacker]

I'm amazed how any sane person has the brass neck to try and see a positive of the last 20 years of Labour running this town. The MP's were political nodding dogs of no consequence, the town seeming to be a poor second in their priorities. The Councillors were a joke, a clique 'in charge' who stood for nothing but re-election, with a cowered local party offering no resistance. A clique so arrogant they could strut sitting down, gave us their 'wisdom' on how to run a town, except they were out of their depth opening a box of cornflakes. The town stood still while the clique collectively sailed over the waterfall of reality.
The election result was the inevitable result of years of watching political chimps playing with a Ming vase. The vase had to be grabbed off them. It was.

[eddy]

To be fair, and putting aside local level corrupt cronyism, central gov just cut the funding from councils overall.  it was down to the councils to decide what was kept and what had to go, in a way the Tory's played a blinder, they knew the local authorities would be the ones who had to do the actual cutting (i.e. the bad guys). See also Cleveland Police, they had cuts from central gov which didnt specify how to reach the targets.

Much has been made / blamed of Tory cuts, probably to the point it become like the boy who yelled wolf.  It doesnt mean they didnt happen, overall where pretty bad and shouldnt really diminish the effect, but its easy to just say "thats all labour ever say".   

You can frame it whichever way you want but the bottom line is we have lost the police station, courts, social care services, 500 less people employed in the town by the local authority and they are still having to make budget cuts!! There isnt really anything else left to take, this talk of levelling up is probably just central gov returning some of £xmillion that was removed over the past 10 years! Another master stroke, and people will no doubt lap it up.  I cant wait for the chat in a few years along the lines of "Look how much Boris has invested", never mentioning how much was cut in the 10 years preceding and how far off the town is still from its pre-Tory budget

[Inspector Knacker]

And what exactly did they do in Hartlepool with the pre Tory budget? Do enlighten me, I may be able to help you.
Tony did bring to life PFI for a number of public projects, especially hospitals, buy now pay tomorrow was the motto, shove the credit card bill to the back of the draw for now and see what turns up.
When Labour left office in 2010, they country was bust. They admitted as much and the financial crash played a part, but whoever came into office in 2010 was going to have to impose stinging cuts, a poisoned chalice.
There were no golden days in bright sunlit uplands in Tony's reign unless you class f***ing up the Middle East as a success.
I can recall no developments in this town of any consequence from 97 to 2010. I was working in local government when Labour got elected 1997, we expected great things, we were soon disappointed, cuts were the order of the day, belt tightening and even the grim reaper of redundancy caught up with me a few years later, so spare me the over the rainbow nonsense about wonderful they were, they weren't.

[eddy]

Interesting fact, before we had to bail banks out the lab gov had a deficit of £500bn, this increased to £1500bn in the post credit crunch era and was still reported at £828bn in 2019 (pre-covid), despite the Tory's being the apparent masters of fiscal control.  Also do you seriously think the free-market thinking Conservatives would have taken steps in the run up to 2008 to control the financial markets to prevent the credit crunch, or when the sh!t hit the fan not be there with their cheque books to bail out their banking chums.  Keep in mind how keen they have been to farm £37bn to Serco for "Test and Trace".  How many Northern Powerhouses could they have built with that?  And you call our Tony bent, Pot calling the Kettle much?   

Just keep in mind, when they come with their cash hose and talk of a spending revolution, they got a fair to go before the town is even close to getting what is was in terms of public investment pre-2010.  Most of it will be just getting back stuff they already have taken. 

[Inspector Knacker]

Interesting fact, before we had to bail banks out the lab gov had a deficit of £500bn, this increased to £1500bn in the post credit crunch era and was still reported at £828bn in 2019 (pre-covid), despite the Tory's being the apparent masters of fiscal control. 
So the Tories brought the Labour debt down then, what's the problem with that?

Also do you seriously think the free-market thinking Conservatives would have taken steps in the run up to 2008 to control the financial markets to prevent the credit crunch, or when the sh!t hit the fan not be there with their cheque books to bail out their banking chums. 
You are now applying 'what ifs' and your own prejudicial views and supposition on something that never happened. Labour was in power.

Keep in mind how keen they have been to farm £37bn to Serco for "Test and Trace".  How many Northern Powerhouses could they have built with that?  And you call our Tony bent, Pot calling the Kettle much?
Your precious Tony started a war which we're still feeling the effect of financially, but more importantly in lives....how much did that cost....? 😱
Incidentally, I did not refer to your 'Tony' as 'bent' , that was you. Care to explain why?
£ 37bn for test and trace..... really.

Just keep in mind, when they come with their cash hose and talk of a spending revolution, they got a fair to go before the town is even close to getting what is was in terms of public investment pre-2010.  Most of it will be just getting back stuff they already have taken.
So tell us what we got before 2010, no good just making vague claims, Give us meat on the bones.
And while you're at it, tell us about the loss of hospital services ... that was before 2010....  do you class that as an 'investment'.....?

[eddy]

I should do a bingo card you know, for ease of reference, you can then cross them off as they come up with such a predictable and repetitive frequency. 

You missed my point re: Tory debt btw, it cost £1000bn to put the fire of the credit crunch out, it wasnt like it was already the level before it started.  To their credit, and mostly at the expense of the less well paid of society, the Torys got the value down to within a mere £300bn of what the Filthy Labour Scum (FLS) splurged before the poo hit the fan.  And yea it is supposition and what if, but just pretend for a second and imagine they would have played it any differently   

Because I know you like to come in with the bold annotations, here are 50 alleged achievements of the FLS.  Obviously none of the below actually happened, nothing of good actually happened under labour, this is the post after all.  This is shamelessly cut and pasted from a pretty generic google search, so much for you to get your venomous fangs into

Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.
Low mortgage rates.
Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.
Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.
Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.
Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.
Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.
Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.
Employment is at its highest level ever.
Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.
85,000 more nurses.
32,000 more doctors.
Brought back matrons to hospital wards.
Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.
Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.
Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.
NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.
Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year.
Restored city-wide government to London.
Record number of students in higher education.
Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.
Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children's Centres.
Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
£200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to £300 for over-80s.
On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.
Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.
All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.
A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.
600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.
Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.
Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.
Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.
Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.
Banned fox hunting.
Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.
Free TV licences for over-75s.
Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.
Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.
Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.
New Deal – helped over 1.8 million people into work.
Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.
Free eye test for over 60s.
More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.
Free entry to national museums and galleries.
Overseas aid budget more than doubled.
Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.
Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.
Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.
Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school.

[Inspector Knacker]

I should do a bingo card you know, for ease of reference, you can then cross them off as they come up with such a predictable and repetitive frequency.
Crack on.

You missed my point re: Tory debt btw, it cost £1000bn to put the fire of the credit crunch out, it wasnt like it was already the level before it started.  To their credit, and mostly at the expense of the less well paid of society, the Torys got the value down to within a mere £300bn of what the Filthy Labour Scum (FLS) splurged before the poo hit the fan.  And yea it is supposition and what if, but just pretend for a second and imagine they would have played it any differently   
I only replied to what YOU wrote. As for supposition, they're just wishful dreams that fulfill a need or personal scenario.

Because I know you like to come in with the bold annotations, here are 50 alleged achievements of the FLS.  Obviously none of the below actually happened, nothing of good actually happened under labour, this is the post after all.  This is shamelessly cut and pasted from a pretty generic google search, so much for you to get your venomous fangs into
'Venomous fangs', really?..... as for Labour doing nothing good, that's just self indulgent nonsense, of course they did,  but you sound like Kenneth Williams shouting "Infamy, infamy they've all got it infamy". Soooo defensive. The 'FLS' thing by the way..are you part of the masochist wing of the Party.

Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.
Low mortgage rates.
Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.
Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.
Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.
Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.
Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.
Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.
Employment is at its highest level ever.
Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.
85,000 more nurses.
32,000 more doctors.
Brought back matrons to hospital wards.
Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.
Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.
Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.
NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.
Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year.
Restored city-wide government to London.
Record number of students in higher education.
Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.
Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children's Centres.
Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
£200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to £300 for over-80s.
On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.
Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.
All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.
A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.
600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.
Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.
Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.
Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.
Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.
Banned fox hunting.
Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.
Free TV licences for over-75s.
Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.
Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.
Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.
New Deal – helped over 1.8 million people into work.
Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.
Free eye test for over 60s.
More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.
Free entry to national museums and galleries.
Overseas aid budget more than doubled.
Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.
Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.
Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.
Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school.
All Party's can produce these lists of their achievements, that's not to belittle them, but no one produces a list of their failures, just their opponents.... I don't see any answers to my previous questions.

[akarjl2]

Interesting fact, before we had to bail banks out the lab gov had a deficit of £500bn, this increased to £1500bn in the post credit crunch era and was still reported at £828bn in 2019 (pre-covid), despite the Tory's being the apparent masters of fiscal control. 
So the Tories brought the Labour debt down then, what's the problem with that?

Also do you seriously think the free-market thinking Conservatives would have taken steps in the run up to 2008 to control the financial markets to prevent the credit crunch, or when the sh!t hit the fan not be there with their cheque books to bail out their banking chums. 
You are now applying 'what ifs' and your own prejudicial views and supposition on something that never happened. Labour was in power.

Keep in mind how keen they have been to farm £37bn to Serco for "Test and Trace".  How many Northern Powerhouses could they have built with that?  And you call our Tony bent, Pot calling the Kettle much?
Your precious Tony started a war which we're still feeling the effect of financially, but more importantly in lives....how much did that cost....? 😱
Incidentally, I did not refer to your 'Tony' as 'bent' , that was you. Care to explain why?
£ 37bn for test and trace..... really.

Just keep in mind, when they come with their cash hose and talk of a spending revolution, they got a fair to go before the town is even close to getting what is was in terms of public investment pre-2010.  Most of it will be just getting back stuff they already have taken.
So tell us what we got before 2010, no good just making vague claims, Give us meat on the bones.
And while you're at it, tell us about the loss of hospital services ... that was before 2010....  do you class that as an 'investment'.....?

The reality is in the town the majority voted against Labour wether you like it or not- FACT

Why? Because they ignored us for years and the local party and clouncil was led by buffoons who took the p**s and raped us.

The reality nationally is people are sick of the WOKE nonsense Corbyn supporting Palestinian terrorists, anti semitism , sex controversies and in summary being out of touch with the average voter.

They harp on about the working class...define working class? I have worked all my life and labour have done nothing for me. Most labour politicians and so called trade union leaders wouldn't know what a days work was because they have never had real jobs on which they have had to depend to support their families.

So you can harp on about t' old working class labour all you like. People detest them and certainly do not trust them. Even Diana Abbot counting on her fingers and toes could figure that one out.

If you want to support labour you would be better off writing historical fiction - because thats all the Labour Party now is- Fiction ...in the past.

Time to move on.

[Inspector Knacker]

My interest is primarily in local politics and the effect they have on the town. I make no excuses, I love the place and think it deserves so much better, so the way it's been run for the past 15 years I consider the wilderness years. I think this was a major factor in the election result.
I detest the concept of national Party's involving themselves in local politics. The Party apparatchiks are there to serve the Party .... as an extension of national politics, local issues come a belated second, Party interests come first, that applies to all Party's.
Eddy appears to have come round after the anaesthetic of Labour losing wore off and reality has hit home. Frantically springing to the defence the Party he spins like a wind turbine in a hurricane, all wind and fury, everyone's fault , everyone's wrong, everyone's stupid for he has seen the true light.
Bye, it's grand to be a floating voter, tantrum and tear free and no one to tell you how to think.😂😂😂

[eddy]

Nah I think you miss read me; I have no love for local council level corruption.  Am not going to scramble to defend the record of the local party, as much as you want me to (or in some way feel I am obliged to do).  You really need to stop jumping to conclusions about anyone who dare admit to supporting labour.  Am also aware of the parties failing at national level.  However, this doesn't detract from the fact a lot of what is readily blamed on labour was probably not of their own making, as I say the Torys have played a blinder cutting local gov funding and leaving it up to the councils to deliver the bad news.  This is a pretty big part of the "What has labour done for us" argument, with two hands tided behind their backs.  Its OK though, so long as you vote Tory Ben will come along with his cash hose, am pretty sure that's not very democratic too either, only funding places that vote for your party.

There are many locations around the UK where Labour have run effective councils (Manchester, Preston etc) or where the party isn't loathed at a local level.  I wouldn't hold on to the notion labour are dead, democracy in itself will be dead without an effective opposition that actually wants to govern again one day.   

As a side, its nice to have the courage and conviction to stick to your core values, rather than run to whoever promises the biggest hill of beans.  Glory supporters much? 

[Inspector Knacker]

Nah I think you miss read me; I had ve no love for local council level corruption.
Who mentioned corruption? Incompetence, yes, but corruption...please explain.

Am not going to scramble to defend the record of the local party, as much as you want me to (or in some way feel I am obliged to do). 
I don't want or need you to defend them.

You really need to stop jumping to conclusions about anyone who dare admit to supporting labour.
You have that Labour trait that every who's not with you is against you.

Am also aware of the parties failing at national level.  However, this doesn't detract from the fact a lot of what is readily blamed on labour was probably not of their own making, as I say the Torys have played a blinder cutting local gov funding and leaving it up to the councils to deliver the bad news.
Here we go again, heard it all before, never out to do with you. I shudder at the thought of what  the Dumpling Dictator would have done with a much larger budget, try justifying that.

  This is a pretty big part of the "What has labour done for us" argument, with two hands tided behind their backs.  Its OK though, so long as you vote Tory Ben will come along with his cash hose, am pretty sure that's not very democratic too either, only funding places that vote for your party.
Sounds OK to me compared to what your shouty candidate was offering, a good part of it revolving around 'Ben's'  Freeport, she wasn't too bothered about that.

There are many locations around the UK where Labour have run effective councils (Manchester, Preston etc) or where the party isn't loathed at a local level.  I wouldn't hold on to the notion labour are dead, democracy in itself will be dead without an effective opposition that actually wants to govern again one day.   
You just don't get it do you.... if your heroes are so good, why are they crumbling before your eyes.

As a side, its nice to have the courage and conviction to stick to your core values, rather than run to whoever promises the biggest hill of beans.  Glory supporters much?
What core values are those, as most of your support has started to drift away over the years it must suggest the Party has very flexible core values. You just never noticed the Labour train was taking a different route but decided to stay onboard because getting off could mean challenging your own core values. 'Conviction' eh...convincing yourself?

[akarjl2]

democracy

LOL not all it is cracked up to be there are some alternatives for example Singapore.......

[akarjl2]

I shudder at the thought of what  the Dumpling Dictator would have done with a much larger budget

Something to do with "advising" ,"minority gender groups" and "pink"? A complete load of nonsense pandering to the needs of minorities combined with an unsupported perverse vision I suspect? Oh yea and a pay rise and new sports car?