Lesson from history...........................

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http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/hart-broken-1-990829


May 2000


Labour party has lost control of Hartlepool Borough Council for the first time in 22 years.


And a massive town hall shake-up is now expected as the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives plan talks to form an alliance in a new hung council.


Labour lost nine seats five to the Lib Dems and four to the Tories in what demoralised leader Coun Russell Hart (pictured)described as a disastrous night for the party.


After last night s results, Labour now has 21 members on the council, the Liberal Democrats 14, the Conservatives 10 and there are two independents.


The election also saw several big name Labour councillors lose their seats some of them traditional Labour strongholds like Throston and Brinkburn.


Mayor Ron Watts was ousted from the Jackson ward by Tom Cherry while Bernard Carr touted as a future Labour leader lost in St Hilda s by a massive 567 votes to Fred Dickson.


The council s longest-serving member Bill Iseley lost his Brinkburn seat to 23-year-old newcomer Liza Ward and Peter Mandelson s election agent Stephen Wallace lost Throston to the Tories in one of the night s biggest shocks.


Outgoing council leader Coun Hart said: It has been a very difficult night for Labour and disastrous is a reasonable word to use.


Labour councillors accused the opposition parties of rigging the results by failing to put forward candidates against each other in eight of the 15 seats up for grabs.


Coun Hart added: All of this has come about because of the manipulation of the democratic system a cynical sweetheart deal which will inevitably end in tears.


But the night was one of celebration for the Liberal Democrats with their leader Coun Arthur Preece looking a strong favourite to become the fourth leader of the council in as many years.


Coun Preece denied striking a pre-election deal with the Tories on which seats to fight but admitted the two parties will get together to discuss a pact.


We will obviously talk to the Conservatives to see whether between us we can form an alternative administration, he said. If we can reach agreement with them we will attempt to do so.


There has not been that much collusion. Both parties have made their own tactical decisions.


Conservative leader Coun Frank Rogers added: We targeted four wards and we won four wards. We feel a little better than we did in 1995 when we lost them all.


The pendulum has swung. It is our turn. It is going to be an interesting council from next Monday.


He added that a deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats could well be on the table.


We will talk to everybody, he said. We are still the smallest party. Being sensible about it I think that we will talk with the Liberal Democrats.


I ve not spoken to them about it, but no doubt my phone will be hot.


Dejected Bernard Carr, who lost his seat to Headland community worker Fred Dickson, admitted: We ve taken a drubbing across the town.


He added: I feel like I ve stubbed my toe. I m too old to cry but it does hurt. I feel tremendously passionate about the good work we ve done.


There s also bitterness at our opponents for their collusion to minimise their exposure to the voters and maximise their potential for damage against the Labour party.


The people of Hartlepool now know you vote Tory if you want Liberal Democrat.


We will be watching like hawks to see that this unholy alliance won t damage the people of Hartlepool.


My belief is it will represent a big step back for Hartlepool.


Of course I will stand again if my party asks. You have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. I ve seen these tides come in and out. I ve been on both sides of the high water mark.


And Stephen Wallace hinted at the prospect of a new Labour leader the fourth in three years after Bryan Hanson, Ray Waller and Russell Hart following the drubbing.


Mr Wallace who insisted he was surprised at the result said: There s going to have to be a serious period of reflection for the Hartlepool Labour Party. A new leader is a matter for the Labour group.


There were two groundswells of feeling which forced this result. The first was that Labour had been in control for a long time and there was a feeling for change.


Secondly, people have tried to even things up. When the Conservatives were in power, Labour won council upon council upon council. But when Labour is in power, people try to even things out.


Labour has control led the council since 1978 when it took over from an alliance of Conservatives and the Ratepayers a group of people who objected to the size of the rates they were paying and formed their own party to take 13 seats in the 1976 election.


Mr Wallace added: Politics is too important and too much fun for me to give it up. I have to work out what the future holds for me but I will be around somewhere.