I used to be indecisive .... but now I'm not so sure

[steveL]

Apparently, after telling the world and its Uncle that he wasn't going to stand in Hart Ward next year, Paul Beck has now changed his mind.

Good news for all other candidates I would have thought.

[not4me]

...and when he's canvassing he'll probably deny he's already been the sitting councillor for the last two and a half years and that 'the other guy' was a completely different Paul Beck.

[steveL]

  liked that one!

[for fawkes sake]

Identical twins, perhaps? The Man in the Fondue Mask

[Bimba1]

Labours Sacrificial Lamb.

Is legal advice very expensive these days? nudge nudge 

On- message  or  off - message what would you choose?

[Party Pooper]

Why haven't the Labour Party in the Region or Nationally stepped in by now and tried to sort out the mess these imbeciles have caused?
How can these people keep being selected as candidates for their party when it is obvious they are, at best corrupt ?
Clr Beck is clearly trying to save his neck in the MRA disgrace, by claiming he was not part of it, but why hasn't he and his follow travellers had the decency to make public statements condemning what went on and press for the victims to get what the courts ordered they should receive?
Not one of them has made any public statement to the effect that what happened to the 4 employees was wrong and should not have happened, and not one of them has pressed for the 4 employees to get their court awards paid. That alone is grounds to condemn every labour councillor in Hartlepool, and the MP who has stood by and said and done nothing.
Ok so Clr Beck who was obviously speaking for Clr Akers-Belcher makes and ar** of himself in the council chambers ( not the first time I would bet), and it is clear it is to save their skins, but surely, leaving aside that they are "politicians" as decent human beings why have they not supported their fellow citizens in this town who have been wronged? 
Lower than snakes bellies comes to mind.
And now Beck wants to represent another part of the town, !!! Unbelievable.

[Inspector Knacker]

If you put them in a think tank they'd drown.

[DRiddle]

Labours vote in Hart has crashed to around 300 (presumably 300 people who don't actually follow local politics).

Maybe there'll be a spike due to it being a GE but this seat will be a 3 way fight between UKIP, PHF and Fisher.

Beck's probably just there as the fall guy if he does stand in Hart. Saying that, he told me in person at a residents meeting that he was standing down.

Although after Thursday . . . Who knows.

[one direction]

Isn't  Hart one of those wards where that almost everyonehas a chance because its so diverse. I think there were 9 candidates a few elections ago weren't  there? Seems like a deal to be done to allow PHF a crack at it for a second councillor. what could they offer UKIP though? If the local election is on the same day as the general election then to maximise national vote share it must be thst UKIP will want to fight every seat?

[beanzontoast]

Party pooper the reason is quite obvious if you think about it,The Labour party in London know, the mayor is a liability and an embarrassment,  as is some other councillors the wheels are falling off for labour in Hartlepool. But with local and general election on the way and they are terrified of UKIP, they must at all costs prop the whole thing up  and the Labour party in London are giving labour in Hartlepool top dollar legal advice and directionif Labour control of Hartlepool in may watch them get rid of mayor and spin it to make them look good.

[DRiddle]

UKIP have done nothing to deserve votes in Hartlepool. They're just proving to be people's 'protest vehicle' of choice at national level.

Couple that with the hospital issue and the abject shambles that is the current leadership of our council and Wright has found himself in the middle of a 'perfect storm'.

Be assured, if Labour lose Hartlepool it might be to UKIP, but it won't be because of UKIP.

Over the last 18 months we've witnessed what is basically sustained 'self harm' from the local Labour Party.

Watching Akers-Belcher's tenure as leader has been like watching a man trying to commit suicide by hitting himself about the head with a bag of marshmallows.

[beanzontoast]

I've not heard such rubbish,  UKIP are a national party with a manifesto,  It is also the 3rd most Popular in the country Dliddle, if you could just stop navel gazing you might just notice nationally the people are realizing what has been happening in the UK,  and if people want change in may UKIP is the only choice, UKIP have 2 councillors and at least voters know what they stand for, what your protes group stand for noone knows either way unless UKIP or PHF win wards in may and labour hold Hartlepool then 19 labour councillors will still outvote the rest. If Hartlepool canges it will be because of UKIP and not because of yourselves at all.

[DRiddle]

I've read and re-read your post above 5 or 6 times and can just about make out what it was supposed to say.

Look, UKIP have somewhere around 5-8,000 actually 'proper' UKIP voters in Hartlepool.

Nowhere near enough to win in a GE. But, with the support of several thousand disgruntled Labour voters, floating voters, tactically voting Tories, Liberals who realise they may as well set fire to their vote as cast it, etc. UKIP might get close.

You might even win.

But don't think for a second there are suddenly an extra 10,000 people in Hartlepool who buy into Nigel's ideology.

There aren't.

[fred c]

For me it`s a simple matter of UKIP grasping the opportunity presented to it by the abhorrent governance of the town by "The Dear Leader & The TorLab Mob", that coupled with the disgust people feel about the blantant electioneering lie over the hospital by the flaccid "Member" pre the 2004 GE.

If UKIP use their loaves & stick to those issues they could well unseat Wright, if they fall into the trap of believing that their manifesto is the reason for change, they could well end up with egg all over their Moi.

[Party Pooper]

I've not heard such rubbish,  UKIP are a national party with a manifesto,  It is also the 3rd most Popular in the country Dliddle, if you could just stop navel gazing you might just notice nationally the people are realizing what has been happening in the UK,  and if people want change in may UKIP is the only choice, UKIP have 2 councillors and at least voters know what they stand for, what your protes group stand for noone knows either way unless UKIP or PHF win wards in may and labour hold Hartlepool then 19 labour councillors will still outvote the rest. If Hartlepool canges it will be because of UKIP and not because of yourselves at all.

Can someone who knows this poor soul take the shovel off him!
What do they stand for Beans? All we ever hear is what they are against and all the things they want to ban,
Tell us what UKIP think of the MRA workers not getting paid the National Minimum Wage because your Councillors haven't said a word against it. Is that because under UKIP we wouldn't have a National Minimum Wage ? So under UKIP what A Wilcox did to those workers would have been legal! Oh and One Erection you will find that is fact based and there are sources for it.
Agree with SteveL what a strategy the Kipper Councillors have keep quiet and it will be all the worse for them!!!!
Agree also with DRiddle UKIP are attracting disgruntled voters from other parties.
But don't get down hearted Beans keep going the odds are in your favour you are bound to get some right sometime, no one is always wrong. But be careful Beans too much time at the computer may leave you "slitty eyed". Tell us your not a racist now Beans your a Nationalist.