Shane to run for MP...

[DRiddle]

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/resident-throws-hat-into-ring-to-stand-for-hartlepool-mp-almost-two-years-before-election-1-5797536

Interesting. Moore, presumably Iain Wright.... who could be next? Brash? a PHF?

[Inspector Knacker]

In the context of this town, a tory vote is a wasted vote, too much negative baggage, a political gesture that can never reach the necessary critical mass to unseat the Labour party. You have to tackle the Labour Party with an independent, with no baggage, the local electorate will vote against the entrenched encumbents if you give them the right party free candidate to have a go back at them..... pitch your vote at the right part of the electorate.

[stokoe]

like riddler says a tory vote is a waste,sorry shane you come over ok.

but mr riddle what about yourself?

[DRiddle]

Me? I think I've been asked that before on here. I doubt I could handle the lack of autonomy, putting my family through it, life in 'the village' etc. I like the job I currently do and that's important to me.

Also, I don't have the profile in the town that an indy would need to pull it off.

Personally, in my opinion Alan Wright cutting the Labour majority to just a few thousand was as much to do with it being HIM that stood (and being well known via The Mail etc.) as it was to do with him being a tory.

Shane's a nice lad and he clearly cares about the town, but I think he'd be better served if he was elected at local level.

I'd potentially be prepared to get more involved at local level though, mainly because i'm confident I could do a far better job than some of our current councillors.

That said, that's not really too bold a claim is it?

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

It is a hard call ..will a good conservative do better than a bad labour candidate in a town blinkered by the word labour.

Personally I feel so let down by Iain, I could never vote for him.

The question is, do I vote for Shane which is against my socialist principals or not vote at all.

[tankerville]

J Brash could well be a contender he uses the ploy of calling himself Independent Labour that would beguile a lot of staunch hard and fast LABOUR voters.

We know that you can't be Independent & Labour and before this is condemned as nonsense, remember the voting for the headland election.John Marshall Labour.

What happened to the Independent John Marshall?

[mk1]

Call me a cynic but I do not believe Brash will do anything that will prevent his re-entry into the Party. The best way he could do it is by winning the seat without too much anti-labour rhetoric (concentrate on personal attacks of those he can paint as a rogue element).and once the present ruling clique are exposed slide swiftly back into a command position.
Look how quickly Fisher sold out when offered a place at the trough.................

[steveL]

You catch odd glimpses of Wright during coverage of the Commons. He seems to be one of those MPs allocated the job of shuffling along the benches to sit behind whichever Labour shadow Minister is speaking, thereby giving the impression, through the narrow field of the TV camera, that the labour benches are packed. He nods and grunts at the appropriate time a bit like the Churchill dog.

He clearly thinks and enjoys thinking that he is a player on the Westminster stage.

I would say, on recent performances, that he's a lot less comfortable talking locally about local issues. So we don't hear much from him on the hospital, Manor Residents or the Traveller Sites. His last foray into local involvement saw him stood on the steps of the Civic alongside Wilcox and, from the look on his face at the time, it was a 'beam me up, Scotty' moment for him of mega proportion.

[steveL]

I wouldn't write the Tories off nationally, just yet. In dire days, the British public have a habit of voting to see things through rather than change direction mid-way through a crisis.

In addition, I don't think anyone can claim that the current Milliband-Balls partnership displays any sort of credibility. I haven't heard anything from either of them up to now that I could say amounts to a plan.

As for Shane. Well it will be an interesting experience for him and, to give the lad his due, he's probably the nearest thing to a genuine Tory that the town has right now. He's certainly more of a genuine Tory than Wright is a genuine socialist.

[mk1]

You catch odd glimpses of Wright during coverage of the Commons. He seems to be one of those MPs allocated the job of shuffling along the benches to sit behind whichever Labour shadow Minister is speaking, thereby giving the impression, through the narrow field of the TV camera, that the labour benches are packed. He nods and grunts at the appropriate time a bit like the Churchill dog.

I have noticed that. I thought it odd he should be in picture so often.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Funny, I noticed his shuffling papers when a debate about bees and pesticides was taking place.
He contributed nothing other than as you say filling a very small amount of space up.

Has his wife got tired of him getting in the way when she is trying to do the hoovering ?

[mk1]

It's official then. Wright is a 'doughnut!

[tankerville]

We have a number of well known LABOUR COUNCILLORS posing as INDEPENDENT. and by reading on this post another has been added to that list. I'm sure readers know who that person is.

J. Brash will continue using the term if it brings votes he cannot use it on election leaflets as you rightly state but when Hartlepool Mail continue to address him as INDEPENDENT LABOUR he's on to a winner.

I think that the 2014 elections will be a stepping stone for him to stand as MP in 2015 General Election but that's only my opinion.

Whether Hartlepool is ready for someone that is highly intelligent & articulate I'm not sure are... YOU?

[DRiddle]

Councillor Brash isn't up for re-election in 2014. He gained the most votes in The Burn Valley last May (I think). So he's safe for 3 years.

Although even though he isn't, you're right in that 2014 will be the wake up call we've all been waiting for in Hartlpool since the 'Rate Payers' took control of HBC back in the day.

Presumably if he stood for MP he'd need to resign from the council prior to doing so though, and that'd be shame. Although I guess if he didn't beat Iain Wright he could just stand as a councillor again at the next opportunity. He's generally very well liked and respected on The Burn Valley Ward. Which I can assure you, can not be said of all the councillors on that ward... 

[pensionater]

People need to think very carefully the reasons for nominating someone for the roll of town MP.Lets take the two names mentioned on this post,DRiddle & Brash.One asked a question at a council meeting and the other disagreed with the party line on asking questions.Does this make them outstanding candidates?.One of them sometimes gives the impression that he wants to be a Martyr rather than a politician.