Don't give up

[DRiddle]

It is important to remember that we cannot give up. Last night was a real kick in the teeth for many people (myself included).

ShaMe has betrayed an awful lot of people in doing what he has done and the backlash will be far bigger than he is anticipating.

Whichever side of the political fence you sit on, pro-Labour or anti-Labour, it was crystal clear there are huge sections of Hartlepool who wanted the Akers-Belchers and their hangers on out by whatever means necessary democratically.

The Hartlepool Independent Union benefited from this at the ballot box as did other groups.

In block voting with the SCABS (I won't be referring to them as Socialist Labour) ShaMe has betrayed thousands of people.

There might be people who are active politically locally feeling, "What's the point? I'm done, I'm giving up, they're all the same" etc.

Don't be one of those people.

We need to fight on.

Re-group, re-organise and re-build.

In 12 months time the Akers-Belcher's will be a sordid footnote in the history of politics in Hartlepool.

ShaME Moore has just ensured he'll be joining them.

As have the whole of the Hartlepool Independent Union and others who gave overt or tacit support to the SCABS. I include various ex-PHF members in that.

I hope whatever ShaMe earns over the next year or so is worth it.

[mk1]

I still believe this is all to do with Farage and his 'new' Political Party. If barking-mad UKIP sink without trace tomorrow (as is very likely) I believe Farage  will launch a  'far-right party that will appeal to the 'disillusioned fruitcakes and looneys. Tennant for sure does not give a toss about Hartlepool and he is positioning himself for the great Office he believes is his rightful place. We had it years back when UKIP first launched and Hartlepool Councillors (that is Councillors in Hartlepool rather than councillors who lived in Hartlepool) were high up the UKIP ladder. It all turned sour but they were (for a short while) in with a chance. Nothing is ever really new and history just keeps repeating.

[diSme]

It is important to remember that we cannot give up. Last night was a real kick in the teeth for many people (myself included).

ShaMe has betrayed an awful lot of people in doing what he has done and the backlash will be far bigger than he is anticipating.

Whichever side of the political fence you sit on, pro-Labour or anti-Labour, it was crystal clear there are huge sections of Hartlepool who wanted the Akers-Belchers and their hangers on out by whatever means necessary democratically.

The Hartlepool Independent Union benefited from this at the ballot box as did other groups.

In block voting with the SCABS (I won't be referring to them as Socialist Labour) ShaMe has betrayed thousands of people.

There might be people who are active politically locally feeling, "What's the point? I'm done, I'm giving up, they're all the same" etc.

Don't be one of those people.

We need to fight on.

Re-group, re-organise and re-build.

In 12 months time the Akers-Belcher's will be a sordid footnote in the history of politics in Hartlepool.

ShaME Moore has just ensured he'll be joining them.

As have the whole of the Hartlepool Independent Union and others who gave overt or tacit support to the SCABS. I include various ex-PHF members in that.

I hope whatever ShaMe earns over the next year or so is worth it.

Very well said David.

Personally, I currently feel extremely despondent about the whole local political situation. I feel betrayed, and I'm certain that many others do also.

It would be easy to just sit back and say 'f*c* it', stop wasting my own personal time voting, and stop bothering to spread relevant information to others,,,, but fortunately I don't think I can do that.

At the moment, I'm taking stock and waiting to see what transpires, and I agree with you that the truth will eventually prevail. Hopefully certain individuals will eventually be held to account for their actions. The people of the town have had the p**s taken out of them for far too long. It can't last forever....

[Land Phil]

The Labour party have a lot to answer for.
If they had stood by their core values there would never have been the opportunity for this to happen.
In passing, how come Comrade Carl always manages to keep his head below the parapet ?

Shane has made himself one massive target and before the year is out, I am sure he will slip up and make national press.
It is one thing to get caught pis*ed behind the wheel, it is another to get caught when 'leading' a town.
Leopards don't change their spots, even when under the influence and being cuddled by champagne socialists.

[diSme]

Some truly vomit-inducing reading in this article - https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/labour-group-hits-out-at-new-hartlepool-borough-council-leadership-coalition-1-9783746

[Inspector Knacker]

Some truly vomit-inducing reading in this article - https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/politics/labour-group-hits-out-at-new-hartlepool-borough-council-leadership-coalition-1-9783746

Bit of a brass neck, they spent years obediently voting for them.

[mk1]

I always believe any new broom would end up jus tthe same as the old broom. I never allow myself to be fooled into believing a new administration will  introduce any of the openness and transparency it campaigns for. Once you get into office your every waking moment is spent  bending the rules to  make sure you stay top dog. I always expected Shane would crash and burn and I said it here many times so I was not surprised with the way things panned out. The puzzle is why would he immolate on day one? It is all downhill from here.

[Inspector Knacker]

We can't give up on finally getting a sensible solution to local politics and finally changing it for the better, there is no alternative, you have to keep expecting better and holding them to account. The only other option is to walk away and that's not going to happen, or they really have won.
This latest comedy of errors is an appalling show of judgement all round and begs the question what the hell are they thinking. This 'union' of the damned is so farcical it beggars belief that anyone could even briefly flirt with it in a moment of madness.
An incredible blunder, haven't we suffered enough?

[fred c]

No one is as p****d off as myself about what's happened on Thursday night, but I look at the labour propaganda in the weeks leading up to it, the Artlepool Aye was at it weeks ago, then a variety labour punters carried it on.

It started again immediately after Thursdays meeting, yes Shane made a massive mistake in not opposing CAB............but why didn't labour field a candidate to oppose CAB, If they had, and the IU had then voted for CAB, I would totally agree it is a coalition.

Did any of us really believe that politics in Hartlepool would change overnight, I certainly didn't, it will take a number of years to clean the stall out, from what I have seen from the Pixies over the past weeks they are to sweet to be wholesome and I still firmly believe that party comes before civic duty......

"Politics is a Dirty Business" it certainly is in Hartlepool

[jeffh]

Asked Brash the same question on Facebook - why no Labour candidate for Regeneration Chair - I await a reply

[DRiddle]

I think the salient point in all of this is ShaMe was given an alternative to voting for CAB to chair a committee. If literally nobody had opposed CAB then there could be some degree of validity in the argument that there was no alternative. It would never have been fully clear which way ShaMe and the HIU would have voted. CAB would have got it uncontested.

But there was and alternative.

The choice ShaMe had was clear cut.

Vote for CAB, the bloke you've publicly slagged off for 6 years and the (former) leader of the political party you say you hate. Alternatively, vote for James Black, the bloke you've had a drink with many times over the last few years, generally supported politically and who you had assured personally you had not made any form of deal with the SCABAL.

Set aside the fact that Labour did not contest the chairs for a minute.

ShaMe was forced to show his hand by James Black.

There is no excuse for what ShaME has done. I personally wouldn't lay too much blame at the door of Labour on this specific incident.

Granted you could argue their apathy towards what the SCABS were doing for several years contributed to this conclusion.

But be assured, for CAB to end up with a chair he had to receive the most votes in order to do so.

And those votes came via ShaMe.

[Inspector Knacker]

No one is as p****d off as myself about what's happened on Thursday night, but I look at the labour propaganda in the weeks leading up to it, the Artlepool Aye was at it weeks ago, then a variety labour punters carried it on.

It started again immediately after Thursdays meeting, yes Shane made a massive mistake in not opposing CAB............but why didn't labour field a candidate to oppose CAB, If they had, and the IU had then voted for CAB, I would totally agree it is a coalition.

Did any of us really believe that politics in Hartlepool would change overnight, I certainly didn't, it will take a number of years to clean the stall out, from what I have seen from the Pixies over the past weeks they are to sweet to be wholesome and I still firmly believe that party comes before civic duty......

"Politics is a Dirty Business" it certainly is in Hartlepool

Labour have started their planning for next years election now. They could have put this to bed straight away, but stood back and did nothing at all. They abandoned their duty to the electorate by not co-operating and became bystanders and are now watching the cabal strutting about as untouchables. Like vultures with dog collars piously circling they're wringing their hands while waiting to feed on the political corpse in a years time.
The Gang of Four are still doing the Labour Party bidding by destroying the credibility of any future independent candidates.
The Tory's just tag along with whoever has the power.
The S.L.P  A gaggle of political leper's yet to realise the bits are falling off.

[mk1]

The Gang of Four are still doing the Labour Party bidding by destroying the credibility of any future independent candidates.
The Tory's just tag along with whoever has the power.

So why walk  into such an  obvious trap?
I am pretty sure bigger issues are in play here and it is a deliberate wrecking of the system as a political strategy.
All political groups are scheming here. It is not just Labour.

[Inspector Knacker]

I really don't know. It's a bit like letting someone go tap dancing in a minefield, you know what the outcome will be. They're either as dumb as a petrol filled fire extinguisher or so obsessed with a lust for power that they're just blind to the consequences.
It defies logic, as soon as a chance of power arises they all look like they're in a feeding frenzy in a piranha tank. Bizarre.

[Johnny Bongo]

As the saying goes 'Keep your friends close....but keep your enemies closer'.  Let's just hope that Shane has  'a cunning plan' that will finally see the demise of the SCABAL.