More Independents needed

[Deckard]

I think anyone with the guts to put themselves up for the public vote should go for it. I don't include Labour candidate in that statement as there is no courage involved in standing up in a fixed fight - all I am saying is go in with your eyes open.

You don't strike me as a blinkers on kinda chap RR.

Personally I would love to stand, just so I can have my say in public and in leaflets about this town, about how our mother died thinking she was going to be evicted from her home, and the local labour councillor who spoke to her in her house and told her that the only way she could save her home was to vote for him even though he supported the demolitions, something he neglected to mention to her, - its what ray wants, I know the fights fixed but to have my say I'd do it anyway - problem is I'm no longer a resident of the town. I'm based here now for a couple months for a job - and thats it, which no doubt the labour hangers on lurking on thois forum will take with a pinch of salt.

I'd love my brother to stand, he is resident and is even considering it, seriously considering it, problem there is his wife, who has work contact with some MBC Politburo members, isn't british and frankly wants out - but if he stands then they're locked in for 4 years, or rather he is as she has taken up an offer that means she has to be resident in her own country again no later that Jan 2013 - what would be the point of being a non resident councillor, pr part time resident councillor - its OK for Labour but he's not a trough monkey like them and would consider it ripping off the taxpayer. he may stand yet, and they'll cross the bridge when the bridge comes, but it would mean living apart for two years - granted we both know he won;t get elected, but there would be no point in trying if you weren't committed, despite all the things I outlined in my previous post. I will repeat simply - I do not believe elections are fair in this town and kudos to those who are avle to stand and do so.

To those who stand, the best of luck - its a tough decision, and your comment is somewhat naive, because I can guarantee those who stand one thing for a fact - they will discover exactly what their Labour councillors, and Labour party and thereforemthie ruling clabour council is like, with its facade stripped away - and they will never look at the council, or this town when they hear the Labour and indeed Mayoral platitudes, knowing what they then know in the same way again. The Labour candidates will ofmcourse be supporting a third term rather than stumping for their own party candidate - just like last time

I note you didn;'t address any of the allegations of dodgy doings at the 2007 election, they are numerous and have from many different quarters over the years, do you not wish to give an opinion on why it is practical common knowledge that this town is bent and nothing can be done about it, from dodgy postal votes to the patriarchal voting blocks who decide who is not only elected in the town centre wards, but who is nominated, the % of councillors in certain demographics tells you all you need to know about who has the most say in who runs what in the centre of Middlesbrough.

A little bird tells me that a certain former high ranking member of the Labour cabal was recently seen showing one of the new prospective Labour candidates about the town hall - the discussion was not of if elected, or any possibility that the candidate wouldn't be, but of when elected, and what their position will be within the Labour ranks, going even so far as showing the candidate their own little space that they will occupy after elected. There is belief in an election result, its part of the to and fro of the election badinage that parties state their candidate is a shoe in, it is something else when a candidate can be touted around the workers of the town hall, who are supposed to operate apolitically and the talk is of the guarantee of election.

"Rotten boroughs" doesnt even begin to describe it

I would like to hear the input of any of the other Independents who stood in 2007 about what went on at the count regarding ballot boxes being opened and then moved to another place - this happened after the first few results gave Labour a hiding and saw Independents elected, one of the Labour casualties being a certain Bob Brady, and of course the vanishing police

[AHSOT1]

Hi Deckard,

As posted, some 42 of them were in previously, that is now down to 26.

The trend is not in their favour, and maybe some twitchings are showing.
The press exposures obviously are the beginnings of the May campaign.

The usual plan, try and build up the good news, then after May if the con has worked, back to normal!

This time I reckon they have blown it, and big style... to much to come out eh?

Tosha

[Quantum]

http://www.freemiddlesbrough.com/

[BoroBot]

Excellent a constructive and positive means of providing news items

What this town really needs is an alternative newspaper in the form of a free sheet produced by volunteers on their computers/printers which can be delivered throughout the town once a fortnight. I am sure certain councillors would be happy to chip in with information/paper/news and with deliveries. It can start off as simply a double sided sheet and them move on from there. If it publishes what the Gazette will not publish it will gain interest. If it gained interest it might attract an advertiser or two which would off- set the costs and enable it to be 4 pages etc etc. As long as the content is factual and not confidential I cannot see a problem.

[Rockliffe_Rover]

Sorry guys but I've had a change of heart.

I've recently been hounded across all three forums by Bowen; an Independent councillor and member of MIMA.

She's made a point of denigrating my efforts on here to drum up some support for the Independent movement and to try to find more Independent candidates in time for the election.

I'm sorry, but I'm not prepared to put in the time and effort that it would have taken to produce the website and marketting materials to support the Independent movement when I've got an Independent councillor and member of MIMA following me around the forums and taking potshots at me at every opportunity.

And to think that the Labour lot branded me one of her 'attack dogs' at one point.

Sorry, nope, really cant be arsed to expend my time, effort and energy on finding good, local, community based Independent candidates when someone who's own interests would benefit from the increased support that would be the result of such endeavour makes a point of berating me across multiple forums (using multiple IDS, no less.) Clearly Bowen wants everything to be done HER way. Fine, good luck to you all with that one.

I hope someone else has the desire to carry the idea forward. As for me, I'm out of here, there and the other place!

[JohnR_V2]

Join the club RR, another supporter the silly woman has made an enemy of. A shame really because I liked your ideas.

[Tennispro]

Constituents are and have always been a means to an end..it's not even about politics, it's about primeval instinct -power!

[Deckard]

Constituents are and have always been a means to an end..it's not even about politics, it's about primeval instinct -power!

And don;t New Labour like to wield it - the most watched town in the most spied on country on the planet.

How long in town before the voices on sticks replace "Don't Drop Litter or you will be corrected" with "Vote Labour" - I'll wager they've tried to come up with ways to do it

[AHSOT1]

Hi Deckard,

A push for independents and to election will make a change for the better.

Tosha

[Bowen2010]

Rockliffe Rover you really do need to calm down. The idea of a free sheet/newspaer was NOT my idea at all - its been discussed for some time now by others and the idea was passed to me with an invitation to join. I ran it past viewers on here to see what the reaction would be. There are too many people who do not use computers for a web site to have the desired affect - or so we all decided so we plumped for a free sheet instead.

[AHSOT1]

Hi Bowen,

Nothing wrong in running other media aspects in parallel.
Said elsewhere, when I worked for the EG, they had folk reading papers looking for material and follow up stories and etc.
These days, the places that are trawled are websites, (Mail, Mirror, Guardian and etc etc etc. Google, and now twitter and Facebook) if used properly.

A website offering information, provision of links and etc, positive and negative, if it became a good source of information, and promoted, eyes will go looking.
If the web wasn't of any use, I would ask myself, why it is used so much, by companies, Government, Stores and etc etc etc and information providers, Google for example.

How many hits did postergate get? (It's still there BTW) It's surprising how many hits forums get, I wonder why MBC use the web although they post magazines through doors etc. Everyone does not have a computer, but it is a brilliant way of getting information into the public gaze, and most folks these days have the old dog 'n' bone!

Tosha

[JohnR_V2]

.....Everyone does not have a computer,......

Maybe not, mate, but everybody has access to one.

.......but it is a brilliant way of getting information into the public gaze...

I couldn't agree more. When stuff starts going viral it is unstoppable.

[AHSOT1]

Hi JR,

My points exactly, if they could only grasp what GOOGLE is about for example,, the lights just might come on!

My brother in law, had not a jot of interest in PCs, reached 53 years old, never saw the point, blocked them out of thought processes. I built him one, after he had a sit at mine.
Things changed when I showed him how to communicate with his son in Afghanistan, and the wonders of webcamming, at his base in Germany, keeping daily in touch with the grand children and etc.

Uses the perishing thing all the time now. Giggling, Googling, checking stores and store stocks for this that and the other. Almost like a religious convert!

The roof caves in if he has a problem with it now, PSU went dicky, I had to to fix PDQ!

Tosha