Middlesbrough Council - News Forum - Setting a light to the News

MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon and MP Tom Blenkinsop have clashed over the mayor’s comments he could stand to be the town’s next MP.
Mr Mallon said last week he could stand if the right quality of candidates did not come forward in the by-election to find a successor to Sir Stuart Bell, who died on October 13.
But Mr Blenkinsop, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, says Mr Mallon’s comments are “crass and disrespectful”.
Mr Mallon says it is his prerogative to comment on the election at any time he chooses.
Mr Blenkinsop said it was deeply regrettable the mayor had felt the need to make the “crass and disrespectful comments so soon after Sir Stuart Bell’s death”.
“Mayor Mallon well knows, in any election the public are offered a wide range of candidates to choose from. Mayor Mallon should let the residents of Middlesbrough make up their own mind on who they want to represent them instead of trying to act as some sort of barometer of who he judges to be worthy.”

Mr Mallon said: “My intention is to do everything possible to ensure the Labour Party in particular do not parachute an outside candidate into this town who has no ties to the town or this area, and who has their own self-interest at heart rather than the interests of the community of Middlesbrough.

“I hope this does not occur, in which case there will be no need for any further intervention from me whatsoever.”
He added: “I will not be taking notice of Tom Blenkinsop or any other Labour Party member, some of whom wish to dictate the outcome of the forthcoming by-election on their own terms.
“I am well aware of an immense amount of activity in Labour ranks over the last week, with numerous candidates vying for position – that is the disgrace of this situation.
“I am aware a certain trade union held interviews in Keswick to select the candidate of their choice.”
He said Mr Blenkinsop was well aware of what was going on behind the scenes, and as such his comments “are hypocritical to say the least”.

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -32080310/

Ray Mallon words 'crass' - Teesside MP
Oct 21 2012 by Dan Warburton, Sunday Sun
A TEESSIDE MP yesterday launched a scathing attack on his own town's mayor - branding comments made by 'Robocop' Ray Mallon as "crass and disrespectful".
Tom Blenkinsop criticised Mr Mallon after the Town Hall chief declared he may stand to become the town’s MP - just days after Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell passed away.
On Friday, former detective Mr Mallon had vowed to “protect” the town’s interest if he deemed the candidates weren’t up to scratch in an upcoming by-election following Sir Stuart’s death last Saturday.
Mr Blenkinsop yesterday attacked the comments, saying Mr Mallon should not be “trying to act as some sort of barometer of who he judges to be worthy” of taking the position.

Mr Mallon then hit back with a furious reponse to the Sunday Sun, defending his statement and accusing the Labour party of trying to “dictate the outcome of the forthcoming by-election on their own terms”.
In a statement released to us, Mr Mallon said it was a “disgrace” that members of the party were “vying for position” and said Mr Blenkinsop’s comments were “hypocritical”.

Sparking the exchange, Mr Blenkinsop - Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland - told the Sunday Sun: “It is deeply regrettable that Mayor Mallon has felt the need to make these crass and disrespectful comments so soon after Sir Stuart Bell’s death and I would hope that he would take the time to reassess the necessity of his intervention and apologise to those who are still mourning their loss.
“With regards to the content of his comments, as Mayor Mallon well knows, in any election the public are offered a wide range of candidates to choose from.
“Mayor Mallon should let the residents of Middlesbrough make their own mind up on who they want to represent them instead of trying to act as some sort of barometer of who he judges to be worthy."

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-e ... -32073642/

The egos have landed.
October 22, 2012 by rocklifferover

As the ‘race’ to find the next Middlesbrough MP gets under way, it seems that the fighting has already broken out between Labour MP for Middlesbrough South Tom Blenkinsop and Non-Labour-Labour-Candidate-of-choice-for-the-Labourites-who-dont-like-the-Labour-candidate Ray Mallon.
It’s all very ‘toys thrown from prams’. In yesterdays Sunday Sun, Little Tommy accuses Big Bad Ray of being disrespectful to the memory of Stuart Bell by saying that he might stand for election as MP. Big Bad Ray says that Little Tommy is in no position to tell him when he can and cannot speak.
For my money, for Mallon to declare that he will stand if the quality of candidate doesn’t meet his approval (i.e. if the Labour candidate isn’t someone who will toe the line and leave Ray and his executive to continue their reign of terror over Middlesbrough unabated) then he’ll conveniently resign as mayor and stand as MP, because he will have nothing to lose. If the incoming Labour candidate would hold MBC to account for the way they are running the town into the ground under Mallons administration, then Rays days as Mayor would be numbered. Better to be beaten in the Parliamentary by-election and leave a legacy of ‘doing it for the people’ of Middlesbrough, than have someone who shows him up for what he is, and his lasting legacy being exposure and being ousted for what he has done ‘to’ the people.
If Little Tommy is so bothered by what Big Bad Ray is up to, then Little Tommy should have been vocally opposing what Mallons executive have done to the town and the £14.8 million loan that they have rubber stamped on the towns behalf, to continue to knock down much needed housing after the government has told them to stop and pulled the funding. But Little Tommy cant do that. Because the people supporting Mallons demolition derby around Gresham are Labour Party members, part of Little Tommys own gang.
What we have here are two attention seekers seeking attention. Ray ‘I like it when I make the front page’ Mallon, and Tom ‘I tell the gazette all about what I’m going to do because 1) Labour MP’s in this town have a bad name thanks to Sir Stuart Bell and 2) I cant tell them about anything that I’ve actually achieved’ Blenkinsop.
Ladies and Gentlemen. The egos have landed!

http://bettermiddlesbrough.wordpress.co ... ve-landed/