General councillors and other notable defections

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Oct 7, 2013 19:29:20 GMT erlend said:

Oct 7, 2013 11:26:57 GMT CatholicLeft said:

I would also point out that joint enterprise is one of the most appallingly implemented parts of criminal law for which a person can end up serving long sentences with no solid evidence of guilt. I know this is not necessarily connected with my above post, but I felt the need to state it.

Is that the law as it was for the Bentley case?

I don't believe it's changed in any significant degree, although no Judge nowadays would get away with a summing-up on the issue as shocking as Goddard's.

[Deleted]

Joint enterprise is somewhat different from the Bentley case as it can mean the charging with serious offences those who were not at the scene of a crime, were minor players in a crime but find themselves charged as if they are the main actors or are perceived to have had some knowledge of the planning of a crime. Indeed, you can have believed it to be a minor offence that was being conceived and may even have tried to mitigate the more serious aspects of an offence but, when the net is widely thrown, find yourself charged as if you had committed a terrible offence yourself. To a great degree, Joint Enterprise is guilt by association which is an insidious legal precendent to set
We should be responsible for what we have done, not for what others do, and be charged and sentenced accordingly.
I have to say, having read a number of summing-up accounts, I do not share David's confidence.

[meurig]

Blaenau Gwent councillor suspended by Labour
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-24430012

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Note that Brian Scully has been administratively suspended by the Labour Party, which means that he is unable to hold office within the party. He has not been suspended by the Blaenau Gwent Labour Group and so retains the Labour whip.

[marksenior]

Jabba Riaz , Conservative councillor for Cathedral ward on Worcester City Council has defected to Labour .

[Deleted]

full story - www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/10736295.BREAKING__Jabba_Riaz_quits_the_Tories_and_joins_Labour/

first Tory to Labour for a while ?

and a strange choice to swap to a safer tory seat unless other issues involved ?

[greenchristian]

In case people haven't been following the European Election threads, our very own Richard Allen from UKIP to independent.

Announcement on this page

[Deleted]

Oct 14, 2013 17:37:51 GMT @ianrobo said:

full story - www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/10736295.BREAKING__Jabba_Riaz_quits_the_Tories_and_joins_Labour/

first Tory to Labour for a while ?

and a strange choice to swap to a safer tory seat unless other issues involved ?

There is an awful lot of (it has to be said) Asian Councillors who seem to swap (either way) between the main two parties on entirely self-serving motivations.

Defecting seven days after failing to get nomination in a plum tory ward is just so cheap. Labour would be wise to avoid, and we would to when he rejoins the tories when the time is right.

[johnloony]

They are all really modern and up-to-date with the very latest news over the border in Bromley
chislehurstvillagenews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/loony-joins-conservatives-bob-neill-mp.html

[Deleted]

Not the most momentous defection, but of some interest as it is in Portsmouth:

www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/cut-in-public-loos-is-to-blame-for-lib-dem-leaving-party-1-5588717

Interesting and very 'local' reason for finally defecting.

[Crimson King]

Oct 17, 2013 9:28:55 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Not the most momentous defection, but of some interest as it is in Portsmouth:

www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/cut-in-public-loos-is-to-blame-for-lib-dem-leaving-party-1-5588717

Intersting and very 'local' reason finally defecting.

I presume he is planning to join the Labour Party, not the Labour Group as the report says

[erlend]

I did note that. Papers can be clueless.

[finsobruce]

Oct 17, 2013 9:47:46 GMT Crimson King said:

Oct 17, 2013 9:28:55 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Not the most momentous defection, but of some interest as it is in Portsmouth:

www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/cut-in-public-loos-is-to-blame-for-lib-dem-leaving-party-1-5588717

Intersting and very 'local' reason finally defecting.

I presume he is planning to join the Labour Party, not the Labour Group as the report says

Everyone should have an ambition...   

And good to see that public toilets can still arouse political controversy. 

[peterl]

Well honestly, closing 12 public toilets out of a total of 25...


Its just taking the piss really.

[Deleted]

tshh ding!

[mrhell]

Person who stopped being a councillor five years ago. Not exactly important. Did he immediately become Lord Mayor?

[Khunanup]

Oct 17, 2013 9:28:55 GMT CatholicLeft said:

Not the most momentous defection, but of some interest as it is in Portsmouth:

www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/cut-in-public-loos-is-to-blame-for-lib-dem-leaving-party-1-5588717

Interesting and very 'local' reason for finally defecting.

This has been met with derision in the local party.

Since losing in 2008, Alex has attempted to be selected numerous times in contested selections for held Lib Dems seats, losing every time. He lost to me twice (the majority of my ward is the one he represented from 1986-2002) and lost two selections for the ward he represented from 2002-2008 (which took in the smaller part of the predecessor ward). At some selection meetings, he lost one selection, looked at the list of what was still to select and then stood for another one, losing that as well (we changed our selection rules to stop this, he wasn't the only one, after this was done in consecutive selection meetings).

When he did stand for us again last year (in Copnor) it was because he was a late replacement in a long shot ward which became an even longer shot when he took his customary approach of not delivering or canvassing and blaming everyone but himself when it didn't go as well as it could have done.

So though he can still hold a room to rapture once in a while, he lost the ability to campaign many years ago. This seems to be a last desperate attempt to be allowed to stand and maybe even in a winnable seat he would hope. Can't see the latter happening though so it'll all be in vain. Sad really

[froome]

Oct 17, 2013 18:33:08 GMT finsobruce said:

Oct 17, 2013 9:47:46 GMT Crimson King said:

I presume he is planning to join the Labour Party, not the Labour Group as the report says

Everyone should have an ambition...   

And good to see that public toilets can still arouse political controversy. 

This isn't the only place where the threatened closure of public toilets is stirring the populace up.

In Bath & N.E. Somerset the ruling Lib Dems also proposed closing half of the public toilets and then faced a sit-in :)in one by a determined campaigner along with a large petition. They have now dropped that plan for 6 months when it will be 'reviewed'.

[finsobruce]

I remember when I was a councillor, one local veteran assuring me that they had once won a council by election in the 1950s by promising to keep open a public toilet (or possibly open a new one).

[positivelight]

Oct 18, 2013 21:15:57 GMT finsobruce said:

I remember when I was a councillor, one local veteran assuring me that they had once won a council by election in the 1950s by promising to keep open a public toilet (or possibly open a new one).

I recall the time when a local councillor in my area of Folkestone getting elected after promising new toilets at Radnor Park. Mind you they've been in a terrible state ever since. I know we're in the age of austerity but we do need new public toilets though. Or at least do something with disused ones. That's another debate, haha.