Chris from Brum
Lib Dem
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group.
Posts: 9,106
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Post by Chris from Brum on Jan 26, 2021 12:20:44 GMT
Another vacancy impending in Lewisham - Joe Dromey is standing down in New Cross ward: Son of Hattie Harperson?
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Post by timrollpickering on Jan 26, 2021 13:21:30 GMT
He's the son of Harriet Harman and Jack Dromey.
I think he's the one they sent to a grammar school rather than his older brother who was sent to a grant maintained school.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Jan 26, 2021 13:24:02 GMT
There was a tweet last night reporting that the Government has, by use of the powers granted to it by Parliament last March, announced that all "public spaces" are to be closed until July 17th. Given that most people would class a polling station as a "public space" does this mean that tomorrow we will finally get confirmation that all English locals, Welsh Senedd and PCC's will be postponed until at least September and that Scotland will be voting when Scotland believes it can be held safely. No.
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Post by LDCaerdydd on Jan 26, 2021 13:24:12 GMT
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Post by tonygreaves on Jan 26, 2021 15:31:30 GMT
He's the son of Harriet Harman and Jack Dromey. I think he's the one they sent to a grammar school rather than his older brother who was sent to a grant maintained school. grammar and grant-maintained were not mutually exclusive - in fact grammars led the charge to become grant-maintained.
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Post by tonygreaves on Jan 26, 2021 15:32:33 GMT
There was a tweet last night reporting that the Government has, by use of the powers granted to it by Parliament last March, announced that all "public spaces" are to be closed until July 17th. Given that most people would class a polling station as a "public space" does this mean that tomorrow we will finally get confirmation that all English locals, Welsh Senedd and PCC's will be postponed until at least September and that Scotland will be voting when Scotland believes it can be held safely. No. Don't believe everything you read on Twitter.
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Post by evergreenadam on Jan 26, 2021 17:23:55 GMT
what happens if a Royal Mail sorting office has a case and everyone has to self isolate for 10 days. That is going to have a real time delay for stuff like registration forms, postal and proxy application forms, postal votes - they could well arrive too late to be counted. There are some areas where delays have resulted in the red pillar boxes that arent designated as an NHS priority box being emptied for days. How can elections be ran with so much uncertainty ? Even if the councils manage to staff them and get halls and community centres there is so much of the process out of their control. Another question is if weddings are limited to less than 10 people at the moment and the police dispurse mass gatherings like raves and weddings. Isn't the count just a mass gathering ? How can it be legal to hold an election count, it is not a work place as everyone there aren't employed by the council. If libraries and civic buildings are closed or only open by appointment I can't see how on one day it can be a free for all. Totally agree. Royal Mail deliveries have been hugely disrupted so far. One hopes things will get better as we get to May.
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 14,406
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Post by john07 on Jan 26, 2021 17:46:38 GMT
Don't believe everything you read on Twitter. Don't believe anything that Harry Hayfield says either!
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Post by andrewteale on Jan 27, 2021 18:27:44 GMT
Jim Coleman, Labour councillor for Baillieston ward, Glasgow council, has been disqualified for non-attendance.
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Post by heslingtonian on Jan 27, 2021 18:38:56 GMT
Jim Coleman, Labour councillor for Baillieston ward, Glasgow council, has been disqualified for non-attendance. In the age of virtual meetings unless someone is critically ill (which for all I know this councillor may be to be fair), I struggle to see how someone cannot attend a meeting in 6 months.
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Post by Merseymike on Jan 27, 2021 18:55:24 GMT
Jim Coleman, Labour councillor for Baillieston ward, Glasgow council, has been disqualified for non-attendance. In the age of virtual meetings unless someone is critically ill (which for all I know this councillor may be to be fair), I struggle to see how someone cannot attend a meeting in 6 months. Was he due to retire last May?
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Post by andrewteale on Jan 27, 2021 18:59:32 GMT
In the age of virtual meetings unless someone is critically ill (which for all I know this councillor may be to be fair), I struggle to see how someone cannot attend a meeting in 6 months. Was he due to retire last May? No - Scottish local elections are not due until 2022.
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andrea
Non-Aligned
Posts: 7,019
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Post by andrea on Jan 27, 2021 21:27:56 GMT
Jim Coleman, Labour councillor for Baillieston ward, Glasgow council, has been disqualified for non-attendance. In the age of virtual meetings unless someone is critically ill (which for all I know this councillor may be to be fair), I struggle to see how someone cannot attend a meeting in 6 months. According to the Daily Record, Coleman " could not work IT equipment to allow him to participate in virtual meetings." A Labour source told the Record: "Jim worked in a very traditional way. He could not attend virtual meetings but no one could accuse of him not doing the duties of a local councillor over this past year", "Jim's laptop wasn't properly operative. We've all been experiencing problems with council-issued technology.
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Post by Merseymike on Jan 27, 2021 21:34:21 GMT
In the age of virtual meetings unless someone is critically ill (which for all I know this councillor may be to be fair), I struggle to see how someone cannot attend a meeting in 6 months. According to the Daily Record, Coleman " could not work IT equipment to allow him to participate in virtual meetings." A Labour source told the Record: "Jim worked in a very traditional way. He could not attend virtual meetings but no one could accuse of him not doing the duties of a local councillor over this past year", "Jim's laptop wasn't properly operative. We've all been experiencing problems with council-issued technology. Virtual communication just doesn't suit everyone
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ilerda
Conservative
Posts: 1,019
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Post by ilerda on Jan 27, 2021 21:45:56 GMT
You’d imagine someone would be able to fix his laptop at some point within the six months, especially given the implications. And surely just logging on to a meeting would count as attending?
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peterl
Green
Monarchic Technocratic Localist
Posts: 8,011
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Post by peterl on Jan 27, 2021 22:06:56 GMT
I would also have hoped the council, or the Labour Group, would have been willing to lend a hand with either technology problems or showing him how to do it.
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Post by gwynthegriff on Jan 27, 2021 22:16:25 GMT
I would also have hoped the council, or the Labour Group, would have been willing to lend a hand with either technology problems or showing him how to do it. Or, better still, grant him "leave of absence" under Section 85 of the LGA 1972.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Jan 27, 2021 22:20:03 GMT
There's an unofficial policy in Westminster of alerting a councillor (and their group whip) if they're coming close to hitting the six months. The councillor can seek leave of absence (though it's for the executive to decide whether their absence is approved and it's not unknown for partisan advantage to come into that decision). If the absence isn't approved, then perhaps the councillor could have found a friend who knew how to work the technology and gone round their house?
If he was disqualified in January 2021, he must have attended a meeting no later than July 2020, so he obviously was able to attend some meeting after the beginning of the pandemic.
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Post by Merseymike on Jan 27, 2021 22:25:47 GMT
There's an unofficial policy in Westminster of alerting a councillor (and their group whip) if they're coming close to hitting the six months. The councillor can seek leave of absence (though it's for the executive to decide whether their absence is approved and it's not unknown for partisan advantage to come into that decision). If the absence isn't approved, then perhaps the councillor could have found a friend who knew how to work the technology and gone round their house? If he was disqualified in January 2021, he must have attended a meeting no later than July 2020, so he obviously was able to attend some meeting after the beginning of the pandemic. I do wonder if he just doesn't like doing things online? I know some really can't handle Zoom meetings or events at all.
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Post by gwynthegriff on Jan 27, 2021 22:30:45 GMT
There's an unofficial policy in Westminster of alerting a councillor (and their group whip) if they're coming close to hitting the six months. The councillor can seek leave of absence (though it's for the executive to decide whether their absence is approved and it's not unknown for partisan advantage to come into that decision). If the absence isn't approved, then perhaps the councillor could have found a friend who knew how to work the technology and gone round their house? If he was disqualified in January 2021, he must have attended a meeting no later than July 2020, so he obviously was able to attend some meeting after the beginning of the pandemic. I do wonder if he just doesn't like doing things online? I know some really can't handle Zoom meetings or events at all. On our neighbourhood planning group one very active member withdrew completely as soon as we moved to Zoom meetings - she just found such meetings really uncomfortable. Our Parish Council decided from the outset that anyone who couldn't/ wouldn't participate on Zoom would be granted Sn85 relief. But I realise that at Borough/ County level things can be less generous - though using technophobia as a way of unseating elected members seems pretty vindictive.
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