By-elections - 11th July 2013

[Merseymike]

Personally I think that Caroline Lucas needs to hold on to left-liberal Labour voters - given that the is a red-green that might be likely.

I do think it's good to have a green voice in parliament who is strongly anti nuclear

[gwynthegriff]

Jul 13, 2013 18:56:04 GMT marksenior said:

The relatively stable wards in terms of residency are Patcham , Withdean , Hollingdean/Stanmer and much of Preston Park . Of course even the central wards have some pockets of stability . It may have changed now but the houses immediately adjacent to the west of Brighton Station Terminus Place etc were always (contrary to the rest of the area) solidly Labour as they were occupied by former employees at the old Brighton Railway works

It's a long time though since Brighton railway works closed!

[marksenior]

Jul 15, 2013 17:15:01 GMT gwynthegriff said:

Jul 13, 2013 18:56:04 GMT marksenior said:

The relatively stable wards in terms of residency are Patcham , Withdean , Hollingdean/Stanmer and much of Preston Park . Of course even the central wards have some pockets of stability . It may have changed now but the houses immediately adjacent to the west of Brighton Station Terminus Place etc were always (contrary to the rest of the area) solidly Labour as they were occupied by former employees at the old Brighton Railway works

It's a long time though since Brighton railway works closed!

Indeed it is , it may well have changed since the 1970's early 1980's when I was campaigning in that area but those houses still remain as small terraced houses with no gardens .
Incidently the Brighton Works are not completely closed though the numbers employed are a fraction of 50 years ago . There is still maintenance done on EMU's on the site of the former engine sheds

[East Anglian Lefty]

Jul 15, 2013 17:44:17 GMT marksenior said:

Indeed it is , it may well have changed since the 1970's early 1980's when I was campaigning in that area but those houses still remain as small terraced houses with no gardens .
Incidently the Brighton Works are not completely closed though the numbers employed are a fraction of 50 years ago . There is still maintenance done on EMU's on the site of the former engine sheds

As previously stated, I don't really know Brighton at all. But if it's anything like Cambridge (and given the local demographics of both places I see no reason to believe it wouldn't be) then the fact they're small terraced houses would not stop them having a great deal of appeal to the bien-pensant middle class, particularly if they've got good access to the station. On price per square foot, some of the most expensive property in Cambridge is former railway cottages by the station which barely even have functional plumbing.

[Devonian]

Brighton Labour are seeking to capitalise on their win on thursday

A political deadlock could exist in Brighton and Hove as opponents look to strip control of two key town hall committees from the Greens.

Following their by-election victory last week, the Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council has lodged a request to officials for two extra committee seats.

If approved, it will mean the Green minority administration loses its casting vote on the influential policy and resources committee, as well as the environment, transport and sustainability committee.

With the ruling group’s power watered down, it means it will have to work with opposition parties to get key policies voted through.

If not, then Labour and Conservative councillors could unite and reject the plans. [...]

The council currently operates on a committee system where most decisions are made by a series of dedicated cross-party panels.

The number of seats allocated on each body is based on the percentage of elected members that each party has on the local authority.

Following Thursday, the Greens have 21 councillors, Conservatives 18, and Labour 14 with one independent.

The Argus understands the issue is set to be reviewed by town hall lawyers in the coming days.

It is not known if a proposed redistribution will be brought to a meeting of all 54 councillors on Thursday.

If not, the issue is unlikely to be resolved until after summer.

Conservative councillor Geoffrey Theobald said: “Even before the by-election we have consistently argued the Green Party simply doesn’t have enough councillors to justify holding a majority on the main Policy and Resources Committee, but the Labour Group, for reasons best know to them, did not support us.

“They have no alternative but to accept, for the sake of local democracy, that all the key committees should be properly proportionate.”

Council leader Jason Kitcat was not available to comment at the time of going to print.

www.theargus.co.uk/news/10550251.Labour___s_threat_to_Green_control_over_two_Brighton_and_Hove_City_Council_committees/

[Davıd Boothroyd]

It's a matter of extreme political generosity that allowed the Greens to have a majority on P+R in the first place, given their lack of one in the council.

[marksenior]

Jul 17, 2013 15:48:43 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

It's a matter of extreme political generosity that allowed the Greens to have a majority on P+R in the first place, given their lack of one in the council.

It was certainly not political generosity , it was a calculated move made on the ( correct ) belief that the Greens would make a mess of things and could clearly be blamed .

[Deleted]

Jul 17, 2013 15:48:43 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

It's a matter of extreme political generosity that allowed the Greens to have a majority on P+R in the first place, given their lack of one in  moved the council away from the cabinet system to a committee system.

Fixed that for you.