Friday, September 14, 2007

Council Assembly, the Iron Chancellor meets the Iron Lady! a Family Funeral in Luton and Scotland beat France again!!!!


I had a bit of a hectic week with a family funeral, a work Conference in Coventry and rushed back for Council Assembly on Wednesday (whilst missing Scotland's match against France in Paris!!) It was a surprisingly good natured meeting considering the troubled times in the Lib Dem ranks over the summer but began with the inevitable but much delayed resignation speech from Denise Capstick. I do really feel for Denise as I have always had a lot of time for her but this whole matter has not been handled with much political sensitivity or dignity I am afraid! Her speech was straight out of the Political resignation handbook, starting with apology for situation, gratified by support from Lib Dem group, overwhelmed with hundreds of letters of support from constituents but resigning for the good of the Council blah blah blah!!!, such a shame that it bears so little resemblance to the truth! An attempt to hide the problem, rushed mia culpa the day before press published, Lib Dem vote just won with many members absent, voting against or abstaining and nervousness that Labour motion would have been won (with Tory abstentions) and which would have been a de facto vote of no confidence!! Not very principled or dignified way to go was it??? If they had known that two of our members were off ill the Lib Dems may have risked the vote who knows?

The Labour Group rightly pressed Cllr. Blango on the implementation of the Ousley Report Recommendations and once again got a set of incomprehensible and incoherent responses from the Executive Member which were quite cring inducing even amongst the members opposite!! Ignorance of his Portfolio is one thing but matched with a bewildering arrogance it really is pretty atrocious to behold and the Lib Dems must surely look at his suitablitiy for that position, if not before then at their next AGM?
The rest of the Council Assembly was the usual nonsense of the Lib Dems amending everything to say "Lib Dems great, Labour Government rubbish and Labour Mayor even worse!! It really is quite pathetic and I cant believe that they think anyone could possibly take them seriously. the most ridiculaous example of this was a two line motion from Jenny Jones amended by a 2 page diatribe from the Lib Dems, quite laughable really if it was not so serious!! It is actually quite embarassing to be in the same room as them as they can make youy be ashamed of being a Southwark councillor and I have never ever felt that before....until now!!!!!!

On the bigger picture I cant honestly say that I found the meeting of Brown and Thatcher and Gordon's positive words on her reign a very edifying sight!! I cant think of anything positive to say about the woman or her politics and time in office and the damge that she did to this Countr,y and memories of the Miners Strike and Wapping should be at the forefront of all Labour members and Trades Unionists minds. I dont like to disagree with my leader or previous leader but in this matter they are wrong, even Cameron distances himself from her so why we invite her to No.10 I honestly dont know?? So far as being a person of political principle I am sure that Stalin or Hitler could fill that criteria but I would not have wanted them in my house !!! Who will we be praising next?? Norman Tebbit?????

I attended my Aunt's funeral in Luton with my dad earlier in the week and met a lot of our extended family! My aunt had 9 children and I took a picture of them all together as well as my dad singing "The Fields of Athenry" with some of the family of the pub Karaoke (My aunt's favourite song!)
Of course whilst I sat in the Town Hall Scotland were getting one of their best ever football results beating france 1-0 in Paris to complete the double over them!! An incredibel strike from James McFadden winning the game! Some great pictures below of the goal and the celebrations, not least from the 20,000 Scottish fans who were in Stadt De France!
We are now top of the Group with 3 games to play, Georgia away and Ukraine and Italy at home and if we win the first two then the Italy game could be easy for both clubs as they may have already both qualified??












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