Lib Dem Leadership "Moral Compass", Mansions Court AGM and Whitakker goes to Rangers!! D'OH!!!!!

Southwark News ran with the "Exclusive" story of the Executive Member for Health and Social Care's run-in with the law and whilst I have nothing specific to comment on that apart from agree with the Labour Group Leader's comments I am interested in the "political" response to it from the Lib Dems!
I am off a view that it is unreasonable to expect politicians to be like Caesars Wife, ie beyond reproach, and am pleased in general to see a more relaxed attitude, even in the press, to the odd transgression at whatever level, excepted only in the cases of the "Back to Basics" strategy which so gloriously backfired on the John Major Government and which looks likely to be reborn under Cameron's Leadership with a likely similar result!!
That being said I was quite gobsmacked to read a quote attributed to Lib Dem and council Leader, Nick Stanton saying "I dont think that politicians have to behave to a higher standard than everyone else!!!" Excuse Me?????? An absolutely extraordinary statement as it must absolutely be the case that we do behave to a higher standard as we have a representative role every minute of every day whether we like it or not, it goes with the territory!!!! I am not saying that we have to absolutely whiter than white but we do have a responsibility to behave in a different way when we hold public office!!
I might take a more generous view if it was not so completley hypocritical of them. Lib Dem Councillors and Bloggers may have be untypically quiet over Karl Linden and Denise Capstick but were far more vocal to immediately remove Danny McCarthy from his CC Chair role asap for the henous "crime" of daring to leave their party!! And then Andy Mayer has the nerve to muse on a convicted criminal being at a Labour Fund Raiser in another part of the country so their tolerance clearly has it's limits!!!!
I always have a degree of personal sympathetic towards individuals who make a mistake, from whatever political party, especially when it risks their careers and reputation but I cant tolerate the ridiculous double standards of the Lib Dems which over the past few weeks really have been accetuated in Southwark!!! I wonder if Nick Stanton would be so tempered if it had been a Labour Member in that position? Somehow I very much doubt it and Lib Dem Focus Leaflets would be being printed up as I write!!!! It is quite clear in which direction the Lib Dem "Moral Compass" points!!!
I was also a bit disappointed in the Southwark News negative reporting of the Labour Group Youth Summit but picked up the negative vibes during their questioning off me and know that when they take a negative position it does not matter what you say to them as they will just adapt it to prove their position!! They do this all to often and it really is very difficult to manage! Dont know if they are especially bad or whether theyare just representative of all media?


Chris Page and I attended the Mansions Court T&RA AGM last night. The Estate is owned by a small HA Called IDS (Industrial Dwellings Society) and it is interesting to go along and lobby IDS staff without having the Council position but as ever it was very entertaining with a lot of real characters on the Committee which brought a smile to our faces.
At last the Decent Homes works are underway and new kitchens being installed after years of dellay so all in all a positive meeting.



Very bad news on the Hibs front as Steven Whittaker signed for Rangers.
We now face an Old Firm made up of our old players:

CELTIC - Caldwell, Miller, Brown, Riordan, Hartley, Killen (add to that Pressley from Hearts!)

RANGERS - Murray, Thompson, Whittaker

HEARTS - I am worried about Michael Stewart a good player and rebel who has a point to prove and may be a real thorn in our side?

Our last 3 Captains are included in that list and with Whittaker gone Gatheussi will be bumped up to first choice and will really have to hit the ground running so it is a risk!
I am not looking forward to the first game against Celtic especially as we could be in for a bit of a thrashing!!!