Tonight was my first full council, it was mainly about the election of a new Lord Mayor, with lots of kind words being said about the outgoing Labour mayor (who was particularly exercised with having to say nice things about Liverpool FC twice during his mayoralty as he is an Evertonian) and nice things being said about the incoming LibDem mayor. She pointed out that last year's mayor was supported by his daughter whereas she is being supported by her son. I thought that was rather nice really.
Nick Small, the Labour Councillor for Central ward who I will be sitting next to this year, rather alarmed me when he whispered to me that this could be me in twenty years time...
Then the rest of the meeting was mainly about who was going on which committees.
I was disappointed when the LibDems refused to change the political balance on Kensington Regeneration Board who distribute the Labour Government's New Deal for Kensington monies - some sixty million pounds or so. The New Deal area covers three wards (none in full, all in part) and there are nine councillors involved, five LibDems and four Labour. We suggested that the split on the board should be 1 of them and 1 of us (me) but they voted it down. So I shall be preparing a press release and a leaflet very soon.
They also voted to keep me off the Eastern Link board, a body which I am still getting to grips with so cannot say more about that at the moment.
But the top and bottom of it is that they have decided that it does not matter that local people voted Labour on May 4th, they just want to carry on as though nothing happened.
Either that or they are too frightened to have me there in case I say something they dont like.
You decide
There was lots of barracking going on once we had finished with the mayor stuff, which is okay if you can hear ten different people at once and tell the difference between all of their comments and shouts, otherwise it is just a blokey thing that I dont quite get. Some serious points were missed in the noise too.
Answers on a postcard please......
It was great though to sit in a group with so many women, I am so pleased that the three new Labour councillors are all women, as were the next two that were less than 25 votes from being elected (that in itself is horrible but to do so well is great)
I am really looking forward to getting my maiden speech out of the way so I can start jumping up and making a contribution on a regular basis, nobody who knows me would ever think I was capable of sitting quiet through what I understand tend to be four hour meetings
Watch this space
1 comment:
When can you come back to Colne Valley Louise? All this shows just what can be done with a bit of enthusiasm, the will and desire to do it. And a lot of hard work of course.
Your pals over here are delighted at your success but just a tad concerned at what it is going to take to make people realise that there is one hell of a job to be done here if we are to keep the parliamentary seat and maybe even take the odd Council seat!
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