Sunday, March 25, 2007

Fibdemologists Roulette: Rien Ne Va Plus - Vous Etes Casse Completement - Rien Ne Va Plus


Manchester Fibdemologists are in a right tizzy over some bloke saying Manchester has had quite enough regeneration thanks to the IRA bomb. Hallelujah! And in a break from tradition they're also backing a regeneration in Manchester. They'll all be on board come Wednesday ...

Here's the Official Fibs Release:
Manchester Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Simon Ashley has slammed Labour's Town Hall bosses for their hypocrisy and cheap political points over plans for a Super Casino in East Manchester.
.....Recently in the press, Labour have criticised Liberal Democrats on the casino, all the while knowing that 83 Labour MPs had signed House of Commons Early Day Motion 823, calling for Blackpool to be given the Super Casino.
.....Councillor Simon Ashley said:
....."I am annoyed that, while I have been spending my time talking to my party nationally in private, Labour Councillors have been trying to score cheap points. I accept that two Lib Dem MPs have publicly supported Blackpool getting the Casino, but compare that with 83 MPs from the Labour benches! Labour should put its own house in order before criticising us."
.....Cllr Ashley continued:
....."To say Manchester does not have deprivation and does not need this regeneration is just plain wrong. Everyone wants to see investment in East Manchester, and Manchester won this competition fair and square. MPs should not change the rules after the event because they didn't like the result."
.....Fibs Release Ends.....
.

While I am standing by to be impressed by lightweight Simon's powers of persuasion I am not actually holding my breath. Frankly I don't even believe Simon can guarantee Manchester Withington MP and fellow Councillor John Leech will vote for Manchester's interests.

Two reasons. One, Leech was interviewed on Radio Manchester shortly before the decision was announced and pooh poohed the whole enterprise. It seemed a case of a typical Lib Dem anti-Manchester rant. Two, Lib Dems have apparently accepted a three-line whip to try and sabotage Manchester's big win.

While in the media his own party's councillors, apart from the over-promoted John Leech who has been unequivocably AGAINST Manchester, have been dithering and dissembling like a gambler who's had their chips. But mostly they have been against it. So those points Manchester Labour are making are not cheap as chips.

Manchester Lib Dems famously spoke out against Urbis and against the Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile their MPs spoke out resolutely against the BBC Move to Manchester and/or Salford. And of course the "architect" (more like cowboy builder) of their new variable poll tax stressed that Manchester would have to find SIX TIMES the current income from the Fib Dem local tax proposals.

Round and round like a roulette wheel. The lies keep on spinning.

FACTFILE: Some of the Labour MPs are from Blackpool's hinterland and it is their duty to speak out for their area - even if John Leech does not understand that practical rule - some of the Labour MPs are from the other shortlisted areas; and some of them are just being silly. I could name names but I won't.
CLINCHER: The clincher for the Blackpool campaigners ought to be that looking at the report they would find no encouragement that they weren't in fact ranked LAST. London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Newcastle certainly seem ahead.
WEDNESDAY: Lib Dem MPs to vote en masse against Manchester ignoring Simon's pathetic entreaties. If they switch it is more likely to be this blog than Mr Ashley what did it. John Leech MP to be called by the speaker and once again make an arse of himself. This time by speaking against Manchester's interests. Lord Bradley's oratory to win over the Lords to back the independent report.

That's enough of the games Lib Dems! You are completely bankrupt!

UPDATE 10:54 Monday: Someone has been on and named a name.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blackpool categorically would not have got the nod if Manchester hadn't won hands down. It was as near to last as any independent scrutineer was prepared to say. Not a clue.

Apart from their lack of infrastructure and lack of nous they produced an extremely poor bid and their proposal was in my opinion the most likely to bring social damage to the people of Little Hulton, Astley, Tyldesley and other desperately deprived SOAs in my constituency.

That is why ... I signed the EDM and said how much my constituents would like to go and lose money they don't have in a millionaire casino like a sore thumb in a pauper's paradise where even a £10 "plate" of fish and chips is served out of styrofoam.

MPs like myself and comrade John Leech known on which side our head is battered. Sally forth to vote against the government and the people of Greater Manchester!

John and I are proud to be called the stupidest MPs on the Labour and Lib Dem benches respectively.

Sadly our petition to win for Blackpool has now closed but watch me and John help present it to Downing Street today.

I have removed any reference to the casino from my website as I don't want to show just how very dim I am on this matter. But the MEN blogger has it.

[the real Barbara Silly MP is expected to change sides on Wednesday]

Anonymous said...

Leech's was an anti-Liberalism rant also. Anti-Manchester, anti-Change, anti-Risk, anti-Original, anti-Modern, anti-Chris-Paul (natch, who isn't?), anti-Decency, anti-Honesty, anti-NHS, anti-Pensioner, anti-Christie, anti-Everything ... now even anti-Liberalism.

Anonymous said...

Those Leech shoes again ... when are you going to deliver on your anons?

Anonymous said...

Why would the Lib Dem high ups listen to Ashley?

He promised them a lurch to Lib Dems in Manchester in 2006 but delivered a lurch away instead losing eight, soon ten, from their Group and once again making an fool of those high ups who have given simple Simon the benefit of the doubt over and over again.

He's a loser folks. Simon Ashley is a big time loser. Though obviously all the candidates to replace him when the knifes finally come out are also weak, mavericks with skellies in their cupboards.

Anonymous said...

"An fool"?
Have you substituted fool for something and forgotten to change the article.
Shame on you.
Well done though for removing profanity.
It is not big and it is not clever.
And starting sentences with a preposition is not really on, oops.

Anonymous said...

It's good of you South Manchester folk to want to stick a casino in our backyard.
But would you want it?
Of course we want that wasteland by the Stade de Manc re-developed - but if I had a choice of the businesses to put there a casino would be very near the bottom of the list.
It is noticeable that the North and East Manchester Advertiser petition in favour of the casino is "hoping" to reach 1,000 by Wednesday.
That's not a lot of signatures.
I live just over a mile from the site and I am genuinely unsure about what I think.
I wrote to Graham Stringer, asking if he would campaign to ensure that the owners of the casino have to recognise a trade union. I have had no reply.
This issue isn't as straightforward as you are making it.

Chris Paul said...

What are you saying Miles? Of course it isn't as simple as Simon. But we have casinos here and in Blackpool and Greenwich and Clydeside and Sheffield and Newcastle and Bristol.

There are opportunities to gamble all over the place. including most of the newsagents in Manchester Withington, on site at Lucy's old High School, and of course on the new-fangled interweb. Even on TV, though dressed up as games of skill to evade the rules.

The new Gambling Act does a lot of things apart from allowing an experiment here in Manchester.

And yes, if the winner of the licence makes a sufficient regeneration case for Wythenshawe or Burnage or Levenshulme I'd expect their hand to be bitten off by local pollies and most local people. The nearer it is the better. Particularly as it is due to have an ice rink for both community use and ice sports. And I am a fan.

Finally, should Leech vote AGAINST Manchester? And which of the nominees do you think are likely to vote AGAINST Manchester on similar matters?

The selectorate would very much like to know candidate's position on this.

Anonymous said...

Petitions against things are 10 to 100 times more productive than those for something.

If they'd made it against Barbara Silly and John Lurch for trying to nick their cassie they'd be aiming for 10-100,000 names by now. The Blackpool petition was effectively against the thing being sited elsewhere.

And if they got Manchester Confidential to do the petition on an anti-83-Labour-numbskulls ticket it would be double.

As Miles knows positive stories are hard to sell to customers or because of that to editors.

Anonymous said...

What is the URL for this petition? I demand to know.

Chris Paul said...

Sorry trillionaire

Petition not from the paper at all. Had over 1000 "votes" a week ago. It's a Labour Party thing being done on paper on doorsteps and is therefore incorruptible and also not "instant".

Best w CP