An excerpt from My Left Foot has just been shown on a Top 50 Actors of all time programme. My mother described this film to me as being about a heroic mother. But sadly it was not Brenda Fricker who was up for a gong at 15th in the world actors' actors poll.
Perhaps mother got the wrong end of the stick then? Not like her.
Tom Watson MP wins a bet by linking the Doctor Who episode about the Lazarus Laboratories to his parliamentary work to see fairplay for Sandwell youth. Above: The Doctor, his Co-Pilot, Lazarus Orgasmatron, with inset a member of the Watson Youth after Ultrasound experiment.
The other big problem with this technology is that this low powered cat/dog scarer at £40 does the same job as the youth scarer at £2,000 and the uncool music at next to nothing.
Adjustable Barktrain TM collars for hoodies may be coming next.
When the heroic Tom Paine laid out his mainfesto* The Rights of Man it was for a species - men, women, and children - and certainly not for the male exclusively. * In bite sized bits HERE.
Iain Dale points to a blog - now running for six months - which takes Paine's inspired treatise's name in vain.
The latest, linked post, with its click-to-enlarge graphic below, suggests a programme for a Minister for Men.
Quite a sorry state we're in isn't it? We must surely get more men in to make law and judge it. The fiendish rule by women must be ended now! Just consider the statistics on where the power lies:
Law Lords: Baroness Hale of Richmond is alone and first ever woman/12
Lords Justices/HCJs/HoD: Ten women, 128 men
House of Lords (hereditory): Three of 92
House of Lords (cronies): 136 women, 604 men
House of Commons: 128 women, 518 men
Cabinet: Eight women, 15 men (all-time record)
UK MEPs: 17 women, 61 men
UK Councillors: to follow
FTSE 100 Main Board Directors: 77 women of more than 1,000
Main source: CAWP Observatory.
Yes, yes, yes. It is easy to see how this deep and wide institutional prejudice is keeping men down. Far too many women in legislature and judiciary.
The boardroom situation was covered by Meg Munn who was UNPAID as Minister for Women and Minister for Equality for a good few years - the ONLY unpaid Minister. [New Information suggests it was months not years and she was not the only one.] Meg has the portfolio for men's issues too and I've seen her being lobbied on them and being on top of the brief.
Comments on any of the twelve points of the RoM Programme very welcome. Will be blogging some of them before too long.
Clockwise from top left: Main Strangers into Citizens vid, en Francais, Espagnol, Supporters.
Hat tip to Jon Cruddas whose communal interview is in The Independent today. Biography Here and Blog There.
Seems as if the Labour government have attacked our ability to enjoy eating (or just stirring?) baked beans and dancing morris and voting for women or as women. The hunting with dogs one is right - one out of four ain't bad. Click speaker icon to get noise.
Iain Dale provides a useful review of some of the Lib Dems waking up and smelling the coffee of their massive set back.
Meanwhile, Michael Denzil Xavier (sharp intake at this name in room) Portillo gets his. Twiggy gets his chance.
Falling like ninepins. Hamilton of course. Martin Bell to soon regret his "one term only" commitment. Rifkind. Portillo. Now the delight of Edwina Currie having to commentate over pictures of her lover, the PM John Major arriving at his count.
Katy's Galloway result 1997 read three times. Great oaks from little acorns grow. Far left in this picture of the Guardian's picks as bright young things 2005. The only one of these coming home to roost as a duffer is young Leech, second from far right. What were the Guardian thinking of? "Who he?" asked all the others.
From first to third. Meanwhile Paddy Ashdown is confirming that the "Liberal Democrats are not of the left". Quite right.
TRIVIA: I was an Ovett man myself. Met both of them and found Steve far more down to earth.
BBC Pundit - back in 97 - is mentioning the huge progress expected in women's representation thanks to Labour's landslide. This week Guido Fawkes bigged up Iain Dale's "shredding" of a piece speculating about an imminent Tory reshuffle.
But I'm not sure Dale's shredding of Melissa Kite's Sunday Telegraph piece was anything of the sort. It mainly comes down to whether DC is planning a reshuffle now or not. And whether "now" includes 9 weeks time within its auspices or not. I think it probably does, and that if DC is not planning by now then he's more of a nice but dim poseur than he seems.
Significant that Dale goes after the woman reporters don't you think? He hates 'em. Taking our jobs and all that. Back in the kitchen woman!! Feels like an in-depth investigation may be coming in.
UPDATE: Iain says Melissa is his mate and calls me a name. Ouch! So apologies Iain, this drubbing for Melissa is not part of the pattern.
Lance Price - soon to be a Blair spinner - is working for the BBC at Kensington and Chelsea Enfield. That delicious Portillo moment, soon come. Heseltine meanwhile chomping at the bit over at Henley.
Talk of a Redwood-Heseltine leadership contest ... Hague mentioned third. Torbay appears to be a two-vote margin.
Continuing until 3:00pm. Channel 81 on Freeview. Or inline HERE. David Mellor calling Zac's dad's 1500 vote total derisory.
Chattering about Turkeys and Giblets and Soups and that I mentioned that as a research student at Jungfraujoch Hochapline Forshungsstation (Swiss Alps) I would order one chicken each week from the Co-op in Interlaken and live on its reducing corpse for seven days. Thinner and thinner soups. And greater and greater pity from Austrians and Swiss.
I was not the worst off as some Eastern Europeans appeared to live on pasta with jam.
But anyway, having mentioned as well how very plump Keira Knightley looked on the cover of the OM I was told that she too lived on a single chicken a week. Just the same.
Except she had a dinner party and picked hers to the bone on day one. Can I blog this? Is that OK? But she is getting plump now isn't she?
Haven't seen any of the KB franchise before. This was an excellent juxtaposition of Itchy and Scratchy style comic book driven but gratuitous violence with loads of filmic style and buckets of gallows humour, not to mention a literal blood bath.
Stunning fight choreography. Extraordinary inevitability - even without the known existence of sequels. Marvellous light relief.
Meanwhile Luke Akehurst has pointed out that a huge swathe of the Tory "gains" were in two-horse micro wards which are irrelevant to the next General Election. Which was cool. No bloodbath there then.
And what was LOL up to? Clearly when it comes to a fiercely unofficial, fiercely independent but fiercely partisan Labour blog there has to be an element of spin or at least awareness of the fact that whatever is published is over-looked by opponents, in any predictions made.
So inevitably not as literal as national predictions where LOL was spookily close on the Labour losses but was perhaps as surprised as Ming and all the MSM punters at the sad collapse of Libdemology nationally. And incidentally by a lack of real progress for the Greens, UKIP and the BNP.
Previewed HERE. Full results here.
In alphabetical order the key wards with predictions first, then updates:Ancoats and Clayton: Much increased majority for Labour. Prediction - 250? Dodgy Danny routed.
In fact the rout was more complete with a margin of more than 1,000 votes. Well done Mick Loughman. As a LOL reader commented on election night of this and Bradford wards: "Our work here is done".
Baguley: Lynn Worthington is an Independent Socialist Save Our Baby Unit, which is interesting. Not really.
But Lynn did get a commendable 251 votes. Unusually good for an independent.
Burnage: We said - Close run thing, a real two horse race, with Labour's Frank Duffy a real stayer on the near side. Too close to call.
This was not that close and despite his alleged Nazi Salute in the Council Chamber the Lib Dem increased his majority though our man Frank is literally loved by many in the area. Let's hope he gives it another whirl in 2008. Turn out of 32% indicates a strong campaign from two parties and shows the way forward.
Cheetham: Former councillor and PPC for Gorton the news whore solicitor Mr Kassim Afzal was dropped for taxi man Sham Raja. Big increase in majority for Cllr Afzal Khan. 250?
As with Ancoats this was blog blag. Afzal increased the majority by a factor of 1700%. 18 times 2006. Kassim Afzal - who is pretty unpopular with the Lib Dem powers that be - is working his nuts off in Gorton constituency recruiting members and trying to make sure that his rivals are not able to off him as PPC for this cherished seat. Incumbent Sir Gerald Kaufman - is however looking forward to twenty more years.
Chorlton: Increased majority for Angela Gallagher. 250-300. Bloody nose for Leech and his "Bastards" lackey.
Well, this was the one that really went the wrong way. All sorts of reasons. Could have gone either way and finished 42 to them. The charmless and shameless Norman Lewis was muttering about this prediction being wrong. As I swept by to relay the news to the Press Hordes I replied: "That was a blog blag" and it was. John Leech has now taken more than £23,000 of Angela Gallagher's money, after her accidental victory, and also her living. But at least she has had a year of her council career in more pleasant company and will now have a chance to work up her explosive diaries. In a sense this is a Lib Dem hold, but it certainly feels like a defeat.
Chorlton Park: John Hacking (Labour) some progress but Shameless Lib Dems weigh in.
About right. They had to work a bit harder for it. But this is a classic Lib Dem ward with a jumble of separate communities with strangely different reasons for backing the yellow peril whatever muppet (no offence) they put up.
City Centre: Right Wing Independent Kin Cheng takes votes from Tories and Lib Dems. Kathy Crotty in with a chance for Labour. Whiney Rob Adlard may surprise for Tories. Absentee and almost de-selected Lib Dem Kenny Dobson defending. And Brigit Vollm for the Greens. This is one of just two three or four horse races in town. 1-2-3 could be in any order.
Probably seriously overestimated Tory appeal with that last remark. Tories overtook the Greens for third last time but they do seem to have hit their peak at that. Rob Adlard was gutted. Hopefully Kathy Crotty will not be snapped up by another ward and will take her chance to unseat Marc Ramsbottom, the Lib Dems only credible councillor in the ward, next time. LOL can reveal exclusively that postal vote returns will be getting more than a second glance in this ward.
Didsbury East: "Chicken" Geoff Bridson (Labour) tackles Helen "D" Fisher (Lib Dem). Chance of an upset.
Business as usual. Sad to say. Lib Dems pulled away a little. Perhaps punters betting on outcome?
Gorton South: Home seat of the wobbling Lib Dem leader Simon Ashley with Julie Reid standing for no nonsense Labour. Another chance of an upset. Reduced majority is best Libs can hope for.
Slight blag that. And a slight increase in the Lib Dem majority. Interestingly no BNP here, little BNP effort in Newton Heath and Miles Platting. And little Lib Dem effort in Higher Blackley.
Gorton North: Labour Gain. 250 majority.
A close run thing but this was another of the small group of likeable Lib Dems defending. If even Labour people like 'em there is always a chance the people will pick up on that also.
Higher Blackley: Joe Finnon, the BNP student rabble rouser and undercover infiltrator moves across from Fallowfield and Gorton South which helps the Lib Dems. This was for a time hot Fash country with a sadly departed Lamb and Flag PH a focus. Shirley Reeve of UKIP also pitches for the right wingers. Labour to scatter these pretenders. Increased turn out and majority.
Turnout was increased, the Labour vote went up marginally, Tory and Lib and UKIP and Green votes all went down in the face of new candidature from the BNP.
Hulme: Former PPC Steve Durrant and anti-fash and anti-war activist (Green) stands again after being humbled into third last time in the Green's "stronghold". Labour hold with increased majority for Mary Murphy. 150-200.
Correct. Greens bounced back into second as Lib Dems melted away - an electoral pact was certainly in deep discussion and the Greens hardly campaigned in any seat and certainly not in Lib Dem target seats - but Mary increased her own majority massively from 2004 and built an extra 100 onto the 240 achieved by Nigel Murphy - no relation - in 2006.
Longsight: Another Labour gain. 500-600 majority.
This was of course a classic blog blag and although Mariam Khan achieved a 900 majority in 2006 the local branch refused to be advised to select a further woman candidate and to avoid a stand off the decision was reversed. More fool them. No offence. Sometimes expectant candidates have to do the right thing for the party locally, the people, and of course towards the next general election victory in the constituency.
Miles Platting and Newton Heath: Yes, we have Derek Adams for the BNP (he's bananas), Lisa Duffy competing with him in UKIP colours, June Hitchin for Labour and erstwhile Lab, Ind, UKIP now Lib Dem Damien O'Connor. June to win but a slightly dented majority.
There was more than a slight dent. The BNP lost HALF their vote from disinterest and working elsewhere. UKIP and Tories also. Lib Dem (ex-UKIP, ex-Independent, ex-Labour, ex-Criminal) got to within 61 votes. Bit of a blame game going on.
Rusholme: Nahella Ashraf is Respect's candidate. Bit too keen on the Labour bashing even among friends - e.g. Tony Lloyd MP at Pakistan Earthquake appeal supper had to hear a silly tirade. But she's a good worker and will take votes mostly from Lib Dems as Labour recover. This is the other close 3-way. Possible Labour Gain with very outside chance of a Respect first.
Both Labour and Respect vote slipped a little as Lib Dems held comfortably. All three parties had Asian candidates this time unlike 2006 when only Respect did. This changes the dynamic.
Whalley Range: Labour gain for the experienced and hard-working Kath Fry over the inexperienced and you know irredeemably lazy Faraz Bhatti. 350 majority.
Taking nothing away from my remark about the Lib Dem being a lazy pretender, whose family enjoy a terrible reputation in some quarters, there was a successful defence. Far more work from the Lib Dems than for the woman candidate who lost spectacularly in 2006. She spoke up on doorsteps saying that she wouldn't mind if the BNP won some seats so that she could debate with them in the Council Chamber. Wrong idea, an interesting insight, but not a factor. Faraz elected in 2004, neglected ward 'til Christmas 2006, re-elected on impression management and fibbery.
Most interesting of the rest:
Bradford: Only a few years ago this was a Lib Dem ward. The last one was cleared out in 2003 despite the national picture. Again achieved a 1200 majority. This time for first time candidate Rosa Battle.
Northenden: There were 106 votes in it for another first time candidate (down from 340). Turn out up about 1%. Many congratulations to Sandra, Richard and Mike on what may be seen as the result of the night. An ecumenical matter was resolved peacefully by your peace-loving blogger.
Sharston: This is the ward with all the Dave-id Cameron interest. Where the young hoodie (now in jail) defied his curfew and conditions to throw Mr C a distinctive shape. The "Tory" candidate threw out a classic personal appeal leaflet, failing to include the party brand or name AT ALL - except in 5 point print in the P and P - and this may have accounted for an extra couple of hundred votes. Probably not a repeatable tactic as the electorate are likely to see it as more Cameron underhanded shoddiness.
Dizzy points to a Wired story gleaned from continental sources. But the scene of the crime is the six million populated virtual world Second Life.
Julian Dibbell (hypertext CV) aka Dr Bombay's 1993 Village Voice piece, from which this post gets its name, dealt with Mr Bungle and his sex crimes in Lambda Moo. The classic updated version is HERE. Wired offer comparisons with obscene calls and harrassment on the telephone where the same remedies such as hanging up apply. And these activities are recognised as criminal as are grooming and trading categories of images. Why not vile harrassment, vile threats and vile incitement online?
Lambda Moo is the mamma of all the more intellectual MOOs. Laurie Anderson and many others have been home there. Even your blogger LOL, whose sarky admin (or wizard as they like to call themselves, hey this is old school) at ATHEMoo (moved from Lambda, which is hosted at U of Virginia, to Hawaii) as "Zippy" because way back when - 15 years ago - I was not by then the quickest tapper on the virtual block.
Good event. The World Keeps on Turning. Even two hours sleep after an election. Report and discussion starts tomorrow. Deputy Leadership contest was not mentioned. PICTURES: Chris Worrall, Oxfam, actually Sam Lacey/Friends of the Earth via Chris. Thanks both. Hoping to write up the meeting soon.
The Post and Echo eventually reported the handbags at dawn from the "Leader" of Liverpool - City of Culture 2008. LOL had this at 3AM and blogged it soon enough.
TRIVIA: LOL interviewed that John Conteh once. But while he loved the rough and tumble he was never Council Leader or a supposed culturalist. Labour are honour bound - for the people - to earn back control in 2008.
Some bloke with a blog predicted 450. And Labour lost 450. Congratulations to whoever it was for being more on the money than the Tory pundits and Mainstream Media. The same blogger was a bit gentle on the Lib Dems who were squeezed 'til their Oranges and Lemons squeaked.
Liverpool Echo have a round up here that fails to mention the handbags from Cllr Warren Bradley. But it does mention him getting a blow:In another blow for Lib-Dem leader Warren Bradley, defector John Coyne who joined the Green Party earlier this year, defended his seat in St Michaels with a comfortable majority.
Chester
Liverpool
Ellesmere Port
Halton
Sefton
Warrington
Knowsley
St Helens
West
Lancs
Wirral
Can't Wait to see what the the Liverpool Sub Culture blog makes of Warren Bradley's scuffle in the early hours of the counting. The link is about a mega lig in Cannes.
Firefighter Bradley may well get his fingers burnt yet again. Will it be a case of "Times Up"? Or "Seconds Out"? LOL reckon the disgraced Mike Storey will be back on top pretty soon. Storey's the muppetmeister. He's pulling the string(s) of the Harry Enfield tribute front bench anyway.
Not sure they actually got any arty photos at all. But these are ballot boxes.
The fascist BNP came within 2,500 votes of a seat in the Welsh Assembly report Doughty. They also took almost 25% in Manchester's Higher Blackley ward - an old fascist haunt, but a very young face and a strong Lib Dem style campaign. More than 700 votes from a standing start.
Their old stager in Miles Platting and Newton Heath lost half his votes as they concentrated on the new seat. This allowed the Lib Dems to come close, whereas they did nothing in Higher Blackley. Say no more.
This BNP candidate is quite a character. I'll fit in a blog just about him and his history over the last four years before too long. May not be today or tomorrow. But soon.
I'm beginning to think my predictions on main party seats are going to be closer than some Tory analysts' projections, though the Lib Dems look set for a worse night and Labour may hold even more net.
Oswestry "Staffordshire", isn't it Shropshire Iain?
10:07 - Bleary Dale opens up seven minutes late. The others look pretty bleary too. Mostly bleary, not so pretty.
Early story. 5% of PVs ruled out. Far more than for live votes. Lots of problems in Scotland with electronic voting.
Labour are actually up a percent. Lib Dems down. As you'd expect from a Tory prog there is a mixture of a Tory pundit sharing some disappointment, but Dale is of course seeing the bright side everywhere.
It's all what Dale calls "Loose" but others might say "Shambolic"!
Comprehensive Report from the Manchester Evening News.
Best bit:Labour leader John Merry said: "The Lib Dem vote has collapsed and in the context of what is happening nationally to Labour I am relieved with our performance."
Insults
But Liberal Democrat Leader Norman Owen, said: "Labour has resorted to personal insults in their leaflets against myself and my party. We are not happy with their tactics.
"But I firmly believe that Labour's days in control of this city are numbered."
Seeing as Salford Lib Dems can dish it out but not take it let's just suggest tactfully that it may be Norman Owen's and W Menzies Campbell's days that are numbered.
Labour still have 42 of 60 seats. Not the customary 50+ of the 90s but still fairly attrition proof. Fellow blogger and sometime LOL troll Iain Lindley had a comfortable hold.
Ben Brogan's last blog before bedtime at 1AM was to suggest in an untimed postscript to his observations - that this could be a generally catastrophic night for the Lib Dems - that W Menzies Campbell was already considering his future over a Pizza Express.
John Hirst spotted Iain Dale getting very hissy over Ian Duncan Smith's early doors capitulation.
And Ben Brogan, reported by Dale in the early hours, spotted a supposed Labour teller in Thurrock throwing down her rosette and joining the Tory team. That's what we're up against with these Cuddly Nu Tories. Also an 18-year-old Tory councillor in the same wise old county.
Chorlton 43% Lib Dem Gain
Ankers LD 1823
Candeland Green 544
Gallagher Lab 1781
McLaughlin Tory 264
Nick Robinson has William Hague Ian Duncan Smith admitting this is going to be a disappointing night. He was also 25 minutes behind the wave, or 35 behind Hirsty on the Hull result.
Not sure what happened in Liverpool. I thought I heard a gain of four seats. I thought it was for Labour. Others thought it was for Lib Dems. Their Group Leader Warren Bradley was certainly being bullish. Which means the second version would seem more likely. But this is Liverpool Lib Dems and fighting talk is the rule, whatever happens.
UPDATE: Well, by the time the bar shut FOUR had turned into FIVE and a HALF. FOR Labour. FROM Lib Dems. And Cllr Warren Bradley, Cllr Mike Storey's sock puppet of a stand in, had assaulted the Labour candidate in the possible 6th gain.
CORRECTION: It was Ian Duncan Smith that Nick Robinson stitched up.
Latest whisper, is that Chorlton Ward is a recount, despite what the Returning Officer told the press 30 minutes ago (in conversation). Looks like we will lose it by 35 or thereabouts.
UPDATE: Probably not a Returning Officer, my mistake, but looked authoritative.
Not a one. Well, at least that's the word with one seat to declare. That seat being, sod's law, my home ward.
Close in Miles Platting and Newton Heath, close in Northenden, close presumably in Chorlton. Staggering majority for Afzal Khan. Also Rosa Battle. But worrying total for BNP in Higher Blackley though this used to be major NF stamping ground.
Longsight and Gorton North - which saw Labour gains last time with women candidates - should really have been AWS.
No Tory breakthrough in City Centre. In fact they were still third. No great fruits either from Dave-id Cameron's regular sorties to United Estates in Wythenshawe. Though there was a bit of a kerfuffle in Sharston.
Why is Chorlton taking so long ...?
Lib Dems have given up on Chorlton ... their number 1 target
Lib Dems have got close in Miles Platting .... But Lab Hold
Whalley Range 39% Lib Dem Hold
Higher Blackley 29.7% Labour Hold
But BNP second from a standing start
Lyons Lab 1449
Finnon BNP 716
Hulme Lab Hold
Another Labour Hold, but run close by Lib Dems 31.4%
Bracegirdle Lab 1458
Eakins LD 1352
Magnificent! Last years majority 99. This year 1769.
Afzal 2340
The rest nowhere. Someone select this man as a PPC.
Switch to short results, and will come back to them
Charlestown 28% Labour Hold
Basil Curley Lab 1542
Kim Glasspole Tory 419
Longsight 31.4% LD Hold
Chohan LD 1506 Last time Labour won by 900
Hussein Lab 1188 local ward party resisted AWS
Moss Side 24.5%
Ali Lab 1660
Ukairo LD 384
UPDATE: Cllr Mrs Loretta Brandy has retired. Zeke Ukairo WAS a Labour Councillor in Longsight until the 2004 all out, then stood as a Green in 2006. Now as a Lib Dem. Social mobility in our inner cities.
Woodhouse Park 21.2% Labour Hold
O'Neil Lab 1354
Heath Tory 378
Burnage 32% LD Hold
Donaldson LD 1825
Duffy Lab 1209
Gair Gr 132
Scofield Tory 194
Crumpsall 30% Labour Hold
Cummings Gr 254
Glasspole Tory 564
Keegan Lab 1832
Shabaz LD 398
Moston 29% Labour Hold
Cooper Lab 1760
Goater Gr 132
Hartley LD 314
Pinder Tory 637
Reeve UKIP 327
Ardwick 21.5 Labour Hold
Ali 155
Chaudry 526
Hall 224
Priest 1219
Bradford 22% Labour Hold
Rosa Battle (Lab) 1476 (Dad is Deputy Leader, Uncle is MP)
James Guse (LD) 288
Rod Keller (Tory) 190
Chris Waldon (Gr) 131
Brooklands 23% Labour Hold
Cooley Lab 1460
Kierman LD 342
Maccarthy-Morrough Gr 140
Raynor Tory 958
Adlard (Tory) 343
Cheng (Ind) 114
Crotty (Lab) 391
Dobson (LD) 498
Vollm (Gr) 171
This is a LD hold with a much reduced majority. Well done to Kathy Crotty for holding second and pegging Kenny Dobson back.
Have a good chat with some of the real journalists getting paid to do this. We start from general chit-chat about Unicorn Greengrocers. The myth about their fury if anyone asks to be served honey.
The Tesco nearby that was stymied by old Leechy, to the disgust of many local people in Stretford and indeed in Chorlton. Next he's going to try to fight off a Tesco Metro to replace the Exxon petrol station (hurrah!) but I cannot say I wish him success with that one.
When it comes to which seats are running close and which are not these people don't seem to have a clue what's going on.
My Hull correspondent, the Jailhouse Lawyer John Hirst who blogs as Prisoner's Voice, tells me that Lib Dems have taken six seats already in Hull and if this sally goes unanswered they'll have control.
Manchester Evening News snapper Phil and scribbler Dave are off down stairs to search out some arty shots of black boxes being hustled up the magnificent spiral stairs of the Waterhouse Town Hall. I'll borrow some in the morning and show you.
UPDATE: Arty pictures are proving difficult to procure ...
Someone's just asked the Press Officers whether any of the MPs are here. Names are reeled off. Except one of them. John Leech MP is actually here, snarling and grimacing, but he does not really have the aura required to cut through.
There are more Tories in the Town Hall tonight than any one has a right to expect given their inactivity over the last months. Not a single flier in most of Manchester's 32 wards. It's all very well for Iain Dale to big up his party for standing the most candidates, but these ones are sitting or lying down.
Have talked to a number of our candidates. There are quite a few seats this time which we are attacking where it is almost impossible to tell how it has gone.
As usual there are also a few candidates with substantial majorities who should be relaxing, but many of them are jumpy. The Lib Dems however are worse. More anon.
Well, here I am in Manchester Town Hall, blogging live for the moment. Spent the last 90 minutes of the day in Whalley Range, my old stamping ground, and knocked up at least half a dozen of our voters who were planning to stop home.
A couple of them even beeped, wound windows down and confirmed that they'd done the deed. And they were pleased they had done.
Twenty minutes at the committee rooms. Onwards to town. Sainsburys. And a pint with former councillor John Byrne in the City Arms. Rusholme is interesting. Respect have worked the patch hard. The Lib Dems have worked only one large estate. And there is just a chance of a through the muddle gain if Respect take enough votes from the Libs.
Into the Town Hall. Corridor Pass first. Press Pass second. Into the Press Office and waiting for the first result.
BBC Web News has a story about a drop in PVs this time.
John Hemming MP was on Today today speculating that this drop in numbers was due to a horrendous scale of cheating last time. Mostly from his own party. A fact which that Tom Watson MP heard him not using.
Jon Cruddas is compiling an anthology of stories that show Tories up for what they are. One of mine has just been boosted to the front page! Hurrah.
UPDATE: Feel free to leave it here as well, funny and cruel is good.
UPDATE: Their vote generator has been busted! Shame on them. You can Vote for Manchester HERE once per day.
Quote from an indignant Facebooker:"In an hour they went from:
#21 Burgess Hill 2529 (12:58 2/5/07)
to:
#11 Burgess Hill 3404 (01:59 02/5/07)
That's almost a thousand votes in an hour and up 10 places...bloody cheats!
And I also found this in their facebook group:
Topic: Officer Martyn Fagg - For God Like Status
Post #1Russ Campbell (East Bay, CA) wrote
6 hours ago
http://www.muphi.com/vote.html
OMG it kicks Ass! They are definitely cheating!
This is their campaign group link if you want to see for yourself:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2368707276"
Manchester, by the way is hardly in the game, yet.
Another fool question from John Leech MP:John Leech (Manchester, Withington, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether bids to the Transport Innovation Fund will be assessed on their potential contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as their effectiveness in reducing congestion.
Received this answer from Stephen Ladyman MP:Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport)
The environmental impacts of Transport Innovation Fund proposals, including carbon dioxide emissions, will be considered as part of the assessment of TIF bids.
Sadly although the acronym TIF was given a link but this was not to the expected details of the Fund to rub Leech's face in his ignorance. Instead it links to the wiki definition of "Tagged Image Format File" or TIFF which is an old school graphics format:
[p pid="a.1673W.8/1"]The environmental impacts of Transport Innovation Fund proposals, including carbon dioxide emissions, will be considered as part of the assessment of [a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIF"]TIF[/a] bids.[/p]
Tory bloggers will no doubt enjoy giving Ladyman childish names (again) and accusing his Department of deliberately conspiring to confuse the Lib Dem Mimicster for bicycle clips? Who probably hasn't noticed.
Previewed HERE. List of all candidates here.
In alphabetical order the key wards with predictions:Ancoats and Clayton: Much increased majority for Labour. 250? Dodgy Danny routed.
Baguley: Lynn Worthington is an Independent Socialist Save Our Baby Unit, which is interesting. Not really.
Burnage: Close run thing, a real two horse race, with Labour's Frank Duffy a real stayer on the near side. Too close to call.
Cheetham: Former councillor and PPC for Gorton the news whore solicitor Mr Kassim Afzal was dropped for taxi man Sham Raja. Big increase in majority for Cllr Afzal Khan. 250?
Chorlton: Increased majority for Angela Gallagher. 250-300. Bloody nose for Leech and his "Bastards" lackey.
Chorlton Park: John Hacking (Labour) some progress but Shameless Lib Dems weigh in.
City Centre: Right Wing Independent Kin Cheng takes votes from Tories and Lib Dems. Kathy Crotty in with a chance for Labour. Whiney Rob Adlard may surprise for Tories. Absentee and almost de-selected Lib Dem Kenny Dobson defending. And Brigit Vollm for the Greens. This is one of just two three or four horse races in town. 1-2-3 could be in any order.
Didsbury East: "Chicken" Geoff Bridson (Labour) tackles Helen "D" Fisher (Lib Dem). Chance of an upset.
Gorton South: Home seat of the wobbling Lib Dem leader Simon Ashley with Julie Reid standing for no nonsense Labour. Another chance of an upset. Reduced majority is best Libs can hope for.
Gorton North: Labour Gain. 250 majority.
Higher Blackley: Joe Finnon, the BNP student rabble rouser and undercover infiltrator moves across from Fallowfield. This was for a time hot Fash country with a sadly departed Lamb and Flag PH a focus. Shirley Reeve of UKIP also pitches for the right wingers. Labour to scatter these pretenders. Increased turn out and majority.
Hulme: Former PPC Steve Durrant and anti-fash and anti-war activist (Green) stands again after being humbled into third last time in the Green's "stronghold". Labour hold with increased majority for Mary Murphy. 150-200.
Longsight: Another Labour gain. 500-600 majority.
Miles Platting and Newton Heath: Yes, we have Derek Adams for the BNP (he's bananas), Lisa Duffy competing with him in UKIP colours, June Hitchin for Labour and erstwhile Lab, Ind, UKIP now Lib Dem Damien O'Connor. June to win but a slightly dented majority.
Rusholme: Nahella Ashraf is Respect's candidate. Bit too keen on the Labour bashing even among friends - e.g. Tony Lloyd MP at Pakistan Earthquake appeal supper had to hear a silly tirade. But she's a good worker and will take votes mostly from Lib Dems as Labour recover. This is the other close 3-way. Possible Labour Gain with very outside chance of a Respect first.
Whalley Range: Labour gain for the experienced and hard-working Kath Fry over the inexperienced and you know irredeemably lazy Faroz Bhatti. 350 majority.
Instead of blogging or webbing their own March the English Parliament fringe are coming over to my post here and blogging rather rabid comments. It's all a question of priorities. And mine now are Burnage, Chorlton and Chorlton Park wards in Manchester as the orders come in. So bye until tea time.
In Ewood where the Lib Dems are again not standing the BNP's John Joseph Raleigh who overtook the Tories for 2nd last time needs 111 new votes or a 56 vote swing from Labour to win.
In Meadowhead where there are two seats up the Lib Dems and BNP have each stood just one candidate. England First a direct off shoot of the BNP hold one seat in this ward.
In Shadsworth the Lib Dems ARE standing but with the BNP in a clear second again, closing the gap a little I'm going to be interested to see whether the Lib Dems really fight to hold onto their 343 votes for third.
Matt Dean's pathetic whinge about Southampton Council boosting turnout with marketing like banner planes and battle buses was picked up by Iain Dale who naturally decided this was a plot against Tory interests.
I think it's great and have obtained a series of sample images Lib Dem council leaders hope to see in their skies. Like this one:
And this one:
Not to mention this doubly whammy:
This seems like a perfectly fine idea. Far cheaper at say £10,000 the lot than giving every voter £10 off their Council Tax which might cost £1 to £2 million in Manchester.
Another Dale and Tory miscalculation?
UPDATE: Matt hasn't posted again on this matter and Iain hasn't either.
Eve of poll leaflets from Labour and Lib Dems. Still nothing from Tories - who are making a big deal of standing in more seats (standing in more seats?) - or the Greens who do better the less paper they get inky anyway.
The Labour one for Angela Gallagher is about:
A popular High School (nice pic with G Brown and council leader R Leese)
Refurbished local Library in the ward
Road and pavement resurfacing achieved
New street lighting - a great leap forward
Copious amounts of tree planting
And improved pedestrian facilities
A letter from Richard Leese yesterday rebutted the Lib Dems running rubbish story, bigged up recycling and mentioned in passing other Lib Dem lies - The Christie, Southern Cemetary, Post Offices, Police Numbers, you know the drill.
The Lib Dem one ... from the party that believes in LOCAL government, by and for LOCAL people ... was a set of low rent whinges about Tony Blair that wouldn't be out of place at a fair few Manchester Labour meetings. But have nothing whatsoever to do with running Manchester for the people's best interests.
This ward is fascinating. Our candidate Angela Gallagher has been serving the public all her life. As a Head Teacher at the very local school her rival went to. And subsequently as a community activist. She was a long time Labour supporter who was poached to be an accidental candidate and an even more accidental councillor for the Lib Dems.
But the people were right. She was the best of the three they put up. Angela went on to contribute her life savings to John Leech's successful parliamentary campaign. £23,000, with increasing misgivings about the fibs it was spreading. The pain continued with more and more dishonesty, more and more bad behaviour, and ultimately a plot to deselect her.
Wisely Angela switched to Labour and renounced the Lib Dems. Our main opponent is young and has not stinted with his Lib Dem tactics. Dishonesty piled upon dishonesty. But beyond that and the fact that he's back at the parental home and curses local people on his mobile 'phone I know nothing about him.
The ingrate John Leech has made it his priority to try to kick Angela off the Council. Take her savings, now take her living.
I saw his crumpled, wasp-chewing face up close when we took four seats off them last year (when they had expected to take five from us). I'd love to see that look again tomorrow night at Manchester Town Hall.
Iain Dale has chosen the eve of the polls to bury another paddy, in this case apparently based on atrocious adding up. This was it:New figures sneaked out by the Treasury today reveal that Gordon Brown’s staff have spent nearly half a million pounds on Eurostar trips in one year. The £463,455 bill for 2,750 tickets means return trips are costing the taxpayer around £337. Return tickets in standard class cost as little as £30.
The Treasury took five months to answer the question, and slipped it out this morning whilst attention is focused on the local elections.
There is a consensus emerging among commenters that there are some schoolboy errors from the word "means" onwards. The tickets are surely already returns? So the average price is around £168 NOT £337. Double counting. Iain has made the reverse error in the comparator price which is for a single, not for a return which is £60 or more.
This seems to add up to quadrupling the difference between a highly restricted and limited availability ticket at £60 and a more generally available and more flexible choice at £170. As railway pricing goes this difference is no great shakes. As one insider commented also civil servants do their best to be economical on travel.
As to the idea that this is being "buried" by elections and leadership successions? This Iain could be buried by a tedious routine statement from Ivan Lewis MP on who knows what. A non-story based on scandalously bad Tory maths.
In Darlington it is rumoured that the other Lib Dems are slagging off their man who signed the BNP nomination papers and telling people not to vote for him or even that he has withdrawn. This is hotly denied by Lib Dems. They would say that though wouldn't they?
Meanwhile in Blackburn the same franchise of a shamelessly apolitical party is in cahoots with the BNP and their cousins in England First Party with some mutual back scratching.
These cases are on top of the famous "Bastards" quote in Manchester; the boosting BNP to committee in Burnley; the Settle Mayor and his "Coon Jokes"; the communalism in Oldham and Saddleworth over a Mosque; a "let's have a nice debate when they get elected" line again in Manchester; and of course that allegation of a Nazi Salute from a Lib Dem while Cllr Afzal Khan was addressing the Council.
The shameful collaboration-with-Nazis list gets longer by the day.
A Lib Dem Troll has come out to play on this post about Paul "Bastards" Ankers and his dishonest campaigning and posturing. Feel free to join in. Is it a good idea for candidates to use "family man" photographs? Is making a fetish over being "local" a good and sustainable tactic? In each example they have candidates elsewhere who are NOT these things.
There were about 120 people on this much vaunted march. There is a picture of them looking pathetic at the link.
Meanwhile right wing bloggers took umbrage at the Speaker of the Commons (a Scot) "banning" the march. Which simply is not true. Perhaps saving their blushes with a re-route.
This is about 10% of turnout for a similar event in 2002. Did they really hand in a 20,000 name petition?
Two or three hours of eve of poll truthing to do. Letters outing the Lib Dems as rubbish liars. Leaflets to 500 homes in Cllr John Leech MP's "Fortress Chorlton Park" which he is still failing to list as a ward on his blob.
This afternoon it'll likely be off to the other end of the constituency, some last minute surprise! tree posters, and then more eve of polling. Not sure I can face the 5am "day of poll" duties reserved for the sleep lights.
But I am looking forward to a turn at the joystick of the Manchester Labour banner-plane tomorrow!
Was hoping to carry a report about the Justice for England march on 1 May 2007. But sadly cannot find a trace of a report - not even on the organisation's own site. Their blog was last updated in August 2006. Iain Dale invited us to go to the party and then spent the day in Welsh Wales.
A fine way to carry on. No wonder Dave-id maintains the Bullingdon/Eton stance for his confidantes. A chap must know how to behave.
May Day as a whole was also on the quiet side with this Reuters report filed from London failing to mention workers' picnics, anarchist interventions in the city, or anything from the UK at all.
They did carry this positive picture of Iraqi women hold placards during a May Day rally in Basra, 550 km (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, May 1, 2007.
(REUTERS/Atef Hassan)
Meanwhile there were of course traditional sun welcoming Morris Dance activities in good old England West Coast N America. It looks like Freddie Mercury was a former adherent. Not a lot of people know that.
UPDATE: There were about 120 people on the march. About 10% of turnout for a similar event in 2002.
Something a bit blue through the letter box. Sadly not a Tory flier. It's insurance. Tragic Tories seem to be co-operating with Lib Dem fibbers by not campaigning AT ALL here. This is NOT how to exploit any Cameron bounce. The Lib Dems have nobbled all your votes with bar chart and other fibs these past 15 years. How will you EVER get back?
Meanwhile Iain Dale has linked to some soft-headed predictions. Seem to be way off the money. As one commentator said they'd not mind being this lot's bookmaker.
Among other things they are predicting swings to the Lib Dems in Oldham and in Sheffield. Both places possibly Lib-Dem-proofed by their fatally flawed two year incumbencies in recent memory.
Their erstwhile leader in Oldham said words to the effect that:"It's easy in opposition - you can say anything and do nothing. But in power you have to make hard decisions.
We weren't up to it."
Lib Dems are actually on the run in Manchester and Liverpool and Sheffield with promising signs in Leeds and Newcastle also. Shame is that the Cuddly Nu Tories are not in any shape to take advantage.
One of these fine parties has been conned. I'm thinking the members of the Tory group who each put in £60 to the pot to shift a Labour majority of 37 may be feeling particularly miffed after THIS. Confused student Melanie may be used to different arrangements between far right parties in her German Fatherland. She has resigned from UKIP who are also standing.
This does beg the question what supposed "socialist" and convict Damien O'Connor was doing going through the UKIP ranks before settling on the maverick Lib Dems. He's standing in Miles Platting and Newton Heath where UKIP, BNP, Tories and now alas O'Connor's Lib Dems make up the right wing choices. Kerron deserves a hat tip for the first para.
Iain Dale claims that no Labour leaflets whatsoever have been delivered in Yvette Cooper's "Wakefield" fiefdom. Can this be true? Or have Wakefield Labour simply identified 14 Tory activists and not delivered to these fine upstandings and their immediate neighbours? A reversible trick.
Mr Dale cites no source and also is yet to respond on the Smethwick poster colour-blindness scandal/shortage. Oh, and by the way Iain Mary Creagh (right) is the Labour MP for Wakefield and environs. Yvette is one of the out of town three. As stated earlier LOL has yet to see a Tory leaflet in any of three wards I'm working in and find that this same dearth of blue gibberish applies across most of Manchester. Sadly. We've shifty Lib Dem chimera scoundrels where once we had no-flies-on-me Tories.
Sadly Tories in leafy parts of Smethwick (left) where the rich white folks live had to put up generic posters as their stock of named ones was only sufficient for the frontline (right). Much better that "white Tory bastards" only realise they must vote for a "black bastard" (copyright Col Mercer MP) when they get their ballot paper? Another hat tip to Bob Piper. Perhaps Mr Dale would get over here and explain that?
Incredible really; and the Tories thought they had trouble with fancy dress.
This man is a BNP candidate in Redditch and a Nazi fetishist. Just because he wears the uniform doesn't make him a Nazi. But he's a member of the BNP and that does.
The third in line to the throne asked not to included in this photograph. He now has other fish to fry, uniform wise, and does not wish to be cup-tied. Hat tip: Bob Piper.
Tired of calling Chorlton people "Bastards" Mr Paul Ankers is now calling us "Dear Neighbour" in his traditional "blue ink" letter. This was printed by "WPS" which, and I'm guessing here, may well be Lib Dem MP John Leech's tax payer funded constituency office. This seems to be 90% used for political rather than constituency business.
Amongst other things the letter states that Greens and Tories are losing support, which simply is not true. At least of the Greens. Though it must be said I have yet to receive a Tory leaflet in this prime council seat. Have they been persuaded to stand down their campaign? In a Lib Con pact? Better than a Lib-BNP pact I suppose.
With the letter is yet another disreputable Focus - also printed by "WPS" - which leads on an alleged TORY CUT in neighbouring TRAFFORD. This is followed by the traditional police lies, the busted fortnightly bins lies, some Post Office lies, and a warning to beware Labour's "last minute nasties" supported by an out of context quote from the Torygraph.
The Post Office lies are priceless. Yes, Beech Road Post Office was closed. By cheating Post Office managers, responding to a Lib Dem backed EU competition initiative. But Clarendon Road Post Office was closed and sold on by one Mr Khan who even stopped Labour petitions being collected at his shop. It's a lie Paul Ankers. AND it's not in this ward anyway.
Chorlton Crown Post Office - also not in the ward - has of course been franchised, which Manchester Labour opposed for principled reasons of keeping public services public and protecting staff jobs. This included collecting user statistics over a ten-day period and monitoring the service for YEARS as well as collecting thousands of signatures.
Lib Dems opposed for opportunistic scaremongering reasons of cuts in service which have happily not materialised. In fact the service has been extended by eight hours a week. And they collected less than 50 signatures from TWO WARDS for the last of Adam Crozier's closures.
Lib Dems wrote the book when it comes to economic liberalism and privatisation. They claimed the credit for the independence of the Bank of England but not it seems for the same neo-Lib idea applied to the Post Office. They backed the EU competition legislation, and they have done next to nothing to stop any closure. In fact Ming Campbell's first "triumph" as leader was to push through a Lib Dem Post Office privatisation policy!
One Lib Dem councillor in neighbouring Whalley Range even jeered at local people who had fought the one succesful Post Office saving campaign in the area with his clottish predictions that it would be "closed within a year or two". He now owes us all a pint as his dire prediction was untrue!
The prize of dishonour goes to Paul Ankers' life story of living continuously in Chorlton. It simply is not true and misses out at least one address, never mind his fibs that he was "Local" in Fallowfield and Brooklands in previous campaigns.
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