Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
I thought this comment deserved a wider audience. So, the Lib Dems have selected their candidate for a Council election in Wolverhamptonfor 2008 already! And as rotund Lib Dem Colin Ross points out, the succesful candidate is Claire Darke who "has stood in Park Ward as an Independent before". Note the careful use of the word before, because, you see, what Col doesn't mention is that 'before' means.... just over 5 weeks ago! A busy five weeks too for Ms Darke. In that time she has barely got over the disappointment of attracting less than 1.5% of the electorate, to join the Lib Dem's (earlier in the year, according to Col) who narrowly won the election, and then onwards and upwards to being their candidate next year in a winnable seat.
I'm sure the unsuccessful Lib Dem candidates in Wolverhampton - and there were a lot of them - are overjoyed that one of their few winnable seats has gone to someone who has only been in the Party a maximum of a few weeks and who stood against a Lib Dem candidate in the last elections. Still, at this rate of progress she will probably be their Parliamentary Candidate by then.
Colin Ross' Personal Trainer said:
June 13, 2007 5:29 PM | permalink
BP wrote "I'm sure the unsuccessful Lib Dem candidates in Wolverhampton - and there were a lot of them...".
16 losers to be be precise! They didn't field a full slate of 20 candidates, only bothering to contest 18 of the wards. One of the wards they didn't have a candidate for was Wednesfield North - this is the second year in a row the Fib Dumbs haven't fielded a candidate and is also the second year in a row that the British National Party DID stand. Coincidence or entente cordiale? Not really for me to say :-)
I asked Gargantuan Col this time last year why the only seat his party didn't contest in 2006 (Wednesfield North) was also the only party where the fascists DID stand last year, but alas he hasn't replied yet.
Maybe he will care to leave a comment somewhere below...
PS - thanks for making my comment a proppa blog Bob!
Gareth Williams said:
June 13, 2007 11:50 PM | permalink
A "Fi" on thee, Mr Piper,
Surely by now you must recall that the Liberal Democrats are obliged to tell a diferent story at every point of call.
And the racist card is one they alwayds play, when they think they can get away with it.
Just before you slap each others back and become too content with reading your own agreed comments.
Lets just look at labour they only fielded candidates for 66% of the council elections in May. The lowest ever by a governing party.
You lost over 500 councillors (net) and now have no representation in over 80 councils in England. This may in part explain the halving of labour membership.
And if you are trying to suggest the Lib Dumbs stepped aside for the BNP Yet again I must let you know that the labour party was again the least likely to stand against the BNP where as the Tories and then Lib Dumbs put up candidates.
Like todays many by elections 7 of which the BNP are standing in. Everyone contested by tories and LD but 3 have no labour candidates.
So please get your facts correct.
And as for playing the race card. How quickly you forget comments by Margaret Hodge, Ruth Kelly and the Britain day spun out by Gordon Brown himself.
Colin Ross is a fat slug said:
June 14, 2007 2:27 PM | permalink
Ross says Darke has been a member for "sometime". I wouldn't be surprised if Mrs Darke was a Lib Dem member before the election. Lib Dem Sleaze.
June 13, 2007 5:29 PM | permalink
BP wrote "I'm sure the unsuccessful Lib Dem candidates in Wolverhampton - and there were a lot of them...".
16 losers to be be precise! They didn't field a full slate of 20 candidates, only bothering to contest 18 of the wards. One of the wards they didn't have a candidate for was Wednesfield North - this is the second year in a row the Fib Dumbs haven't fielded a candidate and is also the second year in a row that the British National Party DID stand. Coincidence or entente cordiale? Not really for me to say :-)
I asked Gargantuan Col this time last year why the only seat his party didn't contest in 2006 (Wednesfield North) was also the only party where the fascists DID stand last year, but alas he hasn't replied yet.
Maybe he will care to leave a comment somewhere below...
PS - thanks for making my comment a proppa blog Bob!