Bob Piper has been a Labour councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for eight 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!
Mike Smithson over at Political Betting so often allows his anti-Labour bias to affect his common sense it makes me wonder how he ever takes any money off the bookies at all.
Take today's piece on whether Labour will regret allowing Ken Livingstone back into the fold. Firstly, Smithson assumes Ken will lose the Mayoral election (which is by no means a racing certainty even to the bookmakers) and then posits that if Ken had been left to win in 2004 as an Independent, "Labour would not now be facing the prospect of a mega-loss on May 1st."
Errm, explain, please? If we accept your assumption that Johnson (the Tory) beats Livingstone, (the Independent).... where would this leave the official Labour candidate? Given that Livingstone's standing in the polls is higher than Labour's current polling level, one can only assume that an official Labour candidate, in a split Labour vote, would maybe even fall below the level of Brian Paddick.
Even if we accept Smithson's view that slimeball Gilligan will continue to rubbish Livingstone with tit bits of information fed by a Johnson administration should he be elected, I can hardly see the impact of that being greater for Labour than a complete humiliation in the election which would almost certainly have been the consequence of continuing to oppose Ken.
What do you think of East Lindsey District Council increasing my Council Tax by 11.9% ? Do you think Gordon should have a word, I'm a poor pensioner and a Labour Party supporter. If you could tell him that perhaps he'll sort it for me and other poor folk who voted for him last time.
Well, I for one hope Ken gets back in. But I do wonder if he'd still be facing the fight of his political life if he was still an independent. How much of the Boris support is animated by anti-Ken animus versus anti-New Labour animus? I guess only canvassing returns will be able to tell us.
newmania said:
March 24, 2008 10:10 PM | permalink
I have wondered if it was really a good idea to jump on the bendy Ken bus. I suspect that Liberals who might have supported New Labour with an open field will not support Ken Livingstone who is closer to George Galloway than New Labour. His support for fascist Islam, his wish to cause racial tensions and anti semitism are not great copy nor is his contempt for the Borough Councils , disinterest in the Suburbs , brutal housing policy and corruption. It’s a bit like being tied to Derek Hatton which is tricky nowadays when Labour are openly discussing a Lib lab next government with a rigged voting system ( See Guardian)
"Gilligan will continue to rubbish Livingstone with tit bits of information"
Oh please. Gilligan has dug up the reality of a Livingstone administration and so did Channel 4. The investigations and lawsuits currently aimed at Ken are fully justified, in light of the evidence discovered thus far.
What have Martin Bright , Nick Coen and ...(psssst) Gordon Brown , got against him then ..are they in the pay of Boris?
I`ve always been suprised at your liking for Ken Livingstone .I hope you don't mimic his morning boozing fighting and bawling at elected representatives young Piper. The folk of Sandwell deserve a little better than London has had to put up with.
Bright and (I presume you mean) Cohen are liberals, I'm not the slightest bit surprised. I thought I saw Brown at Ken's launch last week endorsing his candidature so I'm sure you are mistaken.
I tend to confine my boozing and fighting until the sun has crossed the yardarm.
How's your cheery watermelon smile today... Mr Newmania. Oh no, you're not a piccaninnie are you?
newmania said:
March 25, 2008 10:18 PM | permalink
March 24, 2008 1:43 PM | permalink
What do you think of East Lindsey District Council increasing my Council Tax by 11.9% ? Do you think Gordon should have a word, I'm a poor pensioner and a Labour Party supporter. If you could tell him that perhaps he'll sort it for me and other poor folk who voted for him last time.