POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest.... See THIS NY Times report on the relationship between Trump and Deutsche Bank. He is fighting to stop them opening his accounts up to Congress and the reason is suspected to be that this would reveal not only how much he owes but haw bad his conduct has been. The bank is in trouble itself and there is little doubt that some very damaging consequences could arise if Congress gets the information.....

[PanBiker]

In our local forest it is Campaign HQ setup day. IT kit to be installed and the tellers to be sorted with their pads. Two wards in Barlick so a bit more involved than the rest of Pendle. We are the only Labour Party branch in the borough that has two wards. 10am start, should have it sorted by dinnertime ready for the fun tomorrow. Turnout is likely to be low with the Voter ID trial.

[Tizer]

Here we've got a choice of 3 Conservatives and 3 LibDem. No Labour. We've had lots of leaflets from LibDem and one from Conservatives. Nothing official from the council about voting - they seem to expect it all to happen with no prompting from them.

[PanBiker]

We are sorted and ready to rock.

Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem in both of our wards for the Borough. Only Labour and Lib Dems for the Town Council.

[Tizer]

I missed out the 1 independent. We've met him on one of our walks which is more than I can say for the local Tories.

[PanBiker]

Our Tory Borough Council candidates for our two wards are man and wife. So a double disappointment if they get their noses rubbed in it.

[PanBiker]

The sacking of Gavin Williamson, Theresa May's golden boy wonder Defence Secretary won't help the Tory cause tomorrow. Forcing a cabinet re-shuffle, Penny Mordaunt gets the post. Maybe she can resist using her mobile in NSC meetings.

[Stanley]

I told you I suspected Private Pike...... (You Stupid Boy......) He is going round all the media saying it wasn't him..... (Quote from an un-named MP, "He is a total pratt and has form....")
News that mastermind Grayling is busy paying compensation of millions as he cancels ferries he hired. (He's broken DafT tendering rules by appointing Abelio to the new franchise but that will all come out in the wash later)
I am looking forward to exercising my democratic rights. Low turnout means every vote cast is more valuable.

[Stanley]

Lots of seats to declare yet of course but the state of the wicket at 07:30 is....
Con -396
Lab -61
Lib Dem +271
Green +36
UKIP -54
Independent +212.

My first simplistic assessment is that the voters seem to have rebelled against Labour and Conservative and transferred allegiance to Lib Dems, Green and most surprising of all Independents.
As for why, it looks like hatred of Tories for cocking up Brexit, distrust of Labour because they are sitting on the fence and not opposing. Support for Independents because they aren't Con or Lab and finally The Lib Dems have a clear view on both Brexit and the second referendum. Not much doubt that the biggest losers are, as predicted, the Tories.
This isn't over yet and we are going to be treated to a day of politicians putting their own spin on it. One thing seems clear, something has completely altered the overall picture and I might be wrong!

[PanBiker]

Locally in Barlick, turnout was dire, the lowest I have ever seen it. We had tellers on all polling stations in both wards so were tracking everyone who turned up to vote. We even record those that will not give their number so we can say that the figures are pretty accurate. When we stood our tellers down as polling was tailing off, both Coates and Craven stood at around 18% turnout in each ward. The figure does not include postal votes other than those brought to the polling station. By any degree this is a lousy turnout, a combination of the voter ID trial and the knock on apathy over the national situation we reckon.

Pendle count will not be finalised until this afternoon. They gave up overnight counting some years ago so the Borough count takes place this morning in Colne at the Sports Centre, the Town Councils count is in the afternoon. It remains to be seen if we follow the National trend. We will make the Town Council count this afternoon but miss the Borough as I am going for my aorta scan this morning in Nelson. We will have a bit of lunch at Unity Hall and then go and see what the deal is for Barlick and the rest of West Craven and Pendle in general.

[Tizer]

Not much doubt that the biggest losers are, as predicted, the Tories.

...and UKIP (on a % basis), whoopee!

Counting is finished here for `Somerset West & Taunton' and the Tories have been shoved out of first place. The LibDems came first by gaining 30 of the 59 seats available; Independent second with 14 seats. Conservatives third place with 10 seats, Labour on three and the Greens on two. I don't know the turn out yet but it looks low generally across the country. We voted for two LibDem and one independent and they all got in.

PS. I noticed that the LibDems have taken Bath & N.E. Somerset from the Tories - if I remember correctly that's Rees-Mogg's manor!

The news media are saying that Brexit anger is dominating the results but they're missing the real story - the public are disappointed with politicians in general, not just because of Brexit woes.

[plaques]

A last minute mail drop from our local Conservative candidate Mr Joe Cooney concentrated on three main items.
1 Protecting green spaces. Later qualified to 'green spaces from over development' which isn't quite the same thing.
2 Action of dog fouling. Or as Spike Milligan would say "dog shit". Not a thing that is foremost in my mind.
3 Protect bin collection. Another non-priority.
Nothing about cutbacks to services. Reduced policing levels. Schools and teachers numbers. The overall level of poverty in Pendle not to mention initiatives to combat obesity. This last one may be a bit problematic since he looks as though he could explode at any minute but that's his problem.

[Stanley]

Yes, I forgot UKIP.
Still waiting for the end of the count but one thing that strikes me is that nobody has mentioned what effect the furore over Anti-Semitism has had, not only with the Jewish voters but ordinary members who are disgusted with the attitudes displayed.

[Tripps]

A last minute mail drop from our local Conservative candidate Mr Joe Cooney

Didn't seem to convince enough voters. He has lost to a Liberal Democrat.

[Pluggy]

The tellers had called it a day when we voted at about 7PM at Walmsgate.

[Tizer]

`Tories lose slim grip on Pendle. The Conservatives lose control of a Lancashire council they were leading by only one seat. BBC

[Big Kev]

Coates and Craven wards

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[PanBiker]

Just got back from the count, Town Council results as above. Both Lib Dem slates elected. Remains to be seen how many stay if previous Lib Dem teams are anything to go by. Borough Council goes to overall no control with Labour second and the Lib Dems in third position with numbers of councillors.

Conservatives: 23
Labour: 16
Lib Dems: 10

[Whyperion]

It's been interesting.

Corbyn's reported reflection
" conceded voters who disagreed with its backing for Brexit had deserted the party." Which is sort of sitting on a fence opionion about someone sitting on a fence. [ though also brilliantly avoiding if it was leavers, remainers or 2nd Ref persons he was talking about). But some of these wards have quite low electorate numbers and lower turnouts so it is fractional.

In Pendle, LibDems didn't contest ever seat - with hindsight there might have been some mileage in doing so as there appears to be a bigger space for not labour / not conservative than there has been for some time
(east) yorkshire returns two Yorkshire Party councillors for the first time - (party formed in 2014)
In both Burnley and Pendle where there have been an asian (normally I think Indian or Pakistani origins) , standing, there has tended to be a higher number of votes going to them - is that part of better local network connections in those communities ? (and v Interesting where its been a straight 2 way con v lab when both from such background)? As well as absolute numbers such wards have been showing around 50% voter turnout, compared with in the 30% range for other wards. If about 20% turnout generally coming through the doors, that makes about 10% on postal votes.
So , Labour losing overall control of Burnley, mostly due to independents but Green double their councillors to 2, With some work (I only got a leaflet and a card through, both from Labour), the Greens could get some more influence as world views change - maybe they are using more social (twitter / FB ) media to connect - not something I over look at due to time and flaky devices.

Anyway I actually voted for a candidate I knew had an opinion on Brexit that I knew differed from how I voted in that poll, because at a local level in particular I feel I have to look forward to the ones that can possibly make the best difference in whatever circumstances, and hopefully can stand up for reasonable funding for essential services without going extravagent on the wrong things.

Accross UK it has been worked out that tory and labour would get about 28% each of a national vote (which of course wont reflect in parliamentary seats in the same way). (And I dont think that includes Change UK or Brexit Party votes whom did not field in the locals)

Looking forward are Euro elections on some kind of PR basis ? Can Greeens and Lib Dems get enough push to get votes in excess of the (indicivise/undiecided parties) Brexit/UKIP and Change - or will Change split votes and the traditional parties see a greater representation - If it is a PR section then I could see Change and Brexit favouring having 1st place leadings (or maybe not Change if people think that Lib Dem is more honest)

[Stanley]

Hard luck Sally but best of the Labour slate. She picked a bad year.....
Now for the repercussions.....

[PanBiker]

Hard luck Sally but best of the Labour slate. She picked a bad year.....

Thanks Stanley, it was this year or wait another four, there wont be another Town Council election until 2023. Unless of course we get the usual resignations from some of the "Liberal" councillors when they find out what it's really like. It will be co-opt or election then. Co-option under the current incumbents does not usually involve those that have actually stood for election and triggering an election is usually hailed as wasting the electorates money! It remains to be seen, co-option normally goes under the radar unless you follow the business at town council meetings.

On the national reporting bias. Labour loses around 80 councillors and is automatically in the same boat as the Tories who lost over 1,300? More air time is given into the Spanish Inquisition of all and sundry from Labour with little to the actual decimation of the Tories. How steep is that hill we have to climb?

[Tizer]

`It's all due to Brexit' - or so they keep telling us. Brexit has provided a great excuse for the main parties to avoid admitting that's there's a lot more wrong with them than just Brexit. I'm reading a history of the Bridgwater & Taunton Canal project at the beginning of the 1800s. It was very slow to get started and there's a lovely comment in a speech by the official from the Tone River Conservator (a competitor for trade): `All this delay and they tell us it was caused by Napoleon's escape from Elba! Whatever next?' Sounds familiar?

I think `Napoleon's escape from Elba' and `Brexit' will become my favourite excuses for procrastination in the future.

[plaques]

In both Burnley and Pendle where there have been an asian (normally I think Indian or Pakistani origins) , standing,

One of the Conservative leaflets noted that there where no Labour councilors except in Brierfield and Nelson. While this is numerically true in my mind there is a hint of racial overtone in this statement. This can easily become a slippery slope that is best avoided.

Labour loses around 80 councillors and is automatically in the same boat as the Tories who lost over 1,300?

The rightwing's interpretation or super spin is since the Tories lost 1,300 Labour should have picked these seat up. Therefore, if the 80 loses that Labour suffered is added to the gains they should have had,ie: 1,300, then their total performance is down by 1,380. Such is the perverse logic of politics.

[Tripps]

The rightwing's interpretation or super spin is since the Tories lost 1,300 Labour should have picked these seat up. Therefore, if the 80 loses that Labour suffered is added to the gains they should have had,ie: 1,300, then their total performance is down by 1,380. Such is the perverse logic of politics.

I've read quite a bit of the press comments on the fallout from this election - but I haven't seen anyone suggest that all 1300 seats that the Conservatives lost should have been won by Labour.

The main comments seem to have been based on the fact that that John McDonnell said he expected to gain about 400 seats.

[Whyperion]

Plaques, I was just looking for a reason , ( and bear in mind I have worked with EU / Locally(London) projects that have targeted ethnic minorities (particulary women but not exclusively so in all of them) that the wimpy left seemed to think needed some kind of push (or pull) to be economically involved - in my prior experience I tended to find from limited working with a mix of Sikh, Hindu and Islamic folk all in independent business was that generally they felt better left alone and getting on with the job, as parts of London went downhill the roads and streets where they predominated were the most vibrant and interesting). Reading elsewhere here I note that India has in its own elections about 80% electorate turnout- maybe that influence of family and friends continues on here , which is good. Is any of it to do with things like Friday meetings where leaders do talk about politics? something which used to be done in Anglican churches probably until the 1950s, which in preaching they seem to shy away from these days -but some I know do host hustings and some community involvment but it seems less than in the past. Maybe the other observation is do we look for people like ourselves to represent us or are we happy to trust someone who might not share our memory culture ? Personally I would like to see more diverse choices and participation in groups like the Green Party, which has tended to originate from a fairly middle class disaffected background.

Moving back more tory spinning Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the party risked losing voters' trust after "not delivering on a promise at the heart of our last manifesto" (BBC Website). Given the general pick up by Independents - which would indicate local solutions for local issues are better (Something that is generally at the heart of a lot of EU directives), and LibDem/Green remaining would more indicate some kind of different hope ? If Cons had held the spin would have been that the Tory Brexit route was vindicated and should quickly be gotten on with, given that UKIP fielded less candidates had UKIP stood would they have got the 'missing' tory votes, or did a good proportion of those tory ones transfer to the LibDems ?

I was wrong on the EU election - mum has just had a postal ballot through, it has only one vote choice allowable. There are a number of persons on one ticket (up to 8 for her consituency) , grouped under relevant parties, plus a number of single individuals, which seems somewhat unfair - if the consituency has to return 8 persons then should not up to 8 choices from non-aligned standees be persmisable too (not doubt discussed and a rationale done in the EU rules, but it is confusing).