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Independents behave like ‘undignified rabble’

This won’t be the first time that I’ve criticised the standard of Opposition on South Tyneside Council, I was not at yesterday’s meeting in South Shields Town Hall of the full council, where according to reports reaching me this morning the scene resembled that of Pilate facing the angry Jews as they beyed for the blood of Christ.

Cllr. Eddie McAtominey was the target of this undignified charade, the man has been found to have a problem with alcohol consumption, and driving (twice), however he has done the honourable thing and resigned his positions of importance, he knew he was a political liability for Labour so he has walked the plank. This ought to have been enough to satisfy any reasonable Opposition, and if they have no natural orator amongst them it would have been better to have made a simple statement of regret about Cllr. McAtominey’s position and set out what they expect from his successor.

However, things are not so simple with South Tyneside’s Independent Alliance, and let’s remember many of their members are hewn from the same cloth as their former Labour colleagues, Cllr. McAtominey has been on their radar for some time now, in the case of some Independents  you could measure that time in years. He has fallen upon his own sword, they have had their fun denouncing him publicly and clearly on local bloggers’ websites, they have thrown as much mud and stones as they could. Was this not enough for them?

Worst of all, some in this rebellious crowd, who make a number of Council meetings in South Tyneside look like an out of control school yard, cannot remember some of the maxims, proverbs, or religious tracts they were taght at school. I’m thinking of terms such as ‘let he who is wihout sin cast the first stone’ and ‘people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’.

Are they all whiter than white?

Are they as pure as the driven snow?

Are they not as human as the next man?

To add insult to injury, the rabble rouser was none other than Cllr. Allen Branley, the former Labour member who has developed a reputation for failing to turn up to council and committee meetings. Can you honestly say that this was not gutter politics Cllr. Branley?

Can I add that this should not be seen in any way as a defence of Cllr. McAtominey or the Labour Party, more an appeal for a respectable, dignified, lucid, alert and clever Opposition who can offer a viable alternative with a good choice of policies. The Independents let themselves and the borough down by behaving in the manner that they used yesterday.

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