Curly's Corner Shop, the blog!

Gypsies Green motion hijacked

I was astonished by the tactically inept decision by the South Tyneside Independent Alliance group of councillors to accept the amendment moved by Labour’s local Leader Cllr. Iain Malcolm at yesterday’s meeting of South Tyneside Council held in South Shields Town Hall. The motion on the Agenda asked the council to ensure that the gypsies Green site is retained for sporting use by the people of the borough.

The Leader of the Council Iain Malcolm then moved an amendment that inserted the word “seek” (i.e. seeks to ensure) and gave a long peroration on what the future might hold if Gypsies Green Stadium in South Shields was retained for sporting purposes complete with new buildings sprouting up on in and around it. He compared the facilities to Gateshead International Stadium and Monkton Stadium, acknowledging that we would start from a position  twenty-five years behind our competitors. He further announced that former Olympian Brendan Forster, the chairman of Nova International would investigate the possibilities and feasability, including the pitfalls, and report back to the council.

Cllr. Jane Branley for the Independent Alliance, which has been implacably opposed to a hotel development on the site, meekly announced that her group were prepared to accept Labour’s amendment, thus helping Iain Malcolm’s cause as Labour looks to defend its Horsley Hill seat  , all plans for Gypsies Green are now on the back burner!

Seeking to ensure is surely not the guarantee they were looking for.

On a personal note I’m only sorry that the council has got political cold feet over the issue, and once again a major possible regenerative development has been pushed back further, I’m not totally opposed to a sporting development and I’m open to other ideas, but I have to admit I liked the hotel plan. At least they haven’t tied their hands completely though.

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Council report on Westoe vacancy accepted.

An interesting item from yesterday’s meeting of South Tyneside Council has gone largely unnoticed by the small fraternity on Twitter, a report was presented to the council by Labour’s Deputy Leader Cllr. Allan Kerr detailing the reasons why Mr. Allen Branley was removed from the borough council for non attendance, you can read the report here in great chronological detail.

When the Mayor asked if any members wished to question or speak to the report there was absolute silence before he asked if the report was agreed – and it was nem con.

So seeing as the Independent Alliance group of councillors joined with that agreement I take it that they too are now finally accepting that their former council colleague did not resign but was lawfully removed from his position.

Will they now be reprinting all of those leaflets that were distributed around South Shields and offering an apology for the  misrepresentation of the facts regarding Mr. Branley’s “sacking”?

The by election in the South Shields Westoe ward is likely to be held in September when Mr. Branley will try and retain his seat for the Independents against Tony Dailley (Conservative), and William Troupe (Liberal-Democrat), the Labour Party selects it’s candidate this evening.

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More civil liberties threatened under NuLabour regime

One would have thought that our government may have learned a thing or two when the Chinese bully boy police rampaged through London “protecting” the Olympic flame prior to the Beijing games, well you would be right. Brown’s government have learned new ways to remove civil liberties and allow more people to legally force entry into your home or property.

Clauses in the London Olympic Games and Games Act 2006. Section 19(4) could cover protest placards as it read: “The regulations may apply in respect of advertising of any kind including in particular – (a) advertising of a non-commercial nature, and (b) announcements or notices of any kind.”

Section 22 allows a “constable or enforcement officer” to “enter land or premises” where they believe such an advert is being shown or produced. It allows for materials to be destroyed, and for the use of “reasonable force”. The power to force entry requires a court warrant. Causing still further concern is a section granting the powers to an enforcement officer appointed by Olympic Delivery Authority.

Anita Coles, policy officer for Liberty, said: “This goes much further than protecting the Olympic logo for commercial use. Regulations could ban signs urging boycotts of sponsors with sweat shops. Then private contractors designated by the Olympic authority could enter homes and other premises in the vicinity, seizing or destroying private property.”

This is sheer madness, and it beggars belief that these clauses were not sufficiently challenged before the legislation was passed, but that is yet another sign of Gordon Brown’s modus operandi, reduce the amount of Parliamentary time available for debate and force the government’s management of it’s Bills through the House as quickly as possible. What a shambles Parliament is when the government cannot be properly held to account and what a poor bunch of legislators we have that allow such poor law to be written to the statute book!

Via Rossinisbird

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Stop!

Picture by Sam Coates

Sam was on a public road in London, John Adam Street, parallel to the Strand, where a production team were filming Peter Morgan’s latest work “The Special Relationship”. They intend to make it look like Downing Street and when Sam tried to take a snap of the scene he was threatened with the police.

Not remotely similar to my experience 16 months ago?

Of course it is, and we should all cry “Stop!” before the interfering busy bodies in society ensure that nothing of our age is recorded for future generations to enjoy.

Ironically, seeing as they were making another film about Tony and Cherie Blair and their relationships with American Presidents, the incident (if filmed) would have added a touch of realism and reminded future generations of the way in which NuLabour have relentlessly removed civil liberties from our island population since the inception of the TWAT (The War Against Terror) under the urging of G. W. Bush.

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What if a four star hotel was to suddenly pop up at Gypsies Green tomorrow morning?

Well apart from the fact that it might draw a large crowd of (Independent Alliance inspired) objectors to South Shields sea front, what else would the consequences be?

Jobs, lots of jobs, in construction, supply, related trades, in the hotel itself and for it’s suppliers, tourists, visitors,camera crews etc. We’ve been through these arguments before.

The big question is – would it have any bearing or effect upon any other fledgling plans to introduce any other four star hotel projects in South Shields in the current economic climate?  Would other similar plans attract the same level of objections?

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……..about a fourth Labour term in office?

NOT according to Dizzy.

I have to agree £6000 seems a piddling amount to one who has profited largely since leaving No. 10

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The law is fine as it is

Norm is completely correct:

Criminalize certain forms of mere speech, and newly offensive discursive tropes – euphemistic, oblique, metonymic – will find their way into the world as a replacement.

We don’t need laws or regulation to blur the distinctions between offence and harm.

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Talking to people does.

Irfan Ahmed in this blog post somewhat takes the Libertarian Party and it’s vociferous bloggers to task after their quite poor showing in the Norwich North by election. Of course I’m in a fair bit of agreement with most of their principle aims and I’m sure Irfan Ahmed would agree that the vast majority of the readers of blogs such as The Devil’s Kitchen, the UK Libertarian Party,  Underdogs Bite Upwards, Longrider, and Anna Raccoon, (to hound just a few) do not live in Norwich, and therefore it is safe to assume that their blogging message isn’t as widespread in those parts as the Norfolk Broads. The UK is still light years behind the USA when it comes to the overall influence of blogs and the online political commentariat. However it is becoming more widely accepted, even by the mainstream media with some bloggers commanding almost celebrity status, we even see regular TV outings from Iain Dale and Paul Staines (aka Guido Fawkes) and Phil Hendron (aka Dizzy) now and then, as well as a smattering from one or two others.

Things are slowly changing and the next general election will see the influence of blogging reaching new levels again, the major parties have already started to reach out to a new online audience and many MPs are running their own blogs to stay connected with the public that they serve, YouTube serves more instant video reaction as vlogging and podcasts spread the political word even further. The fact remains true however that the best way to reach out to voters is to go out and meet them, it’s OK poking fun at the Libertarian Party but Irfan is essentially right, and right now it’s the man/or woman who shakes your hand and says the right things who will stick in your mind on election day. That is real connectivity.

The lesson that I’m spelling out here is clear and sharp, some folks in South Shields are very, very good at getting out and communicating their message. The South Tyneside Independent Alliance have an enviable reputation for constant door knocking, street surgeries, street walks, and fixed surgeries as well as what seems to be an endless supply of newsletters. Although I fervently disagree with their lack of political strategies, poor leadership qualities, and relentless disregard for rules and regulations, I cannot fault their dedication, it is without doubt their strongest weapon.

Unless we see the same level of determined effort from other parties in South Shields, and the same commitment to get the message across to Mr. and Mrs. Average in Westoe ward there is every danger and possibility that a man who has already been sacked from South Tyneside Council twice for failure to attend meetings, may end up being elected as a councillor again.

The blogosphere cannot prevent it, the newspapers cannot prevent it, the only people who can are those electors in the Westoe ward, so it is of paramount importance that the other candidates in the forthcoming by election gather around them strong dedicated committed teams of volunteers to do the legwork now!

They don’t all have broadband access, especially in the sheltered accommodation units.

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“Too many Twits might make a twat”

David Cameron on Absolute Radio today (where he was also heard to say he gets “pissed off”)

“Call me Dave” the Conservative Leader was sounding salt of the earth in a very jocular interview but as Jane Merrick says in The Independent:

Has Cameron “gaffed”? I doubt it. He doesn’t say anything without thinking about it. This is Dave the Ordinary Bloke, and we’d better get used to him.

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Who said sleeping in a mouldy apartment was bad for you?

Yes I use Twitter, a series of short messages in less than 140 characters has landed a Chicago woman with an expensive lawsuit which may end up costing her $50000! Could this be the world’s most expensive Tweet?

A small moan about her landlords and they rush to the lawyers instead of viewing it as a golden opportunity to improve their relationships with their tenants, could you believe it?

Have you ever moaned and found redress through your online activity, or has your online activity cost you a visit to the courts?

Yes, life isn’t at all fair.

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