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> Elected Mayor Petition
Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 12:16 PM
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I just wanted to ask if any of those who support the mayor system would like to help with a petition? This is not a party political petition, as far as I know two other political parties have requested information about forcing a referendum. Hundreds of people have already signed up, and the target date for submission is early February. I am personally planning to do Hungerford this Saturday with some colleagues, and Newbury on Friday and Saturday evening. There will be people in Newbury on Saturday daytime too.

The purpose of this petition is not because it's neccessarily my view or anyone in the Labour Party locally. We have decided to carry out this petition after the current administration refused to carry out a proper consultation on the leadership models available to the council. In correspondance with the leader of the council, I requested that the leadership decision be delayed so that a proper consultation could be carried out. I was told to "include it in my manifesto if it is something I care about". This shouldn't be about what I think, or what Graham Jones believes. There is a lot of support for the mayor option and it's only right that the general public should be allowed to have their views heard.

I would like to think all parties will be supportive of staging this referendum, especially the Lib Dems who are supposedly all for proportional representation. An elected mayor system would mean that the leader of the council would be elected by a large percentage of the district rather than 800 votes in one ward. The directly elected leader would also be accountable for when things go wrong, unlike at present when nobody seems to be accountable. Do you think Graham Jones would have closed the Ormonde Centre and Hillcroft House if he was accountable to the whole district? No, I don't think so either.

If you are available to assist with the petition, my mobile number is 07593 278690 or you can email richard.garvie@googlemail.com
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dannyboy
post Jan 9 2011, 12:27 PM
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What is the cost to the Taxpayer?
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 01:00 PM
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I shouldn't believe it would cost much more if any, the chairman of the council office and role would be scrapped, and that money would more than pay for the mayor. The ruling party at the time of the referendum will decide the cost and salary for the mayor, so it really depends on the party elected in May.
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dannyboy
post Jan 9 2011, 01:08 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 01:00 PM) *
I shouldn't believe it would cost much more if any, the chairman of the council office and role would be scrapped, and that money would more than pay for the mayor. The ruling party at the time of the referendum will decide the cost and salary for the mayor, so it really depends on the party elected in May.

Plus the cost of the election.
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 01:19 PM
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Yes, because the consultation was fudged and the leadership model has to go to referendum, there will be the additional expense of an election next year as it won't be possible to have it all done before the elections this May. That shouldn't be used against the leadership model itself, but more a reflection of the local democracy we have under the current conservative regime. They chose to fudge the consultation from the word go, excluding any mention of support for the mayoral system. This is why we are petitioning for the referendum, so that the local community can actually have their say in an open and transparent process.
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Cognosco
post Jan 9 2011, 01:59 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 01:19 PM) *
Yes, because the consultation was fudged and the leadership model has to go to referendum, there will be the additional expense of an election next year as it won't be possible to have it all done before the elections this May. That shouldn't be used against the leadership model itself, but more a reflection of the local democracy we have under the current conservative regime. They chose to fudge the consultation from the word go, excluding any mention of support for the mayoral system. This is why we are petitioning for the referendum, so that the local community can actually have their say in an open and transparent process.


Like I have stated in other posts - a small elite only consults the people it knows will give the answer it wants - and only gives the options to vote on that will result in the outcome that they want!!!! angry.gif


--------------------
Vexatious Candidate?
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user23
post Jan 9 2011, 02:23 PM
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No prizes for guessing who'll be the first to put his name up for mayor.

Typical Labour, trying to introduce a new level of bureaucracy.
QUOTE (Cognosco @ Jan 9 2011, 01:59 PM) *
Like I have stated in other posts - a small elite only consults the people it knows will give the answer it wants - and only gives the options to vote on that will result in the outcome that they want!!!! angry.gif
Why haven't you taken part in any consultations?

Have you joined the Community Panel?
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 02:36 PM
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QUOTE (user23 @ Jan 9 2011, 02:23 PM) *
No prizes for guessing who'll be the first to put his name up for mayor.

Typical Labour, trying to introduce a new level of bureaucracy.Why haven't you taken part in any consultations?

Have you joined the Community Panel?


Typical User23 distorting the facts. It isn't another level, the only difference is that people will elect their ward councillors and also vote on who should be the leader of the council. This is in contrast to a political party nominating one of their own. So the mayor system is more proportional (something the Lib Dems claim to want) and there is more accountability. The coalition government want more elected mayors, Cameron said in Swindon recently that the elected mayor model should be adopted by cities, towns and unitaries. So why the objections from Graham Jones and his mates? Is it because he would have to step down as part time leader or leave his business???

Once again, we have to go along with what the leader of the Conservative Party in West Berkshire wants, not what the public ask for. That's how democracy works here at the moment, and that's why it needs to change.

PS. Like everyone else, I didn't even know about the consultation. You would think political parties would have recieved notification, wouldn't you?
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dannyboy
post Jan 9 2011, 02:42 PM
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The problem is all that would happen in West Berks is that the public would vote in a Conservative Mayor.
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 02:53 PM
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If there was a Conservative Mayor elected by West Berkshire, fine. At least they would be directly accountable to the electorate and would be working full time on council business. We need leadership, not the what we have now where nobody is really accountable for anything and the council lurches from one crisis to another crisis with no real consequence.
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dannyboy
post Jan 9 2011, 02:56 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 02:53 PM) *
If there was a Conservative Mayor elected by West Berkshire, fine. At least they would be directly accountable to the electorate and would be working full time on council business. We need leadership, not the what we have now where nobody is really accountable for anything and the council lurches from one crisis to another crisis with no real consequence.

And you really think wasting money on a Mayorial election will put an end to lurching from one crisis to another?

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user23
post Jan 9 2011, 03:07 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 02:36 PM) *
I didn't even know about the consultation.
Even you?

I'm going to be the second person in today to remind you that you're no better than us other mere mortal citizens of West Berkshire.

A hunger for power and this sort of arrogance are a dangerous combination.
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 03:09 PM
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Electing a mayor would ensure more transparency and more accountability. Once again, any cost implications must lay at the door of Cllr Graham Jones, who with his party fudged the consultation on the leadership options. If the consultation had been open and honest, and the council went with Strong Leader, there would be no argument. The fact is they railroaded through what they wanted, reegardless of public opinion.

A Mayor leadership option would not favour any one political party. The reason for doing it is to improve democracy, and is something all political parties should be looking to achive regardless of what model is used.
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 03:11 PM
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QUOTE (user23 @ Jan 9 2011, 03:07 PM) *
Even you?

I'm going to be the second person in this thread to remind you that you're no better than us other mere mortal citizens of West Berkshire.

A hunger for power and this sort of arrogance are a dangerous combination.


What are you going on about? I didn't know about it. Most of the people on this forum didn't know about it. Political parties were not informed about it. So how was it a "public consultation"???

And who has suggested that I'm more important than anyone else? I certainly haven't. A case of you trying to distort another thread, maybe?
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user23
post Jan 9 2011, 03:14 PM
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It's fairly obvious what you're doing. You've realised that Labour won't win a seat in the local elections so you're looking for another way to gain some sort of power.

You've even said "A Mayor leadership option would not favour any one political party".
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 03:30 PM
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QUOTE (user23 @ Jan 9 2011, 03:14 PM) *
It's fairly obvious what you're doing. You've realised that Labour won't win a seat in the local elections so you're looking for another way to gain some sort of power.

You've even said "A Mayor leadership option would not favour any one political party".


Are you suggesting that the leadership model used should favour a political party? Labour will win seats, and we will also help numerous candidates from other smaller parties and independent candidates to win seats too. The mayoral referendum is about giving the people of West Berkshire the opportunity to decide. Not Graham Jones or the Conservative Party, just because a mayor option would affect their own leadership options. We need more transparency and accountability, the mayor option would give us that.
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user23
post Jan 9 2011, 03:32 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 03:30 PM) *
Are you suggesting that the leadership model used should favour a political party? Labour will win seats, and we will also help numerous candidates from other smaller parties and independent candidates to win seats too. The mayoral referendum is about give the people of the West Berkshire the opportunity to decide. Not Graham Jones or the Conservative Party, just because a mayor option would affect their own leadership options. We need more transparency and accountability, the mayor option would give us that.
For Labour to win seats, plural, they must do better then they've ever done in elections in West Berkshire or Newbury District.

If Labour don't win seats will you take the blame? Are you transparent and accountable?
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 03:43 PM
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Am I the leader of the party? If I was the leader and we didn't win any seats, I'd happily take full responsibility. Start another thread about the local elections, please stop distorting threads about other topics. The elected mayor petition doesn't have anything to do with the Labour Party as such, we are just facilitating it so that the people of West Berkshire can decide. What is obvious is that we are happy to stand up for what is right, whether it is something we personally believe in or not.
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user23
post Jan 9 2011, 03:44 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 03:43 PM) *
Am I the leader of the party? If I was the leader and we didn't win any seats, I'd happily take full responsibility. Start another thread about the local elections, please stop distorting threads about other topics. The elected mayor petition doesn't have anything to do with the Labour Party as such, we are just facilitating it so that the people of West Berkshire can decide. What is obvious is that we are happy to stand up for what is right, whether it is something we personally believe in or not.
You're wriggling and trying to change the subject.

Let me ask you again. If Labour don't win seats will you take the blame or call for the resignation of your leader? Are you accountable?
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Richard Garvie
post Jan 9 2011, 03:49 PM
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QUOTE (Richard Garvie @ Jan 9 2011, 03:43 PM) *
Am I the leader of the party? If I was the leader and we didn't win any seats, I'd happily take full responsibility. Start another thread about the local elections, please stop distorting threads about other topics. The elected mayor petition doesn't have anything to do with the Labour Party as such, we are just facilitating it so that the people of West Berkshire can decide. What is obvious is that we are happy to stand up for what is right, whether it is something we personally believe in or not.


This is what I said, and I have highlighted the answer you wanted. Unfortunately, I am not the leader of the party. As for changing the subject, what is the topic of this thread? Start a new one about the local elections and I'll happily take part.
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