Do you think our local and national politicians engage with us as they should? Replying to a comment made about Richard Garvie got me thinking:-



We are in the 21^st Century and technology is our future. Forums, like this one, are really the only way we can discuss certain topics with a wide range of people/ groups involved at one time. Richard Garvie often comes on here to give his views, but at the same time allows us to challenge him. What other Newbury councillor or politician allows us to intermingle this way? It is hard to speak to our local politician or councillor without an appointment. Apart from that you can see them when they want our vote or that they preach to the brainless converted. Occasionally we might get a letter in the local paper or a News TV interview; telling everybody the good deeds they have just done.



Why don't they come on here and allow the public to challenge them, speak to them? In a public meeting it is usually one at a time and you are restricted. Forums are the future, more democratic and of course assessable. Hats off to Richard Garvie for allowing us to have access to him in a most accessible way.



Or maybe I am missing the point; the job of politician or councillor is just that; a job. Beyond that they are not really interested. I have heard of other politicians/ councillors who actually go on forums to engage the public and their views (not in Newbury though). Maybe Richard Garvie is one of those rare breeds who enjoys mingling with the good, the bad and the ugly. The others just stick their fingers up to the unclean and want to get on doing what most politicians like doing best (what springs to mind is the expenses scandal, doing inappropriate things, feathering their own nests, having affairs etc).

What do you think?

yes

Good points GMR. I too applaud RG for engaging where others fear to tread, he has my respect. David Allen was only too happy to post here on his own terms, but he didn't much like being challenged to account for the profit he made from the milage allowance as a Newbury Town Councillor and whether he declared it for tax - difficult to understand how that could be an awkward thing to ask unless he had some reason to avoid an honest answer. Of course the truth is that no one actually gives a stuff what our councils get up to, so why would they want to expose themselves here, there's just no up-side for them.

But you also kind of assume that councillors take their responsibilities seriously - but they don't. Most do it for the prestige and have little interest in what goes on. Go to any meeting and you'll see that most don't even contribute, and most of what is said is nothing more than a conditioned response that seeps out without any conscious mediation, doing nothing but pleasuring the speaker with the sound of their own voice. That just leaves the enthusiasts for whom politics itself is the hobby and the very last thing on their minds are the knuckle-dragging plebs who don't even know which council provides which service, so why would they want to expose themselves to the great unwashed.

A nice idea in theory but the last Councillor to post on here was bullied, off topic about his personal tax return.

I imagine that this sort of behaviour is why we won't see him or any others return.

I assume all politicians are only there to look after their own, or their cliques, interests.
Unless they prove otherwise.

I have never been a Labour supporter, or any other party, but study the manifestos and make a decision.
After the last fiasco that has now proved pointless.

Richard comes along to the forum and educates some of us to what is going on in Newbury, yes, I know like any politician he puts his bit of spin on it, but just think back to all the local issues that he has enlightened us to that we would normally never get to hear of.

As stated I do not agree with a lot of his politics but I have to give credit where credit is due.
He comes on with enthusiam and he certainly takes a lot of knocks from some quarters but at least he is engaging with the local people.

If our councillors did the the same they may even find they earn some respect instead of being just a name on a ballot paper every once in a while. I would not even know my local councillor if he/she passed me by in the street.

But of course being a realist I know this is not going to come about any time soon . Councillors only want to be bothered with the electorate when there are elections on the horizon.

Of course the Lib Dems started their own public forum last year which, apparently, was open to everyone. It would obviously be susceptible to political manipulation, but even on their own terms it would have been useful for the lib dems to engage publicly. Unfortunately as soon as a real voter turned up there they suspended the whole thing. All very cowardly.

Poor chap! Perhaps he should resign...if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen springs to mind?

Just to add to the idea of people posting / engaging on forums, what about a quarterly "question time" style debate around the district with one person from each party and independents?

you mean in person; face to face to so speak? You'll have the same problems as I have mentioned above. And only certain souls will get through and for a limited time. Forums give everybody a chance to voice their opinions and easy come backs. If you watch Question Time and local Question Times they have a chairman who controls what is said and can move on; to the annoyance of the questioner. With forums there is no hiding place.

Well; Richard Garvie has been hassled and always comes back. I can only suggest that the councillor you mentioned didn't have the ability or intelligence or both to come back (or was probably guilty). Which might suggest that he/ or she wasn't suited to their task.

As you well know people like AndyCap, Strafin, myself, and of course even your good self have all been hassled on here, but we all stood our ground. And we don't get paid for it; councillors do. If they can't take a bit of hassle then that exposes them as incompetent, weak and probably not up to the job. Councillors or politicians jobs are not for the faint hearted, or a job where you can hide away.

I replied to User 23 before i saw this post; but, yes, you are exactly right. He should have taken his head out of his a*se.

Richard comes back because he needs the publicity.

As far as I know we've not been bullied, off topic by someone prying into our personal tax return.

If he was testing the water it certainly seems to have put the kibosh on any others joining us.

Like I said, nice idea but doesn't work here due the character of a few and the lack of moderation.

Well, amazingly, I agree. You've done your best to intimidate many on this forum. That certainly hasn't helped.

Intimidate many?

He could just do what the others do, inane grin, whilst stating what a great job he would do if elected?

He comes on here and takes all that you, and the other Supreme Leaders lackies, throw at him but just resiliently comes back for more. It is results that get you noticed and as stated earlier he has enlightened the forum on goings on that would never have reached the public domain without his input.

Whilst he continues to get inane responses from the likes of you then that is a sure sign he is doing something right.

If and when he does something wrong I will be one of the first to let him know...until then he has more of my respect than any of the other faceless unknown councillors.

This is a far too in depth conversation for a Sunday. Seriously don't people have anything better to do?

What could be more exciting that trying to tempt your local councillors to actually interact with the people who elect them? Shock horror it will never do; nothing good will come of this you know?

Ooh, nice troll User, you snagged a big one. Reel him in slowly now.

I cannot imagine any Councillor engaging in policy discussions on an anonymous Forum, or even where names are given.
Does it happen anywhere?

Town councillors are basically volunteers are they not? I would not expect them to come on here they do enough. District councillors however get paid quite a large "allowance" and should earn it, so I believe it wouldn't hurt. Can't make them though.