Rumours persist, as relayed by my ward colleague, David Rundle - here, then here - that the city of Oxford may shortly find itself with a Tory group, after a gap of 11 years.
The Tories in both Oxford West (MP: Evan Harris, Lib Dem) and East (MP: Andrew Smith, Labour - pro tem) are no more, they have ceased to be, expired, gone to meet their maker, etc. Any hopes they might have had of a Cameron-inspired resurrection have been killed off by the overbearing behaviour of the reactionary County Tories, led by Keith Mitchell, who glories in being the very antithesis of everything Mr Cameron would have us believe his fluffy Tory Party really, truly, honestly now is.
So the Tories have given up on actually winning a council seat in Oxford. Instead they are preparing to make do with two or three ‘hand-me-down’ councillors, and are eagerly wooing those pliant enough to listen to their blandishments.
It’s hard to believe any councillor in Oxford would be willing to accept the suicide mission of representing the Tories in this city, becoming a ‘poor, bloody sacrifice’ to Cllr Mitchell’s rampant grand-standing. But, then, unbelievable just about sums it all up.
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6 comments:
Oxford West (MP: Evan Harris, Lib Dem) and East (MP: Andrew Smith, Labour - pro tem)
Why are so many in Oxford taking the electorate for granted?
Erm, I was teasing, Tim - virtually every ward across Oxford is fought as a marginal at both local and national level.
I hadn't heard of Tim Roll Pickering's blog before but after having a quick butcher's at it just now, I find it quite interesting.
He seems to be rather obsessed with the Lib Dems.
Keith Mitchell is correct about a LOT of things. Especially about the fact that 'Oxford City Council has never been known for it's financial acumen.' Could you remind me who is 'in charge' of the finance portfolio on Oxford City Council... Somebody whose mathematics fall rather short of Pythagorus! One , two, miss a few...
Simon - Well, as of three hours' time, not me!
Of course, if you were wishing to be fair (not your aim, I realise), you would acknowledge, as the indepndent District Auditor has done, what a difference the last year of Lib Dem control has made to the City Council's finances:
[The Council] gave significant emphasis in 2006 to budget and financial systems, reviewing these and making some timely changes in advance of its budget setting. This has enabled it to improve its approaches to service planning and value for money. It now has a greater sense of financial realism, coupled with recognition across the Council that it can continue to develop its services.
Loads left to do to pick up the pieces of two decades of Labour rule, of course. But not a bad start, I'm sure you'd be the first to agree...
Bless your little cotton socks! Me, be fair to a LibbyDem? Well, if you catch me on an off-day i just might! I'm just putting forward a 'different point of view.' I thank the creator that the govt. threw out the 'unitary' status bid for Oxfordshire. I'm a firm supporter of district/county status- not a single centralising monolith of a bureaucracy which a unitary model would certainly be! Oh, and i'm sure the 'independent auditor' has a point. But you don't qualify any of 'em. Usually the rule is - any administration is better than a Labour one! At least you tried!
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