After a week's break off IW readying myself for the impending election turmoil, it was back for the last Full meeting of this Council last night. The last one because the Tories have decided that they don't want to be accountable to the May Full Council despite there being a Cabinet meeting next week with an agenda so thick it needs a forklift to pick it up. Elected dictatorship indeed. And so many Tory councillors/sheep yet to speak........
Anyway we then had a report from the Standards Committee Chair, where he tried to defend the indefensible - judging people without telling them; an appointed committee membership as unrepresentative of the Island population as it possibly could be (peacock keepers, anyone ?) - safe in the knowledge that the Tory majority would endorse him.
A number of those reports that subsequently gather dust on shelves were then endorsed. I asked how the Children & Young Persons Plan could achieve an improvement in Key Stage 2 results given the growing demoralisation in Island middle schools over school reorganisation, but got the usual twaddle in response. The intention of the latest Adult Learning Plan was praised by Deborah and I, though we sought its withdrawal as much of its language was non-plain English and full of unexplained acronyms. The Tories though were happy with this incomprehensible use of English.
The reports by Cabinet members were interesting in that the Council Leader hadn't bothered to produce a written report as he had been 'very busy'. Its like Gordon Brown saying he won't do Prime Minister's Questions because he has been cleaning out his garage. No respect !
Finally Deborah pursued the outcomes of a critical unpublished Ofsted review of how the IW Council handled a child protection concern from 2007. She has been seeking a Scrutiny review of child protection on the IW since the end of last year, but had been fobbed off and (frankly) deceived ever since. The matter will be considered by the Scrutiny Committee tonight, though in camera to protect identities.
Oh and just to finish off - a Cabinet member was nice to Deborah near the end, probably the first time this has happened on this Council ! If the election doesn't do the job for us I suspect that this Cabinet member will face the chop post June 4th..................
Anyway we then had a report from the Standards Committee Chair, where he tried to defend the indefensible - judging people without telling them; an appointed committee membership as unrepresentative of the Island population as it possibly could be (peacock keepers, anyone ?) - safe in the knowledge that the Tory majority would endorse him.
A number of those reports that subsequently gather dust on shelves were then endorsed. I asked how the Children & Young Persons Plan could achieve an improvement in Key Stage 2 results given the growing demoralisation in Island middle schools over school reorganisation, but got the usual twaddle in response. The intention of the latest Adult Learning Plan was praised by Deborah and I, though we sought its withdrawal as much of its language was non-plain English and full of unexplained acronyms. The Tories though were happy with this incomprehensible use of English.
The reports by Cabinet members were interesting in that the Council Leader hadn't bothered to produce a written report as he had been 'very busy'. Its like Gordon Brown saying he won't do Prime Minister's Questions because he has been cleaning out his garage. No respect !
Finally Deborah pursued the outcomes of a critical unpublished Ofsted review of how the IW Council handled a child protection concern from 2007. She has been seeking a Scrutiny review of child protection on the IW since the end of last year, but had been fobbed off and (frankly) deceived ever since. The matter will be considered by the Scrutiny Committee tonight, though in camera to protect identities.
Oh and just to finish off - a Cabinet member was nice to Deborah near the end, probably the first time this has happened on this Council ! If the election doesn't do the job for us I suspect that this Cabinet member will face the chop post June 4th..................
13 comments:
I don't see how anyone could be anything but nice to Deborah.
How well do you know Deborah....?
Now, now Robert. I'm a lovely person and can get you references if you like. I admit when it comes to past dealings with you I may have hid my light under a bushel. And then hid the bushel....
To make yourself laugh, look at the Adult Learning Document which Geoff mentions.It is utterly incomprehensible and the fact that they voted it through, just because they were told to, demonstrates that they have saved their best sheep impressions until last.
Deborah
No, don't get me references. I can't bear the harrowing screams as you extort them...
"I'm a lovely person; what am I?" "AArgh, not the poker!! You're a lovely person!!"
I shall hasten to the Adult Learning document, although I have come across IWC's unique way with words before. What particularly tickles me at the moment is the number of ex Tory councillors, thrilled to the back legs to have been elected as Tories a few years ago, now suddenly discovering that party politics doesn't belong in local government, and they want to be "independent". Or incognito, which I think is what they really mean. Churchman, Joyce, Bishop and various nonentities who fell out of favour now plot against the Boy David.
What the Council really needs is more councillors somewhere to the left of Hermann Goering, so called independent or otherwise. And - mind you, it hurts to say this - you and Geoff are the best we've got.
Power corrupts Geoff, just look at your lot at Westminster. Clearly they care not what we think of them in their last days. Many of them are beyond contempt. I never gamble but would bet you any sum you wish to lose that they will be ejected when Gordie is brave enough to go to the country. This awful deluded man will never be elected Prime Minister.
Our esteemed Council Leader was obviously too busy writing another work of fiction to bother with writing a final report to the silly old Council. Have you seen the full page colour advert on page 18 of the CP?
Funniest thing is how the Conservatives are 'Backing Andrew Turner's efforts to get an independent investigation into ferries'. Laughed - I nearly fell off my chair? And silly old me thought the tory sheep all put their hands up to vote against it - and it was only after Turner was successful in getting the OFT to take notice that they decided they were in favour of it.
I thought it was you and Deb that tried to support our Tory MP in his efforts. Funny old world isn't it? The Tories must think Islanders are completely and utterly stupid - well we did vote them in I suppose...
I do hope you will highlight this Geoff - they are obviously very worried about losing this election.
I love the thought that they're worried about losing! It's unlikely but perhaps we can expect a few high profile scalps? Oh how sweet that would be.
This administration promised much but seem to have delievered very little. A real wasted opportunity. What a shame. I thought we deserved better than the Libs, it seems we get what we deserve in local politics. Maybe we should have a Mayor?
Good grief. The wonderfully imaginative Council Captain would appear to be frantically chucking out chaff decoys under the imminent threat of an incoming Solent skimming exocet missile, and you know what they say about exocet missiles? You can see them coming and you can hear them coming…but there’s naff all you can do about them. Let’s hope he can tread water. Geoff, you have the salvage rights.
Apparently, the Tories had thousands of leaflets printed which were due to be released this weekend. They have now been told NOT to put them out because of some “legal problem”. Who do you think they’ve slandered?
Fascinated by this last post, I looked at the advert in the CP to see if it contained any clues. Perhaps it was "affordable housing ringfenced for Islanders" - a promise they have no way of keeping, leaving aside the vision of ringfenced housing... (Cordon sanitaire around Pan, perhaps..) Um... what has happened to the Pan development?
I noticed there was no mention of education in the advert: can't think why... And the rest was couched in the weaselly "we shall strive for..." terms, so beloved of manifesto writers who don't want to tie themselves to any actual commitments, but merely to set a soothing mood music.
But I doubt that the Tories have scrapped a leaflet just because it was drivellingly silly - so there must be another reason. Young David's name spelled as "Pug" throughout? Or, as Last Post suggests, an inadvertent libel? Perhaps, if we just asked, they would tell us!
Naive of Niton...
OK Geoff, I accept your observation that many of the Tories are little more than sheep - but what's the alternative - Surely you are not suggesting we'd be were better off with the gormless Lib Dems? The Labour party will never have enough councillors to make a difference, the Independents are independent so may not agree on anything. That only leaves the Tories who are certainly better than the Lib Dems. Good Luck on 4 June!
What's really needed is a balance between parties and independents, rather than one party dominating the council. And when I say a balance, I don't mean a cobbled-together survival mechanism like Island First or whatever it called itself. No overall control is not necessarily a bad thing; we've tried all the alternatives, and look where it's got us.
The bigger problem is, however, the shallow pool in which the parties have to fish; ie the lack of talent available to the parties and amongst the independents. To some extent this could be overcome if we'd all vote for the most obviously capable candidate, whatever his or her label; but we don't. Given a choice between labels, when the merits of the candidates aren't obvious, I would choose Labour by inclination, but also because there's never yet been a Labour County Council; I agree with BP that there's not likely to be, but it would at least shake things up if there were. Better that than the same old merry-go-round.
More Tory lies I guess.
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