Local Elections

Local Elections, originally uploaded by Colonel Blink.

We had three visits from the Greens and one from Labour - nothing from the Conservatives (we hang 'em high round here) or the Liberal Democrats. I was amazed by the low standard of election material we got and by the hazy ideas by the people electioneering on our doorstep as to what City Councillors actually do.

The Greens, were sadly, the most inept. The first guy to come to our door seemed mad and was 'off message' where the local manifesto was concerned. Another asked me in the middle of our conversation where Rosary Road was and seemed only mildly enlightened when I told him we were standing on it.

They all seemed to mix up the actions of the Parliamentary Labour Party with those of the Local Party with the first guy declaiming that one could not vote Labour because "They led us into Iraq". This summoned up an image for me of Steve Morphew (Leader of the Labour Party in the Council) personally raising a Pal's Regiment in the Mile Cross Estate and marching them down to Thorpe Station while singing "We Don't Want To Lose You But We Feel You Have To Go"

The Labour guy had the appearance of a make-weight who was fighting the ward because he had been told to.

I never spoke to the Lib Dem candidate but every time I saw him in the distance he was wearing an orange bri-nylon shirt.



The final result, if anyone cares, of this battle of the second rate was
J Conway (Green) 952;
J Holdcroft (Labour) 428;
J Hooke (Liberal Democrat)* 953;
G Richards (Conservative) 429.
Liberal Democrats hold, majority of 1 vote.

It went to three counts with the Greens winning the first by one vote and losing the next two. Apparently it was a night of high drama.

The original count had the Green party leading by one vote. The Liberal Democrats's asked for and got a recount which put them in the lead. The Greens asked for another recount which when completed still had the Liberal Democrats's ahead by one vote.

A tearful Green candidate begged for there to be another recount but this was turned down by the electoral officer (whatever his office is called) on the grounds that it was (a) very late and (b) that the Greens had lost two out of three of the counts.

Rumours abound that the Greens are going to complain about this and try to have the decision overturned. For myself I just don't care. As I have indicated, that although I did vote, I could not engage with any of the partys or their campaigns. The most worrying thing for me is that the vote in South Norfolk and Broadland suggest that if Norwich expands as a local authority we will be in a Conservative run area. I may have to move.