The Conservatives are leading the Council in Southampton for the first time since 1984!
New leader; Alec Samuels.We did it!
At the Annual meeting of Full Council, the Conservatives were put in control of the city for the first time since 1984. It will of course be a minority administration and as such getting any decisions pushed through the council will be far from easy. That said, the new constitutional arrangements masterminded by John Prescott's old empire mean that the Cabinet have real power; not every decision has to go to be debated by the full council.
It could have been very different; what actually happened was the Lib-Dems sat on their hands as they said they would with the exception of Nora Goss who voted with the Conservatives to put us in. This was on the face of it surprising as Councillor Goss would not normally be considered a friend of the Conservatives. However, she was first elected as a Labour Councillor and she defected to the Liberals after what she alleges is some unpleasantness. Years later the Labour Leader June Bridle blocked her appointment as Mayor and then there are policy differences too for Goss is deeply opposed to some of the civic socialism practised by 'Old Labour' in Southampton. Had she sat on her hands and abstained, the casting vote of the newly made Mayor Stephen Barnes Andrews would have put Labour in so it was a close run thing. I am told that Nora Goss has no intention of approaching the Conservatives, she was certainly not offered any incentive to vote with the Tories and she plans to now generally vote with the Lib-Dems despite no longer taking their whip.
The Echo's take can be read HERE.
posted by Matt Dean at 5:26 pm
8 Comments:
Isn't Alec a little old to be the David Cameron of Southampton conservative politics?
I don't agree with that; its ability not age that counts. He was head and shoulders above everyone else in the debate at the Council's annual meeting.
But isn't politics a beauty contest.
I know this is local government, but the more exposure the conservatives have in Southampton the more Alec Samuels age may become an issue? Wouldn't it help to have someone who perhaps appeals to a younger audience? In the way that Cameron does?
Perhaps Conor Burns should be wheeled out?
Or maybe Mr Dean would make a leader sometime soon? I think that a friendly and jovial local publican could go down well. Matt Dean is intelligent and obviously cares about our city and it's people. Could be a popular choice?
I don't think Conor would be a runner- as he has moved to eastleigh, he has no qualification to stand and I am just a loyal back-bencher!!!
Alec is the man.
Matt
Nora Goss was not blocked because of 'some unplesantness' she was blocked because she is a dodgy character. If you talk to longer standing members of your group they will fill you in on the details. The Tory group also opposed her at the time.
When she was in the Labour party she was identified as 'old' Labour and was bitterly opposed to changes by Neil Kinnock. Now she supports the Tories because Labour opposes privatisation. She is unprincipled and will always look for what benefits her.
I dont think Alec Samuels age will be a problem, whenever there are interviews conducted by the media it is normally Royston Smith that the tories push to the front.
I must congratulate the tories for doing this, Royston is a good councillor it is just a shame the way he was treated by the tories during the selction of ppc for the last general election.
I reckon dave furnell and the whole Labour group must be wishing they hadn't stopped Nora being mayor. Seems to me that they had something personal against her and she has not got something personal about them... Her decision was personal not political.
ha ha sorry I meant to say she HAS got something personal against them!
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