He was undoubtedly helped by there not being a sitting councillor seeking re-election. The incumbent, Cllr Paul Dowthwate, reportedly told his party leader two months ago that he was not standing for re-election. He cited a number of reasons including a lack of consultation with backbench councillors and the superficial nature of council support for Tameside's communities and the local volunteers who are expected to help these communities.He also criticised the lack of consultation surrounding the decisions on the local library, scout green and the planned sale of the market ground.
More interestingly he refers to "misleading information which characterised the earlier proposals to introduce parking charges".
He also felt that he could not stand on a Labour platform which supported such activity and which he felt would continue. Anyone who supported the community could do nothing else,
Clearly a man of principle. He will be missed.
If anyone has an interesting story to tell, e-mail T.C. at the address on the blog
27 comments:
Democracy. It's hard for me to describe it without swearing, but I reckon I can stretch to a "it just doesn't work" though the urge to add an expletive to it is strong.
Democracy relies on the electorate being reasonably intelligent, balanced, rational and having the best interests of a country at heart.
Massive numbers of people now eligible to vote no longer fulfil those criteria. If you know next to nothing of a country and its values and history, care noting for it, and may even be overtly hostile to it (not even enough to learn its language and culture), then why should you be allowed to vote on its future.
Didn't Paul Douthwaite used to be over IT for Tameside Council? Frank Travis tried to get on the council a while ago but didn't get selected for St Peters Ward following Jack Davis's retirement, after taking redundancy from TMBC. But Yvonne Cartey the GMBATU union rep got on the council after taking redundancy from TMBC.Like so much about Tameside Labour, it stinks.
Avoid halal products if you care about animal welfare.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2622830/Millions-eating-halal-food-without-knowing-How-big-brand-shops-restaurants-sell-ritually-slaughtered-meat-dont-label-it.html
@ Say no to Halal cruelty, well said. It's long past time this abhorrent practice was banned in civilised countries.
Labour's past anti fox hunting hysteria is in marked contrast to their deafening silence or demand for action on this issue. Can't think why.
@23:49 Yes but people still hunt foxes, shoot game birds, shoot ducks, for enjoyment.
Why are people on this blog always singling Muslims out regarding the issue of animal welfare? 90% of halal slaughter in the UK involves pre stunning, and it is in fact Jews who demand that ALL kosher slaughter involves no stunning.
Come to think of it, it's largely thanks to Jews and their long standing presence and influence in Europe that ritual slaughter of animals is permitted in the first place in many European countries. The Nazis banned it, and the allies immediately re-introduced it post WW2. And there weren't many Muslims in Europe then, it was all about Jewish 'rights'.
Halal / Kosher won't be banned so long as the current three remain in power. Labour and libdems support it in the name of diversity, and the Tories support it because of certain British 'traditions' involving sadistic bloodlust - something both UKIP and the hypocritical BNP enthusiastically support. Bit rich to carp on about Halal when you favour tally ho fox hunting simply BECAUSE IT'S BRITISH.
I'm relying on men like Andrew Gwynne to stop kosher slaughter.
Gibber gibber pyyannhhhhh f...tang..Sorry I haven't had my medication yet.
My good book tells me I can't eat meat that's been offered to a folks God but we don't matter do we ?
Sorry that should say false god
I see the Education Secretary Michael Gove is writing to all schools in England warning them to stop Muslims radicalising children.
Oh my God...A LETTER! They'll be quaking in their boots won't they.
Oliver Cromwell's approach to the problem would have been a little different.
I'm against bleeding animals to death because of what some crackpot ancient text says but I'm happy to eat meat offered to foreign gods. The way I see it is that I'm getting one over on them, like when you eat your dogs dinner and you get to wind him up over it all day.
Fox hunting does not involve 'sadistic bloodlust', and it is ridiculous to compare it to halal slaughter as the fox is given the chance to escape, and, if killed, is killed by other animals, not by humans as is the case with so-called halal.
Foxes are a pest that spread more diseases than rats; they are recognized as vermin by virtually all civilised countries. Animals killed for halal are harmless and no threat to anyone, such as goats and sheep.
It is no coincidence that nearly all farmers and others whose livelihoods are affected by the damage caused by foxes are generally supportive of things that control fox numbers, including fox hunting.
A townie like you from Stalybridge knows nothing about this issue, obviously!
@ 22:56 so are you a TRUE Christian or just pretending to be a believer? remember God can see the REAL person.
@09/05/2014 22:56 humans spread diseases.
Don't be so F****** paranoid
S.S I can't believe your happy to eat meat that's been offered to foreign gods ? Because in some cases you helping to fund holy wars ? As for me if been dodging that crap for years now and I should.nt have to do this in my own country ? Iv not let any of my kids have school meals all the way there schooling life because of this carp and its not right to put any foreign religion before the religion of this country ? Not to mention all the people that's died in our country standing up for animal right and one of the main right people have fought for is for animals to be killed properly and that's why it's against the law over here not to stun animals before the kill and there should be no exceptions not for religion or anything else ? Why would any one go and live somewhere when they can't eat there ? And these people say there tryin to escape from a sh-role being there country and then they get there feet under my table in my country then they try and change my country into the sh-role that was so bad that they had to leave in the first place this being there own country ?
Christian remember the Book of Hosea study it, live it, come back with the answer.
The one true God lives within the beam of light, the palm of the hand, the tear drop in the child's eye, the leaf that falls from the oak tree.
Anonymous said...
And since when did pest control involve a glass of sherry on Boxing Day? (Name redacted) invites us to believe that those kitted out in red fancy dress are good enough to spare their time and money for a pursuit they take no delight in.
And actually, halal is conducted out of a misguided belief that one is obliged to do so by God. (Name redacted) on the other hand supports the savage killing of intelligent animals out of mere 'tradition' and dubious arguments put forth by the likes of the Daily Mail.
What's more, 8 out of ten want to keep the ban - so much for democracy and representation (at the BNP's convenience). On that basis, I think we can deduce that the BNP don't represent the British but certain sub sections whose quaint traditions they have a fondness for. Ooooo so the fox is given the chance to escape... but it is also given the chance of being brutally savaged in a dozen on one fight - very fair!!
David Bowles, RSPCA head of public affairs, said: “In common with the majority of the British people, we believe that any repeal of the Hunting Act would be a backward step for a civilized society.
“Despite scare stories by pro-hunting lobbyists who wanted to continue this barbaric sport, the ban did not affect countryside employment, cause a growth in the fox population, nor result in the loss of horses or hounds. In fact, many hunts still meet but use artificial scents to trail hunt – something which doesn’t result in the needless deaths of wild animals and is something we welcome."
And one other thing... I'm not from Stalybridge.
At last.
The Oak Tree
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.
A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the Oak Tree's leaves away.
Then snapped its boughs
and pulled its bark
until the Oak was tired and stark.
But still the Oak Tree held its ground
while other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
"How can you still be standing Oak?"
The Oak Tree said, I know that you
can break each branch of mine in two,
carry every leaf away,
shake my limbs and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth,
growing stronger since my birth.
You'll never touch them, for you see
they are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn't sure
of just how much I could endure.
But now I've found with thanks to you,
I'm stronger than I ever knew.
@Christian the beam of light is like a straight arrow, the bow, the flight, the archer.
Sods law, what, a gasp of fright?
Remember the holocaust, was it real, can we be true to ones self?
Answers are put before gods table.
Anon @10/05/2014 15:37
You seem almost pathologically concerned for the welfare of the fox but yet at the same time you are indifferent to the suffering of animals brutally butchered for halal.
You know it's funny, I've thought this for a while now, but if things were the other way round, i.e. Muslims on horseback doing the fox hunting and the historic British people doing the Halal slaughter, you would be screaming blue murder for Halal to be banned and fox hunting to be allowed to continue out of respect for "minority cultures".
Necessary rat/cockroach etc extermination is correct, therefore necessary fox extermination is correct.
Fox hunting is unnecessary and a glorification of animal extermination and is incorrect.
Halal/Kosher is unnecessary, ancient barbarism and is incorrect.
Keep the first, ban the others.
@ 18:23 took six years imagine if they had put flags and poppies in their garden?
@Christian
And in your little analogy you I dare say would be screaming for fox hunting to be banned whilst defending white British traditions such as ritual slaughter.
I'm against halal / kosher just as I'm opposed to all three Abrahamic faiths, including yours.
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