After the recent capitulation of the Conservative vote in Stanley ward, due in part to the revelations that Kensington Developments had been bunging money to the Conservatives, many people’s hopes of Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden being flooded out by a blue wave of Conservatism in the next general election have been dashed.
Marsden is not your stereotypical Labour man. He had a very privileged upbringing, beginning at an independent private school, then to Oxford and Harvard. I don’t begrudge him any of these, though ironically the party he represents seeks to crush private schools and abolish free university education. The reason I don’t like him is because I believe he has failed the town and I don’t think he cares enough or has become involved in enough to justify re-election – assuming he is going to be standing.
But what’s the alternative?
Councillor Ron Bell, people’s hero and Conservative general election candidate for Blackpool South has seen his reputation destroyed with the cash for planning permission scandal. Even I, as a staunch Tory, would struggle to bring myself to vote for Ron Bell after this, and I know people who, in the recent Stanley ward elections, came out to vote for the first time ever and voted Labour as a protest. This isn’t assisted by the in-fighting, backstabbing and other self defeating stunts pulled by this circus whilst other parties are point scoring off the back of it.
But if I’m not voting for Bell, and I’m not voting for Marsden, who am I voting for? I really don’t know. With first past the post it’s a waste to vote for a fringe party unless you honestly believe they will win, and judging by the Stanley ward results only the Conservatives and Labour are worth voting for in this area unless by some miracle all the Lib Dem, BNP and UKIP votes merged to support one unified candidate.
I’d like to think Ron Bell will redeem himself, but he’s remarkably silent on the whole donations issue and quite honestly whilst everyone says he’s a nice bloke, and I am sure he is, if he is that stupid to accept a donation from a house builder that is desperately trying to win planning permission and support for concreting our semi rural areas and building Noddy Towns on them whilst a good number of the locals are kicking off about it, I think he must lack the intelligence to become a MP.
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[...] the meantime, Philtheone shares his thoughts on Bell’s moment of epic [...]
I 100% agree with you Phil. Ron has blown it!
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Fantastic post Philtheone, the thing is though most Labour MPs now are from a similar upbringing as Marsden. I do not begrudge them this like you say, but I do take issue with the fact that him and his lying lot all enjoyed a free education and then deny that to other people. I also take issue when Labour MPs call Tories ‘toffs’ when most Labour MPs went to public schools and Oxbridge. Many high profile Tories (Thatcher, Fox, Hague, Major, Davis) are actually from modest upbringings contrary to popular belief.
Anyhow that aside, I hate Marsden because as you say; What has he done for Blackpool? He shows no commitment to Blackpool and does nothing to fight for us. He is more interested in opportunistic political pointscoring ‘campaigning’ for dilipidated swamps (St Georges Baths) or acting like he cares about the Moss (which to the Brighton toff is just a piece of grass somewhere in Marton)
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That’s the thing, though. If he was a local, he would know St. Georges was a lost cause and absolutely not in people’s minds (aside from a few with no doubt vested interests).
He should be fighting the corner of those people that elected him, and he has not really ever done that. I would have thought with a Tory council he would want to take them on at any opportunity, but I just haven’t seen it.
There’s no denying Marsden is an intelligent man, and he should, given his background and previous jobs, be able to run rings around Mr Callow and his ilk. Haven’t seen it. Haven’t seen him do anything at all, but that makes me think he might not be standing here next time.
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Yes as much as I loathe the guy he is intelligent, but like you say he is doing nothing for Blackpool, he doesn’t give half a toss about Blackpool or its people. But then again this Labour Government has done nothing for Blackpool. Manchester and Liverpool (solid Labour areas) have prospered while Blackpool (traditionally Conservative) is ignored and gets the leftovers every time and Marsden is doing nothing to change that.
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Certainly true. Labour only gives money to Labour areas. That tram money Blackpool got was allocated when Labour were in, and since then, surprise surprise, no further money has come in.
Another reason NOT to vote for Marsden.
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Also despite the claim by Labour sympathisers it is all Government money, Blackpool and Lancashire County Councils are putting up half the funding. But I agree that has something to do with things.
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Yeah, you’re right. I think it’s 60million from the Government and the rest from local sources.
Hardly a mind blowing amount, really, but the Government has spent all our money on failed banks, so what can we do?
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Precisely, its a drop in the ocean when you look at what other areas have had and are getting. But then again all Labour is good at is squandering money that they don’t have and then digging the debts deeper by borrowing and then bailing banks out rewarding scum like Fred Goodwin with lavish bonuses. This is why we need rid of a Labour Government.
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Sorry I got so hooked on a Marsden hate rant, I forgot to answer the post. I really do hope Mr Bell redeems himself. I will almost 100% vote for him anyway because unless the Lib Dems produce a spectacular candidate he is the best chance we have of getting the Brighton toff out. I am as furious as anyone else over this scandal but what is the alternative. I feel I would be betraying Blackpool by voting for a fringe party (tempting as it is) and letting Marsden back in by the back door. Marsden for another 4 years is an unthinkable thought.
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Don’t worry, Marsden hate rants are acceptable on here as well as anywhere else! And you’re right, I think once I have considered it, I’ll end up voting Bell anyway for the same reasons you say.
There’s just no point voting for anyone else, because if people waste votes on fringe parties, the only winner is Gordon Marsden.
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It would probably be helpful – if Bell stays as the candidate – if he was to win by the slimmest of margins – a gentle reminder of who is boss and what the consequences may be if he doesn’t show some loyalty to the electorate in his term.
I’m sure Kenrick can give him some advice in that respect!
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Read up on Mr Marsden privileged education on his wiki page here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Marsden
Also this page details how he always votes with his corrupt Government’s survival in mind!!
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gordon_marsden/blackpool_south
Copied from this page:
How Gordon Marsden voted on key issues since 2001:
* Voted a mixture of for and against a transparent Parliament.
In other words can’t make his bloody mind up and followed the herd.
* Voted moderately for introducing a smoking ban.
And sod the interests of the tourist economy in the town he represents!
* Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards.
Because he followed the Government whip… and wants to keep tabs on the population
* Voted very strongly for introducing foundation hospitals.
Yes and no no and yes what exactly is a foundation hospital?
* Voted strongly for introducing student top-up fees.
Bollocks to you John I have had my free education you ain’t getting yours..
* Voted very strongly for Labour’s anti-terrorism laws.
Keeps the sheeple under the thumb don’t you know.
* Voted very strongly for the Iraq war.
Again did what he was told by the Government whip like a good little boy..
* Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.
Tries to protect the War Criminal Blair.
* Has never voted on replacing Trident.
Indecisiveness can’t get his act together.
* Voted moderately for the hunting ban.
Tries to exhibit his objection to the class system.
* Voted very strongly for equal gay rights.
Every man to his own as they say
* Voted moderately for laws to stop climate change.
Believes the big con which is climate change.
Now a pretty detailed character assassination of Mr Marsden.
However Mr Bell if you are reading this get off the fence and say something to condemn this bung by the developers. If it means dobbing party colleagues in it for hands in the till then it has to be done.
You are damaging your forthcoming campaign by sitting on your hands.
BTW some wag has edited the wiki page to reflect the animosity felt locally about ‘Gordon’s’ living arrangements..
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Excellent post, he virtually never rebels always tows the party line. The only one I agree with is his support for the smoking ban. I strongly support the ban and while I am glad to hear he supported it, I feel he did it more for the party than for the right reasons. But on the rest of those issues I agree with your analysis
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The biggest reason not to vote Labour in Blackpool South is because the MP doesn’t live here and to prove it ask him if he will still keep an address here if he loses the election.
The best thing Ron Bell can do is knock on doors, talk to people and explain to people what happened. He can turn this around.
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Gordon Marsden is an upper cust ANUS sucker and product of ANAL rape.
I hate him and his paedophile party: Zanu labour.
vote UKIP/BNP/English Democrats.
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I’d love to see you start your own blog, Herbert…
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dont tempt me NQH!
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Unless of course Mr Bell is far to close to this he dare not say anything?
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Hmm, that’s always an option. Isn’t his background (aside from his military service) in property or property development?
Surely not another Boxer Scaffolding?!
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Well, he managed to climb out from under his rock on Thursday night for a victory photo with Jean Kenrick…
I suspect the Conservatives might take issue with using their emblem on the poster, though I don’t think the USSR is in much of a position to do anything about the use of theirs!
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That’s a conservative logo? Oh right I just asked my niece to scribble on a bit of paper with crayons and scanned it in
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I’ve clearly posted this in the wrong post!
If you’re interested in how much government clip-art costs…
http://dizzythinks.net/2009/08/cost-of-communities-clipart.html
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Scary
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Marsden
If anyone else (other than Herbert) can think of how we can better inform the local electorate about Mr Marsden via his wiki page then post ideas here and I will do the edit.
It needs to remain focused (not you Herbert) and to the point and not contain (Herby you getting this) personal insults of any description..
No doubt his office wallah will be back on Monday to edit the page back but I will keep my eye on it
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I will desist, boo ho hoo, woe is me!
still I could do my own poster, although it will be very controversial if not obscene, lol
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Make it and I’ll put it on here
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Get ready for an attack of MS Paint!
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[...] a swing to Labour: attributed mainly to protest voting off the back of the donations scandal. This cast doubt over Cllr Ron Bell’s chance of inducing a 9% swing to become the MP for Blackpool South. [...]