I’m pleased to announce what will hopefully become a regular feature, and that is a Fylde Community Radio update.
You may have heard of Fylde FM before, indeed I have written about it, but Fylde Community Radio is nothing to do with it. It is the freedom-unlocked brainchild of none other than Steven Bate, and before you jump in and say that it’s bound to be a just a Liberal Democrat political platform I think you should listen to it first before drawing such conclusions.
In this 10 minute election special, Steven provides an analysis of the 5 local seats that will be contested in the forthcoming general election complete with snippets of his own experiences in contesting elections, and I can guarantee there is some Ron Bell and Hamish Howitt bashing in there which gave me a chuckle!
Steven is looking for people to get involved in Fylde Community Radio, suggestions for people to interview and people to submit their own pre-recorded segments to be featured on there.
There is a forthcoming website, there’s a Facebook page, and I’m sure Steven will jump in below with further information should I have missed anything.
Click here if you want to open the player in another window.
Steven Bate is a good bloke as well as Jon, so this should be a positive thing.
Why not interview Peter Callow about the talbot gateway?
Theses loads of questions to be asked there.
lol about Ron “low ethical standards”,TB will be fuming as the seat looks safe for GM.
Knock yourself out with this Harold
http://www.navigor.org.uk/navigor/pc/pcso-steve.php
Cheers phil, excellent, I am now ready to accept the return of the death penalty, thanks to labour.
First up will be this labour govenrment on charges of HIGH TREASON.
TB where are you mate, its looking safe for Gordon Marsden according to Steven Bate, we cant have that now can we?
Problem is, it’s true!
Ron has made a twat of himself.
Apart from the “property scandal”, Ron Bell should have made a big play on Saving Blackpool South Railway station and more so improving it to take two trains per hour and improving facilities there.
You must offer hope in an election as well as criticism.
Just got some literature from the BNP candidate James Clayton, through my door,HIP HIP HOORAY!
Bring on the elections!
BNP all the way!
Scan me a copy
done
Just listened to that and really enjoyed it. The chap doing it has a great radio voice and I wish him every success with his venture, it’s something I will listen to and occasionaly take part in where possible.
What we need for election night is someone providing election night coverage from the scene.
These are my predictions for the two Blackpool seats:
Blackpool South: Labour Hold
Blackpool North: Conservative Gain.
I agree Zim,the south bit will annoy TB though.
Too flamin right it annoys me, I hate Marsden so much, he has proven in the last 13 years he is a useless MP more concerned with cheap political pointscoring than fighting for Blackpool, he shows no committment to the town by not even living here. He has to go. Blackpool needs a LOCAL MP who is NOT Liebour who will fight for Blackpool, that rules Hamish out as well.
A very interesting analysis and very well presented. I am glad to hear Grunshaw has little chance of winning Lancaster&Fleetwood and Ben Wallace will cling onto Wyre. I just sincerely hope the Blackpool South predictions are proven wrong, why are people so gullible voting for Marsden? If people truly cared about Blackpool they would get rid of him, we are not a Labour town. Just to really annoy me the whole Fylde Coast will turn blue except for where I live, it is an injustice. We deserve better than Marsden, it is time the Fylde Coast got rid of lying Labour for good. But I can’t wait to see pro-smoker Hamish get humiliated. I like the way Mr Bate points out it is the evil tobacco industry that is funding that muppet, doesn’t come as any surprise to me. MARSDEN OUT 2010 LABOUR OUT 2010!!! GO HOME TO BRIGHTON MARSDEN.
Yes it does seem like the evil tobacco industry is funding Howitt like the evil building industry is buying Bells support.
I agree with TB local MPs who will put their constituents above party question is where does that leave Paul Maynard?
I have said this before doesn’t matter about history (I do believe you said the same thing TB but that might have been about conservative history) Blackpool has been red for 13 years longer then two of my kids have been alive. I do hope it will change New Labour is not the party that most people voted for in 1997. The question is do you think the conservatives have the answers. Somehow I doubt it or they would be putting them out for us to look at.
But for the record some of the comments were incorrect; Eric Ollerenshaw is not a Hackney councillor, he now lives in Lancaster and has done for 2 years and was born and bred in Lancashire. I wouldn’t describe Gruntshaw as an ‘ideal’ candidate. All he cares about is political pointscoring, he just seizes every opportunity to praise how ‘wonderful’ life is under Labour (typical deluded socialist) and blames everything on the Tories. He is also opposing development in Fleetwood which I feel Fleetwood desperately needs. Fleetwood will suffer if he gets in. LABOUR OUT 2010!!!
LABOUR OUT 2010!!!
here here!
Gunshaw = 0 votes!
Thanks to everyone for the interesting comments. My analysis is based on the evidence that only about two thousand votes or so will change due to how good, bad, local, honest, etc the actual candidates are.
However the national position of the various political parties can swing by say up to 4,000 votes in each area.
The first time I was a candidate (county Council) Fleetwood 1981 someone screamed at me that she could not even talk to me (SDP) as we (might) work with the Liberals. Because 15 years earlier David Steel was a supporter of the Abortion Bill which was passed by a Labour Government with plenty of Conservative MP support.
If you think people vote on a logical basis, think again. Thanks again for the comments. I am preparing a feature next on the Carnesky Ghost Train saga.
Under a fair STV 5 member Fylde Coast system NOW The area would have 2 Con, 1 Labour, 1 UKIP, 1 Lib Dem. So EVERYONE on the Fylde Coast would have a choice MPs to turn to for help on issues of concern.
It is called representative democracy, I wonder if it will ever catch on in the UK.
Keep up the good work, I so wish we could have representative democracy on the Fylde Coast on one condition though; the UKIP MP must be Roy Hopwood and not that arrogant pro-smoking Howitt. I look forward to hearing your next broadcast.
The best thing about stv is the public put 12345 against their preference so if there were 5 UKIP candidates, I agree Roy would be the one elected. The party would not choose the order.
That is the crap list system that we use in MEP elections. With STV the public get what they want. For example you might want to vote 12345 for all women and ignore the Party labels, or all young candidates.
How UKIP could take on Hamish truly beggars belief, so they are saying vote for a law breaker to become a law maker?
His handling of the whole thing has been abysmal, losing 500 grand?…….well thats financial prudence for you.Hamish is headbutting a brick wall on that issue,what are his views on the local economy, regeneration etc?
I believe the ban was badly implemented but no where near as bad as Hamish’s handling of the whole situation.
They have thrown away a seat there, thats a shame cos Ron Bell has messed up.UKIP have got to get Roy in that area and quick.
Precisely the point Harold, Hamish thinks he is clever, thinks he knows everything, but he would be a terrible politician. Like you rightly say Harold, how can one who won’t obey the law make the law? Also like you say what policies does he offer, other than nothing. Hamish is just a paper candidate, a populist vote for pro-smokers. He doesn’t give a toss about Blackpool and I don’t believe he represents what UKIP stand for, him and his equally arrogant crony Nick Hogan are just pitching for populist votes. Unfortunately I refuse to vote UKIP until they get shot of these fruitcakes.
Hes a fag paper candidate lol, and he will go up in smoke, lol
Very well put, lol
it sums him up, the butt of peoples jokes and ridicule, UKIP have made a massive error there.
As far as I am concerned he has alienated core UKIP voters. I am a right-leaning voter so on many issues UKIP are right up my street, I don’t agree with some of their policies but then can anyone say they agree with everything in every party. But if they are forcing pro-smoking extremists like Howitt and Hogan aka Dumb and Dumber, they have lost my vote for the foreseeable future. Its not just the fact these fruitcakes have been ‘selected’ it is the underhand way they have been forced upon unwilling rank and file members. If I was a member I would have resigned with immediate effect. MARSDEN OUT 2010, KEEP HOWITT OUT 2010 for a BETTER BLACKPOOL
Keep labour out of Britain for good, zero option of labour MPS for 2010!
no labour mps for 2010 = 0
TB said,
Precisely the point Harold, Hamish thinks he is clever, thinks he knows everything, but he would be a terrible politician. Like you rightly say Harold, how can one who won’t obey the law make the law?
Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and even Emily Pankhurst spring to mind. Oh how about them upstarts in the new world what do they call themselves the Founding Fathers?
Protesting against laws is a good thing and should never be belittled even if you think its good law.
Good point, but those people were truly great historical figures with worthy causes, not some jumped publican who thinks he knows everything. Hamish is protesting against a good law that is for public health promotion, I think he is a silly little man who is way out of his depth and making a fool of himself.
No way do I feel Howitt is in the same importance as the above but your statement was (forgive me) stupid. Once upon a time people entered politics to change things so you can’t run someone down for trying to do this. You can run him down for why he’s doing it or the fact that he’s wrong for trying BUT not because he feels that what politics is about. As for publics health you and I know there are far more air dangerous populations then cigarette smoke.
Hamish has as much credibility and charisma as a whore has morals,he should join the labour party, he will be amongst his own kind.
Too true, he is what I would call a typical Labour voter anyway, he’s a very typically working class guy and refers to himself as such. But I think him and other Foxhall landlords were being very childish when they ‘barred’ Marsden and Humble from their pubs. Grow up, I am no fan of either of those two but there is no need to be childish about it. If I owned a shop I wouldn’t bar Marsden because I don’t like him as an MP I would treat like him any other customer.
Bring it on!!!
but lets have labour = 0, lol
Nah PR is pants, give me the simple first past the post every time.
Yes who wants a true democratically elected government?
Not strictly true, Mr Bate. Looking at the 2005 election for these (then) four constituencies, the votes polled were as follows;
Conservative – 73,564
Labour – 69,918
Liberal Democrats – 27,286
Ukip – 3,397
Green – 2,278
Liberal – 1,647
BNP – 1,113
Using D’hondt calculations, that would leave two Conservatives, two Labour and one Liberal Democrat MP – Ukip would need to find an extra 23,000 votes to stand a chance, and they only just beat the Greens, who only stood in one constituency
The most vulnerable seat would the the Lib Dem, which would fall to the Tories for 9,000 extra votes or to Labour for 12,000 extra votes
It’s impossible to say with any certainty what the result would’ve been under PR-STV on the model used in Ireland and in Scottish local elections.
What we can say, assuming that the votes remained the same, is that Labour and the Conservatives would’ve had two seats each. The third would depend on second preference votes, although it is likely it would’ve gone to the Lib Dems.
This does not, of course, take into account the tendency to vote for smaller parties when they have more chance of winning, cross-party voting, local preferences etc, all of which are among the benefits of PR-STV.
Good Evening Gentlemen.
I have been looking around the UKIP blogs today and UKIP seem to be in a terrible state nationally.
Many of their PPCs and branch officials have resigned, there is so much in-fighting going on.
There are reports about membership dropping as many people are not renewing their memberships.
It is a sad state of affairs and all due to extremely bad leadership.
There is one decent UKIP PPC, that is Roy Hopwood in Blackpool North who does a lot for the local people.
Well said Bill they are doing themselves no favours at all. I agree Roy Hopwood seems like a good man, he seems like a UKIP candidate who genuinely cares about the party and believes in the party and cares about Blackpool. Hamish is just one big publicity stunt, and UKIP should be careful linking themselves to people like him as the radio cast mentioned there is rumours Hamish has links with the tobacco industry not a good thing for any party to be linked with.
Why is this happening? If therewere ever at time for this country to need parties like UKIP, its surely now;this is madness, they have so much to gain from the rotten gang of 3.
We need a fresh perspective on the political scene, parties like UKIP can offer that.Never have I known all 3 parties to be so similar and equally devoid of vision and passion.
This is total insanity.
The simple answer is greed, for money and power.
Over the past few years since Nigel Farage took over as leader, and there was even controversy about that process, the whole party has gone into self destruct.
The membership has reportedly more than halved to somewhere below 15,000. Many of the old honest members have left or been forced out, false evidence has been manufactured to discredit those who refused to be forced out, Nikki Sinclaire MEP is the latest recipient.
There have been numerous reported court case, two members have been jailed within the last 6 months one was an MEP 2 years for fraud.
I believe 5 other MEPS including Nigel Farage have been investigated by OLAF the EU fraud office and their reports sent to the British police with a view to prosecutions.
I could go on but no doubt you have the picture. Its a right sad mess.
Thats tragic, so ukip votes go to the BNP then?
If it was not for the bullyboy, antagonistic and intimidating attitude of some of their members, which I have personally experienced, I am sure many more people would vote for them.
Thats tragic, so ukip votes go to the BNP then?
Do you think so or do they convert back to the conservatives where most of them came from in the first place?
I have no idea where they go or where they are from, thats why we have a secret ballot in this country.
I only asked the question which Harold statement which I think leads to are UKIP supporters simply frustrated BNP supporters?
I know of UKIP supporters joining the BNP.
Its a shame UKIP appears to be imploding,a tragedy in fact.
That is a shame because if it was the other way round then the racist taint that goes with the BNP (and I am not saying the racist label is entirely fair one but it is there) would hopefully disappear.
As I understand the BNP has got its first Sikh member, Rajinder Singh:http://bnp.org.uk/2010/03/only-bnp-can-save-britain-from-the-%e2%80%9cterror%e2%80%9d-of-islamist-colonisation-and-protect-british-identity-says-first-sikh-member/
Either way an alternative to the lib/lab/con scum is much needed,without a diversity of views, democracy suffers, we need parties like UKIP, the EDS and the BNP.
http://bnp.org.uk/2010/03/former-ukip-candidate-to-stand-for-bnp-in-bexhill-and-battle/
Given that UKIP and the BNP have similar views on the EU,immigration,PC brigade and multicultarlism,its entrely possible,so the answer is yes.
Put it another way, the BNP and UKIP have more in common on key issues thamn either of them have with the lib/lab/con twats.
Conservative party is no longer a conservative party, in name only.
Conservatives turning to the BNP? I think you’ll find it’s the roughest white areas where the BNP have been supported most.
In fact it’s areas where there is real poverty and lots of immigrants that cause the majority of the votes. And whilst you condemn that as racist, Labour party members have for years encouraged immigrant communities to form in isolation to whites under “multi-culturalism” and ignored crimes of all sorts (fraud, drug-dealing and racism) by condemning the genuine complainant as racist for suggesting that someone non-white might be able to commit crime just like the rest of us. If anyone has fuelled people looking at the BNP (and their stated policies are no longer racist rants but actually generally very sensible immigration control measures) then it is the left-wing Labourite socialists of this country who haven’t got a clue what they are talking about – or do, but don’t care if they think immigrants will always vote for them.
Frustrated I have never said that conservatives are turning to the BNP, they are mostly old labour supporters with a few ‘conservative’s.But i agree with the rest of your comments,labour is a lefty racist (anti white)party that has helped give the BNP votes.In fact the BNP s sucess is largley a result of nulabours policies.
I repeat the point, under DC the conservative party is no longer conservative.They preserve/conserve nothing,DC is another PC leader.
Interesting news on UKIP here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8576984.stm
John you will be ok as your friend Hamish Howitt is still standing and your vote should get him up to 7 votes.
Couple of faults with that post
1. I don’t live in Blackpool South therefore can’t vote for him.
2. I think it’s a fairly good idea being in the EU therefore cant vote for UKIP.
3. I am left of centre therefore cant vote for UKIP.
4. I have never met Howitt and I don’t think he has any policies only lifting the smoking ban therefore can’t vote for him because I think politics are a bit more important then that.
I however do think if you are opposing someone you should oppose them for viable reasons not try to take cheap shots. Opposing laws and being allowed to oppose these laws is the corner stone of any good political system.
A very good comment John, I must admit 50% of my refusal to vote UKIP is down to the fact I just don’t like the guy, but the other 50% is that I want an MP who I feel will represent Blackpool and I feel Marsden does a crap job and I don’t feel Hamish offers any kind of serious policies or ideas, he branded regeneration works in Blackpool a ‘waste of money’. I want a proper politician who will put Blackpool first not some one-issue muppet using my hometown as a pro-smoking propaganda platform. Its a shame really because I like UKIP and I agree with them as a party. But they will not have my vote until they scrap all this pro-smoking rubbish.
All fair enough comments and I do agree with you over Howitt why any party would see him as a credible candidate I wouldn’t know. However I think Harold’s link shows that even UKIP think they are a one trick pony so any other policies they may have are fairly pointless.
I agree they have become a bit of a joke especially after reading Harold’s link. But I won’t be voting for them with fruitcakes like Hamish and Nick Hogan on board. They are just silly little men using UKIP to push their own agendas. Its look like the English Democrats is my back-up choice but unfortunately they don’t have a candidate in Blackpool South. I will probably vote for Mr Bell as a tactical vote to try and get rid of Marsden.
anybody or anything except that bastard; Marsden!
labour out! marsden out!
I think the Labour party has given up chasing your vote along time ago TB and I also think the Conservatives had you down for a banker.
They needn’t bother anyway because I despise socialism so I will never ever vote Labour.
Socialism free healthcare for all free education for all two of the three principles socialism were founded on.
Labour doesn’t represent those at all; I am asthmatic I have to pay £7.20 for my inhalers, we have to pay for dental treatment and eye tests and as for education, Labour have done everything to do away with free education forcing unfair tuition fees on students when our hypocrite MPs all enjoyed a free education. I face crippling debts if I return to university to do medicine, which I would like to do in the forseeable future because Liebour has scrapped funding for mature students meaning fees have to be paid upfront, it is scandalous. Socialism just opposes aspiration and hard work.
I wasn’t talking about New Labour but Socialism must people feel there is a difference.
Thank you John for your candour, I now to some degree understand your position and will respect it.
I completely agree if a law is bad it should be opposed and LEGAL endeavours made to change it.
I have met Mr.Howitt and do not believe him to be worthy of election.
I agree Bruiser, hes not worthy of anything for that matter besides being an object of amusement.
disaster!
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Anger-as-new-homes-get.6166783.jp
£9m in compensation paid to the local authority.
£9,000,000/580 houses = £15,517 paid per home by the buyers to the council and for what.
There is a meeting next week at which the public may be able to express themselves at which I shall do just.
Somehow I don’t think the council will see all that 9 mil.
Even if they did, the moss will be gone and the rotten areas will reamian……….for what?
what good will come of this besides developers incraesing profits?
Its criminal and Blackool council is shower of gangsters.
What do you think will happen to the rest?
What will happen is this,
1. The money will be pay in stages as they build houses and the bulk will be paid when the last house goes up. So the builders will put up 540 pay the amount needed, say 4 million, and then they will apply for different planning permission for the remaining.
2. Then the builders will have brought some land near by and apply to build on this and forget about the 60 houses left to be built.
3. At some point in the future they will make a deal with the council about developing all the land they own and they remaining 5 million owned will be reduced and set of for affordable housing o a new project elsewhere in the borough.
4. The council will accept this because they have already spent the money they have already received from the builders.
That is what going to happen so the council will never see the full 9 million and the money they do get will come in drips over say 5 years.
sounds like what WBC would allow, lol
Its how business work and unless you are used to working in the private sector and putting these plans together you get taken for a ride.
Very true John, the councils desperately need some smarter staff and councillors to see these obvious points.