AS PREDICTED, Labour’s John Jones and Jim Elmes have scored significant victories in the Bloomfield and Marton by-elections, a result which sees Labour gain one councillor and the Conservatives lose one.
This echoes the national picture, which sees Labour expected to gain around 700 new seats and take control of 20 new councils.
Locally, the turnouts were pathetic, with Marton registering 31.69% and Bloomfield just 21.78% (from 38.73% and 26.47% respectively in 2011). From available records the turnout for Bloomfield is an all-time low for any ward.
Bloomfield
- John Jones, Labour, 731
- Ged Walsh, Conservative, 216
- Bev Keenan, Independent, 193
- Sue Close, Liberal Democrats, 73
A good result for Labour, although a small drop in their vote count. The Conservatives, whilst registering a higher percentage of the vote than last time, saw a 34% drop in actual votes whilst Bev Keenan scored a decent victory of her own and demonstrated the value of a local candidate that is not tied to any of the Punch and Judy parties.
Marton
- Jim Elmes, Labour, 917 votes
- Peter Collins, Conservative, 644 votes
- Philip Mitchell, Green Party, 103 votes
- Kevan Benfold, Lib Dem, 76 votes
This result must have been a difficult pill to swallow for the Conservatives’ Peter Collins as he barely scraped over half the votes of his popular predecessor Jim Houldsworth in Marton. Previously a fairly strong Tory ward, Marton has now fallen into the grasp of Labour. It seems like all the hard work paid off for Jim Elmes in the end.
Whilst Labour were a shoe-in for Bloomfield, Marton should have been more of a contest. But thanks to the Prime Minister, the Conservatives are shedding supporters in their droves. This must be down to Call me Dave’s terribly unpopular and out of touch policies that see high earners get a tax cut and further taxation applied to booze, fuel, pasties, charities, caravans and pensioners with promises of a cut to Northern public sector salaries.
Or perhaps people just didn’t like the non-local Peter Collins.
Jim Houldsworth had been a popular and respected councillor , had a good team of workers behind him with a ward committee and wanted the candidate to replace him to be someone who had positively contributed to the ward. Sadly Peter Collins was brought in, who may well be a good bloke but was not local, and unlike Jim was seen as having been a Callow supporter. The previous conservative ward workers dropped out and the party had shot themselves in the foot. Should be interesting to see if the party want to be cast into oblivion for eternity in Blackpool by an emergence of Callow(s) in it’s leadership election.
True, although the party doesn’t get much a say. It all depends on whether Callow can muster enough cronies to vote him (or her) in. As you rightly say if either of them were to grasp the reins it would be a disaster and would ensure the party remains a political outcast for years.
He would be like a local version of David Cameron: totally irrelevant and totally out of touch.
You are also right to suggest that those who were Callow supporters will be remembered for it.
As you know there is still a Callow clique of about half of the Tory councillors so there’s a fair chance he would become leader if he put his name forward. I understand he could wait until the last minute to do this as well so he may have some shock tactics lined up!
Just quickly doing the sums – 1213 votes cast in Bloomfield. I would be interested to know what the % turnout amounted to. It seems very low. Is it any wonder local councils can act as they please when this sort of apathy abounds. Until people actually start to use the democratic powers they hold councils will continue to be filled with the ineffective ‘yes men’ that have plagued local government for years. Please note that I am not suggesting Jones and Elmes fall into this category as they are both ‘first timers’. Time will tell!
I know it is always the same, at every local election, but doesn’t it say something about attitudes, when so few people turn out?
2 points have already been made on the Gazette site (mine was one of them) that the apathy amongst the electorate when it comes to choosing the people to represent them is astonishing.
The turnout figures form part of the Gazette article.
Is it time to bring in a system where the electorate are forced to engage or risk a fine of some sort?
That said why would the big 3 parties change anything? It is not in their interests to do so is it!!
No it isn’t. If this were to ever happen, there would have to be a “none of the above” option on the ballot paper, as you can’t force people to vote for a candidate they don’t support!
Fair enough put a ‘None of the Above’ Option on the ballot… It still proves interaction by the electorate..
Other Countries around the World operate such a system they must have got round this obstacle?
They just force you to vote for someone. A few countries have none of the above options, but most don’t (according to Wikipedia at least).
You run into a problem when ‘none of the above’ wins the election which, I think, it would do in Britain given the appalling levels of apathy. What do you do then?
Do you still give the seat to the candidate with the most votes (in which case compulsory voting is fairly pointless), or do you leave the seat empty, or even hold further elections until a candidate with a majority is elected?
Have another election…… The non result would force the main parties to confront the real issues and at local level would propel independents to stand which could very well command a local following.
I understand your point and you make it well but until we try these things we are not going to know. I don’t really believe we would get that many ‘none of the above’ votes as certain sectors of our society have been brought up with a conditioning which propels them to vote for particular party no matter what.
Stick a blue rosette on Genghis Khan and he would still get in in places in leafy Surrey, while a red rosette on Joe Stalin would prove the same in central Manchester.. These people vote for the parties not individuals and by doing so are not engaging with the real problems the Country faces…. Those forced to vote under small penalty could indeed offset the voting drones and bring about a truer result….
In Australia people are required to vote by law. Turnout there is naturally a lot higher than in UK elections
labour 731 votes 60.26%
Cons 216 votes 17.81%
Lib dem 73 votes 6.2%
Bev 193 votes 15.91%
I think it was 21 point something % turnout, I’ll know next time to take a pen with me to the count, it was all new to me, an eyeopener.
As I wrote in the third paragraph of the article above, the turnouts were 21.78% for Bloomfield and 31.69% for Marton!
sorry I replied to the comment from the corner of your page, never read top of page phil x
The turnouts are not surprising for local government elections.
Looking at the turnout in both wards and the apathy that exists in the town for the usual suspects; Is it time do develop a Blackpool Independent Coalition? a Residents party made up of people that want to see people put before politics.
People like Bev and others; independent thinkers who are not afraid to speak out and stand up for what they believe and know.
I am interested in exploring this topic further at a personal level. To express an interest e mail; barnyno555@gmail.com
What does putting people before politics actually mean? It’s an easy slogan that often falls apart when one has to balance the competing interests and concerns of various groups of voters.
It usually means putting the interests and views of your constituents before party policy, and hence defying the party
What if the views and interests of your constituents differ? Ultimately it the different views and interests of constituents that gives rise to political parties.
you have answered your own question,politics is the result of personal views on a public stage
I should have been a bit clearer, It is about the people being put before “party” politics. Apathy exists because we see time and time again the electorate being offered a brand new car; only to find when delivered; it’s an old banger with no steering wheel because the company wont release new ones because its not in the companies interest.
Sorry if that’s still vague. In truth I believe it’s about those people who are elected at councillor level; dealing with local community issues; after-all have they not been elected to be a representative or spokesperson for “that community” by the democratic process?
Its true they dont end up representing peoples views or concerns but imposing party policies instead.
another definition is like the punch and judy syndrome, where 2 parties usually labour and tory snipe at one another over an issue, but neither offers a solution which is in the interest of the public,now this is ingrained within the uk and for me a huge turnoff.
Another ‘independent’ ‘group’ eh?
My point was to instigate a debate into the apathy existing in local politics. Phil is absolutey right in inferring that people will only vote (in the main), for someone they want to actually vote for. If none of the candidates hit the spot with voters, it is hardly surprising that we have such low turn-outs, with the usual, useless suspects, continuing to get voted in each time.
How to address this is the question?
The spin has begun. Dogma rules within the 20 odd % who cared to exercise their rights, meaning the almost 80% (too stupid to vote)will be subjected to the lies, distortions and pure propaganda of established Political Parties proven to be unfit for purpose, because of that apathy. (Rant over).
On Question Time (last evening) one audience member talked of the lies and falsehood of politicians which didn’t crack the make-up on Harriet’s mush. Only a short time later her husband, the only male politician from and all female candidates list, carried on the practiced hogwash.
At least two thirds of the English population did not vote. Gorgeous George is establishing an Empire in the East and plans could be put in for a Child Sexual Mutilation Clinic in Yorkiestan. No need for parking permits there.
Oh! and Blackpool Council is to rename the Town Hall the Crystal Palace, then cover it in Frosted Glass. All meetings of the new council will take place after midnight on the trams and the minutes of the meetings will be taken by Honest Hero Jim in the Secret Accounts Ledger. Sound recordings are to be banned. Shit! Too late. “Treasurer. Isth’re enuff in the Secret Fund t’ take me on a long holiday? Who the f**k leaked this to the Council? http://notareargunner.podbean.com/2012/05/03/blackpool-ex-service-secret-accounts/ ”
All is Bliss today in squeaky clean Blackpool. Police are on strike, all bridges repaired, sailors practicing for the Same Sex Dancing Competition, the dog shit on the streets has turned to dust, FlyMe are performing at the Pink Theatre.
Vote for me. I want to travel First Class.” (Now the rant is over)
Does this mean Blackpool is still a Conservative town?
This is very bad for Blackpool Conservative the old guard turned up to vote and that’s it, if the national party doesn’t get it act together then this government will be a one term government. Ged said one of the highs about his campaign was Gorden Marsden supporters offering him their support this just wasn’t true the election shows this. If this kind of thinking keeps going on then it just shows how out of touch the Conservatives are. It also shows from Geds posts he knew nothing about the ward he was trying to be elected in.
As for Bev well done perhaps if you had more time and some good support from people who have done this before you would have done better.
Huh! I’m confused Still a Conservative town???????? What do you mean?
Just a joke for many years it was stated on this forum as a fact that Blackpool was a Conservative town and Labour MPs and councillors was some sort of blip.
Andy (pikey, bling bling) Stansfield does nothing at full council or for the party.
Pete Callow does nothing at full council or for the party.
Max Callow does nothing at full council or for the party.
Henry Who? I’m going for a piss, be back Wednesday!
Don Who?
Tony (the leach) oops Lee, His resignation is in the post.
Tony Brown (yep he’s really does exist!)
Labour don’t fair much better:
Gillian Campbell I know nothing about my portfolio, can I get back to you!
Amy Cross casting couch opportunist.
Alan Mathews errr what should i do next, I know, nothing!
Mark Smith failed hotelier telling everyone to join his vision of hotels! Yeah right.
Kath Rowson sits at full council “tutting away” like a budgie for 3hrs!
Christine Wright another trill eating budgie tutting away hour after hour!
Chris Maughan doesn’t really know why he’s there or what to do!
Gary Coleman……. Blackadder hairline…. nuff said.
Mr Scruffy he knows who he is.
Adrian Hutton the wizard with no tricks up his sleeves and nothing to say.
Simon ‘Teflon Suite’ Blackburn. Is the only person at full council who does not need to bend down in order to speak into the mic! In fact, when takes to the mic he adopts the stance of Lemmy from Motörhead.
Even democracy fails to deliver on occasion.
Peter Callow is scum,filth.
What’s a nobber doing on a Blackpool forum? Grrrr!
What keeps the dead-wood (within each party) from resigning?
Take for instance: Pete & Max Callow, Tony Lee or Alan Mathews etc etc etc……
Given that they do nothing and everyone can’t stand them these days. What’s their driving force?
Is it simply a power trip or the love of “free” buffet meals. Or is it the fact that they love to wander around the town hall like the ghosts of Mötley Hall.
Whatever the reason, It’s fucking fritnin.
Not at all John. Blackpool was built upon conservative values; ambitious people who sought to better themselves through their own actions, not sitting on their fat arses eating crisps, sponging benefits and voting Labour.
I am sure the town has, (over the last 100 years), on balance, been mainly run by conservative councils, so the idea that its a conservative town is not inappropriate, its just that the local conservative party has fielded inept/corrupt councillors and has last touch, COMPLETELY.
It’s important to note that there is a difference between conservative values and the Conservative party. It is considered that Boris Johnson practices conservative politics; he defends the private sector and wants to cut taxes; whereas the Conservative Party seem to have become a liberal, wishy-washy mess that wants to tax everyone apart from millionaires.
Similarly, Labour are supposedly the party of the working man, but in reality they are the party of the non working man.
spot on phil thats why people dont trust either of these parties, they dont stand for anything,having conservative values does not mean you support or agree with conservative party policies,in fact the conservative party is anything but conservative, just what does it want to conserve? the EU? lol.
Labour are supposedly the party of the working man, but in reality they are the party of the non working man.
Couldn’t you say the same about the Cons? I know you going to say that this joke of a government is trying to reduce the social support money but they seem to be doing this by taking all social support from working people and keep paying it to the non working people.
John i agree this govt is the party of creating the non working man, as we will have huge unemployment for years to come.
But why are we surprised after all the past have shown us that the Cons have always been the party of unemployment. This one however do seem as inept at the economy as the past ones.
too much emphasis on cuts and not enough on growth??
No emphasis on growth which is strange because history has shown us gov which spends in recession (particularly deep ones) come out more powerful then ones who don’t. The trick is not to keep on spending after the recession is over.
Expected nonsense.
Incidently when did I mention Gordon? Are you on some sort of medication?
Can you find me the post! Of couse you can’t.
I thought my result was great. When you consider that nearly every other local Conservative candidate lost many votes. The Bloomfield Cons never deserted me. It was just business as usual.
Now if I had been demolished then ok, but this is not the case. I held my own because people knew I represented local business and change. On the other hand, I do concede that I could have represented drunks, druggies and the Staffordshire Bull Terrior owners a little bit more!
I would also like to point out that Labours lead never increased within Bloomfield, so again, it was business as usual for them as well.
What the Blackpool Conservatives now need to do is concentrate on removing the people who are in it for themselves (they know who they are). The dead wood needs sending to the scrap heap and then we can all assist in moving the party forward.
“What the Blackpool Conservatives now need to do is concentrate on removing the people who are in it for themselves (they know who they are). The dead wood needs sending to the scrap heap and then we can all assist in moving the party forward.” thats a lot of councillors regardless of party and all the senior managment at the town hall,starting with that cross dressing shit sucking,piss snorting cunt, John Donellon.
Ged I genuinely I am not having a go I have called you arrogant and I will stand by this and this is why.
I said the troy core vote turned up for you you seem to think this was a success because in many other areas in this election it fell away. However you are wrong to think this is a success for two reasons, the first is while the previous election sure Tory’s votes grow however in Blackpool, because of local issues, it had been destroyed already. So you started from the point in this election which other areas of Tory councils find themselves in now. The second reason why you can’t call this a success is the reason you gave where you said you would feel if you won if you increased the Tory vote which you didn’t.
Your comment “I could have represented drunks, druggies and the Staffordshire Bull Terrior owners a little bit more!” are you saying that anyone who didn’t vote for you are these people? That’s not true and if you believe this then perhaps this is why people are turned of voting for Tory s. We had phil labelling a labour candidate a “champagne socialist” which is a radicalise comment when you find out a bit more about the person.
Having said this your last paragraph I have to take my hat of to you I think part of the problem there is a strong perception that the last Tory council was in it for themselves. The issue I have with this is why are you the first Tory who want to be a councillor or is a councillor to say this? If you are not opposing this system and denouncing these councillors then you are supporting it. If you are serious about changing your party (and I hope you are) tell people who you think they are go to councillors who you trust and ask them to support you. Before I left the Labour party in the early naughties I wrote to anyone in any political office why I was doing this (I didn’t expect anything to happen and it didn’t but in my limited why I did my best to save a party I once thought represented my views).
John Jones is a champagne socialist, he lives the life of riley off the back of the taxpayer, out in a leafy suburb in a nice detached house with a big garden and off street parking for about 5 cars.
Simon Blackburn is the same. Massive BMW, large detached house in South Shore and a luxury pad at Admiral Point that the low paid lollipop ladies and school caretakers he claims to represent could never hope to afford.
Look at Red Ken as well, he’s a tax dodging champagne socialist scumbag.
Had any of these been a Tory, Labour supporters would be slaughtering them as out of touch rich boys or making reference to their perceived wealth, but it’s a two way street.
As a successful hotelier, who has a great business. Arrogance is not a quality that fits well within the hospitality industry. So I will leave you to work that one out!
As for the result, I still think it was great given the backdrop of the current political climate.
I now look forward to either running again or (fully) supporting any of my colleagues who also wish to stand for the position of councillor.
It’s all good stuff.
John, given some of the abuse I received around Central Drive from drunks, druggies and unsavoury dog owners. I think my comments are both just and slightly tongue in cheek.
At what point did you ever think they were going to vote for me or any other Tory for that matter.
3 days before the election and whilst my wife and my 8yr old child were asleep. An intruder broke into my house in the early hours. Upon hearing a noise, I ran into the hallway, only to meet a young man (28). After a violent struggle, the gentleman finally came round to my way of thinking!
When the police arrived they managed to arrest the man and cart him away.
2 days later and after reviewing all the evidence, the CPS decided they had enough evidence for a conviction. The man is now being charged with attempted burglary on a private dwelling.
It turns out that the man in question has a string of convictions (for burglary) as long as his arm. It also turns out (and here’s the punch-line), he lives in the Bloomfield Ward.
“Prespective Conservative candidate burgled by one of his own constituents!”
Given the gasjets reporting on “everything” Labour (before the election). I was slightly disappointed that they did not want to cover this story.
I am now awaiting his trial.
I hope you chinned the cunt, Ged.
a slight digression but still on the theme of politics,France has now got a socialist president who wants to reduce the retirement age for some workers from 62 to 60,massive tax increases, for business over a million euros,recruit 60000 more teachers, sounds nice but where will the money come from???
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17975660
will this happen in greece? are we seeing a veer to the left in Europe on account of whats happened in the markets?
The same magical place Merv and his buddies get the QE money from…..
Austerity has been rejected in France, it is likely to be rejected in Greece, in due course Spain will reject it and the some UK politicians are already rocking the boat and looking for a change of course.
Looks like the easy way out was tried and rejected, the people in these Countries who believe in this so called magic money will now have austerity imposed upon them by the markets when huge hikes in interest rates become necessary because of currency crisis.
With the situation in France and Greece on going this weekend the whole Eurozone dimension and whether it will or won’t survive is going to get a hell of a lot more interesting next week.
Yes looks like a red carpet is gonna unfold across Europe, glad I got my money tree………
Unfortunately Ged thats real life daily living in Bloomfield, I need to get a prescription from Grasmere Road it is full of people queuing for Methadone not the sort of place I feel safe and for many other residents it’s the same, but at the end of the day they also have to live somewhere, neighbours taking their children to school and bringing them back home from school get accosted for cigarettes money anything, when I was out canvassing at the back of UInique Girls there was a drug addict lying in the doorway with a torniquet and a syringe sticking out of his arm, he was laying lifeless, one of the kids I was with undid the torniquet and slapped him until he came around, he woke and gave us a barrage of abuse and went on his way. If we had waited for an ambulance he would have probably been dead as his arm was black. It was for these reasons alone I stood for Bloomfield, decent people should not be accosted I don’t know the answers, Drugs are rife, but who is stopping them? Instead of giving extra benefits to drug addicts and alcoholics perhaps they should use that money and open more secure units and take them off the street and sober/clean them up. But being a councillor in Blackpool was never going to stop whats going on, it’s really for them in Westminster to sort out, but as they do not live in areas like Bloomfield, the addicts are not accosting their wives and children, I doubt anything will change.
If i had my way, I would have a special einsatzgruppen unit sent out to these grubs;they would be dragged out of their slums, poured petrol on and beaten with pick axe handles,set alight, then beaten with house bricks to put out the flames.
exactly Ged, we know who they are but sadly they dont care or maybe even dont realise as they are so far up…….
I can’t believe how many of the sitting councillors do nothing to support their party.
Apathy = lack of interest. The only people who are interested in politics are the likes of us opinionated bullsh*ters who post on forums like this. For most people in this town, in this country, if they have enough money in their pockets to buy what they need, a roof over their head and decent neighbours living alongside, a school for their children that is not in special measures and an illusion of freedom to live the life they think they want, then they will stoically accept everything else that is thrown at them. Interestingly the percentage of eligible voters, in at least the Marton ward (the one I looked at) reflect the demographic of 45 – 59 years living in the area and these are the ones who are most likely to vote in any sort of election because a) they have been brought up with a sense of duty and b) tend to be the most opinionated about everything
Ged,
My sister got burgled a few years ago while she was at work, she left at 10am and returned at 2pm and the thieves had blown her back door off, none of the neighbours heard a thing, they did see activity of men walking back and forth with tvs but thats nothing new around here, people are always moving flat to flat, the three thieves were auctioning her stuff off in the George pub, they slipped the plasma tellys through the alleygates and put them in local taxis, we were lucky as one of the ladies who worked in a shop on central drive took a cig break and knew one of the fellas by name. But you should have seen the disbelief on the CIDs face when my sister was explaining the things that had gone missing a 50 inch plasma worth £2,000 at that time, another in the back room, all the kids consoles laptops games, my sister could never have afforded what got stolen on her minimum wage, and the CID and police knew it, what they didn’t expect was she had a sister over the road (me) who wins lots of competitions and as I won over 27 tv’s in one year I made sure all my family had them, and the rest went on ebay. We have never had to buy the kids a console or laptop as I won all them too, my recent win was 2 ipad2′s which my sisters kids claimed. It was lovely pushing all my winning letters into their hands to prove she had the items, and through the lady noticing who one of the men was we did get the 2 tvs back from a guesthouse on Lytham road, the thieves originated from Manchester, they must have spotted the telly through the window and watched for her leaving for work. She now has an alsation, let them return. But I agree the Gazette should have put your story in, seeing how they made a big point of the dog bite for the labour party, how scary for you and your family. I’m just glad my sister was at work and her children at school and not in bed when she was burgled.
oh forgot to mention that when the CID traced the tellys they got the 3 purchasers to return them to my sister, my sister was so thankful as they helped her plug them in, and as they were leaving the CID told her you don’t want to thank them they are the biggest thieves in Blackpool, so what the ruddy hell had they brought them to my sisters address for, knowing she lived alone with two kids!!!!! Obviously these were going to be out of pocket so would want to recoup their losses somehow. An hour later a man pulled up in a white van and asked the kids playing outside what was there paswords for their laptops as he may have found them, stupidly the kids told him, he drove off never to be seen again.
Chris Bates said, some posts ago, that you have to vote in Australia, you can be fined for not voting. However, they do get lots of spoilt voting papers, which can’t be counted, from the disgruntled. Also, supposedly, a spoilt paper cannot be traced back to the perpetrator.
Question time: Once again the Tories field another weak candidate / MP. Poor cow, looks frightend to death. Lambs to the slaughter.
By the way, have we all noticed that there are around 7 million public sector workers and most of them make up the dumb audience! What the ****k!
I’m off to put the cat out.
Watching Question Time nobber? Is this because you haven’t a Wembley final to go to or get excited about? :LOL:
UTMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air,
They fly so high,
Nearly reach the sky,
Then like my dreams,
They fade and die.
Fortune’s always hiding,
I’ve looked everywhere,
I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air.
How sad nobbers are. I bet you were singing ‘Men of Harlech’ last time we were at Wembley you sad, sad creature – derbies with Fleetwood Town beckon – come on you Cods!!!!
Fortune’s always hiding,
I’ve looked everywhere
Ask Trevor Hemmings. Looks like you’ll be in administration soon anyway if Trev gets fed up of loaning PNE running costs each month – how many season ticket holders are you down to now?
You should write an article on the financial shenanigans at PNE – so that we can all have a laugh
We have a lovely water feature in front of our ground.
You on the other hand, have a statue facing the wrong way! (I never did understand why they placed poor old Stan that way round as it still looks crap!).
Have to agree with you on that – the Oystons have never been interested in the history and traditions of our club just the bottom line.