Iain Dale has a new “coming soon” banner at the top of his blog. For the last few days it has trailed an article entitled “Have you sighted the lesser spotted Chipmunk?” - Iain’s pet name for Hazel Blears MP.
Well, I haven’t seen Hazel recently, but thanks to the wonders of Facebook I can warn local residents in the Claremont area that she will be making a rare appearance - along with their candidate Peter Wheeler and a posse of imported Labour Students from out of the City - on Saturday April 19th from approximately 11am. Watch out Claremont!
I hope someone brings a map with them - I doubt Hazel knows her way round the ward.
Ian I was a bit concerned last night that there must have been a fire at the town hall. The streets of swinton had a gang of councillors roaming the streets looking all lost and concerned.
Ian Just to update the last entry. The leader of the labour group,Deputy leader.and half of the Labour CABINET were in Swinton South.One member of the group was seen taking Lib Dem leaflets out of a door.The others were looking at poling list or the A to Z of swinton?. I wonder what the people think when they don’t see them year on year till election time. If John would like some of our leaflets i will forward them he knows my address.
JOE
I was worried too - some of the potholes around the area that we’ve asked to get fixed are almost big enough to drown in!
imported Labour Students from out of the City? I think they all got out of Hazells citreon. If this is the level of labours support,i will sleep tonight. I wonder the logic bring out your high profile MP
that half Salford have never seen and the other half can’t stand even some high level labour councillors can’t stand her. well thats my rant for the day.Back to my egg and bacon…
joe
I am sure the police officers whose permission you failed to get Joe before using them in your propaganda will also be pleased to get the remaining leaflets along with an assurance that they will not be compromised in this fashion.
I’ve not seen the Liberal Democrat leaflet you refer to John, but I do have a copy of a Labour leaflet for Kersal ward where your local Councillors shamelessly make political capital out of their local police officer, so I would tread carefully before continuing that argument…
Sorry Ian I should have made it clear. Its the fact that their photograph has been included without their permission that I find appalling. Last year when pictures of council officers were included on Ed Sheehys leaflet I took steps to have it withdrawn but as usual the Lib dems dont seem to play by the same rules.
The Police Service as a whole in Salford is far too close to the Council and since the Council’s executive decisons are controlled absolutely by the Labour Party that means that Salford Police are far too close to Salford Labour.
In the February 2008 issue of “LIFE” free magazine [Issue 46] we were treated to a full page ‘interview’ with PCSO Diane Clough, with such ‘natural conversation’ coming from Diane as: “Between 1 May and 31 October 2007 we saw 62 fewer incidents of criminal damage than for the same period in 2006, a drop of 8.4 per cent.”
There was also a full-page article by Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan which allowed him to sing police praises, and from which: “…we [the police] work closely with partners such as Salford City Council.” LIFE magazine is in effect a quasi-Labour publication which allows the Labour Party to set forth its Labour propaganda behind the front of the Council and with the cost being borne not by Labour but by the taxpayer. It is alarming to find such a strong police presence in LIFE since it is a quasi-Labour publication.
Futhermore given Labour’s dominance of the Council the independence of the police is open to question on account of its closeness to Labour [the Council] through mutual involvement in the Salford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Whether intended or not such ‘partnerships’ risk ‘politicising’ the police by association.
In the currently circulating ‘Eccles Labour Rose’ pamphlet for Labour candidate Alan Broughton it reads: “We are pleased that crime has fallen as a result of our work with the police.” And both that pamphlet and Labour’s [current] ‘The Salford Rose’ leaflet carry a photo of police officers (along with meaningless crime reduction percentages) to which the police presumably consented.
As far as I can see the Labour Party in Salford is far-and-away the biggest threat to the public perception of police impartiality and indeed is already actually heavily involved in direct interference in police affairs - especially using the police as a propaganda trophy.
Oh John you are a comical character. I believe my riposte is best put as he without sin may cast the first stone … so I think im safe from any flying rocks from the red side of the election count hall.
richard and martin you miss the point it is not legal to use a recognisable photograph of someone without permission especially for electoral purposes I know martin your party would not want to engage in ilkegal practices and I suggesr you ask your agent about the consequences