Election aftermath
10:26am Monday 12th May 2008
NEIL Griffin displays the lack of understanding shown nationally by the Labour Party in his patronising letter (HAS, May 8).
It is not the residents of Bearpark, Brasside, Framwellgate Moor, Pity Me and Witton Gilbert who did themselves a disservice in the recent local unitary council election. It was the Labour Party.
Not only did they press ahead with an election for a council which the people rejected, but they relied yet again on the slavish vote of the unthinking majority. Today's voter is so different. Today's voter listens to a well presented argument and, undoubtedly, the Liberal Democrats won the debate.
If Labour's George Burlinson was a victim of anything it was not frustration and disappointment, it was " the arrogance of office" which was prevalent amongst the old county council.
Mr Griffin does not display the triangulation encouraged by Gordon Brown, that is the interchange of ideas between new and old Labour.
It is this intransigence which is eating away at Labour support nationally.
Labour will have to do more than listen to win again, and the electorate is fully aware of this.
Colin T Mortimer, Pity Me, Durham.
I LAUGHED when I read Gordon Brown had said that he should give people more power.
This from the most power-hungry, centralising bureaucracy-creating person of the last decade or so.
If we are to believe him then the results of the referendum on the unitary authority for Durham would have been honoured and we would also have a referendum on the EU constitution.
M Hawkins, Langley Park, Durham.
Your Say YourNorth-East
John Routledge, Witton Gilbert says...
1:24pm Mon 12 May 08
Emily, Pity Me says...
2:09pm Mon 12 May 08
John Routledge, Witton Gilbert says...
2:46pm Mon 12 May 08
I have been waiting for such a comment.
Firstly I am too old.
Secondly along with my my wife I am too busy being a carer for our 40year old son who has learning disabilities.
Thirdly I am an elected carers representative and attend about 14 meetings a year with DCC.
Fourthly who would take on something which resulted in grumpy old men sniping at you?
Fiftly I have not got a cat to kick when I get frustrated (my wife kicks back)
Sixthly somebody has to keep them on their toes and let them know that people do note what they do or do not do.
Is that good enough reason?
Emily, says...
3:35pm Mon 12 May 08
David Lacey, Newcastle says...
4:18pm Mon 12 May 08
You are absolutely correct. It is wrong to paint all Councillors as charlatans. I too am aware of some hard working and dedicated people who should be applauded for their devotion to public duty. I've also met some scallywags!! They are drawn from the ranks of the general public and as such are bound to represent a cross section thereof. The same is true of the police incidentally!!
Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe says...
4:39pm Mon 12 May 08
like John I'm past the sell-by date for any kind of standing and my working life was for quite a while in the heavy construction industry up and down the country and we all remember the councillor from the B/Auckland area who tried being a councillor from the Caribbean area, it did'nt work, as for councillors being helpfull they must be the Independant councillors as party councillors only listen to what the party says and are in it for what they can get out of it not for what they can put into it.
John Routledge, Witton Gilbert says...
5:14pm Mon 12 May 08
Have you not been uplifted and your faith restored by the wonderful Face of the North
featured in today's Echo and funded by ???????
Emily, Pity Me says...
9:42pm Mon 12 May 08
Your sayYourNorth-East
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Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe says...
11:41am Mon 12 May 08