Local Town/parish Elections - 2 May 2013

[Malcolm Robinson]

Thank you Stephen much appreciated.

[John White]

Well done & good luck Both!

[tomtom]

Hard lines Malcolm but at least you came 2nd - don't lose heart - we need people like you in this small town.

[Maggie/915]

Well done Adam and Malcolm together you beat the opposition.

No contest

[keith lockey]

Unlucky, lads, dashed unlucky.

[Stephen]

Tomtom, Keith, there were 4 seats up for election in the ward so although the Labour candidate came first, Malcolm and Adam were both elected. Mods, you need to move the West Bedlington Town Council badges!

[Adam Hogg]

Thank you everyone for your kind words and a special thank you for all of those who voted for me I thank you so much and hope to be a good town Councillor.

[Cyril]

Congratulations to you both .......... Now could be the time to make a difference gentlemen........

[Malcolm Robinson]

I think we need to have a conversation about carrying on as mods never mind changing councillor logos. I have no doubt Adam feels the same we will try and keep a two way conversation going through this web site whatever happens.

tomtom, Keith, like Stephen says there were 4 seats up for the town council and the make up is now 5 labour councillors and 4 independents.

Mind you that's West Bedlington not East Bedlington so that's why we can't really comment on what going on at the Clayton Corner.

I did try and explain about the 4 seats on one ballot paper at the last Forum meeting because a lot of people thought it was a form of PR (Proportional Representation) where second choices were added to first choices etc if there was no clear winner by a certain percentage.

It was basically one man one vote first past the post, it was just there were 4 people to elect out of 6 or 7 choices.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Well done Malcolm and Adam, the down side is that you'll have to endure Keith Daltons "jokes" on a more regular basis.!!...... Seems nothing much has changed this side of the finger post, one of ours has made the step up to County Councillor, so well done to Allyson Wallace

Edited May 3, 2013 by keith

[keith lockey]

Apologies to Malcolm and Adam. Change unlucky for well done lads. Really well done. good luck in the future.

[threegee]

It was always going to be a bad day for Eaton School, Brussels, the TUC, and Hampstead champagne socialists! Joe Public is wising up, and at an ever increasing pace. If 24% of South Shields voters can see right through the divide and conquer strategy of big politics (and its help mate the British class system) there's hope for absolutely anywhere now.

Congratulations to you both, but do stick around a while longer - the revolution has really only just begun!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Another one to consider:

3 years ago I said at a NCC Area Meeting that the elephant in the room was their public sector pension deficit which at the time was running at around £350M. None of the councillors present wanted to answer me and it was passed to an officer who really only confirmed my figures. After pressing the chair I was told they didn't have an answer but they did expect central government to bail them out???? I asked if they understood that pressing people into early retirement with enhanced pension contributions as golden handshakes (AKA middle and top ranking staff) would increase that deficit figure substantially. Seems I was persona non grata once again!

The latest figure I have seen suggests a NCC pension deficit around £470M but we are promised a full disclosure next year.

Now is it just me or does that £100M+ increase figure sound familiar? Oh yes we have just had £100M chopped out of our services which would now lead me to ask, have we seen all the savings and cut backs we have endured over the last 4 years swallowed up by the increase in pension deficit which we somehow have to fund?

We have saved £100M but increased debt by £120M, and that in a pot only the lucky few can access meaningfully!

Just before signing off this thread...........

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2013/05/02/michael-gove-warns-northumberland-council-over-pension-charges-61634-33270168/

[Vic Patterson]

Congratulations gentlemen, well done and good luck, I hope you make a difference!

[Canny lass]

Congratulations gentlemen, well done and good luck, I hope you make a difference!

Same goes for me! Give it six nowt Malcolm & Adam.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Thanks Vic and Canny lass, have no doubt we will try but its not so clear cut at the moment.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Little steps............

West Bedlington Poster Template 30.05.13 (1).pdf

[threegee]

[Malcolm Robinson]

Up the Popular Front of Bedlington!

Power to the people!

[John White]

Up the Popular Front of Bedlington!

Power to the people!

Steady on there Malcolm. He`s wearing a black & white scarf :dribble:

[Malcolm Robinson]

Electoral fallout......literally!

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2013/05/21/northumberland-councillor-launches-stinging-attack-on-lib-dem-colleagues-61634-33361187/