Egremont Today

During an adjournment at the last full meeting of Copeland council, I and a couple of other Conservatives were talking to Brian Dixon, who at this point was still a member of the Labour party.

It is not in the least unusual - thank God - for councillors of different parties to talk to one another. It does not usually mean that one of them is about to defect. And it does not usually attract sarky comments from other councillors.

On this occasion, however, it did. As he walked past, Egremont councillor Peter Watson, who is also the editor of Labour's "Egremont Today" community newspaper, asked Brian Dixon "Is this a Group Meeting?"

Brian was not impressed.

I have just seen a copy of the October issue of "Egremont today" which is currently going out. It contains, in the name of the MP for Copeland, yet another pack of misleading falsehoods about Conservative policy which I will be answering at another point. At the bottom right of the front page are the words

"Trojan Horse walks out of Labour group"

and

"What really happened when the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee quit the Labour group? See page 10."

So I turned to page ten, to find an anodyne if somewhat complacent article about what splendid progress Copeland Council is making, which says very little about Brian Dixon's decision to resign the whip, but has a final paragraph which began with the words

"This article has been amended since we printed the front page in order to focus on the latest news and the key issue."

In a funny sort of way, this may be a good sign. There are two possible explanations why the article has changed, but would appear likely to mean one or both of two things: either

1) Someone in Copeland Labour party had a rare outbreak of common sense, realised that there have been rather too many personal attacks in local politics and ordered Peter Watson to remove such an attack on Brian Dixon, or

2) Someone in Copeland Labour party had a rare outbreak of common sense, realised that since the Leader of the council is apparently about to propose that "Choosing to Change" will be pursued in a way which does include cross party working, sticking to the line that "cross party working" is unworkable might look silly. And therefore ordered Peter Watson to remove a defense of the Labour group decision to order all Labour councillors to vote against the committee recommendation in support of cross party working.

Let's hope that a few pennies are starting to drop. Goodness knows that Copeland Council needs it.

Comments

Jane said…
I recall the incident with Cllr. Peter Watson. During the recess Cllr. Dixon spoke to myself, in the public seats and some Conservatives. Peter Watson made the remark "Is this a Group Meeting"? prior to Cllr. Dixon being whipped into the position where he felt obliged to cross the floor. I then heard Peter Watson repeat this with laughter, thinking himself very witty, to other Labour back-benchers.

In the overall picture it is a minor incident, but it is rich coming from the ruling Group. They kept everyone waiting for about twenty minutes prior to the meeting beginning, whilst they were having a 'group meeting'. Cllr. Norman Clarkson had to remind Councillors that that they are summoned to Full Council and therefore should attend at a specific time. Labours' lack of respect for protocol is far more serious and is yet another example of double standards.
1:25 am
peter said…
The idea that Egremont Today can be ordered to do anything will cause wry smiles for those who have tried. We changed the article simply because it had ben overtaken by more important news. The orginal version can be found on our website
www.egremont-today.com
under archives, search 'trojan horse'.
Peter Watson
1:20 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Thanks for your comment, Peter.

I think it was clear from the way the post was worded that I was speculating about why the article was changed rather than claiming to know. If you are saying that you were not asked to change it, then on that point, I accept your word.

Thank you also for the address if your original article. However, having now followed your link and read the original article, I have to strongly disagree with a great deal of that article. For example, I dispute the account in that article of the circumstances when you asked Cllr Dixon if he was in a Conservative Group meeting.

When the Mayor adjourned the council meeting, some of the Labour group went to another room, which I presume is the meeting you are referring to. Most of the Conservative group, and some Labour councillors, including Brian Dixon, remained in the council chamber.

At the time you made the comment, Brian was not "locked in negotiations with the Conservative leader and deputy leader" as your original article on the web states. He was having an informal, casual chat with myself and Jane Micklethwaite, at the back of the council chamber, near to the seats reserved for the general public, and we were not negotiating anything.

That was when you came past us on your way back to your seat, and asked "Is this a group meeting?"

As Jane says above, in itself this was a minor incident. But it represents the kind of politics from which Copeland needs to move on.
2:33 am
peter said…
Thank you for your reply, Chris. May I suggest that we focus on essentials rather than small details on which our memories do not excatly coincide? Please go back to my original article and note the emphasis on the importance of responsible cross-party cooperation, which Elaine has been dedicated to promoting and which, ironically, was always bitterly opposed by Cllr Dixon in Labour group discussions.
9:46 am
Chris Whiteside said…
I agree that it is important to emphasise responsible cross-party co-operation. Indeed, my original post and both versions of your article make that point. My initial post gave a guarded welcome to the fact you had changed your article because I took it as a move in that direction. And some of what has been agreed at the subsequent council meeting represents progress towards what we were asking for when we voted to keep "cross-party-working" in the motion.
10:21 am
peter said…
I should just like to welcome this modification of your previous statements and your acknowledgement that both versions of my original article emphasised the importance of cross-party co-operation and that Copeland Council is making progress in a direction which we both welcome.
12:21 pm
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