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Graham Powell


Denise Lloyd

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I was beginning to think I had dreamt it but 7th September it is 

 

Golden Valley SNT liked

Understand their are 4 candidates for Golden Valley South by-election on 7/9. Good luck to all - hope whoever wins represents the residents

 

 

 

I know the Con and the Indie don't know who the others are

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Not quite on topic but nearly.  Interesting programme on what can be done in a community when politics are removed.  Whilst I think it is too late for Hereford it is certainly worth a listen

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0902pz4

 

 

Community Enterprise

What role can the community play in rejuvenating their local economy? Globalisation often results in a big geographical divide between where profits are made and where they are spent.

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I never understood why IOC and the Independents never joined forces. The conservatives are too strong in Hereford if the truth is known.

Hi - I'm new to the group, so sorry if this is a silly question ... but what's the history of IOC, how did they start and what do they stand for? And why are the Independents competing with each other in the Golden Vally and not putting up a candidate at all in the Hinton and Hunderton election in the city?

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Peter Jinman is a local vet and well known in the area. He will be a good representative.

 

Anyone can stand as an independent. The clue is in the title. It is unfortunate that the leadership of the IOC and the leadership of the formal Herefordshire Independents can not see their way to bringing their groups more closely together. I live in hope that long before the next council elections that the differences might be solved and that the two groups, who sit under the 'Independent ' group umbrella at the Local Government Association, can at least have an understanding about who should contest each seat. I fear it is mainly a personality thing.

The common aim is to be rid of the Tories!

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Thanks for the link. Silly me - I will try Google first, next time. IOC look interesting - they have done some good work on the farm sales and have a good reply on the crazy Boundary Commission plans for Herefordshire.

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Peter Jinman is a local vet and well known in the area. He will be a good representative.

 

Anyone can stand as an independent. The clue is in the title. It is unfortunate that the leadership of the IOC and the leadership of the formal Herefordshire Independents can not see their way to bringing their groups more closely together. I live in hope that long before the next council elections that the differences might be solved and that the two groups, who sit under the 'Independent ' group umbrella at the Local Government Association, can at least have an understanding about who should contest each seat. I fear it is mainly a personality thing.

The common aim is to be rid of the Tories!

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JesseB you are not only one who does not understand it is going to cause a split in vote.  All I can imagine is that Richard Baker decided to stand because he felt he could do better than Peter Jinman. I know who my money is on and I hope nearer the time one will see sense and stand down.

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Denise, Neither of the candidates can now stand down, they had until Aug 10 to submit their papers and get them signed by their nominators, which was then accepted by the Electoral people, it is to late to stand down, they have been accepted as a valid candidate.

 

JesseB, there are NOT two Independent groups, Herefordshire Independents is the official Independent group, but as it has been said elsewhere anyone can stand as an Independent. back in 2007 three Independents left Herefordshire Independents group and started up Its Our County (IOC). I am fed up with people saying the Independents and IOC should come together, that will never happen. IOC are not liked or trusted by any other group on Herefordshire council. As an ex-Independent councillor I could tell you a lot, but won't through an open website.

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JesseB, there are NOT two Independent groups, Herefordshire Independents is the official Independent group, but as it has been said elsewhere anyone can stand as an Independent. back in 2007 three Independents left Herefordshire Independents group and started up Its Our County (IOC). I am fed up with people saying the Independents and IOC should come together, that will never happen. IOC are not liked or trusted by any other group on Herefordshire council. As an ex-Independent councillor I could tell you a lot, but won't through an open website.

So is IOC Independent then if Independent councillors started it? and if it isn't, what makes it not Independent?

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Hi Jesse, oh this gets complicated! Basically the IOC differ from the Herefordshire Independents in so much as they have a constitution, are organised, democratic, and meet regularly to discuss how to go forward with council issues. The Independents don't!

Each independent makes up their own mind how to vote even if this might be against other Independents.

There needs to be much better coordination between the two to defeat the Tories, but personalities have got in the way. Hopefully, Peter Jinman is his own man and may see his way through when elected, as I am sure he will be!!

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Hi Jesse, oh this gets complicated! Basically the IOC differ from the Herefordshire Independents in so much as they have a constitution, are organised, democratic, and meet regularly to discuss how to go forward with council issues. The Independents don't!

Each independent makes up their own mind how to vote even if this might be against other Independents.

There needs to be much better coordination between the two to defeat the Tories, but personalities have got in the way. Hopefully, Peter Jinman is his own man and may see his way through when elected, as I am sure he will be!!

Ouch ... Now my head is hurting! Thanks for the reply Chris - seems like it's confusing as well as complicated. It sounds like how IOC behave is a good thing. I really don't understand why they are mistrusted and disliked. I can believe they aren't necessarily agreed with - but isn't that what politics is all about? Unless we want an authoritarian dictatorship or a one-party state.

 

How do the Independents ever get anything done as a group if they don't organise? How do voters know what they stand for? In the Golden Valley another poster has said there's an official Independent and another Independent. What's the difference and what does standing as an official Independent mean? How is it official?

 

Sorry for all the questions. I have friends in the Valley and we are all scratching our heads.

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JesseB. An official independent, is recognised by Central Government and the Local Government Association (LGA) in London. When I was a councillor  I represented all official independent councillors not only in Hereford but also the whole of the West Midlands as a member of the LGA, I had to be voted into that position by Herefordshire Council and accepted by the LGA. I am surprised (or maybe not) that Chris Chappell criticised the Herefordshire Independents as he join them a few years ago because he was the only Labour councillor in the council, he could of joined IOC but chose to join the Herefordshire Independents, and then proceeded to disagree with them, and still does. The leader of  independents question the administration and their decisions frequently, also at cabinet level, and one independent is in the HT this week questioning their decision on Housing contractor Keepmoat, he is the chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

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Hi Jesse, yes it is confusing. Firstly, you can not be a 'group' if you are only one person, and if you are not 8n a group it is unlikely that you would get a place on a committee and therefore not be able to put forward a point of view. Membership of committees are assigned on a proportional basis, just like the House of Commons.

So, in Herefordshire there are more Tories than any other councillors so they get the most seats allotted to them across the committees, and form the Executive, or government. The next largest group are the IOC so they get the next number of seats and so on. There is a formula!

 

I am a member of the Labour Party and was a Labour councillor for many years but when there were no more Labour councillors elected except me, I had to decide to sit on the boundary and watch other councillors make decisions at committee or join a non political group. I chose the Independents for convienvence.

There really is no such thing as an official Independent as anyone has the right to be an independent, but they do not have to affiliate to the Herefordshire Independents, and I know that there are councillors in the IOC who call themselves independent. Calling yourself independent just means that although you may belong to a political party or vote a different way at a general election, at county and parish level you prefer to be independently minded and not follow a ' Party ' whip, something I never did anyway!

 

Hope this makes it a bit more clear for you, Some members of the IOC have done some great work focusing on issues of concern, so have some Independents but then, and here I speak as I find, there are Tories who put county before Party. I think people should vote for the individual who either has already demonstrated that they do things for the county, and their constituents, forward thinking and positive, or can demonstrate that they have that sort of mindset! The ball is in your court!

 

Regards,

Chris

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