SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 They seem to be running out of names up at Brockington Towers, if the recent announcement by Council Leader Tony Johnson is anything to go by. He's just picked Cllr Patricia Morgan as his new Deputy, whose previous Cabinet responsibilities included the demanding portfolio of Disused Cemeteries. In September, Cllr Morgan achieved local notoriety by treating Hereford Civic Society to an illustrated talk on rural bus shelters - even though she'd been invited along to discuss the future of Hereford city. When one considers that in the last 30 months Herefordshire Council has had no fewer than three Leaders and as many Deputy Leaders, memories of The Titantic and deckchairs inevitably spring to mind. So, casting aside the mantle of irony (I'm still smarting at being branded a mendacious oddity by the HT's Fiona Phillips), may I make a genuine proposal to Cllr Johnson which, if adopted, could greatly enhance his standing in the eyes of the county's electorate? Councillor: your 8-person Cabinet is, to put it tactfully, somewhat 'under-powered' in terms of commercial expertise and intellectual capacity. But that is not to say that such skills are not available to you in abundance from many of the councillors from the other parties represented on the Council. So why not be bold? Create a new Cabinet, a Cabinet of all the talents - a coalition if you like - for the benefit of the whole county? There is masses of skills and talent out there in the Council Chamber: experts on childcare, economics, housing, inward investment, sustainable transport, planning. But it is being woefully under-used at the moment. This has nothing to do with the diminution of your 'power base' (that will be unaffected); but it has everything to do with representing the interests - free of the shackles of party dogma - of the whole community of Herefordshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 members of the other groups have been asking for members with relevent years of experience of adult social care, children services etc to be considered for cabinet, the administration will not consider it, even where they have members to help the cabinet members as assistants they ALWAYS pick their own group of councillors for the positions. Maybe after Thursday by-election thing will be different if the conservative candidate doesn't get in because the conservatives will lose their majority of one that they hold now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 Hi Gridknocker,great to see you posting! Liz Harvey of IOC has called for a war cabinet to be formed. An apt title in these times. Time is running out - political colours need to to be set aside. We actually need to SEE that they can work together for the good of our city. I have high hopes for the outcome of the Pontrilas by election. Perhaps only then will the current cabinet realise that even a traditional Tory area is sick to the back teeth of whats happening. You're right - there are very good people out there. We need to cherry pick the best, regardless of party politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted November 19, 2013 Report Share Posted November 19, 2013 And by the way, you're no more "mendacious" or "odd" than me or Bobby, or Two Wheels, or Flam, or GDJ, or.......the list goes on!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted November 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 Thanks Glenda and Dippy both for your encouraging response, though I accept that a 'coalition of all the talents' is hardly an original idea. I must be careful not to make this read like a party political broadcast on behalfd of the ********** party, but yesterday I was seated next to an extremely well-connected person at a social gathering in Hereford. I asked the person (who has direct links with the Member for South Herefordshire) if they would make a prediction about the Pontrilas by-election result. He/she immediaterly responded by saying: "It's going to be VERY close!". This from someone who wasn't just making an informed guess, but who had in all probability seen a print-out of the previous day's canvassing returns! So my advice to the good folk of Pontrilas who read Hereford Voice: Vote Early and Vote Often! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted November 20, 2013 Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 DIPPY explain the war cabinet? What's the plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted November 20, 2013 Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 Hi Flam, this was a post Liz made on HT a little while ago....obviously I can't speak for her, perhaps I have not interpreted her post correctly,but I took it to mean pretty much what I posted - cut out the crap, and share out the responsibilities between those with the skills and experience to deal with them properly,regardless of political affiliation. The shower that currently occupy the cabinet positions are clearly not up to the job in hand - don't get me started on Patricia Morgan again- but they will never relinquish their vice like grip. Perhaps the outcome of the Pontrilas by election will force them to reconsider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted November 20, 2013 Report Share Posted November 20, 2013 Grid knocker you've hit the nail on the head! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby47 Posted November 21, 2013 Report Share Posted November 21, 2013 Grid Knocker, Hello Pal. I agree with you. The whole piece. Hopefully, in days to come, the coalition will be forced upon Mr Johnson and then we can begin our recovery from all this madness that's left us with one hundred thousand quid and a lovely bus shelter. And it is a lovely shelter. You'd be a fool not to acknowledge the greatness of Pat's shelter from the rain. My very warmest regards mate. Good to read you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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