OT: Nige's Billy-Doo

[Tim Streater]

As a postal voter, Our Nige seems to decided to send me a generic plea to vote
for his lot next month. Came by post, too.

However, his note contains NO information about who their local candidate
might be. Further, he complains about inadequate bin collections. Perhaps he
doesn't understand that bins are collected by the local District Council, not
Kent County Council.

He then moves onto potholes, which indeed is a live issue, but it's nationally
live, not just in this county.

Now: some numbers. I enquired and it seems that the Kent County Council budget
is £1.6 billion. But half of that gets spent annually on Adult Social Care,
which is, AIUI, a legal obligation on the County. Thus if more needs to be
spent, this can only be done by raiding other budgets - such as Highways.

How we're all going to get out of this mess I don't know, but it won't be by
electing Nige's lot, who it seems have managed to nominate three candidates in
a county division which has two seats. Smart, eh?

[Andy Burns]

Post by Tim Streater
As a postal voter, Our Nige seems to decided to send me a generic plea to vote
for his lot next month. Came by post, too.

I'm also a postal voter, not really sure why the council sent me a fancy
custom envelope which said "this isn't your ballot paper"

The only party which has sent me any election material so far are the
conservatives, with a hand-addressed letter, delivered by hand.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Tim Streater
As a postal voter, Our Nige seems to decided to send me a generic plea to vote
for his lot next month. Came by post, too.
However, his note contains NO information about who their local candidate
might be. Further, he complains about inadequate bin collections. Perhaps he
doesn't understand that bins are collected by the local District Council, not
Kent County Council.
He then moves onto potholes, which indeed is a live issue, but it's nationally
live, not just in this county.
Now: some numbers. I enquired and it seems that the Kent County Council budget
is £1.6 billion. But half of that gets spent annually on Adult Social Care,
which is, AIUI, a legal obligation on the County. Thus if more needs to be
spent, this can only be done by raiding other budgets - such as Highways.
How we're all going to get out of this mess I don't know, but it won't be by
electing Nige's lot, who it seems have managed to nominate three candidates in
a county division which has two seats. Smart, eh?

I think Nigel understands that his likely voters will not analyse things
in the way you have.
Grudge & Grumble Politics is alive and well in the UK.

[Tim Streater]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Tim Streater
As a postal voter, Our Nige seems to decided to send me a generic plea to vote
for his lot next month. Came by post, too.
However, his note contains NO information about who their local candidate
might be. Further, he complains about inadequate bin collections. Perhaps he
doesn't understand that bins are collected by the local District Council, not
Kent County Council.
He then moves onto potholes, which indeed is a live issue, but it's nationally
live, not just in this county.
Now: some numbers. I enquired and it seems that the Kent County Council budget
is £1.6 billion. But half of that gets spent annually on Adult Social Care,
which is, AIUI, a legal obligation on the County. Thus if more needs to be
spent, this can only be done by raiding other budgets - such as Highways.
How we're all going to get out of this mess I don't know, but it won't be by
electing Nige's lot, who it seems have managed to nominate three candidates in
a county division which has two seats. Smart, eh?

I think Nigel understands that his likely voters will not analyse things
in the way you have.
Grudge & Grumble Politics is alive and well in the UK.

Unfortunately you are 100% right. I can only advise that people, generally,
should vote for their incumbent (unless known to be a yo-yo) or unless the
council is run by a coalition, in which case replacing with a single party
will typically be better.

[Fredxx]

Post by Tim Streater

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Tim Streater
As a postal voter, Our Nige seems to decided to send me a generic plea to vote
for his lot next month. Came by post, too.
However, his note contains NO information about who their local candidate
might be. Further, he complains about inadequate bin collections. Perhaps he
doesn't understand that bins are collected by the local District Council, not
Kent County Council.
He then moves onto potholes, which indeed is a live issue, but it's nationally
live, not just in this county.
Now: some numbers. I enquired and it seems that the Kent County Council budget
is £1.6 billion. But half of that gets spent annually on Adult Social Care,
which is, AIUI, a legal obligation on the County. Thus if more needs to be
spent, this can only be done by raiding other budgets - such as Highways.
How we're all going to get out of this mess I don't know, but it won't be by
electing Nige's lot, who it seems have managed to nominate three candidates in
a county division which has two seats. Smart, eh?

I think Nigel understands that his likely voters will not analyse things
in the way you have.
Grudge & Grumble Politics is alive and well in the UK.

Unfortunately you are 100% right. I can only advise that people, generally,
should vote for their incumbent (unless known to be a yo-yo) or unless the
council is run by a coalition, in which case replacing with a single party
will typically be better.

Hmm, maybe you're right, but Reform is basically a pressure group to
reduce immigration. The more people vote who for them, the (old) major
parties will have to include some immigration quota system in their
manifesto.

It's a good idea to pre-warn the (old) major parties of impending doom
of the next General Election results unless they kowtow and embrace
Reform's USP.

[Vir Campestris]

Post by Tim Streater
Unfortunately you are 100% right. I can only advise that people, generally,
should vote for their incumbent (unless known to be a yo-yo) or unless the
council is run by a coalition, in which case replacing with a single party
will typically be better.

Well, our local council is Lib-dem. They are paying all their staff 5
days for 4 days work. Apparently it helps staff retention.

The Tories were tested with COVID. And messed up.

Labour seem to be messing up too - as historically they tend to.

Reform have no record of messing things up, which is a point in their
favour. Of course they have no record at all - but I don't _know_ they
are idiots...

I Might do what I did last time. Leave the paper blank.

(I won't do what someone did I heard in a report - drew a cock-and-balls
against one of the candidates' name. Which while clearly not intended to
be a vote for that candidate was a mark against him...)

[Tim Streater]

On 13 Apr 2025 at 21:58:07 BST, "Vir Campestris"

Post by Vir Campestris

Post by Tim Streater
Unfortunately you are 100% right. I can only advise that people, generally,
should vote for their incumbent (unless known to be a yo-yo) or unless the
council is run by a coalition, in which case replacing with a single party
will typically be better.

Well, our local council is Lib-dem. They are paying all their staff 5
days for 4 days work. Apparently it helps staff retention.

Sounds like South Cambs.

Before 1997, Cambs CC was run by a Lib/Lab coalition - but there were serious
issues with Social Care and at least one child (Rikki Neave) died as a result.
At the time, I was a Parish Councillor in a Cambridgeshire village; I asked
our county councillor (Terry Bear, a LibDem), how this happened. After a few
seconds silence, he said that each of the parties (LibDem and Lab) had someone
at the top of each department of CCC, but there was no clear political line of
control. I admired this as a rare piece of honesty from a politician,
particularly as it involved him being somewhat critical of his own party.

At the 1997 elections, rather against the national trend, the Tories took back
control of CCC, put a strong leader in charge of Social Services, and that was
that.

This is why I'm not keen on coalitions, especially as you look round Europe
and see how long it takes to form them.

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by Vir Campestris

Post by Tim Streater
Unfortunately you are 100% right. I can only advise that people, generally,
should vote for their incumbent (unless known to be a yo-yo) or unless the
council is run by a coalition, in which case replacing with a single party
will typically be better.

Well, our local council is Lib-dem. They are paying all their staff 5
days for 4 days work. Apparently it helps staff retention.
The Tories were tested with COVID. And messed up.

To be fair, they 'messed up' a whole load of other things besides Covid.
(I would list them in this margin, but it's far too small to contain the
list)

Post by Vir Campestris
Labour seem to be messing up too - as historically they tend to.

Certainly far from brilliant, but - given the current batshit crazy
international situation - I am unsure what a realistic success would
look like.

Post by Vir Campestris
Reform have no record of messing things up, which is a point in their
favour. Of course they have no record at all - but I don't _know_ they
are idiots...

Go on... you do really.

Post by Vir Campestris
I Might do what I did last time. Leave the paper blank.
(I won't do what someone did I heard in a report - drew a cock-and-balls
against one of the candidates' name. Which while clearly not intended to
be a vote for that candidate was a mark against him...)

Did that really happen? Or was it just a cock and bull story with a typo?

[Tim Streater]

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Vir Campestris
The Tories were tested with COVID. And messed up.

In what way?

Post by Sam Plusnet
To be fair, they 'messed up' a whole load of other things besides Covid.
(I would list them in this margin, but it's far too small to contain the
list)

See I would dispute this over Covid. There was a big panic on to get
respirators and PPE. So some poor decisions were taken about who to award the
contracts to. Of course that's never happened before or since.

History students will remember that brand new kit for the forces continued to
be delivered after the end of both WW1 and WW2, because there were contracts.
I seem to recall some brand new flying boats (Sunderlands or something,
anti-submarine) that were delivered in Northern Ireland, and promptly moved
out to sea and sunk. Never flown. Because they were no longer needed.

[charles]

Post by Tim Streater

Post by Sam Plusnet

Post by Vir Campestris
The Tories were tested with COVID. And messed up.

In what way?

Post by Sam Plusnet
To be fair, they 'messed up' a whole load of other things besides
Covid. (I would list them in this margin, but it's far too small to
contain the list)

See I would dispute this over Covid. There was a big panic on to get
respirators and PPE. So some poor decisions were taken about who to award
the contracts to. Of course that's never happened before or since.
History students will remember that brand new kit for the forces
continued to be delivered after the end of both WW1 and WW2, because
there were contracts.

On the other hand, one major manufacturer of aircraft (Tommy Sopwith) at
the end of WW1 went bust becasue the Air Ministry refused to pay for the
planes made for them.

Post by Tim Streater
I seem to recall some brand new flying boats (Sunderlands or something,
anti-submarine) that were delivered in Northern Ireland, and promptly
moved out to sea and sunk. Never flown. Because they were no longer
needed.

Pitty, I never saw a Sunderland.