Don't miss this golden opportunity.... - Page 3

park381 · 16-02-2005, 21:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOTH

I have been particularly interested in recent postings relating to Councillor Britcliffe. May I suggest that you critics ask yourself how on earth in a working class area like Hyndburn the Conservatives are running the Council. Could it be that the "last lot" let us down ?

Why should you be particularly interested in "our leader PB" I ask you the question how many times has he tried, and failed to take up the MP status for Hyndburn

May be that says it all.

Stanleyguy · 16-02-2005, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOTH

I have been particularly interested in recent postings relating to Councillor Britcliffe. May I suggest that you critics ask yourself how on earth in a working class area like Hyndburn the Conservatives are running the Council. Could it be that the "last lot" let us down ?

It has always amazed me that Hyndburn is run by the Conservatives. An outsider would justifiably ask "What on earth have they got that they want to conserve?"

I'm told that the Conservative traditions in Hyndburn reflect the high level of owner occupancy in the grid iron streets, where people tended to think themselves as self supporting and above the working class Labour Party.

There is also the fact that the Liberal Democrats are virtually non existent in the Borough, so the voters are faced with a stark choice between Labour and Conservative. To vote one party out, you have to vote the other lot in.

So the Labour lot may well have let us down. Therefore we have the Conservatives.

park381 · 16-02-2005, 21:33

Is this thread not going a little bit off track

I could enter in to a discussion relating to "the party or parties" but again it's a little bit of the topic, don't you think

Stanleyguy · 17-02-2005, 09:27

The thread started with mention of Councillor Britcliffe. Anyone who knows him will agree that moving to discussing which party should be in control of the Council is not moving off the subject, as he spends most of his living hours talking about it.

But lets get back to the original point - ie that Cllr B. is hiking Council Tax by 10% and the Council has £60 million debt to pay off.

The debt has accrued over the last 60 years as loans were taken out to fund every housing and building development that Hyndburn and its predecessors built. So the debt belongs as much to the old Accrington, Oswaldtwistle, Great Harwood, Clayton and Rishton Councils, and is not something you can blame the existing Council for.

The bulk of the debt relates to housing developments, and if the Council transfers its stock to a separate Registered Social Landlord (ie a Housing Association) it will receive a payment that will enable it to pay off part of the housing debt, and the rest of the housing debt will be paid off by the Government.

Te 10% increase in Council Tax is nothing to do with the debt, because the Council receives government grant to meet the loan repayments. It is everything to do with the fact that this years elections are for the County Council, so voter reaction against the Conservatives will be felt at County Hall, not at Scaitcliffe House.

Last year, the Councillors were going to increase the Council Tax by 10% but dramatically reduced it at the last minute. Result? Conservatives retained power at the May elections.

Nothing to do with setting financial targets to meet Council priorities. Nothing to do with deciding what is "affordable" to the local taxpayer. Nothing to do with planning for the future.Everything to do with political expediency.

And for that reason the Council only scored "fair" in an independent assessment by auditors.

Veecore · 18-02-2005, 10:31

Maybe they want us to pay more so they can build another amazing fountain or a cog..............wow

THOTH · 20-02-2005, 10:34

Have just noticed that Park 381 wonders why I am interested in "our leader PB".

Please read the posting again. I said I was interested in recent postings related to him.

Only a minor point but thought I would mention it.

park381 · 20-02-2005, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOTH

Have just noticed that Park 381 wonders why I am interested in "our leader PB".

Please read the posting again. I said I was interested in recent postings related to him.

Only a minor point but thought I would mention it.

Yep, you are correct on that score.

park381 · 20-02-2005, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stanleyguy

I'm told that the Conservative traditions in Hyndburn reflect the high level of owner occupancy in the grid iron streets, where people tended to think themselves as self supporting and above the working class Labour Party.

Sorry I don't understand that remark, what is your definition of "workin class", cause I thought that everyone that worked for a livin was "workin class" or are you refering to the old image of "cloth cap an clogs" the good old days

WillowTheWhisp · 20-02-2005, 14:52

I think if you look again you'll see that it refers to "working class Labour party" as opposed to "working class people". Some "white collar" types tend to see "blue collar" types as being beneath them and therefore want to disassociate themselves from the party which originally came into being as a political mouthpiece for those types.

park381 · 20-02-2005, 15:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I think if you look again you'll see that it refers to "working class Labour party" as opposed to "working class people". Some "white collar" types tend to see "blue collar" types as being beneath them and therefore want to disassociate themselves from the party which originally came into being as a political mouthpiece for those types.

Yes it does, but the point I was making - everyone that works for a livin is workin class.

THOTH · 20-02-2005, 17:19

I think that the use of the term "working class" in any context is generally accepted as referring to "blue collar" or manual workers be they labourers or skilled craftsmen ( oh dear -- should have said or craftswomen -- please don`t report me).

At least that is what I have understood, but who can criticise the logic of Park381 ?

park381 · 20-02-2005, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by THOTH

I think that the use of the term "working class" in any context is generally accepted as referring to "blue collar" or manual workers be they labourers or skilled craftsmen ( oh dear -- should have said or craftswomen -- please don`t report me).

At least that is what I have understood, but who can criticise the logic of Park381 ?

I think that the term goes back a long way, even before the "White collar" or "Blue collar",
"From a working class background" is/was a term used often to describe a person who was seen to make good, or get on in the world, and as stated reminds me of the cloth cap and clog image of yester year.Similar to finishing time at H&B on the factory bottoms, or EE at Clayton-le-Moors (brings back many memories)
Don't think their council tax or rates were as high as they are now, but then again they did'nt earn as much, but they still had their problems.
On the subject of political parties, I can remember years ago, being told by a Works Manager that I should be voting for party A, cause if I voted for party B, and party B got in power, they would scrap the project I was working on.(again happy memories)