Sunday 18 April 2010

Claiming Credit For Things

Is not a good idea, if you actually had nothing to do with them.

Following on from my slight surprise at claims in the Labour Clissold ward newsletter about 'achievements' which were actually just the delivery of basic council services, I've just been copied into this email from the Chair of the Stoke Newington Common Users Group, to Hackney Labour Party:

"Dear Hackney Labour Party

I live in Cazenove ward and got your election broadsheet the other day and am told that a similar one with the same information was delivered to people in Northwold Ward.

In it you imply /claim that the council was responsible for the creating the new play area on Stoke Newington Common.

This is simply not true. That playground was fundraised for, designed and commissioned by local residents in the Stoke Newington Common Users Group.

This makes one wonder what other mistruths you may be relying on.

Yours sincerely,

Berni Graham
Chair SNUG"


Surely with such a huge majority, Hackney Labour have enough of a record to rely on without irritating community groups in this way? It doesn't seem a particularly viable long-term strategy.

2 comments:

  1. one minute you're standing up for the public sector, the next you're attacking 'competent' bureaucrats - i'm confused?

    but yeah i suppose leadership n'all that....

    and isn't it about time you told us why a green vote isn't a wasted vote in hackney north? preferably in one of those cute you tubey thingies,

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  2. Hey BigO,

    The people I was criticising for being bureaucratic and lacking political vision were our Labour councillors - whose job is precisely to have political vision, rather than rest on their laurels of providing basic services. So, I support public sector workers and the need for investment in the public sector - but precisely because it can be a force for progressive change, not just business as usual.

    I will try to do a cute you tubey thing on voting Green in Hackney North this week. :) I've addressed this in a few other posts already though - this is a safe Labour seat, unfortunately the result is a foregone conclusion this time around....so the interest for voters must be in building up a long-term challenge to Labour. Because it is a safe seat, voters are free to vote for whomever they most agree with. So if you like Keith Angus' policies more than mine - you should vote for him. But if you think that Green policies are the future for this borough and the UK, you should invest your vote in the Green Party this time, to help build our support, and to push Labour from the left (rather than from a wishy-washy, all things to all people centrist position).

    Matt

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