13 May 2008

 

While most ordinary folks use language to describe reality, politicians twist the meaning of words to create reality.
One favourite trick is to seek to mislead by way of statements that are essentially true.
So we have Cllr Anne Hughes telling the Mercury: "I will not be bound by any constraints led by any individual or party. I will not be bound by the party line."
It is true that, despite her membership of the Independent Political Group, Cllr Hughes can vote in whatever way she likes.
It is also true that, in the past four years, she has never once gone against the party line on a recorded vote, or any other vote that I am aware of.
Pure coincidence?
On another level, the statement is untrue because for her first two years on the council she was a member of the Cabinet and was therefore constrained by the doctrine of collective Cabinet responsibility.
Also, in an advert in the Mercury, Cllr Hughes tells the voters that she is "An independent voice with no affiliation or restraints of a a political party."
It is the "political party" bit that saves this from being a direct lie because she has signed up (affiliated) to the Independent Political Group (see Party animals).
Of course, the IPG is not an officially recognised political party in that it is not registered as such.
But, according to my dictionary, a party is "A group of people united in a cause opinion etc."
And when that group of people vote solidly together at council meeting, having been instructed in the party line at a secret group meeting held the day before, they are, to all intents and purposes, acting as a political party.
Then we have County Council Leader John Davies telling 'Wales this Week': "I am not a Tory".
He might have said: "I am not a member of the Conservative Party" which, while true, might have prompted the listener to ask why he was being so specific.
The classic of this genre is Bill Clinton's "I didn't have sex with that woman."
Of course, had he said: "I didn't have full sexual intercourse with that woman", which he later claimed was what he meant, it would have immediately alerted people to ask what other sort of sexual congress might have taken place.
In the event, Clinton was able to mislead while at the same time denying that he lied.
But to return to the rather boring subject of who is, and who is not a Tory.
The description can't, surely, be restricted to party members.
Indeed, it could be said that anyone who votes Tory at an election is, temporarily at least, a Tory.
If that is too wide a classification, how about those who put up "Vote Steve Crabb" signs in their front garden (Maurice Hughes); or allow their pictures to appear in Tory candidates' election leaflets (Cllrs Clive Collins and Rob Lewis); or write letters to the Ombudsman claiming that the complaint against them is a Labour conspiracy because of his known, and admitted, support for the Conservative Party (Cllr Brian Hall); or stand for the party at Welsh Assembly elections (Cllr Peter Stock) or being a member of the Tory Party's selection panel during the process which led to Steve Crabb being adopted as the candidate for Preseli Pembrokeshire (John Davies, himself).
And that's not to mention card-carriers like David Bryan, Mark Edwards and David Wildman.
And, finally, we have the newly elected Tory Stan Hudson telling the Mercury: "This is the first time we've has a number of Conservatives on the council."
While Old Grumpy can understand why Stan would rather forget his party's less than distinguished past record, I would point out that, at the 1999 election, they won three seats - later increased to four at a bye-election in Prendergast.
Unfortunately, three of the group jumped ship to the IPG after the the Leader Maurice Hughes persuaded the party big wigs to undermine the Tory Group Leader Phil Llewellyn's attempt to have a referendum on the question of an elected mayor.
Older readers will recall that the argument used was that, as Labour held all the county's national seats, any mayor was likely to come from the left and, as the county council already had a de facto Tory party in charge in the form of the IPG, there was no point in rocking the boat (Back-door Tories).
So, sadly, I can't even claim originality for the theory that the IPG is nothing more than a Tory party ramp.


No doubt, when we all assemble in county hall for the AGM we will be told by John Davies that "the ballot box has spoken" and his lot (not party, mind you) has been returned with its majority substantially intact.
While this is true, it is, at the same time, not true because, as in 2004, the voters have ejected several of the IPG's leading lights (Islwyn Howells, Alwyn Luke, Bill Roberts, Rosemary Haynes and John Griffiths among them).
In 2004, eight of his crew were thrown overboard (Night of the long faces) (All change - no change) this time, including the two seats (Wiston and St Dogmaels) taken by the Tories and Lib Dems respectively, where the retiring member was an IPG member, I make it the same..
Well you might wonder at the process of arithmetic that allows the Leader's party to take such a drubbing and still emerge with its majority intact.
This time around, there are two reasons.
First, as before, the victors have stepped straight into the shoes of the vanquished (All change - no change).
After the election you hear that this or that new councillor will be an independent independent though, as a result of whatever promises the IPG holds out, within the week they have nearly all signed up.
Secondly, there is the fascinating case of the three adopted Labour candidates (Ken Rowlands, Umelda Havard and Lyndon Frayling) who defected at the last minute thereby depriving the Labour Party of the opportunity to field alternatives.
I understand Ken Rowlands has an explanation for his conduct, though it should be said his conversion comes at the end of a long campaign to persuade him to come in from the cold as I believe the IPG puts it.
Stop press - Rumour has it that Brian Hall and possibly two others have yet to sign up for the IPG. I may have more on this when I have had time to consult my moles.


One of the most interesting stories of the election campaign, sadly unreported in the local press, was Danny 'Quango' Fellows' decision to run against an official Labour Party candidate in Milford East thus ensuring his automatic expulsion from the party if he hasn't already resigned.
Apparently, 'Quango' rang the adopted candidate Colin Robins and asked him to step down so that he could run for Labour.
When Colin refused, Mr Fellows stood as an independent (exact meaning currently uncertain but the betting is that it involves membership of the IPG) and won.
Old Grumpy is rather puzzled by this because there was a vacancy for a labour candidate in the Hakin ward which I represent.
I wonder why Danny didn't chance his arm there instead of stabbing one of his erstwhile party colleagues in the back?




I am now in the happy position of having Grumpette as my local councillor - the electorate is always right and all that.
The other day when she forgot to bring some shaving gel fromTesco, as requested, it gave me great pleasure to launch into a diatribe about how local councillors are full of promises at election time but once safely installed they couldn't give a damn if their constituents go around looking like a tramps.

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