Party Political Animal

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Let me start this post out by being open about my previous background. I worked in house in a public affairs capacity for Royal Mail and then Boots the Chemists. I have also been head of practice for a leading recruiter in the specific field of public affairs. I am also a passionate believer in good lobbying.

Now firstly you may ask what is good lobbying. OK let me give you one example of which I am slightly proud. It’s not a big think. The Government was introducing Alcohol Disorder Zones. Part of it meant any premise with a licence to sell alcohol could be levied to pay for Alcohol Disorder problems. Boots sell tiny alcoholic gift packs at Xmas. No evidence whatsoever that these have ever a) got people drunk and then b) led to crime and disorder in town centres. The issue was worse for Boots as the levy was based on the size of the licensed premise. The whole Boots store would have a licence say they would pay a bigger levy that say a small off licence that may indeed contribute to the problem in question.

I sent a briefing paper to the Shadow Minister in Question. They raised this issue showing the legislation would have uninteded consequences. Boots was not hit with a charge which would have been completely at odds with the purpose of the original legislation.

That is lobbying – it is about making bad legislation slightly better. Yes you may do it from one perspective – but that does not make the act of persuaded and lobbying a bad thing. It can be a force for good.

Not we have the sorry Byers saga effectively saying he is a taxi for rent. Now firstly I thought you weren’t allowed to act as a lobbyist whilst still being an MP (perhaps that shows how long I’ve been out of the industry??). Interestingly I was actually interviewed for the Head of Public Affairs position with National Express. Thank goodness I never took that career path eh?? This saga isn’t an issue for public affairs as such – it’s an issue for MPs who need to be more transparent and open.

So then we had Harman saying there will be a mandatory register of lobbyists. OK…. well firstly I assume it will include all those “campaigners” lobbying for charities. But that’s not the issue here. This would not have stopped what Byers has apparently done. Then Harman had the idiocy of trying to bring the employment of PPCs into the argument. Was she really suggesting that someone who had worked in a Public Affairs capacity should not be allowed to be an MP?

Isn’t that like saying a nurse can’t be an MP as they might favour nurses in a dispute within the NHS. Or maybe if you have worked for Greenpeace you couldn’t become an MP as you would have set views on environmental issues. Or perhaps because I worked and lobbied for Royal Mail I can’t be an MP? Tell that to Alan Johnson. He worked for Royal Mail and worked for their Union. God forbid you had a career before politics – it might skew your views when you get elected. Frankly I’d more people with experience of industry, small business and so on, on the Green benches.

Instead of turning the attack on the lobbying industry MPs need to get their own house in order. Maybe given the fact that in a few months time there will be more ex MPs than we have seen at many a General Election, they are more concerned with starting to feather their own nest and secure their own future, than looking after the interests of the public.

Do have the millions that the CWU pump into the Labour party finally paid off? If this story of a 6.9% rise over 3 years is to believed then the answer is yes. An end to beer and sandwiches at Number 10? Maybe everyone should start to worry about what other deals have been done in return for the Unions bankrolling the Labour party.

Matthew Shaddick from Ladbrokes has recorded an exclusive podcast for Tory Radio on the latest from the political betting market.

Will they be more accurate than the pollsters?

They have individual odds for each of the the 632 GB seats. So far, from that market they have come up with an expected seat total for each party which, at time of writing gets is:

Cons 333
Lab 219
LD 62
Others 36

Tory majority 16.

To listen to the podcast click this link

For all their moaning about Lord Ashcroft – Labour happily gloss over who their paymasters are, namely the Union. And just how much money has Unite coughed up for the cause?

Last year Unite gave the Labour party £3.6 million. How very nice of them.

And now we learn that an event due to be held in Parliament has been cancelled due to a complaint made by Eric Pickles about a Parliamentary Room being used for party campaigning purposed.

Apparently invitations to Unite members made clear that the purpose of the event was to campaign for Labour in the General Election:

‘Unite is campaigning for a Labour win in the parliamentary and local government elections later this year.  Our members are convinced this is the right thing to do and are inviting you to play a part in our campaign… To get things moving on the campaign, we are inviting you to a reception at the House of Commons.’

‘Your MPs and Counsellors [sic] will be there, as well as senior union representatives.  More importantly, other members will be there from Unite and the unions we are campaigning with.’

With all that money sloshing around you really would think Unite could afford a room, even if the Labour party, given the state of their finances, can’t.

Did Brown and Darling kiss and make up. Did David Cameron stick the proverbial boot in? If you missed the latest Prime Ministers Questions you can listen to the full podcast by clicking this link.

No it isn’t a former employee. No it isn’t a Conservative politician, but apparently its the current Chancellor of the Exchequer.

So to recap. When Brown has Chancellor relations with the Treasury and Number 10 were awful. When Brown is PM relations with the Treasury and the Chancellor are awful.

Remind me what the common denominator in all this is. Sorry I forgot.. he is just an impatient man keen to get things done. Yeah, more like something rotten at the heart of Government I think!

Well it’s over, but having watched Tower Block of Commons are we left any the wiser. I have to say I did find it interesting, but perhaps for some of the wrong reasons. As I have written before I thought Austin Mitchell came over as awful, whereas the other MPs involved did themselves justice. I particularly thought Tim Loughton came across very well.

The programme still left me with a few unanswered questions. Am I right in thinking that each estate was situated in a Labour helf constituency, and shouldn’t the existing MP and local Council be pretty ashamed about themselves?

Secondly – if any MP needed to go on a show to see there are estates like that up and down the UK I am not sure they are living in the world I live in. I have already written about how in one area I was campaigning last year, Mopeds were chained up inside the house with rather aggressive dogs chained in outside (when you may expect a dog to be inside and a moped to be left outside).

Thirdly – what was the shows objectives? Partially to try to make MPs seem out of touch? I think there was a bit of that? But what was the point? I feel like I am none the wiser?

When I used to work at Royal Mail and attend each of the three main party conferences we would often take a few MPs for dinner to talk about the issues (oh and were they some!)

I remember at Lib Dem Conference we were entertaining a group of MPs when one of the MPs who knew me well introduced me to another and said that I was a Tory. The MP responded , “Oh I guess that means you don’t know who your father is”. A few seconds later I realised that he had just called me… you know what. I didn’t have to respond as the wife of the MP who introduced me jumped in and said, well if you knew Jonathan’s dad you would know he looks just like him, and effectively told the chap in question to shut up.

And that example shows you how some people in politics have to be tribal at all times while others won’t stand for it! To those MPs who say, for example, none of my friends are Tories or indeed no one I know votes Labour my suggestion would be to get out into the world a bit more. It takes all sorts you know!

For three work days in a row a local council “works” van has parked up on the grassy area opposite my house to hide away from most eyes while the workers do nothing. The first day 4 workers come, get out (with a snow shovel) polish a park sign, run behind a fence to relieve themselves and then sit in the van for 30 minutes. The next day two guys this time just reading a paper in the van. OK – I think maybe they are on a tea break – but given there isn’t any more park land around here I’m not sure why they are on the estate.

Then on Monday – the next working day2 workmen come again in a van and park up at 11:20. By 1:00pm I am getting a little ticked off. Given there are play areas and cycle paths and pavements covered in ice, I really am ot sure council workers should be sleeping in their council van for 90 minutes.

So I call the parks department. Apparently the vans can be tracked and when he called me back he told me the exact time they arrived, when the engine was switched off and when turned on again.

I of course said I have no problem with people taking a lunch break. But 90 minutes seems excessive – and as far as I can see nothing has been done on the estate at all. The parks manager agreed the workmen had been a little naughty, but then the following words really shocked me. “Of course at this time of the year there isn’t much work for our area”.

Hang on. Ive already heard the local council blaming the county council for a lack of grit. People don’t get people dont care what level of Government is responsible – they just want something done. But now we hear that one department doesn’t have much work on they don’t get them doing something else? Obviously there isn’t going to be much grass cutting in January with inches of snow and ice on the ground. But how about this as an idea. Those who look after the grass in parks might like to get a little busy clearing the ice and snow on the paved areas in the same parks rather than saying there isn’t much work to do.

Another example of why council dont get it, and why council tax goes up each year.

For some light enetertainment check out the Seven Days Show which attempts to take a light hearted look at the week’s events in politics.

Click this link to listen to the latest podcast.