Green Party talking coalition with yellow Tories ('Lib Dems')

[sihhi]

in Sheffield!

Lib-Green power sharing proposal to break Sheffield Town Hall deadlock

Published Date: 12 May 2010
By Richard Marsden
SENIOR Liberal Democrats were today meeting the Green Party to discuss forming a coalition on Sheffield Council - after Labour rejected a power-sharing offer.

Lib Dem leader Coun Paul Scriven and other top members of the party will today attempt to broker a deal with Green Party Couns Jillian Creasy and Rob Murphy.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/LibGreen-power-sharing-proposal-to.6288299.jp

So should the Green Party be publicly attacked?

So should the Green Party be talking to the Lib Dems after the Lib Dems betrayed the majority of those who voted for them?

 

[Vintage Paw]

Tbh, local council politics is often a completely different kettle of fish to national politics. It may be those particular LibDems on the council have a good record (do you know?).

I love the way the reporting makes it sound like it's top members of the national party in coalition talks It's councillors ffs

 

[butchersapron]

Yes they should be attacked and they should be held to account by their voters and most prominently if they have the nerve to, their members.

 

[chilango]

The Lib Dems will very quickly come to be seen as toxic. Don't go near them.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

The Lib Dems have always been toxic, nothing has changed. In local councils all sorts of alliances get put together. It is the way of the world. The LibDems are just a vote gathering machine who if elected behave like Tories.

 

[chilango]

I disagree. I think things have changed. The Lib Dems are going to seen quite differently I think over the coming weeks and months.

Obviously, their willingness to cosy up with the Tories will alienate alot of people.

But also, as (nationally) their entire strategy, even their raison d'etre, has been to manouvere themselves into a position where holding the balance of power enables them to lever their agenda into the government...and yet the moment they finally after 23, 30, years find themselves in this position, they just bend over, well...

...I wouldn't want any assocuation whatsover with 'em in the near future.

Lie down with dogs and you'll get fleas.

 

[Bernie Gunther]

Yes they should be attacked and they should be held to account by their voters and most prominently if they have the nerve to, their members.

The last bit is the important bit.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Makes a change from jumping into bed with the Tories I suppose.

Not much of a change though.

In summary: fuck them

 

[agricola]

The Lib Dems have always been toxic, nothing has changed. In local councils all sorts of alliances get put together. It is the way of the world. The LibDems are just a vote gathering machine who if elected behave like Tories.

And Labour are any different?

 

[butchersapron]

And Labour are any different?

No they're not -they're also not toxic as the result that came in from the locals on Friday demonstrated.

 

[tim]

in Sheffield!



http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/LibGreen-power-sharing-proposal-to.6288299.jp

So should the Green Party be publicly attacked?

So should the Green Party be talking to the Lib Dems after the Lib Dems betrayed the majority of those who voted for them?

Liberals doing a deal with another group of reactionary fuckwits. Is that so surprising?

 

[cesare]

I'm not sure that St Caroline Lucas would approve of this.

 

[cesare]

Tbh, local council politics is often a completely different kettle of fish to national politics. It may be those particular LibDems on the council have a good record (do you know?).

I love the way the reporting makes it sound like it's top members of the national party in coalition talks It's councillors ffs

My view of the LibDems is mostly based on what they do locally. We've suddenly had a quick insight into how that translates nationally, and that doesn't change my view at all - reinforces it. Greens can be pale green LibDems if they want. But if they do want, they can fuck right off.

Blue + yellow = green. What shade of green?

 

[01rorlin]

They're shit in Sheffield. They've tried to close schools and open academies. What a bunch of wankers...

 

[King Biscuit Time]

Paul Scriven (Lib Dem council leader) - Has just said on twitter that the Greens have said no to a coalition and 'put party politics above a stable council'. Labour cllr Jack Scott seems to spend most of his time goading Scriven on twitter, and seemed to think yesterday that there were a couple of Lib Dem cllrs ready to defect. (Lib Dems have 42 cllrs, Labour 39 - 43 needed for majority).

 

[moon23]

in Sheffield!



http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/LibGreen-power-sharing-proposal-to.6288299.jp

So should the Green Party be publicly attacked?

So should the Green Party be talking to the Lib Dems after the Lib Dems betrayed the majority of those who voted for them?

Yes they should if they are grown up and capable of realising politics is about compromise and working with people you disagree with.

No they shouldn't if they think doing so is some kind of triablistic betratyal to their pure, perfect and clean ideology.

 

[BlackArab]

They're shit in Sheffield. They've tried to close schools and open academies. What a bunch of wankers...

and Labour would never do something like this eh

 

[the button]

I'm not sure that St Caroline Lucas would approve of this.

Especially not when she's been blogging and tweeting like fuck, trying to recuit disillusioned LibDem voters to the Greens.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Greens outside Sheffield will avoid attacking their colleagues by claiming federalism and local autonomy.

Even supporting a Libdem council at this stage in Sheffield is a big own goal by the Greens - sensible tactics would have been to say they would vote along party lines on everything, even if it meant an unstable council - that is what they were elected to do.

 

[Larry O'Hara]

as a Green Party member, I don't think a coalition is acceptable. Sadly, there is not the mechanism for accountability of Green elected reps that there should be. I have tried, and repeatedly failed, to get even Green Left members to address this issue.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

as a Green Party member, I don't think a coalition is acceptable. Sadly, there is not the mechanism for accountability of Green elected reps that there should be. I have tried, and repeatedly failed, to get even Green Left members to address this issue.

Can Green councillors not even be held to account at regular branch meetings?

 

[Larry O'Hara]

Can Green councillors not even be held to account at regular branch meetings?

practice varies--what I am saying is (like Lab/Tories/Glib Dems) this is not formal--ie they cannot be mandated.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Wow, I assumed they would be, the Green party is always boasting about how democratic it is!

 

[Matt S]

The Green Party constitution demands a meeting of all local members whenever a coalition or similar arrangement is offered to local councillors. The Lib Dems offered a coalition to the Sheffield councillors, Sheffield Green Party met yesterday, and overwhelmingly rejected the idea.

Not sure what people are saying here - we should have punched them in the face as soon as they opened their mouths, shouting "YELLOW TORIES" over and over again?

While I agree with Larry that systems of accountability within the Green Party are still too weak (actually, this is largely a matter of internal culture rather than structure - it is possible to hold anyone to account if the will is there), in this case I don't see anything wrong with what happened at all.

Matt

 

[Matt S]

.

 

[belboid]

Paul Scriven (Lib Dem council leader) - Has just said on twitter that the Greens have said no to a coalition and 'put party politics above a stable council'.

only a day after the greens had slagged off Labour for not joining in, and by doing so 'putting party politics above the cities needs.'

They really would have been stupid to join in, sharing the blame for cuts and definitely losing another seat in central next time.

Labour cllr Jack Scott seems to spend most of his time goading Scriven on twitter

doesn't the worthless cunt have anything better to do? Maybe he's unlawfully sacked everyone he needs to already (I don't like Mr Scott, even more than other Labour councillors)

 

[belboid]

Not sure what people are saying here - we should have punched them in the face as soon as they opened their mouths, shouting "YELLOW TORIES" over and over again?

a quick 'fuck off, do you think we're idiots?' would have sufficed. And (as pointed out above) Jillian Creasy slagged off Labour for not jumping into bed with them both, with is grossly naive, to say the very least.

 

[Matt S]

"a quick 'fuck off, do you think we're idiots?' would have sufficed."

Well, not really. Because then we would have been doing exactly what people have just been criticising us for - not consulting local members on an offer made to us.

"And (as pointed out above) Jillian Creasy slagged off Labour for not jumping into bed with them both, with is grossly naive, to say the very least."

Now this IS a problem - I've just searched and you are right. For any Green politician to be joining an all-party coalition (which would clearly be a 'cuts coalition' currently) at this point is not just wrong in principle, but would also make no tactical sense whatsoever.

Matt

 

[Random]

The Green Party constitution demands a meeting of all local members whenever a coalition or similar arrangement is offered to local councillors. The Lib Dems offered a coalition to the Sheffield councillors, Sheffield Green Party met yesterday, and overwhelmingly rejected the idea.

Good stuff.

 

[belboid]

todays update, 'improved' offer from the libs which the greens will have to discuss again.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Lib-Dem-and-Green-Party.6291618.jp

I did like some of the readers comments on yesterdays article - 'Labour claim they won most seats. Er,no they did not. Otherwise you would have a majority on the council.' oops