makeup of the Brixton forum

[Minnie_the_Minx]

but the fact remains that someone on 20 grand a year couldn't gentrify their way out of a paper bag, so the whole premise of the survey is hopelessly skewed.

Nice to know I'll be living in a paper bag for the rest of my life then

I'm not even on £20K

 

[pooka]

Fair do's. tom can speak for himself, but maybe he chose £20k cos that's round about the national average household income (about £29k in London though).

You're comments about the cost of housing are fair, but remember people who've been here a time may have locked themselves in when things were cheaper.

 

[IntoStella]

You're comments about the cost of housing are fair, but remember people who've been here a time may have locked themselves in when things were cheaper.

Yes, but it is the white ''resident less than ten years/earning over 20k'' category that is arguably being set up as yuppie gentrifiers. That would just about rule out those (white) people who bought homes in Brixton before property prices went bonkers -- the much-vaunted Robson Butler factor.

Minnie the minx -- a paper bag if you're lucky!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Yes, but it is the white ''resident less than ten years/earning over 20k'' category that is arguably being set up as yuppie gentrifiers. That would just about rule out those (white) people who bought homes in Brixton before property prices went bonkers -- the much-vaunted Robson Butler factor.

Minnie the minx -- a paper bag if you're lucky!

Yes well my L&Q flat ain't much bigger than a paper bag

 

[tom796]

i2s (this being your new moniker): the intention of this poll was definitely not to incriminate those i consider to be gentrifiers. if i wanted to do that, i'd take a leaf out of anna key's book and make it a public poll. oh, and those are definitely indicators of 'humour', irony, whatever.

those who've pointed out the arbitrary figures i've chosen are, of course, absolutely right. perhaps i should have chosen a higher figure, or at least one which corresponds to some statistic or other. apologies. having said that, plenty of people have ticked the less than 20k/yr option, so i don't think it's absurdly low. but yes, of course, it's totally flawed.

 

[tom796]

Yes, but it is the white ''resident less than ten years/earning over 20k'' category that is arguably being set up as yuppie gentrifiers. That would just about rule out those (white) people who bought homes in Brixton before property prices went bonkers -- the much-vaunted Robson Butler factor.

as said on one of the recent gentrification threads, the yuppie factor has been in play in brixton for longer than the recent property boom, although i admit 10 years is arbitrary etc etc blah blah blah

 

[Shelly P]

I'm not even on £20K

I know how you feel Minnie .This thread makes me feel poor, which I don't really consider myself to be generally - not in comparison to a lot of people around where I live. Still, I'd be chuffed to pieces if I got a pay-rise that took me up to 20k! Then again because I don't have to pay exorbitant private rental costs I guess my disposable income is probably more than someone who earns more but has to meet a large monthly rent, so I guess I'm 'richer' than my salary suggest.

 

[TeeJay]

Less predictably, colleagues were also convinced that in several wards the supposedly "trendy lefty" streets, where many people cast one vote for the Green candidate, dropped the black candidate from whichever party they were supporting with their other two votes. That was truly depressing.

Isn't it only possible to tell this by watching the ballots as they were being counted at the town hall? I wasn't there so I will defer to your colleagues observations on this. However, I have also noted that when people split their vote they tend to vote for the first names on the list for that particular party, and since the names are ordered on the ballot alphabetically, could it have just been bad luck that the "black" LibDem and "black" Labour candidates happened to be towards the end/bottom of the ballot? Since I don't know which ward you are talking about I can't go and check the detailed results to see if this theory would be a possible alternative explantion. Apart from someone's name there aren't usually many clues about someone on the ballot form, and I expect that someone wanting to vote Lab/Lab/Green would simply go down the list and tick the first two Labour candidates and the first Green Party one that they came to. (I suppose if they took the time to look at the actual candidates' names and if they were xenophobic, they might avoid a candidate with a "foreign-sounding" name, but would most voters actually know if someone had dark or light skin?)

 

[IntoStella]

Isn't it only possible to tell this by watching the ballots as they were being counted at the town hall? I wasn't there so I will defer to your colleagues observations on this.

'Course, it couldn't possibly be Lib Dem sour grapes at their ''natural'' constituents betraying them and instead voting green in significant numbers? Those pesky bloody middle class hippies!

 

[TeeJay]

I don't think it's anything to do with party selection processes. The sad fact is that all 3 parties have huge difficulties in recruiting black candidates. All 3 parties are acutely conscious of how unrepresentative of the communities they serve they are.

What do you mean "all *three* parties"? I know that the Green party hasn't actually got any councillors' yet but it regularly comes in second and third place in many Lambeth wards.

 

[Mr BC]

What do you mean "all *three* parties"? I know that the Green party hasn't actually got any councillors' yet but it regularly comes in second and third place in many Lambeth wards.

Sorry, I should have said, "the 3 parties that might actually ever win a seat"

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I know how you feel Minnie .This thread makes me feel poor, which I don't really consider myself to be generally - not in comparison to a lot of people around where I live. Still, I'd be chuffed to pieces if I got a pay-rise that took me up to 20k! Then again because I don't have to pay exorbitant private rental costs I guess my disposable income is probably more than someone who earns more but has to meet a large monthly rent, so I guess I'm 'richer' than my salary suggest.

Yeah, I'd be happier with a pay rise. Has only gone up £2 per hour in 6 years

 

[IntoStella]

Sorry, I should have said, "the 3 parties that might actually ever win a seat"

Ahem.

COLDHARBOUR WARD

Elected

1] 989 ANYANWU, Donatus, Labour
2] 949 ERDMAN, Sharon, Labour
3] 899 WARD, Sharon, Labour

Not Elected
4] 241 COLLINS, William S.B., Green
5] 219 MARTIN, Paul, Green
6] 217 SAJID, Mohammed, Green
7] 215 AVEBURY, Lindsay, Liberal Democrat
8] 203 BAINES, Vivienne J., Liberal Democrat
9] 181 BAINES, Malcolm I., Liberal Democrat
10] 152 BENNETT, Theresa, Socialist Alliance
11] 112 BROWN, Nicholas G., Conservative
12] 88 CHAMBERS, Glyn, Conservative
13] 85 LAMONT, John, Conservative
14] 47 GIBSON, Robin H., 43
15] BRUTON, Gary F.,
16] 40 ILIFFE, Darren J.

 

[Mr BC]

Ahem.

COLDHARBOUR WARD

Elected

1] 989 ANYANWU, Donatus, Labour
2] 949 ERDMAN, Sharon, Labour
3] 899 WARD, Sharon, Labour

Not Elected
4] 241 COLLINS, William S.B., Green
5] 219 MARTIN, Paul, Green
6] 217 SAJID, Mohammed, Green
7] 215 AVEBURY, Lindsay, Liberal Democrat
8] 203 BAINES, Vivienne J., Liberal Democrat
9] 181 BAINES, Malcolm I., Liberal Democrat
10] 152 BENNETT, Theresa, Socialist Alliance
11] 112 BROWN, Nicholas G., Conservative
12] 88 CHAMBERS, Glyn, Conservative
13] 85 LAMONT, John, Conservative
14] 47 GIBSON, Robin H., 43
15] BRUTON, Gary F.,
16] 40 ILIFFE, Darren J.

Hmmm, Coldharbour. That well known marginal ward where Labour squeaked home with a mere 58% of the vote and which was the ONLY ward to stay Labour when the Tories won every single ward in Lambeth in 1968. If this is the Green Party's best chance I'd be keeping the (organic) champagne on ice if I was you.

 

[IntoStella]

Oooh!

 

[TeeJay]

OK - I am now going to produce some extremely boring statistics. If you are allergic to these things please look away now...

*gets out pockets claculator and starts trainspotting*

 

[IntoStella]

OK - I am now going to produce some extremely boring statistics. If you are allergic to these things please look away now...

*gets out pockets claculator and starts trainspotting*

Those are really interesting statistics! More so than Lang rabbie's/Anna key's Planning Bore!

Besides, the opportunity to remind everyone how catastrophically the tories fared in Coldharbour (beating only an assorted ragbag of rushcroft road estate loonies) should never be passed up. It's the rules.

 

[theBEAST666]

What you mean

What do you mean make up of the Brixton Forum. I don't live in Brixton anymore but lived there for 20 years and visit every month or two to see family and friends.
It seems to me that your research methodology is a bit skewed and your theory too. what are you hoping to find out?
Is the Brixton Forum here gonna reflect what is happening in Brixton itself? If you think so how do you justify it?

 

[editor]

What do you mean make up of the Brixton Forum

With a name like that, shouldn't there be clouds of dry ice swirling all around your posts and your words written in a hand written, blood inked scrawl?

Just a suggestion, like.

 

[tom796]

beast: answers to your queries are all in t'other gentrification threads. if you read above <gestures wildly> i have been at pains to state that the poll is flawed, and thus makes no ambitious claims.

 

[lang rabbie]

However, I have also noted that when people split their vote they tend to vote for the first names on the list for that particular party, and since the names are ordered on the ballot alphabetically, could it have just been bad luck that the "black" LibDem and "black" Labour candidates happened to be towards the end/bottom of the ballot?)

In the most obvious example both black candidates also had obviously west African names, and were in the top half of the ballot paper.

 

[theBEAST666]

Puffs of smoke are old hat

Had another name but forgot my password, changed it then remembered my old one and forgot my new one and my email account was closed down. Its only a name people should get over all the evil significance attributed to it. Its just a metaphor for the desires of the body. Think we should stop oppressing ourselves with such daft notions. The beast can be furry and cuddly you know.
Sorry to give you a hard time. Couldn't be bothered to read above posts, but felt discriminated against for using the forum and being a brixton local but not being included.
Peace and love.

 

[Orang Utan]

Well judging by the poll, it looks like the majority of the Brixton Forum are gentrifying yuppie scum and I'm one of them - pass the Pimms, I need to refresh before I evict some squatters, those luxury flats aren't going to renovate themselves.

 

[editor]

Seeing as my income is currently plummeting downwards at a rather alarming pace, does that make me an anti-yuppie and a degentrifier?

 

[IntoStella]

Well judging by the poll, it looks like the majority of the Brixton Forum are gentrifying yuppie scum and I'm one of them

If you consider 20 grand to be a typical yuppie's salary.

In Bratislava, perhaps.

 

[Orang Utan]

Funny you should say that - mate of mine is selling his Surrey semi to go to Czech cos he can't get enough work to pay for the mortgage - he is definitely not a yuppy, despite the Surrey semi.

 

[hatboy]

Poll results - told you so.

20k is a lot to pretty much everyone I know.

 

[sleaterkinney]

if you take a peek over at the gentrification thread, you'll see that that's all everyone ever does! anyway, care to expand on your comment? how would you classify people?

By how they act, which isn't linked to income or race. Do you think it is?

 

[hatboy]

How people ARE ABLE to act is linked to income. Poverty is imprisoning.

 

[Blagsta]

Poll results - told you so.

20k is a lot to pretty much everyone I know.

Its fuck all, believe me. Considerably more than the dole obviously, but its not much at all, especially in London.