Wednesday 28 May 2008

Are we seeing the 'Curse of Cobblers'?

First we see Albert Nugent's departure.

Now we learn that Dr Les Grant, the boss of 'controversial waste management firm' Premier Waste Management has left his post 'with immediate effect'.

Regular readers will know we've looked closely at Premier on a number of occasions - as have the BBC and many others.

The company won't comment on the circumstances of Dr Grant's departure - which leads us to wonder what more will come out now he's gone?

Never fear, we'll be keeping an eye out for any developments - and we'll let you know what we find.

Keep right on digging that hole, Albert!

Dear old Albert Nugent just doesn't seem able to put down his shovel, does he?

Currently suspended by the NEC in a row over female candidates, you would have thought that even Albert would have noticed that the hole he's in is pretty deep already.

But rather than look up, Albert just digs merrily away - "I've got a shovel and I'm going to use it" seems to be his mantra.

Last week he defied orders to attend the DCC meeting and support the appointment of his successor - and now he risks possible expulsion from the Labour Party for his pains.

A Party spokesman said "Under the terms of his suspension, Albert Nugent is supposed to vote with the Labour whip."

Albert's response? "They can please themselves what they do. They (the Labour Party) humiliated me and I was not going to be humiliated again.

"I was told I had to go, but I said I was not going to."

Oh dear, Albert, oh dear.....

DCC: plus ca change.......

By 'Returning Officer'

Last week came the news that Durham County Council's new cabinet had been hand-picked. Described by some as a 'cabinet of all the talents', it looked like some common sense was coming to the fore after all the recent shenanigans under the leadership of the dear-departed Albert '21 jobs' Nugent.

However, if we have learned anything at all from watching DCC in recent times, we expect excitement; we expect confusion; we expect argument - and we're rarely disappointed.

Last Friday saw the annual meeting of DCC's 126 members. Top of the agenda was a vote to confirm the appointment of the 10-strong cabinet. The Lib Dems got hot under the collar because attempts by them to offer alternative candidates for cabinet positions were thwarted. The Labour group made sure an effective whip was in operation and so the already-selected cabinet was elected en masse in one single vote.

Newly-elected Lib Dem Carol Woods cried 'T'ain't fair' (or similar) and was shouted down by new chairman Len O'Donnell.

From where I stand, you'd have thought that the spanking Labour took in the recent elections would perhaps have taught them some humility.......oh well, maybe not.

Tuesday 27 May 2008

Durham Miners' Association - then and now

(or....What's In A Name?)

By 'Historian'

Your humble scribe often wonders about how our language can sometimes - and so easily - be debased.

For an example of what I mean, let's first have some history......

When Peter Lee became Chairman of Durham County Council in March 1919 it was a moment of real historical importance. Not only was Lee a coal miner - and the first working man to hold real power in local government - he was to lead the first Labour administration in the country.

The rise of Lee and the Labour Party was symptomatic of a power shift from mineowners to miners; the age of the Labour bastion had arrived.

From 1919 until the outbreak of World War 2, the Durham Labour movement - dominated by the Durham Miners' Association (DMA) - constructed a political apparatus that supported and returned between 9 and 11 of the county's 18 MPs.

The DMA established the Durham Miners' Gala as a major Labour Party platform, and it helped shape the careers of key Labour figures. People like Sidney Webb, Hugh Dalton, Emmanual (Manny) Shinwell and Ramsay McDonald.

Now, let's 'fast-forward' to the present day......and here's what I mean about how our language (and in particular a title) can so easily be debased.....

Durham North MP Kevan Jones is never shy of poking sticks into murky waters. He's soon to meet officials from the Ministry of Justice because he wants to investigate the finances of the Durham National Union of Mineworkers.

In a nutshell, the Durham union has de-registered and has 'morphed' into a claims handling company. And guess what? This morphing has seen the 'creation' of (you guessed it) the Durham Miners' Association.

Which, of course, is where we came in. See what I mean about debasing?

It's not our place in this posting to debate the rights and wrongs of this company's finances - although Kevan seems to think there's something rotten in the state of Denmark - or Durham in this case.

You can find out more by checking the Northern Echo website - the story, headlined 'MP wants inquiry over miners' cash appeared on Saturday May 24

Meanwhile, echoing down the years, is that the sound of Peter Lee turning in his grave over how the DMA's name and reputation could have been so cheaply hijacked in the 21st century?

Wednesday 14 May 2008

Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!

By 'Simple Scribe'

The local press is full of claims today that ‘former council boss’ Albert Nugent is seeking legal advice in an attempt to claim unfair dismissal.

Wor Albert is accusing the Labour Party – who suspended him indefinitely just prior to the recent election for the post of council leader – saying “All the literature I get from the party tells me to work for the party. So if I am employed by the party, then I can sue them for constructive dismissal.”

Now Albert, forgive this simple scribe’s naivety, but we all thought you were an elected representative of the people and not an employee.

Did we miss a trick here? Weren’t you supposed to be ‘working’ for the good of the electorate?

When political figures suffer a downturn in fortunes, it’s often described as a ‘fall from grace’. Dear Albert, we have all recognised your fall – but so far we can see very little ‘grace’ on your part.

Good luck with your action Albert; it will be more than interesting to see what advice your legal eagles give you. (While you’re waiting, we can always give you the address of your local Job Centre; then you can find out for yourself what happens when ‘ordinary people’ lose their jobs).

Albert told the press today: “There are people in the North East Labour Party who should wake up and realise that the public aren’t stupid.”

Do you know what, Albert….I think they DO realise it, and we – the public, the electorate – can confirm it, too!

(If you thought you recognised today’s headline, it’s a steal from the classic film Carry On Cleo. The marvellous Mr Kenneth Williams [parish thespian], as Caesar, delivers the line as he’s faced by the conspirators with their daggers drawn. I just couldn’t resist – sorry Albert!)

Monday 12 May 2008

Darlington Council taken to task on overspends

By 'Bean Counter'

Eighteen months ago, it was announced that the scheme to pedestrianise Darlington’s town centre had gone more than £2 million into the red.

Now it has been revealed that the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor link-road scheme has plunged £1.9 million into the red, costing £14.4 million instead of the originally-budgeted £12.5 million.

After the pedestrianisation debacle, the Council undertook an internal management restructure, but it has now been revealed, (in an external consultants’ report costing £22,000), that a new post created at that time to prevent problems blighting future projects was never actually filled – because the Council’s Chief Executive decided against it.

The report doesn’t pull any punches apparently. It claims that the Council was guilty of a series of oversights which allowed this latest scheme to spiral out of control.

Up to £1m in compensation payments for home owners was not considered – and the contract signed with builder Birse Civils left the Council liable for costs incurred by a delay in the project start date

We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert…..

By ‘Insider’

When, in our last post we posed the question ‘is time running out for Albert Nugent?’ we hadn’t seen this one coming……

Durham County Council leader suspended on eve of crucial election

The crucial leadership vote did indeed take place on Saturday May 10th – and Simon Henig was declared the new leader of Durham County Council, with Clive Robson retaining his position as deputy leader.

But Albert played no part in the proceedings, owing to the ‘slight difficulty’ of him being suspended ‘indefinitely’ from the national Labour Party along with four other councillors.

On the eve of the DCC election, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended Albert Nugent, Alan Napier, Robert Crute, Audrey Laing and Alice Naylor over allegations that they reneged on a deal aimed at bringing more women into politics.

For the full story, we recommend you click on this: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2262007.0.ive_been_kicked_in_the_teeth_by_labour.php

(and while you’re there, have a look at some of the interesting – and diverse – comments posted online by concerned voters, too!).

All of this put your Insider in mind of a song written by Paul McCartney many moons ago, before he was a ‘Sir’ and when he fronted the band Wings. (We’re sure Sir Paul won’t mind if we reproduce some of the lyrics here):

We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
We're so sorry if we caused you any pain.
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But there's no one left at home
And I believe I'm gonna rain.

We're so sorry but we haven't heard a thing all day,
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But if anything should happen
We'll be sure to give a ring.

We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But we haven't done a bloody thing all day.
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But the kettle's on the boil
And we're so eas'ly called away."

Thursday 8 May 2008

New Council – new start?

By ‘Insider’

With the dust now settling after the recent local elections, Cobblers asks ‘is time finally running out for Albert ‘nine-jobs’ Nugent’?

Labour now has a majority of eight seats on Durham County Council – and Albert is beginning to feel the heat.

He survived a vote of confidence at a recent cabinet meeting, hitting out at his opponents within the Labour group who had questioned his leadership abilities.

But this Saturday (May 10) will see Nugent’s credentials severely examined when the 67 members of the Labour group cast their vote for the man whom they want to lead them into the transition to unitary government.

Make no mistake – Nugent is up against two strong contenders.

Peter Brookes, the council’s former head of community services, won Trimdon division in Sedgefield and was one of the ‘famous five’ who helped Tony Blair secure his nomination for the Sedgefield constituency back in 1983.

Simon Henig has been a Chester-le-Street councillor since 1999 – and deputy leader since 2003. He is a senior lecturer in politics at Sunderland University and has written several books on the subject.

The strong message from both Mr Brookes and Mr Henig is that of ‘unity going forward’.

It’s going to be an interesting weekend…………….

Friday 2 May 2008

The votes are in.....let the struggle begin!

by 'Returning Officer'

All the votes in yesterday's local elections have been counted and the results for Durham County Council look like this:

Labour: 67 seats
Lib Dem: 27 seats
Independent: 22 seats
Conservative: 10 seats

They are the bald statistics, but let's have a look behind them.......

As you can see, Labour took control, with the Lib Dems in second place - but Labour won far fewer seats than their worst nightmare. (Our source within the Party revealed their private forecast was that they would be 'doing badly' if they got "only" 80!)

Surveying the numbers will be an uncomfortable experience this morning for Council Leader Albert Nugent - he may have topped the poll in Deneside but even he will be wondering where exactly he can go from here.....

Can he possibly survive? We don't know for sure, but we wouldn't bank on it.

One thing that does seem certain is that we're about to see a real power struggle begin between councillors from the North and South of the County.

There's an old Chinese proverb that says ' may you live in interesting times'.

One thing's for sure: life within the Labour Party in Durham is about to get very 'interesting' indeed. Watch this space.....