legalalien

I am hoping someone will open a takeaway noodle bar.

You know, heartblock, it's amazing how much I agree with you given that politically there are (I suspect) probably quite a lot of things we disagree on.

Inspired by the earlier iteration of this thread, I purchased a book called The Righteous Mind - Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0141039167

Am about a third of the way through. It's really interesting - would recommend. Quite old now, from 2013. Have put this more recent article from the same author on my "to read" list

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/

I?d describe Megan?s as ?OK?, have really only been in for breakfast a few times due to convenient location. The service was a bit slow. But it seems to be doing something right as they seem to be consistently quite busy- I think it?s the dog and child friendliness plus free WiFi. I do wish they wouldn?t have quite so many lights blaring at night though - it does look nice but screams ?waste of energy? every time I see them. Their power bill must be astronomic!

Dulwich Village FC is different from Dulwich Hamlet. Its website is at https://www.dulwichvillagefc.co.uk/, looks as though trials for next season?s teams are in June and you need to register for them. They are linked to a separate coaching operation called Football Magic which runs weekly sessions, holiday sessions etc - see https://www.footballmagiccoaching.co.uk/.

They run a lot of teams. My son played there for a number of years and it was pretty well run - but that was a few years ago and I don?t have up to date info. They definitely have girls teams.

The Dulwich hamlet site is https://dulwichhamletjuniorfc.co.uk/ - looks like fewer teams.

Girls United is a local girls club worth a look https://www.girlsunitedfa.org/london-club#londonclub-sessions

Well I?ve learned something new. Always thought that dugongs and manatees were the same thing but in different locations. Both Sirenians apparently but different tails and teeth. Went down an internet wormhole and was astonished to find out how important marine viruses are to the planetary ecosystem. Two hours I won?t get back but always good to learn something new.

Back on topic, someone mentioned to me recently that DPL no longer runs the minibus service to the school that they used to operate. As I suspect DPL is a much bigger contributor to traffic than, for example, DC (their lower school is bigger and they have a lot of children coming from Clapham/ Balham / Wandsworth and those cars end up on the South circular or Croxted Road) I?d be interested to know why that was the case. The service was well used and the foundation school coaches aren?t as convenient for DPL pupils. Does anyone know why the service was cancelled?

It?s democracy at work. People can vote how they want for whatever reasons they want. The main thing is that people vote.

I?m not happy with the outcome in my ward, but am prepared to give loser?s consent.

I would like a bit more transparency/ accountability though and I hope that the LDs remaining in council step up and do a good job of being in opposition. Similarly Labour councillors who are not in cabinet. I view that as meaning keeping on top of detail and asking probing questions - not just giving speeches about the things that they disagree with. If there are any LD party people out there, maybe you could set up an email address for people to send suggested questions to?

FWIW I really liked Richard Wingfield as a candidate even though I didn?t vote for him - maybe the LDs could consider him for the LD candidacy at the next GE if he is interested.

I?ll say it again - it would be great if the promised Engaging Communities programme could happen and we could have some ward meetings. Public meetings in person rather than meetings with selected RAs and lobby groups is important in reuniting the community, I think. I?d like to think we could manage that without it turning into fight club.

I think we?re supposed to have some community co design process. In the interests of bringing the community together, I really hope the council lets us all start with a blank piece of paper and not something they?ve already decided on. I?d also suggest NOT calling it Dulwich Square, it?s a name with too much ill- feeling attached to it.

As a temporary measure I think staining the planters black would be a good start.

The breakdown is on twitter

https://twitter.com/margynewens/status/1522421747454205952/photo/1

No one really knows why anyone else voted the way that they did. But Labour certainly campaigned on an anti- Tory platform rather than a pro-Labour one - at least in the campaign literature I received - so presumably they themselves saw the potential in anti-Tory votes. It maybe makes it a bit harder for them to claim a clear mandate for some of their more controversial policies - but that doesn?t really matter given they?re in charge for four more years and no one can stop them, I guess!

Interesting that the Greens apparently came close in Nunhead and Queens Road.

https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/southwark-elections-2022-labour-tightens-its-grip-on-the-council-with-convincing-win/

Let?s see whether the ?vote nationally and get rid of Boris? strategy works - I?m not convinced, but if it does work at least there will be something for me to celebrate!

But we can?t get rid of this government until the next general election and I don?t want to wait another four years to send my message to local councillors. And what if I still don?t like central government then - do I wait another four years?

What about we have a system where we vote for local councillors and then have the option to give an indicative vote on central government? That sounds good to me.

diable rouge Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Rockets Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > So many people I have spoke. To seem to have

> been seduced by the narrative that local elections

> are about national issues (driven in the main by

> Labour)

>

> No one is being seduced. Lots of people are

> hacked-off with this current Gov, we need to

> prioritise, there's no point having nicey-nicey

> local Gov if the country is going to pot. It's

> naive in the extreme to think that if the Tories

> do well in the local elections, Johnson and his

> cabal won't grandstand about it and say it's a

> vindication of their policies. Get rid of this

> Gov, then sort out local issues...

But in an existing Labour stronghold what does that achieve - does it actually send that message?

I remain of the view that the local elections are the ONLY way to send a message to those in charge of local government about what you think. There are other opportunities (opinion polls, general elections) to speak to central government.

By all means give up your voice on local government if you want to - it is of course your right - but that does have consequences in terms of local government accountability. (i.e. there isn't any).

NewWave Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> bels123 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I can't divorce local from national politics -

> too

> > much personal pain from finding out what Boris

> and

> > others in government were doing whilst at the

> same

> > time I was questioning whether I could visit /

> hug

> > my terminally ill father.

> >

> > A strong message needs to be sent to the

> > Conservatives.

>

> Exactly this...My vote is less about local

> politics and more a vote against Boris and his

> cronies and their complete disregard for everyone

> but themselves.

Here?s where to find your polling station

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voting-person

It?s not necessarily the closest one to you and it may have changed since last time.

That is of course your choice. We can all express our views on here but the beauty of democracy is that there?s no ?wrong? vote.

Having fun watching news presenters diligently avoiding saying anything about politics/ the election this morning. A lot about Ukraine, interest rates, Depp /Heard and Elon Musk.

There are some fledgling schemes where those with off street charging effectively rent out their driveways/ chargers to others to allow them to recharge. This seems like a good idea, it would be worth the council considering giving homeowners participating in the scheme some sort of CPZ charge waiver to cover periods where they?ve moved their own car out of the driveway to enable someone else to charge. That would encourage uptake?

On a related note, trinidad, with the cost of living crisis front and centre in most people?s minds, I want my local councillors to focus on ensuring the council has good financial management and stewardship and is trying to minimise the cost of council services generally (not just council tax) where they can do so (and I don?t just mean cutting services). There are lots of questions to be asked about details. For example, there?s an item in the most recent forward plan that indicates the council is going to pay more to Veolia to cover the cost of the increase in employer national insurance contributions

https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=50029115&PlanId=728&RPID=3849436

Why the risk of this increase would rest with the council in an outsourcing arrangement of this type is the kind of question someone needs to be asking.

Less grandstanding about national party policy and more attention to detail, I say. Cllr Mills asked a good question the other day about free school meals. If on a particular day or over a period the child selects food valued less than the daily allowance, is the difference carried over and credited to the child or does the contractor pocket the benefit? See

It seems she is still waiting for an answer.

From watching council meetings during lockdown, the LD?s Adele Morris stands out as a councillor who is very good on this front, in the planning area. She seems to be standing down this time which is a pity.

I?d like more councillors like these whatever their party. Not ones who read out prepared speeches from scripts that seem to have been put together and distributed by party central.

Off shortly to try and get myself some!

A random question that I wonder if anyone knows the answer to: if a ward changes hands, what happens to outstanding constituency work (emails, correspondence etc) - does it get handed over to the new councillors, or does everyone have to start again by emailing their new councillors?

I have no idea of the answer, but you'd think it would make sense to have some sort of handover process? Ditto for MPs after a general election...

(just wondering what might happen to an outstanding email to a current councillor)

Or will some of us be so fed up that we actually sign up to the campaign for proportional representation in local government, rather than just talking about it...

Just something that may be of interest to some, looks as though Luna Cinema is applying for its own licence this year, rather than relying on the ?Southwark Events? licence, as it wishes to extend hours for serving alcohol and showing films

https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?id=63957&LLL=0

Request is to sell alcohol until midnight and show film until 0:15 as I read it. The police and licensing officer have made representations about the lack of dispersal policy and a recommendation to reduce those hours.

Licensing subcommittee meeting is on 12 May.

I?ve had two more leaflets this evening (one conservative, one Labour). Similar in tone and content to past ones.

Interesting thing in DV is that the Labour win in 2018 was (imho) prompted to a considerable degree by traditionally conservative voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the Brexit situation. I doubt that's as much of a consideration this time around, and I wonder (i) whether they feel as strongly about partygate than about Brexit; and (ii) if they do, whether they'll use this vote to express their views- guess that depends on how strongly they feel about LTNs, which we'll no doubt find out on Friday.

I'm not sure quite why the "ground zero" thing is supposed to be so offensive? I know there's a nuclear weapon connection, but it's been used as ordinary idiom for "the source of a massive change" since I was a child. I googled to see if I was going mad and MacMillan said the same?

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/ground-zero_1. If you google there's loads of references to "ground zero for COVID" in the mainstream press, so I don't think I'm imagining things. What am I missing?

ETA just saw the most recent post. It's that the "Ground Zero" (quotes and caps) looks like a reference to NY/ WTC? If that's the case then I agree it's unfortunate.

The question still comes as to where the ??? comes from. I'm pretty sure that the cost of upkeep would be beyond the budget of state schools alone. So some sort of alternative (commercial?) funding source needed. Which, given it's MoL and there can't be additional buildings, means finding a way to make money out of the green space. Challenging, but not impossible (probably) - but again - likely to require a fair amount of volunteer input to make it fly...

To be fair, I don't think I've received a leaflet from the Green Party, so perhaps they are being environmentally reponsible. I haven't seen them in person, either, though.

The Charter Schools now use the Griffin in DV as far as I know.

If I had to guess I?d say that Labour are focussing a lot of their resources on campaigning in Wandsworth, to try and take seats there, rather than focusing on what they regard as safe seats here in Southwark. Labour had more than 70% of votes in Peckham last time around and more than 60% in Peckham Rye. I?ve heard from friends that there has been a lot of activity in Wandsworth. South Bermondsey also seems to be a big focus.

The Peckham Rye Councillors seem to be some of the better ones from what I?ve seen reading council documents and watching meetings over lockdown. I hope they get re-elected.