Cllr Williams to stand down

[Spartacus]

Sigh 

James McAsh elected as Southwark Council’s next leader, amid unconfirmed ‘final round draw’ reports – Southwark News https://share.google/SSrYI6rbHHGXm0ZoF

[first mate]

He is one ambitious young man, no surprise. 

[Rockets]

Of course he was elected - he was plotting Cllr Williams' downfall for a long time. Does a leader have to hold a seat to retain office - I know he has a healthy majority but a swing based on discontent from CPZs etc at the next election could be interesting?

[Earl Aelfheah]

1 hour ago, Rockets said:

he was plotting Cllr Williams' downfall for a long time.

Was he? I wasn't aware of a plot. Do you have any details?

[Rockets]

He had a go about a year ago: https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/exclusive-council-leader-sees-off-challenge-by-five-votes/

[Penguin68]

Standard Marxist entry strategy, and yes, he initially self identified as a Marxist before later removing that detail. His evident hatred and disdain for the Kulak class probably suggests Bolshevik leanings. Even Momentum, I've been told, considers his clique too left for them. But then, as Trots they probably would. 

Edited Tuesday at 17:28 by Penguin68

[Earl Aelfheah]

1 hour ago, Rockets said:

He had a go about a year ago: https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/exclusive-council-leader-sees-off-challenge-by-five-votes/

Oh, I see. I think that could also be classed an open, lawful, and democratic challenge. 

Edited Tuesday at 16:48 by Earl Aelfheah

[CPR Dave]

'Be careful who you stand on, on your way up, as you will meet them on the way down'

[Rockets]

@Earl AelfheahIt is also classed as a leadership challenge in most people's political books..

https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/exclusive-southwark-council-leader-expected-to-face-leadership-challenge/

Does anyone know, I presume Cllr McAsh has to retain his seat at the next election to continue as leader?

Didn't he start as a councillor for the Green Party, or am I imagining that?

Edited Tuesday at 19:14 by Rockets

[CPR Dave]

Yes, the cabinet leader has to be an elected councillor.

Losing your council seat means losing the leadership (but Southwark often doles out a massive loss of office payment so it's not all bad news).

[first mate]

2 hours ago, Rockets said:

Didn't he start as a councillor for the Green Party, or am I imagining that?

Allegedly, McAsh has been involved in writing articles and campaigned for Momentum, including a step-by-step guide to 'de-selecting Labour MPs' under the pseudonym Eric Sim. 

Edited Tuesday at 21:30 by first mate

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

The heat is really getting to some people...

 

 

"It's quite simple: James McAsh was born as Jaime Maccas in Cuba, served in Che Guevara's militia, spent 5 years in East Berlin perfecting his knowledge of English, bought Shergar from the IRA, traded it to Kim Jong Il in exchange for biological weapons training in Wuhan, perfected the COVID virus, brought it to London and used it as the pretext for CPZs! The answer has been staring at us in the face all along!"

[first mate]

Think he used to do stuff for Russia Today.

[Rockets]

@Dogkennelhillbilly he was actually born James Ashworth-McLintock...

One wonders of his past will come back to haunt him as leader. An interesting appointment by the Labour councillors and one Labour HQ will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on.

According to the Lib Dems: McAsh voted to keep the two child benefit cap, refused to call out brutal welfare cuts, and backed Rachel Reeves’ winter fuel payments cut.  

Edited Tuesday at 21:52 by Rockets

[ed_pete]

There was a photo of him a couple years ago wearing a “Fuck The Tories” Christmas Jumper. I wonder if those will all have been quietly removed. Brilliant fodder for the right wing press. 

[Earl Aelfheah]

14 hours ago, Rockets said:

@Earl AelfheahIt is also classed as a leadership challenge in most people's political books..

Yes that's right; An open, lawful and democratic challenge.

[Sue]

3 hours ago, ed_pete said:

There was a photo of him a couple years ago wearing a “Fuck The Tories” Christmas Jumper.

Good for him.

 

[Moovart]

1 minute ago, Sue said:

Good for him

I have to disagree Sue.  It diminishes him as a serious politician.  It was a misguided attempt at "humour". 

Unfortunately, the lack of respect that politicians show for eachother especially in parliament just makes the whole governing process look like a school boys and girls rabble at which we mostly groan, and lose faith.  This in turn imo, contributes to the many reasons why ordinary people become disillusioned and disenfranchised from the governing process and start turning to blatant fraudsters, liars and narcissistic man babies like Farage and Trump (not excluding other fraudsters, liars etc that have already got themselves into parliament). It's increasingly difficult to take it all seriously.

I hope J McAsh has seen the light and unraveled that jumper and remade it with a Xmas reindeer on the front!

[HeadNun]

I agree, Moovart. There's something very aggressive about language like that - it's not big and it's not clever. Some of the angry energy that comes from the far left is pretty self-defeating. 

[Sue]

2 minutes ago, Moovart said:

I have to disagree Sue.  It diminishes him as a serious politician.  It was a misguided attempt at "humour". 

Unfortunately, the lack of respect that politicians show for eachother especially in parliament just makes the whole governing process look like a school boys and girls rabble at which we mostly groan, and lose faith.  This in turn imo, contributes to the many reasons why ordinary people become disillusioned and disenfranchised from the governing process and start turning to blatant fraudsters, liars and narcissistic man babies like Farage and Trump (not excluding other fraudsters, liars etc that have already got themselves into parliament). It's increasingly difficult to take it all seriously.

I hope J McAsh has seen the light and unraveled that jumper and remade it with a Xmas reindeer on the front!

Where was he wearing it?

Presumably not when he was in an official capacity?

I think the Tories have well and truly f***ed themselves, tbh. Having f***ed up the country in the process.

[Rockets]

But we have to remember the jumper incident is actually a badge of honour for those on the left and the person he overthrew actually liked that Christmas post!

Cllr McAsh has already had more than his fair share of run-ins with the right-wing press after he got a lot of coverage in the Mail after he called on people on social media to intercept an immigration raid in Peckham.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10908569/ringleaders-Peckham-mob-forced-border-cops-release-suspect-include-Marxist-teacher.html

I did feel sorry for him for that Mail article as it is an awful rag but, again, in some circles probably considered a badge of honour.

[Sue]

Just now, HeadNun said:

I agree, Moovart. There's something very aggressive about language like that - it's not big and it's not clever. Some of the angry energy that comes from the far left is pretty self-defeating. 

I'd say the far left had pretty good reasons to be angry, but that discussion is one for the lounge.

[Sephiroth]

8 minutes ago, HeadNun said:

I agree, Moovart. There's something very aggressive about language like that - it's not big and it's not clever. Some of the angry energy that comes from the far left is pretty self-defeating. 

I mean this is definitely true - but it rather overlooks the endless angry energy that comes from the right - and not even the far right. Just pick up any issue of Telegraph or Spectator. Or have a look at Priti Patel discussing starving the Irish when Brexit negotiations weren't going well for them. Or some far right idiot killing Jo Cox. Or newspaper articles talking about the need to "kill Corbyn"

https://www.medialens.org/2016/killing-corbyn/

 

left vs right aside for a moment - one thing I already know but this thread proves - you have to be some kind of either lunatic or legend to want to become a councillor. The amount of vitriol (again, from all sides to all sides - but primarily just from average voters) makes it an impossible task for negligible reward or even achievement

 

[HeadNun]

Yes, true Sephiroth. And Moovart's right in that, whatever direction it's coming from, it disenfranchises the electorate and gives rise to populism. It certainly doesn't help achieve social justice, or bring about meaningful change. Mind you, nor does so-called pragmatism and idealogical neutrality, as we're seeing today. So who bloody knows what the answers are now. 

[jazzer]

30 minutes ago, Sue said:

Where was he wearing it?

Presumably not when he was in an official capacity?

I think the Tories have well and truly f***ed themselves, tbh. Having f***ed up the country in the process.

And a year in to labour being in office, it feels as though they are going hell for leather shafting the country every which way they can. 

Look, the Conservatives towards the end lost their way and made a right mess of things, I don;'t disagree about that, however the ship was beginning to turn. UK plc is currently like the Titanic, heading straight into an ice berg and we are about to sink when it hits it. In four year's time I dread to think what state this country will be in.