Councillor McAsh defects to the Greens

[BrandNewGuy]

From Southwark News: BREAKING NEWS: James McAsh defects to the Green Party, seven months after his Southwark Labour leadership victory was overturned
He added that the council was "planning for funding gaps larger than those faced in almost every year of Conservative austerity..."
https://southwarknews.co.uk/featured/breaking-news-james-mcash-defects-to-the-green-party-seven-months-after-his-southwark-labour-leadership-victory-was-overturned/

[James Barber]

It is ironic that councillor James McAsh, a self avowed life long marxist who literally has written about wanting to overthrow capitalism, complains that there isn't enough money for councils. 

Austerity for councils started in the early days of the Blair government with central grants to councils ot rising with inflation. 

[Spartacus]

If I was cynical, I would say that he has jumped ship before the May elections where Labour councils across the country are in fear of a blood bath

 

[Sue]

12 minutes ago, Spartacus said:

If I was cynical, I would say that he has jumped ship before the May elections where Labour councils across the country are in fear of a blood bath

 

Not been cynical, I'd say he can't stand for a party which has moved so far to the right it has come to represent things he does not believe in.

Quite apart from what happened to him personally, which was disgraceful.

[Insuflo]

53 minutes ago, James Barber said:

Austerity for councils started in the early days of the Blair government with central grants to councils ot rising with inflation. 

Ah, so it’s not the Lib Dems’ fault for enabling the vicious austerity policies of Cameron and Osborne by getting into bed with the tories?

The state we are in is entirely traceable to the coalition years and the Lib Dems should be damned for all time for what you did in 2010-15.

Edited 20 hours ago by Insuflo

[Suggsy]

He's an ambitious guy - presume the aim is to get elected as a Green MP. But a lot can happen in 3 years. 

 

 

Personally I think planning for funding gaps when you have no money is the sensible thing to do. 

[Cancerian]

Good riddance if McAsh has defected from Labour.  In his tenure he introduced a lot of crazy street and road schemes which have been inflicted on the residents of Southwark and beyond! I expect the Green Party will welcome him with open arms. 

[Sue]

50 minutes ago, Cancerian said:

Good riddance if McAsh has defected from Labour.  In his tenure he introduced a lot of crazy street and road schemes which have been inflicted on the residents of Southwark and beyond! I expect the Green Party will welcome him with open arms. 

Which "crazy street and road schemes" are you thinking of?

[Cancerian]

I’m not thinking of them Sue. They’ve already happened. Too many to list here but you get the gist. Very concerning that McAsh has gone to the Green Party but he’s a man with a mission!

[Sue]

2 minutes ago, Cancerian said:

I’m not thinking of them Sue. They’ve already happened. Too many to list here but you get the gist. Very concerning that McAsh has gone to the Green Party but he’s a man with a mission!

Yes I get your gist, but maybe you could just name a few of the very many you mention?

I'm not sure why you find it very concerning that somebody would leave Labour for the Greens?

So have many people, including me.

[Jenijenjen]

7 hours ago, Insuflo said:

Ah, so it’s not the Lib Dems’ fault for enabling the vicious austerity policies of Cameron and Osborne by getting into bed with the tories?

The state we are in is entirely traceable to the coalition years and the Lib Dems should be damned for all time for what you did in 2010-15.

Thanks for the reminder

[vladi]

At last, I've found a good reason to not vote for the greens.

[first mate]

10 hours ago, Cancerian said:

Good riddance if McAsh has defected from Labour.  In his tenure he introduced a lot of crazy street and road schemes which have been inflicted on the residents of Southwark and beyond! I expect the Green Party will welcome him with open arms. 

But, I am not sure LibDems or Greens would do much different. JB was very much in support of CPZ in the past. I would be interested to know the LibDem stance on CPZ, LTN, extending double yellow lines and what their approach to road and traffic management will be? If they cannot give a clear, straight answer then I think it will be more of what we have had from Labour. 

I'd also like to know where LibDems and Greens stand on park land for hire, as in Gala on the Rye? Will they support extension and proliferation of these kind of events? Surely the Greens would / could not support? Ditto fireworks?

It'll be interesting to see what the reps say. Thus far I've seen some extremely vague stuff from LibDems, but nothing concrete.

I'd rather have an independent and some real commitment to local issues.

[Jenijenjen]

Remember though that McAsh has not been the only Labour councillor. Charlie Smith keeps a lower profile but is committed to the local community, I doubt he has any plans to become an MP. I contacted him about a very local problem, he was at my door three hours later and problem resolved by the end of the week. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Jenijenjen

[first mate]

It seems like Charlie Smith is not standing for GG ward again, or has he also defected to the Greens? The Labour website info also suggests McAsh is standing for GG Ward, so that needs updating!

FWIW thus far Labour 'promises' on their website says zilch about roads, traffic etc.. I feel we have been here before.

Edited 7 hours ago by first mate

[Penguin68]

22 minutes ago, first mate said:

. JB was very much in support of CPZ in the past.

To be fair he also listened to his constituents and didn't press for what he preferred when he realised significant numbers of his constituents disagreed. 

[malumbu]

12 hours ago, Insuflo said:

Ah, so it’s not the Lib Dems’ fault for enabling the vicious austerity policies of Cameron and Osborne by getting into bed with the tories?

The state we are in is entirely traceable to the coalition years and the Lib Dems should be damned for all time for what you did in 2010-15.

Yes, but there doesn't seem to be any acknowledgement or apology from at least one LD on this site!

[first mate]

2 minutes ago, Penguin68 said:

To be fair he also listened to his constituents and didn't press for what he preferred when he realised significant numbers of his constituents disagreed. 

Yes, but I want to know where he stands on all this stuff now. My feeling is it won't be any different from Labour?

Edited 7 hours ago by first mate

[Penguin68]

26 minutes ago, first mate said:

Yes, but I want to know where he stands on all this stuff now. My feeling is it won't be any different from Labour?

No doubt if he determines to stand for a ward he will enlighten us - at least his track record is one of using this site to communicate (inter alia). I would suspect that (1) his personal views on traffic will have remained consistent but that (2) his views on local democracy and proper consultation will have as well.

[Rockets]

One wonders if he would have defected if he had, ahem, held on to the leadership of Southwark and whether he felt that "Labour are no longer the vehicle for social justice" during his leadership election........my how quickly things change in the thoughts of a politician 😉

I think this sums things up quite nicely:

A senior Southwark Labour spokesperson hit back: “Local residents can draw their own conclusions about Cllr McAsh’s swift move from Labour leadership hopeful to the Green Party, after he didn’t get his own way. While he’s thinking about his own career, Southwark Labour are delivering for residents.”

One wonders if he will stand as a Green candidate in Goose Green.

[Suggsy]

2 hours ago, first mate said:

It seems like Charlie Smith is not standing for GG ward again, or has he also defected to the Greens? The Labour website info also suggests McAsh is standing for GG Ward, so that needs updating!

FWIW thus far Labour 'promises' on their website says zilch about roads, traffic etc.. I feel we have been here before.

As I understand it Charlie Smith did put himself forward for selection in GG but Labour members chose someone else to represent them, Liam McGrath https://southwarklabour.com/our-candidates/
 

It'll be interesting to see if there are other defections - surely the Greens want a drip, drip, drip of news from now to May suggesting the momentum is with them. 

[Jenijenjen]

37 minutes ago, Suggsy said:

As I understand it Charlie Smith did put himself forward for selection in GG but Labour members chose someone else to represent them, Liam McGrath https://southwarklabour.com/our-candidates/

I'm sorry to learn that though Liam does seems well qualified. Hopefully with McAsh gone, Southwark Labour will turn to Charlie to fill the gap.

[Insuflo]

1 hour ago, Suggsy said:

s I understand it Charlie Smith did put himself forward for selection in GG but Labour members chose someone else to represent them, Liam McGrath https://southwarklabour.com/our-candidates/

Useful link, thanks. I see that neither of the Dulwich Hill councillors are standing again but one of the new Labour candidates for DH recently left the Lib Dems…

The Greens are led by someone who left the Lib Dems and full of people who left Labour.

Reform is full of those who left the Tories.

And the Tories are full of those who left our planet some time ago.

Confused? You will be!

[Pugwash]

Maggie Browning a DH councillor recently had a baby and I believe plans to return to work. I think that to have the additional stress of  being a councillor, a new mother and having a job is a good reason for not standing again. Maggie was one of the few labour councillors who were approachable, acted on your behalf in regards to several concerns and appeared at various public events i.e Police SNT Meetings, community events etc. Have met one of the new prospective councillors and introduced her to various community based organisations. 

[Rockets]

I think the moral of this story is: "hell hath no fury like a politician scorned"