How Local is Your 'Local' Councillor?

[Loz]

There is an article in today's Guardian, by Southwark councillor Rowenna Davis. There was a rather startling line in it (my emphasis)...

Returning officers in Southampton, where I live, have told me horror stories about tension rising when a number of young people were turned away in 2010 simply because they hadn't registered.

Did anyone else know one of our 'local' councillors lived so far away? Where do the other councillors live? Can someone who lives so far away really represent the people of Southwark?

[the-e-dealer]

One of the Liberal Councillors used to live in Gibraltar.

[the-e-dealer]

Rowenna have been selected as a Parliamentary Candidate in Southampton. Hopefully she will do as good a job there as she did getting Southwark a High Profile. Its kind of what happens when people climb the greasy pole in Politics rather than getting parachute in like Cameron.

[jimmyraj]

Yes, to be fair she has a replacement as councillor for The Lane lined up. That said, The Lane councillors could be a lot more visible / proactive. There's some big issues now affecting that ward (Peckham Rye station being one of the biggest) and there's not exactly a lot of noise from the local councillors as far as I can see.

[????]

..or Hilary Benn (see the name, heard it before?), or oooh Mandleson, another labour aristocrat parachuted in or maybe Harman's 'partner'...for some balance eh ted? ...and what did happen to her support of female only candidates? They're all a bunch of self seeking hypocrites so cut out the party politics eh?

[the-e-dealer]

Well as Prime Minister I thought Cameron was a good example of someone who was in-experienced of politics. But yes there are those on all sides. Are you in favour or against career politicians.

[????]

I'd almost like it if a random representative sample of 650 the population were chosen by lots, got say ?250k each PA with no expenses and then had to decide what to do and not allowed out until they sorted things out.....

Depressing how uniform they all are, agreed.

[Loz]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Are you in favour or against career politicians.

Against. Cameron representing Oxford is just as absurd a notion of 'representation' as Davis representing Southampton. Both are obviously more interested in their careers than representing local people. Both have, arguably, been 'parachuted in'.

If Rowena Davis was local, but moved to Southhampton, then she should resign her seat on Southwark council ASAP. If she never lived her, she should never have been on the council. I don't care which party they represent.

[unlurked]

Barber lives in cloud cuckoo land! Aka hoodwink my constituents.

[the-e-dealer]

Actually Cameron represents West Oxford shire Lots of little wealthy villages full of toffs. Plus a few council estates where people like you and I live. So at least he is representing quite a lot of toffs.

[Loz]

the-e-dealer Wrote:

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> Rowenna have been selected as a Parliamentary

> Candidate in Southampton. Hopefully she will do as

> good a job there as she did getting Southwark a

> High Profile. Its kind of what happens when people

> climb the greasy pole in Politics rather than

> getting parachute in like Cameron.

You are coming across as a bit of a party-twonk cheerleader, TED. What exactly has one person done to get 'Southwark a high profile'.

[PeckhamRose]

Our local councillors for Peckham Rye are all local residents.

[Loz]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

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> Our local councillors for Peckham Rye are all local residents.

Out of interest, how do you know that PR?

[the-e-dealer]

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