Bridge Ward News » Ipswich Borough Council

Bridge Councillors don’t show when police set area priorities

James Spencer — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:27:15 +0000

I was at the South West Area forum yesterday. It was quite far away, in the Triangle Church in Dickens Road, but there were issues that affected Bridge being discussed there.

Sadly there were no councillors from Bridge there. No newly re-elected Jim Powell, no soon to stand for re-election Philip Smart and no double County and Borough councillor Bryony Rudkin. For shame.

The other two county councillors from the area were present and there were councillors from the other three wards in the area. There was a debate in which the policing priorities were set for the South West area of Ipswich. Not surprisingly Bridge did very poorly in this. Last year it was generally remarked upon by other councillors of both parties that Bridge was being better represented as the councillors were scared that they could lose to the Tories. It’s now been commented that as Labour thinks Bridge will be in the bag next year that the Bridge councillors are returning to their bad, self indulgent habits of quango hunting and wittering on about pet subjects. I didn’t want to believe it, but when the bread and butter of local representation is neglected like this, then what can you believe?

This is why Bridge must never revert to being a safe Labour seat.

South West Area Forum

James Spencer — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:43:02 +0000

The South West Area forum is today at 7 pm (for the pro-Europeans that’s 19:00) at the Triangle Community Centre, Dickens Road, IP2 0JW.

Here’s a link to a map.

Sure you are, Dame Bryony

James Spencer — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:49:39 +0000

When we were a bit children we all tried to impress our friends by telling them that our dad was more important than he was. Then we tried to tell our friends that our job or achievements were more important than they were. Middle age is the time when we sadly realise that potential is not the same as achievement, and we’ve probably achieved less than we are capable. So with this in mind I felt that I should go a bit easy on this, where she anoints David Miliband as her preferred candidate for the leadership:

Leader of the Council? Really?

Liz Harsant, the real life leader of Ipswich Council, may have something to say on this. The Conservative group may welcome Bryony with open arms (she’s second favourite to defect among Tory activists) but I’m not sure they think she should be leader yet. Perhaps David Ellesmere, the leader on the Labour Group, may also want a word.

Dame Bryony has many, many jobs, but not leader of Ipswich council.

Chris Mole’s concession speech showed that he was in trouble with his own party

James Spencer — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:42:29 +0000

Some miscellaneous notes before politics stops being as interesting. I’m going to squeeze in as much as possible, as I don’t think I’ll get away with it otherwise.

When Chris Mole saw the figures, instead of calling for a recount (as we all feared) he reached over to Ben Gummer, extended his hand and said “well done, Ben”. He then read a pre-prepared speech which was peculiarly graceless – not even mentioning Ben’s campaign in the same way that Bill Rammell had. Then on TV the next day he is gracious again.

Why this split behaviour, this departure from the norm? Well it was the Labour Party activists, who seemed to have stitched him up by concentrating on winning the borough, who had stayed to listen. It was very clear that Chris Mole was talking about an imminent election, and he dearly wanted to be the candidate. And Ipswich Labour Party was in no mood to let a conciliatory speaker be there candidate.

I think we won’t see Chris Mole stand again, and instead see a senior figure from the current Labour group emerge as the candidate. Just coincidentally they will probably be one of the same people who decided to cut Chris Mole off.

In other news Alasdair Ross is going as Labour’s candidate as mayor. Yes a real uniter, not a divider. If the Liberals do give it to him then it should keep him busy and away from internal Labour matters. Funny that he’s the candidate as he would be almost as troublesome as John Cook if he rumbled what the Labour group had done. But some people find it hard to think about more than one thing at a time.

Finally my builder called up today to talk about the coalition, he’s barely talked more than two words about politics – and that was just to say that my wife was in a leaflet. It was the main topic in the office, although the known Labour supporters were not chatting so much. At least I know where all the Tories are now should this get to be like the 1990s again.

That’s a lot done.

I will start going back to normal and courting the smaller Bridge specific readership now that the excitement of coalition building and elections seems to have worn down.

Bridge Ward to Labour: Don’t take us for granted

James Spencer — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:54:30 +0000

Bridge Ward is one of those wards in Ipswich that Labour rather contemptuously treats as a “vote bank” which is there to parachute in high flying councillors who do not have the ability to connect with their constituents and so need a safe seat. Not surprisingly they don’t tend to live in their ward.

Jim Powell did not have that handicap and lives in Maidenhall Aprroach. Quite rightly he has a high personal vote. Together with the higher turnout and the more partisan atmosphere of the election he did well and got a majority over me of around 170.

However looking at the County results in 2005 and allowing for Jim Powell’s personal vote, the predictions were that the majority would be more than double that, around 400, even in a bad year for Labour.

This showed Labour that they cannot take Bridge for granted. It’s time to spend a little less time on public transport policy and a bit more on the Hayes and the Maidenhall Estate.

Dame Bryony to run the council?

James Spencer — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:34:27 +0000

Whenever I mention Mama Rudkin, I always get a reaction. You’re an unhealthy lot.

We all know that Labour are hoping to regain control of the Borough Council next month. It looks as it will come down to seats in Sprites, Whitehouse and Alexandra ward.

If Labour do sneak back control might they replace their current leader with our own Bryony Rudkin. For all her faults Bryony does have personality and charisma. I would have said presence, but we can’t really say that about Dame Bryony south of the river.

It has long been a mystery to some Ipswich Tories how she was overlooked for the parliamentary seat against a drab Chris Mole. It will appear just as strange if, having regained control of the Borough, Labour continues with the sixth-form (sorry to all the sixth formers reading this) leadership of David Ellesmere and the champion nit picker, Martin Cook. The consensus is that these two gentlemen, although relatively effective opposition nuisance makers, are light years behind Dame Bryony in terms of leadership ability and personality. So if the council does switch back to Labour will it be sixth form prefect or international stateswoman who is handed the torch?

An outside view on the Ipswich Buses sale

James Spencer — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:38:39 +0000

One of the great things about the internet is it allows us to indulge our passions. With me it’s the area I live in, other people, the Omnibuses blog, are interested in the way the bus industry is reacting to modern pressures. And at the moment they are interested in Ipswich Buses going to Go Ahead, and they’ve got an interesting view on what Chris Mole will do.

Ipswich Leninist Andrew Coates also sounds pleased as it looks like he’s got a campaign he can get his teeth into.