Are Phil Redmond and David Miliband trying to wind up Liverpool council leader Joe Anderson?
Are Phil Redmond and David Miliband trying to wind up Liverpool council leader Joe Anderson?
Twice now Redmond has point blank refused to say one way or the other whether he will stand as mayor, and keeps leaving the question hanging. Although he seems be saying he might be interested in the right circumstances.
For Miliband's part, his suggestion that the Labour party should have an open primary will be seen as unhelpful.
Does the Labour party opt for the coronation that everyone expects?
Do they have a contest? If so who will brave going up against Cllr Anderson for the nomination? If it were not a serious contender what would be the point? But if only a stalking horse ran against Cllr Anderson, that too would be pointless. Questions, questions.
And back to Redmond, this is his latest statement on the issue: "There is a lot of talk about elections, but not much about what Liverpool City Council 's version of a mayor would be. We need a lot more detail on that before anyone can make a decision.
"I am sure that will be prised out of them over the next few weeks but one
crucial question is: how will any elected mayor work with the already elected
Councillors, and more specifically, what constitutional role will there be for the
Leader of the largest majority party?
"This is a major constitutional reform and we need more public information and
debate, not electioneering, before anyone can make any decision."
This of course are legitimate questions to ask.
The short answer is that councillors will be able to use their 'call in' to demand answers of the mayor at select committees.
And a mayoral scrutiny committee could also be set up.
The leader of the largest group will have no constitutional role, and will only have a cabinet position if the mayor so decides.
Redmond is right to ask questions, but the 'will he, wont he' is likely to wind up the Labour party and Joe Anderson. Redmond, is one man Labour would really rather does not enter the fray...
3 Comments
Leave a comment
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
Read My Posts »
What qualifies Redmond to stand as mayor, he came into the Capital of Culture post five minutes before it started when all the real hard work had already been done in very difficult circumstances due to the incompetence of outsiders brought into the city who had to be paid off and got rid of as they were leading it to potential disaster. Redmond then carries on like he saved the whole thing. It is absolute nonesense. It is the Post and Echo who then bestowed the title on him of The Culture Supremo. A title you use at almost every opportunity. You give him a column in the post which is largely unreadable and rambling. The man has nothing of interest to say about anything in this city. He talks in cliches about we the people. He is not we the people, he is a multi millionaire living on a big estate in near Frodsham, yet you constantly promote him as some kind of representative voice for the city. Redmond represents one thing. His own sense of self importance and personal ambition....two things (Spanish Inquisition alert) Even last weeks rather dull appearance on Question time warranted a big feature on pagfe 2 of the Echo. "Phil on the panel of Question Time" That was the story!! What is this love affair the post and Echo has with him? I don't want the city represented by his drawling over the top exagerated scouse fantasy. Nor do I want a man who goes running to Cameron and Pickles inviting them to Liverpool with no authority to do so, to discuss how we engage with the pathetic sound bite that was "The Big Society" Who asked him to invite them here? And then when Joe Anderson rightly withdrew from the nonesense, we had Redmond saying good, we the people (again) can do it much better than the council, like we did in 2008. He really believes his own PR!
My view is that the people of Liverpool can see through this claptrap and he will be humiliated if he decides to stand. Brookside was 30 years ago, get over it for God's sake. It is the Echo and the Post that encourages him into believing he is one of "we the people" so don't ask soft questions about is he trying to wind up Anderson, because if it wasn't for you promotong him at every opportunity, we wouldn't know what thoughts he has lurched towards to further himself each day.
As for Miliband, I am not sure right now if anyone is interested in what he thinks.
There is no chance of an open primary and no chance of a 2nd Labour candidate. If they'd wanted any of these things they would not have limited the AV to 2 votes.
If Labour did have the nerve to put up a 2nd token candidate the party well know that the people of Liverpool are well capable of voting for brain damaged donkey if they think the one they are intended to vote for is taking the mickey.
The Capital of Culture planning showed that the people making the appointments could not tell the difference between BS and brains, and neither could the Echo.
Phil isn't a visionary, he's a man gifted at finding the lowest common denominator.
Vote ChuckleButty, you know it's what your ma would want.
Great rant there (post no. 1). Big applause for accuracy and analysis. Miliband's intervention isn't helpful, but it can be brushed aside. Redmond is another matter. I hope he does stand - so that the electorate can tell him exactly what they think. But I don't think he will stand. Redmond is a vain and weak man. He'll not want to face humiliating defeat. As for 'wind-ups', what's David Bartlett's role in winding things up? Little Boy Innocent, or what?