Labour has decided that councillors in Bristol should preserve democracy by ensuring that there is a constructive opposition on the council. The debate about that decision is raging in plenty of other places, I want to think about what constructive opposition might mean. Opposition is easy, highlighting the mayor’s mistakes (which there are bound to be, no-one is perfect), use the council structures to frustrate his plans (very difficult given the power’s of a mayor) and use any opportunity to criticise.
Being constructive is more difficult. But being constructive is what is required and needed by the City. Below are a few ideas but there are bound to be more:
Scrutiny and overview. The scrutiny committees have struggled to find a role. Labour could use them as they were intended to look in detail at key issues, to engage with experts and citizens (these overlap of course – seeks Venn diagram) to develop policies to propose to the Mayor and or develop feasible alternatives to his policies (even he admits he doesn’t have many beyond urban design where his views are pretty sound so there is plenty of scope to influence).
The full council meeting: This meeting is and always has been the worse of the council, its structure, indeed the layout of the room encourages bad behaviour. It is also the place where members of the media and even sometimes the public attend and is thought to typify the way the council works, whereas it is often a twisted parody of what people expect of politicians. Labour needs to avoid falling to the trap of this meeting, using it to showcase policy proposals rather than loutish tribalism.
Mayoral commissions: It seems likely the mayor will establish policy commissions. We should encourage Labour members and supporters with the necessary expertise to play a full role in this, they will be an excellent opportunity to promote progressive policies.
Outside the council Labour should not concentrate on leaflets attacking the Mayor. The - door knocking which is solely about identifying peoples’ traditional support has limited value. The work with the citizens of Bristol needs to be a discussion rather than an opinion poll. The work Marvin Rees started at the beginning of his campaign needs to be continued. Holding meetings open to the general public on issues of importance to seek solutions to the cities problems, having a real debate with local people. These could be in large groups in meeting rooms and halls or among a small group in someone’s living room.
Constructive opposition’s aim is not to disagree and resist but to persuade and influence. It is not about focussing on the here and now but also about preparing for the future.
Dear Paul,
Trying to be constructive – please look up the difference between “it’s” and “its”. Also, what is with the advert which pops up (in German!) -you are the 999,999 visitor. Click here for the chance to win an Apple product. Is this a new sponsor of yours? I think we (I) should be told.
Cheers
Ivor
Cheers
I think wordpress adds the ads
And do you get a cut?
No nor a say/ veto
After dealing with the NHS and seeing what a Labour and union led organisation looks like first hand I say “flee”.
I spent a year getting my goals lined up, doing research, and spending my own money then had the rug pulled from under me. Bad management? Unaccountable experts? Toxic environment? A top down byzantine system determined to only grasp the easiest success stories, enforce an average outcome on everyone else, and cut any difficult cases that might bite them. They don’t even know how to spell “discussion” and they called ME negative? What???
I’m spending the next week strategising ways in which I can hack the system to get what I want. This should be fun and if I don’t get what I want (there are institutional reasons why this may not happen) it’s off to the lawyer I go. I’ll also deal with the appalling housing association problem as well but that’s another story. Yay for multitasking.
Being a girl is hard especially when you’re, like, five miles behind the starting blocks everyone else is on. Not saying girls cuddle up to rich white STUPID men just for their money but, hey, needs must and this girl has NEEDS. Unless Labour et al begin to get “success” (mine in particular) I’ll just sit on my hands and blow bubbles. Why, watcha gonna do mistah? SPANK ME?
When I was 10 I saw the future and spent most of my life dealing with that and a system that was old before I was born. Maybe if people started listening for a change something will happen. If they don’t the system will continue to ruin lives and shatter dreams. I have no choice but to live with what I am in spite of and, maybe, because of daring to seize the choice before it was snatched away. Why do it? Cruelty? Fun? The joy of seeing someone ripped down because you can’t have it, can’t buy it, or just don’t get it.
I wanna be mayor as well. I wanna be a mayor with a big fuck off yacht in the docks. I wanna sing and dance. I wanna make politicians in the cheap seats whack off and their wives seethe with jealousy. I wanna kick in the door and turn over the tables. I wanna live.
Have you considered buying a red skirt?
I like modern and subtly in your face but hadn’t considered a red skirt or dress. Actually that’s a lie because one trans who has it together wore a slinky red dress that worked and I did wonder. I found a YouTube and some ideas in there look like they could work so it’s possible.
Okay, and some gold jewellery as well.
I could dye my hair red as well unless that’s going a bit too far…
Agh. Shoes. Lots… of… shoes.
So is this red skirt thing a party political thing or am I just being suckered by some smoothie?
Go Girl!
Thanks, honey.
Just when I thought I was all outta words.
Bristol University just published a study on how men and women check each other out. Like trans haven’t known that since whenever. This does make you wonder what else psychiatrists are missing and why their authoritarianism and gender policing is so wrong. If patient centred care is such a joke what does this say of politics?
When I asked the shrink for a green light he misunderstood so he started beating me up over it and refused to give it. He thought I was talking about medical issues when I was talking about fixing goals and negotiating how things proceeded. The second meeting where that could have been discussed never happened because he cancelled me and he’s passed the buck like what happens with bad childcare cases. I could be lost in the system forever like that. If that happens what does this say of politics which never fixes anything and goes around in eternal circles while the resources never get to the people who need them?
Hands up any man that would dare tell a woman how to plan a wedding? Hands up any man who would dare tell a woman what to wear? Exactly. Yet, male dominated healthcare and politics keep lecturing and controlling the purse strings over issues they have nothing to do with.
This isn’t just a “women’s issue” because it affects men as well. The same controlling people are the same people who deny opportunities and advancement to men. They’re the same men who kill career empowerment so other men burn out. They’re the same men who live in a big house so you live in small house. I’m not saying women are any better either because women can be just as bad (and do it in plain sight but men don’t know because they’re not looking and nobody clues them in).
It’s complicated but I would argue there are strong reasons for healthcare to be much much more transgender friendly and put us in charge instead of paying lip service. The criticality and economic value of gender economics is so big that removing artificial barriers to all healthcare options and increasing the spend to match has strong public finance reasons in its favour. Yet, you won’t see a single transgender healthcare professional, LGBT political ally, or professional lobby group taking this position. Not one.
On the plus side it creates a clean field if I succeed.
You’re up against old white male diversity policy, which is that diversity’s fine as long as the diverse agree with us and do what they’re told!
Very much so! It does take the enjoyment out of everything. This sounds remarkably close to what the CoE women said about the process of allowing women bishops without even discussing how Nadine Dorries has been treated. So I think there’s a strong case to say this is not even an exclusively male-female issue or even left-right issue. It’s a bad person issue.
The waterfront development was a pushover fed by easy money. This makes me curious about the true talents of Zoe Sear and the reasons for George Ferguson appointing her.
£45,243?
Shrewd choice?
I’m not convinced this is an arrangement that will survive scrutiny. Moreover, the Equality Act applies to all government activity. What are the grounds for George Ferguson spending taxpayers money in breach of the Equality Act?