Website moving

Posted by David Sudworth on June 7, 2007 1:00 PM

THE new Off The Record site is now live.

Click on http://offtherecord.merseyblogs.co.uk/ to join in the debate.

This Battle of West Lancs site will be back for the local elections in May 2008.

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Racist Or Just Ill-Judged?

Posted by David Sudworth on June 7, 2007 6:00 AM

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WHAT a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago, David Phythian was just another face among many on the backbenches of West Lancs District Council and Up Holland Parish Council, busy sorting out complaints about potholes and making decisions on planning applications.

Fast-forward a week and his name has been plastered over all the media and internet following his conviction for making racist remarks about Pascal Chimbonda.

A search on Yahoo reveals just how far and wide this story has travelled. But despite that, Cllr Phythian had not given his side of the story.

However, in this week's Advertiser he granted me an exclusive interview in which he sheds some valuable light on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

I have to admit that being a Wiganer myself, and having been to matches at the JJB staduim a few times, I've heard the word 'mudhut' being used jokingly in reference to a house (do a search on Google or Yahoo under 'Wigan mudhut' if it sounds weird to you)

I've grown up with similar oddities (for some reason, we call people from St Helens 'Yickers'. Answers on a postcard please) and as such I've never really given them a second thought. Neither probably has Cllr Phythian, until now.

However, the burning question is was Cllr Phythian knowingly being racist or was it just an unfortunate choice of words given the circumstances in which they were uttered?

That is something the Labour Party heirarchy is going to have to make a decision on soon.

We're told the case is also being referred to the Standards Board for England, the governing body for councillors, but as this happened in his own private life, as opposed to while he was carrying out his public duties, it's open to debate how they'll proceed.

Last night, sources were saying there's general support for Cllr Phythian in the Labour Party but - and it's a big but - there's also a real concern about the racism issue.

Politics is all about making the right decisions... will Labour make the right one? .

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Mind Your Grammar, Mr Cameron

Posted by David Sudworth on June 6, 2007 6:49 AM

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I'M a broken man.

For weeks since the grammar school debate was sparked, I've managed to keep my trap shut because, admittedly, I know more about Benazir Bhutto's bunions that I do about grammar schools.

It kicked off while I was sunning my girth in Menorca. I just kept hoping the row would blow over so I wouldn't have to comment on it.

But I switched on the news last night and the BBC's Nick Robinson (nice bloke, he came up and chatted to me in the press gallery at Westminster a few years ago) was there grilling David Cameron over it.

My resolve was shattered.

To be honest, I couldn't really give a fig about grammar schools, having never stepped foot in one.

I'm told we don't have any in Lancashire so this is basically a row about a few counties in the south of England and an ideological row about a system which in the main died out years ago.

Although you wouldn't know it reading the Daily Mail, my paper of choice while on hols, as day-by-day it was getting increasingly hot under its starched collar about the Tories' so called "abandoning" of the sector.

It's so typical though that if it's affecting south England, then they think the rest of the country cares. I doubt they do, because believe me it certainly isn't a burning issue among my friends, family or colleagues.

The Conservatives have to be careful or this will turn into another Europe, an issue which made sure they came completely unelectable from 1992 onwards.

David Cameron must regain a tight grip of his party because if there's one thing voters hate, it's the political chattering classes indulging in protracted bouts of navel-gazing and infighting, something the national Tories have mastered down to a fine art in recent years.

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A Picture Tells a Thousand Words

Posted by David Sudworth on June 4, 2007 10:30 AM

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FOLLOWING my musings on political public relations, it reminded me of someone whose name and pictures are close to attaining legendary status on newsdesks the length and breadth of the region.

I'm talking about Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, someone who knows only too well the value of good PR.

The high-profile Mr Davies has supplied the Advertiser and many other organs with a wonderful array of pics to highlight certain campaigns he's been involved with.

Here's a select few from down the years (with the captions slightly altered purely for the purposes of this blog)

MEP discovers the quality second-hand car trade isn't what it used to be...

Lib Dem regrets lending Keith Richards his private jet ...

And my own personal favourite.........

MEP extends 'dog ate my homework' excuse after getting to Manchester Airport and realising he's forgotten his passport

Any alternative captions gratefully received, just click underneath and leave a message.

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We're All Cynics Now

Posted by David Sudworth on June 3, 2007 9:01 AM

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THIS week political journalists were doing what they love doing the most - talking about themselves.

I'm referring to the announcement that former tabloid editor Andy Coulson has been named the Conservatives' director of communications, which was quickly followed up by claims that he's being paid a nice big wedge too.

There's always been a steady flow of journos going into public relations as both professions are closely linked. Even locally, a number of people I've worked with have ended up working for councils and other public sector organisations and seem to make the transition of poacher-turned-gamekeeper very well (actually, I think that last analogy is a crude way of putting it but it sums it up quite nicely).

I must say though that for all the talk of spin in politics, the local parties seem to be able to do it perfectly well themselves. Rather than paying someone top dollar, the methods used at grass roots level are actually a lot more subtle.

From time to time for instance, I'll notice that letter pages carry comments from residents which look as if they are just from a normal member of the public. But if you scratch the surface, some of them are actually written by people with close ties to a certain party.

It's amazing, actually, how many times the 'Average Joe' is brought out to try and add some human interest to a political story. Like I said, very subtle and almost impossible to spot by anyone other than seasoned hacks.

Another example I remember from my early reporting days was when I received a press release and photo about a parliamentary candidate. It read something like as follows...

"Candidate Bloggs has held a meeting with top local business leaders to discuss a number of their concerns regarding government red-tape."

When I turned to look at the pic, I saw that every single one of them was a member of the same party - the candidate's party to be precise. When I pointed this out to the candidate's manager, he looked at me the same way my mum did when I said to her: "Father Christmas isn't real, is he?"

No wonder we're all now professional cynics...

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Tory Parliamentary Battle

Posted by David Sudworth on June 2, 2007 7:50 AM

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AS I've revealed in this week's Advertiser, the race is now on to become West Lancashire's next Conservative parliamentary candidate.

Personally, I think the best way forward to have open primaries for all candidates for every party.

They are a good idea of engaging with the public early on - something which is crucial to a successful election campaign. Of course, they are open to abuse by opposition parties but I reckon the benefits outweigh the potential risks involved.

I can remember the uproar in the local Labour Party when an all-women shortlist was announced for those who were vying for Colin Pickthall's seat. If the Tories went for the same option, which they have been given the option of, then it would probably end up with mutiny in the ranks.

There's actually quite a myth about all-women shortlists in that it's only the men who moan about them. One female Labour member told me at the time of the last selection process: "What kind of selection immediately discounts half of your membership in one go? It's political suicide."

And so back to the Tories, who now have to find someone who can beat Labour and the general election polls for the first time in 20-plus years. They're past masters at it in the locals, so what's gone wrong?

Any party which wants to win an election has to reach outside it's own comfort zone. And by this, I'm talking about going deep into opposition territory. There's no point in the Conservatives patting themselves on the back at their strong rural vote or Labour congratulating itself on their rock-solid domination of Skelmersdale - elections are won by taking your opponent's prized areas.

When Labour controlled the district, they held Halsall and the now defunct Lathom seat. Not Labour heartland but they were the key to power.
Labour's general election success has much to do with the strength of their Aughton/Burscough/Ormskirk vote - even though this is now True Blue territory!

The Conservatives, on the other hand, will have their sights on those three but they have to do more in the likes of Up Holland (which they nearly snatched from Labour last month) and even Skelmersdale. It's folly to discount Skem in a general election as it doesn't matter where the votes come from, a vote from Tarleton is just as important as a vote from Tanhouse.

Of course, national politics plays a massive part and for that reason, there's only so much the local party can do. So it'll be interesting to see what the ratings are for Brown and Cameron this time next year. By then, we'll have a much better understanding of how things may pan out.

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