It’s been a great six months in Brighton politics with the local elections resulting in a seismic shift in the political landscape. The next couple of months is likely to be a quieter period as people go on their summer holidays and the business of the Council and of Parliament eases off.
I have realised I should have been an MP. I am so attracted to the length of the summer recess. In order to experience part of the life of an MP I have decided to go off on my travels for a couple of months. What will I find when I return?
Will Dawn Barnett have resigned her seat and gone off with a convoy of Travellers? Will there be cannabis cafes on every street corner in Brighton Pavilion? Will Labour activists have learned to love Caroline Lucas? Will Momma Grizzly have discovered she is in the wrong party and have joined the SWP? Will Mary and Geoffrey have kissed and made up? Will Meat-free Monday have given way to Sizziling Steak Saturday? And most importantly, will John Barradell’s Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse get in touch with their feminine sides?
Enjoy your summer and see you in September.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Caroline Lucas, Dawn Barnett, Geoffrey Theobald, John Barradell, Mary Mears, Momma Grizzly, Rachael Bates |
Brighton Politics Blog 
Happy Holidays, no rest for me though…
There are few places where local politics as well as the town are as diverse and interesting as Brighton. Happy holidays.BPB….as for summer recesses…successive governments have put the squeeze on public sector holidays except for parliamentary breaks. When I was first a lecturer I had 78 days plus bank holidays and worked 17 hrs pw 9am-4pm, though in my most recent post I had 35 days plus bank holidays for a 23hr in -class week. Only MPs have good breaks!!
As for labour activists loving Caroline Lucas, it is hard to love someone responsible for exploiting your weaknesses and making you marginalised.
Dawn aka ‘ Boudicca’ Barnett will continue to sally forth against all who dare enter her kingdom of East Hangletonia.
Meat Free Mondays could be extended to everyday I would hope and your Four Horsemen ought to become the Three Graces in a feminist friendly council.
Momma Grizzly is a bright, enquiring young person who is not sitting on her tuchas but trying to mould the world blue, unfortunately,.
Geoffrey doesn’t need to kiss and make up after more than 40 years as a scion of Brighton blue party. He is more and more his own person and out of the shadows and coat tails of Stanley Theobald House.
Enjoy your holidays BPB.
As someone with an intimate knowledge and understanding of politics however you well know that MPs (and I would guess any politicians)don’t really get a holiday as such, let alone a long holiday!
The voting in the House may stop but that is only part of an MPs work, the emails, letters, telephone calls, constituency visits, media requests, meetings etc continue at pace for MPs of every political colour up and down the country I’m sure.
To have been disgustingly insulted – as a clown – by one of the Hangleton Councillors has made me sure that, here in Central, it is a case of pursuing one’s own course – and indeed finding public support for that decision. I do take this work seriously, and find that humour helps.
Perhaps the Hangleton Councillors were right for once
It is 2 long for BPB to be away when there is so much happening on the streets in our cities. My sister’s granddaughter was convinced rioters were gathering on the Level on Tuesday, with a view to looting central Brighton.Thankfully false tweets were the cause.
I am so glad it didn’t happen here. Why? Is it because we are middle class multicultural, educated, gay friendly, can bask in the Albion afterglow and have an apathetic white underclass?
Any views?
Why no riots in Brighton? I wonder if it’s the sea breezes – no coastal towns suffered, AFAIK – apart from Liverpool and Bristol, and they aren’t resorts.
On another topic, there’s a piece by Michael White in the Grauniad about the Green’s first 100 days … must’ve been a slow news day, and the piece reads as if his brain is still at least half on holiday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/aug/29/green-party-100-days-brighton?INTCMP=SRCH