Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Labour Party Verdict on Cllr Sheila Peacock?
How many gaffes
Can a councillor mouth out?
Before their party says: 'Whoa!!'
The answer my friend
is blowin' in the wind
Hold on till they let us know.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by neil on
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Gaffs or not, she should retire, put her feet up and spend time with the grandkids. She must have a demonic grip over the local party machinery for them to select her again ?
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Neil, on that demonic grip:
There are some good and decent Labour Councillors in Haringey.
Too often however, this Party selects candidates largely on their ability to attract groups of voters identified by race or religion, rather than a general appeal that transcends ethnicity, nationality etc.
This is consistent with the current leader's fondness for Identity Politics.
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Sure, I know two of them (good councillors). As a general point, surely there needs to be an age limit for standing. If councillors spend more time protesting about Palestine than traffic in the borough, that's a red flag as well.
I don't care that much for peoples' affiliations so long as they do a decent job taking up local issues and defending their wards.
I used to be political but I've given up with it. Caring about local issues and trying to add value to the community is more rewarding.
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Neil, following Alan Stanton's reference to the Pickwick Papers and being lazy—not wishing to look up Dickens' discussion on the Eatonswill election—I asked ChatGT for a summary. Not all of the following will describe the Haringey local election in May 2026 ~
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In The Pickwick Papers (1836–37), Dickens gives a sharply comic and satirical portrait of the Eatonswill election, mocking the corruption, hypocrisy and rowdiness of contemporary English elections.
Briefly, Dickens shows that Eatonswill’s candidates are:
Party puppets, supported not for merit but because they belong to the Buffs or the Blues (the town’s rival political factions).
Shamelessly flattering, each promising whatever their supporters want to hear.
Surrounded by bribery, drunkenness and mob violence, with free beer, paid crowds and inflammatory speeches.
More interested in spectacle than substance, with insults, parades, and propaganda leaflets replacing any real policies.
Through Mr. Pickwick’s horrified observations, Dickens ridicules the entire process, implying that neither candidate is genuinely worthy — they are simply figureheads in a noisy, corrupt, and farcical system.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Neil could you please take a little time and be specific on your remark against councillors spending "time protesting about Palestine" [rather] "than traffic in the borough", Do you think its not possible to do both?
Is this about Independent Socialist Mary Mason joining a protest walk from Egypt to Gaza? I admired her courage. (Even if it was highly unlikely to succeed.)
Or was it an implied criticism of Alex Worrell in mentioning Gaza in her letter resigning from Labour? Again a decision of principle referring to wider key issues affecting everyone: the threat of Climate Change ; The recasting of refugees as a burden instead of a duty under international law. Plus the redefinition of social security as "Welfare" or handouts. As if we should abandon and forget all neighbourly or community ethical or religious traditions we once professed.
I don't expect everyone to join me in giving priority to Genocide - Raphael Lemkin's crime of crimes. But that's how I see it when the Political Party I once gave my energy and spare time to, is now complicit in enabling this industrial scale murder to take place.
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I wasn't having a dig at anyone in particular. Local party politics is so tedious! Much grandstanding, dramatic resignations, attention seeking!
What good does any of this do in solving local issues, the matters that should be priorities for local councillors ?
Surely there are better ways to channel energy into matters you care about ? Work or volunteer for a charity ? Raise money for causes ?
Please don't stand for election in Haringey and spend all your valuable energy and spare time devoted to causes out with the local area. That's all I ask.
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Neil, I keep coming back to your post above. Asking myself if there's anything I could suggest which may perhaps gently point you to an alternative route outwith what to me seems a cramped view of local democracy.
A perhaps odd thing is that from the elected councillors I once got to know, many of the best and most empathetic, interesting people brought with them into the councillor job: knowledge, enthusiasm, commitment and creativity from beyond the local area. Which meant they did a better job for their limited councillor role.By rthe way, this morning I listened to the last of this year's Reith Lectures and I'm recommending it. If you haven't already done so, please give it a whirl.
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Thanks. I was chewing over what I wrote too. I think i failed to articulate my thoughts clearly.
My sister's intended is an labour association chair in the SW and used to lead a inner London authority. We talk about these matters in some depth. My opinions don't reflect his views but we do ask ourselves why Palestine ? Why not Ukraine or Sudan ?
I don't understand why Palestine has always been such an obsession or rallying call for left wingers, the Corbyns or Owen Jones's.
I am not meaning to impugn those on the left for their sincere beliefs, but I've never understood why they coalesce and rally around the plight of Palestinians while seeming to ignore Putin and his direct threats to us in the UK for example.
Maybe off topic for HoL! So we should let this go for now or find some place in Reddit to discuss further. Reddit is a most congenial place for me, The classic music 'sub' is fun, as is the London one.
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Neil, you say you "don't understand why Palestine has always been such an obsession or rallying call for left wingers, the Corbyns or Owen Jones's".
You add that the complaint ignores others e.g. Putin's behaviour.
One question for me is why you don't recognise the whataboutery / whataboutism' here.
You can easily find examples and explanation online. I gather this was a fallacy taught by the sophists in ancient Greece.
In any case your basic assumption is untrue. The allegation that mostly people on the Left criticise Israel is refuted noting which MPs took funds from the Israel Lobby in 2024. Please see the website Reclassifieduk.org In 2024 it published a full list showing a quarter of the MPS at the time had taken cash from that lobby including some free trips to Israel.
They were so-called Friends of Israel. They included both Tories and Labour MPs.The real major issue here, in my view, is Genocide. Perhaps this is what's bothering you most?
I know that many people feel very strongly about it but also feel unable to change what the parties do. I suggest anyone who has this view can write to or email the local candidates and ask them to give a personal assurance that they are do not endorse genocide.No assurance; no vote. It may concentrate minds.
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Thanks.
"Whataboutism/Whataboutery" was a term coined by Edward Lucas to describe tactics employed by Putin apologists to attempt to deflect from the despot's tactics in Chechnya. It's not applicable to my question.
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Neil, thanks for the reference to Edward Lucas. But please let's not go down the side alley of: who first used the terms whataboutery /whataboutism. It's a fair question but not - in my view - the best route to a balanced understanding of the prison state of Israel/Palestine.
On the issue you raised of how outsiders views of that state have shifted over the years you may like to look at a current video with Professor John Mearsheimer
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