Is Cllr McAsh mounting a leadership challenge to usurp Cllr Williams?

[Rockets]

https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/exclusive-southwark-council-leader-expected-to-face-leadership-challenge/

 

This might be fun to watch especially if there is any political collateral damage in East Dulwich as a result.

[Sue]

  On 14/03/2024 at 09:10, Rockets said:

https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/southwark/exclusive-southwark-council-leader-expected-to-face-leadership-challenge/

 

This might be fun to watch especially if there is any political collateral damage in East Dulwich as a result.

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Good for James McCash.

He seems to be  a proactive and responsive councillor.

Pity some people saw fit to give him such a hard time on this forum when he had only just taken up post.

[jazzer]

Needs keeping on a tight leash from what I've read on here about his antics, <removed>

[Penguin68]

  On 14/03/2024 at 16:41, Sue said:

Pity some people saw fit to give him such a hard time on this forum when he had only just taken up post.

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Actually, I think first thing he was welcomed on the forum - it was only later that things got tougher for him. Some at least of it self inflicted.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

  On 14/03/2024 at 17:02, jazzer said:

Needs keeping on a tight leash from what I've read on here about his antics, <removed>

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Absolutely wild that people are bantering about capturing and shooting local councillors. No wonder people are put off going into local government or politics by the amount of online trolling and abuse.

Edited March 15, 2024 by Administrator
Removed quoted comment as per above

[jazzer]

That's not abuse, by a wide mile. My opinion of what I've seen written about his political antics, which personally I find distasteful. 

[Rockets]

The problem for Cllr McAsh is that he is just the type of far-left politician that Labour HQ is trying to clean the party of - which might explain his timing for his mutiny and power play!

[CPR Dave]

He's moved to the right a fair bit though since Keir Starmer changed the Labour Party.

Describes himself as a Socialist now, and has abandoned Marxism.

[Penguin68]

  On 15/03/2024 at 18:10, CPR Dave said:

Describes himself as a Socialist now, and has abandoned Marxism

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To be fair, we have to rely on his own statements I believe that he has abandoned Marxism. Certainly we can see in his actions that he hasn't reached a 'withering away of the state' position, since he's still sold on untramelled state action, as regards the state he apparently wants to control. 

[Sue]

There was a mass exodus from the local Labour Party meetings  soon after Keir Starmer took over (including me).

I believe all or most of those who stopped going to the meetings also gave up their  Labour Party membership  (including me).

I'm not sure how relevant this is to the thread (I'm sure admin will act accordingly) but Starmer has moved Labour so far to the right, amongst other things, I am not sure that I can bring myself to vote Labour at a general election.

So (coming back to the topic of the thread) I am pleased to see someone active in local politics who still seems to stand for what I have always naively thought the Labour Party was supposed to stand for.

[tiddles]

I cannot stand him - and I am old school labour. His behaviour and demeanour at the CPZ consultations spoke volumes. He has wasted £k’s on consultations - the results of which were then ignored. The postage costs of materials that arrived after the shut off dates ( plus loads that were never received at all). His utter disregard for people who are disabled or do not have ready access to public transport, plus the numerous caregivers who get no more pay for sitting in gridlock. 
 

 

[Rockets]

Ha ha...Starmer is trying to make Labour electable (he is winning me back) and you can't do that from the far-left and this is why Labour HQ may have an issue with McAsh taking the helm of Southwark - a throw back to the dark, dark days of Corbyn!

 

To be honest I thought McAsh's bigger political aspirations died after his call to action to get people to block the police doing an immigration raid in Peckham was plastered all over the Mail - that stuff can come back to haunt you when you progress to the big leagues and causes problems with party HQs who want to present a more acceptable face to the masses!

Edited March 15, 2024 by Rockets

[Sue]

  On 15/03/2024 at 19:15, tiddles said:

I cannot stand him - and I am old school labour. His behaviour and demeanour at the CPZ consultations spoke volumes. He has wasted £k’s on consultations - the results of which were then ignored. The postage costs of materials that arrived after the shut off dates ( plus loads that were never received at all). His utter disregard for people who are disabled or do not have ready access to public transport, plus the numerous caregivers who get no more pay for sitting in gridlock. 
 

 

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Is all this solely down to James McCash?

And do you have evidence that he has "utterly disregarded" the needs of the groups of people you name? That seems very harsh.

Or has he balanced those needs (or tried to) against other needs? 

To be clear, I know very little about his recent  behaviour, so I am not taking sides here. He just impressed me when he first became a councillor.

Edited March 15, 2024 by Sue

[jazzer]

you can't change the spots on a leopard, insert mccash as you see fit..............................................

[Spartacus]

 

[jazzer]

very good!!!!

[tiddles]

I had no opinions about him until I came across him at a public meeting. 

[Dulwitch]

I have had extensive dealings with him in recent months, advocating for the rights of elderly and disabled residents which have been wholly ignored in the Streets for People policy and proposed CPZs. I support his aspirations to tackle climate change but not by ignoring the Equality Act of 2010 and airbrushing the needs of vulnerable residents from the future of the borough. I find him dogmatic and his attitude towards less able residents is despicable.

[kiera]

Reported by Southwark News today:-

"Southwark’s Council Leader, Cllr Kieron Williams, has seen off an internal Labour challenge within his group – winning 28 votes to 23 from challenger Cllr James McAsh.

Southwark News exclusively revealed the challenge earlier this month, coming from the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Streets and Clean Air, McAsh. The vote was held today, Saturday March 23rd, at Southwark Labour’s Annual General Meeting.

The close call of the vote means Cllr Williams now faces a tricky decision whether to keep Cllr McAsh in the fold, given his support, or remove him from the Cabinet."

[Rockets]

There may be trouble ahead....that was close.

[Spartacus]

Will he stay or will he go 

If he goes there will be trouble 

If he stays it will be double 

[CPR Dave]

Bring back James Barber!

[vladi]

  On 23/03/2024 at 23:34, CPR Dave said:

Bring back James Barber!

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Seconded !

[heartblock]

I think he is aligned with the left, but has allowed his own career to get in the way of what are supposedly his fundamental beliefs. I don't trust any 'politician' who changes their commentary to advance their own career, I can see why he has taken this journey, I like the person, but not someone I would vote for now.

[Penguin68]

  On 24/03/2024 at 11:53, heartblock said:

I think he is aligned with the left,

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I think the hard or far left would be more accurate, Marxism per se isn't a Labour Party or socialist requirement, and that allegiance he has only recently - well dropped, I think, rather than repudiated.

  On 24/03/2024 at 11:53, heartblock said:

I think he is aligned with the left,

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I think the hard or far left would be more accurate, Marxism per se isn't a Labour Party or socialist requirement, and that allegiance he has only recently - well dropped, I think, rather than repudiated.

Not sure why this posted itself twice in one box. Apologies - it wasn't that good!