Monday 19 December 2011

Brian Coleman's magic bullet to kill Andrew Dismore in the GLA Elections

I had a very interesting conversation with a Jewish friend yesterday. The subject of Brian Coleman's run for the GLA in May came up. He told me about a rather interesting conversation he'd had regarding Colemans campaign. As he has previously supported the Conservative party financially, it was suggested that he may like to help out. Now my friend is no friend of Brian Coleman. He replied that there is no way he could possibly support Brian Coleman. The response came back "Brian is a staunch supporter of our community. If his campaign is not successful, it may have serious consequences for Boris in the mayoral election. We all know what a Livingstone mayoralty means, so it is vital that we support Brian to the hilt".

My friend responded that he would open his wallet on the day they deselect Brian Coleman. He also suggested that if it is so important for the community to keep Ken out (which he heartily agrees with), that Coleman should fall on his sword for the "good of the community". Andrew Dismore knows that Brian Coleman is his biggest assett. Both Andrew and Ken are praying that the Tories keep him as he's a liability. Private conversations with local Labour activists tell me that they think the Coleman factor is worth at least 10% to their campaign. As to the financial side, I doubt it will hurt the Tory campaign too much. Some of their supporters have very deep pockets. They will make up any shortfall. When I stood against the Conservatives in Mill Hill last May, certain wealthy locals gave huge donations for my rivals campaign. They did this despite the cast iron knowledge that I would stand up for the green belt far more strongly than my Tory Candidates, I was promoting a pro small business parking policy for Barnet, that I work tirelessly to try and ensure that Barnet Council is run openly and transparently and that I was born and raised in Mill Hill and care passionately about the area. Of course it's their cash, so they can do what they like with it, but I have taken a grim satisfaction in hearing how fed up they are with the policies their cash ensured could be implemented.

The one thing I learned last May is that cash talks. Whilst we campaigned tirelessly on the doorstep, spent hours ensuring we got our message out that we cared about Mill Hill, the Tories had cash, printed thousands of glossy leaflets, paid for them to be delivered. These leaflets were full of porkies, such as the one that the Lib Dems were planning a huge football stadium for Kentish Town FC (average crowd 30), for Copthall Stadium. They also said they were bringing in business friendly parking charges.

That is Brian Colemans magic bullet. He has the big money in Barnet behind him and his cronies. As the mayoral and GLA election draws closer, we'll see more glossy brochures and more people will get telephone calls from people they don't know telling them all manner of old crap, which they will bitterly regret listening to, if they fall for it.

In the run up to last May's council elections, we campaigned tirelessly for a better parking policy for Barnet High Streets. This was supported by the Federation of Small Business. In light of what the Tories have done, you probably wouldn't be surprised how many people have told me they bitterly regret their decision to vote Tory. Brian Coleman may have the expensive silver bullet to kill Dismore's GLA campaign. He still has to make sure that they hit Dismore's campaign in the heart to kill it.

11 comments:

Morris Hickey said...

Nobody should fear breaking the habit of a lifetime. Until last year I voted Conservative in every election since I became eligible in 1957. I have stood for election 8 times as a Conservative, 6 of those successfully and the last time as a "paper" candidate.

Last year I voted for only 2 candidates - I could not in all conscience vote for the third. Given the same slate again it would be only one.

Next year I shall vote for Boris, but will not vote for the lazy b****r who has been the GLA member for the last 8 years. Barnet residents can do the same.

Rog T said...

Morris,

Sound advice indeed. The only way we'll get decent politicians is if we don't vote for the ones that are useless.

Merry Xmas !

Regards
Rog

Mrs Angry said...

hello Morris: fancy meeting you here!
Enjoy your retirement.
Rog: I had forgotten all that bogus outrage stirred up by the Tories about Copthall & the football club: goodness me, the same outrage appears to be missing from the 10,000 seater Saracens proposals, doesn't it?

Mrs Angry said...

ps it is important that we get the message over that the mayoral vote and the member vote are separate issues.The easily impressed voter who thinks Boris is a harmless buffoon will very probably not feel the same way about their own GLA member, especially if they live in this consituency. There will also be many thousands of normally conservative minded voters enfuriated by the parking catastrophe that Coleman has forced onto this borough who will be queueing up to vote for Dismore out of a sense of revenge: and who couluc blame them?

baarnett said...

I get the impression some of Brian's votes have come from "Well, at least he speaks his mind" casual supporters.

That strand has surely gone for him now. People know his name, and that they can get rid of him next May, from at least some of his £120,000-a-year roles.

Why, soon he will have so little income that he ought to be offered subsidised housing.

ainelivia said...

Boris "a harmless buffon"?? he's a piranha, a nordic looking piranha with a funny haircut.... Boris is in it for Boris and his road to No 10..... Boris talks, but does not listen.... Boris loves to do the eye-catching stuff that gets him noticed, Boris, dare i say is something of a media "man of the night".... Boris wants an airport in the Thames.. hasn't anybody told Boris that Venice is sinking.... get the idea... i don't like BJ and i'd rather eat spiders than vote for him..... not that anyone has asked me to... yet..

Morris Hickey said...

Hope you enjoy the spiders......

APML said...

99.99% of my preditions have been right in the past,so i will hedge more bets..GLA,Dismore scraping through by the skin of his teeth,Coleman not going quietly,.. General election 2015..Labour win,Wonder boy not going quietly,UKIP a close third,that is my honest opinion,i hope my experience keeps up with me ...

APML said...

Morris,the lazy bastard you may be reffering to is only there for a bit of easy cash and kudos,so don`t worry he`s gone and very sussed out.!!

Morris Hickey said...

You will see from my first post, button55, that I said "lazy b****r" - not "lazy b*****d". I live in neither Barnet nor Camden so we are talking about two different people. But I agree their motives - it has to pay better for either of them than doing a real job.

APML said...

Morris i`m a mind reader as well i know fully well to what you were thinking,but you are more diplomatic than me lol..

Merry Chritmas my friend..