Balfour House - Municipal Conservative HQ

[Smid]

The disgraceful under-provision of services in all middle class and upper class wards by the criminals and thieves of the Socialist Party should ensure that there will be a groundswell of support in places like Upper Stovesby, where we can potentially gain another councillor. We must work hard to defend Soult from the Liberals, however.

[Smid]

(IC)

I have arrested many a criminal in my day who would walk into a bank with a sawn-off shotgun and take money by force. That is thievery and yet we excuse those who walk into our homes and neighbourhoods and force us to part with our hard-earned, brandishing no more than a council by-law. The Municipal Socialist Party and its high-taxing Councillors are little more than an organised criminal gang.

(OC)

If you haven't noticed, my first-term Councillor has a tendency to shoot from the lip and say some pretty stupid things that will probably prevent him ever getting elected to the mayoralty. He's a bit of a loose cannon, but I think he'll learn to keep his mouth shut... slap him around a bit - he'll resent it but it'll be for the best. He's actually a reasonably sensible guy - as a copper he had to learn to be street smart, he'll wise up a bit and be politically smart, too, but it will take some time. (I think Out of Character comments are meant to be bold, but I think red makes it stand out enough here, without it looking like it's something terribly important).

[Smid]

Cr Finlay-Hamilton, would you please be able to elaborate on the two-tiered system you advocate? Do you mean that instead of incorporating areas outside of Stovesby into the municipality, we should devolve into two separate municipalities? While I have focused on the improved services the outlying areas of my ward would receive due to the need for these services to be expanded into newer areas, separating the Northwestern suburbs of Stovesby into a separate municipality is not without merit if it means money from the Northwest stays in the Northwest.

[Smid]

OC

It's not an area of policy I'm particularly familiar with, so I'm sorry to seek further clarification. Does this mean separate councils for separate boroughs with a degree of autonomy and with responsibility for certain areas of policy, but with an over-riding single council that had responsibility for other areas of policy? For example, each borough is responsible for, say, the collection of rubbish (remembering the three r's of local government are roads, rates and rubbish), however the larger council is responsible for planning laws and integrating public transport between the boroughs? If so, does each borough council have its own budget and is it from rates received in that borough or are rates paid to the larger council and funds then allocated to the borough councils? Again, sorry for asking these questions which are probably quite simple, I just want to have my head around it before debate on the issue resumes. In the meantime, I'm planning on making a speech to the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Soult ward about rates on business premises costing local jobs and the council not spending enough of the money taken from business on improving the local area to attract more residents to conduct business in the area. We lost the ward last election to the Libs and as I understand it, many residents in the local area are small businessmen and I therefore believe the issue will resonate strongly with those intending to cast a vote against the MSP but wavering between us and the Libs.

[Smid]

I firmly believe that Councillor Finlay-Hamilton has a keen understanding of the threat of the Socialists and their radical plans to change the character of our local neighbourhoods. Likewise, I believe he understands the threat of the Liberals, who are focusing on some of our previously-safer wards. We have lost three elections, and we failed to strengthen our position at the recent election. The Socialists are entrenched in City Hall and it is unlikely we will be able to claw our way out of opposition at the next election - it will most likely take us at least two elections to gain a majority as we seem to have squandered the opportunity presented to us at the election just held. Other Councillors may also have a suitable grasp of the dire circumstances our party finds itself in, and I note that Councillor Atkinson is prepared to assume the mantle of leadership, however of one thing I am sure: we need a change, and if Councillor Finlay-Hamilton is not willing to lead us through these dark days, I will support Councillor Atkinson.

[Smid]

Thank you, Councillor Knight. I congratulate you on your leadership win and pledge you my support.