Balfour House - Municipal Conservative HQ

[afleitch]

Welcome to Balfour House, home to the Stovesby Municipal Conservative Party the meeting place for all party members and all moderates and progressives associated with the party on the local level. The building has been recently refurbished and was kindly opened by the Rt Hon Mr Richard A Butler.

Please post all public party business in this forum.

[afleitch]

Language gentlemen, language.

We cannot combat Socialism in any form if we equate them with criminals and communists. Many people within the socialist movement are as mistrusting of communism as we are and we should be mindful of that. We should be grateful that socialists in this city and the nation have not gone down the path of ideological suicide.

[afleitch]

Mr. Finlay-Hamilton, I disagree with you. The Socialists are very openly communists and they have a clear Marxist agenda. We must do everything that is in our power to stop their conversion of England into a Soviet Satellite.

As you know, I am up for reelection in Frodsby. I plan to make fighting communism the cornerstone of my campaign, and I invite the party as a whole to adopt this platform.

Utter nonsense. What on earth do you wish the rest of the country to think about our local party? Hmm? Our national leadership has reached a consensus on the welfare state and on ensuring that we build a modern progressive society.  The people of Stovesby wish for their roads to be swept, their litter collected, their milk delivered, their parks tended, their children kept safe. They do not give a thrupenny about the war with Communism that is going on inside your head.

[afleitch]

Out of character.

Great I share a party with a bunch of anti-communist obsessives. Here's me thinking I was playing a game in a party that had some resemblence to a local party in 50's Britain

[afleitch]

Out of character.

Great I share a party with a bunch of anti-communist obsessives. Here's me thinking I was playing a game in a party that had some resemblence to a local party in 50's Britain

-OC-

Don't worry, it won't be bad.

-OC-

But that is all that people seem to be playing. If Al runs these elections accurately those who bang about communism should loose their seats because I think locals would be genuinely sick of them.

[afleitch]

I respectfully disagree. A two tier Greater Stovesby will undoubtedly increase both local representation and our own representation. There is much local affinity 'for the Saints' area of the city - St Albans, St Andrews, St Michaels, Culzeansands and Willowtree that can be served in one Borough in a Greater Stovesby 'with and apart' from the city. Putting a two tier system to the people will undoubtedly be popular.

As for the 'Red' talk, I will not take these discussions further only to say that if the impact on our effectiveness and organisation at the next General Election is hampered then we may see the wrath of the national party come down us somewhat deservedly.

[afleitch]

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.

The plan is no too dissimilar to plans on the table for London. London is a sprawling metropolis that rests upon medieval county boundaries with superimposed Victorian boroughs. It is far too haphazard for the capital. A larger Greater London composed of autonomous boroughs is the solution (though who knows what wrangling will take place before anything is concrete)

I wish for a Greater Stovesby; it is important in the modern era to ensure that we have co-ordination of transport, industrial development, housing and urban planning. In doing this we can weaken the control that Stovesby City has over the whole metropolis by creating new boroughs out of the current city. We can have links to the city through a 'Metropolitan County', but each area within the current city can regain the local autonomy that we have lost. I do not deny that a Greater Stovesby may become a bastion of the Socialists, but many of the boroughs within can be pockets of Conservative resistance, a far better solution to Socialist dominance than we have at present.

OC - Cllr FH is referring to one of the many Local Government reforms that would be thrown up in the 1950's and 60's. 1958 saw the establishment of the Local Government Commission which proposed piecemeal changes. This was wound up in 1966 and it was not until the 1970's that full scale reform was implimented. An area like Stovesby could be considered at the time the game is set, as a special consideration but like real attempts, could fall foul of partisanship and bickering.

[afleitch]

^^^
short answer - yes

[afleitch]

Gentlemen

Action is required if we are to make gains in the upcoming election. We are doing very well it seems in our battles aganist the Socialists, however I have concern over any Liberal advance; while I do not believe the rumours generated from the Municipal Liberals that they are running a close battle in Culzeansands for example, I will be spending the remainder of the campaign there. I do not want people to believe rumours to the extent that they become self-fulfilled.

Our message should be clear; a vote for the Liberals will help the Socialists. The Socialists have the chance to make drastic structural and community change to this city over the coming years. Municipal conservatives should be aware that if given the chance, Socialists will 'build us out of the city.' Let voters know that their local park in only a matter of months could be given over to 'progress', that they may soon be walking their dog or nannying their children in the shadow of tall concrete housing blocks. 'Socialism through mortar' is politically motivated and designed to plant socialist leaning voters in moderate areas ensuring socialist dominance of the city. We cannot let that happen and we must remind voters that only we can stop it.

[afleitch]

One Loss. One Gain and we held off the Liberal challenge.

Gentlemen, we can take stock of these results in due course. However I must take a second to congratulate our candidate in Culzeansands on his narrow victory. And yes there are eyes in this room who refused to believe that the Liberals could provide as strong a challenge as they did. This is of course not a time for 'told you so's'; it is a wakeup call to ensure that we remain vigilant about the Liberal menace.

[afleitch]

Cllr Finlay-Hamilton nods upon hearing his appointments.

Thank you Mr Knight. If I may excuse myself as soon as the meeting has concluded. I have other business to attend to. I will of course make myself available again upon my return.