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| Many Tory backbenchers are said to be "furious" at the PM's continued defence of embattled Whip, Andrew Mitchell |
In recent weeks, the government's cause was not helped by the hapless Andrew Mitchell, the government's Chief Whip, becoming a poster boy for this out-of-touch elite as mid-tantrum he allegedly screamed "Best you learn your f***ing place. You don't run this f***ing government. You're f***ing plebs." Of course, he denies using those words, but he has yet to say what he thinks he did say. And yesterday, the Prime Minister declined to give his account to set the record straight, and continues to back his man. (We've been here before of course - with Andy Coulson receiving Cameron's ill-judged support when it was clear to everyone else that he had to go.) Labour is pressing for a vote on the issue.
Under these circumstances, you would have thought Tories would be bending over backwards to show that they DO understand, that they DO realise that times are very hard indeed for many, many households, and that they are busy making things better for all the people of the nation that they govern - not just their wealthy friends and supporters. That's why I was amazed to see this tweet from Newton Abbot town councillor and election agent & organiser for Exeter Tories, Neil Wilson:
Needless to say, Exeter Labour councillors who saw this statement were outraged. We get letters and emails every day from local people who are struggling to make ends meet, who are skipping meals so that their children can eat, who are struggling to meet rent payments, energy bills and council tax payments. Yet, the Conservatives' local organiser - the man responsible for coordinating their elections - believes the idea that those who already have little are struggling with even less is "sh*t". It's time Neil got out there and spoke to some struggling families!
Neil soon realised his public Tweet may not be voter-friendly though, hastily deleting the offending statement, but not before a quick-thinking Cllr Catherine Dawson & Cllr Paul Bull had retweeted it.
He had deleted it, he said, because it was "not his most eloquent argument" and because "certain people seem intent on misconstruing a historical fact, for their own political purposes."
Two days later, I tweeted a report that showed that the highest proportion of children relying on foodbanks for nourishment in the UK is in the southwest. It was the most re-tweeted article I have ever posted from my account. I suggested Neil read it. Maybe he had learned something from our previous discussion. He hadn't:
I was gobsmacked. Our Tory organiser appeared to be suggesting that charitable food hand-outs were some kind of Big Society project to be welcomed, rather than a desperate charity safety net that shouldn't be necessary in the first place if people had decent jobs at a living wage.
Sadly, Neil is not alone in his views within the local Tory Party. On Tuesday night, at Exeter Council's Full Council meeting, Labour councillor Phil Bialyk tabled a Notice of Motion opposing the Government's proposals to introduce regional pay for public servants. What followed was extraordinary.
Local authorities up and down the country, of all political colours, have opposed regional pay. In areas like Exeter, where so many people work in the public sector, the local economy would be hard hit by a significant number of workers with less to spend each month. We expected a common-sense and relatively short debate followed by unanimous support for the motion.
Before Phil had even got to his feet to introduce the motion, Tory councillor Norman Shiel (no stranger to controversy) asked the Lord Mayor to move straight to the vote, with no open debate of this important issue. His proposal was immediately seconded by Tory Leader Yolonda Henson (below). The motion was, they tried to argue, party-political, and an opportunity for "grandstanding" from the Left. This despite the fact that many business leaders have spoken out against regional pay - this is not a public sector versus private sector debate!
The Labour benches were disgusted at this attempt to stifle debate, it showed a complete contempt for democracy and a disdain for our many local public sector workers. The Chief Executive interjected and explained that as debate had not begun, we could not yet go to the vote, and that debate should be allowed. Tory Jake Donovan was first to his feet, and spoke passionately (if not altogether coherently) about the injustice of public sector pay, and said that he would oppose the motion. Second, came another local Tory, Andrew Leadbetter, who said he had some sympathy with the motion, and would not oppose it - but nor did he feel he could support it either.
So much for the issue being "party political". Labour and the Liberal Democrats all spoke in support of the motion, while Tory after Tory spoke in different directions. Again, Cllrs Shiel and Henson moved to go to the vote. They were overruled by the Lord Mayor, and debate continued until everyone had had their say. In his summing up, Cllr Bialyk reminded Cllr Donovan that many public sector workers lived in his ward, Pennsylvania; and then requested a recorded vote - where rather than a show of hands each councillor has the way they voted recorded publicly and individually. The Tory councillors who had spoken so fiercely against the motion - Donovan, Shiel and Henson - appeared to lose their nerve. Every single Conservative councillor abstained. Every single Labour and Liberal Democrat councillor voted in favour of Exeter opposing Regional Pay.
Exeter, thanks to Labour and with support from the Lib Dems, now officially sides with public servants in resisting the cutting of their pay. We will stand with those families who are struggling to make ends meet in this recession - the deepest since the Second World War - and will oppose Tory cuts, whether to pay, welfare, or to local services.
And the local Tories? They seem as aloof as Andrew Mitchell, as dithering as Cameron, and as out-of-touch as their own local agent.
