John Hemming's Web Log

Camden LBC, Hampstead Town
LD Linda Chung 1242 (44.1; +11.5)
Con 1114 (39.6; -6.9)
Lab 289 (10.3; -1.0)
Green 140 (5.0; -3.3)
BNP 29 (1.0; +1.0)
[Ind (0.0; -1.3)]
Majority 128
Turnout 36.7%
LD gain from Con
Percentage change is since May 2006

Chiltern DC, Chalfont St Giles
Con 927 (68.1; +0.6)
LD Paul Meakin 434 (31.9; -0.6)
Majority 493
Turnout 25.4%
Con hold
Percentage change is since May 2007

Greenwich LBC, Plumstead
Lab 1318 (59.1; +12.4)
Con 542 (24.3; +1.5)
LD Leonie Barron 195 (8.7; -10.6)
Green 175 (7.8; +7.8)
[Ind (0.0; -11.2)]
Majority 776
Turnout 21.5%
Lab hold
Percentage change is since May 2006

Stevenage BC, Pin Green
Lab 716 (54.4; +6.9)
Con 321 (24.4; -5.1)
LD Gordon Knight 112 (8.5; -2.8)
UKIP 85 (6.5; +6.5)
Free England 81 (6.2; -5.4)
Majority 395
Turnout not known
Lab hold
Percentage change is since May 2008

Swale BC, Minster Cliffs
Con 549 (48.0; +1.6)
Sheppey First 328 (28.7; +28.7)
Lab 204 (17.8; +1.8)
LD Dave Manning 63 (5.5; -25.9)
[The official Monster Raving Loony Party (0.0; -6.2)]
Majority 221
Turnout …

The link is to Norman Lamont's article about the Government's Economic Policy.

I always wondered why there was such a treasury constraint on the building of housing for rent through Social Landlords. I had this theory that it could be as a consequence of trying to push up house prices through scarcity of resource.

In any event having a policy based upon equity withdrawal and ever increasing house prices to drive the economy was always unsustainable.

We are now starting to have to deal with the consequences of this.

The figures of 90-100bn for PSBR are very high indeed. I haven't yet seen a breakdown of this, but it would be interesting to see one. I shall try to post such a breakdown if I find one.

Glasgow City UA, Baillieston
SNP 2318 (45.3, +12.1)
Lab 2167 (42.3, -3.7)
Con 259 (5.1,-1.4)
LD David Jackson 159 (3.1,-0.7)
BNP 73 (1.4,+1.4)
SSP 58 (1.1,-5.6)
Green 45 (0.9,-0.8)
Ind 43 (0.8,-1.3)
Turnout 22.7%
SNP hold
The election was held under the AV system and the winner was elected at the 9th stage. Percentage change are on 1st preferences since May 2007 when the ward elected 2 Labour and 2 SNP councillors.


Leeds City MBC, Farnley and Wortley
Green 1183 (27.1, -17.5)
LD Rosie Spencer 1151 (26.3, +22.2)
Lab 1009 (23.1, +1.1)
BNP 556 (12.7,-1.1)
Con 428 (9.8, -5.2)
Ind 45 (1.0, -0.5)
Majority 32
Turnout 24.8%
Green hold
Percentage change is since May 2008


Pembrokeshire UA, St Dogmaels
Ind 496 (55.7, +17.4)
LD Elfyn Rees 177 (19.9, -41.8)
Ind 160 (18.0, -20.3)
Con 57 (6.4, +6.4)
Majority 319
Turnout 49.3%
Ind gain from LD
Percentage change is since May 2008


Rothwell TC, Trinity
Con 477 (52.5%)
Lab 373 (41.0%)
LD Daniel Garside 59 (6.5%)
Majority 104
Turnout 31.0%
Conservative hold


Suffolk CC. Woodbridge
LD Caroline …

When it comes to attempted coups within parties the standing orders are key. Generally things have been tightened up in all parties to make challenging the leader harder.

It was recently explained to me, but I have not confirmed this, that Labour's standing orders effectively permit the Cabinet to remove the leader. Hence it would be surprising for any cabinet minister to call for this publicly (and be sacked) because they would then be unable to participate in the coup.

The link is to a Scottish Appeal about a case where someone took a child to England from Scotland and an English Family Court decided unlawfully to take jurisdiction.

It is symptomatic of the way in which some English and Welsh Family Courts do not follow proper procedure and yet the system basically tolerates this.

I have even seen a case where a couple were divorced without the husband being told.

Note importantly in 6.
Despite the length and complexity of those proceedings, it may be noted that there has never been any hearing in England in which evidence respecting the substantive issues concerning the welfare of the child has been heard.

This is the Court of Appeal judgment from 2004

Guildford BC, Stoke
LD Zoe Franklin 864 (56.0; +3.0)
Con 410 (26.6; +7.6)
Lab 211 (13.7; -14.4)
UKIP 59 (3.8; +3.8)
Majority 454
Turnout not known
LD hold
Percentage change is since May 2007

Harrogate BC, New Park
LD Matthew Webber 843 (61.1; -14.2)
Con 491 (35.6; +20.9)
Lab 45 (3.3; +3.3)
[UKIP (0.0; -3.6)]
[BNP (0.0; -6.4)]
Majority 352
Turnout 33.7%
LD hold
Percentage change is since May 2007

Redcar and Cleveland UA, Guisborough
Con 1124 (55.9; +13.5)
Lab 887 (44.1; -0.8)
[LD (0.0; -12.7)]
Majority 237
Turnout 34.4%
Con hold
Percentage change is since May 2007

Okehampton TC, East Town
Con 452 (50.8)
LD Jackie Reynolds 437 (49.2)
Majority 15
Turnout 32.4%
Con gain from Ind

Stowmarket TC
Con 330 (40.0)
LD Nicky Turner 246 (29.8)
Green 156 (18.9)
Lab 93 (11.3)
Majority 84
Turnout 13.5%
Con hold

The government are now facing the consequences of a total free market in Energy. The difficulty lies in moving from a buyers market to a sellers market. Those people lucky enough to have stocks of fossil fuels make large sums of money through serendipity rather than inventiveness.

I will be waiting to see the Winter Outlook reports before coming to any conclusions as to what might happen this winter. If, however, the weather is as cool compared to normal as it has been in August then we are likely to face supply challenges. However, recent winters have been quite warm so it may not be any difficulty.

The Kingsnorth verdict shows the need for juries. This prosecution was a vindictive prosectution about political campaigning.

It is the second time Greenpeace have used the lawful excuse argument about a protest.

I don't think it is a general permission to put graffiti all over the place or do real damage to a power station that stops it working (for example).

However, it is a shot across the bows of an intolerant government.

I have linked to this case because it is an important case. I have not myself come to a view on it as yet.

The link is to the report on the Charities Commission website about the repayment of the Catz Club's £15,000.

Much less money that Bernie Ecclestone's "loan" of £1m.

From the report:
Findings
The Charity confirmed that it had issued a cheque for a general donation of £7,500 to the Labour Party. However, it explained that ‘the payment to the Labour Party was an administrative error’. The Charity had contacted the Labour Party who had agreed to reimburse the Charity’s donation. The Charity advised that the donation should have been made by the trading subsidiary, Catz Club Services Limited (“the trading subsidiary”).

Our enquiries identified that Catz Club Services Limited was the Charity’s trading subsidiary company. The Commission made clear to the Charity that as the trading subsidiary was a charitable asset owned by the Charity, it was therefore not permissible for the trading subsidiary to make a donation to the Labour Party either.

The Charity advised that in total…