Video: Parliament requires a shock to the system
June 12, 2009Our Member of Parliament, Richard Shepherd, is one of our best kept secrets in Aldridge-Brownhills. Watch this short video which demonstrates why he would make an excellent Speaker.
Councillor Mike Flower
Serving the people of Aldridge North & Walsall Wood on Walsall Council
About me
Mike Flower, twenty-six, represents a ward of over ten thousand people along with Cllrs Keith Sears and Anthony Harris. I was elected in 2006 and re-elected for four years in 2007 to sit on Walsall Council. I have been the Cabinet member for the Environment since mid 2009. Read more about Mike.
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Richard Shepherd – a very wealthy man indeed – has claimed 110k plus expenses in ‘07-’08. The idea that the man is somehow a revolutionary is hogwash; he’s a journeyman who’s been a professional parliamentarian for three decades. On that basis, he’s just the same old, same old.
A far better candidate would be Anne Widdecombe – she’s got authority, has served in government, and has always been outspoken, not just when there’s a top job up for grabs. She commands respect and I suspect she’s got more balls than Dickie. In every sense.
Mr Shepherd our best kept secret? There’s a reason for that…
And Ms Widdecombe’s equivalent expenses in those 12 months…?
Anee Widdecombe’s expenses are a similar figure at 115k – however, her staffing costs were higher by 15k and she doesn’t claim a second home allowance.
The point I make is that Mr. Shepherd appears to be trying to reinvent himself as some kind of reformer when he was quite happily aboard the gravy train for the previous 30 years. Just because the local councillors support him doesn’t mean that this MP – largely unknown by any of the public outside his constituency, and by quite a few within it – would make a good speaker. I personally cannot abide Widders but she commands respect and has the personality and wit to carry the job off.
Bob
Is that the same Widders who is member of Parliament for Maidstone, no more than 30 miles from Westminster? Well done her for claiming no second home allowance.
The Ann love-in aside, I don’t see that Richard or his backers have at any point claimed he has reinvented himself (in fact, very much the opposite) or indeed that he is a revolutionary. The very core of his campaign appears to be ‘been there, seen it, lost the whip after vocal opposition to Maastricht, lived by my beliefs, and I want to bring this attitude to the table’ – should there be anything there worthy of derision? I struggle to see it.
You berate him for being a ‘wealthy man’ who has ridden a ‘gravy train’ for years… how does this differ from your view of any other long-serving MP? Does longevity in post count for nothing? One thing’s for sure… people certainly know who he is, despite your rather snidey insinuation that he’s a nobody amongst even those in his ward.
I have nothing against Ann Widdecombe; I am not an active Shepherd-ite. What I can smell a mile off is provocation – if you like ‘Widders’, fine… make your point. But leave off rubbishing the honest endeavour of the blogger – as you tend to do with pretty much anything of any positive intent on this blog – if all you appear able to do is snipe.
Little chance of that though, I fear… after all that’d take more balls than Richard Shepherd or Ann Widdecombe have between them
But leave off rubbishing the honest endeavour of the blogger – as you tend to do with pretty much anything of any positive intent on this blog – if all you appear able to do is snipe.
One thing that I have noticed about ‘this blogger’ is that he does not complain about posts that are contrary to his own political beliefs. He also appears to be big enough to fight his own battles (witness the bail hostel which is stil not won but he is still fighting).
Having worked in a mining area during the 1980’s I saw, at first hand, the effect of the Thatcher policies. Have not voted for them since (indeed, drive back to where I used to live to vote against Edwina Currie). If Hesltletine or Clarke had become leaders of the Tories I may have given the matter some thought. The more I see of ‘this blooger’ the greater I like the cut of his gib. Real politicians have to give it and take it. I don’t know if ‘this blogger’ has parliamentry ambitions but if so I see a reasonable future (probably in opposition or a coalition government, but reasonable all of the same).
As for Mr Shepherd I don’t live in the constituency but do know who he is – mainly because I read political biograhies for pleasure. Don’t see him as a speaker – Widdecombe would bring a comic touch and has an amazing hat pin for bursting the balloons of pomposity. Any one remember when she announced her candidacy for leader of the tories. A genuine ‘nil points’ moment!
Jim
Just out of interest, today I asked 15 people from the area at random who their local MP was (some were workmates, others neighbours) – only 5 knew it was Richard Shepherd, 3 thought it was Bruce George and 7 didn’t know and/or care. All but 3 knew who Widders was, so that’s my point. If you really want to sort politics out, you have to bring it to the people. Richard Shepherd may be a nice bloke who strokes passing cats, but that doesn’t remove the fact that he’s a long term parliamentary seat-warmer who’s largely unknown to non-politicians. Longevity is irrelevant if you’re in a seat that you could only lose if you were deselected or died.
On the subject of this blog, if Mike wants a love in, I suggest he goes to the local Conservative club. He does a good job and is very brave to open his blog to debate. I’m sure he knows that I respect his point of view, but often don’t agree with it. Isn’t that the essence of debate? I really can’t be bothered to post on subjects that I support or don’t care about – life’s too short and that would just be sycophantic. However, when commenters do not agree or support him, he’s big and ugly enough to come here and argue the toss like the gentleman he surely is.
I’m not a political animal in the slightest, but hubris should never go unchallenged. None of these people were elected by a majority of their constituents, but most were elected by apathy.
Bob