Potholes, Pointing and the Politics of the Playground Iver Parish Council Chairman Julian Wilson above assesing the electoral swing. So, as election fever hits the nation and the political temperature rises its time to look back and reflect on what we have learned.This blog set out to collate the classic local press Glum Councillor photo - we have found no shortage - and along the way inspired a couple of similar Ridiculously Specific Single-Topic Blogs One noticeable thing identified through cataloguing all this nonsense has been the absence of any distinctive political philosophy in the local campaigns… not one councillor pointing at a pothole is arguing a case against a pro-pothole opponent. In the main the outrage and upset are focussed on technical issues which are used as a stick to beat their incumbent opponents. Litter, graffitti, and road maintenance are the job of the the local authorities service delivery departments and agencies. It is not the job of elected officials to nag Highways Officers to do the job they are paid for… our elected representatives should be offering leadership, and presenting a positive image of the type of local society we hope to attain. The “I-can-sort-out-all-your-problems-vote-for-me” attitude results in Councillors micro-managing the road menders. Lets hope the election period allows an opportunity for councillors to raise their eyes to the horizon as Oscar Wilde reminds us: “we are all in the gutter, but some of ure are looking at the stars”. Okay rant over … back to what you came here for… pictures of pompous councillors looking silly. Here are the political Swings and Roundabouts… Coventry Cllr Marcus Lapsa (above) tests the political swingometer whilst Cheslyn Hay Parish Cllrs Mac Harris and Bob Denson (below) are the big boys scaring the little kids off the roundabouts. Glumcouncillors: trying to make sense of local politics … and if we can’t make sense of it … we’ll make fun of it!

Potholes, Pointing and the Politics of the Playground

Iver Parish Council Chairman Julian Wilson above assesing the electoral swing.

So, as election fever hits the nation and the political temperature rises its time to look back and reflect on what we have learned.This blog set out to collate the classic local press Glum Councillor photo - we have found no shortage - and along the way inspired a couple of similar Ridiculously Specific Single-Topic Blogs

One noticeable thing identified through cataloguing all this nonsense has been the absence of any distinctive political philosophy in the local campaigns… not one councillor pointing at a pothole is arguing a case against a pro-pothole opponent. In the main the outrage and upset are focussed on technical issues which are used as a stick to beat their incumbent opponents. Litter, graffitti, and road maintenance are the job of the the local authorities service delivery departments and agencies. It is not the job of elected officials to nag Highways Officers to do the job they are paid for… our elected representatives should be offering leadership, and presenting a positive image of the type of local society we hope to attain. The “I-can-sort-out-all-your-problems-vote-for-me” attitude results in Councillors micro-managing the road menders. Lets hope the election period allows an opportunity for councillors to raise their eyes to the horizon as Oscar Wilde reminds us: “we are all in the gutter, but some of ure are looking at the stars”.

Okay rant over … back to what you came here for… pictures of pompous councillors looking silly. Here are the political Swings and Roundabouts…

Cllr Marcus Lapsa swings both ways

Coventry Cllr Marcus Lapsa (above) tests the political swingometer whilst Cheslyn Hay Parish Cllrs Mac Harris and Bob Denson (below) are the big boys scaring the little kids off the roundabouts.

Councillor Bob Denson said he had been forced to remove youths from the site before locking the play area at dusk. Cllr Denson said: The scheme has been very well supported, the younger children love it but it has been abused by older kids. Recently, I have had to lock the play area every night as youths were gathering there. I ask them to leave but they just shout abuse.

Glumcouncillors: trying to make sense of local politics … and if we can’t make sense of it … we’ll make fun of it!