So, the jostling for position has begun for the May 2 county council elections which, among other things, could see UKIP fielding candidates in all 57 seats.
This surely means a return to battle for Jim MacArthur who has spent these past months licking his wounds and spitting out the odd bit of bile too at the man who beat him to the #PCC job last November (not to mention yours truly and Chron crime reporter John Harrison). Jim’s expected re-entry to the fold in his 70th year will be welcome in a week in which there have been some interesting early developments in Labour’s bid for power. Aufona hears from a very well placed source that the party fancies its chances of beating Norman Hacker (69 in April) and his grandees come polling day. One of the early shock moves has been the rejection of (almost) veteran Labour councillor for Corby Central, Mark Bullock. He didn’t get the seat he wanted and nor did Red Bev Mennell, the very singular borough councillor who wanted to stand in the new St George’s ward. Meanwhile, Winston Strachan looks a shoo-in for Castle ward which, it’s whispered, may not be fought by xSPcTCxMP (Ind)...
Wishing independent Liam Costello the best of luck with this motion before (doomed) Wootton and East Hunsbury Parish Council: “The council notes none of the streetlights in Simpson Manor have been switched off since the roads were adopted last year despite all being high energy sodium lights. The council notes Cllr Gonzalez de Savage, the county council cabinet member responsible for switching off the lights in all other parts of the county, is a resident of Simpson Manor. We share the concerns of residents in other parts of the parish, who are stumbling around in the dark, that he is using his position to confer an undue advantage to himself. The council therefore calls upon the county council to switch off 50 per cent of the streetlights in Simpson Manor, or alternatively switch on all streetlights in the parish, so residents receive the same standard of service as Cllr Gonzalez de Savage receives. After all “we are all in it together”.” Priceless.
 |  |