Brighton and Hove is at risk from a political earthquake
Feeling weary? Tears in your eyes about the state of our nation? I will dry them all. I’m on your side.
When times appear rough, and friends can’t be found, I would like to provide a bridge over our current troubled waters.
It is clear that Britain stands, like a colossus, astride two pillars that support our great prosperity: our institutions, such as the civil service and our legal system, and a private sector, so dynamic that our residents have on average almost 20 per cent more to spend on themselves, and their families, than either the French or Germans do.
Our military is by far the most effective in the world. This is not just a trite statement – having worked alongside many, most can’t even claim to be in the same league as our excellent, efficient and professional armed forces.
Disquiet about the health of our nation is misplaced, as recent statistics on avoidable mortality shows rates have plummeted – contradicting the “misinformation” we are fed about how our lives are deteriorating.
In sport, taken collectively, our footballers, cricketers, rugby players, olympians, golfers, F1 drivers and teams and any assortment of numerous other world sportsmen and women are simply the best.
Don’t get me started on the divers who found the Thai footballers – true heroes.
A confident nation able to laugh at ourselves, our talent for comedy is second to none.
In music we have, undeniably, the best in the world but, with complaining a national trait, we moan that it is “not as good as it was in my day”.
We apologise often – even when we are not at fault.
I am afraid, however, that even a good cup of tea these days can’t stop us frowning at the state of our local politics.
Across Brighton and Hove, the hard left Corbyn-supporting organisation Momentum is threatening the deselection of sitting Labour councillors and, following the local elections next year, will surely enact a grotesque socialist experiment on our city.
The original Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 226 BC.
A similar political earthquake, I fear, may have a similar effect on our city.
Councillor Tony Janio is the leader of the opposition Conservatives on Brighton and Hove City Council.
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With you all the way, my son
This city is rapidly becoming a Marxist outpost.
Apres moi la deluge!
This reads like a battle cry, nothing in this opinion post is supported by any factual evidence. When I went looking for information to support your claims I seem to turn up evidence that shows that your opinion is not built on facts.
http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/income/
It would be interesting to hear what the Conservatives would actually do if they were elected in Brighton and Hove rather than read this empty waffle. Would they, for example, continue the housebuilding programme, including with Hyde? Would they aim to increase housebuilding? Or cut it altogether?
Could we expect more or less affordable housing? I mean genuinely affordable housing.
Would they give the community and voluntary sector the funding to help them to do their job properly? Each pound spent through those sorts of groups tends to save several more pounds of public money if targeted and managed properly.
Will they take the next steps, if that’s the right term, to boost cycling locally, having been less than keen on cycle lanes last time they ran the council?
And can they fill the potholes? As a cyclist and a driver, I know how dangerous and sometimes plain terrifying they can be.
At the moment there seems to be a lot of yah-boo politics from the Tories and not much by way of a constructive alternative.
They’ll be hard-pressed to win the council but it would be good to see them actually try rather than just engage in low-level name calling.
“Feeling weary? Tears in your eyes about the state of our nation?” Yes, due to 8 years of horrific policies and a referendum caused by YOUR party. This man genuinely may be the least self aware person in politics, and that really is saying something. Time and time again throughout these ‘lets slag off every other party but mine’ pieces this paper bizarrely wastes time on week in week out he pontificates about how bad things are and how letting his party run the council, and country, is the only sensible decision, when the exact problems he talks about were entirely caused by his party to begin with. It’s like he has the most selective memory in existence. Bizarre.
Someone lives in a fantasy world. The military? Do we have any of it left after all the cuts and daft projects? We are spread so thin now.
Why the filler about sport and Thailand? Nothing to do with politics.
But you could learn from those sportsmen and divers. They work together with strangers to make a better team. Not trying to be indivuals taking all the credit and blaming others.
What is making a mess of this city is the bizarre constant bickering from the Councillors from all sides. You are like children – grow up and properly represent us.
Probably better to write your columns before lunch in future?
Remember, kids – don’t give ecstasy to middle-aged Tories.
Janio is supposed to lead the Tories on the Council, but all he ever talks about here is the Labour Party. I suppose it’s not hard to understand why he wouldn’t want to talk about the Tories…….
Not surprising he talks about Labour, given how the party’s imploding. The media are totally underplaying it. Hardly any of the current Labour councillors will be standing next May, having been purged by Militant, sorry, I mean Momentum. It’s the revenge of the great unwashed!!!
Oh God…I wish Hove was not joined to Brighton