Silly me. Shouldn’t have expected any better from the man who brought us “that Platts woman”.

I was on the picket line on both days, chatting with fellow GMB members. As a councillor member of the GMB I am in regular contact with the Branch Secretary, we have a good two way exchange of views and issues which has been going on for longer than the time I have been a councillor, and of course has dwelt a lot on the Single Status/Future Pay issues.

It was noted by those on the picket line that Labour councillors had been there, and Simon Burgess too. Interesting though that most of the comments about them were along the lines of ‘A bit rich they show up now when they did bugger all while they were the administration to sort it out’. Simon Burgess in particular as the erstwhile leader of the council was in the firing line on that score. It’s easy to support a cause when not in office for sure, but it is astounding to support a cause largely created by your own inaction and ineptitude.

For the record, I was also on the CWU picket line recently, and the mood music about Labour was much the same there.

If you want to chat with me or Jason as your councillors, you don’t have to wait till you track us down at some public event. Feel free to call me on 296429 or email sven.rufus@brighton-hove.gov.uk anytime you want.

I am not Brighton based but I know local greens have been active on this and good for them

hey and do promote the meeting on tuesday if you haven’t already done so
‘

On Tuesday,trade unionists and their supporters will be meeting at the Brighthelm Centre to hear from 3 groups of local workers currently involved in industrial disputes.

It starts at 7.30pm in the Hanover room at the Brighthelm Centre on Tuesday 17th November’

Ah well, I’ll forgive you, though perhaps you jumped to criticise from your perch a day early…

Speaking of good ol’ fashioned websites, why such local Labour silence on their website(s) about the strike and, er, most other things?

It is interesting that although local Labour luminaries Nancy Platts, Simon Burgess and Gill Mitchell can be seen proudly on theGMB strike picket line on Nancy’s campaign blog (it may be in other places, too), there’s nothing at all on the local city Labour party site or rather *sites* as there seem to be two competing versions:

http://www.brightonhovelabour.com/9.html and http://www.brighton-hove-labour.org.uk/index.htm

In one, although undated, most of the news releases seem quite old, kind of mid-summer-Goldsmid by-election-madness time of year.

On the other, there’s something on ‘Fair Trade’ listed under last month but nothing on the refuse strike.

Are there any more city Labour sites that I’m not finding?

Why does Nancy’s campaign blog fly the lone flag of local Labour’s online communications?

At least Caroline Lucas, busy woman as she is, can be forgiven for a day’s delay in posting to her blog as it only adds to rather than flies as a lone flag of Green opinion what with so many other bloggers and a single up-to-date Green Party website.

Nancy’s burden must be a heavy one, in contrast; her humble blog carrying all the weight of communicating Labour’s policy and campaign messages to the people of Brighton.

Anyway, although I’m a devout Green, I have to say I love *your* blog.

It is amusing with all the cake baking and flowers, makes me giggle and is very enjoyable. Will certainly be following you from now on.

Best,

Brighton Sense
(Yep, it was pretty cool at school with this name.)

I did check the good ol’ fashioned Brighton and Hove Green Party website before I first published this post. I am politically motivated but I am not remiss. The bin strike comment you mention was this: http://www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/press_releases/ALL/706//

I see it is dated 11th Nov. It wasn’t there when I made my post just after midnight yesterday. Therefore I couldn’t reference it because it didn’t exist.

Let’s revisit the loquacious Greens: Bill Randall, Ben Duncan and Jason Kitcat haven’t taken the opportunity to comment on their own blogs since I published this post.

Equally, the Brighton Pavilion Green candidate made her first comment only today at carolinelucas.com (again after my post). Presumably the rubbish hasn’t been piling up in Brussels. It being in Belgium.

Biscuit baking, bonfire loving Councillor Amy Kennedy has taken the chance to comment on this post. You can read that here: http://greenamykennedy.blogspot.com/2009/11/blogging-biscuits-bonfires.html

She suggests that Green silence is because of involvement in sensitive negotiations re the bin strikes. I’d like to hear more about that that when the veil of secrecy can be lifted. Did she and others play a key role? I wonder. It’s a post to look forward to from her! I know she’s passionate about freedom of information.

Hope that helps, Brighton Sense. It must have been hell in the playground with name like that. Unless it isn’t your real name? In which case: why the anonymity?

Best,

Dan Wilson

You criticise the Greens for silence on the refuse strike -’Why the Green Silence on Brighton & Hove’s Bin Strike?’

But you only list(prominent)Green bloggers, no official party websites.

If you want the official Green Party view, you should visit the official local party website first.

http://www.brightonandhovegreenparty.org.uk/h/n/GREEN/HOME/
where there is up-to-date news on the strike.

While prominent, the bloggers you list are not seeking to provide full info on the Greens’ position. They are writing in personal capacities across a raneg of issues.

Thankfully, bloggers are not the only information sources on the internet. Good ol’ fashioned websites play their part too.

Best,

Brighton Sense