The Labour party have always been quick to claim the moral high ground with regards to democracy, the right to vote, the right of the lowliest workers voice to be heard and the decrying of dictatorships and corruption.

They have beaten their breast plates to a pulp when claiming that the masses were not being listened to and were being abused by the more wealthy and powerful. I don’t have a problem with that. I have always been a Trade Unionist and was a member of the Labour Party and do hugely respect the individuals who at great pain and sufferance and often death formed the “Peoples Party” in an attempt to rid us of all of the above evils. 

It is tragic therefore that, particularly here in South Tyneside, the Labour Party is guilty of corrupting the ‘people’s movement’. 

Many people are disgusted by the third world politics now operating in South Tyneside under the Labour Party banner. The Labour leader of South Tyneside Council, Iain Malcolm and his speechless weak willed sheep should hang their heads in shame. They won’t of course because clinging on to power and the perks that go with it are the only principles they can comprehend. 

At the full council meeting on the 3rd of December, observers in the public gallery witnessed the most appalling corruption to both the Labour Party’s historical principles and also of democracy itself.

Numerous proposals were put forward by Independent Alliance councillors to make the council more accountable to the electorate. What a phenomenally good, democratically sound and simple principle. A good idea for the right reasons and with the right motives, right. WRONG!

The first proposal was a mind numbingly basic motion to allow the public the right to ask questions at full council meetings. Being stalwarts of democracy the Independents weren’t going to give in that easily so they tried another common sense motion which proposed that the council cabinet should have a set “Question Time” – as in the House of Commons.  Surely no one would vote against that principle. After all, what is good enough for a Labour Prime Minister must surely be good enough for a lowly Labour councillor shouldn’t it?

Once again, Iain Malcolm’s dictatorial machinery rail-roaded another mindless undemocratic block vote against the interests of the electorate of South Tyneside.

All perfectly good and reasonable proposals you might think for a democratic society, but not for a Labour Party who clearly do not want open and honest local government with public participation. They much prefer to do things behind closed doors with their cronies where they can’t be subjected to any public scrutiny and they can continue doing what they want.

To to hell with the opinions, needs and priorities of the people who elected them.

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