Tuesday 29 November 2011

Tony's on spin cycle

Tony Jones (for it is he) informs us that erstwhile Tory group leader in Reading Cllr Andrew Cumpsty is standing down from the council next May as well as relinquishing the leadership. Tony claims to be aware of the identity of Cumpsty's successor, which he does not share with us, although he does, apropos of not very much, post positively about Cllr Tim Harris

http://jonesindep.blogspot.com/2011/11/richard-davies-one-to-watch-in.html

who is a councillor for the Tory increasingly-marginal Church ward and who is allegedly going to chicken-run north across the Thames. Well, possibly. But hang on. Why would he do that? He's not up for re-election and doesn't have to make that decision for at least a year. Tony also informs us that Tory councillor for Caversham Dave Luckett may stand down - also possibly true, but for which Tony offers no evidence - and that therefore one Richard Davies is lIkely to take Caversham for Labour. Mr Davies, whom I do not know, has not at the time of writing been selected as a candidate.

So, Tony, what is your game? Trying to run the agenda from your blog, are you? Well, I can sort of see your point. Over the past few years certain bloggers have been WAY more influential on the Reading political scene than most elected councillors have.

Tony reminds us at it is "not that long" since Caversham had Labour councillors. Depends what you call "not long". A few years, it is. And even then at least two of them were actively committed to securing Tory representation in Reading East. Bye, Ms Dysfunctional Kathryn Peak. Toodle-oo, Steve "never worked in his life" Waite.

Oh and Tony - cast your mind back those few years to when Caversham did still have a Labour councillor or two, and remember that you yourself were Mr Salter's favoured candidate for Reading East in 2005, nobly standing down in favour of Cllr Tony Page. So that went well then. (Sorry I spoiled your keynote speech opportunity by turning up at that Caversham curry house *tries to keep straight face*). Following which you were Martin Salter's favoured successor in Reading West. Until Mr S (of whom more later, bet you can't wait) thought maybe Reading West could be held after all and tried to un-stand down and get the dingbat Naz Sarkar deselected. Leaving poor Tone a'cold.

Never mind chaps, just try and keep the noise down a bit over there, won't you?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm confused .... I thought the whole point of Tony Jones' Blog was to rubbish the Reading Lib Dems, and Clls Hacker and Eden rubbished the Tories. Now they seem to be changing round - it's like finding Beano characters in the Dandy and vice versa.

Author said...

Hi Jane,

Richard Davies has been selected as the Labour Candidate in Caversham ward. A list of those selected has been released on the Reading Labour twitter feed.

New candidates (I almost typed new Labour candidates!) in Church, Minster, Park, Caversham, Katesgrove - and me in Redlands, of course.

You seem to have enjoyed Oz. Best wishes.

Anonymous said...

Tony Jones has been trying to run the agenda with his blog for some while now.

A high point was when he metaphorically parked his tanks on Reading Labour's lawn in May this year and effectively demanded that he be selected as the next Lab candidate for Redlands, having apparently been snubbed the year before in favour of Jan Gavin.

His spinning now seems to be following a tried and tested formula of :

- pick a random Conservative councillor
- state (without evidence) that (s)he will be leaving / moving / emigrating
- blame Richard Willis

It is entertaining, but hardly enlightening.

I wonder just how thrilled Reading Labour really are to have the until recently "Independent" Jones back in the fold.

Readers may wish to reacquaint themselves with Tony's statement released on 8th May 2008 entitled LEAVING LABOUR, which Tony has helpfully left on the Internet.


PWT

janestheone said...

Ah well you see, I'm blocked from that, cannot imagine why...

Tony Jones said...

PWT - I wasn't snubbed last year in Redlands, having just rejoined the party, I'd didn't qualify.

Yes I have left my 2008 resignation piece on the web: it happened and I'm not ashamed of it.

As far as my posts are concerned, I post my opinions, information I choose to publish from others, and pieces from other sources, such as the Daily Telegraph. Willis just makes me laugh.

I think mr record on predictions is pretty good, because they always information-based, however they appear at the time.

Jane - what have you been blocked from seeing? Nothing of mine or by me I promise (not that I would know how to anyway!)

Best wishes

Tony

janestheone said...

No, I can see your stuff tony, am blocked from commenting on Rdg Labour Facebook but now discover you are right and am not blocked from reading Labour twitter - had been informed I was, before trying to follow it, in an email which was misspelt and included a death threat and a link to gun porn - so naturally I assumed it was from Reading Labour boys.