One of the joys of politics is giving speeches. Now I happen to like making speeches and am arrogant enough to believe that I am quite good at it – but sometimes things can transpire that make you look a complete ass.
Very often we have to make speeches whose prime objective is to support your party and to embarrass the opposition. I made one such speech at the council budget meeting last Tuesday- or at least that was what I thought I was doing.
The Liberal Democrats had put down an amendment to our budget that would have diverted £300,000 to a number of initiatives that they thought were important. Our whips instructions were quite clear – VOTE AGAINST. So I made, what I thought, was a very good speech starting with the statement; ‘I understand that the Tories are going to vote for this amendment, which makes this speech rather futile – but as I like the sound of my own voice I am going to make it anyway…’ If only I had stopped after the word futile.
I then went on to do a rather good job of forensically destroying all the arguments and premises of the proposed amendment – I was even magnanimous enough to say that one of the proposals was quite good – all the rest of course were complete rubbish and of course our group would be voting against.
As I sat down I was somewhat surprised that I didn’t get my usual enthusiastic response and shouts of ‘well done Cookie’ from my pet cheer leaders. I was even more surprised that the Chief Whip was now sitting in the seat next to me. ‘Terry’ he started, at which point my heart sank as I knew what was coming next, ‘I’ve been sent over to tell you that we have decided to vote for this amendment. But don’t worry Pete is going to make a speech that will rescue you’.
Now Pete can be very good – but he is not that good. I had to spend the whole of the tea break breaking every rule in the book by showing officers and members of the opposition a copy of our whips note that still said VOTE AGAINST.
March 2, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Terry my dear friend. The most important part of a good speech is knowing that you are right!
March 2, 2009 at 11:57 pm
For the sake of posterity, would you like me to rip your speech from the council webcast and stick it on You Tube?
March 3, 2009 at 12:15 am
James I would love it!! You see I am that vain. Could you do both the second one is funnier?
March 3, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Here you go Terry, here’s a little extract from one of your speeches for posterity.
http://tinyurl.com/8vo2mh
March 3, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Lilly seems to want to bring attention to a speech that I made during a Sefton Park debate. Raising concerns about a democracy controlled by the articulate middle classes serving their own interests. Very happy to put it up and I will blog further on this in the next few days.
March 4, 2009 at 8:48 am
It’s good to see conviction politics in action in the council chamber from Bristol Labour Party …
Who says the whips run everything?
March 5, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Terry
I think you are wrong about the parents of Sefton Park, in particular the demographic, it is a very diverse group and certainly not all middle class. Also when the council appears not to be listening it is the right of people to ‘use’ the councils processes to make their voice heard. It is true that Peter Hammond did start having meetings with the parents but it should have happened much sooner. The council is a representative body and should expect to be talked to. Clearly sometimes this can be over done, for example when the campaign I am involved in ‘Save Grove woods’ had a huge number of statements at a full council. However we did agree to limit them to 3 actually read out with the Head of Legal services. Of course by then we were being listened to…
Paul
March 6, 2009 at 12:40 am
Paul
The point I was (clearly very inarticulately) trying to make was that we need to be very careful that our democracy does not become one run solely by the articulate middle classes. My main challenge was to the councillors in the city to make sure that they take their advocacy rule for those who are less articulate seriously. It is a worrying fact that during the whole debate on Sefton Park the local councillors for Bishopton where totally silent. The only councillor who did speak on the matter was Jolly Jon from Ashley.
I do agree that we should listen more and earlier but we cannot have a democracy that serves only those who shout the loudest.
March 26, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I would suggest that there is strong evidence that our democracy is run solely by the inarticulate.
Here’s your video, by the way: