Local politics

I've had quite a quiet weekend, probably the last for some time.

I met John Lawrence on Saturday and we had a good chat about all the various things going on around the ward and particularly about Royal park and the excitement building around the bid to turn it into a community centre.

It was great to get to know him a bit better. We have quite different backgrounds yet seem to have a lot in common in the way we feel about Hyde Park and Woodhouse and about the idea of trying to get a candidate from the community onto the Council, someone who belongs to the community rather than to a political party.

I think local councils are generally too close to central government because of the way a party controls the policy of its officers.
For instance, how can someone in the labour party stand against the closure of City of Leeds when there is direct pressure from their own ministers, Ed Balls and Vernon Coaker, on the Council and on Education Leeds?

If we really want things to change on a local level then we have to try to separate local from national politics so that party policy doesn't stand in the way of Councillors supporting their communities.

Today I made some badges and spent a little time with my children; they're not going to be getting much of my attention for the next few weeks.