Monday, May 14, 2012
Oxymorons unlimited
As a party politician I have always been troubled by the concept of an independent, largely because I have never been clear what one is. Obviously, I would expect somebody who considers themselves to be an independent to avoid party whips, but surely that is not enough. What do they stand for? What are their politics and what values do they bring to policy decisions?
More confusing still is the very common scenario when independents form official groups, presumably involving whips and group discipline. At that point what shred of independence they might have left disappears. An independent group is an oxymoron.
Imagine my amusement therefore to read on the BBC today that two groups of independents on Powys County Council have failed to form an administration because there are "fundamental differences" between them. Is that fundamental differences between individual independents or between the two oxymoronic groups? And how can a group of independents have a mandate when by definition they will not have a common manifesto?
My head is hurting just thinking about it.
More confusing still is the very common scenario when independents form official groups, presumably involving whips and group discipline. At that point what shred of independence they might have left disappears. An independent group is an oxymoron.
Imagine my amusement therefore to read on the BBC today that two groups of independents on Powys County Council have failed to form an administration because there are "fundamental differences" between them. Is that fundamental differences between individual independents or between the two oxymoronic groups? And how can a group of independents have a mandate when by definition they will not have a common manifesto?
My head is hurting just thinking about it.
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But you worked with them to run Swansea Council Peter, and you did a good job, so surely we can work with them, in Swansea, Ceredigion, Powys etc
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