“Good point William. 42 councillors elected. What a formula for decision making. All led by that Pevez guy.

I've only moved into the area in the last 3 years and I heard him speak on the tv yesterday morning. It was the first time I really tried to listen to what he was saying.

He had absolutely no leadership presence. All I could hear was a man who kept on fluffing his words and lines off some script.....

I don't know - if these guys were running a private company, they'd be in recievership now.

Oh, sorry......we are aren't we? We just call it a deficit because it's difficult to 'close down' a city or a country.”

“yes i voted but i understand now why my rates are so high with all these councilliors ? who dos the catering?”

“Jeff Phoenix, Newcastle

Good point as you are, indeed, right about Shelton Bar but I would still contend that the greatest damage to manufacturing industry was done by Thatcher.

Unfortunately, whichever political party is in power is now left with the legacy of the UK's over-reliance on the financial/service industry sectors.

However, we will have to disagree on your other contention as I still firmly believe that the Tories will always be the greatest danger to the working class.

Just like at the vastly wealthy Bullingdon Club/Public School Boys who dominate the current Coalition Government (along with that other massively rich public school boy, Nick Clegg) and seriously try to argue that they are in politics to better the lot of the most disadvantaged in society.

Will a privatized NHS inconvenience any of these people who can afford private health care. Absolutely not!”

“@Andy, Shelton

Couldn't agree more with most of what you've said on here today. Mrs. Thatcher was indeed an idiot to decimate our mining industry and leave us dependant on foreign powers for our energy. She did it out of spite.

However, your memory isn't what you think. Shelton Bar closed in 1978 under a Labour government. Royal Doulton, Spode, and Biltons to name but three large local employers all went under during Labour's tenure.

It's easy for the 'working classes' to see the Conservatives as their enemy. In truth the enemy is sometimes closer to home.”

“Thanks Peter
Nice to see thet 59% of voters didn't vote for Labour. Democracy rules I think NOT. Perhaps AV system is a more democratic idea??.With 40% of the vote in theory they should have 40% of the seats. What a sorry situation.”

“Bring out the dead.”

“Can't comment anymore today without wetting myself with laughter. Stoke...Get some some of your neanderthals into school you're cracking the rest of us up. Next round of cuts are already on the table. If there's still a table. May be on an orange box. You'll just have to wait and see. :D”

“D STOKES
"Labour have reduced this city to a rubble heap that the Luftwaffe would be proud of, had its pots, steel and coal ripped out, and still they vote the numpty's in."

Obviously history is not your strong point and I would call you an idiot ut that would be unfair to idiots.

It was the Thatcher Govt of the 1980's that destroyed manufacturing industry and decimated communities in the belief that "there was no such thing as society".

I hold no torch for any of the recent local administrations and believe that whether Labour, Independent or whatever political persuasion they have all been fairly incompetent in regenerating the city in the way that some of the bigger cities in the UK such as Birmingham or Manchester have successfully done.

However, to lay the blame for the demise of the pits, steel and potteries at Labour's door shows you have the political memory of a goldfish.”

“Great result in removing the BNP, ridiculous result allowing Labour to have full control of everything after, as has been said here a few times already, Labour were responsible for the fact that our city looks more like Beirut than anything else. I trust that those who have been voted in will get to grips with the issues around the city and get things moving VERY QUICKLY to resolve the horrid and delapidated look to the WHOLE of our city. This must be done immediately, without the lining of pockets!”

“What have you done???? Was it not this council that closed all the swimming pools, libraries, cut budgets on childrens centres??? Did we not want some fresh blood with new ideas of how to deal with the cuts in a better/fairer way. You only have yourselves to blame when next month they are shutting more well used services but spending thousands on a new 'metal tree' or other piece of art work.”