Hazel Must Go! Public Meeting with Martin Bell
Posted in Democracy by Salford Youth Council - Sep 17, 2009
Salford Youth Council members met Martin Bell at a public meeting organised by the Hazel Must Go! campaign last night.
The former anti-corruption MP and BBC Correspondent had been invited to the event in Eccles to share his experience of standing as an Independent candidate and engaged in a lively (and at times heated!) debate with members of the local community.
The campaign intends to propose alternatives to reelecting current Salford MP Hazel Blears at the next election and is calling for her to stand down, claiming people have lost confidence in her ability to serve Salford following on from the expenses scandal and failure to improve the lives of local people.
Nadine spoke about how local youth services are deteriorating, blaming a widespread culture of mis-management and lack of investment in quality services for children and young people. Alex expressed her views on party politics as a young person growing up in Britain today, and co-chair David Henry highlighted the reasons for apathy amongst younger voters who feel under-represented and confused by the electoral system.
After the meeting we also got a chance to quiz Martin Bell and members from a variety of political parties including the local Labour Party (including a number of Hazel Blears supporters), Councillor Norman Owen of the Liberal Democrats, Richard Carvath (Independent), the Socialist and Socialist Workers Party, RESPECT and the Green Party. We couldn’t find any Conservatives (although Cllr Iain Lindley stated on his twitter page this evening that he doesn’t see this campaign as “helping the people of Salford”) and not surprisingly the BNP were also no where to be seen!
Towards the end of what was a very packed out evening of discussions and speakers there were a number of public votes on proposals for taking the campaign forward. We were particulary supportive of the campaign’s proposal to engage with young people and reinnovgorate their interest in local politics.
You can watch an exclusive video interview with Martin Bell here.
Salford Youth Council is an indepedent, grass-routes youth organisation run by and young people. We are non-party political and do not endorse any particular political organisation or candidate. We aim to engage young people in local democracy and provide opportunities for our peers to get involved in the decision making process.
Nadine says:
M hydrey, I was the girl who spoke at the meeting and mentioned “feral youths”. Surely that is only stating the obvious for anyone who has attempted to walk the streets in many areas of Salford -day or night. And, far from being the wrong thing for someone from Salford Youth Council to say, it’s a bloody important reason for the Youth council’s very existence. We do not want young people going down this path, it is wasted potential and a sad sight to see, so naturally will want to question any person or group in authority that it is felt might not be fully supportive or facilitative of proper opportunities for young people – especially from low income families of which there are a lot in Salford.
Are the local MPs accountable? Well certainly a lot of the blame lies in the local authority, but yes I would certainly suggest that lack of support from the MPs (as at present there are more than 1 constituencies in Salford so this is by no means personal to Mrs Blears) have done little for youth services in Salford, continual let-downs on local school closures, no visibility on local issues, let-downs on educational reforms promised and job opportunities for young people (largely on a government level – so on them as Labour party MPs under whip rather than as local representation), let-downs in local area development – both environmental and economical (focusing on money making land development at the sake of knocking down family homes and conmmunities, creating sink hole estates that only give criminal opportunities to young people)…
I could go on forever about how let down young people have been in Salford. A lot of blame lies with a lot of people, be they councilors, bureaucrats or local MPs – of which Hazel Blears is one.
Therefore although Salford Youth Council are overtly of no particular political opinion, we do each have personal opinions, and also will raise issues we feel are of the expected accountability of one in public office. Such issues raised about Hazel Blears are by no means personal or of any particular political “agenda” and are by no means limited to Mrs Blears alone.
Alan says:
The point of the youth council is to enable young people to have their say on issues affecting them – this includes scrutinising politicians and holding public figures to account. I’d call anyone who was agaisnt that “fascist” not the people who try to enact their freedom of speech.
Lou Davenport says:
M Hydrey, you obviously miss-read the bit that says “non-party political”.
m hydrey says:
You say you are a non political youth group. Twice now I have seen your panel in action, both at the Hazel must go campaign. Two of the forum council spoke out against Hazel and indeed at one point feral youths with no aspirations(seemingly a product of the present govt alluded) roaming Salford indeed a very fascist statement. You have the right to be “angry young men” but dont say you are non political because you truly dont come across so.
Lou Davenport says:
The Hazel must go campaign and martin bell both claim this is “not a witch hunt” against hazel blears but have demanded she step down gracefully by halloween? I’d call that more than a bit naughty! what happens if she does step down by then will they push her off a cliff and see if she can fly?
Gary says:
Alan you must walk around with your rose coloured blinkers on The British National Party are around all over Salford and have plenty to say, and just for the record O’Sullivan the great hasnt been booted out of the Party
Alan says:
But Gary don’t you feel the BNP have so much to thank Hazel Blears and New Labour for?!
I wasn’t at this meeting but hear little from the BNP in Salford other than that O’sullivan guy they recently booted out when he over-stepped the mark. I don’t think they really have much to say at the best of times and are becoming rather boring even to people who share their beleifs.
Good work youth council for getting an extra point in on the manifesto. I probably won’t be taking part in all this hazel blears out stuff but it is conforting to know so many different people are involved with it.
Gary says:
There was BNP People there belive me lol