A dirty game

[DanaC]

Politics that is. Dirty as a skinned knee.

I mentioned on another thread that a friend and colleague died on Wednesday night. He wasn't just my friend, he was leader of the labour group within the council. He became leader of the group in May, elected by the Labour Councillors of the Council to speak for us, act as manager and negotiate for us with the other two main parties, etc etc etc.

When he was elected by us, it was not unanimous. Within the local Labour party there are two factions, and that is reflected within the Group. Tom and another councillor were both standing for leader and the vote was close.....in fact it was fifty fifty and decided on the toss of a coin.

Somehow, he managed to work with the divisions and generally keep us from tearing each others' throats out, and I believe was a better leader than his opponent could ever be. The deal he got for us at the first full Council meeting could never have been achieved by that opponent.

His opponent, a friend and ally of a man who is attempting to take over the local party via the Local Government Committee(the liason between local party and their Labour councillors) has a wife who is also a councillor and they between them have spent the time since May, trying to undermine Tom with a view to getting the leadership next year. They work very closely together.

Tom never liked the factionalising. he wanted us to all work together for our goals and he was a strong enough character to keep the boat from rocking itself under the waves.

When he died, I was lying awake on Wednesday night, and part of me was just very very sad, but another train of thought kept intruding. Was their sadness genuine? I saw their faces, they looked as shocked and upset as me, but were they already plotting? What would the group do now? How do we keep moving forward with the energy that we've had since May? Will the BNP take the next election now Tom's not here to stand in that ward? How long will it take before the games begin?

I thought to myself, My God, what kind of grief is this? What sadness brings with it such calculation?

Ten AM the morning after Tom's death, less than twelve hours since he breathed his last, is the answer to that question.

The deputy leader, who never stood for leader and has held the post of deputy for about three years, whose wife is currently in a hospice in the last stages of a long and difficult disease, was approached by contender and his wife and they suggested to him, with sugar tones of concern that with all he had to deal with maybe he ought to hold an election for the leader's post......Go home, they said, rest and be with your wife......

For as long as I have known them, they have tried to manouvre themselves into that position, with him as leader and her as chairperson. Twelve hours until they made their move.....I wonder how many hours before the idea crossed their minds.

Politics is dirty. Even at a local level, it is vicious and cold. People position from any starting point, no matter how tragic.

On a side note, the deputy leader is not standing down. he has spoken to some of us and been assured of our loyalty. And now, the games begin.