Chamber calypso... but that whiff may not be rum

Council survey

I SHOULD have known it was going to be a rum night when we started the meeting with calypso (rum, calypso, please yourself) music and a DVD.

Mercifully there was no dancing and shaking it all about.

The DVD and music (no salted popcorn, sadly) was a tribute to the splendidly green-fingered folk who had put together Oldham’s Bloom and Grow contribution which was a magnificent effort and worked wonders for the town centre.

But it wasn’t the smell of blooms and growing that was in the air so much as the first whiff of the next election. Having had to do without that election frisson (even those who are going to get turfed can’t do without it, which would be sad if it wasn’t so funny) councillors get themselves into the mood eight months before the rest of us go to the polls — or don’t as, sadly, is increasingly the case.

This strange fever manifests itself in some bizarre behaviour that would deny the expertise of even the best qualified anthropologist.

Labour leader Jim McMahon had tabled a resolution calling on the council to collect its own debts rather than rely on the outrageously expensive debt collectors who had charged the council £123,000 for bringing in money that was owed.

It seemed like a good idea, saving the council money and ensuring that people in debt were treated in an ethical and humane way.

But the suggestion plugged the Lib-Dems into the mains and they bounced about like plastic ducks in a tub, rubbishing Jim’s idea, condemning Labour for organising a failed credit union (that had nothing to do with anything) and generally showing their nastier side — and that’s pretty nasty.

Lynne Thompson strayed into dangerous territory when she said that the council had no mandate for being a “soft touch” and added that they were collecting debts — “even the scandalous Millennium Centre”.

The Mayor made her withdraw that last remark and she sat down in a sulk.

John Hudson, no doubt seeing his precious time at Greenfield Tory club being so frivolously frittered away, couldn’t see why this was a political issue and was amazed that there was a debate at all.

But debate we had, getting on for 30 minutes of it and when it came to the vote did the Lib-Dems oppose it or abstain? No, they voted for it, unanimously.

Madness? Yes, blame the election fever. There’ll be a lot more of it before next May.

Next up was Oldham Athletic — well, makes a change them coming up — and questions about the new stadium and what part the council is going to play in the development in Failsworth. Will it be centre forward or right back (do they still have right backs in the modern day football algebra?).

Tory Paul Martin sounded as if he wanted to give the deal the red card pointing out that some Failsworth Dynamo’s teams had to play their home games at Hyde because no pitches are available in the borough.

Jim McMahon said that the development was a vital regeneration opportunity for Broadway but warned that if the communication with the people involved — especially the supporters of the Memorial Park — wasn’t improved people will be against it.

Mohib Uddin insisted that the council would take an active role in the development which might be good news for those who don’t want the development or for those who do. The ref’s not made up his mind.

The biggest dispute of the night was whether we should have a 20, 25 or 30 minute break to allow the members to break the Ramadan fast.

Times hurled backwards and forward like bragging rights before the Mayor put his foot down and insisted on 30 minutes.

After what had gone on before, who could blame him?