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And so having landed The Guardian front page back in those pre-election (and pre-purdah) dark and miserable days of February, our right leaning friends from @LambethLabour are now in a position to tell the Little People precisely what is meant by a cooperative council.

Cripes.

Well, not *quite* ready. You’ll need a few more sleepless nights ahead of Wednesday, when the good people of Lambeth can find out what we actually voted for with that 43% share of the vote for Nu Labour, and the consultation-less plans for the coop council.

Can’t wait, me.

With the Nu Politics in more of a spin than a @LambethLabour election agent over in Herne Hill, expect the unexpected from local politicians. I doubt even the good @cllrstevereed was expecting to find a wafer to wedge between his manifesto clumping coop council idea, and the Big Society parallel approach from the Conservative Party.

But yep - that’s what it would appear is meant by a coop council:

“While there are some similarities with the coalition Government’s Big Society proposals, Labour’s model in Lambeth takes a more thorough-going approach applying the cooperative values of fairness, accountability and responsibility across a broad range of services.”

Even in this brave new world of Nu Politics, no surprises in seeing that it is a right wing national government, and a right wing local government that is attempting to make cuts, using pretty much the same overriding economical principle.

I applaud the cooperative values of “fairness, accountability and responsibility.” It was upon these very same foundations that I made my decision at the ballot box on May 6th.

I hope that the “fairness, accountability and responsibility” is in reference to the democratically elected councillors, and not the Little People of Lambeth. That’s what we elect (and pay) local politicians for, isn’t it?

But sleep easy, citizens. Our friends from @LambethLabour are also talking up the prospect of the Little People having a greater role in local democracy:

“Lambeth’s Labour leader, Cllr Steve Reed, will publish detailed proposals on Wednesday 26 May at the same time as the council sets up a Citizens’ Commission to consult local people on the proposals.”

We need to see some working definitions first. Who exactly will make up the Citizen’s Commission, and how will they be selected? There are an awful lot of people living in Lambeth, all paying Council Tax. By definition, this gives them all a right to sit on the Citizen’s Commission.

Or even take part in an online wiki.

Blimey.

Once again, credit to @cllrstevereed for explaining more about the route to feed into the consultation process. This genuinely does seem like a new form of engagement with all citizens of the borough.

And what of the timescale? A big whoope! to @LambethLabour for rolling out the consultation process at the start of the summer, but we were pledged this back in February, y’know, before we went to the ballot box.

Timing is crucial here, as our friends from @LambethLabour recognise:

“[The coop model] is built on four years experience trialling the approach in specific services in Lambeth. “

As previously explained, the red herring of purdah for not putting the coop council up for consultation (and the public vote) doesn’t give me much faith in the warped timeline of @LambethLabour. If cabinet understood what the benefits are of a coop council, three, two or even one year ago, why wait until after the local elections before introducing them to key frontline services?

Cuts of course are driving all of this talk of the coop:

“The Commission will also explore how an ‘active citizens dividend’ could be paid to reward people who get involved in running local services, possibly in the form of a council-tax discount.”

This is fine for those local citizens that can be arsed to take an interest, but not everyone has the time to start running the council on the behalf of absent local politicians. Especially not employees who already carry out key public services, such as the Veolia staff, currently working all the hours available, seeing as though @LambethLabour doesn’t pay them a London Living wage.

The press release continues to name check the now familiar projects that have been put up as a guinea pig for the mutualisation of local politics. The “Lilian Baylis Sports Hub” is certainly a creative way of describing the old school building that is still looking for a permanent tenant after much dithering, uncertainty and general confusion from @LambethLabour.

But that’s all for another day.

Wednesday…

I wait with some optimism about how my democratically elected local politicians want to invite local people into the decision making process. I am optimistic for more transparency; I fear a coop council may just be a PR move that lets local politicians off the hook.

*I prefer @FreeSothLondon’s alternative’ hands on approach.‘*

Plus: @BrixtonBlog’s take on the coop council folly.

In a move that some locals are dubbing the ‘Edbrooke effect,’ [eek] the hot news coming out of my little #hyperlocal patch of South London is that… a fridge has been moved.

Blimey.

In all seriousness, many, many thanks to my new @LambethLabour local Councillor for acting so promptly on an early piece of casework. I have been genuinely impressed with the speed that this has been achieved, and I am a genuinely grateful.

If only some of the fridge dumping fools around SW8 showed the same kind of community spirit that I am finding from my new Oval Councillors.

Thanks again - good stuff…

LV County Championship Division Two, The Oval: Close of play, day three: Surrey 490 and 165-2 Middlesex 324, Surrey 7 pts, Middlesex 5 pts

Oval bound for the morning session.

Jumpers being removed, bare chests in OCS at The Oval. Steady, @AnnaJCowen. Strauss has his head down on 57, Newnan 10 short of ton. 163-0.

Newman dropped Two balls later and ex-Surrey boy is back in the pavillion, caught behind on 91. Good early breakthrough for @surreycricket.

Pasty goths at cricket alert. Dressed in black & lacking a tan. Top off, fella. Looks like he could do with a feed as well. 173-1 Middlesex.

Andre Nel is a boundary slog away from transforming into his Gunter alter ego. Please don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.

HONK! Wicket. Shah back in the hutch, caught cheaply for 3. Middle! Middle! Middle! Sex! Sex! Sex! Looking shaky on 178-2. C’mon the ‘rrey.

Steamy, steamy South London morning at The Oval. Glorious. @cabbiescapital and @AnnaJCowen regretting long trouser decision. 178-2.

All getting incredibly lively out in the square. @surreycricket loud mouth Gary Wilson is clearly confident following his fine knock. shhh.

Goth at cricket alert: top now removed. A police helicopter is now hovering over The Oval. No coincidence. 213-2 Middlesex. Decent session.

Strauss in his nervous ’90s. Ten more runs required for the England captain to reach his ton. Fine form ahead of Bangladesh Test. 218-2.

Straus back in the pavilion. Egland captain caught on 92. Unlucky. Dexter steps up next. Nope, not that one. 220-3 Middlesex.

Mr Ramps not happy. The Master is limping back to the pavillion with what looks like a strain. No worries. His 200 knock is in the bank.

@AnnaJCowen is suffering. The poor girl has come to The Oval on the hottest day of the year, wearing a thermal vest.

Work beckons. Back to SW8 base with Middlesex on 230-3.

LV County Championship Division Two, The Oval: Close of play, day two: Surrey 490 Middlesex 148-0

Oval bound for an @surreycricket Member’s meeting.

A lot of unhapy faces at @surreycricket Member’s meeting. Long Room atmosphere of doom.

Confirmed: Brian Lara *not* coming to The Oval. Thank f for that.

Gus Mackay confirmed that Lara approached @surreycricket and not other way round. Wanted IPL window. Negotiations broke down. Wonga…

Chris Adams looking down. Describes start of season as “unacceptable.” Singles out Afzal for loss of wicket yesterday.

Praise from Adams for the Master Mr Ramps. Mentions a “difficult personal month.” Eek.

Focus now is to shore up batting ahead of T20. Big task.

Confirmation that Younis Khan has signed for @surreycricket. Visas not withstanding, should be in place for Old Trafford trip.

Poor Chris Adams is something of fall guy for @surreycricket. Players not performing, but Adams taking stick from Members.

Surprise surprise- Chawla definitely not coming to @surreycricket. Along with Khan, “one more overseas player” being lined up.

Decent Q: Do old pros have any issue playing under young Rory HB? “Absolutely not” said Adams. I’m a big fan of the boy wonder.

@SurreyCCC Khan deal was for T20. Current dire batting situation means he has been talked into opening in the Championship. Cripes!

Adams clearly frustrated (um… p***** off) with whole overseas situation. Rightly so.

Taken up position in OCS. Glorious South London sun up above. I can confirm that Middlesex are as crap at football as they are at cricket.

Oh dear. Anarchy is breaking out in the OCS stand. Old boy unhappy about not being allowed behind wicket.

Just been pointed out to me that Daniel Vettori could well be the elusive overseas player that @surreycricket are still hopeful of bagging.

Ah, I had forgotten about the Younis Khan ban. So *that’s* why he has signed up for @surreycricket.

The bell is ringing and the Umps are strolling out to the middle. Ah, here comes Mr Ramps. Decent crowd. @surreycricket resuming on 286-4.

Slow start at The Oval. Mr Ramps happy just to block, before he finds his feet. 288-4 @surreycricket.

Glorious cover drive from Mr Ramps, followed by outside edge that Strauss almost caught. Sun cream and old men in abundance. 293-4 the ‘rrey.

300 up for @surreycricket and a third batting point. Steady progress, decent score being built up. Ominous rain clouds above SE11.

Mr Ramps flicks his wrist (steady) and lobs (steady still) all the way to the boundary. 140 up for the Master. I am in awe. I am in man love.

Chap to right of me has just broken out a bowl of raspberries and cream. Gonna befriend him. Opening line? “My, what hairy arms you have.”

First serious shout of the morning. Spriegel survives half hearted appeal. Gloomier in the outfield than it was in Long Room earlier. 318-4.

Outside edge for Spriegel, just above off stump and he’s caught behind for 12. Batty in the middle to build with Mr Ramps. 322-5 the ‘rrey.

150 up for Mr Ramps, swiftly followed by a slog down to the boundary. Big score building for @surreycricket. 336-5, 500 plus a possibility.

HONK! Wicket. Batty out for an unlucky 13. Middle! Middle! Middle! Sex! Sex! Sex! chipping away. Mr Ramps running short of bedfellows. 355-6.

Earplugs in as loud mouth Gary Wilson walks to the crease.

A chill in SE11 air. Hairy Arm Man is standing to attention. Mr Ramps batting on regardless, 172. What a man. 366-6 ‘rrey ahead of luncheon.

Cripes. What’s happening to Warwickshire at Edgbaston?

Final over before luncheon. 374-6 @surreycricket, and the morning session belongs to the ‘rrey. Heading back to base for afternoon of work.

Change is in the SW8 air. Not only do we have two squeaky clean (and actually rather charming) Nu Labour Councillors sitting in my little #hyperlocal patch of South London, but we also have a thriving Resident’s Association once again.

Cripes.

I’m not quite sure of the boundary definition of Fentiman Road, Richbourne Terrace and, um, Dorset Road Resident’s Association (spot the odd, the *very* odd one out.)

Geographically we make for great bed partners, but in the warped psycho geographic sightlines of SW8, Dorset Road is most definitely on the wrong side of the tracks.

Still, with an open invite to the Resident’s Association meeting, and a welcome return to try the booze once again on offer at the Fentiman Arms, I donned my best neighbourhood hat on Monday evening, and took a peek over the geographical garden fence of my fancy neighbours.

It was a different world - a world that promises jam tomorrow and actually leaves you with a half hour speech from a @lambeth_council panning officer (actually incredibly useful, and very revealing…)

The signing of the attendance sheet revealed that I was the lone flag flyer for the People’s Republic of Dorset Road, and I was determined that I was going to fight them on the doorstep to protect the honour of my little patch.

What do want?

Dumped fridges removed from outside my front door.

When do we want it?

Um, actually, the very efficient @janeinlondon / East Hants (blimey) has already seen to this particular act of political emancipation.

Ah yes, about the local politico element to the Resident’s Association meeting. Despite my ward turning from Yellow to Red (with a thin strip of yellow still just about visible,) it was very decent to see my new @LambethLibDems representative, Councillor Ishbel Brown propping up the bar ahead of the meeting. Likewise for the now retired ( and family man) @CllrRobBanks.

Rob and the out voted (cripes) Councillor Sawdon were both honoured at the start of the meeting with the traditional SW8 trophy of a bottle of bolly. Fentiman Road and Richbourne Terrace bore a lot of the Tory Boy estate agent signs over the past month. The genuine appreciation for the @LambethLibdems outgoing Councillors, by a political class that clearly leans rather rightwards, was rather touching.

“Is Jack the Lad Hopkins and the other one here?” went out the cry from the Chair.

Um…

I’m sure our two new @LambethLabour Councillors had other ward business to attend to on the night (probably shifting dumped fridges.) The Nu Labour odd couple have another four years in which to aquatint themselves with the very unholy alliance of Fentiman, Richbourne and barking mad Dorset.

Chairman and Finance Reports out of the way, we then had an open floor for various questions and concerns. Speeding along Fentiman Road was raised, with the call for a pedestrian crossing towards the Clap’ham Road end.

A new Committee was voted upon, with thankfully no 2 am recount, as was the case for my little #hyperlocal patch of South London a couple of weeks ago. The retiring @CllrRobBanks was asked to add his informal input to the committee, on account of:

“The perceived inexperience of the incoming Councillors.”

Ouch.

What followed was then a Q & A with Clive Fraser, the very decent planning officer from our friends @lambeth_council. The man with a very big sketchbook centred mainly on the Vauxhall / Nine Elms / Battersea development over the coming decade.

“This is a period of change. We want to make the area more like Pimlico [eek] with a mixture of office and residential buildings. Lambeth Council is not against these changes - we want to be able to shape them.”

And what of the Little People?

Ah, so *that’s* the real power of a healthy Resident’s Association.

Clive’s agenda soon clashed with that of his residential audience, when he confirmed that the area is set to expand with 16,000 new properties over the coming years. The gasp of disbelief from the floor was sufficient to knock down the planned St George’s Tower in Vauxhall, stretching fifty-three storeys high, and making it a third higher than Millbank on the wrong side of the river.

“A population increase in Vauxhall of 35,000 will follow, with an estimated 25,000 new jobs.”

Make no mistake - it is this financial incentive that is the carrot leading the donkey’s of @lambeth_council to agree to such folly.

Battersea Power Station and the Vauxhall Cross Tower were identified as the two main projects. Clive confirmed that @lambeth_council supported both projects, subject to transport infrastructure improvements. We’re not talking an extra No. 88 bus running down the South Lambeth Road during rush hour either:

“The Council expects the Northern Line to be extended from Kennington to Battersea. A proposed new station will be on the car park at Sainsbury’s in Nine Elms.”

Um… and where will the supermarket shoppers then park? I hope our friends from @lambeth_council have thought this one through.

“The total cost will be £500m. The consultation process starts next week.”

I love the nature of open democracy and politics within Lambeth. Slap the consultation tag on anything that is likely to cause concern, forget about political pledges that have been made, and then carry on regardless at the expense of the Little People.

A Northern Line down to Battersea would be rather ace though…

Other planning projects that yer man let slip included confirmation that a new supermarket is to be built under the arches at Vauxhall station. Confidentiality clauses prevented Clive from naming which chain, but I’d wager that it ‘aint Iceland.

Plans are also in place to make Vauxhall Cross a two way gyratory. Essentially this allows traffic to navigate the cyclist’s death trap both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Which all seems slightly strange, seeing as though Vauxhall Cross was… a two way gyratory less than two years ago, before a multi-million pound spend to make it into the hell hole that it has now become.

With the planning matters addressed and time pressing on, time for the more gentile and slightly less controversial matter of the Resident’s Association becoming affiliated with the good folk of the Vauxhall Civic Society.

‘fraid not, my friends…

The poor chap from the Civic Society took a right kicking at the front of the room from the politically shackled folk of SW8. He spoke of “community” and “events,” and in return got accusations that the Vauxhall Civic Society isn’t able to achieve anything.

It’s all about accountability, you see. Mmm - where are your local Councillors when you need them?

“We are on the brink of a revolution in Vauxhall ([blimey] - we had the Market Garden, the Industrial Revolution of the railways, and now we have the Thames being bricked and glassed up from Waterloo down to Battersea. We need a series of events to reflect on what is means to be part of our community, and to work together to try and take it back.”

Fighting talk, but it didn’t seem to go far enough for the fine Fentiman folk from the floor. The level of debate about affiliation took on a more twisted edge that the revelation that St George’s Tower will be taller than Millbank. But common (and community) sense won the day, and the Resident’s Association voted to affiliate itself with the Vauxhall Civic Society.

And that was just about yer lot.

“Any more business?” asked the Chair. “Oh, I apologise, we seem not to have discussed Dorset Road. Are there any residents here from Dorset Road?”

I shuffled nervously, played around with my iPhone, and then realised that my dress sense was more Mad Rupert of Dorset Road than the fine young things of Fentiman Road.

“Um, yeah, I live in the hood, Bro.”

What followed next is not entirely clear, but just before @AnnaJCowen and I bugger off to Wivenhoe, I seem to have found myself sitting on the committee, and flying the flag for my #hyper #hyperlocal patch of South London.

Oh Lordy.

I am the self appointed King of Dorset Road, representing myself and no one else. I live in my own micro dictatorship. You can overthrow me, but only if you assume my identity, sky blue cycling tights ‘n all.

The King is dead, long live, um, Mad Rupert.

LV County Championship Division Two, The Oval: Close of play, day one: Surrey 286-4

In place in Member’s Pavillion. South London sun streaming down on @AnnaJCowen and I. Glorious. Whoops, wicket of Rory HB fallen. Fine 55.

So we’re watching Ramprakash at the crease, Strauss in the slips and old man Udal on boundary duty. Blimey.

Member’s meeting is at 9:30 tomorrow morning to (i) deter Member’s attending & (ii) deter boozed up heckling. I’m in on both counts.

Mr Ramps looking in fine shape. Same as it ever was. 78 for old master. Not so sure about Afzal, yet to get off mark. 193-3 @surreycricket.

Andrew Strauss has played in more important games at The Oval. Can’t work out his Middle! Middle! Middle! Sex! Sex! Sex! side.

Pondering booze. Got Resident’s Assoc meet later where street drinking is on the agenda. Probably best to abstain. 200 up for @surreycricket.Oh, bugger it.

First batting point, first pint. Chin chin. 206-3 the ‘rrey.

Mr Ramps has got his head down and is making hay. And batting. Blimey. 95 for the master. You know what’s coming next…

@surreycricket chief barman has come out to watch Mr Ramps. Udal leaving the field for the ‘sex. Captain not well, holding his head. 210-3.

And finally…

A fairly pointless evening spent carrying out a fairly pointless exercise at the bequest of a fellow blogger, who reckoned that my analysis of the alphabetical voting pattern in the Oval ward could be transferred to the rest of the Rotten Borough.

The theory is that candidates with a second name higher up in the alphabet have a better chance of being elected, given the A-Z printing format of the ballot paper, and the supposed laziness of the electorate in ticking the top boxes.

Um, ‘fraid not…

This system of choosing Councillors *may* have been apparent in my Oval ward, but the data doesn’t suggest that it was repeated across the rest of Lambeth. The only logical conclusion I can draw out of the whole exercise is that the Rotten Borough has a higher proportion of potential candidates whose second name starts with a B.

Um…

Blimey.

A final, final qualitative look at the results for the local election results draws some far more interesting conclusions.

Gipsy Hill provides the perfect political backdrop to demonstrate the power of @LambethLabour in the borough right now. No one was expecting the existing three Tory seats to end up in the hands of Nu Labour.

With only four Conservative Councillors left in Lambeth, it is no surprise that the blue rinse mob has decided not to take up the offer of putting forward a candidate to become the new Mayor. This would only weaken the Tory group, which now barely exists, further still.

Congratulations to @LambethLabour’s Neeraj Patil, the Larkhall Councillor who has now become the new Mayor of Lambeth. I bet the good Councillor is pleased he didn’t ‘do an Edbrooke’ and offer himself up as a political careerist over in Surrey Heath.

Tough act to follow, mind.

Clap’ham Common meanwhile remains something of an anomaly in Lambeth. The SW4 patch is where the gentrification of the borough can be seen at its strongest. Oh the irony of a right wing Nu Labour cabinet supporting the private sector in the borough, and consequently letting in more affluent (and Tory friendly voters) into the ward.

It was expected that the previous one Labour and two LibDem seats would become a stronghold for @LambethLibDems. Instead we have two Tories and one LibDem now in control of Clap’ham Common.

This result only proves the point of how strong @LambethLabour’s candidates (and winners) are in the neighbouring Clap’ham Town ward. Election day saw blue rinse supporters bussed in from the leafy Surrey suburbs (seriously) in an effort to try and rally the Tory troops in SW4. It was like Royal Ascot comes to Lambeth, but thankfully with the return of three very strong @LambethLabour Councillors.

Much was made by the s***t stirrers party agents for @LambethLabour of the standing of former @LambethLibDems Mayor, June Fewtrell, in the Streatham Hill ward. This is traditional LibDem territory, as well as being the home seat of sitting @LambethLibDems leader Councillor Ashley Lumsden.

“LibDems rocked!” screamed the sensational headline from the @LambethLabour website, upon hearing the news that Fewtrell was standing as an independent against Councillor Lumsden. So rocked in fact that all three @LambethLibDems candidates claimed their seats at the Town Hall, with Fewtrell coming last on the list with only 2% of the overall vote.

Vassall ward was also favourable for @LambethLibDems with Councillor Steve Bradley managing to hold his seat at the expense of a sustained attack by @LambethLabour. Vassall had the unholy alliance of two Labour and one LibDem Councillors. This LabLib alliance of sorts will remain for the next four years, with Councillor Bradley holding off the challenge of a Labour clean sweep by 47 votes.

It’s a similar situation in my Oval ward, with rival candidates during the election campaign now having to come together to work for the good of the area. @janeinlondon / East Hants and Jack the Lad Hopkins *may* have benefited from the alphabetical voting behaviour of the electorate, but there is no denying that @LambethLabour did incredibly well to take two seats off the opposition, in what is traditionally LibDem territory.

The LabLib Oval alliance is going to be intriguing to see how it comes together, given the hostile accusations made by @LambethLabour towards the opposition during the campaign.

The election literature twaddle here in SW8 may have been unwelcome, but at least it wasn’t as bad as the complete lies put out by @LambethLabour over in Herne Hill (the home patch of, um, @janeinlondon / East Hants…)

Pity the poor Greens, who suffered at the libellous hands of @LambethLabour, and the smear campaign of first denying the existence of the Green vote, and then the last ditch attempt to scare the good folk of Herne Hill with a horrid, horrid smear campaign that shows up the local Labour group in SE24 for the farce of an election winning machine that it has become.

With no real policies put forward by @LambethLabour in Herne Hill, the election beast has won the day, returning three @LambethLabour Councillors as fear of a “South London drugs supermarket” hit Herne Hill.

Lambeth Greens shouldn’t be too disillusioned with the result. Although the group has lost the one seat that it won in 2006, the share of the Green vote in the ward is actually up 25%. The ambitions of the Greens in fielding three candidates in Herne Hill, probably had the adverse effect of spreading the vote.

The share of the vote would have returned three Green Councillors in 2006, 2002 and 1998. Brixton Hill was also incredibly positive, with a 37% increase for the Greens, compared to the last local election.

In fact the Greens are intriguing in Lambeth - no Councillors, yet the Green vote has doubled borough wide to just short of 34,000. Even areas where *shhh* paper candidates were fielded, saw a healthy swing for the Greens.

My contacts tell me that this has been viewed as being extremely encouraging, and wards such as the Oval are now seen as being within reach for the Greens in four years time.

The next set of local elections may seem like a lifetime away in terms of Lambeth politics, but *eeek* - plans are already being put in place. Driving all of this of course is the dreaded C word.

Nope, not my opinion of *some* within Lambeth politics, but the Cuts issue that is facing both local and national politicians. Expect the blame game to be in play here, with the ConDem national coalition being held responsible locally for the cuts that @LambethLabour will have to put in place.

The only optimism I see is that yep, *every* vote counts. Watching the sheer panic on the face of some candidates during the Town Hall count last week, and I finally realised what the game is all about.

Win, win, and win, at any cost.

That cost has come at a high price for local democracy and the progression of our community, but the results are now in place, and so are the new Councillors after their induction session at the Town Hall over the weekend.

Time to hold the buggers to account.