A weekly update from the corridors of power (From Oxford Mail)

A weekly update from the corridors of power

10:00am Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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Pranksters have dubbed a condemned pirate ship in East Oxford the “Folly Roger”. The ship, commissioned by the city council, was meant to be the centrepiece of a £70,000 revamp at Meadow Lane play area but will now be torn down after it decided it was too dangerous.

After the Oxford Mail revealed the news, someone painted the ship’s unofficial new name onto its bow.

Chris Hunt, of Argyle Street, took this picture, , of the handiwork on his way to work.

He said: “I thought it was quite funny – somebody has obviously got a quick sense of humour.

“To be honest, the whole episode is farcical. What a ridiculous waste of money.”

At Tuesday’s crucial Oxfordshire County Council emergency budget meeting, Conservative Councillor Pete Handley revealed that he had been asked to consider leaving the Tory party by the cabinet member for police and policy co-ordination Kieron Mallon.

The elected member for Carterton South West has form for speaking from his heart during council meetings and for putting the noses of senior Tories out of joint by refusing to tow the party line during important debates.

At the meeting Mr Handley voted in favour of the first round of county council cuts.

However, he said his vote could not always be counted on in future.

He also urged whichever party is in government to realise how their future calls for savings will affect people on the ground – something he said he had not seen from the last Labour government or the current Tory one.

He also insisted he was not a “lemming Tory” and wished to continue in his role as he was elected as a Conservative representative for his ward.

In today’s world of career politicians and ‘yes men’ who will say anything to smooth their path to the top, it is refreshing to hear from a councillor willing to say what he believes and act as the conscience of councillors of any persuasion who are making decisions that will affect the lives of every person in the county and country.

The Insider had often wondered where Sex Pistols singer John Lydon spent his “Holidays in the Sun”.

So eyebrows were raised when we saw the Godfather of punk, Johnny Rotten, dressed in a blazer and boater hat at the Head of the River pub, at Folly Bridge, last week.

I guess everyone mellows when they get older but to see the Anarchy in the UK singer swanning around in traditional Henley clobber is actually more shocking than seeing him sporting orange hair and a nose ring.

Perhaps posh is the new punk.