Signs of the Times 2

Bureaucrats do like their signs and none more so than Bristol's Harbour Master, whose offices are in the Underfall Yard at the western end of the Floating Harbour. Some think it's all getting out of hand, expecting people to blindly follow written instructions without regard to reality, but I suppose that is exactly how bureaucrats conduct their lives.



Despite the speed limit of 5 mph, barely more than walking pace, the Harbour Master has nevertheless gone to the extraordinary length of marking out the prescribed pedestrian route through the yard with yellow hatching! It seems nothing must be left to chance in the Harbour Master's domain.



How else would we know not to go swimming in the inviting blue waters, or not to walk off the edge of the quayside? Think how many lives have already been saved by these vitally important signs. How fortunate we are in having such a diligent Harbour Master.



I suppose the 5 mph speed limit is required to allow time to read all the signs. But what is this? Do we see signs of dissent within the Harbour Master's dominion? Or has this recycling bin been allocated for Bristol's erstwhile Labour Cabinet?



PS> For more bureaucratic signage bollocks check Bristol Traffic.

Lib-Dems bounced into power?

This evening's budget debate at Bristol City Council has upset the apple cart. The Lib-Dems have secured Conservative support for their budget amendments, defeating the budget of the minority Labour Cabinet. A particularly critical element of the Labour budget concerned the proposed incinerator favoured by Labour but fiercely opposed by the Lib-Dems. The successful Lib-Dem amendment said

No Incinerator: suspend any spending on phase 3 of waste procurement, with the aim of reaching consensus on phase 3 across all four authorities (£389,000)

The Labour Cabinet have decided that they cannot continue administering what has effectively become the Lib-Dem Budget and have resigned. the ball is now in the court of the Lib-Dems who, as the largest group, will be expected to form a new Cabinet. This follows a series of recent decisions by the Lib-Dems not to take control despite the withdrawal last year of Conservative support for the Labour Cabinet and even a motion of no-confidence in the Labour leader Helen Holland (below) tabled by the Tories earlier this month.



So it seems that the Lib-Dems may have been bounced into taking control of the council in the run-up to June's Council elections, something the Tories presumably wanted for political reasons (the Lib-Dems being their principal electoral rivals) and something the Lib-Dems didn't want, since the incumbent Party is bound to be associated with the many unpopular policies being pursued by the Council.

All is yet to be revealed, but did the Tories vote in support of the Lib-Dem amendments to achieve this outcome? Did the Lib-Dems know where it would lead? Were Labour in on it, indicating to the Tories that they would resign if the Lib-Dem amendment was successful? Will the Lib-Dems take control under their Leader Barbara Janke (below) or will they hold out for a coalition with another Party so as not to appear to be The incumbent Party in the run-up to June's elections? (see * below.)



Thanks to the diligence of James Barlow in following the web cast and breaking the news.

*The Bristol Blogger says that Barbara Janke's has been voted in as the new Leader. Later edit - this is confirmed by several sources. Post report here and BBC here.