Category Archives: Bristol

Housing: Crisis? What Crisis?

Compare and contrast: Bristol Evening Cancer Friday 5 October 2007 “I’ve got a friend who has three children living in a one-bedroom council flat. She’s been waiting for a new property for months but can only watch as more Somali’s … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Bristol Evening Post, Developments, Hartcliffe, Hillfields, Local government, Politics, Race | Tagged , | There is 1 comment

The life and times of Michael Cocks #4

Keren Suchecki comments: In the early 80s Michael Cocks used to be in the Hartcliffe Labour club every Sunday lunchtime (as was I), where people would queue to speak to him about their problems. I don’t know how successful he … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Hartcliffe, Labour Party, MPs, Politics, Southville, The British Left | Tagged , , | There are 7 comments

Bristol Labour bottle watch

Have Labour bottled it by not calling an election? See what Labour’s Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy was saying on her blog in Bournemouth at their conference not even two weeks ago and decide for yourself: Even backbenchers blatantly priming … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Labour Party, MPs, Politics | | There are 3 comments

The life and times of Michael Cocks #3

Like all chief whips, Michael Cocks was an inveterate cynic and fixer. In opposition in the early 1980s, Harry Cohen, then an idealistic young MP, had set his heart on speaking in the house even though the whips of all … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Hartcliffe, Labour Party, MPs, Politics, The British Left | Tagged , | There are no comments yet

Evelyn Post live in Blackpool

This one was just too easy . . . (Cartoon by Evelyn Post. Evelyn Post is The Bristol Blogger’s resident cartoonist. He has a woman’s name)

Posted in Bristol, Bristol North west, Conservatives, Elections, MPs, Politics, Toffs | Tagged , , | There is 1 comment

CONsultants latest

Is it really less than a month since the city’s education department was accused of a “catalogue of failure” along with the city’s health authority and social services in a report from the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board? The report was … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Education, Labour Party, Local government | Tagged , , | There are 5 comments

Strange and unusual punishment watch

The acceptable face of modern firefighting You’ve got to have at least some sympathy for these former members of the Blue Watch at Avonmouth fire station who have been disciplined, demoted and had their wages docked for disturbing a gay … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Bristol Evening Post, Labour Party, The Downs, Trade Unionism | Tagged , , | There are 4 comments

The life and times of Michael Cocks #2

Cocks was known as a very keen but not especially skilled cricketer. He would even extend special whip’s dispensations to Labour MPs absent from votes if they were playing for the Lords and Commons team. He was once sought urgently … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Hartcliffe, Labour Party, MPs, Politics, The British Left | | There are no comments yet

Banksy Balls: it's a new one!

Photo from Jam Factory Prepare yourselves for some skin-crawlingly embarrassing outbursts of chattering class pant-wetting over the next few days because a new Banksy has been ‘discovered’ on Park Row. Within hours the young ‘n’ edgy end of the local … Continue reading

Posted in Banksy, Bristol, Media, Middle class wankers | | There are 7 comments

The life and times of Michael Cocks #1

Cocks (centre) with a young Blair (right) and Nick Brown (left) Vowlsie mentions former Bristol South MP from 1970 – 1987, Michael Cocks in a comment below and on his blog, which reminded me of this rather excellent story about … Continue reading

Posted in Bristol, Labour Party, MPs, Politics, The British Left | | There are 8 comments