Cancel Xmas, the Greens are in power

[horshamite]

If the unfortunate lady who died in 2012 was the friend of someone I know in Hastings then she died after hitting her head on the concrete groyne while walking up the beach. Something that could have happened any day of the year.

 

[Chicken Runner61]

These people will stop at nothing to ruin peoples lives - they are terrorists at heart - all trained in Afghanistan you know!


First they came for the Speed Trials - I did nothing, then they came for the Christmas Day swim - I did nothing...

I hear they are trying to rename The Laine area to The Green Laines - *******s!

 

[GT49er]

If you really believe that Swimming Club actually agree wholeheartedly with this decision then you really are a fool.

They will have been warned that if they say anything which could be construed as being happy to see an unofficial event take place that they could be leaving themselves open to legal action in the event of an accident. Jeez, you must be popular at parties.

PS Perhaps the Greens could cancel another historic event in Brighton, the Speed Trials? Oh, they tried that and public pressure forced them to back track, here's hoping the same happens here!

Same problem in Gloucester with our cheese rolling (although to be fair it was more to do with the safety of the ever larger crowds of spectators than with the safety of the few dozen people trying to break their necks!). It now has to be done unofficially because of Elf'n'safety.

 

[brighton bluenose]

That is where the club headquarters are based! This event has been taking place since the 1860's, but the health and safety twerps (and the saddo's that blindly follow their advice) really don't care about that do they?

......errrr but it didn't take place last year did it as the same sections of beach were closed!!
We were putting kids up chimneys in the 1860s - perhaps you want to bring that back?!
And how about slavery - that was a tradition that went back even further so THAT must be good too eh?!
Mustn't it?!!

 

[Notters]

Am I right in thinking that the greens do not and have never had an outright majority?

 

[vegster]

Am I right in thinking that the greens do not and have never had an outright majority?

Ah but, by their very existence they cause 60% more than a Tory council group, allegedly.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Am I right in thinking that the greens do not and have never had an outright majority?

You are correct but Labour and the Tories agreed to allow them to run the council as if they had a full majority. As such they hold the balance on many committees.

 

[Medwayseagull]

Which part of it mentions the Green Party?

I read it as 'council officials', because that's what it says. Which is not The Green Party.

You think Council officers proceed with something as sensitive as this without the agreement of the political leadership - really ?

 

[The Large One]

You are correct but Labour and the Tories agreed to allow them to run the council as if they had a full majority. As such they hold the balance on many committees.

Hold the balance? As in 'they have the majority'...?

No, they don't. They can be outvoted on every cross-party committee.

That's been the same for the past three administrations.

 

[The Large One]

You think Council officers proceed with something as sensitive as this without the agreement of the political leadership - really ?

'Sensitive' would be something like housing issues, healthcare issues or social services. This isn't that sensitive.

So, in this instance, yes, they probably would.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The council haven't ruined the Xmas Day swim, idiots have.

Swimming in winter requires conditioning to get used to the cold, and through practice you understand your limits and endurance. So rather than the swimming club organising an event for people used to doing this, we now have increasing numbers of people who just go down the beach on a dare or for a laugh, get into trouble and end up putting others at risk rescuing them.

H&S gets the blame, but actually its just low IQ's.

 

[father_and_son]

Health and safety is directed by law in Westminster, and acted on by officials locally.

I know of one Green Party member who is in the Brighton Swimming Club, and she understands the decision, even though she doesn't particularly like it. She's happy to turn her skin blue on Christmas Day...

This isn't a party political decision; it's the H&S people.

There is no legislation, no kill-joys and no conspiracy.


There is a small swimming club who traditionally swim on Christmas day in freezing cold water because its a tradition.

Unfortunately in the current world, if anything were to happen on this event then somebody would sue the swimming club because they organised the event.

The club has insurers that provide public liability insurance to protect against this event.

Events which, in the past were "Tragic Accidents" are now a chance for somebody to sue and what was "sudden and unforeseen" for the insurers is now, sadly, quite likely and extremely costly.

Therefore, if the swimming club were to continue to organise this event, their insurance premiums would increase.

The Risk Officer or H&S Officer, or whatever they are called, has spoken to the insurer and agreed that by not running the event, their insurance premiums stay at a manageable level.

I know nothing of the finances of this Swim Club, but I assume it's funded by member subscriptions and large insurance bills will ultimately kill the club. Therefore they have no choice.

In order to not be seen as responsible for an "unofficial" event, the club will have supported the council in closing part of the beach so that they can be seen to have done everything possible to deflect blame for any accidents from themselves.

The same people will still jump in the water on christmas day, it will be a little further up the beach, it will NOT be sanctioned by the club and if anyone is hurt (or worse) then its their own fault and no one gets sued.


Sad, but a fact of modern life. If the public continue to make spurious claims for accidents, where no one was negligent, it was just "one of those things" then no one will organise events that have any risk attached; children will have to wear goggles to play conkers and Health and Safety will have "gone mad". But its down to the attitude of modern society that someone MUST be to blame and MUST pay.

 

[Medwayseagull]

'Sensitive' would be something like housing issues, healthcare issues or social services. This isn't that sensitive.

So, in this instance, yes, they probably would.

Any politician worth his or her reputation would wish to know about, and endorse, any action which is likely to get in the public domain and cause debate. Maybe the Greens don't have such an arrangement but I can assure you they do elsewhere and maybe that naivety is part of their problem.

 

[JCL666]

There is no legislation, no kill-joys and no conspiracy.


There is a small swimming club who traditionally swim on Christmas day in freezing cold water because its a tradition.

Unfortunately in the current world, if anything were to happen on this event then somebody would sue the swimming club because they organised the event.

The club has insurers that provide public liability insurance to protect against this event.

Events which, in the past were "Tragic Accidents" are now a chance for somebody to sue and what was "sudden and unforeseen" for the insurers is now, sadly, quite likely and extremely costly.

Therefore, if the swimming club were to continue to organise this event, their insurance premiums would increase.

The Risk Officer or H&S Officer, or whatever they are called, has spoken to the insurer and agreed that by not running the event, their insurance premiums stay at a manageable level.

I know nothing of the finances of this Swim Club, but I assume it's funded by member subscriptions and large insurance bills will ultimately kill the club. Therefore they have no choice.

In order to not be seen as responsible for an "unofficial" event, the club will have supported the council in closing part of the beach so that they can be seen to have done everything possible to deflect blame for any accidents from themselves.

The same people will still jump in the water on christmas day, it will be a little further up the beach, it will NOT be sanctioned by the club and if anyone is hurt (or worse) then its their own fault and no one gets sued.


Sad, but a fact of modern life. If the public continue to make spurious claims for accidents, where no one was negligent, it was just "one of those things" then no one will organise events that have any risk attached; children will have to wear goggles to play conkers and Health and Safety will have "gone mad". But its down to the attitude of modern society that someone MUST be to blame and MUST pay.

Great post.

 

[JCL666]

If you really believe that Swimming Club actually agree wholeheartedly with this decision then you really are a fool.

They will have been warned that if they say anything which could be construed as being happy to see an unofficial event take place that they could be leaving themselves open to legal action in the event of an accident. Jeez, you must be popular at parties.

PS Perhaps the Greens could cancel another historic event in Brighton, the Speed Trials? Oh, they tried that and public pressure forced them to back track, here's hoping the same happens here!

See post #32

If you looked into the reasons why things occur rather than just be reactive..............

 

[SAC]

If it was just experienced swimmers going for a winter swim then there would be no problem. The problem is that people who are not used to swimming in the cold sea, some under the influence of alcohol, join in and these are the people who are likely to get into trouble.

No doubt if someone had died, someone would have blamed the greens for some reason or other.

 

[MattBackHome]

Wait, so Xmas isn't cancelled then?

 

[AlastairWatts]

Which part of it mentions the Green Party?

I read it as 'council officials', because that's what it says. Which is not The Green Party.

...and where do they get their instructions from? Wake up!

 

[The Large One]

Any politician worth his or her reputation would wish to know about, and endorse, any action which is likely to get in the public domain and cause debate. Maybe the Greens don't have such an arrangement but I can assure you they do elsewhere and maybe that naivety is part of their problem.

You're still zeroing in on one political party, as if this was a political decision.

Councillors would dboutless wish to be informed, but to think that there is a breakdown in communication between one party's councillors and council officers isn't the case.

...and where do they get their instructions from? Wake up!

Health & safety guidelines, insurance considerations, public safety procedures... If you think, in this instance, it's political interference, it's you who needs to wake up.

 

[The Large One]

Which part of it mentions the Green Party?

I read it as 'council officials', because that's what it says. Which is not The Green Party.

Oooh, how tiresomely predictable. A thumbs-down from Programme Seller for pointing out a basic fact he doesn't like.

I'll expect another tiresomely predictable few from the usual suspects.