By our political astrologer, Russell Grant
LABOUR COUNCIL HOROSCOPE LOOK AHEAD: ♉
Next week, you may be guilty at times of talking out of your Uranus, which is in conflict with your Ethics quadrant. This can only mean one thing: trouble. A difficult decision looms — one that will test your ability to say absolutely nothing in as many words as possible.
Embarrassment is possible. Mercury in Opposition may bring negative comments, especially from former allies who’ve suddenly discovered a spine.
Your safest bet? Keep your head down, avoid eye contact with the media and pretend you’re “listening to concerns” (i.e., hiding). Now is not the time for bold moves — unless it’s moving the goalposts.
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POLITICAL plotters on Crumberland Council have set a trap to pile pressure on the authority’s Labour leadership to support calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs.
The mischief-making motion by the Independent Group – to be voted on at next week’s meeting of the full Council is almost certain to be rejected by Labour table-thumpers sitting in Carlisle.
But the Independents will at least secure negative headlines for the Council’s Labour leadership, along the lines of: “COUNCIL’S ‘NO’ TO GROOMING GANGS INQUIRY!”
This is political gamesmanship that most people wouldn’t expect at a local council level but all parties are guilty of it.
Governments rarely take heed of votes by faraway councils.
But it will be interesting to hear the linguistic gymnastics that the council’s leadership uses to wriggle out of supporting the motion.
The Chronic has been consulting the runes and has decided that the reasons given below are why the Independent motion fails.
Labour is in charge of Crumberland Council and is the largest party with (27) councillors.
The Tories have (8); Lib Dems (4); Independent Group (3); Greens (2); and there are (2) Independents, both former Labour.
The opposition, therefore, tallies up to just 19 councillors.
Due to basic maths and the herd-like way that councillors vote along party lines 27 votes never beats 19 votes – not even at the Liz Truss Academy of Advanced Mathematics.
Even with 19 in opposition, councillors rarely vote with those outside of their own party. (E.g Lefties among the Greens and Lib Dems often side with Labour than with the Tories).
In the current climate, it is also impossible to see Cumberland’s Labour backbenchers undergoing a Damascene conversion to the policies of Reform UK.
Labour councillors here will have in mind that in January, the Labour Government crushed a national inquiry by 364 votes to 111.
(Among those voting it down were Cumbria’s four Labour MPs – Scrogerm; MacAlister; Minns and Campbell-Savours).
The last thing Labour councillors want to do is stand up at a Council meeting and back local calls for one.
So it’s nailed on that Crumberland’s Labour majority will shoot down the motion.
Because rejecting a national inquiry into grooming and rape gangs seems a hill that the Labour Party is prepared to die on – even if it means sacrificing some MPs and councillors.
A survey in January found that 76% of the public want a national inquiry.
(Even 65% of those who voted Labour at the General Election supported one).
How many voters will remember decisions such as this when politicians knock at their doors seeking endorsement to become the new Mayor of Cumbria?
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thecumbriachronic.co.uk 
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