Stockport Council News

http://www.libdemsagainstsecretcourts.org.uk/2012/11/21/our-letter-to-the-times/

I was sent away with a flea in my ear this week when I tried to raise the issue of the death of Mr Parnell with Lisa Smart, LibDem PPC for Hazel Grove.

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Lisa-Smart/1253747317

“Lisa Smartjoined the Client Services team at Genesis in 2010 as Director of Client Relationships, with a focus on relationships with clients and investment consultants. She spent the previous nine years at PAM in London where she had particular responsibility for North American clients. Lisa completed her MBA from London Business School in 2010. In addition to her role within the Client Services team, Lisa runs the Genesis Charitable Trust.”

“Lisa joins the Liberal Democrat 2012 team for Merton & Wandsworth alongside mayoral candidate Brian Paddick and leader of the Lib Dems on the London Assembly, Caroline Pidgeon, as well as Wimbledon campaigner Shas Sheehan, who is a Lib Dem “list” candidate for the London Assembly.

…

Lisa is a governor for a local school and trustee of La Vida, a Wimbledon based charity raising money for education and health projects in Latin America.”

“The Liberal Democrats have selected Lisa Smart as their London Assembly candidate for the Merton and Wandsworth constituency ahead of next May’s elections. She was selected following a recent hustings event in Wimbledon for local party members.

Commenting on her selection Lisa, who has lived in Wandsworth for ten years, said: “I feel really honoured to have been chosen by local Lib Dem members to campaign for the people of Merton and Wandsworth at next year’s elections.

“Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly have a strong track record of standing up for Londoners on the issues that matter – they have held successive mayors to account on everything from transport to housing.

“People I speak to on the doorstep in Merton and Wandsworth feel really let down by their local Assembly Member. Not one person we surveyed recently even knew who he was!

“I’m really looking forward to listening to local people and campaigning to put great Liberal Democrat ideas, such as the ‘One Hour Bus Ticket’ into practice.”

Lisa joins the Liberal Democrat 2012 team for Merton & Wandsworth alongside mayoral candidate Brian Paddick and leader of the Lib Dems on the London Assembly, Caroline Pidgeon, as well as Wimbledon campaigner Shas Sheehan, who is a Lib Dem “list” candidate for the London Assembly. Lisa is a governor for a local school and trustee of La Vida, a Wimbledon based charity raising money for education and health projects in Latin America.”

http://www.mertonlibdems.org.uk/news-mainmenu-2/27-2011-news/133-lib-dems-choose-local-campaigner-to-contest-london-assembly-elections.html

http://labourlist.org/2011/06/a-secret-lib-dem/

“After Boris Johnson asked the Wandsworth Tory leader to be his chief of staff, a by-election was called in the borough. Nothing unusual so far. Except local residents have begun to wonder if the Lib Dems are standing a candidate in the ward. At LabourList we’re happy to explain the mystery – Lisa Smart, the “strong, independent voice” is actually a Lib Dem candidate, although you’d never know by looking at her latest leaflet (below).

Given that the by-election is happening in the ward adjacent to where Nick Clegg lives, it’s got to be pretty embarrassing that the candidate doesn’t want people to know she’s a Liberal Democrat…

Are the Lib Dems now so ashamed of their pact with the Tories that they’re hiding their party label on election materials? If you’ve got secret Lib Dems in your local area email them to us, and we’ll help expose them.”

“Lisa SMART (Lib Dem, Hazel Grove) has worked in the financial sector
(and stood as a GLA candidate in 2012) but stresses her local
credentials. She is currently a charity Chief Executive. The Lib Dems
have been embarrassed by their lopsided parliamentary delegation
(50 men and 7 women), which she will help address. Lisa Smart is one
of the graduates of the Lib Dem Candidate Leadership Programme
intended to train and develop parliamentary candidates.”

“Our next Potatoes & Politics event will take place on Thursday, 15th September from 7pm at Putney Library.

It will be a Conference Preview and we are delighted to be joined by Dr Mark Pack, co-editor of Lib Dem Voice, Head of Digital at MHP communications, former Campaign Manager for Lynne Featherstone and all-round good egg. Mark has authored several motions to this year’s federal conference and will point out the areas to look our for

Should we decriminalise drugs?
Reform the Lords?
End the gay blood donation ban?

Tickets cost £15 per person and include supper and drinks. Please contact Lisa Smart (lisa@lisasmart.org.uk, 07803 892025) if you would like to come along.”

https://www.facebook.com/events/210218685702434/

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http://www.markpack.org.uk/23598/putney-liberal-democrats-conference/

“Mark Pack

Liberal Democrat commentator and public relations expert

POLITICAL

What’s coming up at conference? Potatoes and politics on
15th September

AUGUST 26, 2011
– 8:55 AM

Potatoes and politics. Almost as good a combination as choco

late and constitutions. But potatoes and politics it is on
15th September when I’m heading over to Putney Library to talk about what’s
coming up on the Liberal Democrat autumn conference agenda.

With issues such as Lords reform, drugs decriminalisation
and ending the gay blood donor ban on the agenda there will be plenty to debate
at conference. In addition to giving an overview of the likely main
controversies I’ll also be highlighting some of the less headline-catching but
important ways in which people at conference will be able to influence the way
the party is run and what ministers do in government.

So I hope you can come to the event, the details of which
are:

15 September, 7:00pm –
10:00pm

Putney Library

5-7 Disraeli Road

Putney, SW15 2DR

Tickets cost £15 per person and include supper and
drinks. Please contact Lisa Smart (lisa@lisasmart.org.uk) if you
would like to come along …”

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/hazelgrove/comment-page-2/

“From what I have been told the whole process was a disgrace. She owns a house in London, works in London and pops up in the constituency only at weekends and yet she was paraded before the members as being ‘truly local’
She had the backing of Andrew Stunell and local and national campaigns director Hilary Stephenson. In fact Stunell went round visiting members to ‘help them’ decide who to vote for!!
Good thread on Lib Dem Voice in the General section ‘ Lisa Smart for Hazel Grove’…..Rather oddly this thread has recently been closed…I wonder why?”

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“I live in Cheadle Constituency, literally across the road from the Hazel Grove boundary so I may be able to give some local insight.I understand Lisa Smart arrived in Stockport about 12 months ago and has been living in a flat owned by the Lib Dems, next to Andrew Stunell’s office in Romiley. She defeated Shan Alexander in the selection ‘contest’ who was previously Mayor of Stockport and is now an Executive Member.

Hazel Grove is a very interesting seat consisting of Marple North and South, Offerton, Bredbury and Woodley, Bredbury Green and Romiley and Hazel Grove itself. Previously the Lib Dems have been able to weigh the votes in the Bredbury, Marple and Offerton however, since 2010 there has been a significant shift.

In 2011 Labour came from a distanct 3rd in Bredbury and Woodley Ward to come a decent second, in 2012 they cut the Lib Dem majority even more, to an extent where it is now in a knife edge and it could fall to Labour quite easily in 2014. Which would deliver their first Councillor in Bredbury in 30 years.

Offerton was snatched by Labour from the Council leader, Dave Goddard. Offerton is a diverse Ward which encompases the Offerton estate, the Been Leach Estate and the area along the east end of Marple Road. It was always a safe seat for the Lib Dems until Labour ran it close in 2011, probably down to tactical unwind. This one will be too close to call in 2014.

Bredbury Green and Romiley is more of a Lib Dem and Conservative fight, although there only appears to be one Tory who can win locally and he is the incumbent Councillor elected in 2011 after losing his seat to the Lib Dems in 2010. In 2014 I’d expect this to be a narrow Lib Dem hold by less than 100.

Hazel Grove is split across 2 wards Stepping Hill (where I live) and Hazel Grove Ward, the Ward has always been a straight Tory/Lib Dem marginal with the north of the ward being more Liberal inclined and the south of the ward being more Tory inclined. The Tory PPC won the seat in 2011, yet they failed to capitalise on the second in 2012 by a very narrow margin. This is another seat which will be very close, UKIP could play a major factor in the outcome here.

If you ever visited Marple you would assume that it would be a Tory stronghold, however the Lib Dems have dug in here for 30 years now and they are safe as houses even in a bad year, unfortunately for the Tories I don’t see a way back for them in Marple which is probably the key to winning the parliamentary seat. in 2014 this will return 2 Lib Dem Councillors in Marple North and South.

The result in 2014 will be worth watching as it will give a better indication as to how 2015 will pan out, realistically this seat could split 3 ways in terms of Council seats and there is a destinct possibility Labour could have more Council seats than the Tories in Hazel Grove.”

November 18th, 2013 at 8:34 am

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“Catholic Left

Can I just say I have never met this Lisa Smart so in that sense it is not personal. It really is the underlying principle of what she and indeed other Lib Dems have done that grates with me. I have friends of all sorts of political persuasions which usually makes for a good evening of political discussion in the pub.

Much of the inside information on what is happening there comes from my friend (who is a Lib Dem) and who seems for one reason or another to have a very good handle on what is happening and why.

At a time when the number of people voting for anybody seems to be going down then this is not a good trend for the democratic process. The ultra cynical way the Lib Dems have imported somebody from London, found an address for her in the Constituency, provided inside information to her on when the selection contest was going to be held one year in advance of everyone else, called her a “local” in all her selection material when she clearly isnt just doesnt strike me as anything other than completely disengenuous. Others might call it downright deceit.

If I were a local Lib Dem councillor in Hazel Grove I would be thinking twice about telling my local electorate that the Lib Dem team’s Parliamentary Candidate was really “local”. Wouldnt you??

Gavin
December 5th 2013″