Wednesday 12 November 2008

Home News & the International Story of the Day

On the Oscott front our esteemed local Councilllor Keith Linnecor has launched a campaign to save local shops, I wish him all the best it would be a real shame to see our part of Birmingham become a wasteland like some parts of South Birmingham where all the little independent shops closed a long time ago. One of my greatest complaints about the UK is the dire state of independent retail, we must value our little shops as they are what give our towns and cities their character.

Away from Home (in France to be precise) comes the news that Ségolène Royal will run for the leadership of the Socialist Party. For those not well versed in the ways of French politics the story so far runs a little like this. Ms Royal's former partner and father of her children, Francois Hollande is the current leader of the Socialists he is standing down, Ms Royal stood as the Presidential candidate and lost to Sarkozy, she blamed those inside her own party for not supporting her, M. Hollande wanted the gay mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë to be the next leader, it was speculated that rather than stand herself Royal would support a weak third-party candidate, but now it appears she wants to do a Sarkozy and have the party to herself. (Thanks to French Politics for most of the info)

2 comments:

David in Setouchi said...

Who said she wanted to support a lesser candidate?
It has been clear since shortly after her defeat in the Presidential election that she wanted to become the head of the party. Incidentally she made it even clearer shortly after dumping François Hollande.

OscottLocal said...

This I understand is a point of argument between commentators. I tend to assume that if a story appears in the press regarding PS then it is in all likelyhood a leak from inside the party.