Local elections 2011: The battle for Blackpool

As a unitary council with all the seats up for election on May 5th, Blackpool will be an important battleground. It should be a key target for the Labour Party - who controlled the council until 2007 when it was captured by the Conservative.

But the leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Simon Blackburn shows a complete lack of judgment. He has attacked Blackpool Football Club as "donkey-botherers." Blackpool are in the Premier League. For many local residents this is a matter of pride. Cllr Blackburn has clarified his remark as a "joke." He is not seriously claiming that the Blackpool FC players have sex with donkeys. The clarification is welcome. But do the people of Blackpool really want a civic leader who is so insulting towards them?

Not to mention whether they want to pay him over £1,000 a year to attend LGA meetings. If he can waste that sort of money in opposition imagine what he could do in power?

Cllr Blackburn represents Brunswick Ward. You would expect he would champion their interests. Yet instead he allocated £20,000 of his ward budget to Park Ward - where his partner is standing in this year's elections.