Jenkyns influence comes not from engaging with Box, it's from engaging with the SoS.

We don't need a new stadium. We haven't got a team people want to pay to watch.

Maybe not, but at least it shows that those who have turned their backs on the Wakefield public can be held accountable.

I think whoever it was that got in only mattered if the NM situation was going to be solved by negotiation. The whole stadium/development issue is highly likely going to end up in court anyway so i supoose it doesn't really matter who engages with who. The SoS made a decision, the developers and council seem to think it can be got around. It will be up to the legal teams to battle it out to decide who is right and whether it should be enforced. And even then Yorkcourt probably won't build it anyway.

Spot on Smew……his measly replies to various posters emails was too little too late. Glad to see the back of his smug face and just perhaps he is now wishing he had taken a little more notice of the Wakefield public.

A majority conservative government was the worst case scenario regarding the development. The funding required (the £2 million trigger as stated in the s106, sports & community grants etc) will just not be available as the cuts will bite deep and that money re-routed. The extra funding would have to come from private investment i.e. the developer and I just can't see it myself. And now the mate of Box has been ousted by a Tory helped by support of the trust, club and its supporters. He will not take kindly to that and probably means any meaningful talks that might have happened are probably dead in the water. Seems that it is heading to court and then it's fingers crossed for a positive outcome.

That might be the reason why Mr Box won't talk to the trust.

But if he had talked maybe he would still be a MP, I can't believe a part of Wakey has gone Tory

Has he got a tardis or something.
Box hasn't had the decency to meet the trust for 3 years +

I know the guy is full of his own importance but, even he cant see into the future with that much accuracy

What I would've given to see his fat smug face when the results came out,no romantic night in with Yevette then

Ngb4c - just as a matter of interest and completely off the top of your head, how many people in outwood and Morley constituency do you think voted against Balls because of the stadium issue?

So what was stopping him meeting the trust before it all got political?

Pre- the creation of the MDC, the old Wakefield City Council was always Conservative. Recently we've had Conservative Councillors representing the South, North, East and Central Wards. It's the weight of the outlying districts that control the MDC.

Perhaps we could have a referendum and spilt the district.

Not so much Morley and Outwood but Stanley which isn't even mentioned as an area. We've disappeared off the political map during his tenure. I can't answer your question accurately but he didn't lose by many although I think he only had an 1100 majority anyway

Saw an interview with a Morley resident this morning and they refer to Balls as 'Wheres Wally' due to him never being in the area!

It would only have taken 551 people to change from Balls to Jenkyns to get him out, on the issue of support for the stadium.

I would certainly like to think that there are 500 people in the constituency who would have done just that.

Been saying that for years, ditch that lot out in the 'badlands' and get the City back on its feet.

Bout a hundred at least

No change in the amount of Labour councillors after todays local elections, in fact it was 45 votes away from being a Labour gain of one after a re-count. Sadly not much of a bloody nose given there.

Not wishing to burst any bubbles, but for the record, Ed Balls won in both of his 2 Wakefield Council wards and it was in the Leeds Council wards that he lost his majority and therefore his seat.

Still, Andrea Jenkyns as a Tory MP lobbying a Tory SoS is a massive opportunity and one we now have to demand she follows through on. I see no reason why she wouldn't.

Her first priority will be Morley thats for sure. The tories are already saying they will look to push through the boundary changes that were rejected by the lib dems a couple of years ago. This will move her out of the Wakefield part of the constituency so it will be Morley votes she needs going forward. It also means we will have a tory government for the next generation as it weakens labour heartlands.

Ironically, if I get my wish to be back in a Wakey constituency via the boundary commission, then I would lose Andrea as an MP.

2 benefits to having her win:
1. She is not bound to tow the party line in Wakefield and can come at this issue with a fresh agenda.
2. She is part of the controlling government with friends in the highest places.

Having Mary in Wakefield could also be an advantage - a foot in both camps you might say!

Both impressive Ladies and both having made some of commitment to NM.

Now to get ready for another meeting!

I would hope any Conservative worth their salt, regardless of their constituency, would love to give Box a bloody nose.

The guy that passed Newmarket, Eric Pickles, has lost his job in government which is a shame as there was no love lost between him and Box from his days as Bradfords council leader. I reckon he would have loved to have given Box a bloody nose over the whole issue if and when it came to it.

His replacement is Greg Clark, someone who is big on devolution. Expect a big push for more decisions to be made at a local level with at some point point an elected mayor being introduced. Short term it possibly benefits Cas' stadium development as regards the call in, or not as the case may be. As for Newmarket, it remains to be seen how it affects things but if he leaves it up to local government to sort out it could be a problem. Seeing as it wasn't his decision he may call for a full review but this will take quite a while to implement and would risk de-railing the whole development so it would be a big call for someone just in office.