2nd Prestwich Area Partnership 6.30pm with Open (public) Forum – Sedgley Park School, Bishops Road, Prestwich.

6th Bury Lib Dems Executive – New members always welcome, drop me a line if interested.

13th Heaton Park School Governors Meeting 7.15pm

16th Special Prestwich Area Partnership Meeting 7.00pm Longfield Suite.

22nd Consultation Event – Housing Strategy for Older people, Town Hall, Bury

25th North West Lib Dems regional conference

29th Simister Village Community Association 7.30 Lady Wilton Hall, Simister

I write this following the historic rejection of George Bush’s financial system bail out proposals and the record drop in wall street shares that followed. I am left wondering what happens next, which bank is destined to go to the wall, how many more banks can our Government nationalise and what will happen when the London Stock Exchange opens in the morning?

Amidst all that there is an air of history being made, the end of a (financial) era the end of unbridled capitalism?

Will Governments ever 100% trust the financial institutions again? And what next? How will it affect the man in the street?

Well of course its affecting him and his family already. Its affecting his employer and his mortgage and the services he buys and he is hoping, like me for two things. Firstly for things to stabilise – for the major financial institutions, Governments and regulators to get a grip and secondly for Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling to remember his plight. The cost of his soaring energy costs, the cost of his falling house price and his fast approaching negative equity and the need for his employer to keep him in a job. Yes we need stable markets and decisive gopvernment intervention, but we also need to support our people during a fast approaching recession. And NOW is the time to act.

The Post Office near where I work in Bury closed yesterday. There was the inevitable tears, frustration and anger. And amidst all that emotion there were another two people who have lost their jobs. Another community thats lost a key local service, even more vulnerable people just that little bit more vulnerable.

No doubt the same emotions will be replicated across 2500 Post Office closures over the coming year.  Thousands losing their jobs and businesses, millions losing vital services. Next time a Labour councillor, activist or MP suggests that public services are safe in their hands just remind them of the Post Office closures supported by Labour over the past 11 years.

People deserve better public services and communities that can sustain small businesses such as Post Offices, Small businesses that provide a sustainable economy and social network for our communities, because at the end of the day its all about people – at least it should be.

Do you look after a sick, disabled or an elderly relative?

On thursday October 2nd there is a Benefit Awareness Day being held at the Carers Centre and you will have the opportunity to find out further information on a range of benefits such as:-

Council Tax Benefit***, Housing Benefit, Carers Allowance, DLA & Attendance Allowance.  

Please take the opportunity and encourage anyone you know with caring responsibilities to attend the meeting.

***Are you aware that some people, due to health reasons or caring responsibilities are eligible to Council Tax discounts?

As part of the consultation on future options for residential care, a free phone number and email address have been set up to extend opportunities for people to have their voice heard on this important matter.

Tel:    0800 107 9906 (quoting Bury Council)

Email   bury@rmltd.net

These facilities, which are being run independently of the council to encourage participation, will be available until mid October 2008.

In addition details have been issued to the local press advertising these channels to the public.

Whilst many people will undoubtedly focus specifically on the options, the Council inform me that they would also like to receive feedback on people’s views on related topics such as:

• Should the council be helping more people to live at home
• The type of services (and accommodation) are needed by older people
• What can be done to address the growing number of vacant beds across the residential care sector because demand is falling

And of course any comments or suggestions as to how Bury Council can improve services would of course be equally welcome.

I am assured that all responses will be analysed independently with a summary being provided during November.  These results will then feed into the council’s views on developing older people’s accommodation services for the future.

Bury Liberal Democrats would also like to know your views on these subjects and other questions such as :

What kind of housing choice should be available for the elderly and very elderly in Bury?  

If you would rather not take up these options for making your views known, but would prefer to channel them through your local councillors, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via this website, post, email addresses or even the phone!

I con myself that party conferences are sort of political holidays away from day to day local council affairs and the day job but the reality is much different.

I have returned to work today pretty much exhausted following 5 days of meetings, events, debates and networking. And yes the ”networking” was often in bars and restaurants. But you know what they say – “Work hard, play hard”. 

It is always difficult to convey life inside the conference “bubble” to those that have never experienced it. But I think it is akin to immersing yourself in an intensive study course supplemented by opportunities to debate the issues of the day and meet people from many national and international organisations and charities and of course meet colleagues from up and down the country, old and new and swap notes etc.

After 5 days of badged up delegates carrying backs of papers swarming all over the Bournemouth Internation Centre and local hotels and bars we do leave (at least) mentally recharged and re-invigorated for the battle and challenges ahead.

And this year we see our messages refined and our policies updated and the clearest message yet to the people of Bury and Britain that the Liberal Democrats are ready in every way to take up the mantle of government from the Tories and Labour. Previous administrations that have repeatedly failed the vulnerable, the sick, the poor and the weak.

Personally I beleive this was the Lib Dems best conference for a number of years culminating in a great speech from Nick Clegg.

Urged on by Nick, Bury Lib Dems will be taking to the streets over the coming months as part of Nick Cleggs 1 million door challenge.  So the holiday is well and truly over, if indeed it ever started.  Hope to meet many of you then.

Bury Lib Dems have condemned the walk out by Labour Councillors from a full meeting of Bury Council as “gesture politics”.

Cllr Vic D’Albert told the meeting “We have just seen an example of gesture politics of the very worst kind.”

The walk out followed heckling from staff in the public gallery angry at the Councils pay review and regrading which will see many member of staff lose thousands in salary reductions while others gain significantly.

Cllr Vic D’Albert added, “Quite frankly I don’t blame those in the public gallery for being angry, I would in be in similar circumstances especially when in the current economic climate the tragic reality is that many could end up losing their homes. But labours orchestrated antics will not help anyone. This is no time for gesture politics and it is frankly insulting. What we need now is for the 3 political groups to get together to find a way through this situation to find a way to support hard hit staff. To improve morale to retain staff and to ensure front line services remain unaffected.
Following the reconvening of the meeting the Lib Dem Group gave a cautious welcome to a concession from the leader of the council to hold a briefing session for all councillors. in order that they are all aware of issues concerning the staff review and regrading.
Cllr Andrew Garner, Lib Dem deputy group leader commented, “This initial move is welcomed but it is only the first step so far as we are concerned. This Conservative administration needs to do a lot more before confidence is restored and staff relations can improve.
“What we need now is concerted action on behalf of staff and they need to see all parties working together to deal with the traumatic affect this may have on many council staff. This Tory administration is now being watched very closely to see what they do next.

Following the meeting of Council last week the Lib Dem Group issued a statement detailing the demands they are now making of the Conservative administration, their views on labours walk out and their general views on the Pay review and regrading.

I am heading off to (probably) sunnier climes tomorrow morning when I travel to Bournemouth for the Lib Dem Autumn Conference.

The five day “festival” of Liberal Dem politics, liberal philisophy combined with an exhibition and a mass of fringe events with internal and external organisations, pressure groups and charities, not to mention much “socialising” kicks off tomorrow morning and culminates in Nick Cleggs first speech to an Autumn Lib Dem conference on Wednesday morning.

I will be attending as a Bury South delegate as Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Bury South. I will be joined in Bournemouth by fellow Prestwich Lib Dem councillors, Tim Pickstone and Andrew Garner. So Prestwich will be well represented!

The highlight of the event is likely to be the debate on the “visions and Values” policy paper titled “Make it Happen” which has been much touted as a pre-General election manifesto.

I hope to post some blogs of my activities and news from conference on this site as the conference progresses.

Irrespective of my activities at conference I am still contactable via email and of course via this site. So please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively Cllr Wilf Davison remains firmly based in Prestwich and can be contacted on 0161 773 2904.

Normal service will resume on thursday! 

I don’t like to be overtly critical of people – other than those that set themselves up for it or of course are answerable to the great British /Bury public. In addition I have a great respect for journalists and the job and duty they have to get to the truth and cover the stories of the day for their readership, often in the face of political/organisational attempts to deceive, manipulate or on occasion just lie.

I realise my admiration of the efforts of journalists is sadly not always shared with the wider public, so therefore it dismays and dissapoints me more than perhaps most people when I read stories like the one in the Jewish Telegraph today about graffitti in Prestwich.

At first reading I for a moment thought the “black hole” experiment in France must have gone wrong and i’m now living in a parallel universe, such was the distortion of facts surrounding the issue of graffiti in Prestwich and attempts to deal with it by the Area Partnership and Lib Dem councillors.

Not only did they fail to acknowledge that the individual concerned (A tory activist) was doing his community bit with a graffiti cleaning kit provided free by Prestwich Area Partnership – Lib Dem led and requested by us from the Tory council. And that it was the Tory council of which Cllr Michelle Wiseman is lead member) that was issuing the threatening letters. But it was then suggested that the Council and the Area Partnerhsip have done nothing for months, which I regret to say is a lie.

This is also an insult to the efforts of local police officers who working in partnership with the Area Patnership and Bury Safe/the Council have put in a sterling effort to deal with this problem. In fact one of the only accurate points made in the JT article was regarding those offenders caught, that are now cleaning this up.

It is sad when such distortions are expressed in a respected newspaper because ultimately it undermines the reputation and credibility of their reporting. But we don’t want to let the facts get in the way of a good story do we ?

Last nights full meeting of Bury Council was appalling, dissapointing and dramatic. The lowlight of the event was a carefully orchestrated walk-out by Labour councillors. Was it a show of solidarity for the hundreds of staff packed into the public gallery – upset and angry at facing pay cuts? Or was it the an opportunity to score cheap points against the Conservative administration? Or was it a reflection of Labours unwillingness to face up to their role in this whole pay review/job evaluation issue that now blights Bury Council and its staff?

Whatever the motivation for Labour’s behaviour it amounted to the worst example of gesture politics that I have witnessed for a long time. At a time when councillor after councillor should have been demanding answers to crucial questions Labour walked out and abdicated their responsibility towards council staff at the same time.

Following the walk out, when the meeting reconvened it was the Lib Dem group that asked further probing questions and demanded answers and assurances from the Conservatives. It was the Lib Dems that received an assurance that there will be a special briefing session for all councillors.

This is a traumatic time for all staff adversely affected, especially in such a difficult economic climate. Bury Council are duty bound to a) ensure the process was fair and transparent, b) That staff set to lose are supported as fully as possible – financially and in other ways and c) That the appeal process is fair and open to staff attendance.

Bury Council now have a lot of work to do to engage with a sceptical staff and show that they really do care – care enough to do whatever is necessary and within its power to support staff – some of whome have been with Bury Council for 20 plus years.

Questions are being asked not just about the process and the pay review but about the whole Conservative administration. People deserved better from Labour and the Conservatives last night. Last night the war of words reached a climax – now its time to see if they are prepared to do the right thing for Bury people. Bury is watching.   

How do you think Bury Council has handled the pay review and job evaluation? Why not complete the Straw poll on the left hand side of this site. Additionally please feel free to email me your views.