The Conservatives recent announcement of tax breaks for married couples if they win the General Election may sound appealing but it is little more than another Tory tax bribe. 

Even if we put aside the big big question about how they would pay for such an expensive bribe whilst arguing the need for public service cuts everywhere because the country’s “bankrupt” , it just boils down to being blatantly unfair to millions – many of the poorest in society – and just a little patronising. 

Giving tax breaks to married couples where one person can afford to stay at home, but doing nothing for couples who both work is unfair. And penalising a woman whose husband has left her with a tax hike is unfair. 

And even if we look at the social engineering aspect of this – encouraging marriage. Have we forgotten the misery many endured in unhappy marriages in the past when it was the expected social norm. In a 21st century society that now largely respects different types of relationships, Is it not better that people find the kind of relationship that suits them and their family unit rather than encourage marriage irrespective of the consequences. Is not love, mutual respect and support within the unit more important than the type of arrangement? 

This policy ultimately takes money out of the pockets of the poorest families and gives it to rich ones. It would reopen divisions in our society that have taken generations to heal and it would punish single parents. 

The Tories’ first instinct is to help those at the top, Once again they have proven that they can’t be trusted to make this country fairer. 

Lib Dem policy to increase basic tax alowances to £10,000 benefits everyone, but by definition the lowest earners most. But crucially – it’s fair to all.

As the full scale of the horror that is the Haiti earthquake begins to hit home, I would urge everyone to spare whatever they can to back the Disasters Emergency Committee Haiti Appeal. Every little helps.

You can donate online by going to their web site here .

Due to the huge public outcry Goals Soccer Centres have failed to present their plans to Manchester City Council Planning Committee twice but have now submitted a 3rd set of plans and ethy don’t get any better (see below).

They are trying everything they can to get these plans approved. It’s up to us to stop them.
They have tried and failed in other parks. We must fight them every inch of the way.

Goals have been stopped before

Regents Park – REJECTED
Mordern Park -REJECTED

Lets stop them in Heaton Park and make it three nil for all those people who love open
parkland.

We urge you to object to this new planning application
The new planning application from Goals includes raising the level of the pitches by
80 centimeters which is almost a metre higher than they were originally planned. Making this blot on the landscape even more obvious.

Additionally security fencing is also planned. This physical and visual barrier will effectively cut off this area of parkland and thereby detract from the special character of this area of the park.

You need to send your objections to Manchester City Council by 3rd February 2010 If you have already sent in an objection during the last consultation period you will still need to send in another objection.

A – Sign the Online Petition HERE

If you’ve already signed – find TWO friends to sign! – Ask them to join the “Save Heaton Park” Facebook Group.

Here’s the link to the petition to send to a friend in an email.

http://www.saveheatonpark.org.uk/?page_id=2

B – Download and email / send in an objection letter.

Download the letter here – you can amend this letter to include your own words and objectsion.

Email your objection to r.griffin@manchester.gov.uk

C – Write your own Objection Letter

Quoting Application No: 090370/FO/2009/N1

and send to:

Peter Babb
Head of Planning
Manchester City Council
P.O. Box 463
Town Hall Extension
Manchester
M60 3NY

D – Attend the Save Heaton Park Meeting
Find out what has been happening with the campaign.

Monday 25 January 2010
7.00pm Church House (St Margaret’s Road, Opposite the Church), Prestwich.

Thank you for all your support so far!

This sunday the Longfield precinct in Prestwich will be holding another of our now popular farmers markets, with a host of quality produce from across the North West.

The event runs from 9.30 to 3.30 – but be warned stalls have sold out previously so get there early.

As ever there is something for all the family with a free raffle, Childrens ride, Squeaky the clown and a Town crier.

The Liberal Democrats today set out plans to bring a quarter of a million empty homes back into use, making homes available for people who need them and creating 65,000 jobs.

There are over 760,000 empty properties across England which are no longer used as homes but can be brought back into use with some investment. People who own these homes will get a grant or a cheap loan to renovate them so they can be used: grants if the home is for social housing, loans for private use.

Across Bury there is a staggering 1840 empty properties laying idle which could be used to meet local housing needs.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South commented,

“I welcome this pledge. Empty property is an issue that this Labour Government has clearly failed to address in any adequate manner at all. In one street of Holyrood Ward of Prestwich alone I know of 2 properties that have been left empty, to rot for years.

“This situation cannot be allowed to continue and I am positive this election pledge would have a dramatic in dealing with empty properties across the country.” 

The plans form part of the economic stimulus package outlined as a core principle of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto. In the first year of the new Parliament, the party would redirect over £3.6bn of spending to create jobs and build up Britain’s infrastructure. In the following years this money will be redirected to other Lib Dem spending priorities and reducing the structural deficit.

Read the rest of this entry. Read the rest of this entry.

In the latest Homewatch newsletter local Police are urging school children not to flaunt expensive gifts publicly.

Thieves will be on the look out for people with new mobile phones/Ipods etc so make sure you keep them safe and try not to flash them about too much!

The newsletter is packed with other useful information and recent crime statistics you can read it here: homewath-newsletter-january.pdf

Nick Clegg has today written to Gordon Brown urging him to go before the Iraq enquiry before the General Election. Earlier he had raised the issue during Prime Ministers Question Time in the House of Commons.

It is clear from comments made by Alistair Campbell and from questioning by the enquiry itself that it would be more than useful for Gordon Brown to make himself available to answer questions as to his role in the Iraq affair.

In fact it is clear to me that if we are to draw a line under the Iraq war controversy at the next election it is essential that he deals with his now. A failure to do so would lead to speculation that there is indeed something to hide and that the Iraq Enquiry has been politically influenced by showing alleged favouritism to the PM.

The British people need and deserve answers from our PM now, to enable a proper judgement to be made at the next election. They need to know his views and the part he played before a General Election.

So how about it Gordon, transparency and openness or brush it under the carpet till later?

The text of the letter to Gordon Brown from Nick Clegg is below:

Dear Gordon,

I am writing to urge you to indicate immediately to Sir John Chilcot that it is your strong preference to go before the Iraq Inquiry ahead of the General Election.

Following developments yesterday at Alastair Campbell’s hearing, your personal role in the decisions that led to the war in

As I said to you across the floor of the Commons today, people have a right to know the truth about the part you played in this war before they cast their verdict on your Government’s record. I urge you to confirm publicly that should Sir John Chilcot invite you to give evidence to the Inquiry ahead of the election you will agree to do so.

Nick Clegg

Bury Council have arranged a Budget consultation event to be held at the Peel Room, Bury Town Hall on February 2nd, starting at 7pm.

The event will outline the budget position facing the Council , to be finalised by a full meeting of Bury Council on February 24th (7pm).

As part of the exercise officers will outline the options facing the council and provide an opportunity for residents to comment on possible council tax rises, spending priorities and savings options.

Last night I attended Bury’s Environment, Economy & Transport Scrutiny Commission. Unsurprisingly the recent weather and Bury’s handling of the gritting of our roads (or not) dominated much of the meeting.

I raised concerns that the Council appeared to have difficulties trying to cope with bad weather when it was affecting the whole Borough simultaneously and that their gritting strategy seemed to reflect this, this was denied by officers.

I mentioned that we had been informed that due to the weather being so bad in Ramsbottom and surounding area that extra attention had to be given to that area in order to maintain main roads open. I suggested that this seemed to lead to less gritting in certain areas of Prestwich and Whitefield which received unusually large snowfalls. 

I also asked why the Longfield Precinct hadn’t been properly gritted, and officers appeared puzzled and said that it should have been, I have asked for this to be investigated.

Finally following another councillors concerns about keeping schools open, I suggested that Schools in difficult (non-gritting) locations should perhaps be supplied with their own gritting bin to help them keep their areas and frontage clear and safe. This seemed to be taken on board by officers.

With Government instructions to reduce gritting by 40% to conserve salt stocks , we better hope we don’t have any more bad weather for a while – preferably next winter!

Meanwhile Bury Council have recently produced a Gritting policy which explains the hows and why’s of where Bury Grits where it does. It’s currently a draft policy only as it is being consulted on, so if you have any comments to make please let the Council know asap.

You can read the draft policy here: burymbc-draft-gritting-policy.pdf

If you have Prestwich specific issues you want to raise, by all means let your local councillors know, or attend next weeks Prestwich Area Partnership meeting at Sedgley Park School at 6.30pm – the item will be on the agenda. 

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that over 5000 pensioners in Bury South (and 10000 across Bury) could be missing out on crucial cold weather payments.

Overall the party has identified that up to 1.7m pensioners could be missing out on the payments that are triggered by 7 days of sub-zero temperatures, according to analysis of Government figures by the Liberal Democrats.Cold Weather Payments of £25 a week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit, which goes unclaimed by as many as 1.7m pensioners.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South, Vic D’Albert said: 
“It is a scandal that in the 21^st century pensioners on the breadline in this country are missing out on these crucial payments, worth an estimated £42.5m.

“The very possibility that over 5000 vulnerable pensioners across Radcliffe, Prestwich and Whitefield could be missing out is nothing short of a disgrace.
 
“With Fuel prices at all time highs, Cold Weather Payments have never been more important for people already struggling on a poverty pension.

“This is yet another example of how Labour has failed pensioners. By creating a complicated system that makes it difficult for them to get the help they desperately need they have let down some of the most vulnerable in society.

“The Government should be making every effort to identify pensioners who are missing out to ensure that they get them this extra cash to help keep them warm and healthy this winter.”