Latest figures released by the office for National Statistics shows Bury witnessed a big decrease in Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) Claimants from the previous month.

Claims were down 5.8% to 4,095. Bury had the highest decrease of JSA claimants (5.8%) in Greater Manchester with the combined Local Authorities total reaching 3.6%, slightly less than the UK average of 3.9%. Bury District has seen an annual decrease in JSA claimants, 10.9% combined over the past 12 months, with Moorside and Church wards of Bury seeing decreases of 23.4% and 20.7% respectively.

The total number of jobs provided by the Jobcentre Plus increased in June by 13.4% from 967 jobs to 1097. This represents an average of 27 jobs for every 100 JSA claimants. As a whole most wards saw drops in Job Centre (JCP) vacancies with 5 wards posting fewer vacancies than May. Tottington and Redvales witnessed 433% and 52.6% increases in JCP vacancies with Redvales total vacancies accumulating to 566 vacancies.

The male JSA claimant count fell by 6.0% to 2986 and the female claimant count decreased by 5.2% to 1109. Showing that male JSA claimants are staying on JSA for a shorter period and finding it easier to find jobs than female JSA claimants.

The long-term (over 6 months) JSA claimant count stood at 1,625 in Bury for June 2010, a decrease of 3.6% from May. LTU in the Ramsbottom ward dropped considerably (11.1%) implying the job vacancies created in this ward are being filled.

The youth (16 to 24 year olds) JSA claimant count stood at 1,320 in Bury for May 2010, a fall of 7.7% on the previous month. A 7.7% drop is considerably higher than both Greater Manchester and the United Kingdom. They dropped by 5.9% and 5.0% respectively. This is a considerable drop compared to May with a total claimant drop of 90. Bury has a high percentage of total youth JSA claimants against all claimants. (32.2%) Considerably higher than the UK average (27.8%) suggesting younger people are finding it harder to work in Bury than the rest of the UK. 

Vic D’Albert commented, “This is good news for Bury but there is clearly a long way to go and the Government must not become complacent on this crucial issue. In Bury’s case it may well be that the opening of the new Rock shopping centre will have had an impact - especially on youth unemployment. But we should be cautious because there is a real fear that there could be an adverse impact on the Millgate shopping centre and the old Rock area which could lead to a reduction in jobs there, possibly cancelling out some of this improvement.Nevertheless this is an improvement in local fortunes that should be welcomed.”

A new planning application has been received which is within Holyrood Ward of Prestwich as detailed below:-

Application number: 52614         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 16/07/2010

Applicant: Mr Dost
Location: 33 Glebelands Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1WE
Proposal: Construction of ten apartments with car parking spaces and landscaping

Plans are available to view on the Council’s website. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Helen Longworth on: 0161 253 5322 or one of your local councillors who will be able to advise on how to comment on this application.

Your views would be welcomed in order that we may properly represent local residents and any concerns you may have.

Nick Clegg is promising that Britain will be more Liberal by 2015, when the next General Election will be held.

And he rightly boasts about a number of achievements already since the Coalition was formed such as the scrapping of ID cards, rolling back the DNA database etc and indeed if the legislative programme promised and agreed by the coalition does get through Parliament then indeed we will be a more Liberal nation.

Of course it will take longer to truly roll back much of the illiberalism of the past 30 or more years, and in fact perhaps the harder part will not be the changing of laws and new acts of parliament, but the changing of hearts and minds throughout our towns and communities.

Running tangent with more oppressive, restrictive legislation and Government of the past we have seen the growth of illiberal attitudes, a reduction of tolerance in society and a growing narrow mindedness to other attitudes or beliefs. A developed response from people increasingly withdrawn from society behind increasingly closed doors and minds to the outside world, their community, society.

I dearly hope the changes now being wrought at the top of the political pile start an avalanche of change in society, that will inevitably roll back the illiberalism of the past 30 years. But more than that a change that fundamentally develops more liberal views across the spectrum of our society and truly leads to the rebirth of liberal Britain. 

Not right, Not left, just liberal - the freedom to be different, the power to be free, the hope to be safe.

A WATER BUTT that is!

I’ve been meaning to get a water butt for literally years, and when the hosepipe ban was introduced I said to myself now is the time! (NB - I often say things to myself, occasionally having complete discussions or as a true liberal -dissagreements!)

Of course since buying and installing my butt it has rarely stopped raining for the following 10 days. So undoubtedly you can blame my purchase for the biblical standard downpours that we suffered last week.

Oh the joy, the sheer excitement as I have surveyed my Water Butt each morning to see how much extra water I had garnered overnight - a fact that I have felt obliged to update my better half about each and every morning since.

On a serious note though it has made me realise how we take water for granted and how much water we just allow to wash away, and the ease with which we just turn on the tap.

Water butts are very cheap these days and come in all shapes and sizes to suit, I would recommend anyone with a garden of any size to get one. You usually have to attach it to a downpipe but if I could manage that then believe me you can.

Vince Cable’s recent announcement about the reform of university funding highlighted the need to both find ways of developing increased funding for universities whilst at the same time reducing the debt burden faced by students and making the whole system fairer for all concerned.

As a Lib Dem councillor and former parliamentary candidate, our parties pledge to scrap tuition fees has been a long held committment by my party that I was particularly proud of. So it was with some concern, to put it mildly that we joined the coalition and then effectively appeared to shelve that committment.

The proposal for a graduate tax instead of a student loans to pay for fees, however would meet the political ambition of removing fees directly from students and in turn reducing the debt burden.

A FAIRER SYSTEM

In addition the fact that the graduate tax in place of fees would by virtue of the tax system be more progressive thus enabling graduates to pay according to their employment income - which means those high flying career graduates would pay more and those on slower burning or lower paid incomes would pay significantly less, put proportionally their fair share.

Understandably the whole issue of student debt, tuition fees and university funding has been a matter of increasing concern over the past few years , but hopefully this will prove to be a liberal minded breakthrough that will prove a win win solution for all concerned.

Bury Conservatives’ proposals to introduce parking charges at the Fairfax Road Car park were last night opposed by Prestwich Area Partnership.

The meeting at the Maccabi Community and Sport club on Bury Old Road, received a presentation from officers on the proposals to introduce parking charges and details of parking provision in the area generally.

Members of the partnership and general public were critical of the introduction of charges that officers confirmed were for financial reasons as well as to discourage Metrolink commuter parking.

Councillors Richard Baum questioned whether the income generated would be spent in Prestwich and it was confirmed that it would go to central funds.

Partnership members urged a Council rethink and proposed that at the very least they should consider a lengthy period free of charge to benefit precinct shoppers and users of public facilities such as Our lady of Grace Church, the Walk In centre, Health centre and library.

The item was brought to a close when Sydney Baigel, representing the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester proposed a motion opposing the introduction of parking charges, which was seconded by St.Mary’s Councillor, Richard Baum. The motion was carried unanimously.

Vic D’Albert, Chair of Prestwich Area Partnership commented, “This motion proposed out of the blue by a community member, just shows the strength of feeling over this issue locally.

“These charges, if introduced would undermine the chances of recovery for the Longfield Precinct, effectively discouraging shoppers. It is false economy seemingly targeted at Prestwich alone. It is only right and proper that if cuts or increased charges need to be made to balance the books then they should be shared across the board - not just dumped onto Prestwich!

“The message from Prestwich couldn’t be clearer , “These proposals are damaging, it’s time for Bury Council to think again!”

Last night I attended a meeting to discuss the Local Community Plan. This plan, which is available from he council and libraries etc details all the improvements that the Area Partnership (Council and agencies ie Police, NHS etc) want to make over a 3 year period.

The current plan was agreed back in 2008 and runs until 2011. Now as a local councillor I like many people get frustrated that it often seems to take forever to get things done. So it was very pleasing last night to find that so far - with a year to go 44 out of the 68 actions have been achieved, thats 2 out of 3, and 8 are still progressing.

Prestwich Festival of course is one of the big successes along with farmers markets to help boost local business etc.

Critically part of our plans for improving business involved delivering a blue print for redevelopment of the precinct. Whilst we now have an excellent blueprint for Prestwich Town centre, the actual project itself now needs pushing to be implemented

Obviously there is still plenty to do generally, and with over a year to go there were  several issues around Parking, crime and health related issues that stand out as requiring attention on which we will now be focussing our efforts, but it was pleasing nonetheless to see that we are making real progress in Prestwich.

It is likely that we will be charged with assembling a new community plan for Prestwich next year and as such we will have to re-focus our attention on the areas and issues of most concern as part of that process we must ensure we really engage and fully consult all aspects of the local community.

We must find ways (as councillors/council) of working better and more efficiently with our partners in the police, NHS, voluntary sector etc, if we are to be more effective in addressing issues in a shorter timescale. Things seem to work well at the top, but by the time you get to local community level ie Prestwich things begin to fracture.

Prestwich Area Partnership meets tonight at 6.30 at The Maccabi Sports and Leisure Centre, Bury Old Road, Prestwich (near The Woodthorpe). All welcome

The Government is set to announce a radical shakeup of the NHS, ostensibly handing much of the NHS budget for commissioning services etc down to local GP’s.

The NHS budget currently stands at £105bn. About 80% of this is given to local health managers working for 152 primary care trusts which in turn commission services for their areas.

A Government White Paper to be published later, is expected to call for much of this to be handed to GPs working together in formal partnerships in what would be a major shake-up of the NHS structure.

Now it’s not hard to see that in wanting to meet it targeted aims, the Government want to cut back on NHS management and focus spending on frontline services, that this is an attractive option. But there are big questions and as a high risk strategy if it does not succeed then it would prove disastrous, both from a cost point of view, but more importantly for patients adversely affected.

A lot seens to hinge on being able to cut back on managers and re-invest in GP led/commissioned care instead. But isn’t there a danger that as local Primary Care Trust managers lose their jobs, local GP’s find they need to employ them instead?

And are GP’s and their surgeries equiped to handle this new regime? I should state here that I am sure my GP would excel at such an opportunity, but do all GP’s have the necessary skills? Would it impinge on the time available to see patients?

Presumably for financial reasons the Government is preferring to roll this out across the NHS, when normally such a radical shakeup would have been piloted first.

As with many great ideas it has potential, and undoubtedly makes sense on paper, but then things often look different in practice. I hope they have done their homework and extensively consulted with the medical profession otherwise there may be problems ahead.

Remember the Poll Tax? 

Bury Ranger Service in conjunction with The Friends of Prestwich Forest Park are organising a Action/Clean up day on July 18th. See below for more details and contact Bury Ranger, Ian Rogers, for more information.

What;
Working in the clough stream to improve stream flow involving moving stones and re-channelling. (Please note, it will be quite physical at times)

When;
Sunday 18th July 9.30am.

Where;
Prestwich Clough, Prestwich. Meet at Clough entrance on St Anns rd, opposite Lowther Rd at 9.30 or come and find us in the Clough.

Bury Ranger service will provide gloves and tools but would recommended wearing clothing that can be messed up and safety boots and wellington boots.

Any questions please do not hesitate to contact Ian Rogers (see below). 

Bury Ranger Service, Phoenix Centre, St Mary’s Park, Prestwich
0161 253 5522

United Utilities have announced that we will impose a hosepipe ban following the driest start to a year since its records began. It is the first hosepipe ban in the North West for 14 years.

The ban will come into force on Friday July 9 at 6am.
The ban will apply to all our customers in the North West, with the exception of customers in Carlisle, Allerdale, Copeland and the north Eden Valley, where supplies are at reasonable levels.

John Sanders, United Utilities Water Regulation and Strategy Manager, says: “Despite some recent rainfall in the north of the region, reservoir levels are still significantly lower than we would expect at this time of year and are now at a point where we need to impose some temporary restrictions on our customers.

“It is not a decision we have taken lightly, but a hosepipe can use as much water in an hour as a family of four would use in one day. This ban will help us to safeguard essential water supplies to our customers if the drought continues. ”

The ban will restrict the use of hosepipes or sprinklers for watering private gardens and washing private cars. You can still water your gardens with a watering can and wash your vehicles using a bucket and sponge. These methods typically use a fraction of the amount of water a hosepipe or sprinkler uses.

This move follows our earlier actions to maintain essential supplies, such as maximising water abstraction from ground water supplies and moving water around its regional integrated network of pipes.

We have also been running a radio and newspaper advertising campaign to encourage its seven million customers to use water wisely.

“We need to be very mindful that we share our water supply with the environment and we all need to do our bit to protect supplies for the benefit not just of our own communities but also our river wildlife,” added John.

“We will need much more significant rainfall before the position starts to turn around. We are asking our customers to please observe the hosepipe ban and do what they can to save water in other areas of their daily lives. There are some simple things we can all do such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth and running washing machines and dishwashers with a full load.”

For more water saving tips please log onto http://www.unitedutilities.com/usewaterwisely.htm

A new planning application has been received which is within Holyrood Ward of Prestwich as detailed below:-

Application number: 52820         Type of application: Full         Date Registered: 05/07/2010

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Hall
Location: Land off Poppythorn Lane, Prestwich, Manchester
Proposal: Outline - Demolition of existing buildings and erection of 12 no. dwellings and associated access and car parking

Plans will be available to view on the Council’s website within 2 working days from today. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Helen Longworth on: 0161 253 5322.

If you wish to comment on this application or wish to raise issues, please don’t hesitate to contact your local councillors and we will do our best to advise and represent your views.

Nick Clegg yesterday confirmed to Parliament a package of political reforms aimed at cleaning up politics, restoring some confidence and trust in politics and making our Parliament more representative of the great British public. (”gawd bless em”)

From a die hard Liberal perspective there has to be an element of dissapointment that the long awaited reform of the voting system, that will be put to a referendum, will be the Alternative Vote system (AV).

However, when the initial dissapointment wears off I have to accept that it will at least be better than what we currently have. It will mean that all votes count. It will mean that the duly elected MP is more representative of their constituencies wishes and it will lead to a more representative House of Commons.

Having said that AV of course is not truly proportional representation and it does not fully deliver fair votes - and we must not pretend that it does. But it is a start. And so far as I am concerned that is the key.

If this was the final chapter in the long campaign for fair votes then this proposal would be unacceptable. BUT it does signal the start of positive, albeit, stepping stone reform. So far as I am concerned this is the beginning of the end for unfair votes and unrepresentative parliaments in this great land and that can only be good.

As we gradually get use to the new politics and this strange coalition government it is easy to greet most announcements or policy initiatives with dissapointment as the inevitable compromises take their toll. As a liberal I can’t help searching every announcement for clues as to the party political source and identifying the compromised elements, and I am sure Conservatives are doing the same.

And this novel idea of compromising is playing havoc with the media, left/right-blinkered students of politics and even the politicians themselves.

Just look at the supposed furore over the announcement of a referendum on the introduction of AV . “The Prime Minister will vote No” screamed the BBC News website. “The Prime Minister will enforce that the Conservatives will vote for the referendum”, screamed other media. There has been so much written already about onservatives who will vote “NO” because they are against PR and Lib Dems who will vote “YES” because they support PR and Labour MPs who………..well don’t really know , except they accuse Lib Dems of betrayal - a common charge this days.

Yet AV is not proportional representation and everyone knows that. But everyone also knows that once the fair votes cat has been let out of the bag there is only one way it will go. Conservatives and Labour  MP’s opposed to PR know that and that is why they will try and stop this now.

The art of political decision making in the great corridors of power has suddenly slowed down to take account of coalition partners demands/concerns. Whilst that means compromise it also means (hopefully) better decision making. But it does mean that we don’t always get what we want, when we want it - but it will come. And anyway how long have we waited?

Liberals of the world unite ! 

Bury Council has (due to the last Government) been forced to adopt a “Strong leader” model of Government.

Ostensibly in practice what this means is that instead of the council having an “Executive” made up of 8/9 councillors as previously and making decisions collectively, the Leader of the Council makes the decisions or delegates to a cabinet member responsible for a particular portfolio.

Whilst this is great for the leader of the council and may even speed up decision making, I’m not sure it exactly enhances democracy and accountability to local people.

The problem is that the democratically accountable element of the council now boils down to 6 councillors - leaving 45 councillors wondering how they can effectively represent their constituents views in the decision making process.

That situation is further aggravated by last years decision by the Tories locally to limit questions from Councillors at meetings.

Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum residents still rightly expect Councillors to be standing up for their concernes at every opportunity. So we are left with a massive democracy gap in the middle.

Last weeks Lib Dem motion proposing the Tory administration at Bury deals with future cuts in as inclusive and engaging manner as possible sought to flag up this issue.

Lets face it no one wants to make cuts , or have to administer them on behalf of the Government, but the more local people understand the rationale, the more the decision making process and options are explained, the more likely that people will either understand or even accept that what is proposed is the best way forward.

Failure to engage local people at such times, faced with big cuts to services would amount to rubbing salt into the wounds. And lets face it local people will often readily influence the process.

So what we need now is a leader that is strong enough to enhance and broaden the democratic process and to fully engage with local people. After all in effect is he not there to represent the people of Bury?

Did you know Dementia affects 750,000 people in the UK?

Did you know over 2000 people are living with Dementia in Bury?

Are you worried about your memory?

If you would like to find out more about Dementia and its early signs pop along to the stand in the Millgate shopping centre on wednesday. There will also be information about caring for people with Dementia. 

 Date: Wednesday 7^th July

Time: 10am – 5pm

Location: Millgate Shopping Centre (outside Boots)

A MESSAGE FROM NICK CLEGG 

We’ve already scrapped ID cards. Now I’d like to ask you - which other laws do you want to scrap?

Your Freedom

The Liberal Democrats have always stood up for civil liberties, scrapping unnecessary laws and reducing the burden of regulation on businesses and charities.

In our manifesto, we proposed a Freedom Bill to roll back Labour’s attacks on British civil liberties. In government, we are doing just that.

Yesterday I launched Your Freedom, a national dialogue on how to create a more open, inclusive society. Anyone can make suggestions about which laws we need to scrap and where we can cut red tape. You can also rate and comment on other people’s suggestions. The best ideas will be put into practice – because this is a listening government.

This is the open government we have long campaigned for. So tell us about every time you’ve felt snooped on by the state, or had to fill in the same form three times. Help us put Liberal Democrat values into practice in Government.

I know people are talking about this up and down the country – so please do have your say and pass this message on to anyone who has ideas for Your Freedom.

The second motion to last nights Bury Full Council Meeting was a Liberal Democrat motion following on from the Coalition Government’s Emergency Budget and the resulting impact on Bury Council services.

As a result of the emergency budget local authorities are being asked to cut immediately £1.6 billion from the budgets they approved in March for the current year. In Bury’s case this boiled down to £5.2 million cut from grants expected from the Government.

Local Liberal Democrats feel very strongly that so far as possible proposed cuts to services need to follow extensive consultation with local residents, users, staff and Unions. We need to explain, identify the issues, challenge officers to find less painful options and savings and basically bend over backwards to protect local services and staff.

As a result the Liberal Democrat Group tabled the following motion:

Public Expenditure Motion

“This Council notes:

1.The unsustainable high levels of public debt and budget deficit that the country has been left in by the previous Government.
2.That the Government has announced significant cuts to public spending which include £1.6 Billion cuts to local government finances, and that more reductions are expected to follow.

This Council therefore believes that it is imperative that urgent and immediate action is taken to address the impact on Bury Council and the services it provides, in particular;

1. To identify and highlight how best to protect statutory services
2. To identify and highlight how best to protect other frontline services
3. To ensure that other non-frontline but necessary services or administration can continue to provide an effective and efficient service to the authority
4. To protect as many jobs as possible
5. To work with partners in the city region and across the North West to safeguard the local and regional economy
6. Work with our MPs and neighbouring authorities to ensure a fair deal for the region and sub-region in any grant reductions

This Council therefore resolves that the discussions and decisions relating to these budgetary challenges will take place in an open and transparent manner, including:

1. Welcoming the establishment of the all-Party Overview Working Group on the budget to look into these issues in greater depth
2. Ensuring that proper scrutiny of any decisions takes place, through the Internal Scrutiny Committee or as appropriate.
3. That ways are found to involve and inform the public in the important decisions about services in the Borough
4. That all members of Council are kept informed and briefed throughout the process of current savings and discussions for the 2011-2012 Council Budget.”

Proposer: Cllr Vic D’Albert        Seconder: Cllr Richard Baum

An amendment was tabled by the Labour Group basically referring to the Government as the Con/Dems and trying to delete the first paragraph or two - they were upset that we identified that the last Labour Government had left the country near bankrupt. Sorry facts are facts! The amendment failed. The motion was passed by Bury Council.

You can read my speech in proposing the motion here: speech_30610.pdf

Last nights Full Council meeting at Bury Town Hall was probably the longest meeting for many months, starting at 7pm and finishing about 10.20 - and then with unfinished business.

The highlight was two motions, the first by the Labour group calling for the re-instatement of the recently sacked board of Six Town Housing, Bury’s arms length Housing management organisation.

It has been well publiscised recently that Bury Council Chiefs fired the board of Six Town Housing because of actions of the board and a lack of consultation with the Council, arguing a number of reasons in justification.

Whilst I have sympathy with the motion and the comments made, I felt extremely uncomfortable with the fact that the debate was encroaching on the minutae of the issue - including individuals involved - councillors and staff of both organisations. (I should point out that it is a long held convention that officers are not referred to directly in debate.)

As a Lib Dem group we were unhappy with the tone of the motion and so we moved the following amendment:

AMENDMENT 

This Council is extremely concerned at the events, which have led to the Board of Six Town Housing being dismissed.
We, therefore recommend  that  the appointment of a new Board of Six Town Housing comprising tenants, councillors and independent members be undertaken as soon as practicable, at least by the AGM of Six Town Housing in November 2010.

We further recommend that an All-Party Group be established to review the events that led up to the dismissal of the Board, and to consider any changes that need to be made to ensure strong governance for Six Town Housing.

Proposer: Cllr Ann Garner            Seconder: Cllr Richard Baum 

This amendment received the support of the Conservative Group and so was passed by Council, Labour abstained on the amended motion which was supported by Lib Dems and the Conservative Group.

Bury Council are in the process of introducing bus lane enforcement across the Borough. In itself that is a surprise as I had assumed that as we had bus lanes, they would be enforced somehow!

In any case that is the plan, however as part of that process they plan to amend the hours of operation of the bus lanes so that they all operate at the same times. This means that all 8 bus lanes across the authority will operate from 7am - 10am and 4pm to 7pm monday to saturday.

I must confess that I do not see the logic of operating bus lanes on saturdays, and certainly for the hours proposed. At least 3 buys lanes operate in the Whitefield and Prestwich area. As a Prestwich resident I am pretty familiar with local traffic issues and generally on saturdays traffic is very light from 7 to 10am and builds through the day as people go out and about per their weekend plans, it then seems to tail off a bit at tea time before the evening build up for those going out. This would make a nonsense of the extending the operating hours to saturdays.

I hope that the authority has carried out traffic surveys disproving my observations, but in the meantime if you would like to comment on the proposals you should contact:

Tina Glover, Principal Engineer, Traffic Management and Road Safety Services, PO Box 545, 3 Knowsley Place, Duke Street, Bury BL8 9H, or telephone 0161 253 5855 or email c.i.glover@bury.gov.uk

……And don’t forget to let your local councillors know what you think also!

I was glad to hear today that the Government have announced a radical review (shake up) of prisons. Especially with regard to the imprisonment of people for relatively minor offences and at what sought of level custodial sentences should apply.

It worries me that too many young people end up in prison for the first time and find themselves in an institution that caters more for an education in crime and criminal networking rather than rehabilitaion.

If we could stop or at least drastically cut reoffending rates in the young it would save millions and ultimately improve the lives and long term prospects of thousands.

I am a firm believer that punishment should fit the crime and be seen by society to be fair. In addition we do have to accept that the only place for hardened criminal minds, and especially violent ones is imprisonment.

But one size does not fit all and whether this review is financially driven or not if it addresses the need to at least try and rehabilitate those on first time sentences as different from ‘long term remove from society criminals’ then that’s fine by me.

Oh and before you ask, no I don’t support the death sentence, but life should mean life!

There has been a rise in the number of bogus calls in the area. As a result Bury Council has created the ‘rip off register’. Details are fed in from Bury’s Trading Standards department so it is legitimate information. Below is a list of all the current scams which can also be found on http://news.bury.gov.uk/Rip-off+register.htm

Scam reported June 19: Bogus tradesmen
Two men have been approaching homes in Prestwich offering to pressure-wash driveways for cash. The men aged 20 and 50 both had Welsh accents and were wearing high visibility jackets and hard hats. They appeared very eager to get money from the householder and appear to have no vehicle or tools with them.

Scam reported June  3: Bogus callers
Two incidents in one day have sparked a warning from the council’s trading standards team for people to be on their guard against doorstep criminals. The incidents both happened on June 3 but at opposite ends of the borough, one in Prestwich and one in Ramsbottom. Interestingly, although the descriptions of the men involved in the scams were different, both told the residents that they were working on a neighbouring house and they needed to turn off the water supply to prevent a flood.

Whilst distracted with the first offender, another male entered the property. In Ramsbottom the second male was unseen, entered the house through an unlocked door, opened a cupboard and stole cash. In the incident in Prestwich, the second male was seen to enter the property and discuss the leak with the first. One of the criminals then offered to pay the vulnerable resident for the water used but claimed only to have a £50 note and asked for change.

The resident removed their savings from a drawer and as soon as their back was turned both offenders left the house with the cash.
Residents are advised not to let the individual into the property and to check with United Utilities on 08457 462200 to see if there is any work of this nature being carried out in the local area if an individual comes to their home.

Scam reported 17th May: Dodgy builder
Unknown male knocks on a householders door apologising for the noise coming from next door stating “dodgy builder have drilled through the water pipe”  and that this could flood into the householders  house.  The householder opens door to caller  who follows them in to the kitchen, leaving the front door ajar and asks householder to switch on the taps as the caller is looking for blue water coming out of the taps.  

The house holder states she wishes to call her daughter, offender refuses, blocking her exit through the hallway.  Offender leaves a short time later after being challenged and makes off.

Scam reported 4th May: Just the ticket? not quite
A Bury resident contacted the council’s trading standards team when tickets that she purchased online were not supplied. The website: www.vipblocktickets.com appears to be a scam. Bury Residents are advised that although the temptation to purchase tickets from online ticket sellers can be great; they should proceed with caution. Before purchasing tickets the website should be checked through search engines to see if other users have reported problems.

If buying tickets online; pay by credit card if possible as this may give additional cover depending on the amount paid in the event that there are problems at a later date. When purchasing tickets online, residents are advised to use established websites or the venues own website.

Scam reported May 2010: Fair trade?
Watch out for bogus calls from people offering to reclaim money for you. One recent scam was brought to the attention of officers in Bury by a Greater Manchester neighbour. A resident was called by someone saying they were from the Office of Fair Trading. When she became suspicious and said she was going to call the police the caller hung up. Beware people saying they are reclaiming money on your behalf, if the agency is genuine they will not contact you by phone.

Lottery scam confirmed
A Bury resident contacted the council’s trading standards team worried that she may have received a scam letter in the post. The official looking letter claimed she had won £800,000 Euromillions FIFA World Cup Super Lottery. Alarm bells rang for the resident as the letter asked for her bank details. It claimed to be from the Euromillions FIFA World Cup Super Lottery administered by Wallmarks Finance and Creditors. It used the address for South African High Commission and a fax back application form with the address of the Financial Service Authority. The phone numbers currently used are 0203-3189-540, 0791-927-0178 and 0207-113-2107. The council believes these numbers are redirected outside the UK, although some letters seem to have been posted in the UK.

Not a lotto dough
A Bury resident has notified Trading Standards of a mailing received claiming he had won 810,950 Euros and is asking for bank details. Has received the letter and  believes it to be a scam but does not recall entering lottery. General information about foreign lottery scams
Foreign lottery scams are a form of advance fee fraud. The consumer receives a letter, telephone call or email telling them that they have won a major cash prize in an overseas lottery (often the Spanish or Canadian lottery). They will often be told to telephone a sales agent who will ask the victim to send money to cover administration, customs and taxes. The winnings however, do not exist and are never received.Cameroon Pet scam 
Animal lovers be warned as another scam which has been reported to trading standards has just been verified. Animals are advertised online with an accompanying sad story describing why they need a new home. Money is asked for to pay transport costs and once received the animals delivery is delayed for a number of reasons. The scammers ask for more and more fees with the buyer now engaged both emotionally and financially.  These scams have been associated with puppies, kittens, monkeys, parrots, the latest reported today was a horse. The scammers tend to use Western union Money Transfers so as to avoid being traced. A resident in Bury who reported that she had fallen victim to the scam realised she had lost her money but contacted the council to make sure no-one else fell into the same trap.Internet Insecurity (reported June 2010)

Bury Trading Standards are warning local residents to be suspicious of telephone calls from people claiming to be from Microsoft.  In the past month officers have been made aware of instances where residents have received unsolicited calls from people claiming that there is a virus on their computer. They have then tried to gain remote access to the computer and ultimately request the consumer provides bank details for payment between £50 and £200 to purchase security software that can remove the virus.Enquiries have revealed that the companies are not connected to Microsoft.
The callers are not based in the UK (often India)
And diligent consumers who have terminated the phone call and taken their PCs for independent examination haven’t got a computer virus.

This morning I made my way to the Disability Services Centre which sits on the small remaining corner of the Withington Hospital site that is yet to have houses built on it.

The DSC or “limb Centre” as it is known by patients basically services, repairs and fits prosthetic limbs. I had a lower leg prosthesis fitted following a below right knee amputation as a result of a motor bike accident in ‘95 and have been visiting every 12-18 months ever since.

When you  go there they steer you to a “fitting room” where you are sat down. The “fitter” probably titled a prosthetic engineer or some such then comes and after exchanging pleasantries asks to see your prosthesis. Inevitably he then takes it away leaving you marooned in a particularly unattractive room with similarly unattractive blokes all doing that thing of avoiding eye contact with crotch areas.

You then wait and wait and wait - in my instance (hence this blog), I waited 3 hours today. As if to add insult to injury, you have no tele, no radio and mobiles phones are banned.

So there you are sat - stranded legless, footless whatever with the only entertainment being a handful of womens magazines exploring the wonders of Perth, how to knit with confidence and 18 month old horoscopes and adverts for incontinence pads and chairs that propel you to a horizontal position at the flick of a switch.

But believe me that was preferable to the 82 year old gentlemen (very nice chap) that was being asked to walk up and down between some parallel bars in underpants, that seemed only marginally younger than he, with a significant hole in an unfortunate location. 

Momentarily my mood was lifted when a chirpy lady popped her round the door and said, “The user group are having a coffee morning with tea, cakes and biscuits - feel free to pop round.” To a man the 3 patients and myself looked at each other and looked down at our absent limbs.

Losing the will to live wasn’t in it, you actually begin to think you’ll never get out of there. Thankfully I did. This time!

I’ve just returned from Bury Crossroads 18ths Birthday party. The carers charity in Bury has been going now for 18 years and wanted to celebrate the occasion with carers, staff, trustees and anyone else (like me) who wanted to pop in. So I dropped round to Bury United Reformed Church to show my support and offer best wishes and so on.

Unfortunately it was in my lunchtime and I couldn’t spare the time to get stuck into the buffet, tempting though it was.

I would just take this opportunity though to congratulate Crossroads on their 18 years. 18 years of support for local carers, many of whom were at their wits end and now receive help, advice and respite for their carer activities.

Goodness knows how much it’s saved the NHS over the years and how much it has improved the lives of some of the 9000 carers in Bury. Well done and keep up the good work. Here’s to the next 18 years!

I know love him or loathe him as the British people do, John Prescott has today gone all hysterical about the fact that former Labour ministers John Hutton and Frank Field have agreed to review pensions and poverty respectively for the Coalition Government.

He has called them “Collaborators”. He seems to have forgotten very quickly that Lib Dems, Shirley Williams and Mathew Taylor amongst others held similar appointments advising Gordon Browns government. Whilst I can tell you that there were eyebrows raised at those appointments there were certainly no screams of “collaborators”.

Of course John Prescott is very much old Labour (or is he hard Labour?) and is still fighting the class wars. He and others in the Labour hierarchy either miss the point completely about this “new politics” of cooperation, concensus building or they are suspicious or fear the end result for their particular brand of confrontational black/white politics.

I think its mostly the latter, with the consequences that may have for Labour generally. Politics in Britain is changing - goodness knows it needed to change - no one knows how it will end up but it’s clear that there will be no going back as promised in the Tory and Lib Dem manifesto’s, so far as I’m concerned whi;lst it may be a bit of a roller coaster ride, it’s certainly change for the better.

Derek Simpson, joint leader of the UNITE Union has today urged Lib Dem members to rear up their membership cards and join the Labour party rather than be associated with public spending cuts.

Now I realise Labour have long since cast off any pretensions of socialism, and barely adhere to any particular philosphy these days  - in fact its more determined by their leader at the time ie Blairism, Brownism. What next Milibandism?

Besides the void of political philosophy at the heart of Labour at the moment I do have great respect for a number of council colleagues representing Labour who do have sound principles and will fight the historic cause. So the least I expect in return is a similar recognition that members of the Liberal Democrats have principles too - mostly!

I am a member of the Liberal Democrats because I am a liberal - pure and simple. I have liberal values , liberal views, lead a fairly liberal lifestyle and believe hook line and sinker in the political philosophy of liberalism. I would never join any other party. If my party ceased to be liberal then I would leave,  but I would still be a liberal.

I don’t pretend to be comfortable with public spending cuts, but as previously mentioned on this blog the current Government has inherited an appalling financial situation not of our making. If we fail to address the budget deficit we will be unable to protect key front line services, we may be liberal but we are also pragmatic and realistic in supporting those that rely on public services most.

The fact is most of the cuts being announced recently were Labour pre-election spending bribes and “Give-aways” intended to create a feelgood towards a failing administration prior to the election.

My message to Derek Simpson would be , “Derek you don’t belong in the Labour Party any more - labour has failed you, the Union movement and the country. You have  socialist beliefs unlike the Labour party. Thanks for the invite but i’m staying put”.    

With the back drop of global recession and on-going banking crisis, now accompanied by the Euro Zone crisis the Coalition Government is well into public spending cuts mode.

A steady stream of announcements have already been made and of course the daddy of them all is expected in the emergency budget next week (22nd).

And so it would seem that battle lines are now well and truly drawn across the floor of the Commons and they are drawn across the key issue of public spending. With the recent history bringing us to the recent events and to next weeks budget, it’s is now clear that the issue of public spending is set to dominate this Parliament and beyond.

The trouble is now that we have a new Government we have two versions of history. On the one hand Labour ex ministers are running around saying these cuts by the new Coalition are disgraceful and hurting the neediest in society, on the other hand the new Coalition Government Ministers are running around screaming “we don’t have a choice, Labour was spending money we didn’t have”.

The fact at the heart of all this was that during the election all 3 main parties agreed that massive cuts were needed, and all 3 parties refused to say what they would cut. So now Labour are saying we wouldn’t have cut this and that without actually saying what they would cut instead. They probably beleive it’s the perogative of HM opposition, but it’s more opportunism cloaked in deceit posing as opposition.

It’s interesting that during the elction many people were saying that they wanted a hung parliament because they wanted politicians to work together to deal with the massive problems the country faces. Well they got a hung parliament and they got a coalition, a surprising coalition perhaps, but a coalition nevertheless. At such a time - a time of crisis, we also need a responsible opposition - sadly that is lacking.

Labour didn’t have the stomach for coalition, and Labour don’t have the stomach to play a reasonable , constructive role in the new parliament. If that is a shame in itself, the old style brick hurling and 13 years of collective amnesia from the labour benches is disgusting.

Last night I attended the final event in the Prestwich Concert Series organised by Philip White at St.Mary’s Church.  Over the past weeks there have been 9 events featuring a wide spectrum of music and 80 performers and it was particularly pleasing to hear that a new series is being planned for the autumn.

Last nights final concert was an organ recital by Andrew Cundliffe-Jones and featured a variety of music - compositions for the organ and also adaptations.

Now, I don’t pretend to be an organ music expert or enthusiast, but I love live music and will listen to all types of music (almost). So I really enjoyed the recital last night, especially set as it was, within the confines of St.Mary’s. Congratulations to the organisers.

We are now well into the final week of events for the 2nd Prestwich Festival which culminates in Sunday with the carnival. 

Final events are as follows:

19 JUNE THE LOVE PRESTWICH FESTIVAL BALL 19.30 – 23.30
The Longfield Suite
Gibbons Dance & Dance Club 2000 present a Spectacular Ball with an electrifying Latin dance demonstration, plus mega raffle including 32” tv. £7.50.
Contact: 07817 695 918 info@gibbonsdance.com or www.gibbonsdance.com

19 JUNE RAINY CITY STORIES - Intergenerational Writing Workshop
The Phoenix centre, St Mary’s Park, Prestwich
This workshop is part of Openstories ™ Rainy City Stories project, which publishes stories and poems linked to locations in Greater Manchester on an interactive map of the city at rainycitystories.com. The workshop is suitable for all levels of writer. Places are free, but limited to 15 people per session.
Contact: Kerry Freeman - Area Youth Worker on 0161 253 5545 k.freeman@bury.gov.uk or www.rainycitystories.com

19 JUNE PRESTWICH CARNIVAL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT 9.00 - 16.00
St. Mary’s Park
Organised by Marauders FC local junior teams compete. Plus all the fun of the fair.

20 JUNE FESTIVAL FATHERS DAY TREAT Midday - 20.00
Same Yet Inn, Simister
Set 3 Course Fathers Day Menu £14.95 including a Free pint for Dad. To qualify for this offer you are required to pre-book your table before Sunday 13 June.
Contact: Erica Noon on 0161 653 1430 email: same.yet@jwlees.co.uk

20 JUNE PRESTWICH CARNIVAL GRAND PARADE 2010 12 noon start
St. Mary’s Park
Showcase arena with tributes to Lady Ga Ga, Amy Winehouse, plus sensational Marvin Ruffin, and local talent in five hours of live music on stage. Fun and entertainment for all the family includes circus skills, majorettes, court of queens, football arenas, RSPCA dog show, stalls village, bouncy castles and fairground. Please give generously to ensure Prestwich carnival 2011, will be there for you.
Contact D Curtis email: d-curtis2@sky.com

20 JUNE PRESTWICH CARNIVAL GRAND PARADE 2010 13.00 start
The grand parade starts its journey around the roads of Prestwich at 1pm with 5 marching bands. Many floats/cars, majorettes, arrives in St Mary’s Park 2.30pm.

20 JUNE THE LAST BREAD PUDDING 17.30
PADOS House, St Marys Road, Prestwich
Closing this year’s LovePrestwich Festival 2010 with their own very popular comedy season, PADOS present their two 1 Act Play Festival comedies: ‘The Last Bread Pudding’ by Nick Warburton presented by the Adult section and Andrea MacPhail’s ‘That Old Black Magic’ performed by the Youth Group.
Tickets £6 (from 5 May) at www.PADOSshop.co.uk

Just had to phone Bury Council to complain that my blue bin was not emptied this week. You see it happens to Councillors as well.

We had put the bins out as normal but when I came out to go to work I’d noticed that the bin had not been emptied, and had a big sticker slapped on it saying “Ooops, we didn’t empy your bin because there is wrong stuff in it” or some such.

If that’s the case then fair enough, I will waste part of my life tonight on my arrival home having a look see. BUT - it would appear that the offending article namely a plastic plant pot tray from a garden centre  - had been removed and placed on one side - yet they still didn’t empty the bin.

I have just phoned to request that they come back to empty the bin, only to be told that it won’t be until next week!

Perhaps the Council needs to issue the list of several hundred forms of plastic that are/not acceptable - just so we know.

On another note a resident recently raised at the last Area Partnership meeting that they were told that they couldn’t put garden waste in grey bins. This is true providing you have a brown bin. If you don’t then you can add green waste to your grey bin.

Two incidents in one day have sparked a warning from the council’s trading standards team for people to be on their guard against doorstep criminals.

Tony Holt head of community safety for the council said; “Sadly bogus calls are not uncommon and it tends to be the more trusting vulnerable residents that are targeted. We want people to be on their guard. If you have an elderly neighbour that lives alone we advise you to let them know about the possibility of bogus callers in the area. We don’t want people to feel afraid in their own homes, but forewarned is forearmed.”

The first Prestwich Area Partnership meeting of the new municipal year took place last night at Church Lane Community Centre.

As ever it was a packed agenda and well attended, some of the key highlights were as follows:

COMMUNITY GRANTS

Concern was raised that the Area Partnership were asked to cancel a recent Grants Panel meeting because no funds had yet been allocated to the Area Partnerships for the coming year. Members raised concerns that funds need to be allocated in order that local organisations and activities can be supported.

BROADBAND JUNCTION BOXES

Residents of Brooklands Road raised concerns about the recent installation there of a new large BT junction box bringing high speed broadband to the area. This is apparently the first of a number of boxes to be established in the area and residents expressed concern that they had not been consulted about the location and that workmen went onto their land without permission to carry out the work. the Partnership agreed to raise the matter with the Council.

DISCRETIONARY RATES

Bury Council operates a scheme of discretionary Business Rates reductions for local charities and non-profit making groups. However representatives of Prestwich Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (PADOS) attended to voice their concerns that their discretionary reduction had been cancelled and whether this was a change of Council policy. Prestwich Area Partnership agreed to raise the issue with Bury Council.

NEIGHBOURHOOD INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT

Every few years the Council produce this document that brings together a variety of local indicators and figures from different sources, local and national, to provide an insight into local communities highlighting crime, health , levels of deprivation and affluence, population statistics etc. The aim is to use the document to inform and influence the devleopment of local policies. The Area Partnership agreed to establish a Working Group to look more closely at the issues raised and how they may be addressed.

POLICE UPDATE

New local Inspector, Mark Kenny attended and gave an update on local crime and Police issues. He confirmed that there had been some significant reductions in crime over the past year and they were working hard to keep it that way. In addition he informed the Partnership that due to reorganisation there will now be crime investigation teams attached to each ward area, with officers responsible to respond directly to crimes in those areas.

HOLYROOD CHILDREN’S CENTRE

Caroline Finn the Holyrood Childrens Centre Manager and Davina Handley from Childrens services provided an update on building work progress and plans for the new centre on Cuckoo Lane at Heaton Park School. It was confirmed that they are starting to provide services off-site and the Centre is expected to be completed and open by November 22nd.  

NEXT MEETING

July 15th from 6.30pm (open forum 7.30), venue to be confirmed - see local press.

The Heaton Park Action Group are asking local residents that care about preserving the open green spaces in the park to write in and register an official complaint against Manchester City Councils decision to allow Goals Soccer to build there.

In particular the HPAG and others grievances centre around the conduct of the Manchester Planning Committee meeting that passed the planning application.

I have attached the flyer that HPAG are circulating which highlights the key areas of concern, and would ask that if you feel strongly about protecting Heaton Park, you register a complaint about how this decision came about.

The decision process was a shambles and the local community and park lovers alike will pay the penalty as a result as will future generations, so please get writing and pass it on!

The complaint flyer can be downloaded here:  heaton-park-complaint-flyer.pdf

I am horrified to learn that yet another application has been submitted to Bury Council for a change of use from a retail premises to a hot food take-away.

Local residents will recognise the premises when I say it is on Bury Old Road, Whitefield at the junction with Cuckoo Lane.

I am rapidly reaching the conclusion that we are becoming saturated with take-aways. Prestwich now has dozens of them. Fans of take-aways will be delighted to learn that within the boundaries of Prestwich it is possible to sample the cuisine of numerous Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Italian, Kosher, English, Kebabs etc.

Now personally I like a take-away as much as the next person, but I fear it is really starting to affect the variety of local businesses and shops available to the public as well as changing the appearance of the area. (we’ll leave the affect of litter for now).

I am equally astounded that they can all survive in the area in such close proximity, we must all be spending a lot more time eating take-aways, with the inevitable consequences for the growing waistlines of local residents.

Perhaps the gateway signs welcoming travellers to Prestwich should now read “Prestwich -where you can get fed” or “Prestwich - twinned with Rusholme”.

I will be opposing this application. It isn’t needed, it will in my opinion damage the local economy further, amounts to an over-development of a particular retail sector in the area. Pertinently from a planning perspective it will cause further parking problems at a busy junction with increased potential for late night problems in a residential area.

If you would like to oppose you need to be fast as it is due to be considered by Planning next week.  Email: J.Cummins@bury.gov.uk quoting the address: 2 Bury Old Road Whitefield and the application reference: 52510  

Well there you go, I admit it, the truth is out!

I can almost feel the local Labour hierarchy reaching for their laptops/mobiles in a fit of ”we told you so, they’re all tories really”, despatches to whoever is prepared to listen.

So perhaps I should clarify a bit before they start writing the Labour Rose headlines. Just one of my friends is a Conservative party member and lives in Devon. But I must confess to having friends and family friends who are either conservative by nature/tradition or yes, even vote Conservative. And, as a councillor, I have many friendly contacts in the community who are conservative supporters nationally, just as I have a large number of labour supporting contacts. And very nice people they are too!

Now the trouble with the current Labour party is that they find that all difficult to accept, they still insist on fighting the class warfare of the early twentieth century, they still see Labour and Labour alone as standing up for the working man, the Tories as upper class business backers and the Liberals as either misguided pseudo socialists or Tories in disguise!

The world has moved on, and although, frankly, I don’t care if the Labour party nationally or locally continues to behave like that, the people they purport to represent have moved on, and have greater aspiration, expectation and awareness.

Now I understand that in confrontational politics of the 20th century it was always a case of them and us, good versus evil, right and wrong, in the manner that politics was portrayed, but over the past 15-20 years the spectrum has blurred.

But politics is now more issue based than ever, voters pick and choose which candidates they will back, more and more on the issues that they represent almost as much as the party label. Voters party allegiance has weakened in favour of their personal manifesto of issues, policies and how they see the world. We now live in a world of political “pick and mix”.

That’s why there is nothing intrinsically wrong with coalitions, there is nothing wrong with alliances and in general politicians of different parties working together. In fact time and time again on the doorsteps during the General Election voters were telling me just that.

They key (as ever) is in the detail. That’s why it was so critical that the Coalition Government published details of the policy agreement.

That is why Labour are mistaken in posturing to oppose oppose oppose the cuts and spending reviews that the Coalition will be considering. We need positive, constructive opposition that’s prepared to work to solve the problems this country faces, not hurl bricks from the sidelines and run away from tough decisions. 

There have always been liberals in all parties, but personally I decided that I should join THE Liberal party in Britain. As a liberal I am tolerant of other beliefs, faiths, views, races and lifestyles etc etc etc. That’s perhaps why I have friends who support the Conservatives and Labour parties as well as the Lib Dems. 

If the Lib Dems in coalition help break down further the political barriers to cross party cooperation then that in itself will be a major achievement. An achievement that won’t get any headlines or TV coverage but will over the course of time change politics for ever - for the better.

But I doubt that Labour could handle that - they of course would like to keep things simple, straightforward, red and blue, good v.bad, outmoded, unrepresentative, maintaining class division, living in the past, fighting for the past.

Last night at the Phoenix centre in St.Mary’s Park I joined other local councillors for a meeting with the new Prestwich & Whitefield Police Inspector, Mark Kenny.

The meeting was called by Inspector Kenny to discuss local issues and outline his plans and approach to policing in the area and of course to introduce himself.

It’s fair to say we were delighted with the innitiatives he outlined - of which you will here more later - and impressed with his enthusiasm and clear committment to dealing expediently with local crime hot spots and incidents.

As councillors we raised the issues of tackling the fear of crime, communications (from councillors, including updates), and we requested a meeting at the earliest convenience to look at cracking down on graffitti over the summer months.

In the meantime we wish Inspector Kenny every success in his new post, as indeed we wish outgoing Inspector, Dave Ryecroft, ever success in his new position.

He has the undoubted pleasure of being responsible for neighbourhood policing in a great part of Bury, with a great community spirit. A diverse and parochial community with apparent affluence on the surface but some significant pockets of severe deprivation.

I was pleased to discover today that Sir Menzies Campbell has pledged to continue opposing tuition fees, even though it may mean voting against Coalition proposals for University funding etc when they come before Parliament.

Personally I am not enamoured by the whip system and would prefer to see all MP’s voting according to their own beliefs and conscience.But that is sort of another issue really. 

But I am particularly keen that the Lib Dems should not abandon their commmittment to scrapping tuition fees and I don’t see why a coalition agreement should stop us doing so.

All parties, and the Lib Dems are no exception, must be free to campaign and for that matter develop policy. Those freedoms must be protected within the framework of the Coalition otherwise the party will cease to “think”. That would be stifling and only serve in itself to undermine the longevity of this Coalition.

So Ming the Merciless to lead the first rebellion against the Coalition - who’d have thought it!  Well done Ming.

As someone who is generally a news and current affairs junkie, it has become increasingly obvious that the media, or at least TV news, are growing more desperate with every day over the Coalition Government.

It’s not that they are not getting any news or announcements to report, it’s because it’s not the news they are looking for.

With every passing day the reporters question whether this issue is/will be causing a split within the Coalition, whether the back benchers will cause a fuss, how will the wider party memberships react? Will there be an almighty row between Government ministers from each party.

Today’s “Split opportunity” would appear to be whether Capital Gains Tax reform (a Lib Dem pledge) will upset hoardes of Tories.

And, as recently as this morning Vince Cable was on BBC Radio 5 Live and was questioned as to why he had resigned as Deputy Leader of the Lib Dems. The suggestion being that it was somehow related to unannounced dissatisfaction with the coalition arrangements.

You could almost feel the dissapointment in the questioner when Vince Cable insisted that the reason was that he could concentrate on being Business Secretary in the new Government.

Of course what’s completely daft about this growing media obsession with splits, possible splits and cracks etc, is that even in past Governments formed from one party there have been splits and division and sometimes virtually open rebellion. 

Undoubtedly there will be divisions and disputes - it’s human nature - but for the sake of the national interest, lets hope the Coalition can continue strong at least until we are out of recession and have at addressed the budget deficit.

That probably won’t satisfy the media hounds desperate for 24 hour news coverage, but I believe it is what is needed - stable government may be boring but its really helpful at times like these.

In this brave new world of Coalition Government we could be forgiven for finding ourselves staring into the glare of this new era like political rabbits caught in the  headlights of radical change. Indeed I have already noticed some Government backbenchers have started wearing sunglasses to avoid the glare!

But, as in all situations, good, bad or indifferent, radical change such as is being promised by the coalition does present an opportunity that should be grasp by others in the wake of the Governments reforms.

And, in my view the best place to start would be with our own Town Halls, our local councils. Partly because some promised reforms will affect Councils in any case and irrespective of the affect of those reforms, the £1.16 billion of announced cuts to local authority grants should prove a spur to reform if ever one was needed.

Much of the way our local councils work hasn’t changed in decades, there has been change, but all too often since the dark days of Thatcher, it has been change forced through in response to annual budget cuts.

It’s about time we had a root and branch examination of what council services we provide and how we provide them. It’s time for a local council re-think, to re-think not just service provision but how we work with local people to provide the services they want.

If we grasp the nettle of reform that the Coalition is sending us then we can harness that reform to enable us to renew local democracy and local government and provide a truly radicall and dare I say revolutionary approach to the way we serve local people.

There has never been a better time like the present.

Listening to Labour’s response to the announcement of Coalition proposals for public sector cuts yesterday you would have thought that they had nothing to do with the previous Government and certainly no responsibility for any of the budget deficit.

Now we can all argue about a) how much Labour are responsible and b) When the cuts should take place, but there is no getting away from the fact, as all parties agree, that we need massive cuts to public services in order to reduce the budget deficit.

Key point No.1 has to be that we don’t overdo the cuts and £6bn, whilst sounding a lot (and is), is only a fraction of the Governments overall budget, and it has been done with the approval of the Governor of the Bank of England and following consultation with leading economists. In addition cuts have to be sensitive to the delicate slight recovery that would seem to be underway, so as not to jeapardise our climb out of recession.

Key point No.2 is that key frontline public services for the old, frail, young and infirm have to be protected. Even if”back-office” functions are cut, we must protect the vulnerable in society.

Key point No.3 is to ensure that we are as even handed as possible - there is no use devastating certain areas of public services if such devastation leads to further catastrophic problems as a result.

Overall, from what I’ve seen, I feel the cuts announced yesterday do meet these three key points and so, while I am not exactly happy the cuts have been made, as a believer in strong public services who can, I feel they are being approached in a proper, considered, manner by the new Government.

Ultimately the fortunes of the Coalition partners may well succeed or flounder on how the cuts and progress out of recession are handled, but its certainly to early to judge, and I for one won’t take any lessons from Labour on how the public finances should be managed.

Bury Child Care and Extended Services have organised 2 fun days for the Victoria and Polefield estate areas. 

The multi agency teams involved in this project have organised these fun days as a way of engaging with the communities, children, young people and families.  One aim is to find out what children, young people and families want so that we can try to offer more activities in particular during holiday periods. Of course another aim is just to have a good time !

For more information please open or download the attached flyer: fun-day-flyer.pdf

Yesterday Nick Clegg MP gave his first speech as Deputy Prime Minister – you can read the full speech here on the important subject of political reform.

What Nick has announced is the biggest shake up of British democracy since the Great Reform Act of 1832. It is a fundamental resettlement of the relationship between state and citizen that puts people, not Whitehall, in charge.

Step one – we will repeal all of the intrusive and unnecessary laws that inhibit people’s freedom. This means scrapping ID cards, halting the second generation of biometric passports, radically reforming the DNA database, ending the ContactPoint children’s database and stopping the fingerprinting of children without parent’s permission.

Step two - we will reform our politics so it is open, transparent and decent. We will introduce an elected House of Lords, fixed termed parliaments and strengthening parliament so it can hold the executive to account. Under our plans voters will have the power to recall corrupt MPs, there will be a register of lobbyists and a cap on donations. And most importantly we will give people a chance to vote in a referendum on our outdated and undemocratic electoral system.

Step three - we will radically redistribute power away from the centre, into your communities, your homes and your hands. We will strengthen local democracy and empower local people whilst scrapping layers of unnecessary top-down Whitehall bureaucracy. And we will implement further devolution to the nations of Britain.

Liberal Democrats in government are already delivering our manifesto commitments and opening up our political system and empowering citizens. That is what we have fought for over many years, and that is what we are now able to do.

Yesterday we made a new Mayor, or so it goes, as Bury’s councillors gathered at the Town hall to elect a new Mayor of Bury.

This year after some pre-election shenanigans from the Conservatives we finally got round to electing Cllr John Byrne who represents East Ward for Labour.

It’s a very ceremonial event with much back slapping and kind words gushing forth in support of the new first citizen and indeed the endeavours of the outgoing Mayor - Cllr Sheila Magnall. But it is certainly a respectful and honouring occasion when friends, family and dignitaries are present to share the occasion as the gift, responsibility and honour of being the Mayor of the Town is bestowed by your peers.

Sadly all the ceremony and pleasantries was preceeded by an Annual Council meeting that had to deal with some controversial issues surrounding amendments to the council constitution and “reforms” to the leadership of the Council foisted upon us by the previous Labour Government.

Under Labour’s plans yesterday we had to elect a “strong” leader.  Now anyone with a minimal interest in local affairs will now know that following the local elections the Conservatives no longer have a majority on Bury Council and will have to rely to a certain extent on oppostion party support to get key decisions through.

As a result the election of leader was not a forgone conclusion, but as neither the Lib Dems or Labour could bring themselves to support or oppose the Conservative nomination, Cllr Bibby was duly elected leader of the Council.

This was followed by amendments to the council constitution partially designed to fit with this new leadership model and partially to improve the scrutiny and review of council decisions.

Over the past year the scrutiny process in Bury has been roundly condemned by councillors from all three parties and as such it was no surprise that proposals before us yesterday also drew criticism and concerns. Especially concerns about openness , transparency, the real ability to hold the leadership to account and whether too much power was being vested in one person!

Of course we won’t truly be able to give the response to those concerns until probably well into the municipal year. But I pray the new system is better that what we had because otherwise it will be disastrous for our democracy and ensuring good decisions are made.

Time will tell.

Following yesterdays Annual Meeting of Bury Council, Cllr Tim Pickstone, Leader of the  Liberal Democrat Group on Bury Council made the following statement:

“The Liberal Democrats have decided not to enter into a coalition with either party, and we remain a strong opposition on Bury Council”.

“The people of Bury have chosen the Conservatives to be the largest party on the Council. They will be forming a minority administration. We will decide on issues on an individual basis in the best interests of the people we represent and serve.” 

“Labour made it clear that they had no interest in running the Town Hall, just like they showed no interest in running the country. Maybe they want to avoid taking responsibility for tough decisions.” 

“The Liberal Democrat group will continue to put the needs of Bury before politics, and will continue to be an effective opposition to the Conservatives, and make every single Liberal Democrat vote in Bury count”.

After the election it was business as usual last night as I attended the Governing Body meeting of Heaton Park School.

The school was recently subjected to an Ofsted inspection and the Head, Paul Lord, was pleased to announce that they had achieved satisfactory status. I offered my congratulations to the Head teacher and his staff for all their hard work.

What was interesting also was the growing concern about what may be about to happen with spending cuts and how it will affect the school. Clearly after months of the political parties going on about the need for cuts, with a new Government formed there is a growing feeling that the first tranche of cuts are now imminent - indeed their will be an emergency budget on June 22nd.

Of course I received some gentle ribbing about being in a coalition etc. But so far as I am concerned it remains a case of wait and see, we are all in unchartered territory here, we all (perhaps except Labour), need it to work for the good of the country, so lets not pre-judge.

16 MAY PRESTWICH CLOUGH DAY
12.00 - 17.00 : St. Mary’s Flower Park, Bury New Road

Prestwich Festival kicks off in style on sunday with a fun filled afternoon for all the family. Whatever your age, from 1 yr - 90 yrs young there is something for everyone, with over 50 activities / exhibitors. Including 2 Brass bands, New Orleans Jazz Band, Morris Men, Falconry flying display, Punch & Judy, face painter and activities for children.

This years Clough Day promises to be bigger and better than ever, I hope to see you there!

More information at www.prestwichclough.co.uk

For information on forthcoming festival events go to www.prestwichfestival.net

The Coalition Policy Agreement has now been published and I am delighted to discover that it is full of Liberal Democrat policies.

Obviously by virtue of the fact that we (like the Conservatives) have had to compromise, there are policy issues that we are unable to put into practice at this time. Nevertheless it is a real chance to put into action the ideas that we have campaigned for over the last few weeks and in some cases for decades!

If this agreement holds, and I hope it does, then our two leaders will have changed politics for good and found a new way of governing, replacing the yah boo, confrontational politics with a more consensual approach, accentuating the common ground, the positives.It will of course remain a tremendous challenge for the coalition partners and in fact all political parties, it will be very interesting to see how Labour reacts for instance.

Below is a summary of the key headline policies so far as our key manifesto pledges were concerned. You can read the full coalition document here. 

A Fair Start for Children

·         Introduce a Pupil Premium to give all children a fair start.

Fairer taxes and Economic Reform

• A substantial increase in the personal allowance from April 2011 with a longer term policy objective of further increasing the personal allowance to £10,000, making further real terms steps each year towards this objective
• Reform of the banking system, ensuring a flow of lending to businesses and a Banking Levy. An independent commission on separating retail and investment banking.
• Capital Gains Tax reform

Fair Politics

• Fixed-term parliaments and a referendum on electoral reform for the House of Commons.
• A power of recall, allowing voters to force a by-election where an MP was found to have engaged in serious wrongdoing.
• A wholly or mainly elected House of Lords on the basis of proportional representation.
• Giving Parliament control of its own agenda so that all bills are properly debated.
• Enacting the Calman Commission proposals and a referendum on further Welsh devolution.
• A statutory register of lobbyists.
• A limit on political donations and reform of party funding in order to remove big money from politics.
• Radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups.

A fair and sustainable future

• Establish a smart electricity grid and the roll-out of smart meters.
• Establish feed-in tariff systems in electricity
• A huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion.
• The creation of a green investment bank.
• The provision of home energy improvement paid for by the savings from lower energy bills.
• Retention of energy performance certificates when HIPs are scrapped.
• Measures to encourage marine energy.
• The establishment of an emissions performance standard that will prevent coal-fired power stations being built unless they are equipped with sufficient CCS to meet the emissions performance standard.
• Establish a high-speed rail network.
• Cancel the third runway at Heathrow and refuse additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted.
• Replace the Air Passenger Duty with a ‘per plane’ duty.
• The provision of a floor price for carbon, as well as efforts to persuade the EU to move towards full auctioning of ETS permits.
• Make the import or possession of illegal timber a criminal offence.
• Promote green spaces and wildlife corridors in order to halt the loss of habitats and restore biodiversity.
• Reduce central government carbon emissions by 10 per cent within 12 months.
• Increase the target for energy from renewable sources.

Pensions

• Restoration of the earnings link for the basic state pension from April 2011 with a “triple guarantee” that pensions are raised by the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5%.
• Phase out the default retirement age and end the rules requiring compulsory annuitisation at 75.
• Implement the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman’s recommendation to make fair and transparent payments to Equitable Life policyholders.

Civil Liberties

• Scrap the ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the ContactPoint Database.
• Outlaw the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.
• Extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
• Adopt the Scottish approach to stopping retention of innocent people’s DNA on the DNA database.
• Defend trial by jury.
• Restore rights to non-violent protest.
• A review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
• Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
• Further regulation of CCTV.
• Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.
• A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.
• End the detention of children for immigration purposes.

About 12.45 last night I had to accept that we were now in a coalition with the Conservatives.

The moment had arrived when following the endorsement of the Lib Dem parliamentary party and Federal Executive Committee, Nick Clegg stood in Lib Dem HQ and said that the Lib Dems had joined a full coalition with the Conservatives.

I think up to that point I had been in a sort of trance/state of shock or even denial. After all it isn’t easy dealing with the fact that the party you have fought against and opposed for the past 30 years are now your partners in government!

But that was all but ordained by the electorate when no one party was able to command a majority after last thursday. People want us to work together for the common good, and that’s what we have got to do.

But as the dust settles on a new era with a new politics emerging it has become clear that many Lib Dem manifesto pledges have been accepted, as have some long standing Lib Dem committments. And as I said yesterday it has to be about the issues and how we tackle them. If this is to work we have to look past party labels and develop trust and good working relationships amidst a joint committment to make Britain a better place to live.

Anything less would be damnable, anything less will mean the coalition will fail. If this works though I am confident that this historic parliament will see Britain through some difficult times and change the way we are governed for ever.

Here’s to a sustainable economy, fair votes, fair taxation, improved education and a more liberal Britain.

…..but as with everything the devil will be in the detail. Remember the manifesto pledges, remember the issues and the crisis the country faces.

There’s a lot of talk in the media about the various party leaders and who gets on best with who. And then on top of that some people are saying they don’t want Brown/Cameron etc.

We have to remember firstly that we did not have a presidential election last thursday. we didn’t vote for a party leader we voted for local representatives who would then appoint a Prime Minister from amongst them - usually from the party that has the majority of votes.

But crucially all parties had published manifestos, which received wide coverage, analysis and scrutiny. People heard what the parties had to say on the big issues and didn’t overwhelmingly endorse any one party.

So now we are negotiating for a stable Government to take the country forward in difficult times. All three main parties are duty bound to negotiate to get the best deal based not upon personalities but on their manifesto committments and the decisions that need to be taken.

To some this situation seems chaotic, to others, myself included, it’s just part of the process of forming a Government, and so long as it doesn’t drag on too much further, it will not harm the economy and will ensure we have a Government with a programme for the next parliament.

With the polls closing on thursday evening in the past it would have been around 2.30 or 3am when one side would have conceded defeat.

However as the people have ordained that no one party should have overall power in this balanced parliament we are now being subjected to a slow motion result, with teams of negotiators meeting up, reporting back and getting feedback etc.

I do believe from what I have witnessed that the whole process does seem to be being conducted in a spirit of responsibility and for the good of the country as a whole with the current crisis we face.

Even the Labour Party, who could be forgiven (to a degree) for not playing ball, seem to be playing their part in a constructive approach to the transfer of power and the formation of a new Government.

For me it shows that no one need fear balanced parliaments in future, with the so-called “horse trading” the tabloids condemned balanced parliaments for creating.

It’s still too early to see what the result of these negotiations will be . What is clear is that it won’t be easy for any of the protagonists. They are being asked to do the right thing by the country, keep their parties happy and at the same time ensure that those that backed them in the poll in their millions don’t feel betrayed.

Its a tough one. But then the stakes don’t get much higher.  

Just want to say a big thank you to all who voted Lib Dem in the General and Local Elections on thursday.

It’s clear now that the results overall are dissapointing for the Lib Dems both nationally and locally - losing Cllr Andrew Garner, one of our Sedgley councillors.

However I am extremely proud that we fought an open and honest campaign highlighting the changes Britain needs to make it a fairer society and a better place to live. If you voted Lib Dem on thursday you can be proud to have stood up for sound principles of fairness and tolerance in a liberal, caring society, and a sustainable economy.

Curiously of course although we have fewer MP’s and fewer councillors, thanks to the obscene electoral system we have, we now have greater influence on the choice of the next PM and make up of the Government and at local level too, now that Bury Council is a hung council, with the Conservatives losing overall control of the council.

Undoubtedly the next few days will be extremely interesting as we await the result of inter-party negotiations. I can assure you that your votes will not have been in vain as we will exert all our influence to bring about the key policies necessary for a better Britain.

Thanks again.

Vic

This event lived up to its billing with well over a hundred people present. The three main candidates delivered a 5 minute speech and then faced audience questions - with a minute each to answer.

I must confess I find it a tall order to answer questions on important issues within a minute, but I did my best.

We faced a set of far ranging questions covering many aspects of party policy, the economic situation, Fair votes, immigration etc, but what was most interesting was that one of the questions generating some of the most interest from the audience and the liveliest responses between candidates was a question not about big national issues but the future of the derelict former Whitefield Town Hall. It just shows at the end of the day all politics is local politics when it comes down to it.

There was some upset at the end when English Democrats supporters protested that minor party candidates had been denied an opportunity to get there message across as they hadn’t been invited to speak. I think perhaps if there had been say 4 candidates it would have been difficult to ignore that candidate, but with seven candidates we wouldn’t have got through nearly as many questions as we did.

My congratulations to Laurie Bullas and the Methodist Circuit for organising what turned out to be the best attended event of the campaign.

If you want to read my speech you can do so here:  methodists_speech.pdf

Nick Clegg: “As you decide how to cast your vote, of course you’ll be told by these two, that real change is dangerous, that it can’t be done.

“Don’t let anyone scare you from following your instincts. Together, next week we can change Britain for good.”

Well done Nick Clegg, another confident perfomance last night confirmed his status as a key challenger. And with Lbour slumping what had become a 3 way fight is fast becoming a 2 way horse race - between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.

Whatever your views about live debates, they have clearly energised the electorate like never before and allowing people to make up their own minds, sidestepping the spin doctors and the biased national newspapers.

And it’s clear that over the 3 debates Nick Clegg has probably done best, and Brown has struggled. 

For the Lib Dems they have been a remarkable success, projecting Nick Clegg into the spotlight like never before, allowing us to outline our policies and vision for Britain like never before and allowing us to challenge the two old failed parties and their tired policies.

Now it’s over to you, “You’re the boss”. Do we go for real change with the Lib Dems, cosmetic change with the Tories or no change with Labour.

There is everything to play for , it’s time to grasp change like never before.

Your can read Nick Cleggs opening and closing statements from last nights debate here.

Last nights Hustings event was at the (relatively new) Maccabi Community and Sports club on Bury Old Road in Prestwich.

As ever my Labour and Conservative opponents were also there and we were treated to a pretty good turnout. The event was organised by the Faith Network 4 Manchester, a Manchester centred interfaith “alliance” of faith groups and charities.

Naturally therefore many of the questions were directly or indirectly related to faith issues, some on issues of concern to the Jewish community and some of concern to the Christian community.

Questions were also asked about Asylum seekers, Hung parliaments, Mental Health and supporting the low paid. 

The event lasted 2 hours and when I tell you answers were limited to 2 minutes per person you can imagine we got through quite a few questions. A bit like political speed dating!

All in all an excellent event. I must congratulate Jonny Wineberg as Chair, and all involved in the Faith Network 4 Manchester for organising this event and of course Maccabi for hosting it. 

Last night I attended a hustings event organised by the Chamber of Commerce alongside my Labour and Conservative counterparts.

What came across loud and clear was both the pressure small to medium sized enterprises currently find themselves under and the concern that the political parties had the right answers so far as business and the economy were concerned.

On the day when the Institute for Fiscal Studies criticised the 3 main parties for having large holes in their plans to cut the budget deficit etc, I said that political parties need to be honest with the electorate. It is no use any of the main parties trying to pretend in this crisis that we have exclusive solutions to the problem.

That’s why the Lib Dems would like the three main parties to get together after the election in a council for fiscal stability. We need a coherent, sustainable cross party response to this massive problem. Lets bring the Chancellor together with the shadow chancellors and the Governor of the Bank of England and others and iron out a strategy that can take the economy forward.

Incidently  the IFS briefing clearly stated that the Liberal Democrats have gone further than any party in identifying the savings that will be needed to tackle the structural deficit. The Conservatives on the other hand have pledged to make the biggest cuts to spending since the Second World War without coming clean about where the axe will fall. 

The IFS also shows both Labour and the Conservatives are hiding behind vague efficiency savings to avoid coming clean about their proposals.

We welcome the IFS’s overall assessment that the Liberal Democrat plans to raise the personal allowance to £10,000 is progressive, adds up and gives people an incentive to work.

This is in stark contrast to the assessment of Conservative tax plans, which the IFS have shown to be both regressive by rewarding the richest, as well as self contradictory. As the IFS have shown, the Conservatives would have to reverse half of their proposed £6bn National Insurance tax cut to meet their own targets on tax.

The Liberal Democrats have set out radical plans to protect the environment and set the economy on a path to a zero carbon Britain.

The proposals include a £3.1bn green economic stimulus package, plans to slash energy use and improve energy efficiency, and a UK Infrastructure Bank to embed green investment for the long term.  

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“This election is not like any other. Climate scientists tell us that the next government will be the last that can stop dangerous climate change.

“That is a huge responsibility for the party that wins this election. But it’s an even bigger responsibility for the voters that will choose them on May 6.

“So my message is this: don’t settle for a Labour party that has had thirteen years to deliver on the environment and has failed. Don’t settle for a Conservative party that talks the talk on green issues, only to align themselves with climate change deniers in the European Parliament. And don’t give your vote to a Green Party that cannot make a difference in Westminster.

“Instead, choose the only party that was taking a stand on saving the planet well before it became fashionable. The only party that has led the way on tackling climate change, from championing the 10:10 campaign in our councils, to setting out radical plans in Parliament to cut Britain’s carbon emissions. Choose the only party that in the wake of the economic crisis is setting out a credible vision for a new and sustainable economy.

“Something really exciting is happening in British politics. This is a huge opportunity to set Britain on the road to a prosperous and green future. “We should seize it.”

I’ve just returned from a election campaign meeting at Manchester Mesivta High School in Prestwich.

It was great to visit this school for the first time since it’s been rebuilt, to meet Mr Pink , Head Teacher and Mr Lewis, Principal and colleagues.

The event was effectively part of the schools mock election campaign. Along with candidates from Labour, the Conservatives and the Green Party, I was invited to make a short speech, which was followed by a question and answer session.

I have to say there were some tremendous questions from the pupils and we were all suitably tested.

My congratulations to the organisers and of course the Mesivta LibDem candidate.

You can read my speech here:mesivta-speech.pdf

The Liberal Democrats have set out radical plans to invest extra money in schools to give every child a fair chance.

We will invest an extra £2.5bn in schools through a Pupil Premium that will raise funding for the poorest pupils to private school levels.

The money will be targeted at schools taking on children who need more help, but will benefit every child in every school. The cash can be used to cut class sizes and provide one-to-one tuition or catch-up classes, ensuring every child gets the individual attention they need.

An average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“In 1997, when New Labour was first elected, no one would have believed it would end like this. Labour’s bright promise of a fair society has faded away.

“Our big task now is giving people back their hope that things can be different, and better, and that the fair society we have hoped for so long can become a reality.

“If you want to build that fair society I believe education is everything. That is why the biggest financial commitment in our manifesto is to our schools.

“With the deficit as it is, everyone knows money is tight, but this is a question of priorities. We have identified in our manifesto £15bn of savings, of which we will redirect just £5bn to alternate spending. It is a measure of my personal commitment and passion for education that half of that money will go into our schools.

“Our plans will raise the money spent on the million children from the poorest backgrounds to private school levels. Headteachers will be able to use that money on a whole range of measures to help all pupils and all schools.

“Cutting class sizes, providing more one-to-one tuition and catch-up classes: whatever suits their school and their pupils’ needs best. With a simple, but profound ambition: to make sure every child gets the fair start in life they deserve.”

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South added, “I am very proud of the Lib Dems committment to education. Recession or no recession our childrens education is fundamental and cannot be put at risk. Smaller class sizes is a simple but very effective way to improve early years education at a stroke.”

Ok with 15 days to go too Polling day it is now patently clear that the Conservatives proposals for Government would appear to centre on two recurring and recurring and recurring themes.

1. They will cut waste to halve the deficit

2. They will cancel an increase in National Insurances scheduled for 2011

So people are expected to return a majority Conservative Government on the basis that they will scrap mythically large amounts of apparent waste that’s everywhere waiting to be cut and they know now that in a years time, not now, not later this year, it won’t be necessary to keep the NI mincrease as it will damage the economy.

They should forget politics and get into fortune telling. 

Before embarking on the now nightly routine of knocking on residents doors, I attended a public meeting organised by the family of Megan Wightman who was seriously injured in a road traffic accident recently.

Megans Mum, friends , family and local residents want to see much tougher traffic calming measures now introduced, specifically a pelican crossing.

I told the meeting that there was “a local safety scheme currently being introduced, but effectively it was a bit like closing the door after the horse has bolted. What residents need to see is safety improvements that ensure as much as possible that accidents such as this are prevented”.

The authorities are currently investigating the accident, meanwhile I have pledged my support for the campaign to improve safety on Heywood Road and specifically at the mini-roundabout at Rectory Lane.

The Liberal Democrats today launched plans to create jobs that last by stimulating a green, sustainable economy. The plans include investing in wind energy, energy efficiency in public buildings and homes, and bringing empty homes back into use through renovation.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said: “This week I will be focusing on the most important issue of all in this election: how we can build a new economy from the rubble of the old. Under Governments from the old parties, economic policy was made entirely subservient to the needs of just one square mile - the city of London.

“This will provide an immediate jobs boost and help create the green infrastructure we need for a low carbon economy. On Tuesday and Wednesday I will unveil further proposals on restructuring our financial system and on boosting social mobility in the new economy.”

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South added, “Time has moved on but the approach and attitude of the two old parties has remained rooted in the past. The recession shouldn’t be the death knell for environmentally friendly policies it should be the spring board. A spring board for massive growth in the green economy, providing a boost to jobs and the economy when it most needs it.”

You can read more about these policies here .

Or your can download this section of our manifesto here: libdem_2010_job.pdf

Out and about knocking on doors since the start of the campaign what is as clear as day is the anger, distrust and frustration many residents now feel towards politicians in general, political parties and Government - at least as embodied by the House of Commons.

The Expenses scandal is like a poorly healed wound that keeps opening up every time a further incident occurs - most recently of course the claim for legal aid by the 3 charged MP’s has angered many, reopened the wound.

But how do we as politicians and our parties persuade people that it won’t happen again, that if elected we won’t behave as shamefully as the last lot, that we will take the action needed to clean up politics?

Some people have told me that whilst they will still vote in the local elections on May 6th, they plan to boycott the General Election. I tell them that whilst I understand there concerns there is a real danger that we end up with an even worse Government, and something even less representative of the British people than we have had.

That for me is the real danger, the scenario created by a shift to extremism coupled with a low turnout. That would make the last parliament look like a  high school debating society by comparison.

Rightly so, as Nick Clegg has constantly repeated that the decision as to who governs Britain rests with the people, “They’re the boss”. And so we have to urge, plea, beg if necessary, for the great British people to first of all get out there and vote.

Secondly, even if you have precious little faith in British Politics, choose a candidate/party that if nothing else, most closely matches your aspirations and hopes for your country and your community.

And finally, make sure they are offering genuine change, new hope, a revitalised politics, a trusted Parliament and a representative Government.

That of course would come at the end of this long campaign, but would genuinely herald a fresh start and hopefully a Liberal Britain.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO

This is a manifesto you can trust. We have stripped our priorities back to the essential, fundamental changes that Britain needs to make it fair:

• Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket
• A fair chance for every child
• A fair future, creating jobs by making Britain greener
• And a fair deal by cleaning up politics

These are deliverable, practical plans to make your life better, and they are right there on the front cover of our manifesto.  Instead of rhetoric and razzmatazz, we are saying what we will do and how we will pay for it.

Elections should be a competition of ideas, not marketing budgets. They may have the bigger budgets but we have the bigger ideas.And you can trust us to deliver because unlike the other parties, we have spelt out, line by line in the manifesto how every single policy is paid for, and how we will reduce the deficit.

We have set out £15bn of details spending cuts and just £5bn a year of new spending, meaning £10bn for the deficit every year. We are the first party to put detailed spending plans into a manifesto.

Four key pledges

1. Fair taxes: We will ensure no-one pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Most taxpayers will get a tax cut of £700 a year.  We’ll pay for it by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the rich, a new tax on mansions worth over £2m, a crack down on tax avoidance and higher aviation duty.
2. A fair start for all our children: We will get every child the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes.  We will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools, targeted at children who need the most help. The average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.
3. A fair future: a rebalanced, green economy: We will break up the banks and rebalance the economy away from unsustainable financial speculation. We will be honest about where savings must be made in government spending to balance the books and protect our children’s future. And we will create new jobs with a £3.1bn green stimulus and job creation plan in our first year in office, fully funded by cut backs elsewhere.
4. A fair deal from politicians: We will introduce a fair voting system. We will ensure corrupt MPs can be sacked by their constituents and stop non-doms from donating to parties or sitting in Parliament. We will take power from Westminster and give it to communities, with local power over police and the NHS, and introduce a freedom bill to protect and restore civil liberties.

We also have the following commitments:

• Protect front line NHS services. We will help the NHS work better with the money it has and protect front line services by re-investing the savings we find back into healthcare
• Recruit 3,000 more police officers to keep our streets safe and scrapping ID cards
• Scrap student tuition fees to reduce the burden of student debt immediately and eliminate fee debt altogether over 6 years
• A pay rise for our brave service men and women together with cut backs of bureaucrats and top brass officers in the Ministry of Defence
• Uprate the basic state pension in line with earnings immediately so that pensioners do not fall further behind when the economy starts to grow again

YOU CAN READ NICK CLEGGS MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH HERE

YOU CAN READ OR DOWNLOAD A COPY OF OUR MANIFESTO HERE: libdem_manifesto_2010.pdf

ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN VIEW OUR MANIFESTO IN FULL OR SECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE HERE 

I was pleased to meet with officers of the Jewish Representative Council of Manchester last night.

They are meeting local candidates to highlight issues of concern to the organisation and find out candidates views on issues of concern to the Jewish community.

I think it is fair to say there was a frank exchange of views, I spoke openly about issues and hopefully reassured the JRC about issues such as faith schools, anti-semitism, Foreign policy towards Israel  amongst others.

It was a very pleasant meeting, I would offer my thanks to Mrs Barbara Goldstone and colleagues, Frank and Sydney Baigel for allowing me the opportunity to meet with them.

Analysis of the Conservatives’ proposed tax cuts or reversals shows that they will cost over £13.5bn a year in 2011-12 prices – yet just £100m has been specifically identified to fund them.

This leaves a £13.4bn black hole, equivalent to a 3% rise in the standard rate of VAT. This would mean an extra tax of £389 on the average household.

The Liberal Democrats have fully-costed plans to raise the starting threshold for income tax to £10,000 – this would put £700 back in the pockets of the vast majority of people, and lift around 4m of Britain’s lowest earners out of paying tax altogether.

It would be funded by ensuring the very well-off pay their fair share, through measures including:

• taxing capital gains as income
• a mansion tax on properties worth over £2m
• giving tax relief on pensions only at the basic rate
• tackling tax avoidance

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

“Liberal Democrats have costed, in full, our proposals for tax cuts. We can tell you, penny for penny, pound for pound, who pays for them.

“We will not have to raise VAT to deliver our promises. The Conservatives will. Let me repeat that: Our plans do not require a rise in VAT. The Tory plans do.

“Their tax promises on marriage and jobs may sound appealing. But they come with a secret VAT bombshell close behind.

“So if you’re on an ordinary income, you have a choice. If you want your taxes to rise: vote Labour or Conservative. If you want your taxes to fall: choose the Liberal Democrats.”

Many people are telling me how sick they are of the “current lot” and we need a fresh start etc. Yet there is every possibility that a third of the population or more may not even vote this time.

The trouble is the more people don’t, vote the more likely we will end up with a Government that is unrepresentative and no better than the “current lot”.

So make sure you vote in the local elections for Bury Council and the General Election for a new Westminster Parliament on May 6th. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.

If you are unable to get to the Polling stations on May 6th and would like a postal vote you can either email the elections office at Bury Town Hall at electionservices@bury.gov.uk or go to the link lower down on this website.

Alternatively you can download a Postal vote application form here: postalvoteapplicationform.pdf

If you are not yet registered to vote you can download an application form here: voterregistrationform.pdf

The deadline for the receipt of postal vote applications and voter registration is April 20th. 

For general advice etc about the elections and registration etc please call 0161 253 5113 or 5114 or email electionservices@bury.gov.uk .

DON’T WASTE IT - USE IT!

I woke up this morning to the news that 98% of the jobs created by Browns Government have allegedly been filled by foreign workers.

That headline reminded me of the electrician I met last night. He was angry and bitter at the way Labour had mishandled immigration and failed to protect “British” jobs. He told me he had been unemployed now for 18 months, his job having been filled by less qualified and cheaper Polish electricians. He was inclined not to vote at all so dissilusioned was he.

Previously I met a man still angry and seething at the MP’s expenses scandal. He had now reached the conclusion that all MP’s were corrupt and “just in it for what they can get out out of it”.

Both incidences highlighted to me what happens when Governments fail to recognise public concerns about issues and then fail to take strong decisive action.

We need a Government that listens, that understands and then acts on public concerns. That doesn’t mean knee jerk reactions, or tabloid led decision making. It does mean recognising the concern ordinary people feel about immigration and corruption and considering rational, fair steps that can be taken to address those concerns.

As I said in a previous post, we need a rational grown up debate about immigration that evaluates the seperate and considers what needs to be done to deal with the seperate strands - illegal imigration and trafficking, Asylum immigration and skills shortfall immigration through economic migration (as desired).

Of course too often illegal and Asylum immigration gets blurred. And it doesn’t help that the Government doesn’t seem to have accurate figures.

What is clear is that yet another of Browns promises - “British jobs for British workers” is yet another failure by him and Labour.

You can read about Lib Dem Policy on Asylum and Immigration here:

asylum.pdf            immigration.pdf

Nick Clegg: “It is a very exciting opportunity for everyone in Britain who wants fairness and real change, who wants something different.

“This isn’t the old politics of a two-horse race between Labour and the Conservative Party. The real choice is between the old politics of Labour and Conservatives and something different, something new and that is what we offer.”

“This is a huge, huge election. It is certainly the beginning of the end for Brown, that’s for sure.

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Candidate for Bury South added, “As equal citizens in a modern society isn’t it right that we should all expect a fair deal from the state as a fundamental expectation in return for our duties and responsibilities to that state and our communities?

“As I started knocking on doors last night time and again residents told me that they were sick of the way things are, sick of the tired old politics, sick of post code lotteries, sick of the unfairness that now infects all aspects of our society and Government.

“I told them only the Liberal Democrats are putting fairness at the heart of our manifesto committments, fairness that means fundamental change.”

Our manifesto has four key themes:

Fair Taxes for all

A Fair Start for Children

Fair, transparent & local politics

A fair and sustainable economy

The General election will be on May 6th - it’s official (at last)!

After 13 years of Labour, with a fragile, damaged economy, confidence in our Government and Parliament at an all time low, It really is time to reject the pendulum politics that has blighted British Government for generations.

It is time for a new politics that is directly and constantly responsible and answerable to the British people, that is representative of the British people and will truly stand up for the interests and concerns of the British people.

It’s not that Labour have failed or the Conservatives before them. It’s the system, it’s the arrogant assumption of “our turn” from the Labservatives when the tide turns.

This time surely to goodness after the scandal of MP’s expenses and countless more failures to deliver to the British people the tide is turning towards a new dawn in British politics. A fresh start offering new hope, new ideals and new solutions.

If ever there was a time for the Liberal Democrats it is now. 

 A RECENT MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NICK CLEGG

Last week, we launched a spoof campaign for the “Labservative” party. You can find the details at www.labservative.com.

It’s a funny campaign, but it has a serious point, a point only Liberal Democrats are making in this election.

For 65 years the government of our country has been handed from Labour to the Conservatives and back again like a game of pass the parcel. Red-blue, blue-red politics – and look what it has got us: corrupt politics, recession, inequality , time and again. They just take turns at making the same mistakes. It has to end.

The old politics is not good enough any more. It is time for something different.

Our strategy in this election is to make it clear that if you want real change, you have to vote for a party that is different.

All you will get from the old parties is more of the same. Just think how much they agree on.On the economy: the Labservatives have been in thrall to the City of London for decades, neglecting the rest of Britain and letting the banks get away with doing whatever they want.

And now the Labservatives are both refusing to come clean about the tough decisions needed to sort out the public finances - it’s a conspiracy of silence.

It’s the same story wherever you look: together David Cameron and Gordon Brown have blocked political reform, including our plan to allow people to sack corrupt MPs.

The Labservatives compete to sound tough on crime instead of doing what works to actually catch criminals and stop them committing more crimes. And the Labservatives have made UK foreign policy subservient to the interests of the United States, from the illegal invasion of Iraq to the decision to waste £100bn on replacing, like for like, the cold war era Trident nuclear submarines.

Labservatism is alive and well in Britain today, and only the Liberal Democrats can change that. A vote for Cameron or Brown is a vote for the corrupt, failed status quo.

Only Liberal Democrats offer real change.So wherever you are out campaigning, from Scotland to Cornwall, from Ceredigion to Norfolk, from inner London to rural Cumbria, remember this: We are not campaigning against two parties: we are campaigning against one. We are campaigning against the old, failed way of doing things. We are campaigning for real, permanent change to build a fairer Britain.

It’s a simple choice between old and new.So keep on campaigning, and take on Labservatism in your area. Say No to more of the same and Yes to real change.Thank you for all of your hard work,

Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats 

I found it incredible that Gordon Brown should stand at a podium in 2010 and declare that illegal immigrants are not welcome and then spout off (inaccurately) about various statistics that allegedly show asylum seeker numbers and others were reducing. What took him so long.

There has been a deafening silence from Labour for 13 years and now facing their most difficult test at the polls for a generation they decide to break their silence

Immigration is a big election issue for many and if handled badly will just play straight into the hands of extremists.

I do hope that in the election the parties will have a sensible mature rational debate over immigration policy. Electors deserve to know and it’s long overdue.

But I would plea that both electors and politicians look closely at the facts and figures and breakdown the various elements. We can’t treat illegal immigrants the same as legal immigrants ( from say other part of the EU) alongside asylum seekers etc.

There are wholly different circumstances and rights and responsibilities attributable and as the grandson of an immigrant, I have always been proud of my countries liberal approach to immigration and tolerance towards others that are fleeing persecution etc.

And, we must not forget the children caught up in the whole process. As a civilised, liberal, tolerant and caring nation we at the very least have a duty to deal with asylum applications speedily and fairly, keeping families together and not treating people as criminals in the meantime.

It’s a complex issue, not as black and white as the BNP and others would like to make it seem. So lets have a mature debate about immigration but lets not forget that we are dealing with vulnerable human beings as well.

David Cameron wants a “Big Society” day where young people are “volunteered” into spending a day doing community work etc. 

The Conservatives are so out of touch with everyday life in our towns, villages and cities that they forget the army of volunteers that our communities and councils already rely on. I think it is patronising in the extreme to push this additional volunteering unless that is he has a hidden motivation. 

Could it be he ultimately see this as an opportunity to save a potential Tory Government millions by getting an unpaid army of young volunteers to do local work instead?  

They already think our cities are like The Wire and half of all teenage girls are pregnant, so I suppose it’s not a great leap to imagine for Cameron’s Tories to think that those young people who are not in gangs are just waiting to volunteer to clean up the local eyesore. 

There are literally thousands of dedicated people who are working to make their communities better every day, including many unpaid carers. And yes lets encourage more people to get involved in volunteering, but we don’t need gimmicks. 

What voluntary organisations need is more funds to enable them to develop their value for money services and what people want and need is a greater say over their public services and how their taxes are spent. 

Commenting on Labour’s plans to reform social care, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: 

“After 13 years in power spent ducking social care reform we probably shouldn’t be surprised that Labour has once again hit it into the long grass.

“A white paper without any commitment to substantial change in the next Parliament is barely worth the paper it is written on.

“We’re now being offered a series of piecemeal reforms that have not been properly thought through or costed. Seeking consensus is the right approach but that will only work if the cross-party commission is free to consider all ways of funding social care, not just Labour’s preferred policy. The commission should report within a year so changes can be implemented straight away.

”Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South added:

“Gesture politics coupled with desperation has meant that the Government made this announcement now rather than seeking to further develop consensus and properly consider how the scheme would work and be funded.

“The issue of social care for the elderly is too important a subject to be reduced to a sound bites and slogans.

The announcement has been followed by suggestions that the Attendance allowance benefit may be slashed by £100m to pay for it.

“It is important right now that we make it clear to Labour and the Tories that we will not stand by and allow other vulnerable groups and disadvantaged communities to see their budgets slashed to pay for this.

“It’s no use addressing the need of the elderly while punishing the disabled or others to pay for it.”

So Alastair Darling has presented his last budget before the election and possibly his last budget for ever, who knows. It was a nothing budget. It said nothing, offered nothing, achieved nothing. Much ado about nothing.

What we do know is that it was a typical Brown Budget, as upbeat as possible, with some nice little titbits BUT all the detail missing. With Brown and Darling the devil is definitely in the detail. As usual it has already turned out that some of the  nice little sweeteners won’t actually happen until 2012 - if they happen at all. Meanwhile he forgot to mention the cuts. Now we all know we face cuts, we were all expecting if not the nitty gritty, more detail than we got. To give us no detail at this time is unfair and unnecessary and shows that Labour are intent on manipulating the situation to their advantage all the way to polling day if possible.

Whilst Labour won’t give public spending cuts details and neither will the Conservatives (yet), only the Lib Dems have said precisely how they would cut the budget deficit with £15bn of specific measures announced already.  Yet within 24 hours of the budget Alastair Darling was letting us know that the cuts, that he can’t tell us about, would be as bad as under Thatcher. Only for the Tories to insist , well we will cut even more then.

It’s a ridiculous unholy child like squabble of who can cut most between the Tories and Labour. When what the people deserve is to know what will be protected, to what extent, how will the cuts break down and as for taxes, how will they be affected.

We need more openness (especially after the expense/lobbying/foreign trips/ scandals) and on a need to know basis, the British Public need to know. Isn’t that the least they deserve, after all they will be paying the bill!

The Following Credit Card Scam warning has been received from Bury Councils Press Office and has is currently being circulated as widely as possible via Neighbourhood Watch, School Safe and others.

The caller provides YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.  By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you’ll be better prepared to protect yourself.   The scam works like this: Person calling says, “This is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London ?” When you say “No”, the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?” You say “yes”. The caller continues - “I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number.The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?”Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says, “I need to verify you are in possession of your card.” He’ll ask you to “turn your card over and look for some numbers.” There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, “That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?” After you say, “No,” the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do”, and hangs up.

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

Just when we thought the MP’s expenses scandal was over, we get the MP’s lobbying scandal followed swiftly by the MP’s foreign trips scandal!

Please insert a word of your choosing in the following sentence: MP’s _______Scandal. It will probably happen.

We started off thinking that the system of managing and authorising expense claims was unregulated, archaic and open to abuse, it’s now beginning to look like every nook and cranny of Parliament is either unregulated or abused at will by all and sundry.

I’d like to think things aren’t really that bad, that it’s partly the fault of an over hyping media, to sell newspapers increase audience etc.

BUT irrespective of the hype and the motivation the facts are undeniable. That is that on the one hand we appear to have a largely unregulated systems in place throughout Parliament that are largely left unregulated or loosely monitored and secondly that we have too many MP’s and Lords that are prepared to abuse the system or lack of one.

Perhaps the time is fast approaching when we need a Royal Commission to undergo a sweeping review of our parliementary processes and interaction with Lobby firms and foreign governments et al.

In the meantime it won’t half make the coming General Election fun - Unless you are a candidate of course! 

According to the local advertiser the Labour MP, Ivan Lewis is calling for virtual independance from Bury for the Boroughs 6 townships.

Whilst the detail of his letter to the press doesn’t quite go that far in reality, he might as well have gone for independance for all the sense his remarks make.

Now as a good old fashioned liberal , I’m all for devolution and bringing power down to the lowest possible unit of government etc, power to the people!

BUT the Lewis Plan is pure fairy tales meets electioneering meets desperation.

He calls for Area Partnerships to be replaced by Area Boards. Whoopee, so we scrap our partnerships with the Police, NHS , Voluntary sector and community organisations do we? 

He then says that “Significant funds” will be devolved to the local boards. What does significant mean, where does this come from. Is Bury Council replaced by an Area Board as well or does Bury just become a glorified central supplies and managements body?

The trouble with this proposal is that it hasn’t been thought through, and that is because it’s a blatant election gimmick. Of course prior to the past 3 years of Tory rule at Bury we had 21 years of Labour control. 21 years without a hint of “significant funds” delegated to local areas. Funny how Labour politicians don’t believe in devolving power from the centre until they lose power.  

Then of course he omits to mention that Area Partnerships and the current system of local Government has all been brought in by this Labour Government, with precious little say or influence allowed by the local councils concerned.

Gimmicks notwithstanding, I do hold certain sympathies with his comments. He may well be reacting to local dissatisfaction over Bury Conservatives handling of regeneration in Radcliffe, and their treatment of local people over the threat to Civic halls etc. We should not forget by the way the shocking manner Labour treated local people over the review of High Schools when they were in control.

What we do need locally is to re-connect local power with local people, that does mean devolving decision making and appropriate funds to the 6 Towns of Bury. But if it is to work properly whilst maintaining the economies of scale and the savings provided by one central administration, then there have to be clear areas of responsibility to be devolved.

A good example that I have often cited is our parks. Clearly it is plain for all to see that certain parks fall under certain areas. It would therefore be easy to pass responsibility for local parks to local area partnerships, giving local people a greater say in how they are run. Meanwhile savings could be maintained by having one central parks staff and management. That way we see value for money and greater community involvement.

That I feel is a more common sense approach that utilise the current Town hall structure to the advantage of local areas whilst passing greater responsibility and influence to local people and their elected representatives. And, if better, unlike the Lewis plan it could be implemented very quickly.

So, no need for gimmicks just common sense and political will. 

The last Prestwich Area Partnership of the municipal year was held at the recently refurbished Church Lane Community Centre in Prestwich last night.

It was a packed and generally upbeat meeting full of developments from around Prestwich.

MINUTES SILENCE

The meeting started with a minutes silence for Barry Simpson, Vice Chair of Downham Gardens Tenants & Residents Association who sadly passed away recently.

ST.MARY’S PARK AND PLAY AREAS

Neil Long from Bury Council Parks and Leisure Services gave a presentation updating the partnership about improvements to local parks and play areas. The highlight is St.Mary’s Flower park which is currently having £30,000 spent on it to restore it too something akin to its former glory.

PRESTWICH CLOUGH DAY

Our Partner spot saw David Stanley from Prestwich Clough Centenary Committee outlining the aim of the organisation and plans for this years Clough Day on May 16th . This annual event now marks the start of Prestwich Festival. You can find out more about this great family event here.

ANTI- WASTE CAMPAIGN  

We also had a great presentation from the Waste Disposal Authority encouraging people not to waste so much food and offering some handy hints and free goodies too.

POLICE

Sergeant Ian Campbell presented an update on Crime and policing. In particular highlighting the success of their clampdown on anti-social behaviour.

MONEY FOR GOOD CAUSES

And finally the Area Partnership approved hundreds of pounds of grants to local good causes including the Church Lane Community Centre, Rainsough TRA and Simister Village Community Association.

THANK YOU

As it was the last meeting of the municipal year, as Chair, I thanked officers for all the hard work and support and the members of the LAP for their input and of course the great Prestwich public for their attendance and input. 

NEXT MEETING MAY 20th, from 6.15pm - LONGFIELD SUITE

The last full meeting of Bury Council last night was the shortest I can remember for a long time - finishing around 8.30!

Perhaps because of the close proximity to elections no party had tabled any motions, so no debates. However there was plenty of scope for hurling political abuse and point scoring during questions to the Leader of the Council, (Bacup) Bob Bibby.

During questions stresses and anxieties were clearly evident. The stresses and anxieties that develop as an election dawns and politicians get closer to the day when they are stood on voters doorsteps seeking a mandate for 4 more years.

Some Conservatives chastised the Lib Dem group for laughing!!! Believe me if they were sat where we were, they would have been laughing too!

We established that there were 904 pot holes and uneven pavements reported in the past year, which if nothing else confirms what most of us already know - what a mess the roads and pavements are in.

Other than that answer most of the questions, including one from myself, were connected to the review of civic suites and the Tories lukewarm (at best) support for Radcliffe Civic Hall.

However the answers to questions from the Conservative Group were notable for their determination NOT to answer the question that had been put.

The highlight of the meeting was when the Mayor thanked David Hanson, head of Democratic Services for his 27 years service to Bury Council. Councillors spontaneously applauded following the announcement. He will be missed by all councillors, many of whom (including myself) have often relied on his support and advice over the years. I wish him a happy and lengthy retirement.

Next Full Council is in May - There will be new faces and perhaps some surprising absentees, and possibly even a new administration. It’s over to you!

Scientists would probably tell me that accurate climate change facts are part of the problem, but if people are to have confidence that climate change is occurring and that they should support national and international efforts then accuracy goes to the heart of the matter.

It was a shame therefore that the Government has been ticked off for an advertising campaign about climate change which has been stopped by the Advertising watchdog because it exaggerated the problem.

Incidents such as that and the recent questions about scientists exaggerating the issue are causing real problems when it then comes to public support for much needed environmental policies required to combat climate change.

I for one find it impossible to deny the scale of the problem and my concerns about our climate and ultimately the future of this planet remain undimmed. But I find myself increasingly frustrated and exasperated by the growing questioning of the severity of the problem, and contradictory and innacurate facts and statements an’t helping the cause! 

It is looking increasingly likely that the General election will be on the same day as the local elections.

Whilst all the media interest has been about Brown, Clegg, Cameron and Westminster, we shouldn’t forget that the local elections will have serious consequences as well.

In Bury we have a Conservative administration that is desperate to hang onto power despite a string of high profile mistakes and u-turns.

In Prestwich where the Lib Dems hold all 9 council seats and will be defending three seats, we are hoping residents will show their support for the hard work we have been doing over the past two years (since the last locals).

In fact the contrast is clear. Whilst in Prestwich the Lib Dems have been campaigning to protect local services, keep the Council Tax down and redirect resources to crucial and underfunded services like highway improvements etc, the Conservatives have taken the opposit view.

They have been hunting for cuts such as their recent threats to community centres and parking charges proposal for Fairfax Road car park. And they have been increasing Council tax by well over inflation rate at a time when people can least afford it.

So when you go to the polls on May 6th, if the General Election is on the same day, don’t think nationally and vote the same way locally. All I would ask is that you look at the local situation and look at what the parties have said and done locally and their candidates/councillors records and vote accordingly. And then make seperate judgements on the General Election.

You never know you may end up with what you want at Bury Town Hall AND Westminster, but in any case having considered all the information to hand for two elections, you will have voted and made your vote count. No one can ask fairer than that.

I was delighted that the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference yesterday backed plans to rebalance the economy and create thousands of new green jobs.

The plans will play a vital part in a fair recovery that locks in investment and ensures a path of low-carbon growth.I am particularly delighted that this green economic stimulus package will be a core part of the Liberal Democrat election manifesto.

It is important that Sutainable energy,Climate change and green policies remain at the heart of policy as the need for a radical green public policy agenda will become more pressing with time and we should see the current difficult times as an opportunity for green jobs and investment in our economy and a sustainable future and not an obstacle.Core policies will include: 

•  Immediate investment to expand our green energy infrastructure
• Bringing hundreds of thousands of empty homes back into use
• Insulating schools and other public buildings
• An ‘eco-cashback’ scheme to reward people who make energy efficiency improvements in their homes
•  A National Infrastructure Bank to promote long-term investment in sustainable public transport and renewable energy 

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary Simon Hughes said:

“The Liberal Democrats have set out a blueprint for a fair economy that’s fit to last. A green stimulus package will help boost investment in clean energy, reduce fuel bills and create thousands of new jobs.

“Labour and the Tories can’t be trusted to deliver the green growth we need. Only the Liberal Democrats have bold and credible plans to rebalance the economy and put Britain at the forefront of this vital transition.” 

I was delighted to join my colleague Richard Baum (Bury North PPC) for a live Radio interview and phone-in at Bury’s Project Radio on sunday.

As part of their General Election coverage, project Radio are interviewing local parliamentary candidates and we of course were delighted to do our bit.

Anwar (pictured) put a variety of questions to the two of us on subjects ranging from Iraq and Afghanistan to the economy and the expenses scandal.

Project Radio is currently operating on a 28 day pilot licence from Knowsley Street and is hoping ultimately to become Bury’s first community radio station.

I was delighted to have been able to support project radio and hopefully we managed to enlighten a few people with our answers.

Last nights Save Heaton Park meeting wasn’t quite the doom laden meeting you might have expected following the disgraceful Manchester City Council Planning meeting that gave the green light to Goals.

In fact by the end of the meeting it was clear that far from being over we still have a number of options and avenues to pursue.

Certainly in my book Heaton Park and for that matter green open parkland, is so precious we should not leave any stone unturned in our campaign to preserve the park from development.

So the fight continues. The campaign group are taking the issue to higher levels and pursuing further legal advice , sadly I cannot reveal all at this stage as it may prejudice the campaign. But expect to hear further both in the local press and via my blog in the future.

So watch this space!

from NHS Bury website for information:

Free swine flu vaccinations will continue in Bury until Autumn 2010

NHS Bury will continue to offer the swine flu vaccination for any eligible adults, and children aged six months to five years who may have missed being vaccinated in 2009 or were not able to get vaccinated at their GP surgery, until the seasonal flu vaccine becomes available in Autumn 2010.   The current groups eligible for the vaccine are:

·         People aged between six months and 65 years in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups

·         Pregnant women

·         People who live with those whose immune systems are compromised, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS

·         People aged 65 and over in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups

·         Frontline health and social care workers

·         Children aged six months to five yearsAll vaccination sessions are ‘drop in’ clinics however anyone wishing to make an appointment or wanting more information can telephone the NHS Bury Flu Team on 0161 272 4049. Swine Flu: 

If you can’t catch it, you can’t pass it on. Forthcoming sessions will take place as follows:             

·         22 March, 5 – 7pm, Bury Walk-in Centre, Moorgate Primary Care Centre

·         24 March, 5 – 7pm, Prestwich Walk-in Centre, Fairfax Road , Prestwich

·         6 April, 9 – 11am, Sedgley Children’s Centre, Bishops Road , Prestwich

·         14 April, 5 – 7pm, Bury Walk-in Centre, Moorgate Primary Care Centre

·         20 April, 5 – 7pm, Prestwich Walk-in Centre, Fairfax Road, Prestwich

·         4 May, 9 – 11am, Sedgley Children’s Centre,Bishops Road, Prestwich

·         13 May, 5 – 7pm, Bury Walk-in Centre, Moorgate Primary Care Centre

·         27 May, 5 – 7pm, Prestwich Walk-in Centre, Fairfax Road, Prestwich

Last nights meeting of Bury MBC’s Environment, Economy and Transport Scrutiny Committee received a long awaited presentation about the state of council owned garage colonies.

For some years now there has been growing concern about the state of many of these garages. Many have been badly vandalised or are a focal point for anti-social behaviour as more and more remain empty.

Last nights presentation did seem to bear this out as it was confirmed that half the councils 77 garage sites were a “drain on resources” to varying extents.

As part of the review to be undertaken the Council now plans to consult widely on how best to deal with the worst condition sites.

It has been suggested that there could be alternative uses such as:

• Housing
• Allotments
• Play Areas
• other communal/garden areas etc

In addition it may be appropriate for some to be renovated.

I strongly supported the idea that ward councillors be involved in the consultation and that the local area partnerships should have a say as they have a specific remit to represent the views of residents in the area.

It was agreed that a report and presentation be brought to a future area partnership meeting.

Commenting on the report by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers which reveals that only 23% of the money allocated to help carers was used in this way, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:

“The Government has completely neglected the vital work that carers do and this report is further evidence of the scale of the problem.

“Labour’s cuts are already biting across the NHS and their failure to cut back on waste means that it is the most vulnerable who are losing out. 

“This report highlights the need for a guarantee to respite care which only the Liberal Democrats are committed to.”

Vic D’Albert, Parliamentary candidate for Bury South added, “It just shows how low on their priorities list this Government places carers. These funds should have been ring fenced if Labour were really serious about providing respite care.

“Once again many of the 9000 plus carers in Bury have lost out under this Government.

“It’s about time the role of carers, the valuable work they do and the daily pressures and stresses they face were properly recognised with real commitment. Once again it would seem that only the Lib Dems can offer the commitment they deserve.

An increasingly desperate Conservative Party are increasingly playing dangerous games with the economy by stoking up fear about hung parliaments.

They are now plying a strategy of fear, stirring up anxieties amongst their friends in the city, damaging the pound, causing share to plummet and hurting British business.

Rather than outlining detailed policies for taking the country forward they are enthusiastically highlighting their views as to what will happen if you don’t vote Tory. Its tantamount to political blackmail. Vote Tory or we will wipe out your savings and plunge the economy back into deep recession.

It’s cynical and irresponsiible, it’s negative and it’s damaging the economy before a vote has been cast.

The fact remains while Labour bury their heads in the sand, and the Tories stoke up fear and anxiety, only the Lib Dems have credible coherent plans for dealing with the budget deficit and taking the economy forward.

Commenting on Scottish and Southern Energy’s decision to cut gas bills by an average of 4%, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Simon Hughes said:“Token price cuts in March won’t fool customers already hit by bumper bills.Wholesale prices have plummeted but customers have hardly seen any benefit. 

“The Liberal Democrats will change the rules so that fuel bills reflect fuel costs and consumers are not ripped off again and again.” 

Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Bury South added,“Whilst these reductions are welcome, they are overdue. It’s time the energy companies were held to account. For too long they have been profiteering on the wild fluctuations in wholesale energy markets. Meanwhile people are struggling to stay warm and live in fear of the bill.”

“Energy bills need to be tied closer to the real costs to the companies, when prices go down it should trigger immediate reductions to domestic energy tariffs. And with regard to tariffs people need greater support and advice to ensure they are on the best tariff deals with greater incentive for green energy. 

“There are too many tariffs and special offers.We need streamlining across the industry with the emphasis on the best deal for the consumer not the shareholders!”

The Bury Conservative response to their embarrassing climbdown over the proposed reconfiguration of the popular Longfield Suite is as predictable as night following day.

Bearing in mind that they planned a re-configuration that involved potentially demolishing and rebuilding the Longfield Suite, my Conservative opponent now accuses the Lib Dems and others of “scaremongering”.

She goes onto say that she gave her assurances at public meetings that it would not close. In fact what she rather vaguely assured residents at the meetings I organised was that we would have a community facility in Prestwich, which is hardly the same as a multi purpose entertainment and conference venue with a sprung dance floor! At that meeting it was pointed out that we already had a community facility - it’s called the public toilet.

You can be assured that in the coming weeks it will be made clear from the Conservatives that somehow wasting four or months of officer time on a Task and Finish group to explore options over our civic venues was a good use of officer time. That somehow the experience has been beneficial to all.

Well I can assure the leader of the Council and his colleagues that the worried civic hall staff don’t feel the same, the businesses on the precinct that thrive off the many visitors from out of town that visit the Longfield Centre, don’t feel the same and the users and business users that rely on the centre certainly don’t feel the same. Not to mention those that planned to make bookings and have since gone elsewhere as a result of the uncertainty

The whole sorry episode was a wasteful, shameful exercise in mismanagement and manipulation that thankfully backfired - at least for now.

We should not forget that the new council financial year will start soon with a £100,000 Tory cut to the Civic venues budgets and the report to executive into this whole issue may yet provide some interesting reading between the lines.

Prestwich’s popular Longfield Suite community centre has been reprieved by Bury Council.

A statement issued today by Bury Council has confirmed that:
“This be retained in its current format, but an effective business plan be put in place to improve marketing, awareness, usage and income. The group considers that it can build on and promote its reputation as a venue for dance activities, which have proved popular and which help to ensure that local residents have access to health and well being activities. Around 72% of Longfield Suite users who responded in the survey said they used the suite for dancing events.”

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Vic D’Albert who was at the forefront of the campaign, commented,

“This is great news for Prestwich and sends a strong signal to Bury Conservatives that people are proud of their local community faciities.The strength of feeling for the Longfield Suite was clear for all to see from the start, all except Bury’s Conservative administration who once again thought they new best.

“I now urge Bury Council to work with Prestwich councillors, Prestwich Area Partnership and local people to find a long term solution and put together a sustainable business plan for the centre.
“Furthermore I would make a plea to this Conservative administration to stop trying to sidestep the democratic process and dialogue with Councillors. Months of campaigning and wasted officer time and resources could have been saved. We told Bury Council at the start what their precious “Task and Finish Group” have admitted today.

“And I have to question the judgement of the leader of the Council. Back in November he was brave enough to attend a public meeting I had arranged. At that meeting 300 local people told him to stop this nonsense, if only he was brave enough to listen to local people and admit their mistake then.

“I must also congratulate the 1000’s of people that signed the petition, the 1300 who completed the Council survey and all those local people and Longfield centre users that fought so hard to keep the facilities as they are. Truly a great example of local people power in action.

“Finally I am dissapointed that todays announcement still leaves the future of Radcliffe Civic Hall in doubt. I would call on Bury Council to work with Radcliffe councillors and local residents and users to look at a positive way forward for this important local asset. As the end of the day, if we lose these facilities we aren’t going to get them back any time soon, so we need to make the most out of them and ensure they have sound business and marketing plans at the heart of their management.”

The latest Homewatch newsletter details recent criminal activity in the area which somewhat bizarrely includes a number of incidents of theft of Mezuzah.

Mezuzahs are the prayer scrolls in small cases that are placed on doorways in Jewish homes and are of significant religious value. Some may also be antique. Unless just antique Mezuzahs are being taken the only other assumption that can be made is that it is a race hate crime designed at least to upset the householders.

In addition to mezuzahs the Police report that there has been a spate of electrical equipment theft.

The newsletter also highlights the recent targets for burglaries and car crime in the area and provides useful advice and contact details.

You can read or download the newsletter here: homewatch-24-feb-2010.pdf

2nd - Polefield Tenants & Residents Association

5th - Presentation of Save Our Suite Petition to the Mayor of Bury

9th - Economy, Environment & Transport Scrutiny Committee - Bury Town Hall

17th - Full meeting of Bury Council, 7pm Bury Town Hall

18th - Prestwich Area Partnership, 6.30pm, Church Lane Community Centre.