Category: Labour

Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm – Turns Away Visitors

Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm – Turns Away Visitors                                 This afternoon, myself and my wife having been invited to Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm (which is in the road we live) by Cllr Brighouse were turned away by the Tam O’Shanter Cottage Trust trustee Cllr. Denise Roberts (Labour, Claughton). Instead then of reporting about the 25 … Continue reading “Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm – Turns Away Visitors”

Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm – Turns Away Visitors

                               

This afternoon, myself and my wife having been invited to Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm (which is in the road we live) by Cllr Brighouse were turned away by the Tam O’Shanter Cottage Trust trustee Cllr. Denise Roberts (Labour, Claughton).

Instead then of reporting about the 25 year success story of this charity (Tam O’Shanter Cottage Urban Farm Trust) who state on their website that their aim is “providing an enjoyable and educational experience for all” and even though other journalists (for example who wrote this story in the Wirral Globe were) invited, it seems if you’re John or Leonora you’re not welcome at Tam O’Shanter (although to give them their due one of the staff wanted us to stay).

So instead of a report on new tree planting, a visit by the Mayor and other councillors involved, we have instead some video footage for you of a plastic cow.

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Tam O’Shanter Cottage Urban Farms Trust’s “main objectives”:-

To continue to provide a free amenity to the public
To continue to promote the use of Tam O’Shanter Urban Farm thereby maintaining visitor numbers

Useless bit of trivia: Tam O’Shanter is currently leased from Wirral Council for one Bidston pine cone/year. In the Mayor’s parlour at Wallasey Town Hall there a display of the Tam O’Shanter pine cone. As it was a few years old I asked the previous Mayor Cllr. Hodson if they’d paid their rent. He said he didn’t know if they had but where do annual Tam O’Shanter pine cones go?

ID Cards Scrapped

Labour's ID Card Scheme

Labour’s ID Card Scheme, having racked up £330 million pounds in costs was scrapped at midnight. Any existing ID cards can no longer be used for travel or for proving identity.

The information held on computer as part of the scheme will be erased and the equipment shredded. This comes at a further cost of £400,000 .

Once again this shows the Lib Dems and Conservatives in government are making a difference. To put the costs in comparison, Wirral Council’s yearly revenue budget (that pays all its staff and running costs) is less than the costs of the ID card scheme.

Those who have already received an ID card will not be receiving a refund of the fee.

In unrelated news, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor (Alan Johnson) pictured holding an ID card has resigned. When will Labour realise they shouldn’t have gone on a spending spree with the country’s credit card on white elephant schemes like ID cards and just say sorry for more Labour cuts?

Freedom of Speech and Censorship – Time Labour said sorry for cuts

I’ve just been reading the joint statement on Wikileaks released by the UN.

Section 4 really caught my eye with regards to the pressure put on yours truly about this story. As readers may be unaware a tax-payer funded body is threatening a lawsuit on a matter that is protected in UK law from libel lawsuits.

They also threaten to "write to" the company hosting this blog and to get it deleted. Thankfully being hosted in America there are stronger legal protections on freedom of speech.

As the UN put it "Such illegitimate interference includes politically motivated legal cases brought against journalists and independent media, and blocking of websites and web domains on political grounds."

I was ready to give Labour the benefit of the doubt in this matter as generally their councillors are honest (especially Cllr Foulkes) enough to declare a prejudicial interest. In fact I mentioned this in the article I wrote.

This whole "storm in a teacup episode" has overtones of the time last year that Cllr. Harry Smith moaned to the Lib Dems (in a letter he did have the decency to copy to myself along with a Wirral Council compliment slip with the box for immediate action ticked) that I’d stated in a Focus article (which was true) that while Vice-Chair he hadn’t gone to a Pensions Committee meeting at which it had been revealed the Fund had lost ~£700 million (which leads to extra costs to Wirral Council that can’t be used to fund frontline services).

Cllr. Harry Smith was annoyed that residents were going to his surgery and talking to him about pensions. However isn’t talking to local residents at your surgery about decisions you’ve made part of being a (well-paid) local councillor Harry? In your election literature (which I still have from 2007) your promise was Give me 15 minutes of your time and I’ll give you 4 years of mine.

How do you square choosing to go on holiday (instead of representing your residents) and being suspended as a councillor for a week with this promise? How about the person you put on your election literature under a headline like "We’re voting for Harry Smith" who didn’t even vote at all? As a local resident in Bidston & St. James I would hope that Labour’s leaflet is not misleading local residents to vote for them. Isn’t it time residents got an apology and the truth?

£48 million has recently had to be cut from this year’s budget (voted for by Labour in March) due to the Labour government’s mismanagement of the country’s finances and spiralling costs on bureaucracy. These are Labour’s cuts to services (whose Minister said there was "no money left") that will next year directly affect residents harshly here in Bidston & St. James. Cllr Foulkes (Labour’s leader) has already apologised publically to the people of Wirral for mistakes the earlier Labour administration made. Isn’t it time other Labour councillors said sorry to the residents of Wirral for the mistakes they’ve made that have led to these cuts?

Bidston & St. James Focus – Labour suggests reading it

As recommended for reading at a public meeting last week by Labour below is a link to a recent Bidston & St. James Focus.

September 2010 issue with articles on free swimming, benefits advice, Birkenhead Park Festival of Transport (other editions had an article here about a carer’s event, Action on Eyesores and Wirral’s Future – Be a Part of It.

Here is a brief update. Swimming is still free (or reduced) for many of Wirral’s residents. The economic mess left by Labour have meant many residents have lost their job, sending unemployment rates up in areas like Bidston & St. James to nearly 40%. The Birkenhead Park Festival of Transport was a great success (so was the carer’s event held in Birkenhead Park).

The public consultation attracted over 5,000 responses and went on to be considered as part of Wirral Council’s budget next year. The demolished Corsair continues to be an eyesore in Bidston Village (but is now less so since its demolition).

In a special bonus to our loyal online readers, the main photo is in colour (unlike the printed version in B&W)!

We always welcome any letters from Labour councillors (and other resident’s letters) as well the many thank yous received from local residents about articles in a Focus.

The Bidston & St. James Action Team is of course busy all year round in all parts of the ward. So keep an eye on this blog for up to date news.
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Lib Dems deliver 150,000 new affordable homes – WPH’s Bramall Construction contract & Labour Party donations

Following on from the Bidston & St. James Focus article about housing I am pleased to read that the high-rise flats Vittoria Court owned by Wirral Partnership Homes are to receive investment.

There are also plans being discussed for more social housing on the Beechwood estate. In addition the Coalition government and Council have agreed the Wirral Waters scheme.

Many Wirral Partnership Homes properties in this area have also received investment following a construction contract with Brammall Construction last year. With Labour sitting on Wirral Partnership Home’s board, perhaps there could be an explanation as to whether any declaration of interest was declared in regards to a contract awarded to Bramall Construction after a £2,000 donation was made from Brammall Construction to the Birkenhead Constituency Labour Party? A spokesperson for Bramall Construction rejects any connection and explains the donation as follows:-

“In 2000 we entered into a partnering arrangement called the Tranmere Partnership with Riverside Housing Association, Maritime Housing Association & Consultants which carried out some major works in Tranmere.

As part of our commitment to working with the local community, we sponsored an event [ED – in 2004, not 2000] at Prenton Park which was organised by the local Labour Party. Like many other local firms [ED – although the Birkenhead Labour Party records no donations or sponsorship from others], we took a table of 12 and sponsored the night by putting three bottles of wine on each table. We viewed the event as putting something back into the local community. Our donation to this event was registered by the Labour Party.

In 2004/5 we put in a bid to carry our major repair works for Wirral Partnership Homes but we were unsuccessful. The work was awarded to two other contractors. In 2007 we understood that there was a contractual issue with one of the incumbent partner contractors and in line with the framework agreement were given the opportunity to express an interest in undertaking decent homes works. After following all of the required procurement procedures we were awarded a section of works. To suggest there is a link between our sponsoring of a Labour party organised event and the awarding of a contract of WPH is a very serious allegation which we strongly reject.”

The link to the Electoral Commission website doesn’t link directly to the information, however an extract from the register is below.

Received by
  		Donor
  		Address
  		Date accepted
  		Donation
 
Conservative Party
Birkenhead 		Grange (Birkenhead) Property Co. Ltd
status: Company
company reg no: 00045284		 17a Balls Road
Birkenhead
CH43 5RF		 04/06/04 £ 500.00
Conservative Party
Birkenhead		 Tranmere Conservative Club Ltd
status: Company
company reg no: 00869082		 68 Argyle Street
Birkenhead
CH41 6AF		 10/06/04 £ 1,250.00
Labour Party [The]
Birkenhead Clp		 Bramall Construction
status: Company
company reg no: 1467161		 Unit 3D
Newton Court
Faraday Road
Wavertree Technology Park
Liverpool
L13 1EJ		 13/05/04 £ 2,000.00
Section total:£ 3,750.00
      

To be fair (as I always like to be) to Labour they are required by law to declare an interest when representing Wirral Council on outside bodies and withdraw from any discussions. The public must know that their representatives are acting in the public interest. With trust in politicians low, isn’t it about time WPH published any documents of meetings held about this?

Isn’t it time the public had a bit more openness and transparency when it comes to Wirral Partnership Homes, a company that receives £43 million in rent a year (some of this from the taxpayer from Housing Benefit claims)?