Category: Lib Dems

Looking back – Top ten most popular stories

Looking back – Top ten most popular stories

Looking back – Top ten most popular stories

                                         

In a matter of weeks this blog has been viewed over a thousand times (which compared to the traffic other new (and established) blogs get is quite astounding).

The most popular pages have been the homepage (naturally) and a page about myself. The top ten most popular stories have been:-

1. A story about housing policy, Wirral Partnership Homes and a Labour Party donation
2. A story about another Lib Dem policy announcing that ID cards have finally been scrapped
3. A report of a full Council meeting featuring one of my local Labour councillors
4. A report on the Cabinet meeting of the 14th October last year as well as the twists and turns of the Sail Project
5. A report on the Planning Committee Site Visit to Upton Road, Bidston
6. Yesterday’s story about councillors visiting Tam O’Shanter Farm (just up the road)
7. A story about the satellite tracking of gritters
8. Freedom of Speech & Censorship – Time Labour said sorry for the cuts
9. Wirral’s Future: Be a Part of It – the massive public consultation last year
10. Standards and why we need them at Wirral Council

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?

Seacome Labour, full Council, Cllr Harry Smith, scrutiny, gifts register

Below is a copy of an email to Adrian Jones. He is welcome to comment here as are people of any party political leaning.

Dear Cllr Adrian Jones,

Leonora told me about the comments on your blog in response to a story “Whatever happened to Scrutiny?” about the last full meeting of Council.

I will make the following response which I am making public and copying on my blog, feel free to write about this email as you wish as I don’t class it as confidential. I would welcome any debate on the issues in it and if you wish to feel comments please do so.

Leonora and I both welcome the opportunity that public question time brings to involve members of the public (whoever they may support) in the political process. The public have no right of audience at any other meeting of Wirral Council and it is the public are who Wirral Council (and its councillors) are answerable to.

Our local Labour councillors (check Wirral Council’s constitution) are there to represent all their residents’ views, whether they voted for them, didn’t vote for them or didn’t vote at all. Any party political affiliations of residents should be irrelevant.

Whereas a commenter on our blog (and your councillors) brought up I was a member of the Liberal Democrat Party, one of the other members of the public asking questions was a former Labour councillor. However we don’t make a “song and dance” about it like some Labour councillors do. It seems to only matter to the Labour Party as to which political party a person may be associated with if it’s not Labour. Quite why your party is so tribal I haven’t quite figured out yet.

You know as well as I Cllr Jones that majority decisions can only be made by Wirral councillors with the support of two or more political parties.

Labour were offered the chance in May after the elections to carry on a joint administration with the Liberal Democrats and have a role in decisions. Your party (and Labour councillors) chose to go into opposition and get out of any difficult decisions to be made in the interests of Wirral residents.

We welcome the opportunity for our local councillor to tell councillors and members of the public present that Lib Dem Focuses have recently been delivered to an area they haven’t. Our deliverers after about 10,000 were delivered that they ran out just before getting to Beechwood.

It provides us with great amusement in Cllr Harry Smith making party political points and getting things wrong. It also increases our standing with some Lib Dem councillors.

This however is part of the nature of democracy that elected representatives come in for criticism. I would however be as critical of Cllr. Smith if he were a Tory, Lib Dem, Green or member of another political party as I believe the public deserve the truth.

We are sure the Borough Solicitor Bill Norman will enjoy reading the latest Focus and if Cllr Harry Smith know needs any extra copies to hand out any of his friends in Beechwood (who haven’t received them yet contrary to what he said) we are happy to give him any spares we have.

There’s no “favouritism” involved.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t Cllr Harry Smith been selected by the Bidston & St. James branch of the Labour Party as the official Labour Party candidate for Bidston & St. James ward in the May 2011 elections? If he isn’t I apologise.

My question was originally tabled, not to a councillor but to Brian Cummings, the independent (although he’s a former Tory councillor) Chair of the Standards Committee. Then it got changed (not by me) first to Cllr. Blakeley, Cllr Rowlands finally Cllr Ian Lewis.

Your fellow Labour councillors (hence why all the interruptions and heckling?) must have a problem with the public knowing who gives gifts (of £25) or more to local councillors and the gifts register being public. Do some Labour councillors have deep, dark secrets they wish to hide? As Cllr. Blakeley pointed out the heckling and interruptions have already brought Wirral Council into disrepute.

I however believe in openness and transparency. This is a personal belief, not a political one as sometime Lib Dem councillors have taken a view the other way.

I believe also in freedom of speech and with the greatest respect point out that any councillor can also table a question (and supplementary) as your fellow Labour councillors did.

You (along with your fellow councillors) if you five or more of you felt so passionately about tuition fees could’ve called for a special meeting of the full council but chose not to. We had one last year about library provision on the Wirral if you remember? Your councillors chose not to ask questions on the subject (other than why were the question/s disallowed).

Instead nearly the whole meeting was spent debating a Labour objection. The fact a 5-minute adjournment becomes twenty minute is the kind of thing to irk the public too.

The truth of the matter is that it was a Labour government in 2003 that introduced tuition fees. It was a Labour government that came up with the target of 50% of school leavers going to university (which naturally increased costs and university places). It was also a Labour government that came up with the toothless OFFA (the Office for Fair Access) which did next to nothing to force universities to make bursaries available to students from less well-off backgrounds.

Members of the public whose questions are censored can quite easily seek judicial review of the decision or ask the Mayor/Borough solicitor to state reasons why and if overturned ask them at a future meetiing. There is a whole complaints process that they can go through. They could even ask a Labour councillor to take up the case!

Leonora and the other member of the public would’ve quite happily asked a supplementary, however decisions regarding tuition fees are not made by Wirral Council so had we done so it would’ve not been answered anyway!

Your leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes mentioned an agreement a year ago that no candidates use public question time. I asked for a copy of such an agreement, but none was provided.

However in order to make this abundantly clear, I am still not a candidate. I have not been chosen by any party body to be a candidate. I have not publically declared myself to be a candidate. Your councillors have incorrectly in the past described me as such and I corrected them.

In fact by the time the May elections (or by the time the Lib Dems will pick a candidate) short of making a decision in the future to be a candidate, I’m not even on the list of candidates that the Lib Dem party can currently chose from for the Wirral Council election!

Yes the way Wirral Council is run needs to be reformed and open to more scrutiny, hopefully the publication of the gifts register will be a start!

Wirral Council – Steve Maddox awarded Freedom of the Borough

Wirral Council – Steve Maddox awarded Freedom of the Borough

                                 

In a well attended meeting at Wallasey Town Hall last night, attended by councillors, senior officers, Steve Maddox (and family), assorted invited guests and about thirty members of the public Steve Maddox was awarded Freedom of the Borough.

Despite his microphone not working, the Mayor of Wirral, Cllr Alan Jennings gave a speech detailing Steve’s service to Wirral Council and the people of Wirral referring to Mr. Maddox as an exceptional public servant. The Mayor went on to detail Steve’s career from Council trainee to Chief Executive and said that it was a "most appropriate tribute" to a "true public servant". He went on to call Mr. Maddox an "innovative forward thinker" who would insist on seeing every employee once a year at a roadshow. He went on to refer to Mr. Maddox as modest, thoughtful and supportive of the Council and colleagues. He said Mr. Maddox had integrity and that to be awarded an Honorary Freeman was very rare and only happened to exceptional people. He said that he had rendered eminent service to the Borough and mentioned Mr. Maddox’s OBE. He then proposed the motion to make Mr. Maddox an Honorary Freeman of the Borough.

The Conservative leader Cllr Green spoke first, seconding the motion. He called Mr. Maddox a "shining example of a man dedicated to public service" who had "impressed me with his commitment to excellent local services". Cllr Green went on to talk about the Open Gold scheme and Wirral Waters. He told those present about how Mr. Maddox is the current tourism ambassador and Mr. Maddox’s earlier work with Merseytravel, NHS and support for schools in special measures. He said that Mr. Maddox was a shy and modest man and stated that he had started a charity into which he had donated his fee he received as Returning Officer.

The Labour leader Cllr Foulkes spoke next, jointly seconding the motion. He brought up Mr. Maddox’s humble background and mentioned his passionate determination. He referred to Mr. Maddox’s work on the governing body of a primary school and mentioned the Open Golf tournament. He joked that the one thing the Conservative Minister Eric Pickles had got right was his recent decision over Wirral Waters. Cllr Foulkes also referred to HMS Astute and said that Mr. Maddox had had a "great career". He said Mr. Maddox was backed up by his family (who were with him).

The Lib Dem leader Cllr Holbrook then spoke about the winter maintenance arrangements, public health, Youth Forums, Older Peoples Parliament.

The motion was unanimously approved with calls for a card vote. Mr. Maddox was awarded a small token of esteem from the Mayor and other councillors in a John Lewis bag and his wife was given a bunch of flowers.

Mr. Maddox was then invited to speak. He said that it’d be 36 years next week since he started at Wirral Council and expressed regret that his father couldn’t come. He said he’d been attended council meetings as a senior officer for 20 years; with about 8 council meetings a year that made about 160 council meetings. He said this had been the first time he had been asked to say anything after listening to 700 to 800 hours of debate. He joked in saying does how long he’s had to listen reflect how long you’d have to listen to his speech. He expressed his thanks and said he would be eternally grateful. He mentioned how other distinguished people had been awarded this honour and that he had recommended one or two people. He said he was not awfully sure what he’d done to qualify for it.

He went on to say that he was received the award for the staff and the thousands of people he had worked with. He said he was proud to be associated with every member of Wirral Council. He said he truly appreciated the political differences among councillors and of the need to support democracy which involves challenge and disagreement. He talked about tough decision and it had been an absolute honour. A photo was taken of Steve, the Mayor and the certificate followed by the Mayor closing the meeting.

Full Council last night & Scrutiny Programme Board

Full Council last night & Scrutiny Programme Board

Full Council last night & Scrutiny Programme Board

                                     

The Scrutiny Programme Board in a three-minute meeting decided to send the Hoylake lifeboat call-in to the Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

All the stops were pulled out an hour later for invited guests (and councillors) at Wirral Council’s meeting last night, where Steve Maddox was awarded Freedom of the Borough. Before the meeting from the public gallery you could hear drunken laughter echoing through the corridors of the Town Hall.

Despite myself and Leonora being invited; we were both prevented from speaking to councillors or Steve as Town Hall staff had been left with instructions as usual. All I managed to get was a hello to Steve as he walked past through the lobby.

For the first time in a long time, Labour councillors behaved and didn’t jeer/heckle through anybody’s speeches. After the last full council meeting where Cllr Harry Smith got two people booted out of the Council Chamber I half thought he’d jump up and say, "I object to the dozen or so member of the public sitting in the Council Chamber (some in front of the Labour benches obscuring our view of Tory councillors) including Steve Maddox, his family, the High Sheriff, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Mayoress and others and insist they’re thrown out of the Council Chamber and sit in the public gallery." but he didn’t.

So much for Harry’s assertion last time that it was usual procedure of members of the public to be bullied into moving about contrary to Wirral’s constitution!

However, someone must have told Harry to behave because I didn’t even hear one heckle or jeer out of him.

There were around thirty in the public gallery, I’ll write a longer report on last night including a summary of the speeches by the three leaders. The atmosphere was quite different to usual; partly because all the political parties agreed.

The only thing that seemed to go wrong (with a night that was meticulously planned by officers who got rather stressed) was the Mayor’s microphone wasn’t working.