A blog about Wirral Council's public meetings, Wirral Council's councillors, Bidston & St. James ward and other public bodies on Merseyside
Attached to this post is a letter from Hylgar Properties Ltd that changed the atmosphere at tonight’s call in meeting. I will write more tomorrow.
Attached to this post is a letter from Hylgar Properties Ltd that changed the atmosphere at tonight’s call in meeting.
I will write more tomorrow.
I notice at a full meeting of Wirral Council next Monday that Labour councillors are tabling a motion entitled “Lib Dem Student Betrayal”.
Firstly it says tuition fees will triple. This is incorrect. At the moment there’s a cap of £3,000 so universities can charge anything from £0 to £3000. If the new proposals are accepted £9000 is just an upper ceiling for what they can charge. The way the motion is worded you’d think all universities will all charge the most that they can; the truth is they won’t. Universities were only allowed to charge tuition fees if they also gave out bursaries. If the bursaries stay in place, this should offset the tuition fees.
A National Scholarship Programme will mean university students from poorer backgrounds might not pay any tuition fees for the first couple of years.
The pledge was “I pledge to vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament and to pressure the government to introduce a fairer alternative”. A number of Lib Dem MPs have already agreed to vote against an increase in fees, such as the Party President Tim Farron. The party has definitely been pressuring for a fairer alternative to the current system which will be extended to part-time students for the first time.
Labour also have the gall to put in their motion “these cuts will reduce social mobility and create a system in which only those young people from affluent families will be able to go to university”.
However it was Labour’s introduction of tuition fees in 2003 & Labour’s wish that 50% of school leavers go to university that has led to this already. I was a student at Liverpool University in the years after tuition fees were brought in. The university population was not reflective of society as the prospect of student debt put people off from poorer backgrounds.
People from larger families were also deterred from going as having subsidised their older brothers and sister through university often their parents didn’t have the financial means to have more than one of their children at university at a time.
I do not have any problem with more young people going to university. Has our economy now or even in three years time got enough graduate-level jobs for them to pay off their student debts and loans after they graduate? In the last few years I have known many graduates struggle to find employment or in the case of postgraduate students turned down for jobs because they’re “over qualified”.
It seems the penalties for rigging an election are getting more severe with the son of a Tory councillor getting a custodial sentence for making false applications for proxy votes.
His father, a Tory councillor was charged too, but cleared. Some quotes from the article below:-
“It’s not enough for political parties to wait for the police to catch the bad apples, it is also up to those organisations to root out malpractices and any culture within their associations which condones or turns a blind eye to the corruption of our democratic process.”
“The court heard that Munir had used the names of real people and filled in forms to get them on the electoral register and then apply for proxy votes, but had used fake details and forged signatures.”
Although I realise that during elections many people working on a campaign are volunteers, not barristers (and not au fait with caselaw regarding elections and 200 pages of Electoral Commission advice) surely Ali Munir knew what he was doing was wrong (and if he didn’t why did he plead guilty)? Anyone he registered a proxy vote for would’ve been denied the chance to vote.
It’s the few “bad applies” in all parties that make the public think that all politicians are corrupt and on the make. There are many honest, hard-working councillors and MPs that do what they do out of a deep sense of public service and improving the quality of life for their fellow man.
Having reread the agenda for next week’s Cabinet meeting specifically item 4 I notice there’s a plan to sell off two pieces of land that provide revenue through on-street car parking to a William Tar Holdings Limited for eventual use as a casino.
Even more worryingly the developer already has Planning Permission from 2008 (which was amended this year). I know Birkenhead already has one casino; but does it need another?
Birkenhead Town Centre has already lost two large council car parks to the Asda development and whereas I would always encourage people to use public transport (this area is well serve with Conway Park train station and the bus station); is a casino right for Birkenhead? What do the users of Europa Pools leisure centre think of car parking spaces going; will any Blue Badge spaces be replaced elsewhere?
Are councillors trying to make Birkenhead like Blackpool or Las Vegas? There are many people in Birkenhead who have gambling problems; won’t the presence of a new casino just make things worse?
As the planning permission expires in March 2011 is this being rushed through before Christmas?
Update: The Cabinet eventually decided against the idea of another casino in Birkenhead. However there is one planned for New Brighton if you are interested.
I’ve noticed people coming to my blog searching for grit in the CH41 area. There are grit bins in the following locations (although to my knowledge not in CH41) There may be more after the extra money that went to Area Forums for them this year, although I’d have to dig out the paperwork on any new locations. If anyone knows of anymore grit bin locations in the Bidston & St. James ward please leave a comment.
Westwood Road, Bidston (which is off Upton Road)
Eleanor Road, Bidston (at the end near Bidston Village)
