7 political news stories and 1 sporting result: a review of the week covering the Prime Minister, European Parliament Elections, Tranmere Rovers FC, Wirral Council, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, climate change protests and New Ferry!

7 political news stories and 1 sporting result: a review of the week covering the Prime Minister, European Parliament Elections, Tranmere Rovers FC, Wirral Council, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, climate change protests and New Ferry!

7 political news stories and 1 sporting result: a review of the week covering the Prime Minister, European Parliament Elections, Tranmere Rovers FC, Wirral Council, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, climate change protests and New Ferry!

polling station 3 Holy Cross Primary School AC Bidston and St James 2nd May 2019 photo 7 of 8
Polling station 3 Holy Cross Primary School AC Bidston and St James

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Rt Hon Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation as Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party effective from the 7th June 2019 in a televised speech outside 10 Downing Street on Friday.

Her resignation triggered a leadership election in the Conservative and Unionist Party.
Continue reading “7 political news stories and 1 sporting result: a review of the week covering the Prime Minister, European Parliament Elections, Tranmere Rovers FC, Wirral Council, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, climate change protests and New Ferry!”

What happened on the 2nd day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

What happened on the 2nd day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

What happened on the 2nd day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

                                          

Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts (Liverpool Crown Court), Derby Square, Liverpool, L2 1XA (5th January 2019)
Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts (Liverpool Crown Court), Derby Square, Liverpool, L2 1XA (5th January 2019)

This report of a criminal trial in the Liverpool Crown Court continues from What happened on the 1st day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

The reporting restrictions I referred to in my report on the first day linked to above mean I can only report on what happened after around 3.15 pm. The following may be of interest to those ever called for jury service wondering what happens.
Continue reading “What happened on the 2nd day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?”

What happened on the 1st day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

What happened on the 1st day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

What happened on the 1st day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

                                          

Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts (Liverpool Crown Court), Derby Square, Liverpool, L2 1XA (5th January 2019)
Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts (Liverpool Crown Court), Derby Square, Liverpool, L2 1XA (5th January 2019)

The first day of the trial about an explosion in New Ferry in March 2017 of two defendants started this morning in Court 5-2 on the 5th floor of the Liverpool Crown Court. Due to its high profile nature all the seats in the public gallery were full and the Usher had to find seats elsewhere in the court room for extra people.

The jury wasn’t present for a discussion between Judge Menary QC and the representatives for both defendants as to how long the jury should be allowed to complete the jury questionnaires. The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

Judge Menary QC did agree an order with the parties for reporting restrictions (specifically delayed reporting) on some aspects of the case. Despite asking the Liverpool Crown Court staff for a copy of this reporting restriction order when the morning’s hearing concluded, at the time of writing the staff have been unable to provide a copy and insisted I email (I have since received an electronic copy this afternoon and made this edit before publication).

The jury are expected to be sworn in possibly tomorrow afternoon and some material in the bundles will be changed (one reason given was to correct an incorrect address).

There will be no sitting on Friday due to a Regional Sentencing Seminar. Defendant Pascal G Blasio was re-bailed on the condition that he appear again for tomorrow’s hearing.

Due to the ongoing nature of the trial comments are turned off.

A report on day 2 can be read at What happened on the 2nd day of the New Ferry Explosion Trial?

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What was the Prime Minister’s answer to criticisms of the government response to the New Ferry disaster?

What was the Prime Minister’s answer to criticisms of the government response to the New Ferry disaster?

What was the Prime Minister’s answer to criticisms of the government response to the New Ferry disaster?

                                          

Construction work on new homes happening elsewhere on the Wirral (but not in New Ferry)
Construction work on new homes happening elsewhere on the Wirral (but not in New Ferry)

Earlier today (5th December 2018) in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister was asked a question about the response to the New Ferry disaster from Wirral South MP Alison McGovern. A transcript of the question and answer are below and the matter is on the agenda of a Wirral Council public meeting on 10th December 2018 starting at 6.00 pm at Wallasey Town Hall.
Continue reading “What was the Prime Minister’s answer to criticisms of the government response to the New Ferry disaster?”

Why has Wirral Council agreed to write to the government asking for money and for the government to meet people affected by the New Ferry explosion?

Why has Wirral Council agreed to write to the government asking for money and for the government to meet people affected by the New Ferry explosion?

Why has Wirral Council agreed to write to the government asking for money and for the government to meet people affected by the New Ferry explosion?

                                                  

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Council (Wirral Council) 10th July 2017 Part 8 of 17 (Support for New Ferry)

Usually the press outnumber the public in the public gallery above the Council Chamber at Wallasey Town Hall.

Wallasey Town Hall (public gallery) Wirral Council 10th July 2017
Wallasey Town Hall (public gallery) Wirral Council 10th July 2017

Monday evening’s meeting of Wirral Council’s councillors was different as many people (see photo above) with connections to New Ferry had turned up to listen to the debate on the notice of motion about New Ferry following the explosion earlier this year.

After around two hours of waiting, councillors rearranged the agenda so that the Support for New Ferry motion was heard first (rather than fourth). This motion was proposed by Cllr Warren Ward and seconded by Cllr Phil Davies.

A large explosion in New Ferry happened on Saturday 25 March. Many buildings in the area had to be evacuated because of structural damage (these were buildings used for both residential and business purposes), roads were closed and at least one person injured ended up in hospital. Cllr Warren Ward’s notice of motion asked for Wirral Council to write to the national government to intervene and to help.

Councillor Phil Davies (Leader) estimated that Wirral Council’s costs so far in dealing with the aftermath as around £300,000.

Cllr Warren Ward (Bromborough) criticised the government for sending a minister to visit the area some time after it happened.

He singled out a government minister for further criticism, stating that the minister had said in a local radio interview that the government had been supporting Wirral Council since day one of the explosion. Cllr Ward described this as a “kick in the teeth to all those residents affected crying out for government support only to receive nothing”.

Councillor Warren Ward thanked the “phenomenal emergency services”, “[Wirral] Council officers” and “community members”. He referred to the community members as “picking up the burden”.

He explained that Wirral Council employees had been working “15 hour days” at a cost of “hundreds of thousands of pounds” asking, “why isn’t the government playing its role in supporting the residents affected by the New Ferry disaster?”

At the end of his speech he received nearly thirty seconds of applause and a standing ovation.

Cllr Adam Sykes (Clatterbridge) moving an amendment to Cllr Warren Ward’s notice of motion started by thanking the members of public in the gallery for waiting “a long time”.

He described meetings of residents he had attended and the impact and distress the disaster had had on them. Cllr Sykes described people who had lost everything and how others had no insurance and how people were “looking for answers”.

His speech covered the cause of the blast and resident’s fears that it could happen again. Wirral Council employees were once again thanked and the community for their “hard work”. Describing Cllr Warren Ward as an “outstanding example of a councillor in our Council for all his tireless work ”, he explained that the amendment wasn’t to take anything away but sought to support by “exploring other options”.

Cllr Sykes explained that in the short-term Wirral Council should use its own funds held in reserves for emergencies and to explore financial assistance under the Bellwin Scheme as he was not sure whether that had been done yet.

He agreed that Wirral Council should work with the government to “resolve this situation” and said he had spoken to the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP (Minister for Communities and Local Government) on a number of occasions and that the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP was clear that the government “wished to help” to discuss a plan with Wirral Council officers.

During the general election (when Cllr Sykes was the Conservative candidate hoping to be MP for Wirral South after the general election in June) he said that he hadn’t wanted to bring the Rt Hon Sajid Javid to the blast site, as it would appear that Cllr Sykes was after a “photo opportunity”.

He was at this point heckled by the public gallery.

Cllr Sykes said he had told Cllr Warren Ward that he didn’t want to make the issue a “political football”, he repeated his request for Wirral Council to provide a plan to the government. Referring to a visit by the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse on the 6th of July 2017, he said that the Minister had asked during that visit for the plan to be submitted so “things could move forward”. The councillor continued by saying that it was the responsibility of “all of us” (referring to both Wirral Council and the government) “to look after our neighbours when they”re in need”. He said it was about “basic compassion and shouldn’t stop at [political] party boundaries” and that he wished to work with all Wirral Council councillors and the community to help the people of New Ferry.

He was further heckled by the public gallery.

Cllr Irene Williams (Bromborough) thanked the Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram for a contribution by the LCRCA of £20,000. She thanked Wirral Council employees and people in the community who she described as “working tirelessly”, she said that New Ferry was in need of “emergency funding”. Cllr Williams said that the government had indicated it couldn’t help because of the general election (which had now been over for a month) and referred to residents being “traumatised”. She described some residents as suffering flashbacks, how businesses will close and how some buildings would have to be demolished.

Cllr Williams described New Ferry as “struggling before the explosion” and asked for a “fair share of help from governnment”. She received applause for her speech.

Other speakers in the debate were Cllr Ian Lewis (Wallasey), Cllr Ron Abbey (Leasowe and Moreton East), Cllr Dave Mitchell (Eastham), Cllr Chris Blakeley (Moreton West and Saughall Massie), Cllr Jerry Williams (Bebington), Cllr Stuart Whittingham (Upton & Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport), Cllr Chris Carubia (Eastham), Cllr Tracey Pilgrim (Clatterbridge), Cllr Phil Davies (Birkenhead and Tranmere & Leader) and finally again Cllr Warren Ward (Bromborough).

The vote on the Conservative amendment was lost (24:36:1 (for:against:abstain)).

The vote on the original Labour motion was passed (60:0:1 (for:against:abstain)).

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