Visitors to Pontefract Market place today would have witnessed Walsh clipboard in hand collecting signatures from local inhabitants and visitors to help in our campaign to keep our local post offices open.
Thank you to all those souls who signed up today another 160 on a cold, windy and wet day.
An interesting aspect of the whole process was the number of people who I approached who did the automatic "No thanks or In a hurry" defensive comment who stopped in their tracks and came back and signed when the words keep our local post offices open sank in.
I have noticed over recent years a number of Chuggers - paid street fundraisers who encourage people to sign up for direct debit donations. I think that chugging is starting to become such a problem in my neck of the woods that people see a clipboard and panic.
Anyway thanks to all that signed, I really appreciate your commitment to our community. Lets see what the government and Post Office think.
Sunday 30 March 2008
Eat my Hat continued...
Later Friday afternoon our MP the Minister arranged an open session for people to drop in to explain their concerns about traffic and transport in Pontefract.
I have previously commented that this is something that happens every couple of years and then everything goes quiet and not much happens.
Well a number of people were invited, they were each given a questionnaire and allowed to talk with people from a number of agencies. However most were hoping that they would start to hear about ways forward as opposed to the same thing that happened in 2002,2004,2006 and now apparently 2008.
Very helpful from my point of view as I had the chance to catch up with a number of people who would be delighted to see me eat my hat in response to delivery of solutions. A number of people told me my hat is still safe...sorry to hear that really.
I have previously commented that this is something that happens every couple of years and then everything goes quiet and not much happens.
Well a number of people were invited, they were each given a questionnaire and allowed to talk with people from a number of agencies. However most were hoping that they would start to hear about ways forward as opposed to the same thing that happened in 2002,2004,2006 and now apparently 2008.
Very helpful from my point of view as I had the chance to catch up with a number of people who would be delighted to see me eat my hat in response to delivery of solutions. A number of people told me my hat is still safe...sorry to hear that really.
Pontefract Live at Home scheme...
Friday lunchtime was an absolute pleasure, the Live at Home Scheme is a really worthwhile initiative operated by a number of people from across the district who work to support the quality of life for older people still living in their own homes who may become isolated or lonely. The range of services include friendship/social groups, trips, befriending, phone links and other types of social activities and they rely heavily on volunteers.
This Friday to mark the Methodist Homes charity's 65th birthday anniversary celebrations and the 10th anniversary of the Live at Home scheme and its launch linked to Micklegate Methodist Churchthere was a Tea Dance in the assembly rooms at Pontefract Town Hall, something in the order of one hundred and twenty people gathered for a bite to eat, some tea, cake and a chance to catch up with friends old and new and dance. They also used the event to acknowledge the contributions of a number of volunteers and the applause rolled around the room.
Last year we put a small amount of support cash in to this charity to help them fund their monthly tea dances and this is the first time I have been able to go along and join them.
IT WAS GREAT FUN and incredibly worthwhile. Well done and keep it going, I know lots of people who need this.
This Friday to mark the Methodist Homes charity's 65th birthday anniversary celebrations and the 10th anniversary of the Live at Home scheme and its launch linked to Micklegate Methodist Churchthere was a Tea Dance in the assembly rooms at Pontefract Town Hall, something in the order of one hundred and twenty people gathered for a bite to eat, some tea, cake and a chance to catch up with friends old and new and dance. They also used the event to acknowledge the contributions of a number of volunteers and the applause rolled around the room.
Last year we put a small amount of support cash in to this charity to help them fund their monthly tea dances and this is the first time I have been able to go along and join them.
IT WAS GREAT FUN and incredibly worthwhile. Well done and keep it going, I know lots of people who need this.
Friday 21 March 2008
Save our Post Offices continued
The motion to Council was amended but in such a way that we could support the amendment. Separately in Parliament there was a debate and a vote to stop the closures and a number of Labour MPs voted in favour of that motion. Sadly 20 votes short but the closest to a government defeat on a motion of this nature.
Our local radio station asked me to give an interview and one of our local newspapers printed an item and a contact point and I received an email with an alternative view.
I replied and the correspondence follows (with some blanking to protect the identity of the individual concerned).
Dear XXXXXXXXXX,
First of all thanks for getting in touch.
You are perfectly entitled to your point of view but I suspect you already
know I don't share it in this case.
The thing is that the £4million that you talk of is as a result of the government under funding what is a critical public service for many. The actual per capita cost of this service equates to just under 7 pence per week or just over £33 pounds pa for a public point of contact that can be used for the provision of government services and could also be used as a public access point for council services.
This is a small sum to consider when compared with some of the other ways that our money is used. I do not begrudge the tax I pay being used for positive purposes and I see the public service provided by local post offices a price worth paying.
The government decided in May 2007 that to continue to receive funds the Post Office will close 2500 local post offices and if you research the progress so far you will see that this prescriptive approach has resulted in closures that have led to communities urban and rural being threatened. The 500 mobile access points (many of which are vehicles that appear for short periods of time) are a pathetic sticking plaster and the actual hours of opening typically two periods of two hours a week are little or no use to many.
Many of the post offices selected are admittedly marginal but not loss making and their withdrawal often dooms other aspects of service provided to the communities in which they are based. (please have a look at this link and look at some of the existing closure reviews carried out http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=57600697)
With regard to service, I do not know if you use a local post office, they are typically set up on a more human scale than the Crown offices which you find in some Town and most City centres and the people that work in them often provide added levels of service to their communities.
With regard to accessibility, the elderly and vulnerable members of the community that you scorn who perhaps do not have your level of computer literacy or perhaps your level of health, ( I realise that as I believe we have not met I may be making possibly an equally unfair assumption about your age and health which you are quite at liberty to correct). once upon a time for some they may have been more nimble, able or adept at coping with change but we have a duty to support them whilst they are in need and perhaps less able to cope.
I agree that there are a number of options that people can use as alternatives but some of these are just not available to some of the members of the community that you criticise and will lead to real hardship for many, I would seek to try to find alternatives to help them but as a start wish to try to stop this now.
Where the Post Office consultation process is invoked and takes place a small number of reversals have resulted, where a post office is saved another from the area will close, the much vaunted consultation process that the Post Office offers seems to be an empty gesture and therefore as a first point we need to get the process frozen so that we can look at alternatives and that is the purpose of the petition that we are raising..
I believe that you have done some research on this situation but believe that you should do some more, there are at least 90 Labour MPs and Ministers who are fighting to keep their local post offices open and the number is growing as more closures are confirmed, I ask you to consider why are they opposing this?
In the last round of local closures there were a number of photo opportunities for our MP where she was pictured with groups of members of the public who were to be affected. In all she looks glum and talks of her determination to save them but it was her government that triggered the closures and in this case I predict she will will be pictured in the same circumstances again looking glum and saying the same things, you may wish to look at her voting record on this issue.
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/index.php
Finally "Doom and Gloom Britain" well there are a number of positive initiatives rolling out across the UK but for many there are huge challenges that we face and our existing governments "tick box and spin mentality" linked to a tendency to average down and cut away levels of support rather proves the point for me.
I will continue to fight to protect the interests of people in our community regardless of their politics.
Should you wish to discuss this further I would be happy to hear from you.
But in any case I wish you well.
Regards
Geoff
Geoff Walsh
On 20/03/2008, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX> wrote:
>
> Mr Walsh,
>
> I am writing in response to your letter and article published in this
> weeks Pontefract & Castleford Express.
>
> Firstly, let me express my appreciation of your concerns about closures
> hitting the elderly and vulnerable. However, I feel strongly that your
> concerns are representative more of your own agenda to emphasise the 'Doom
> and Gloom Britain' as seen by your party leader Mr Cameron.
>
> In your recent public statements you fail to appreciate the following
> valid points;
>
> - These Post Offices are losing £4 Million every week.
> - Why should tax payers subsidise a minority of people who refuse to
> open bank accounts and have their benefits paid into them?
> - The post office has confirmed that they will still provide mobile
> services in areas of Post Office closures.
> - Most of these Post Offices offer very little or poor service when
> compared to today's lifestyle.
> - Every service provided by the Post Office is available elsewhere.
>
> Of course you will get people signing your petitions. I suspect a vast
> majority will be Tory pensioners who won't open bank accounts to get their
> pension or who will have to walk another 2 minutes to buy a stamp.
>
> In reality, as the world moves on, you should take a realistic view of
> these outdated establishments that are losing millions every week instead of
> spreading your doom and gloom stories.
>
> Regards,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Our local radio station asked me to give an interview and one of our local newspapers printed an item and a contact point and I received an email with an alternative view.
I replied and the correspondence follows (with some blanking to protect the identity of the individual concerned).
Dear XXXXXXXXXX,
First of all thanks for getting in touch.
You are perfectly entitled to your point of view but I suspect you already
know I don't share it in this case.
The thing is that the £4million that you talk of is as a result of the government under funding what is a critical public service for many. The actual per capita cost of this service equates to just under 7 pence per week or just over £33 pounds pa for a public point of contact that can be used for the provision of government services and could also be used as a public access point for council services.
This is a small sum to consider when compared with some of the other ways that our money is used. I do not begrudge the tax I pay being used for positive purposes and I see the public service provided by local post offices a price worth paying.
The government decided in May 2007 that to continue to receive funds the Post Office will close 2500 local post offices and if you research the progress so far you will see that this prescriptive approach has resulted in closures that have led to communities urban and rural being threatened. The 500 mobile access points (many of which are vehicles that appear for short periods of time) are a pathetic sticking plaster and the actual hours of opening typically two periods of two hours a week are little or no use to many.
Many of the post offices selected are admittedly marginal but not loss making and their withdrawal often dooms other aspects of service provided to the communities in which they are based. (please have a look at this link and look at some of the existing closure reviews carried out http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=57600693&mediaId=57600697)
With regard to service, I do not know if you use a local post office, they are typically set up on a more human scale than the Crown offices which you find in some Town and most City centres and the people that work in them often provide added levels of service to their communities.
With regard to accessibility, the elderly and vulnerable members of the community that you scorn who perhaps do not have your level of computer literacy or perhaps your level of health, ( I realise that as I believe we have not met I may be making possibly an equally unfair assumption about your age and health which you are quite at liberty to correct). once upon a time for some they may have been more nimble, able or adept at coping with change but we have a duty to support them whilst they are in need and perhaps less able to cope.
I agree that there are a number of options that people can use as alternatives but some of these are just not available to some of the members of the community that you criticise and will lead to real hardship for many, I would seek to try to find alternatives to help them but as a start wish to try to stop this now.
Where the Post Office consultation process is invoked and takes place a small number of reversals have resulted, where a post office is saved another from the area will close, the much vaunted consultation process that the Post Office offers seems to be an empty gesture and therefore as a first point we need to get the process frozen so that we can look at alternatives and that is the purpose of the petition that we are raising..
I believe that you have done some research on this situation but believe that you should do some more, there are at least 90 Labour MPs and Ministers who are fighting to keep their local post offices open and the number is growing as more closures are confirmed, I ask you to consider why are they opposing this?
In the last round of local closures there were a number of photo opportunities for our MP where she was pictured with groups of members of the public who were to be affected. In all she looks glum and talks of her determination to save them but it was her government that triggered the closures and in this case I predict she will will be pictured in the same circumstances again looking glum and saying the same things, you may wish to look at her voting record on this issue.
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/index.php
Finally "Doom and Gloom Britain" well there are a number of positive initiatives rolling out across the UK but for many there are huge challenges that we face and our existing governments "tick box and spin mentality" linked to a tendency to average down and cut away levels of support rather proves the point for me.
I will continue to fight to protect the interests of people in our community regardless of their politics.
Should you wish to discuss this further I would be happy to hear from you.
But in any case I wish you well.
Regards
Geoff
Geoff Walsh
On 20/03/2008, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX> wrote:
>
> Mr Walsh,
>
> I am writing in response to your letter and article published in this
> weeks Pontefract & Castleford Express.
>
> Firstly, let me express my appreciation of your concerns about closures
> hitting the elderly and vulnerable. However, I feel strongly that your
> concerns are representative more of your own agenda to emphasise the 'Doom
> and Gloom Britain' as seen by your party leader Mr Cameron.
>
> In your recent public statements you fail to appreciate the following
> valid points;
>
> - These Post Offices are losing £4 Million every week.
> - Why should tax payers subsidise a minority of people who refuse to
> open bank accounts and have their benefits paid into them?
> - The post office has confirmed that they will still provide mobile
> services in areas of Post Office closures.
> - Most of these Post Offices offer very little or poor service when
> compared to today's lifestyle.
> - Every service provided by the Post Office is available elsewhere.
>
> Of course you will get people signing your petitions. I suspect a vast
> majority will be Tory pensioners who won't open bank accounts to get their
> pension or who will have to walk another 2 minutes to buy a stamp.
>
> In reality, as the world moves on, you should take a realistic view of
> these outdated establishments that are losing millions every week instead of
> spreading your doom and gloom stories.
>
> Regards,
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Monday 17 March 2008
Motion to Council
On Wednesday I am taking a motion to Full Council:
Motion to Council from Cllr G Walsh
This council:
• Notes the invaluable service provided by the local post offices in the district to people within our local communities who rely heavily on our post office branches;
• Deplores the Government’s current programme of 2,500 closures across the country,
• Notes the strength of public opinion in favour of saving our local post offices;
• Recognises the needs of the elderly, disabled and the most disadvantaged across the WMDC district who rely on local post offices the most.
This council resolves to call on the Government:
• To stop its latest round of post office closures including the closure of local post offices in the WMDC district;
• To find sustainable ways to keep our post office network open for business including opening post offices up to be ‘One Stop Shops’ for Government services and introducing ‘Council Counters’ to deal with council services.
Should be an interesting day.
Motion to Council from Cllr G Walsh
This council:
• Notes the invaluable service provided by the local post offices in the district to people within our local communities who rely heavily on our post office branches;
• Deplores the Government’s current programme of 2,500 closures across the country,
• Notes the strength of public opinion in favour of saving our local post offices;
• Recognises the needs of the elderly, disabled and the most disadvantaged across the WMDC district who rely on local post offices the most.
This council resolves to call on the Government:
• To stop its latest round of post office closures including the closure of local post offices in the WMDC district;
• To find sustainable ways to keep our post office network open for business including opening post offices up to be ‘One Stop Shops’ for Government services and introducing ‘Council Counters’ to deal with council services.
Should be an interesting day.
Wednesday 12 March 2008
Budget that does not add up
Our MP the Minister has been on TV talking about how the UK economy is buoyed up by Chancellors first budget today. How our economy is the best prepared to cope with the global financial challenges.
She would say that but I am afraid that she is delusional and that more and more members of the electorate are realising that their numbers simply do not add up.
Our local economy is flat, many people are really pushed to make ends meet and this government does not appear to care, they are talking things up but how long can they keep this up for?
The local elections on May the 1st will be a start to see how much people accept the governments guff..
She would say that but I am afraid that she is delusional and that more and more members of the electorate are realising that their numbers simply do not add up.
Our local economy is flat, many people are really pushed to make ends meet and this government does not appear to care, they are talking things up but how long can they keep this up for?
The local elections on May the 1st will be a start to see how much people accept the governments guff..
About blooming time
Press Release received today from West Yorkshire Police
Monday March 10, 2008
FLYING START FOR POLICE TEAM
A new high profile proactive police team has seized more than
£200,000 in cash and stolen goods during its first week working in
the Wakefield district.
The new Divisional Patrol Unit for the Wakefield District has got
off to a flying start. Since its launch last week, the team has
recovered more than £120,000 in cash after smashing a money
laundering operation, and numerous stolen goods including 70 Easter
eggs from a suspects house in the Wakefield area.
Officers from the unit have also arrested 12 priority criminals
involved in activities such as vehicle crime and house burglaries.
The unit was formed to support the new Neighbourhood Policing Teams
across the Wakefield District and is made up of three sergeant-led
teams which work round the clock, 365 days a year.
They will be supported by a Proactive Roads Policing Unit
incorporating officers to tackle nuisance motorcycles as well as the
Neighbourhood Drug Team and three teams of detectives.
Officers for the unit have been hand picked from across Wakefield
District and have been selected as having the necessary skills to
support Neighbourhood Policing Teams in further reducing crime and
disorder in local communities.
Wakefield District Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Marc
Callaghan, said the new Divisional Patrol Unit was an excellent
resource.
He said: We are very pleased to have this new specialist team
operating in the division and they have clearly produced some strong
results in just a few days.
The NPT restructure has provided us with the ability to put
together a team like this which we have not had in the Wakefield
area before.
This extra capability to focus specialist resources where they are
needed most will give us the capability to crack down on crime and
carry out crime prevention as well through high visibility policing.
This is another indication of our intention to ensure that we
target those people who blight the lives of local residents with
their criminal and anti-social behaviour. We have put the resources
in place but we need the help of the public to provide information
about those responsible.
Detective Chief Inspector Dean Henson added: Officers on the team
have been selected for their specialist skills and experience. They
will support the district in reducing crime, supporting crime
investigations and making our neighbourhoods even safer than they
already are."
We believe this team will give us real extra capability in
Wakefield Division and we are pleased with the results we have seen
so far including arrests for money laundering, burglary and more.
Ends
Monday March 10, 2008
FLYING START FOR POLICE TEAM
A new high profile proactive police team has seized more than
£200,000 in cash and stolen goods during its first week working in
the Wakefield district.
The new Divisional Patrol Unit for the Wakefield District has got
off to a flying start. Since its launch last week, the team has
recovered more than £120,000 in cash after smashing a money
laundering operation, and numerous stolen goods including 70 Easter
eggs from a suspects house in the Wakefield area.
Officers from the unit have also arrested 12 priority criminals
involved in activities such as vehicle crime and house burglaries.
The unit was formed to support the new Neighbourhood Policing Teams
across the Wakefield District and is made up of three sergeant-led
teams which work round the clock, 365 days a year.
They will be supported by a Proactive Roads Policing Unit
incorporating officers to tackle nuisance motorcycles as well as the
Neighbourhood Drug Team and three teams of detectives.
Officers for the unit have been hand picked from across Wakefield
District and have been selected as having the necessary skills to
support Neighbourhood Policing Teams in further reducing crime and
disorder in local communities.
Wakefield District Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Marc
Callaghan, said the new Divisional Patrol Unit was an excellent
resource.
He said: We are very pleased to have this new specialist team
operating in the division and they have clearly produced some strong
results in just a few days.
The NPT restructure has provided us with the ability to put
together a team like this which we have not had in the Wakefield
area before.
This extra capability to focus specialist resources where they are
needed most will give us the capability to crack down on crime and
carry out crime prevention as well through high visibility policing.
This is another indication of our intention to ensure that we
target those people who blight the lives of local residents with
their criminal and anti-social behaviour. We have put the resources
in place but we need the help of the public to provide information
about those responsible.
Detective Chief Inspector Dean Henson added: Officers on the team
have been selected for their specialist skills and experience. They
will support the district in reducing crime, supporting crime
investigations and making our neighbourhoods even safer than they
already are."
We believe this team will give us real extra capability in
Wakefield Division and we are pleased with the results we have seen
so far including arrests for money laundering, burglary and more.
Ends
Saturday 8 March 2008
KEEP OUR LOCAL POST OFFICES OPEN
I have spent an hour this evening collecting signatures and have approaching 50 people who have already signed up to a petition to reject Gordon Browns local post office cuts.
General consensus is that this is another example of how this government is gradually delivering us back to the stone age by stripping away our services one by one.
People were particularly exercised by the Post Offices decision to delay announcements until after the local elections on May the 1st and see this cynical ploy to protect Labour Council Seats for what it is.
General consensus is that this is another example of how this government is gradually delivering us back to the stone age by stripping away our services one by one.
People were particularly exercised by the Post Offices decision to delay announcements until after the local elections on May the 1st and see this cynical ploy to protect Labour Council Seats for what it is.
Friday 7 March 2008
Proud of our people...well its time to show it!
At a time when we hear that forces personnel out and about wearing uniform, are coming in for hostility from a small and sad minority, it strikes me that it is time to stand up and be counted I received an email because of my support for the campaign for the commemoration of sacrifice.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you for signing the petition in support of the campaign
for commemorative stamps of service men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq.
Please forward this email to your friends and family and invite them to sign at www.artfund.org/queenandcountry (follow the link bottom right of this page).
Over 9,300 have joined you in backing this campaign and we are very grateful. In an opinion survey we recently ran 69% of the British public said they are in support of Royal Mail issuing the stamps, and in another survey 92% of the armed forces said they're also in support. This was covered in the press and you can read about it in The Independent and on BBC News Online
This is great news, and shows that the public in general backs the commitment you have already made - but more signatures on the petition are needed if we are to be successful.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well what are you waiting for? Go and have a look and see what you think?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank you for signing the petition in support of the campaign
for commemorative stamps of service men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq.
Please forward this email to your friends and family and invite them to sign at www.artfund.org/queenandcountry (follow the link bottom right of this page).
Over 9,300 have joined you in backing this campaign and we are very grateful. In an opinion survey we recently ran 69% of the British public said they are in support of Royal Mail issuing the stamps, and in another survey 92% of the armed forces said they're also in support. This was covered in the press and you can read about it in The Independent and on BBC News Online
This is great news, and shows that the public in general backs the commitment you have already made - but more signatures on the petition are needed if we are to be successful.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well what are you waiting for? Go and have a look and see what you think?
Keep our Post Offices Open
I have been out and about checking in with local post offices and their postmasters and postmistresses linked to information that has been coming in about the Governments Post Office closure programme.
The situation seems to be pretty much like this:
The Government does not have a long-term strategy for the Post Office, or if they do it is about disposal. Under Labour, 4,875 post offices have closed since 1997, almost ten a week.
In May 2007 the Government announced the further closure of 2,500 post offices including targets of three in Pontefract & Castleford and three in Normanton a total of ten across the five towns.
Closures are taking place over an 18 month period with six week public consultations in each local area. But these consultations have been exposed as a sham since local people do not have enough time to have their say. Since the Government will close a pre-determined number of post offices in each area, if one post office is saved, another will have to close.
In the new Normanton Pontefract and Castleford Constituency consultation was set to start in April. However the government has asked Post Office Management to wait until after the local elections in May to carry through any actual announcements, consultations or closures (I wonder why?)
The word on the street is that the branches to be "deleted" will be given initial information around the middle of March, but they are contactually forbidden to talk about it.
Apparently if the Post Office decides to close a branch, regardless of consultation then it has a high probability of closure, this is about reductions and volume and type of activity may not make a difference.
So what is the point of challenging this?
Well the local post office plays a critical role in our communities for many of our elderly and the vulnerable and these closures will hit them hardest.
This is just another sign of the governments lack of joined up thought and we need to oppose this or let them gradually strip back service and support.
Colleagues tell me that with a six week consultation, there is insufficient time to get significant feedback from members of the public and the GPO are then saying that this is proof that people are accepting the closure programme. By acting now we can have a significant and meaningful response and one that is harder to ignore.
The situation seems to be pretty much like this:
The Government does not have a long-term strategy for the Post Office, or if they do it is about disposal. Under Labour, 4,875 post offices have closed since 1997, almost ten a week.
In May 2007 the Government announced the further closure of 2,500 post offices including targets of three in Pontefract & Castleford and three in Normanton a total of ten across the five towns.
Closures are taking place over an 18 month period with six week public consultations in each local area. But these consultations have been exposed as a sham since local people do not have enough time to have their say. Since the Government will close a pre-determined number of post offices in each area, if one post office is saved, another will have to close.
In the new Normanton Pontefract and Castleford Constituency consultation was set to start in April. However the government has asked Post Office Management to wait until after the local elections in May to carry through any actual announcements, consultations or closures (I wonder why?)
The word on the street is that the branches to be "deleted" will be given initial information around the middle of March, but they are contactually forbidden to talk about it.
Apparently if the Post Office decides to close a branch, regardless of consultation then it has a high probability of closure, this is about reductions and volume and type of activity may not make a difference.
So what is the point of challenging this?
Well the local post office plays a critical role in our communities for many of our elderly and the vulnerable and these closures will hit them hardest.
This is just another sign of the governments lack of joined up thought and we need to oppose this or let them gradually strip back service and support.
Colleagues tell me that with a six week consultation, there is insufficient time to get significant feedback from members of the public and the GPO are then saying that this is proof that people are accepting the closure programme. By acting now we can have a significant and meaningful response and one that is harder to ignore.
Tuesday 4 March 2008
How do we break the Labour Block Vote?
At a simple level the electorate of the district have been steadily responding to the challenge by voting them out when they stand in the local elections.
The next is on May 1st and I am already getting a sense of the head of steam that is building up. In our Ward we have the Labour Chief Whip as a colleague, he is working hard at becoming invisible.. Or at least trying to get along without any reference on his part to his role as business manager for the Labour Ruling Group on Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.
In 2006 when I was working my way round the district aiming to meet as many members of the public as possible as I stood for election, I had an interesting conversation with a person from the same village as the Chief Whip. "Oh your standing for the council then?" Walsh: Yes I am.
"Well I have one of your colleagues who lives in my village". Walsh: Really?
"Yes Trevor is a conservative councillor isn't he?" Walsh: Well actually no he is not, he is your local Labour Councillor.
"You do surprise me"
I have noticed since then that he really does not try to mention his roots to often.
Well at some point I think he will be running his flag up the mast and it will be interesting to see how people react.
The next is on May 1st and I am already getting a sense of the head of steam that is building up. In our Ward we have the Labour Chief Whip as a colleague, he is working hard at becoming invisible.. Or at least trying to get along without any reference on his part to his role as business manager for the Labour Ruling Group on Wakefield Metropolitan District Council.
In 2006 when I was working my way round the district aiming to meet as many members of the public as possible as I stood for election, I had an interesting conversation with a person from the same village as the Chief Whip. "Oh your standing for the council then?" Walsh: Yes I am.
"Well I have one of your colleagues who lives in my village". Walsh: Really?
"Yes Trevor is a conservative councillor isn't he?" Walsh: Well actually no he is not, he is your local Labour Councillor.
"You do surprise me"
I have noticed since then that he really does not try to mention his roots to often.
Well at some point I think he will be running his flag up the mast and it will be interesting to see how people react.
Monday 3 March 2008
And the answer is.......
4.95% with a band A propertys across the district paying £690.33 p.a band D at £1035.49 and band H properties at £2070.99 p.a.
And a difficult and uncomfortable day was had by the controlling group opposite.
It was their budget based on years of Labour policy, a significant shortfall from central government, sequencing issues linked to job evaluation and equal pay and they had to deploy their block vote to get it through.
The leader of the council did his usual bit of pseudo sincerity followed by amazed blustering, when we did not immediately fall at his feet.
A number of Labour councillors stood up and blew off steam about the 1980's and the miners strike, all this in response to a comment from Bryan our group leader about their tendency to live in the past and focus on past conflicts and hard times.
Absolutely amazing...
They have the mandate at this point to inflict this budget and the leader of the council found himself having to talk about steps to reduce staff cuts and protect front line services as his group voted this through.
Not a lot was made of note 3.7 on Agenda Page 2
"Council note that the 2008/2009 budget is presented based on existing organisational arrangements and that the budgets will be re-aligned during 2008/2009"
The whole thing is based on shifting sands and there will be more pain to come as we get further into the financial year.
And a difficult and uncomfortable day was had by the controlling group opposite.
It was their budget based on years of Labour policy, a significant shortfall from central government, sequencing issues linked to job evaluation and equal pay and they had to deploy their block vote to get it through.
The leader of the council did his usual bit of pseudo sincerity followed by amazed blustering, when we did not immediately fall at his feet.
A number of Labour councillors stood up and blew off steam about the 1980's and the miners strike, all this in response to a comment from Bryan our group leader about their tendency to live in the past and focus on past conflicts and hard times.
Absolutely amazing...
They have the mandate at this point to inflict this budget and the leader of the council found himself having to talk about steps to reduce staff cuts and protect front line services as his group voted this through.
Not a lot was made of note 3.7 on Agenda Page 2
"Council note that the 2008/2009 budget is presented based on existing organisational arrangements and that the budgets will be re-aligned during 2008/2009"
The whole thing is based on shifting sands and there will be more pain to come as we get further into the financial year.
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