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..
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
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.
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