LOCAL policing 24 June, 2007

This morning I drove 400yds down Bury New road and with amazement counted more than 17 police vans. It dawned on me the commies here have the coronation of their unelected leader today.Fair enough, far be it from me to rain on their parade (Manchester will sort that out) but I do wonder who will pick up the bill for policing this event. The 2005 Labour party conference cost “£3.589.097 million the cost is recovered from the Home Office and not from individual political parties” said Sussex police.When local civic, religious and school groups as much as ask to walk down the high street they are requested to fork out hundreds sometimes thousands of pounds.When we have our local police station closed and are in the middle of an unsolved spate of burglaries can this really be just?

Quote of the week 22 June, 2007

Attributed to Margaret Meed “always remember you are absolutely unique, just like everyone else”

Blair’s legacy 22 June, 2007

In Burnley 2004 Michael Howard made a seminal speech to the conservative party attacking the BNP head-on and won. I went with Councillor Peter Redstone to listen, David Blunkett’s mistress tried to chat him up, and we where barracked by 30-40 BNP protesters outside. Most importantly however we where vilified by Labour for proposing derogating from the human rights act, initiating a points system for immigrants and withdrawing from The European Convention on Human Rights accusing us of pandering to racists. All which they are now proposing after the horse has bolted. Evan now it’s only to pander to the right wing media and we know it will never happen. It was before my time the dispersal of asylum seekers around the country to which they where also warned.

This Sunday the Labour party (or what’s left of them) will descend on Manchester to try and move on from Blair but more then anything else on the ground for decades to come this with be the most entrenched festering soar and most damaging legacy Blair has left us.

Riverbank Group meeting 19 June, 2007

Friends of riverbank park are meeting Wednesday 18^th 6pm for more details email Lynne marsland L.H.Marsland@salford.ac.uk .

Weekend in Harrogate 18 June, 2007

I spent the most wonderful weekend in Harrogate with the family, thanks to everyone especially the Fox family for having us, no doubt it won’t be our last time.

I have met a few powerful and famous people in my time, but none came close to meeting Mr Hirsh. A man that survived the liquidation of the Lodz ghetto at the age of fourteen. Survived Auschwitz and then the death march, to be finally liberated the last day of the way may 8^th 1945.

I was quivering with awe and almost moved to tears when he showed me his smudged tattoo. It is not the first survivor I met but what moved me is that I looked down at my children and thought who or what we bring home the gravity of the horror when the survivors and not with us anymore or will it be a mere distant memory. May we not forget and not let it continue in places like Darfur etc.

Quote of the week 18 June, 2007

Overheard experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want.

In support of Israel 14 June, 2007

To view David Camerons stong support of Israel at Conservative friends of Israels dinner view http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/06/strong_words_fr.html

Manipulating the Congestion 13 June, 2007

During my time as a Hackney councillor the most controversial issue on a pan London level was the Congestion charge. Not only its cost and bumbling incumbency it was just a litany of mishaps and errors. It was a great marker on where you stood as it traversed the established political camps. As Steve Norris was fond of saying “my mates with Chelsea tractors from Kent implore Ken to hike the charge further. They would willingly pay £25+ quid a day for save a few minutes getting in to London, it’s the poor that cannot afford it”. The jury is still out on whether it has and will be an unqualified success if one at all.

What was abundantly clear was the spin, deceit and manipulation that preceded its implementation. Tampering the sequencing of traffic lights and their duration, digging up every conceivable road etc. of course it was initially denied, but London taxi drivers are not often wrong.

So far I have asked a few probing questions, what if any preparations the greater Manchester councils are making. So far I have hot a blank none, I am certain there are some, I just have to amend the trajectory of my fire and I will keep you posted.

Suffice to say even in west London I did not encounter such unanimous hostility to road charging as I have encountered here. I would very much like to hear from you if you have any information or feel the lights are being tampered with.

Casino update 11 June, 2007

The high court today upheld the right for the super casino to be opened in Manchester. My position on this is well known just because in Manchester we have some deprived areas does not make us guinea pigs. It will be bad for society and bad for Manchester. Thankfully is not over yet there are yet more hurdles for it to overcome before opening.

Stabbing update 11 June, 2007

Sadly I was well informed and it was a family matter, I hope they both get all the help they need. I look forward to working with the concerned resident’s police and the council to see what lessons can be learned from this so as to prevent it from reoccurring.