The Independent Reconfiguration Panel has published their recommendation on the Government’s proposed changes to maternity and healthcare in Greater Manchester. Their advice backs the Government’s plans to axe vital maternity and children’s services at Hope Hospital. How disappointing but really not surprising - even the lobbying of Local MP and cabinet minister Hazel blears has made no difference. Once again it proves that this Government is not listening to the people of Salford and bulldozing their proposals through - another one of their election pledges not kept – ‘24 hours to save the NHS’ more like 24 hours to save this country!
Conviction! 16 August, 2007
Despite my fear that the CPS has again managed to salvage a failure from the jaws of victory the youth that racially attacked me in lower Kersal March time was convicted. He was by all accounts a known local hooligan and protagonist who made many peoples life a misery and had a lot of previous. I have to say sadly that in the course of no more than five visits I was verbally abused by little kids, adults set their dogs on me a number of time, and was physically attacked twice all sadly because of my ethnicity, and by all accounts I am not alone.
The judges have asked for presentencing reports and while I derive no pleasure at all from his downfall, I truly and fervently hope both he will learn and it will be a signal to others you can stand up for yourself and win, just don’t let the police fob you off and the CPS mess it up.
My Court case 14 August, 2007
To day I was in Court as during the last election on a number of occasions I was racially, verbally and physically attacked in lower Kersal.
It was ironic that I was aghast to see a very prominent member of the Jewish community there too who was also racially attacked. He was not alone yet criminals who a few hours ago where in court had the gall to abuse Rabbis virtually in front of officers. We must stand up more and stem this culture of impunity amongst young thugs.
Sadly in my case I do not yet know the result but considering the CPS as ever messed up on the paperwork I am not hopeful. More to follow.
Summer outings 6 August, 2007
As you may have noticed from the amount I have been blogging I have been getting around a bit this summer. Yesterday we went to Worcester, and you will be amazed how much worse the floods and their impact are from what we saw on TV and in the papers.
In some places they where 15-20 feel above the river Severn. With the cricket ground and the race course ruined and many businesses greatly affected, it is an economic as well as an environmental disaster, forget the human misery.
What was noticeable politically is as in Lancaster another ultra marginal that I visited last Sunday, how much better the Conservatives are organised on the ground than a few years ago.
Young fresh activist, better trained and more professional, it won’t carry us all the way but it will make the difference when it comes to the crunch its given us a headwind. For me this has been the great improvement under Cameron than under the other four leaders I served, a bottoms up approach.
