Archive for the 'Salford' Category

A Poor Start, But A Tasty Lunch!

Published on May 12, 2012 in Salford. 2 Comments

The first Council meeting of the municipal year takes place on Wednesday. You can view the agenda online here.

However, you will notice if you do click on the link that at the moment (Saturday lunchtime) the reports to go with the agenda are missing. We’re supposed to have five working days notice – that was last Wednesday. When we’re trying to hold the new administration to account, it is a pretty poor show that we can’t even see the papers that we are supposed to be discussed. A very poor start from the new Labour Mayor.

However – help is at hand! I have received an important e-mail about Council Day – to tell me what is on offer for lunch.

Councillors can enjoy Mushrooms in a Filo Parcel on a Bed of Summer Leaves, followed by Lamb Henry on a Bed of Mashed Potato with Parmentier Potatoes & Caramelised Vegetables. The vegetarian option is Mediterranean Vegetable Tagliatelle with Chilli Ciabatta Fingers. For dessert, there’s Bread & Butter Pudding, with tea, coffee and Eccles Cakes to finish.

So, we’ve no Council papers, but at least we won’t go hungry. Isn’t life grand?

Time To Hold Labour To Account

Published on May 11, 2012 in Salford and Walkden. 0 Comments

After a long campaign, I’ve taken the last week off on holiday in the Lake District, and after a wonderful week of relaxation and fell-walking (including seven Wainwright peaks) I’m back. It’s the first time since I started my current job that I have taken a full week off either work or Council duties so I am feeling much better for it!

Obviously I’m extremely disappointed that Anne Broomhead has not joined Councillor Les Turner and myself as a representative for Walkden South. Anne would have been an excellent Councillor – indeed I hope she will be soon – and I know that she will continue to work with Les and I for the benefit of local residents.

The Mayoral election was always going to be a tough contest, and with the loss of the remaining Liberal Democrats and assorted independents from the Council, it falls to the eight Conservative Councillors – including myself – to speak up for the 54% of Salford voters who did not vote for Ian Stewart to be their elected Mayor. It is a tough task, but I know that we are up to the job and will continue to put local people first. We need to be a voice for them in the Council Chamber, as the initial murmurings from the “new” Labour administration appear to indicate a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss!”. We shall see.

Labour’s Anti-Mayoral Campaign Sinks New Depths

Published on April 27, 2012 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

Labour activists are turning on their own colleagues in Nottingham over a “no to Mayor” campaigning that is plumbing the depths of desperation. Of course, Nottingham Labour are only following the lead of their colleagues here in Salford, who ploughed a similar (if slightly less blunt) furrow back in January. Of course, we all know how well that worked!

Labour Mayoral Candidate Chickens Out Of Hustings

Published on April 26, 2012 in Salford. 0 Comments

BBC Manchester organised a hustings meeting for the ten Mayoral candidates this evening. I was out talking to residents in Walkden South, so I only caught the tail end of it, but only nine candidates showed up.

The tenth, Labour candidate Ian Stewart, was a no-show. Not just a no-show but failing to appear is a very poor show as well.

Who Is Running The Labour Campaign?

Published on April 16, 2012 in Salford. 1 Comment

I’m grateful to Liberal Democrat Steve Middleton who has shared with the world a letter he received from the Labour Party in Langworthy ward. I’m sure he won’t mind me commenting further on here. The letter is standard Labour Party guff, with little or no reference to local issues here in Salford, but the interesting thing about it is the return address, the printer and the franking mark:

The local Conservative campaign is being paid for and carried out by local volunteers and residents. I daresay that Steve’s Liberal Democrat campaign runs likewise. However, it is clear that the Labour Party campaign is being run not in the interests of the people of Salford, but in the interests of Ian Stewart’s Union baron friends.

There are many hard-working Unite members in Salford – including quite a few who vote Conservative – but sadly they are badly let down by the Union barons at the top of the organisation. Let’s not forget that the Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey, described the Olympic Games as a “legitimate target” for industrial strike, and more recently the same Union almost brought the nation to a standstill by threatening fuel strikes.

Is Len McCluskey really the sort of person we want pulling the strings at Salford Council?

Don’t Lose Your Right To Vote!

Published on April 16, 2012 in Salford. 0 Comments

Don’t forget, there are just two days left to register to vote in order to be eligible to cast a ballot in this year’s local elections. The same deadline applies to applications for a postal ballot. If you still need to register, or would like a postal vote, make sure you click through on the links below:

http://www.salford.gov.uk/postalvote.htm
http://www.salford.gov.uk/electorregister.htm

Karen’s Nine Steps For A Brighter Salford

Published on April 12, 2012 in Salford. 0 Comments

Our Conservative candidate for Mayor of Salford, Karen Garrido, has put forward a nine-point plan that underpins her vision for the City if she is elected Mayor. You can find out more about Karen’s plans on her website but I thought it was worth sharing her nine points in full on this site.

  1. Lower Council Tax year-on-year, without harming front-line services.
  2. Declare Salford Open for Business.
  3. Protect Salford’s green spaces, including greenfield sites.
  4. A cleaner, greener city.
  5. Resources for communities to fix their local roads and highways.
  6. Zero-tolerance on crime and anti-social behaviour.
  7. Jobs and training opportunities for our young people.
  8. Fewer Councillors and allowances; greater public access to Local Democracy.
  9. Greater choice in education and a clear admissions policy

After forty years of Labour stagnation, it’s time for a fresh start – vote Conservative on Thursday 3rd May!

Is Shepherd’s Bush safer than Salford Quays?

Published on April 12, 2012 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

BBC boss Rhian Roberts has found herself in a spot of bother over her comments that MediaCity:UK is “a different kettle of fish” to BBC Television Centre – the implication being that Salford Quays is a much less safe and secure place than Shepherd’s Bush.

Fortunately, thanks to the crime-mapping introduced by the Government at www.police.uk - something for which the coalition ought to get significant credit - we can try to look objectively at whether there is any truth to Ms Roberts’ concerns. Now, crime statistics are not perfect, but as we shall see, the results are fairly conclusive.

BBC Television Centre, Shepherd’s Bush, W12 7RJ

In February 2012, there were 1307 crimes in the vicinity of BBC Television Centre, including 153 instances of violent crime, 70 instances of public disorder and weapons, 54 drug-related incidents, 105 vehicle crimes and 386 reports of anti-social behaviour.

MediaCity:UK, Salford Quays, M50 2HQ

In comparison, there were just 211 crimes in the vicinity of MediaCity:UK in February 2012, of which only 14 were violent crime (although that is still 14 too many, of course).

Salford Quays, with 211 reported crimes compared to 1307 in February 2012, certainly is a “different kettle of fish” from Shepherd’s Bush, although perhaps not in the way that the author thought.

So, Ms Roberts, where would you feel safer?

Don’t Let Labour Do To Your Council What They Did To The Country

Published on April 11, 2012 in National Comment and Salford. 0 Comments

Don’t Lose Your Right To Vote!

Published on March 25, 2012 in Salford and Walkden. 0 Comments

As many local residents will already be aware, elections take place on Thursday 3rd May for Salford City Council and also to choose a new elected Mayor for the City of Salford.

I’m delighted that we have an excellent Conservative Mayoral candidate in Karen Garrido and I know that Anne Broomhead will be an excellent local campaigner for Walkden South. Anne replaces Cllr Nicky Turner who has decided to retire after serving local residents with distinction over the past four years. I am very grateful to her for all the hard work that she has put in.

At last year’s elections, Walkden South ward had the highest turnout in the entire City. I am very grateful to all local residents who turned out – no matter who they voted for – for making Walkden South the most active electorate in the City.

If you are not on the electoral register, there is still time to register to vote for this year’s elections. Visit the Council’s election pages for more details. Don’t lose your right to choose your elected representatives!