Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today pledged to put fair taxes at the heart of the party’s message to the British people.The party’s new tax plans will see tax cuts for millions of people, paid for by closing tax loopholes, making polluters pay and introducing a ‘mansion tax’ on homes worth over £2m.

“It is right to ask those with the broadest shoulders to bear a little more of the burden so that millions of people on normal earnings get the break they desperately need.”

The froth and bother of Bury Council’s business that I write about on here barely registers a flutter of interest. But when I write about Criminal Records Bureau checks, and the problems that a lot of people are having with them, my metaphorical phone rings red hot.

Some time ago I was made aware that enhanced CRB forms sometimes disclose unproven allegations, “soft” information, rumour and hearsay, even where this information has never been heard in a court, and sometimes even when this information has been heard and the person concerned acquitted. I found this unjust, wrote about it, and have since been inundated with dozens of people who have been struggling to get over this injustice.

Considering that precisely nobody reads this blog, that level of response is alarming.

I’ve been contacted by teachers whose careers have been ruined by malicious allegations, proven false but reported on CRB forms. I’ve heard from husbands barred from seeing their children due to false claims. And I’ve heard from many others who have been acquitted or the victim of false claims which they can never escape from.

I have been encouraged by a lot of support from people in response to what I’ve written, and now there is interest both from the media and more influential people in politics than me. It’s hardly revolution time, but some other people have noticed this potential injustice, and want to investigate it further.  

This is a tricky area and one where protecting vulnerable people is vital. But it’s also crucial to make sure that the law is balanced.

Now I’m asking for anyone who has been in touch previously about a CRB problem, or who would like to get in touch about one, to do so. If you want I can pass your details on to those interested in giving more publicity to trying to reform the system.

Rick

Happy Eid Al-Adha to everyone celebrating this weekend.

My own weekend will be spent catching up on various bits of casework that have fluttered gently into my inbox these past few days. I will also do some leafleting, if the rain ever decides to hold off for just a second. As if tramping the streets delivering leaflets wasn’t punishment enough, I am also attending a Manchester City game over the weekend, against the global footballing powerhouse that is Hull City. We may win, we may lose, I just hope we don’t draw again!

Rick

The campaign to stop an 8-acre private soccer centre being built in Heaton Park is in its final stages ahead of a decision by Manchester Council on December 17th. Campaigners to save the park have been encouraged by a wave of rejections for similar schemes in parks in London.

Campaigners in Morden Park found out this week that their campaign to stop their park being turned into a commercial soccer centre had been a success.

Regents Park, as well as the Morden Park and another park in Wandsworth in the capital, have all been threatened with “Goals” soccer centres similar to the one proposed for Heaton park. In each case the applications have been rejected after public pressure.

It is brilliant that communities in London have come together to save parkland, and that local Councils have listened to what people want. I appeal to Manchester City Council to do the same. And I also appeal to Bury Council to do all it can to work with Manchester to convince them of the damage that this proposal will do to the bit of Prestwich which adjoins this corner of the park.

We have always said that this is a good facility, but in completely the wrong place. We are all for better sports facilities, but this is an 8 acre concrete site with a big car park, charging people a lot of money and open until 11pm. This isn’t something that should be built on green land inside a quiet public park.

Manchester Council will hear the application on December 17th. In the meantime I urge as many local people as possible to visit the website at www.saveheatonpark.org.uk and learn more about how to stop this development from threatening our park.

Rick

Last night I went for a walk around Manchester’s Christmas Markets. For those unfamiliar with the concept, this is the 6 week period during the year when we do our bit for European harmony by allowing French and German tradesmen to set up shop in wooden huts in city centre squares and charge a king’s ransom for handicrafts, whilst simultaneously hypnotising previously sensible English people into buying them.

Thus I returned home last night with a wooden hedgehog-shaped placemat which can turn into a bowl. And I paid £30 for it.

Normally there are about fifty million people crammed into the markets, but last night because a) it was raining and b) it’s November and only idiots like me do their Christmas shopping in November, it was mercifully quiet.

I often wonder if this European Markets thing is some kind of exchange scheme, and if there are hundreds of Mancunian market traders setting up shop in Vienna or somewhere for the Christmas season, selling lighters from a cardboard tray, or knock off DVDs at ridiculous prices too… I reckon Bury Black Pudding would go down a storm in Dusseldorf.

Anyway, I was there last night because I didn’t have any Council meetings to go to. But when I returned home it was to a message from a resident of Carr Avenue. Unfortunately, whoever it was didn’t leave their address, name or number, and was cut-off midway through explaining her story by my rather rude answering machine. So if that was you. call back because I can’t!

There are no meetings tonight either, but I have had to postpone trips to continental markets because I’m cooking tea instead!

Rick

Two hugely disappointing bits of news today. First, the claim by a retired Police Superintendent that the police are routinely arresting people in order to take their DNA for storage.

Although the Association of Chief Police Officers deny the claim, what is not in doubt is that over 4m people now have their DNA stored on the national database, and that despite a European Court ruling demanding that the government stop storing the records of innocent people, the government still plan to do so for six years.

As I found out at the last meeting of Bury Council, in Greater Manchester alone there are thousands of children and innocent people whose DNA sits on the DNA database. In fact, well over 400,000 UK children (under 16) are on the database.

There is no reason why this should be the case, and it is not only a fundamental breach of civil liberties but it is also in contravention of the European Court’s judgement. Another sorry sign of the government’s controlling obsession and increasing reliance on DNA at the expense of our freedoms.

The government has also today announced that the controversial National ID Database is now up and running. The database is a central plank of Labour’s ID card scheme, which is something Lib Dems oppose and have committed to scrapping. The news was revealed by the government’s independent Identity Commissioner, a man with a job title straight out of an Orwell novel, who is being paid £44,000 for a six month, three day per week contract (£123k if he was working a full year, five days a week then…) to advise on how well the scheme is going.

I would gladly accept a wage of £4.40 to tell the government the best thing that they could do with this fabulously expensive white elephant scheme - which is to scrap it and spend the money on something else.

Not a happy day for freedom in the UK.

Rick

This afternoon the great British weather tried to simultaneously dampen the spirits of Prestwichianites, and short circuit the Christmas lights ahead of their switch-on. Thankfully it failed at both jobs, and her off Coronation Street (you know, the thin blonde one) pressed the magical button to light up the Prestwich Christmas tree in front of a bumper crowd.

The “Prestwich becomes Las Vegas… No, Blackpool… No, Prestwich with a tree in it” celebrations came at the end of another hugely successful Farmers Market. Once again people flocked from all over to get their hands on home-made jam, ostrich burgers, various types of sausages and the like. You won’t catch me paying £1.50 for an olive-bread baguette, but each to their own.

Last time there was an event like this in town, I made a complete fool of myself at the Caribbean pattie stall be accidentally ruining a jar of pickle by sticking a used spoon in it. If looks could kill, then the one I received from the proprietor of that stall would have facilitated a by-election in this ward, let me tell you. I don’t know what plagues she thought I harboured, but clearly the contamination of the pickle with my saliva was enough to render the entire batch toxic. Today I had another run in with the same woman, who told me in no uncertain terms to get out of her way as I sought to shelter under the canopy of her stall at the same time as she wanted to pack it away. I don’t know what it is about the two of us, but we’ve just not hit it off properly. She’ll probably be back next month for the next Farmers Market, and I may well stay clear lest we come to blows again. It’s a shame because her patties look nice.

We were entertained by various young singers and dancers from the area, many of whom were singing Christmas songs. They were great and everything (one kid did a splendid solo rendition of “I will always love you” which almost had me in tears remembering how awful “The Bodyguard” was), but there’s something not right about hearing Christmas songs so early in the year. Maybe I’m being Scrooge-like, but I wince a bit when I hear anyone sing that Slade song in November. The microphone-wielding host was doing his utmost to get everyone into the Christmas spirit, but it’s too early in the year for all of that. And a lot of the poor kids were utterly drenched as well. Good on them for keeping the show going.

What makes the whole “Christmas in November” thing doubly bad is that this year has gone by scandalously quickly. I don’t know what the reason is… Maybe I’m getting older. But yesterday it was January, and here I am staring December square in the face again. I think I blame the Large Hadron Collider. Ever since they started messing about with that, there’s clearly been an error in the space/time continuum which has caused time to speed up noticeably. Scientists may tell us that there’s nothing to worry about, but I’m not so sure… Last time anyone tried to create the Big Bang, the entire universe was formed. Those are fairly dramatic consequences, so I wish they’d just turn it off and slow time down again to the level it was when I was a child. Back then Christmas was a rarity. Nowadays it seems to be Christmas all the time.

Anyway, for anyone who wants to see the Christmas tree, which I am told has 1000 lights on it, it’s there for all to see in the square at the Longfield Centre. I only hope no-one left when I did, to see two fat workmen lift the “Seasons Greetings” lectern with the big red button on it into the back of the Council truck, saying “When we get to Radcliffe, you’re wearing the Santa costume” as they went.

Only 5 weeks to go.

Rick 

As you can see from the above, Christmas comes early to Prestwich this Sunday when we turn on the lights at the end of the Christmas Farmers’ Market. Come to the Longfield Centre on Sunday for the market from 09.30, and the lights switch on at 15.30.

Flicking the switch this year is someone from Coronation Street. The poster above tells me that the character she plays is called “Becky,” but since I don’t watch Corry I won’t be able to pick her out of the crowd. Which is a good job, because she won’t be in the crowd, she’ll be above it flicking the switch, looking down at the non-celebrities below and glancing the awe in their collective eyes.

There’s plenty more on as well, so come on down and say hello. I will be there myself, as I like a good festive get-together. Hope to see you there enjoying the fun.

Rick

I must confess, I have been quite at a loss about what to write this week.

My usual blog fodder is the general ridiculousness of the Council meetings I have to go to. But this week there haven’t been any. 

So instead I have turned my attentions to other pursuits, and written a kids’ poem. It’s called “Barnacle Bay” and it’s got nothing whatsoever to do with politics or the Liberal Democrats. I suspect it has precisely no literary merit either. 

But your kids might like it. And if they did, that would make me as happy as all the votes in the world. So here it is. Forgive the fact that some lines seem to end in odd places. For some reason the formatting on this site is impossible for people to get right without a masters degree in computer science. Anyway, my silly poem: 

A dog and a cat and a cow and a bat and a horse and a mouse and a flea.

Hired a sailing boat down by the beach and adventured way out on the sea. 

They had heard of the legend, discovered the code, decided that they’d found a way To uncover the treasure that rested for years on an island near Barnacle Bay!  

The dog was the captain, the cat was the mate, and the bat was in charge of supplies.

The horse looked at maps and the mouse steered the wheel – his strength took them all by surprise. 

Meanwhile the flea (an adventurer he) led the search for the fabled lost treasure.

A story foretold many pieces of gold to be found giving wealth beyond measure. 

On the seventeenth day they reached Barnacle Bay and embarked with a bucket and spade.  

Hoping for jewels and silks and fruits and other discoveries to trade.  

The horse went to speak to the resident chief and they talked through a long afternoon. The chief said to horse that the best way of course was to follow the light of the moon. 

At sunset our travellers readied themselves and the bat cooked a fine hearty feast.

The dog and the cat were more scared than the bat as the moon took its flight in the east. 

Soon they departed a jovial band singing songs as they marched through the trees.

Excitement abounded as song voices sounded and laughter flowed with ease. 

The cow led the way for a night and a day as the wanderers travelled the land.

The friends knew so well what I’m sure you can tell – that their destiny was close at hand.   

The flea was soon tired and so was the mouse, they were ever so tiny of course.

They and the dog and the cat and the bat hitched a lift on the back of the horse! 

The dog fell behind but the friends didn’t mind for the straggler was only a pup. They helped him along though the journey was long and they said to him “Never give up.” 

Eventually, in a cave by the sea, came the shimmering, glittering prize.

The cow and the flea were quite dumbstruck with glee! The treasure a sight for the eyes! 

The cat said “My friends, we have come to the end, and our travels have been worth the while.”

The dog to the bat said “Well I’ll eat my hat!” and even the horse gave a smile.  The weary adventurers boarded their boat carrying all of the loot they could hold.

The cow wore four slippers made of pure finest silk, and the horse? He was dripping with gold! 

On the way back to England the comrades all spoke of the things that they’d most like to try.

The flea was quite gushing, the mouse almost blushing with all the new things he could buy. 

The cat spent his cash on some sparkling whiskers, the cow on a resonant moo. The dog bought a tail and the bat some fine wings, what a really splendid thing to do! 

The horse said he wanted a shiny new coat, which he wears, if you look, to this day!

In fact all the animals still sport the things that they won in that magical way. 

The creatures all promised to never reveal the tale of their riches and glory. That’s why they don’t speak to us, they won’t reveal to us anything of this old story. 

Their fable was secret for many a year until found by curious child.

If the animals knew who knows what they might do? It is certain that they’d be quite wild! 

But to those in the know, clues are clearly on show, like the horse with his coat shiny bright! 

The cat with his whiskers, the bat with his wings, they can’t hide them, try as they might!

So whenever you see a cat, dog, bat or flea, or a mouse, cow or horsey at play, Just put on a show, don’t pretend that you know of the treasure of Barnacle Bay!  

You may now ask of me, what about mouse and flea? Well those little friends, they were quite clever.

No-one knows what they did, not an adult nor kid, it’s a secret that’s lasted forever… 

Rick 

Local residents are being urged to show how much they love Heaton Park, in two new competitions staged by the “Save Heaton Park” campaign. Campaigners hope that the contest will highlight local residents’ love for Heaton Park, which is being threatened by a privately-run soccer centre planned for a corner of the park.
 
The myPark Art and Photography competition invites original photos, paintings, short movies or even mobile phone snaps of the St Margaret’s corner of Heaton Park. Judges include professional photographer Mike Black. The myPark Poetry and Prose competition is looking for and poem orpiece of prose about this special corner of the park, and entries will be judged by a panel including Tony Warren, novelist and creator of Coronation Street.
 
Entries should be emailed to info@saveheatonpark.org.uk with a name, phone number and email address by 4^th December 2009, with winners receiving a bespoke, professional canvass of their poem, prose or image specially made to hang on their wall at home.
 
Cllr Tim Pickstone, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Holyrood ward said “This is a great chance for local people to show how much they love Heaton Park. Local Councillors and hundreds of residents will take the Save Heaton Park campaign back to Manchester Town Hall to fight plans to destroy this green space.
 
“Plans have been re-submitted for this development which will see a privately-run, 8 acre concrete sports facility, open until 11pm, built on a quiet part of a public park. These type of facilities are fine, but anyone who knows this part of Prestwich will know that this is in completely the wrong place, and residents are continuing to fight to stop it being built.”

These days, trying to recycle paper and cardboard at the Longfield Centre involves wading through a sea of waste which is not entirely unlike the set of a low-budget post-apocalyptic Hollywood film.

Since the Tesco facility closed, everyone who used that site has begun to use this one, leading to overflowing bins. When I went to do my recycling there on Sunday I wished I’d brought my wellies with me. But now, after campaigning by local Lib Dem councillors, the Council have agreed to double the frequency of collections from once to twice a week. In addition, there will be more paper and card bins coming in the next few weeks to further alleviate the problem.

Hopefully this will mean that recycling will be a bit less “rubbish” (ho ho…) for local people from now on. Quite why it took the Tories running the town hall until now to notice is another matter…

Rick

Bury Council is facing a funding crisis for Disabled Facilities Grants according to local Lib Dems. Figures obtained by Vic D’Albert, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South reveal that over £1,500,000 of grants are either waiting for approval or approved and not yet paid.

“This is a serious issue with serious consequences for those waiting for these important grants” Said Vic D’Albert, adding, “These grants are essential to enable people with severe disabilities to adapt their properties to enable them to live as independent and full a life as possible. Often these involve proving basic toiletry or ground floor facilities. These figures show that Bury is facing a financial crisis with these grants, and are increasingly stalling over payments in an effort to keep payments down. If the Council does not address this issue sooner rather than later we will see an escalation in the number of disabled people suffering longer and longer as a result.”

The Council had a budget for the year of just over £1.1m but already have applications totalling £1.53m not paid on top of £418,713 already paid this year. On top of these outstanding applications there are a further 34 cases that have now been marked as medium or low priority.

This backlog of grants follows on from the recent high profile local case of Mr Westwood of Whitefield, a double amputee and constituent of Vic D’Albert, who had to wait over 10 months for his grant. In another instance a mother with a 5 year old autistic child approached Vic D’Albert after being told by a council officer that “the council couldn’t afford to do the work yet – could they find the £29000 necessary and the council pay them back later”.

“I find it intolerable that in an effort to meet the budget that has been set at the beginning of the year, that Bury Council is effectively stalling on providing much needed adaptations. We are not talking luxuries here, these are essentials and needed immediately not in 10 months or a years time. I expect Bury Council to respond to this crisis with a detailed strategy as to how they plan to deal with this problem in a way that meets the demands of disabled residents.“

“It’s stressful, hurtful and frankly insulting for people to be treated this way. Bury Council needs to get a grip of the situation immediately.”

This week is, mercifully, free of meetings. Council meetings, like buses, tend to come in groups, and the last few weeks have resembled a pile-up in a bus station. Not this week though, during which I can do normal things that will get the blood pumping again - like the ironing.

One thing that I really must turn my attentions to over the next few days is the commencement of the annual fret-fest that is the Christmas shopping. I have never handled this well. The Pet Shop Boys, ever my philosophers of choice, had it dead right when they said something along the lines of “too many people, too many choices, faces on posters, whispering voices.” It’s as if they were there with me in John Lewis on a December Saturday.

So once more my frazzled brain must turn its attentions away from trivial matters like the future of the borough of Bury, and on to important things like whether my mother-in-law to be would prefer a cushion or a hot water bottle under the tree on Christmas morning. As you can imagine, I care an awful lot about this dilemma, and am looking forward very much to traipsing round a packed Debenhams like the sleep-walking slave to consumerism that I shamefully am.

Yesterday my appearance on Andy Crane’s BBC radio show unwittingly facilitated an early beginning to my Christmas splurging. In these austere times the BBC don’t pay for things like their guests’ car parking expenses, and so I had to buy something from the Lowry Outlet Mall in order to get my parking ticket stamped and thus avoid paying. I decided to buy something useful and now have, in my possession, 20 “designer” Christmas cards. I have to wrack my brains to think of 20 people I know to send them to, but at least I got free parking.

Just because I am sans meetings this week, doesn’t mean I am devoid of things to do, Council-wise. There’s plenty to keep me occupied, whether it be leafleting, casework or preparing for meetings that are approaching in the distance like gloomy shadows of foreboding. But first I have to go and cook tea, since I owe Tam about 350 meals now. I am getting enticingly close to having 10 stamps on my Nando’s loyalty card (I am at 8). When that happens I get a free chicken, so I may forego cooking, and instead try to convince her to go there tonight and acquire stamp number 9. Then I could double-up Christmas shopping with stamp number 10 next week and at least make the trip vaguely bearable.

We shall see…

Rick 

I am appearing as a guest on the Andy Crane Sunday Lunch show this Sunday from 12 noon on BBC Radio Manchester (95.1FM in the Manchester area, and on DAB). I am one of a panel of three guests talking about the news and the Sunday papers.

There is normally a musician, a politician and a comedian on the panel. Given that I can’t play anything more complicated than a kazoo, and given my disastrous recent attempts at stand-up at the Comedy Store, I presume I am there as the politician.

I am very excited to be meeting Andy Crane. He was a daily companion in my primary school days broadcasting Children’s BBC from the Broom Cupboard with Edd the Duck and Wilson the Butler. Since those heady days he has gone onto solo success and left that trio behind, rather like Beyonce from Destiny’s Child. It will be interesting to meet him, and I’d like to say thanks for those 80’s afternoons.

The show is broadcast live from the Lowry in Salford. I confess that once or twice in the last year I have actually been to the Lowry for one reason or another on a Sunday morning, and seen the show being boradcast, but have always been too shy to say “hi” to Andy Crane. Now I really have to get over my nerves.

God, if it was Philip Schofield I don’t know what I’d do…

I hope you can tune in to listen!

Rick

A record number of people were involved in disputes with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) last year about wrongly being branded a criminal, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.

The figures, revealed in a Parliamentary answer, show:

15,320 people have disputed their criminal records check since the CRB was launched in 2002/03
A record number of people (2,509) were involved in a dispute with the CRB last year (2008/09)

This is more than double the number of disputes in the CRB’s first year of operation (there were 1,111 in 2002/03), though the proportion of disclosures being disputed has fallen

Disclosures can be disputed if your name is the same as a criminal, if inaccurate information is held by the police or if you are the victim of identity fraud.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

“Criminal records contain such sensitive information that they must be one hundred percent accurate.

“It is just as unfair to label someone a criminal if they are innocent as it is to let an offender slip through the net.

“People will be outraged to be branded a criminal simply because they share a name or have been the victim of identity fraud. It could cost people jobs and ruin lives.

“These disputes do not fill you with confidence that the Government can run the new Vetting and Barring Scheme and check millions more people without making the same mistakes.”

I have been worried about the reliance on CRB checks for a while, and have blogged about this frequently. This research backs up the anecdotal evidence that we’ve gathered on here, where dozens of people have got in touch over problems with their own CRBs. Too often the information is incorrect, disputed or, perhaps most worrying of all, not related to criminal convictions at all but just rumour and hearsay.

Making sure that the public are protected from harm is vital. But as I have frequently said, the rights of everyone need to be balanced. Any system which criminalises the innocent needs to be changed. Any system which is so crucial to people’s employment prospects needs to be totally accurate.

Rick

Next month, members of the United Nations meet in Copenhagen for vital talks on securing a new worldwide response to climate change.

On the Saturday beforehand, December 5, thousands of people will march in London to demand the Government goes further in cutting carbon emissions.

Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes will be leading Liberal Democrats on the march. Here’s Simon Hughes telling us why:

We are the party that has the courage to tackle climate change in Britain. We will go furthest on cutting carbon emissions. Go furthest in generating renewable energy. And go furthest in insulating homes.

But climate change can only be tackled by global action - and that is why the Copenhagen conference is so important. It could prove to be the most important in our lifetimes.

The march on December 5 is a chance for everyone to show the Government how strongly people in Britain feel. We can’t let this opportunity pass.

Please let us know that you are going to be able to take part in the day of action in December 5th by signing up here.

Rick

There is a Prestwich Local Area Partnership Meeting this week, at 6.30pm, Thursday 12th November, Heaton Park Primary School. You can come and ask your Councillors anything you like, as well as listening to the various reports, presentations and other items that we’ll be rattling through.

Other reports at this month’s meeting will include The Local Development Framework, The Big Clean and a Police Report.
To download the papers click this link

Of even more commercial potential than a night asking questions to Councillors though, is the Prestwich Winter Wonderland, which will be showcased on Thursday. The Winter Wonderland kicks of on Sunday 22 November with a bumper Prestwich Christmas Farmers Market and Christmas Lights Switch On at The Longfield Shopping Centre with not only top Coronation Street Star Katherine Kelly (Becky) to switch on the lights. I am reliably informed that this picture to the left is of her. To be honest, I’ve never heard of her, because every time Coronation Street is on, I’m at a Council meeting. But I am assured she’s a top notch local celebrity, so I for one will be standing near her in an attempt to look cool.

There will be lots of family fun to enjoy this splendid day with top local entertainment, Dave K, a Town Cryer, Besses o’th Barn Brass Band, Pop Star Academy, Prestwich Arts College Choir, Sweeky the Clown and Santa’s Grotto of course. Santa Claus himself may be in attendance, battling with that woman off Corry for your attention.

Prestwich Library has pulled its own cracker (so to speak…)  for the visitors at the Farmers Market to drop in with their children to enjoy “Carnival of the Animals” Story time and mask-making at 11am-12 for children under aged 10 and under. There will also be a FREE prize draw for a big cuddly blue teddy bear (not the Conservative leader of the Council, perhaps surprisingly). Please contact the library to book your place.

There will also be a chance for children to write their letters to Santa and post them in the post-box at the Santa Grotto. There will also be local history displays – with Craig Brisbane, Guitar Class & Art Society Demonstrations and a one off Computer Taster Session,

There’ll be a  ‘Shop till you Don’t Drop!’ event teaching shoppers how to online shop from the comfort of your home from 11-1pm. There’s even a chance to pop in and see Prestwich Hospital Exhibition, which will doubtless put you right into the festive spirit.

(Clears throat for obvious pun…): What a Cracker!

Rick

One of the most embarrassing moments in my recent past was when it was explained to me that the term “metrosexual” did not, in fact, mean someone sexually attracted to trams.

To be honest it was quite a relief to discover that there’s not a term for people with these odd desires. But if there were, they would doubtless be excited to hear that there are free Metrolink rides available on two days this month.

Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) is providing free travel on Metrolink all day, from the first tram until the last tram, this Saturday, 14 November, and next Thursday, 19 November, as a ‘thank you’ to passengers for putting up with months of repairs and closures on the line through the city centre.

I think Metrolink has the potential to be an absolutely fantastic system, but is let down by being hugely expensive, unreliable and often unpleasant to travel on. When I was a member of the GMITA a couple of years ago (it was called the GMPTA then), I campaigned for better investment and more of a customer focus for the system. It seems to be happening slowly, with things like this, but it’s not happening fast enough and we still aren’t doing enough to tempt people out of their cars.

Councillor Keith Whitmore, Chair of GMITA, absolutely did not say “Free travel is just about the only thing likely to tempt motorists out of their comfy cars and onto overcrowded, often dirty and sometimes frighteningly yob-infested trams, especially since the rest of the time they’re so laughably expensive that riding one makes about as much financial sense as buying a bank in Iceland.”

Instead, somewhat predictably, he said “We’ve invested a significant amount in improving the Metrolink network this year; projects that will make journeys smoother, quieter and more reliable.

“We’ve completely replaced the city centre tracks, provided high quality new street finishes, upgraded two of the busiest city centre stops and installed the first sets of new ticket machines – major improvements that were completed on time and on budget.

“However, we fully appreciate that passengers were left without a full service while all this work was done, and we want to thank them for their patience and understanding during that time – that’s why we’ll be providing these two days of free travel.”

The city centre section closed in April and services returned on 2 November, closely followed by seven breakdowns in two days whilst Metrolink sponsored the fireworks at Heaton Park instead.

Major overhauls of the St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens stops – two of the most heavily used on the network – have been completed this year.

The St Peter’s Square stop has been widened and the platform heights modified to allow level boarding for all passengers. The Piccadilly Gardens stop has also been widened and new canopies have been installed to provide better shelter for even more people.

New ticket machines that take bank notes and credit and debit card payments, have also been installed on the two revamped stops. They will be rolled out across the Metrolink network by spring next year, meaning that the network creaks into modern times only ten years after most other cities in this respect. When we’ll have Oyster-style smart cards is anyone’s guess…

All the city centre stops now bear Metrolink’s new identity, which will be rolled out across the remainder of the network.

A total of 40 new trams have been ordered to provide more room on existing services and to cater for passengers on new lines being built to Oldham and Rochdale, Droylsden in Tameside, Chorlton in South Manchester and MediaCityUK in Salford.

Passengers who have a season ticket which covers the days valid for free travel can claim a refund by writing to Customer Service Secretary, GMPTE, Freepost MR7 116, Manchester, M1 9QL, by 7 January 2010 with their name, address and telephone number.

They will also need to provide a photocopy of their Metrolink Travel Club membership card as well as a photocopy of their season ticket if it is still valid, or the original ticket if it has expired.

Whilst Metrolink is far from perfect, I urge as many people as possible to give it a go whilst it’s free. You never know, you might like it! 

Rick

Last night was another meeting of the Council’s Licensing and Safety panel. This is the committee charged with dealing with matters to do with the taxi trade. It’s not as glamorous as, say, a post-Oscar Hollywood Studio party, but it’s important and the only thing between the Great Bury Public and any old maniac giving them lifts.

So we make sure that any drivers who want licences but who have criminal records are only given their license if we consider them fit and proper people, and we decide if license-holders who’ve been naughty should keep their licenses.

We also have to decide which vehicles are suitable to be licensed as taxis. There are some which blatantly aren’t, which is why you’ll never see a Bugatti Veyron plying for hire on Silver Street. But there are some where it’s a bit less clear-cut, and last night we heard a plea for a new type of car to be given a Hackney license. The cost of the traditional “London style” black cab is quite high, so drivers struggling with falling demand and rising fuel prices are looking at alternatives.

There are already some new types of taxi on the road, but for a while now the Taxi Drivers’ Association has wanted us to grant a license to the Fiat Freedom. This is a modified version of the Fiat Doblo. Unfortunately, we had to say “no” to their request last night, because the Freedom is a rear-loading vehicle for wheelchairs. This makes it difficult for disabled passengers to get in and out, especially if there’s a rear-shunt.

After rejecting one type of Freedom, we then turned our attention to another type of freedom, when we heard several cases of drivers who’d either been naughty at some point in their past and now wanted a license, or had got a license and been naughty.

Obviously I can’t talk about individual cases, but often on nights like this I am astounded the some people are brought before us as “criminals” when really the truth is very different.

Last night we had one gentleman who’s CRB disclosure contained police information which had somehow been acquired, but never sent to a court. He was up before us for us to judge the merits of what could well have been canteen gossip.

And another man who had been arguing with his wife, had been overheard doing so by a passing policeman, arrested, cautioned without either husband or wife knowing what was going on, and all of a sudden finding himself with a criminal record for assault after 60 blame-free years.

Another evening in the wacky world of the Licensing panel.

Rick

The Woodthorpe Hotel in Prestwich was the glamorous setting for the fourth Bury Liberal Democrats Annual Dinner on Friday 6th November. “What better place for a 28 year old to be spending his Friday nights?” you may well be asking. I, for one, have no answer to that…

This year we were joined by guest speaker Andrew Stunell MP, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove. Mr Stunell is the vice chair of the Lib Dem General Election campaign, and is also a member of the House of Commons International Development Select Committee. He had returned from a fact-finding trip to Nepal and Bangladesh less than 24 hours before his appearance in Prestwich, but overcame the jet-lag to entertain the many members of the Bury Lib Dems who came together for the meal. As someone who recently came back from Hong Kong and was barely able to stand after my flight, let alone deliver a cogent after dinner speech, I am in awe of his efforts.

There was a special presentation made to David Foss, the newly elected Honourary President of the Bury Liberal Democrats. David is a long-standing party member and activist whose decades of contributions to the local party were recognised on Friday. The picture above sees David (centre) flanked by Vic D’Albert, our parliamentary candidate for Bury South, and Andrew Stunell MP. And, in case you were wondering, David isn’t closer to the camera than the others, he’s just wearing a bigger poppy.

As well as Mr Stunell’s speech, and some high quality food, there was also a raffle and some fund-raising activities. For the first time in history I actually won a raffle prize. I walked off with a Gillette toiletery set. I believe that that’s the best a man can get, so I was well pleased.

I also noted that Andrew Stunell, like all the other MPs we’ve ever had on occasions like this, was very generous in dipping into his pocket for raffle tickets, and donations to the local party. I know that some of them are fond of moats and duck islands (not Andrew Stunell), but I suspect that with dozens of such functions every year, being an MP doesn’t necessarily come cheap. Not to mention having to make small-talk with ever-changing small-time politicians like me, rather than going home to the wife. I have to say that Mr Stunell coped admirably well sat next to me on Friday. And, if he’s reading this, I apologise for the Michael Jackson joke.

Plans are already under way for the fifth annual dinner next year, but not before a range of other social events for members, activists, helpers and anyone else interested in the Bury Lib Dems, starting with the Christmas party next month. Just get in touch to find out more.

Rick

This morning I attended the Prestwich Remembrance Sunday service at Prestwich Congregational Church, and the subsequent parade.

The service, led by Father Croft of St Hilda’s Church, saw a packed church hear his excellent-as-usual sermon reflecting on the horror of war and the goodness of peace. I have rarely heard a minister of any religious persuasion hold an audience as varied in age as that one as well as he does year after year.

The parade marched from the Royal British Legion at Heaton Park down to the war memorial outside PADOS House near to St Mary’s Park. We were kept in time (and, later, entertained) by the Besses O’ Th’ Barn Brass Band, who were marvellous. It was great to see such a large parade, with representatives from the Police, Fire Service, military cadets, Prestwich Lions, the Legion, and the Scouts and Guides of various ages, amongst others. Cllr Vic D’Albert was the Mayor’s representative leading the parade, and as well as several other local Councillors we were joined by Ivan Lewis MP and by the Conservatives’ Michelle Wiseman (parliamentary candidate for Bury South).

I was again given the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of the people of St Mary’s ward, and it was my privilege to do so. As always I found the occasion deeply moving, and consider it amongst the most important things I do as a Councillor in the year.

My thanks to the Legion for organising the occasion, to the Police for marshalling it, and most of all to the hundreds of local people who assembled at the war memorial for the wreath-laying and the two minutes silence at 11am. The turnout was the best I’ve ever seen, and was a credit to Prestwich.

It is heartening to know that so many people come to pay their respects to the fallen, and to think of those whose sacrifices have gone before and continue right now protecting this country and our way of life.

We remember.

Rick

Well over 200 local residents packed into the Longfield Suite in Prestwich last night and sent a clear message to Bury Council that they want to keep the Longfield Suite.

At a previous meeting residents had demanded that the Leader of the Council, Cllr Bob Bibby attend to face concerned residents, and he attended for an hour with Mike Kelly, Bury Council’s Deputy Chief Executive.

Following introductions from meeting organiser, Cllr Vic D’Albert and a statement from Cllr Bibby questions were taken from the floor.

Vic D’Albert commented, “I think it’s fair to say Cllr Bibby received a real grilling on proposals for the future of the Longfield Suite as residents demanded explanations and more details about the so-called reconfiguration planned. Sadly Cllr Bibby was generally unable to respond positively to any great satisfaction of those present.”

“What pleased me most about last nights meeting was not just the turnout, which for a miserable bonfire night evening, was excellent, but the broad representation of Prestwich residents that were present.”

“I hope Cllr Bibby has now taken notice of the strength of feeling from local people on this issue and I would urge him to show he has listened by scrapping the “Task & Finish” officer group he has established and to instead work with local people and councillors in an open and transparent way to look at how the Longfield Suite can be improved in every way to become a more sustainable and even more attractive community centre.”  

“It’s a great shame Cllr Bibby had to leave the public meeting to attend a Conservative meeting as many more people had questions to put to the Council leader. However we hope he has listened to those he did hear, and we now expect action. Meanwhile I would just thank all who attended last night and those who have volunteered to help with the campaign - it’s just a shame we needed to do it in the first place.”

Tonight is your opportunity to find out more about proposals for the future of the Longfield Centre in Prestwich.

Cllr Vic D’Albert, the Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South, has organised a public meeting at the Longfield at 7pm this evening, where the Conservative leader of the Council Cllr Bob Bibby will be present to answer your questions. It is Cllr Bibby’s Executive who have put forward the plans to consider “reconfiguring” the use of the Longfield Centre.

You might want to ask what this means. Other questions you might want to put to him are:

- Does he guarantee that Prestwich will have a publicly-owned community hall in five years time?

- Can he explain why he suggests reconfiguring the use of the Longfield Suite whilst at the same time proposing to keep the Elizabethan Suite in Bury in its current role, when the Council’s own figures show that utilisation and profit are better at Longfield than at the Elizabethan Suite?

- Is his decision to keep Ramsbottom Civic Hall open and unchanged a result simply of his Executive’s decision to fund that Hall, and not based on usage and profitability statistics?

I wonder what his responses will be to those questions. Find out tonight at the open meeting, at 7pm at the Longfield Suite.

Rick

The Liberal Democrats have launched a new party website. The site contains all the information you need to find out what we stand for, the campaigns we’re involved in, and what we’d do if we were elected to government.

And, if the website and everything on it impresses you that much, you can join us! Just put in your postcode to find your local party contact details.

Check out the site at www.libdems.org.uk

I am very impressed with the new site, having been frustrated with the old one for some time. Now there’s a handy single place to find out about our policies and campaigns. And there’s even a picture of me on it, if you search hard enough! Anyone thinking about joining should do so BEFORE looking at the picture of me. It may well make you change your mind.

Rick

Regular readers may recall that last week we tried to get Bury Council to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to reduce carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.  Despite dozens (and dozens and dozens) of Councils signing up across the country, along with hundreds of organisations and thousands of people, the Bury Tories blocked the move.  

Despite the Conservative Party leader David Cameron urging all Tory Councils to sign up to the campaign, following the leads of the Lib Dems and Labour, the Bury Tories blocked the move. And despite the fact that they could have shown real leadership, symbolised a commitment to stopping climate change, and fixed hard targets to Bury’s climate change plans, the Bury Tories blocked the move. 

All of this would have gone quite a long way to convincing people that the Bury Tories don’t care about climate change. Which is a shame since they run my town and I’d quite like to not see it underwater when I take my grandchildren for a walk (sorry, paddle) in the town centre in 50 years.  But we must do what we can nonetheless, and so last night the Bury Liberal Democrats defied Council opposition and signed up to the 10:10 campaign to reduce carbon emissions. If the Tories won’t, we’ll have to do it ourselves. 

The decision was unanimously approved by party members at the Bury Liberal Democrats Annual General Meeting in Elton in last.

Commenting on the vote to adopt 10:10, the Chair of Bury Liberal Democrats Paul Jenkins said “I am delighted that Bury Liberal Democrats have signed up to 10:10. We need to take action now to reduce CO2 and help stop climate change. 10:10 shows our commitment, and that we’re serious.” 

“This is about doing our bit to make a difference on the biggest issue facing us in the future. As a party the Lib Dems have led on climate change nationally, and it’s important that we in Bury support initiatives aimed at halting climate change.” Rick

Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, is under pressure after sacking a top drugs adviser. The advisor, Professor David Nutt, accused Mr Johnson of playing politics with cannabis classification because he chose to go against expert advice that the drug should be classified as a Class C drug, not the more serious Class B. 

Mr Johnson sacked Professor Nutt, and now some of Nutt’s colleagues advising the government on drugs policy have resigned or are threatening to do so. 

A lot of people are criticising the Home Secretary, and obviously I don’t normally pass up the opportunity where I think it’s merited. But on this occasion I think Mr Johnson is perfectly within his rights, and that Professor Nutt overstepped his remit and deserved to go. 

This isn’t an issue of cannabis classification, but one of the role of advisers versus the role of government ministers. Lots of people think that cannabis should be a Class C drug, or even that it should be legalised. The scientific view (of Professor Nutt and his colleagues, but not of all scientists, not even of all drug expert ones) is that a Class B classification is too harsh, given the relative harm that the drug does compared to others. But in the end, the classification of drugs is the role of ministers, not anyone else, including expert scientists.

Whether it is right or wrong for this to be the case is not the argument. For now, rightly or wrongly, the roles of ministers and advisers is clear. Advisers advise, and ministers decide. 

Professor Nutt is right to accuse Alan Johnson of politicising cannabis. It is a political issue, and Mr Johnson is a politician who must balance the science of cannabis with wider policy aims. Despite scientific fact and the opinions of many, there are lots and lots of people who want cannabis classified at Class B. If that classification, and the wider social policy it is part of, doesn’t work, then come election time we can vote on it.    Unelected advisers, whether they be scientists, criminologists or anyone else, are simply there to give advice. There is nothing to compel ministers to take that advice.   If Professor Nutt wants his advice acted on each and every time, then he should stand for election and win. If he thinks he has the power to change broad policy just because he’s an expert in a particular field, he dangerously blurs roles. 

I don’t think that the criticism of Mr Johnson is motivated by a respect for science. I think it’s motivated by a dislike for the government.  

Sometimes the government has taken on board scientific advice and got pilloried for it. For instance, over environmental issues, where the government has been criticised for taxing fuel and flying, and for acting to ban traditional lightbulbs. There is a compelling scientific need for action to change behaviour to halt climate change, yet there is criticism that trying to change behaviour is government interference or nannying.  Sometimes governments are pressed to act despite expert evidence pointing out that they’re right not to. On prisons policy, for instance. Here, governments have been consistently lobbied to increase prison sentencing for minor offences, despite a large body of evidence showing that they don’t work.  The government is not beyond criticism for either of these two policy areas – their environmental policy is missing the public transport improvements necessary to make fuel tax fairer, and the criminal justice system is still a revolving door. I am just using those two areas as examples of how expert evidence, government policy and public opinion sometimes conflict, and that that conflict happens in different directions each time. 

I am a Liberal Democrat, and I think that the government’s approach to drugs is wrong. On this occasion though, I think that it is Professor Nutt who has overstepped the mark, not Mr Johnson. Ministers set policy, so that we can vote them in or out for doing so. The day that unelected advisers think that they set policy, no matter how informed their advice, is not a good day. 

Rick