Last night’s Lib Dem Group AGM saw lots of interesting discussion about the election campaign just gone, and our plans to work successfully on the Council over the next 12 months. Obviously none of the discussions were anywhere near as interesting as frolicking in the sunshine outside, but unfortunately with the privilege of power comes the irritating burden of responsibility, so I had to put down my ice cold Vimto momentarily, exchange my flowing Hawaiian grass skirt for a suit, un-hand the hula girl, and go to the meeting.

Congratulations to Councillors Tim Pickstone and Andrew Garner who were re-elected Group Leader and Deputy Leader respectively, and to Cllr Mary D’Albert who remained conscious throughout her debut Group meeting. The last twelve months have undoubtedly been a success for our Group - election victories and leading campaigns on issues like congestion charging and post offices - and we are sure to go from strength to strength with a continuing leadership team and a new face on the Group.

The meeting also saw us discuss appointments to the many many (many) Council committees, working groups and outside bodies that exist across the community. In the grand shake-up I emerged on to the Resource and Performance Scrutiny Committee, and the Licensing Committee. I worked on R&P last year - it’s the Scrutiny Committee that takes a broad view of all the Council’s work and focuses on service performance and finance. It was enjoyable and I think we got some good stuff done, so hopefully that will continue. Licensing will be new to me, but I join my colleague Cllr Steve Wright on it and he only has good things to say about the work we can achieve on there.

I was also elected Chair of the Community Development Working Group of Prestwich Local Area Partnership last night, which is an exciting challenge. I was a member of the group last year and we achieved some great work in Rainsough and Polefield, so hopefully I can continue the momentum here in the coming twelve months. I will be supported by Cllr Ann Garner who is stepping down from the Chair herself but will still be a valued and influential member of the working group.

All such re-shuffling pales into insignificance when set off against the blue sky above me this morning. It’s still far too sunny outside to be cooped up in an office. Resultantly I may make a daring bid for freedom soon after lunch. There may be fireworks.

Have a good weekend. 

Rick

Last night I joined fellow Lib Dems, including St Mary’s Liberal Democrat election candidate Mary D’Albert, canvassing in the ward. It was great to be back out on the doorstep again, and the reception we received was overwhelmingly positive and warm.

I miss canvassing. When I first did it, I didn’t like it. I thought people would be annoyed at being disturbed, or would shout me off their property with frying pan in hand. But the reality is always so different. We are kindly welcomed by almost everybody, regardless of who they tell us they’re going to be voting for. And it gives me more opportunity than anything else to meet the people of the ward.

This year it’s particularly gratifying because people know me from Focus, and appreciate the things local Lib Dems have done for them over the past twelve months. They were eager to meet Mary D’Albert, and I was proud to be canvassing with someone so clearly committed to the issues important to St Mary’s.

And I also wasn’t chased by any dogs or other livestock. The closest I got to a fatal animal attack was when a very gentle ball of fur sniffed my shoe.

I am looking forward to getting out there again tonight.

Rick

I was proud last night to join many other local residents in signing the nomination papers for Mary D’Albert to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for St Mary’s ward in the local elections on May 1^st.

Mary’s long-standing record of hard work and local activism is to be admired, as is her sommittment to the local party and its efforts to make Prestwich and Bury better for local people. I have no doubt that she will be a very capable Councillor working continually for the people of the ward.

Mary has lived in Prestwich for decades, and is not only familiar with the issues that matter locally, but feels them personally because she has been a member of this community for so long. Local candidates are vital for local Councils.

Mary has campaigned hard to protect our local Post Offices, in contrast to our local Labour party who’s own MP voted to close thousands more Post offices just last week, including potentially nine more in Bury. Labour should be ashamed. They can’t claim to be standing up for the community when they tried to close our school a couple of years back, and are trying to close our Post Offices now. We opposed them then, we oppose them now, and Mary D’Albert and the Lib Dems will continue to support local community facilities forever.

Mary D’Albert has campaigned with Liberal Democrats in Bury on many issues – she joined our campaigning to stop Labour proposals to close Prestwich Arts College, for instance. She’s been working with Rainsough residents trying to broker a solution on the shops issue, and she’s been instrumental in working with Lib Dems and the Local Area Partnership to bring tens of thousands of pounds to communities across Prestwich.

In the coming weeks Mary and I will be joining the rest of the Bury Lib Dems in asking you for your votes on May 1^st. We are confident that a local, hard-working candidate is a better bet for Prestwich than Labour’s party hack who has been parachuted in to replace the retiring Labour Councillor who led the failed policy to close our local school.

There’ll be plenty more written here and in leaflets about the election in the coming weeks, but for now let me say again that I am proud to have nominated Mary D’Albert to be the next Liberal Democrat councillor for St Mary’s ward, and to join Donal O’Hanlon and me in leading the renaissance of our area.

Rick

Bury Liberal Democrats won an award at last night’s Local Government Awards at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Liverpool. We won the Vice-President’s Award for opposition groups, meaning that your local Lib Dem team were judged as the top performing opposition Council group of the year.

This is great news, and shows that our efforts in Council, for Prestwich, Bury and Greater Manchester have been recognised externally.

This year has been a great challenge for an opposition group dealing with a Tory administration for the first time in 21 years, and battling against outrageous Labour lies locally whilst trying to do the best for Prestwich.

During the last 12 months, Bury Lib Dems have:

- Led the fight against congestion charging, proposing the successful motion which secured Bury Council’s opposition to the charge

- Secured 1/4 of a million pounds of extra funding for children’s services in Bury

- Secured more money for street cleaning and parks

- Got Prestwich Village “deep-cleaned”

- Started work with URBED on the future of Prestwich

- Said “No” to a coalition with Labour (and are suffering their vitriolic letters in the press because of it every week) in favour of the democratic choice of the people of Bury

- Fought against Post Office closures (the government no they’re closing Post Offices, but won’t say which ones until after the elections)

- Fought against disastrous Labour budget proposals which would have meant huge cuts in services.

- Supported a Council Tax rise lower than in previous years.

The award is nice to get, but our hard work will continue now and into the future.

Rick

This weekend is the Lib Dem spring conference in Liverpool, where the party will be debating exciting new policies, particularly in health, where we will be discussing radical new ideas including massive decentralisation of the NHS to give local communities far more of a say in how services are run.

I will be staying in the ward to get on with local issues, but a number of Bury Lib Dems, including St Mary’s ward Councillor Donal O’Hanlon, and Bury South Parliamentary candidate Vic D’Albert, will be at the conference tp help shape our policy and take advantage of the training and other things on offer.

I look forward to catching up with them when they get back, and to following the conference closely in the news.

Rick

Tonight is the Annual General Meeting of Bury Liberal Democrats, taking place from 7pm at Elton Liberal club. All members of the local party are welcome, as is anyone else who would like to join.

Tonight marks the end of my year as Membership Secretary. The year has seen our membership continue to rise, and it is more or less double what it was not much more than 12 months ago. Bury Lib Dems are a party on the up. Two more Councillors this year, and hopefully more to come in 2008. More successful campaigns, more successes locally for the people who have elected us. And a bright year ahead with the new Executive who will be elected tonight.

Their responsibility is a tough one – to develop the party to support and challenge the Councillors, develop the Membership and keep the party moving forward. But the core of our local party is strong and dedicated. And we’ll keep on achieving. And with your help we can achieve more. If you want to help us locally or join the Lib Dems just get in touch or use the links on the right. We are always looking for new Members and helpers, and it’s the only way we can bring Lib Dem policies and ideas to Bury.

Tonight is the night where the party gets its annual boost and a new team for the year to come. Its new faces to keep the progress going. And you can be part of it if you want. Just get in touch and join us making Bury better.

Rick

The Liberal Democrats have chosen local woman Mary D’Albert as the Lib Dem Focus Team candidate for St Mary’s ward for the 2008 local elections. Mary lives in the ward on Prestwich Park Road South, and is a long-standing and active party member.

Mary has said how delighted she is to have been chosen as the candidate, and how excited she is at getting stuck in to some of the local issues. You can read more about Mary in the new edition of St Mary’s Focus, which is being delivered across the ward in the coming weeks.

After Cllr Donal O’Hanlon’s victory in 2006, and my victory this year, it would be fantastic to make it a hat-trick of wins for the Lib Dems in St Mary’s by helping Mary to victory in May.

The winner of the election will join Donal and me as your three local Councillors, because all Councillors are elected for a four year term, meaning Donal is up for re-election in 2010, and I am in 2011.

I have known Mary personally for a number of years and I know that if elected she will be an excellent and hard-working local Councillor. And she is here with Donal and I to help with any issues you may have, right from now. So welcome aboard Mary!

Rick