Oldham... A breakdown.

I read a good friend and colleague of mine, Lauren Keith's, thoughts on the Oldham By-election and figured it more than worthy of a re-post here on the Manor FOCUS blog too:

http://cambridgefocus.blogspot.com/2011/01/over-but-not-out.html

Crosby Area Committee

Sefton Council's Crosby Area Committee is to be held at St. Stephen's Church Hall, St. Stephen's Road, Hightown on Wednesday 19th January, 2011 6:30 pm. The following are going to be discussed:-

• Recent Severe Winter Weather Problems - I will be raising your concerns about the failure of Sefton Council to properly protectthe area when the snow fell in December.
• Formby Bypass/North End Lane, Altcar - Junction Improvement Options (A full report on the options is being discussed. A Conservative candidate for Council in Formby has been quoted in the press as asking for the closure of the junction altogether. We need saftey measures in place at the junction, but closing the junction is a daft idea and I will oppose the closure.)
• Hightown - Proposed Coast Protection Works - This will be an update on what is happening.

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! It would be helpful if you could attend to make your views known about the above issues. A period of time is set aside for a Public Forum. During this time the public are invited to ask questions or raise matters / petitions on issues which are relevant to the Council. Members of the public may ask questions or speak and make representations about any matter of general interest or concern in YOUR area which is of relevance to the Council. If you can't attend, please let me know your views (thanks to all those who have done so already!) and I will speak on your behalf.

Councillor John Gibson

"Ingleside", Sandy Lane, Hightown, L38 3RP

0151 929 2044 / or7anacarenza@aol.com

Save Our Cheque

The Manor FOCUS Team has had many replies from the Winter FOCUS' and via e-mail with regards to our Save The Cheque Campaign...

Since Liberal Democrats, with Sefton's Liberal Democrats leading the way, have raised this issue with the Government things have progressed. I will post the Government’s current position on the matter this coming week.

In the mean time, posted below is a petition slip for residents to print off, fill in, and return to the FREEPOST address. Please do try to include all your information and feel free to print off as many copies as you wish to distribute to family and friends.


THERE IS STILL NO LEGISLATION STOPPING THE ABOLITION OF THE CHEQUE SO YOUR VOICE IS VITAL!


The full details surround the campaign can be found here.


CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE:

Labour's Gritting Man's Absent Apology

Your Manor FOCUS team recently reported on the Council’s Chief Executive’s apology with regards to the response to December’s snow fall. We further commented on how Labour were avoiding the ‘blame game’ and trying to take the politics out of the abysmal response to the snow fall and gritting issues that followed. However, no such apology has come from the man in charge politically. In fact, far from it, Bootle Labour Councillor and the man in charge of Sefton’s gritting, Cllr John Fairclough (pictured), is avoiding the issue let alone apologising.

Mr. Fairclough was invited to answer local people’s concerns at the Southport Area Committee and the Crosby Area Committee. He directed those who wanted to know if he would attend to his comments in the Crosby Herald. This is not a personal attack on Mr. Fairclough, as claimed by Labour, but it is purely a comment about his audacity and the lack of accountability, whilst he abuses his position of greater responsibility (and the additional allowances he receives for this privilege).

As my colleagues in Southport have commented, perhaps the more bizarre factor to come out is the response of the Tory Leader Mrs Parry. Now you would have thought she would have been the champion of her government's policy of local unaccountability, but no. Instead she said:

“…the attendance at Area Committees of Chief Executive Margaret Carney, and top Council officers Jerry McConkey and Peter Moore was sufficient.”

This continuing saga reminds me of one of the main reasons I joined the Liberal Democrat Party: safe seats and the lack of accountability within both the Labour and Conservative camps.

Jack Colbert - The man who has saved Crosby Conservative Club?

In a week that has seen Sefton Conservatives in disarray over their own in-house-rules and constitution, it has been further marked by a hilarious story to come out of Crosby Conservative Club. This week's Crosby Champion newspaper sees Jack Colbert (pictured), former Sefton Lib Dem Councillor, on the front page because of his present position as Chairman of the Crosby Con Club. The story was further printed in this week's Crosby Herald also.

I won't bother going into the detail because I believe the whole issue is rather out of proportion. I will, however, refer you to what my colleague Tony Robertson commented on the matter: "We all knew Jack had ‘taken over’ the Tory Club from the inside as he has been going there together with former Labour and Conservative Councillors for years! Indeed, Jack was asked to become Chairman of a Club that is, I am told, disaffiliating from the Tory Party! This reminds me of another local Con’ Club in Maghull that has dropped the name Conservative and now calls itself Kensington House Social Club."

As I say, it has been a bad week for the Tories right across Sefton, but I did laugh at Jack's one liner when contacted by the above newspapers:

“I only go for three reasons; because there’s cheap ale, good snooker tables and no Conservatives!”

The full articles can be found by clicking the following links: The Champion / The Crosby Herald

Oldham East and Saddleworth - the result.

Having spent most of the week in Oldham and Saddleworth, not to mention numerous hours there before the New Year, it was obvious that the by-election was going to be a hard fought contest. I must outline that, as I posted earlier this week, the result would show one thing - that recent polls showing Liberal Democrat support in single figures would be rubbished. I am pleased with the share of the vote we Lib Dems got in this by-election. 31.9% is slightly raised from the General Election result of last May and clearly it shows that the Lib Dem vote is holding up despite us having to take all the tough decisions that Labour have been ducking.

You cannot say that from the result, Lib Dem share of the vote was only maintained by having squeezed the Tories into an abysmal third place. The comparative increase in Labour's share of the vote to that of the Tory's reduction highlights this.

It was great to be campaigning with other Lib Dems from all around the country, sharing ideas and stories. As well as having had the pleasure to campaign, on many occasions, with Elwyn Watkins who was a brilliant candidate.

Not to mention the other hugely positive result to come out of last night: the BNP not retaining their deposit!

The full result for the by-election can be found here.

Reports from Oldham...

As I posted earlier this week I've been campaigning over in Oldham. Tomorrow is the final day of the campaign with the polls opening early morning for the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. The by-election was sparked after the expulsion of Labour's Phil Woolas from the constituency by the High Court, after being found guilty of deliberately lieing to the electorate during May's General Election with regards to Liberal Democrat candidate, Elwyn Watkins.

It's been a really good couple of days with the big, final push tomorrow. The result will certainly be close, and I can say one thing for certain, whatever the outcome it will go a long way to rubbish national polls that show Lib Dem support being very low.

You can find below a couple of screen shots (click to enlarge), taken from last night's Newsnight with me campaigning in the background. It's a 'blink and you miss it' kind of moment, but great to be in the thick of the campaign having met Elwyn Watkins several times before and Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, yesterday. The result will be a real close one and I hope the right one too.

Sefton Conservatives "in Disarray"

“Sefton’s Conservative party appeared in disarray last night, after three councillors were suspended and another defected to UKIP.”

For me, it comes as no surprise to read that the rumours surrounding yet more turmoil in the Sefton Conservative camp are true. This morning's news that 3 Tories have been suspended and has one resigned from the small Tory group on Sefton Council needs has been confirmed. The full story can be found by clicking the following:

“SEFTON’S Conservative party appears in disarray”

Nationally the Conservative Party might be trying whole heartedly to rebrand themselves as a ‘modernized’ and in touch party, however, back home in Sefton they remain the party of in house squabbling, fighting and back-stabbing.

It was not too many moons ago that under the leadership of Sir Ron Watson (now suspended!) the Tories had an overall majority - close to 40 councillors. Today there are 11.

The Lost Gormley Men and Women

This is a reoccuring issue and one that has recently become a real problem again:

Anthony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ has over the years brought many visitors into the area. More recently, however, the statues have been so successful that visiting motorists have been getting lost trying to get to them through impossible routes and ending up in Hightown, Crosby and Thornton.

This wave of unnecessary traffic through residential areas has caused Lib Dem activist James Ludley to champion the introduction of clearer signposting to ‘Another Place’. James Ludley told FOCUS: “By making the directions to the Gormley statues clearer it will allow new visitors to our area to navigate their way back easier, which in turn should allow a greater balance between the attraction itself and the benefits to local businesses in Crosby and along Bridge Road.”

Oldham East and Saddleworth...

Well, I rather had hoped to have travelled across the M62 and been more involved with the goings on in Oldham. However, Manor’s Winter Focus combined with personal commitments, not to mention work, have restricted me to just a few visits prior to the New Year. Yet, I write this short post for two reasons. Firstly, to apologise in advance as Manor’s e-Focus will be rather quiet for the next few days as I have managed to find the time to campaign in Oldham for the remainder of this week. And secondly, to offer the reader a rather interesting article by The Times, who, for the first time ever, have fully endorsed the good people of Oldham East and Saddleworth to vote Liberal Democrat this Thursday – and all in the name of democracy and clean politics. Well worth a browse.

With a bit of luck, the next time I post there should be a 58^th Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament in the Commons.

Labour opportunism continued...

I was going to do a post on the VAT rise, however, I stumbled across Lib Dem Voice’s version and I feel I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Additionally to this, and pointed out to me by my colleagues in Birkdale, is Evan Davis’ interview with Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson on BBC’s Today programme. We now have it confirmed that Labour agree the size of the structural deficit and they agree with the coalition about its size. They agree that it will not be eliminated by growth. They think that there should be more tax rises (so quite how they think they could avoid VAT given Alistair Darling's statements as Chancellor).

Road Sign Repaired in Hightown

Your Manor Ward FOCUS team has successfully overseen repairs to the North End Lane sign in Hightown. Last month your local Lib Dem Councillor and Hightown resident, John Gibson, highlighted to Sefton engineers the need for repairs. In an email from Capita Symonds they said the following:  “After our discussion in the Town Hall car park on Friday 17/12/2010 in which you relayed your concern over the damaged sign at the end of North End Lane at its junction with the Formby Bypass, an inspection was carried out by the highways department who the issued an order to their contractor, Graysons, to effect a repair.  The repair was carried out the same day.”

If you have any concerns or issues surrounding road signs in your area of Manor Ward contact your FOCUS team: manorfocus@gmail.com

The Blame Game?

As my colleague and Sefton’s Council Leader, Tony Robertson, so eloquently puts: “Today we have seen both at a national and local level that Labour are nothing more than rather poor political opportunists.

Nationally, they are trying to distance themselves from the unfortunate VAT rise yet we all know, because Lord Mandleson has told us, that Labour planned a VAT increase had they been re-elected last May!”

At a local level it’s rather infuriating to read Sefton Central MP, Bill Esterson’s, opportunistic comments in this week’s (Thurs 30^th Dec) Crosby Herald about last month’s ineffectual gritting and snow ploughing in Crosby, and Sefton at large. In Mr. Esterson’s ‘Westminster Diary’ he comments that “...it should not be a surprise if local councillors also blame others instead of accepting responsibility.” Yet, when one considers that it is theoretically BOTH the Cabinet member and the Director who are responsible as individuals in orchestrating Sefton’s response to the snow fall.  Remembering that Cabinet members get paid much more substantially than ordinary councillors and it is meant to be for ‘responsibility’. In this instance, The man in charge of the Sefton Council’s gritting operations is Bootle Labour Councillor John Fairclough, so it is no wonder that Mr. Esterson, and Labour, are not, on this occasion unlike the past, interested in playing ‘the blame game’.

Let’s not forget, Mr. Esterson was quick enough to blame the Coalition for the ‘axing’ of the Thornton Relief Road… And I’ve not seen a written apology for such opportunist comments yet.

An apology from the Council

A message of apology posted on Sefton MBC’s website on the back of meeting with Liberal Democrat councilors:

Sefton Council Chief Executive, Margaret Carney, said: "Following the severe weather conditions witnessed just before Christmas, I wish to sincerely apologise that we didn't achieve better outcomes despite extensive gritting and the efforts of all staff concerned.

 We will learn lessons which will include looking to invest in new equipment and mobilising staff more quickly to manually clear the snow, particularly in town centres.

 While the weather conditions were unprecedented, it is clear that the lives of our communities were significantly impacted and I apologise for that."

Councillors meet with Highways officers over Gritting Mayhem concerns

The severe snow fall and the weather conditions that Crosby suffered in the week running up to Christmas caused a major headache for all residents. Councilor John Gibson and FOCUS Team member and Crosby resident James Ludley were both in constant contact with council officials, colleagues, residents and Parish Councilors across Manor Ward and Sefton in an attempt to find the answers to such failings.

It was Southport Liberal Democrat Councillor, Simon Shaw, who led a team of councilors to meet with senior Council officers to discuss widespread concerns over gritting and the clearance of snow.  This is the link: Councillors to meet with Highways officers over gritting mayhem

The meeting took place, as planned, Wednesday 29^th December, the first day back at work after the Christmas bank holiday break.  Simon and six other councillor colleagues from across Southport, Crosby and Maghull travelled to Bootle and were able to have a frank exchange of views with three senior Council officers.

The team of councillors was on a cross-party basis, including both Lib Dems and Conservatives.  They left officers in no doubt about the very high level of public dissatisfaction with the conditions on the roads and pavements in Southport, Crosby, Formby and Maghull for the 10 days or so from Saturday 18 December.

“There were many issues which we covered, and I know that other questions will be raised in the next few weeks,” reports Simon.  “Following the meeting I have been busy preparing a report which summarises our key thoughts as to where things went wrong, and how the Council could do better in the future.”

Some of the topics planned to be covered in Simon’s draft report include:

• Councillors felt the Council failed to act as it should have done, and as the public and local businesses have a right to expect, in terms of the response to priority pavement locations (e.g. Crosby Village, Moor Lane).

• The Council should examine the pros and cons of much more extensive snow ploughing on some or all of the gritting routes within residential areas, especially in the first 24 hours after very heavy snowfall.  It is accepted that there are major difficulties with snow ploughing in residential areas.

• There could have been more snow ploughing in the minority of local roads which are not residential (i.e. where the ploughed snow would not obstruct residents’ driveways).

• The Council needs to improve its Emergency Incident procedures.  This is particularly the case where very severe weather conditions occur (as happened with the heavy snowfall a week before Christmas) at the start of a weekend.

• It was noted that there are 3 demountable snow ploughs attachments for 8 gritters, and it is suggested that the Council should urgently consider purchasing (at least) 2 more.