IPSWICH LABOUR need to learn HOW TO BEHAVE

I'm not normally a person that dwells on the negative side of people, even when it entails those in opposing parties whose policies I cannot respect.

I prefer to be positive and separate the person from the behaviour, trying to understand what motivates them when it comes to seemingly unprofessional behaviour. After all, we can all resort to childishness when our hot buttons are pressed.

Dignity is important to me, as it is many people and sometimes when pointing out bad behaviour, it can seem petty or unimportant.

But it isn't.

We live in an era where many women are encouraged to come forward on domestic violence, where workers are told they should stand up to bullies at work and where globally we are trying to fight the dreadful treatment of men and women.

Years ago, women put up with sexism, flirtatious comments and derogatory remarks about a woman's role. It never bothered me and still doesn't - but many people, including the young who were encouraged (under a labour government and left wing idealogy)  to think every insult is going to ruin their life and devastate their world, no longer have much of that resilience.

The left have made it their life's ambition to make people believe they are in a place of victimhood and to keep them there, because it suits their political agenda - you are weak, we the state are strong, we will protect you.

Instead they should have incorporated resilience thinking to ensure our young can meet the challenges they will surely face and to stand up to what is right, without it affecting our perception of how grateful we should be in this country.

"Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change."
Reverend, Jesse Jackson

So this does not mean that bullies and those who make such nasty remarks should get away with it. I've always confronted what I thought was out of order control-freakery, lies or downright rudeness from anyone and everyone who did it in front of me, even if I wasn't the recipient. As far as I'm concerned if you do it in my company then it IS my business. I wish more people would do the same. I speak as I find and I do not shirk from confrontation or what I call 'courageous' conversations.

The beached whale that is the Ipswich Labour party headed by Councillor Ellesmere should hold their head in shame. Both Cllr Ellesmere and Cllr Ross try to pretend at full council and other meetings, on social media, in fact every opportunity that mocking me or my colleagues is fair game. 

Well it is, as long as they are told that it says more about them than it ever will about me!  Their behaviour at the last meeting was atrocious with mickey taking, disingenuous remarks and blatant rudeness. But it confirmed to me that it was because we as a group put in a fine united performance and our questions to the portfolio holders left them flustered and hesitant.

They underestimated me last year when they thought they could take my seat from me and they also underestimated me as leader of the group. They have been proved wrong on both counts. And it is that underestimation that is going to see them more than anxious as we approach the big day.

Ben Gummer is very popular and loved by many - the residents know his achievements and now we need to shout it out from every corner. That's my main role over the next 2 months.

Comparing Ellesmere to Ben Gummer in terms of leadership and a deserving MP role is like comparing a Least Weasel to a Thoroughbred Horse...

In case you fancied seeing it for yourself - take a look at the recording by Ipswich spy of the full council here

Party Political Broadcast at Council for Ipswich Labour

Well, we wait months for a full council meeting in order to ask questions and discuss important papers and what do we get from the huge beached whale that is the Labour group but opportunist party political posturing by the leader of the council.

Never one to let his ego take second place to proper democracy, we Conservatives had to put up with Councillor Ellesmere blowing his own trumpet completely out of context of the discussions.

Relying on old jokes and becoming even more predictable, he used every opportunity NOT to answer our questions, instead immediately switching to anything that suited his one and only mission - to become Ipswich's next MP.

I think he will always have an opening as a stand up comedian should he choose to do Ipswich a favour and have a change of career.

Our questions were good valid ones, some of them were asked on behalf of residents and yet still they think it funny to respond in a most offensive way. Cllr Smart was one of the exceptions last night and in fact gave some good responses. On car parking free on a Sunday, which a resident brought up, I think I probably agree with his sentiment that we have to balance the income as well as make it attractive.

Cllr Bryony read out a very bland and uninteresting answer at treble the speed on my question regarding the large loss made at this years beer festival. I've asked for it in writing because I missed most of it and want to dissect it, but I don't hold much hope that it actually answered my concern of how we will learn from the mistakes.

Councillor Ellesmere continues to avoid any answers - he doesn't so much as move the goalposts as to change to a completely different game to one where there is only one player. Me, me, me.

Having complained to the Mayor - who did absolutely nothing about the long ramble, I feel that the people of Ipswich deserve better for money.

Councillor Cook continues to be on a mission to see if I can keep up with the detail, often just spewing accusations of 'illegal' when everything I've put forward has been looked over by our legal department. I think this just proves they believe people are stupid and will take as gospel all their little soundbites.

Councillor Jones, although patronising, at least answered the questions in a thorough and passionate way but didn't answer my questions about how we are going to proactively engage the public on the Local Plan. What's the point of extending the consultation to 12 weeks if the public don't even know it's there. Invisible in week 1 will be invisible in week 12.

The rest of the group - and it is massive, do not stand up to speak on anything unless it is to second a paper or thank someone - I am starting to think they have been instructed by Ellesmere not to do so in case they put their foot in it OR they do not have the confidence to voice an opinion. They never used to be like this. Which is why en masse they remind me of a motionless beached whale.

This is probably my harshest summary of the full council meeting but I'm afraid it needs to be said.


With regard to the apprenticeship pay rises for Ipswich Borough Councils, this administration proves again they do not respect taxpayers money and do not care about businesses in our town.

Retention of apprenticeships is not about money - it's about team comradery, enjoyment of the job, prospects. Young people are delighted to be awarded an apprenticeship and for us to award 40% above the national minimum wage is unnecessary, costing a further £64k of taxpayers money.

Apprenticeships have doubled under this government and this is down to anything but the money. By making IBC more attractive than private companies, is not so much about competition but a path to the death of apprenticeships, if companies cannot afford to take them on.

They cost a lot of money, time and energy and it has to be a win/win situation. It can even be years before the full benefits are paid back to the company and there has to be an attractive proposal to both parties.

I also don't understand why we haven't filled all our vacancies - again another question I asked that went unanswered. Ipswich companies are inundated with requests for apprenticeships, some even offering to work for nothing just to get the experience! Does that sound like people are motivated just by money?

I've had many businesses say that if they had to pay more than they currently do, they would not take on an apprentice and that would be a crying shame.

I think paying all 3 years of an apprenticeship scheme at the minimum wage is a perfectly acceptable situation and I know the business world would agree with me, in the main.

The living wage is for another time, but I also think that is the road to less jobs, and unnecessary pressure on those companies who don't apply it.


But as I've already said - Labour love public and hate private enterprise.

Executive meeting recording

Thanks to Ipswich Spy, everyone can take a look at what goes on in executive and council meetings

The following is a recording of this weeks exec meeting and I urge you to at least watch the first paper being discussed. This was the only paper I voted against because I refuse for us to be hypocrites and patronising to our local small companies.

Blacklisting companies who previously blacklisted employees, makes us as bad as them. We think we have a good reason for blacklisting and yet tell others they cannot do it! Furthermore, we may end up blacklisting innocent employees of a company that has long since changed the directors involved in any blacklisting. Dreadful, dreadful policy.

I didn't discuss the living wage, not this time anyway, as I do not think it was relevant in this instance. I do not know any qualified local plumber, electrician etc who pay their staff less than the living wage anyway. If they did then said staff would soon be off to another company. This is what business is about and it doesn't need lip service and blackmail from the Labour administration.

This was less to do with what's good for local businesses in Ipswich and more to do with appeasing unions. Typical left rubbish speak.

Recorded coverage of the IBC Executive 17th June 2014

http://wp.me/pOvEL-2YM

via @IpswichSpy