Area Committee Meetings - Labour opportunity for self promotion.

Well, that's done it now for me.

I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and I like to play fair in politics. Those who know me well, know that I care about the community and put them first above any political fights with the opposition.
I work collaboratively and play nicely with Labour councillors especially those that I think have the same mindset as me, but it is becoming more and more difficult to stay out of any virtual spats when I see literature from Ipswich Labour taking the praise for things we Ipswich Tories either did or instigated when we were in administration.

I like to show fellow councillors of all persuasions that they can trust me to work collaboratively with them and some have returned that respect to me and still do.

And so we come to the Area Committees which took over from Area Forums. Area forums were non political and were meetings where the community could come together to talk to their councillors, police and other public servants. We sat with them, not opposite them and joined in without making any political statements.Now however, we are lined up like some sort of political wall with issues that are important but delivered in a stuffy, informal gathering which has seen numbers drop at most areas of the town.

At the last meeting (which is chaired by a labour councillor for Suffolk County Council and Gipping Ward) we discussed the bridge that runs over Stoke Park Road near the entrance of Bourne Park and needs demolishing. We agreed that we would consult all the residents and ask them if they preferred this to doing a repair job on a regular basis.  I agreed that this was a must.

I would like to say here that the chair, Cllr Peter Gardiner, is an excellent chairman and very fair in all the proceedings including allowing me plenty or opportunity to speak and have my say. I have absolutely no issue with this part of the process.

But hey, lo and behold a leaflet goes out with it's usual grainy appearance (in order for them to look as if funds are low in their campaign pot) along the lines of 'Labour want to know what you think'.

So, now I know. Any consultations are not going to go out under the name of Ipswich Borough Council, nor is it going to go out under SW Area Committee.

No, they are going to use the committee meetings to ensure their propaganda is stepped up over the coming months in time for County elections and Cllr Ellesmere's political dreams of becoming Ipswich's MP. (He has  loooooong way to go to match up to the fantastic Ben Gummer who does put Ipswich first and has achieved great things already).

I did guess they would use these meetings in such a way, as did all my colleagues, but I wanted to see it for myself before I decided that this was the case.

So there you have it. The Area Committees took over area forums, not because it would be a better platform for residents to voice their concerns or spend some money locally, but to bump up the chances of winning more votes in the area.

They are trying to ignore me as their Tory colleague but anyone who knows me will also confirm that I never allow myself to be ignored, ever.

My hopes for the success of the Area committees has now changed for ever.

How Labour Wrecked our Economy

I have replicated an extract from an excellent article by cllr Judy Terry here because there are so many people who are still in denial about Labours debt legacy and as I have promised never to let people forget it, it is my duty to keep that promise

It is also a reminder to those Labour members closer to home, that wasting tax payers money is not acceptable, although I suspect that will fall on deaf ears. Having suffered nearly 20% increases in my council tax when they last had the administration, we really do not want that repeated in future years. But they do seem to think that the Magic Money Tree can just go on and on indefinitely.

I have also tried to inform people that the damage to the economy is not down to just bankers as they would have you believe and I am very pleased that Judy mentions this too.

So to the extract of Judy's article in the Ipswich flyer

In the absence of policies, Labour are accusing the Conservatives of not being in touch with ‘ordinary people'.-(A phrase which I find particularly patronising;).

Well, I can tell who’s in touch with the grass roots – and it‘s not Labour. The electorate’s biggest concern is the economy, and how it can be restored tc  financial probity. This means reducing debt to affordable levels or suffer the consequence of higher interest rates (affecting mortgages as national spending).
The damage Labour did to our economy during its 13 years in power, was highlighted in a recent article which offers shocking evidence of Labour’s gratituous build-up of debt, through a relentles state largesse, spending more than we realise in income, through taxation. Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the banking crisis (to which Gordon Brown’s change from robust to lax scrutiny was a major contributor) had a pretty minor role in overall terms.
Between 2000 and 2010, allowing for inflation state expenditure increased by 53% to £688 billion (between 2002 and 2CC alone, it rose by 40%). Remember, this was the time when Gordon Brown was saying ‘no boom and bust’ as he trousered billions in tax receipts, whilst borrowing ever more, house prices literally went through the roof
For example, social security benefits and tax credits now account for £209 billion, comparable to health and education combined, allowing some families to claim more than £26,000 untaxed per annum in benefits. Is that fair when the average wage Suffolk is closer to £25,000, taxed?

It's Labour Who are out Of Touch by Cllr Judy Terry

The following article was written by Cllr Judy Terry and may or may not reflect my views. I do not edit or pass comment on my guest writers work:  

IT’S LABOUR WHO ARE OUT OF TOUCH   by Councillor J Terry

During Question Time last week, the PM was censured for using the word ‘hypocrisy’ because it was ‘unparliamentary’.  

I am not governed by the same strictures, so I can say that it is hypocritical of Ed Miliband to criticise those who are wealthy, and wealth creators, whether through their own hard work or inheritance, when you have considerable wealth yourself! Referring to the government as ‘multi-millionaires’ and ‘out of touch’ because of their wealth, is hypocritical when you, yourself, live in a multi-million pound property and have an income which is well beyond most people’s wildest dreams. If Ed wants a class war, he is attacking himself and his own family.  

Lord Mandelson famously said that he had ‘no problem with people being filthy rich’, and certainly he wasn’t slow in making a substantial fortune during his years in the public service. Indeed, the Blairs have followed in his footsteps, making squillions in the few years since he left office; there have even been questions over the amount of tax he pays, and certainly over the fact that you and I are still forking out around £6m a year for the former PM’s security.  

So, let’s remember that, long with members of the government - Conservative and Liberal - both the Milibands and many on Ed’s own Labour front bench benefited from a fine education at some of the UK’s, and indeed the world’s, greatest universities. It is a shame that too few of them didn’t also benefit from having ‘proper jobs’ in the real world.  

Which leads me onto the unseemly attacks on bankers. Let me make it clear that I have no idea what people at the top of the banking industry actually do, and I doubt whether most politicians do either, so I am not qualified to question what they are paid. However, I do believe that excessive pay is an affront to society, especially when those who are paid such large sums appear to be without a social conscience.  

I find it equally distasteful that footballers are paid so many millions just for kicking a ball around, which means that the average punter can’t afford a season ticket. I am also affronted by the £850,000 salary for the Director General of the BBC, let alone his pension entitlements which are in the realms of a lottery win!  

But, back to banks. Apart from RBS, these are private businesses, owned by shareholders which include pension funds. I agree that shareholders should tighten their employees’ belts, and be cognisant of the restraints under which the rest of us are struggling. Nevertheless, witch-hunts against individuals are tasteless and unproductive, and the last thing I want is for the public sector to take over running RBS because it would be a disaster. Banking is a reactive industry, and decision-making needs to be quick, not something for which the public sector is renowned!  

I resent politicians’ interference for two main reasons: Firstly, bashing bankers may be populist, but it gives the wrong impression to business, and that includes overseas business, which wants to expand or create new investments in our country. If we over-tax and have an anti-business culture, they will go somewhere else, taking their billions and job creation with them. This is what happened under previous Labour administrations, and it took years to rebuild confidence in the UK.  

Secondly, the banks will pull up the drawbridge. Just as we need them to be lending money to existing and new businesses, homebuyers and those of us who may want to buy a new car or build an extension, they will refuse even modest loans. This is what is happening now, and the coffers need to be opened if we are to restore our economy.  

Finally, may I remind you that the biggest failure of the banking industry was bad regulation – and whilst there are key figures who were culpable for mismanaging their own banks, the major culpability lies with the last Labour government. Gordon Brown, Ed Balls, and Tony Blair, and every other Cabinet member, who set aside their financial responsibilities for political gain, by promoting the ‘no more boom and bust’ mantra. They had a duty to all of us to manage our finances efficiently, not selling our gold at the lowest ever price, and not permitting the economy to overheat.  

They failed miserably. Ed Miliband should remember that next time he accuses the front bench of being out of touch; it is Labour which is out of touch by refusing to acknowledge how badly they let us all down.

Cllr Judy Terry and her take on China and signs on the A14!

The following is the opinion of Cllr Terry and does not necessarily reflect my own. In fact jury is still out for me on China. However I do agree with the last paragraph.


 
TRADING WITH CHINA IS EXPANDING
 
Today I was honoured to meet the Chinese Transport Minister, when he visited Hutchison Ports at Felixstowe, to see the £350m recent investment and learn about the port's huge importance to our local and national economy. I also had the opportunity to talk to Hutchison's senior directors about how the public and private sectors can work more closely together to deliver benefits to Suffolk.
 
The County Council recently held a seminar to alert local businesses to the tremendous opportunities for exporting services and products to China, as its own economy expands. The Chinese Government has a five year plan to create new cities, with all the infrastructure that will involve, from schools and hospitals, to factories, service industries and leisure. So exciting! But, such expansion demands good fiscal management.
 
On the way back from Felixstowe in the fog, I was reminded how lax the last Labour government was when it came to fiscal management. The overhead signs all the way along the A14 cost more than £70m of our money; a legacy of former Ipswich MP, Chris Mole, who was a Labour transport minister, these signs are still not connected three years after installation!  
 
It appears no-one thought to consult with the adjacent landowners to ensure access to the required electricity supply. At this rate, they will be obsolete long before they are working - proving that they weren't needed in the first place.
 

councillor Judy Terry's latest

 
AREA COMMITTEES APPEAR TO BE A REALITY!
 
Today (17th November) at a packed NE Forum meeting, Labour's Cllr. Sandy Martin announced that 'this will probably be the last Forum meeting', much to the surprise of the audience, including 6th form political students from Northgate
 
Plans to introduce 'area committees' are still in the consultation phase, indeed it was extended because of so many complaints at its inadequacy, and neither Executive nor Council have made any decisions as to the way public engagement can be managed in the future.
 
Now we know that the new Labour administration in Ipswich have no intention of listening to the people, and any future 'consultation' will also be a total sham.
 

another one
 
EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION
 
Although he works at Ipswich School, Labour's Alasdair Ross opposes any sharing of best practice, or even teaching and facilities, with the state school where he is a governor. Why? Perhaps he's ashamed to be a Labour councillor working at a private school, yet it is one of many private and state schools which have excellent outcomes for vulnerable and less talented youngsters.
 
These schools identify what children are really good at, whether it is art and music, or science, sport or Geography; not all children can be good at everything but, by taking the time to support and encourage them, they can make great progress and achieve whatever their ambitions may be. It is having ambition, and confidence in that ambition, which brings results.
 
Tony Blair launched his 1997 campaign on 'education, education, education'. He recognised, as do the Conservatives, that a good education is the foundation for anyone's future. It brings pleasure in knowledge, and helps even those with the most modest qualifications to be employed.
 
Alasdair Ross is up for election in Rushmere next year. We can only hope that he develops a passion for universally good education, and makes an attempt to bring the public and private sectors closer together in the best interests of our children, rather than to think that a good education is somehow 'elitist'.


The above is solely words of cllr Terry and does not necessarily reflect my own opinion.