Chris's Blog - A View from Shepton

Not in the Market for the NHS

2012-02-17T08:35:00.002-08:00

In the last year I have realised the importance of the health service, in the early part of last year I had extremely painful Achilles tendons and shin splints, my GP did not refer me to a podiatrist, so I found myself one and paid to get them fixed, thankfully this was successful. Anyone that knows me, knows that since September I have been suffering from exhaustion and not firing on full or even half cylinders, thankfully my GP diagnosed the complaint and now they are trying to get the medication right.

Maybe it's age, but I now know the importance of the National Health Service.

The coalition government are nearing the end of their Health and Social Care Bill, this is an illegitimate piece of legislation, neither the Conservative Party or the liberal democrats promised or mentioned their intention to deliver a top down reorganisation of the NHS. A convenient conclusion from the coalitions discussions.

Health Service provision is a dynamic, health innovation moves at a pace and the NHS has moved and will continue to do so, no one can argue that personalised care in the home and greater specialised services will demand changes in the NHS, but the coalition governments solution of private marketisation seems the wrong treatment and even the wrong diagnosis.

The Commonwealth Fund most recent comparative study of health systems clearly shows that market-based systems, or countries that have a more mixed economy in health, spend more as a proportion of GDP on health than we do on the NHS for a roughly equivalent level of coverage and service quality. This is why the fund regularly judges the NHS to be the most efficient healthcare system in the world.

The reason why the NHS is rated to be efficient is because of careful planning and the collaboration between hospital, doctors and health service professionals. Health cannot be about putting your competitors out of business as capacity is important to deal with the ebbs and flows of disease and health issues.

The NHS is based on the notion that everyone deserves the best medical care, the NHS largely achieves this, in market health services there are greater health inequality of delivery, so the NHS delivers better health care for everyone.

In Shepton under the previous Labour government the private sector opened up a treatment centre, this offered choice for patients, and this was within the planned health provision, the NHS mission should be to continue to show how people can have maximum choice, control and access to responsive services without unpicking the fabric of a planned, national system.

The previous Conservative government privatised the railways and the energy markets, these privatisations failed because these do not offer real choice and the markets are rigged, our NHS cannot be treated in the same way, the coalition governments new duty to promote the "autonomy" of providers breaks that. And in a world where hospitals are fighting for survival, it raises questions about the future of clinical networks and workforce planning.

The NHS enjoys patient satifaction, people reconise the NHS is fair.

The Health and Social Care Bill will deliver a postcode lottery, the service delivered depends on where you live, the government argues the GPs are the best people to judge on their patients health, yet the discussion between doctor and patient are not equal and far from improving patient chances, if implemented, the bill will result in increasing numbers of patients fighting to obtain treatment and care.

There is growing evidence that the NHS are beginning to make cuts to meet the £20billion savings demanded by the government, in Shepton the NHS are reviewing the bed numbers in the community hospital, the town has a fight on our hands to save the in patient service.

So back to where I started, the new commissioning groups, will decide what services they fund, I had to pay £450 to make my legs better, patients will lose choice and the power will be with the GP commisioning groups.

The Health and Social Care bill is a mistake, it replaces collaboration for competition, it could fundlemental change the relationship between doctors and doctors and doctors and patients and it will lead to a worse health service, it's time to Drop the Bill before it's too late.

http://www.dropthebill.com

Creating Political Benefit

2012-02-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

True to form the Conservative government is seeking to use the the well trodden 'divide and rule'.

Last week the Welfare Bill was debated in parliament, the disabled and sick have been painted as scroungers, with the Dept of Work and Pension mis representing the facts in their press campaign.

Today we have seen respected national charities speaking out about the mis representation of the facts six leading disability charities have spoken out against the government’s ‘scrounger’ rhetoric on welfare cuts, saying it fuels abuse of disabled people.

The charities speaking out - Scope, Mencap, Leonard Cheshire Disability, the National Autistic Society, Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), and Disability Alliance - say inflammatory media coverage has played a role in this, they primarily blame ministers and civil servants for repeatedly highlighting the supposed mass abuse of the disability benefits system, much of which is unfounded…

So many of the government welfare reforms will fail to deliver what they want, the potty policy of get a job and lose your council house, or cancer patients only getting disabled benefit for twelve months, as if this arbitrary time can guarantee recovery from this terrible disease.

The benefit cap is a typical right wing political scam, easy politics and seemly popular, housing benefit is a large part of people benefit claim, yet housing benefit paid to private landlords is on average 50% higher than council housing, so the logical argument is to supply more council housing, especially as this account has been making a surplus in recent years.

Instead the Conservative plan is implement a benefit cap, they plan to implement a 80% of local private rent for housing associations, this will increase the housing benefit costs, they are cutting family work credits this makes work pay.

One of David Cameron’s advisers has attacked the government’s controversial welfare reform plans, warning that they could hit the wrong people. Speaking to BBC 5live, his “welfare-to-work Tsar” Emma Harrison said:

“We live in an amazing, civilised country so let’s not hurt the vulnerable. I’m worried about the number of families who will be affected by this…I think we need to be really, really careful we don’t catch the wrong people in these big reforms.”

Last week it was reported that 100,000 families are receiving food parcels as they do not have enough income to feed themselves.

Welfare should be seen as a safety net, not as a life choice, welfare reform should be about getting people back into work, supplying individuals with the skills to get work.

It is worrying youth unemployment is over 1million, yet the need to supply vocational training and quality apprenticeships, yet the government education policies want schools to focus on the English Baccalaureate and devalue vocational subjects, they've abandoned the Educational Maintenance allowance (OECD says this is cost neutral)and cutting of Future Jobs Scheme without the immediate replacement.

This government has many policies that either miss the point or do not achieve the desired objectives.

Vested Interests

2012-02-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

Years ago,(before one member one vote) at the time of the Kinnock Hattersley Labour leadership election, I argued at my unions mass meeting that union members should be having individual votes, and the left of British politics needed claim democracy and devolving power to individuals and away from vested interests.

Today, we have seen the vested interests act against the majority interest of the British people; the abuse of the media; abuse by the financial sector; lack of consumer protection.

The British economy is likely to be in recession, it is highly likely that the CONDEM government will borrow more than Labour, £158 billion more than Osbourne stated, youth unemployment over 20%, with unemployment rising and employment falling.

We have seen the banks unwilling to lend money to small to medium size businesses to invest to create wealth. This despite billions of pounds of tax payers money to refinance the banks and £275billion in quanative easing to put liquidity in the banking system.

The CONDEM governments belief that by slashing the public sector this would free up the private sector to grow, this has proved to be mistaken, this with the austerity programme has seen demand shrink in the country, we have seen some export growth but this is now beginning to show signs of weakening.

It is clear the current government has no plan to build a new economy, Labour has to develop a new economic and industrial policy.

Labour focus has to be on the generation of wealth for the many, a focus on changes to the tax system that rewards production and wealth creation and switch to taxing unproductive assets, a tax system that rewards research and development and training of staff.

A National Investment Bank that funds strategic business to create the new industries and innovation.

Government has to tackle rigged markets and create competitive markets where innovation can thrive.

The real challenge is to focus on the real economy, Labour must focus on jobs, wealth and the new economy, with a focus on an active and diverse market and to take on the vested interests that harms this agenda.

When I knew the game was up

2012-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

It was in 2006 that i knew the labour government was in trouble, when they lost an element of Labour values.

The issue was Farepak, a company that supplied Christmas hampers and vouchers for shopping in retail chains, this company had gone into administration with around 120,000 customers left without compensation.

These people whom were the responsible working class and the Labour government would not intervene to protect their savings, unlike the Icelandic banking crisis later.

These hamper companies depended on local people selling and collecting regular contributions to fund Christmas for their families.

The typical customer was low paid workers, generally women, doing the right thing saving for a good Christmas, not using credit cards or borrowing, but being prudent, a few pounds a week with the average customer losing £400.

It is five years since Farepak collapsed, but that nightmare of Christmas past is still being felt by many low income families. Savers are likely to recover just 5p in the pound, while the final bill for the administrators and their legal advisers has already exceeded £8m.

The total cost of debt owed to Farepak individual customers was in the region of £38 million, peanuts when considered to the amounts paid to save the banking system.

Today we have learned that 200 people have died since Farepak went bust and they never received compensation.

The Labour government should of intervened on behalf of low paid customers, instead it did not, they allowed corporates to get the best pickings of Farepak and forgot the pain of ordinary people, clearly legally Labour ministers did the right thing, but morally they were completely wrong, it seems to typify the prevailing mood that the little person is less valued than corporate giants.

One of the founding principles of my political identity is that people have to take responsibility, work hard and look after family and be active in their community.

The 10p tax rate was a further example of attacking low paid single people, both Farepak and the 10p tax cut were systematic of a loss of focus on the hard working low paid, if we look at those whom abandoned Labour in 2010 it was the social economic groups C & D.

For Labour's message to be authentic, they could well learn the lessons of Farepark, but I guess Labours spokespeople have forgotten about those low paid people who still await compensation, it's too late for the 200 whom have died.

The hard yards

2012-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Opposition is never easy, especially if you have been the party of government for over a decade.

The Labour party has rediscovered the impotence of opposition, for a period after the general election it was preoccupied with a leadership election and the displeasure at the Lib Dems abandoning there pre election positions. This gave the Conservatives legitimacy that they could not arrive through the ballot box and the implementation of an agenda that was not put before the electorate.

Now the Labour Party has to rediscover an authentic message, it has to clearly articulate 'what the Labour Party is for'.

There is much to oppose in the governments agenda and it's essential the Labour shadow ministers points out the failings. The Party will have to develop new ways of getting the medias interest, one failing has been the lack of visibility of shadow ministers.

But the Labour Party will have to better develop it's themes, the message, this has seemed confused last year, why the Labour Party does not point out it's great successes in government it is beyond me, the Labour Party has allowed it's opponents to rubbish it's whole period in government and they have rewritten history, without challenge.

Labour has to be on the side of working people, the Conservatives say they want to build the private sector jobs, they have no plan to do so, they believe further deregulation of the labour market will be the answer. Labour should learn the lessons of successful economies like Germany, increasing vocational education, easier access for business investment through regional banks and greater involvement of workers' representation in the long term planning of the companies. The British economy has to be rebalanced in favour of wealth creation over finance and services.

Labour implemented the welfare state and universal benefits based on 'social insurance' this based on a safety net, if you paid in then in times of uncertainty you could receive income. The long term sick and disabled should always be look after, but welfare should never be seen as a long term option. There has to be a heavier emphasis on contribution, responsibility over rights.

The most important relationships people have are with family and where people live, Labour has to be on the side of the family, the basis of all family life is a safe and secure home and safe and secure neighbourhoods.

The Labour Party has to support active competition and regulation to combat rigged markets, concentrated power is not in the interests of the little person, if banks, utilities, media or government over steps then there has to be consequences, to defend the interests of the consumers.

In 2012 the Labour Party needs to say what is here for, it cannot afford another year like 2011, if it does victory in 2015 will be much harder.

The Budget

2012-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

This is my first post of the new year, so happy new year.

Tuesday evening the Town Council met to decide the Council's annual budget for the financial year 2012/13.

The headline figures are that the overall budget was raised from £182,287 to £182,749with a Council tax increase of 3% or £1.25 per year or 2.5pence a week.

The changes in the budget was minimal, the Council has included an additional £5000 for environmental improvements, such as street cleaning, this to mitigate the cuts made by the Conservative Mendip District Council, there is also a hope to improve grass cutting, this is to be negotiated with our contractor, also as a result of cuts made by the Conservative Mendip Council.

The Town Council has also agreed to fund two new grit bins and two dog litter bins to be fitted in Shepton, a small budget has been allocated to partnership fund replacement of slabs in the Town Centre.

The Community grants has been divided in two, with £1000 for the Digital Arts Festival and £1000 for general community grants, there is no increase in the grant budget.

The other area of change was the commitment to the Skate Park in West Shepton, we set a new fund of £7000 for maintenance and other works and put aside £20,000 from reserves, this only to be drawn if the community group is successful with raising £200,000 for the new Skate Park.

The final change was to increase the parish council election contingency by £500.

The savings were; as the Townscape Heritage Initiative scheme has ended saving £5500,£5000 was not included in the Civic Hall fund and Contingencies was reduced by £5000.

There were a number of budgets that were underspent from this financial year that have been used for reserves; ShopJacket a regeneration scheme never happened this was £4,450, Highways budget this was £5000, work on the redundant telephone boxes £1500 and it is expected that there will be £9000 of underspent contingencies.

The Town Council decided to continue the funding for CCTV, I with two other councillors wanted this budget to fund youth services in Shepton, these youth services are to be axed by the Conservative County Council, Shepton will be without a professional youth service that offers help for young people, with issues like self esteem issues, peer pressure, sexual health etc.

The other area of concern is there is no budget to celebrate the Jubilee or for allotment expansion, this budget is not overly expansionary, it covers the services that we currently fund, with the additional demanded Skate Park and additional spend on MDC environmental cuts, so it looks like for the first time in my memory the Council is likely to spend all of it's budget, this will make next year interesting.

Reality Check

2011-12-27T04:40:00.000-08:00

To quote George Orwell, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

2011 has largely dominated by the failing economy and falling living standards, yet the Labour Party had made only modest gains in the local elections and made only marginal progress in the opinion polls.

Let's be clear though, Labour has been proven right on the consequences of the coalition governments handling of the economy, yet they have not received recognition in the opinion polls when people asked on economic competence.

I am convinced without a coherent message in a language people understand, political parties has very little chance of convincing the public of their agenda, this is Labour's problem and has been for years, the political narrative.

The European fiasco before Christmas amplified Labour's problem.

David Cameron went to the European Summit to defend the interests of the City of London, he vetoed the agreement, so the Europeans decided to go on without Britain, as many financial regulation are dealt with in the single market, much of financial regulation will go on anyway.

David Cameron's message was clear "standing up for Britain", it doesn't matter he effectively did not!

Labour were seen as unclear on it's policy, seen as supporting Europe and Austerity and at home wanting a more Keynesian economic stimulus, Labour should be saying, if the Europeans want to save the Euro then they should devalued the Euro with further fiscal integration and more power to the European Central Bank.

At home Labour's economic policy is to stimulate demand that create revenue and jobs, yet the European Summit wanted to legalise Austerity.

Why would Labour want to agree with centre right political parties in Europe, when
Labour does not believe to have balanced budgets in all parts of the economic cycle, government has to spend in recession to keep the economy going, this is not my view, it is also George Osbourne's as he is going to borrow £158 billion more than he said.

Labour needs to state that we have an over reliance of the City of London and need to a switch in focus to the productive economy, this won't happen by the private sector alone, the organs of government needs to be involved.

When the coalition government cut the Jobs For a Future Scheme and cut Educational Maintenance Allowance this has led to over £1 million (20%) young people out of work, these cuts have made employment opportunities worse now we see
Labour message of the productive economy and jobs with the responsibility of government and the individual to work.

To few media owners

2011-12-15T01:35:00.000-08:00

I watched a piece on Liverpool Football Clubs TV channel about a fundraiser for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and justice for the 96.

Long before the News of the World hacking scandal, Hillsborough showed the corruption of an over powerful newspaper in tandem with police and politicians who colluded with the media to portray football fans poorly to protect the incompetence of the organs of the state.

This was an early lesson and strongly chimes with my core belief, that injustice is destructive and needs to be tackled, whether by the state or private business.

The powerful have the tools, the power and the wealth to protect themselves, whether private Newspaper companies, incompetent police (as was the case at Hillsborough)and bigoted governments and the judges will side with the establishment as they are deeply conservative in their thinking.

The need to tackle vested interests is essential, too few owners of the media, too much power concentrated, as we see with the current Levenson inquiry, with sections of the media was out of control, with apparent disregard of law, for a healthy democracy, there is a need for a diverse, open and accountable media.

There appears to be little protection for the little person, the Press Complaints system, is a sham, there is no power to investigate or punish poor news pieces in the newspapers.

Even this last week the former editor of the News International title that lied about Liverpool fans in 1989 had to retract a statement he made on the BBC this week, so tabloid sorts don't change.

Homelessness up 13% this year

2011-12-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

The number of households declared homeless so far this year is up by 13 per cent from the same period last year, according to Government figures out today.

35,680 households have been accepted as homeless by local authorities since the start of 2011.

This is also borne out by a recent CAB meeting where it was stated issues raised around home ownership had increased by 36% this year, it was also thought that the worst was still to come as lenders see little point in repossessing as the market is poor. Levels of debt are high, with mortgage arrears and secured loans are up 26%.

And with rising unemployment, with less secure employment and an increases in fuel bills and a continued squeeze on living costs, the picture is unlikely to improve any time soon.

The number of new affordable homes being built for the first half of this year have fallen by 97% on the same time last year, to a mere 454 homes, it can’t be a surprise that unemployment is rising, when one of our most labour-intensive industries is collapsing.

There is now a real challenge with housing for government, this government policies of increasing the cost of new tenancies, with reduced tenure will hurt low paid workers the most, this coupled with few new social lets will force people into expensive private landlords.

Shelter says "we know only too well that being made homeless, or living each day under the constant threat of homelessness, is a horrific experience that can tear families apart. That’s why we will be doing all we can to help those who are struggling this Christmas"

Sadly our millionaire cabinet are turning a blind eye.

Real People

2011-12-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when writing about the economy it's easy not to remember the human misery that lay behind data and statistics.

I attended the CAB meeting tonight and for example the CAB has seen mortgage arrears and secured loans has risen by 26% this year, the CAB is helping Mendip residents with £15million of debt. With average debt per client of £20/30,000

The resolution foundation this week reported on the Autumn statement by the government, it reports that scrapping the planned increases in Child Tax Credit and freezing more elements of the Working Tax Credit takes money from those who can least afford it, with more than three-quarters of the £1.2bn savings planned for 2012coming from the bottom half of the income distribution.

Cuts to the Child Tax Credit will mean families lose the extra £110 per child they had been expecting in 2012, and the freezing of the Working Tax Credit will reduce the incomes of working families by a further £100. Around 5.5 million families will lose as a result of the changes to Child Tax Credits with 2 million facing a double hit because of the Working Tax Credit changes.

The new announcements come on top of major cuts to tax credits previously announced in the October 2010 Spending Review and June 2010 Budget, including:
- a three year freeze in the basic and 30 hour elements of the Working Tax Credit from April 2011
- a reduction in the proportion of childcare costs parents can claim back through Working Tax Credits, from 80% to 70% from April 2011
- an increase in the rate at which tax credits are withdrawn, from 39 percent to 41 percent from April 2011
- the removal of the £575 families element from more middle income families from April 2012
Total cuts to tax credits announced by the coalition now amount to approximately £2.9 billion in 2012-13, around 10 percent of the total tax credit budget.

These families still have to pay their bills, with increases to food, fuel and energy bills with inflation running well above earnings.

The government have made a decision to switch taxes from companies onto individuals; a) The amount of taxes raised from the consumers & workers in the form of income tax, NICs & VAT is set to grow by 3.1% this parliament.
b) The amount of taxes raised from business through Corporation Tax, Business Rates & Oil and Gas is set to fall by a hefty 9.4% this parliament.

With the government reducing help for middle income families and raising their taxes it's no wonder consumer confidence is low and debt is on the increase.

Pensions

2011-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I attended the Bristol March in support of the public sector workers who were striking to defend their pension provision.

Today I was in Wells High Street, gauging public opinion on the strike doing a questionnaire.

There is no doubt the government chooses to divide public opinion on public sector pensions, this is easy to do, as many in the private sector do not have access or the ability to afford a private pension.

Public sector workers, Ambulance workers, Nurses and Teachers for example are valued people within our society and deserve to be rewarded in terms of their salaries and conditions.

The Office of Budget Responsibility has in July 2011 has stated that current public sector pension will decrease as a portion of nation income by a third.

Yet the proposed government changes would see a 42 year old nurse pay an extra £283 a year and have to work seven years longer and a 31 year old teaching assistant will pay £388 extra a year and work three extra years.

The government are looking to effectively save £2billion from public sector workers.

There is a huge problem with pensions in the private sector, between those who do not have employers schemes or cannot afford them and with top directors in the private sector (FTSE 100 directors) have pensions worth nearly £4 million on average.

For the Unions and public sector workers to win this argument the solution to extending decent pension provision to the private sector will have to be sought, this will mean the Unions have to change their approach and campaign in a more effective way with private sector workers and increase penetration in the workplace.

Politically, the case has to be made for a secure future for all, this will mean a revaluation of tax and benefit system, with tough choices made.

The bottom line is the country needs to be more productive, the government needs to help restructure the economy, developing an industrial strategy around innovation of new technologies that produce goods for the country and away from casino banking.

Self defeating

2011-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Today we saw more evidence of the economic woes, with real income falling by 3.5% in 2011, with wages not increasing as fast as inflation.

The headline figures also masked sizeable falls in pay for some of the UK's lowest-earning professions – and sizeable salary boosts for senior managers and directors.

Workers in "elementary occupations", a classification including labourers, farm workers, postal workers and others, saw their typical pay fall 0.9% against its 2010 level, while professional pay rose 1% and managerial salaries rose 0.5%.

Directors and chief executives of leading organisations enjoyed the most sizeable pay rises, with median earnings up 15% to £112,157, in part a result of trends shifting earnings to basic pay and away from bonuses.

Salaries of senior corporate managers also increased substantially – up 7.1% year-on-year to £77,679.

Today's figures confirm that 2011 has been a year of wage stagnation, with pay rises far outstripped by inflation, and low-paid employees being squeezed particularly hard.

Falling wages and self-defeating austerity have been the main reasons for the UK's economic woes, rather than a eurozone crisis which has yet to fully show up in official statistics.

The coalition government also announced today that they wish to further undermine workers rights with giving employers more power to sack workers for under-performance and less time to enjoy full employment rights.

These changes further strengthen the hands of employers.

Yet the real needs of business are being neglected, access to reasonably priced investment funds that are accessible for investing in their businesses for innovation and expansion, the need to look at tax for employing new staff and boosting manufacturing and technologies.

More evidence of insecurity

2011-11-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

The resolution foundation has conducted a opinion poll with MORI, the poll confirms fewer people feel secure in their employment, part time workers feel even less secure than full time workers.

32% of people have cut back on their spending this year and a further 20% of people expect to continue cutting their spending next.

With dismal unemployment figures and latest official statistics also showing dramatic falls in consumer spending and the proportion of overall household income that is saved rising again, the signs are that households are preparing themselves
for the worst as they batten down the hatches financially.

An Office for National Statistics (ONS) report that VAT takes more from the poor than the rich has merely contributed to the growing impression that we are not all in this together.

Much of the current weakness in the economy is due to a generalised loss of confidence in the ability of policymakers to put in place appropriate responses. It is therefore imperative to act decisively to restore confidence and to implement appropriate policies to restore longer-term fiscal sustainability at a pace that depends on the size of the fiscal challenge as well as the state of the economy and to strengthen long-term growth, this translate to Plan A isn't working.

Coalition has no answers on housing

2011-10-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we had the CEO and leader of Mendip District Council come to the Town Council and I asked them about their housing policies, I suggested that their housing strategy was not robust enough; pointing out that they had achieved their desired 74 affordable units for the year and this was a "pin prick" on dealing with MDC housing list.

Most indignant were they? Oh yes, they have a waiting list of over 3,000 and so it will take 50yrs before they can house the people on it and this discounts the annual addition needs.

Then we have the hapless Shapps, a modern comic. When asked about the National Housing Federation and Shelter report he was asked whether the report’s findings kept him awake at night, he responded: “I’d rather be judged by what real people experience in the real world and as Housing Minister my job is to look after all housing, not just social homes, which tends to be the focus of the likes of Shelter, CIH and the NHF

So there we have it, slightly concerning the minister is unconcerned about the National Housing Federation, Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing found he and the Coalition is falling short across a number of areas including ensuring sufficient housing supply, tackling homelessness and improving affordability in the private rented sector.

With unemployment rising and a need for growth a targeted home building scheme would help provide growth in the economy and tackle the areas of concern, the housing crisis should be treated as a top political priority to prevent an already desperate situation become even more grim for the millions of people in need of a home.

Inflating Osbourne

2011-10-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today confirmed the misery that the majority of the people are facing.

Inflation is at 5.2% at the Consumer price index, the government chosen measure of inflation, with the retail price index moving up to 5.6%.

Last weeks news that the Bank of England will pump another £75 billion into the banks will generate even more inflation.

As a result of the higher inflation, government spending on pensions and other benefits will be £1.2 billion higher in 2012/13 than the Office Budget Responsibility thought.

It is now looking like the Conservatives actions are starting to come home to bite them, because of their cuts and loose economic language they have curtailed growth, they are a failed government that does not have a "coherent and credible" plan for growth.

So we are in a cycle of rising unemployment and higher benefits payments, low wage increases and lower spending with banks not lending meaning less investment in industry, we see a lost generation of 1million young unemployed.

With all this will the government actually cut the deficit at all, are we to see a lost decade of stagnant growth and high inflation.

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to today's inflation figures, said "January’s mistaken VAT rise has fuelled inflation and should be temporarily reversed to ease the squeeze on families and kick-start the economy. This would give a couple with children an average boost of £450 a year and is part of Labour's five point plan for jobs and growth. The Government also needs to do much more to stem soaring energy bills, especially when families are already being hit by the VAT rise and pensioners will get a lower winter fuel allowance this year.

"We need an emergency budget for jobs and growth now because with every day that passes when Ministers just sit on their hands living standards are squeezed harder, more businesses go bust and hundreds more people join the dole queue."

When 2+2=4

2011-10-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today's unemployment figures are genuinely "horrific", we cannot be surprised, for the previous twelve months I have been writing quoting many people whom as said the Conservative liberal government Plan A wasn't working.

Unemployment is now at a 17 year high, with a million young people unemployed and unemployment increasing for the previous seven months.

The 178,000 slump in employment in the quarter to August is the biggest fall in more than two years and the largest-ever cut in the number of part-time workers, down by 175,000.

Around 150,000 people were made redundant in the latest three months, an increase of 6,000 over the previous quarter.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "These are terrible figures. The Government's austerity measures have turned unemployment into a full-blown crisis - with job losses not seen since the darkest days of the recession."

"This shouldn't really come as a surprise – the economy is growing at half the pace it needs to in order to keep unemployment stable. That isn't going to change any time soon – in fact it is probably going to get worse," said Alan Clarke, of Scotia Capital.

James Carrick, of Legal and General Investment Management, said the Treasury's cuts were responsible for pushing the economy to the brink of recession. "Despite announcing the harshest austerity plan since the second world war, the government has been predicting a steady economic expansion," he said. "This implied the biggest private sector boom ever." Instead, said Carrick, businesses were cutting back; recession was now a serious risk.

George Osborne and his team believed in expansionary fiscal contractions which meant that cuts in public spending allow the private sector to blossom. There was no believable empirical evidence to support such a contention and it hasn't worked, in the current economic environment it has no chance.

How social democrates can stay with the liberals in the lib Dems is beyond me, the economically right wing government is returning Britain to a time of a divided rather unpleasant country where people are more insecure, more frightened and people turn in on themselves.

All progressive people should stand together, to tackle the great evils of our society; Far too much low paid work and people on benefits, A health service being destroyed by the same financial interests that caused the financial crisis, the need to develop education, expand child services to promote social and emotional intelligence and garner the talents of people , the need for an expansion in affordable housing and to develop an Industrial policy to create real jobs.

This is a choice of the sort of country we want to live, and this is the choice of a deeply divided country with a huge gulf between the "haves" and the "have nots" this is explained with George Osbournes expansionary fiscal contraction; savage cuts in public expenditure, lots of private borrowing and then the reward of tax cuts from a smaller less effective state.

We must reject this shallow, narrow view. We need a country where the five giant evils are tackled.

Democratic breakdown

2011-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Polly Toynbee is reporting that the NHS "health and social care bill" is being implemented before the House of Lords has scrutinise this piece of legislation.

The CONDEM government never sought a mandate for a top down reorganisation of the National Health Service, neither the Conservative nor the Liberal Democrats placed this proposal in their 2010 manifesto.

The House of Lords should be constitutionally affronted that this reorganisation is already imposed on the NHS without waiting for their consent. No one can remember a similar case of pre-legislative implementation, as if parliament were irrelevant.

Polly Toynbee is reporting the NHS is;

Without waiting for the legislation to be passed into an Act and seeking Royal Approval: 300 clinical commissioning groups are taking over, nominally run by GPs. Private sector involvement is already compulsory: by this month every commissioner must find at least three outside providers for diagnostic tests, audiology, primary care psychological therapies, treatment for back pain, feet and other services.

Department of Health website instructions say: "Commissioners cannot refuse to accept providers once they have qualified." That's what "any qualified provider means" and it's happening now – forget the law. McKinsey and other consultants are already being paid millions by commissioners to work out the payment system.

How do these new providers become "qualified"? They must register with the Care Quality Commission, the regulator whose severe stress was revealed over the Winterbourne View scandal. Created from merging three bodies, plus possibly the human fertilisation authority, this bill gives it the new HealthWatch too. Can they cope? CQC has 30% less cash than the bodies it replaced. Last year it cut inspections by 70%. It has just 900 inspectors to cover 18,000 care homes, 8,000 GP practices, 400 NHS hospital trusts, 9,000 dental practices and now every new "qualified" entrant. Will the Lords really think proliferating providers will be sufficiently inspected?

Why should the NHS be opened up to EU competition law? Other than private companies to cherry pick the NHS and Social Services.

I have tasted the new NHS, I had chronic pain in my ankle and needed to see a Podiatrist, my GP offered me a piece of paper with a private practice on it, as a footnote my treatment cost about £400 to put the ankle right, so future commissioning services will not be done in your GP surgery: the 300 CCGs will be cut back to many fewer, commissioning from afar and often outsourced to private companies.

The democratic deficit doesn't stop at the government, parliament with lose control and if the health and social care bill is enacted, it will be illegal for parliament to intervene in this newly formed Quango.

Power will pass to the Conservative friends that fund that Party, insurance groups and private health interests.

Where are the Liberal Democrats, Tessa Munt (my) MP Lib Dems for Wells has loyally supported the coalition government on this legislation (Vote Lib Dem get Tory), they have lost all credibility, they have lost their identity and hopefully Lib Dems will be wiped out after the next election.

The NHS has high satisfaction figures, it is efficient and effective at delivering health provision, but the cuts the coalition government is imposing £20 billion, we are seeing waiting lists growing.

The tragedy is the end of the NHS is near and the people are oblivious to the fact, like the banker with the five ace hand (or a shed load of cheap credit easing), the people cheated out of one of the greatest institutions.

"Child like" government continues

2011-10-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Even Conservative ministers believe their own colleagues say child like things, especially concerning cats so it seems.

Then we have our Chancellor George Osbourne in January 2009: "Printing money is the last resort of desperate governments when all other policies have failed." October 2011: The Bank of England has said it will inject a further £75bn into the economy through quantitative easing.

So when Osbourne has a couple of minutes be could leave a comment on this blog to say which statement is correct.

I have read no justification of this new government policy, it was abundantly clear in late 2008 -09 there was a real need to inject liquidity into the economy.

In 2011 we must genuinely be fearful that this latest round of quantitative easing will lead to inflationary pressures, with the RPI now at 5% this additional money has to end up costing someone.

That someone will be people on low to medium incomes, Osbourne's policy seems to want to inflate our debt away without tackling the financial interests that caused the original financial crash.

Osbourne will offer some free money to banks and the rest of us will pay for it, sounds familiar doesn't it.

Paralysed by Dogma

2011-10-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

So the Prime Minister believe that people are "paralysed by gloom and fear", I suspect Mr Cameron's speech writers would know why this is!

Mr Cameron and his friend Osbourne has misled the people on basic economic facts, deliberately confusing issues between what is "debt" and what is "deficit", clearly very clever politics talking up a none existing sovereign debt crisis, saying the UK was going bust, factually incorrect.

Then we have the Thatcherite economics of treating the economy as household accounts, this economically illiterate verbiage should be challenged, Cameron's call for credit cards to be paid off, was quickly denied, but it's the weakness of his governments thinking.

The thought anyone would buy a house on a credit card is mildly bonkers, so is cutting government spending too deep too fast, at the same time as consumer spending is in fragile state and then increasing VAT at the same as cutting corporation tax cuts for huge corporations, yet it is the small to medium businesses that need help are not getting it.

The country's biggest retailer Tesco, reported its first six-monthly decline in underlying UK sales for 20 years as Britons were forced it cut back not only on extras like clothing and household gadgets but their weekly grocery shop.

So today we have seen growth revised down to 0.1% leaving growth of 0% for the previous 9 months, we see no plan for growth and not a coherant plan, we need a more intelligent approach.

Cameron and Osbourne needs to end the dogma of Plan A, without some boosting of demand and investment in business, a double dip recession is looking likely, this without the Euro Zone developing crisis.

Mr Cameron, another group who are holding the economy back, perhaps?

2011-10-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Following on from yesterday announcement that you can be sacked unfairly from your employer and have no rights to seek justice from an Employment Tribunal for the first two years of service, today I offer Mr Cameron another set of people to victimise.

Let me start by saying I will leave the latest notorious Bullingdon Club claims alone.

No, these people are those who's requires benefits and housing benefits are suffering from cuts presided over by the Conservative led government, these benefit changes has created real poverty, one example of this people who cannot afford to feed themselves.

According to the charity, FareShare, http://www.faresharesouthwest.org.uk/ which redistributes surplus food from major manufacturers and supermarkets to social care charities, said its donations now go to 35,000 people a day, an increase from 29,000 last year.

The Charity are obviously in need of continual supplies and say "We're asking anyone who works in the food industry in any capacity to look at what is happening to their surplus food and to ask themselves a simple question: 'Could this food stop someone going hungry?"'

These people of course cannot say they'll leave the country if income tax stays at 50% or a transaction tax is implemented to pay for the utter negligent of leading bankers.

The poor are now paying the price for those people arrogant indifference to long term security of their financial businesses, for short term returns for themselves and shareholders who was more interested in high dividends.

This country has to accept that government has to be more interventionist, the last thirty years of liberal economics has rewarded those who has power, the consequence is the welfare state, the safety net we can rely on hard times, is shot full of holes.

The Beverage Report recommended that the government, a Labour government implemented it when the Country was virtually bankrupt, should find ways of fighting the five 'Giant Evils' of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

This CONDEM government is prosiding over benefit cuts that require charity food parcels, the NHS waiting lists are increasing and proposing further rationalising through a "top down reorganisation", Children centres closing and academies again rationalising provision, a shortage of affordable housing and increasing evidence of poor housing as indentified by "Rogue Landlords" by Shelter and we see now over 20% of young people unemployed with the Labour government's Educational Maintenance Allowance, Jobs for a Future Scheme removed.

These are the challenges a government should be interested in, further liberalising of the economy will only lead to further queing for food parcels and the anger will grow, then watch out!

The Cracks are showing

2011-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

So another week and another series of poor stories for the government and it's handling of the economy.

So it is no surprise today that one of it's most influential backbenchers, the chairman of the Treasury Select Committee Andrew Tyrie has said the CONDEM government does not have a "coherent and credible" plan for growth.

He went on to say "A coherent and credible plan for the long-term economic growth rate of the UK economy is needed."

This echos the call by the Labour leader Ed Miliband at last weeks Labour conference.

The real problems of business of course is business confidence and their ability to raise capital to invest in developing their businesses in terms of development and job creation.

Will Hutton, who chairs the Big Innovation Centre, a partnership of 10 global companies including Google and GlaxoSmithKline, said the government needed to put more energy and long-term thought into making Britain a home for new sectors, for instance technology.

"It is this sense of lack of mobilisation, lack of sense of purpose that is dismaying everyone," he said.

So, instead of investing in Universities and financing a Green Investment bank & Innovation Banks to develop the "New Economy" we see a typical Tory response to a crisis caused by a banking crisis; to attack workers rights.

The latest wheeze from Osbourne is to attack workers rights, this workers with less than two years' service will be prevented from taking their employers to a tribunal for unfair dismissal.

This thinking comes from a belief it is workers that cause businesses to fail, but all the evidence points to small and medium sized businesses being starved of investment capital by Bankers.

These financiers of course fund the Tory Party, like hedge fund managers, who's role in life is to use peoples money to gamble on the future and make a profit, this sector gives £1.4million to the Tories.

Then we have the bankers, the same people who pay themselves huge bonuses for no real performance and starve business capital, they pay the Tories over £600,000 in the last year.

Then we have the insurance companies just about £180,000 a year to the Tories and for this curbs on Legal Aid Budget £350m and shift part of the costs of bringing no win, no fee cases from losing defendants to winning claimants. This reduces the liabilities of companies and their insurers if they unsuccessfully defend a claim, because it will force claimants to pay out of any awarded damages their lawyers' success fees and insurance policies that cover court costs.

With the five biggest building companies donating hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Tories in the last year, now we see the unfortunate Pickles saying he wants to "load the dice" in favour of developers.

So big businesses investment are baring their fruits in terms of government policies.

As the GMB union responded to the Conservative Party's proposals on employment rights, saying: "The Tory Party is increasingly being funded by the asset strippers and predators. That explains why the Tories want to reduce the employment rights of ordinary workers not to be sacked from their livelihoods unfairly. They are the same old nasty Tories now in the pockets of the predatory elite."

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2011-09-24T01:45:00.000-07:00

Last evening I attended a public meeting at the Bell Hotel Inn concerning a potential referendum on the working party for a new Civic Centre proposed by a slight majority of the Town Council.

Originally, this meeting was billed as a Town Meeting, with the aim of calling a Parish Poll (referendum), the organisers of the meeting had contacted Mendip District Council, the Chairman of the Town Council.

To call a Town Meeting you have to follow a series of actions;

Place advertisements of the meetings in a public place with an Agenda. Not less than seven clear days, or, in a case falling within sub-paragraph (3) below, not less than fourteen clear days, before a parish meeting, public notice of the meeting shall be given, specifying the time and place of the intended meeting and the business to be transacted at the meeting, and signed by the person or persons convening the meeting.

Public notice of a parish meeting shall be given—
(a)by posting a notice of the meeting in some conspicuous place or places in the parish, and
(b)in such other manner, if any, as appears to the person or persons convening the meeting to be desirable for giving publicity to the meeting

A parish meeting shall not be held in [F29premises which at the time of the meeting may, by virtue of a premises licence or temporary event notice under the Licensing Act 2003, be used for the supply of alcohol (within the meaning of section 14 of that Act)] , except in cases where no other suitable room is available for such a meeting either free of charge or at a reasonable cost.

I had some concerns that some of the criteria had not been followed and so I had as Chairman of the Town Council to challenge whether this was a Town Meeting.

If I had of been content that it was a Town Meeting, I as Chairman would have legally chaired the meeting and my clerk would have minuted the meeting.

The reason why these matters of procedure are so important is that an incorrect calling of a Parish Poll, would be challenged by the Town Council. Mendip District Council if they had organised incurring expense on an invalid Poll and would be challengeable by the Town Council as improper expenditure and not capable of being reimbursed by the Town Council; thus leaving the District with unlawful expenditure which would be open to highlight at Audit.

So, I was left between a rock and a hard place.

I had to decide whether I deemed it a legally organised Town meeting.

I also knew that they're were enough people to call a Parish Poll at the meeting and that those people attending would consider I was blocking their aspirations to show the new Civic Centre at Park Road was an expense people did not want to incur.

Fortunately, the people at the meeting decided to hold another meeting within fourteen days, I thanked them for their understanding and appreciated their frustrations but I had to conduct my role as Chairman, whatever my personal thoughts were.

As the Town Council had not voted any money to investigate the Civic Hall project and the Audit Commission had written a report as Guidance for Local Councils, I assured the meeting that there was no rush to proceed with the call for a Poll last evening and they're was sufficient time, if enough electors wanted to pursue a Parish Poll.

I cannot see any way the civic centre can be built without the electors of Shepton agreeing to the project, this through a poll, the only question is the best time to hold the poll.

Is the best time to hold a Poll now? The advantage of this if the poll was successful rejecting the Civic Hall would stop the Town Council spending money and effort, as the Town Council has the potential of affordable premises.

Or is it better to wait to see if a viable plan for a Civic Hall ever sees the light of day before holding a Poll?

This question is not in my gift, however I will conduct my role as Chairman and the Town Council within the law and uphold the best traditions of the Shepton Mallet Town Council.

Where is the leadership?

2011-09-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

I cannot help but think, where are all the great heavyweight political leaders gone? Normally we need not worry, but over the previous weeks we have seen an avalanche of economic data that suggests the economy is heading for recession.

Likewise across the Channel, we see an Europe of centre right politicians in Sarkozy and Merkel who cannot offer any solution to the Euro Crisis, it is to big for them, they seem unable to believe capitalism is failing, unwilling to make the right decisions and reinstate confidence in the markets.

The Little Ingerlanders, namely the Conservatives believe if they cut spending increase taxes for individuals whilst rewarding the big corporations with corporation tax cuts this will stimulate growth, yet the engine of our economy are small and middle sized companies their problems are getting credit to innovate, expand and invest in new plant and product, the Conservatives and little Vince have not tackled this issue.

Neither does Cameron or Osbourne show international economic diplomacy, they believe their failed economic approach will keep the UK insulated against the EuroZone, this miscalculation is as daft as their austerity plan. The European Union greatest success over it's life has seen the integration of markets and businesses, so if Europe goes down, whether we are in the Euro or not, we'll go down with them.

The Americans also seem incapable of agreeing a coherent plan, the Republicans seem to want to bring Obama down and if the American economy goes with him, then their purity has been preserved.

In 2008 Gordon Brown convinced the countries around the world to take action to save the banking sector from meltdown, confidence was restored to the markets, but then it was business as usual, banks carried on, banks to big to fail.

The centre right politics has failed, we need desperately for the centre left Social Democrats to stand up, we need a fundamental review of banking

Just a trim Mr Osbourne

2011-09-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

George Osbourne's favorite group the IMF has downgraded the growth figure for the UK economy to just 1.1% for this year and only 1.7% for the next financial year.

The gloomy outlook should make Chancellor George Osborne rethink his tough programme of spending cuts and tax increases for the many and tax cuts for big corporations, even the IMF who had previously given full backing to his austerity measures are now calling for a softening of Osbournes approach.

The Chancellor's deficit reduction plans have been challenged by business leaders, economists and opposition politicians in recent months as the economic outlook for the UK deteriorates.

The IMF said the UK will continue to struggle and advised that a slower pace of deficit reduction would be necessary were the economy to continue to expand less rapidly than expected.

So, even George Osbourne favorite financial group now supports action to support growth. The coalition government despite huge public sector cuts and tax increases still has £12billion structural deficit higher then they predicted, this will worsen if growth stays low.

The real issue here is despite all the pain, the CONDEM government will borrow the same or slightly more than Labour and next year Labour's plan would have seen borrowing fall, but if the IMF claim the budget deficit will be 1.4% higher under the CONDEMs.

The CONDEMs medicine isn't working, in the IMFs own words we are now facing a “lost decade” (the IMF’s words) and growth is being serially downgraded, we need a change of course and we need it now.

Revisionism and the utter useless

2011-09-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

When the Conservatives try to revise history you understand it, like they conveniently forget they argued before the financial crash in 2007/08 for even weaker regulation of the financial sector and criticized the previous government for not spending enough.

This when they were in there "hug a hoodie" and wrapping themselves in environmental issues, you know Cameron and the husky dog.

All this gone now, now Austerity, rip up policies to promote growth and improve education of our young people. Choke of demand by increasing tax especially VAT and destroy jobs by front loading the public sector redundancies and then frightening people to lose confidence, this undoubtedly has been clever politic (blame Labour for everything and deny what you were saying at the same time)but it is lousy economics.

The Lib Dems are at it now; you the know the party that said no increase in Tuition fees, support Educational Maintenance Allowance; the party of no slamming the brakes on the economy and VAT increases; the party of no intervention into foreign civil wars.

My constituency MP Tessa Munt, you know the MP who has only rebelled once against the government, this on select committees, so no revolt on the economy or VAT rises, no revolt on Education, no revolt on the NHS, etc etc.

Why should the people of the Wells constituency vote Lib Dem, if you have an MP would supports a Conservative government, then vote conservative, why would you vote anything else, if you want an alternative, then vote for one.

So this week the Lib Dems meet for their Annual Conference, Cutter in Chief, Danny Alexander says the coalition will target tax evaders, the annual dusting off a populist policy for public consumption, but government has to be more, talking is fine in opposition, stop the con job, just get on with the job of stopping tax evasion, stop demoralising tax staff, stop making tax officers redundant and create a framework that allows tax efficient collection.

So now we have Sarah Teather, you know the government minister in the Tuition debate wouldn't speak to Skynews on her door step, is at it, rubbishing the previous government.

From the Polly Toynbee piece from the Guardian

"It's time to challenge Labour's wasted years. " Says Ms Teather lays claim to things Labour did - three free hours a day nursery for all three and four year olds, and deprived two year olds. She boasts of her pupil premium for poor children - yet the sum is less than all the programmes for deprived children she axed. She says it covers remedial reading but with no ringfenced cash it's still less than Labour's Every Child a Reader. She promises out of school clubs - but everywhere they are closing. Labour almost completed its extended schools programme with breakfast and homework clubs for all - many now shutting. She promises fairer school admissions, but Gove has relaxed the code and banned lotteries for places in oversubscribed schools, the fairest of all. She announces voluntary parenting classes yet Labour had them in most sure start children's centres - many now stopped. Her parenting classes will be "piloted in three or four areas" as if she never knew how well they did or how popular they were.

Whatever Labour's other failings, young children got universal free nurseries, 3,500 Sure Starts, child care credits and much more. The Teather technique is echoed in other speeches here: are these ministers ignorant - or just hoping everyone else is?

So whilst ordinary Lib Dem members are decent people, their leadership are in denial, the cock has crowed thrice and they've denied their previous election programme, all they have left is to attack Labour, they're souls are naked in front of Toryism, in 2015 we can rid ourselves of these people.

The One Million Pound Question

2011-09-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Something very local to Shepton.

If you had (or borrowed), a million pounds, what are Shepton Mallet's priorities?

Please discuss, I look forward to comments. What your Town Council should do?

The Fruits of Osbourne

2011-09-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

After weeks of saying Manufacturing was slowing, services were slowing and constructions orders were falling, today we saw the fruits of George Osbourne's Labour, Unemployment rose by 80,000.

These job loses have been predicted, there was never the slightest prospect of a expansionary fiscal contraction in the depths of a once in a hundred years financial crisis.

It is the Young and women are paying the highest price, with the Youth unemployment rate of 20.8 per cent, the highest since 1992. The 18-24 employment rate (57.3 per cent) is the lowest since 1992

Austerity and the global slowdown are now crimping private sector job creation; in the last quarter, net job creation there slipped to 41,000. But public sector cuts are now gaining momentum, with 111,000 jobs lost in the last quarter and probably more to come

The Office for Budget Responsibility said unemployment would peak at 8.2 per cent, was over-optimistic; their other unemployment forecast, that the claimant count would peak at 1.54 million, has already been overtaken.

The cycle continues downward, more unemployed, low growth, so what does George Osbourne do know?

He says more of the same, with that there is no chance of an upturn any time soon.

The Pain has just begun

2011-09-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today the Institute of Fiscal Studies reported that household incomes has fallen sharply 2010-11 saw the biggest fall in net household income since 1981.

The impact of public spending cuts and tax rises on UK household incomes will be felt for up to 10 years, as the worst effects of the recession are yet to be felt.

In the most recent financial year, earnings, state benefits and tax credits all fell in real terms.

This is a direct impact of the governments Austerity packages, they have cut demand by cancelling government projects, they chose to increase VAT to 20%, and cut benefits to low income families, they chose to reduce the public sector.

They chose to reward big business with corporation tax cuts, yet small businesses claim the reason why they cannot expand is the banking system refusing to lend money for business investment. Corporation Tax cuts will benefit Banks by £20 billion in this parliament.

We see our fuel costs rising dramatically, this because of lack of competition, the fuel companies behave more like a cartel, increasing diversity would offer a better deal for the consumer.

Like wise the banking system, we need a much more diverse banking system, we need the government to establish investment funds and innovation funds and invest in the new green technologies, only by economic growth can living standards will increase.

My eleven year old nephew told me "you know it is a matter of tax and not spending", I thought he gets it, the reason for our deficit is the falling off a cliff in tax revenues, if we do not grow the economy, boost the new economy and new industries creating new jobs, then the circle of lower tax, more cuts meaning more and more of the same.

Now of course the deficit cannot be ignored, but under Osbourne's Austerity plan we could borrow as much this year as last, so the cuts and tax rises have made no difference, it is time for a change of policy or a change of government.

Crisis on Housing

2011-09-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

The BBC are reporting that Homelessness has increased by 17% over the last twelve months.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14838969

In my town the Citizens Advice Bureau are saying housing is the fastest growing problem, all aspects of housing, whether mortgage difficulties, private landlords lettings or homelessness, this is a real cause for concern.

The CAB also say, the housing problem is growing and has the real likelihood of getting much worse, the housing market is so weak, it makes no sense for lenders to foreclose on mortgage defaulters or private landlords to cash in on their investments, their is also a fear that cuts to housing benefit and other benefits and a stagnant wage market will lead to further cuts in household budgets.

The government is about to further attack the under thirty five year olds currently 25-34 year-olds can claim housing benefit based on the cost of renting a one-bedroom flat. Under changes proposed by the Coalition, from 2012 they will only be able to claim enough for a room in a shared house. This is grossly unfair, if you are young and single, you've paid tax but fall on hard times you'll get less benefit than a thirty six year old that has never worked, for example.

If under thirty five year olds get less income, their risk of homelessness increases greatly.

Under section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act it is easy for a landlord to evict a tenant;

Section 8

Rent is unpaid when the notice seeking possession is served, and at the time of the hearing for a Possession Order:

Rent is paid weekly or fortnightly and at least eight weeks' rent is owed.

Rent is paid monthly and at least two months' rent is owed.

Rent is paid quarterly and at least one quarter's rent is more than three months overdue.

Rent is paid yearly and at least three months' rent is more than three months overdue.

Ground 10

Rent which is lawfully due to the landlord has not been paid by the time the possession proceedings are started and was owed at the time the Notice seeking possession was served.

If a landlord has been offered money for rent by the tenant but has refused to take it, the tenant will have a defence in the possession proceedings.

Ground 11

The tenant has failed repeatedly to pay rent on time. There don't have to be rent arrears at the time possession proceedings started.

If a tenant makes themselves homeless by whatever means then local authorities can/will not rehouse.

I have reported the weakness of the construction industry, we have builders unemployed, we have a housing problem, we have a stagnant economy, we need a stimulus, it makes perfect sense to bring forward a plan to build affordable homes for people who need them.

Services gloom

2011-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

After reporting the slowdown in the manufacturing and construction industries today we have seen further evidence of the UKs faltering economy with the service sector reporting the biggest slowdown since 2001 when there was a outbreak of foot and mouth. "Allied with soft manufacturing data and a slowdown in construction growth, the overall picture provided by the latest PMI surveys is one of a stuttering UK private sector," said Markit's senior economist, Paul Smith.

Today service sector figures are the second worse ever, merely above contraction rate, David Noble, chief executive of CIPS, described the drop in the services purchasing managers' index as "eye-watering". It sent the pound falling to a six-week low of $1.6103 against the dollar.

The governments austerity measures are eating into economic demand, and could push us towards a double-dip recession.

"The PMI suggests that economic growth in the third quarter of 2011 is unlikely to improve on the 0.2% seen in the three months to June, and a contraction in the final quarter looks a distinct possibility unless business and consumer confidence improve noticeably in coming months," Chris Williamson of Markit warned.

Angela Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said in response to today’s services index showing the biggest monthly fall for a decade:

“These figures add to a bleak picture for the UK economy, which has flatlined since last autumn’s spending review and the VAT rise.

“It's no wonder that even the Chancellor's former supporters, from the head of the IMF to the founder of the world’s biggest bond fund, are now warning of the dangers of cutting too far and too fast and urging a change of course.

“Our complacent Chancellor needs to realise that carrying on regardless with a plan that isn’t working is not a credible policy. We need leadership on the world stage to agree a global plan for growth and a more balanced deficit plan that puts jobs and growth first. To kick-start the economy the Government should temporarily cut VAT and use the money raised from a tax on bank bonuses to build thousands of affordable homes and get people off the dole and into work."

Not Building on Osbournomics

2011-09-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Office for National Statistics reported that orders for the construction industry was 23% down on the same quarter a year ago, this fall is the sharpest fall since 1980. This fall in orders is truly shocking.

Areas in the south and west were hardest hit – with north London, Bristol and the Medway in Kent suffering some of the largest falls.

Employment in the construction sector has fallen for the last three months. The Construction sector is working with increasingly lower margins and confidence at its lowest for eight months.

Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said "While the purchasing managers' survey does at least indicate that construction activity is still expanding, it shows output growth slowing, incoming new business at a seven-month low, employment in the sector contracting at an increased rate, squeezed margins and business expectations deteriorating. Meanwhile, the data from the ONS is horrible. This bodes ill for output prospects in the near term at least."

It is time for the government to act. This spiral of stagnant growth has to be broken, it is time for action.

The Labour party has called for short-term tax cuts to promote growth and prevent the economy slipping back into recession.

The government needs to revisit it's cuts to infrastructure projects, whilst private sector housebuilding remains muted the government could use a windfall tax on bankers to fund public sector housing and a VAT cut to boost consumption this would boost demand for building retail outlets and shopping centres as these have almost ground to a halt. These would raise tax revenues and lower the deficit.

Falling off a cliff

2011-08-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today's retail sales data confirmed how weak the British economy has become, with experts expecting the country to slip back into recession.

Retail sales showed meagre growth last month as cash-strapped consumers cut back spending despite summer sale discounts. According to the Office for National Statistics, sales volumes grew by 0.2% in July from the previous month, leaving sales unchanged from last year's level. The City had expected 0.3% monthly and annual gains, as retailers slashed prices aggressively.

This is no surprise as Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: "Such weak spending is no real surprise. People are worried about job security, and incomes are being squeezed by higher prices. After inflation, real take-home pay is falling by over 2% per annum. Concerns about the economic outlook are also causing shoppers to hold back on making big-ticket purchases."

Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank, was even gloomier. "If anything, the data just serves to confirm the general picture of an economy which can be described as, at best, moribund, but may well look like it's falling off a cliff by the time we see August's figures."

Today also saw a 4.5% fall in the FTSE continuing the falls of the recent period unsurprising as every piece of economic data that has come out recently has been weaker than expected.

Yesterdays British labour market data showed broad-based weakness, with slowing employment, rising unemployment, falling hours, falling vacancies and rising redundancies. Further significant increases in unemployment probably lie ahead for coming months.

Young people unemployment rate is 20.2% with nearly 1million 18-24 year olds out of work and unemployment for women is at it's highest level since 1988 at 1.05million.

The government has no real plan to resolve the economic difficulties, they hoped was for an export led recovery, this depended on the strength of foreign markets, now with the eurozone crisis and the US budget problems, this hope is in tatters. They're dogmatic view of not having a plan b, is likely to see years of no/very low growth and economic hardship.

The Truth

2011-08-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

In the aftermath of the Hillsborough tradedy in 1989, A News International title published the headline "The Truth", this publication printed lies about Liverpool football supporters, in defence of a disgraceful policing operation.

The then Prime minister and Home secretary repeated many of the misrepresentations made against Liverpool supporters and generally against football fans.

The excellent Taylor report uncovered many of the failings of the police, in terms of planning and operationally, it was their failings that caused 96 liverpool FC fans to lose their lives.

The Last Labour government finally agreed to release paperwork to allow the families of the dead to understand why their love ones died.

Two years ago the BBC applied for government papers to be released that would show the involvement of Mrs Thatcher and Douglas Hurd in the aftermath of the tradegy. Christopher Graham the information commissioner was happy to release these documents, he rejected the argument that the disclosure would impact negatively on the freedom with which ministers can engage in "free and frank discussions", and on the convention of collective responsibility.

"In this case there had been multiple changes in government between the time the information was recorded and the date of the request," Graham said. "Also, the subject matter of the discussions recorded within the information in question centred on a very particular set of circumstances that were no longer current at the time of the request.

"As a result the view of the Commissioner is that the argument in favour of maintenance of the exemption relating to convention of collective Cabinet responsibility is not a factor of significant weight in favour of maintenance of the exemption."

He also said the passage of time since the information was recorded was a key factor.

"This information was 20 years old at the time of the request and, as the complainant has noted, the current Government is implementing a reduction of the current 30-year period before Government papers are released to 20 years," he said.

He therefore recognised "that there is a diminishing case for withholding information over 20 years old".

The Government’s view is that it is in the public interest for the process that is underway through the Hillsborough Independent Panel be allowed to take its course.

“The terms of reference for that process includes the intention to disclose information to the Hillsborough families first.

“The Cabinet Office absolutely agrees with the principle of providing information to families about the Hillsborough stadium disaster, but we believe it is important that any release of information should be managed through the Panel’s processes and in line with their terms of reference.

Today the Conservative government has appealed Christopher Graham decision saying
The Government’s view is that it is in the public interest for the process that is underway through the Hillsborough Independent Panel be allowed to take its course.

“The terms of reference for that process includes the intention to disclose information to the Hillsborough families first.

“The Cabinet Office absolutely agrees with the principle of providing information to families about the Hillsborough stadium disaster, but we believe it is important that any release of information should be managed through the Panel’s processes and in line with their terms of reference.

The greatest disinfectant is openness and transparency.

It's time people know what our elected leaders knew, what they were doing, twenty two years on, there are no national security issues here, only the reputations of Conservative leaders, it's time for the Truth.

We know News International closed a tabloid because of endemic wrong doing, we know the same paper had close links with the police and politicians.

The British establishment is great at closing ranks, we know the tabloid lied about Liverpool supporters, we know the police tried to covered up their incompetence, it's time for the British state to publish everything on this disaster and let us learn the lessons for the 96.

There is no ‘them’ and ‘us’ – there is us.

2011-08-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

The inflationary pressures continue, we have seen the utilities bills continue to rise, today the hike in train fares, with fares 28% higher than today by 2015.

The UK’s rate of inflation increased from 4.2% in June to 4.4% in July according to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics.

The latest increase in inflation will add to pressures on household budgets. Moreover, with inflation likely to increase to 5% in the next few months, the gap between increases in earnings and increases in prices could widen.

This makes it very unlikely that the pace of economic growth will pick up in the second half of the year. Retail sales volumes, which have barely increased over the last year, are likely to remain stagnant.

So the government does nothing to help with ever rising fuel prices, nothing on ever higher transport costs.

So them (the government and energy companies and train companies) and us (who have to pay).

This week we are expecting data on unemployment, we are expecting weak private sector employment with possible future rises in unemployment.

This will further reduce confidence.

Ed Balls said of the chancellor;
"He needs to realise that tax rises and cuts which go too far and too fast have crushed confidence and seen our economy flatline since last autumn. His reckless and incautious policies have left Britain vulnerable in the face of the global economic problems we are now seeing. And without strong growth and more people in work the government will find it much harder to get the deficit down."

The new IMF boss Christine Lagarde's attacks Osbornomics and is damning "For the advanced economies, there is an unmistakable need to restore fiscal sustainability through credible consolidation plans. At the same time we know that slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects. So fiscal adjustment must resolve the conundrum of being neither too fast nor too slow... What is needed is a dual focus on medium-term consolidation and short-term support for growth and jobs.

That may sound contradictory, but the two are mutually reinforcing. Decisions on future consolidation, tackling the issues that will bring sustained fiscal improvement, create space in the near term for policies that support growth and jobs. By the same token, support for growth in the near term is vital to the credibility of any agreement on consolidation. After all, who will believe that commitments to cuts are going to survive a lengthy stagnation with prolonged high unemployment and social dissatisfaction?"

With low growth it is likely the government will miss it's borrowing target despite cuts to the public sector the country borrowing will not decrease and could even increase, so Osbournomics will demand even greater cuts to public services.

This will continue the cycle of public sector austerity, then private sector austerity and then lower consumer confidence, a stagnating economy.

Manufacturing activity falls

2011-08-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Guardian newspaper are reporting Britain's manufacturing sector has suffered its first contraction in two years, fuelling fears that the UK economy is stumbling.

The detailed figures for the PMI showed that output grew slightly among Britain's manufacturers, while new orders and employment levels were down. Input prices grew at a slower pace, due to price reductions in plastics and steel.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said this was a "pretty horrible survey".

"It is not just the fact that the headline figure showed overall manufacturing activity contracting for the first time in two years in July, but also that the more forward-looking elements of the survey point to further softness ahead – most notably new orders contracting for a third month running in July and at the fastest rate since May 2009. This was due to contracting domestic demand as export orders actually picked up although they remained well below the growth rates seen up until the first quarter of 2011."

These figures are further evidence the British economy has not responded to the CONDEMs Austerity packages, the Chancellor Osbourne promised the private sector would take the slack of public sector job loses.

It would appear private business is now making employment reductions, growth in the UK over the previous two quarters - the final of 2010 and the first of 2011 - put us fifth from the bottom among EU countries, beating only Ireland, Denmark, Portugal and Greece. The weak growth in the latest quarter will not lift us up these rankings. Manufacturers indicate there will be no short term bounce to growth as orders seem to be soft in the coming period.

This seems to me a case of history repeating, youth unemployment around 1million we are in danger of another lost generation in the labour market, the CONDEM government have cut by 85% help to keep young people in education through the EMA, they have scrapped the Future Jobs Fund, it's easy to cut, now the CONDEMs have to help the young into work.

The CONDEMs need to discover a growth plan, they need to stop playing politics, talking rubbish about sovereign debt and frightening people, the cycle of cutting will only continue until a strategy to grow the economy and the return of confidence, I fear the CONDEMs political narrative is more important to them then admitting to the need for plan B.

Lunatics and the asylum

2011-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman the lunatics are running the asylum.

The lunatics are the CONDEM government for sure.

In a report published today, the Commons Treasury Committee concluded there was a "serious risk" that if communicating with the HMRC became too time-consuming, difficult and expensive, "respect for the tax system, and with it voluntary compliance, may be undermined".

The committee acknowledged HMRC operated "under significant pressures" such as implementing increasingly complex tax legislation, restructuring, plus continuing resource reductions and its impact on staff.

"Given the fiscal position, it would make little sense for the department to be cut back further if resource reductions in addition to those plans already agreed would have the effect of reducing receipts, displacing disproportionate costs on to the wider economy or further eroding public confidence in the tax system."

The select committee are right to point out if you reduce staffing numbers and undermine staff morale, this effects performance. Tax revenues are crucially important to fund public services and if the government undermines it's ability to collect revenues, this is seriously undermining government it's self.

Oliver Letwin has let the governments strategy on public services out of the bag.

He made controversial comments angering teachers, nurses and doctors, he warned that it was only through "some real discipline and some fear" of job losses that excellence would be achieved in the public sector.

Letwin added that some of those running schools and hospitals would not survive the process and that it was an "inevitable and intended" consequence of government policy.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union(PCSU), "Public sector workers are already working in fear – fear of cuts to their job, pension, living standards and of privatisation. Far from improving productivity, the cuts are creating chaos in vital public services."

Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, said last night that she did not recognise Letwin's portrayal of the public sector. "Death rates in hospitals have been falling, satisfaction levels have been rising," she said. "What hasn't changed is the Tories' antipathy to public services. And the idea that the way to improve public services is to put fear into those who provide them is absolutely grotesque."

In a nutshell, the government strategy is to see schools close, the Academy Schools are now essentially small businesses trading children/students like commodities, those who attract more young people survive and make a surplus and those schools who fail to attract pupils will close. This is "inevitable and intended" so no more community comprehensive schools.

The same agenda is being forced on the NHS, competition a Darwinii solution, the strong will survive and the weak go under.

Public sector reform is being conducted with fiscal contraction. The rationing of public services is back on the political agenda.

The public service like the HMRC are operating "under significant pressures" such as implementing increasingly complex reforms, restructuring, plus continuing resource reductions, as Einstein said "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" is a definition of insanity.

The CONDEM government are trying to prove Einstein wrong, but in truth, the lunatics are running the asylum.

They're going to borrow more than Labour

2011-07-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

When Labour left office in 2010 growth in the economy was 1.2% for the second quarter, 2011 has seen 0.2% growth in the same period.

By this time in 2010, borrowing was already £1.8 billion below 2009 borrowing; the borrowing numbers reported last week show borrowing only managed to fall by £370 million so far this year.

From the Office of Budget Responsibility’s estimates it could be projected that if growth for fiscal 2011 is below 1.1% then we could be in a situation where the CONDEM coalition is borrowing more than Labour.

With confidence at a low point, this will mean stagnant growth and will keep the deficit too high, with levels of borrowing higher under Labour, this will continue the collapsing confidence in both the business and consumer sectors.

In the last quarter production contracted 1.4% from the previous quarter, with mining and quarrying down 6.6%.

Agriculture declined by 1.3% while construction grew 0.5%, recovering after two weak quarters.

The CBI says "it's members are planning to cut jobs over the next three months and have revised down their investment plans for the year ahead," the business trade body said.

Manufacturers reported they were less optimistic than three months ago after a fall from +9% to -16% in the CBI index, the first fall in sentiment since July 2009.

The biggest drag on growth at the moment is inflation and that's eating into household disposable income and holding back consumer spending.

So the CONDEM governments policy of austerity is creating a cycle of lower growth, higher borrowing, this exasperated by VAT tax increases and National Insurance rises for employees and uncontrolled increases in fuel and food also increasing.

The current government have no strategy for growth, with some regions of the country are in recession, we have a government cutting taxes for large corporations, cutting benefits for the poorest and ignoring tax evasion by the wealthiest, we have a cronic housing problem with a million young people unemployed, we have a government with the wrong priorities, this needs to change.

Confidence

2011-07-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Twelve months ago the UK economy was growing at 1.2% in the second quater of the year, this week we will receive the 2011 second quarter growth rates.

It would be unsurprising to see stalled economic growth in this last quarter, the current government has cut hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs, expecting like Lazarus the private sector jobs to replace them. We have seen the cost of living rocket; food, fuel and increased taxes on VAT and National Insurance have shrunk the average families spending power.

The other side of demand in the economy is confidence, everyone I to talk to is frightened about the coming year, the governments dangerous largely unfounded talk of a sovereign debt crisis, comparing the UK to Greece, Portugal, Ireland, this is wrong when Labour left power only Canada had a smaller % GDP sovereign debt in the G7. Yet this dangerous talk has frightened people, reducing the confidence of consumers.

We are in a classic monetary squeeze.

The Labour Party has been calling for the VAT increase to be temporarily lifted to give a boost to spending, under the previous Labour government Alistair Darling did so and reduced the tax to 15 per cent during the financial crisis, consumers spent £9bn more than they otherwise would have done. A VAT cut today would be a similarly effective fiscal stimulus.

The Labour Party are calling for further taxation on Bankers with this money invested in Affordable housing giving a stimulus to the construction industry, increasing employment and taxes and spending.

We are seeing the Americans playing a desperate game with setting their deficit budget and the Europeans failing to get a grip in the euro zone crisis, the markets will remain jittery.

We need substantial political leaders to stand up, yet Merkel, Sarkozy, Cameron and Osbourne are utterly failing in the economic diplomacy needed to restore confidence in the Euro zone.

The right wing republicans in the US clearly desperate to damage Obama and to hell with the world economy simply need to get a grip, history shows us Ronald Regan raised the deficit eighteen times in his presidency, so this is nothing new and is sensible handling of the economy.

There are challenges a plenty, yet the politicans are coming up short.

Ed finally gets it

2011-07-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Last week has finally convinced me that Ed Miliband has finally got the message about the need to develop Labour's agenda around tackling the vested interests of those extremely powerful corporations that abuse their concentrated power.

Ed Miliband led on the News International telephone hacking this week, he was clear that there needed to be a judge led public inquiry on the phone hacking at News International with full legal powers and there needed to be an inquiry into the Police handling of this scandal.

He also wanted to know at a political level of the decision of Prime Minister to appoint the former editor at the News of the World as his Communication Director in Downing Street.

Ed Miliband is now questioning how much anyone/corporation should control of the news/media communication in the country, basically questioning the dominance of media barons to control the news environment when decisions are made by public bodies.

The point I would make is it would be better if there were more owners of the news/media this should provide a diverse and healthier environment.

The Banks are another example of corporations abusing their size and power, a situation where banks are too big to fail, this leads to undue risk and corporate irresponsibility.

The financial model of the modern banks has seen mutuals reduced to a minimum and corporate greed rampant, shareholders of PLCs simply do not regulate these companies, how can the Barclay's Bank pay, Bob Diamond, president of Barclay's Capital millions in bonuses when their share price is just over half of there value of 4 years ago.

Are bankers embarrassed, NO, Bankers are warning that if the UK imposes a tax on bonuses when other major financial centres, such as New York, do not then the biggest stars might relocate from the City.

Banks continue to fail to invest in local communities to develop small businesses, failing to meet commitments made to government.

Greater diversity and models of financial services needs to be developed, with the PLC and investment banks being less powerful.

Politicians need to tackle tax evasion, in recent months we've seen the poor and those on benefits under attack, the mantra that it's the poor own fault if your poor, reminiscent of the poor laws, but tax evaders are rewarded to help government, the Lib Dem's talk about this issue but the Conservative government merely does zero.

The work place needs meaningful worker participation, the view of employers that employees are only working units, misses the point, workers invest there lives in the companies they work for, this investment should be rewarded by workers participation in the company board room.

So, Ed, continue tackling the powerful and those who abuse their position, proposals need to increase the power of ordinary people against powerful unaccountable bodies.

Fit and Proper?

2011-07-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

The Independent on Sunday are saying that Rupert Murdoch personally guaranteed that Andy Coulson was safe to take on as his Downing Street press chief, the newspaper learnt yesterday, as the fallout from the News of the World phone-hacking scandal threatened to escalate into all-out war between the UK's two most powerful men.

Mr Cameron promised he would defend Mr Coulson's position. The IoS revealed that the cosy relationship between the Prime Minister, Mr Murdoch Snr, News International's chief executive Rebekah Brooks and Mr Coulson has been severely damaged by the hacking crisis, which caused the closure of the 168-year-old tabloid newspaper this weekend.

Mr Cameron faces serious questions over his judgement in appointing Mr Coulson, who was arrested on Friday by police investigating hacking and illegal payments to police officers. The Prime Minister said that he had sought assurances over the appointment in July 2007. Mr Murdoch Snr later gave Mr Coulson a clean bill of health, himself believing he was giving an accurate portrayal of his former editor.

Lord Ashdown, a key player as the Liberal Democrats agonised over whether to join in a coalition with the Tories, told the Observer newspaper that, based on what he had been told, it was obvious Coulson's appointment as Cameron's director of communications would be a disaster.

"I warned No 10 within days of the election that they would suffer terrible damage if they did not get rid of Coulson, when these things came out, as it was inevitable they would," he said.

The bigger picture here is the BSkyB takeover that would give the Murdoch family 40% of the media, this in terms of competition would be wrong, but until the police investigations into News International are over, in terms of the fit and proper test cannot be fulfilled.

Ed Miliband the Labour leader said today "I say this to the prime minister candidly. Over the next 72 hours I hope he changes his position on this, because I don't want to force this to a vote in the house of Commons, but I think he's got to understand that when the public have seen the disgusting revelations that we've seen this week, the idea that this organisation – which engaged in these terrible practices – should be allowed to get that 100% stake without the criminal investigation being completed and on the basis of assurances from that self-same organisation, I'm afraid that won't wash with the public."

So the ball is in the Prime ministers court and the Lib Dems who will have to choose who's side they are on?

NoW it's time

2011-07-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

News International corp has closed the News of the World.

They claim this is the right thing to do.

The News of the World had used people who allegedly hacked celebrities, politicians, murder victims and bomb victims and fallen soldiers.

Years, months and weekly coverage of this scandal has drained the confidence in the News of the World, advertisers must also of lost confidence and they must have been telling News International so. So, whilst News International wish to bury this hacking scandal closing the News of the World seems a clever maneuver, especially as merging the News of the World and the Sun looks like the solution News International has been looking at.

We know the News of the World paid large sums of money to private investigators to hack phones and paid money to police officers.

News International want us to believe their editor did not know of this hacking and those financial transactions.

News International want to do the "right thing" by closing the paper and lay off 200 people, yet unbelievably "the right thing" is the then editor now the CEO of News International, continues in her job. Yet the sanctimonious media who claim government ministers must take responsibility for civil servants failings, by resigning, do not practice what they preach.

Are the Police capable of investigating this malpractice? I question whether the police are. They've tried to ignore then bury this malpractice.

Three things have to happens now;

A proper police investigation

A full public inquiry, investigating the practices of the News of the World and the failures of the Police.

A full review of the media and how newspapers operate and no deal between News International and BSkyB can go ahead until after these inquiries has taken place.

Who's in Charge

2011-07-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

If politics matter, then our elected representatives have to respond.

After the financial crash in 2008, it was politicians that saved banks and saved peoples savings.

Yet after saving banks, by using tax payers money and printing £200 billion to reflate the economy, you would of thought our politicians would exact some pay back for the damage to ordinary peoples lives.

However, with banks to big to fail and now, the financial dictatorship who say any threat to bankers will be a threat to the city of London, if Politicians exact a Transaction Tax or higher taxes on bankers bonuses then they will leave the country. So politicians will not take action on bankers, despite the revulsion of the general public.

Then we have the untouchables in the Media, the News of the World hacking scandal has been running for months, with the police dragging(to be polite) their feet, at times the police refused to investigate claims by Labour MPs.

The hacking scandal now needs a public inquiry, to investigate News International and the police investigation, this inquiry requires legal powers to compel witnesses to attend and answer questions.

Finally this week we have a government minister talking about British jobs for British workers, then the following day we have British jobs for German contractors, double speak.

We need for our politicians to tackle the vested interests, in the economy and media, this government seems happy to cut benefits to the poorest that will cost more than it's saves, whilst taxing bank bonuses less than under the previous government, cut legal aid for the vulnerable, whilst turning a blind eye to alleged hacking.

Were all in this together, get real, attack the poorest and protect the wealthy and powerful, what happens when the public rumble the politicians, the wolf whistles of British Jobs for British workers sounds dangerously familiar, without democratic control over powerful vested interests, people will turn to less main stream political groups.

Silence of the establishment

2011-07-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of days stories in the national newspapers concerning the meddling of the heir to the throne in government matters.

The man who's position has been attained by the accident of birth and through no merit on his own, is now it appears using the exemptions afforded to him by the previous government in the Freedom of Information Act not answer the questions why he is speaking to government ministers and what issues he is lobbying on.

But the new rules mean there is an absolute ban on disclosing communications between the Government and the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William.

Campaigners called for an urgent review of changes to the Freedom of Information Act ushered in during the final days of the last Labour government which granted the heir to the throne – who is obliged to be politically neutral – an absolute exemption from the release of details about his contacts with ministers and senior civil servants.

The right to freedom of information is critical in an open democratic society, no better example than this was the MP's expenses scandal, we cannot be shocked by what the 'heir' to the Windsor throne is talking to ministers about, government by the people for the people, Charlie needs to know he has always been privilaged, but he should be exposed to public scrutiny.

The Perfect Storm

2011-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Perfect storm is continuing to build, the government austerity plan, reducing the public sector, cutting benefits (now appears to cost more than they save) and increasing tax to individuals and the private austerity confirmed in an ICM poll with two-thirds of Britons think the economy is getting worse and most are cutting back drastically on their spending to make ends meet in the face of rising food, fuel and energy prices.

The findings follow a string of retail failures in recent months as shoppers cut back on non-essentials while Britain’s economic recovery remains sluggish

Official data showed that Britain’s economy grew by just 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2010, a muted bounce from Q4’s dismal 0.5 percent contraction.

Figures also showed the biggest fall in households’ disposable income in more than 30years the Office for National Statistics said that in the year to the end of March, real incomes - adjusted for inflation - fell 2.7%, a fall not seen since 1977 with higher taxes, domestic bills and inflation are all eating away at consumers' spending power.

Let us be clear, the CONDEM government has made and continue to make false claims about the British economy, the previous government NEVER left the country bankrupt, only Canada had a lower sovereign debt % of GDP, but this dangerous talk has frightened consumers, this led to a collapse in consumer confidence predates and predicts the collapse in consumer spending that is now devastating the high street: the value of goods sold in the high street fell by 1.4 per cent in May, which isn't surprising, given that real disposable income fell 0.8 per cent in Q1 2011, after a fall of 0.9 per cent in the previous quarter.

Now the CONDEM government has done little to tackle the financial sector, the sovereign date crisis in southern Europe could well be the tipping point that will be the shock to send our economy into recession, if Greece or Portugal defaults on their loans and with the banks inter connected through Europe and beyond, the final ingredient in the perfect storm, reminiscent of the Great Depression.

So They knew it would cost more than it saved, but still did it

2011-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

This taken from the Observer

"David Cameron has been warned by one of his most trusted cabinet ministers that his welfare policies risk making 40,000 families homeless.

The extraordinary claim, in a letter to the prime minister from the office of Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, exposes deep splits at the heart of government over plans to cap benefit at £500 a week per family.

The letter, leaked to the Observer, reveals Pickles's belief that the cap – announced with great fanfare at last year's Tory conference – will increase the burden on taxpayers, because thousands of families will be unable to pay their rent and will have to seek local government help. It blows apart the government's public insistence that a limit on benefit payments will have little impact on homelessness and child poverty.

Written by Nico Heslop, Pickles's private secretary, at the clear instigation of the minister, the letter lays bare fears of mass homelessness "disproportionately impacting on families". It says:

■ 40,000 families will be made homeless by the welfare reforms, putting further strain on services already "seeing increased pressures".

■ An estimated £270m saving from the benefits cap will be wiped out by the need to divert resources to help the newly homeless and is likely to "generate a net cost".

■ Half of the 56,000 affordable homes the government expects to be constructed by 2015 will not be built because developers will realise they will not be able to recoup even 80% of market rates from tenants."

This must show just how vicious the Conservative lib Dem government has become.

Shelter says "With 21% of people struggling to meet housing costs, it's naive to think you can cut support without putting some people at risk of losing their home. The coalition government should stop bulldozing through badly thought-through policies while ignoring independent evidence, its own expert panel and the views of those who will deal with the very real impact on people."

Enver Solomon, policy director at the Children's Society, said: "The social costs of the cap are huge and would have disastrous consequences for many children."

So the benefit cap will cost more, transferring the budget from government to local government and undermining the affordable house buildings.

This is yet another attack on lower income families, this without any savings with a high likely hood of costing more, so vicious and incompetent.

Conservatives and Lib Dems true to type.

Double standards squared

2011-06-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Much has been made of the potential strike action by public sector workers in their dispute with the government pension reform.

Now read reforms as; higher pensions contributions, having to work longer to get their pensions and getting less for these higher and longer contributions.

These pension reforms are to be made, so the government says, because public sector pensions are becoming a burden on the tax payers.

Public sector workers are seeing huge job losses and pay freezes, so this means in real terms they are working harder for in real terms less, so with higher pension contributions this will see public workers income being squeezed.

In reality public sectors workers did not cause the recession, they are not responsible for the low growth and stagnant recovery.

The people who caused the recession were bankers who used the markets as their casino and gambled on leverage lending and a neo liberal political settlement.

So the bankers; Bank chiefs’ average pay in the US and Europe leapt 36 per cent last year to $9.7m, according to data compiled for the Financial Times, despite variable performance across the sector.

We have seen a switch from higher banker bonuses to higher pay.

Our MP's pensions are based on fortieths of an MP's salary for every year he or she is in parliament, so better terms than your local public sector workers.

There are growing signs this economic sitution is being used to reshape the burden from state to private individuals, the powerful i.e bankers unfettered riches, with low to middle income families paying more tax, with fewer services, less social insurance and more private insurance.

Drip by drip the changes are being made, effectively working longer for less benefits, the divide between the powerful and those whom own wealth and the rest of the population is growing dangerously, the public sector is angry and this may lead to industrial action. I hope the Unions and government can agree a settlement.

Those low paid workers in the private sector, those with no pension, no long term career development, no sick pay scheme, those in short term employment, those who have no security of employment, who speaks for these workers?

The danger is extremist politicans will fill the void, our MP's tells them that they must be flexible, must price yourself into work, yet the bankers and corporate bonuses continue to over pay themselves and MP's still live in there own worlds.

The low paid workers can look to a government of millionaires, can look to the heads of our corporations and see their double standards.

2011-06-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Another Day another U Turn

2011-06-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid this bumbling government continues, today's U turn is the discounted sentencing policy.

After ken Clarke made his rape case mistake and pressure from the media, the conservative government have shelved the discounted sentencing policy.

Once again, confusion at the heart of government, this driven by the haste to cut budgets, without thinking the policy through, there has to be a question at the competence of the Prime Minister to control policy.

I see saint Vince Cable is now talking tough on bankers and banks, the next U turn awaits.

How long before the next U turn? Not long!

A State of Confusion

2011-06-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Conservative led government is in a state of confusion, their policies are a mixture of u turns and muddle.

On the economy, they can't decide whether the heavy cuts they've made in our public services are the same as Labour cuts or they are deep cuts necessary to put our finances in order, or Labour left the highest debt in history yet economist point out only Canada has a lower debt in the G8 than Britain.

On the NHS, the Conservative led government published a bill and had two readings in the commons that marketised the NHS with European competition laws included, with NHS spending protected, this despite cuts in the NHS and waiting times increasing.

On housing, the Conservative government say affordable rented housing is populated by the work shy or is it this housing is occupied by people on £100,000 a yr.

The simple truth is this is a very poor government with a dubious electoral mandate, but for goodness sake get their act together or go.

£100,000 Council tenants

2011-06-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

Some times you really wonder what planet some wealthy Conservatives lives on!

The latest little red herring is that Council Tenants living on £100,000 should lose their council homes.

So those over 3,000 Mendip citizens waiting for an affordable home ought not hold their breath waiting for too many homes coming on stream.

We are seeing a utter shambles in Conservative thinking on affordable housing,on one hand the Conservatives say Council housing is populated by work shy and now Council housing is populated by wealthy people blocking homes for people to aspire.

The real truth is housing is becoming unaffordable, to buy, in Mendip over 12 times salary and no chance of an affordable rent and having to rent in the private sector, where rents at best are £100 pw for a one bed property in the Town Centre.

People who frequent the real world know, real income has been falling for several years, with annual pay rises a distant reality. Living standards are under the same strain as in the 1920's. The people in unskilled and semi skilled jobs has seen their incomes in decline in real terms since the 1980's. With other professions such as doctors, lawyers have seen their income double in the same period.

The effects of globalisation has seen well paid manufacturing jobs go abroad and low paid service jobs have replaced them.

Whilst politicians spend much of their time talking about social mobility, in reality this has stalled, the thirty year experiment of the market is best, needs to be re-thought, social mobility is important but so is security, governments need to understand that low paid service industry workers need the social wage and a key element of the social wage is secure affordable housing.

A balanced housing market is good for the economy, no more housing boom, of pent up housing demand funded by funny financial products, homes are to be lived in, this is the basis of community, not a financial opportunity, the difference between knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

This is something the Conservatives have never understood.

Justice for All action

2011-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today the campaign group Justice for All held a day of action against government plans to carve £350m out of the annual legal aid budget and control access to the courts is being staged across the country.

Details of the Ministry of Justice's final proposals and a draft bill on the cost-saving reforms are due to be published this month, possibly as early as next week.

The MoJ's own impact assessment study suggests that 500,000 fewer cases a year will be entitled to funding under the plans, while the Legal Action Group estimates that as many as 650,000 will be removed from access to legal aid.

As I have wrote before here that these cuts to legal aid will hurt the most vulnerable members of our communities, those affected by domestic violence, by employment issues, those with complex benefits difficulties and those with housing difficulties.

Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green party, said: "Reducing legal aid will increase the hardship of many as well as proving to be a false economy.

"If people do not get the help they need at an early stage, their problems will worsen. Their problems become more difficult to solve, and that increases demand on other public services, such as health and social care. The worst-off will be hit hardest by these changes."

The Labour MP Stephen Timms organised what he described as a "very British protest" against the cuts: an orderly queue symbolising how "legal aid cuts will leave vulnerable people with nowhere to turn for help but their MP".

These cuts to legal aid will cause injustice, to people that least have the means to defend themselves against the powerful, it's interesting that this Conservative Liberal Democratic government wishes to cut £350 million of legal aid from people on very modest means at the same time taxing city bonuses £1 billion less than the previous Labour government.

For more on Justice for All http://www.justice-for-all.org.uk/Take-part

George, even your buddies are telling you

2011-05-26T14:24:00.001-07:00

Yes, George Osbourne's favourite economic body the OECD are telling him your cutting government spending to fast and too deep.

The OECD are predicting UK growth to be 1.4% this year and only 1.8% next year and with limited action on inflation, we can expect the average worker to see his or her living standards to diminish over the next two years.

Business net investment fell sharply by 7.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year, which spells disaster for Osborne’s plan of relying on the private sector to offset the drop in public spending.

With households beginning to feel the squeeze as the cuts, taxes and inflation are taking their toll, spending suffered an unexpected drop of 0.6 per cent in the first quarter. With the UK economy being traditionally a consumerist country, with household spending accounting for approximately two-thirds of the economy, it does not bode well for overall growth.

With the governments deficit at a record high for April at £7.7bn compared to £5.3bn April last year, so, a year after a new Conservative government promised to cut the deficit, it is still not managing that task.

This deficit increase is a direct response to the austerity measures, the economy is in the doldrums thanks to Conservative: 1) promises they would cut jobs and spending, which has increased uncertainty; 2) raising VAT; 3) being unwilling to pump money into the economy.

The government needs to get the economy growing again, to get tax revenues to above where they were before the banking crisis, instead we have no growth, falling real wages, widening inequality, weak trade figures, falling house prices and sluggish high-street sales.

The longer the Conservative government continues on the wrong path, the harder it will be to secure good jobs and increasing standards of living.

Back to business

2011-05-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Town Council met for the first time since the elections last evening, the Council was confronted with a very long agenda and the meeting closed after 10pm.

The Town Council supported me to become the Council Chairman, this being the third occasion of holding the office.

In my address I congratulated all members for their election success and especially those elected for the first time.

I paid my tribute to my Labour colleague, John Gilham who lost his seat after 50 years of service, a truly remarkable achievement, Colin Lockey also lost his seat after nearly thirty years and I stated that this public service should be recognised.

The Council elected it's new team, remarkably balanced, like Shepton we had plenty of votes.

The team is;
Chairman is yours truly
Vice Chair is bob Champion
Planning Chair is Derek Marvin
Admin Portfolio is John Parham
Collett park is Jeff Curtis
Ground Care is Terry Marsh
Asset Portfolio is Bente Height
Community Portfolio is Sue Cook
Regeneration Portfolio is Garfield Kennedy

For the record 3 Conservatives, 3 Lib Dems, 2 Independents and 1 Labour.

The new Town Council now has to get down to work and deliver for Shepton, we have pressing issues, like the Collett Park contract and the Council's office accommodation and the use of the capital fund, these decisions will be needed by the Autumn, so the new council will have to be up and running immediately and we also need to develop the new council's agenda for our Town.

Lots to do, can the new Council show the leadership required?

We have four years to make a difference, there is a lot to do.

Is the pregnant pause over?

2011-05-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Now the elections are over, has the NHS's pregnant pause passed over?

The Conservative back benchers cheered Andrew Lansley to the rafters, who wants to set up a free-market NHS comparable to the water or energy industry, and opening up all parts of the health service to private companies and EU competition laws.

The NHS reforms could in the coming two years provide a "big opportunity" for the for-profit sector, and that the NHS would ultimately end up as a financier of care similar to an insurance company rather than a provider of hospitals and staff.

This NHS reforms has received it's second reading in the House of Commons, with support by the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. Labour has lodged many amendments that has been voted by both Conservative and lib Dem MPs. Labour amendments has called for the promotion of co-operation not competition, for a stronger local government role and proper democratic accountability, for national patient standards, and for the involvement of nurses and other doctors in commissioning.

People are losing confidence in the governments handling of the NHS, unsurprising as the coalition never placed this reform to the NHS to the country, a plan drawn up in private between the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

NHS inflation outstrips normal inflation so the NHS budgets are under severe pressures, with this top down reform we are seeing an increased funding gap, lower NHS productivity and waiting times rising.

The bureaucratic costs of this private insurance model on offer from this consevative led government, is higher than the current model, so far from saving money on paperwork, this will lead to less money spent on health.

Labour created the NHS in 1948, if these reforms go through Conservatives and Lib Dems will burry it in 2011/12.

Does mother justice turn a blind eye?

2011-05-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

If the Law has any creditability, justice must seen be to be even handed.

These MP's expenses confuse me, admittedly I have not read extensively on the matter, but I judge these matters like this; if a benefit claimant on a council estate claimed deliberately to much benefit by making less than true statements, the government agency would rightly prosecute for defrauding the tax payer, the government even advertises to this end.

This week the Yeovil MP David Laws was "guilty of a series of serious breaches of the rules, over a considerable time".

He wrongly claimed expenses to pay rent to his partner and for building work and telephone bills, the report said.

The report also said Mr Laws had been wrong to designate his constituency home as his "main home" because he was spending more time living in London at Mr Lundie's property.

This arrangement allowed him to claim thousands of pounds in allowances against Mr Lundie's property.

He was also found guilty of wrongly claiming some £2,000 for building work and £2,248 for telephone bills. The rent claimed on Mr Lundie's property was also found to be £200 to £300 higher a month than the market rate.

The Standards Commisioner said "I have no evidence that Mr Laws made his claims with the intention of benefiting himself or his partner in conscious breach of the rules. But the sums of money involved were substantial... Some of them continued over a number of years."

He went on "It was inappropriate for him to be judge and jury in his own cause," he added. Mr Laws paid back £56,592 - more than was eventually required of him by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner - and referred himself for investigation.

In my opinion the best course of action by the Standards Commissioner would have been to pass the file onto the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, a number of Labour MPs have faced trial, is a seven days suspension from parliament punishment?

Without refering to the Police or CPS, the question of approriate punishment could be asked.

Confidence

2011-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Although it was disappointing not to have won the election last week, it has been great walking around the Town talking to people about the elections.

For the first time in a long time, Labour supporters started to believe a Labour candidate could win, although we still have a way to go, the Lib Dem election mantra "Labour can't win here" has become redundant, not fit for repeating, throughout the Mendip District Labour candidates increased their votes over last times results.

The really good and positive outcome is Labour members are saying, what's next? They are motivated and are looking to take the fight to the Conservative led government, we are looking to build our membership, up our campaigning and show to the people Labour is back, more confident and looking to lead.

In Shepton west and Wells st Cuthbert, Labour proved to be competitive, in Street Labour polled respectably.

The Labour Party meets this week to discuss our forward plans, one thing can be assured Labour is more confident, active and will take on the issues that people are concerned.

The people of the Wells constituency are going to hear and see a lot more of labour in the coming years, what a difference a year makes.

All talk

2011-05-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Labour Party tried today to sink the Conservative led government NHS reforms (read privatisation), these proposals are largely unnecessary and not needed the Royal College of GPs said they risked "unravelling and dismantling" the NHS.

Nick Clegg has said that he cannot support these changes to the NHS, so he could with his Party voted with labour to sink the NHS privatisation, he chose not too.

Is this more Lib Dem window dressing, remember, no tuition fees increase, tough action on bankers etc etc.

Nick Robinson the BBC political editor wrote:

The current NHS proposals were drawn up not just by the Tory Andrew Lansley but by his Lib Dem Deputy Paul Burstow.

They were reviewed and approved not just by the Conservative Oliver Letwin but by Clegg's soulmate Danny Alexander.

The foreword to them was signed not just by David Cameron but by Nick Clegg too.

So they are, to coin a phrase, all in it together when it comes to the NHS.

Nick Robinson Concluded;

Both know NHS reforms that go wrong could destroy their personal as well as political reputations.

I suspect it's too late for Nick Clegg

Seve Ballesteros

2011-05-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

As an Sunday morning golfer it was very sad to hear of the death of Seve Ballesteros, he was a golfing great, and gave great pleasure to the golfing viewer, the times I try an audacious recovery shot, I think I have Seve's powers, but never does the magic come to me the way it did for Seve.

A sad loss to sport and golf.

Thank You

2011-05-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those people that trusted me with your vote, again.

I will once again to do my best for Shepton.

On the positive side, I doubled the Labour vote from last July. Now only 20 votes away from the second district councillor, place.

It is extremely sad that I am now the last remaining Labour Town Councillor.

So, the work begins again.

2011-05-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

VOTE LABOUR TODAY

A Fresh Start for Shepton

A VOTE FOR THE LIB DEMS MEANS A VOTE FOR THE CONSERVATIVES, THEY ARE IN IT TOGETHER.

DON’T CONDEM SHEPTON. VOTE POSITIVELY FOR LABOUR. LABOUR CAN AND WILL WIN WITH YOUR VOTE TODAY

VOTE INCHLEY FOR COUNTY DISTRICT AND TOWN

VOTE GILHAM FOR DISTRICT AND TOWN

VOTE HURRELL AND TOWNER FOR TOWN

in Shepton West

VOTE TOWNER FOR DISTRICT

VOTE MORGAN FOR DISTRICT AND TOWN

VOTE ASHTON FOR TOWN

in Shepton East

The Party is nearly over

2011-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, after four weeks of campaigning we are left with one day before polling day, this campaign has been really good, brilliant weather and thanks to the podiatrist (whom Grove House Surgery would not refer me, so I had to pay myself, the future of the CONDEM health service) the achilles tendons have held up.

I've lost at least an inch off the waist, so happy daze!

Somethings about campaigning always makes me laugh, my opponents leaflets are always entertaining, I'm sure they find mine equally as riveting (not).

So to the latest leaflet, i'm sure the Lib Dems who claim to have 23 councillors, yet on the Mendip district website the Lib Dem are listed as 20 councillors, so there caption it could be closer seems slightly disingenuous.

I delighted the Lib Dems are fighting the bus cuts, however the Conservatives cuts to our local bus services only replicated the cuts made the then portfolio holder Tim Carroll(lib dem) implemented in 2004/05, a campaign led by Dan Whittle the then Labour candidate for the Wells Constituency managed to reverse.

Then to the Lib dem call for change and keeping your promises, at this point you think credibility is being stretched to braking point.

Twelve months ago when Nick Clegg looked down the barrel of the camera and said he wanted a new politics, little did we know what the new politics was;
in Nick Clegg’s own words to Reuters "My eight-year-old (son) ought to be able to work this out -- you shouldn't start slamming on the brakes when the economy is barely growing. "If you do that you create more joblessness, you create heavier costs on the state, the deficit goes up even further and the pain with dealing with it is even greater. So it is completely irrational." So Broken Promise
When Nick Clegg told you of the secret VAT rise by the Conservatives, he would not support this. Broken Promise This not for deficit reduction but largely to fund corporation cuts to large corporations like BANKS.
When Nick Clegg pledged along with all his Lib Dems promised not to increase tuition fees and then tripled them. More Broken Promises
When Nick Clegg said he supported EMA, then it was savagely cut. More Broken promises
When Nick Clegg promised action against bankers, the coalition are taxing bonuses less this year than under Labour. More Broken Promises
I think you may get the picture that the Lib Dems and promises are not very compatible.
We know the Conservatives are just the same old Tories, one of their minister boasted they were making cuts to public services that Margaret Thatcher could only of dreamt of!
They are planning a wholesale privatisation of the NHS, postponed by the local elections. The wholesale marketisation of Education. The increases of regressive taxes like VAT, same old same old, but these policies can only be implemented with the Lib Dems support.

I glad the lib Dems have highlighted fly tipping, I see this problem has already started with rubble being tipped at Lamberts Hill and the Old Wells rd, a none sense policy by the conservatives of charging for waste disposal. So why if Fly tipping is such a problem, did the Lib Dems fly post their elections posters in town, if you are campaigning on an issue, why do something that leaves you open to the charge of hypocrisy?

The Conservatives management of Mendip is again in question, with the Town Clerk writing to Mendip complaining that customers of having to wait between 15 minutes and 30 minutes for telephone calls to be answered, do MDC have shares in telecommunication companies or have they cut so much a basic service beneath them?

The Time has come for real change.

VOTE INCHLEY, for County, Mendip and Town Councils (in Shepton West)
VOTE GILHAM, for District and Town Councils (in Shepton West)
Vote Hurrell and Towner for Town Council (in Shepton West)
Vote Morgan & Towner in the Mendip Council (in Shepton East)
Vote Morgan and Ashton for Town Council (in Shepton East)

Happy days

2011-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Today we saw our future monarch married and the British public celebrated. A happy day for all those involved.

One fact I noticed was that the Royal cleaners union PCS, was calling on the Royal family to support the cleaners call that they should be paid a living wage at the various palaces in London, currently cleaners are paid £6.45 a hour, the London living wage is £7.85.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said:

As the royals prepare for the prince’s lavish wedding on Friday, our members are being treated like paupers.

The royal family is seen as a major contributor to the tourist industry and many people visit London specifically to see the palaces. We’ll be asking them to show their support for the people on poverty pay who keep these palaces clean.

A little joy will go a long way, so lets hope the cleaners are successful.

The other fact I read today was the projected 7% annual efficiency savings for the next five years,(cuts to me and you) to the acute (hospitals) sector of the NHS amounting to £20billion, says Monitor the group that runs Health Trusts

Monitor says it has revised its estimate on efficiency savings owing to:

• A Treasury health settlement that "represents a substantial challenge to the NHS given expected demand growth".

• Significant inflationary pressures noted in projections by the Office for Budget Responsibility before the 2011 budget.

The problem for the NHS is it is conducting a top down fundamental restructuring and inflation is higher than expected, this a cocktail that leaves the Prime Minister promises on the NHS in tatters, just another broken promise.

A good day to release this data, as we celebrate a happy day for a young couple.

Just a little nugget

2011-04-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Alternative Vote (AV)debate seems to be getting more fractious, this wholly the responsibility of the coalition government, they were in too much of a hurry with the legislation and too slow explaining AV.

From my canvassing it is clear that the majority of people do not understand the Alternative Voting System.

Adding to the confusion was the reduction in MPs from 650 to 600.

MPs are elected by the people, and can be removed by the people.
Mr Cameron wants to reduce the costs to you of MPs by £12million a year(,reduction in MPs from 650 to 600) jolly good I hear you say. The same Mr Cameron has increased new peers (Lords) by 117 since last years General Election this costing £18.25million a year, so in round terms parliament is costing £6.25 million extra a year, so the constituencies can gerrymandered and the Lords stuffed with Cameron's friends, and YOU can pay for the privilege.

Just a little more double speak. Mr Cameron.

So to AV, the Conservatives and Lib Dems are contriving a synthetic falling out, all this pretty distasteful to me, the Lib Dems trying to develop a yellow strip between themselves and the Conservatives to shore up their electoral chances on May 5th.

My appeal to the Pro AV and the Anti AV is to stick to the facts, engage with the voters, without this engagement the Yes campaign has no chance.

Why Politicial stunts always come home to roost!

2011-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

So twelve months on.

How Nick Clegg must regret the now infamous pledge on tuition fees and not to increase them in the next parliament.

Knowing the parliament could be hung, and if he meant the pledge, he should not have agreed to increase tuition fees to a maximum of £9000, or he should not have involved his Party in the student campaign at all by signing the pledge.

The reason the backlash has been so strong against Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems is easy to understand.

In the TV debates, Nick Clegg looked into the camera and promised a new sort of politics, one based on trust.

Cleggmania took hold, but within a week after the election promises on tuition fees, EMA, VAT and cuts to frontline services and top down reorganisation of the NHS were broken.

The public know this is a Conservative government albeit with Lib Dem support.

YouGov’s most recent nationwide survey, involving nearly 50,000 people, shows that as many as 69 per cent of Lib Dem voters have deserted the party since last May, Of the Lib Dem deserters, 2m would now vote Labour.

Such a dramatic fall in support is undeniably bad news for Clegg. He was able to woo voters last year, as previous Lib Dem leaders had done, by presenting his party as a progressive force that could keep the Conservatives at bay.

In the most recent opinion poll for the polling agency YOUGOV, it's tracker poll put Labour on 43% the Conservatives on 36% and Lib Dems on 9% with the governments approval rating at -24%

So from all polling data is Britain is basically a progressive country, this is why local Lib Dems are so keen to demonise local Conservatives.

It would be laughable if not true, local Lib Dems supporting Eric Pickles, when the same Eric Pickles is the government minister than created a funding formula for local government that the Mendip's Conservative leader was upset at it's lack of honesty, the headline reduction was smaller than the actual cuts required and the timespan too small.

So to the moral of this story, political stunts always come home to roost, either tuition fees or demonising local councils for cuts made(forced by) by central government, you cannot come across as progressive if you are cutting services to hard and too fast.

In hard times, the truth is always better.

If the Lib Dems want to be a centre right party, behave like one and the road to oblivion awaits.

IT'S OUT OF THE BAG

2011-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

Lord Rennard has been talking about the local government cuts and he has let the cat out of the bag, he says;

“There’s a clear problem here, and at the very least, it’s to do with phasing. By making the economies very quickly, a number of local authorities will feel that they have to cope with almost all the redundancy costs which they face in the short-term, rather than being able to capitalise them over a much longer term. And they have their statutory obligations, clearly they feel more pressured to cut from voluntary sector support than they do from some of their core services.

Now some people will argue that we need to try and change the way in which local authorities prioritise so they don’t cut back on the voluntary sector disproportionately. But the best way, in my view, that government nationally could help local authorities in that direction would be to allow for things like more generous capitalisation of redundancies and for the more generous phasing of economies, recognising that economies must be made. If the economies have to be made at a very rapid rate, then it gets very hard to do this.

A number of local authorities would argue very sensibly, that if they had a bit more time, they could work with the voluntary sector, to make sure that some of these key services which nobody wants to lose are actually saved and preserved by the voluntary sector, helped by voluntary sector involvement in the long-run. But if these economies are made too quickly, that simply can’t happen, and there is a danger that things are lost that can’t then be replaced. A very clear danger of that.”

So leaders of both the Conservatives and Lib Dems have it, they've cut too hard and too fast, this is a leading Lib Dems lords view, will their local candidates see it that way?

First campaign report

2011-04-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

The local elections are well and truly underway, officially over a week and despite a dodgy ankle, I can report that the reaction on the doorstep is better than any time in the last three elections.

There is the usual mixture of local and national issues.

The most notable in this election is very few are mentioning the Liberal Democrats in terms of support, although many have commented on Nick Clegg and from our canvass we appear to be picking up support.

I am always cheered by the positive way campaigners are welcomed even by people whom clearly do not support, or are disturbed eating or other more important personal matters.

Anyway, hundreds of houses down and many more to come, I am enjoying the discussion on Shepton's future, and thats what these elections are about, how Shepton moves forward.

A little Info

2011-04-11T16:58:00.001-07:00

Chris Inchley for Somerset County, Mendip District and Shepton Town Council’s

I spent my life in Shepton, attending Waterloo, St Paul’s School and Whitstone Schools. I have been lucky to work in Shepton since I left school.

I have had the privilege to represent Shepton Mallet as a Town Councillor and being Chairman on two occasions.

For the past four years, I have represented the Town Council on the Citizens Advice Bureau management committee and the In Bloom Committee; I also chaired the Cenotaph enhancement scheme.

I am a governor at Whitstone school, I have just become the chair of the Leisure Centre Committee, learning about the investment required at the centre, and this will be very challenging in the coming years.

The most important qualities of your representatives must be reliable and most importantly honesty.

I have had a very good attendance at Town Council, unlike Conservative members forcing four by-elections in the last four years at Town, District and County Councils.

Twelve months ago at the General election, all political parties were opposed to cuts in frontline public services, opposed VAT increases, opposed hikes in Tuition fees and cuts to the Educational Maintenance Allowance, no Party supported the top down fundamental reform of the National Health Service, all these proposals were never put to voters. These were the hidden agendas of the Conservatives and lib dems.

As of the 5 April 2011 the average family will be £1736 worse off because of tax, tax credits changes (i).

I genuinely believe in locally accountable affordable housing, I am deeply depressed by the governments housing policies; cuts to public housing building grants, housing benefit changes that effect single under 35 year olds and forcing local housing providers to charge 80% of the private housing rates, with less secure tenancies, a safe secure home should be a human right and is the basis of security and freedom. That is why I will work to achieve more affordable housing for Shepton.

The most pernicious cuts this government are making is to legal aid, this will effect people with complex housing and welfare problems, those with employment tribunal issues, giving vulnerable people less protection against powerful people and agencies. Justice should be for All.

In Shepton there is a real challenge to improve the educational attainment of our young people; the focus has to on raising aspiration and improvements to teaching and learning.

I believe schools should work together sharing expertise, I reject this governments policies on free schools and opting out from the local authority family of schools. The OECD has stated that the Education Maintenance Allowance is good for economic growth, yet the Conservative and Lib Dem government will cut money to young people of modest income.

Young people have been at the forefront of the government cuts, with tuition fee increases, cut to EMA, Future for job fund, locally we have seen 75% cuts to the youth service, 100% cuts to the Arts.

Young and old will be affected by the cuts to local bus services, Shepton effectively cut off after 6.00pm in the evening and on Sundays, your local County Councillor must find a solution to this, we must also re-route a Bristol bus through Shepton. Central government has also cut the subsidy for bus pass users from 64p a ticket to 32p, a further cost of operating bus services.

Why is it Shepton Police station has been closed? This is a frontline service that no other Town will endure in the Mendip district, the County Council has cut it’s funding for the PCSO by virtually 100%, this will have a negative impact on policing in our community.

I remember standing in the cold last New Years Eve with people queuing to sign the Town’s petition to Save our Library, there was an universal revulsion of the loss of our Library, Shepton spoke as one, Libraries should not be closed, free access to books is essential in a civilised society, despite this victory, there is still a 20% cut in this vital Shepton Library service.

We have seen countless cuts made at brake neck speed, with little consultation and no planning, these cuts are like watching a car crash, slash and burn forced by the government grant settlement, these cuts will be seen to be too hard too fast. Whilst our services are being culled, Somerset County Council is employing a Consultant at £800 a day for six months.

I want to see the regeneration of the High Street; the District Council has sat on a budget for an Urban Design Statement for three years, now this study is complete this has to followed through with ruthless efficiency, in those lost three years countless opportunities must have been missed.

The Urban Design statement includes resurfacing of the Town Street area, improved lighting, better street furniture and more events to increase footfall, I would add better business support is required.

The Little Ostry and Petticoat Lane area needs to be regenerated, Councils should use all the tools available to them to get this area developed, the Conservative administration was criticised by the Audit Commission for their planning service not helping our local economy through the recession, Little Ostry is a classic example.

Mendip and the County Council need to be more active in the growth of new businesses, including land for business units and employment.

Shepton has a wonderful landscape, the canopy of trees and green spaces, planning decisions needs to respect Shepton’s environment, that’s why I will work to defend the green areas at West Shepton Playing Fields and the Showfield at Cannards Grave Road.

New housing has to fit sympathetically within the environment.

My promise to the elector is simple, I will work hard for you, I will put Shepton first, and I will work with other councillors of the elector’s choice and most importantly the residents to make Shepton better.

A month today

2011-04-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

A month today the elections will be over. Here in Shepton we have Town, District and a County Council byelection. A year ago at the general election in Shepton the Liberal democrats convinced people to vote for their candidate to rid ourselves of the incumbent Tory. The Lib Dems promised a new politics, they were certainly 'new'. Within a week, the Liberal Democrats had supported a Conservative government a government that Gregory Barker a minister of state, said were making cuts that "Mrs Thatcher would of dreamt of" and they reneged on their promises on Tuition fees, Educational Maintenance Allowance and increases to VAT up to 20% and deep cuts to frontline services. The best the Lib Dems could do on electoral reform was what Nick Clegg called 'a grubby little compromise' AV, which is neither fair votes or proportional. Coupled this with a boundary changes to reduce the commons by 50 MPs, the figure that effected the Conservative and Lib Dems least and Labour the most, real new politics these! So to the current elections, the choice is now between a governing coalition and Labour for the County Council division, only a vote for Labour will deliver real change. Why was Shepton so ignored for years when we elected a Lib Dem at the County Council and a Lib Dem Council? Again at the District Council, why has the Lib Dems offered so little alternative to the Conservatives? We need to change the culture at Mendip, more of the same will not do, councillors who cannot agree or even work together, the best solution is to remove both and elect Labour councillors who will work to change Mendip to a listening responsive council. So when your told this candidate or that candidate can or cannot win, vote positively, vote for change, real change, don't let lightening strike again because a con job is still a con job even it's conducted by a lib dem!

So the truth is out

2011-04-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

The idea that anyone should dream of making deep and far reaching cuts to public spending at the cost of millions of people that rely on those services is profoundly disturbing, yet those were the words that a Conservative minister chose to use describing what the Conservative led government are doing this year. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has cut the expected rate of growth in this country to 1.5% for 2011, with the spending cuts being sighted as a reason for slowing growth. I have written many times before that the government cuts will make things worse. They push up unemployment, make people fearful about the future (therefore reducing spending – the main driver of the economy) and they reduce overall confidence. This causes a downward spiral since businesses suffer as people don’t spend, they lay off workers and reduce investment: the economy suffers even more. Despite the deepest recession since the 1930's the OECD states clearly the country debt is 12th out of 29 countries with only one member of the G7 group has a lower national debt, this despite Labour's spending to defend jobs and family expenditure between 2008-10. The OECD report on growth interim assessment of the G7 economies today forecast faster growth for the American, French and German economies that has not produced austerity budgets, and this country slower growth, with only Japan with slower growth. So with the British economy weakened by the austerity budget, our economy is more exposed to high food, energy and commodity prices (inflationary pressures)and in a weaker position to take advantage of growth of the world economies. We have to break out of this downward spiral, it is time for the alternative.

Photos from the March

2011-04-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

It looks Bleak

2011-04-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Talking to a business man today, I asked him if it was snow that had affected his end of year sales. He told me "it's people, they simply do not have money in their pockets".

I look at the Observer today and the governments own figures suggest that personal debt is going to be 15% higher than they first projected. It looks like the average debt of a British family will be £77,309 by 2015.

This shows far from tackling debt, the Chancellor is passing debts onto individuals.

The VAT rise in January was not about deficit reduction, it was to fund tax cuts to corporations such as banks, the chancellor claimed this would stimulate the private sector, however this put fuel up by 3pence a litre, utilities costs continue to rise.

There is no sign of improvement in wages and income has in real terms shrank by 5% in the last three years, with anticipated income to grow 1.3% in the next four years, with inflation showing no signs of flattening, we can expect inflation to remain high for a while yet.

The confidence required for growth is not there, people have battened down the hatches expecting the April Cuts to public services and tax rises and reductions in benefits, the Conservative led government has chosen it's course, it's hurting and economy is in flux, this experimental economic policy has forced growth backwards, it's depressed confidence, personal debt is rising, unmemployment is rising, job insecurity is rising.

So all in all it looks bleak.

No time but I was party to it

2011-03-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I Marched for an Alternative on the 26th of March 2011, on the 27th I was out getting Labour Candidates signed up for the coming elections, so after midnight on the 28th I visit my blog to make some points.

Firstly, What a great day it was, great praise to Glen Newstead for the organisation of the day, thanks to Unite the Union for the transport to our capital city. We arrived in New Convent Garden at 10a.m, it was a grey day by the river Thames, we made our way to the Lambeth Pier for a boat to Blackfriers Pier, a great start, with waves from the police we landed onto Victoria embankment.

We walked to the beat of drums and music from a Tower Hamlets band, this adding real buzz to the day, the absolute diversity of groups that was protesting was amazing. We saw small community groups that have lost their small community council grants, the groups that makes society tick, now are going out of business, the obvious public sector workers who are taking the pain of the public sector cuts, whether nurses, teachers, council workers, construction workers.

Then you had people that made this March for an Alternative a carnival atmosphere, whether the bands or those who dressed up, this was a family event, we took over 4 hours to go from Victoria embankment to Hyde Park, we had no time for speeches before it was time to leave.

I did see the windows in Piccadilly put in especially the banks and the Ritz had been paint bombed, this of course was outrageous, this had nothing to do with the March.

The police were great, helpful and bored I would say, they looked it.

My memory of the March was a diverse group of people, young and old, people from London, Wells, from the North from the south and the east and the west, from Scotland and Wales, a family March, optimistic, people saying there is an Alternative, cutting public services to fast too hard when the economy has hardly recovered from the worse recession in 60 years, why should billionaires be allowed to transfer his income to his wife in Monaco or the avoidance of inheritance tax by setting up off shore tax havens or the tax evasion of our multi national corporations.

We cannot consign the young to years of unemployment, governments should intervene to protect against the harsh markets.

I was on the March for an Alternative, I was proud to be Labour and a proud trade unionist as well, the headlines may be grabbed by a few hot heads who do not respresent anyone, but the decent majority who deeply care about their country and the sort of country we want to live in made their voices heard, the Labour movement now needs to develop it's vision of the decent society, of fair taxes an active society and a state that intervenes to protect those without economic power.

So many unanswered questions, yet one truism

2011-03-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

On the twentieth of January this year I wrote to the liberal Democrat chair of scrutiny Mr Philip Whitmarsh with concerns about Mendip District accountancy and financial processes that led to the grant aiding of the Bristol Arts Performing Academy.

My basic premise of the letter was to ascertains the methodology of the decision making process in the awarding of the £47,000 to BAPA and the £16660 that appeared in the 2008 accounts of BAPA from Mendip District Council.

Tonight the Scrutiny Committee met to consider an investigation undertaken by members of the Scrutiny Panel http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Documents/MinutesAndReports/Meetings%202011/Scrutiny/21.03.11/Item%2013%20Final%20Report%20-%20Task%20and%20Finish%20Group%20Review%20of%20Grants%20Paid%20to%20the%20Bristol%20Academy%20of%20Performing%20Arts.doc
My concerns are after the Audit Commissions criticisms of Mendip Council twelve months ago concerning managing the finances.

I felt we cannot continue with the discontent about the BAPA grants, that's why I asked Mendip for the scrutiny committee to conduct an investigation into the award of these grants, this so the full facts are exposed for public inspection and restore public confidence in Mendip’s use of s106 monies.

My main concerns are about the diligence process, Will Dunscombe spoke at Scrutiny this evening, he was frustrated that most of his questions simply was not addressed, he concluded that how could you expect Lib Dem and Conservative members to criticise their colleagues and demanded a independent inquiry.

From what I heard the Scrutiny Committee simply misunderstood what they were investigating!

They were not debating the pros and cons of BAPA, the questions were about risk assessing grants against benefit, about how decisions were made against the information at councillors disposal.

The District Council was asked to do due diligence on BAPA before allocating £20,000 additional funding after already giving £27,000 by the Central Mendip Community Partnership. I had asked when this due diligence was conducted and by whom. Mendip say they did not pay BAPA £16660, yet how could they have missed this amount if they had looked at the 2007/08 accounts of BAPA? Should this have raised a query if they hadn't paid this?

It was clear by 2008/09 that £47,000 was not enough money to keep the BAPA solvent, and a much bigger grant would be required, I wanted to see the minutes of the due diligence meeting, whom was there and where these minutes are reported to.

I had asked if the successor company to BAPA the Musical Theatre Company had asked for a grant from Mendip Council, and if they had how this was processed by the Council.

The Scrutiny Board did recommend changes to the new Councils constitution on emergency grants, yet were no specific on what these measures were.

Sadly scrutiny could have investigated, produced a forensic report, a proper audit trail instead they produced a report that did not answer the questions asked of it, a damp squib of a report and a report that shows real change is needed at Mendip.

Voting Debate in Frome

2011-03-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

I attended a meeting in Frome this evening to discuss the referendum on voting change to the Alternative Vote.

It was a good debate with high quality speakers, Ben Bradshaw for AV and Jane Kennedy against change.

I am going to comment on the debate except for one point, Jane Kennedy made one point that was really good, it is not necessarily concerning the AV referendum, but the way individuals and parties do politics.

The point was this, no matter what electoral system we use to elect our representatives, the most corrosive thing in politics is not keeping promises or knowing you can't keep promises when you make them.

My frustration with the current government is just that;

Mr Cameron said no top down re-organisation of the NHS and he is now doing so.
Mr Cameron said no cuts to frontline services, again thousands of Police offices losing their jobs, local authority workers being made redundant and services disappearing.
Mr Cameron said he would not increase VAT, then he did so.
Mr Cameron said he would not cut EMA then he did so etc etc etc
Mr Clegg said he didn't support tutition fees increase and then supported removing government funding increasing fees up to £9000.
Mr Clegg said he supported EMA, then cut it.
Mr Clegg said no to VAT rise then supported it.
Mr Clegg said AV was a shabby compromise and then supports it, etc etc etc

Infact we have a government programme without a public mandate.

In the coming local elections no doubt huge promises will be made again, the electorate will rightly be sceptical of their candidates, yet how many voters will be energised by a simple message of working hard for you, i'll make no promises but will do my best for you, and then lots of attacks on other candidates and don't forget the dodgy bar charts.

Politicans do have a responsibility to tell the truth, and voters have a responsibility too, we need a honest change in politics, let's hope politicians and parties reconise this, this will make politics more healthy and trust in the system more robust.

115,000 jobs please

2011-03-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ahead of next week's budget, Labour leader Ed Miliband and the shadow chancellor Ed Balls set out how they would fund the financial hole left by reversing the VAT rise on petrol, now £6 a gallon and begin stimulating activity for the UK economy, putting forward plans that could create 115,000 jobs.

Their tests for next week's budget, they said, included whether the chancellor is taking steps to relieve the pinch on living standards, and whether the coalition has set out a clear plan for economic growth.

Labour's central proposal is that the government should repeat last year's bank bonus tax – which raised £3.5bn. Cautiously estimating the fresh tax could bring in £2bn, Ed Miliband and Ed Balls suggested:

• Establishing a £600m youth unemployment fund which they say would help more than 90,000 young people into work.

• Providing £1.2bn to fund the construction of 25,000 affordable homes which would also serve to shore up the "faltering" construction industry which, they said, had lost 27,000 jobs in the last year. These plans would generate 20,000 jobs, they claimed.

• Providing a funding stream for regional businesses by boosting regional growth fund by £200m.

Miliband said: "We are under no illusions that at this stage the government will abandon their deficit reduction plan – they are too dug in for that.

"But at least they should take some steps to deal with faltering growth in our economy, to start to establish a plan to create jobs in the private sector … to deal with the crisis of youth unemployment in our country and build the skills we need for the future.

"The tests for next week's budget are clear: growth and living standards. But the signs aren't good that they will be met. The government should think again."

Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, maintained that a Labour government would still be sticking to the former chancellor Alistair Darling's plan to halve the deficit by the end of the current parliament.

He took on suggestions that Darling's plan would have meant just £2bn fewer cuts than Osborne's £16bn, saying these took no account of the fact that circumstances had changed since Darling produced his forecast, and that borrowing was £20bn lower than expected.

However, Ed Balls stopped short of saying how any extra cash would be used, only suggesting it would have insulated a Labour government from having to make the cuts the government is now making.

Ed Balls said it was "complete nonsense" to claim that a Labour government would have been cutting spending by almost as much as the coalition.

No to AV, Yes to PR

2011-03-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

It's thirty years ago the Labour party split and the SDP was formed, let's say Lord David Owen was never my favourite politician, but I have to say I noticed what he has had to say on the AV referendum in May, "A proper choice should include the third option of proportional representation. It is a democratic disgrace that we in this House, it seems, are incapable of bringing this about”

I have wrote before about the Alternative Vote, it's not proportional and all votes are not equal and is no fairer than the current electoral system.

I'm irritated that Proportional Representation is not on the ballot paper in May, especially as there was an amendment put down in parliament to include PR on the ballot, it would appear no Lib Dem MPs supported the amendment, strange as Nick Clegg said of the AV Labour proposal “I am not going to settle for a miserable little compromise thrashed out by the Labour Party”. No Nick, just a miserable little compromise thrashed out by you and David Cameron!

I support the Additional Member System, this giving equal weight to each voters ballot, a vote for your constituency MP and your party choice to add proportionality to the final result. It was a tragedy that the Jenkins AV+ proposal was not put to the British people for their consideration.

In the most recent YouGov opinion poll, it suggests 'other' parties have 14% support, yet AV will not help gain representation for those parties, it appears the two party system is braking down with a more plural political system is emerging, so the electoral system needs to be able to accommodate that plurality.

I am not convinced AV is a step towards PR.

I will not be able to vote Yes to PR so it's no to AV.

Representative Democracy

2011-03-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

An interesting piece in the Guardian today about the social economic grouping of local councillors.

It says that 16% of councillors are aged between 35 and 49, while 34% were over 65. The average age of councillors is 59.

In terms of employment 69% of all councillors who are in employment have managerial or professional backgrounds (43% of all councillors are retired).

Additional to council work, councillors who are school governor amounts to 42% down from 59% in 1997 Other unpaid voluntary work 51% down from 57% in 1997, the average councillor does 22 hours a week on council work.

Only 3% of councillors have trade apprentices 66% are educated to managerial levels .

This is quite understandable, for example how many employers welcome local councillors taking time off in the middle of a working day or workers using their holiday entitlement to attend meetings?

I am fortunate, I'm single and happy to use my holiday entitlement to attend day time off when required, I do not have children to worry about and evenings are my own, so I enjoy community work, albeit the frustrations of the process of local government.

The pressures of work and family must make it difficult for under 50 yr olds to participate in local government, the electorate probably are unaware of these difficulties, without changes and if power really does devolve to communities - and assuming local government wields that power - then the white, elderly, male, middle-class professionals will dominate Town Halls.

Sharing the pain, equally of course?

2011-03-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Bailed out Royal Bank of Scotland has handed shares worth £28m to nine of its top executives in the latest round of multimillion pound bonus awards by the high street banks.

The precise scale of the payouts at the loss-making bank, 83% owned by the state through £45bn of taxpayer funds, will become clearer next week when the annual report is published.

Len McCluskey, Unite general secretary, said: "While most taxpayers continue to suffer during tough economic times the top bankers at RBS - and yesterday at Barclays - celebrate their ludicrous bonuses. While everyone else is worried about paying their household bills, these people are counting their bundles of cash.

The astonishing pay deals still being handed out in the City barely two years after the banking crisis were laid bare by Barclays when it revealed that five of its top managers had shared a payout of £110m.

Bob Diamond, who took the helm in January after more than a decade building the investment banking arm, Barclays Capital. The American-born banker, who has called for the period of remorse for banks to end, received a potential £27m, including a £6.5m bonus for 2010, as well as a £2.25m award of shares which could pay out in the future, and share deals from the past five years that paid out £14m and one from 2007that paid out £5m.

And in terms of performance?

By the end of last year, £100 invested in Barclays shares four years earlier would have generated a loss of £47, while the FTSE 100 index of major shares gained £26 during the same period.

So despite big words by Nick Clegg and Vince Cable and the Silence from Osbourne and Cameron, nothing has changed, the banks and bankers are still untouchable and government will do nothing about it.

Now Cameron is talking about less red tape (code for deregulation and cutting workers rights)the market is to be further unleashed, with less checks and balances for ordinary workers.
In the last week the unite union has reported that Storck, owners of the renowned Bendicks’ mints and Werther's originals have informed Unite that it is considering moving production to east Germany.

Bendicks has been manufacturing chocolate in England since 1930 and is famously British. The company whose factory is based in Winchester and employs 140 staff has begun consulting with the union and the workforce.

Unite regional officer, Ian Woodland, said: "Bendicks and Werther's Originals are famously British. The skilled workforce who have spent years manufacturing high quality confectionary now face an uncertain future.

“Yet again, weak labour laws are working against the interests of the UK. Unite will be doing everything possible to protect jobs in a community where unemployment is already too high."

World Book Night Comes to Shepton

2011-03-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

I was asked to attend the presentation of the World Book Night in Hanover Housing here in Shepton, this is what I said.

I like to congratulate Gina for winning one of the national World Book Prizes and thank Gina and Hanover Housing for this invitation to this evening’s event that is a part of the World book Night, this event puts Shepton at the heart of an evening national event. Which culminates in television programmes, , readings, book parties and a nationwide celebration of the written word.

A million free books have been given away free to individual members of our communities today; an ambitious initiative to spread a buzz about the joy of reading, up and down the country.

Philip Pullman, whose book Northern Lights has been chosen by Gina is said to be thrilled by the World book Night, he says, "it’s a very original idea and yet so obvious to give books to people they enjoy and then they will go read more books and he hopes it will revive interest in reading."

Northern lights are a part of a trilogy, His Dark Materials, consisting of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

I will confess not to have read any of these books, so as not to disappoint you, thinking your local councillors don’t read books, I’m currently reading Attlee a life in politics my last books include Chris Mullins Diaries (View from the foothills and decline and fall), Paul Masons Live Working or Die Fighting: How The Working Class Went Global and Borrowed Time: The Story of Britain Between the Wars by Roy Hattersley. The next book is by Will Hutton Them and Us: Changing Britain - Why We Need a Fair Society – now I probably have just confirmed how boring I am!

I hope you enjoy the northern lights book and then want to read the remaining two books in the trilogy, and I sure these books can be hired from our library.

Like Phillip Pullman we in Shepton have fought hard to keep our Library from closure, we saw the closure of our library as cultural vandalism, libraries are a community resource that are used by young and old alike, whether for hire of books or for computers, this greater knowledge gives personal confidence and improves quality of life.

I was greatly heartened when standing in the snow on New Years Eve asking people to sign our Save our Library petition and people queued to do so and people turned out in their hundreds to public meetings, together we stood together and saved our libraries all be it with a 20% cut..

Libraries presence at the heart of our town sends the proud signal that everyone – whoever they are, whatever their educational background, whatever their age or their needs – is welcome. Free and fair access to books is a part of a civilized society

The final council meeting of this term

2011-03-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Tuesday evening saw the last full council meeting of this Council, the next will be after the local elections on May 5th.

I will write the obituary of this Council before the election, but I thought I would report on that meeting.

The Police had requested to speak to the Town Council to outline the cuts to their service to Sheptonians, they did not attend, but the clerk told the meeting that the front office at Shepton's Police Station was to close, the only such cut in the area. I asked for clarification as the County Council removed funding for the PCSOs this would affect eleven officers and if Shepton would be affected?

The Mid Somerset Show Committee members attended to ask for support for the local development framework proposal to build houses on the showfield on Cannards Grave Road and this would allow the Mid Somerset Show to move along the Ridge Road, the Town Council decided to continue with it's recommendation to continue with it's policy of keeping this area as green space.

We had update on the Urban Design Statement (UDS) paid for by the Townscape Heritage Initiative THi, this was split into short term issues; improved lighting scheme, seating, painting street furniture and the setting of the Market Cross and the longer term aim of resurfacing Town Street.

We discovered the absolute neglect shown by our Conservative Councillors, this money to do this UDS could/should have been concluded three years ago, money was available through s106 Tesco planning gain money, this money should of been totally focused on the UDS, three years ago the County Council was spending Local Transport Funds to regenerate Market Towns, through Mendip Conservatives inaction, Shepton missed out on this opportunity, who knows when another funding opportunity will arrive.

We discussed the bus cuts, I have written three articles on the bus cuts, but I proposed that the Town Council should meet with Wells City, Frome Town Council to see if there is any way we can offer some relief to the bus cuts.

The Town Council has released the funding to the in bloom committee for the floral displays, Mendip Council will cease paying for the beds at Shaftesgate Ave, Charlton Rd, Millennium Stone and by the Fire Station, in Bloom with Quadron will take these beds on, and will plant fountains and railing plantings, the displays won't be so extensive, but with much hard work, the Town should at least bloom this summer.

I was not pleased the Conservative administration decided at the previous meeting to extend the Collett Park contract by 12 months on RPI inflation rate, I described that decision as bonkers, someone in the council saw sense and negotiated a 2% increase, I was happy to support that, but if they had taken my advice in the first place, a poor decision would not have been made.

No Strategy for Growth

2011-02-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

Today the office for National Statistics published the revised growth figures for the final quarter of last year, with growth revised lower to - 0.6%, with the private sector shrinking by 0.7%.
The Construction sector shrank by 2.5% and a 2.5% slump in business investment also contributed to the overall decline.

In terms of Consumer confidence the picture remains at rock bottom this highlighted concerns among consumers about the effects of the government's spending cuts and falling real incomes.

Anyone in work knows that we are working longer and expected to work overtime for no extra income, wages as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has fallen from 64% in 1975 to 54% in 2010, with the governor of the Bank of England stating average wages are likely to be no higher in 2011 than they were in 2005.

This may partly be explained by the fact that between mid-2009 and early 2010, 89% of all new income had gone to profits. In truth, £29bn (this year) is only a fraction of the total surplus that is being extracted from workers.

Productivity has virtually doubled, today a worker does in 23 hours what it took them in forty hours in 1975.

This governments solution is to introduce more flexibility into the Labour Market, with fewer protections for workers and making it harder to fight unfair dismal, further strengthening the hand of employers.

This diet of public sector cuts, VAT increases, benefit cuts and squeezed income and increased food and utility bills are crushing consumer confidence.

This cycle needs to be broken or a Plan B, the market is not working so growth can only be fostered with a set of strategic government interventions.

We need an investment bank to develop infrastructure projects, since the RDAs has been disbanded and the Local Enterprise Partnerships has not been formed in Somerset, we has no strategic regeneration body; more spent on research and development and training; developing manufacturing.

The economy needs confidence, a conservative state of economic fear will not build that growing economy.

Confirmation

2011-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

After weeks of my warnings the County Council confirmed their cuts to the local bus service http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-12536626 , this will have a very big impact on many citizens lives. The 161 (Wells - Frome): Will run No Sunday service, the last bus at 1755 after the 17th April.

The situation could be made worse as seven off-peak services will be run by First on a trial "use it or lose it" basis. Its daytime services will remain unchanged.

The routes are Service 21/21A (Taunton - Burnham on Sea), Service 22 (Ladymead Road - Rockwell Green), Service 92/192 (Taunton - Exeter), Service 28 (Taunton - Minehead), Service 112 (Weston-super-Mare - Highbridge), Service 173 (Bath - Wells), Service 376 (Bristol - Street) and Service 377 (Wells - Yeovil).

These cuts mirror the cuts made by the Lib Dems at County Hall in 2004, cuts that were reversed almost immediately, sadly these cuts look more permanent.

These cuts from the Conservative County Council caused by the Conservative Lib Dem government budget, that cut public spending too fast too hard. The Conservative Lib Dem government have cut the Bus Operator Grant by 20%, this transferring the subsidy into higher ticket prices. Passenger growth has seen between 3-8% growth this year. The subsidy to the bus pass has also been cut from 64p a ticket to 34p, this effecting the viability of the bus service.

All in all these measures will make people's lives harder to live, commuting from the Mendip area to the cities is going to be made harder, tourism is going to be effected later in the year and people without cars or access to a car their freedoms will be curtailed.

Iain Duncan Smith MP sec of state for Work and Pensions said on the 21 October 2010 that the unemployed should "get on a bus to find work", so cutting the buses and leaving bus drivers unemployed is not the best solution.

The Conservatives through their economic strategy are cutting jobs, cutting help for childcare, cutting working tax credit that makes work pay and even cutting support for buses.

They are even cutting corporation tax for banks, giving them additional billions of pounds in the next four years, at the same time they are reshaping the public sector to be smaller, less comprehensive, more judgemental, making society more divided and less equal.

Members Allowances

2011-02-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today the BBC on their website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-12515333 reports, obviously after a press release by Mendip District Council, that Mendip Councillors approved a freeze in their allowances, and voted against the independent review body that recommended an increase.

The allowance scheme for Mendip Councillors costs around £244,000 according http://www.mendip.gov.uk/Documents/Councillor%20Information/Members%20Allowances/Constitution%20Appendix%20G%20%20Members%27%20Allowance%20Scheme%202009-10.pdf , of course all councillors may not claim all or part of these allowances.

The question I would ask is a freeze in allowances sharing enough of the 14.8% reduction of government grant? Especially as 23 people are to lose their jobs at Mendip.

A theoretical cut in Members Allowances of 14.8% would raise £36000, least the staff would know the members took a reduction to help the council and the community in these most difficult times.

Somerset would close for business at six o'clock

2011-02-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Andrew Govier, leader of the labour Group on Somerset County Council has outlined the level of cuts to the bus services agreed yesterday in Taunton
There are almost 250 bus services in Somerset, almost all of which are subsidised to some extent by the County Council. A reduction will be made in this subsidy of around £3.6m over three years, lifeline bus routes are to be slashed as the council halves its spending on supported buses. Bus companies will look at their own routes and work out whether they can continue, though the Council is having talks with operators to try to avoid an impact upon journeys to work, schools and colleges, and medical appointments.

One bus company said "Somerset would close for business at six o'clock and off-peak services will take a significant hit” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-12307243

The Mendip Labour Party believes these cuts will have dramatic impact on people and their ability to live productive lives, especially the young and the old.

How do people without cars go to the theatre or an evenings entertainment from Shepton if buses no longer run from Wells or Frome after 6pm in the evening?

How will young people visit their friends who live out of town or need the bus return from work in the evening, if these buses are removed because of these cuts, then the quality of life has been damaged.

Mendip's local economy is becoming more reliant on Tourism, rural link services are very important that join our Market Towns, and give tourist an opportunity to visit our unique Towns and villages.

The Mendip Labour Party will campaign for good bus services, we need good bus services to allow people to socialise, access to services, leisure and economic activity, with fuel increasing the bus is an ever important alternative form of transport.

The coalition of Conservative Council and Conservative Lib Dem Government have cut public services to fast to hard, with the result of crucial public services being decimated.

More economic woe, from the wrong choices

2011-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

The unemployment rate has risen again, another 49,000 people are out of work, this now almost 2.5 million, a rate of 7.9%, but more worrying is youth unemployment has risen to 951,000 or 20.3%, the problem is that unemployment is up, employment is down and economic activity is too slow to generate enough jobs to reverse this trend.

Under Labour's job schemes 850,000 people were helped to find work or training, these schemes has been scrapped under this government and replaced with a government's new "work programme" this will actually help fewer people than the existing schemes that ministers are scrapping they expect 605,000 people to go through the scheme 2011-12 and 565,000 in 2012-13. At a time when unemployment is rising, this government is cutting back help to those who needs it.

At the same time of unemployment and no growth we are seeing higher inflation, today we saw inflation RPI 5.1% or CPI 4%, this due to the VAT increase, weakness of sterling and higher commodity prices. This at a time when the economy shrank by 0.5%.

Private sector pay is increasing at 1.9%.

What is interesting the Office for National Statistics says petrol is £1.27 a litre, but in Shepton it is a penny more expensive.

In terms of growth the American growth rate was .8%, the Germans .4%, the french .3% and the British economy shrank by .5%.

This series of economic data shows the rest of the world growing, whilst Britain falls back, unemployment rising faster than first thought, with inadequate government action.

If this trend continues, world commodity prices are likely to remain high, with concern of middle east unrest, euro zone uncertainty, with Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Spain and even Belgium likely to be hit by economic woes, countries like America and China that are growing economies; consuming more forcing prices up.

With Inflation moving increasingly higher, the Bank of England will have to rise interest rates, this will further choke of growth and cause pressure on property prices downwards.

With the weakening of the economy sterling will further decrease, this downward spiral, living standards will be further undermined.

And all this before the Austerity cuts are enacted, these cuts as Ken Clarke said people are unaware how deep they will be.

So higher inflation, higher taxes, lower pay rises and stagnent economy, not a pretty picture this is Plan A.

Community Development Meeting

2011-02-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

We held the penultimate Community Development Committee meeting of this Town Council, with the elections in May.

There was a number of items of interest;

1. We had Jane Sharp, regeneration officer at MDC, came to talk to us about Shop Jacket, this a scheme that offers business advice to new shops, gives a temporary shop front to attract new shops.
My concern was how we improve footfall in the Town Centre; the Town's street furniture is dirty and needs refurbishment; the lack of future focus from Mendip Council's likely ending of the regeneration function and how was going to lead on regeneration?; the cracked pavements and with Somerset County Council ending spraying who was going to weed the Town, I did apologise for being negative, but with all this going on is Shop Jacket the best investment? I have asked the Town Council to write to Mendip Council to discover if they were to play any part in regeneration after March, or was this left to the Town Council to coordinate in the future?

2.Youth Provision - I asked the Town Council to write to the Youth service for their concrete plans for youth provision for Shepton, with 75% cuts there has to be some loss of service, it would be unrealistic for untrained volunteers to pick up the slack. I asked for a meeting to discuss, this was agreed.

3.Bus Services, I again raised my concerns for those who needs transport for there jobs, 50% cuts are bound to affect after 6pm and weekend bus services.

4. Shepton in Bloom, the funding has been recommended that the funding should be taken off risk list as plants need to be funded, the Town Council is now looking to work with partners to develop a planting scheme for the summer.

We're all in this together? Don't be silly

2011-02-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

In Yesterdays Guardian Newspaper had an excellent article by George Monbiot http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/07/tax-city-heist-of-century where he outlined changes to tax for large corporations.

At the moment tax law ensures that companies based here, with branches in other countries, don't get taxed twice on the same money. They have to pay only the difference between our rate and that of the other country. If, for example, Dirty Oil plc pays 10% corporation tax on its profits in Oblivia, then shifts the money over here, it should pay a further 18% in the UK, to match our rate of 28%. But under the new proposals, companies will pay nothing at all in this country on money made by their foreign branches.

Foreign means anywhere. If these proposals go ahead, the UK will be only the second country in the world to allow money that has passed through tax havens to remain untaxed when it gets here. The other is Switzerland. The exemption applies solely to "large and medium companies": it is not available for smaller firms. The government says it expects "large financial services companies to make the greatest use of the exemption regime". The main beneficiaries, in other words, will be the banks.

But that's not the end of it. While big business will be exempt from tax on its foreign branch earnings, it will, amazingly, still be able to claim the expense of funding its foreign branches against tax it pays in the UK. No other country does this. The new measures will, as we already know, accompany a rapid reduction in the official rate of corporation tax: from 28% to 24% by 2014. This, a Treasury minister has boasted, will be the lowest rate "of any major western economy". By the time this government is done, we'll be lucky if the banks and corporations pay anything at all. In the Sunday Telegraph, David Cameron said: "What I want is tax revenue from the banks into the exchequer, so we can help rebuild this economy." He's doing just the opposite.

Today we learned that the Conservative Party are increasingly reliant on bankers, hedge fund managers and private equity moguls for their income for their political party now over 50% of their income. David Cameron has raised £42 million for his Party from the city of London in the last 5 years.

The Conservative Party are close to the City of London and has failed to tackle the bonus culture of our financial institutions, today's agreement between banks and the government on lending and bank bonuses seems meaningless because of the statement “3.5 nothing in this statement derogates from the obligation of the banks, and their boards and remuneration committees, to manage pay policy in a way which protects and enhances the interests of their shareholders.” in the agreement.

Lord Oakeshott a Lib Dem called said of the banking agreement "If this is robust action on bank bonuses, my name's Bob Diamond." He called the Treasury negotiating team "They've got an awful combination of arrogance and incompetence, most of them couldn't negotiate themselves out of a paper bag." His displeasure is made clear "I'm afraid the banks have taken the Treasury for a ride and I've decided I'm more comfortable saying that from the backbenches."

So it's becoming increasingly clear, this Conservative led government are acting on behalf of their funders and unwilling to tackle their friends excesses, at the same time this government are cutting frontline services, cutting schemes such as the financial inclusion fund to fund 500 centres for specialists in debt relief at a cost of just £45million.

We're all in this together? Don't be silly

No building plans

2011-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

This evenings planning meeting only had two items, tree works for the Town and District Councils, over the previous month we have seen fewer planning applications being submitted, I worry this is further evidence of the slowing of economic confidence.

Mondays Citizens Advice Bureau management meeting has been cancelled due to uncertainity on funding, especially the coalition government cut of the Financial Inclusion Fund, this funds specialists in debt and legal matters costing £45 million funding 500 centres nationally, so it is proposed to meet at the end of February when the picture should be clearer on funding.

The enhancement of the Cenotaph work has begun and the work is progressing well, the works should be completed by the end of March, this scheme largely funded by the Tesco s106 fund, with some additional funding from the Town Council.

On the buses

2011-02-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

Today I went to town to celebrate the work of our Library, the band played and many people attended, more details can be found on http://www.shepton.org.uk/

Shepton Mallet spoke as one against the plan by the Conservative County Council to close Shepton Mallets library, like many people across Somerset this cultural vandalism was consider completely unacceptable.

Shepton's library looks to have earned a reprieve, albeit with a reduced service. Smaller libraries across Somerset will still be closed. So for some residents of Somerset they will need to travel for their library services.

The Conservative County Council are to cut our bus services by 50%, lifeline bus routes are to be slashed as the council halves its spending on supported buses, amounting to a cut of more than £3.5m over three years.

The likely result of these cuts will be as one bus company said the changes meant "Somerset would close for business at six o'clock and off-peak services will take a significant hit".

David Redgewell, from Transport South West, said: "We're extremely concerned that people working in Bristol and Bath will find it very difficult to get home at night to the Mendip towns.

The Conservative lib Dem government has cut the Bus Operator Grant by 20%, this transferring the subsidy into higher fees. Passenger growth has seen between 3-8% growth this year. The subsidy to the bus pass has also been cut from 64p a ticket to 34p, this effecting the viability of the bus service.

Our local bus services are under attack, especially rural link services, for many these bus services are vital for every day life. Bus cuts will cause misery for bus users, obstruct the delivery of other public services and hold back the economy.

An excellent report http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/system/files/Buses+Matter.pdf

More information can be found on http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/

Here in Shepton we have no Theatre, Cinema, Indoor Swimming Pool,Job Centre and governmental offices (other than Mendip)and many need the bus for accessing their jobs. A diverse group of people use buses, the bus pass has transformed many older peoples lives, college students can use buses to access their courses and give them freedom to live their lives, low paid people who needs transport, those who do not have a car.

Wells Bus station also employs 50 people, with the loss of bus services, this will lead to job loses.

We need our bus services, back in 2004 we fought off the Lib Dems proposals to cut evening and weekend buses to Shepton, it looks like the same fight will be fought again.

The Forces of Stagnation

2011-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

The latest consumer confidence index shows an ever worsening mood of the British people. The Index sees confidence at levels back not seen since 1994. Families have decided to reduce spending on the basis of the certain times and this indicates that household finances has deteriorated since the end of last year. The recent VAT increase, higher inflation and squeezed incomes mean that households are struggling to make ends meet.

With consumer confidence low, unemployment growing and likely to rise further and with other tax rises and spending cuts this year, debt levels look to increase. On top of this, the weakness of the housing market is not good news for consumer spending.

Even high performing retailers like John Lewis are feeling the strain of lack of spending,
" John Lewis figures suggest that consumers are becoming increasingly less prepared, or less able, to spend as higher inflation and muted earnings growth squeezes their purchasing power."
Despite this, the coalition government are planning to make workers less secure at work, implementing new employment rules, that will give employers two years before unfair dismissals could be pursued, reversing the Labour government change from one year.

Employment tribunals will now insist that employees will have to pay up to £500 before they can take their employers to an employment tribunal.

PM David Cameron claimed the current laws were “too costly” and acted as a “barrier to growth”, this shows that David Cameron believes workers should be treated as employers wish and have few working rights.

The Business and Skills department have produced an employers’ charter which the Unite union believes gives employers "a green light to bully and intimidate, It even encourages employers to sack staff ".

In one of the gloomiest weeks for the economy this year we've heard nothing from the government about creating jobs. We only hear about the need for cuts and harassing people out of work.

This increasingly right wing government believes only unfettered markets can produce growth, this includes cutting university places, training schemes and the Education Maintenance Allowance.

As has already been said this week, the Conservative led government has no vision for the economy, 2011 is looking increasingly difficult for families, unsurprisingly these families will spend less as inflation rises to 5%, the government cutting £20billion this year will further depress spending, it's looking grim, with the coalition government being the true forces of stagnation.

I agree with Nick

2011-01-25T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today we saw a 0.5% shrinking of the economy, this not just a statistic but peoples jobs and living standards. This before the main tranche of the austerity cuts by the conservative led government come into force and VAT increases.

At the general election Nick Clegg said in his own words to Reuters "My eight-year-old (son) ought to be able to work this out -- you shouldn't start slamming on the brakes when the economy is barely growing. "If you do that you create more joblessness, you create heavier costs on the state, the deficit goes up even further and the pain with dealing with it is even greater. So it is completely irrational."

So I agree with Nick, it's just a pity George and Nick doesn't agree with Nick.

Yesterday we saw the retiring General Secretary of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Sir Richard Lambert criticised the government because they"failed so far to articulate in big picture terms its vision of what the UK economy might become under its stewardship." He went on "It's not enough just to slam on the spending brakes. Measures that cut spending but killed demand would actually make matters worse," and concluded the government were "apparently careless of the damage that they might do to business and to job creation".

People like David Blanchflower pleaded for investment to be protected. Not only would it maintain important jobs, it would lay the groundwork for a modern, technologically-driven UK economy. Without the necessary infrastructure ready for the upturn, we will continue to see growth lag our rivals.

So it's critical for a Plan B, this to take measures on the supply side of the economy, such as the Future Jobs Fund, or the Educational Maintenance Allowance.

The 16660 question

2011-01-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight I visited the Mendip Scrutiny Board to discuss the grants made by Mendip District Council to Bristol Academy of Performing Arts (BAPA) of £16660, £20000 and £27000.

I put several questions to the Scrutiny Board;

1.When each of the grants was made who investigated the financial viability of BAPA and it's ability to fulfill its (what)promises made to Mendip Council?

2.When considering the applications for the grants, what meetings took place in deciding the ability of BAPA to continue, which stakeholders and who in the council decided to award the two grants of £27,000 and £16660?

3.On which dates was this audit of BAPAs accounts conducted and by whom and what minutes were made and which evidence was the award based?

4.What service level were promised when each of the grants were handed over?

5.Were the three sums of £16,660, £20,000 and £27,000 given in response to specific requests to fund what functions?

6.Was any service agreement asked by Mendip when the grant was made, or what the stated terms of the awarded grant were made?

7.In the name of transparency, I am calling for an independent investigation by your scrutiny committee to investigate, to give Shepton Mallet residents the confidence in Mendip Council, I asked for each question of the report to be sourced with minutes attached, so it is clear the evidence that decisions were made.

8.Before the Musical Theatre School ceased trading last year it needed funding to attract pupils, was Mendip Council formally asked for further grants to continue, if so was there any investigations into the MTS finances.

I am pleased that the Mendip Scrutiny Board decided to conduct a scrutiny investigation into the questions raised, they hope to have a report by March 2011.

The financial officer said that Mendip Council has no recollection of a payment of £16,660 to BAPA on Mendip Councils records, and the amount does not ring any bells with him.

The Alternative

2011-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

This evening I spent an enjoyable time discussing current issues with several young people.

This week has seen the continued evidence of the weakening of the economy, youth unemployment nearing a million people, inflation RPI up to 4.8% with annual pay rises at 2.1%, although in reality less skilled people receive lower pay rises. The VAT rise and the fuel increases adding to the low paid misery.

The final nail was put into the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), all parties supported this allowance before the election, but the Lib Dems and Conservatives finally voted against it, this helping poorer young people to stay on in education. Never mind the £40million penalty fee to capita for doing so.

Another example of the cuts to supply side measures is the scrapping of the Future Jobs Fund and Aim Higher to help the youth back into work or training, it is well known if young people do not find work they stay long term unemployed.

The Conservatives claim 'we're all in this together' a smooth one liner, but we're not, when the cuts arrive in April, we will see the most vulnerable hit the hardest and this week we've seen despite big words by the government the relentless paying bank Bonuses this year are expected to total around £7 billion, and it looks like, just three years after the global financial crisis, bankers can breathe a sigh of relief, with their bank balances – if not their reputations – intact.

With this government only taxing these bonuses at £1.2billion under Labour raised £3.5billion in tax from bank bonuses.

This week saw the launch of Justice for All a campaign against the Legal Aid cuts, about £350 million worth, these changes effect the poorest most disadvantaged the hardest, but despite this, this week the government sneaked out in a written answer in parliament, only spotted by the Legal Action Group, the entire financial inclusion fund has just been axed, funding nationally 500 Citizens Advice and other debt counsellors, just when more families fall into debt crisis.

It looks like there will be a 50% cut from the County Council in the Bus service budget, this likely to put pressure on the local bus service, six years ago we fought off the loss of Sunday and evening bus services on rural routes including the 161 service, the 668 Shepton to Street bus so we must suspect these services will now be in jeopardy.

The National Government has cut the Bus Operator Grant by 20%, this transferring the subsidy into higher fares. Passenger growth has seen between 3-8% growth this year. The subsidy to the bus pass has also been cut from 64p a ticket to 34p, this effecting the viability of the bus service.

The alternative to the cuts agenda is there, invest in the supply side of the economy, tax fairly, tackle tax evasion, boost growth. With the deficit being tackled slower, but tackling it in a way that doesn't cast aside the young, the vulnerable aside.

That's the difference between the Conservative led government and Labour.

Inflation

2011-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today the rate of inflation was listed at RPI at 4.8% or the CPI at 3.7%.

This effecting those on fixed incomes the hardest, once this would be typically would have been pensioners. But with public sector pay freezes and low pay rises in the low pay and unskilled jobs many millions of workers are effectively having their incomes squeezed.

This because the engine of inflation is imports, food, petrol, energy costs and utilities costs. The VAT rise that we are to endure at 20% will undoubtably increase inflation in the coming months.

The Bank of England would normally increase the base rate for borrowing, to control inflation, but because the government has deflated the economy, by tax increases to the majority, and mass job cuts in the public sector, the Bank of England have no room for action fearing another recession.

The government needs to strengthen the regulatory framework of the former public utilities, I see little evidence of competition delivering lower prices, I see more like a cartel in action.

There is a real need to develop a new economy, where employees are more than just passengers on route, governments of all colours talk about public sector reform, yet are silent on the private sector. Yes, they have laws to restrict trade unions, but what about democracy in the workplace for employees in private companies?

We effectively control banks in this country, RBS and Lloyds, yet they has failed to borrow to businesses that want to invest in expanding business, with the government setting a poor example with Forgemasters in Sheffield, there must be a case for an investment bank, or regional investment banks, we cannot depend on the City of London for taxes, like the Germans, we need a real economy.

Should there not be some linkage between the company tax cuts and training and research and development of companies, if we are to grow and create high quality jobs, then investment in people and product development will be required, shouldn't progressive companies be rewarded for this approach, like wise shouldn't less enlightened companies be punished, why should good companies have good staff poached by companies who don't invest in training?

If we want growth, I believe the government needs to be more proactive, than leaving it to the market.

Justice for All

2011-01-15T05:44:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday the launch of Justice for All was held in Westminster. This group launched in response to the reforms of the legal aid system proposed by the coalition government. The Justice for All campaign aims to ensure that the principles of legal aid, enshrined when they were set out in 1949, are maintained, especially as the coalition’s tough austerity package bites in 2011.

This a fast growing coalition of over 1300 legal and advice agencies, politicians, trade unions, community groups and members of the public. My Trade union Unite is also a member of this campaign. http://www.justice-for-all.org.uk/

The coalition government are planning to cut legal aid by £350 million, the Green Paper proposes cutting legal aid funding for advice on debt, education, employment, housing, family, immigration, welfare benefits and some other areas.

These cuts will effect the poorest citizens the hardest, restricting access to legal services. It is clear, for example, early access to legal advice makes debt advice much more effective and easier to be solved.

Why should an employer have access to legal support yet a low paid worker have no access to legal advice in employment tribunals, this would clearly be unfair!

Why should vulnerable tenants not have legal services against a landlord who is harassing them?

With complicated welfare cases, again legal services are required, if they are not, how can vulnerable people understand the complexity against professionals in appeals?

It is clear that people in real need and do not understand the processes and practices and have to counter skilled practitioners will have their access to justice severely restricted, in the age of austerity this is handing more power to the powerful at the cost of the powerless.

The Mendip Citizen Advice Bureau was at the launch on Wednesday to lobby our MPs for Justice for All.

There is in parliament an Early Day Motion 1194 ;

That this House welcomes the Justice for All campaign launched in the House of Commons on 12 January 2011; supports the aims of the campaign which are to raise awareness of the vital importance of advice and representation on legal matters for the most vulnerable in our society and to ensure that everyone is treated fairly under the law, no matter who they are, how much money they have or where they live; recognises that the strength of feeling is reflected in the fact that the campaign is a broad coalition of legal and advice agencies, trades unions, charities, community groups and members of the public; regrets that the reduction in spending on legal aid, through restrictions in scope and eligibility and the blanket 10 per cent. cut in the lower fee paid to providers of legal services, is having a detrimental effect on access to justice and on the well-being of the most vulnerable people; questions the real cost savings to the public purse that this budget reduction will achieve, given that early advice on legal matters saves money by keeping families together in their homes, and in work and education; believes that free, independent advice and representation on legal matters is essential to achieve justice for all; and calls on the government to rethink the provision of legal services for the poorest in society.

I hope our MP can sign this motion, because Justice should be for All.

The public has spoken

2011-01-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

What a splendid turnout of Shepton People at the public meeting to discuss the closure of Shepton and other Libraries in Somerset.

The Council chamber was packed to the rafters, so to speak. There was unity of purpose, everyone who spoke wanted their library to stay open.

Firstly, let me say I was impressed that John Osman, deputy leader of Somerset County Council came to front up to Shepton residents. It would have been easy not to. I may disagree with the message, I certainly do not agree that the coalition government needed to cut so early so deeply to the public sector, that in part caused these cuts to our libraries. But least he heard what Shepton people had to say.

Tessa Munt came to the meeting, she stated her objection to the closures of the libraries, she believes cuts could be made in the back office and if they cannot Eric Pickles should be consulted. I leave it to others to judge whether it's central government or local governments fault that our libraries our proposed to be reduced by 20.

Let's be clear Shepton residents wants our library to be in the centre of our Town, it wants a Library that is networked into the County Council, we want professional librarian staff to be employed to offer a top service.

The County Council should be proud of the library service, it is efficient and gives value for money with dedicated staff.

I know after gathering signatures over Christmas, people genuinely are against these closures, Shepton has gathered best part of 3000 signatures, the message is clear.

SAVE OUR LIBRARIES

The message is clear: libraries matter. Their presence at the heart of our town sends the proud signal that everyone – whoever they are, whatever their educational background, whatever their age or their needs – is welcome. Free and fair access to books – to reading and technology – is a right and one we should fight for.

Slow down

2011-01-07T15:14:00.001-08:00

Today we have seen further evidence of the governments rush to make cuts failing in it's aims.

Last year we were told that the bonfire of Quangos would save £1billion, but after some sombre reflection a cross party parliamentry committee says these reforms have been "botched".

In some ways the report is quite shocking, the report Shrinking the Quango State, the cross-party Commons public administration select committee said the tests used to judge the quangos were "hopelessly unclear".

"The current approach is not going to deliver significant cost savings or result in greater accountability," the report found.

"There was no meaningful consultation, the tests the review used were not clearly defined and the Cabinet Office failed to establish a proper procedure."

So at the time when the cuts were announced, many people told of the dangers of culling quangos as they do an immense amount of good work as economic generators, defenders of consumer and legal rights, environmental champions, and guardians of standards in public life.
The Unite union says "the fact that the government, which has been in office for nine months, is still unable to say how much will be saved by this exercise speaks volumes for its ability to formulate coherent policy. "

Jon Trickett, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: "This proves the chaos theory of government. They are producing an irrational, unaccountable and expensive mish-mash of proposals, which will do nothing to improve the quality of services to the British public."

Taxing

2011-01-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

With all the excitement of the Town Council meeting of last evening, I never mentioned the VAT tax rise to 20% yesterday.

In the General Election campaign ALL parties were against an increase in VAT. All said VAT was regressive, hurting the lower to middle earners the most! This increase in VAT has nothing to do with deficit reduction, the coalition government are using the VAT rise to offset the cut in corporation tax, banks benefit £18 billion by 2014/15, income tax threshold changes and National Insurance changes for employers, these changes net the Treasury £12.6 Billion whilst the VAT rises income is expected to raise £13 billion.

Living in rural Britain our fuel costs continue to rise with the VAT and 1pence extra duty forcing the cost up, again more regressive tax measures.

Let's hope the government starts closing the loop holes in tax evasion, so everyone pays their fair share.

Shall we plant a money tree at the Town Council

2011-01-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

The Town Council set it's budget this evening, the third year running with nil increase in the Town rate.

The Town Council used it's usual mixture of £30,000 underspend from the tax taken this year to subsidise the council tax for next year, so little money spent this year to give the illusion of a financially sensible council, but in reality it is a Town Council with no vision and no active programme for Shepton. Moribund the word.

Effectively, we have no active programme for the coming year, every none committed budget headline is under risk so can be vired to save other services, cuts made by either the County or District Council, if the Town Council vire money to save the Library or Youth Services or other services this will commit money, the Council are effectively spending £26,000 more than they are taxing this year, so next year if the Town Council use all it's money to protect services, they will increase the Council tax by £8 or so.

I supported a small increase in Council tax for this year, if we are to protect the Town services, we are going to have to raise money to pay for them in a sustainable fashion, for example £10,000 raised costs about 5pence a week, I am not hiding from my decision, here it is in black and white, because there is no money tree at the Town Council, you raise revenue or you cannot help the Towns priorities. However the majority of the Council did not support this strategy.

The Town Council chose to extend it's Collett Park contract with quadron until March 2012, at RPI, I said this was unacceptable, we should not be offering such good terms and we should be offering to local contractors to keep local money in local hands, again this was rejected.

Mendip Council are offering their ground care contract on the basis of offering the service based on a lump of money, with the contractor telling Mendip what they will do for the money, goodness knows how this will be performance manage this contract.

The Town Council are sponsoring a Public meeting on Friday 14 January at 7.00pm at the District Council chamber to discuss the cuts to the Library Service cuts in Shepton.

2011

2011-01-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt about it 2011 is going to be an extremely difficult year, to be fair whom ever won the 2010 general election the coming couple of years were going to be tough. However the choices the Conservatives and Lib Dem coalition made are certainly made 2011 tougher than might of been.

Here in Shepton we are fighting a fire storm of public sector cuts. At the present the campaign to Save the Library is the most prominent. There will be massive cuts to the Youth service, and police making cut backs, the District Council struggling to set a balanced budget with cuts to Arts, the voluntary sector, rumours surround our outdoor swimming pool, just a few years after spending £500,000, we have to await until February before the District Councils cuts are fully explained. We await the 50% reduction in bus services.

How many of these cuts would have been not made by our local councils if the coalition government had chosen a slower pace of cuts to the deficit?

I have attended the previous two Mendip Council's cabinet meetings, what is apparent is the Conservative administration has no vision for the district, but what was also apparent was the Liberal Democrats having no alternative, in fact the last meeting neither their Chair of Scrutiny nor their Group leader attended, so those Arts and Voluntary groups never heard how the Lib Dems were going to mitigate the cuts, but one has to asks if these cuts come from Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the treasury are the Libs Dems campaigning locally to save their bacon?

The District Council elections are held this year, three and three quarters ago, the elections were a shambles, electoral numbers not on the polling cards, postal votes that never arrived, I spoke to the leader of the Lib Dems on Mendip about the shambles, what ever happened to the Inquiry? How did Lib Dem opposition hold the Conservatives to account? Elections held since has seen the Electoral Commission intervene to give helpful advice to Mendip because of there poor election management. We can only hope for better in May.

Our focus for 2011 has to be Shepton Mallet, the fight to save the Library will be a fight worth winning, what is also worth recording is that people what to be more involved in the services provided, the days are gone when people are grateful to receive services, greater empowerment in the delivery and breadth of service is required.

Young people have been hammered by this government; cuts to Sure Start; cutting back of Connexions services; cuts in the child trust funds £500; child tax credits abolished for babies £500; 10% higher charges for childcare for poorer families up to £780; EMA removed £30 a week for poorer young people and of course tuition fees raised to up to £9000 max.

Unemployment is expected to rise to 9%, with the young, the marginalised and the unskilled hurt the most, leading to low pay rises and worse working conditions.

Shepton is fairly lucky as it has capital to be spent in the form of s106 monies from Tescos and Dobbies so some improvements should continue to occur in our High Street, we must ensure value for money is extracted from that money with greater public involvement in decision making, we cannot continue with the discontent about the BAPA grants, I am writing to the Chairman of Scrutiny at Mendip asking for a investigation into the award of this grant, this so the full facts are exposed for public inspection.

Finally, I hope we can have more cracking events in the Town, I always available to help, we are going to need community spirit to get through this year.