dysfunctional

Sometimes you can look at the same problem from different ends and it looks exactly the same.

As a local councillor, I am deeply depressed about how dysfunctional local government is and how the structure is designed to fail.

When out having conversations on the doorsteps peoples frustrations comes through, we know as councillors three tiers of local government is silly.

The parish/Town council is largely a talking shop, partly of their own making partly legal, 16 councillors sitting around discussing Shepton issues with few resources.

Mendip District Council is a small district council with a small tax base, highly dependant on central government grant, a disporportionently small cut in grant from government will either cause disporporationately large cuts in services or big tax increases, but as the CONDEMs have ruled out tax rises, this could seriously challenge Mendips viability.

Somerset County Council behaves in a remote fashion, one of the major complaints I hear, time and time again is the lack of youth provision in Shepton, this is a County function. We are continually promised pedestrian crossings outside our schools, they are never delivered, some may say this is cynical politics by previous Lib Dem and current Conservative county councillors, what ever the reason, people are not happy.

Bus services from Bristol do not come through Shepton onwards to Yeovil or Bridgwater, why does Shepton not have a direct bus service to either Bath or Bristol?

The pavements and surfaces in the town centre are simply unacceptable, yet inaction by the county council.

There are examples of how councils work together, the best example is Somerset waste partnership, this is where district and county form services, but both councils need not exist for somerset waste partnership to operate.

For me we need a strategic tier of local government and a civic tier, Town Councils need to concerned with all aspects of civic pride, grass cutting, street cleaning, town promotion, simply how the town looks.

Largely people don't care about this detail, they know there has been extensive housing growth in the town in the last 20 years, the rational for this is, this growth will lead to new services.

Sadly for too long these new services have never materialised and provision of existing services has got worse, no wonder people are concerned, more tax for less service.

Another night

Four more tactical lib Dems voters pledge there return to vote for me and Labour, they promise not to be taken in by the lib dems again.

I had more really good conversations this evening, concerns about the performance of the district council was raised, grass cutting, tree management and other grounds maintenance.

How services for young people needs to be developed in the town.

The vast majority of people are unhappy about another by-election, people cannot believe the Conservatives have caused this election.

I look forward to more conversations tomorrow evening.

Glorious evening on the doorstep

I had an enjoyable evening on the doorstep this evening, had several discussion on issues that matters to local people.

Canvassing always is excellent, as a local councillor you understand what your constituents are concerned with, from overgrown trees to how councils include peoples views.

From my point of view my returns are higher than last year and the mood more positive, just 17 days to go until polling day.

The new politics

Whilst trawling through a few websites I found this http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/06/special-expediency/ , it is always easy politics to make cheap political points in opposition, and Nick Clegg used to say special political advisers should be paid for by political parties and not the tax payer. I read the same Nick Clegg is charging the tax payer £165,000 for two such advisers.

I read in the Observer newspaper that there is extreme concern about the CONDEM coalitions plans for housing especially affordable housing. This due to financial cut backs and changes to the planning system. The best part of 1500 new affordable homes have been axed after axing the National affordable housing programme.

The Lib Dems were committed to more affordable housing, this seems to have changed now in government.

Then I read in the Telegragh that the CONDEM government are likely to raise the university tution fees, allowing greater freedom of the top universities, the Lib Dems campaigned against such a policy and won many seats in university constituencies, so if the CONDEMs do carry out this policy, another u-turn.

I was talking to a Labour voter who tactically voted Lib Dem to defeat the Tory here in Wells, he told me he felt betrayed by the Lib Dems, by the next election his motivation will be to give the Lib Dems the boot.

1-1

Same old England, a painful watch, Stevie Gerrard had a good game, width was a problem, up side, we never lost, down side let a lead slip, no damage.

Collett Day

Just got home from working at Collett Day, the weather was brilliant and I think everyone seemed to enjoy it.

The 'mallet' was official unlocked, this is at the Tesco site by the Bus Station.

It was a pleasure to meet and talk to people about Shepton and the various issues. I spent a couple of quid but not to much on stalls.

I met the Lib Dem candidate for the Shepton West by-election, quite a political chap, had quite a robust discussion on why the lib Dems will lose out in their CONDEM coalition government, in the short term they are sunning in the CONDEM honeymoon, but in the long term I look forward to their huge defeats, the electoral truth is if the CONDEM are successful then the Conservatives will get the credit so the Lib Dems lose and if the CONDEMS fail then Labour will gain and the Lib Dems lose.

But the real truth is Vote Lib Dem get Tory!

Labour leadership

With the nominations for the Labour leadership now closed, I think party members will have a good opportunity to discuss the qualities they want for the new leader.

I do not support Diane Abbott, I do not agree with MPs whom do not agree with her supporting her, just to get her nominated, this is wrong and I hope the Labour Party does not regret this decision.

I am minded to support David Milliband for the Labour leadership, he is extremely intelligent and thoughtful, and he can articulate the Labour case, he has experience of high office as the Foreign secretary.

On another note, my serious campaign for the by-election starts tomorrow, so I hope to meet many local people as possible on my campaign.