Where is the money coming from?

Good morning!

A few people have commented that with all the doom and gloom in the media (and there is) they can't really see or feel how the recession is affected them. These people probably don't have to buy shopping or pay for petrol or probably just carry on with their holidays in the West Indies...

Yesterday we were out and about in Irving Road and Lockerly Cresecent. Another very positive day on the doorstep, even if I did forget my gloves on what turned out to be a very cold morning! But thank you to those supporters who turned out and thank you to those voters who opened their doors! Bbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrr!

I've read some pretty rediculous comments over the past few days since the Tories published their budget proposals. I dont think this worldwide crisis was caused soley by the previous Labour Government. And I certainly do not think that real people, with real money issues, trying to get on with life should be the ones that are having to bare the brunt of cuts:

Perhaps how the conversation went at the Conservative Controlled Council????

• Youth support service workers cut – save £530,000 - Where are our young adults going to go of an evening? Increases in fear of crime for old elderly and vulnerable? 
• Review of day care centres – save £400,000 - Lets pick on those who can't defend themselves...
• Reduce homeless service – save £25,000 - Its ok they cant vote.
• Third Age Centre funding cut under Later Years Service grant – overall save £239,000 - I get the idea on this. If we target those without a voice, we can get away with this!?!?
• Cuts to city orchestras, choirs and bands – £160,000 - I suppose we can close down our nationally recognised musicians. We have to make it look like we're suffering.
• Close Bargate, Kingsland and Woolston public toilets – save £60,000 - Not Conservative areas so let the socialist go without!
• Seasonal floral displays, hanging and barrier baskets to be axed – save £20,000 - OK, they do have a point on this one.
• Disabled drivers charged for using the Itchen Bridge – save £25,000 - We've picked on the young and the old...
• Reduction in City Patrol service – save £25,000 - Let the police do it all.
• CCTV under review across city – save £36,000 - See above!
• Share out of hours stray dog service with Winchester City Council – save £10,000 - Yeah, lets get Winchester to get our stray dogs. From 15 miles away.
• Allotments Service to be entirely self-funded by 2013/14 – save £10,000 - They're probably anti-fox hunting anyway.
• Burial fees up by 6 per cent – save £45,000 - They certainly won't be voting.
• Cemetery gatekeeper post to be lost – save £15,000 - This is genuinely sad. We, your local Labour Party, put forward an alternative proposals on this persons job.
• Introduce charges for collecting green waste – save £30,000 - Recycling is a fad anyway.
• Meals and Wheels price per meal increasing by 6 per cent – save £45,000 - One last chance to get at the vulnerable. If they're having meals on wheels they wont be voting in 94 days, so...
• Community to manage Weston Shore Pitch and Putt course – save £20,000 - At least they can't say we're closing it down!

100 days to go!

Just a quick update today - we here in Millbrook have 100 days to go to change our community for the better. The doors to the polling stations open in 100 days and 13 hours...

It was a busy weekend past, with most of Saturday taken up with a training session being run at Southampton Labour HQ in the challenges ahead in terms of showing management and leadership - there were a number of golden nuggets of information in the briefing, as well as a good chance to chat to the other candidates across the city.

Sunday was taken up by leafletting in and around the Ampthill Road area. Both myself and Councillor Furnell managed to put out just over 500 leaflets in a little over 2 hours. It was tiring, but I keep telling myself that each and every leaflet could make the difference.

Anyway, must dash, the wife has just come in! Getting ready for a Police Priority Setting Meeting this evening at 6pm. I will be meeting the sitting Conservative Councillor that I'm looking to deseat. First impressions and all that!!!

A slice of fried gold?

Apologies for the headline - couldn't resist a quote from one of my favourite TV shows. However, what I have learnt is no laughing matter.

Following discussions on the Tories upcoming City Budget, I have been made aware that the Tory-led Council are threatening to sue Southampton's School Governors for not reducing the pay of their dinner ladies.

One word. Criminal.

The Council can't make local schools change the working conditions of their non-teaching staff and so they're threatening to sue them.

One question. How low can they go?

Weekend Update

Good morning! Just a quick update to let you know a little about my weeks activites. On Tuesday evening I spent a few hours telephone canvassing or those in Cumbrian Way and Pennine Road. The response was really positive from electors, with not many Liberal Democrats coming forward. Issue of the session was anger around allotments and the rumour of critical cuts by the Tory Council. We're currently working up some policy ideas to protect this important community resource.

On Wednesday evening, I met up with a number of members and councillors to discuss a programme for change. As I've promised, I will LEARN, LISTEN and ACT. From the feedback from the frontdoor and the telephone, we have been developing a viable alternative to the Tory proposals. In a few weeks, I will be reporting back to another policy forum on my draft of our consultation commitments. Its a real honour to lead the development of our policy in this area and one in which I will make sure that the vulnerable and the everyday man gets heard. Something which the people of Millbrook would appreciate at this difficult time.

Talking yesterday, out and about in Quantock and Cheviot Road, the majority of voters were angry at the Tory-led Government. There was a singular conservative voter who did accuse me of not knowing how difficult life was at the moment. I did respond making two points: firstly, the legacy of the economy wasnt the fault of the previous Labour Government, but we should take responsibility more than we have - you can't say that they caused the global crisis e.g. Japan, greece, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, USA. However, my second point was the one that had real resonance with him - I work in the public sector; my employers have cut many jobs; my job is going through not one but two reviews. We came to an agreement, maybe it was time for a change. A new politician. A 29 year old from Millbrook.

So, this brings me to todays jobs! I'll be going out in an hour or so to try to finish the last of our leaflets. We have about 6000 addresses to deliver to in our ward, thinking we had put the vast majority out, but I keep finding bags of these things to put out. So, if you live in or around King Georges Avenue, keep a look out and feel free to stop me if you fancy a chat.

Heres hoping it doesnt rain!

I'm cross!

What a great weekend of leafletting! myself and Councillor Furnell (with a considerable amount of help from friends and members) have almost finished putting out 6000 leaflets across Millbrook. It can be difficult for people to appreciate just how much good will goes into making sure that our message gets through each and every letterbox in the ward. Our volunteers arent paid, dont get any perks for doing this and sometimes even get shouted at! All in the spitrit of democracy, eh?

Anyway, I wasnt writing today to say I was cross about the tremendous effort in leafletting over the past weeks - no rather a story I read on the BBC news website:

The Glasgow Pavilion theatre's annual pantomime has been found to be in violation of the Geneva Convention. But it isn't the gags of risqué star Jim Davidson which saw The Magical Adventures of Robin Hood fall foul of a legal statute more commonly associated with war crimes.

Rather that the red crosses sewn on to the costume of one character, Nurse Poltis, were an unauthorised use of an emblem declared sacrosanct by the convention. A British Red Cross spokesman said: "We have no desire to be the villains of the pantomime or to appear heavy-handed, but... the emblem is a special sign of neutrality and protection, recognised by all sides during armed conflicts. Misuse of that emblem – even when done in an innocent and light-hearted manner – has to be addressed. Repeated and widespread misuse of the Red Cross emblem could dilute its neutrality and its ability to protect."

The organisation confirmed it had protested to Pavilion management over the use of the symbol and the offending costume will instead now feature green crosses.

Is it me or should common sense have prevailed on this issue? It seems to me that perhaps the Red Cross should be concentrating on more pressing issues of conflicts overseas or the floods in Australia or the recent cold weather and its effect on the vulnerable in Britain? No. Apparently its a pantomime dame. Thats the priority.

118 days to go!

Its wet, cold and its January. Not long until payday. Hopefully you had a good a festive period as you'd hoped for. The main thing is that the snow has gone for the time being and we can look forward to warmer weather.

However, it is diificult to remain optimistic given the new plans being put forward by the Tories in city hall. Another month, another pay cut. We all know we have to make sacrifices, but why cant these be fair? £50 cut in the lowest paid frontline workers paypackets are huge compared to those at the top. Whats £50 to them? Another bottle of red?

Just to let you know that I will be campaigning in our ward this Saturday and Sunday. Early Saturday morning I'll be leafletting with my wife and on Sunday with Councillor Furnell.

118 days to go. The hard work on another early Saturday morning should hopefully pay off in May.