From me and mine...

This time next week...I can't help but be in a good mood this morning. Even if I quickly mention the "Lies, damn lies and statistics!" - some of our local Conservative Councillors are crowing about the latest polls after Cameron's interesting EU decision and now that he does God. Nothing like going back to basics for Christmas. My offer of brining forward next years local elections still stands!

But rather than dwell on politics this morning, I thought I would share with you that myself and my wife had eight hours sleep last night! Our wonderful daughter slept from 11pm to 7am. It may not be earth shattering news to you and perhaps I should be pouring forth about the attacks on the poor and vulnerable locally; how the cuts are affecting future generations or just how many white elephant projects we have in our city.

I can't. I am starting to feel really "christmassy" (?!). On reflection, its been a year of great change. My work life has nose dived and I face some very testing times over the coming months - much like the rest of the country; my political world has meant a learning curve unlike anything I have ever faced before - the challenge of maintaining weekly door knocking and leaflet delivering, whilst covering casework from constituents; and getting more involved with both the party and the workload of being a member of the Council. Its been difficult but I have loved every minute of it.

Most importantly, I could not have asked for a better family life at the moment. I know I shouldnt use my blog in this way, but I just wanted to say thank you to my family for being so supportive. I could not have been so politically involved without their love and support. And lastly, thank you to my wife, who has not said a word when I have left the house for a fourth night in a row for an evening meeting; when I have cut short our holiday to return to Southampton; and who tells me to go out and make our city a better place, even to the detriment of our time together. I am a very lucky man.

So this time next week, it will be Christmas. Whatever you're doing over the next week and on the day itself, please stay safe and if you can spend just a few moments between now and then thinking of those less fortunate.

From me and my family, Merry Christmas.

Still working hard for you

With a midweek blog already under my belt, today’s message will be much shorter than the usual tome. Following on from my visit to the waterworks, I spent Thursday evening in the company of the No Southampton Biomass community group. It was a good opportunity to underline our party’s ongoing commitment to this issue and introduce our new candidates for Freemantle and Millbrook to the members.

What is pleasing is that the group tries to remain apolitical throughout its workings, although this can be difficult given one of the members is an opposition candidate in the elections next year! A message which wasn’t wasted on a few No Southampton Biomass members as they grumbled about his use of the group’s name on his political literature...Welcome to the world of politics...and to think he accused me of making political capital out of the group...

But enough Tory bashing for one morning, it’s far too early. I have a list of jobs as long as my arm which need completing including the joys of a “poo pick” in the garden (dog not daughter) and getting the agenda together for our next Labour Group meeting of Councillors and Candidates. Oh yes, and that’s before I go out with Team Millbrook door knocking this morning.

I was reminded this week that I volunteered to serve my community in this way. Please don’t think that I write my blog looking for sympathy. I write this weekly message to update you with my activities and thoughts in my political and home life. Hopefully you can have a better insight into the life of a new husband, new father and newly elected Councillor. I love my life and I’ll work hard in all that I do.

Visit to a water works - what a load of...

Thought I’d shock you with an update on a Wednesday! Almost as shocked as I was to see Councillor Parnell (Freemantle) and the Millbrook Tory candidate at the waste treatment waterworks at Millbrook this morning. Alas, still no sign of our current conservative Councillor for Millbrook. I understand he is stepping down for personal reasons, but yet to see him outside of the council chamber.

The visit was to raise your concerns with regard to the odour which can blow across our fair ward on hot summer’s evenings; and to find out about the current plans for a £25 million upgrade to the site. We met with a number of staff from Southern Water this morning, including the site manager. It was an overwhelming place to visit as it was difficult to believe that such a site which covered the whole of our city was separate from our community by only a railway line and road! There was even one comment from the visitors that someone had lived in the area all their life and didn’t know it was there!

Suffice to say that Aiden and his team took complaints very seriously, but that there had been very few over the past year. Indeed, checking with officers at the council, we understood there to have been only 4 made in the past 12 months. However, from the doorstep, I know that a much larger number of residents do find this an issue. The response was that if there was a much larger response on the complaints line: 0845 278 0845 then this would enable Southern Water to go to OFWAT with a case for greater expenditure on systems to control odour. I would urge anyone with an issue regarding the smell to use the contact number above – it may not be the waterworks; if it is they have a commitment to get a rapid response team on site to investigate and if it isn’t then they will find out who is causing the smell.

The new buildings and upgrade would be considerately built, and I promised to confront the team based within Millbrook docks if this wasn’t the case! The reason for the upgrade was due to new environmental legislation being brought in by the EU. So it seems that not everything which comes out of Brussels is out of touch. Having environmentally aware and economically vibrant docks can only be a good thing for our city.

Commitments were also given with regard to the local change to water meters. What is very pleasing is the consideration which has gone into the approach in Southampton in so much as residents will have a gradual change of water charges rather than a change of unmetered to metered tariffs. In addition Southern Water have also said that they will help the vulnerable within our community if the change will hit groups hard. “This would not be just for families on benefits, but needs assessed on an individual basis”.  If you have any concerns which Southern Water are unable to deal with in terms of the new water meters, please feel free to contact me to discuss the matter.

What was very interesting was the inclusion of combined heat and power (CHP) at the water utilities site. Around 14% of the energy used on site came from this recycled source. What I find absurd is that a water company can see the benefits of capturing lost heat and energy, whereas Helius plans for their power station would let this heat and energy disappear into the air!

In addition to the tour of the site, we were pleased to have made contact with the site manager and engagement staff. Another suggestion was that if any community group wished to visit the site, then this could be accommodated – and believe me, a visit to a sewerage plant is actually very interesting!

Christmas Fayre!

Website access...NSFW?

A bit of fun? I have just posited the following to our officers here at Southampton City Council:

Please could you find me an answer as to why, from a council computer I can access both the Southampton Conservatives (www.southamptonconservatives.co.uk) and Southampton Liberal Democrats (http://southampton-libdems.org.uk/en/) political websites, but not that of Southampton Labour Party (http://southamptonlabour.wordpress.com/) ?

Additionally I can access www.roystonsmith.co.uk but not my own?

Even in December

Its been a busy two weeks, but now I've found a few minutes to update you on the activities. As well as being very busy on your behalf, it is important to rermember that elected representatives across the country also have a home life - something which I think I had forgotten over the past ten days. Its not that I want anyones sympathy, but it is important to make time for family as well as work and politics.

This morning I have been out with a number of party members around Regents Park. Myself and Councillor Furnell, our new Millbrook candidate Georgie, as well as our MP Alan Whitehead, his communications assistant and a former chair of Romsey Labour Party; all the way from London! We've picked up some useful community intelligence, which Councillor Furnell will be raising at the local policing meeting next Thursday (7pm, Salvation Hall, Shirley) - additionally we were handed a leaflet - written by the new Tory candidate for Millbrook. I think my favourite claims from his propaganda were in saving both Millbrook Surestart and Shirley Library. Truly a different planet. As said previously, Surestart is controlled by the Conservative Council and only they can cut it. Further to the Shirley Library, no mention of the move out of our area of the Millbrook Library or the cuts suffered by them - but, hey, whatever fills a leaflet.

Wednesday 30th, I went on strike. Happy to say it. And I would demonstrate if anyone had their terms and conditions eroded, whether public or private. Suffice to say a lot of workers at the council had a tough choice - it seems that the building one Guildhall Square has seen a number of protests over the past few months. I am confident that we should see fewer of those from May of next year. Perhaps the Tory literature is right... - that we want to sack 1500 and yet stay on the right side of our Union Paymasters. Folly. It was good protesting with my branch of Unison - Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. A reaffirming day, with namechecks to our Chair Henry, Rebecca, Brett and our newest convert Councillor Pope!

On Wednesday afternoon I had a very productive meeting with fellow candidates and Councillors to discuss our continuing campaign on the proposed Biomass powerstation in Millbrook. Catching up with Alan today also gave me positive news, but more of that in later blogs... Suffice to say that we are all looking forward to seeing Steve and the group next Thursday evening in the Waterloo Arms. My position is clear in that I still oppose the non-sensical plans and await to see what jiggery-pokery Helius come up with next.

Tuesday evening saw me meet with Dave and Georgy to discuss our plans for the ward over the coming weeks and months. The curry was very enjoyable, but suddenly realised that I had been out for 4 days in a row with more politics to follow on Wednesday. I have to try hard to remember that I am a father and husband as well.

The afternoon of Monday 28th saw me take the train down to London, to spend a few hours learning about comissioning. Following on from the latest document coming out from the Tory Council, I thought it would be an idea to get up to speed with best practise and what was going on around the country.  I have a sound background in contract management and service redesign, but when we're talking about a half a billion pound organisation every bit of training counts!

Last weekend, I was sent to Coventry. I hadn't annoyed our Leader, but rather went on a Young Councillors Development Weekend. For anyone who thinks it was a jolly, I can say it was hours and hours of lectures on a range of crucial subjects: all the fun of the licensing laws, the new planning regimes, the emerging localism agenda, social media (and its dangers), local government finance and speaking in a hostile environment. It was quite the slog, and we even had a speaker talking on regulation before we were allowed to have dinner!

It did give me a chance to mix with a number of other new and young Councillors from a range of areas across the country: Stafford, Corby, Brighton...As well as developing my existing skills spent a long night bending the ear of a Liverpool City Councillor on the wrongs of his citys claims on the cruise industry!

It has been a busy few days, and we continue to work hard for you. All of you. Even in December.