I just had to take a moment to record my intense joy at seeing the Boro make it to the UEFA cup final.
Despite it being only their second year in Europe the lads have done us proud.
Like Boro fans everywhere I was really down after our West Ham defeat in the semi-final of the FA cup and could not dare to believe we could beat Steaua Bucharest. But we rose magnificently to the occasion and the whole country was behind us when Massimo Maccarone scored that last goal in the 89th minute.
I hope it is a good omen for polling day in Kensington and Fairfield where I am starting to believe Labour really can beat the LibDems. If nothing else it has taught me the value of never giving up.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
It’s a dogs life!
If Louise is elected to the council on May 4th she will be putting pressure on the council and the police station to provide proper dog control in the Prescot Drive end of the park. Louise said "People have told me they are being frightened by loose dogs roaming about, some people have stopped going to the park altogether. We must have some action before someone is hurt"
We also need lots of dog poo bins so that people don’t have to carry the little bags all the way home and no-one has any excuse not to clean up after their pets.
If elected my pledges for the park are
To work closely with Friends of Newsham Park and other members of the community for positive action
To secure proper cleaning in the park, removing the broken glass, syringes and dumped rubbish that ruin our enjoyment
To stop Newsham Park being a poor relative to Calderstones and Sefton and all our other great parks, what is good enough for them is good enough for our park too
We also need lots of dog poo bins so that people don’t have to carry the little bags all the way home and no-one has any excuse not to clean up after their pets.
If elected my pledges for the park are
To work closely with Friends of Newsham Park and other members of the community for positive action
To secure proper cleaning in the park, removing the broken glass, syringes and dumped rubbish that ruin our enjoyment
To stop Newsham Park being a poor relative to Calderstones and Sefton and all our other great parks, what is good enough for them is good enough for our park too
LibDem council holding back progress on Prescot Drive
When are the council going to do something about the derelict properties on Prescot Drive? Those great big houses are falling down, burnt out and derelict and yet local developers are ready, cheque book in hand, to buy them up and start working on them, turning them into real homes. Months ago the LibDem leader of the council came to visit the area and promised he would do something, but since then things have got even worse.
Louise said "Those houses are a symbol of shame. I am backing local people’s fight to force the council to act. Not only would it make the area look so much better and create much needed new homes, but having more homes there would also put pressure on the council to tackle the problems of anti-social behaviour at that end of the park."
Louise said "Those houses are a symbol of shame. I am backing local people’s fight to force the council to act. Not only would it make the area look so much better and create much needed new homes, but having more homes there would also put pressure on the council to tackle the problems of anti-social behaviour at that end of the park."
Join The friends of Newsham Park
Why don’t you join the Friends of Newsham Park.
Have a look at their website on www.newshampark.org.uk or call Peter Brooks for more information on 07779 018190
Have a look at their website on www.newshampark.org.uk or call Peter Brooks for more information on 07779 018190
Newsham Park News
Labour’s Louise Baldock was delighted to help the Friends of Newsham Park plant some roses in the memorial beds opposite the Adult Education Centre on Newsham Drive. The Friends asked for volunteers to help dig in hundreds of red rose bushes as part of their hard work to improve the park for everybody.
Louise said "Planting the roses planting was very special for me. My grandfather and great grandfather were both Parks and Gardens men and were planting roses in parks themselves 50 odd years ago. As I was digging I was thinking about them and hoping these roses would last as long ."
Peter Brooks, Chairman of the Group said "Our recent planting day was a terrific success for the park, and we're very grateful to Louise for pitching in alongside us, spade in hand, for the whole two hours that we planted."
Prostitution Nightmare
One of the biggest items in Louise’s post bag is the issue of prostitution on Sheil Road.
She has written this week to Police Sergeant Rooney who looks after this area saying "I have heard from literally hundreds of local people angry and upset about the prostitution in this area. Some are women of all ages who have been propositioned by men looking for prostitutes. This includes one woman whose 16 year-old daughter was violently attacked. I believe you have arrested the man concerned. Some are men and school age lads who have been approached by prostitutes. They are all suffering from this situation."
She went on to tell him
"Residents are also angry and upset by the drug dealing that the drift of prostitutes into this area has caused. As you know, two schools and a community centre adjoin Sheil Road. There are so many reasons why the situation is extremely serious.
I know you have arranged for some signs to be put up but I don’t know how successful this has been. Some residents have told me that they think the signs attract "sex-tourists" who then become aware that Sheil Road is a good place to try. Many residents have said that it is not enough to say that car number plates will be recorded, this should really happen. There are no cameras in evidence and no police with clip boards so they believe this is like having a pretend burglar alarm box on the front of their house. Virtually useless."
and ended by asking him for some real plans to rid our streets of prostitutes altogether.
One local woman who wants to remain anonymous, told the Labour Rose "Local LibDems are trying to scare-monger as usual, suggesting in two different leaflets that "the Labour Party wants to put a brothel on the corner of every street". Who do they think we are to fall for such rubbish? No party would last five minutes with such stupid ideas, I don’t believe a word of it. It is only Labour’s Louise who is really on our side on this issue."
Louise’s election pledge to you is that if elected to the council on May 4th she will be seeking an urgent public meeting with the police so that local people can put their case across and demand some real action.
.
She has written this week to Police Sergeant Rooney who looks after this area saying "I have heard from literally hundreds of local people angry and upset about the prostitution in this area. Some are women of all ages who have been propositioned by men looking for prostitutes. This includes one woman whose 16 year-old daughter was violently attacked. I believe you have arrested the man concerned. Some are men and school age lads who have been approached by prostitutes. They are all suffering from this situation."
She went on to tell him
"Residents are also angry and upset by the drug dealing that the drift of prostitutes into this area has caused. As you know, two schools and a community centre adjoin Sheil Road. There are so many reasons why the situation is extremely serious.
I know you have arranged for some signs to be put up but I don’t know how successful this has been. Some residents have told me that they think the signs attract "sex-tourists" who then become aware that Sheil Road is a good place to try. Many residents have said that it is not enough to say that car number plates will be recorded, this should really happen. There are no cameras in evidence and no police with clip boards so they believe this is like having a pretend burglar alarm box on the front of their house. Virtually useless."
and ended by asking him for some real plans to rid our streets of prostitutes altogether.
One local woman who wants to remain anonymous, told the Labour Rose "Local LibDems are trying to scare-monger as usual, suggesting in two different leaflets that "the Labour Party wants to put a brothel on the corner of every street". Who do they think we are to fall for such rubbish? No party would last five minutes with such stupid ideas, I don’t believe a word of it. It is only Labour’s Louise who is really on our side on this issue."
Louise’s election pledge to you is that if elected to the council on May 4th she will be seeking an urgent public meeting with the police so that local people can put their case across and demand some real action.
.
"Buffer Zone" neglect, Kensington and Fairfield ward, Liverpool
Louise is horrified with the neglect of the area north of Kensington main road, west of Sheil Road and south of Boaler Street. The so called "Buffer zone".
Lots of money is being spent in Liverpool 7 in the Kensington Regeneration area, which no-one could possibly begrudge, but it has not been reflected in this part of Liverpool 6.
Louise says "The roads are rutted with pot-holes, I have had to report huge amounts of dumped rubbish and graffiti and rumours are that the road-sweeper has been pulled out of the area to go and work elsewhere. Problem tenants are being dumped here, dogs run wild with the resultant dog mess everywhere, it is getting like a war zone."
And yet with some thoughtful planning, real improvements could be made. Many local people have lived in their house for years and want to be proud of their neighbourhood. We only have to look at the Penlinken estate to see how great life can be with proper (Labour) investment in housing. Kensington Fields looks really good now that the fronts have all been smartened up (with more Labour cash). Some Community 7 houses in Fairfield are as good as new, all great news, but why can’t we have it here in the buffer zone too?
If elected to the council on May 4th, Louise’s pledge to you is that she will fight hard for a fair share and some real improvement here.
Lots of money is being spent in Liverpool 7 in the Kensington Regeneration area, which no-one could possibly begrudge, but it has not been reflected in this part of Liverpool 6.
Louise says "The roads are rutted with pot-holes, I have had to report huge amounts of dumped rubbish and graffiti and rumours are that the road-sweeper has been pulled out of the area to go and work elsewhere. Problem tenants are being dumped here, dogs run wild with the resultant dog mess everywhere, it is getting like a war zone."
And yet with some thoughtful planning, real improvements could be made. Many local people have lived in their house for years and want to be proud of their neighbourhood. We only have to look at the Penlinken estate to see how great life can be with proper (Labour) investment in housing. Kensington Fields looks really good now that the fronts have all been smartened up (with more Labour cash). Some Community 7 houses in Fairfield are as good as new, all great news, but why can’t we have it here in the buffer zone too?
If elected to the council on May 4th, Louise’s pledge to you is that she will fight hard for a fair share and some real improvement here.
Boaler Street Post Office News, Liverpool
Local residents who use Boaler Street Post Office have been on a roller-coaster of emotions in recent weeks.
First the LibDems told everyone that the Post Office was under threat of closure - going so far as to use a photo of the Boaler Street Post Office sign to illustrate their "campaign" on leaflets right across the city. The Post Office was even featured in the Liverpool Echo when local people were interviewed about their feelings on a possible closure. Everyone was very upset.
Now Post Office users in the Boaler Street area are reeling in shock again, having learnt that the whole campaign was a sham, dreamt up by the LibDems as a vote winner.
A month ago Labour’s Louise Baldock went in the Echo calling on the LibDems to put the record straight. On the letters page she said "Adam Crozier of the Royal Mail has said that if the people of Britain do not use their Post Offices then inevitably some of them will shut down. I think we all understand this message - if you value it, use it. It is as simple as that. This is a national problem not a Liverpool problem in particular. I call on Councillor Bradley, the LibDem leader of Liverpool City Council, to reassure the people of Kensington that there are no current plans to close the Post Office featured in your articles."
The silence, as they say, has been deafening. Not only have the LibDems refused to apologise or put the record straight but they have gone on repeating the lie that our Post Office could close, over and over again in their leaflets. Those people who, in good faith, returned the LibDem petition to keep Boaler Street and other Post Offices open now feel cheated, lied to and let down.
Local pensioner Alma told us "I understand the local post master is furious, it is really important to him that local people believe that his business is successful and one they can rely on. Let’s hope the LibDems haven’t created a problem where none existed to begin with. This is a total disgrace, shameful opportunism at its worst. Nobody round here will ever believe a word they say and speaking personally, I wouldn’t vote LibDem if you paid me."
First the LibDems told everyone that the Post Office was under threat of closure - going so far as to use a photo of the Boaler Street Post Office sign to illustrate their "campaign" on leaflets right across the city. The Post Office was even featured in the Liverpool Echo when local people were interviewed about their feelings on a possible closure. Everyone was very upset.
Now Post Office users in the Boaler Street area are reeling in shock again, having learnt that the whole campaign was a sham, dreamt up by the LibDems as a vote winner.
A month ago Labour’s Louise Baldock went in the Echo calling on the LibDems to put the record straight. On the letters page she said "Adam Crozier of the Royal Mail has said that if the people of Britain do not use their Post Offices then inevitably some of them will shut down. I think we all understand this message - if you value it, use it. It is as simple as that. This is a national problem not a Liverpool problem in particular. I call on Councillor Bradley, the LibDem leader of Liverpool City Council, to reassure the people of Kensington that there are no current plans to close the Post Office featured in your articles."
The silence, as they say, has been deafening. Not only have the LibDems refused to apologise or put the record straight but they have gone on repeating the lie that our Post Office could close, over and over again in their leaflets. Those people who, in good faith, returned the LibDem petition to keep Boaler Street and other Post Offices open now feel cheated, lied to and let down.
Local pensioner Alma told us "I understand the local post master is furious, it is really important to him that local people believe that his business is successful and one they can rely on. Let’s hope the LibDems haven’t created a problem where none existed to begin with. This is a total disgrace, shameful opportunism at its worst. Nobody round here will ever believe a word they say and speaking personally, I wouldn’t vote LibDem if you paid me."
Monday, April 24, 2006
Children are unbeatable
"Children are unbeatable!" is an Alliance of more than 350 organisations and projects, including professional and religious bodies, as well as many prominent individuals. It was formed in 1998 and campaigns for children to have the same legal protection against being hit as adults and promotes positive, non-violent discipline.
I have signed up to their campaign as I truly believe that it is wrong to hit anyone, child or adult, under any circumstances. (And if you have been following my debate about solving the problem of bad neighbours, you need to know that I wont be prescribing physical punishments.)
While I am cutting and pasting some of the text on their website, I will add this bit
For the moment, hitting children is legal across the UK, so many parents don't think twice about it But when we do stop to think about it, as the thousands of parents involved in "Children are unbeatable!" have done, then it doesn't make sense. There is nothing good or healthy or loving or safe about deliberately hurting children. It has nothing to do with effective discipline and is a lesson in bad behaviour. Most parents don't like smacking their children and want to find a positive alternative.
Find out more by looking at their website.
And remember, children learn by example, so if doing something that someone else does not approve of is appropriately dealt with by smacking, we will create a nation of bigger people hitting smaller ones.
I like to think of the old advert for Ready Brek, the child with the glowing forcefield round it because it had a bowl before it went out in the morning. So imagine that that forcefield is round every one of us, small or large and should never be penetrated with violence.
Do let me have your views - as long as they dont include the phrase "My father beat me with a belt/whip/shoe/strip of wood regularly, and it never did me any harm", because I think it probably ruined your life and is the principle reason why these days nobody much likes you and you are an aggressive bugger
Louise
I have signed up to their campaign as I truly believe that it is wrong to hit anyone, child or adult, under any circumstances. (And if you have been following my debate about solving the problem of bad neighbours, you need to know that I wont be prescribing physical punishments.)
While I am cutting and pasting some of the text on their website, I will add this bit
For the moment, hitting children is legal across the UK, so many parents don't think twice about it But when we do stop to think about it, as the thousands of parents involved in "Children are unbeatable!" have done, then it doesn't make sense. There is nothing good or healthy or loving or safe about deliberately hurting children. It has nothing to do with effective discipline and is a lesson in bad behaviour. Most parents don't like smacking their children and want to find a positive alternative.
Find out more by looking at their website.
And remember, children learn by example, so if doing something that someone else does not approve of is appropriately dealt with by smacking, we will create a nation of bigger people hitting smaller ones.
I like to think of the old advert for Ready Brek, the child with the glowing forcefield round it because it had a bowl before it went out in the morning. So imagine that that forcefield is round every one of us, small or large and should never be penetrated with violence.
Do let me have your views - as long as they dont include the phrase "My father beat me with a belt/whip/shoe/strip of wood regularly, and it never did me any harm", because I think it probably ruined your life and is the principle reason why these days nobody much likes you and you are an aggressive bugger
Louise
Labour Animal Welfare Society
Are you interested in Animal Welfare?
Are you a Labour supporter?
Please can I introduce you to Chris Gale who is a wonderful publicist for the Labour Animal Welfare Society.
Contact Chris to get on the very useful and informative mailing list and catch up on the latest on fox-hunting and seal clubbing and all sorts of other vital animal issues.
Chris also does a mean job of Labour Party "spin doctoring" which I would also recommend getting on to the mailing list for!
Cheers
Louise
Chris Gale
League Against Cruel Sports, ,West Country
NEC Member, Labour Animal Welfare Society
20 Dover Street
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14 0EE
Tel 01249 443751
Mobile 07840 529218
Are you a Labour supporter?
Please can I introduce you to Chris Gale who is a wonderful publicist for the Labour Animal Welfare Society.
Contact Chris to get on the very useful and informative mailing list and catch up on the latest on fox-hunting and seal clubbing and all sorts of other vital animal issues.
Chris also does a mean job of Labour Party "spin doctoring" which I would also recommend getting on to the mailing list for!
Cheers
Louise
Chris Gale
League Against Cruel Sports, ,West Country
NEC Member, Labour Animal Welfare Society
20 Dover Street
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14 0EE
Tel 01249 443751
Mobile 07840 529218
"Bad egg" tenants and residents
While I have been out campaigning in Kensington and Fairfield over the last six months I have identified many cases where local tenants and residents are behaving very badly towards their neighbours.
I don't just mean youths and children, but adults too.
What is particularly striking is when you talk to older people that have lived in their houses for anything up to 50 years, and have happy memories of how it used to be. Mainly women, they talk about how it felt to come to live in their street as a young bride, as a young mother, to bring up their children in the area, to go to work, to see their children set off to a new life as adults themselves. They tell me how proud they used to be to live in the area, Kensington in this case, and how bad they feel now that it has become dirty and rough, with drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, prostitution, vandalism, graffiti, dumped rubbish....they actually tell me that they are ashamed of where they live and discourage visitors.
I know this is replicated up and down the country in certain areas.
I have talked to other local Labour colleagues about this and we are agreed that once this election is out of the way, we need to get together to discuss some wide-ranging potential answers to this problem.
What do we do about tenants who are repeatedly evicted
What do we do about tenants who find private landlords who will turn a blind eye to behaviour as long as the rent is paid.
What do we do about young children who are causing particular trouble but are too young for an ASBO
How can a community work together to change things
What kind of housing policy should we have?
Should "problem" families be housed close to each other, in the same area? We are agreed that spreading them out around the population has not worked but has just spread the pain a bit further.
These many questions need a long and serious debate, not just amongst us politicos, but with the affected communities too.
Would you be interested in engaging in such a discussion? Do you too want to know how to move forward and start to make a difference.
Let me know
Louise
I don't just mean youths and children, but adults too.
What is particularly striking is when you talk to older people that have lived in their houses for anything up to 50 years, and have happy memories of how it used to be. Mainly women, they talk about how it felt to come to live in their street as a young bride, as a young mother, to bring up their children in the area, to go to work, to see their children set off to a new life as adults themselves. They tell me how proud they used to be to live in the area, Kensington in this case, and how bad they feel now that it has become dirty and rough, with drug dealing, anti-social behaviour, prostitution, vandalism, graffiti, dumped rubbish....they actually tell me that they are ashamed of where they live and discourage visitors.
I know this is replicated up and down the country in certain areas.
I have talked to other local Labour colleagues about this and we are agreed that once this election is out of the way, we need to get together to discuss some wide-ranging potential answers to this problem.
What do we do about tenants who are repeatedly evicted
What do we do about tenants who find private landlords who will turn a blind eye to behaviour as long as the rent is paid.
What do we do about young children who are causing particular trouble but are too young for an ASBO
How can a community work together to change things
What kind of housing policy should we have?
Should "problem" families be housed close to each other, in the same area? We are agreed that spreading them out around the population has not worked but has just spread the pain a bit further.
These many questions need a long and serious debate, not just amongst us politicos, but with the affected communities too.
Would you be interested in engaging in such a discussion? Do you too want to know how to move forward and start to make a difference.
Let me know
Louise
Hello and welcome
Welcome to my blog.
I have been thinking of setting up a blog for some time now.
As an active Labour Party member, locally and nationally, it is important that I use as many different methods as possible to reach out to other members, to observers of our party and just as importantly, to local people in local communities.
Blogging is just one of those ways but I am really excited about the immediacy of it.
I have set up the account only today so don't expect a regular blog in the short-term, but you might like to book mark this site and come back in a few weeks to see how I am getting on.
It took a long time to get here, but I find the sofa very comfy and the soap box nicely placed nearby, so I think it is going to work out very well
Finally, and I am not at all sure how this will play, I thought I might use this blog to talk about the other things that excite me that are not even remotely connected to party politics.
Best wishes
Louise Baldock
Labour Party National Executive Committee member from the ordinary party member constituency section
Lcoal Government candidate for Kensington and Fairfield Labour Party in Liverpool
I have been thinking of setting up a blog for some time now.
As an active Labour Party member, locally and nationally, it is important that I use as many different methods as possible to reach out to other members, to observers of our party and just as importantly, to local people in local communities.
Blogging is just one of those ways but I am really excited about the immediacy of it.
I have set up the account only today so don't expect a regular blog in the short-term, but you might like to book mark this site and come back in a few weeks to see how I am getting on.
It took a long time to get here, but I find the sofa very comfy and the soap box nicely placed nearby, so I think it is going to work out very well
Finally, and I am not at all sure how this will play, I thought I might use this blog to talk about the other things that excite me that are not even remotely connected to party politics.
Best wishes
Louise Baldock
Labour Party National Executive Committee member from the ordinary party member constituency section
Lcoal Government candidate for Kensington and Fairfield Labour Party in Liverpool
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