A wonderful ode, by a good friend of mine (not a party member) who wishes to remain anonymous. I think it is mighty fine, hope you do too.
To the tune of Robin Hood (for those old enough to remember black and white children's telly)
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, giving crap advice,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, doesn’t know what’s right,
Scorned by the bad, scorned by the good,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, Francis Maude . . .
He suggested storing explosive fuel illegally,
Invited motorists to stockpile unnecessarily,
Misinformed the public and embarrassed his department,
Cast doubt on his ministerial appointment.
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, giving crap advice,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, doesn’t know what’s right,
Scorned by the bad, scorned by the good,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, Francis Maude . . .
He stood before the cameras with an agenda in his head,
Didn’t think through what he went and said,
Failed to reassure or give good advice,
He encouraged panic buying with half baked advice.
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, giving crap advice,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, doesn’t know what’s right,
Scorned by the bad, scorned by the good,
Francis Maude, Francis Maude, Francis Maude . . .
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Where are the women?
I read a list today of all the candidates so far declared for the Liverpool Mayoral elections.
Ten names, all male. All white as far as I know too, although I may be mistaken. Not absolutely all middle-aged, thankfully, but pretty nearly so.
And not a woman's name amongst them.
This disturbs me greatly.
I guess I need to stave off the critics and the finger-waggers right from the off by saying I firmly believe that Joe Anderson is the right candidate for Labour and the best person for the job, even if he does happen to be a bloke. I am behind him 100%. Okay? Hey, you at the back, did you make a note of that?
But I cannot help be utterly miserable about the fact that no women have put their names forward.
There are good women in this city, good political women, I know there are. Three of our five MPs are women, very nearly half of the Labour councillors are women, the leader of the Green Party and the leader of the LibDem Party are both women and Hazel Williams was widely thought to have been a particularly good Lord Mayor.
We also know that Jane Kennedy is keen to put her name forward as Labour's candidate for Police Commissioner, so at least that contest - in Labour terms - will have a woman showing passion and commitment, whether she wins the nomination (and the election) or not.
But where are all the women in this election for Mayor?
The biggest job on Merseyside, with the potential of the biggest mandate in the country - for a short while at least - after Boris Johnson (or Ken hopefully). 300,000 eligible voters will mean the winner in this election has more weight behind them than any MP...
So why have no women put themselves forward?
Have we no ambition? Are we scared of a big job? Do we think we would be wasting our time? Does the degree of public scrutiny put us off? The fish bowl that Cherie talked about? Do we not want to read comments about our skirt length or the colour of our lipstick or hair or age or the size of our bum? Is that it? Is it because we think it is a foregone conclusion? Do women not like to waste time on an election (or other campaign) they cannot foresee victory in?
Who might have stood? Paula Keaveney, Sarah Jennings, Hazel Williams, Maggie O'Carroll, Kath Flanagan, Caroline Kenyon, Joan Burnett, Babs Hennessy, Eithne Brown, Carla Lane, Colleen Rooney, hell, even Cilla Black and Ann Robinson might have thrown their hats into the ring. One of our MPs might have resigned to stand, like has happened in other cities elsewhere in the country. I don't know who I think should have had a go, but I had hoped to see a few women's names in the hat.
Perhaps like me they all want Joe Anderson to win and that is why they have not put their names forward. But forgive me, much as I would like to think that he will command every woman's vote in the city, I cannot help but think there is more to it than that.
What is putting off Liverpool women from pushing to the front?
And why did I find it so hard to think of prominent women in Liverpool even to add to my imaginary list of candidates?
I do sincerely hope that when Joe becomes our first Liverpool Mayor as he surely will, he will make it his business to elevate and promote women in the city - I don't mean that literally within the council, I mean that he will hold up women as good role models. That he will seek out, encourage and push good women to the front, encouraging them to become the leaders and heads of our Chamber of Commerce, our Universities, our Media, Police Force, Fire Service, MerseyTravel, the LEP, the Hospitals, Museums and Art Galleries...
This is the best city in the country, possibly in the world - but it has fallen short in this one regard, we are not giving the young women and girls good role models and we are not showing the truly equitable face that I am sure we do possess. It is not a man's city, but you could be forgiven for thinking it so.
PS Talking of Maggie O'Carroll, I was rather disturbed to see that although she was sitting next to Joe at his press conference (which perhaps explains why she isn't standing), she was not name checked in the Echo report or the caption or quoted in any way. Not even "Mystery blonde with Joe".... What is that all about? Why didn't the newspapers name her? Do they not know how important she is to all the women in our city?
Ten names, all male. All white as far as I know too, although I may be mistaken. Not absolutely all middle-aged, thankfully, but pretty nearly so.
And not a woman's name amongst them.
This disturbs me greatly.
I guess I need to stave off the critics and the finger-waggers right from the off by saying I firmly believe that Joe Anderson is the right candidate for Labour and the best person for the job, even if he does happen to be a bloke. I am behind him 100%. Okay? Hey, you at the back, did you make a note of that?
But I cannot help be utterly miserable about the fact that no women have put their names forward.
There are good women in this city, good political women, I know there are. Three of our five MPs are women, very nearly half of the Labour councillors are women, the leader of the Green Party and the leader of the LibDem Party are both women and Hazel Williams was widely thought to have been a particularly good Lord Mayor.
We also know that Jane Kennedy is keen to put her name forward as Labour's candidate for Police Commissioner, so at least that contest - in Labour terms - will have a woman showing passion and commitment, whether she wins the nomination (and the election) or not.
But where are all the women in this election for Mayor?
The biggest job on Merseyside, with the potential of the biggest mandate in the country - for a short while at least - after Boris Johnson (or Ken hopefully). 300,000 eligible voters will mean the winner in this election has more weight behind them than any MP...
So why have no women put themselves forward?
Have we no ambition? Are we scared of a big job? Do we think we would be wasting our time? Does the degree of public scrutiny put us off? The fish bowl that Cherie talked about? Do we not want to read comments about our skirt length or the colour of our lipstick or hair or age or the size of our bum? Is that it? Is it because we think it is a foregone conclusion? Do women not like to waste time on an election (or other campaign) they cannot foresee victory in?
Who might have stood? Paula Keaveney, Sarah Jennings, Hazel Williams, Maggie O'Carroll, Kath Flanagan, Caroline Kenyon, Joan Burnett, Babs Hennessy, Eithne Brown, Carla Lane, Colleen Rooney, hell, even Cilla Black and Ann Robinson might have thrown their hats into the ring. One of our MPs might have resigned to stand, like has happened in other cities elsewhere in the country. I don't know who I think should have had a go, but I had hoped to see a few women's names in the hat.
Perhaps like me they all want Joe Anderson to win and that is why they have not put their names forward. But forgive me, much as I would like to think that he will command every woman's vote in the city, I cannot help but think there is more to it than that.
What is putting off Liverpool women from pushing to the front?
And why did I find it so hard to think of prominent women in Liverpool even to add to my imaginary list of candidates?
I do sincerely hope that when Joe becomes our first Liverpool Mayor as he surely will, he will make it his business to elevate and promote women in the city - I don't mean that literally within the council, I mean that he will hold up women as good role models. That he will seek out, encourage and push good women to the front, encouraging them to become the leaders and heads of our Chamber of Commerce, our Universities, our Media, Police Force, Fire Service, MerseyTravel, the LEP, the Hospitals, Museums and Art Galleries...
This is the best city in the country, possibly in the world - but it has fallen short in this one regard, we are not giving the young women and girls good role models and we are not showing the truly equitable face that I am sure we do possess. It is not a man's city, but you could be forgiven for thinking it so.
PS Talking of Maggie O'Carroll, I was rather disturbed to see that although she was sitting next to Joe at his press conference (which perhaps explains why she isn't standing), she was not name checked in the Echo report or the caption or quoted in any way. Not even "Mystery blonde with Joe".... What is that all about? Why didn't the newspapers name her? Do they not know how important she is to all the women in our city?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sixth Form Bursaries
Are you a teacher or a governor in a school with a sixth form?
If so, please will you ask your Head how they have decided to best spend the new bursaries in your school. Have you targetted just the pupils on free school meals? What about other pupils on low incomes who don't have school meals? How have you targetted it? Have you spent it on transport/buying travel passes for instance? or text books? or stationery? or uniforms? or have you given it to the pupils for them to spend, etc
Please will you let me know as the school where I am a governor is looking for some good practice in this area. Thanks very much
If so, please will you ask your Head how they have decided to best spend the new bursaries in your school. Have you targetted just the pupils on free school meals? What about other pupils on low incomes who don't have school meals? How have you targetted it? Have you spent it on transport/buying travel passes for instance? or text books? or stationery? or uniforms? or have you given it to the pupils for them to spend, etc
Please will you let me know as the school where I am a governor is looking for some good practice in this area. Thanks very much
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Budget message from Ed Balls, Labour's Shadow Chancellor
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| Photo by Getty |
Because today he gave a Budget where - as Ed Miliband said in the House of Commons - millions were asked to pay more, so millionaires can pay less.
In tough times the choices this Tory-led government is making tells you everything you need to know about them.
They prove that George Osborne and David Cameron are totally out of touch with what life is like for people in our country.
At a time when bills are going up for families on middle and low incomes George Osborne has added to them all. Fuel duty is going up this summer, even though petrol prices are at a record high. He’s even added to the cost of a sausage roll from Greggs.
And at the very same time the Budget gave a tax cut to the very richest people in our country. Just 14,000 people earning £1 million or more will get a Budget boost of over £40,000 each year.
David Cameron and George Osborne could have used the money to cut fuel duty or reverse unfair and perverse cuts to tax credits – which will see thousands of working parents better off quitting work from next month. They could have used the money to reduce the cuts to police officers or help pay the down the deficit.
Instead they chose to cut taxes for the 300,000 people earning over £150,000 - the richest one per cent. How can this be the right priority now?
Whatever he says about increasing the income tax personal allowance a family with children earning just £20,000 will still lose around £253 a year from this April.
And shockingly he slipped out a £3 billion tax raid on pensioners over the next four years. Nearly four and a half million pensioners who pay income tax will lose an average of £83 per year next April. And people turning 65 next year will lose up to £322.
And all this comes from a government whose economic policies have utterly failed on jobs, growth and the deficit.
Of course there have to be tough decisions on tax, spending and pay. But we won’t get the deficit down unless we have a plan for jobs and growth to get our economy moving again and get people off the dole and into work.
And that was the gaping hole in today’s Budget. It wasn’t just unfair, it had no plan for jobs like Labour’s plan which includes a guaranteed job for every young person out of work for more than a year – fully funded by a tax on bank bonuses.
Instead in Tory Britain unemployment is at a 17 year high, with a record one million young people out of work. Our economy has stalled as America races ahead. And this slower growth and higher unemployment means the government is set to borrow an extra £150 billion to pay for this economic failure.
George Osborne's plan has failed. Trying to raise taxes and cut spending too far and too fast has backfired. And with his tax cut for millionaires he is piling insult upon injury for millions of families and pensioners across Britain.
In the Budget debates we will vote against this unfair tax cut for millionaires, but we need your help. Let's get out campaigning on the doorstep for Labour's five point plan for jobs and growth and to reverse these unfair cuts to tax credits – before it’s too late.
Yours,
Ed
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Liverpool Waters will directly benefit a local construction workforce
Email from Councillor Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Enterprise and Skills explaining the benefits particularly for jobs with the passing of outline planning permission for Liverpool Waters. Something he describes as "fantastic news for the city".
Under the Lib Dems, the Council refused point blank to include local labour under Section 106 agreements; something Labour campaigned for in opposition for many years. Instead the Lib Dems preferred to use Section 106 powers for parks and open spaces. This meant that the city didn't maximise on the jobs when Liverpool One, the Cruise Liner Terminal and the Arena and Conference Centre were built. (This means that we have been able to insist that a good proportion of jobs which come as a result of the scheme must go to local Liverpool people - LB). (The LibDems used the same powers only to say that official cash "sweeteners" from developers must be spent improving parks and open spaces - not an unreasonable thing in itself - but they could have insisted on much more than just that when contracts or planning permission was being granted in the city. They too could have insisted on builders using a proportion of local labour in the workforce rather than let everything go to Manchester firms - LB)
Liverpool Waters is the first major planning scheme that the Council has agreed a detailed scheme of targetted recruitment and selection with a developer as part of the Section 106 agreement.
This new model has separate stretch targets for (1) the four wards of North Liverpool, (2) the Council's priority areas across the city, (3) the City of Liverpool and (4) the City Region and these targets will be monitored regularly by the Council and Peel.
More importantly than this perhaps, the relationships we've developed with Peel over the last 20 months mean that we've got their buy-in to work together to exceed these targets. Even before planning permission was in place we've been talking in detail to Peel about delivering training, apprenticeships and jobs, should they have been successful.
This will ensure that those communities that need it the most will benefit from the 17,000 direct construction and end-user jobs created by Liverpool Waters.
We're using this same model with other major development like the Royal, Alder Hey and University of Liverpool - total investment of £1.6billion.
This demonstrates what can be achieved by a progressive Labour Council working in partnership with business.
Under the Lib Dems, the Council refused point blank to include local labour under Section 106 agreements; something Labour campaigned for in opposition for many years. Instead the Lib Dems preferred to use Section 106 powers for parks and open spaces. This meant that the city didn't maximise on the jobs when Liverpool One, the Cruise Liner Terminal and the Arena and Conference Centre were built. (This means that we have been able to insist that a good proportion of jobs which come as a result of the scheme must go to local Liverpool people - LB). (The LibDems used the same powers only to say that official cash "sweeteners" from developers must be spent improving parks and open spaces - not an unreasonable thing in itself - but they could have insisted on much more than just that when contracts or planning permission was being granted in the city. They too could have insisted on builders using a proportion of local labour in the workforce rather than let everything go to Manchester firms - LB)
Liverpool Waters is the first major planning scheme that the Council has agreed a detailed scheme of targetted recruitment and selection with a developer as part of the Section 106 agreement.
This new model has separate stretch targets for (1) the four wards of North Liverpool, (2) the Council's priority areas across the city, (3) the City of Liverpool and (4) the City Region and these targets will be monitored regularly by the Council and Peel.
More importantly than this perhaps, the relationships we've developed with Peel over the last 20 months mean that we've got their buy-in to work together to exceed these targets. Even before planning permission was in place we've been talking in detail to Peel about delivering training, apprenticeships and jobs, should they have been successful.
This will ensure that those communities that need it the most will benefit from the 17,000 direct construction and end-user jobs created by Liverpool Waters.
We're using this same model with other major development like the Royal, Alder Hey and University of Liverpool - total investment of £1.6billion.
This demonstrates what can be achieved by a progressive Labour Council working in partnership with business.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Help! Need to find a decent estate agent
It's that time again when I have to engage with estate agents. You may recall the nightmare I had last time when I was moving house. You would think I would have learned by now, having moved so often, but I never cease to be disappointed by estate agents and their total lack of customer service.
Day one: I go to the estate agent I think I may choose to sell with. It is Saturday at 4.30pm, the lights are on and there is a woman sitting at a desk inside, but the door is locked. She shakes her head at me and indicates that they are closed. I get back in the car and because I can see the phone number on a poster, I call them to see if I can leave an answering machine message asking about making an appointment for them to come round. The woman inside does not answer the phone and no machine kicks in. I drive away having failed to make any contact with them. What if I wanted to make a bid on a house I had just visited? Or wanted to make an appointment to visit a house? The impetus is clearly on me to persevere. Is this good customer service?
I will be letting you know how things progress, I know every day will hold frustrations, but in the meantime, which of the many agents, ideally on Allerton Road, would you recommend I try?
Day one: I go to the estate agent I think I may choose to sell with. It is Saturday at 4.30pm, the lights are on and there is a woman sitting at a desk inside, but the door is locked. She shakes her head at me and indicates that they are closed. I get back in the car and because I can see the phone number on a poster, I call them to see if I can leave an answering machine message asking about making an appointment for them to come round. The woman inside does not answer the phone and no machine kicks in. I drive away having failed to make any contact with them. What if I wanted to make a bid on a house I had just visited? Or wanted to make an appointment to visit a house? The impetus is clearly on me to persevere. Is this good customer service?
I will be letting you know how things progress, I know every day will hold frustrations, but in the meantime, which of the many agents, ideally on Allerton Road, would you recommend I try?
Friday, March 16, 2012
I do! Gay Marriage
1. There is an argument from some that marriage is for the procreation of children and gay marriage fails that test. But hey, lesbians and gays can be parents too. I have lots of gay and lesbian friends with children - whether their own natural children or born through IVF or other supported assistance. And funnily enough, I have lots of straight friends with children too, some their own natural children and some born through IVF or other supported assistance.
2. There is another argument that says that gay marriage in church is not acceptable to God. But I would argue that surely He prefers the idea of gay Christians marrying in church (and believing in the service) than He does the idea of atheist heterosexuals getting married in church, just because they think it would make a nice back drop for the photographs.
3. Homophobes accuse the gay community of being sexually lax, loose, easy and without discretion or morality. I shall have to leave aside just how distasteful and inaccurate that view is, if you don't mind. And ask instead why they would then object to two gays or lesbians getting married and making a commitment only to each other - wouldn't that settle the objection?
There is so much more I could say but I wanted to be punchy.
(And I ought to say that if you are going to marry your gay partner and you want some help with a great florist who loves doing gay weddings, do get in touch)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
In the dog house - LibDem resignations pile up
I have steered away from outright local Party Politics on the blog for a few years, since I was so royally done over by members of two of the opposition parties in Liverpool who didn't like my "in your face" criticisms of their political tactics.
They cost me more than they will (thankfully) ever know, which means they are not able to be as smug as they might have liked, and I shall say no more than that.
But tonight I am giving myself a "by".
Tonight I want to say something about the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool City Council and the electoral situation they find themselves in.
At the final meeting of the Full Council tonight (there are still plenty of Select Committees to come though), a list of various LibDem councillors who had decided to stand down/retire was announced. I think I am right in saying that, apart from Woolton (so this does not apply to Barbara), they were all councillors whose colleagues had lost last year.
I have long been an advocate for those candidates who know they will lose, to instead retire rather than fight a hard campaign to no effect. I have always thought it must be better to go with dignity, thinking that if you had stood you might have bucked the trend, but without putting it to the test, and it would be disengenous of me to say anything different now. And of course if you stand down, you get a tribute at the final council meeting, something defeated councillors never get. (And why not? Shouldn't we try to be generous in those circumstances and give them a nod at the first council meeting after the election?)
I would also say that most of the retiring councillors have done a pretty good job as community representatives even if their politics stank. So all credit to them.
Most of the LibDem councillors who are staying courageously to fight for their seats will be unsuccessful. I wont cry about that but I admire them for taking the fight to us - and I absolutely understand it. Good for you for putting your record to the test. Some of the people who I expect to be defeated have been, by all accounts (bearing in mind I have only been on the council for six years), decent hard-working individuals who have done their best for a very long time.
I suspect there will be the need for a new leader of the opposition in May, I put my money on Pat Maloney for what it is worth (who is himself not averse to the odd unsuccessful Standards Board complaint about yours truly). Richard Kemp, the other obvious challenger, will just have come third or fourth or even fifth in the Mayoral Campaign (not second - I am taking bets if you are interested). So I don't see how the tiny rump of LibDems will be able to choose him. Paula and I have worked together very regularly on all sorts of things and although we are not friends, I do really respect her for the stance she has taken on many issues, and I think the LibDems would have done well to have chosen her to lead them some years ago. Good luck to her and her work at Edge Hill University.
I also think that the one-time "third largest party on the council", the Cleins, will be entirely finished after May 3rd, which can only be to the detriment of good humour and independent thinking within the council chamber and the select committees. I have always got on well with the Clein clan (or at least those who have sat on Liverpool council, rather than certain offspring) and although I am going to be absolutely thrilled to welcome fantastic new Labour colleagues in their place, I shall continue to retain a small regret that both could not have been accomodated simultaneously.
And of course there is another big name in Liverpool that is certain to be defeated in May, assuming the powers that be allow him to self-nominate - otherwise it is an enforced retirement. A man who I have always believed was well-meaning and put the hours in, but was the unwitting puppet of a stronger egotistical man who always believed he could take his crown back in due course (but of course he lost his seat and all bets were off). The councillor he left behind in his image will not win the next election, and we all know that. So I want to pay tribute to him too as he leaves the political stage. I don't think we have ever had a cross word, I really quite like the guy and I know he knows that and I am always pleased to see him when we bump into each other.
But one of the names of those retiring really made me mad - and I am sure he has taken this particular action precisely to piss me off. Well done. I am pissed off. I refer to Little Lord Fauntleroy as our leader has been wont to call him. I am quite sure that his deliberations about whether to stand and fight, or whether to slink off with his tail between his doggy legs, were taken very much with me in mind. He knows that I so desperately wanted to see his fortress finally toppled, not by dirty tricks, or reporting people to standards committees or boards, or putting out lies on leaflets, but at the ballot box. And I am as certain as I can be that he has decided flight rather than fight because he knew this was going to be my finest hour.
He said in his speech tonight that he may come back and stand again, sometime in the future. Bring it on, Dude, I will be here waiting, wherever you pop up. It doesn't have to be in this city. You could try your hand anywhere in the North West and I will be there to chase you off. I hope that is clear.
And finally I would like to speculate about how many LibDem candidates will be found to put their names on ballot papers in the city of Liverpool.
I am aware that there are many seats, with only 7 weeks to go, with no named LibDem candidates and of course we all know the difficulties some LibDems got into last year about putting names forward for seats where there was no obvious candidate - of which I shall say no more.
I am looking at 30 wards and thinking the LibDems will be lucky to field 20 candidates
There you are, that is my final prediction.
I would have preferred victory through democracy, but will take victory through apathy if that is all that is on offer.
They cost me more than they will (thankfully) ever know, which means they are not able to be as smug as they might have liked, and I shall say no more than that.
But tonight I am giving myself a "by".
Tonight I want to say something about the Liberal Democrats on Liverpool City Council and the electoral situation they find themselves in.
At the final meeting of the Full Council tonight (there are still plenty of Select Committees to come though), a list of various LibDem councillors who had decided to stand down/retire was announced. I think I am right in saying that, apart from Woolton (so this does not apply to Barbara), they were all councillors whose colleagues had lost last year.
I have long been an advocate for those candidates who know they will lose, to instead retire rather than fight a hard campaign to no effect. I have always thought it must be better to go with dignity, thinking that if you had stood you might have bucked the trend, but without putting it to the test, and it would be disengenous of me to say anything different now. And of course if you stand down, you get a tribute at the final council meeting, something defeated councillors never get. (And why not? Shouldn't we try to be generous in those circumstances and give them a nod at the first council meeting after the election?)
I would also say that most of the retiring councillors have done a pretty good job as community representatives even if their politics stank. So all credit to them.
Most of the LibDem councillors who are staying courageously to fight for their seats will be unsuccessful. I wont cry about that but I admire them for taking the fight to us - and I absolutely understand it. Good for you for putting your record to the test. Some of the people who I expect to be defeated have been, by all accounts (bearing in mind I have only been on the council for six years), decent hard-working individuals who have done their best for a very long time.
I suspect there will be the need for a new leader of the opposition in May, I put my money on Pat Maloney for what it is worth (who is himself not averse to the odd unsuccessful Standards Board complaint about yours truly). Richard Kemp, the other obvious challenger, will just have come third or fourth or even fifth in the Mayoral Campaign (not second - I am taking bets if you are interested). So I don't see how the tiny rump of LibDems will be able to choose him. Paula and I have worked together very regularly on all sorts of things and although we are not friends, I do really respect her for the stance she has taken on many issues, and I think the LibDems would have done well to have chosen her to lead them some years ago. Good luck to her and her work at Edge Hill University.
I also think that the one-time "third largest party on the council", the Cleins, will be entirely finished after May 3rd, which can only be to the detriment of good humour and independent thinking within the council chamber and the select committees. I have always got on well with the Clein clan (or at least those who have sat on Liverpool council, rather than certain offspring) and although I am going to be absolutely thrilled to welcome fantastic new Labour colleagues in their place, I shall continue to retain a small regret that both could not have been accomodated simultaneously.
And of course there is another big name in Liverpool that is certain to be defeated in May, assuming the powers that be allow him to self-nominate - otherwise it is an enforced retirement. A man who I have always believed was well-meaning and put the hours in, but was the unwitting puppet of a stronger egotistical man who always believed he could take his crown back in due course (but of course he lost his seat and all bets were off). The councillor he left behind in his image will not win the next election, and we all know that. So I want to pay tribute to him too as he leaves the political stage. I don't think we have ever had a cross word, I really quite like the guy and I know he knows that and I am always pleased to see him when we bump into each other.
But one of the names of those retiring really made me mad - and I am sure he has taken this particular action precisely to piss me off. Well done. I am pissed off. I refer to Little Lord Fauntleroy as our leader has been wont to call him. I am quite sure that his deliberations about whether to stand and fight, or whether to slink off with his tail between his doggy legs, were taken very much with me in mind. He knows that I so desperately wanted to see his fortress finally toppled, not by dirty tricks, or reporting people to standards committees or boards, or putting out lies on leaflets, but at the ballot box. And I am as certain as I can be that he has decided flight rather than fight because he knew this was going to be my finest hour.
He said in his speech tonight that he may come back and stand again, sometime in the future. Bring it on, Dude, I will be here waiting, wherever you pop up. It doesn't have to be in this city. You could try your hand anywhere in the North West and I will be there to chase you off. I hope that is clear.
And finally I would like to speculate about how many LibDem candidates will be found to put their names on ballot papers in the city of Liverpool.
I am aware that there are many seats, with only 7 weeks to go, with no named LibDem candidates and of course we all know the difficulties some LibDems got into last year about putting names forward for seats where there was no obvious candidate - of which I shall say no more.
I am looking at 30 wards and thinking the LibDems will be lucky to field 20 candidates
There you are, that is my final prediction.
I would have preferred victory through democracy, but will take victory through apathy if that is all that is on offer.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Inspired by the Global Entrepreneur Congress Liverpool 2012
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| Louise with Chuka and Luciana |
What a truly exciting time to be a business woman in Liverpool!
My business, Local Marketing Liverpool, is really thriving, I am signing up at least one new client a week, which feels amazing. I am doing so well in fact that I have now handed in my notice in my (part-time) paid employment and from mid April I will be fully self-employed.
Lots of exciting new clients wanting a whole host of different marketing support. Pretty much each new client wants a new service, so I am continually adding to the list of services on offer.
And this week, to mark this special time for me, the city of Liverpool - and the lovely Andy at Liverpool Vision in particular, kindly agreed to host the Global Entrepreneurs Congress so that I could launch into this new period of my life with inspirational contributions from Richard Branson, Terry Leahy and Lord Heseltine to name but a few. (You just have to love the way Liverpool always comes up trumps for its citizens - remember how Dolly Parton came over to sing for me on my birthday? It seems you only have to ask nicely...)
The speakers were fantastic, I feel perfectly primed to take the leap - and what was particularly gratifying on a couple of occasions was to hear these world business leaders giving messages to the audience that I give to my own clients. So it is great to know that I am on the right page of the book! There was some discussion about the need to assess the competition closely, to understand a potential customer's needs and address your offer to meet that need... and other things that form the basis of all my initial sessions with my own clients. So not only am I inspired to begin the journey in true earnest, but I am reassured that I am on just the right track!
There is a lot of talk in the business world at the moment about the importance of having successful professional entrepreneurs mentoring new and young businesses. I could really get into that. Perhaps I could persuade one of today's speakers to stand up for me? Could Liverpool deliver that for me too, do you think?
Tomorrow I will be at another event with LGBT businesses in Liverpool where I hope to delve further into my plans for marketing for and to the community.
And I also took some time out over dinner on Sunday to talk to Chuka Umunna, Labour's Shadow Business Secretary about my plans for marketing world domination. I am not sure quite what he made of me, to be honest.
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| "Richard Branson in Liverpool just for you? Wow!" |
And finally I have been working with Alun Parry at Web Films About You to create a film for my business website, following me at work, talking to some of my clients and explaining more about what I can do for local Liverpool businesses. There may also be a short film made up of my customers giving in depth testimonials. I will share the films with you when the work is finished.
Truly exciting times, inspiring, breath-taking, daring, I am really loving every minute.
Friday, March 09, 2012
Still banging the drum after 20 years
20 years ago this weekend, as a wide-eyed innocent, politically naive, totally inactive member of the public (albeit one that had voted, scrupulously, in every available election since attaining my majority), I woke up to party politics (and local democracy) in a big way. Actually it was not just a big way, it was a genuinely life-changing event.
On Sunday it will be the 20th anniversary of the day when John Major went to see the Queen to ask her for permission to call the next General Election. He was the Conservative/Tory Prime Minister of Great Britain (having beaten Hezza and Maggie in a ballot in 1990 for the poisoned chalice).
In 1992, 11th March fell on a Wednesday.
I was home from work, still dressed in my corporate navy blue uniform as a member of the Administration team at Stevenson of Oxbridge Ltd, in fact I think I may even have reached the heady heights of Administration Manager by then. It was tea-time and I was watching the BBC news. Ironically, that was probably the last time I ever found myself with sufficient time to watch that particular news programme because my free time was about to be given over to the Labour Party.
You have heard all of this before and I wont rehearse it again, sufficient to say that I was instantly energised by the forthcoming General Election to volunteer to help with the forthcoming campaign. I found my local Labour Party and I joined in. And the rest is history.
This Sunday I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary as a Labour Party activist in company with other like-minded members and with my friend and local MP, Luciana Berger, in a Wavertree restaurant. We will all be meeting with other shadow ministers, local supporters and members over food and a drink and engaging in all that political conversation that we so love. This is not an event organised on my behalf, indeed I only realised the significance of the date after I had accepted the invitation, but it will be a fitting celebration all the same.
I am this year the Campaign Manager for the six wards within Liverpool Wavertree and I have only two tasks.
Simply, my role is to facilitate the election of six Labour Councillors in six wards, and to elect Joe Anderson as Liverpool's first elected Mayor for Labour.
And if the support that Liverpool Labour Party has already enjoyed in Liverpool Wavertree since the campaign was developed is anything to go by, we are on the path to victory.
Huge numbers of Labour Party members are engaging in delivering leaflets, knocking on doors, phoning voters (don't you just love "free calls" mobile phone contracts?) and sharing good ideas about possible visits for the Mayoral and Local Council candidates over the next 8 weeks.
Although the LibDems (who?) have always liked to pretend that we succeed in Liverpool only when people "pour in from outside", "snooing" the local area, the fact remains that almost every volunteer, this year like every year, and just like me 20 years ago, lives locally and feels the passion that has them active every day.
I do hope that we are nurturing some members during this historic campaign in Liverpool in 2012 that will be here in 20 years time and can be writing their own blog about how it all started for them. I look forward to reading their entries in 2032.
On Sunday it will be the 20th anniversary of the day when John Major went to see the Queen to ask her for permission to call the next General Election. He was the Conservative/Tory Prime Minister of Great Britain (having beaten Hezza and Maggie in a ballot in 1990 for the poisoned chalice).
In 1992, 11th March fell on a Wednesday.
I was home from work, still dressed in my corporate navy blue uniform as a member of the Administration team at Stevenson of Oxbridge Ltd, in fact I think I may even have reached the heady heights of Administration Manager by then. It was tea-time and I was watching the BBC news. Ironically, that was probably the last time I ever found myself with sufficient time to watch that particular news programme because my free time was about to be given over to the Labour Party.
You have heard all of this before and I wont rehearse it again, sufficient to say that I was instantly energised by the forthcoming General Election to volunteer to help with the forthcoming campaign. I found my local Labour Party and I joined in. And the rest is history.
This Sunday I will be celebrating my 20th anniversary as a Labour Party activist in company with other like-minded members and with my friend and local MP, Luciana Berger, in a Wavertree restaurant. We will all be meeting with other shadow ministers, local supporters and members over food and a drink and engaging in all that political conversation that we so love. This is not an event organised on my behalf, indeed I only realised the significance of the date after I had accepted the invitation, but it will be a fitting celebration all the same.
I am this year the Campaign Manager for the six wards within Liverpool Wavertree and I have only two tasks.
Simply, my role is to facilitate the election of six Labour Councillors in six wards, and to elect Joe Anderson as Liverpool's first elected Mayor for Labour.
And if the support that Liverpool Labour Party has already enjoyed in Liverpool Wavertree since the campaign was developed is anything to go by, we are on the path to victory.
Huge numbers of Labour Party members are engaging in delivering leaflets, knocking on doors, phoning voters (don't you just love "free calls" mobile phone contracts?) and sharing good ideas about possible visits for the Mayoral and Local Council candidates over the next 8 weeks.
Although the LibDems (who?) have always liked to pretend that we succeed in Liverpool only when people "pour in from outside", "snooing" the local area, the fact remains that almost every volunteer, this year like every year, and just like me 20 years ago, lives locally and feels the passion that has them active every day.
I do hope that we are nurturing some members during this historic campaign in Liverpool in 2012 that will be here in 20 years time and can be writing their own blog about how it all started for them. I look forward to reading their entries in 2032.
Joe Anderson, Labour's Mayoral candidate goes online
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| Joe Anderson, Labour's Mayoral Candidate |
As you may have seen in the press, Joe has been selected to be the Labour Party candidate for the Mayoral election this year, something I know he is looking forward to getting stuck into. And, in order to keep you up to date with the goings on of the campaign, he has joined the world of social media!
You can follow him on Twitter: @joeforliverpool
He is on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JoeforliverpoolAnd we have a new website too: http://www.joeforliverpool.com
Saturday, March 03, 2012
In 4 Life - a play staged at Edge Hill Youth Club
I have been sent details of the following event.
Thursday 8th March starting at 6pm at Edge Hill Youth Club (The "Boysy"), Durning Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool.
A play 'IN4LIFE' written by Carol Cullington and directed by Carol Cockram, exploring the role gang culture plays in the lives of young male and females. It was commissioned by the Home Office and is cast with young offenders.
Everyone is welcome, parents, residents and all young people over 11 years of age.
Don't miss it, it is free.
Youth groups should be accompanied by youth workers or other responsible adults.
For more information please call 0151 263 2921
Thursday 8th March starting at 6pm at Edge Hill Youth Club (The "Boysy"), Durning Road, Edge Hill, Liverpool.
A play 'IN4LIFE' written by Carol Cullington and directed by Carol Cockram, exploring the role gang culture plays in the lives of young male and females. It was commissioned by the Home Office and is cast with young offenders.
Everyone is welcome, parents, residents and all young people over 11 years of age.
Don't miss it, it is free.
Youth groups should be accompanied by youth workers or other responsible adults.
For more information please call 0151 263 2921
HMS Liverpool visits for a final time
HMS Liverpool, a Royal Navy ship, is visiting her spiritual home this week, for the final time.
Due to be decommissioned at the end of March, the Type 42 Destroyer will be berthed in Liverpool until Monday.
Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism (and my very good friend) yesterday attended a civic service to honour HMS Liverpool and all who have sailed in her. She explained to me that Naval ships were named after places in the UK to encourage recruitment from people from those areas. Apparently it is a fashion that has now come to an end, and there will be no replacement ship bearing the city's name after the current vessel has been decommissioned.
There is an interesting article about the ship's history here in the Liverpool Echo from last night's paper. There is a tremendous buzz around the waterfront with sailors and visitors mingling on the Pier Head, do get down there before she leaves for the last time.
I was on the famous Ferry Across the Mersey yesterday and took this photograph from a vantage point in Birkenhead. In fact I was not very far from the site of Cammell Laird's where the ship was built more than 30 years ago.
Newsham Park Fitness Club
Newsham Park Fitness Club has been up and running since January 2012. There has been some really good attendance, even in the freezing weather and that funny freezing rain! We use body weight strength training techniques to re-discover your abs, firm up your legs and banish bingo wings. We also have a laugh, play some games and make new friends.
There is still space and a few weeks left on the free NHS funded club and I am trying to get as many people along to try the Fitness Club before the free places run out.
Currently there are ten free NHS funded sessions left to run at Newsham Park Fitness Club. Five more on Saturdays 10am to 11am and five more on Wednesdays 7pm to 8pm.
We have about thirty people already registered who can come down any time to make the most of this NHS funded scheme before it ends. Anybody who hasn't registered yet, come along anyway and you can register on the day. If anyone can make it Saturday 3rd March for 10am, I am running fitness tests for a few people that missed them last week. I will run fitness tests again in five weeks time so that people can really see the good progress they have made.
We meet on the grass opposite the Adult Centre on Newsham Drive. Call or email me for further information 0151 222 2560 helen@helenshealthandfitness.co.ukThis is what Newsham Park Fitness Clubbers have to say about NPFC:
"Really enjoyable sessions", "a great way to get fit with a great bunch of people", "an instructor that makes even amateurs like me feel comfortable", "I've only been 3 times and already I can see where my abs should be".
Starting in April, I will be running Helen's Heart Healthy Program. A six week weight loss and strength training course involving structured healthy eating advice, mindfulness anti-stress techniques, online diary and strength training sessions at Newsham Park.
I hope to see you soon for a great big dose of fresh air and fitness!
Cass Associates win Small Planning Consultancy of the Year at the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards 2011
A very big well done to Peter Hamilton and everyone at Cass Associates for winning such a prestigious award. The Liverpool based firm (from the Tea Factory) were the original consultants for the successful HLF bid for Deane Road Jewish Cemetery in Kensington.
The award judges said
"Cass Associates has shown itself adept at pulling together a range of broader expertise as well as making its own professional input on projects of sometimes daunting scale and complexity. There is every sign that the consultants have met clients' needs, especially in their ability to respond imaginatively to briefs".
Well done guys, we are all very proud of you!
The award judges said
"Cass Associates has shown itself adept at pulling together a range of broader expertise as well as making its own professional input on projects of sometimes daunting scale and complexity. There is every sign that the consultants have met clients' needs, especially in their ability to respond imaginatively to briefs".
Well done guys, we are all very proud of you!
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