I have been wondering all week whether I should stop telling people in the ward I represent, in Liverpool (and the rest of the blogging world for that matter) what I am up to in terms of various campaigns, by using my blog.
There is proof that the "other side" are exploiting my entries for their own aims.
I am a firm believer in using as many forms of communication as possible to reach out to my constituents. I have weekly advice sessions (surgeries), I knock on doors, I phone voters for their views, I visit local businesses, I issue newsletters, I write letters, sometimes political ones on Labour Party paper, sometimes straightforward information briefings on very local issues, using Council paper and I blog.
Lots of people are not comfortable about leaving comments on the blog, although I dont know why, but I do get stopped in the street sometimes by someone who has read about a story they want to know more about, and I get emailed regularly by people who have had similar experiences. I had quite a long series of emails with a whole variety of councillors from all over the country on the item about licensing laws and regulations, although very few comments left.
A few weeks ago a regeneration officer took me to one side at the end of a meeting to say a friend of hers in another part of the country had alerted her to the existence of one my stories about our local police.
And on Friday night a mate phoned me from the pub in Wavertree all excited. He was talking to a mutual friend who lives in Preston but who occasionally comes to Liverpool to socialise with family and friends. The Preston friend told the Wavertree friend that when he mentioned to a Preston colleague at work that he was coming to Liverpool on a night out, the Preston colleague said he used to live in Kensington, Liverpool and knew the area well. They then googled for images of Kensington Liverpool to show each other and there was a photo of me at the market.
My Preston friend said to his colleague "I know her" and much amazement followed.
(I was slightly less amazed myself as I come very high up the list on Google for an awful lot of searches involving Labour, politics, Liverpool, regeneration, decline, decay and Kensington to name but a few).
Anyway, all this is proof to me that blogging works as one of many different forms of communication and that I should keep it up.
However, and this is where the point of the post begins - not sure why it has taken me so long to get there, but I wanted to give you some background - there is proof that other parties are taking advantage of the detail of some of my campaigns, to instruct officers and agencies to take action and steal my thunder.
In some ways of course that is a very good thing because it means the residents will get the result they want, but it is also very galling and sneaky and underhand on their part (nothing new there then).
I have discussed this with my agent and others, and some think that I should stop providing information that can be nicked and used against us, but others say that it will be a crying shame if such a good example of best practice is stopped.
I dont want to get into specifics and finger-pointing because that is not the purpose of this debate, I would like to hear views about blogging, the opposition, case-work and campaigning, should I stop doing it or stand up to them?
And lets have the debate in here for a change, instead of out on the street and by email - you can post anonymously, I wont mind.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Prostitution loophole
Apparently, there is a little known loop-hole in law that says that if you approach a prostitute on foot it is not a crime in the same way that kerb crawling in your car is.
The offence on foot has to be "repeated soliciting" which means the police have to catch the man approaching a girl many times over before he can be charged.
This was revealed during Operation Rose when it became clear (as I predicted back in the summer last year) that most of the men looking for girls in the area were on foot, having jumped off the bus or strolled across the park.
This has made it rather difficult to tackle them, but the intensive police presence finally drove the girls and the dealers away so there is now nothing to attract the punters.
I have taken this up with Jane Kennedy MP who has promised to talk to the Home Office about getting the legislation changed.
The offence on foot has to be "repeated soliciting" which means the police have to catch the man approaching a girl many times over before he can be charged.
This was revealed during Operation Rose when it became clear (as I predicted back in the summer last year) that most of the men looking for girls in the area were on foot, having jumped off the bus or strolled across the park.
This has made it rather difficult to tackle them, but the intensive police presence finally drove the girls and the dealers away so there is now nothing to attract the punters.
I have taken this up with Jane Kennedy MP who has promised to talk to the Home Office about getting the legislation changed.
Police drugs action in Sheil Road
The police have just closed down two crack houses in Kensington, right there on Sheil Road
They had been tipped off by concerned local people that the prostitutes and dealers were queuing to get into these two flats. So they gathered their evidence and one morning last week they raided.
They recovered all sorts and boarded them up.
It seems hard to believe looking at the streets over the last few weeks, just how bad it was this time last year. When I was door-kocking in the streets around Sheil Road in the run up to the local elections in 2006 every house told me about the prosititutes, about young lads being propositioned on their way to school, about family men being propositioned as early as 6am as they set off for work, about innocent young girls being approached by punters prowling round for sex. There were condoms on doorsteps when people came out to do their shopping.
And of course, prostitution goes hand in hand with drugs.
Every girl that was arrested in the area during the police's intensive campaign tested positive for either heroin or crack cocaine.
The dealers work where the girls work.
Just after I was elected I went to see the then Inspector, Paul White, and explained to him that this was the number one problem in the area. We discussed the problem at length and I gave him quite a lot of reports I had gathered about which houses were involved with drug dealing and which with prostitution. He took it all very seriously and I was pleased when he agreed to call a public meeting to look at solutions.
We all met in the police station back in the summer and after our discussions Paul tasked one of his sergeants with tackling the whole problem, Operation Rose was born.
I have blogged before about some of the activities of Operation Rose, the police have concentrated intensive resources on the area, targetting kerb crawlers, working with Armistead to trying to get the girls into rehab, applying for ASBOs for the worst offenders, to keep them out of the area, but they have had particular success with targeting the dealers.
The action last week was only one in a series of actions designed to push the dealers, the drugs and the prostitutes out of the area.
It is definitely working, where once prostitutes were a sad, everyday aspect of life in the area, now they are rarely seen.
If you are looking for an example of how the police work closely with the community, to target and concentrate on the people's priorities then you dont need to look any further than Kensington.
They have been really great and I salute them.
They had been tipped off by concerned local people that the prostitutes and dealers were queuing to get into these two flats. So they gathered their evidence and one morning last week they raided.
They recovered all sorts and boarded them up.
It seems hard to believe looking at the streets over the last few weeks, just how bad it was this time last year. When I was door-kocking in the streets around Sheil Road in the run up to the local elections in 2006 every house told me about the prosititutes, about young lads being propositioned on their way to school, about family men being propositioned as early as 6am as they set off for work, about innocent young girls being approached by punters prowling round for sex. There were condoms on doorsteps when people came out to do their shopping.
And of course, prostitution goes hand in hand with drugs.
Every girl that was arrested in the area during the police's intensive campaign tested positive for either heroin or crack cocaine.
The dealers work where the girls work.
Just after I was elected I went to see the then Inspector, Paul White, and explained to him that this was the number one problem in the area. We discussed the problem at length and I gave him quite a lot of reports I had gathered about which houses were involved with drug dealing and which with prostitution. He took it all very seriously and I was pleased when he agreed to call a public meeting to look at solutions.
We all met in the police station back in the summer and after our discussions Paul tasked one of his sergeants with tackling the whole problem, Operation Rose was born.
I have blogged before about some of the activities of Operation Rose, the police have concentrated intensive resources on the area, targetting kerb crawlers, working with Armistead to trying to get the girls into rehab, applying for ASBOs for the worst offenders, to keep them out of the area, but they have had particular success with targeting the dealers.
The action last week was only one in a series of actions designed to push the dealers, the drugs and the prostitutes out of the area.
It is definitely working, where once prostitutes were a sad, everyday aspect of life in the area, now they are rarely seen.
If you are looking for an example of how the police work closely with the community, to target and concentrate on the people's priorities then you dont need to look any further than Kensington.
They have been really great and I salute them.
Dream High and the Sirolli Institute in Kensington
I went to my first meeting of the Dream High project last week.
Working on Sirolli Institute principles, the organisation is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who want to develop a new business in the Kensington area.
Board members pledge to introduce people wanting to set up in business in the area to the enterprise facilitator, Claire Baker, and she in turn supports them with help and advice, referring back to board members where necessary.
The board includes bankers, marketing people, IT people, graphic designers, Princes Trust, the University, Health people, church people, all sorts of people who might be able to offer advice to a budding new business person.
We heard about four people who needed particular advice and various people in the room offered practical suggestions.
It seems like a pretty good organisation to me, I have promised to get involved. The Chairman also told me that they dont have any HR professionals on the board, so I might be able to help as a Councillor and through my professional advice.
I have included a link to the fledgling website which you can get to by clicking on the title of this posting.
If you know of someone in Kensington who is starting up in business and who has hit a snag or needs advice, put them on to me and I will make the referral. They wont look back with such experts to help them.
Working on Sirolli Institute principles, the organisation is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who want to develop a new business in the Kensington area.
Board members pledge to introduce people wanting to set up in business in the area to the enterprise facilitator, Claire Baker, and she in turn supports them with help and advice, referring back to board members where necessary.
The board includes bankers, marketing people, IT people, graphic designers, Princes Trust, the University, Health people, church people, all sorts of people who might be able to offer advice to a budding new business person.
We heard about four people who needed particular advice and various people in the room offered practical suggestions.
It seems like a pretty good organisation to me, I have promised to get involved. The Chairman also told me that they dont have any HR professionals on the board, so I might be able to help as a Councillor and through my professional advice.
I have included a link to the fledgling website which you can get to by clicking on the title of this posting.
If you know of someone in Kensington who is starting up in business and who has hit a snag or needs advice, put them on to me and I will make the referral. They wont look back with such experts to help them.
Full council - what a joke
I know I moan about Neighbourhood Committees in our area, about how no members of the public come because we have long since scared them away and how my two co-councillors mainly use the proceedings as an opportunity to do some ill-judged finger pointing and ranting.
Well all I can say after last week's full council meeting is that Neighbourhood Committee are positively pleasant in comparison.
Full council is the meeting where all 90 councillors from all parties come together to debate and vote on issues of importance to the city of Liverpool.
Or at least that is what the poster would say.
The reality is that it is an unruly, disgraceful, very badly behaved bear-pit. It doesnt matter how sensible your suggestion is, how valuable your contribution to the debate, it is all drowned out by yah-boo and catcalls.
And I am afraid that both Labour and LibDem are guilty of this.
The only silver lining is that like Neighbourhood Committees, thankfully the public dont show up.
I am positive that one glimpse of our meetings would be enough to put most people off voting ever again.
The trouble is that it suits particularly the men. They enjoy all the raging testosterone and the sharp retorts. They wont ever countenance a change, to a calmer and more reflective chamber with thoughtful debates.
I am torn between wishing the public would turn up en masse and berate the councillors, shaming them into finally behaving in a civilised way, and wishing they never ever turn up and find out how disgraceful their elected representatives behave.
Well all I can say after last week's full council meeting is that Neighbourhood Committee are positively pleasant in comparison.
Full council is the meeting where all 90 councillors from all parties come together to debate and vote on issues of importance to the city of Liverpool.
Or at least that is what the poster would say.
The reality is that it is an unruly, disgraceful, very badly behaved bear-pit. It doesnt matter how sensible your suggestion is, how valuable your contribution to the debate, it is all drowned out by yah-boo and catcalls.
And I am afraid that both Labour and LibDem are guilty of this.
The only silver lining is that like Neighbourhood Committees, thankfully the public dont show up.
I am positive that one glimpse of our meetings would be enough to put most people off voting ever again.
The trouble is that it suits particularly the men. They enjoy all the raging testosterone and the sharp retorts. They wont ever countenance a change, to a calmer and more reflective chamber with thoughtful debates.
I am torn between wishing the public would turn up en masse and berate the councillors, shaming them into finally behaving in a civilised way, and wishing they never ever turn up and find out how disgraceful their elected representatives behave.
Booze 24/7 and McDonalds
Another of the 24 hour off licences on Prescot Road has now blotted its copybook.
A branch of McDonalds in Huyton has been slipping adverts for free home delivery of booze into children's happy meals.
I am sure there is an extremely tasteless joke in there somewhere.
The leaflets are from Booze 24/7 on Prescot Road, opposite Not Drunk Enough.
I was visiting local businesses in the area yesterday morning and they have told me about drunk young people, especially young girls, falling into the gutter, hurting themselves and making themselves terribly vulnerable to predatory attacks. Thankfully the cold weather has dampened down some of the activity in the band stand but otherwise problems continue in this area.
What kind of a world do we live in where alcohol is now being advertised to kids eating happy meals (in Scooby Do boxes)?
Mind you, the LibDems believe that the age at which alcohol should be sold, should be reduced from 18 to 16, so perhaps they wont see a problem with that.
I have of course reported this latest violation to the Liverpool City Council Licensing Committee and officers, asking them to review the license on the grounds of protection of children from harm - not for me a quote in the newspaper but no action like certain LibDem councillors I could point the finger at....
A branch of McDonalds in Huyton has been slipping adverts for free home delivery of booze into children's happy meals.
I am sure there is an extremely tasteless joke in there somewhere.
The leaflets are from Booze 24/7 on Prescot Road, opposite Not Drunk Enough.
I was visiting local businesses in the area yesterday morning and they have told me about drunk young people, especially young girls, falling into the gutter, hurting themselves and making themselves terribly vulnerable to predatory attacks. Thankfully the cold weather has dampened down some of the activity in the band stand but otherwise problems continue in this area.
What kind of a world do we live in where alcohol is now being advertised to kids eating happy meals (in Scooby Do boxes)?
Mind you, the LibDems believe that the age at which alcohol should be sold, should be reduced from 18 to 16, so perhaps they wont see a problem with that.
I have of course reported this latest violation to the Liverpool City Council Licensing Committee and officers, asking them to review the license on the grounds of protection of children from harm - not for me a quote in the newspaper but no action like certain LibDem councillors I could point the finger at....
Tackling breaches of ASBOs
I am currently working with local Anti-social behaviour units, the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Business Crime Direct and the Police in bringing national pressure to bear on local magistrates in terms of how they deal with breaches of Anti-social Behaviour.
Some of our young people with ASBOs are breaching them regularly but in some cases magistrates are not reflecting this in their sentencing, so they are starting to lose their power.
How are other areas dealing with this? Let me know.
We are getting some evidence together for our MP, Jane Kennedy, to hand over to the powers that be - whoever it is that is in charge of magistrates, and get them to have a word. I'll let you know how that works out.
Some of our young people with ASBOs are breaching them regularly but in some cases magistrates are not reflecting this in their sentencing, so they are starting to lose their power.
How are other areas dealing with this? Let me know.
We are getting some evidence together for our MP, Jane Kennedy, to hand over to the powers that be - whoever it is that is in charge of magistrates, and get them to have a word. I'll let you know how that works out.
Minto Close update
It is about three weeks since I met C7 officers, wardens, council staff and local residents to see what could be done about the area behind Minto Close.
We heard about problems with youths using the debris from the demolished flats to put windows through, drug dealing and drug taking, fly-tipping and fires. While we walked about the area to the rear of the empty and derelict flats on Kensington we had to step over a few dead rats. Charming!
Local people have been fobbed off for years, literally years, with excuses and delays while all around them the whole place has decayed.
Minto Close is really quite nice, everyone looks after their gardens and keep their homes very nicely. But all around them it reminds me of those films of Belfast in the 70s.
I do hope that having taken the various agencies there myself, by the hand so to speak, and shown them the state of the place, we might finally see some action.
Since our meeting, we have seen some (very limited) action from Lovells, the building company who are supposed to be building new houses on the waste ground. They have cleared away some of the debris (although not enough of it.) What we need is for them to start building, more and more deadlines come and go and still nothing ever happens.
The clean team have been and cleared up a lot of the fly tipping but it is a bit like King Canute trying to hold the tide back and will stay that way until the new houses are built.
I am not holding my breath though.
We heard about problems with youths using the debris from the demolished flats to put windows through, drug dealing and drug taking, fly-tipping and fires. While we walked about the area to the rear of the empty and derelict flats on Kensington we had to step over a few dead rats. Charming!
Local people have been fobbed off for years, literally years, with excuses and delays while all around them the whole place has decayed.
Minto Close is really quite nice, everyone looks after their gardens and keep their homes very nicely. But all around them it reminds me of those films of Belfast in the 70s.
I do hope that having taken the various agencies there myself, by the hand so to speak, and shown them the state of the place, we might finally see some action.
Since our meeting, we have seen some (very limited) action from Lovells, the building company who are supposed to be building new houses on the waste ground. They have cleared away some of the debris (although not enough of it.) What we need is for them to start building, more and more deadlines come and go and still nothing ever happens.
The clean team have been and cleared up a lot of the fly tipping but it is a bit like King Canute trying to hold the tide back and will stay that way until the new houses are built.
I am not holding my breath though.
Kensington Carbon Monoxide Detectors
There might be a bit of progress in my campaign to introduce carbon monoxide detectors into Kensington. I have been invited by Maria (hello Maria if you are reading this) to a meeting in early February with the Fire Service to explore some possibilities.
As everyone knows, since Michael died in 1999 I have always done what I can to promote detectors and it seems to me that an area with a lot of private rental properties is ideal for a scheme.
I want CO testing kits to be as routine as smoke detectors, and of course we all need one, whoever owns our homes, us or someone else.
Hopefully we are now moving forward to the possibility of at least getting something rolled out across the new deal area.
For those elsewhere in the country reading this who occasionally contact me about this issue, I will post up in here any details of costs, availability, schemes and deals we manage to organise. No sense in others reinventing the wheel if you can copy our scheme (if we get one, which I feel hopeful about).
As everyone knows, since Michael died in 1999 I have always done what I can to promote detectors and it seems to me that an area with a lot of private rental properties is ideal for a scheme.
I want CO testing kits to be as routine as smoke detectors, and of course we all need one, whoever owns our homes, us or someone else.
Hopefully we are now moving forward to the possibility of at least getting something rolled out across the new deal area.
For those elsewhere in the country reading this who occasionally contact me about this issue, I will post up in here any details of costs, availability, schemes and deals we manage to organise. No sense in others reinventing the wheel if you can copy our scheme (if we get one, which I feel hopeful about).
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Consultation on draft revised Guidance to be issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003
I have today received this email from the Government which I am posting here as it is something we have discussed before. I do urge you to join in the consultation.
I will have lots to say after yesterday's meeting of the Licensing Committee and my first real experience of how the new system works (or more precisely its short-comings)
"I am pleased to inform you that the consultation on draft revised Guidance to be issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 has now begun. This consultation forms part of the second stage of the Guidance review and seeks views on the revisions that DCMS proposes to make. Please note, any revised Guidance issued by the Secretary of State following this consultation would not come into force until it is laid before Parliament.
The consultation document and revised Guidance are available at the link in the title
The consultation concludes on Wednesday 11 April and we would be grateful for any responses by then. Responses should be sent by email to: licensingconsultation@culture.gov.uk
or by post to: Licensing Guidance Review TeamTourism Division6th FloorDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport2-4 Cockspur StreetLondonSW1Y 5DH "
I will have lots to say after yesterday's meeting of the Licensing Committee and my first real experience of how the new system works (or more precisely its short-comings)
"I am pleased to inform you that the consultation on draft revised Guidance to be issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 has now begun. This consultation forms part of the second stage of the Guidance review and seeks views on the revisions that DCMS proposes to make. Please note, any revised Guidance issued by the Secretary of State following this consultation would not come into force until it is laid before Parliament.
The consultation document and revised Guidance are available at the link in the title
The consultation concludes on Wednesday 11 April and we would be grateful for any responses by then. Responses should be sent by email to: licensingconsultation@culture.gov.uk
or by post to: Licensing Guidance Review TeamTourism Division6th FloorDepartment for Culture, Media and Sport2-4 Cockspur StreetLondonSW1Y 5DH "
GEARS new penny bench
I should have posted this up ages ago, but better late than never
What a great community day we had when GEARS unveiled their lovely penny bench in Birchfield Park.
It is a wonderful and yet functional art installation, a bench made of Welsh slate (because lots of Welsh people came to live in that part of Liverpool) bearing mosaics designed and made by local people about themselves. There is for instance a lovely picture of a boy pushing a big (symbolic) piece of Meccano which relates to local industry and employment and also the boy himself who, having aged a few years, is local resident Arthur.
There is a mosaic of a dancing couple, designed from photos of the Secretary of GEARS and her husband who runs junior GEARS (EAGERS) when they danced at a community event.
There is a mosaic of the nearby Pheonix School, raising from the ashes of the old Birchfield School (which the bench also celebrates).
It is called a penny bench because it is shaped like a penny going into a money bank slot.
It is a great thing and Wendy and I really enjoyed the day and the party.
Ann and her group worked tremendously hard with a local art company, Safe Productions, They deserve praise and thanks for creating this lasting legacy. The Heritage Lottery Fund paid about £40,000 towards it.
Very Well Done!
GEARS is a Fairfield Residents Assocation, an acronym made up of the first letters of all the streets they serve: Gresham Street, Garthowen Road, Eltham Street, Edge Grove, Edge Lane, Adamson Street, Alford Street, Romulus Street and South Bank Road.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Not Drunk Enough - given green light
I was bitterly disappointed this morning when after very lengthy deliberation, the Licensing Committee did in the end agree to grant a very late license to the thoughtlessly named "Not Drunk Enough" off-licence on Prescot Road.
I spoke at some length on behalf of residents, arguing not against an off-licence altogether, but against the need for it to be open in the middle of the night.
Local people at a recent meeting of the Fairfield Assembly had agreed several key points they wanted me to get over to the committee so I made sure they had the full picture.
We talked about the noise, the traffic, the drunks staggering about, the mess, the broken bottles, selling to children, the anti-social behaviour, all sorts of things.
The only thing they would not let me talk about was the story in the newspaper about the shop giving taxi drivers money to encourage them to bring drunks to their shop to buy more booze. I was not allowed to mention this because no-one had made any representations about this and it was new evidence I could not therefore introduce. I was furious because it was Cllr Marbrow, my opposite number in the LibDems who got himself on the front page of the Liverpool Echo pointing this out to the wider world and so presumably also Cllr Marbrow who did not follow up his glory moment by arranging with concerned residents that they wrote in about this.
If I had known he was not going to bother to get organised we would have made sure it was in the Fairfield Assembly submission but we didnt want to be accused of stealing his thunder, never again.
It makes me so bloody mad, his grandstanding for the cameras and not following it up with action.
Anyway, as we were...
I have been told before that it is very difficult to get an application thrown out so I was not surprised when it was granted but I kept my fingers crossed about the conditions under which it would be allowed to trade.
As of today the license has been granted, (indeed it could already be open now as I type), but as a result of our intervention and campaign it must follow these instructions.
1. It must operate a Challenge 21 policy at all times while it is open - this is because it has been found guilty of selling alcohol to an underage girl already. This means if someone looks to be aged less than 21 they must be asked for ID.
2. CCTV must be installed inside and out, by 12th February, all video film must be kept for 28 days and handed to the police upon request at any time.
3. "Leave quietly" signs must be put up in the shop - this is frankly laughable, what drunk at 3am leaving with a bag full of ale is going to take the blindest bit of notice of that?
4. If at any time problems are caused by the shop being open until 4am, interested parties (residents and their representatives) can ask for a review and this can be changed.
This last point is the only thing that gives me any hope really.
I did ask the owner if he would consider changing the name and he said he would if the committee asked him to, they said that was not part of their recommendations so I asked him if he would do it anyway, for the sake of community relations.
I dont know whether he will.
Watch this space - and if you are a Fairfield resident or the police, or the community wardens or any of the other concerned people worried about this, and you see see it going badly wrong, let me know so we can do something about it!
I spoke at some length on behalf of residents, arguing not against an off-licence altogether, but against the need for it to be open in the middle of the night.
Local people at a recent meeting of the Fairfield Assembly had agreed several key points they wanted me to get over to the committee so I made sure they had the full picture.
We talked about the noise, the traffic, the drunks staggering about, the mess, the broken bottles, selling to children, the anti-social behaviour, all sorts of things.
The only thing they would not let me talk about was the story in the newspaper about the shop giving taxi drivers money to encourage them to bring drunks to their shop to buy more booze. I was not allowed to mention this because no-one had made any representations about this and it was new evidence I could not therefore introduce. I was furious because it was Cllr Marbrow, my opposite number in the LibDems who got himself on the front page of the Liverpool Echo pointing this out to the wider world and so presumably also Cllr Marbrow who did not follow up his glory moment by arranging with concerned residents that they wrote in about this.
If I had known he was not going to bother to get organised we would have made sure it was in the Fairfield Assembly submission but we didnt want to be accused of stealing his thunder, never again.
It makes me so bloody mad, his grandstanding for the cameras and not following it up with action.
Anyway, as we were...
I have been told before that it is very difficult to get an application thrown out so I was not surprised when it was granted but I kept my fingers crossed about the conditions under which it would be allowed to trade.
As of today the license has been granted, (indeed it could already be open now as I type), but as a result of our intervention and campaign it must follow these instructions.
1. It must operate a Challenge 21 policy at all times while it is open - this is because it has been found guilty of selling alcohol to an underage girl already. This means if someone looks to be aged less than 21 they must be asked for ID.
2. CCTV must be installed inside and out, by 12th February, all video film must be kept for 28 days and handed to the police upon request at any time.
3. "Leave quietly" signs must be put up in the shop - this is frankly laughable, what drunk at 3am leaving with a bag full of ale is going to take the blindest bit of notice of that?
4. If at any time problems are caused by the shop being open until 4am, interested parties (residents and their representatives) can ask for a review and this can be changed.
This last point is the only thing that gives me any hope really.
I did ask the owner if he would consider changing the name and he said he would if the committee asked him to, they said that was not part of their recommendations so I asked him if he would do it anyway, for the sake of community relations.
I dont know whether he will.
Watch this space - and if you are a Fairfield resident or the police, or the community wardens or any of the other concerned people worried about this, and you see see it going badly wrong, let me know so we can do something about it!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Another new Labour Party has joined in the Kensington and Fairfield ward
....that makes four in ten weeks.
All men so far, I hope a few women will be encouraged to come forward too.
It is immensely satisfying
I hope the new members will become as active as the existing ones, I really sense positive momentum and it is very exciting - also several months earlier than we all expected, I thought the numbers would start to grow with a new national leader but it seems that passionate local leadership is making the difference even before that.
I am going to ask the new members why they joined, what motivated them, it could be very interesting, watch this space
All men so far, I hope a few women will be encouraged to come forward too.
It is immensely satisfying
I hope the new members will become as active as the existing ones, I really sense positive momentum and it is very exciting - also several months earlier than we all expected, I thought the numbers would start to grow with a new national leader but it seems that passionate local leadership is making the difference even before that.
I am going to ask the new members why they joined, what motivated them, it could be very interesting, watch this space
SAVE WOOLTON CINEMA GIG- THE SEQUEL
SAVE WOOLTON CINEMA GIG- THE SEQUEL
FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 8pm - 2am
THE NEW PICKET LIVERPOOL
The original Quarrymen are playing - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the band that helped shape the Beatles. Yes, they're still alive and kicking and only making rare appearances.
Special Guest - Mike McCartney.
Compere - Dave Monks from BBC Radio Merseyside.
LINE-UP
*The Snides
*The Riffs
*The Good Intentions
*PopTart
*Blue Demon
*The Mersey Beatles
*The Quarrymen
Visit our MySpace to view the bands www.myspace.com/sallymg
VENUE
The New Picket
61 Jordan street
Liverpool L1 0BW
Tel: 0151 708 6789
Friday 26th January 2007 8pm - 2am
TICKETS
£8 or £5 unwaged/concs
Available from Probe Records Liverpool 0151 708 8815 or directly from Campaign HQ - tel_ 0787557582. See website for details www.savewooltoncinema.co.uk
FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 8pm - 2am
THE NEW PICKET LIVERPOOL
The original Quarrymen are playing - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the band that helped shape the Beatles. Yes, they're still alive and kicking and only making rare appearances.
Special Guest - Mike McCartney.
Compere - Dave Monks from BBC Radio Merseyside.
LINE-UP
*The Snides
*The Riffs
*The Good Intentions
*PopTart
*Blue Demon
*The Mersey Beatles
*The Quarrymen
Visit our MySpace to view the bands www.myspace.com/sallymg
VENUE
The New Picket
61 Jordan street
Liverpool L1 0BW
Tel: 0151 708 6789
Friday 26th January 2007 8pm - 2am
TICKETS
£8 or £5 unwaged/concs
Available from Probe Records Liverpool 0151 708 8815 or directly from Campaign HQ - tel_ 0787557582. See website for details www.savewooltoncinema.co.uk
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Delay and decay on Prescot Road Fairfield
I had a meeting on Tuesday with two different home owners on Prescot Road, their supportive families and neighbours, and Tom McGuire, the Executive Director of Community 7.
The two ladies, one of whom's house we met in, are in dire straits.
They each own a home in a long row of mainly boarded-up houses.
Four years ago when Kensington Regeneration was set up and local people were asked what they wanted, one of their wishes was to see this row sorted out. Some have been empty for years, one local resident recalls a friend being refused a mortgage on a house in this row 15 years ago because of dodgy foundations.
Others are in fairly reasonable condition, a few are still being occupied privately.
They were an eyesore and local people wanted them smartening up and sorting out.
Consequently, the council asked the local Housing Association that by now owned lots of them, to try and empty and then board up all the houses that they had in their ownership, pending a decision on some kind of development.
That sounds reasonable, clearing the way for action, until you realise it has been going on for four years.
Empty houses in public ownership waiting for the council to come up with a plan.
Empty houses with leaking roofs, choked up gutters, damp problems, broken roof tiles, which are slowly infecting the privately owned occupied houses next door.
The resident whose house we were in has experienced terrible damp for four years now because of faults in the neighbouring houses but the public landlords have not wanted to spend a lot of money patching up their houses while there was such uncertainty about the future of the block. They have also lost 4 years rent on some of their houses. If I was C7 I would be tempted to sue the council.
Her neighbour would dearly love a new bathroom, but is it worth it she asks? What if she puts the bathroom in and then someone makes her move?
If I was a home-owner in the row, I would already have sued the council.
So, what is the LibDem solution to this?
Councillor Doran was forced to act by local residents and by the Friends of Newsham Park just about a year ago. He chairs a working group made up of the three local Councillors (him, me and Cllr Marbrow) and for some reason that I dont understand, Councillor Radford who might have represented those people in the past - I am assuming that end of the ward must have been in Tuebrook ward before the 2004 boundary changes - but doesnt any more. Then there is a member of the Neighbourhood Management Team from the Council, Tom from C7, representatives from some of the other housing assocations who own large villa property in the adjacent Prescot Drive which also need attention (although are all empty and mostly derelict). There are also a few members of Friends of Newsham Park.
For nearly a year this group has been meeting but to no effect.
The LibDem Councillors' best suggestion so far is to support the proposition that we knock the whole lot down and let the so-called preferred developers, Bellway, build some apartments and town houses in this park-side plot.
Well that was not good enough 12 months ago when it was first suggested and it wont be good enough in 12 months time either, no matter how many times they keep proposing it.
Local people, residents and home owners do not want to sell up to the bulldozers. They believe that only the ones that have to be demolished due to condition should be knocked down and that where possible we should retain and refurbish these large family homes so they can stay. There have been a lot of tears over a long time.
All over Kensington large family homes are being demolished because apparently nobody wants them - but if we knock them all down then where will those people who really do want a large family home live?
We have to keep some, otherwise we will have to set up a new scheme to start building them again!
So, as I was saying, there are these people living in these houses being blighted by public landlords because the council have told them to keep them empty pending some future wonderful idyllic time when perhaps they might actually be bothered to come up with a plan and put it into action.
And what is being offered after three years of no action at all and a further year of meetings which have also achieved nothing? Bull-dozers.
Well it is not good enough and we wont stand for it, not the residents and not the Labour Party, not the MP either who was instrumental in setting up the meeting with C7 yesterday, and definitely not me.
I think Tom was moved by the stories he heard and he has promised to contact in person all the remaining residents and discuss with them just what they really want, whether they want to stay in the same house, move to another house in the row with a more sustainable condition, sell up and move somewhere else, do a house swap, whatever it might be. Well it is a start and I cant see any progress without it because I will never agree to a mass demolition, not ever, in any circumstances, unless the residents say that is what they want!
He has also promised to do something about the houses in the hands of C7 which are blighting their neighbours.
I will be holding him to that, I will also help as much as I can, we made a good start with the residents we met this week, maybe together we can finally steer this working group in the right direction and see the end to this delay and decay.
I think I do trust him to do the right thing, now we will have to convince the rest
The two ladies, one of whom's house we met in, are in dire straits.
They each own a home in a long row of mainly boarded-up houses.
Four years ago when Kensington Regeneration was set up and local people were asked what they wanted, one of their wishes was to see this row sorted out. Some have been empty for years, one local resident recalls a friend being refused a mortgage on a house in this row 15 years ago because of dodgy foundations.
Others are in fairly reasonable condition, a few are still being occupied privately.
They were an eyesore and local people wanted them smartening up and sorting out.
Consequently, the council asked the local Housing Association that by now owned lots of them, to try and empty and then board up all the houses that they had in their ownership, pending a decision on some kind of development.
That sounds reasonable, clearing the way for action, until you realise it has been going on for four years.
Empty houses in public ownership waiting for the council to come up with a plan.
Empty houses with leaking roofs, choked up gutters, damp problems, broken roof tiles, which are slowly infecting the privately owned occupied houses next door.
The resident whose house we were in has experienced terrible damp for four years now because of faults in the neighbouring houses but the public landlords have not wanted to spend a lot of money patching up their houses while there was such uncertainty about the future of the block. They have also lost 4 years rent on some of their houses. If I was C7 I would be tempted to sue the council.
Her neighbour would dearly love a new bathroom, but is it worth it she asks? What if she puts the bathroom in and then someone makes her move?
If I was a home-owner in the row, I would already have sued the council.
So, what is the LibDem solution to this?
Councillor Doran was forced to act by local residents and by the Friends of Newsham Park just about a year ago. He chairs a working group made up of the three local Councillors (him, me and Cllr Marbrow) and for some reason that I dont understand, Councillor Radford who might have represented those people in the past - I am assuming that end of the ward must have been in Tuebrook ward before the 2004 boundary changes - but doesnt any more. Then there is a member of the Neighbourhood Management Team from the Council, Tom from C7, representatives from some of the other housing assocations who own large villa property in the adjacent Prescot Drive which also need attention (although are all empty and mostly derelict). There are also a few members of Friends of Newsham Park.
For nearly a year this group has been meeting but to no effect.
The LibDem Councillors' best suggestion so far is to support the proposition that we knock the whole lot down and let the so-called preferred developers, Bellway, build some apartments and town houses in this park-side plot.
Well that was not good enough 12 months ago when it was first suggested and it wont be good enough in 12 months time either, no matter how many times they keep proposing it.
Local people, residents and home owners do not want to sell up to the bulldozers. They believe that only the ones that have to be demolished due to condition should be knocked down and that where possible we should retain and refurbish these large family homes so they can stay. There have been a lot of tears over a long time.
All over Kensington large family homes are being demolished because apparently nobody wants them - but if we knock them all down then where will those people who really do want a large family home live?
We have to keep some, otherwise we will have to set up a new scheme to start building them again!
So, as I was saying, there are these people living in these houses being blighted by public landlords because the council have told them to keep them empty pending some future wonderful idyllic time when perhaps they might actually be bothered to come up with a plan and put it into action.
And what is being offered after three years of no action at all and a further year of meetings which have also achieved nothing? Bull-dozers.
Well it is not good enough and we wont stand for it, not the residents and not the Labour Party, not the MP either who was instrumental in setting up the meeting with C7 yesterday, and definitely not me.
I think Tom was moved by the stories he heard and he has promised to contact in person all the remaining residents and discuss with them just what they really want, whether they want to stay in the same house, move to another house in the row with a more sustainable condition, sell up and move somewhere else, do a house swap, whatever it might be. Well it is a start and I cant see any progress without it because I will never agree to a mass demolition, not ever, in any circumstances, unless the residents say that is what they want!
He has also promised to do something about the houses in the hands of C7 which are blighting their neighbours.
I will be holding him to that, I will also help as much as I can, we made a good start with the residents we met this week, maybe together we can finally steer this working group in the right direction and see the end to this delay and decay.
I think I do trust him to do the right thing, now we will have to convince the rest
Tories on Gas Prices
This is lifted straight from the PMs daily briefing, I thought it too good not to share, those Tories are nearly as opportunistic as the Liverpool LibDems!! They dont care how stupid they make themselves look, it would seem.
TORY OPPORTUNISM TO START THE YEAR
Cameron launched his first campaign of the year today (Friday? LB). He went on every TV and radio studio saying he was calling for an OFT inquiry into gas prices. However, as the day went on it became clear that this was no more than a media stunt - the Tories hadn't actually contacted the OFT and, despite meeting energy company reps just two weeks ago, they didn't bother to raise the matter.
An OFT spokesman told the Press Association this afternoon that the watchdog had not received any approach from Cameron or the Conservative Party about gas prices.
Nicola Bowles, head of communications at the Energy Retail Association which represents all the UK's major gas suppliers, said: "The energy industry is surprised to hear about this as we met with senior figures from the Conservative Party just a few weeks ago and they raised no such concerns."
Labour's Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling said the Tories just weren't serious about the energy debate. He said: "I'm surprised he isn't aware that the independent regulator independent of Government and the industry, Ofgem, has already said that it wants to see the reductions in prices that the gas and electricity companies are now paying passed on to consumers as quickly as possible and he should also be aware that Ofgem has powers to impose very substantial fines if companies don't do that."
"What causes high prices is uncertainty. One of the reasons that we had an energy review last summer and why we're publishing a White Paper on energy in March is because we want to make sure that we do have security of supply at reasonable prices in the future. Cameron's got this ridiculous policy on nuclear that he won't make his mind up until it's too late and as for wind power, which he says is the alternative, there are Conservative councils blocking applications up and down the country.
"
"We are taking action in the short term but importantly too we're taking action in the medium and the long term, something that he's not proposing to do and I believe what he's doing today is opportunistic, is increasingly showing him to be ill thought out when it comes to policy."
TORY OPPORTUNISM TO START THE YEAR
Cameron launched his first campaign of the year today (Friday? LB). He went on every TV and radio studio saying he was calling for an OFT inquiry into gas prices. However, as the day went on it became clear that this was no more than a media stunt - the Tories hadn't actually contacted the OFT and, despite meeting energy company reps just two weeks ago, they didn't bother to raise the matter.
An OFT spokesman told the Press Association this afternoon that the watchdog had not received any approach from Cameron or the Conservative Party about gas prices.
Nicola Bowles, head of communications at the Energy Retail Association which represents all the UK's major gas suppliers, said: "The energy industry is surprised to hear about this as we met with senior figures from the Conservative Party just a few weeks ago and they raised no such concerns."
Labour's Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling said the Tories just weren't serious about the energy debate. He said: "I'm surprised he isn't aware that the independent regulator independent of Government and the industry, Ofgem, has already said that it wants to see the reductions in prices that the gas and electricity companies are now paying passed on to consumers as quickly as possible and he should also be aware that Ofgem has powers to impose very substantial fines if companies don't do that."
"What causes high prices is uncertainty. One of the reasons that we had an energy review last summer and why we're publishing a White Paper on energy in March is because we want to make sure that we do have security of supply at reasonable prices in the future. Cameron's got this ridiculous policy on nuclear that he won't make his mind up until it's too late and as for wind power, which he says is the alternative, there are Conservative councils blocking applications up and down the country.
"
"We are taking action in the short term but importantly too we're taking action in the medium and the long term, something that he's not proposing to do and I believe what he's doing today is opportunistic, is increasingly showing him to be ill thought out when it comes to policy."
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Extracts from local Police Report - December
On 4th December 2006 officers responded to a report of a burglary in progress at an address on Edge Lane, Liverpool 7. Officers immediately make to the location where they find two males, nearby, holding a quantity of household property. As the officers were about to stop the males, they attempted to make off and started to run. The officers chased the males on foot and managed to detain one of them. The male immediately became violent and started fighting with the officers. The officers used CS Spray in order to protect themselves from the attack. The male was eventually arrested and detained at St Anne Street Custody Suite.
The male was in possession of property that has now been identified as having been stolen from the Edge Lane burglary.
On 5th December 2006 officers attended an address in Belmont Drive, Liverpool 7 in company with a team of support workers. The occupant of the address was suffering from health issues and had not been seen for some time. There were concerns over the health and welfare of the male occupant. The officers knocked at the address but could not get a reply. Based on the information at hand, the officers decided to force entry to the premises.
The officers found the occupant unconscious but breathing on the living room floor. The males health was very poor so the officers administered immediate first aid until a Paramedic Team attended. The male, who had been lying on the living room floor for over twenty-four hours, was conveyed to hospital for treatment.
On 6th December 2006 officers engaged on the Christmas Drink Driving campaign observed a male who they suspected as being drunk whilst driving home from a public house in Kensington. The officers utilized the City Safe CCTV cameras to monitor and record the males driving until they were in a position to stop the vehicle.
The male driver was stopped near to his home address and arrested for drink driving. There was almost twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system. The CCTV footage provided excellent evidence for any future court appearance.
On 7th December 2006 officers from the Kensington New Deal Team carried out Licensed Premises visits at Public Houses within the Kensington area. Whilst walking into the Royal Arch Public House on Kensington, the officers were greeted by two males who were trying to leave the pub. The males were seen to be holding a quantity of Cannabis in their hands as they walked out the front doors. The two males were quickly arrested for possession of controlled drug and conveyed to St Annes Street Custody Suite.
On 8th December 2006 officers engaged on Prostitution Operation ‘Rose’ were traveling along Geneva Road, Liverpool 7 when they saw a motor vehicle pull to the side of the road and stop. The officers, suspicious at the drivers actions, parked near to the vehicle and spoke to the driver. As the officers approached the vehicle, the driver jumped out and started to run off along the road. The male was detained and further examination of the vehicle found the door was damaged and the ignition barreled. The vehicle had been stolen a couple of minutes earlier from a nearby street.
On 8th December 2006 the Kensington New Deal Team arranged for Community Support Officers and Special Constables to represent the Police at an Employment Open Day at the Job Bank on Tunnel Road in Wavertree. The event was aimed at offering employment opportunities to local residents. A number of businesses also attended. The event resulted in fifteen enquires to join the Merseyside Police Community Support Officers and a further eighteen considering joining the Special Constabulary. (Several from ethnic minority groups).
On 13th December 2006 officers from Tuebrook Police Station took part in an area wide arrest day, targeting persons responsible for committing Burglaries across Liverpool North. Fifty addresses were raided during the Operation and a number of key Burglary targets were arrested. A substantial amount of stolen property was recovered and a clear message was sent to criminals that we would continue taking positive action against them over the festive period.
On 15th December 2006 officers from the Kensington New Deal Police Team patrolled the Botanic Park / walled garden area due to a recent increase in youth disorder within the park.
The team discovered that approximately thirty-five teenagers are using the secure walled area of the park to drink alcohol. As the Police arrived, the majority of youths ran away by climbing over the fence which joins Edge Lane. A number of drunken youngster were detained and taken home to parents.
There were numerous empty bottles of spirits and cans of lager strewn across the park. Four bottles of vodka were recovered from under a bush. It is evident that the fence which leads onto Edge Lane is too low and unsuitable for keeping the youngsters out of the park. A higher, more substantial fence needs to be erected so that the youths cannot easily climb into the walled area.
(I have taken this up with the council - Louise)
On 16th December 2006, In the light of the murders of sex workers in Ipswich, police implemented increased patrolling in the Sheil Road area of Liverpool 7, which is often frequented by sex workers and their clients. The patrols were in addition to the increased Policing being undertaken as part of Operation Rose and designed to offer reassurance to local residents in the locality. Numerous vehicles were stopped and the drivers spoken to. The drivers were warned that if they are identified as kerb crawlers, their details would be passed to the murder team in Ipswich for further investigation to be carried out. Sex worker and client activity was minimal during this period.
On 18th December 2006 officers took part in the Operation Nemesis Christmas Drink Drive campaign. The Operation focused on the area of Prescott Road and the Sheil Road area of Kensington.
Forty-one vehicles were stopped and checked. Twenty-eight negative breath tests were administered. Ten fixed penalties notices were issued for Road Traffic Offences and five vehicles were seized for no insurance culminating in the drivers being summonsed to court.
As well as targeting drink driving offences in the area, the Operation proves an excellent tool at targeting criminal activity within Kensington and Tuebrook.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day officers the Kensington, Fairfield and Tuebrook residents seemed to embrace the Christmas spirit and there were very few incidents reported to the Police.
The main focus of calls were domestic related incidents where ex-partners had attended their estranged partners homes wishing to be with their Children at Christmas.
During one incident, officers were called to a report of a fight between husband and wife in Rufford Road, Liverpool 7. It transpired that the wife had burnt the Christmas Turkey and an argument ensued. Patrols attending the dispute could not calm the male and he was arrested to prevent a further breach of the peace.
The male remained in Police custody for the rest of Christmas Day and had a choice of delicious micro-wave meals for Christmas dinner.
During New Years Eve / Day, officers attended three times the normal volume of calls than a busy Saturday night. The officers performed exceptionally well under difficult circumstances.
The male was in possession of property that has now been identified as having been stolen from the Edge Lane burglary.
On 5th December 2006 officers attended an address in Belmont Drive, Liverpool 7 in company with a team of support workers. The occupant of the address was suffering from health issues and had not been seen for some time. There were concerns over the health and welfare of the male occupant. The officers knocked at the address but could not get a reply. Based on the information at hand, the officers decided to force entry to the premises.
The officers found the occupant unconscious but breathing on the living room floor. The males health was very poor so the officers administered immediate first aid until a Paramedic Team attended. The male, who had been lying on the living room floor for over twenty-four hours, was conveyed to hospital for treatment.
On 6th December 2006 officers engaged on the Christmas Drink Driving campaign observed a male who they suspected as being drunk whilst driving home from a public house in Kensington. The officers utilized the City Safe CCTV cameras to monitor and record the males driving until they were in a position to stop the vehicle.
The male driver was stopped near to his home address and arrested for drink driving. There was almost twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system. The CCTV footage provided excellent evidence for any future court appearance.
On 7th December 2006 officers from the Kensington New Deal Team carried out Licensed Premises visits at Public Houses within the Kensington area. Whilst walking into the Royal Arch Public House on Kensington, the officers were greeted by two males who were trying to leave the pub. The males were seen to be holding a quantity of Cannabis in their hands as they walked out the front doors. The two males were quickly arrested for possession of controlled drug and conveyed to St Annes Street Custody Suite.
On 8th December 2006 officers engaged on Prostitution Operation ‘Rose’ were traveling along Geneva Road, Liverpool 7 when they saw a motor vehicle pull to the side of the road and stop. The officers, suspicious at the drivers actions, parked near to the vehicle and spoke to the driver. As the officers approached the vehicle, the driver jumped out and started to run off along the road. The male was detained and further examination of the vehicle found the door was damaged and the ignition barreled. The vehicle had been stolen a couple of minutes earlier from a nearby street.
On 8th December 2006 the Kensington New Deal Team arranged for Community Support Officers and Special Constables to represent the Police at an Employment Open Day at the Job Bank on Tunnel Road in Wavertree. The event was aimed at offering employment opportunities to local residents. A number of businesses also attended. The event resulted in fifteen enquires to join the Merseyside Police Community Support Officers and a further eighteen considering joining the Special Constabulary. (Several from ethnic minority groups).
On 13th December 2006 officers from Tuebrook Police Station took part in an area wide arrest day, targeting persons responsible for committing Burglaries across Liverpool North. Fifty addresses were raided during the Operation and a number of key Burglary targets were arrested. A substantial amount of stolen property was recovered and a clear message was sent to criminals that we would continue taking positive action against them over the festive period.
On 15th December 2006 officers from the Kensington New Deal Police Team patrolled the Botanic Park / walled garden area due to a recent increase in youth disorder within the park.
The team discovered that approximately thirty-five teenagers are using the secure walled area of the park to drink alcohol. As the Police arrived, the majority of youths ran away by climbing over the fence which joins Edge Lane. A number of drunken youngster were detained and taken home to parents.
There were numerous empty bottles of spirits and cans of lager strewn across the park. Four bottles of vodka were recovered from under a bush. It is evident that the fence which leads onto Edge Lane is too low and unsuitable for keeping the youngsters out of the park. A higher, more substantial fence needs to be erected so that the youths cannot easily climb into the walled area.
(I have taken this up with the council - Louise)
On 16th December 2006, In the light of the murders of sex workers in Ipswich, police implemented increased patrolling in the Sheil Road area of Liverpool 7, which is often frequented by sex workers and their clients. The patrols were in addition to the increased Policing being undertaken as part of Operation Rose and designed to offer reassurance to local residents in the locality. Numerous vehicles were stopped and the drivers spoken to. The drivers were warned that if they are identified as kerb crawlers, their details would be passed to the murder team in Ipswich for further investigation to be carried out. Sex worker and client activity was minimal during this period.
On 18th December 2006 officers took part in the Operation Nemesis Christmas Drink Drive campaign. The Operation focused on the area of Prescott Road and the Sheil Road area of Kensington.
Forty-one vehicles were stopped and checked. Twenty-eight negative breath tests were administered. Ten fixed penalties notices were issued for Road Traffic Offences and five vehicles were seized for no insurance culminating in the drivers being summonsed to court.
As well as targeting drink driving offences in the area, the Operation proves an excellent tool at targeting criminal activity within Kensington and Tuebrook.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day officers the Kensington, Fairfield and Tuebrook residents seemed to embrace the Christmas spirit and there were very few incidents reported to the Police.
The main focus of calls were domestic related incidents where ex-partners had attended their estranged partners homes wishing to be with their Children at Christmas.
During one incident, officers were called to a report of a fight between husband and wife in Rufford Road, Liverpool 7. It transpired that the wife had burnt the Christmas Turkey and an argument ensued. Patrols attending the dispute could not calm the male and he was arrested to prevent a further breach of the peace.
The male remained in Police custody for the rest of Christmas Day and had a choice of delicious micro-wave meals for Christmas dinner.
During New Years Eve / Day, officers attended three times the normal volume of calls than a busy Saturday night. The officers performed exceptionally well under difficult circumstances.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Execution of Saddam Hussain
I feel obliged to comment on this story given that it has been a main news item for four days now.
As someone who is passionately against capital punishment I found it very difficult that Iraq had decided to put Saddam to death for his war crimes. Watching the official version was difficult too, knowing that in just seconds after the end of the filming he was dead. It is now of course much worse, for not only was he executed, something I find abhorrent, but it turns out it was not done with dignity or a sense of decorum either but with taunts and shouts.
Mind you, I dont know why I make that distinction, now that I come to think of it.
As capital punishment is something I entirely disagree with, I dont see how I can take a view about how it is "best" done.
However, all that aside, none of this means that the man was any less of a tyrant, any less of a murderer or any less deserving of the full penalty of law. He never shirked from publicly executing Iraqis and Kurds either.
I do hope that no-one loses sight of this point as they fall over themselves to find yet something else to criticise our government for. He wasnt a marvellous chap who was hard done to, he was a murderous bastard.
- and it wasn't Tony Blair who pulled the lever either, only the Daily Telegraph could walk such a fine line, claiming both that he is ultimately responsible for the execution and that he was on a dodgy holiday in Florida and couldnt bring himself to make a comment about it.
Saddam Hussain knew the legal penalties for the kind of actions he undertook, he designed most of them.
As someone who is passionately against capital punishment I found it very difficult that Iraq had decided to put Saddam to death for his war crimes. Watching the official version was difficult too, knowing that in just seconds after the end of the filming he was dead. It is now of course much worse, for not only was he executed, something I find abhorrent, but it turns out it was not done with dignity or a sense of decorum either but with taunts and shouts.
Mind you, I dont know why I make that distinction, now that I come to think of it.
As capital punishment is something I entirely disagree with, I dont see how I can take a view about how it is "best" done.
However, all that aside, none of this means that the man was any less of a tyrant, any less of a murderer or any less deserving of the full penalty of law. He never shirked from publicly executing Iraqis and Kurds either.
I do hope that no-one loses sight of this point as they fall over themselves to find yet something else to criticise our government for. He wasnt a marvellous chap who was hard done to, he was a murderous bastard.
- and it wasn't Tony Blair who pulled the lever either, only the Daily Telegraph could walk such a fine line, claiming both that he is ultimately responsible for the execution and that he was on a dodgy holiday in Florida and couldnt bring himself to make a comment about it.
Saddam Hussain knew the legal penalties for the kind of actions he undertook, he designed most of them.
Happy New Year
Just a quick post to wish all readers a happy new year
2006 was a wonderful year for me, my top five things were
1. Being elected to Liverpool City Council
2. Chairing annual Labour Party conference in Manchester
3. Moving into my lovely new home
4. The birth of baby Rosa, daughter of a close friend
5. Receiving my first educational certificate in 15 years
I hope that 2007 is as good as 2006, it has certainly started very well
My hopes for the year are
for Labour
1. To win that second council seat in Kensington and Fairfield for Labour
2. A renewed Labour Party with a new leader recruiting new members (three have joined in Kensington alone in the last 8 weeks, I hope this is a sign of things to come).
3. More Labour women in positions of power, locally and nationally
for Kensington and Fairfield
1. Some real progress in building new homes and tackling the blight of boarded up houses in Kensington and Fairfield
2. Action over Kensington market once and for all
3. That the council finally bites the enforcement bullet and agrees to root through bin bags that have been dumped or put out on the wrong days, looking for names of residents to fine. We need some front page stories in the Echo to make sure people know we wont stand for it any more.
for me
2006 was a wonderful year for me, my top five things were
1. Being elected to Liverpool City Council
2. Chairing annual Labour Party conference in Manchester
3. Moving into my lovely new home
4. The birth of baby Rosa, daughter of a close friend
5. Receiving my first educational certificate in 15 years
I hope that 2007 is as good as 2006, it has certainly started very well
My hopes for the year are
for Labour
1. To win that second council seat in Kensington and Fairfield for Labour
2. A renewed Labour Party with a new leader recruiting new members (three have joined in Kensington alone in the last 8 weeks, I hope this is a sign of things to come).
3. More Labour women in positions of power, locally and nationally
for Kensington and Fairfield
1. Some real progress in building new homes and tackling the blight of boarded up houses in Kensington and Fairfield
2. Action over Kensington market once and for all
3. That the council finally bites the enforcement bullet and agrees to root through bin bags that have been dumped or put out on the wrong days, looking for names of residents to fine. We need some front page stories in the Echo to make sure people know we wont stand for it any more.
for me
1.That a smokefree Liverpool and a smokefree UK encourage me to finally stop smoking
2. That the tentative friendships I have begun in 2006 blossom and grow
Friday, December 15, 2006
Legalising Prostitution
According to the Daily Post, Dr John Elford, former Canon of Liverpool Cathedral has today called for the legalisation of prostitution saying we must have compassion for the women who find themselves in this terrible situation.
I do have compassion for them, like him I want them to be helped and supported to give up taking drugs, assisted with their debt problems, helped with housing and child care.
Like him, I endlessly worry about very young women in incredible danger on our streets. Prostitutes have been attacked and killed in Liverpool just as they have in Ipswich.
Like him I worry about families living in places like Sheil Road whose lives have been made a misery by prostitution in their area.
Where I cannot agree with him though is that the answer to this exploitation, misery and abuse is to legalise prostitution.
It is not right that young women should be forced to sell their own bodies to men for their sexual gratification. It wont ever be right and no amount of tidying prostitution up and finding some safe corner of an industrial estate to put a monitored brothel will change this fact.
If you legalise prosititution then you condone exploitation of young vulnerable women, you say that it is okay for men to abuse and defile them, just because they have paid.
I will never tolerate that, my compassion wouldn't let me.
I do have compassion for them, like him I want them to be helped and supported to give up taking drugs, assisted with their debt problems, helped with housing and child care.
Like him, I endlessly worry about very young women in incredible danger on our streets. Prostitutes have been attacked and killed in Liverpool just as they have in Ipswich.
Like him I worry about families living in places like Sheil Road whose lives have been made a misery by prostitution in their area.
Where I cannot agree with him though is that the answer to this exploitation, misery and abuse is to legalise prostitution.
It is not right that young women should be forced to sell their own bodies to men for their sexual gratification. It wont ever be right and no amount of tidying prostitution up and finding some safe corner of an industrial estate to put a monitored brothel will change this fact.
If you legalise prosititution then you condone exploitation of young vulnerable women, you say that it is okay for men to abuse and defile them, just because they have paid.
I will never tolerate that, my compassion wouldn't let me.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week
Louise Baldock is supporting the first ever Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week which is launched today is the Houses of Parliament.
Louise, Labour Councillor for Kensington and Fairfield lost her fiance in a Carbon Monoxide poisoning accident in January 1999. Since then she has campaigned to raise awareness of this deadly poison whenever she can and particularly around autumn time when people first start to light fires and boilers.
"Michael Price was only 45 when he died. He had flu-like symptoms and cuddled up with a quilt in front of his Parkray stove. He burnt smokeless fuel and did not know that there had been a fall in his chimney which had blocked it. The fumes filled the room and eventually killed him. It was a devastating time for me, for his family, for his friends. There were times I didn't think I would ever get over it.
But now what is important for Michael and for all those he left behind, is that we don't forget and we don't sit idly by. I am proud to join the campaign to raise awareness because we need to do much more."
There are three main areas we need to campaign in
1. Everyone should have a detector in their house. There are three main types; one is a postcard with a little dot that changes colour if there is a problem with the gas. They cost buttons. The second type is pretty much like your average smoke detector, battery operated, also pretty cheap. Then there is the type I have which is plugged into the wall and it takes a scan of the atmosphere every so many seconds. They cost about £40.
I wouldnt be able to sleep without my detector being plugged in.
2. Everyone should know what the symptoms are; flu-like symptoms, dizziness, loss of memory, nausea, vagueness - remember you cannot smell Carbon Monoxide so you have to look for other signs. If you think you might have been poisoned, get the windows open, get the doors open, go outside.
3. It is not just gas boilers! If a process causes carbon then it causes carbon monoxide. Remember Michael was burning smokeless fuel in his Parkray, it wasn't a boiler that killed him.
Get your chimney swept or your boiler serviced every year, put it in your diary now.
I asked at the last Community Safety meeting of Kensington Regeneration if the Fire Service were taking action to provide CO alarms in the same way they do for Smoke. Colin Murphy, local Station Master was enthusiastic about setting up such a scheme. He said a colleague of his had died of CO poison some years ago and he thought it would be very fitting and very well received. He promised to go away and find out about how much it could cost to provide CO detectors in Kensington. The committee seemed keen to support the idea too.
If we can get CO detectors into Kensington homes and save just one life it will have been worth it and I will really believe we have been able to make a difference. I will keep you posted
Louise, Labour Councillor for Kensington and Fairfield lost her fiance in a Carbon Monoxide poisoning accident in January 1999. Since then she has campaigned to raise awareness of this deadly poison whenever she can and particularly around autumn time when people first start to light fires and boilers.
"Michael Price was only 45 when he died. He had flu-like symptoms and cuddled up with a quilt in front of his Parkray stove. He burnt smokeless fuel and did not know that there had been a fall in his chimney which had blocked it. The fumes filled the room and eventually killed him. It was a devastating time for me, for his family, for his friends. There were times I didn't think I would ever get over it.
But now what is important for Michael and for all those he left behind, is that we don't forget and we don't sit idly by. I am proud to join the campaign to raise awareness because we need to do much more."
There are three main areas we need to campaign in
1. Everyone should have a detector in their house. There are three main types; one is a postcard with a little dot that changes colour if there is a problem with the gas. They cost buttons. The second type is pretty much like your average smoke detector, battery operated, also pretty cheap. Then there is the type I have which is plugged into the wall and it takes a scan of the atmosphere every so many seconds. They cost about £40.
I wouldnt be able to sleep without my detector being plugged in.
2. Everyone should know what the symptoms are; flu-like symptoms, dizziness, loss of memory, nausea, vagueness - remember you cannot smell Carbon Monoxide so you have to look for other signs. If you think you might have been poisoned, get the windows open, get the doors open, go outside.
3. It is not just gas boilers! If a process causes carbon then it causes carbon monoxide. Remember Michael was burning smokeless fuel in his Parkray, it wasn't a boiler that killed him.
Get your chimney swept or your boiler serviced every year, put it in your diary now.
I asked at the last Community Safety meeting of Kensington Regeneration if the Fire Service were taking action to provide CO alarms in the same way they do for Smoke. Colin Murphy, local Station Master was enthusiastic about setting up such a scheme. He said a colleague of his had died of CO poison some years ago and he thought it would be very fitting and very well received. He promised to go away and find out about how much it could cost to provide CO detectors in Kensington. The committee seemed keen to support the idea too.
If we can get CO detectors into Kensington homes and save just one life it will have been worth it and I will really believe we have been able to make a difference. I will keep you posted
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Police activity in the area in October
I know it is fashionable to criticise the police, the LibDems in my ward have turned it into an art form, but I think they are doing a great job in Kensington and Fairfield. Here is a selection of just a few entries in a report by Inspector Charnock of some of the work they were doing in the ward last month (of course it is all written in "cop" speak).
On 7th October 2006 officers arrested a male for persistently masturbating in the grounds
of Limecourt Day Centre on Upper Baker Street, Liverpool 7. Over a short period of time there had been a number of incidents were a male had been seen masturbating in the car park of the centre, causing distress to the vulnerable disabled persons who use the premises.
The officers put a lot of time and effort into gathering evidential statements and viewing
CCTV footage. The male was subsequently identified and arrested. On interview he admitted
offences of masturbating in the grounds of the centre on two separate occasions.
On 8th October 2006 officers responded to a report of a traffic accident that had occurred
in Boaler Street, Liverpool 7. A motor vehicle had driven into the side of a taxi and the driver
had driven away from the scene without stopping.
The taxi driver managed to circulate the details of the vehicle to other taxi drivers in the
area. Taxi drivers made to the area and assisted the Police in searching nearby streets to
locate the offender. The offending vehicle was located by a taxi driver and, with the help of
his colleagues, blocked in until the Police attended.
The driver was breath tested and found to be over the drink drive limit. He was arrested, his
vehicle seized and he was taken to St Anne Street Police Station.
On 9th October 2006 officers were on patrol in Onslow Road, Liverpool 7 when they saw a
male, driving his vehicle in the opposite direction, who they knew had been wanted for over 18
months on Magistrates Court warrants for traffic related offences. The officers managed to
turn their vehicle around and catch up with the male. The vehicle stopped for the officers
but the driver offered a false named, date of birth and address. After the officers had
explained to the male that they knew exactly who he was, he admitted his true identity and
was subsequently arrested.
On 10th October 2006 officers engaged in prostitution initiative, Operation Rose, were on
patrol in the area of Sheil Park. Whilst patrolling they observed a group of males acting in a
suspicious manner and went over to speak to them. Enquiries revealed that one of the group
was currently wanted on a recall to prison and was flagged as a priority offender for his
active involvement in Burglary offences throughout North Liverpool. The male was arrested
to be returned to HMP Walton.
On 10th October 2006 – As part of the Sheil Road prostitution initiative, Operation Rose (which I support wholeheartedly), two addresses were raided in Sheil Road under Misuse of Drugs Act warrants. The occupants of the addresses are believed to be responsible for supplying illegal drugs to sex workers who have been operating in the area and allowing people to use the premises for the purpose of taking drugs. Evidence of drug misuse has been obtained and enquiries continue to have the premises closed under ‘Crack House’ closure legislation.
On 13th October 2006 Road Safety Unit officers conducted an ANPR (Automatic Number
Plate Recognition) Operation on Prescot Road, Liverpool 7. The purpose of the Operation, as
well as promoting Road Safety, was to target kerb-crawlers using their vehicles to pick up sex
workers in the area of Sheil Road, Liverpool 7. As a result of the Operation – 50 vehicles were stopped - 11 people were summonsed or issued fixed penalty notices for road traffic related offences – 8 vehicles were seized under Section 152 of the Serious and Organised Crime Act
A further operation two weeks later on 22nd October resulted in over 50 vehicles being stopped
and the drivers spoken to. 12 vehicles were seized for having no insurance. 3 persons were
arrested under immigration offences for being in the U.K illegally and 6 fixed penalty notices
for traffic related offences were issued. Whilst conducting the operation, local residents
voiced their support to officers of how the level of Sex workers and their clients working the
area had dramatically reduced.
On 17th October 2006 officers from Tuebrook Neighbourhood conducted an Operation to
target licensed premises suspected of selling alcohol to minors. The Operation was run in
partnership with officers from the Trading Standards Unit. Four premises were identified
for controlled purchases to be made. Of the four premises, two premises challenged the
under aged cadets and refused to sell to them, therefore complying with the licensing laws.
Two premises sold alcohol to the minors without question. The first was an Off License on
West Derby Road where they sold a bottle of Bacardi to the youngsters. The second was an
Off License on Prescot Road in Kensington where they sold a bottle of ‘Reef’ alcoholic drink. (I wonder if you can guess which one this was?)
The licensee of both premises received an on the spot fine of £80.00 and the details have
been forwarded to the area licensing department for follow up enquiries to be carried out.
On 19th October 2006 officers responded to a report of a fight at the junction of Romer
Road and Molyneux Road, Liverpool 7. The report stated that one of the males was armed
with a machete. Upon arrival the officers found a male who was bleeding badly from a serious
wound to his forehead. The wound was consistent with being attacked by such a weapon.
Enquiries by the officers revealed that the offender lived at an address in Ridley Road, L6.
The officers immediately made to the Ridley Road address where a male answered the door.
Upon sighting the Police, the male attempted to run back inside the address but was quickly
detained. The male was arrested on suspicion of wounding and the house was searched. A
meat cleaver, numerous knives and a 3ft ornamental sword were recovered from the address.
On 30th October 2006 officers responded to a report that a male had collapsed at an address
in Gilroy Road, Liverpool 6. Upon arrival at the scene they were greeted by a female who had
a serious cut to her eye and bleeding to her head. The female had been stabbed and it was
established that the male responsible was still inside the premises.
The officers conducted a systematic search of the house in order to locate the offender,
who was potentially still armed with a knife. The officers located the offender hiding in one
of the rooms and he was arrested for a wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The female was treated in hospital for her injuries.
............the actual report is 18 pages long! I told the Inspector that I believe that more people should be aware of the work they do and his report should get a bigger audience. I hope that my publishing little extracts on here will help that to happen.
You can find out more by going to the police's own website by clicking on the title to this post.
On 7th October 2006 officers arrested a male for persistently masturbating in the grounds
of Limecourt Day Centre on Upper Baker Street, Liverpool 7. Over a short period of time there had been a number of incidents were a male had been seen masturbating in the car park of the centre, causing distress to the vulnerable disabled persons who use the premises.
The officers put a lot of time and effort into gathering evidential statements and viewing
CCTV footage. The male was subsequently identified and arrested. On interview he admitted
offences of masturbating in the grounds of the centre on two separate occasions.
On 8th October 2006 officers responded to a report of a traffic accident that had occurred
in Boaler Street, Liverpool 7. A motor vehicle had driven into the side of a taxi and the driver
had driven away from the scene without stopping.
The taxi driver managed to circulate the details of the vehicle to other taxi drivers in the
area. Taxi drivers made to the area and assisted the Police in searching nearby streets to
locate the offender. The offending vehicle was located by a taxi driver and, with the help of
his colleagues, blocked in until the Police attended.
The driver was breath tested and found to be over the drink drive limit. He was arrested, his
vehicle seized and he was taken to St Anne Street Police Station.
On 9th October 2006 officers were on patrol in Onslow Road, Liverpool 7 when they saw a
male, driving his vehicle in the opposite direction, who they knew had been wanted for over 18
months on Magistrates Court warrants for traffic related offences. The officers managed to
turn their vehicle around and catch up with the male. The vehicle stopped for the officers
but the driver offered a false named, date of birth and address. After the officers had
explained to the male that they knew exactly who he was, he admitted his true identity and
was subsequently arrested.
On 10th October 2006 officers engaged in prostitution initiative, Operation Rose, were on
patrol in the area of Sheil Park. Whilst patrolling they observed a group of males acting in a
suspicious manner and went over to speak to them. Enquiries revealed that one of the group
was currently wanted on a recall to prison and was flagged as a priority offender for his
active involvement in Burglary offences throughout North Liverpool. The male was arrested
to be returned to HMP Walton.
On 10th October 2006 – As part of the Sheil Road prostitution initiative, Operation Rose (which I support wholeheartedly), two addresses were raided in Sheil Road under Misuse of Drugs Act warrants. The occupants of the addresses are believed to be responsible for supplying illegal drugs to sex workers who have been operating in the area and allowing people to use the premises for the purpose of taking drugs. Evidence of drug misuse has been obtained and enquiries continue to have the premises closed under ‘Crack House’ closure legislation.
On 13th October 2006 Road Safety Unit officers conducted an ANPR (Automatic Number
Plate Recognition) Operation on Prescot Road, Liverpool 7. The purpose of the Operation, as
well as promoting Road Safety, was to target kerb-crawlers using their vehicles to pick up sex
workers in the area of Sheil Road, Liverpool 7. As a result of the Operation – 50 vehicles were stopped - 11 people were summonsed or issued fixed penalty notices for road traffic related offences – 8 vehicles were seized under Section 152 of the Serious and Organised Crime Act
A further operation two weeks later on 22nd October resulted in over 50 vehicles being stopped
and the drivers spoken to. 12 vehicles were seized for having no insurance. 3 persons were
arrested under immigration offences for being in the U.K illegally and 6 fixed penalty notices
for traffic related offences were issued. Whilst conducting the operation, local residents
voiced their support to officers of how the level of Sex workers and their clients working the
area had dramatically reduced.
On 17th October 2006 officers from Tuebrook Neighbourhood conducted an Operation to
target licensed premises suspected of selling alcohol to minors. The Operation was run in
partnership with officers from the Trading Standards Unit. Four premises were identified
for controlled purchases to be made. Of the four premises, two premises challenged the
under aged cadets and refused to sell to them, therefore complying with the licensing laws.
Two premises sold alcohol to the minors without question. The first was an Off License on
West Derby Road where they sold a bottle of Bacardi to the youngsters. The second was an
Off License on Prescot Road in Kensington where they sold a bottle of ‘Reef’ alcoholic drink. (I wonder if you can guess which one this was?)
The licensee of both premises received an on the spot fine of £80.00 and the details have
been forwarded to the area licensing department for follow up enquiries to be carried out.
On 19th October 2006 officers responded to a report of a fight at the junction of Romer
Road and Molyneux Road, Liverpool 7. The report stated that one of the males was armed
with a machete. Upon arrival the officers found a male who was bleeding badly from a serious
wound to his forehead. The wound was consistent with being attacked by such a weapon.
Enquiries by the officers revealed that the offender lived at an address in Ridley Road, L6.
The officers immediately made to the Ridley Road address where a male answered the door.
Upon sighting the Police, the male attempted to run back inside the address but was quickly
detained. The male was arrested on suspicion of wounding and the house was searched. A
meat cleaver, numerous knives and a 3ft ornamental sword were recovered from the address.
On 30th October 2006 officers responded to a report that a male had collapsed at an address
in Gilroy Road, Liverpool 6. Upon arrival at the scene they were greeted by a female who had
a serious cut to her eye and bleeding to her head. The female had been stabbed and it was
established that the male responsible was still inside the premises.
The officers conducted a systematic search of the house in order to locate the offender,
who was potentially still armed with a knife. The officers located the offender hiding in one
of the rooms and he was arrested for a wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The female was treated in hospital for her injuries.
............the actual report is 18 pages long! I told the Inspector that I believe that more people should be aware of the work they do and his report should get a bigger audience. I hope that my publishing little extracts on here will help that to happen.
You can find out more by going to the police's own website by clicking on the title to this post.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Not Drunk Enough - license application
I had a big surprise this week.
An application has been submitted recently for an extension of opening hours, from 10pm until 4am as I recall, for an off licence on Prescot Road, Fairfield named Not Drunk Enough.
You couldn't make up a name like that, could you!
Anyway, I was phoned by the local Chair of the Fairfield Area Residents Assocation (FARA) to alert me to the fact that objections were going to be raised at that evenings residents association meeting. So I got onto the Licensing Department and they sent me the relevant form for objecting to the plans.
I took the form to the meeting and the 30 or so people there had a big debate about the application. They were united in their opposition to the proposed opening hours. So were the other agencies present.
I read out the four possible grounds for objecting -
Add to problems of crime or disorder
Harm public safety
Cause an unreasonable public nuisance
Put children at risk of harm
and residents identified particular concerns that fitted into each of these categories.
We agreed a form or words and I completed the form and signed it.
I wrote on the bottom of the form that I was submitting this on behalf of the residents association.
I handed the form in to the Licensing officers the next day.
Unfortunately they have refused to accept it because apparently Councillors are not allowed to object to licensing applications unless they are personally affected by them and live in the vicinity.
How utterly and totally ridiculous!
What was the ODPM thinking of to come up with something so stupid when they created the Licensing Act of 2003.
Who better than me to put forward the views of my residents? Me, the democratically elected community leader?
Consequently I had to get the Licensing officers to send our completed form to a number of local residents who had been at the meeting so that they could recreate it on new forms and sign it themselves.
I understand, having just done a bit of research, that lots of people are complaining about this all over the country, not just me. I think we should start a campaign to have this put right. Obviously it wont be the ODPM any more, my first job will be to find out who now has responsibility, I am wondering about the DCMS given Tessa's occasional speeches on the subject of 24 hour drinking.
Who wants to sign up to it with me?
An application has been submitted recently for an extension of opening hours, from 10pm until 4am as I recall, for an off licence on Prescot Road, Fairfield named Not Drunk Enough.
You couldn't make up a name like that, could you!
Anyway, I was phoned by the local Chair of the Fairfield Area Residents Assocation (FARA) to alert me to the fact that objections were going to be raised at that evenings residents association meeting. So I got onto the Licensing Department and they sent me the relevant form for objecting to the plans.
I took the form to the meeting and the 30 or so people there had a big debate about the application. They were united in their opposition to the proposed opening hours. So were the other agencies present.
I read out the four possible grounds for objecting -
Add to problems of crime or disorder
Harm public safety
Cause an unreasonable public nuisance
Put children at risk of harm
and residents identified particular concerns that fitted into each of these categories.
We agreed a form or words and I completed the form and signed it.
I wrote on the bottom of the form that I was submitting this on behalf of the residents association.
I handed the form in to the Licensing officers the next day.
Unfortunately they have refused to accept it because apparently Councillors are not allowed to object to licensing applications unless they are personally affected by them and live in the vicinity.
How utterly and totally ridiculous!
What was the ODPM thinking of to come up with something so stupid when they created the Licensing Act of 2003.
Who better than me to put forward the views of my residents? Me, the democratically elected community leader?
Consequently I had to get the Licensing officers to send our completed form to a number of local residents who had been at the meeting so that they could recreate it on new forms and sign it themselves.
I understand, having just done a bit of research, that lots of people are complaining about this all over the country, not just me. I think we should start a campaign to have this put right. Obviously it wont be the ODPM any more, my first job will be to find out who now has responsibility, I am wondering about the DCMS given Tessa's occasional speeches on the subject of 24 hour drinking.
Who wants to sign up to it with me?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Campaign to Save Woolton Cinema
As a member of the Heritage Scrutiny Panel on Liverpool City Council and as a cinema goer, I am very happy to support this campaign. Local private cinemas are historically very important as well as giving great ambience and a great viewing experience.
There is a benefit gig at the New Picket on Friday night, 1st December and also a stall at a Farmers' market being planned as part of the fundraising efforts to get enough money to buy the cinema.
Do go on their website - accessed by clicking the title of this entry and have a look at all of their activities.
There is a benefit gig at the New Picket on Friday night, 1st December and also a stall at a Farmers' market being planned as part of the fundraising efforts to get enough money to buy the cinema.
Do go on their website - accessed by clicking the title of this entry and have a look at all of their activities.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Fathers who kill their children
I have been worrying about the growing numbers of fathers murdering their children for a while now, and yet nobody seems to want to talk about it. So I am grateful to the Guardian for this article (which you can access via clicking on the title of this entry) which covers this topic very thoroughly.
In fact it says all the things I have been thinking.
Like the fact that we seem to find excuses for these men, that it was not really their fault, that the wife had brought it on herself by daring to want to leave or see another man. I dont see it like that, they are self-indulgent, rage-filled "I'll show you" acts and as a woman I cant quite get my head round that, because we dont work that way.
I know there was an outpouring of sympathy for the man who threw his children off a hotel balcony when he was shown to be suffering so much afterwards, but I didnt much feel it myself, although they said in the papers that he had done it because he could not bear to live without them if his wife left him, I instinctively knew straight away that he did it to punish her.
Public shame and humiliation and the knowledge that as he had not died himself but would now have to live with his wife's hatred were what made him feel so dreadful - he had hoped to escape all that part leaving her bereft and powerless.
Like the fact that women who kill their children are usually suffering from post-natal depression or some other kind of mental illness, the men are usually sane, which makes it much worse. (Only 1 in 20 of parents who kill their children are women)
Like the fact that men who kill their children regard them as their possessions rather than human beings in their own right and it is this "ownership" which they believe gives them the power over life and death.
The Guardian article was printed on November 5th, it has happened another twice since then. The very next day in Bodelwyddan two children were murdered by their father, yesterday a man was arrested for murdering his wife, her brother and their two children in Newcastle.
I have also noticed that a large proportion of the murderers are ethnic minority fathers who have come to live here from other countries. I wonder if that is significant? Do families in other countries, in the developing worlds, have a different outlook about family members being posessions owned by the man, than we tend to do in the west? I think that must be the case.
There are white British men murdering their children too, so we shouldnt perhaps make too much of that. But this article says that generally the murderers hate their wife, not their children which again chimes with my thinking.
I think that if we are going to stop this dreadful thing happening, to reduce the incidence of fathers murdering their children (whether or not they also commit suicide) then we need to begin campaigning for more recognition for children. Children are not adjuncts of their parents, not possessions, not pawns, not tools to be manipulated to hurt someone else. They are people in their own right, small people of course, but still people.
We have to campaign so that fathers the world over understand what mothers dont usually have to be taught, that children are precious and while they are young and vulnerable they need us to look after them so that they can blossom into adulthood and start to look after themselves.
I feel the same about smacking children, it is the worst thing, to physically hit someone just because they are small. You wouldn't hit an adult, you know that is wrong, but you think it is okay to hit a tiny defenseless child, because "it is the only way". Lots of people get through parenthood without hitting their children, perhaps we should all watch supernanny a bit more often!
What kind of a world are we living in? And why is nobody talking about this? It is so depressing, when I heard about the family in Cyprus who were gassed by Carbon Monoxide my first thought was the father had killed the children, I never thought of the gas - and those of you who know me would be amazed to hear that. Since Michael's death in 1999 I assume all deaths have been caused by CO until told otherwise, but in recent months I have started assuming it was the father, how very sad and depressing.
In fact it says all the things I have been thinking.
Like the fact that we seem to find excuses for these men, that it was not really their fault, that the wife had brought it on herself by daring to want to leave or see another man. I dont see it like that, they are self-indulgent, rage-filled "I'll show you" acts and as a woman I cant quite get my head round that, because we dont work that way.
I know there was an outpouring of sympathy for the man who threw his children off a hotel balcony when he was shown to be suffering so much afterwards, but I didnt much feel it myself, although they said in the papers that he had done it because he could not bear to live without them if his wife left him, I instinctively knew straight away that he did it to punish her.
Public shame and humiliation and the knowledge that as he had not died himself but would now have to live with his wife's hatred were what made him feel so dreadful - he had hoped to escape all that part leaving her bereft and powerless.
Like the fact that women who kill their children are usually suffering from post-natal depression or some other kind of mental illness, the men are usually sane, which makes it much worse. (Only 1 in 20 of parents who kill their children are women)
Like the fact that men who kill their children regard them as their possessions rather than human beings in their own right and it is this "ownership" which they believe gives them the power over life and death.
The Guardian article was printed on November 5th, it has happened another twice since then. The very next day in Bodelwyddan two children were murdered by their father, yesterday a man was arrested for murdering his wife, her brother and their two children in Newcastle.
I have also noticed that a large proportion of the murderers are ethnic minority fathers who have come to live here from other countries. I wonder if that is significant? Do families in other countries, in the developing worlds, have a different outlook about family members being posessions owned by the man, than we tend to do in the west? I think that must be the case.
There are white British men murdering their children too, so we shouldnt perhaps make too much of that. But this article says that generally the murderers hate their wife, not their children which again chimes with my thinking.
I think that if we are going to stop this dreadful thing happening, to reduce the incidence of fathers murdering their children (whether or not they also commit suicide) then we need to begin campaigning for more recognition for children. Children are not adjuncts of their parents, not possessions, not pawns, not tools to be manipulated to hurt someone else. They are people in their own right, small people of course, but still people.
We have to campaign so that fathers the world over understand what mothers dont usually have to be taught, that children are precious and while they are young and vulnerable they need us to look after them so that they can blossom into adulthood and start to look after themselves.
I feel the same about smacking children, it is the worst thing, to physically hit someone just because they are small. You wouldn't hit an adult, you know that is wrong, but you think it is okay to hit a tiny defenseless child, because "it is the only way". Lots of people get through parenthood without hitting their children, perhaps we should all watch supernanny a bit more often!
What kind of a world are we living in? And why is nobody talking about this? It is so depressing, when I heard about the family in Cyprus who were gassed by Carbon Monoxide my first thought was the father had killed the children, I never thought of the gas - and those of you who know me would be amazed to hear that. Since Michael's death in 1999 I assume all deaths have been caused by CO until told otherwise, but in recent months I have started assuming it was the father, how very sad and depressing.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
What kind of intelligence do you have?
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
There you go, my mate Suzanne should be a politician because she has "Interpersonal Intelligence" and I should be a politician because I have Linguistic Intelligence. I wonder if everyone that does the quiz should be a politician? Anyone else had a go?
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Plans for a Social Enterprise in Kensington
I met Terry Molloy today.
He is being employed by Kensington Regeneration (the body that distributes the funds for Kensington New Deal for Communities).
He is charged with drawing up plans for a construction training centre to teach 20-30 young people in the area some quality building and construction skills through apprenticeships.
He has already spoken to some of the big developers and builders in the area who would be keen to support the trainees. Now all he needs is the money and the land to build the centre and run it.
I have promised to research land and premises opportunities for him.
He has to present his plans by the end of March, let's hope they are accepted and brought into being.
There is going to be a huge amount of building, regeneration and renewal in the area, if the New Deal plans are right, and we need the people working on those sites to be our young people who are otherwise most likely to end up working in MacDonalds on a fiver an hour.
Start thinking positive thoughts now!
He is being employed by Kensington Regeneration (the body that distributes the funds for Kensington New Deal for Communities).
He is charged with drawing up plans for a construction training centre to teach 20-30 young people in the area some quality building and construction skills through apprenticeships.
He has already spoken to some of the big developers and builders in the area who would be keen to support the trainees. Now all he needs is the money and the land to build the centre and run it.
I have promised to research land and premises opportunities for him.
He has to present his plans by the end of March, let's hope they are accepted and brought into being.
There is going to be a huge amount of building, regeneration and renewal in the area, if the New Deal plans are right, and we need the people working on those sites to be our young people who are otherwise most likely to end up working in MacDonalds on a fiver an hour.
Start thinking positive thoughts now!
Councillor training in media
Liverpool City Council, in conjunction with the University of Chester, is running a professional course for Councillors which will eventually result in a Certificate in Higher Education for those who are successful.
I began my first module this week, Media training.
You could be guilty of assuming that as a former Parliamentary Press Officer I dont have much to learn but you would be mistaken. It is one thing to advise someone else about their media activities, and to promote them (unmercifully) in the media, but quite another thing when it is you, yourself, that is under the spotlight.
We learnt this week about being interviewed by the written media (newspapers) and the radio. In a month's time we are going to the University's campus in Warrington to practice TV interviewing in a proper (dummy) set.
I did a dummy radio interview, colleagues seemed to think it went okay but you are never sure. I dont worry about how I sound or whether I gabble, I worry about saying the wrong thing. I expect it is the same for all politicians, especially if you have someone as agressive as John Humphries interviewing you.
I learnt a few tricks that I hope will serve me well if the local radio stations ever want to talk to me.
But in any case, it is great to have formal training and I was surprised how well we worked together as a group, supporting each other, even though we are from different parties.
I can't wait to practice TV interviews in a proper studio!
I began my first module this week, Media training.
You could be guilty of assuming that as a former Parliamentary Press Officer I dont have much to learn but you would be mistaken. It is one thing to advise someone else about their media activities, and to promote them (unmercifully) in the media, but quite another thing when it is you, yourself, that is under the spotlight.
We learnt this week about being interviewed by the written media (newspapers) and the radio. In a month's time we are going to the University's campus in Warrington to practice TV interviewing in a proper (dummy) set.
I did a dummy radio interview, colleagues seemed to think it went okay but you are never sure. I dont worry about how I sound or whether I gabble, I worry about saying the wrong thing. I expect it is the same for all politicians, especially if you have someone as agressive as John Humphries interviewing you.
I learnt a few tricks that I hope will serve me well if the local radio stations ever want to talk to me.
But in any case, it is great to have formal training and I was surprised how well we worked together as a group, supporting each other, even though we are from different parties.
I can't wait to practice TV interviews in a proper studio!
Liverpool's 800th birthday celebrations
As the only Labour councillor on the scrutiny panel looking at the plans for next year's 800th birthday celebrations I do feel a certain responsibility to ensure that they contain something for everyone and are well thought through.
I have enjoyed the experience, although it is a bit difficult to scrutinise something that has not happened yet, but that is part of the challenge.
I am convinced the plans will be well received although for some reason they are much less famous than the plans for o8 European City of Culture, even though they are of huge importance for local people. If 08 is about tourists, next year's celebrations are about Liverpool people right here in the city.
I am particularly excited by the proposed unveiling of the refurbished and magnificent St George's Hall on St George's Day in April with a big party for local people. I also enjoyed meeting the artist who has designed a special coin for every child in the city that they will be able to keep as a souvenir of this auspicious time.
There will be some great new museums opening too.
I have made a plea for the genealogists amongst us in particular, that there is plenty for people whose family came from Liverpool, or through Liverpool, on their way to the new world. It is the biggest hobby in the world and we could get almost more visitors through that route than through culture if we really wanted to (not that the "new" city will have been built yet, in 2007).
I am very happy to talk to anyone about the birthday plans and hopefully will be able to get hold of my own copy of the great DVD which details the history of the city over the last 800 years since King John granted the charter.
It is going to be great - and if it is not then you know who to point the finger at for her failure to adequately scrutinise!
I have enjoyed the experience, although it is a bit difficult to scrutinise something that has not happened yet, but that is part of the challenge.
I am convinced the plans will be well received although for some reason they are much less famous than the plans for o8 European City of Culture, even though they are of huge importance for local people. If 08 is about tourists, next year's celebrations are about Liverpool people right here in the city.
I am particularly excited by the proposed unveiling of the refurbished and magnificent St George's Hall on St George's Day in April with a big party for local people. I also enjoyed meeting the artist who has designed a special coin for every child in the city that they will be able to keep as a souvenir of this auspicious time.
There will be some great new museums opening too.
I have made a plea for the genealogists amongst us in particular, that there is plenty for people whose family came from Liverpool, or through Liverpool, on their way to the new world. It is the biggest hobby in the world and we could get almost more visitors through that route than through culture if we really wanted to (not that the "new" city will have been built yet, in 2007).
I am very happy to talk to anyone about the birthday plans and hopefully will be able to get hold of my own copy of the great DVD which details the history of the city over the last 800 years since King John granted the charter.
It is going to be great - and if it is not then you know who to point the finger at for her failure to adequately scrutinise!
Remembrance Sunday
Sunday's Remembrance Day service at St George's Hall was very moving.
I think it is very important to remember those usually very young men, and some women, who died in battles and wars because they believed it was their duty. I think it is also very important to remember those who died in battles and wars they did not even want to be part of, but were conscripted to engage in.
I never have a problem supporting poppy day or Remembrance Sunday, some of my family fought in wars, my great grandfather Sidney Baldock was seriously injured in WW1, his son, my grandfather, Arthur Sidney Baldock won the Oak Leaf for his part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. He was also an ARP warden.
My other grandfather, John Millward, worked nights at Goodyears making tyres for tanks
They deserve nothing less than that we give up an hour once a year to honour and remember them
You dont have to believe in war to honour those who put the people of their country before themselves.
We had a very big event at the Cenotaph at St George's Hall and I was proud to attend as a civic representative of a ward from where many men have gone to many wars.
More than half the Labour Group of councillors were in attendance, a good showing, but I think perhaps next year we might want to think about a three-line whip.
I think it is very important to remember those usually very young men, and some women, who died in battles and wars because they believed it was their duty. I think it is also very important to remember those who died in battles and wars they did not even want to be part of, but were conscripted to engage in.
I never have a problem supporting poppy day or Remembrance Sunday, some of my family fought in wars, my great grandfather Sidney Baldock was seriously injured in WW1, his son, my grandfather, Arthur Sidney Baldock won the Oak Leaf for his part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. He was also an ARP warden.
My other grandfather, John Millward, worked nights at Goodyears making tyres for tanks
They deserve nothing less than that we give up an hour once a year to honour and remember them
You dont have to believe in war to honour those who put the people of their country before themselves.
We had a very big event at the Cenotaph at St George's Hall and I was proud to attend as a civic representative of a ward from where many men have gone to many wars.
More than half the Labour Group of councillors were in attendance, a good showing, but I think perhaps next year we might want to think about a three-line whip.
Inside Justice week
Merseyside justice system opens its doors to the public
The public in Merseyside will have the chance to gain a unique glimpse behind the criminal justice system as this year's Inside Justice Week gets underway across the county.
Activities planned include interactive trials with local schoolchildren playing the major roles in St Georges Hall, mock sentencing events and open days at Liverpool's Community Justice Centre, Birkenhead Magistrates' Court, Kirkby police station and North Sefton Magistrates' Court, Inside Justice Week roadshows and a University Challenge style competition for students across Liverpool.
Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe, chair of Merseyside Criminal Justice Board said:
"Justice matters to everyone: in any decent society justice must be done and be seen to be done. The Criminal Justice System must also have the confidence of the law-abiding majority.
This is why Inside Justice Week is so important. It is a chance for the public throughout Merseyside, who may have never come into contact with the justice system, to look behind the scenes , ask questions and find out more.
ìThe justice system is for the public. It only works when they are prepared to be witnesses, complainants or jurors. Please come and look at any of the event"
Prime Minister Tony Blair said:
"Inside Justice Week is a great opportunity for the public to see what goes on behind the scenes of our courts, police stations and prisons. I believe such openness can only help improve public understanding of the challenges our criminal justice system faces and the dedication of the staff who work within it. This dedication is recognised through the Justice Awards which celebrate just some of the outstanding contributions of front-line staff. They deserve all our thanks for their hard work and commitment."
Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland said "I am delighted to welcome in the third annual Inside Justice Week.
I hope the week will give the public a clearer understanding of the criminal justice systemÃs inner workings ñ be it through taking a rare look inside a court room at an open day or speaking to frontline staff at a community road show.
Frontline staff and local communities play a critical role in building an effective and fair justice system. Inside Justice Week is all about celebrating and encouraging this contribution."
The aim of this year's Inside Justice Week is to open up the justice system to the public in order to:
Increase people's knowledge and understanding of the
Criminal Justice System
Encourage people to get involved by publicising the range of career and volunteering opportunities available in the Criminal Justice System
Inform people about the support available should they come into contact with the justice system, either as a victim of crime, witness, juror or as someone accused of a crime.
Inside Justice Week runs across England and Wales from 18-25 November. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.cjsonline.gov.uk/insidejustice
The winners of the Justice Awards will be announced on 24 November. For more information, please visit www.cjsonline.gov.uk/justiceawards
The public in Merseyside will have the chance to gain a unique glimpse behind the criminal justice system as this year's Inside Justice Week gets underway across the county.
Activities planned include interactive trials with local schoolchildren playing the major roles in St Georges Hall, mock sentencing events and open days at Liverpool's Community Justice Centre, Birkenhead Magistrates' Court, Kirkby police station and North Sefton Magistrates' Court, Inside Justice Week roadshows and a University Challenge style competition for students across Liverpool.
Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe, chair of Merseyside Criminal Justice Board said:
"Justice matters to everyone: in any decent society justice must be done and be seen to be done. The Criminal Justice System must also have the confidence of the law-abiding majority.
This is why Inside Justice Week is so important. It is a chance for the public throughout Merseyside, who may have never come into contact with the justice system, to look behind the scenes , ask questions and find out more.
ìThe justice system is for the public. It only works when they are prepared to be witnesses, complainants or jurors. Please come and look at any of the event"
Prime Minister Tony Blair said:
"Inside Justice Week is a great opportunity for the public to see what goes on behind the scenes of our courts, police stations and prisons. I believe such openness can only help improve public understanding of the challenges our criminal justice system faces and the dedication of the staff who work within it. This dedication is recognised through the Justice Awards which celebrate just some of the outstanding contributions of front-line staff. They deserve all our thanks for their hard work and commitment."
Home Office Minister Baroness Scotland said "I am delighted to welcome in the third annual Inside Justice Week.
I hope the week will give the public a clearer understanding of the criminal justice systemÃs inner workings ñ be it through taking a rare look inside a court room at an open day or speaking to frontline staff at a community road show.
Frontline staff and local communities play a critical role in building an effective and fair justice system. Inside Justice Week is all about celebrating and encouraging this contribution."
The aim of this year's Inside Justice Week is to open up the justice system to the public in order to:
Increase people's knowledge and understanding of the
Criminal Justice System
Encourage people to get involved by publicising the range of career and volunteering opportunities available in the Criminal Justice System
Inform people about the support available should they come into contact with the justice system, either as a victim of crime, witness, juror or as someone accused of a crime.
Inside Justice Week runs across England and Wales from 18-25 November. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.cjsonline.gov.uk/insidejustice
The winners of the Justice Awards will be announced on 24 November. For more information, please visit www.cjsonline.gov.uk/justiceawards
Friday, November 03, 2006
Save our statues
I have joined the Liverpool Daily Post's campaign to save Another Place by Anthony Gormley on Crosby Beach. If you click on the title of this story it will take you to their website and you can see photos and sign the petition.
I have been to see them lots of times and always take visitors from out of the area. They are wonderful, awesome, majorly thought-provoking and a fabulous and fantastic coup for the people of Merseyside.
They were installed by Anthony Gormley who is the sculptor of the world-renowned Angel of the North. He modelled the statues in his own likeness and they stand, a hundred of them, in waves along the beach for as far as the eye can see, looking out to sea and being buffeted by the tide.
He intended them to be a temporary installation, they have already been to other places round the world and are due to be moved to America any day now. However, he said when he saw them installed at Crosby (which is a bit north of Liverpool in the Sefton local authority) that they were clearly at home and were meant to stay.
The region was then tasked with finding enough money to buy them and keep them.
Before we could really get going with this though, a local Tory Councillor opposed the planning application to keep them as she said they were a health and safety hazard. Apparently one or two statues are in a bad place and might threaten passing water traffic and there is a worry that some people might wander out too far to look at one of the statues and get caught by the incoming tide. So they threw the plans out and the statues are currently, as I write, destined to leave.
We now need to persuade the planning committee on Sefton council to see sense, allow Gormley to relocate the odd statue that is in a bad place and save the day. A few notices on the beach and perhaps a bit of common sense might solve some of the other problems.
As an enthusiastic member of the Heritage Select Committee on Liverpool City Council, I really value our region's art provision. Some parts of the national media like to portray Merseyside as a blighted place, derelict, run-down and without charm or beauty.
I hope the successful bid to be European City of Culture in 2008 will go a long way to rewriting this perception. Indeed as you ascend the elevators at Euston station in London, or arrive at John Lennon Airport, you see a marketing campaign for 08, encouraging people to visit the area and see what a great place it really is culturally.
The statues feature heavily in the campaign, they are a powerful example of our love of art and illustrate the fact that we have more art galleries than any city outside of London. They are also a symbol of our looking ahead, looking forward, into a positive future full of renewal and regeneration.
If these statues are torn from the beach we will have lost a wonderful work of art beloved by many but we will also have lost our reputation in the art world; the 08 city of culture will be a hollow experience without them.
Sign the petition today
I have been to see them lots of times and always take visitors from out of the area. They are wonderful, awesome, majorly thought-provoking and a fabulous and fantastic coup for the people of Merseyside.
They were installed by Anthony Gormley who is the sculptor of the world-renowned Angel of the North. He modelled the statues in his own likeness and they stand, a hundred of them, in waves along the beach for as far as the eye can see, looking out to sea and being buffeted by the tide.
He intended them to be a temporary installation, they have already been to other places round the world and are due to be moved to America any day now. However, he said when he saw them installed at Crosby (which is a bit north of Liverpool in the Sefton local authority) that they were clearly at home and were meant to stay.
The region was then tasked with finding enough money to buy them and keep them.
Before we could really get going with this though, a local Tory Councillor opposed the planning application to keep them as she said they were a health and safety hazard. Apparently one or two statues are in a bad place and might threaten passing water traffic and there is a worry that some people might wander out too far to look at one of the statues and get caught by the incoming tide. So they threw the plans out and the statues are currently, as I write, destined to leave.
We now need to persuade the planning committee on Sefton council to see sense, allow Gormley to relocate the odd statue that is in a bad place and save the day. A few notices on the beach and perhaps a bit of common sense might solve some of the other problems.
As an enthusiastic member of the Heritage Select Committee on Liverpool City Council, I really value our region's art provision. Some parts of the national media like to portray Merseyside as a blighted place, derelict, run-down and without charm or beauty.
I hope the successful bid to be European City of Culture in 2008 will go a long way to rewriting this perception. Indeed as you ascend the elevators at Euston station in London, or arrive at John Lennon Airport, you see a marketing campaign for 08, encouraging people to visit the area and see what a great place it really is culturally.
The statues feature heavily in the campaign, they are a powerful example of our love of art and illustrate the fact that we have more art galleries than any city outside of London. They are also a symbol of our looking ahead, looking forward, into a positive future full of renewal and regeneration.
If these statues are torn from the beach we will have lost a wonderful work of art beloved by many but we will also have lost our reputation in the art world; the 08 city of culture will be a hollow experience without them.
Sign the petition today
Corporate Parenting - a bad mother?
I went to see the Regional Director of the National Children's Home charity last week because he had written to me after my election, offering to tell me about their work with local children and with sure start projects and so on.
Long before I was elected to the council I was made aware that Councillors are corporate parents to all the looked-after children in their authority.
Since becoming elected I have been increasingly aware that I have been a bad mother, I have neglected my children because I do not know what support they need from me.
Paul Moore at NCH has spent 30 years working with looked-after children before he went to NCH and he asked me a whole series of questions, none of which I knew the answer to.
He asked me how many children I have (how many are looked-after in Liverpool), I said I did not know, perhaps about a thousand, he pointed out that parents should know how many kids they have, not just guess!
He asked me how many are fostered, how many in residential care, how many are waiting to be adopted, again I didn't know
He asked me how my kids are doing at school, how many of the older ones are expected to get good grades in their GCSEs - what kind of a mother does not know this sort of thing?
He asked me if they were visiting the dentist regularly, if they were getting plenty of exercise... I was a total blank.
So, I asked him to help me become a better parent. He has offered to put on training for me and all of my colleagues on the council, to let us know how we can be more effective and make sure that our children are getting what they need, when they need it and that they have the best chances in life.
I hope it happens soon because I have been a very poor mother for six months already and it is simply is not good enough to hope that someone else is seeing to these very important matters.
Long before I was elected to the council I was made aware that Councillors are corporate parents to all the looked-after children in their authority.
Since becoming elected I have been increasingly aware that I have been a bad mother, I have neglected my children because I do not know what support they need from me.
Paul Moore at NCH has spent 30 years working with looked-after children before he went to NCH and he asked me a whole series of questions, none of which I knew the answer to.
He asked me how many children I have (how many are looked-after in Liverpool), I said I did not know, perhaps about a thousand, he pointed out that parents should know how many kids they have, not just guess!
He asked me how many are fostered, how many in residential care, how many are waiting to be adopted, again I didn't know
He asked me how my kids are doing at school, how many of the older ones are expected to get good grades in their GCSEs - what kind of a mother does not know this sort of thing?
He asked me if they were visiting the dentist regularly, if they were getting plenty of exercise... I was a total blank.
So, I asked him to help me become a better parent. He has offered to put on training for me and all of my colleagues on the council, to let us know how we can be more effective and make sure that our children are getting what they need, when they need it and that they have the best chances in life.
I hope it happens soon because I have been a very poor mother for six months already and it is simply is not good enough to hope that someone else is seeing to these very important matters.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Carbon Monoxide threat - reminder
It is that time of the year again when the clocks go back and once again I feel obliged to warn people about taking preventative measures to make sure you dont get poisoned by carbon monoxide poisoning when you start heating your home again.
Most people believe that carbon monoxide poisoning is only caused by faulty gas fires or boilers, and indeed they are often at fault. But any kind of fossil fuel that burns can cause this terrible poison if it does not have a clear and open passage to the open air. Now that people are firing up their boilers, turning on their gas fires and lighting the first open fire of winter, they need to be absolutely sure that they have followed all the safety guidelines.
You must have your chimney swept at least once a year before you light up that fire. If you live in a smokeless zone and the fuel you are burning does not give off smoke, you will have no idea what danger you might be in.Unfortunately carbon monoxide cannot be seen, tasted or smelt, it is a totally invisible deadly gas. The symptoms are not dissimilar to flu; however vital clues may lie in a sense of disorientation and dizziness as well as sickness. If you or someone close to you is becoming sick and confused then it is probably a very good idea to turn off the fire, open the windows, leave the house and have a GP check you out.
Sadly of course many people cuddle up on the sofa with a blanket when they feel ill. You couldn't do a worse thing with carbon monoxide. Be safe this winter, dont light the fire or turn on the boiler until you have had an annual check.
I have a monitor at home, it is plugged into the mains and does a check of the air quality every so many seconds. Having lost my fiance to this poisonous gas in 1999 I could not rest without this reassurance, get one, they are not expensive and they might just save your life.
Most people believe that carbon monoxide poisoning is only caused by faulty gas fires or boilers, and indeed they are often at fault. But any kind of fossil fuel that burns can cause this terrible poison if it does not have a clear and open passage to the open air. Now that people are firing up their boilers, turning on their gas fires and lighting the first open fire of winter, they need to be absolutely sure that they have followed all the safety guidelines.
You must have your chimney swept at least once a year before you light up that fire. If you live in a smokeless zone and the fuel you are burning does not give off smoke, you will have no idea what danger you might be in.Unfortunately carbon monoxide cannot be seen, tasted or smelt, it is a totally invisible deadly gas. The symptoms are not dissimilar to flu; however vital clues may lie in a sense of disorientation and dizziness as well as sickness. If you or someone close to you is becoming sick and confused then it is probably a very good idea to turn off the fire, open the windows, leave the house and have a GP check you out.
Sadly of course many people cuddle up on the sofa with a blanket when they feel ill. You couldn't do a worse thing with carbon monoxide. Be safe this winter, dont light the fire or turn on the boiler until you have had an annual check.
I have a monitor at home, it is plugged into the mains and does a check of the air quality every so many seconds. Having lost my fiance to this poisonous gas in 1999 I could not rest without this reassurance, get one, they are not expensive and they might just save your life.
A week in the life of a councillor....
It's been a really busy week and I thought it would be useful for local residents as well as for people interested in being a councillor, to see what sorts of things I have been getting up to.
On Monday, after work, I went to my Heritage Scrutiny Panel meeting, where I am the only Labour member. We are currently looking at the programme of events for next year when Liverpool will celebrate its 800th birthday. In particular this week we looked at the creation of a new musuem dedicated to slavery (past and present) and how we would celebrate the 200th anniversary next year of the abolition of slavery. We also looked at plans for another new musuem, which is about Liverpool's 800 years of history.
I had to get my skates on to be at the GEARS residents association meeting for 6pm. Wendy Simon came with me, she is going to be the Labour candidate in next May's election in the ward and has already started campaigning and picking up casework for local people. Residents talked about a special event to unveil the new mosaic heritage bench in Birchfield Park in early December. There was also good news from the youth branch of the residents association - EAGERS, who have secured funding for a whole host of days out for young people in the area.
At 7.45pm Wendy and I went to meet the local Sergeant and talk to him about some particular hotspots for Anti Social Behaviour and he promised to put some special efforts into those areas. I dont want to say too much about that at the moment in case it scuppers the plans.
On Tuesday I spent the morning at the Planning Committee, it was my first time attending as an objector and I got up on behalf of local residents and made a short speech objecting to plans to turn 1-3 Beech Street into a B&B. It is an attractive grade II listed building that used to be a care home. It has now closed and the owners want to attract what they call "tradespeople" to work there. I pointed out that in my experience workmen travel about in vans, and there were 30 bedrooms envisaged for this place, but only 8 car parking spaces. We cannot have large amounts of vans parking up and down Beech Street, right next to our new flagship neighbourhood centre.
I spent the afternoon at a special Health and Adult Care select committee where we were fighting to save an old people's home from closure. Venmore care home has had £2.8million spent on it in the last 8 years, it is a lovely facility where the residents are very happy and the staff care well for them. The council want to close it down because essentially there are better things they would like to do with the site and because the money they would save would plug a gap in their domicillary care budget (looking after people staying in their own homes). Several people spoke who will be affected by any closure, including one old chap who was crying as he explained how happy he was living there and how devastated he would be to leave. I seconded an amendment to reconsider the closure consultation plans, but the LibDems voted en masse to press on.
On Wednesday I went to the Neighbourhood Services Task Group which is part of the accountable process for the management of the Kensington New Deal for Communities. It is multi-agency with lots of residents representatives and we talked about various issues around the area. I find it a very good forum for examining local priorities - cleaning up certain streets for instance. We are going to have a Christmas Party on 20th December where we dont have to talk about rat baiting for once, I am really looking forward to it already.
This was followed by a Labour Party branch meeting where we selected our local government candidates for the last three remaining wards in Liverpool Wavertree. I think we have done well, all our candidates are strong and credible and will give the LibDems a run for their money even if some fights will be more challenging than others.
Yesterday I had the night off from my council work (although I had spent a couple of hours in the morning doing casework at home while I was waiting for the man to come from Telewest and install my new phone, cable TV and broadband....)
Today I will use my special leave to visit the National Children's Home Regional Director for the North West to talk about what they do for children in Liverpool. Then I have my weekly surgery at 5.30pm, followed by our Constituency Labour Party meeting at 7.30 where we are going to talk about building strong communities as our contribution to the national policy debate and then at about 9.30pm Wendy and I are popping along to an Irish Night to help raise funds for Fairfield Area Residents Association and their bid to create a community garden at St Sebastians.
I am hoping to spend the weekend doing things for myself...!
On Monday, after work, I went to my Heritage Scrutiny Panel meeting, where I am the only Labour member. We are currently looking at the programme of events for next year when Liverpool will celebrate its 800th birthday. In particular this week we looked at the creation of a new musuem dedicated to slavery (past and present) and how we would celebrate the 200th anniversary next year of the abolition of slavery. We also looked at plans for another new musuem, which is about Liverpool's 800 years of history.
I had to get my skates on to be at the GEARS residents association meeting for 6pm. Wendy Simon came with me, she is going to be the Labour candidate in next May's election in the ward and has already started campaigning and picking up casework for local people. Residents talked about a special event to unveil the new mosaic heritage bench in Birchfield Park in early December. There was also good news from the youth branch of the residents association - EAGERS, who have secured funding for a whole host of days out for young people in the area.
At 7.45pm Wendy and I went to meet the local Sergeant and talk to him about some particular hotspots for Anti Social Behaviour and he promised to put some special efforts into those areas. I dont want to say too much about that at the moment in case it scuppers the plans.
On Tuesday I spent the morning at the Planning Committee, it was my first time attending as an objector and I got up on behalf of local residents and made a short speech objecting to plans to turn 1-3 Beech Street into a B&B. It is an attractive grade II listed building that used to be a care home. It has now closed and the owners want to attract what they call "tradespeople" to work there. I pointed out that in my experience workmen travel about in vans, and there were 30 bedrooms envisaged for this place, but only 8 car parking spaces. We cannot have large amounts of vans parking up and down Beech Street, right next to our new flagship neighbourhood centre.
I spent the afternoon at a special Health and Adult Care select committee where we were fighting to save an old people's home from closure. Venmore care home has had £2.8million spent on it in the last 8 years, it is a lovely facility where the residents are very happy and the staff care well for them. The council want to close it down because essentially there are better things they would like to do with the site and because the money they would save would plug a gap in their domicillary care budget (looking after people staying in their own homes). Several people spoke who will be affected by any closure, including one old chap who was crying as he explained how happy he was living there and how devastated he would be to leave. I seconded an amendment to reconsider the closure consultation plans, but the LibDems voted en masse to press on.
On Wednesday I went to the Neighbourhood Services Task Group which is part of the accountable process for the management of the Kensington New Deal for Communities. It is multi-agency with lots of residents representatives and we talked about various issues around the area. I find it a very good forum for examining local priorities - cleaning up certain streets for instance. We are going to have a Christmas Party on 20th December where we dont have to talk about rat baiting for once, I am really looking forward to it already.
This was followed by a Labour Party branch meeting where we selected our local government candidates for the last three remaining wards in Liverpool Wavertree. I think we have done well, all our candidates are strong and credible and will give the LibDems a run for their money even if some fights will be more challenging than others.
Yesterday I had the night off from my council work (although I had spent a couple of hours in the morning doing casework at home while I was waiting for the man to come from Telewest and install my new phone, cable TV and broadband....)
Today I will use my special leave to visit the National Children's Home Regional Director for the North West to talk about what they do for children in Liverpool. Then I have my weekly surgery at 5.30pm, followed by our Constituency Labour Party meeting at 7.30 where we are going to talk about building strong communities as our contribution to the national policy debate and then at about 9.30pm Wendy and I are popping along to an Irish Night to help raise funds for Fairfield Area Residents Association and their bid to create a community garden at St Sebastians.
I am hoping to spend the weekend doing things for myself...!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Top Tory blogger Iain Dale's top 100 Labour bloggers
A bit of a strange concept really - a Tory having a list of top 100 Labour bloggers, but there you go, he has got one.
If you click on the title of this piece it will take you to his site where you can download the PDF with the full list and have a look at lots of other Labour blogs, do come back though!
If you click on the title of this piece it will take you to his site where you can download the PDF with the full list and have a look at lots of other Labour blogs, do come back though!
Friday, October 20, 2006
Needham Triangle anti-social behaviour problems
I am really worried about the kids up to mischief in Needham Triangle in Kensington
On Saturday several climbed on to the very top of the roof ridge of a house on Needham Road, hugging the chimney stack and waving to their pals down below. One little boy slipped and fell right down the roof, only being saved from going over the edge by one of his pals who managed to grab him.
They have been throwing stones to break windows of empty houses for sale on Chiswell Street, clambering into backyards of boarded up houses on nearby Adderley and setting fires and running along the tops of alley walls.
Obviously it is making local people angry but it is also frightening to think about how close they are to hurting themselves in these dangerous games.
One practical solution that has been suggested to me is that we could consider installing some special rollers which fit onto the tops of the alley walls and so prevent you climbing on to them. I suppose they were designed as a further step to combat burglaries, always assuming they had already managed to get over the alleygate. But there is no reason why they could not be used to stop children from going where they shouldn't.
I put it to Council officers at a meeting yesterday, they seemed interested in the idea, it is a question of money as with everything else but they promised to look into it.
Watch this space.
On Saturday several climbed on to the very top of the roof ridge of a house on Needham Road, hugging the chimney stack and waving to their pals down below. One little boy slipped and fell right down the roof, only being saved from going over the edge by one of his pals who managed to grab him.
They have been throwing stones to break windows of empty houses for sale on Chiswell Street, clambering into backyards of boarded up houses on nearby Adderley and setting fires and running along the tops of alley walls.
Obviously it is making local people angry but it is also frightening to think about how close they are to hurting themselves in these dangerous games.
One practical solution that has been suggested to me is that we could consider installing some special rollers which fit onto the tops of the alley walls and so prevent you climbing on to them. I suppose they were designed as a further step to combat burglaries, always assuming they had already managed to get over the alleygate. But there is no reason why they could not be used to stop children from going where they shouldn't.
I put it to Council officers at a meeting yesterday, they seemed interested in the idea, it is a question of money as with everything else but they promised to look into it.
Watch this space.
Cracking down on prostitution in Kensington and Fairfield
I have just found this entry on the Mersey Police website showing some of the hard work we are doing together, as part of Operation Rose, to stop prostitution in Kensington and in Fairfield.
I am quoted at the end of the article praising the police for tackling the priorities of local people.
I am quoted at the end of the article praising the police for tackling the priorities of local people.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Amazing Mrs Pritchard
This is a wonderful programme that I can definitely recommend.
There are some miserable sods out there who have criticised it for being too far-fetched, that is something we can debate because I can see how it might happen, given the public's penchant for falling in and out of love with celebrities.
However, far-fetched or not, it is funny, interesting, clever, full of women politicians which is a very refreshing change and I love it.
I particularly love the presence of "real" newsreaders, journalists and presenters so that Mrs Pritchard appears on Newsnight or the Today programme for instance, being interviewed by Kirsty and John.
It is great fun.
If you have not seen it, can I please recommend it to you, if you dont know what it is about, let me quickly summarise.
Roz Pritchard, a supermarket manager decides, at the last minute, to stand as an Independent candidate in her local constituency in the General Election, following her witnessing fisticuffs between the white middle-aged male candidates from Labour and Conservative parties. She wants to stand as a candidate who will always tell the truth and be trustworthy and offer something new and fresh to people who have stopped engaging with politics.
Within 24 hours other like-minded women have asked to stand with her, in their own constituencies, and the supermarket owner offers her £10million for a national campaign because she is so impressed with Roz.
By the time of the election itself, the huge media interest in Roz has helped create a situation where a female candidate is standing in more or less every constituency in the country, under the banner of the Purple Alliance (purple being a blend of red and blue). Several key Labour and Tory MPs and candidates have also defected to her.
And on polling day there is a huge turnout amongst the disaffected and Roz is elected as the Prime Minister.
Subsequent episodes have described her progress and some of the challenges she has had to face.
And now she wants to move Parliament to Bradford, to be closer to the people.
Imagine, a common sense party full of good strong women who want to put people first, to tell the truth and do their best.....I would vote for that myself, I might even join them!
Do have a look at their website - click on the title of the link, you can vote on the Bradford question this week.
There are some miserable sods out there who have criticised it for being too far-fetched, that is something we can debate because I can see how it might happen, given the public's penchant for falling in and out of love with celebrities.
However, far-fetched or not, it is funny, interesting, clever, full of women politicians which is a very refreshing change and I love it.
I particularly love the presence of "real" newsreaders, journalists and presenters so that Mrs Pritchard appears on Newsnight or the Today programme for instance, being interviewed by Kirsty and John.
It is great fun.
If you have not seen it, can I please recommend it to you, if you dont know what it is about, let me quickly summarise.
Roz Pritchard, a supermarket manager decides, at the last minute, to stand as an Independent candidate in her local constituency in the General Election, following her witnessing fisticuffs between the white middle-aged male candidates from Labour and Conservative parties. She wants to stand as a candidate who will always tell the truth and be trustworthy and offer something new and fresh to people who have stopped engaging with politics.
Within 24 hours other like-minded women have asked to stand with her, in their own constituencies, and the supermarket owner offers her £10million for a national campaign because she is so impressed with Roz.
By the time of the election itself, the huge media interest in Roz has helped create a situation where a female candidate is standing in more or less every constituency in the country, under the banner of the Purple Alliance (purple being a blend of red and blue). Several key Labour and Tory MPs and candidates have also defected to her.
And on polling day there is a huge turnout amongst the disaffected and Roz is elected as the Prime Minister.
Subsequent episodes have described her progress and some of the challenges she has had to face.
And now she wants to move Parliament to Bradford, to be closer to the people.
Imagine, a common sense party full of good strong women who want to put people first, to tell the truth and do their best.....I would vote for that myself, I might even join them!
Do have a look at their website - click on the title of the link, you can vote on the Bradford question this week.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Labour Party conference in Manchester
Conference in Manchester was really great.
Definitely the best venue of the four I have been to - the others being Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth. There are several reasons for that; It is all on the flat, aside from a few steps up to the GMEX building, this makes a considerable difference when you are on your feet all day every day for a week! It is architecturally very pleasing within the secure area, attractive hotels (the Radisson and the Midland), the GMEX building itself, the skyline - I had a view from my hotel bedroom of the town hall clock. There is lots of space within the GMEX so that we could have the exhibition space within the conference venue itself, which is particularly helpful and should make it much easier to persuade potential exhibitors to rent some space.
I wont go into lots of detail about the NEC meetings and what went on, Ann Black gives a pretty good account to anyone who wants to know chapter and verse so it is silly for me to repeat it all here.
So I will give you the gossip and the low-down instead.
I spent quite a bit of time having to organise a prayer room for our Muslim delegates, it being Ramadan and there being a tight timetable of prayers. We had agreed to provide one but the Ts had not been crossed, nor the Is dotted, so it was not ready. The GMEX staff were incredibly helpful in finding somewhere and the delegates who had approached me for help were pleased with the facility. The only slight problem was that the room contained paintings of the Queen and Prince Phillip which had to come down off the wall because you cannot have images of people in a prayer room, but I thought they would have put anybody off their stroke in any case. I thought all that kind of thing, Windsor worship, went out with the ark but obviously not.
I spent quite a lot of time on International issues this conference, I was personally invited to meet the High Commissioner of Pakistan who was a fabulously dressed woman who spoke very well when she addressed the meeting. Someone said later that in Europe she is considered to be the best High Commissioner there is, from any country. I was extremely impressed. She talked about the relief efforts following the earthquake and also about the close relationship between our two countries, it was fascinating. Someone took a photo of us together, but I have not seen it yet.
Along with a few other NEC members I also met outside of the conference with a group of men from Kashmir, from different political backgrounds, who are trying to secure independence for their country. Labour has long since promised to help but they felt that it was all taking too long. I suggested that they consider setting up a Labour Friends of Kashmir group, which I would join, where we could push for this. I know that the Bradford MPs have been particularly supportive of this issue for a long time and there is a large APPG in Westminster too. There were dozens of photos taken on this occasion too but I dont have copies of them either!
I also went to the Labour Friends of Israel reception where my MP, Jane Kennedy is the chair. Tony Blair addressed the meeting and pledged to spend the remainder of his term in office striving towards a two state solution, for Palestine and Israel. It was rather moving and somewhat emotional really, I think it was the same day as the Leader's speech and we knew it would be the last time he would be there, at conference and at the reception. I think lots of people came into to hear him speak one last time who were not themselves interested particularly in Israel. Love him or hate him, there is always something stirring about endings.
I spent quite a lot of time with my Liverpool comrades, in particular one of our young agents, Daniel Hughes who I tried to introduce to lots of campaigners so that they could share ideas. I got Judy Richard's name wrong (from the SouthWest) when I introduced her, I dredged up Susan from somewhere, but I dont know if she noticed, apologies if you did and you are reading this! I was also thrilled to see Sheffield Councillors, Gill and Harry again and we spent some happy hours together in various events. I always love seeing Suzanne and we managed to get a few hours together here and there as I did with my old friend Gina and her team on the CFL stand.
Conference is as much about the Labour family meeting together en masse as it is about policy making, it is the place where you feel warm and inspired and where you just know you are in the right party.
I chaired two sessions which was wonderful.
The first session was Trade and Industry (it was probably called something else but that was the general idea), where I started off a bit nervous but soon settled in to my comfy leather swivel chair and got used to the idea that my face was being displayed behind me on a screen fifteen feet wide! There is something rather fun about sitting up there on the platform and being in charge, choosing speakers, taking votes. I dont think there is much power involved but you do quite fancy yourself while you are sitting there. I tried to call up to speak a balanced section of people, concentrating on making sure I had the gender balance right, that black contributors were chosen, that young people were chosen. Ironically it was the white middle aged men who missed out a bit, for a change.
The second session on the Thursday morning was Crime and Justice and I introduced John Reid, the Home Secretary to conference. I also took 9 votes, including a card vote and was cheered for announcing that a controversial vote on corporate liability was carried.
The best part about chairing though came afterwards when people stopped me in the bar to thank me for calling them to speak or commented on my dry manner or calmness in adversity.
I shall miss all that high profile stuff now that I am not on the NEC any more, but it was great fun while it lasted. (I know you are not supposed to admit to that sort of thing, but who cares.) I was delighted that my colleagues gave me the honour of chairing conference as their parting gift (they also gave me a nice certificate which Tony presented to me, there were photos taken of that too, but as with all the others, I dont have any!)
I closed my final session by thanking conference for their support, and saying that I was going back to Liverpool to help the fight to take the city back for Labour. There were big cheers for that as you can imagine.
And I meant it, look out LibDems, we are coming after you, our people deserve better.
Definitely the best venue of the four I have been to - the others being Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth. There are several reasons for that; It is all on the flat, aside from a few steps up to the GMEX building, this makes a considerable difference when you are on your feet all day every day for a week! It is architecturally very pleasing within the secure area, attractive hotels (the Radisson and the Midland), the GMEX building itself, the skyline - I had a view from my hotel bedroom of the town hall clock. There is lots of space within the GMEX so that we could have the exhibition space within the conference venue itself, which is particularly helpful and should make it much easier to persuade potential exhibitors to rent some space.
I wont go into lots of detail about the NEC meetings and what went on, Ann Black gives a pretty good account to anyone who wants to know chapter and verse so it is silly for me to repeat it all here.
So I will give you the gossip and the low-down instead.
I spent quite a bit of time having to organise a prayer room for our Muslim delegates, it being Ramadan and there being a tight timetable of prayers. We had agreed to provide one but the Ts had not been crossed, nor the Is dotted, so it was not ready. The GMEX staff were incredibly helpful in finding somewhere and the delegates who had approached me for help were pleased with the facility. The only slight problem was that the room contained paintings of the Queen and Prince Phillip which had to come down off the wall because you cannot have images of people in a prayer room, but I thought they would have put anybody off their stroke in any case. I thought all that kind of thing, Windsor worship, went out with the ark but obviously not.
I spent quite a lot of time on International issues this conference, I was personally invited to meet the High Commissioner of Pakistan who was a fabulously dressed woman who spoke very well when she addressed the meeting. Someone said later that in Europe she is considered to be the best High Commissioner there is, from any country. I was extremely impressed. She talked about the relief efforts following the earthquake and also about the close relationship between our two countries, it was fascinating. Someone took a photo of us together, but I have not seen it yet.
Along with a few other NEC members I also met outside of the conference with a group of men from Kashmir, from different political backgrounds, who are trying to secure independence for their country. Labour has long since promised to help but they felt that it was all taking too long. I suggested that they consider setting up a Labour Friends of Kashmir group, which I would join, where we could push for this. I know that the Bradford MPs have been particularly supportive of this issue for a long time and there is a large APPG in Westminster too. There were dozens of photos taken on this occasion too but I dont have copies of them either!
I also went to the Labour Friends of Israel reception where my MP, Jane Kennedy is the chair. Tony Blair addressed the meeting and pledged to spend the remainder of his term in office striving towards a two state solution, for Palestine and Israel. It was rather moving and somewhat emotional really, I think it was the same day as the Leader's speech and we knew it would be the last time he would be there, at conference and at the reception. I think lots of people came into to hear him speak one last time who were not themselves interested particularly in Israel. Love him or hate him, there is always something stirring about endings.
I spent quite a lot of time with my Liverpool comrades, in particular one of our young agents, Daniel Hughes who I tried to introduce to lots of campaigners so that they could share ideas. I got Judy Richard's name wrong (from the SouthWest) when I introduced her, I dredged up Susan from somewhere, but I dont know if she noticed, apologies if you did and you are reading this! I was also thrilled to see Sheffield Councillors, Gill and Harry again and we spent some happy hours together in various events. I always love seeing Suzanne and we managed to get a few hours together here and there as I did with my old friend Gina and her team on the CFL stand.
Conference is as much about the Labour family meeting together en masse as it is about policy making, it is the place where you feel warm and inspired and where you just know you are in the right party.
I chaired two sessions which was wonderful.
The first session was Trade and Industry (it was probably called something else but that was the general idea), where I started off a bit nervous but soon settled in to my comfy leather swivel chair and got used to the idea that my face was being displayed behind me on a screen fifteen feet wide! There is something rather fun about sitting up there on the platform and being in charge, choosing speakers, taking votes. I dont think there is much power involved but you do quite fancy yourself while you are sitting there. I tried to call up to speak a balanced section of people, concentrating on making sure I had the gender balance right, that black contributors were chosen, that young people were chosen. Ironically it was the white middle aged men who missed out a bit, for a change.
The second session on the Thursday morning was Crime and Justice and I introduced John Reid, the Home Secretary to conference. I also took 9 votes, including a card vote and was cheered for announcing that a controversial vote on corporate liability was carried.
The best part about chairing though came afterwards when people stopped me in the bar to thank me for calling them to speak or commented on my dry manner or calmness in adversity.
I shall miss all that high profile stuff now that I am not on the NEC any more, but it was great fun while it lasted. (I know you are not supposed to admit to that sort of thing, but who cares.) I was delighted that my colleagues gave me the honour of chairing conference as their parting gift (they also gave me a nice certificate which Tony presented to me, there were photos taken of that too, but as with all the others, I dont have any!)
I closed my final session by thanking conference for their support, and saying that I was going back to Liverpool to help the fight to take the city back for Labour. There were big cheers for that as you can imagine.
And I meant it, look out LibDems, we are coming after you, our people deserve better.
Summaries
This is probably one for my mate Tim Swift
How do I sort my blog out so that only the first paragraph/number of words is shown and people have to click on the thread to read more?
Otherwise, I go off on a long tangent about a subject and it uses up loads of my front page.
How do I get round that?
How do I sort my blog out so that only the first paragraph/number of words is shown and people have to click on the thread to read more?
Otherwise, I go off on a long tangent about a subject and it uses up loads of my front page.
How do I get round that?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
A belated postcard from Jersey
Colin and I had a wonderful holiday in Jersey at the end of August.
I was telling my friend Claire all about it last night and she asked me whether I had mentioned it in my blog, and of course I hadn't so I shall do so now.
What you need to know is that Jersey's tourist figures are in free-fall. A few years ago a million and a half visitors were recorded, last year only half a million and this year, as late as the end of August, the Parliament was refusing to say how few people had visited in 2006.
The newspapers were full of woe and wailing and questions about why people have stopped going.
If they only paid me a modest commission I could sort it all out for them in a flash.
Jersey is a wonderful place and if no-one goes it is because no-one knows anything about it
Have you been to Cornwall? Well Jersey is similar, only smaller and much less busy of course now that no-one goes any more.
It has beautiful coast lines, possibly the best beaches I have ever stepped foot on, lovely little fishing villages, lots of interesting tourist attractions, friendly people, the same currency as us(albeit with different pictures on the notes), the same shops (although with some extra designer stores thrown in), they drive on the same side of the road, everyone speaks English and you can be there in less than an hour from most English airports (which makes it a lot nearer than Cornwall too in travelling time.)
It is abroad without being disconcerting, the street names are in both English and French so there is a sense of being overseas, as of course you will be, but also England abroad for those occasions when that is exactly what you want.
It is fabulous for those who like walking or cycling, it is family friendly and most places are easily accessible to those with physical disabilities.
What else is in Jersey's favour?
There are great buses if you want a day pass or a week's pass - we spent our first full day on the Island having a full tour so that we could identify where we might want to spend longer in the week to follow. It gave us a great itinerary.
For example we spent time in a wonderful church where the widow of Jesse Boot (founder of Boots the Chemist) had paid Lalique (the world famous French glass designer) to recreate the altar, font and side chapels in glass as a memorial to her husband.
For a short while Colin sat on a bench outside the police station in St Aubyn where apparently Bergerac, that famous Jersey policeman, operated from. (He has since bought me a video of the series where I can become very excited while recognising the background....)
Our most moving and emotional day came at the caves of the German Invasion. Thousands of prisoners of war from across Europe spent years building tunnels under the island to house various facilities the Nazis thought they might want if the islands were to be recaptured by the British. The occupation had terrible effects on the local population, to begin with the Germans thought they had the best billet in Europe, by the end they were eating seagulls to stay alive. It is very important story we all need to hear.
For at least 25 years I have ensured that my birthday is celebrated by a boat trip and this year was no exception. I have long wanted to visit Sark because I knew that there were no cars allowed and no planes could fly overhead or land. What manner of island was this?
I can tell you that on the day we visited it was first and foremost a feudal state, I doubt if there are any others now left. There was a Lord of the Manor and about 40 tenants, everyone else was a serf or a villein, in the pay of and the living of the Lord. There are three main modes of transport on Sark, bicycle, horse and trap or tractor, and that is it.
I read today in the newspaper that the island inhabitats have, by a small margin, now voted to become a democracy.
I have spent time wondering about why people dont go to Jersey, I have also surveyed my friends and neighbours about why that is, and the conclusion I have come to is this; too many people do not know what Jersey is, why you should go there or why you would want to. According to my mother it became, in the 1960s, a destination for honeymooners. And then they stopped advertising. So the only people who go there now are people who are on their 40th wedding anniversaries.
When I told people where we were going on holiday, they did not know it, or know anyone who went there, "Why are you going there?" they asked.
So I have to say that poor advertising, particularly on British TV, would appear to be the main problem.
So if I can end where I left off, Jersey is a fabulous holiday destination. It is true that most visitors seemed to be pensioners and occasionally with their grandchildren but the people in the service industries were young. There is no reason why anyone should not consider Jersey for their holidays, I am certainly convinced and at 41 I am not yet past it!
I was telling my friend Claire all about it last night and she asked me whether I had mentioned it in my blog, and of course I hadn't so I shall do so now.
What you need to know is that Jersey's tourist figures are in free-fall. A few years ago a million and a half visitors were recorded, last year only half a million and this year, as late as the end of August, the Parliament was refusing to say how few people had visited in 2006.
The newspapers were full of woe and wailing and questions about why people have stopped going.
If they only paid me a modest commission I could sort it all out for them in a flash.
Jersey is a wonderful place and if no-one goes it is because no-one knows anything about it
Have you been to Cornwall? Well Jersey is similar, only smaller and much less busy of course now that no-one goes any more.
It has beautiful coast lines, possibly the best beaches I have ever stepped foot on, lovely little fishing villages, lots of interesting tourist attractions, friendly people, the same currency as us(albeit with different pictures on the notes), the same shops (although with some extra designer stores thrown in), they drive on the same side of the road, everyone speaks English and you can be there in less than an hour from most English airports (which makes it a lot nearer than Cornwall too in travelling time.)
It is abroad without being disconcerting, the street names are in both English and French so there is a sense of being overseas, as of course you will be, but also England abroad for those occasions when that is exactly what you want.
It is fabulous for those who like walking or cycling, it is family friendly and most places are easily accessible to those with physical disabilities.
What else is in Jersey's favour?
There are great buses if you want a day pass or a week's pass - we spent our first full day on the Island having a full tour so that we could identify where we might want to spend longer in the week to follow. It gave us a great itinerary.
For example we spent time in a wonderful church where the widow of Jesse Boot (founder of Boots the Chemist) had paid Lalique (the world famous French glass designer) to recreate the altar, font and side chapels in glass as a memorial to her husband.
For a short while Colin sat on a bench outside the police station in St Aubyn where apparently Bergerac, that famous Jersey policeman, operated from. (He has since bought me a video of the series where I can become very excited while recognising the background....)
Our most moving and emotional day came at the caves of the German Invasion. Thousands of prisoners of war from across Europe spent years building tunnels under the island to house various facilities the Nazis thought they might want if the islands were to be recaptured by the British. The occupation had terrible effects on the local population, to begin with the Germans thought they had the best billet in Europe, by the end they were eating seagulls to stay alive. It is very important story we all need to hear.
For at least 25 years I have ensured that my birthday is celebrated by a boat trip and this year was no exception. I have long wanted to visit Sark because I knew that there were no cars allowed and no planes could fly overhead or land. What manner of island was this?
I can tell you that on the day we visited it was first and foremost a feudal state, I doubt if there are any others now left. There was a Lord of the Manor and about 40 tenants, everyone else was a serf or a villein, in the pay of and the living of the Lord. There are three main modes of transport on Sark, bicycle, horse and trap or tractor, and that is it.
I read today in the newspaper that the island inhabitats have, by a small margin, now voted to become a democracy.
I have spent time wondering about why people dont go to Jersey, I have also surveyed my friends and neighbours about why that is, and the conclusion I have come to is this; too many people do not know what Jersey is, why you should go there or why you would want to. According to my mother it became, in the 1960s, a destination for honeymooners. And then they stopped advertising. So the only people who go there now are people who are on their 40th wedding anniversaries.
When I told people where we were going on holiday, they did not know it, or know anyone who went there, "Why are you going there?" they asked.
So I have to say that poor advertising, particularly on British TV, would appear to be the main problem.
So if I can end where I left off, Jersey is a fabulous holiday destination. It is true that most visitors seemed to be pensioners and occasionally with their grandchildren but the people in the service industries were young. There is no reason why anyone should not consider Jersey for their holidays, I am certainly convinced and at 41 I am not yet past it!
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