West Derby Road underpass/subway art project

The words of the prophets are written on the subway wall - or in this case, the paintings of the young people are displayed there.

I want to tell you about a wonderful project that was unveiled during RESPECT week in Kensington - and some of the background to it.

Early last year, I was contacted by Margaret, the caretaker at St Michael's RC Primary School on Boaler Street/West Derby Road to say that the underpass serving their school was filthy dirty. I went up to the school, met Peter, one of the learning mentors and had a look at the underpass, it was indeed dirty, with broken glass, old rubbish and litter, graffiti, all sorts of mess. It was obvious it had not been cleaned for a long time.

Scuff marks in the grass at the side of West Derby Road made it clear that parents and children were risking their safety by crossing the dual carriageway trunk road road above ground, rather than walk through the dirty underpass.

I phoned the council and explained that chldren as young as 4 were having their safety put at risk by not being able to use the underpass. Enterprise Liverpool were there with a scarab within a few hours and I went to meet them on site. After talking to the cleaning staff, it became clear that there had been a breakdown in communication between the inner city team and the suburban team, with each believing the other responsible for cleaning the subway, and neither doing it. Thankfully that has now been resolved, long since, and the cleaning is kept on top of.

The next issue was the drug dealing going on in there, which I seemed to be reporting to the police on an almost daily basis. However, when the big police raid took place in April, that dried up. In fact the Inspector did say to me on the day of the operation, that he had had police officers, undercover, buying drugs (and thus gathering evidence) in the underpass for weeks, while I had kept phoning him.

I asked our LCC neighbourhood dedicated officer, Cathy Patterson, to get involved with the problems in the underpass at about this time and she convened a small working group at the school, with the Headteacher, Peter, me, her, Michael from the Clean Team and Larry Murphy.

Together we all agreed that our ultimate aim is to close the underpass and replace it with a pedestrian crossing across West Derby Road. I invited senior members of Community Safety to meet me at the underpass and they agreed it was a priority for children's safety that we replace it. Consequently, we jointly approached Highways, but they said there was no money for a crossing here, it would have to go on a waiting list, determined by the scale of accidents at the spot. That is the stock response.

So, at the next working grup we agreed we needed a plan B for the meantime.

That plan B basically involved making the underpass a cleaner better place so that children and families would be more likely to use it, while we are waiting for a crossing above ground. We arranged for the dirty graffiti walls to be painted over too, and the lighting cleaned up and refreshed (we still need new lighting but there is never any money for that either).

Larry agreed to develop an educational project with some of the children within St Michael's school, also nearby Central Youth Club and Kensington Youth Inclusion Project, to talk about the potential impact of their behaviours on our environment. What happens if you litter, or write graffiti, how this might drag the area down etc. These workshops were well received and from them came the idea that we might create murals for the walls of the underpass that the young people would hopefully respect, if they painted them themselves. We thought that if they were proud of their work then they would not graffiti or dirty the underpass themselves, and would encourage their mates to keep it clean too.

We had little money for the project, we were using our devolved budget for the cost of the paints and boards etc, so we had a long think about how we were going to afford an artist to work with the chldren and young people, and how we could ensure that it was someone who understood the local community and had good links. This was tricky and many names were bandied about, people who had created murals before in the city or in Kensington.

However, Larry had a brainwave. He had heard that one of his colleagues on the Environmental Enforcement Team, Cath Morton, was a former art teacher, and he suggested he ask her to see if she would be interested in leading our project. There was much rejoicing when she said yes! She had six weeks to work with the young people at the YIP, at the school and in the Youth club, working on six large art boards, creating designs, painting and finishing them. The kids were still painting the boards at St Michael's the day before they went on the subway wall!

Cath encouraged the young people to think about what how they see their local environment, what they like about it and what makes them proud, and these wonderful art boards are the result (these four painted by the older young people were photographed before they went up on the walls, there are others painted by the children of St Michaels)

On the Thursday of RESPECT week the art work boards were fixed up by the Clean team and covered with perspex to protect them. And we had a lovely little ceremony to unveil them, with all the children and young people present, teachers, members of the clean team, youth workers and some community representatives. There were lots of thank you's all round, particularly to Cath Morton and Cathy Patterson who made so much happen, and the young artists were all given a certificate of thanks (from Wendy and me) and some art brushes (from Cath). Some really good community links have been made over the project and I was delighted with it.

The press photographer came and took hordes of photographs but I dont think the story made it into the press, which is a shame. The photos would have been really good, with lots of kids and paintbrushes in the mouth of the underpass. Please enjoy these instead, photographed when they were still in the YIP drying off. I may have some more I can show, taken by one of the attendees, I shall ask her for them later

KVFM, December 2009

So much to say, so little space, so little time.

KVFM December 2009 was a triumph and it has strengthened my commitment to fulltime community radio for Kensington and Fairfield.

For two weeks in December, KVFM was broadcasting from a glass box in McDonalds on Kensington.

Wendy, Liam and I had our own show on Saturday 12th December, which we decided we would use to launch RESPECT week which began on the following Monday. We invited Police Inspector Paul Harrison to join us as a guest, to talk about those aspects of RESPECT week that involved the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour. We invited Cathy Patterson from LCC to talk about the environment work we were undertaking that week, and we asked Lindsey from the Merseyside Fire Safety Network to talk about her work with the detached workers Youth Team in Kensington and Fairfield. The show was a great success and I will be linking to it via a podcast once they have been uploaded on the KVFM blog.

I then appeared as a guest on the Merseyside Polonia show, with the delightful Gosia McKane talking about why the K&F ward councillors thought it important to help fund the project through our devolved budget.

I was also a guest on the St Michael's RC Primary School show, talking about our fantastic art project in the subway/underpass that runs beneath West Derby Road between the school and the old Ogden's factory - more on this project later. The interviewers asked some really tough questions and threw quite a few curve balls but I think I got on top of most of them, I even did a Lenny Henry impression at one point (you probably had to be there).

And then for our piece de resistance, Wendy and I did a show with young people from the City and North Liverpool Youth Advisory Group (the YAG) all about politics. Not Party Politics of course, the licence does not allow for that. It was about the nature of representative democracy, what kind of person young people would like to represent them, whether we should lower the age of voting to 16 - that sort of thing. They were thrilled that the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Hazel Williams, was able to join them in the studio, she was really good with them and I think enjoyed it as much as they did.

The radio project went really well as it always does.

We were graced with good presenters (Cath Taylor on the last day was my favourite, looking at carers and those they care for) and great guests. We had Billy Butler to open the radio and the Lord Mayor at hand on the last day.

What a shame that the organisers had to run the project at cost this time. We supported them from our devolved budget because it is easy to see the benefits for our local schools and pupils, for our local organisations, businesses and individuals. But sadly some previous funders did not cough up this time. I hope they will come to see how special this project is and put their money behind it in the future.

And what a scandal that a project so precious to local people has never been supported by Kensington Regeneration. Something that has brought together literally thousands of local people who live within the bounds of the New Deal, has never once been deemed important or special enough for them to fund even so much as a poster.

Well done to everyone, as soon as the podcasts are up, I will link to them.

Labour Group Christmas Party

I know you are all dying to hear about the Labour Group Christmas Party (the Labour Councillors on Liverpool City Council).

We went to a party at Knowsley Safari Park in a marquee. Or at least that is what I thought we were going to. I was worried that December, in a marquee was going to be perishingly cold and that the sides of the tent would flap and that my feet would freeze. But actually, it is not a marquee in the way that you would think. It is huge for a start, several rooms, luxury loos, bars, dining area, dancing area. We had probably the best dinner I have ever had where there was a large number of diners. There must have been 1000 seated diners. It was gorgeous, hordes of staff in attendance, everything that should be hot was, everything that should be cold was.

And the cabaret was fabulous.

There were lots of other people there, celebrating Christmas, including some nice people from Merseyside Fire Service and even some LCC staff.

Everyone behaved impeccably, there was lots of dancing and we had a fab time. It was quite cheap too, all things considered, about £30 or so, and we got a shared bus back to Liverpool too.

I can definitely recommend this for your Christmas party next year.

(Laurel and Hardy had a lovely time too)

Project Triangle

I finally got the chance to see the Project Triangle documentary (thanks to Bev and Lou for the private screening at their house). It is a wonderful film, very uplifting and thought provoking, about a group of gay young people from Merseyside who went to Poland with the staff of Homotopia and police officers from the SIGMA team (hate crime investigators)to visit Auschwitz and also to meet other gay young people and exchange stories about their experience of homophobia in today's world.

We will be screening this film as part of Kensington Remembers in January when we think about the different ways in which our failure to celebrate difference has caused holocaust and genocide at its worst and bullying and neglect at best, in the last few centuries, and still today.

I have a copy of the DVD if anyone wants to borrow it. It is great - and Tracy O'Hara who is the International Police Woman of the Year (from Liverpool Police) and went on the trip, is a Boro fan too, how cool is that?

Two commissions, count them!

The fledgling Louise Baldock Marketing free-lancing has advanced this month.

I have had two commissions.

I did the internal newsletter for Liverpool Vision (I know, it is amazing, I was thrilled). I cannot link to it because it was hard-copy - 12 A4 pages printed on 6 A3s in full colour. If blogger let me upload a PDF, I could show you it, but it doesn't allow for that, which is a real shame. It was a huge amount of hard work on a very tight deadline, but it was delivered to the staff just hours before their Christmas Party. They really loved it. Result!

And I did the second Eastern Approaches Business Leaders Group newsletter. Give it time to download. I am very proud of it, especially the article about Councillor Berni Turner and her waste management programme. You see, in the freelance world, I can be as magnanimous as the next man - last edition Gary Millar, this edition Berni Turner - and some pics of Warren Bradley too.

I am really pleased with how the freelancing is going and the calibre of my clients. I am speaking for 2 minutes (on the clock) at the next Business Breakfast (special guest Prof Phil Redmond) about my business, so hopefully will pick up some new clients there too.

December 2009 - the month when my diary combusted

I am always busy, you know that, never short of stuff to do, people to see, places to go, but December 2009 has broken all records I reckon. I lost count of how many times I was still up writing reports, designing newsletters, sending emails, working working working at 2am. One morning I slept in, I was so exhausted. So, the next few posts will give you some idea of some of the huge mountain of exciting and interesting stuff I have been up to. With photos, where I have them to hand. Thanks for hanging round for three weeks waiting for me to post, your loyalty is very humbling!

Kensington Community Interest Company - what the papers say

Just spotted this update in the national Regeneration news about the work that Councillor Nick Small and I have been carrying out to mitigate the worst affects of the proposed succession strategy to Kensington Regeneration. You don't just have to take my word for it... (whatever Cllr Sidorczuk's muddled response to an earlier post might suggest).

I&DeA Assessment Centre - getting my head turned by the bright lights

I was in London earlier this week at an assessment centre (at their request) to find out whether I have what it takes to become a peer mentor with the I&DeA.

That would involve working with principally Labour council/lors across the country as needed to help them with areas of concern or difficulties they might have in terms of being effective and following best practice.

Imagine me, free to roam, in London! I had a lovely Italian meal with friends in a restaurant on Tavistock Place on Wednesday night and then an early night in the Holiday Express on Old Road.

I had no battery charge on my phone, had forgotten the charger and thus had no texts, calls and no alarm, what a strange evening! I had to set the alarm on the TV and the phone and then hope and pray they went off and woke me up, I was petrified of sleeping in and worried about missing important calls. Very strange times.

The assessment went reasonably well I think and it was interesting to spend time with some of the other would-be peers, including leaders of councils and leaders of groups and the elected mayor of Hartlepool. I think I may have been the only Labour councillor, although we didn't really talk about our political party representation, it didn't seem quite the done thing.

However, I did recognise Andrew Cooper, one of the Kirklees Greens, who I was sitting by, so we had a bit of a chat about the old days.

I now have to wait 10 days to find out whether I got through and can begin to give some support elsewhere.

I also enjoyed an hour in the British Museum, admiring some 19th and 20th century European jewellry and pots. Lovely, I was very desirous of some of the pieces I saw.

(Interestingly, when I got home last night and turned my dead phone onto charge, I watched in bemusement as it began to chirrup and light up with texts and unanswered phone calls, like a insatiable child, demanding to be fed. Friends keep encouraging me to buy an i-phone and a blackberry and all that nonsense, monstrous, surely! That you cannot be free even while you sleep.)

Chrysalis Dinner - and more twinkling toes

Last weekend I joined a host of West Derby Labour Party people (happily including some of my best friends) at a special dinner to congratulate Chrysalis on their 10th anniversary in Domestic Violence Support Services.

Hosted at the Devonshire House Hotel (yes, that wonderful place again - I may get shares), this glittering ball was attended by upwards of 500 people, mainly young woman survivors of domestic violence (and all dressed up beautifully, it being one of their social highlights of the year). It was hard to believe or imagine that their partners have found it acceptable to hit them, but uplifting that they were all out having a good time, confident, dancing, enjoying being in each other's company and beginning to heal.

Incidently, I did notice that there might be a role for a smoking cessation organisation to turn up with a stall next year - judging by the sheer numbers of women piling out of the front door for a smoke, between courses etc (don't ask me how I know).

Stephen Twigg, Chair of the Board of Trustees and I took to the dance floor several times in what is now becoming a new tradition, I am sure they only invited me to come along with him because of our Abba performance from 2007!

A very big well done to Jacqui Nasuh and all of her team for the wonderful work they continue to do for these vulnerable women and their children. You deserve every word of every plaudit you received, you are all truly awesome.

Happy 60th Birthday George McKane

Wendy, Martin Pinder from Kensington Regeneration, Tracy from LYS, and lots of other partners and organisations were among guests for a surprise party for George McKane from Yellow House to celebrate his 60th birthday.

It was held at the Cavern club, in the basement under Matthew Street (across the road from the original club where the Beatles played). I have never been there before and I really liked it. Just a few feet from the real thing, very atmospheric!

We had two bands, a Beatles tribute which were very good and a duo who did stuff from the 70s mainly, who George obviously knew. Lots of dancing ensued. There were lots of new and old Yellow House young people there and George clearly enjoyed all the reminiscing with his friends.

Happy Birthday George, we all salute you and thanks to the wonderful Ghosia for her hard work putting everything together.

Deputy Chair of Venture Housing Association

We had the AGM a week ago or so and I am now the Deputy Chair of Venture Housing Association. It is an honour and a privilege, I think they are a great little RSL, but I am not sure where the 220 hours a year I have committed to, will come from! Got to get that midnight oil burning a bit brighter I think.

We are well on our way to a good audit inspection, after the poor one I inherited when I came on the board. At least one star, with a possibility of two, if all the work we have put in actually means anything. Watch this space.

Jingle (bells)

We are hard at work planning our two radio shows for the next KVFM licence in December.

To run concurrently with RESPECT week in Kensington and Fairfield, the station will be transmitting from MaccieDs on Kensington as usual.

The three councillors are doing a show on Saturday 12th where we will be launching RESPECT week with local police, council officers and youth workers. And on 17th December, Wendy and I are doing a show with representatives from the YAG (Young People's Advisory Group) for City and North Liverpool District about what politics means (or does not mean) to young people. I have also enjoyed watching the lads from the Pagoda Youth Centre putting their scripts and jingles together for their YAG show about drugs ("it's a show about drugs Will, about drugs, not on drugs")

We have created our jingles and the scripts are coming along nicely. I am really looking forward to it...

Liverpool March Against Homophobia - Sunday 22nd November

We will be meeting at St George's Hall Plateau at 1pm and marching down Dale Street and along the Strand, past the Police Station ending up at the New Picket.

Meeting at 1pm

Do please come, we want lots of LGBT people and lots of supporters to turn up. We need to get the message out across the city that ordinary Liverpool people are not homophobic and do not support tacitly, or otherwise, violent attacks such as happened to PC James Parkes a few weeks ago, or the murder of Michael Causer.

Please can you join the Facebook Group http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171605904294&ref=mf and sign up to say you are coming along

Q&A session with David Miliband

David Miliband - that is the Foreign Secretary to you - was in Liverpool this afternoon, at the Devonshire House Hotel on Edge Lane, to hold a Q&A with NW Labour Party members.

An intimate group of about 40 members sat with him - and Jane Kennedy MP, and heard a really good speech lasting about 20 minutes and then had a further half an hour or so to make points, ask questions and engage directly with him.

The members were from Liverpool, Wigan, Bolton, Warrington, Wirral, Knowsley and elsewhere. Someone from outside of the LP asked me later if we charged an entrance fee, and the answer is no. We didn't charge, it was a free event and you even got a cup of tea and a biscuit.

David was introduced to the meeting by Jane Kennedy, our retiring MP and former minister and was extremely warm about her when replying to her introduction. He told the meeting that he always says nice things about the local MP when he visits their constituency, as you would expect, but that he genuinely believes that Jane was personally responsible for helping to "save the Labour Party". He talked about the period in the 1980s when he said the Labour Party was at a crossroads, deciding whether to take itself into an idealogical oblivion (that is not the phrase he used, but I cannot bring it to mind just now, I think it may have been about moving "into the cold"), or whether to move forward as a truly Progressive party. (I think that deserved a capital letter).

He said this battle was fought most strongly in the "crucible" of Liverpool and that Jane was at the forefront of that fight - against Militant. Jane and I were sitting with David at the top table, and I could see and sense that she was genuinely touched by this significant praise. A thoughtful and well deserved epitaph for a fantastic Parliamentary career and all-round contribution of an active Labour Party member.

David gave a really interesting and stirring speech about the challenges facing the Labour Party. He said there were three main points we needed to consider as we enter the election period - to counter the myths that we don't have a record to be proud of, that there are no big issues to fight any more and that there is no difference between the Tories and Labour. I wont go into detail because this entry is already running above the length my readers generally prefer)

One of the benefits of being a card carrying member of the Labour Party, as opposed to a supporter or a voter, is that you are regularly invited to such events. Those members today were absolutely free to put their points and questions directly to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary of Great Britain - and were free to raise any issues at all that were of concern.

I chaired the Q&A session, both as local councillor for the ward in which the hotel is located, and also as the Deputy Chair for the Region.

One member asked David about the new vacancies of European President and European Foreign Minister - he is backing Tony Blair but is less sure about the Foreign Minister post as he wanted someone from Sweden who has not been put up by that country. He was asked about alternative forms of energy and raised a laugh when he said we needed to concentrate on wind and water sources because we cannot really rely on the sun/solar energy in Britain. He was asked about the situation in Iran by an Iranian LP member and about the impact of China on Trade Aid. He answered questions about all-women shortlists from Wigan and Warrington members, and agreed with a Wigan member about the importance of Housing as a vital issue.

A particular round of applause went to a local Liverpool Labour Party member Louise (not me) who has set up a facebook group in support of sure start centres and already has 900 members - do join it if you have not done so already. Louise takes her two small children to her centre every morning and has been talking to other parents about the impact that closure would have, if the Tories win the next election and get their way over this. He also answered questions about Somaliland (I hope I have spelled that correctly) and was very knowledgeable, I think the questioner who was also very knowledgeable was very impressed, and asked a Bolton member who raised the issue of GB pilgrims to Mecca, to write to him privately about the matter.

He left us to be interviewed by Channel 4 for a news programme and then onwards to two overseas engagements which he shared with us but which I will not share with you.

My closing remarks to the members was first to reiterate my point above about the access to Ministers that a Labour Party membership gives, and then to say that we should feel honoured and proud that a man who is as busy as he, having been to several meetings of world importance earlier in the day, and moving on to other vital meetings later today and tomorrow, has found the time to come and talk to interested LP members and hear their concerns and views in person.

And to the last question I know you will be asking, do I think he could be the next Labour leader? After today's performance I will say he was impressive, open, honest, frank, aware, alert, totally on top of his brief, funny, dynamic, questioning, thoughtful and very engaging. So, yes, it is a very real possibility, if it comes to a leadership challenge.

Liverpool Labour Party - new Website

I am pleased to recommend to you the new Liverpool Labour Party website. http://www.liverpoollabour.org/
I was not part of its formation so I cannot claim any credit, although I was pleased to have contributed a few photos which you may recognise, my eagle eyed readers!
I think it is an exciting and innovative site and I look forward to hearing from constituents in my ward who use the site to talk about issues in our ward.
Do bookmark it, I am also adding it to my links on the blog.

Rt Hon Jane Kennedy announces her retirement from Parliament

I was really sad but not perhaps surprised when Jane Kennedy, our wonderful MP in Liverpool Wavertree announced that she was standing down after what will have been 18 years in Parliament.

I confess I did not know Jane before I moved to Liverpool, although had heard her name mentioned in high places from time to time but we quickly became good friends when I became a member of Liverpool Wavertree constituency Labour Party.

Jane has had the most amazing political career - fighting off Militant in the 1980s, beating Terry Fields in the 1992 election and becoming a Minister in at least four Departments since 1997(I may have missed a few, but there was Northern Ireland, for which alone we owe her an enormous debt for her work, Health, Treasury and Defra (where the NFU still say she is the best they ever had)). She was also the Chair of Labour Friends for Israel and much else besides. I am not ever going to be her biographer because I have not known her long enough, others will know her achievements over the years better than I.

But what I can say with certainty, as a councillor in her constituency, and for my first year in office, the only one, she has backed me to the hilt in everything I have done. Where I needed her support, moral or practical, she has always been there. Where I needed her to have a word in a Ministerial ear, she never failed me, where I needed her to write letters, meet people, speak at meetings, help compose new policies, she has always been solid. When I needed her to campaign with me about local issues in Kensington or Fairfield, to get behind our plans, to suggest new tactics, she was always a wise head.

She has been out with me and other LP members, come rain or shine, knocking on doors and delivering leaflets, every Saturday since I moved here - and doubtless all those that preceded. If there is an MP in this country with less "side" to them, who is more prepared to do her bit, who is more ready to be an ordinary LP member, then I would enjoy meeting them. She has never missed her monthly General Committee meeting, never given less than a full and frank Parliamentary report, never shied from discussing subjects, never fed us any bull, never let us down.

I understand only too well her reasons for standing down and she has stated them herself so I don't need to repeat them here. But what I will say is this, the people of Liverpool Wavertree have lost a great ally and a great friend and she will be a very tough act to follow.

Liverpool Labour Party fundraising dinner

You wait for months for a fundraising dinner to come along, and then two arrive together!

On Friday night at least 200 guests were at the dinner at our favourite watering hole, the Devonshire House Hotel, for an evening of dining, speeches and music. NorthWest MP and Blue-nose, Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health addressed an audience made up of members, supporters, TUs and workers from the PCT, Alder Hey, the Burns Unit, the Royal and other hospitals and trusts in the area.

Andy congratulated Marie Rimmer, Labour leader of St Helens (who had joined us) and Jane Kennedy for their work in batting back clinicians plans for a Burns Super Unit in Manchester. He said that the NHS is Labour's greatest achievement and that only the day before the NHS 2009 Bill had received Royal Assent and was now an Act enshrining in law the right of all citizens to waiting lists of no longer than 18 weeks, and cancer patients no longer than 2 weeks.

We raised loads of money and I had the added pleasure of sitting next to Michael Shields over dinner, what a fine and decent young man he is. I wish him every luck and good fortune and he puts his life back together. He was telling me about a possible new job he might have secured, which gave me extra reason to be pleased.

There were of course lots of wannabe's at the dinner, as is to be expected, so we shall have all that to go through, I am becoming quite an old hand. But more of all this later.

I was pleased to sell tickets to ScouseBoy (hello ScouseBoy, hope you enjoyed yourself, it was great to see you), my mate Cath from Holmfirth and my mate Luciana from London, so I got rid of my four tickets, as per the leader's instructions, what a good obedient member I am!

Cath and I were both driving so we left reasonably early and went home for a glass of wine and a chat about the political scene in the Colne Valley before bed. I am glad I am here, and not there, when I think about all those hills and steps and villages, I am so pleased I have mainly terraced houses to deal with these days. Happy sigh...

Deane Road Jewish Cemetery project moves a step closer to securing its HLF bid

Last week was a very busy one with my Deane Road Jewish Cemetery hat on. Having issued a brief a few weeks ago or so, last week we short-listed and then interviewed several organisations who had submitted tenders to work with us as consultants for the next stage.

We have appointed a partnership of Cass Associates and Heritage Works and believe that together we can ensure the project submits a bit that meets the high standards HLF aspire to.

I am really looking forward to the consultation beginning and to getting to grips with the business plan and the activity plan.

This is one of the best and most important projects I have spent time on since being elected, surely it is not just an important facility for Kensington, but for Liverpool and for the country.

Kensington Community Interest Company update

We have had a major victory in our campaign against the waste of tax payers' money by the proposals for the succession strategy for Kensington Regeneration.

We have passed a resolution at the recent City and North Liverpool District Committee insisting that the new CIC company must

1. Increase its standard membership considerably - 70 out of 14500 residents is not enough

2. Break even within 3 years - so the expensive new manager must excel at fundraising otherwise the arrangement may well be called in

3. The directors must receive no remuneration - I think it might have been a LibDem who proposed this

The legal eagles at LCC will now incorporate these into the legal agreement with the New Deal partnership.

So, although the waste will go on, hopefuly it will be curtailed by our actions.

Thanks must go to Nick Small, Louise Ellman MP, Jane Kennedy MP, John Denham, Minister of State and the entire membership of the district committee for getting behind our campaign to ensure that as much money as possible should be spent on local priorities and not on needless bureacracies.

Liverpool Riverside CLP - and Eleanor Rathbone

The Women's Forum at Southport on Saturday set me up nicely for a dinner the following evening at the Red Fort on Lark Lane with Liverpool Riverside CLP

A fundraising dinner to help raise lots of money for the local and general election campaign next year, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of the election of Eleanor Rathbone to Liverpool City Council.

Although Eleanor was an Independent, she fought for the rights of women and families and was instrumental in the creation of family allowance.

We heard from Jenny Rathbone, her great-niece, who is a Labour PPC and also from Professor Dave Robertson who had really done his homework and was full of the most fascinating facts about Eleanor's life.

I really enjoyed it - and we raised lots of money for the party too, that is my kind of evening! Thanks to Laura and Hilary for all their hard work.