Posted On May 4, 2012 1 Comment

A clear majority for Labour in Wirral

For the second year running the people of Wirral have, with huge support for Labour, shown the Tory/LibDem Collaboration that their running of the Council is unacceptable.  In a Council of 66 Seats Labour has taken control with 37.  The Tories have been reduced to 22 and the LibDems to 7.  This ends years of ‘hung’ councils in which minority Labour administrations, or fragile joint administrations, have militated against clear corporate direction.  Nothing could remove impediments to robust corporate governance better than this decisive permission of the people of Wirral for Labour to direct our Council with a clear working majority.

Labour Leader Cllr Phil Davies (centre) with (left to right) Cllrs Chris Jones, Seacombe; John Salter (re-elcted for Seacombe); Ann McLachlan, Bidston; Rob Gregson (newly elected for N Brighton); Pat Hackett, N Brighton; Ron Abbey (Leasowe, demonstrating his impression of Churchill's famous 'Victory' metaphor); Anita Leech, newly elected for Leasowe; Darren Dodd, Liscard; Pat Glasman, N Brighton; and Adrian Jones, Seacombe. Not in the picture are Liscard's Cllrs Jan Williamson and Bernie Mooney.

Rob Gregson, newly elected for New Brighton, said:

Councillor Rob Gregson

“I would like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to all the people, of New Brighton, who voted me in. Last night’s result was amazing putting Labour, for the first time in 10 years, in full control of Wirral with 7 new Labour councillors.  Jobs and services are firmly on my agenda, particularly for the younger generation, and with a strong Wallasey team, with three newLabour councillors, you can be confident that these issues will be addressed properly.  I look forward to representing all the people of New Brighton with openness and integrity.  I will work hard every day to repay the trust that you placed in me and in the Labour Party. Thank you for your overwhelming support. I look forward to working for you.”

Veteran Cllr John Salter, re-elected for Seacombe, said:

Veteran Cllr John Salter - re-elected with a huge majority

“We never take the electorate for granted, but after working hard for many, many, years with Adrian, and since last May with Chris, we were confident that our support would still be there.  But the extent of the support  our residents have shown me is completely overwhelming.  I will continue to work hard, as I always have, to justify your confidence in me.” 

This is the Seacombe result. It shows John with three quarters of all the votes cast. Need we say more?

Key members of the Seacombe Team. Back row Cllr Chris Jones, Mrs Joan Salter, Cllr Adrian Jones, Mrs Kathryn Stuart. Front row Mr Tom O'Neill, Cllr John Salter - newly re-elected, and Mr Paul Stuart.

 

Posted On January 30, 2012 1 Comment

NHS “safe” under a Tory-led ConDem government? Chris updates her report.

30th January 2012

Just over a week ago I posted the report below because I am so consciouse of the effects that the Tories’s approach to the National Health Service could have on the low and middle income people I represent in Egremont, Seacombe, Poulton and Somerville.    Things have certainly moved fast in a week – and not very well for the Tories.  The newspapers are increasingly open about the damage to its own popularity the Tory-led government is creating for itself.

The Bill seeking to change Labour’s NHS so fundamentally is back in the Lords on 8th Feb.  The Government seem to be on the defensive.   ”Yougov” has just published the results of a new survey on public attitudes to the NHS and its reforms, with a sample size of 1884.   Here are some of the highlights:

36% trusted the Coalition to deliver high quality NHS services, but a startling

57% didn’t trust the government “much or at all”.

Could you?

A full breakdown by political party support, gender, age, social group and region is available at:

http://cdn.yougov.com/today_uk_import/YG-Archives-Life-Sun-NHS-190111.pdf

A higher percentage of the British public opposes the Government’s plans to restructure the NHS than supports them, and faith in the Coalition’s ability to deliver NHS services is sinking.  After all didn’t the Tories go into the general election with slogans that they could be ‘trusted’ with the NHS?  Who believes that now?

Cllr Chris Jones gives her opinion of the government’s NHS proposals

On 22nd January Chris reported:

Following years of neglect under Tory governments, Labour invested heavily in replacing crumbling buildings and increasing nurse and doctor numbers to rebuild the National Health Service.   Most residents of the Wallasey Riverside area, covering from Seacombe to New Brighton, would agree that we are now well served with excellent local medical practices, backed up by top class Wirral hospitals.  But we have not yet met anybody on the doorstep who believes what this Tory-led government is now doing to the NHS is acceptable.

Follow the link below to read Angela’s summary in November. The latest developments show her view was spot on.

http://www.angelaeaglemp.co.uk/news.php?id=242

Labour created the National Health Service during the economic aftermath of Hitler’s war when Britain faced economic re-construction with burdens greater even than the Bankers’ gambling-debt crisis we are all now being forced to pay for.   It was created in the face of dogged opposition from the Tories.  So what’s changed?

Health is the most important element of every person’s ‘wealth’.  Isn’t there something fundamentally unwholesome about the privatisation of health provision into profit inspired businesses?

Last week the pressure on Lansley increased when official health department data revealed that the number of patients not being treated within the 18-week time limit has soared by 43% since the Tory/LibDem coalition took office. Led by the Doctors’ organisation “The British Medical Association” a meeting has been called of all 20 members of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.  Along with the nurses’ and midwives’ unions, these health professionals are calling loudly for the bill to be scrapped.

The meeting comes as one of Downing Street’s advisers on the NHS, Professor Chris Ham, King’s Fund health thinktank chief executive, warns that growing disquiet across the medical establishment “could become an NHS version of the Arab spring”.

Despite the Tories’ attempts to personalise politics, with rather silly jibes at individuals, we believe the people of the UK will no more forgive the collaboration government of LibDems and Tories, for their policies towards the NHS, than they will for their closeness to the bankers who plunged the world into its present economic chaos.

This ‘Health Policy Insight’ article provides excellent information, well worth reading for anyone who believes in the NHS

http://www.healthpolicyinsight.com/?q=node%2F1313

We will be interested to hear your views.

Posted On January 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Planters to brighten up New Brighton

19th January 2011

Cllr Pat Glasman

The new planters have been installed for a little while now and as the flowers come into bloom they will make a real difference to Seabank Road.  They are definitely a cheerful addition to the street scene. Local shopkeepers are very pleased with them and I think happy that they are not being forgotten in the general emphasis on the Seafront lately. I especially like the bench and planter at the top of Magazine Lane at the junction with Seabank Road.

One of the new planters

Unfortunately, on Friday night somebody attacked the planter outside the Post Office and plants were thrown around outside the shop and onto the canopy above but the staff did their best to rescue the planter. I hope this doesn’t happen too often, especially as the Post Office is such an essential hub in the community.

 

 

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