THE NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT

TORY RACISM ALIVE AND KICKING IN 2012

2012-01-23T13:08:00.001-04:30

A few days ago the Government for the first time ever released figures relating to the number of foreign born people who are currently claiming working age benefits in the UK.

It's own headline figure of 371,000 soon became headline news in all the Tory Press

370,000 MIGRANTS ON THE DOLE

said the Telegraph who added:

"The migrants, who can claim unemployment, housing and incapacity benefit, are costing taxpayers billions of pounds a year."

NON EU IMMIGRANT BENEFIT SCANDAL

screamed the SUN and told us in a follow up story that:

"FURY erupted last week over the news that we are paying dole to 371,000 foreigners."

The Daily Mail not wanting to be upstaged by its red top fellow bigots went even further

THE FOREIGNERS BEING PAID £2 BILLION IN BENEFITS A YEAR INCLUDING 371,000 ON THE DOLE

and then let Tory Employment Minister Chris Grayling rant on for them when he said:


Conservative general election poster 2010 Romford

"It is not acceptable that people from other countries can claim our benefits if they have not worked or paid tax in the UK. We will root out those claimants who cannot prove their immigration status and in turn they will be stripped of their benefits.

Forgive me if I don't go on to give extra blog space to some of the more rabid and reactionary comments on the web from the usual suspects responding to the Governments carefully crafted press release, but I am sure you get the picture ""bleeding immigrants coming over here, taking our jobs, the food off our table. they're taking the piss, taking advantage of hard working British folk, claiming this, claiming that, living in big houses rent free when young British couples can't even rent a flat from the council..........you get the picture I am sure.

But hang on a minute what was Chris Grayling saying about people from other countries? and those who have not worked or paid benefits in the UK?

You see it turns out that about 54% of those "foreigners" Chris Grayling is ranting on about are actually British Citizens! and most of whom have worked and paid tax here in the UK. A further 29% it seems have been given indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and others are people from the European economic union who are entitled to claim whilst working in the UK. That's right working! because despite the smokescreen a large amount of the 371,000 above are working but receiving "Top Up" benefits to subsidise the low pay of unscrupulous employers.
So just how many of those 371,000 are actually foreign migrants illegally claiming benefits and left amongst Chris Graylings targets for rooting out? er.... just under 2500! it seems, hardly the headline we were fed is it?

In fact the deeper you dig into the figures the worse it gets for the Government Of the 5.5 million people of working age in Britain who are currently claiming benefits, yes 371,000 are foreign-born, which equates to 6.4 per cent of the total number of people on benefits. That means 6.6 per cent of working age non-UK nationals currently get a state handout, as opposed to a massive 16.6 per cent of British nationals. And not only do less foreign born claim benefits from the state but they also pay more taxes to keep the 16.6 per cent of Brit's in the life style they have become accustomed to.

The ONF data goes hand in hand with Home Office research published in 2002 to assess that people do not arrive in the UK hoping to exploit the welfare state. This research found that immigrants pay more tax that they take in benefits, which was partly explained by the age structure of the immigrant population, which is disproportionately of working age and therefore consuming less state-provided services and paying more taxes.

Furthermore, the UK isn't exactly the welfare paradise for immigrants that some newspapers seem to refer to. Asylum seekers for example are not allowed to claim normal welfare and live on a paltry amount below that which the Government states is the minimum necessary for UK benefit claimants to be able to live. Many live in destitution, sometimes homeless, especially those who are appealing their case. The Refugee Council states that, “most asylum seekers are living in poverty and experience poor health and hunger.

So what therefore lies behind this official government press release and the predictable venom spat out by the right wing press to a nation wanting to believe that their current economic woes are all the work of Johnny Foreigner"?

The answer? RACISM, PURE AND UNADULTERATED.

Conservative General Election poster 1964 Smethick

It may be less up front than this poster left from the 1964 General Election, but this Tory leopard has obviously no intention of changing its spots

Tory governments in the past have played the race card as a smokescreen to their own internally created troubles and as always the media are only too eager to distribute racist and nationalist ideas such as blaming minorities and/or immigrants for unemployment, for so-called ‘benefit fraud’ and for the lack of resources like housing school places or hospital beds. It is easy to scapegoat vulnerable minorities and this official government endorsed racism ultimately sends signals out that foreign people are fair game for wider abuse from the public.

But Hate Crime is Hate crime in my view no matter who the perpetrator and I only hope that some of the British Citizens amongst the 371,000 affected above takes on Mr Grayling and his despotic government and makes a complaint to the Police

The CPS views this type of crime very seriously and say that "it has a real and lasting effect on individuals, communities and the whole of society. By letting people know what they can expect from the CPS when we prosecute racist or religious crime, we aim to improve confidence in the criminal justice system."

They add:

"Racist and religious crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity, their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin or their actual or perceived belief or faith. Black and minority ethnic victims can also be targeted because they belong to other minority groups and may experience multiple discrimination."

This shoddy coalition government including the Lib Dem's who are backing them up in Parliament, and staying noticeably silent on issues such as this above should hang their collective heads in shame.

MARGARET THATCHER: AN APOLOGY

2012-01-16T10:09:00.002-04:30

In light of the stomach turning behaviour of a number of politicians and public figures who recently in the media who have felt the need to grovel and apologise for any disparaging and/or abusive comments made against Baroness Thatcher, and after witnessing them being bullied by their party leaders or the press to issue an apology for any damage or hurt caused to her reputation or pride, I hearby give notice that I unreservedly refuse to apologise in any way shape or form for any comments made by me previously, presently or in the future in respect of this poor apology for a human being.

Furthermore, in the hope of informing debate on the current press speculation regarding preperations for the Baronesses forthcoming funeral ( I guess only after she has left this mortal coil) I hearby inform all parties interested of my signature to the following HM Government public e-petition stating:

Thatcher state funeral to be privatised

Responsible department: Cabinet Office

In keeping with the great lady's legacy, Margaret Thatcher's state funeral should be funded and managed by the private sector to offer the best value and choice for end users and other stakeholders. The undersigned believe that the legacy of the former PM deserves nothing less and that offering this unique opportunity is an ideal way to cut government expense and further prove the merits of liberalised economics Baroness Thatcher spearheaded.

I would therefore urge all my fellow social network friends to visit the following link

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18914

and join me in allowing such an auspicious occasion to be treated with the same free market enterprising spirit with which Mrs Thatcher herself applied to the mining communities of the United Kingdom who will forever be in her debt for allowing them to diversify their employment skills and/or spend more time at home with their families.

I furthermore inform all those music lovers who may be interested that I have dusted off my personal copy of Elvis Costello's "Tramp the dirt down" and I attach a video copy here below in "You Tube" format so that the world and his dog can be in no way confused as to my real contempt and ill feelings towards the Iron Lady and her political contribution to the British way of life.

Tony

MUSICAL INTERLUDE (COURTESY OF CAPTAIN SKA)

2012-01-06T07:43:00.002-04:30

Do you remember that wonderful Ska based "Liar Liar" track (below) put down last year by Captain SKA in appreciation of our wonderful Coalition government?

Well Captain Ska have been very busy since and I hereby gift you for the New Year their full (to date) catalogue.

Their latest release "WHAT'S THE POINT OF NICK CLEGG" is particularly poignant.

LIAR LIAR

SHAME ON YOU

SLIPPING BACK IN TIME

WHAT'S THE POINT OF NICK CLEGG

Captian SKA and yours truly invites you all to share the above amongst your Facebook friends and email buddies to help them understand what is being done in the coalitions name!

You can also keep up to speed with the latest news and releases via the Captain's website http://www.reverbnation.com/captainska or through their easily found Facebook and twitter pages

A XMAS HOPE AND A NEW YEAR WARNING

2011-12-24T07:30:00.003-04:30

Due to far too much Christmas Spirit and even more festivities and family visits approaching I rely this year on Lefty Lucy from the "Ask a Socialist" website http://freedomroad.org/askasocialist/ for providing me with a Xmas message for the blog.

Merry Christmas one and all, see you in the new year which promises to be truly awful, and for my own plagiarised contribution to proceedings After Lucy's great piece on Xmas below I have left you with an only slightly updated version of that infamous Kinnock Speech to preview with trepidation the year ahead of us

Do you hear what I hear? It’s the socialist messages of Christmas

On the surface, Christmas appears to be an overblown capitalist orgy. Starting as early as October, we’re told to spend, spend, spend. But I’m here to tell you about the Socialist messages that have been smuggled into the Yuletide season. Yes, Christmas is just a delicious, sugar-sprinkled part of the Communist conspiracy.

Christmas history: A primer

Due to the inevitable cross-pollination that comes with colonialism, most of the modern Christmas traditions have their roots in pagan customs. Like Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival which permitted slaves and servants to dine with their masters. It was topsy-turvy day, when you could flout power dynamics and class codes. The social contract was formally abandoned for one night to allow raucous merrymaking among the underclasses. It was sort of the precursor to office holiday parties where you’re allowed to get drunk on egg nog and make fun of your boss.

Caroling can be traced back to the Mummers rituals of old Europe. Somewhere around Solstice time, villagers would travel from house to house, performing songs, dances, and pantomimes in exchange for food or money. They occupied each dwelling in the neighborhood with their drum circles and chants, in a lighthearted, insistent demand for cake and wassail.

"Profiting King Wenceslas" would not make a very good song.

It seems that the classic aspects of the holiday season were born out of traditions of empowering the poor. Don’t tell Goldman Sachs! Then there’s all the messages of caring, sharing and peace on earth. Not exactly the stuff of imperialist profits.

Scrooge is a reformed Capitalist who promises to share the wealth with human and Muppet alike.

But the greatest purveyor of leftist ideals, the most radical agitator of them all, is Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. If you listen to those Bing Crosby tunes, you’ll learn that Santa, like time, is apparently the great equalizer. He brings glad tidings and gifts to all. According to one song, “he doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, for he loves you just the same.” But I know his heart’s really with the 99%. He wears red from head to toe. He redistributes the wealth, chimney by chimney. He bears a striking resemblance to Karl Marx. And those North Pole elves are probably unionized in a worker collective.

Dreaming of a Red Christmas

Amidst the clanging consumerist bells of Christmas at the mall, there persists a reminder to care for the less fortunate and to extend goodwill to everyone, especially those who are most in need. So as the lefties that we are, let’s take the charitable spirit of the season a step further and think of how we can build a world where nobody needs to depend on individual charity, where not a creature is stirring in the shelters, bunkers, or prisons, because we’ve managed to put an end to war and poverty.

It’s a fantastical dream, but custom allows it this time of year. Let’s dream of a red Christmas. We can be like the holdouts of all the raided Occupy encampments, braving the winter cold because we want social justice and “we won’t go until we get some.”

A new year warning

If David Cameron continues as Prime Minister for another year then, I warn you

I warn you that you will have pain–when healing and relief depend upon payment.

I warn you that you will have ignorance–when talents are untended and wits are wasted, when learning is a privilege and not a right.

I warn you that you will have poverty–when pensions slip and benefits are whittled away by a government that won’t pay in an economy that can’t pay.

I warn you that you will be cold–when fuel charges are used as a tax system that the rich don’t notice and the poor can’t afford.

I warn you that you must not expect work–when many cannot spend, more will not be able to earn. When they don’t earn, they don’t spend. When they don’t spend, work dies.

I warn you not to go into Northampton's darkened streets alone after dark or into the streets in large crowds of protest in the light.

I warn you that you will be quiet–when the curfew of fear and the gibbet of unemployment make you obedient.

I warn you that you will have defence of a sort–with a risk and at a price that passes all understanding.

I warn you that you will be home-bound–when fares and transport bills kill leisure and lock you up

I warn you that you will borrow less–when credit, loans, mortgages and easy payments are refused to people on your melting income.

If Cameron and Clegg continue in this Con Dem Coalition then–

- I warn you not to be ordinary

- I warn you not to be young

- I warn you not to fall ill

- I warn you not to get old.

SALE OF THE CENTURY

2011-12-21T06:50:00.002-04:30

I have little doubt that 2012 will see a big move forward in the building of the long awaited extension to the Grovesnor Centre, and as a result local politicians will crow their success in rescuing the town centre, others will be quick to welcome a positive sign for future prosperity for our town. But what will actually be built? And who will have really paid the bill? And what will be the long term costs to local tax payers?

I was a member of Northampton Borough Council when it signed its "historic" deal with Legal and General and as leader of the Independent group I was shown the details within the contract, Because of a commercial confidentiality clause I was prohibited from revealing the details, however I can still express an opinion without having to divulge the figures.

I have already intimated in public that I believe that the price paid by Legal and General for the Bus station and surrounding land packages was far too cheap, yes this deal was done in the height of the recession, but the over eagerness of the politicians to do a deal at any cost in my mind gifted the land and property to L&G at a price they could not refuse.

Moreover the deal as we now have had revealed, left the cost of moving the Bus Station and the cost of it's replacement together with the cost of paying off the existing tenants at the bus station (Stagecoach) solely with the council, and ultimately you and me, local taxpayers. Why Stagecoach were ever given such a long and rewarding lease in the first place is a complete mystery to me, after all I remember when they sold there own bus station on the Bedford road for housing development and then turned up overnight to park their buses at the councils bus stations as squatters with no rights at all. But now we must pay them £5.5m to move out!

In addition we must also pay an estimated £8m to build an inferior bus interchange on the Fish Market site. The deal between the Council and L&G will also see a change to car parking operations in the area and New Cllrs would be well served in revisiting just what deals have now been struck and how much extra this will also cost the taxpayer in lost revenue in years to come.

If any new Labour Cllrs at the Town Hall want to make a name for themselves I suggest they submit the following questions to the Council:

What is our current surface and multi-storey Car Parking land holding in Northampton Town Centre?

How much of that is included in the sale of Land to Legal and General?

What is the current annual income from those car parks proposed to be transferred to L&G?

What annual income will the Council recieve from these car parks thereafter? and:

Who will make up any difference in revenue?

So overall in my view L&G seem to have done very well out of the council, a knock down price paid for the land, the taxpayer picking up all the costs of moving the bus station, a potential new income from car parking, not to mention the new rents from any new stores attracted into the new build (hopefully not from the existing high street)But I still fear a further twist, what's the betting that what is finally delivered is but shadow of what was originally proposed? A scaled down version of all of those iconic plans so far revealed?

It is my view that the both the last Liberal Democrat and the current Conservative administrations at the Town Hall have both been so blinded by the desire to deliver something, that they will in fact accept anything. It is also my belief that we the taxpayer will in the end pay the most for their weak negotiating skills.

I suggest to both groups that if they want to prove me wrong then we can always examine the deal line by line in an open scrutiny committee so the public can judge for themselves whether we are getting value for money from this whole fiasco.

I have long held the view that in any multi million pound negotiations that if both parties say that they are so much in agreement then in reality only one party is actually doing the thinking and as a consequence only one party will come out on top.

On that score I guess I should congratulate Legal and General on their adeptness and savour-faire and commiserate with the public for having to pick up the bill.

IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID (part three) AROUND THE WORLD

2011-12-12T14:58:00.000-04:30

In this 3rd and final part of our plain English guide to state we are all in we look beyond the UK's shores and identify that he banking crisis of 2008 hit not only the UK, Europe and the US, its aftershocks were felt across the globe, China and India's economies for example may still be growing faster than anyone Else's at present but if their continued growth is to be maintained then they need a market for their goods they are producing abroad and if the rest of the world is in recession and no one is buying those goods then that will have its own negative impact. This "world view" of the economic troubles facing citizens around the globe is also accompanied by a series of infographics which I hope assist with the explanations to enlarge on any diagram just click it

But before we can make total sense of what the current crisis is doing to the economies of different countries and how it affects us here in the UK we have to understand where we as a country sit at the table as a player, and also where we are expected to be in future years based on current and historical growth. In the UK this is critical because as you will see from the infographic below the UK economy is due to contract sharply irrespective of any current downturn. So irrespective of the recession we are already facing an expected drop in our wealth and position as China and India and others take their place at the top of the manufacturing league.

But Britain's real fragility is only really exposed in its totality when you compare the contraction in our own growth and income with a much broader set of countries including those outside of the top ten above. This next chart therefore shows just how close Cameron and Clegg's cuts without growth programme has put us in comparison with those economies like Greece, Ireland and Italy which are presently close to collapse.

Are you worried yet? well you should be as thanks to Cameron's go it alone stance in Europe we are isolated even further and unlike those in the Euro Zone we have no one to bail us out if the market takes a run on the pound.

The next nettle for us to grasp is how big is the UK's debt when measured against other countries in the world, and what do the credit reference organisations (see below) think about our ability to being able to pay the money back? Just like individuals having a credit reference record, so do countries and the biggest credit reference company to rate countries is a company called Standard and Poor's, ironic really when you consider that our banks seem to have no standards and their actions are making us all poor! Anyhow a reduction in your rating, (ratings go from AAA+ to C-) just as with any individual makes it more difficult for the country to borrow more money which then pushes up the interest rate that they will have to pay to borrow, which in turn increases the GDP to debt ratio which ends up with Standard and Poor reducing the rating even further, in other words the banks make the debt ridden countries pay more for their borrowing because they say the risk is higher which in turn effects their rating which pushes the interest rate up even further and they go round and round in circles until they can/t afford to borrow from the banks at all, at which time they are in need of a hand out from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) or the European Central Bank. This next graphic is very revealing in not only showing you the ratings but also in understanding who is close the edge and who could be next for the vultures in the City to circle around

As you can see the UK's debt as a % of it GDP (what we earn) is very high at 83% and rising but it is nowhere near some of our other competitors. Ireland and Italy and of course Greece all with 100% + GDP/Debt ratios have all seen runs on their economy recently and have all faced and still may face financial meltdown. All have lost their (A) ratings and have been downgraded to B's and yet Japan which owes a massive 229% of its GDP still hangs on to an A rating (albeit AA-) so why is this?

Well Standards and Poor's take into account a Countries growth projections, and Japan is still seen as a good bet in terms of its manufacturing base, It is also worth noting that the above figures are also based on earlier 2011 forecasts predicting the UK growth figure way above the actual achieved. In reality because the current government are now planning to borrow even more than the last Labour Government planned to borrow if elected, due to increases in welfare payments and a period of flat growth, we now risk the UK's rating also being downgraded.

Standard and Poor's have in fact hinted at a rating downgrading of all countries within the Eurozone, which seems crazy given that there is a vast gulf between the performance of say the Greek and Italian economies when compared with say the German economy, but their excuse is that Germany and others may have to pay more towards any bailout of Greece or Italy and therefore their rating as well as the ratings of more indebted countries also has to be altered.

In other words a butterfly flaps it's wings in Athens and the aftershock is felt all the way over in in Berlin. It is in this context that David Cameron's disastrous walk out at the recent Euro summit last week. simply adds more fuel to the pessimistic forecasters who will now say that without all 27 countries committed to a Euro rescue plan the markets will not be satisfied. the markets then of course say they are not satisfied as they make money out of each and every crisis and the whole merry go round continues. One question of course for David Cameron and the UK is that if we are not going to be there to help back up the Euro in its hour of need then who will come to our aid if there is a run on the pound? also as most of our import and export markets are within the Eurozone then what happens to the British Economy if the Euro goes belly up?

My old comrade Dennis Skinner was right to call Cameron a plonker in the Commons last Wednesday but you have to wonder how foolish the PM must have felt having issued such a ridiculous ultimatum to the other 26 countries. I imagine a David Cameron stood at the door of the meeting room saying "Give me what I want or I will walk" "Au Revoir" and "Aud Weidershen" came the reply "and shut the door as you leave" This followed by "Call me Dave" walking very slowly down the corridor shouting "I mean it, I won't be back" to sounds of cheers coming from behind the now closed door. I imagine he was even asking the airline staff in the departure lounge whether or not anyone had phoned to call him back.

Whatever the truth about those fateful non negotiations, we have now as a country have put the Euro even more at risk, and as a consequence potentially damaged not just the latest Euro rescue plan but also massively weakened our position with our biggest trading partners.

And that's enough bad news for one day and where I will leave it for now, but I do hope this short series has informed and assisted people to get their heads around the core issues surrounding the world recession and also where the UK sits.

I also hope the graphs and infographics have helped, they are all up to date and where possible I have provided the source in order that you can check for yourself the data, but the most frequent comment I hear from people is that they just can't get their heads around the figures and the size of say a billion pounds or how one debt compares with another, so I have saved you my final infographic to give you a comparative view.

The billion pound o gram was produced back in 2009 by the guardian after the banking crisis had first hit in the year before. The deficit between what we earned and spent was £175bn, but how does that compare with say how much we spend a year on trident or the cost of Local Government across the UK well below you have the answer in scale. So now you know that political manipulation by the current government in reducing Local Government spending by a few % here and there is but a drop in the ocean when compared with the cost of bailing out the banks which caused the crisis in the first place. More on the billion pound o gram can be found here http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/nov/27/billion-pound-gram-inormation-beautiful#_

ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID (part two) THE MICAWBER PRINCIPLE

2011-12-07T07:24:00.001-04:30

When I arrived at Kings Bench Prison Mr. Micawber was waiting for me within the gate, and we went up to his room (top story but one), and he cried very much. He solemnly conjured me, I remember, to take warning by his fate; and to observe the other piece of advice he had given, "Copperfield" said Mr. Micawber,

"You will remember, annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery. The blossom is blighted, the leaf is withered, the god of day goes down upon the dreary scene, and — and in short you are for ever floored. As I am!"

After which he borrowed a shilling of me for porter, gave me a written order on Mrs. Micawber for the amount, and put away his pocket-handkerchief, and cheered up.

Mr Micawber's good advice to David Copperfield is as sound a financial principle as you will ever find, you see economics is not difficult at all, it has always been about ensuring you never spend more than you earn, or if you do them only borrow what you can afford to pay back from within your earnings.And so it was that the last Labour government on a pretty good record of previous prudence found itself logging on to the equivalent of a multi national wonga.com to ensure it could pay its way after spending a fortune bailing out the banks in 2008. Below we take the Micawber principle a step further and align it to the UK economy, the graphs alone make interesting viewing and if you want to look in more detail just click them and they will enlarge, just like the countrys debt!

Like any household, UK PLC has an annual income and an annual expenditure budget, it is only the figures that get bigger, so what does (or did!) the country earn in a year? What does it spend? And where does the money come from and go to? If we look at the years running from 2002 up to the 2008 Banking crisis and we will see that the total income and expenditure of the UK government was pretty much in balance Our income from 2002 (roughly £430bn) to 2007 (£544bn) was rising steadily this of course is mostly made up of tax income together with money from any sales of government property or stock.Our planned expenditure each year was planned on the expected income the same as you and me would set up our direct debits and plans based on our expected monthly pay checks. Sometimes expenditure was slightly ahead of income and sometimes the other way around but it was manageable. The chart left shows income and expenditure per capita (which means per person) in the UK as you can see the amount they earned from each of us was rising year on year and in 2007 we were paying out about £8300 each to the government and recieving about £8,800 back in service, but then in 2008 it all went Pete Tong

In fact the data is remarkable: from 2002 to 2008 the difference between income and expenditure over the whole period was just £6bn – or 0.2% of total income for the six year period. In three years prior to 2002 we even had a surplus and was able to pay back on our debt bill.During that period the total we owed in long term borrowing (the equivalent of the household mortgage or outstanding loans and credit) hardly moved and stayed around the £500bn mark this was the equivalent of just one years income, in other words its like the average couple both working and jointly earning £40,000 a year only owing £40,000 on their mortgage and credit cards, it was manageable.

As a result here was little or no borrowing problem.Nor despite the politicians claims was there excessive spending – it was funded on a "living within your means" Micawber principle. Until 2008 that is when it is not spending that is excessive, but the fact that income falls off a cliff and we spend a fortune on bailing out the banks, and that is where our problems started. Government Income though should not be confused with GDP (Gross Domestic Profit) GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services produced by a country each year, and is usually about 3 times what the government actually earns. I prefer to stick to the real income but GDP is important in economics as borrowing is always measured by the banks as a % of a country's GDP to see if they can afford to borrow any more, just after the second world war when Britain borrowed to rebuild our borrowing as a % of our GDP was a massive 240% of our GDP (2 and a half times what we all earned) in fact in the early to mid1800's it was even higher (more wars to fund) but from the 1970's onward it was at almost record lows before the crash in 2008 the % was around the 40% mark but now it is rising ever closer to the 100% levels last seen in the early 1960's.

So lets look at the nations debt and borrowing year on year from 2008. In 2008 we owed £525bn in 2009 we borrowed a further £91bn and now owed £612bn in total, in 2010 when the coalition came to power we borrowed a further £143bn and owed £759bn and this year 2011 we are looking to borrow a further £150bn to bring the total to £909bn in fact because the new government has stifled growth and the benefit bill has increased to pay to keep people on the dole the treasury estimate that the debt will rise to £1046bn in 2012 £1164bn in 2013, £1251bn in 2014 and reach a whopping £1314bn in 2015. The Tory/Lib Dem coalition have now accepted that they will have to borrow more than even the last Labour Government had planned to borrow (an extra £40bn) during the same period.

To explode another myth over which government (the last or this one) is spending more in government spending in 2009 was £621bn in 2010 it was £660bn this year 2011 it is planned to be £683bn and next year 2012 we are planning to spend £760bn

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE WE CANNOT GO ON SPENDING AND BORROWING UNLESS WE ARE EARNING ! AND WITH RECORD NUMBERS ON THE DOLE AND INCOME TAX FALLING THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT ARE MAKING MATTERS WORSE NOT BETTER

Lets look at what we have been spending and plan to spend on the welfare state in order to keep public sector workers on the dole. In 2009 the welfare budget was £94.47bn in election year 2010 it was £106.69bn this year it is £109.48bn and next year 2012 £110bn. That's £16bn a year more than the last government was spending on those who are inactive. In addition every worker we put on the dole reduces the income tax income and shrinks the high street spend. The total income tax received by the treasury has shrunk from £152bn in 2009 to just £140bn now, another £12bn deficit to be paid for, meaning that so far the bill for Cameron and Clegg's cuts programme just on increased Welfare and lost income tax revenue is £28bn a year. Pension payments which are also affected by the lack of donations to the NI budget are up a further £20bn a year pushing the deficit ever higher and growth is non existent and we are paying out more in benefits and borrowing more and more each year to fill the gap left by reduced income tax receipts and higher debt charges.

So going by the rules of the Micawber principle that we are earning less than we are spending of course there is a need to cut expenditure, but should we be reducing our income at the same time by working less? The only way to close the gap is to increase not decrease our income and encourage growth. Why are we sacking public workers who earn little and provide vital services when it pays us to keep them working and spending? Why pay out to a household £30,000 a year in unemployment and housing benefit when you can put the same household to work doing something useful for the same money and increase the income tax income of the country and encourage spending in the economy? as the chart above shows we are as a country spend ever more on keeping people inactive and as a result can not afford the extra cost of education and healthcare without more income tax coming in and less welfare payments having to be paid out.

As well as these short briefings being delivered in plain English I also believe the truth is always better served in small bite size chunks, and thats enough figures for one day so here ends part two of our short series. In part 3 we look at how other countries are faring during the world economic crisis, but as you can see from this chart on the left it's not a pretty picture, for anyone and we will also look what the euro has to do with us and whether or not Britain thanks to David Cameron's weak negotiation skills can really stand alone during what is a deepening worldwide recession.

"IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID"

2011-12-05T08:52:00.000-04:30

Why are we never really told in language that we can all understand what is really happening with the worlds economy?

Is it simply a case of treating us like mushrooms, constantly left in the dark and fed on manure in the hope that we will not ask too many awkward questions?

Recently I have been asked by a number of people (usually over a drink) to explain to them what is really happening to us all, and so I decided to commit it to print for others to take in and question, I would appreciate it your views.

THE STATE OF THE UK ECONOMY IN PLAIN ENGLISH (PART 1)

Background:

First of all to understand the mess we are all in now, and how bad things really are, we need to understand how we got into the mess, and also who was responsible for us getting us in the mess in the first place. Basically during the 1990's, and into the early 2000's Banks across the Western world particularly in the USA but also in part in Britain started to relax the rules on lending money to house buyers who were encouraged to take out bigger and bigger loans. In more responsible times people looking to buy homes were usually advised to borrow no more than three and a half times their total single/joint annual income, but all of a sudden banks were giving mortgages out like confetti, in the USA few checks were taken on whether or not people were able to afford to pay back the loans and even benefit (Welfare) claimants were being given mortgages despite their income being far lower than the repayments!

The Banks then sold that debt (they would package 100's of mortgage loans into one bigger debt) onto bigger financial institutions to try to reduce the risk to their own bank. And then the bubble burst as the financial institutions who now were left holding the risk suddenly found out that the people living in the homes couldn't afford to pay back the mortgages and as a result repossessions rocketed. As a consequence some of the Banks and the super banks went bust and no one had any money to lend out to anyone. This of course had a massive impact on other businesses who now couldn't borrow from the banks to either expand or even cover short term cash flow problems, so the economy started to slow down, people were laid off, who then couldn't pay the mortgage and the whole cycle went around and around. Meanwhile the value of peoples properties were also falling meaning people owed far more than they could ever sell their homes for, but even if they could afford to sell them potential purchasers also couldn't anymore get a loan from the banks. During the boom banks would lend couples 100% of the cost of the house and even more on top in some cases, but now the banks wanted deposits and restricted total loans down to 70% to 90%. First time buyers couldn't even afford the deposits and the housing market stalled.

The crazy thing here though thing is that the big financial institutions were so tied into the world economy, that they knew that they could take such risks with other peoples money and homes in the faith that the governments will come to the rescue with billions and billions of pounds in order to avoid financial meltdown within the stock markets. These people are still flying around in their private jets and driving Bentley's whilst many who now live on the edge through in some cases bad decisions but others through necessity whilst the banks continue their casino style gambling on the worlds banking roulette table. Traders even glout on the TV as to how wonderful the reccesion is and how every new collapse brings them more opportunities to make money.

The Labour Government:

Despite both the Tory and Lib Dem parties repeating over and over again like a mantra since the election in 2010 that it is all the Labour Party's fault, The Labour Government at the time were not responsible for the meltdown, the reasons for that are outlined above however they cannot in any way be seen as just innocent bystanders in this mess.

They failed to implement any guidance to or legislation on banks restricting the amount of lending to avoid bad debts. They also let the finance institutions act exactly how they wanted without any meaningful intervention. The former Chancellor, Gordon Brown and to be Prime Minister at the time took his eye off of the ball and stood aside as the sub prime mortgage debts were being resold as good business.

Having given the Bank of England almost total independence he had no room to manoeuvre even if he wanted to, that coupled with a desire to keep his new job meant the country just drifted into more borrowing and less action.

The government also had left social housing projects solely within the private sector which would never fill the demand of such housing. A boost in public sector house building at the time in my mind might just have saved the day, but the lack of supply fuelled house price inflation to ridiculous levels.

Joe Public:

The other player in this sorry affair was the public at large who had become obsessive about house ownership, home improvement, buying things we didn't need and whacking everything on the plastic, as a result personal debt spiralled.

The feel good factor from the pre 1998 prosperity made a lot of people completely forget the self restraint of managing their debts sensibly. A must have, will have it now society, not even embarrassed by taking on extra debt they cannot afford. Now we are all paying the price. Housing costs had also rocketed and now took up more and more of the monthly salary as a % of income. We were all trapped in the credit card debt zone and unprotected against the ill wind that was blowing.

In part two (to follow very soon) we take a look at the Country's income and expenditure over recent years and try to make sense of the economy from a Mr Micawber (Charles Dickens) point of view

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

in order to get our head around just what the country is earning, what we are spending and how we close the gap.

CONGRATULATIONS ALL ROUND

2011-11-30T14:53:00.001-04:30

Wow..... first of all apologies for the delay in postings recently, I have working on a number of drafts but not getting them finished, but I thought I would just post quickly to say well done to all of those who withdrew their labour today legitimately in a valid dispute with the government over pension rights and payments. How the government has got the neck to use the recession for their own warped political vendettas is beyond me. The whole deal sucks full stop, people pay in their money have an agreement and expect to be paid out on its fruition plain and simple, any attempt by the government to suggest anything other than the truth is unforgivable and the truth is equally plain and simple, they are asking public workers to pay 3% more in pension contributions in order to even work longer than agreed before they can then draw less pension than they are currently entitled to! Its the equivalent in reverse of me going to my bank and saying "I know I agreed and signed to pay my mortgage over 25 years but I have had a rethink and now want to pay 3% less a month and reduce the number of years I pay it for and I expect you to give me a bit more on top" I wonder what my bank manager would say? As for Cameron's "Damp Squib" jibe, methinks that one may come back to haunt him.

Secondly my congratulations to Aidy Boothroyd for officially stepping into the hot seat at Sixfield's today, part of my recent downbeat mood has been due to the utter tripe being served up by the Cobblers this season by players who should be ashamed at the level of their under performance. Gary Johnson's time at the helm was a miserable period for all of us including him I guess but in the last few weeks the discipline of the players has been sadly lacking, they are not training at anything near full pelt and are far to laid back in their approach to both games and their professional responsibilities, I wish Aidy every success at the club and hope the players can prove themselves worthy once again of wearing the shirt.

And last but very much not least, congratulations to Cllr David Palethorpe for having the courage to up and leave the local Tory Party, I was surprised as I am sure many were by his Damascan like conversion over to the local Labour Party, but with Tory Councils at both the County and Town Hall's doing the bidding of a Tory government in an blatant attempt to destroy Local Government then the opposition needs as many hands as it can muster. I remember saying to an ex Labour colleague a few weeks back after the dramatic change of leadership that the Labour Group needed to put a motion down on a Unitary authority for Northampton at the next Council meeting to reveal the real tensions within the Conservative group and I wouldn't be surprised if this was not one of the reasons that David has taken his decision. Expect bitter times ahead between NBC and NCC as the cuts bite and the blame is levied.

I mentioned above that I have a few posts in draft so before I go here is a trailer, first of all I will be publishing a "Plain English" guide to explain the state we are in, and the economic difficulties we are now facing thanks to the failure of the banks, the current government and Gordon Brown's failed plan to hang onto power at any cost. I will also be updating you on the County Councils continued incompetence to deal with their unenforceable residents parking schemes and their attempts to drive local residents into bankruptcy rather than admit they are in the wrong. BTW their appeal against my tribunal successes was dismissed as predicted because it was out of time and wasn't a proper appeal, the decisions were upheld and here I am three months later still waiting for them to write to me to inform me that the fixed penalty notices have been cancelled!

Also guess who has been reported to the Standards Board yet again? You guessed it, yours truly, it's the seventh complaint against me in 4 years! none of which have come to any where near a hearing. I am sorry I can't tell you what I have done this time to warrant such a allegation, as the letter as usual doesn't tell me what I am accused of, nor does it tell me who has made the complaint, but it does then go on to warn me not to discuss what they haven't told me with the complainant who they haven't named! Don't you just love the County Council! All this at a time that the government have scrapped the Standards Board for England and left Councils to decide themselves on how to punish wrongdoers! Maybe they will find me guilty this time and ban me from the Council for a month? but would I notice? Probably not, as they hardly ever meet and theirs more democracy on show in Cairo than their is at County Hall.

Speak soon, I have missed you

Tony

EXCLUSIVE: THAT RESIGNATION LETTER IN FULL

2011-11-01T13:39:00.003-04:30

For some it seems the fun has only just begun on what is becoming an increasingly split Conservative group on Northampton Borough Council.

It has been just days since the new leader David Mackintosh posed for the Chron's photographer with certain members of his group, but with many of his colleagues even more noticeable by their absence.

But now the boot it seems is already on the other foot and certain Tory Cllrs unhappy about the outcome of last weeks coup d'etat have now started their own rearguard action.

It looks as if last weeks disaffected are this weeks leaders who are having to look over their shoulders at last weeks leaders being this weeks new disaffected? Where will it all end?

The leaking of David Palethorpe's resignation letter (published below) is I am informed just the start of a campaign to expose the real workings of the group, Much more ammunition to come I am told.

Anyway enjoy and I would be grateful to anyone who can answer the following questions:

1. If four of the six plotters are named then who were the other two?

2. Has Northampton North Conservative Association really been decimated? and if so is their recovery still faltering as suggested?

3. Who are the significant number of Cllrs routed in the past who wouldn't support Cllr Palethorpe at the EGM?

4. How if the group is split in two as it seems, will simply changing the people driving the bus stop the wheels coming off?

5. Is being a Tory Cllr simply about the money it can bring you in?

6. And just who owns that quoted comment " another fat pay cheque for 4 years"

I would welcome comments from all sources!

(Click on pictures to zoom in)

NB Since first posting this blog at 6pm this evening several people have contacted me all claiming to know who the source is. They will have to keep on guessing. One rumour I am happy to scotch however is any suggestion that the letter came from Cllr Palethorpe himself. He I understand simply delivered it to his group Chairman, others must take responsibility thereafter for it's wider circulation. Indeed, I received it myself from two different sources!

HALLOWEEN HORRORS

2011-10-28T08:10:00.006-04:30

TWITTER YE NOT

David Palethorpe's "twittered" resignation as Leader of Northampton Borough Council was a shock, after all it is only six months since his crowning after the Tories election win. But those of us who were in the know as to to the way the votes stacked up in the Tory Group at the time for deputy leader knew very well that trouble may well be ahead.

It seems the group has splits plural rather than a split singular and its difficult to ascertain just who is in whose camp? Whats is also troubling is that any new leader will now have three ex leaders breathing down their neck telling them just where they are going wrong. As to some of David's reasons for leaving as expressed on his blog i.e. too many of his group not up for a fight with their County Colleagues over at County Hall and his fear that Jim Harker's crew are arrogant and plotting a takeover of NBC?

Well some of us did see this coming and it is one fight in which I will be happy to stand in David Palethorpe's corner, and any NBC Tory Councillor who thinks differently should give up their Borough seat now and show us all their true colours. The very thought of any NBC Councillors holding a view that Northampton would be better served by a unitary County rather than a Unitary Northampton authority should be enough for them to consider their position

CORONATION OR CONTEST?

Meanwhile tonight's big leadership battle will take part between it seems just two candidates? Cllrs David Mackintosh and Chris Malpas! I wonder if they asked the rest of their group before deciding to declare nominations closed and inform the press of the final big brother vote being a two horse race?

There will certainly be egg on someones face if another candidate comes out of left field and takes the crown. The Mack will start as odds on favourite of course simply because whilst Chris Malpas is a thoroughly nice geezer none of his group will see him as a serious leadership contender.

Its a bit like having a stalking horse with no one waiting in the wings for the second round of voting? So Mack it will be? If so the other fear I have is that David Mackintosh whilst very able has been built up far beyond any sensible level as the new messiah and leader either of NBC or NCC for some time both by his supporters and the local press. But will he be able to make the jump from contender to champion?

My view? "He is not the Messiah he is just a very naughty boy"

JUST THE TICKET

Still no sign of a letter or email from NCC following my victory over Residents Parking back in August. see http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2011/09/traffic-wardens-become-lawbreakers.html but much merriment over them digging themselves into an ever deeper hole. You will remember the tribunal saying that the ruling was "final and binding on both parties" well it seems that the legislation does allow an appeal under exceptional circumstances within 14 days of written receipt of the ruling the tribunal state that

"The grounds for review are narrow. A party might consider making an application for review if, for example, they believe that:
the Adjudicator made a mistake about the law; or
new evidence has come to light, the existence of which could not have been anticipated at the time of the original decision"

So on the 29th of September (exactly 14 days after receipt) they wrote to the tribunal stating that

"NCC is not seeking a review"

Well that's that then surely? not quite you see they wrote again to the tribunal on the 17th October this time asking if their letter of the 29th of September when they said they were not seeking a review could now be considered and "submitted as a review application"

I have now discovered that despite initially dishing out tickets to people illegally after they knew the scheme was not enforceable (15th September) that they have now ceased to enforce the areas (from the 27th September) So can anyone ticketed in between get their money back with an apology? And if they are now not enforcing the residents parking schemes then why are they still selling permits to residents on the pretence that they are? I will keep you updated as to progress and eventually I guess at some point the Council might even make contact with me?

BLOGTASTIC

Regular readers of my missives may be interested to know that as the world's population reaches the 7 Billion mark the number of all time individual readers* of this blog is fast approaching the 30,000 mark * = (separate isp computer log ins since May 2009)

Not surprisingly 21,000 of those readers are UK based but we have had a healthy readership of 2806 from the USA, 567 from France and 553 from Germany. Amongst the "others" for some unknown reason we have had 287 separate log ins from tiny Luxembourg and a regular readership of 69 from Iran.

As to stories I always try to keep the blogs a mix of the local and national but the number one read blog of all time was a fairly recent one (numbers have risen as the readership broadens)

"WHATS A GREEK URN IN BLACK SWANS"June 2011 http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-many-black-swans-does-greek-urn.html

Local and London based readers pushed "CLYDE LOAKES DIRECT NO WIN NO FEE" from March 2009 into second place http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2009/03/clyde-loakes-direct-no-fee-no-win-100.html and

"MORE TOPICAL SHORTS" from November 2010 takes the bronze medal http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-topical-shorts.html

I look forward to the next 30,000 new visitors!

IF IT SMELLS LIKE RACISM - AND LOOKS LIKE RACISM - THEN ITS PROBABLY JUST ANOTHER HOME SECRETARY'S SPEECH

2011-10-10T13:37:00.003-04:30

Einstein once said that the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources, and the blogasphere has it's fair share of copied, repeated and rehashed stories, this in itself in part is one of them, but how far should you go?

Shouldn't the creative writer at least attempt to reshape a story? or add their own twist to the tale?

And how far should a Minister of State stoop to copy someone else's work in order to get a cheap laugh at conference? and does it matter that the person you are copying from is often thought of as a sandwich short of a fascists picnic?

Well back in July, during a national speaking tour promoting his then new book Fighting Bull, UKIP's ex leader Nigel Farage was at the Eastleigh Railway Institute spinning a line regarding an immigrant whom he claimed was a convicted killer who had used the Human Rights Act to avoid deportation by claiming ownership of a cat.

He said a court had decided that the man:

“..Should not be deported because … (and I really am not making this up)… because he had a pet cat!”

And so it came to be that last week at the Tory Party conference Theresa May matched Farage almost word for word, including the pregnant pause when she told the blue rinse faithful about a convicted immigrant who she said:

“.. Cannot be deported because – (and I am not making this up) – because he had a pet cat!”

Of course both were wrong, both were manipulated half truths made up to shock the masses into thinking that Britain's judiciary was a soft touch and the Human Rights Act a left wing plot to bring down Blighty. BBC's Question Time last Thursday asked whether her comments were "Childish and Stupid" following widely spread criticism from Ken Clarke on Theresa's speech. I wanted to shout at the scream "NO they were not "Childish and Stupid" they were simply "Racist and Disingenuous"

The Times reviewed Farages book "Fighting Bull" and let me plagiarise Camilla Longs view of the ex UKIP leader manner and his oratory/written brilliance when she said he was "Somewhere between Alan B’Stard and a frog" and that he was "pretty odious: a shifty saloon-bar lizard" and that the book has "moments of unparalleled pomposity"

I just think that it is rather apt that the Sunday Times once also told us that Farage is also known in political circle for his rather severe and problematic halitosis.

And now it seems that the same foul smelling garbage is being espoused from the Home Secretary's mouth too!

"I warned you that this would happen" Karl Marx

2011-10-09T08:32:00.015-04:30

Of course the above quote can't be attributed directly to Marx himself speaking on the current state of capitalism, mainly because he died in 1883.

Likewise the following quote widely attributed to Marx on the Internet is also not taken from his exact words

"Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more expensive credits, until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and the State will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism"

The above was actually said by a guy called Pat Caulfield speaking to an American audience and citing Marx's work in Das Kapital from the late 1860's. It's a very good precis of Das Kapital volumes 1 and 3 where Marx explores the plight of the working class (volume 1) and the dangers of credit (volume 3)

For those of you interested enough to read for yourself Marx actually said

"A larger part of their own surplus product, always increasing and continually transformed into additional capital, comes back to them in the shape of means of payment, so that they can extend the circle of their enjoyments; can make some additions to their consumption funds of clothes, furniture, &c., and can lay by a small reserve-funds of money. But just as little as better clothing, food, and treatment, and a larger peculium, do away with the exploitation of the slave, so little do they set aside that of the worker. A rise in the price of labour, as a consequence of accumulation of capital, only means in fact, that the length and weight of the golden chain the wage-worker has already forged for himself, allow of a relaxation of the tension of it." Volume 1, Chapter 25

He went on in Volume 3 to comment extensively on the role of credit and roughly translated saying that the falling rate of profit from non-performing loans, in this case, leads to a seizure in the credit market between banks, which leads to companies no longer financing their operations, which leads to layoffs - in turn generating the social tension that leads to some form of crisis conflict and alters the mode of production. It may not alter it into communism, but it does need to reduce the concentration of capital, to re-inflate the rate of profit.

A fuller explanation of Marx's theory on crisis can be found here
http://www.marxists.org/subject/economy/authors/yaffed/1972/mtccs/mtccs3.htm#ref3b
But it is hardly easy reading.

So having celebrated the foresight and cerebral brilliance of the great thinker himself let me unclutter your mind with three fairly recent quotes from two people not fit to tie Marx's shoelaces (not that his spirit of equality would allow him to let them)

The first from our greater leader himself, just call me "Dave" PM in April 2011 telling parliament and the wider world that:

"The British economy is growing once again, manufacturing is up, exports are up, and we are seeing a re balancing of the economy so we are not over-reliant on private consumption.That is good news."

Also from "Dave" was his brilliant analysis of UK PLCs economic recovery back in October 2010 when he told parliament

"You have got to take Britain, as I think we have out of the danger zone of economies in Europe, I think George Osborne's Budget did that."

Of course despite all of the above "good news on the economy" stories from the PM himself the governor of the Bank of England last week felt it neccasary to announce a further dose of "quantitative easing" announcing the creation of £75 billion of new money to be fed to the every hungry speculators and banks. £75 Billion! £4000 for every household in the UK! £1250 each! For god sake give it to us spend not the banks! that will boost the economy! How about giving us all vouchers? £4000 for every household to have solar panels fitted on our roofs to cut energy bills and our carbon footprint in one fell swoop!

And for our next quote lets just remind ourselves what that the chancellor himself George Osbourne said back in Sept 2009 about quantitative easing

"quantitative easing is the last resort of desperate governments when all other policies have failed".

I couldn't have put it better myself! but then earlier this year on this blog http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-many-black-swans-does-greek-urn.html I did say:

"Cameron and Co have gambled heavily, and with growth still flatter than a Lincolnshire mountain range his numbers just haven't come up, we now face heavier borrowing to pay for waste, not jobs and we face for the first time in a long while the prospect of unnecessary unrest on our streets bought about by political stupidity of the highest order."

"Bankers of the world unite. you have nothing to lose but your bonuses" would seem a more apt quote for the times we live in and of the current state of the world economy. Karl Marx must be turning in his Highgate grave.

THE SNORING AND THE BORING - BLANK STARES AND EMPTY CHAIRS

2011-10-03T11:34:00.008-04:30

So riveting are Full Council meetings of Tory controlled Northamptonshire County Council that it seems a high number of Tory Cllrs will go out of their way to not be present in the first place whilst others obviously feel that sleeping through proceedings is the order of the day. Particularly it seems when members of their own cabinet are speaking!

I will refrain from naming the Tory few who "dropped off" in class, but I am sure if they are your Cllrs you will be refreshed to see them working so hard on your behalf!

Our first sleeper here actually managed to get through a number of her colleagues and opposition contributions before being awoken by her neighbour.

I remember very well a few years ago when I worked for the County Council that the then shared "Members Room" reminded me very much of many of a residents lounge within our residential care homes for the elderly with all the chairs placed around the perimeter and floral curtains and haberdashery everywhere.

But now it seems as if "gods waiting room" has moved to the Council chamber!

SO for the insomniacs amongst you who want an alternative to counting sheep the whole 5 hours and 32 minutes of proceedings of last weeks full council meeting can be found here http://www.northamptonshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/65169

But if you want to skip straight to the edited highlights! Then the motion submitted by the Independent group on the £2m of Council tax payers money that the leader of the Council proposed to be paid to a private company on which he sits on the board can be found 4 hours and 54 minutes into the webcast.

Happy snoozing......er I mean viewing

GET ON YOUR HYPE AND FIND A NEW JOB

2011-09-25T11:28:00.007-04:30

This weeks announcement by the coalition government that it has awarded full "LEP" status to the newly morphed Northampton Enterprise Partnership was warmly greeted in the local media and by Tory local politicians with all the usual trumpet fanfares and hurrahs promising us all good times just around the corner and promising new work a plenty for all followers and believers.

70,000 new jobs for Northamptonshire was the latest promise from NEP.

http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/business/local-businesses/breaking_news_70_000_new_jobs_could_be_created_in_northamptonshire_following_new_quango_creation_1_3086095

WOW really! That's ok then, spend a plenty, hire new staff open another overseas office, no need to explain yourself any further were all sold on the idea already!

But hang on a minute? Don't we already have some new jobs already promised and already on the way? For instance WNDC (West Northamptonshire Development Corporation) has promised us 37,500 new jobs for the county before 2021! and then SEMLEP (South East Midlands) when it was formed earlier this year promises in it's publicity to provide 8,000 new jobs a year for the area it cover meaning around 3,000 each year for Northamptonshire, a total of 30,000 new jobs by WNDC's target date of 2021. But hang on a minute I forgot someone, NNDC (North Northamptonshire Development Company) Let's see what they promise on their website? 47,400 new jobs in the same period!

That's 114,900 new jobs in the next ten years! Brilliant. and now to top it all another 70,000 new jobs from the newly formed NEP by 2026 That's 184,900 new jobs for the county in fifteen years! An average of 12,396 new jobs a year! Break open the champagne, Fantastic news all round! Daily Mail readers will be particularly pleased given the right wing rags recent headline declaring that 3 out of every four 4 new jobs created go to foriegn workers.

In fact 184,900 new jobs is incredible news given that currently Northamptonshire has only 210,900 full time workers between the ages of 16 and 74. And with an unemployment rate in the county of just 4% we can get every job seeker back into work in under 12 months! We can even re employ all those public workers and shop workers who have lost their jobs in the recent reccession

FULL EMPLOYMENT by Christmas 2012, these "enterprise" people are saints!

And then just to keep pace with their extraordinary job creation powers most of us in the county will have to take on two jobs and work from dawn to dusk to ensure we that we pay homage to these great gods of job creation!

Of course we could just double the population, but even the most ambitious of house building programmes in the county will only see the working population rise in single figure percentages.

And if we need to build enough homes to service the 184,900 new jobs in the economy then we will need to create even more new jobs within the building trade to accomplish this massive feat and the problem of where to house these new workers will grow even bigger!

What a dilemma!

Of course all of these quangos and economic engines might just be exaggerating a tad? Or perhaps even trying to lay claim for the credit for creating the very same jobs that their competitors have already promised to create? Surely though the press wouldn't fall for such smoke and mirrors and corporate spin.

So are they real about their plans for NEP? No surely not? this must all be a misprint after all this is the same Tory party that promised us a bonfire of the quango's so they wouldn't support even more being set up would they, that would be too embarrassing a uturn and a duplication of tasks that we can hardly afford in the present economic climate.

Imagine us funding more than one organisation to perform exactly the same duties as others already in situ can we be serious? And to think of the wasted time of all those top business leaders involved as board members and consultants servicing all these double entry, publicly funded bodies, when are they ever going to find time to lead in business! When will they find time in the real world to create the very jobs that they have already created as advisors to the job creators

No duplication just wont do

Then again perhaps it will? This is after all Northamptonshire a county which has at least four tiers of local government (parish, town, district/borough and county) and eleven planning committees (7 district/borough, WNDC, WNJPU, NNJPU, and the county)

So why not more jobs for the boys (or girls) after all it's just we need, who needs front line local government staff like home helps, sheltered wardens and youth workers when we can hire more planners and tourism officers? Who needs street lights and care homes when we know that a fully staffed economic engagement office in Brussels is much more of a priority.

So let's have a local enterprise partnership for every street in the county! We could all apply for European grants to help us pay for our own street lights, after all when we are all working double shifts day and night to keep up with all these new jobs NEP has created, we will need to see where we are going!

It makes me tired just thinking about it, I am off to my bed to get some rest before I start my two new jobs!

TRAFFIC WARDENS BECOME LAWBREAKERS

2011-09-16T14:02:00.014-04:30

Remember this?

"DO THEY HONESTLY THINK THEY CAN SILENCE ME"

http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/search/label/parking%20services

Or this?

Borough Council Election 2011


"PARKING MAD"

If not then don't worry the story is a simple one to follow. Two and a half years ago I asked the County Council to review the residents parking schemes in the Borough as it was becoming increasingly difficult for residents to park (too many permits not enough spaces) and the traffic wardens were giving out tickets like confetti. The schemes were old and needed updated, the regulations when they were first introduced were different to now But they ignored me! I then put in an official complaint to the Council and we resolved it by them agreeing to review the schemes, But they didn't! So I complained again, and this time they got all clever with me by saying that they only promised to review the schemes, but never said when they would do it!

So I decided to fight fire with fire. Over a period of 6 months I picked up 10 parking tickets in the Billing Road area and refused to pay any of them, stating lack of maintenance and poor signage and lining as my reasons. During this period I felt victimised as my car was ticketed at any opportunity it was even towed away at one point (although I was told for a totally unconnected reason!) All this happened at the time that my brother was in hospital and unable to drive and I was helping him run his company using his vehicles which the Council wouldn't give me varied permits for.

Anyway I continued to fight all ten tickets and submitted a number to the Traffic Tribunal Service for them to pass judgement. At one point the council tried to withdraw all the tickets but I refused. All I wanted, I told them was a review. The adjudicator adjourned the first hearing and asked us to settle the row between us.

I offered the Council £300 for a charity of their choice to settle the outstanding tickets (10 X £75) if they in return reviewed the scheme. They refused!

So we went the whole distance. The hearing was eventually heard by the Chief Adjudicator for England and Wales Caroline Sheppard, two weeks ago I am delighted to say that she found in my favour in all cases! The council lost in all of it's challenges

She told the Council that their "Permit Holders Only" signs were inadequate as they failed to display the times of the scheme on each and every sign. Furthermore she told them that they could not have a visitors permit scheme which operated for different hours than the residents (currently our overnight visitors even with a permit have to park in two hour bays the night before and move their cars at 10am into a residents bay or at 8am from a residents bay into a 2hr limit and then move again at 10am we call it the pyjama run)

She told them that they could not evidence the state of the markings because they had submitted no evidence, but that the latest changes following resurfacing had only made things worse. she told them to cancel all my tickets, and to cancel the rest that they had issued to me over the period.

The next day they were outside ticketing as usual, knowing that the scheme was unlawful. In the two weeks since the hearing they have not contacted me once to discuss the case and they told the Chronicle and Echo that they were waiting for the official notice before taking any action. Today after they had got the official notice they had no comment to make

The official judgement came earlier this week, all eight pages of it! I include below for your pleasure some of the adjudicators comments therein.

"The signs do not comply with regulations 18"
"The County Council has failed in its duty to sign the effect of the TRO" (Traffic Regulation order)
" The alleged contraventions did not occur"
"The signs used have no times of operation"
"This is hardly surprising as there are three sets of applicable hours within the TRO"
"The CPZ (Controlled Parking Zone) signs do not govern the parking places"
"The County Council may not rely on the CPZ zone to inform road users"

Amazingly the Council tried to defend their ignorance by saying they thought the signs were ok when they put them up and the regulations had changed afterwards! The adjudicator said

"I cannot accept that argument"

They then said that as a Councillor I should know what the regulations were! The adjudicator said

"It is all very well to submit that Cllr Clarke knew what restrictions were intended but the test is not a subjective one, it is an objective one applying to" persons using the road" that means persons in general and not just Cllr Clarke"

Ms Sheppard then criticised the Council for misleading disable blue badge holders who wouldn't know when the scheme was or was not operating.

She then said that in summary

"Northamptonshire County Council at the time the Parking Places Order 2001 came into force failed to comply with its duty under Regulation 18(1)(a) of LATOR to adequately sign the various operational times that applied to the permit bays."

So what does it all mean? Well for a start it means that none of the Residents Parking Schemes in the Town are legal or valid, as none of the TRO's which govern the schemes, the Signs which police the schemes, or the CPZ's which give notice of the schemes are valid.

This means that the Council will now have to review not just the individual schemes but also review the whole policy and look at how to reprovide for issues such as visitors permits and how to display times (perhaps they should look at my suggestion for scratch cards?) It means that they have to draw up new TRO's send them out to residents for consultation and then they will have to replace all the signs in the town at huge cost. It means a Council which can't even afford to keep the street lights on will face a massive bill to correct their own incompetence. (And if you get a ticket in the dark because the street lights are off I am also told you have a good chance of having those quashed as well as the signs would be not readable)

And it also means that the residents like me who have paid our £25 a year will now have no scheme operating leading to potential traffic chaos caused by the Councils stubbornness and arrogance and unwillingness to work with one of their own Cllrs to find a sensible compromise and to listen to residents concerns. At one point (about a year ago) they even had the gall to say, Tony if you win this case then we wont be able to enforce the scheme anymore and it will all be your fault! For the record I said fine then lets settle things here and now with a timetable for proper review.... They of course declined my offer.

As for the current residents schemes I wonder if we will all get our £25 back? One bit of bad news for those already ticketed is that I understand if you have paid a ticket you cannot recover the money? But if you have one outstanding in a residents bay, you now know what to say!

It is not for me to encourage people to park where they will, and I hope people will respect the need for residents to continue to use the permit bays until the council sort out the mess they have created. Nor should people think that this covers them for other offences outside of the regulations above, but one issue that really still grinds with me is that the Council has known for two weeks that the schemes were not enforceable, So why have they let their wardens continue to issue unlawful tickets? If they say they were waiting for confirmation then it came earlier this week, so why are they out there today (now) still ticketing (till 1am in the morning)

The answer? They (the council, not the wardens) don't give a fig about serving the public, they just want your money and until they were found out they were creaming in over a £1m a year including a large sum from PCN's within the residents parking areas. My message to them is to send them out of our side streets and onto the main roads where they can do what they are paid for, keeping the roads clear, ticketing people blocking bus lanes, ticketing lorries unloading outside of hours and causing mile long tail backs!

Anyone wanting a full copy of the Traffic Tribunals decision can email me at tony.clarke@email.com

For more on this story see tomorrows Chronicle and Echo.

TURNING THE LIGHTS ON IN SOME VERY DARK CORNERS

2011-09-15T16:36:00.006-04:30

Earlier today the Independent group on the County Council submitted the following motion for debate at this months Council meeting (29th September)

That this Council notes the investigation requested by the Independent Group for the Head of Paid Service, the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to look into:

1.     The alarming increase in the deficit in the NEL pension fund from £421k to £1.46mn between March 2009 and March 2010
2.     The potential breach of either the procurement regulations and European Directives in the buying £2m of services from NEL/NEP without going out to tender when the shareholding of NCC was below 20% or the breach of the council grant allocation procedures.
3.     The principle of NCC members of the Board of NEL/NEP in determining liability for the deficit to the pension fund to NCC, without declaration of interest either way during any relevant debates or decisions in NCC meetings or at the NEL/NLP board
4.     The failure to record any decision by NCC to underwrite the NEL/NEP pension deficit or any other loss
5.     The omission of the liability for the pension deficit from the NEL accounts without a concurrent inclusion of the same liability in the NCC accounts for 2010,
Furthermore this Council resolves to receive the Officers’ report at Full Council for open debate.

We are very grateful to Liam Costello (a fellow Independent candidate and Parish Cllr from Wooton and EH) for his tireless work and his submission of freedom of information requests to help us get to the truth of this whole sorry saga. At a time when the Council can't even afford to keep the lights on in it streets it seems that they are happy to find money for private ltd companies to spend on plugging holes in their pension funds and it also seems as if they care not what the price?

The following explanation owes much to Liam's narrative:

NEL (Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited was formed in 2006 by the merger of 6 companies that all lived off government grants delivering government programmes such as economic development, tourism, training etc. they made their money by slicing off a hefty management fee from funding programmes delivered through EMDA. Five years ago the County Council under Jim Harker's leadership brought them all together under the NEL umbrella.

When NEL was formed, this company quickly became Jim's baby. He seemed keen to hive off as much council business to it as he could. Things such as Single Regeneration Budget funding were passed over by NCC to NEL to administer etc. NCC seemed to be doing everything it could to build up the name and standing of this company.

NEL then became a member company of the Local Government Pension Scheme and its employees became eligible to join.

The articles of association of NEL stated that the borrowings of the company could not exceed the amount it receives in annual grants from the Government, or from other organisations. Essentially this limits the working capital of the company to the value of the funding programmes that it was delivering. It should therefore not be capable of going into debt if the directors abide by the articles. It has no shareholders, no equity, therefore no dividends can be paid. It makes its money by top slicing management fees from grant programmes and paying what some might consider to be fat cat salaries.

When NEL published its accounts for the year ended 31 March 2010, they showed that the company had run up a pension deficit of nearly 1.6million in 5 years. This may have been a bit of an unfortunate consequence of the recession caused by the banking crisis, but given the strict articles, the company should have considered the risk before becoming a member of a final salary pension scheme. Prior to joining the LGPS, the company paid into money purchase pensions where the risk to the company is non-existent.

The 2010 accounts state that the company considered the size of this deficit to be an ‘unwelcome surprise’, but go on to say that NCC gave a simple but unequivocal undertaking to underwrite any future deficits in the pension scheme at the time of the formation of the company. A blank cheque if ever there was one! They do however go on to acknowledge that NEL has primary legal liability for the deficit despite the alleged NCC undertaking.

We have searched the NCC website for any such mention of this undertaking in the Pension Committee minutes but surprise surprise cannot find any. Liam then made a FOI request for a copy of the Admission Agreement between NEL and NCC, and despite a statutory requirement that these agreements are made public they have refused to supply him with a copy. A complaint was made to the Information Commissioner in January this year and he has just received notification from the IC that NCC has been ordered to supply the document to him.

Jumping back to 2010, shortly after their year end, there was a change of government and the announcement that Regional Development Agencies, such as EMDA, were to be scrapped along with the funding streams they delivered through bodies such as NEL. NEL was essentially up the creek without a paddle. It had a pension debt of just under £1.5M and its funding streams had gone.

NEL is not the only company to have found itself in this situation, Visit London has a 2.1 million deficit which they are in dispute with the GLA over, and there was a piece on Look East about an east anglian tourism body that had folded leaving a LGPS deficit of £1million. We are sure that there are others across the country.

So the Council it seems devised a cunning plan to rescue NEL, and their own embarrassment. They decided that despite other Councils in Northamptonshire agreeing to support a new "South East Midlands" Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) as agreed by the government that they would form their own new body called the Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership, (NEP) and allocate it a £2m budget for the next 3 years. £1.3 million was to go on back office and administration and £700k on actual economic development, including the infamous Brussels office. (The Northamptonshire European Investment Office)

Cllr Bill Parker at the 24 Feb council meeting said of the NEP partnership

“The sum of £2million would be invested in a Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership comprised of NCC, business and industry, the skills sector and voluntary sector”.

Yet we now find that the partnership as described by Cllr Parker which should have included the skills and voluntary sectors has not been formed, and instead NEL has now been morphed into NEP. Companies House records and confirms the change of name of NEL to NEP on June 1st 2011

This whole affair we believe was just a cover to give £2million to the former NEL to get it out of financial trouble. One problem they faced however (apart from the name of the organisation) was that because of the value of the services that they were procuring, they should have followed normal public procurement processes. This would have involved a tendering process, advertising the contract in the European Journal etc. This would have attracted great interest from other companies and it would have been difficult to award the contract to NEP. Any company it would seem could have beat NEP in a tendering process to deliver £700k worth of economic development in return for £2million.

There are of course circumstances in which the normal public procurement process can be bypassed, and these were clarified in a Supreme Court judgement recently. these are called the Teckal exemptions. NCC know about these as they referred to them in the report on The future of Direct Services to Adults and Carers in May this year. Essentially to apply the exemption the council must have such control of the company that is proposing to award a contract to, that it could be considered the be a department of the council. One of the factors in establishing whether this control exists is the amount of control that a council has over the contracting company, which should be 20% control. But the articles of NEL limit the voting power of local authority members to less than 20% (article 18). So essentially this service should have been put out to tender, and what they have done may be seen by some as being on the cusp of unlawful.

Instead however it seems that they spent an untold sum on legal advice to tell them that the money should instead be paid as a"Grant" But the Council also have strict procedures for grant allocations and we believe a lot of local charities and other organisations will be very interested to look at how NEL/NEP were treated by the Council when awarding this "special" grant when matched against their own experiences of late. And just who made the grant application NEL? NEP? and when?

So the new partnership it seems was just a mirage to cover up giving £2million to bail out NEL which is now NEP. Not only does this quango duplicate the work of SEMLEP, (although it was SEMLEP not NEP who delivered the recent Northampton Enterprise Zone) but is has also been given £2million of Council Tax payers money for three years by way of grant which helpfully covers the same size hole left in the companies pensions deficit.

So where do we start with this one? Well some answers to the questions we raise in the motion above might help, for instance if NEL state in their accounts that they had an unequivocal undertaking to underwrite any future deficits in the pension scheme at the time of the formation of the company then why can we find no record of any decision taken by NCC to do that?

Furthermore if as we state in the motion if NEL had removed the liability for the pension deficit from the NEL accounts in 2010 why is there no concurrent inclusion of the same liability in the NCC accounts for 2010? or in 2011's budget? And can it be lawful for a local authority to underwrite the pensions deficit of a limited company?

And whilst it may be just a standards board issue, why does it seem that certain people who were or have since become directors of NEL or NEP not declared their interests when proposing or discussing any of these issues over the previous months?

We believe a lot of people have a lot of questions to answer? We hang back at present from calling for anyones head or even singling out individuals for censure, but we do believe that the Council. (The whole Council) has a duty to receive the requested reports and ensure clear answers and accountability's are given.

We look forward to debating these matters further on the 29th of September

A BAD (WEEK) AT THE OFFICE AHEAD FOR NCC

2011-09-12T06:57:00.006-04:30

Since reluctantly vacating my seat on the Borough Council I have had the opportunity to spend more time looking into affairs across the road at County Hall. A case of David Kennedy's gain being Paul Blantern's loss I guess? Anyhow for those who have wanted me to post some more local political stories I offer you up a treat in the days ahead and here's a small trailer of whats to come.

CARRY ON CARRILION?

Remember all those promises made by the County Council after the Carrilion fiasco? assuring us that future contracts will be let more openly and with far more transparency and democratic accountability? Well what would happen if it happened again, but with another private company? and how about we throw in a few undeclared personal interests into the pot and stir it all around with a spoonful of financial confusion, pension deficit and undemocratic practices? Hubble Bubble, someones in a lot of trouble! More to come on Thursday.

PARKING UP THE WRONG TREE

Sometimes, just sometimes you have to be prepared to stick your neck on the block in order to see fair play and to garner a response from a large unwieldy authority like NCC. But imagine your delight if you had been complaining to the Council through all the right formal channels for 2 years without any success? Imagine then if you had to take such drastic action to prove your point that it could have a devastating financial comeback on you if you lost the case? Imagine then your delight if you were to be proved right on all counts leading to a lot of red faces on the authority and a huge bill to rectify years of incompetence. Imagine no longer and look forward to thier being thousands of relieved residents who will at last see fair play from the Council, not through the Councils own grace but by having to be dragged kicking and screaming to the alter of justice! More on this story here and in the Chronicle just as soon as the official notices land on the doormats.

CHARGE OF THE STREETLIGHT BRIGADE

News reaches me of a potentially wonderful example of direct action being planned by person or persons unknown. It seems that they have got themselves fully trained in turning on streetlights turned off by NCC and intend to do just that.

Now should a County Councillor support direct action being taken against the authority? Yes I should in this instance as in my book the Council has no moral or democratic authority to turn them off in the first place. The decision taken by councillors allowed for full consultation to be held between local Cllrs, the Police and residents groups before the switch off was implemented, and the County Council undertook no such consultation. In a response to Joe Joyce Chair of Spring Borough residents the Council tried to suggest that the consultation on the budget back in December was sufficient, and also suggested that any comment on consultation between the Police and NCC was a "security" matter and the detail shouldn't be disclosed. Well let me disclose that no such consultation was held. as a result for the first time in five years the number of Sex Workers working in Castle Ward has increased not decreased.

So to those who plan to take their own action I have this advice. Make sure you are completely safe and that you are qualified to carry out the task in hand, this is not a task for the DIY enthusiast, do not put yourself or any others at risk, ensure that all lamp boxes are securely locked after you have visited them. Stick to the above and you have my support and my thanks for making the streets of Castle Ward and elsewhere safer places to be.

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH MY PEOPLE

2011-09-02T12:26:00.007-04:30

I am, was always, and will always be proud to identify myself as working class, despite being told so often and now reluctantly accepting that my people have now been all but extinguished, eliminated or assassinated which ever description best suits you.

And as such I sit here today, a working class refugee trapped in my own "CAMP GUARDIAN" a strange land full of Liberal Middle Class wannabees whose lives, values and aspirations are all so alien to me.

But how do I define the working class of my birthright and ancestry?

Well I guess I would first of all want to add the important additive of "Decent" to the tag "Working Class" to explain my chosen heritage, and I would also describe my lost tribe as follows:

We were hard working decent folk with proud family and community roots, our hard graft and no nonsense outlook on life meant we had good job security, and for good measure we had strong trade unions to protect our employment status and rights.

We worked hard and played hard, not all drinkers by all means, but all willing and some more eager than others to spend thier fair share of time in the Working Men's Clubs and Local community pubs, mixing with our neighbours and participating in a wide range of community events and pastimes, a Monday to Friday toil followed by Friday or Saturday nights out, the football terraces on a Saturday afternoon, and then re enacting the same games ourselves on the parks on a Sunday morning.

We were the age of the "Likely Lads" the younger generation carbon copies of Tony Booth and Una Stubbs (Mike and Rita) from "Till death do us part" we were far closer to "Steptoe and Son" than "Mumford and Son" and we ruled the TV screens in the kitchen sink dramas of the 60's and early 70's

We also then had a Political Party of our own who understood us and believed in what we believed in decency, fairness and social justice. May it Rest in Peace

We lived both on council estates and in private housing in communities which were both mixed in their tenure and diverse in their wealth.

And before the far right sense an opening for their vile hate of anything non white we all danced to Tamla Motown in the 60's and Northern Soul in the 70's as Mods and Skinheads we moved to the sounds of Reggae and Ska. We rocked against racism and celebrated the "Red Wedge" between the racists and the realists

So what happened? Where did it all go wrong?

Well clearly Thatcher did for any community stability that mixed housing tenure provided by turning home ownership into a must have and moving the rented sector into terminal decline. By not investing in Social Housing for rent we created ghettos of state dependent families in some parts of town whilst at the same time trapping others into mortgage dependency in others.

She also destroyed the trade Union movement as we knew it and the natural increase in labour mobility as the world became smaller drove down wages and created unemployment amongst the masses.

Once again before the far right try to blame immigrant labour we should remember that most economic migrants came from a lot closer to home than the wider commonwealth, as pits closed in the North then so the North South divide grew wider and the job market upped and moved to Middle and Southern England. Even "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" speaks with a Scottish Accent these days.

And of course their are many middle class office workers who have also been replaced by overseas call centres and UK Doctors and Engineers who cannot compete in wage terms with overseas trained graduates. So migration of labour wheresoever the migrants come from is not a simple class specific phenomenon

You see its never been about race, but it has always been about class.

We now have a so called "Underclass" left to fend for themselves and carry the blame for all of society's ills on their shoulders without having been afforded the education to understand why they are being blamed in the first place.

We have an Upper Class which just gets richer and richer and a great mass of people (probably as high as 70%) who all consider themselves to be the aspiring middle classes, the epiphany of Mondeo Man and Worcester Woman all scrambling over each other to climb up the slippery pole. They compete over school places for their young, creating an educational market that rewards conformity rather than celebrating diversity. Gone are the Grammar Schools which provided a vehicle for the bright youngsters from the wrong side of town or even the Comprehensives which provided an education for all built on community and place, rather than exam results and offsted reports.

So here I sit, alone in a crowd, my people all but extinct, with no party to represent my views and few neighbours who understand my loss. I don't want money, (beyond what I need to live on) and I would rather my children were happy in work with a roof over their heads than chasing dreams and collecting lifetime debts to try to out do the upper classes in the hope of supplanting them in the British hierarchy. As if!!

A quick look around the House of Commons when I was their between 1997 and 2005 taught me that not much has changed, and anyone watching the current documentaries on the British army in Afghanistan will have noticed that today's Army Captains come from the same schools and families as they did 100 years ago.

Perhaps John Lennon hit the nail on the head in "Working Class Hero" when he wrote

There's room at the top they are telling you still,
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,
If you want to be like the folks on the hill,

And so that is where I am, I can't go back to my past, it has gone forever, I now live in an alien world amongst people who are probably just like me, but mourn the past less, I don't blame them, everybody is entitled to dream, "this time next week Rodney we will be millionaires!" But I do despise the people who have abandoned me and my people and left us to find our own way in the new world we now have to live in and I can't forgive those who divided the working classes and in doing so have left people behind with so little meaning in their lives all trapped at the bottom whilst seeing little chance for their escape.

And I remain determined to fight back against those from the Bullingdon Club and high society who want to proclaim that we can all be just like them, when most of us would rather stick red hot pokers up our jacksies than stoop so low as to be so empty and shallow as they are, the idle and feckless rich.

We still get together at times, us refugees, at the greasy spoon cafes or at the football, but we all know deep down that really the lives we had are now gone forever.

THEIR BLOOD ON OUR HANDS

2011-08-26T13:11:00.003-04:30

Lets not try and hide the truth, the murderous events unfolding in Libya this week are a direct result of Western intervention in what was already a very volatile situation.

I have said elsewhere on this blog that I am no fan of Gaddafi, and that Libya will be much better for his passing, but at what cost to the people of Libya must we want his head so badly as to rush the country head on into Civil War?

NATO’s mandate in Libya was to protect civilians, not to take sides in a civil war between secular nationalists on one side and Al Qaeda Islamists and CIA backed-exiles on the other
Without any shadow of a doubt the British government has breached UN resolutions meant to secure a no fly zone and protect Libyan civilians, instead the RAF and troops on the ground have been used to aid the advance of rebels and support the overthrow of the regime at any cost.

Even the western media have involved themselves in the overthrow by telling us almost hourly that the Rebels are now in control of this town or that city, and the NTC are on the brink of setting up a transitional government.

Meanwhile more and more young men and women on both sides die, more and more civilians are drawn into the conflict and the infrastructure of the country crumbles.

Its no good the RAF bombing compounds and Gaddafi strongholds and clearing the way for the rebels to advance if the rebels who advance lack any military training or discipline when they reach their targets.

I firmly believe that the uprising and assault on Tripoli last Saturday and Sunday was led by UK and other special forces, it was supposed to be the end game, I am also sure that western media were primed to broadcast the downfall of the regime and the success of the rebels, but here we are a week later and still the struggle goes on still the death count rises and still the west try and pretend that they are nothing but innocent bystanders and protectors of the weak.

Who are we trying to kid? Hospitals are now closed, with 100's of bodies lying in deserted beds, the law of the gun is the only law and order in town, and vital services are cut off or destroyed.

One day soon Gaddafi will fall, it is inevitable, and if the rebels are too incompetent to achieve it then NATO led forces will finish the job off.

But what of the future? will the differing factions currently engaged in hand to hand combat really agree on how the country will be run? Will their really be no retribution for those who backed the old regime? And will Libya prosper any more under a Puppet Government than it did under a Local Dictator?

I believe passionately in the rights of people to rise up against their dictator and take control of the own destiny, but this whole sorry affair has a bad taste of the grand old Duke of York to me, and I am left wondering just how many Libyan civilians on both sides will have lost their lives since we stepped in to defend them?

I have no trust anymore in our governments intention, I don't believe that NATO is acting in the best interests of the weak and I fear that UN resolutions have become toothless edicts which can be manipulated by the Western powers to meet their own needs at any cost to human life elsewhere. And even more disturbing in some ways I have lost faith in the BBC and others to report the news rather than a government sponsored version of what they want the news to be

Shame on us all for not speaking out with a much louder voice

BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN CURSE THE DARKNESS Chinese Proverb

2011-08-16T13:38:00.003-04:30

"Call me Dave" has been at it again, just when you think his very special brand of knee jerk politics has got him and the country into enough trouble he goes and proves us wrong, and this time it is the Chinese who are laughing deeply at all our expenses.

Having failed to engage brain before opening mouth so often recently Dave has now made us the friend of oppression after calling for a close down of the Social Media network in times of unrest. He told Parliament that we need to:

“stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality”.

"Hear Hear" shout the Chinese government pleased with their latest convert to censorship. Despite century's of Britain's being on the side of freedom of speech and expression we are now standing shoulder to shoulder with the dictators and despots who want to silence the people.

And if you want a measure of the man then lets look at what he said just a few months back during the Arab Spring and the Internet led uprisings in the Middle East

"[The movement] belongs to a new generation for whom technology - the Internet and social media - is a powerful tool in the hands of citizens, not a means of repression."

This respect for human rights and freedom of Internet traffic also until a few days ago seemed to include China for Dave as well in 2010 when speaking in Peking University when he said

“There is no secret that we disagree on some issues, “especially around human rights. We don’t raise these issues to make to us look good or to flaunt publicly that we have done so. We raise them because the British people expect us to, and because we have sincere and deeply held concerns.”

Not so deep now they seem as Chinese government officials fall over themselves to praise their new convert to electronic censorship as the Chinese media declared that:

'Britain's new attitude will help appease the quarrels between East and West over the future management of the Internet. As for China, advocates of an unlimited development of the Internet should think twice about their original ideas.'"

Such praise from such a source should not be taken lightly. nor should it be welcomed

Well Done Dave, uturn if you want to, but the interweb is not for turning.

If I fail to blog in future days expect to find me under political arrest for crimes against the state!

"TIME TO TAKE STOCK"

2011-08-15T17:58:00.007-04:30

Just who writes the Prime Minister speeches? Whoever it is they are either having a laugh at his expense or they need a dose of Conservative moral discipline. He began this mornings speech, speaking in his Oxford constituency with the following nugget of wisdom

"It's time for our country to take stock"

all this against a dodgy background of graffiti painted hoodies peering at him from behind.

Well I think someone forgot to tell "Call me Dave" that that's just what parts of Britain did last week during the riots, they took all of Curry's stock and that in PC World, as well as that from many small convenience stores! Hardly a wise choice of the lexicon Dave

He also re announced his war on gangs and talked of even tougher measures being taken against those involved as well as those not involved but who fits his picture of Britain's Moral Decline.

He wants American super cops telling us where we are going wrong, despite every police chief in Britain saying he is wrong, he wants benefits withdrawn from the families involved, and he has even suggested evicting families from their council homes if a member of the family is involved (so if you are going to loot, you better get on the property ladder)

Now whilst all this may go down well with Daily Mail readers and the far right, do any of us really think it is the answer to the problem? Will the evicted families who lose benefit be more inclined to crime to survive or less? Is it remotely affordable?, and even more important is it the answer?

Someone somewhere has to put a stop to this "tough talking" before things really get out of hand and before the government creates it's own riots off the back of using lasts weeks unrest for their own warped political purposes.

Ursula Nevin wasn't involved in the riots, she did as was suggested and stayed at home in Stretford, Manchester during the unrest looking after her two children aged 1 and 5, unfortunately for her her flat mate Gemma Craven was involved and bought looted clothes back to the flat. Ursula took a pair of £3.50 shorts from her flat mate and was arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods. Despite her previous good character and lack of police record the Judge decided tough justice meant she should be locked up for 5 months! 5 months imprisonment for receiving a £3.50 pair of shorts! Of course she was in the wrong and of course she should be punished, but how are we helping her or her two children by slamming her in Prison for 5 months, and how much will it cost the state to look after her children in the interim.

If "Call me Dave" is serious about his all out war on gangs and his tough love approach to Britain's moral malaise then he needs to get his cheque book out. He needs to scrap cuts to the Police who will be needed in greater number to fight his war. He needs to reverse the decision to reduce prison numbers so he can lock up more Ursula Nevin's and he needs to order local government to abandon it's cuts to social care and intervention services on the state as Councils ace the brunt of his tough stance.

We are all angry at those who carried and perpetrated these dreadful crimes on our streets, and we need to hold an inquiry to help us develop policies that work in dealing with the cause of that unrest, but knee jerk responses from the same man who wanted to hug the hoodies when it suited his political agenda will only fuel further unrest.

Meanwhile Dave, sack the speech writer.

FOOL AND THE GANG

2011-08-12T07:35:00.010-04:30

Yesterdays debate in Parliament over England's week of unrest saw Tory speaker after Tory speaker trying to create as much distance as they could between there being any political dimension to the events of the week and the behaviour of young people on our streets.

Yes, I agree it was blatant criminality, Yes I also agree that this was also a case of crass opportunism and greed, an element within our society that thinks it can just take what it wants, how it wants without any consequence or moral conscience.

It was also I agree "Gang culture" that orchestrated and conducted the proceedings, and lets take David Cameron at his word when he said

"For too long there has been a lack of focus on the complete lack of respect shown by these groups of thugs, For me the root cause of this mindless selfishness is the same thing I have spoken about for years - it is the complete lack of responsibility in parts of society"

And he is right! some in our society have no respect for property or a sense of right from wrong, some feel as if they have a divine right to do whatever they please and to hell with the consequences, they gang together, drink themselves into a near stupor and then commit mindless acts of wanton vandalism and arson, just for the sheer hell of it.

He is also right that he has been speaking about this for years, lets look for example what he was allegedly reported as saying back in 1986 explaining away a gang led vandalism and arson attack in Oxford.

"Things got out of hand and we'd had a few drinks. We smashed the place up and Boris set fire to the toilets"


Bullingdon Club D C, top 2nd left. B J, bottom far right

Of course the "gang" involved in that particular act of mindless and wanton vandalism was the Bullingdon Club of which he, Boris Johnson and George Osbourne amongst many others were members. But they were never held to account for their actions, no court appearances for them, no criminal record to prevent them climbing the ladder in years to come and Daddy probably picked up the bill for any damage. The quote above has since been challenged, but what remains are story after story about the antics of this particular gang including Boris or should we give him his proper name Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson being involved in an incident where a pot plant was thrown through a restaurant window after which he freely admits to spending a night in the cells. There rather basic chant belloowed out in local restuarants which usually ended up being trashed was:

"Buller, Buller, Buller! Buller, Buller, Buller! We are the famous Bullingdon Club, and we don't give a f*ck!"

And if you have got the time this is worth a view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNVEhMCshD0&list=SL&feature=sh_e_top

So what separates their crass and reckless behaviour from that witnessed on the streets this week? and should we draw any parallels? Well for a start Gang membership is a more potent attraction, and recruitment far more easy when youngsters are away from any influence of parental control. For the PM and Boris et al it was because their parents sent them away from home to Oxford as the latest expedition on their boarding school/university careers, whereas in the inner cities there is often no parental control because in too many cases there are no parents, and in others the parents have little or no control of their own lives let alone their children's.

So in the absence of parental control these kids look to role models or diversion to keep them out of trouble, but when the local council has withdrawn all the funding for youth provision and all the local sports and social clubs have long since closed then they are easy prey for the gangs looking for fresh blood to carry out their drug running and other criminally based dirty work.

The rise in gang culture, and gang membership can be correlated directly with recent rises in youth unemployment and social deprivation, these factors are underpinned by economic and fiscal cut backs in public service. Jobless youths simply become more detached from mainstream life and quickly learn to disrespect its rules. In the first quarter of 2011 the unemployment rate amongst 16 - 24 year olds rose to 20% compared to a UK overall unemployment rate of 7.7%. As a result the numbers involved in street gang activity continue to rise.

Yes our kids are out of control, yes their behaviour is sickening, and yes whenever they commit an offence then they should be punished, you will not find many people leaping to their defence, that is understandable, but government and parliament have a duty to do more than simply be outraged, they have a duty to identify the causal link between the unacceptable behaviour young people engage in and social environment they live in.

I despair for the future of our estates in coming months and years, and I worry what sort of children these children will raise! but I can understand far more how they have got the place they are in than I can explain how those who have every privilege in life show the same lack of respect for property and public order.

And cutting back on youth services on those very same estates is not a good start.

WHEN HOPE IS OUT OF REACH AND THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF TOUCH WHY ARE WE SURPRISED THAT OUR STREETS ARE OUT OF CONTROL

2011-08-09T13:51:00.004-04:30

I have been criticised in the past for predicting on this blog unrest on Britain's streets during this summer despite my plea for the police to prepare and my wish that any unrest would be quickly controlled.

I also share the anger of so many when looking at the blatant looting going on in High Streets across the nation, it seems the riots of 2011 are for far too many, more about personal gain than community despair.

And no doubt the whole role of Social Media in the planning of events will be questioned when we finally get round to trying to understand what went so badly wrong.

The right will just condemn the criminality, give unequivocal support for the police and belittle anyone trying to explain the events with any reference to wider social and economic factors including unemployment, poverty, historic tensions with the Police etc.

But for now let us face some uncomfortable truths.

Today's youth have no respect for authority, why should they have? They have seen in recent years our politicians on the make as MP's fiddled their expenses, they see our police service shamed by the actions of both rogue officers taking backhanders and senior officers covering up for them. They see a government cutting off any route they may have had for higher education (unless you are wealthy) and their chances of simply holding down a job or god forbid getting their own flat. Youth unemployment is rising and services for young people are being decimated by cuts on top of cuts.

Today people are calling for more police officers on the streets, but I can't help but think that if the government had not have cut youth services and youth worker posts on our estates in recent years then maybe some of those caught on camera last night might not have been such easy prey for the criminal fraternities on the same estates who have since recruited them to a their cause.

There is at this moment in time a desperate need to bring our streets back under control, and everything must be done to achieve that in the coming hours and days. We also need to ensure that those responsible for looting are seen to be brought to the courts and punished.

But we must also remember that riots don't just happen, the risk of public unrest is a built in factor in the decision making of politicians when they agree to cut services too far too soon. When I wrote of this unrest being wrongly seen an unpredictable "Black Swan" moment is was for the very reason that many of us could see it coming a mile off.

Unfortunately the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and it seems the Metropolitan Police where not so ready for action. Gone are the days when Dave wanted to hug a hoodie. Now he is in power it seems he just wants to ignore them and hope they will just go away

But If you think the kids are angry for what the nation is not doing for them, then what can we expect from the rest of us who are seeing our communities torn apart with little resistance from a police service which has been cut to the bone and can only contain unrest rather than deal with it properly.

Perhaps we need less troops in Libya and Afghanistan and more Police in the UK?

Perhaps we need less cuts and more jobs?

Perhaps MLK had a point when he said

"When you cut facilities , slash jobs, abuse power, discriminate,drive people into deeper poverty and shoot people dead whilst refusing to provide answers or justice, the people will rise up and express their anger and frustration if you refuse to hear their cries. A riot is the language of the unheard"

But I can't also help myself thinking that the concerns of the majority of hard working, law abiding, tax paying citizens of our nation are also going unheard. If I want my tax take spent on youth diversion rather than flower tubs in Abington Street then who is listening to me? If I want less troops in Libya and more police on our streets at home then who will represent my view? My sister in law and others in her street had their cars stripped of catalytic converters last night leaving them with bills of £150+ to pay today with no guarantee that the scum responsible wont come back again to do the same. After all their crime was easy enough to carry out as the County Council had turned off all the street lights in her street! How angry is she today? and how can she vent her anger? And how angry am I at wondering how no one seemed to see all this coming!

As I said on the 26th June 2011 http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-many-black-swans-does-greek-urn.html

"I hope I am wrong, I hope that the powers that be will not be caught off their guard and do all they can to protect our peace but we are in for an uncomfortable few weeks and maybe months ahead, it seems it will be less of an Arab Spring and more of a very sticky British Summer."

THE HOLA IN THE EURO ECONOMY

2011-08-03T08:25:00.009-04:30

Spain is gloriously hot at present and noticeably "Brit reduced" as ex pats have started to return home (if they can afford it) and UK holiday makers are holidaying at home or outside the Euro Zone (Turkey where you get more Lager for your Lira)

But it is also supposedly in deep economic peril, owing €130b to the euro banks. In fact Spain's debt is second only to Italy at €350b making Greece (€50b) and Ireland (€10b) look relatively well off! Property prices have taken the hit in Spain with Villas now worth less than 50% than there build price. Young people have also paid a heavy price as new jobs and new homes are out of their reach. The "indignants" as they are labelled continue to protest for a better deal.

Wages here remain low, and it is clear that some of the Spanish are staying at home rather than spending any disposable cash in restaurants or bars. But they are still spending and they are still working. The streets are still cleaned, the rubbish is still collected (daily in the summer) and low and behold they still have street lights! Unemployment, particularly among Young people and migrant communities (The Brits) is still very high, but a de centralised government has seen regional parliaments invest in public jobs in order to encourage growth. Growth 2011 is around 0.8% still low but four times the 0.2% offered by the UK and despite the massive debt Spain remains confident on it's repayments. Whilst the worlds economic commentators look to Greece, Portugal, Ireland or even the USA as the next economy to hit the rocks and default on it's payments it seems as if Spain is taking a siesta and saying "preocuparse por el dunero mañana"

Meanwhile back in Blighty the National Institute for Economist and Social Research the leading economic think tank tells George Osbourne that there will be "No meaningful recovery this year" it further predicts that "Public finances will not improve as quickly as the OBR expects" and the IMF chips in by telling the Government there is "significant risk" to inflation, growth and employment targets.

As predicted earlier on this blog (we are indeed trapped by our predictions) growth has been killed off and the squeeze on public services is effecting spending beyond anything that is desirable.

When I return from holiday the County Council budget deliberations will begin in preparation for next years cuts! On top of the £70m of cuts so far unachieved this year, and I am beginning to wonder what the Tories are going to do? After all when you have turned out the street lights, turned of the safety camera and privatised Social Care, there are not many pips left to squeeze

As British immigrants in Spain scramble for a return back to the UK (the country they left because many said too many immigrants didn't adopt local customs and language!) I wonder if they really know what they are letting themselves in for when returning home?

The Spanish I feel won't be too upset to see many of them leave after all how much "Grande beer por favour Manuel" can a country really take?

If all the Brits do leave then I might migrate over here in the opposite direction, after all the Costa Blanca would be quite nice if it wasn't for all the tourists and the Irish/British Bars.

And an added bonus is that after a few glasses of the local vino too many, at least I would still be able to find my way home at night safely under an ornate street lit Spanish sky

THIS HAS BEEN A CALM BEFORE THE STORM HOLIDAY POSTING FROM THE NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT. BEWARE STORMS PREDICTED IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER!

AN HOUR IS A LONG TIME IN LOCAL POLITICS

2011-07-21T12:40:00.004-04:30

Whilst we are on the subject of Tory Manifesto pledges, do you remember the one about

"AN HOURS FREE PARKING FOR SHOPPERS IN ALL THE TOWNS CAR PARKS"

Difficult to administer said some of us, "its a pledge and it will happen said the Tories".

So on Thursday I parked in the Ridings car park and here is the sign (left) clearly stating £2.40 for 3 hours parking.

So in goes my hard earned cash and what comes out?

This!!!

That right not 3 hours for my £2.40 but just 2!

From 15.24pm (bottom right) till 17.24 (top left) not 18.24 as expected and paid for.

So much for a free hour, it was at my expense! is this a forerunner to adding it back in to tell us we have got back for free what we had already? Malcolm Mildren reports to me a similar swindle in the Albion Place car park.

How many other citizens of Northampton have been short changed? or even worse issued with a parking ticket for overstaying when they thought they had paid their dues?

Answers please NBC

TORIES IN TURMOIL AS MANIFESTO HITS ROCKY WATERS

2011-07-21T12:15:00.005-04:30

We still have a fortnight to go before the Conservative Group(s) on the Borough Council can give us their own verdict of the the first "100 days" in office, but what a fortnight it may turn out to be.

There Nemesis is seems may well be the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit, set up 3 years ago by the previous Lib Dem administration and supported by both the Tories and Labour groups ever since. There was one group showing dissent in the chamber when it's formation and funding was agreed at the time, I am sure you can guess who?

Anyhow the WNJPU has been busy over recent months receiving public consultations on its revamped rewritten and rehashed "Joint Core Strategy" the leading strategic planning document which set the planning framework for the whole of West Northamptonshire for the next 20 years. On Monday at the Guildhall this totally unnecessary Local Government Quango will approve the plan to then be put onto deposit. Cllrs David Palethorpe, Tim Hadland, John Yates and Penny Flavell will be there to represent the Borough Council, but as I explained to them at the time they supported its setup NBC Cllrs will be outnumbered by their counterparts in Daventry and South Northant's who may just feel that they have got a decent deal on the table, after all it seems as if they continue to get all the benefit from any expansion in grant funding whilst Northampton still takes the development brunt of the increases in new homes.

So, remember the pledge in the Tory's Borough Council Manifesto to seek an urgent review of new house building numbers for Northampton? If not let me remind you exactly what they said

"Northampton Conservatives will demand an urgent review of the Pre-Submission Strategy produced by the West Northants Joint Planning Unit and will call for a full and open justification of the housing and job numbers. We have strong reservations about the current plan including the number of houses, jobs and infrastructure that it considers appropriate."

Well here is what they will be signing up to next Monday

To meet housing need " a housing provision total of 50,153 dwellings for West Northamptonshire has been identified" and policy S4 states that "provision will be made for 33,680 net additional dwellings within the Northampton related development area (Northampton and its boundaries) in the period 2001 to 2026"

It is estimated that only about 30% have been planned for but not yet built or completed since 2001 in massive developments at sites including Upton and St Crispins' leaving over 20,000 new homes still to be crammed in somewhere else.

So much for the promised housing review and the localism bill for all that

And remember all that talk in the manifesto of scrapping the Town Centre First Policy and allowing out of town retail to support the ambitions of the towns sporting clubs. Well despite the urgent meetings within the first week of the administration, one of which I attended, it seems that the only important meeting will be next Mondays. Again as a reminder heres what they said in the manifesto

"a Conservative administration would abandon the „Town Centre First‟ policy in favour of a „Borough Wide‟ investment and regeneration pol-icy. A „Borough Wide‟ policy would mean we can continue to champion the Town Centre without having to abandon other parts of the town, to which Northampton Borough Council has equal responsi-bility, and would be more flexible and responsive to the unique needs of Northampton."

Lets see what the Joint Core Strategy if agreed on Monday says about all of the above shall we.

"Northampton town centre has suffered greatly from a decentralisation of retail, leisure and employment uses and there is a need to redress this imbalance as a critical strategic issue for the JCS to ensure the vision for Northampton is not jeopardized. Policy S2 seeks to focus new town centre development firmly back to Northampton town centre and the central area and Policy S9 seeks to focus retail development on the town centre."

"The importance of the Grosvenor Centre redevelopment and the focus on retailing within the town centre as a priority within Northampton Central Area requires that comparison retail outside the town centre must be heavily restricted to ensure that town centre proposals are not jeopardised"

NO FURTHER COMPARISON GOODS FLOORSPACE IS REQUIRED OUTSIDE NORTHAMPTON CENTRAL AREA OTHER THAN AT AN APPROPRIATE SCALE TO SUPPORT THE VITALITY AND VIABILITY OF LOCAL CENTRES.

So whats it to be guys? the Joint Core Strategy or your manifesto pledges? Do you keep the promises you made to the voters and to the Saints and the Cobblers or go with Tory flow in Daventry and South Northants, and what if you want to say no to its adoption but are out voted? what will happen then? and who was it who supported the setting up of this unelected quango in the first place?

Monday nights meeting it seems could be a key turning point for the new administration, lets just hope they have the courage to remind the faceless planners and the Cllrs from other districts just who is and isn't elected within the Borough of Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON IN GLOOM

2011-07-15T15:50:00.007-04:30

At the risk of sounding like the little boy who told the emperor that he was stark b*ll*ck naked, I am now going risk cries of "shame on you" by pouring scorn on one area of Northampton Borough Councils activities which is universally praised and feted by all three political parties at the Guildhall.

Of course I refer to Northampton in Bloom, isn't it fine, isn't it grand, the best display in all the land!

They clearly see something that I don't!

I am not in anyway against the competition, in fact if you do your homework you will find that the Borough Council entered the competition every year when I was Chair of Environment Services in the early 1990's and like the present day we won our fair share of awards, but then again you always do, and if you don't they will make one up for you just to keep you coming back to enter next year, how about "Gold Certificate in the Large Town category for Town's beginning and ending in the Letter N award! or the Platinum plate for the East Midlands Market Towns population 200,000-210,000 category?

My gripes against the current awards are many and varied, but for starters lets look at what happened in the early 1990's and match that against what happens now. Then the Councils own gardening staff worked all year round at our own plant Nursery in Cliftonville to provide plants for the bespoke planting of raised beds and roundabouts and also planted displays in our parks, cared for by our own grounds maintenance staff in order to provide a display for judging that was unique to any other entrant. Nowadays the Council but in a selection of off the shelf tubs, hanging baskets, and roadside boxes full of almost painted on petunias and begonias all with a ridiculously short growth cycle to add a pretence of colour to a backdrop which for the other 10 months of years looks drab and grey.

It's another example of thier B&Q society I guess, all right I know we all do it..... go down to B&Q and but all the pre planted tubs for the Garden on the day of the BBQ, but shouldn't we expect a bit more originality from the Council

I travel a lot around the UK and Northampton's current display is all too familiar, its as if they want to match the chain stores and traders in turning every high street in Britain into one soulless lookalike landscape, and I guess the judges must also get fed up of seeing these same old green plastic boxes hanging off of very similar traffic barriers and the familiar upstanding tubs craftily placed to trip up every blind resident in every town and city in Britain.

Even worse though is the way that the Council treat the community entrants in this charade. Our proud guerrilla gardeners in Spring Boroughs took to making the most of the land after the Council had failed miserably for years to maintain it themselves, even though they were paying a contractor out of our council tax to do it. And then when they showed the Council whats possible if you try the Council respond by popping the Mayor and Portfolio holder down for a Photo Call in order to pull the wool over the judges eyes in pretending that this community spirited enterprise was all their idea in the first place! And then when the judges are all gone they start charging the volunteers to tip garden waste which they themselves should have been clearing up in the first place!

So in honour of our Borough Councils gallantless efforts and also with grateful thanks to a few of my FACEBOOK friends who have posted pictures of their street scenes in July 2011 I am proud to present this years inaugural entrants for the

2011 NORTHAMPTON IN GLOOM awards, or THE PARTS OF TOWN THE JUDGES NEVER GET TO SEE

This prestigious prize will be awarded to the Borough Council by yours truly along with a framed photo of the winning entrant.

THIS WONDERFUL STREET SCAPE OF ST JAMES WAS SUBMITTED BY ST JAMES RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

A WELL MANICURED FRONT LAWN IN THORPLANDS ENTERED BY NORTHAMPTON FEDERATION OF RESIDENTS COUNCILS

DOWN OUR WAY IN EASTFIELD, COURTESY OF SHERON WATSON

"AN ARRANGEMENT" IN ETHEL STREET FROM YOURS TRULY

To enter your street just send me photo of your neglected greenscape, in order to remind our elected councillors that whilst they continue to congratulate themselves on the displays of Pansies outside the Guildhall, and pat each other on the back for passing off the communities work as their own, that the rest of us are having to put up with the same old cr*p out on the estates, which now threatens to get worse under our new friends Enterprise PLC They should all be so Blooming proud of themselves.

PLEASE SEND YOUR ENTRIES WITH A DESCRIPTION AND AREA THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN TO:

tony.clarke@email.com

FROM BIG SOCIETY TO THE B&Q SOCIETY

2011-07-12T11:28:00.006-04:30

Curiosity got the better of me last night as I joined Malcolm Mildren in attending the first Borough Council meeting of the new term to check up on how the new administration and new members were fairing.

Overall it was rather a turgid affair, Cllrs were shown a propaganda piece telling them all how wonderful the Housing Department are (true in some areas, but woefully untrue in others such as sheltered housing) and the skateboarders, no doubt urged on by ex Cllr Paul Varnsverry turned up en masse to call for action from the new Council to match the promises made to them before the election.

I expect (as we always said) slight differences of opinion on this one. It is true that £250,000 has been set aside in the capital programme towards such a facility, but the last Lib Dem and the current Conservatives expect this to pay for consultants and design costs and kick start some further match funding towards the overall project, whilst it seems the skateboarders think that the land will be given free and that the £250,000 will cover all of the initial build cost? I told them before the last election when they last wheeled into the chamber that they should take a leaf from the council oppositions ABC mantra of ACCEPT NOTHING, BELIEVE NO ONE AND CHECK EVERYTHING

There were a number of lack lustre oral contributions mainly from the old guard (worrying as they should be showing the new Cllrs the way!) The Tory new boys and girls mostly sat on their hands, the Lib Dem's haven't got any new blood, (not a lot of old blood either) but special mention must go to Labour's Gareth Eales and Elizabeth Gowen, who both put in confident and challenging contributions in what was their first meeting, if the Labour Party has a future then I believe it will be well served by letting young Cllrs like Gareth and Elizabeth off the leash as often as possible.

However the high and low point of the evenings political muse must go to Cllr John Yates, the only person in the chamber to have served in the last and the new administration, Questioned by Labours Winston Strachan on a pet subject of mine from the past, RATS, Winston informed Yatesy that an increase in the rat population had become apparent in the town centre and asked him if the Council, who sacked its rat catcher in 2009 and closed the Pest Control department soon after, would reinstate both.

"Let me tell the Councillor that I know all about rats" Said Yatesy "I keep chickens and they are attracted to them" and then he made the most extraordinary comment which should have been the headline in today's Chronicle and Echo when he suggested "People should do as I do and go down B&Q and buy some strong rat poison"

So there we have it, caring conservatism, the Big Society, in the absence of a town rat catcher and a rise in the rat population as a result, Northampton's hard working council tax payers should become more involved in civic matters by spending our dwindling disposable income down at our local B&Q on rat poison to chuck around the Market Square to help NBC to banish the vermin!!

A shocking response to be given to both a disturbing and very important question by the opposition, unfortunately for us all, nobody came back at him and having easily drawn out the worst side of the new administration the combined opposition let him off the ropes.

We can be wait to see if this incredulous suggestion from Northampton Conservative Group does reach the pages of the Chron in days to come.

IF BRITAIN IS INDEED BROKEN THEN WHO BROKE IT?

2011-07-10T11:07:00.003-04:30

And what sort of lives do these people, who pose as being moral, lead themselves? My dear fellow, you forget that we are in the native land of the hypocrite.

A quote of course from Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, and also my facebook profile on Friday night when under a red wine haze I was trying to make sense of the shifting events unfolding around Hackgate and also trying to contain my anger at how we had all allowed matters to go so far in the first place and also wondering exactly where and with whom the buck stops?

I remember talking to Tom Watson MP in 2004 when I was sure my phone was being constantly hacked during the period when I was holding all the cards over that leaked "minute" between Blair and Bush, which ultimately led to a good friends imprisonment and probably started my troubles with the Labour Party which would in the end lead to my expulsion.

Tom and others like Chris Bryant were searching and campaigning for the truth, over both hacking and police corruption but the party leaders, the police, the media and as a result the public were showing little interest. In fact Tom and Chris were both allowed as a result to become victims of the press they were challenging with little support being given to them from on high. it seemed as if Inquistive MP's were fair game for the press and an unforgiving public scarred by the MP's expenses revelations

And that is where I have slight fall out with Joe Public over this whole affair, you see, as long as it was only politicians and celebrities that were being hacked, and on who the police also sold dirt on, then it seemed as if society could turn its back on any crime having being committed, they were indeed fair game, and they deserved all they got surely?

Well no they didn't, some of you may remember the time Joe Ashton was arrested in a massage parlour in Northampton. It ended his parliamentary career in my view, but the News of the World at the time never mentioned that he was a very happily married man, married to a wonderful wife who unfortunately because of her disabilities meant they couldn't share a sex life, they never mentioned that in the NoTW, you see Joe only visited massage parlours (with his wifes knowledge) because he would never dream of having an affair, or getting involved with another women due to his devotion to his wife. And they also did not mention that after Joe had given his real name to the police (John Ashton) and his London address, that the News of the World alledgedgly bought the information as to his true identity from a corrupt copper at the Met who had noticed a VIP flag on his car licence plate when the Northamptonshire Police made enquiries.

But in the end it was the same level of criminal behaviour albeit with far more serious consequences by both the media and the police in selling info on victims and or the phone hacking of those suffering great distress in the Southam Case, the Milly Dowler case, or 7/7 victims or the families of fallen soldiers that has finally brought all of these cases out into the open.

But not in my view before almost ireversable damage has been done to both public trust in our democratic and national institutions.

Think for a minute if you will at the damage caused to our society by the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister of the country at the time John Prescott, asked the police if he had been a victim of hacking, only to be told that" no he hadn't", even when the police and the CPS were holding information at that time that he had been.

So it seems that it is ok for the police and CPS to lie to our elected leaders?

Remember if you will, that parliamentry Select Committees were lied to on more than one occasion, by leading key figures in the media and in the police over the overall extent of any hacking that had taken place, over the extent of paying the police for information and also on who and how many people were involved.

So they can also lie to Parliament

Remember Andy Coulson standing in front of the cameras telling the world that he knew nothing about the hacking, when it now seems through leaked emails that he both did know, and that he is aledged to have also authorised payments to corrupt police officers.

It is also now in the face of so much freash and emerging evidence, inconcievable that Andy Coulson knew as little as he wants us to believe he knew, and it is equally inconcievable that the PM was also as much in the dark as he suggests at the point at which he appointed Coulson as Chief of media at number 10, after all it now emerges that enough people had warned Cameron of the potential consequences of his appointment at the time.

This story is of course far from being over, no doubt this week further revelations will surface and with the NoTW out of the way, expect other papers to fall under the spotlight. After all an Independent review into the press in 2006 shows that the Daily Mail employed almost twice as many private investigators as the NoTW, and we should not be naive enough to think the buck simply stops with Glen Mulcaire.

Editors of other papers would do well not to repeat the excuses given by owners and senior staff at the NoW including Richard Murdoch, Andy Coulson and Rebecca Brooke that they were either "unaware" of what was going down or that emails had "gone missing" or even that they were "on holiday at the time"

I spent a good deal of my life climbing a political mountain to get to the very top of our national parliament only for me to find out when I got there that the air was fresher and far more cleaner and the view much more aspiring from the bottom of the mountain than it was at the top.

Since leaving parliament in 2005 I have also watched as our Bankers have robbed of us of our economic future, our politicians have been competing with each other in fiddling their expenses and damaging the reputation of our whole democracy through their own greed, and our police showing themselves to be above the law set for them to administer and unwilling along with the CPS to tackle crime if they felt a cover up was more in the favour of the ruling classes, and also a media bring more shame on itself far beyond the very low, low point it had already reached previously.

But I have also witnessed a public which unfortunately in the main has stayed indifferent. And I am afraid that until enough of us are willing to take a real stand and make far more noise about what they are all doing to us, then than those who currently control our lives and make our laws will continue to trample all over us.

And what sort of lives do these people, who pose as being moral, lead themselves? My dear fellow, you forget that we are in the native land of the hypocrite.

STOP PRESS

2011-07-08T12:01:00.008-04:30

Never let it be said that Northampton Borough Council doesn't get its priorities right. Or that they fail to understand who their friends are.

Further to the story below where the Council refused to work with the Community of Spring Boroughs to help them take control of the planning process in their area, we now hear via press release that they have instead agreed to back bids to the government for £20,000 each for the same scheme in other far more worthy and needy areas of the town.

WOOTON and EAST HUNSBURY.

Now don't get me wrong, I offer them my congratulations and bestbwishes for their project butbwho was it that said class politics is a thing of the past?

In the Councils's arms they fluttered;
Like a bird wot's broke its wing.
But they screwed them and then left them,
On the street without a thing.

It's the same the whole world over,
It's the poor that gets the blame,
It's the rich that gets the pleasure,
Ain't it all a bleeding shame.

WANTED: LATIN TRANSLATION

2011-07-06T10:54:00.005-04:30

The people of Spring Boroughs have endured so much over recent years. Drug dealers and prostitutes have been driven from the area by residents assisted through succesfuly managed CASPAR programme only now for the Borough Council to begin to let them access back onto the estate through their new "choice based" letting scheme.

Likewise green areas and wasteland having been neglected by the same Borough Council for years have now been reclaimed by the residents, who then have to endure the Council using their efforts to claim their own corporate success under Britain in Bloom.

All this has happened against a background of negligent indifference from the Council who have done nothing to address the lack of Decent Homes standard in the 81% of Council owned homes in the Area.

So when Caspar (Castle Partnership) together with local teachers, health workers, the police, faith groups and most importantly local residents combined with Northampton University to seek government funding to pilot a " Local Development Plan" for the area which would put local people in control of the Planning processes which will ultimately affect them, the future looked at least a little brighter.

All we needed was the Councils support to submit the bid to government by the July 8th deadline.

Instead though we got shafted. The council spoke to the government and come up with a fudge, meaning that instead of any real power resting back with the people, the Council would only work with us at a future date on supplementing their own plans. Nothing it seems is going to interfere with their obsessive desire to railroad through their own "Joint Core Strategy" and "Central Area Action Plan" They know best, and we the people must fit in with their plans as they cannot let the public tail wag the corporate dogma.

This crass decision it seems was not even taken by elected Councillors, (is any such decision, these days?) The portfolio holder Cllr John Yates was simply told what the planners wanted him to agree with, and the silencing of a whole community was rubber-stamped under delegated powers. Meanwhile the views of newly elected local Cllrs were at best silenced and at worst manipulated. Council officers it seems, think that local politics is far more about preventing the people from taking part in affairs that properly concern them rather than working with them.

We shouldn't be surprised I guess, as we have all been here before, over the plans to demolish parts of the Eastfield Estate and the failed PFI bid, over the manipulation of Housing Tenants representatives, on the silencing of residents through injunctions, and the indifference shown to Market Traders and our local sports clubs.

There was a time when Local Government had purpose, integrity and above all elected accountability, now however it is but a shadow of it's former proud self and is simply a finishing school and career stepping stone for over ambitious Local Government Officers who hold and abuse all the power given to them without ever having to worry about any electoral consequences of their actions. Meanwhile we the public keep changing the colour of the Party we think are running the show at election time, when the reality is that any attempt to really change things is stimied by an incongruous elite who believe that public consultation means simply telling the people what's they think is good for them and then silencing them if they dare to disagree.

I was saddened to lose my seat on Northampton Borough Council in May, but having taken a step back I can now see that at present it is not a council fit to serve on, nor to bear it's latin legend "Castello Fortior Concordia" friendship is Stronger than a Castle.

I therefore suggest it changes that as well to something more fitting, how about "Copulas et Populas et Oficium es in Tutela"

Civility prevents me from offering a translation, but do feel free to try

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

2011-06-30T11:49:00.010-04:30

SHONA DEANS (MESSINGER) Born 29/10/1963 Died 19/06/2011

Another funeral today I am afraid, they say that the older you get the less weddings and the more funerals you attend, but what shook me today I guess is that we were saying goodbye to an old school friend Shona Deans.

So is this a new chapter in my life where those of the same age start to depart stage left?

Well hopefully not too quickly, Shona was only 47 and died of cancer and as such left this life far far too early, but I guess in any group of friends some will go too early and other will seem to be around forever and always manage to look younger than you do?

Shona was a real star, full of life and energy, always thinking of others whilst also enjoying her own life to the full. At school she was drooled over by the boys for her looks and respected by all because of her strong will and character.

Shona got me in to real trouble at School after I had bought the current Mrs Clarke three red roses for Valentines day, Shona wanted to know where hers were. I suggested to Carole that as I had given her three that she might want to share at least one of them with Shona. As I remember neither Carole nor Shona were too hot on that suggestion and it was not one of my more better diplomatic inputs!

Carole finally relented, and a couple of weeks back took three red roses up to Shona in Cynthia Spencer, unfortunately, Shona was too ill for visitors on that day and passed away on the 19th.

Today at the funeral Shona's son Ross was a real credit to her as he calmly yet obviously emotionally told us all what a great job his mum had made of bringing him and his sister up as a single parent and how the lessons she had taught them would go on to help them both throughout their lives.

I believe Ross is only 19, but he has had to grow up very quickly since his mum was diagnosed, he was a rock today, and his mother would have been very proud of him and of her daughter who also helped to lead the mourners with an obvious love and pride for a good mother taken away from them way before it was her time to go.

Sleep well Shona XX

FIGHTING FOR PEACE

Luckily today's Trade Union action has passed with only minor scuffles breaking out in London as Anarchists, helpfully having dressed themselves up in all black so they could easily be identified, failed to get past police lines and cordons.

Unlike some peope I am happy to give my full unequivical support and soidatory for those taking industrial action. Why shouldn't they do so. There pay has been frozen for two years and now a sorry mixture of Tory, Lib and Labour muppets in parliament tell them that they need to pay a lot more each month for their pension which will be smaller than they were promised and that they cant retire until they are 66! Breach of contract Full Stop. And if Local Government cant afford it then they shouldn't have been so keen to take so many pension holidays in the 1990's or used their non paid contributions to offset council tax rises

The troubles however in Greece continue to escalate. But if I am allowed a slight giggle at what is a very worrying time, it is because of a classic live interview given yesterday lunchtime on Radio 4 by a Greek protester.

The unknown women was asked what she had witnessed following what seemed like a massive brawl on the streets outside of the Greek Parliament and she told the beebs reporter without any sense of irony:

"It was nothing much really, we are all peaceful protesters and we had found amongst us a man dressed all in black who was clearly there just to cause trouble, so we all decided to beat him up"

Fair enough I guess? who needs total pacifism whilst there are still just causes to be fought for? Trouble is from the shots I have seen the rioters are in black, the police are in black and many of the local muslim community wear black, so its not an easy call!

Still anarchists in Britain should beware!!

IT GETS DIRTIER AND DIRTIER

Some of you may remember this post:

http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/search?q=dirty+little+secret

In it I outlined how thousands of tonnes of contaminated waste had allegedly been dumped onto Delapre Abbey in 2005 within the two giant earth bunds by a local contractor (Thomas Haulage) right under the noses of the Borough Council and the officers who were supposed to be monitoring the works.

Despite Northampton Borough Council having been given signed affidavits from both one of the Lorry Drivers involved who tipped the contaminated waste and also another from one of those who had loaded it on the wagons, they had still failed in their statutory duty to take proper legal action to bring the polluter to justice and to make them pay for the clear up of the site. Because unless they do it will be and you who picks up the bill in the long run through our council tax

I also raised this matter in the council chamber on several occasions only to repeatedly hear from the then Liberal Democrat Administration that there was no contamination!

So I was interested to read in Saturdays Chronicle and Echo that the same company has just been fined £27,500 for dumping more illegal waste (10,000 Tonnes) into a lake at Billing Aquadrome last year! This action was taken by the Environment Agency, well done to them. But what about Delapre Abbey?

In addition I recently got sent anonymously some photos of the said waste in situ, and I have asked for more!

The continued failure by the Council to take any action, despite the overwhelming and growing evidence pointing to an even bigger crime having been committed at Delapre Abbey suggests that they are either Spineless, Gutless cowards unwilling to tackle the polluters and to make them pay, or even worse it suggests they may have something themselves to cover up regarding this whole sorry affair?

Either way I think a new Conservative Administration should take the opportunity afforded to them in being newly elected to make a statement declaring their intentions.

As I have said before this one will not got away!! No matter how deep some people want to bury it.

WHAT'S A GREEK URN? IN BLACK SWANS?

2011-06-21T11:52:00.004-04:30

Speaking about the Wests inability to see the Arab Spring coming Nasseem Nicholas Taleb said recently that:

“The upheavals in the Middle East had much in common with the recent financial crisis: both were plausible worst-case scenarios whose probability was dramatically underestimated.”

Nasseem Nicholas Taleb is best known of course for his book the Black Swan a couple of years ago. It has as its central and compelling thesis that there is a pervasive tendency for history to be shaped by unpredicted events, and especially by occurrences that have not taken place in the past. His vivid central metaphor is the assumption that all swans are white because no other colour had been seen until the black swan variety was discovered in Australia. This is an interesting alternative approach to what is often referred to as ‘the politics of impossibility,’ a phrase meant to suggest that the impossible repeatedly happens, making future studies based on past trends and statistical projections almost certain to be wrong.

So whats this to do with what a Greek earns and life in Blighty I hear you ask? I apologise in advance for those who don't like the answer.

You see, as much as the European Central Bank tries to save it, the Greek economy is in collapse. The Greek people will not accept the austerity measures laid down on them from their Government and they have taken to the streets, the Government will inevitably default on it's debt payments to the Banks, the banks as always will look to their own governments to bail them out and the Euro Zone will enter a period of meltdown.

The effects of that meltdown will be felt across the globe, but Britain as the third largest lender to Greece in the EU is in it up to its eyeballs. Meanwhile at home despite the IMF's best efforts to talk up the recovery at home, borrowing still spirals out of control as the UK government now borrows more to payfor higher welfare bills rather than keep public sector workers in employment paying tax and spending on the high street.

And then just as the UK's white swan is starting to look already as if it has a bit of the night about it, along come more Tory Ministers (some with little yellow hats on) in there size nines goading the trade unions into industrial disputes over the summer. Ed Balls plays a bluff, double bluff by asking the unions not to fall into the the trap of strike action because the coallition will then blame the unions for the economy nosediving and say if it wasn't for the Lefties, we would have won through. What a farce!

And then on the sidelines sit the anarchists, knowing very well that a disaffected Britain, and student body fed up of being lied to can soon go from throwing just insults into throwing rather heavier missiles.

And so the trade union day of action on June 30th 2011 becomes our potential Black Swan, not because we want it to be, nor because it need be, but because a ham fisted Tory Government have used the cover of a recession to bulldoze through their ideological plans for a smaller state and slimmer government by cutting services nationally and locally to the bone, and putting hundreds of thousands of civil servants and council workers out of work at a stroke. Not to mention the £1bn+ we have wasted in breaching UN resolutions in Libya (with another £1bn to take us through to Christmas)

Cameron and Co have gambled heavily, and with growth still flatter than a Lincolnshire mountain range his numbers just haven't come up, we now face heavier borrowing to pay for waste, not jobs and we face for the first time in a long while the prospect of unnecessary unrest on our streets bought about by political stupidity of the highest order. Of course the government will blame the unions and the press will probably and more accurately blame the mindless few who infiltrated the peaceful protests, some will blame people like myself for even predicting such events could happen in the first place.

But that's the nature of Black Swans, unless you accept the possibility of them existing in the first place then you will never expect them to turn up on the pond when they do.

I hope I am wrong, I hope that the powers that be will not be caught off their guard and do all they can to protect our peace but we are in for an uncomfortable few weeks and maybe months ahead, it seems it will be less of an Arab Spring and more of a very sticky British Summer.

TOPICAL SHORTS 2

2011-06-15T13:02:00.004-04:30

Just an update on a few "what's been happenings" in downtown Nampton over the last few days and weeks:

ANN FRANK AWARDS

I was humbled on Saturday in receiving an Ann Frank Award from Northampton Youth Forum, the awards recognise young people who have achieved great things and also educators and community activists who have supported young people in their lives. I was delighted to receive the award for my work both as Cllr and MP for supporting young people through my actions and also in my role at NTFC in supporting disabled youngsters and others through sport. I told the young people present at the award presentation at Northampton Carnival that they shouldn't make a habit of giving awards out to politicians as usually it us that cause most of their problems not resolve them. My congratulations also go out to the other recipients including Dostiyo for their work with Asian girls and also my partner in political crime Ann Timson for showing an example to young people through her brave intervention in that infamous smash and grab robbery last year!

IT'S HIM ALRIGHT

An anonymous poster to this site was very upset at the picture of "Dave" (below) looking all glum and suggested that it was certainly not the Prime Minister at all? Well yes it was I am afraid. It was taken after his election defeat in North East Leicestershire in 1997. It also seems that there are a large number of less than flattering shots of the PM doing the rounds, most provided to the press by his ex chums at Bullingdon and beyond. The shot included in this post is just one of many many more that we will need to get used to seeing even if we don't want to believe it is the PM. I think this pic is very "Beckhamesque" as "Dave" sports a very fashionable male sarong, but somehow footballers seem better able to carry off this look than politicians can. But at least it shows that the great man is just as capable of making a dick of himself as the rest of us.

SPECIAL AGENT

News reaches me of alleged unfortunate election irregularities by at least 4 successful Cllrs in this May's Borough Council Elections being investigated either internally by their party and/or by Inspector Knacker of Campbell Square. Some of these investigations may be as a result of harmless or genuine errors, one reported to me by the BNP was not even of the candidates making as NBC show they are just as capable of making gaffs as the parties are. Another it seems involves alleged fraudulent signatures being placed on candidate nomination forms and if true is far more serious, and of course if found to be proved could inevitably lead to a by election. The most serious accusations though that have come to my ears involves the age old time practice of "Postal Vote Farming" where candidates sign up willing voters on the doorstep or in their homes and process their postal votes for them when they arrive!! One potential victim told me he told the candidate where to go and said he would cast his own vote at the Polling Station, but the candidate in question it seems still took away his mums, his sisters and his dads votes, his dad's Postal Vote return had only just been filled in and freshly signed that very minute, even though his father wasn't even home at the time! And to think me and John Dickie were reported and questioned by plod for simply leaving an imprint of of a letter in the 2007 election! It would be improper to name the candidates or their parties but I can't help but think that a lot of the above wouldn't have happened if the Party Agent was on the ball, or even present during the election!

STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

There is a certain irony about the fact that only Malcolm Mildren and myself (both now ex NBC Cllrs) at the time challenged NBC's deal with Enterprise to take over street scene and refuse collection services from the in house team at the Council in what could be a 14 year contract. The Lib Dem's were very proud to be pictured signing the deal and boasting about it to all and sundrie in their election material, The incoming Tory Party also then" resigned" the deal in front of the Chron's cameras to suggest it was in fact all their doing. And yet despite us warning them both on many occasion of problems galore just up the road in Peterborough where the same company were running into difficulties with their Council, no one was willing to listen. The leader of the Labour Party even said at the time that she was happy with the contract as long as the colour of the wheelie bins didn't change and that the garden collections continued. Well now that hiccups are turning into coughs and rubbish still lies waiting for collection and recyclables sorted by householders at source lie mixed together in heaps at the Council yard, we are both waiting to see if the incoming Tory's will eventually blame the Lib Dem's for signing the deal before the election or if the outgoing Lib Dem's will blame the Tory's for signing it after?

BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE

2011-06-09T14:56:00.001-04:30

We all have them I guess?

First off the local vicar calls to tell you that you and your new gang are evil and you must repent your sins and stop upsetting everyone by doing bad things to them without asking them first.

Then your GP tells you not to bother coming to the surgery again as people are complaining about the havoc you are causing in the waiting room

And then you come home only to find out that one of your staff has been touching up the hired help!!

Cheer up Dave, it might never happen again (after 2015 that is)

USA VOTES AGAINST WAR AS UK STUMBLES FORWARD

2011-06-08T12:18:00.002-04:30

Further to my post below, I now hear via my American political allie Congressman Dennis Kucinich a Cleveland Democrat that whilst the UK Parliament and the Public has been kept in the dark over military action in Libya that the US House of Representatives through their Speaker no less has moved a successful anti war motion on the floor of the House!

On Friday, 76 days after U.S. forces joined a NATO attack on the regime of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, the House of Representatives got around to acknowledging that it should have a say in the President's decision. Those who believe the president should not have a free hand to make war can thank Dennis for even that small gesture.

Two days earlier, Kucinich had panicked the House leaders by trying to invoke the 1973 USA War Powers Act, which requires a president to get congressional permission within 60 days of initiating combat operations and mandate the end of American military action in Libya. Dennis told the House of Representatives that with spending by the US alone on the action in Libya approaching $1bn and NATO talking about committing ground troops that the issue was not going to go away, he declared his and many others view that the war is ilegal, unjust, misguided and not affordable during such difficult economic times.

Kucinich's resolution drew interest from such a large and unlikely bipartisan coalition united by a belief that Obama had put American personnel in harm's way with little or no congressional consultation that it might well have passed.

Instead, Speaker John Boehner, a fellow Ohioan, delayed the vote until Friday and, in the meantime, held talks with his own group and crafted a resolution of his own.

Boehner's alternative motion bars the use of American ground forces in Libya, It also demands that the President Obama answer a series of questions regarding the Libyan rebels, U.S. objectives in the North African nation and the anticipated scope and duration of NATO's campaign against Gadhafi.

In a section entitled "Findings," it notes that Congress has not authorized military action in Libya and has the power to deny funding. The resolution passed, 268-145, with Kucinich among the supporters.

The House then rejected Kucinich's War Powers motion, 265-148. Congress cannot be a silent partner in matters of war and peace. Kucinich was right to force his colleagues to speak up.Its just a great shame that none of our MP's in the British Parliament feel duty bound to follow his and America's example

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST

2011-06-05T11:55:00.002-04:30

Anyone reading today's Sunday broadsheets would wonder whether or not the news teams were regular readers of this blog as they all fell over themselves to warn the UK public of the pending economic doom due to the Tory government mismanagement of the economy and also of the ever shortening road to war in Libya due to step by bloody step engagement by UK troops into the civil war in that country.

But it was Danny Blanchflower's comments in the Observer which hit home hardest with me as they echoed the very points I was making about Tory ideology in the Council Chamber last year when nobody else wanted to listen.

This Danny Blanchflower didn't play for Tottenham and Northern Ireland, instead he was a former member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee and in today's press he had some strong words for the Tories after it has been confirmed that government borrowing is rising and the growth and the economy are shrinking.
He told the Observer

"How come George Osborne isn't the most hated man in Britain? He should be. It was never necessary to do this. I hold Cameron, Clegg and Osborne responsible for the collapse of the British Economy when it was never bankrupt. Consumer confidence collapsed, and the date of the collapse was April 2010 during the general election campaign"

He went on to criticise the government for having no plan B and no courage for a u-turn and added

"The public finances are going to be in awful shape. I think this is a fundamental attempt, driven by ideology to shrink the state"

So its official, it's hurting, but it's not working and we are getter poorer as a nation with rising debts and will have a government borrowing more than the last one to simply keep people on the dole after decimating the public services we all rely on, who said Thatcherism had had it's day?

BACK TO THE EIGHTIES

2011-05-27T10:06:00.003-04:30

Listening to Radio Four a few weeks back I was taken a back from an off the cuff comment made by the Rt Hon Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne when he seemed to slip up and announce that Government borrowing at the end of their term of office in 2015 will be higher than it was when they came to office!

Surely not, I heard a thousand people cry, this is the Government of austerity, the "tough love" masters of the national debt. The people who dumbed down the credit crisis by telling Joe Public, we have simply overspent on our credit card and now we need to make the repayments. So what is now going wrong?

Well that's a simple one, and some of us did hint at it before. You see the Government in their haste to cut the deficit has destroyed any growth in the economy 0.5% down in the last quarter of 2010 and 0.5 up in the first quarter of 2011 leaving the economy flat, and if we are not earning and we are still paying off the debt then where is the money going to come from for paying for an ever increasing welfare bill, growing by the day as people across the public sector lose their jobs?

In addition rising food prices as emerging nations demand more of the worlds production, and rising commodity prices for similar reasons are pushing up inflation far beyond any hitherto expected measures and therefore people understandably are keeping their hands firmly in their pockets.

So there we have it, we have hardly any public services left, the cost of living has risen massively, oil prices are up food prices are up, unemployment is up, growth is down and the economy is flat. All leading to us having to borrow more year on year and get ourselves in a deeper mess with less to show for it.

And to think, those of us who suggested investment in public spending to protect growth and spending and keep unemployment costs down were as good as declared insane by the Tories. If only we could turn back the clock? But that's not going to happen. Instead expect more cuts, heightened public unrest, high unemployment, and a return of inflation and massive cost of living rises. Its the 80's all over again!

Perhaps Cameron is far more Thatcherite than his party really thinks he is?

WAR BY INSTALLMENTS!

2011-05-27T09:42:00.002-04:30

Let me first be very clear about how much better Libya would be without Colonel Gaddafi. I recently attended a fundraiser in Northampton with local Libyan families who are ever hopeful that regime change will be effected in their home country sooner rather than later, but despite their wishes and my support for that same outcome. I cannot turn a blind eye to the unfolding disaster the British Government have made of their input to the crisis thus far.

UN resolution 1973 demanded "an immediate ceasefire" and authorized the international community to establish a no fly zone and to use all means necessary short of foreign occupation to protect civilians on both sides.

To be blunt the British government alongside the French government and with assistance of the USA have extended their actions far and beyond any legal interoretation or boundary of the resolution. And to think that in all three countries thier leaders played such a huge part in protecting Gadaffi reign over all these years. I bet President Sarkozy of France regrets the picture here (left) as much as Obama and Blair do their own snaphots with the crazed dictator. Cameron it seems has only been spared the same humiliation by way of good timing!

First of all it was the West's interpretation of the no fly zone to enable air attacks on Gaddafi's forces on the ground if they looked to be threatening areas where civilians were congregated and then it extended the action to excuse attacks on Libya's air defences and then on their static defence positions and finally to attacks on government buildings and palaces which were being protected on a voluntary basis by civilian human shields!!

Then we took to sending over armed troops to assist in training of the rebels in flagrant breach of the foreign occupation ruling and now we hear that British Apache attack helicopters are to be deployed! We have step by bloody step purposely embroiled ourselves in another bloody civil war this time wholly of our own making and in doing so we have weakened the UN's position and also made a mockery of the governments so called defence spending reductions to help ease the national debt.

We have led brave freedom fighters from East Libya on the march to Tripoli by illegal use of attack planes and then left them in the desert to fend for themselves without protection, and we have (unbelievably) in doing so left Gaddafi in a stronger position now than he was at the start of the Arab spring. Don't be fooled Gaddafi still has his supporters in Libya in large numbers and the best outcome most can see is eventual partition of the country into pro and anti Gaddafi enclaves. Meanwhile back in Benghazi and in Misrata where the rebels still hold power, normal governance has come to a halt, medical supplies and care are in short supply, kids have no schools to go to and the rubbish is being picked up by football club supporters groups.

William Hague and David Cameron must be very pleased with themselves, I always disagreed with Tony Blair over our involvement in Iraq, but at least he took us to an illegal war with an air of competence about it rather than us ending up embroiled in an horrific human stew of our own making which will damage further relations within the Arab world for many more years to come (if that is possible)

One more depressing thought though is that no one in the UK seems to give a fig? Where are all the protests? from either side? Has Jeremy Paxman lost his nerve or his voice in questioning what is going down in the name of UK PLC, and what about the printed press? If we are at war then why no Sun headline declaring GO GET GADDAFI and if we are not at war then where are the Guardian or Independent headlines questioning the legitimacy of the military intervention?

Perhaps it is only me that is concerned?

TIME FOR A RANT

2011-05-27T09:10:00.000-04:30

Elections always wear me out. Not surprising really, as if they didn't then you couldn't have worked hard enough!

Anyhow they also make you reflective, and over the past two weeks of inactivity I have been thinking a lot about the mess we are in.

So despite the wishes of some to stick only to local issues here follows a few posts on whats troubling me of late!

TIME FOR NEW BLOOD?

2011-05-11T12:58:00.003-04:30

John Dickies call in todays Chronicle and Echo for "The Old Guard" at the Town Hall to stand aside to let new talent shine through reminded me so much of this video below, and if I can't succeed as an independent then perhaps this bright and upcoming young lady has a chance of changing the political landscape?

I must say her speech is more far more radical and inspiring than anything you will get from the Party Leaders at the Town Hall over the next 4 years!!

LOST - ONE COUNCIL SEAT - REWARD FOR FINDER

2011-05-09T12:44:00.003-04:30

I could say that:

"it is far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the grey twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat"

But that would be neither magnanimous nor would it cover the horrible feeling that defeat still brings no matter how difficult I knew the fight to be

I could instead wrap myself up in my election win averages, i.e. played 9 - won 6 - lost 3, but again that wouldn't be totally accurate as you need to split the elections pre and post transfer! i.e. played 5 for the Labour Party won 4 - lost 1 and played 4 as an Independent and Won 2 - Lost 2

I could continue with the Roosevelt theme as above and say to my detractors and those who talk a good election but never fight one that:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"

But brave words and emotive quotations won't change a single vote in my favour; the election will still be lost and the Borough Council chamber still inaccessible to me for four years.

Perhaps its best then to just say well done to the victors? After all I was really genuinely pleased to see my good friend Aziz Rahman and his wife elected to the Council Aziz having topped the poll and his wife winning very unexpectedly in Trinity against Andrew Simpson, and other Labour victory's for friends like Gareth Eales were also very pleasing. Comments from others that I should now "Come home to Labour" or at take the Labour whip on the County are perhaps best left alone before the Region finds out about them and ex communicates more members.

So in a way all of the above comments and quotes to a degree have some truth to them but it still leaves me asking myself so many more questions than I have answers for as to where do we go from here?

For the record I can now say what I thought would happen and the predictions I made to those closest to me.

I predicted a strong Labour recovery, I had them down for 13 seats and they got 15. I also believed privately that if their swing was big enough then it would do for us in Castle Ward and that they would take the 3 seats (although of course I hoped we would hang on) I predicted along with everyone else a collapse in the Lib Dem vote, but no where near the size it was I had them down to around the 9-10 mark with the Tories gaining but not enough to form an administration, but I was wrong on that one. A lot of the Lib Dem candidates I thought would go, went but not always to the victors I had in mind, and I also of course hoped and wished for the record number of Independent candidates to be elected or do well and to a point they did do well if not get elected. They all campaigned and polled well but came up short when it turned into total votes at the count.

Without a doubt one of the biggest disappointments for me were the very high number of "Block Votes" where 3 votes were recorded for the Labour/ Lib Dem/Tory in Castle Ward, because myself and Malcolm could never feature in them we found ourselves several hundred behind before we had a chance to catch up on the split votes, and even then Party loyalty cancelled a lot of gains out. It is soul destroying having put so much effort in to sometimes be left wondering if votes are still just cast en masse without a thought to the candidates standing. With less than 30%v bothering in the first place it is even more difficult to get past any three party loyalty ticket

Another crazy caper which must have cost the Lib Dem's dearly across the town was the massive effort they put into Castle Ward even though they finished 5th there in 2009. We now have it on good authority that this was an agreed tactic to make sure they got rid of myself and Malcolm for being thorns in their side over the last 4 years. I should grateful for the compliment, but I can't help but think it cost both vote for me and Malcolm in Castle Ward but also probably cost the Lib Dem's a couple of seats they could have saved elsewhere (i.e. Trinity?) if they had used their resources more wisely.

Will the public ever embrace Indeopendents in large enough numbers to make wins regular? Can you only really be succesful as an Independent by not being Independent and forming a new group of "Local Community Activists" under a single banner? Who knows, I would as always value your thoughts.

Anyway on to the election awards. My award for the most unscrupulous campaigning goes to the Lib Dem candidates in Castle Ward who sent an unforgivable letter out to council tenants on the eve of Poll without a Party logo on "official" looking paper signed by Cllr Jane Hollis warning tenants that unless they voted for the three Lib Dem candidates then the Tory's where going to sell off their council homes! One elderly disabled man was in tears when we visited him that night convinced that only a vote for the Lib Dem's would keep him in his home. It was full of the old "Its a two horse race here" this time they told residents the two horse race was between the Lib Dem's and The Tories who finished 5th and 3rd in Castle Ward respectively in 2009

My award for the most pointless and puerile comments came from Les Marriot who fought the Semilong seat for Labour against the Independent candidate Steven Richards. So despite me not even standing for election there he still managed to vent his pipe by attacking me as "Cllr Independent" saying I was only good at making a noise and getting myself in the press and then he attacked me again by informing the voters of Semilong that "Unlike Cllr Independent" he "won't be swanning off down to London" We can only think that was referring to the time that I was one of his parties MP's at Westminster? But what a strange comment.

The stark truth however is that the election result was a bad one for Independents and yet they all fought very hard and they deserved far more recognition than they got in the local media. Those who we printed material for Graham Walker, Steven Richards and Derek Jones mad sterling efforts in their first ever campaigns and I hope they wont lose too much heart at the results. Malcolm Mildren and his partner Maureen were both a rock for me in Castle Ward and as well as being very grateful for their support I would also thank them for their humour, we really did have a fun time!

I would of course also thank John and Marie Dickie, John for being our agent and Marie for putting up with John I would also single out Ann and the gang in Spring Boroughs Peter Witt in Cyril Street and Terry and many others for helping out with deliveries. I also of course thank my family for putting up with me.

Those last two paragraphs should of course have been said as part of a small speech at the count. But candidates, even winning candidates were denied the opportunity to do so in what was a very lack lustre count. No one at the count could really hear what was happening and it was also incredibly difficult to see what was happening and how the votes were accumulating. Gone it seems are the days when the rolls of 50 votes were put in a rack so you could actually see who was winning!

In fact having waited until the next day for the vote to be begin it was all a bit of an anti climax, and as a candidate I felt I was just in the way really, and perhaps that's where we are all headed elected or not? Perhaps the Council will do away with elections and Cllrs and just set up sounding boards to provide an opinion of the management boards intentions? perhaps being a Cllr or not or being elected or not is now immaterial? but if it is then I would like to know why it stings so much not be part of it.

So now you have it, my election ramble for you to digest and add to, and once again unlike other sites censorship will only be applied to either the vulgar and unfair.

I come near to a conclusion by sending my sincere congratulations to the victors Aziz Rahman, Winston Strachan and Danielle Stone. Good luck to you all in representing the people of Castle Ward on the Borough Council, I will of course be monitoring your progress from my position of County Cllr for Castle Ward, but I offer you cooperation in the best interests of the people we both serve and hope we can all bring some credit back to a Local Government system bruised by the electoral over ambition and administrative arrogance of the Liberal Democrats over the last four years.

I also offer congratulations to David Palethorpe and his Tory Group, I shall enjoy watching from the sidelines as another Tony newly elected to the Council in the administrations fold continues to promote the record of Independent thought and action in the Town Hall that I hope myself and Malcolm were reknown for.....

My last act this morning in the Town Hall was set my Council email to "Out of Office" It read "

Sorry but I am out of office!! At least until the next election in 2015. Can I thank all those 740 brave souls who voted for an independent candidate on May 5th 2011 and apologise to you that I was not successful in holding my seat. If you need to reach me on a personal basis my email address is tony.clarke@email.com or I am still in action over the road at County Hall as the Independent County Cllr for Castle Ward

Tony

ELECTION ADDRESS

2011-05-02T08:44:00.002-04:30

Continuing the publication of election leaflets from this years NBC Elections here is the A4 trifold election address delivered over the Bank Holiday weekend.As always click on each picture to magnify. I hope you enjoy it.

THERE NOW FOLLOWS A NON PARTY POLITICAL BROADCAST ON BEHALF OF YOU

2011-04-25T11:06:00.002-04:30

Are we the first? Maybe we will be the last? But we couldn't resist putting our views on video.

Its a party political broadcast without any party and its NON party political (if you get our drift)

Malcolm said:

"Even Errol Flynn had to start his big screen career somewhere, and a Northampton debut never did him any harm"

We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it.......................

TORYSPOTTING

2011-04-24T07:48:00.013-04:30

"So why do they do it? I could offer a million answers, all probable. The truth is they are just bad people, and that's not going to change, Of course they say they have changed. That we have seen the last of uncaring conservatism; but the only cleaning up they do is financial and personal before moving the money on to an overseas bank, going straight? and choosing life? Only at someone elses expense. DAVE's enjoying it already. He says he wants to be just like you; the job, the family, the f*cking big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine-to-five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing the gutters, getting by, looking ahead, until the day you die." But he, BORIS and GEORGE just can't pull it off. Is it a class thing? You bet your b*llocks it is.

Not smart, not funny, sickly and sometimes just plain unconscious, DAVE is a true blue rinse hero of our times. Set in an underbelly of West London the city fathers always dreamed of, TORYSPOTTING is the story of DAVE and his so-called friends - a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, tax dodgers and flunkies. Hilarious but harrowing, the film charts the disintegration of their friendship as they proceed, seemingly inevitably, towards the self destruction of themselves and the whole f*cking country. DAVE alone says he has the insight and opportunity to escape his fate and be just like you and me but then again, does he really want to "choose life as we know it"?

If so he should choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of f*cking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing spirit-crushing game shows with Ant and Dec whilst stuffing f*cking junk food into your mouth. Choose losing your job because someone has to pay off the deficit created by your mates at the bank. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last, in a miserable care home that can't even afford to feed you after they have taken their profit out of the reduced monies coming from a Tory Council, until your nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, screwed-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose the Tories.

IS TRUE EQUALITY ONLY EVER REALLY ACHIEVED BY DEED AND ACTION?

2011-04-23T06:03:00.005-04:30

A little break from the election!

Now don't get me wrong, pitch invasions are not to be condoned, they can of course lead to further unrest and further trouble, and the host club is often fined, but once in a while they are accepted as just part of footballs rich tapestry.

So when around 50 Cobblers supporters last night raced onto to the pitch to celebrate a wonderful 92nd minute injury time equaliser by Liam Davies, the stewards were cool enough to realise that this was just such a moment, no arrests needed, just a stern shepherding back into the Dave Bowen Stand. You can almost imagine the stewards saying

"Come on boys you have had your fun, now get off the pitch, before we need to get heavy"

All's well that ends well you say ! But this particular pitch incursion had not ended.

You see Northampton Town Football Club has far more disabled supporters than most teams, and it one of a handful of grounds that a wheelchair user can watch their football from any of the four stands, at ground level, or elevated, and one of our disabled fans (Derry?) complete with motorised wheelchair wanted part of this particular celebration.

He set off therefore from his position in the East Stand to join all the happenings in front of the Dave Bowen (North) Stand, but by the time he and his motorised wheelchair had made it onto the pitch the rest of the crowd had been cleared, The ball had been returned to the centre circle and the ref was waiting to restart the the last few seconds of the match. But there was Derry stranded in the middle of the pitch! The crowd took a double take:

"is that"

"no it cant be"

"why is there a guy in a motorised wheelchair in the middle of the pitch?"

Having the time of his life was the answer, and also knowing that every second he took to clear the pitch would bring the final whistle and a well earned point for the Cobblers a few seconds nearer,so he decided that instead of going back to the East Stand where he came from (10 yards) that he would make it all the way to the Dave Bowen Stand (60yards) at any cost.

The rest as they say is history, recorded by mobile phone for us all to enjoy, he was given a heroes welcome by the Cobblers fans in the Dave Bowen Stand and a standing ovation from every other Cobblers supporter at Sixfields. The stewards were powerless, after all they could hardly go on and lift him and his wheelchair off the pitch! and given that every other incursion of the pitch a few moments before had gone unpunished then how could they get heavy with this new found Northampton Town hero?

The game eventually restarted and then finished as the crowd celebrated the well deserved point.

But another point had been made.

"All football fans are equal, but at some clubs some fans are more equal than at others"

Another first for Northampton's strong Independent nature and history, the first pitch invasion by a supporter in a motorised wheelchair.

Derry, as much as I shouldn't, I have to say

"Well done sir, I salute you"

ELECTION LEAFLETS

2011-04-18T08:19:00.003-04:30

As always to keep people in the loop as to our local campaigning I copy below jpegs of our election leaflets so far. Please click on them for bigger pictures. These were our draft sheets for proof reading prior to print so no wise cracks on the typos please!

In addition to Castle Ward the little Risograph in the back room has also been churning out material by the Independent candidates in Delapre & Briar Hill (Graham Walker) Semilong (Steven Richards) and St James (Derek Jones)

All leaflets are printed on paper from sustainable sources and with Soya (vegatable) Ink so even our Green Party friends who get a mention on each leaflet will be happy.

I hope you enjoy, comments always welcome, and more leaflets to come!!

A3 Intro front

A3 Intro back

Postal Vote front

Postal Vote back

Billing Road Special front

Billing Road Special back

ELECTION SHORTS

2011-04-16T13:13:00.010-04:30

Just a few snippets from the weeks campaigning:

VOTE LABOUR - MAYBE NOT

News reaches me of another fine piece of electoral brilliance from East Midlands Labour Party who it seems are running the Northampton Campaign from their office somewhere up north.

This week they spent a lot of members hard raised cash by sending out glossy leaflets to target voter telling them all the reasons why they should vote Labour in the Local Government Elections on Thursday May 5th 2011.

And where did they send them?

Phippsville of course, one of the several seats where they have failed to stand a candidate.

What was it about fools and their money? And which of the named candidates elsewhere will this election expense be placed against?

I WILL MEET THEM YESTERDAY

Thursday's online Chron debate on Sixfields had me chuckling as the big three out bid themselves as to how quickly they would meet the Cobblers and the Saints after they took power after the election
.
"Within 50 days of taking office" said Labour Leader Lee Mason totally forgetting that she had told the Chron that the party were aiming for 15 seats of the 31 contested by the Party out of 45 vacancies. Hmmm problem there Lee, If your aiming for 15 and you need at least 23 for a majority (almost impossible out of 31 candidates) then your not going to take office are you?

"The week after the Vote" said David Palethorpe trumping Labour

"We have already met them lots of times" Said Brian Hoare on behalf of the Lib Dem's (well a lot of good that did)

I met with someone from the Saints last weekend he added getting ahead of himself

"Monday 9th of May said David Palethorpe", the first working day after the vote

"The day after the election we will be on the phone to organise a meeting with the Saints and the Cobblers" said Lee Mason for Labour still forgetting that difficulty of forming an administration on the 15 seats she hopes to win.

The oneupmanship on who could meet who first was only marginally beaten in the humour stakes though by the often off topic and nauseating one sentence platitudes posted by all three leaders. My favourites in order were:

1) Lee Mason (Lab): "Northampton Labour supports bigger sports stadiums."

2) Brian Hoare (Lib Dem)"Don't take any notice of the vote on the screen it is easily manipulated."
after his party was reduced to 8% in voting intention

3) Lee Mason (Lab) "Good luck to the Saints / Cobblers in their next match"

4) David Palethorpe (Con) "Pete - you mention parking in the town centre, that's why Conservatives would introduce the first hour of free parking in Borough Council car parks" er.... slightly off topic David

5) Lee Mason (Lab) "Sue, My view is the same as yours in that we should have had IKEA here in Northampton"securing the shopping vote

As to what each of the Parties would actually do rather than meet and hold more talks? Well that bit was as expected missing, and despite a couple of questions to them offering cross party support and a few solutions they as usual stayed silent and pretended the Independents who posted on the site were not really there!

It was like being back in the Council chamber!

THE PICKLES VOTE

Whilst out campaigning in Scholars Court, myself and Malcolm couldn't resist knocking the door of one local resident called "Eric Pickles"

Was it the man himself? Eric got himself in hot water once before with a live Question Time audience over the need for his "second home " to be paid for from his parliamentary allowances.

We wondered if we had found a third?

Unfortunately for all. the big man, if it was indeed him, was not at home.
But we may call back.

NEVER MIND THE QUALITY LOOK WHERE ITS PRINTED!

As the risograph printer in my back room goes into hyperdrive with Independent candidates all printing off their own leaflets to save cash and the environment (it uses vegetable soya ink) News reaches me of an upset in the Castle Ward Labour camp about how useless the material is being sent down to them from the Nottingham Office!

They are very poor, in fact pretty pointless, but then what should they expect from someone sitting behind a computer 60 miles away who has probably never been to the ward?
The imprint is also interesting:

Printed by Grafton, 23 Upper Prior Street Northampton NN1 2PT, Published and Promoted by George Carr - Williamson on behalf of Mohammed Aziz; Danielle Stone and Winston Strachan, all of 23 Barrett Lane, Attenborough, Nottingham, NG9 6AD.

So apart from us not knowing who Grafton is? and there being no such place as Upper Prior Street, it also seems as if the three candidates rather than being c/o the regional office all seemed to have moved there!

In despair I now understand that my old mate Winston Strachan has decided enough is enough and he has produced his own leaflet, to counter the East Midlands Offices punt attempts?

I haven't seen one yet, but I will keep my eyes peeled.

WILL CLEGGMANIA ONE YEAR ON BE AN ELECTION ISSUE?

2011-04-10T14:04:00.005-04:30

Do you remember a year ago this week when the Lib Dem's topped the pre election national opinion polls after strong showings by their leader Nick Clegg in the live TV debates?

"Just think how many times you've been given promises from these old parties. and when they get back into government, you find that nothing really changes at all, we can do so much better than that this time"

Said Nick

Well having signed a pre election pledge to scrap tuition fees and warning all that would listen about the Tory's VAT bombshell, he then of course went on to support the rise in tuition fees to £9000 and back the increase in VAT to 20%. It seems he was right in his pre election warning to us all apart from of course telling us that his was one of the same old parties who would do anything and say anything to get into power..

The following big dip in national support for the Lib Dem's since is therefore understandable but what effect will it have locally in the forthcoming Borough Council Elections?

Well it will have some effect of course, no local party can ride out the unpopularity of their Westminster Leaders, but some local voters may look to more local issues, but there also it seems that the picture is not too rosy for the Local Lib Dem's.

Despite there brave attempts to rewrite the local press headlines people I speak to rate their four year term in office a lot lower than they themselves do. The Focus leaflets may tell us that they saved the market and managed the books efficiently, but on the doorstep voters say they have wrecked the market and cut services to the core. The fountain is either "a wonderful new addition to the street scene" if promoted by the local Lib Dem team or "Another waste of bloody money on something which never works" if you ask the public.

Shortlisted for "Most Improved Council" they tell us and show us their certificate withe competition was only open only to Lib Dem Councils who form part of the Liberal Democrat Group at the Local Government Association.

The problem the local Lib Dems have though is that on May the 5th it will be the public at large who will be casting the votes and expressing an opinion, not just their own membership.

But local Lib Dem campaigners are if nothing else an optimistic bunch, despite all signs pointing understandably to a melt down in Lib Dem support, Two sitting Northampton Borough Councillors I spoke to were adamant that the party will hang on to power at the Guildhall on May 5th.

Others are less bombastic and point to a reduction in their overall number but "not in my seat"

The truth of course is that none of us really know how the elections will turn out, everyone expects a rise in Labour's vote given their new role in opposition to the Tory dominated coalition with the Lib Dem's. The obvious victim of any Labour rise will be those who beat them into second place 4 years ago and that leaves a lot of Tory seats as well as Lib Dem seats in the balance.

As the only Independent elected I too must see off a rise in any Labour vote if myself and Malcolm are to take 2 seats in Castle Ward, but don't write off the Independents and non aligned candidates as many did at the General Election.

Then because of those awful TV debates anyone standing as a non Tory, Lab or Lib Dem candidate were sidelined and ignored and as I have said elsewhere, many voters went to the polling station to vote Brown, Cameron or Clegg without a thought as to who their local candidateswere . How else can anyone explain the ridiculously good result for Labour's Clyde Loakes polling nearly 10,000 votes and securing second place as an absent and non interested candidate?

The County Elections of 2009 are therefore probably a better measure of the support out there for the candidates and it will be interesting to see what effect the cooperation of non aligned candidates who are not standing in the same seats against each other or supporting each other in seats, has this time has on the result.

In Castle Ward in 2009 I topped the poll with 38.9 of the vote and the Green Party polled over 10.4% given that we are supporting each other this time and have 3 three candidates between us for three vacancy's then a collective vote from our supporters on the doorstep could secure over 50 % of the vote! But of course the new wards and changes to boundaries throw another unknown factor into the complex mix.

The picture I paint above is in pointing out the differences between voting habits and results at national and local levels, the 35-40% who vote in Local Government elections it would seem are less likely to be swayed by national events or trends and more likely to be strong supporters of their party's or local Cllrs.

But the Lib Dem "swingers" (no there is another blog posting, altogether) could make the real difference, will they go red? or blue? or look to the Independents and others to find a new home for their vote?

If you are an ex Lib Dem supporter I would welcome your views on where your vote may be cast this time, as always, all comments are very welcome.

TUESDAY TICKLERS

2011-04-05T08:40:00.009-04:30

14 CANDIDATES MISSING IN INACTION

It is an absolute insult to the electorate of Northampton that her Majesty's official opposition in Government can fail to stand candidates in 14 of the 45 contested seats in this years Borough Council Elections.

The Labour Party's latest ineptitude means that in many areas of the town including Boothville, Rectory Farm, Park, East Hunsbury and Upton that voters can only choose between Conservative and Lib Dem candidates, and at a time when Local Government cuts are being imposed at our Town and County Hall By A Tory Lib Dem coallition then that choice is the equivalent of a condemned man being asked if he wants to be hung or shot.

There are also no Labour candidates standing in Parklands, Phippsville, Nene Valley or West Hunsbury, but at least in these seats people wanting to vote against the coallition can choose from Independent, (Nene Valley) Christian Peoples Alliance (Parklands West Hunsbury) UKIP (Parklands) or Green (Phippsville)

What really surprises me about all this though is that up to now we have been told that Labour's local difficulties were all my fault, and confined only to Northampton South, but as can be seen from the list above, and after less than a year without Ms Keeble (Porter) on the scene the organisation in the Northampton North Constituency seems also to have collapsed.

Well I hope the regional party don't try to pin this one me as well! Or perhaps it was John Dickies fault? or Geoff Howes or Peter Evans? One thing is for sure, it would never of happened with Anjona Roy as Agent, but of course they expelled her as well!

THANK GOD FOR RADIO FOUR

I get a lot of stick from Mrs Clarke and the kids for my car radio listening choice but I care not, as it seems this is the last vestige of the truth left on the BBC and or within the British media. This morning their was a very enlightening interview with Colonel Gaddafi's son Saif about the defection of Libya's ex Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, remember him?

A high profile defection, we were told, organised through M16 who would now throw daylight on what really happened at Lockerbie and at the Libyan Embassy when PC Yvonne Fletcher was gunned down.

Anyhow now it seems as if Moussa Koussa actually left Libya for Tunisia on sick leave some time ago and made contact with the Brits not because he wanted to share all Colonel Gaddafi's closest secrets with us, but because he is receiving treatment every three months at the private and exclusive Cromwell Hospital in London!

As for those juicy details on past crimes of the Libyan state, as most of us imagined, Saif Gaddafi said

"We have already told the British Government everything they want to know about Lockerbie and the embassy shootings, they know everything"

THE BOLTED HORSE HAS DOOR AFTER STABLE THE SHUTTING (please re arrange)

Still on Libya, the Commons’ Committee on Arms Export Controls has just released a damning report on Britain's Arms sales to? you guessed it Colonel Gaddafi's regime in Libya. It seems that successive governments are guilty of selling weapons to Libya and other dictatorships in North Africa and the Middle East just four months before Gaddafi’s regime slaughtered hundreds of protesters, a damning report reveals today. Ministers approved the export of sniper rifles, bullets, tear gas and other ‘crowd control’ ammunition to Tripoli shortly Gaddafi ordered his military to crush a pro-democracy uprising.

Gaddafi used the UK-made arms against the rebel uprising in Libya were an estimated 1,000 Libyan citizens have been killed since his violent crackdown was launched. Since 2009, Britain approved export licences worth £2.3billion to 16 states over a 21-month period. Military export licenses to Libya alone since the start of 2009 totalled £61.3million, according to Department for Business figures.

The UK also awarded Bahrain £6million of licences covering sub machine guns, sniper rifles, CS hand grenades, smoke canisters, stun grenades and riot control agents. At least 26 citizens have been killed and 1,000 injured in Bahrain as the Gulf state cracked down on freedom campaigners.

Britain also approved arms licenses totalling £1.7billion to Saudi Arabia, £20.4million to Egypt, £276.9million to Algeria and £52.8million to the United Arab Emirates. Body armour and night vision goggles have been approved for Yemen, small arms ammunition for Syria, and sniper rifles, aircraft components and armoured personnel carriers for Saudi Arabia.

Oh, and now Foreign Secretary William Hague is hinting on arming the rebels as well.

Its a dirty and lucrative trade War! and Government!

IF ITS GOOD ENOUGH FOR SUPERGRAN!

2011-03-31T11:57:00.007-04:30

And they're off and running................................Well almost.

Today myself and Malcolm Mildren put our nomination papers in as Independent candidates for Castle Ward in May's Borough Council Elections, once again taking on all the Party interests

So expect heavier traffic on the blog and more anonymous comments from the party hacks. Anyhow to wet your appetite and to prove that Supergrans are not just for High Street jewellers security, I paste below our first newsletter, hitting doormats as we speak.

Click on the pictures below to enlarge:

THIS IS NOT LIKE IRAQ! IT'S FAR MORE DEVIOUS

2011-03-21T13:00:00.006-04:30

Did I dream the whole economic deficit episode? Were we not so broke last week that our County Council were sacking lollipop wardens and turning all the lights off at midnight? Did I imagine the government making newly trained pilots redundant and scrapping orders for new jets to sit on now plane less aircraft carriers?

I must have done because now all three main political party's are falling over themselves to sound out the War Clarion as Britain engages in yet another costly campaign in the desert and pretends to us all again that it has nothing to do with OIL

How stupid do they really think we are? and having armed and sucked up to Gaddafi for so long are we now expected to just forget the huge part we played, right up to the release of the Lockerbie Bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in protecting his reign?

And is a civilian life taken in Yemen or Bahrain by their government forces worth less than the life of a Libyan citizen?

These are all questions we must all ask ourselves and answer before we accept any moral justification for Britain involving itself in yet another Middle East meltdown. Why o why a nation like ours supposedly bankrupt wants to jump in both feet first is any ones guess.

Gaddafi is not liked in the West and few from any side would mourn his passing but Libya is a country divided The North and West in favour of Gaddifis reign continuing under him and his son Saif and the East equally determined to overthrow the state. Therefore the UN resolution to enforce a no fly zone and to prevent attacks on civilians was just in its formation and supported by the Arab League with its votes because it made sense.

But is there anyone out there still willing to believe the British or French military when they say they are simply endorsing the UN resolution? Shots of a Libyan jet being brought down on Saturday morning were used as an example of Libyan government aggression against the rebels. Then just a few hours later when it was no longer possible to deny that the fighter jet actually belonged to the rebels and was being used against government forces the BBC changed its tune but not composer by describing its bringing down as still an act of Libyan Government aggression but this time by ground to air troops against a rebel plane!

It seems now as if the civilian rebels have tanks and planes! This has all the hallmarks of a bloody civil war with little signs of an early victor.

This conflict for the West is about Regime change. pure and simple, Gaddafi has had his day and they now need to dispose of him and interfere in the election of tommorrow puppet to the West, and the realisation today (Monday 21st March 2011) that voices in the Arab League are questioning the intent and actions of those carrying out the UN resolution paint a dark picture for the west's involvement from here on in. Already the end game is uncertain, the planning? non existent and the questions as to compliance with the UN resoltion already being questioned by the Arab League, India and others. Call me old fashioned but shouldn't we set the plan for all to see and have clear objectives laid out and decided upon before we start shooting people? Shouldn't we ensure that those plans accord with international law before we go messing around in the internal conflict of another sovereign state

I am not a pacifist. I don't like war, who does? I voted against the Iraq war in the Commons because the case was not proven and I equally supported the action on Serbia/Croatia because it was and it was obvious to anyone that only force alone would stop an humanitarian crisis from continuing, but who are our current political leaders kidding when they try and tell us that civilians dying at the hands of British supplied arms in Yemen and Bahrain are less deserving than civilians dying at the end of a British supplied gun in Libya.

But the real nasty taste left in my mouth from all the weekend news was the race by Clegg and Milliband to jump aboard any passing war horse. we are fully behind the Prime Minister and his actions they said. Well did they ask their respective memberships? of course not and it sums up all that is wrong with British Politics today. Around the Country Labour and Lib Dem candidates will be knocking on doors before the local election polls trying to defend the stances of their respective parties which they themselves had no say in formulating. as we speak a vote in the Commons will be conducted with a Free Vote (if you believe that then you really are gullible) to decide on whether or not we undertake Military action which has already begun!

Over in Palestine there will be continued confusion as to why only some UN resolutions are acted on by the West whilst others are ignored for years and years and years. And in Yemen and Bahrain families will be burying their loved ones with no hope of international support or intervention simply because their OIL flows are either not significant or they flow in a different direction!

Forced regime change in Libya? NOT IN MY NAME. Selective action to cover up the self interest of the West? NOT IN MY NAME. A Party leader telling me how to think and who to support? NOT HERE

WARNING LOFT POLICE OPERATING HERE

2011-03-14T08:24:00.005-04:30

When an old friend from Cotton End contacted me to tell me the Council had sent him an enforcement notice and were chasing him for £221 because he didn't have the correct notification in place before he commenced work on insulating his loft, I thought he was the victim of some sort of scam.

So I asked him for copies, and subsequently fell off my chair! It seems as if the new Tory/Lib Dem government from October 2010 have been insisting on new rules first introduced by a Labour Government in 2006 being imposed on us more rigidly to correctly monitor the size of our wedge! In other words, how thick is your insulation? But the Lib Dems on NBC it seems have gone one step further.

My friends above had a new roof constructed by a friend in the trade and being climate friendly decided to upgrade the loft insulation at the same time. They shouldn't have been so eco minded as that act of green conscience has now cost them an additional £221.

The Council (who are never shy in issuing penalty notices or taking firm action against wrongdoers, see http://tonyclarkeindependent.blogspot.com/2010/02/theres-no-t-in-democracy.html) have told him "it is an offence not to send the notices required by the Building Regulations for change of use; failure to do so could make you liable to a fine. In addition, notice can be served on you requiring you to cut into, lay open or pull down sufficient of the works to ascertain whether there has been any contravention of the regulations" and then they threaten him with legal action if he doesn't comply.

He is fitting loft insulation for Christ's sake!!

Confused I did a trawl of the net and found that most Councils complied with the new law in as much as asking householders to apply for permission and be subject to inspection, but they sensibly waived the fee. It also seems that the measure is very hard to police and most councils sensibly turn a blind eye to everything but new build. But when has Liberal Democrat controlled Northampton Borough Council ever done the sensible thing?

The cost of getting someone in to insulate an average size loft is around £250, if you do it yourself then its a lot cheaper about £5 per sqM.

But in Lib Dem Northampton you can now add £221 to that bill! Hardly encourages you to be green does it? Best just leave well alone I guess?

The 2007 Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the Borough Council elections also told us that:

"To maximise the impact of environmental improvements we will investigate schemes to encourage home and building owners to 'retrofit' these environmental improvements to existing buildings. This may include increased insulation, solar heating schemes, grey water schemes etc."

Just how is charging an extra £221 encouraging home and building owners to retrofit insulation? Another meaningless Lib Dem promise sold out at the altar of High Conservatism. At least Cllr Perkins will be pleased.

Its not the Lib Dem's that are green it is us for ever believing them to be eco friendly in the first place

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR SPRING BOROUGHS RESIDENTS

2011-03-13T15:44:00.003-04:30

Over the next few weeks residents of Spring Boroughs, will be asked for their views from three different sources for three different studies. It is important that residents understand what they have to do by law and what they can choose to do or not do if they wish:

1) 2011 Census: This is a purple booklet sent in an A4 envelope with “Household Questionnaire” written on the top, It is very important that you fill this form in and return it in the envelope provided. This is a legal document and failure to return it could lead to a fine of up to £1000. if you have any concerns on this form phone the Census helpline on 0300 0201 101 PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS CENSUS FORM

2) Northampton Borough Council consultation on regeneration: You will receive a letter about this, and you can choose to take part or not, consultants appointed by the Council will conduct interviews door to door to ask your views on the future regeneration of Spring Boroughs, including sensitive questions on which blocks of flats you feel should be demolished! Unlike the census you can chose to take part or not in this study and if you do just be open. The survey is anonymous and the residents association will be holding public meetings to discuss the outcome further

3) Northampton Borough Council will also be engaging different consultants to carry out a “Stock Condition Survey” in other words asking council tenants if they can inspect their properties to find out what repairs need doing, again this will be done block by block, door to door. And again the choice is yours as to whether or not to participate.

I initially had some real concerns over these surveys all being carried out at the same time and also about their content, and I remain worried that they might raise fears in the neighbourhood about the future of peoples homes. I have raised these concerns with the council and told them that I considered opposing the last two of these studies. But if we are ever to get the council to act on our needs then we will need to provide the evidence of their neglect of Spring Boroughs and of our homes. So whilst I believe the questionnaires could have been conducted better by Caspar or the Residents Association without the need to waste any money on consultants, I have decided not to oppose them, but instead I leave it to you to determine what information you wish to give.

IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OVER ANY OF THE ABOVE STUDIES AND QUESTIONAIRRES AND OR WANT ADVICE ON ANY ASPECT OF THEM, THEN I AM HERE TO ANSWER THOSE CONCERNS. PLEASE RING ME ON 07971040166 or email me at tony.clarke@email.com and I will do my best to advise you.

CAN WE COUNT ON YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

2011-03-12T09:43:00.000-04:30

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, so as the Lib Dems on the Borough Council begin their feeble attempts to convince an election ready public that they have led us well at the Town Hall for the past four years I thought I would ask a public question of their leader. I have asked it before.............twice......................and got no answer, perhaps today in print and with an election in the air I will be more successful.

You see about 2 years ago a sitting Liberal Democrat Councillor, knocked on the door of one of their elderly constituents just before Xmas and told them that they (the Cllr) were in so much debt that if they didn't find £150 then the bailiffs would be paying them a visit! And then in a complete reversal of the normal councillor/constituent relationship the Lib Dem Cllr asked the pensioner to lend them the £150 with sincere promises to pay it back.

Now obviously the words "promises" and "Liberal Democrats" do not sit well together in the best of circumstances, but here we had an elected member of the Borough Council going far beyond asking someone to lend them their vote. Disgraceful I hear you cry, but we have only just begun.

The money was not pf course paid back, so the pensioner wrote to me and others asking if I we could intervene. A telephone call with the Chief Executive and the Borough Solicitor determined that the matter of money owed was of course a private civil matter between the two people lender and recipient, but the Councillor in question may have bought the council or their office into disrepute, so a standards board complaint could be raised. This could if the Cllr was found in breach of the code lead to them being suspended for a period of time or even barred from the council, but as the Cllr in question has only attended a handful of meetings since their election, this would have been a reward not a penalty and still would not have got the pensioner his money back.

So after mulling things over I decided instead to call upon the moral compass and good nature of the Leader of the Council in his role as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group to help me resolve the matter, my request was simple.

"Brian. this sort of despicable behaviour reflects badly on all of us, will you please raise this matter with your group, and can I ask that the debt is paid by the Liberal Democrat group from their funds and then reclaimed from the Cllr from their expenses"

I told him I had no appetite for a pointless standards board meeting, particularly as the Cllr in question would not be standing for re-election (thankfully) and left it with him to resolve internally and come back to me once it was resolved. (so much for comments from the Lib Dem benches as to me being over political, for once I cared nothing for the political fallout, I just wanted the old guy to get his money back

Surely in the Spirit of collective responsibility the Liberal Democrat group would want to deal with and remove this stain on their reputation? No such luck, despite reminding the Leader of the Council of my request he refused to update me as to his or the groups actions.

Another Lib Dem member on the Council, obviously with a conscience informed me when I raised it with them that the group had decided not to pay the debt on the Cllr's behalf.

The weakness of leadership in such a situation is depressing, the lack of willingness by the collective whole to act decently to correct the wrongs of one of their own staggering. But now at least you know the measure of the people you are dealing with on the doorstep over the next few weeks.

£150 wouldn't even buy them a focus leaflet, and I still give Brian Hoare the opportunity through this page to tell me he has now dealt with this matter or plans to do so, but it should not have taken me to write these words to spur them into action, their inaction so far on this matter speaks far louder than my words ever can

BLOGGERS BLOCK?

2011-03-06T11:48:00.000-04:30

February was a write off me in the blogger stakes I am afraid, starting fears that I might be suffering from Bloggers block? No such chance for the local politicians in the run up to Mays Borough Council Poll.

My absence was more to do with Cllr overload as case work reached record levels, it seems as ever the more you do, the more you will be asked to do. The problem with being an Independent though is that frustrated voters from across the town contact you when their own Councillors have failed to deliver for them! One such case I am dealing with at present has been ignored by the two local Lib Dem Cllrs for over two years now. Well when I say ignored I don't mean totally ignored, as they did manage to make an initial visit and talk the elderly couple involved into donating £40 for Liberal Democrat funds!! More of that later. And how about the other Liberal Democrat Councillor who borrowed £150 from an old aged pensioner in their ward two years ago and still hasn't paid it back? That will loosen my keyboard strokes in the near future no doubt! The leader of the Council Cllr Brian Hoare is aware of the above of course and I even gave him the chance to get his group to repay the elderly gentlemen the "Loan" so as to save the council any future embarrassment. But like most other requests for decency and compromise it fell on death ears.

February also saw me very busy assisting an old friend and comrade Ann Timson who so bravely tackled six smash and grab robbers outside Micheal Jones Jewellers with just her handbag as a weapon.Having promised An I would deal with the press fro her I was perhaps not surprised but overwhelmed when with worldwide media frenzy that followed. Ann gave limited dignified interviews, ignored the press pack and refused to take a penny for her troubles, as a result a lot of local and national charities will benefit. More of that too later.

All that coupled with two councils at the Town and County Halls both cutting services to the bone and both blaming the other party in power/opposition for doing so whilst conveniently forgetting that it is their own Tory/LibDem coalition at Westminster who is really responsible in the first place for their cuts agenda.

Oh and apologies I took a week off in beautiful Dubrovnik during half term with my wife to boot so a very busy 21 out of 28 days of February, but a silent blog.

It's now time to make up for the gap in normal service!

CARELESS DRIVING COSTS LIVES

2011-01-20T11:25:00.002-04:30

I was once a passenger in a vehicle when the driver inadvertently ran over and killed a small black and white cat.

The driver concerned for the cats owners stopped and made enquires as to its keeper. The first door knocked gained him the information that the cat belonged to an elderly lady next door. He knocked on the Lady's door and when she answered he said

"Sorry to trouble you my love but I understand you used to have a black and white cat?"

The lady was distraught but under no false illusion as to the nature of his question.

Sometimes being blunt can be the best option!

At the other end of the spectrum we have Northamptonshire County Council Tory Group who faced with telling the public that their services are to be decimated at the request of their political masters (Tory and Lib Dem) in Parliament continue to prevaricate and avoid telling us the truth. So far they have revealed just £53m of the total £68m cuts without in many cases explaining how they will be implemented. In addition there is another £15m of cuts still not identified even though the public consultation ends next week!

In fact it gets even worse as at this mornings Full Council Meeting (called by the opposition parties, after the Tories cancelled the December meeting) Cllr Parker, the Tory portfolio Holder for finance informed us all that it is now a further £20m of cuts not £15m! Making it £73m in all.

Now I don't want to draw too much on the analogy of the poor squashed cat, but the driver then was driving well within the speed limit, whereby the pace and speed that the Tories are forcing through these cuts both locally and nationally risk more than the lives of a domestic pet.

Get this budget wrong and inquest after inquest in the future as to lives possibly lost through lack of care provision of the elderly left without attention in their home, of Mental Health sufferers unable to cope with life after reductions in their care programme, of young schoolchildren involved in accidents on our roads where no lollipop man/lady are present to help them, all these will come back with the same verdict, a local authority who cut too fast and too quick the services that very vulnerable people rely so much.

So for every ones sake I ask them to collectively take their foot off the peddle to slow down, to think harder and longer on what they are doing, and above all I ask them to come clean now as to how severe these cuts really are, so we can all judge the folly of this Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition decimating Local Government Services way beyond what is safe, all in the name of political expediency and ideology.

NBC's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

2011-01-12T08:53:00.008-04:30

In 2005 two giant 4m earth bunds were constructed at Delapre Abbey, Northampton, to prevent illegal traveller encampments and joyriders using the parkland for their own purposes. The bunds were not welcome by local residents who wanted a less visually restrictive measure to be used to stop vehicles entering the site. Log posts maybe? or a fence? or railings? Anything but a 4m earth bund restricting the views across the historic gardens and battlefield at Delapre.

The then Tory Council at the Guildhall went ahead regardless. A local haulage company who had been involved in building many similar bunds across the town were engaged to carry out the works and the bunds were erected. Local Residents fought the plans to no avail. Two of those local residents Pam and Paul Varnsverry cut their political teeth on the issue, Pam even handcuffed herself to the gates to prevent the lorries entering the site and they both launched their local Government careers on the issue.

It was no surprise then that the Lib Dem manifesto for the 2007 NBC election contained a pledge to remove the bund, and Planning permission was granted very quickly to enable it's removal. but who would take it away and who would pay for these works?

Then to pour oil (literally) on troubled waters 3 individuals who had worked in different capacities for the company carrying out the works came forward to the Council and signed written affidavits to the effect that the bunds were constructed illegally with contaminated material. Christopher Merry a driver for the firm told the Borough Solicitors department that he took contaminated soil from the Express Lifts site in Northampton which probably contained diesel, cyanide and oil to be mixed with clean soil at the yard of the company and then take the contaminated material to Delapre Abbey for dumping into the bund. Thomas Ryan who was part of the team constructing the bund at Delapre signed his statement to say he witnessed contaminated soil from Mainline Construction, Telford Way Kettering and from the railway yards at Bletchley being tipped at Delapre for the use of constructing the bund. he said that whilst levelling off the soil on the bund he noticed that it was a dark blue colour. A third employee of the firm, Richard Gent also offered to sign a statement but the council said it would not be necessary.

As the cost of dumping a lorry load of contaminated material can be anything unto £700 or more the temptation to dump it elsewhere at nil cost or for a no questions asked lesser cash in hand sum is great.

Despite all this potential evidence, and the Councils statutory responsibility to prosecute polluters, and make them pay for their crimes, no action has been taken against The company by NBC.

Cllrs Varnsverry (plural) now intend to stand for election in the newly formed Delapre Ward in May, and unfortunately for them after their previous involvement and with them being part of a Lib Dem administration who promised to remove the bund, it is still there! Mores the point the original planning application allowing for it's removal has run out of time.

So to enable the local Focus team to repledge themselves to removing the bund a renewal application was submitted to the Planning Committee last night. I attended the meeting to object. Not because I don't want the bund removed, the sooner it is gone the better, but simply because the Council were amazingly trying to give themselves planning permission without mentioning to anyone the probability of the site being contaminated! There was no mention in the Planning officers report of the soil being contaminated at all? No objection from the Environment Agency either? But we discovered last night that they had been told by NBC that the soil was inert! despite the Council knowing otherwise.

The Council had carried out a pointless surface water test at the site a year or so back to try and suggest the area wasn't contaminated, even though they are aware that only a bore hole testing of the bunds can provide the results they need. The waste transfer tickets from the sites contaminated soil were taken from and the tip tickets from Sita in Wellingborough showing lesser volumes weighed and tipped than were collected have never been examined.

So I reminded the committee last night of the information and statements held by the council and asked them why the Council including the Planning Committee wanted to be in breach of the Town and Country Planning Act? the act makes it clear that

"where there is a reason to suspect that a site may be contaminated and there is the possibility that the contamination may affect the proposed development, the applicant will be required to submit reports in support of their planning application"

Now I have no doubt that the bunds are contaminated but the act only requires that "there is reason to suspect that a site MAY be contaminated, and the Council's own advice goes one step further as part of the Northants Contaminated Land Group they inform all potential planning applicants that:

"Where development is proposed on land that may be affected by contamination, a risk assessment should be submitted to the Local Planning Authority for consideration before the application is determined"

So as the applicant why did they (NBC) not mention that the site may be contaminated? And why did the Council as the Planning Authority not insist on upholding the T&C planning act and their own ruling that a risk assessment should be submitted to them before the application was determined? Why were the Environment Agency told the soil was inert when the Council knew otherwise? and why when all this was pointed out to them last night did members of the Planning Committee simply sit on their hands and nod the recommended approval through without insisting on their own planning rules being followed.

More the point why when the Council have evidence of wrongdoing, why is no action being taken to ensure that the contaminated bund is removed by the company who dumped the material there in the first place? after all what ever happened to the doctrine that the "polluter must pay"?

I spoke to other individuals this week who were involved in this whole sorry affair including those above who gave written statements. the Council seem to want to ignore their evidence? They ask what reason the council thinks motivated them to offer to swear under oath to what they witnessed other than to allow the truth to out? during my conversations I was horrified to hear that other bunds across the town were constructed in exactly the same way! In Northampton East including at a local nature reserve, in Wooton Fields and on other sites where bunds were built to deter traveller encampments.

So we have now hit a new all time low. We have a completely toothless Council unwilling to take any action against alleged illegal activity and allow contaminated waste to be dumped by major companies, but remain extra vigilant to issue fixed penalty notices against people dropping cigarette butts.

We have a Planning Department happy to ignore and break it's own planning rules where the applicant is the Council themselves, and then also make themselves culpable in not presenting to outside bodies the truth as to any possible contamination when seeking their comments on their own application.

We have a planning committee who when presented with the facts as above chose not to ask me a single question in clarifying what I had told them and then sat on their hands as officers told them without explanation that nothing was wrong.

And we have a whole community being taken for a ride by being told once again that action is to be taken to remove the bunds when the truth is that no money exists or has been committed to undertake those works and where the body responsible for any alleged contamination is allowed to walk away with no questions asked.

I am often told that NBC is no longer Britain's worst Council, but their inaction, double standards, incompetence and unwillingness to uncover the truth over this matter makes me wonder if it is not just the bunds that have been contaminated?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

THE NORTHAMPTON INDEPENDENT

TORY RACISM ALIVE AND KICKING IN 2012

THE FOREIGNERS BEING PAID £2 BILLION IN BENEFITS A YEAR INCLUDING 371,000 ON THE DOLE

and then let Tory Employment Minister Chris Grayling rant on for them when he said:

"It is not acceptable that people from other countries can claim our benefits if they have not worked or paid tax in the UK. We will root out those claimants who cannot prove their immigration status and in turn they will be stripped of their benefits.

MARGARET THATCHER: AN APOLOGY

MUSICAL INTERLUDE (COURTESY OF CAPTAIN SKA)

A XMAS HOPE AND A NEW YEAR WARNING

Do you hear what I hear? It’s the socialist messages of Christmas

Christmas history: A primer

Dreaming of a Red Christmas

A new year warning

SALE OF THE CENTURY

IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID (part three) AROUND THE WORLD

ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID (part two) THE MICAWBER PRINCIPLE

"IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID"

CONGRATULATIONS ALL ROUND

EXCLUSIVE: THAT RESIGNATION LETTER IN FULL

HALLOWEEN HORRORS

IF IT SMELLS LIKE RACISM - AND LOOKS LIKE RACISM - THEN ITS PROBABLY JUST ANOTHER HOME SECRETARY'S SPEECH

"I warned you that this would happen" Karl Marx

THE SNORING AND THE BORING - BLANK STARES AND EMPTY CHAIRS

GET ON YOUR HYPE AND FIND A NEW JOB

TRAFFIC WARDENS BECOME LAWBREAKERS

TURNING THE LIGHTS ON IN SOME VERY DARK CORNERS

A BAD (WEEK) AT THE OFFICE AHEAD FOR NCC

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH MY PEOPLE

THEIR BLOOD ON OUR HANDS

BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN CURSE THE DARKNESS Chinese Proverb

"TIME TO TAKE STOCK"

FOOL AND THE GANG

WHEN HOPE IS OUT OF REACH AND THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF TOUCH WHY ARE WE SURPRISED THAT OUR STREETS ARE OUT OF CONTROL

THE HOLA IN THE EURO ECONOMY

AN HOUR IS A LONG TIME IN LOCAL POLITICS

TORIES IN TURMOIL AS MANIFESTO HITS ROCKY WATERS

NORTHAMPTON IN GLOOM

FROM BIG SOCIETY TO THE B&Q SOCIETY

IF BRITAIN IS INDEED BROKEN THEN WHO BROKE IT?

And what sort of lives do these people, who pose as being moral, lead themselves? My dear fellow, you forget that we are in the native land of the hypocrite.

And what sort of lives do these people, who pose as being moral, lead themselves? My dear fellow, you forget that we are in the native land of the hypocrite.

**************************STOP PRESS**************************

WANTED: LATIN TRANSLATION

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

WHAT'S A GREEK URN? IN BLACK SWANS?

TOPICAL SHORTS 2

BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE

USA VOTES AGAINST WAR AS UK STUMBLES FORWARD

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST

BACK TO THE EIGHTIES

WAR BY INSTALLMENTS!

TIME FOR A RANT

TIME FOR NEW BLOOD?

LOST - ONE COUNCIL SEAT - REWARD FOR FINDER

ELECTION ADDRESS

THERE NOW FOLLOWS A NON PARTY POLITICAL BROADCAST ON BEHALF OF YOU

TORYSPOTTING

IS TRUE EQUALITY ONLY EVER REALLY ACHIEVED BY DEED AND ACTION?

ELECTION LEAFLETS

ELECTION SHORTS

WILL CLEGGMANIA ONE YEAR ON BE AN ELECTION ISSUE?

TUESDAY TICKLERS

IF ITS GOOD ENOUGH FOR SUPERGRAN!

THIS IS NOT LIKE IRAQ! IT'S FAR MORE DEVIOUS

WARNING LOFT POLICE OPERATING HERE

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR SPRING BOROUGHS RESIDENTS

CAN WE COUNT ON YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT

BLOGGERS BLOCK?

CARELESS DRIVING COSTS LIVES

NBC's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

STOP PRESS