Working hard? -Out of Focus 3
The strap line at the bottom of the Focus leaflet repeats the usual Lib Dem claim about ‘Working hard all the year round’.
Well, I’ve looked up some figures on the RBK website relating to the last 6 months of this year and the last full 6 month period when Nick and I were in office as Councillors. Umesh Parekh’s figures have been removed but the last time I looked he was showing a 69% attendance rate at meetings to which he was summoned.
Figures for the other two show:
Houston: summoned 12 times, of which attended 10 times; attended 0 additional meetings
Self: summoned 12 times, of which attended 11 times; attended 0 additional meetings
Six months before the election:-
Johnston: summoned 22 times, of which attended 22 times; attended 3 additional meetings
Kilby: summoned 16 times, of which attended 16 times: attended 4 additional meetings.
So who works hardest then – all year round?
Change of domain name
Please note that, following an unexpected message from the Guildhall, I have been put to the expense of buying a new domain name to which to attach this blog.
Fifteen months after the last election it seems that someone has complained to ‘the powers that be’ that our old domain name (surbitonhillcllr.com), extant since February 2009, has the letters ”cllr’ in it and that ‘this might mislead people’. Anyone who has been misled is asked to let me know via the comments facility. I promise to publish their comments, subject to the usual concerns over taste, libel etc.
Of course I don’t know who the complainant is, but, as the Lib Dems announced a bye-election in the ward only days ago, I can hazard a pretty good guess. None of them has ever written to or spoken to me about it in 15 months, and I don’t believe for a moment that they were unaware of this site’s existence!
The new domain name is http://surbitonhillforum.com, which I would ask regular readers to enter in their address books.
Meanwhile readers are advised that I still own the old domain name and no-one else has my permission to use it. And, of course, should the result of the bye-election not be to the Lib Dems’ liking, no-one will have the ghost of a legitimate whinge if the letters ‘cllr’ come back.
PM on the recent rioting
David Cameron stressed that “the fightback has well and truly begun” in a statement to the House of Commons today on the recent rioting. He condemned the “appalling scenes” of violence and looting over the last few days, pledging stronger police powers to ensure that offenders are caught and made to pay for their crimes.
Addressing a special session of Parliament, the Prime Minister described the events as “criminality pure and simple” and stressed there was no excuse for such behaviour. He made clear, “We will not put up with this in our country. We will not allow a culture of fear to exist on our streets. And we will do whatever it takes to restore law and order and to rebuild our communities.”
He set out the three key priorities on which the Government’s response is focussed:
- Restoring order, with a series of measures to help ensure more robust and effective policing, such as allowing the police to remove face coverings where there is reasonable suspicion that they are related to criminal activity;
- Supporting the victims, with, for example, a new £20 million high street support scheme to help affected businesses get back up and running quickly, and making compensation available under the Riot Damages Act; and
- Tackling the deeper problems, taking the action necessary to fix our broken society.
David Cameron concluded by saying:
“This is a time for our country to pull together. To the law abiding people who play by the rules, and who are the overwhelming majority in this country, I say the fightback has begun, we will protect you, if you’ve had your livelihood and property damaged, we will compensate you. We are on your side.”
“And to the lawless minority, the criminals who’ve taken what they can get, I say: we will track you down, we will find you, we will charge you, we will punish you. You will pay for what you have done.”
A bung by any other name: Out of FOCUS 2
One of the more outrageous fibs (or amusing comments – it depends on your point of view) in the FOCUS leaflet is the claim that they have implemented a ‘£100,000 cut for the Rose theatre.’
They were the people who promised that no public money would be spent on the Rose and then reneged on that promise to the tune of well over £10,000,000 so far!
This year a 3-year deal to ‘lend’ the Rose £600,000 a year for three years came to an end. That’s £1.8 million of our money on top of what had gone before. No spending at all was supposed to come after it. But the Lib Dems have come up with a new deal to give the Rose a further £500,000 a year for the next five years.
£500,000 a year instead of nothing is not a £100,000 cut – it’s a half million increase!
Either they couldn’t pass GCSE Maths or they’re having a big laugh – at your considerable expense!
Out of Focus 1
Doubtless as a prelude to the bye-election campaign the Lib Dems have been putting a ‘Focus’ leaflet around the ward. If you haven’t got it yet it’s probably because thay haven’t got the support to get it round in a rush.
One interesting feature is that, although only delivered last week, it doesn’t mention the coming bye-election or even hint at the name of the candidate. Yet they must have known about this for some time and they do have a candidate already selected. Apparently he lives in Southborough, but I don’t know him in spite of my long and intimate association with Southborough Residents’ Association. I also find it strange that he didn’t put himself forward for election 15 months ago, if he was really interested in the welfare of Surbiton Hill residents. Another unknown Lib Dem!
It’s also amazing that that they claim to have delivered a ‘budget tax break’.
Thanks to them we still pay the highest Council Tax in London in spite of the fact that
- The Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, has frozen the GLA Precept on Kingston’s Council Tax for four years running and
- The Coalition Government (Conservatives 307 MPs; Lib Dems 57) would not sanction any increase in Council Tax this year.
So their role in matters has been minimal – yet they claim to do it all!
Same old Lib Dems! – same old twaddle!!
It’s official!
Cllr. Umesh Parekh has resigned.
Polling Day in the ensuing bye-election will be Thursday 15th September 2011.
Obviously no Conservative candidate has been selected as yet. We shall let you know the moment one has been.
Surbiton Forum 