Last Night Parish Council Meeting.

A last night Parish Council was interesting to say the least.

On a an issue about Recreation Ground Trustees it has been the norm where the Parish Councillors would sit on this body. Now all of a sudden the Parish Council want to change this and ask members of the public to sit on there for them.. When I started the discussion it came clear to me that they are trying to keep their cronies in. Just go to show they have not changed.

Also in a confidential item on a tendering issue the clerk asked to defer a tendering because there was only one tender in and she had part of another in and she said another one was due to come in. I argued that the deadline has gone and passed and no more tenders should be accepted and we just discuss the one that we have. The clerk said because she was wanting it to be deferred she had not brought the tender to the meeting. I have serious issue with this. I would ask if the clerk is inept or has the correct understanding/ability of what the clerk position is and what they have to do. Being impartial and having the bringing correct reports/ information for the meeting are important and I still have several issues that the clerk has said she will get back to me with - but to date has not. I have asked for me to be able to put a complaint in against her and no procedures have been brought to me. Disgraceful

Another issue was when I raised an issue and another Councillor said just to move on and completely dismissed what I was saying about a resident coming to me with a complaint. This other Councillor was not elected and co opted on. I pointed out that I was elected and if a resident comes to me with a complaint just because the other Parish Councillors do not like me as I question how they do things they simply can not dismiss any issues I bring. What a sham how this Parish Council operates

I hope that in May all these co opted councillors stand and be judged for the way that they have done things and what they have done I would not like them to jump ship. It is clear and some one has said that to watch my back as they are taking notes on me - bless - but I do not play silly little games. The sooner May comes round the better for the residents of Shevington.

Brighter Borough Funding.

I have learnt that the Labour dominated Council are to claw back any money's not spent in All Councillor's brighter borough pot. Each Councillor gets a sum of money, just over £6000, each year and normally any money's not spent is carried over. This means that Councillors can save up for large items or projects or not spend just for the sake of it.

But now Councillors have been told that any of their money not spent by the end of March will be clawed back and the Councillors will lose that money. This is probably a knee jerk reaction against the article in the Wigan Observer about this issue.

Wigan Independent Councillor Debbie Fairhurst put to the vote to keep what ever money's each Councillor had but not to get any new funding in the financial year 2011 - 2012. This would mean a saving of about £500 000. With what Labour are proposing this means that Cllrs from all parties will probably go on a spending spree to spend before they lose the money. This means that £500 000 (unspent money) will be wasted.

This is one of those vans that opens the back window/ doors to catch people speeding. It is from a private company called Drive Safe. But yet they seem to be breaking the law themselves by parking in a dangerous position. They are covering the letter S and part covering the L letter in the word Slow in the road, there are Chevron's making the road narrower and most of all parking on the pavement. Whilst I was taking this picture they came out and confronted me very confrontational. When I pointed out that they are parking on the road, he said that he was, " I only nicked about 18 inches - two foot of the footpath." O well that makes it ok then...not.

I will be passing this picture over to the police for their comments. I wonder if they are going to prosecute them. What was interesting whilst the man got out of the van to confront me there was a lady in the van and I guess she rang the police as a police BMW car turned up. Just as it was pulling up it turned round and speed away with the lights flashing. I wonder if they had stopped would they have issued this van with a ticket? I am not sure if the police car was from Greater Manchester or Lancashire but it would have been interesting to see what they would have said.

This picture was taken on Pepper Lane, Standish on Sunday 23 January @ 16. 10. The date and time is wrong on the picture as it was taken with my son's camera and he has not set the time.

Is it worth it?

After last week's story on the front page of the observer about Conservative Councillor Jean Peet using £4000 to pay for two small roads to be resurfaced, I have had a number of people emailing and ringing and commenting about it. This would benefit 5 houses.

Apparently it did say in the article that I tried to do the same job but refused to do it because it was to expensive and the quote that I had been given from the Council was more than the £4000.

But even at the lower price of £4000 I do not believe that a cllr should use so much of their money for such a scheme when there are so many different causes needing the money at present with the cut backs. Call me cynical but is this not blowing all her money in her election year and just before the by election called in Wigan Central too.

It is a shame that Cllr do this and they should spend throughout their term rather than saving for their election year.

Why do politicians lie?

Regardless of the national party when people say that politicians are all the same and say one thing to get in and then another once in power is getting truer by the day.

We all know about the lib dems and their promise to about tuition fees and the the Torys promised to put in a fuel tax system in place to stop fuel prices going higher and higher. Now David Cameron says that it is to complicating to do. Did he not realise this when in opposition? Why say something if he a) did not mean it or b) he did not realise what he was saying and how he could do it. If it is b then we need to worry.

If it was a wish on some kind of wish list tell people he will try to resolve the issue and ideas that he will explore.

And before Labour start rejoicing at the Torys downfall on this issue, they are just as bad and now in opposition will say anything to get back in but will not say how they will do it.

No wonder there are vast numbers of people that do not vote.

Nomination papers out tomorrow.

Tomorrow sees the start of the by election in Wigan Central.The nomination papers are out and this is where candidates can go to the Town Hall and collect the pack to fill out for nominations.

The date, I believe, is the 3 March 2011 and I have now started on the campaign material so I can get them to the printers next week, so they will be ready in time for the time frame that I am looking for.

I would suspect there will be at least 4 candidates but possibly to 7 candidates in total. We will know this at the beginning of February when the closing for nominations as lapsed and the Town Hall publishes the candidates.

Busy times ahead.

Last night Parish Council Finance meeting

At last night finance meeting the Shevington Parish Council continue with the criminal overspend on the bowling green. With them setting a budget of £17 500 in total for this, it is criminal that they spend this amount of money unnecessarily on this. A far lower budget could run this and I proposed a budget of £6500 which would have been more than enough, in my opinion.

The Chairman said that he wants to waiver his chairman's allowance, I wonder why that is? As one person of the public as commented already to me, they believe that he wants to protect his benefits. Interesting thought there.

Also it is clear that the Shevington Parish Council have two meetings one where the public and myself are allowed and one before this meeting where just the Labour Labour Cllr are allowed. I say Labour cllr as the rest of them are just that Labour. They try to go under this independent banner but I have proven that they are Labour in disguise.

Roll on this year elections and lets hope that ALL of the co oped members do stand at the elections, as I think they should and they should be judged for their actions. They where never voted on and if they jump at the elections by not standing then this clearly shows they know that they have been running this Parish Council in a disgraceful way.

Wigan Central By Election update

Wigan Council voted last Wednesday not to extend Henry Cadman sick leave any longer, after doing this in July of last year.

What was going to happen Wigan Council was going to cause a casual vacancy on Friday and that would create a by election however last night Henry Cadman resign his position as Cllr so now it needs two people from Wigan Central to go to the Town Hall to call the by election.

Labour has obviously been planning this for some time as they have their candidate in place and Labour selection process is quote long so they have had this planned since last year.

I would hope that the election can happen on the same day as the local election as that makes sense but I doubt this will happen. The Tories candidate is going to be the same guy from last year.

Just taken a call from a resident who has pledged their support and offered help, which is gratefully received.

20 tickets left

What a response to the sportsman dinner. We were aiming for 100 people and the venue says that we can only have a max of 110 people

So far 90 tickets have been sold so it looks like we will beat our target of 100 people but also we will get to the maximum. It should be a great night for all.

Tickets going well for the sportsman dinner

As I mention we are holding a fund raiser on the 4 February 2011 at Ashfield House. Price is £22.50 per head and this includes a 3 course dinner with Guest speaker Rugby League Legend Alex Murphy.

If you do want to come please contact me and I can reserve you some tickets as tickets are selling fast now and it looks to be a great night.

shadow chancellor interview on sky

Just watched Sky News whilst getting ready to do the taxi run taking my eldest to his Rugby Match. Alan Johnson, who is the Shadow chancellor, was talking about how Labour would not have put VAT up but National Insurance Contributions instead. So Dermont Murnaghan, who was the interviewer, asked what the current NI rate is and what they( Labour) would have put it up to. After going backwards and forward the Shadow Chancellor got it the NI figure wrong.

So hear is the issue, I guess Dermont was trying to make the point that the shadow chancellor , should know the basic figures when discussing an issue on finance. To be give the other side point Alan Johnson said that the rate that Labour would have put it up by would bring in so many millions and that was the figure he should know and not the individual rate.

Wigan Central By Election set for March.

With a hive of activity today the phone has not stopped ringing and with me speaking with the Town Hall on the issue it looks like the by election will be called for middle of March, possible the 14th.

I like to thank all those that have emailed me and rang me with their support and offer to help out. One thing for sure it will be a hard by election but I think that it should have been held on the same day as the May local elections. But I am told the rules are the rules and nothing could be done.

No doubt all the parties will be selecting their candidate and I hear that the Tories have already selected the same guy that stood against me last May Robin Gibson. I have heard a name for the Labour Party but surely it can't be true.

Breaking News - By election for Wigan Central.

The Full Council of Wigan Council is currently meeting and I hear from numerous phone calls that Labour has voted against Cllr Henry Cadman term of office being extended.

Cllr Cadman was taken ill back in March of last year after a stroke. Under normal rules a cllr can miss meetings for 6 mths after that they are no longer a cllr unless the council excuses them. In July of last yr that is what happen Wigan Council extended his term for 6 mths and now that is about to end they no longer have allowed it to be extended.

I think the end date is 13th of January 2011 and after that a casual vacancy will be called and that is were two members of the public can go to the town hall and ask for a by election.

Labour obviously feel confident that they can win it and no doubt they will throw everything at it. No doubt they will be blaming the Tories for all the cuts. Time will tell who is the victor.

However there is a serious issue here. I have doubled checked with the election office to see if the election can go at the same time as the normal local election in May. But this ios not the case and the by election will probably be around March. That means that schools could be closed and tens of thousands of pounds will be spent when it is not needed at these hard times.

Councillor Defection - more information.

I see that the news that I reported a few days ago has come out about the Labour Councillor who quit the Labour Party.

She says that she left for personal reason, although I did initially hear it was because of bullying, which I can believe happens in the Labour Party. Labour response was she was deselected so would not be able to stand as a Labour candidate at the next elections. I wonder if she wanted to stand as a Labour Councillor next time any way, because Labour did not say that she applied to stand for them. Labour simply could have chosen some one else as she decided not to stand, she might have but who knows.

Eyesore In Wigan

It has been reported that the old Police Station on Harrogate Street, Wigan will be soon pulled down and redeveloped. This would be good news for Wigan but one thing that worries me is why the Council are not helping the developer of the Old Town Hall site. If Wigan is serious then the more sites that are redeveloped then the better prospect for Wigan.

Lets hope that more and more eyesores around Wigan can be redeveloped and Wigan Prosper.

How many more?

It is always interesting when you start something you never know how much will come out and what will come out. I had a feeling about the residents views towards the Parish Council but since the latest newsletter I am surprised at more residents coming forward with information on the Parish Council.

One new residents wants to meet and is upset at how the PC works and the cliche that it is. How true residents are and I wonder once I meet with these new residents what else can come out about the Parish Council.

One thing for sure the feeling about the Parish Council is getting stronger and stronger and with more residents wanting to sign the petition and take petition forms for them to collect signatures it could be a rough ride.

BREAKING NEWS.

I have heard on the grapevine that a Labour Councillor has left the Labour Party on Wigan Council. What a new year for Labour!

Happy New Year.

Can I wish you all a Happy New Year. I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. It Will no doubt be a busy year, especially in the first half of the year.