Eclipse 2015

There has been much interest about the Eclipse today. Obviously you can't look at the sun directly so I tried the box with a pin hole method and to see if it works. Great Results. I have attached the pictures in this blog post so you can see it moving along. Have a look and see the results.

I hope those that watched and participated enjoyed it too.

Pre Election period

We all know the elections are coming and this year it seems to be going on for ever. Reason for this many of the main parties started talking about elections on Jan 2. Historically it is normally either the Tory's or Labour who will be the Government, since 2010 when we got the first coalition Government for decades people are now clearly thinking of more than the 2 main parties.

UKIP nationally are hitting both the Tories and Labour but will it be enough. Last year was the European elections and with UKIP being a one issue party and with it being the European elections as well then you would have thought if UKIP would make a break through then that would be the year. Whilst they got some significant numbers they didn't win a single seat in Wigan nor did they get close to scare Labour. This year with it being the General Elections there is more issues than just Europe being discussed. Therefore I feel that UKIP will not get the numbers they even got last year.

In the general elections Labour always win in Wigan but this year it is local elections too. These are even more important this year because a number of powers are being transferred from Westminster to Council's within Greater Manchester. This is called Devo Manc. Labour are arguing with themselves over this issue as the Labour Leader on Wigan Council wants to be the first Mayor of Greater Manchester who will hold these new powers but the Labour MP does not want this to happen without a referendum for the people. To be fair to her we have said the same thing and we welcome her agreeing with us on this important matter.

The Tories have announced their candidate for the General Election and I am sure that their vote will go down because they tried to put out spin saying that she was a local girl form Standish and an international lawyer. Like we have many international law firms in Wigan. On internet forums people are now saying that is renting in Standish just for the elections and once after the election will go back down south. Also her first pictures of her in Wigan with a flat cap. It si clear that is what she thinks of people in Wigan that we all wear flat caps.

Labour's candidate and sitting MP Lisa Nandy has put out a leaflet and many people are saying that it says nothing and that it is clear that she is just fishing to see who voted for her and Labour in 2010 and to see if they can catch them again. That way they will try and win the local elections. Given that in 2010 Labour won and then their Cllr fiddled her expenses and now is in jail people in standish will not be fooled again.

I am sure the as soon as the elections is officially called then more will come out.

Spring Clean - get involved.

Wigan Council are doing a big borough clean up on the 21 March 2015. This can be in the range of a number of ways from a general litter pick to a big clean up in a certain area.

Equipment will be supplied by the Council and they will pick the litter up at the end of the day. It may be a case that we get  a skip of the Council and the rubbish are put in there. If appropriate we can even get a couple of skips where people can discard big items. Big items though would soon fill a skip, but the choice is there.

So do you want to get involved? Do you and neighbours and friends want to do a litter pick in your street/ area. Maybe people want to do a big clean up down the Line, for example.

What ever you want to do email me at garethfairhurst@gmail.com and we will coordinate everything and get the equipment etc.    

TV debates and who will deal with who?

With all the rumblings that are ongoing with the General Election it seems to be some issues are being missed.

For one the media, in my opinion, they are making too much of these TV debates and how will do what and who wouldn't. Cameron said he wouldn't do them in the election period and he will do only do one with 7 others then that’s it. When that is making the first headlines on the news over policy, what is really happening in this Country? It is clear that the media has their own agenda, we want to control the politicians and what they do and when. I’m not Cameron’s biggest fan but after the Leveson debates that said the media had it too cosy with politicians. The media should report what Cameron will do and end off. People will make their own minds up about it, but let’s get back to what is important.

Whilst we are on the TV debates I just want to touch on that all and sundry are going on them apart from someone representing independents’ Granted they could not talk about a policy because each candidate is on their own, but when they are polling some bigger numbers than some of the other people on there then there is argument that someone fights for them. For me if there were any TV debates it shouldn't be made up of all these people, just the main two, possibly three.

What should be more important and all the leaders should answer and say this. If there is a coalition who are your preferred coalition partner, and if which policy’s would you not negotiated on? Why is this important because I know in Wigan there will be some Labour voters who would not vote for them if they go into a grand coalition with the Tories and would be dismayed if that happened. People should know who they would go into coalition with and what bits they would demand. Also this would stop the Lib Dem effect of last time because how many people would have voted for them had they said if it is a coalition we will go in the Tories and we will drop the tuition fees policy? That’s why it is important that they say would they would deal with.

Another reason for this because there is now talk that the Tories and Labour will do a Grand Coalition whereby they will go into together so that gets at the SNP, who are taking votes off Labour in Scotland and then UKIP, who are taking votes off the Tories in the south. Question would be how mad would strong Labour voters in Wigan be if that happened?

Do you want to get involved?

With the elections coming up shortly many people get more interested in the issue. Many people would love to help and be part of a campaign. With many people they don't for a number of reasons, they don't know what they can do. They don't want to give too much time up. They don't know how to get involved.

We will be fielding candidates for the local elections in Standish, Shevington, Aspull and Wigan Central.

In Standish we have the sitting Councillor position, which we are going to try and keep. this will be Cllr George Fairhurst who is up for re-election. In terms of what people can do here they can simple display a poster in their window. Deliver leaflets in their street. Help campaigning. you can help as little or as much as you want.

In the Three other seats we are hoping to take these off Labour. Shevington we came second last year and this is a strong seat we will be fighting and the same positions as in Standish are available here too.

Wigan Central we have an excellent candidate who has chosen to fight an election for the first time and they have in the past helped with our campaigns and they know what is involved and now they want to have a go. given that we had a Cllr in the past we will be fighting this seat hard.

Last year we had Janet who stood for the first time and did an excellent job and she was new to it all but wanted to try and make a difference in her area.

Should you wish to help in any way please get in touch

garethfairhurst@gmail.com

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on board.

Cheerleader, Sleepwalker or Vampire

I am hearing that Wigan Council's hierarchy are telling staff in listening in sessions that they, the staff, fall into one of the three category's.

The three category's are a Cheerleader, Sleepwalker and Vampire.

If you are a Vampire you are negative and not doing your job and sucking the blood out of the Council. If you are a Sleep walker you turn up for work, do your job and go home. The last category is a Cheerleader, where you do your work and shout from the roof top how good the Council are.

Staff are then told if you are a Vampire or a sleepwalker then Wigan Council isn't the place for them and they should instead go and work at St. Helens Council. To me that shows a complete lack of respect for St.Helens Council.

This is very worrying and shows and demonstrate bullying and intimidation towards staff. I believe the matter has been raised at the Unison annual Meeting and they voted for the unions write a letter to the press about the matter because they can't complain to the Council, because they will then be seen as a Vampire.

The issue is serious for another reason because should a hard working and well respected member of staff have a serious concern and wants to raise it they now can't because they will be seen again as a Vampire. Given the ruthless cuts that Wigan Council are carrying our people are worried about their jobs.

Given that over 75% of Staff are women and they are being treated in this way, it goes to show the hypocritical Council Wigan is, especially seeing as they say they want to empower women with their new #BelieveinHer Campaign.

One member of staff who has told be about CSV (Cheerleader, Sleepwalker, Vampire) says all the council are concerned with is PR and saying how great they are. If the Council get the their job right they wouldn't have to do all the PR and wasting taxpayers money!

99.99% of staff are hard working and they have complete support, this kind of behaviour is not acceptable in Wigan!

Where is the equality? Why not to support #believe in her campaign.

Wigan Council are launching today believe in her. This campaign is to be against sexism and empower woman. It has been launched also just before international women day. How patronising to women!

The issue is, why I don't refute that sexism and discrimination might go on in places, I think it would be fair to say that thank fully it is on a decline, everyone should be treated equally and also empowered and not just women. Where was Wigan's Council's Believe in Him campaign and to be fair had they done that I would have been equally enraged. If they have to waste millions of hard working Wigan Taxpayers' money then it should be in a #believeinyou. Every man, woman, young, old, black white, able or disabled should equally matter.

In fact if I said to you that if Wigan Council employed 3 men for every woman then there would be an outcry of discrimination by the PC brigade. However, I can reveal that Wigan Council in fact employ over 3 women for every one man. Why's no one shouting that it should be 50/50?

For the record for me it should not be about how many men, women, blacks or whites people have but that employers should be able to employ the best person for the job. In fact I saw a refreshing tweet from a young female on twitter who had seen a job that actively encouraged young, female and people of ethnics minority to apply for a role. Tell you what how discriminated is a white working man is. However, the young Female had complained that if she got a job she wanted to know that she got the job because she was the best candidate for the job and not because she was a woman or young etc and I say good on her. It's with attitudes like that that will empower people. I hope she goes far in her career as because with that kind of mind set she is a naturally leader for me.