A SNOW PLOUGH AT WORK (Picture by Paul Rhoades)

Just lately the people of North Lincolnshire have seen another example of what excellent value for money their public sector council workforce is.  These recent days of snow, ice and freezing nights have placed an additional burden on the council’s workforce.  This burden being to ensure that our public highways have remained open, allowing us the public to go about our day to day business in a reasonable manner with as little hindrance as possible.

These freezing nights have meant that this workforce have had to continuously leave the comfort of their own homes, staying out over night to ensure vast road areas have been either cleared or grit/salted to ensure that overnight they remained open and for morning they were usable to those with a need.

To date, very few if any businesses have suffered because of the weather affecting our roads through lack of deliveries being made.  Haulage companies within the county have been able to meet their customers’ needs and public transport has continued to provide a very necessary service.

To reap praise on the current Council’s leaders in regard to this matter would not be justified as to date unlike during the previous council leadership’s tenure; there has been no extreme weather test to any system the current leadership may have claimed to have put in place.

However to the North Lincolnshire public sector council workforce whose sterling efforts of late, have kept this particular road user on the road and able to continue to earn his living with no hindrance – I sincerely thank you on behalf of all who recognise your efforts and myself.

GARY DAY

On reviewing my union’s forum I noticed yet another discussion on apathy and who was to blame. My NEC appeared to take no blame for the apathetic nature of a lot of our members and neither did members or branch officials who inputted into the discussion.   I decided to put my view over in the following way for what it is worth (this has been edited for public reading):

The reality is all of us are to blame for the general membership’s apathy in one way or another, and I say all because if you are using a union forum I am assume that you are ‘active’ members of the union.  However that doesn’t address the underlying problem any union has.

The bottom line is that a lot of the members have lost confidence in their NEC, their capabilities and their results on behalf of their members especially in recent times. General members say that their NEC do nothing for them, and they see bugger all of them. In a lot of cases if it wasn’t for the certain privileges a lot of members would have quit their union years ago.  They read their union magazines and get the same old boring rhetoric from the same people just re-vamped and re-worded.  They’ve seen thousands of pounds of their money pumped into court actions to try to get back the most basic of their trade union rights and in reality they know that if they were ever to get them back the Government would probably change the laws again. So the question is why?  That’s if this Tory Government doesn’t get the EU courts power reined in first. 

It is also usually muted that there is little leadership from any NEC especially in the direction a union is going in a proactive manner, with it appearing that the NEC are solely using their energies in a reactive way against decisions made by their employers and politicians always having the upper hand.  A lot of union conferences are considered unjustifiable and meaningless in a lot of general member’s opinion and local representation also has its faults as well though the majority of members say that they have more faith in their branch officials than in their NEC members.

However it has to be said that it is questionable that the hard core rhetoric relayed at conference is that of the majority of members any union at this time.  An NEC full time official of my union has said “I would like to hear some ideas from yourself and other members as to how the so called apathy can be reversed and bring the membership back into the union.”

I would like to take a stab at an answer to that statement for him: “How about the NEC, Branch Officials and union activists start being honest with each other, acknowledging all areas share equal blame for the problem and that all need to reach a joint agreement to address the issue in a proactive manner by promoting all that is good, addressing what members perceive to be wrong and seeking to instil confidence where it has been lost.”

Then and only then will this problem within unions be addressed.

GARY DAY

ED MILIBAND LABOUR PARTY LEADER

I’ve got to say there is nothing more annoying than being taken for granted, be it at work, by union officials, in the home or even by politicians.  For the purposes of this post I thought I would write on the Labour Party and its relationship with the unions. I do so as a Labour Party member and a union member (not affiliated to the party).

Whispers are going around certain media circles recently have suggested that Ed Miliband has reportedly acknowledged that the party needs to “repair its bridges” with the trade union movement. Now let’s be honest, if this is the case then he has at least woken up to the reality that though he would like to take party members and affiliated organisations in the direction he believes is in the best interest of them and the country, he can’t do so without the support of the backbone of the party – it affiliated organisations.

The problem Ed Miliband has is that his Labour leadership win came about due to the support of the party’s affiliated trade unionists, and though he and the Labour leadership may want to bring the party into what they consider to be a wider inclusive, accessible and opinionated membership based model for success; their wishes can’t be achieved without keeping the likes of the unions on board.

In modern day politics all party leaders and senior members have advisors, speech writers and ‘spin doctors’ to guide them through the multitude of issues raised in national politics, in maintaining an acceptable and appealing profile to the electorate ready for the next election (always in their minds) and to portray the party’s policies and arguments in a manner that wins support.

It is my belief that at this time these ‘advisors’ are failing the Labour party leader and senior members and doing so badly, but especially the leader.  Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily agree with everything that Ed Miliband has put forward and in certain areas I am downright against his view.  However I‘m also acutely aware that in the whole the Ed and the party leadership are putting forward a lot of powerful argument and alternative options in dealing with public concerns which are being drowned out because of bad advice, spin and speech writing.

It is my belief that the time has come for both the leader and the senior members of the Labour Party to stop treading on egg shells around their vision for this country and its people’s future and to start indicating the direction they believes it should go with some determination of intent, and to do so in a manner acceptable to all its membership be they individual or union affiliated. Not to start doing so at this time would be political suicide for the next election.

If the leader and Labour Party senior members believe that they will win the next election without the wider union support, they need to wake up and smell the roses. One of the reasons the party under Gordon Brown’s leadership lost the last election was because a lot of the country’s workforce including union members like myself, were of the opinion that the leadership at the time had forgotten the party’s core vote – The WORKING PEOPLE of this country.

Now I am not saying that consideration shouldn’t be given to the benefits of having support for a vibrant banking and money market base, nor am I saying that the benefits of encouraging the business community to invest in our country should be ignored solely in favour or policies beneficial to the working person alone.  What I am saying is that there needs to be evidence that all are taken into account in an equal, open, transparent and justifiable manner.

The time has come for the Labour party leader and his senior members to take stock of the party’s situation, realise that RADICAL changes regarding strategy have to be made INCLUDING taking the risk of TAKING ON THE OLD BLAIRITE/BROWN FACTIONS that appear to still have an above average grasp on the political direction, policy making decisions and organisational influence; all of which for the average worker of the party it was envisaged would have ended with a new leader and a team at the helm of the party ship.

Recent speeches by both Ed Miliband and Ed Balls have ‘inflamed’ the unions anger by their apparent outright backing of a Tory public-sector 1 per cent pay freeze and a warning that an incoming Labour government would keep all conservative coalition cuts.  Especially after these same people and other senior members have gone on for months on end in defending their inability to say what definitive steps they would take in all other monetary matters until they took control in the future, is their little wonder that the unions went up in arms – no.

Another thing that is going badly against Ed Miliband at this time is the ‘tone’ of his speeches.  His speech advisor should be sacked, if nothing else but for the ‘gaff’ in recent speeches/comments by Ed  in which he was allowed to say publicly that, if unions didn’t like what he (ED) said, “that’s tough because I’ve got to do the right things for the Labour Party and for the country.” WHAT A GREAT WAY TO ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM SUPPORT YOU BADLY NEED TO KEEP.

I have read in newspapers and seen on news bulletins that the labout party’s affiliated unions are not considering disaffiliation, however they are angry at being taken for granted and quite rightly so.  Now unless the Labour leadership want to continue letting this ‘abscess’ grow to the detriment of the Labour Party and to the benefit of the Tories, then then both the leader and senior members   should get a grip and address the unions worries over their statements, with the aim of seeking to re-strengthen their union ties in a partnership approach based on a fighting against the ConDem coalition.

At the end of the day, any reasonable person with the vaguest of interests in politics and commonsense knows that the battle the Labour Party is fighting is a long one.  They also know that within that overall battle are many skirmishes with the Tories that need to be fought and won.  This can’t be done without all within the party being united to meet the final aim of winning the next General Election and the following year’s local elections.

So to Ed Miliband (though it is unlikely he will read this post) and any other senior member I say this, revisit not just what you are doing, but how you are doing it and take the ‘bull by the horns’ and ‘demand’ due diligence in ensuring that all members concerns, interests and views are taken into account in regard to all policy making, statements, intentions and comments.

To the Labour Party leader one final point Ed, and it is one I recognised a long time ago. A party leader is usually surrounded by ‘yes’ people in his close circle who really don’t want to upset him for fear of losing favour or position.  People like myself (outsiders of that circle) have nothing to fear by saying what they believe to be solely right, honest, open and in the interests of the greater good of all and therefore WILL ALWAYS CALL THINGS HOW THEY SEE IT.

Bear that in mind as it could possibly win the Labour Party the next election.

GARY DAY

Two of the officers will never work again, one lost the use of his left hand and any feeling in the use of his left arm, his artery nerves and tendons were severed in an instant as the inmate attacked without warning nearly bleeding to death.  The other officer (a female) was horrifically chased along the landing fearing for her life as he struck her with the weapon he had made almost paralysing her, leaving a large hole millimetres from her spine.  The third officer in restraining the attacker received multiple injuries.  He prevented the inmate from continuing his rampage that day.

At trial, even in the face of OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM including CCTV OF THE WHOLE ATTACK he was found NOT GUILTY of ATTEMPTED MURDER or WOUNDING WITH INTENT.

These officers have been let down by the BRITISH JUSTICE SYSTEM after the announced verdict.  On Monday the 23^rd January the families of the injured officers are meeting the Prison Minister in the House of Commons in regard to trying to get a re-trial.

In support of these officers, an E-petition has been raised in the hope of gaining enough public support to show the Ministry of justice that a retrial should take place.

At any time what happened to these officers and the injustice of the trial result could happen to others working to protect the public.  It is for that reason and to support these officers at their time of need, I am asking that people spare a few minutes and sign up to the petition at the link below:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justice-for-craig-claire-and-neil-hmp-frankland/

please sign up to this petition before the 23 January 2012 in support. 

Thank You

GARY DAY

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS- POA APPLICATION NO: 59253/11

The POA currently have an application with the European Court of Human Rights for restoration of their trade union rights and on the 3^rd January 2012, the President  who is presiding over the case decided notice of the application should be given to the UK Government requiring them to submit their observations to the Court by the 4^th May 2012.  This has taken substantial effort and resolve by the POA’s NEC and legal team.  For this they should be applauded.

Now the time has come again when they need the help of members, member’s family, friends and supporters.  As part of the campaign, supporting this application to regain the full rights of trade union membership including the right to strike (enjoyed by other trade unions) is an Early Day Motion which has been laid in Parliament.  At my time of writing it has 6 Sponsor MPs and 18 others who are in support of the POA in the restoration of their trade union rights.

What is needed is for members, member’s family, friends and supporters to contact their MP’s and ask them to support this Early Day Motion.  This can be done via email, post or in person. 

The easiest way is via email OR post, all anyone needs to do is send an email OR letter to your MP (you can get their contact details off the Parliament website or by Googling their name or your Library should be able to help).  An example of the wording used could be as follows (or similar):

“Dear  xxxxxxx xxxxxx MP,

As a member of your constituency and supporter of the Prison Officers’ Association in their fight to regain their FULL  trade union rights, could I ask that you support the Early Day Motion that I have detailed below in relation to the matter:

The details of the Early Day Motion are:

EARLY DAY MOTION 2571 – PRISON OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS

It was tabled on the 10.01.2012 and its primary sponsor is Llwyd, Elfyn

It reads:

“That this House supports full trade union rights for the Prison Officers’ Association (POA); notes that the International Labour Organisation criticised the previous administration for failing to put in place alternative mechanisms for pay bargaining and matters of dispute; further notes that the Criminal Justice Act 2003 criminalises POA members if they take industrial action; believes that the POA is denied the right to free collective bargaining over pay on behalf of its members; further believes that the absence of effective alternative mechanisms to otherwise protect prison officers’ interests is incompatible with the right under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights to ‘freedom of assembly including the right to belong to a trade union for the protection of your interests’; further believes the POA is the only trade union that does not have FULL trade union rights; and call on the Government to take steps to restore full trade union rights to the Prison Officers’ Association.”

Would you please confirm by reply whether or not you are prepared to do so, and if you are not would you please do me the courtesy letting me know why. 

Yours Sincerely

NAME AND FULL ADDRESS (ESSENTIAL OR YOUR MP HAS A GET OUT CLAUSE FOR NOT DEALING WITH YOUR EMAIL OR LETTER).

(A copy of any reply received should be given to local committee members by members so they can send them for central collation.)

The other way of course is to book an appointment at your MP’s constituency surgery and put your request to them directly.   The choice is yours.

At the end of the day it is not how you lobby your MP on this matter it is THAT YOU DO – After all those who are asking for your help are only asking for 5 -10 minutes of your time to write a letter or email, is it really too much to ask for on such an important issue?

GARY DAY

Recently I was asked what my general views were in regard to the private sector, whether or not I considered it a force for good or bad and where I thought its place lay within our society. 

My opinion is a simple one where the private sector is concerned and that is there is an undeniable place for it within our society.  The private sector community should be supported and encouraged to generate wealth, investment and employment in this country, for the people of this country. This sector should produce and supply services primarily for worldwide overseas markets, whilst supporting the needs of the home market.  At the same time, it should invest in the talents of those with innovative new ideas which are or could be made viable to solve an area of ‘demand’ currently lacking.  I also believe it is right that the private sector should aid in the identification of skills lacking and the skills training necessary to meet both the current and future needs of this country thereby ensuring an adequate supply of skilled people to meet our society’s needs in the areas that they cover.

One of the biggest and continual debates which is ongoing is the use of the private sector to provide underpinning essential societal services provided by the public sector such as elements of the NHS, the running of our prisons, prisoner escort services or court cell/prisoner security for example.  Likewise local councils such as our own are more and more handing over public sector services in their control to the private sector.  I will always believe that to take things to this degree is a step too far.  Our Public Services originated from our societies recognition that we had a duty to all in regard of support, the maintenance of public facilities and infrastructure, care, security, health as well as law and order.  Decisions in these areas that could impact potentially on the lives of from one person to millions of people should not be made in the boardrooms of private sector companies who understandably prioritise their profit margin above all else or in shareholders meetings who understandably prioritise the maximisation of their share dividends above all else in regard to the decisions they make. 

All these areas were considered to be of such importance both on moral and accountability grounds, that the only way to ensure that they were catered for without any hindrance, without any other consideration than that of provision and in a manner that kept unfettered direct accountability for their day to day running to those for whom the service was created for; was to have them managed and run by public servants who remained answerable to the public directly or through their elected representatives.   

As a layman with no particular expertise in the field of enterprise or economics and recognising that there a far more intellectuals out in cyberspace in these fields then myself, I can only say that in regard to this issue, I try to take a reasoned approach based on history, experience and discussion.  It is for that reason I have no objections to the private sector providing indirect support to these areas such as in the construction/maintenance or upgrade of public infrastructure, provision of military equipment, or the provision of renewable provisions to hospitals for example. For goodness sake, if the private sector could prove that they could supply items of a better quality, for better value and could guarantee supply when demand needed than Her Majesties Stationary Office, I would suggest a commonsense approach would be to consider viability.

 It is for these reasons I do not consider the private sector to be either good or bad, I believe it to be equal to the public sector both in importance and in responsibility – but not more.  One can’t do without the other and each specialise in their own fields. It is for these reasons I say that the private sector already has its place in society and it already knows where it lies and that is in trying to rebuild our collapsed industries and markets brought about by a worldwide economic failure which is still ongoing.  Not in the taking over of public sector underpinning essential service provision.

GARY DAY

RIDDINGS POOL (photo taken by TheHamst)

On the 25 July 2011 I had a letter published in the local paper giving my thoughts on how our Council works.  I did so after being asked to describe my thoughts on the matter to a friend.   I thought that with it now being 6 months on since it wrote on the subject, I would revisit it to see if my thoughts had changed in any way. My original thoughts were:

“Someone asked me today – how would you describe the way that your Council works, I replied:

My Conservative led North Lincolnshire Council, got elected, took control, have and continue to implement undeclared policies whilst successfully manufacturing a system that makes them near unaccountable to their electorate, whilst all the time looking for ways to devolve themselves of any direct responsibility and accountability for essential day to day services.

By carrying on in this manner they’ve implemented their intransigent belief all things good and great are done through private enterprise and that anything that the public sector touches is tainted as overpriced, delivered late and of sub-standard in quality.  This Council have continued with one solitary aim, to privatise as much as they can of the services it has responsibility for irrelevant of any moral or humanitarian obligation they may have to the local electorate and the most vulnerable within its county’s borders.

My long term concern as this Conservative led Council’s term of office continues and this practise expands, is that once any devolved service is under the day to day control of a private company, any future complaint over the standard of day to day provision regarding an individual falls out of the area of public accountability and record – any easy get out for Councillors’.

What they’re doing is extremely clever because as time goes on and the more they devolve, the less responsibility this Conservative led Council will have and the less accountable they will continue to become either legally or morally.”

Six months further into the North Lincolnshire Conservative Councillors’ term in charge, I can only conclude that if anything my beliefs and fears based on the evidence of their actions to date far exceed anything I imagined.  With another 4 months to go before they complete their first year in office, their attention has now turned to the Council’s Leisure and Sports facilities.  Their rhetoric and lack of justification hasn’t changed in regard to why there is a sudden need to review these areas as with others especially in regard to the consideration of handing them over to the private sector in one form or another. It also wouldn’t surprise me if I was to hear or read in the future that one of the council’s current leisure or sporting facilities had been shut down as unviable in the Conservative Councillor’s opinion.

When I was a child I used to go swimming at the Riddings Swimming Pool, and I remember how much enjoyed doing so.  I do hope that it doesn’t share the same fate as the Meals and Wheels service, De Lacy House, Minster Road Day Centre or Scotter House. Then again this Conservative led North Lincolnshire Council has to date always found it easier to privatise than to try to preserve our services.

At the end of the day public services are only ever best served when those services are provided by the public sector and its employees who provide any service in their trust not for the profit of share holders or businesses, but solely for the good of all.

GARY DAY

Local Conservative MP Andrew Percy

A phrase was created in 2011 by Ed Miliband in relation to David Cameron and his constant squirming out of taking responsibility and that phrase was A.B.C – “Anyone But Cameron.”  I am sure that Ed wouldn’t mind if I borrowed and used it in the following way:

A.B.C – “Anyone But Conservatives.”

With continued rising unemployment, fuel bills at a level never seen before, the constant erosion of people’s income in real terms and for some in North Lincolnshire Council employment, the uncertainty over the security of their jobs; it is distinctly noticeable that people are wondering if those representing the Tory party both at a local and national level are living in the real world when they try to apportion blame to:

“A.B.C – Anyone But Conservatives.”

Nationally the current Conservative Government has been in power for coming up to two years.  During that time we have seen a Conservative Government send our troops to war in Afghanistan at a cost of billions, carve up public sector services including our Armed Forces at a cost of hundreds of thousands of desperately needed jobs, withdraw huge amounts of investment in national infrastructure/services, attempt to try to sell off national forests, inadequately investment in the country’s youths, attempt to ‘privatise’ the NHS through the back door, and reduce in emergency service resources in areas such as Coastguard and ambulance services. Then there’s the vicious attacks on the law and order services such as Police numbers and the current tendering of PUBLIC SECTOR PRISONS.  I could cite more but I won’t and all from a Government that VALUES its public sector services and workforce. 

Who do they try to apportion blame to for this course they are taking:

“A.B.C – Anyone But Conservatives.”

Locally in their first year to date, North Lincolnshire Council Conservative Councillor’s in fairness to them have frozen the council tax and given local taxpayers limited free car parking though not impartial and in a way more favourable to residents of one area above all others which their local Tory MP covers.  These in reality have been paid for by job cuts and council service provision closure and the 2012/2013 Council Tax freeze has come about because of the same as well as one off support from national government – not because of good local governance.

Local Conservative Councillor’s have also spent taxpayer’s money on an agenda which includes:

1. Both the current leader and the Deputy leader having their portraits done.
2. The redecoration and the renaming of the Council’s HQ on Ashby Road.
3. The redecoration and enlargement of the Conservative leader’s office.
4. The duplication of consultations.
5. Wanting to sell off of taxpayer owned property in a market which to all intensive purposes is in stagnation, therefore losing the taxpayer money.
6. The manipulation of rules to reduce accountability in public meetings through measures designed to restrict or prevent elected opposition councillors from holding the controlling councillors to account.
7. The manipulation of rules to enable Conservative controlling Councillors to ‘Force through’ their political whims with negligible scrutiny or justification.
8. Wanting to use taxpayer’s money to effectively guarantee that up to a £100million pounds worth of Humber Bridge debt is paid to central Government (a debt that their Government could totally right off at no loss).
9. Creating 4 jobs at a reported cost of £145,000+ to deliver Broadband whilst closing down front line care service provision, the latest decision being the closure of Minster Road Day Care Centre.
10. The constant use of unnecessary reviews to justify the introduction of privatisation in all areas currently public sector provided on the pretext of quality improvement and cost – saving.
11. Latest  unconfirmed reports are that our Conservative Council Leader, her Deputy leader and her Council Cabinet members are to have their own reserved car parking spaces at the council offices marked out  a public expense to save having to walk a couple of hundred yards if need be.

Now when you ask a North Lincolnshire Conservative Councillor the reason for any decision they make, they try to apportion blame to “A.B.C – Anyone But Conservatives.”  

These items listed are only a few of many, but they make the point that in at a time when both the Conservative National Government and their local Tory controlling councillors are quick to justify what they are doing is for the good of all, the reality is that the decisions made are purely political party partisan at the behest of their national leaders, national office and their local representatives.

Those Conservative Councillor’s in control of North Lincolnshire council like their counter-parts in Government may be able to chuckle away to themselves that they can accommodate all their party’s and their own “whims” whilst in power at this time, but for the rest of us, the one thing that can be looked forward to is that come the next round of elections when it comes to apportioning blame it will surely be placed at those who deserve it and it won’t be:

“A.B.C – Anyone But Conservatives.”

GARY DAY

North Lincolnshire Council's Pitwood House December 2011 (signage removed) photo by The Hamst/Kevin Kaye

In his recent New Year’s message Ed Miliband Labour Party Leader stated “Britain starts 2012 in the most difficult of moments. Economic gloom, rising unemployment, falling living standards.” Not a very cheery view, but an honest one.

Locally the people of North Lincolnshire have and continue to feel this hardship not of their own making, but borne out of the failure of others mostly sitting in leather chairs in the offices of the banking world.

As the people of North Lincolnshire continue to be squeezed through indirect taxation and fiscal policy by the current Conservative Government, this same Government continue to do little to ease this burden by placing a more equal share of it on those who created the problem – the bankers.

In the Treasury’s Autumn Statement, our Tory Government showed its true colours by taking three times as much from hard hit workers as from the bankers. Even now, this Government knowing the difficulties that are ever increasing for young people trying to enter into employment for the first time refuse to tax banker’s gross bonuses to invest in job creation in this area, something that beggar’s belief.

Meanwhile those in most need of care and support continue to pay ever increasing charges to keep this help that they need to enable them to live what others would consider to be a ‘normal’ lifestyle. At the same time those who live a lifestyle that most could only ever dream of in their mansions either in this country or overseas, continue to find loopholes in this countries taxation system to enable them to do so. If there had been any urgency on this Tory Government’s behalf to date to address this openly flagrant immoral practise by those they covet, then this money could be being used to help those in most need such as North Lincolnshire’s OAPs, disabled, and young. Not satisfied with this alone, our local Tory Councillor’s add to our most vulnerable worrying with their ever constant attack on services such as Meals on Wheels and other care facilities with a view to shutting them down or privatising them instead of supporting them as they morally should.

Even today it has been reported that our local Conservative Councillors for no justifiable reason or worthwhile purpose have ‘de-named’ Pitwood House (the signage has been removed) and there are rumours that there are going to be ‘Reserved Parking’ for the Conservative Council Leader, her Deputy Leader and Conservative Cabinet members.

I have cited but a couple of examples and though could cite more, I won’t as the point has been made to any reasonable reader.  Though both the Conservative Government and our North Lincolnshire Conservative controlling group came to power on a pretext of dealing with people’s concerns in a more fair, open, transparent and honest way, their policies and the way they’ve been implemented have shown a remarkable likeness to the Conservative Party’s ‘Thatcherite’ past.

As a result the reality is that both this nation’s government and locally this county’s council  ‘political’ clocks have been turned back to a time that we all thought had long since past.  A time when only a few ever benefited at the expense of the majority, a time when a few were always favoured against that of the majority and a time when a few’s will was favoured above that of the majority.

I can only hope that come both the next General and Council Election’s that a painful lesson will have been learnt and any damage done can be repaired by those given the trust of people who deserve so much more than deceit, lies and betrayal.

GARY DAY

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL CONSERVATIVE DEPUTY LEADER JOHN BRIGGS

On the North Lincolnshire Council’s website there is a questionnaire that they are promoting under the claim of being keen to find out what people think about the future ownership and management of sport, leisure and cultural services.  It is being done under the guise of wanting to have an all encompassing consultation prior to any decisions being made.

 Now though our current council leaders recognise that sport, leisure and culture services and facilities make an important contribution to the health and general well-being of North Lincolnshire residents and that these services aid in bringing to individuals and communities together as well as promoting educational achievement and helping in addressing antisocial behaviour, it beggars’ belief then for the need of such a review and so suspicion arises over the real reason for it.

After all, for years North Lincolnshire Council through its various guises’ and under different political groups control have had no reservations in regard to investing in (to the tune of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money) and running the publicly funded and managed various sporting, leisure and culture amenities. Now all of a sudden in the first year of a Conservative controlled North Lincolnshire Council and after all that investment, our current NLC council leaders have announced through the NLC website:  

“we need to look at alternative ways of managing them.”

Their justification for doing so is their belief that:

 “we need to work with partners from that statutory, voluntary and private sectors to find the investment to improve other venues to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the local community.

In layman’s terms and for all the ‘spin’ what this Conservative led Council are saying is the real reason for this happening is cost reduction and devolution of responsibility.

 As with everything else that this Conservative led Council have touched, anything that is public sector owned is up for grabs because it helps them to meet their Governments public sector cut backs and real terms  local service provision restraint.

With Christmas fast approaching, what a wonderful Christmas present local public sector council workers working in these sectors have been given by North Lincolnshire’s Conservative Councillor’s led by Councillor John Briggs Deputy Council leader and Council Cabinet member for Asset and Estate Management; Sport, Leisure and Culture – the knowledge and worry that in the new year their jobs in the public sector may not be as secure as they thought.

One last thought on this matter, if no final decision regarding intent has been made on this matter, why have the following put on the questionnaire on page 5:

 “Potential Partner?

We are also keen to hear from potential partners who may be interested in managing and running council owned sport, leisure and cultural services.  We recognise that some continued funding support will be required to help to ensure services are sustainable.

Please complete if you are a representative of an organisation interested in discussing the possibility of managing aspects of the current services on behalf of the council.”

What another fine example of Conservative Council support for local public sector service provision.

Councillor Councillor Sherwood on the day that  Conservative Councillors took control of North Lincolnshire Council in reply to Labour Councillors complaints over what the Tory intentions were, shouted across the council chamber “Because we can.” After witnessing how the local Conservative Councillors and their party run the council and knowing that they are a vain bunch, may I suggest a new motto for Deputy Leader Councillor John Briggs  and he can further waste local taxpayers money by putting it on a plaque underneath that mugshot of his hanging next to his council leaders Liz Redfern like a couple of love birds at the entrance to the Pitwood House Council chamber.

The motto should read:

“Private sector pals over public sector provision – that’s all that counts.”

GARY DAY