Ed Miliband standing up for Britain

Luton & Wayfield Fun Day

Residents in Luton and Wayfield are getting set for a day packed full of family fun this weekend.

Live music, a barbecue, a talent show and cookery sessions will be the eclectic mix of activities on offer at the Luton and Wayfield Big Event, taking place this Saturday, 16 July.

A whole host of activities for all the family to enjoy will be held at three main venues across the areas of Luton and Wayfield on a day dedicated to the residents of the area.

The event will launch the pilot project focused on the Luton and Wayfield area aimed at finding better ways to engage local communities and effectively tackle issues faced in their area.

With the tagline Local People, Local Solutions, the project is a joint initiative from Medway Council alongside NHS Medway, Kent Police in Medway, schools and community groups based in the area.

By working with the community and encouraging them to talk about any issues and concerns they have, the aim is to gain residents' feedback on the services they receive and how they can be improved, as well as looking at better ways to tackle issues such as anti social behaviour within a community.

The event will be an opportunity for residents to find out more about the project, as well as having some fun with their community, kick started with a talent show, held at Bishop of Rochester Academy.

The You’ve got Talent competition takes place at the academy's Magpie Hall Road site from 10am to 4pm, where performers will take to the stage and strutt their stuff in front of a select panel of judges and an audience. To take part in the show, call Medway Council on 01634 333333.

Over at Luton Junior School on Luton Road, families will be invited to don their aprons and take to the kitchen as the school opens especially for a day of fun packed cookery challenges.

Putting the fun back into food will be school meals provider Chartwells, who’ll be offering families the chance to take place in a series of cookery challenges, including Get Set Cook and Fun Fitness and Food – with fitness games, quizzes and cook -offs taking place from 10am to 4pm.

The third and final venue for the day is Wayfield Children’s Centre, where staff will be firing up the barbecue for an afternoon of summer fun.

The centre, on Wayfield Road, will be open from 12 to 4pm, and will also be holding a summer fete, with family fun in the shape of traditional games, face painting, cakes and more.

All events are free to attend and residents who attend two or more of the venues will receive a free goodie bag.

There will also be a prize draw on the day, with the chance to win a bike, smoothie maker or basket of fruit.

For more information and to register for the talent show, contact Medway Council on 01634 333333.

Deficit Reduction Poll

An interesting poll from Harris Interactive which shows that a clear majority of people in the UK still support the argument that we need spending reductions

Labour nationally has taken a sensible approach of supporting cost and deficit reduction strategies whilst also emphasising that cutting too far and too fast could damange the economic recovery and lead to unncessarily high unemployment.

It is clear that this argument has led to a chunk of support moving from 'the emphasis on cuts' column to the 'emphasis on tax rises column'.

Whilst Harris polls are not to be believed in isolation Labour needs to be careful that it continues to articulate a deficit reduction narrative but one which emphasises fairness and which is not as aggressive.

The Tory cuts agenda is leading to pessimism and a real growth issue and there is a very valid argument which suggests they need to slow down.

Most of the public accept the need for cost constraint as family budgets tighten; government is no different if it is to once again return to an even keal.

Care Home Concern

Over the last few days the beleaguered care home provider Southern Cross announced it is to shut down and its shares were suspended at 6.25p by the Financial Services Authority. The company, which owns around 750 homes across the country and two in Medway, will hand over control to landlords after it became unable to pay its rents, despite the company’s financial restructuring in March.

Ironically, on the same day as this collapse, David Cameron announced the intention of his government to give private companies the right to run schools, hospitals and nearly all other public services.

The irony was not lost.

Could a Southern Cross happen to a school or hospital near you if Cameron gets his way? Could we see asset stripping and private equity investors come into our health or education system? Flogging school buildings or hospitals only to lease back to the state? This is a very real possibility if this concept of state sell-off is not monitored.

The problem with the Conservative view on this issue is that many of them do not understand markets despite actually being the biggest cheerleaders for them. Many private equity firms have no interest in managing state assets; they have an interest in maximising profit and stepping back.

The case with care homes is a case in point. The financial restructuring of the firm saw the mortgaging of old people care for short term profit. Guess who now has to step in to fix the problem; government. Many of the 'landlords' who have taken over SouthernCross care homes across the country will also need to be closely monitored to maintain standards.

Shadow health secretary, John Healey MP, said in a comment:

“This announcement is what those living in Southern Cross owned homes have feared for weeks. While the company offers reassurances, residents and their families must now hear from Ministers what action they are taking to guarantee nobody ends up on the street or is left with inadequate care provision.”

In June, the FT revealed that Southern Cross senior management had made £35m after selling their equity stock in the Southern Cross. In December, the company’s former chairman, William Colvin, and three executive directors sold all of their stakes in the company for 550p a share.

Last month, the GMB union reported that one of Southern Cross landlords, Loyds Property Investments, which owns 49 of its properties, is linked to offshore tax avoidance. Its parent company, Loyd’s & Associates Inc, is registered in the British Virgin Islands. The union found that Loyds, which is in administration, has links to Israel, the Channel Islands and Switzerland. Its website boasts that the company’s current portfolio in the UK is worth an estimated £285m.

The Tories locally have had an agenda over the last decade of allowing the privatising care homes. I campaigned with Cllr Stephen Hubbard and former Cllr John Jones in 2007 against the privatisation of the Shaws Wood care home and we held major concerns about the scope of private sector involvement in health care.

In the last full Council meeting before the local election, I asked the the portfolio holder at full Council whether the Council could guarantee that no more Care homes would be privatised or sold off? He refused to give a firm answer.

Well if this situation highlights anything; it is that our older people need security and peace of mind.

A private company with the interests of share holders looking for short term return on an investment, may not necessarily be the same as those of a patient who is looking for medium-long term care.

Just food for thought.

Half mast Agents need to get a grip

It is becoming increasingly apparent to residents that we are currently witnessing a glut of phone mast applications across the Medway Towns.

Whilst we all accept that we do need to prepare for 4G and the increasing use of Wi-Fi enabled technology, it baffles belief that we continue to have applications for masts seemingly made by agents with little / no understanding of the area in which they are applying.

I have written to the agents who represent the phone companies, in support of the MP, who has also flagged concerns that the applications need to be better considered - not only in terms of the land they are placed on - but also to stop wasting the time of residents who remain concerned about the potential health risks.

Agents need to act with care on the placement of phone masts. Picking more suitable locations would not only speed up the erection of new masts but also lead to happier communities as well. Just food for thought.

I have suggested to the phone companies that instead of 'randomly' picking residential areas that they focus applications in industrial units.

Medway has a number of varied land types even in the most residential of areas, and such applications are likely to receive significantly less objections.

New Council

Cllr Isaac Igwe is the newly elected representative for Strood South Ward who was guest writer for YourMedway

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Now the new council is in place, the residents of Medway - including my humble self - are hoping the Conservative controlled council will come up with strategic policies that will see Medway advance in all spheres of economic, education and social development. The need to demonstrate measurable achievements is even greater at this point in time, as the council is pushing for city status.

It will be recalled that this time last year the Conservatives were moving with the speed of a hungry lion in pursuit of a prey in carrying out the mass closures and forced mergers of primary schools without proper consultation with stakeholders. Although some of the schools were eventually closed - at a huge cost, that in some cases exceeded the amount needed to save them - others were saved by the effort of Labour councillors, who raised armies of community campaigners, comprising men and women from all walks of life and children to oppose the cuts.

Until the end of the last financial year we enjoyed various development and regeneration projects, that saw the development of the four universities in Medway, the construction of several affordable housing sites, the Olympic fever felt in Medway with the transformation of the former Black Lion Leisure Centre to a training ground for the Olympians including the expansion of some roads. All of these schemes were funded and supported by Labour, despite claims and counter claims from Conservatives who refused to acknowledge this; still the evidence remains that the past Labour government singularly promoted the development and prosperity of Medway.

Under David Cameron’s government, the Conservatives dwell on criticising the past Labour government at every turn, instead of taking responsibility for supporting our fragile economy, that was damaged largely by a global financial crisis, not Labour’s spending. The Government is taking a reckless path of swingeing cuts, which are already raising concern from organisations such as the OECD and leading economists. With growth struggling, inflation rising, unemployment soaring and vital services struggling to stay afloat; the economic policy of the government is dangerous and misguided. The behaviour of the central government has trickled down to the Tory portfolio holders in Medway who are quick to find excuses when confronted with issues that hinge on social development. They have become obsessed with cuts, to the extent that no-one would be surprised if a pair of scissors eventually emerged as the Conservative party’s new logo.

My concern about the ability of the Conservative administration in Medway to lead the Council at this time of austerity measures is based on the events I witnessed during the proceedings of last full council meeting, which marked my first attendance as an elected councillor. In the meeting the leader of the Labour group Cllr Paul Godwin raised a motion that referenced a historical agreement reached among all political groups that the mayoral position will not be politicised, rather it should be rotated among the political groups. I gathered from his analysis that it was the turn of the Labour group to appoint a mayor when Cllr David Brake was appointed last year, yet at the start of this council period Cllr Ted Baker was elected as the new mayor, defeating Labour nominee Cllr Nick Bowler in a manner that presents the Tories like pupils acting out an over-rehearsed school drama in front of their parents. Their actions negated the ideals of the true gentlemen they profess to be at any given opportunity.

I was unimpressed by the swiftness with which the Conservative councillors acted in overriding the motion raised by Cllr Godwin.

My concern as a newly elected councillor is the behaviour the Conservative councillors presented collectively as a group in a minor issue such as mayoral succession will be replicated in more serious issues such as health care for the elderly and children in need, maintenance of our road networks, provision of affordable housing which will see reduction in long waiting lists, adequate funding for schools instead of closures that will impact on the quality of learning for our children

I have a feeling the Conservative group will dwell more on attacking the Labour group and our ideals with the intent to frustrate progressive ideas about community development and cohesion, which we profess continually, and forget about building on the indelible legacies which the past Labour government brought to Medway. In any case, I pledge to play my part in ensuring that the people I represent get a fair deal.

Where is the apology?

What a total Medway Conservative farce as the Primary School botched re-organisation comes back to bite.

Only this time the entire argument presented by the majority (though not all) Medway Conservatives has been totally blown out of the water as it is revealed that instead of a fall in pupil rolls, Medway will need thousands of extra primary school places over the next five years.

The local authority predicts the number of pupils attending primary schools will increase by about 2,400 by 2016. The report, which was linked last week and picked up on my twitter, predicts the figure could rise to 23,200 over the next five years.

Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester are most in need of extra places, the report says despite the words in 2009 of the Conservative Portfolio holder.

In 2009, the Tories presented a policy paper on Primary School Change, costing multiple millions of pounds, which based its conclusion on evidence of falling school rolls in the future. The proposal was to close and merge schools across Medway.

The argument was totally false.

The reason why this blog was / is so angered by Medway Conservative arrogance is because despite all the scientific proof that they were wrong, they would not accept fact and then accused Labour of spinning a campaign which was actually run by independent parents who were only concerned for their children's education.

All of the arguments at the time, and it is worth a read, are on the Medway Conservative website which highlights the way in which they dismissed any argument but their own (now seen to be utterly invalid) argument in 2009. They even falsely accused Labour of leaking information on Primary School closures for partisan gain; an utterly craven act at the time which was utterly without any foundation, and which was total fiction.

This blog expected today that the Medway Conservatives would show some humility and indeed basic human decency. Perhaps a mea culpa follow up to the glut of bilge they put out in 2009 spinning a tired yarn of falsehoods.

Unsurprisingly to readers we have had ZERO statements on the Conservative website and a brazen attempt to finger point to officers, when it is clear portfolio holders are responsibe for scrutinising their own departments.

It is the Tories that have played politics on this issue right from the very start.

Cllr Les Wicks wrote on the 10th July 2009 that 'Labour are more concerned with scoring points than the children's future' and even brazenly accused Labour of 'shame on school leak' when it became apparent the full list of school changes had actually be released earlier by the Council, no apology was forthcoming.

He continued

'that the government’s Primary Capital Programme for Medway, which the Labour group has so far opposed and attempted to undermine at every turn, proposes to impartially invest in schools which are in need of refurbishment... Let’s be clear, the Labour group in Medway are not interested in the well-being of children – instead they are intent on political point scoring. In comparison, the only concern for the Conservatives on Medway Council is the long-term interests of all our children in Medway'

Meanwhile Cllr Jarrett went even further in his article entitled 'Labour group would threaten every school with closure as their attempt to derail consultation with primary schools fails' on 19th June 2009; stating that

'Medway’s Labour group have failed to suggest any alternatives to address surplus places in Medway; something that the government has told us that we have to deal with. Their only suggestion is to start again which would threaten every school with closure and create uncertainty for our children for months on end.'

Labour did not provide alternative suggestions because we did not accept there were surplus places over the medium term. An argument that was eventually accepted by the impartial Schools Adjudicator and which is now seen to entirely correct.

Cllr Jarrett continued to burble the same tired line on 17th June 2009 when he accused Labour of 'threatening' £30m investment in Medway's schools'

'Labour councillors have, at every turn, opposed changes to primary schools in Medway, without suggesting any alternative solutions to address surplus places

Guidance issued to Medway Council under the Primary Capital Programme states that “strategies that fail to commit to addressing surplus capacity at local authority or individual school level will not be approved”, and that plans must “ensure that no school has more than 25% surplus places” and “reduce overall surplus places to less than 10% across the local authority area'

Councillor Jarrett is responsible for scrutinising numbers and detail on figures every day. How could he get basic demographics so wrong? A major question on his ability to process and scrutinise information therefore arises; is he competent enough?

The fact is Cllr's Wicks and Jarrett spent most of May & June 2009 effectively basing their argument on surplus places. They had opportunity to review the counter argument but chose not to and as a result schools have closed and parents given unnecessary stress.

Even worse - on the back of incorrect data, the Conservative authority chose to close Ridge Meadow

Residents today will making judgements on the character of our elected representatives.

A full, public and open apology should be forthcoming.