Sefton Budget Meeting

I attended Sefton's Budget meeting on Thursday expecting to hear arguments from both sides relating to the national political situation. I knew what was coming. Labour Councillors would shout that our party had sold itself down the river and had willingly and eagerly submitted to be the sword sharpeners for the killer Tory cuts. Our side would scream back with equal vehemence that Labour spent needlessly and recklessly and that is the reason why cuts have to be made.

I mistakenly thought (and hoped) that there would then be some sort of rational discussion regarding the actual budget. I thought that Labour would have their fun, and then be sensible.

Sadly not. They voted against the proposed £2.5 million cuts because they argue that it is not necessary, that local communities will suffer and jobs will be lost. They claimed that it is they alone who care about the interests of workers and residents of Sefton. If this was really the case they would not have been rubbing their hands in as much glee as they were doing last Thursday. One Councillor claimed that he couldn't wait for May 5th to come to see the Lib Dems fall at the electoral hurdle. Another shockingly claimed that the Liberal Democrats should be held responsible for any suicides of young adults. Added to this were the (now incredibly tiresome) coalition jokes relating to bed sharing, and another one gave us an attempt at a bizarre potted history of the banking crisis.

What any of this had to do with children's services, or the wasteful millions of pounds being spent on the Southport market that could have been stopped at the meeting, but which Labour clings to is anybody's guess. You can argue until the cows come home about the speed and scale of cuts and the fact that this debate has split economists, let alone politicians, highlights that there is certainly a lot of debate to be had. However, a local council budget meeting is certainly not the place.

Regardless of whether Councillors agree or disagree with Government decisions, a local budget has to be set. Because of the make-up of our Council, and the positions on the Cabinet that the party occupies means that they are at the heart of this decision making process. Of the £44 million that have to be made, they have voted against £39 million.

Their colleagues in Liverpool City Council have been able to work constructively with the Liberal Democrats to produce a budget, so it really begs the question of why the Sefton group think they have the right to be so intransigent.

They cling to national arguments and jokes because they are the only things they have to say. They have not engaged in the process of budget scrutiny because they have decided they don't want to. Yet things are not as black and white as they portray. They claimed that the Liberal Democrats were against creating jobs because we are opposed to the £3 million being spent on Southport Market. I really fail to see how shelling out on £26,000 on granite seats is going to boost local employment. Ploughing money into a scheme will not make it a success; and less money invested in a more sensible manner would be far more productive.

The fact is there is not the money available to deliver services in the way that we are all used to. Children's Centres and Youth Centres simply cannot be maintained in the form in which they currently exist. That's why Conservative and Liberal Democrat Councillors voted for less money to be taken out of their budgets for this year to keep the centres open. This will mean more time to look at how the services can be kept going in the future. Cuts do not have to mean the end; In fact this is an opportunity for local communities and charities to play more of a part in running institutions.

So, while the two other parties have had sleepless nights, have done all that they can to make tough decisions in a short space of time, Labour Councillors have taken the easy way out. They have kicked back on the sidelines, abnegated responsibility and been paid for this by the very same people that they are claiming to want to help and support. Frankly its a very poor idea of public service.

And just to clear up the Labour myth that the state of our nations finances is a nice cover dreamt up by a spin doctor to legitimise ideological cuts. Here is a quote from an article in The Observer no less, in May 2008:

"Brown's love affair with the city was at first a welcome break from the Spartist tendencies of old Labour, but there was far too little challenge to monstrously bloated bonus packages and the sort of inventive banking practices that led to the Northern Rock debacle. Public spending continued apace long after the International Monetary Fund began issuing pleas for restraint. Government borrowing as a proportion of national income is now higher than that of most other G7 countries, leaving only a thin cushion against the impending economic headwinds."

Sefton Labour Councillors must be very glad that they didn't win the election then. They would have been denied their set pieces and had to face reality.

The story of the loose stones

In response to a question from a resident of the road, the LibDem team have turned sleuths to discover the truth behind the "loose stones" on Marshside Road.

Focus Editor Lauren Keith and Councillor Sue McGuire inspect Marshside Road
following reports that the recently resurfaced road is not up to scratch. 

The road, which was resurfaced last year, now has signs warning drivers of lose stones.  It appears that the recent severe weather may have caused the newly laid surface to disintegrate creating a significant amount of loose chippings on the highway and a visually scarred surface.  Officers from the Council have met with the highway contractor who undertook the resurfacing work land it has been agreed that the contractor will undertake remedial work at his own expense later in the year.

In the meantime, the Council will continue to monitor the condition of the road and will do further sweeping if necessary.

Crocus Walk marches on in fight against breast cancer

This years Crocus Walk for Breakthrough Breast Cancer will be taking place at 11am on Saturday 26th March at Hesketh Park.

The walk now in its ninth year is open to everyone and we are encouraging as many people as possible to take part. As local activist Lauren Keith, explained “Everybody is welcome! It can be a nice relaxing stroll around the park to admire the Spring flowers, a healthy jog or, for those more energetic, a sprint! Over the years its raised thousands of pounds for a great cause. Statistics out earlier this year indicate that the chances of getting breast cancer have risen from one woman in nine to one woman in eight. This means it’s more important than ever for money to be raised not only to help those already suffering with the disease, but to be directed towards more research into the disease.

Lauren Keith and Sarah Harding stepping out at last years event

Lauren adds "Please bring along lots of family and friends, and help to make this a record breaking fundraising year.”

For more details about the walk contact Councillor Sue McGuire on 07766968162 or email laurenpkeith@googlemail.com

The Locomotives of History

I felt a bit guilty sitting in my nice family kitchen eating my poached egg for breakfast while reading this morning’s Independent. The front page carried a picture of Bahraini protesters on the streets on Manama, with the headline ‘They didn’t run away. They faced the bullets head on.’

Robert Fisk has been leading the journalistic charge. His accounts from the streets of Egypt and now Bahrain have been fascinating, insightful and highly emotive.

People have been drawing parallels between the Egyptian protests and the Iranian revolution of 1979. However, the marked difference is the lack of Anti-American and Western feeling . Ayatollah Khomeini’s traditional Shia Islamism appealed to a people who felt their culture had been eroded by the Shah, who was of course a symbol of colonialism, having been installed after the West had decided that Prime Minister Mossadegh was far too dangerous after he had had the audacity to nationalise what had been the British controlled Anglo-Iranian oil industry.

The current protests are less to do with religion and culture, and are more to do with jobs and democracy. Frustration and despair that the police were preventing him from selling his fruit and vegetables drove twenty five year old Ahmed Hashem el-Sayed to set himself alight, kickstarting the Egyptian protests. The unrest that started in Tunisia and which is spreading throughout the Arab world, actually bears more resemblance to the European revolutions of 1848.

These revolutions are often overlooked, obviously overshadowed by the First World War and the massive political and social changes that this heralded. 1848 saw revolutions in many countries including France, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium. Like the current protests, people across many of these countries had common problems. In 1848, new and radical ideas where taking hold; ideas that were later to form the backdrop to the First World War. The Habsburg Empire, Germany and Italy were all made up of many states comprising many nationalities. Nationalism and democratic ideas were gaining currency; yet many people were still peasants, tied by bonds of servitude that had changed little since Medieval times and ruled by absolutist monarchies.

These Revolutions failed to make as much impact as many at the time thought they would. It did result in the French Second Republic and lasting reforms in Denmark and the Netherlands, but in many other countries it simply petered out. One of the reasons behind this was that Government’s offered moderate reforms, which satisfied the protesters. In many cases, these ‘reforms’ didn’t occur and in some cases regimes cracked down to ensure that rebellion couldn’t flare up again. For instance in Hungary, the Emperor of the Hapsburg Empire, Ferdinand, promised the country a constitution, yet this failed to materialise and Hungary ended up under brutal martial law.

The protesters of 1848 were not people who had any experience of questioning the status quo; ideas about personal freedom and liberalism were still in their infancy. Also, it’s fair to say that they were more trusting of what their monarchs and Governments promised. In a world of instant communication protests are not hard to start, and so unlike 1848 this genie will be very difficult to put back into the bottle.

I hope that the protesters in Bahrain and Egypt can achieve concrete, democratic changes, that really do transform politics and society. As Marx said, ‘Revolutions are the locomotives of history.’ Lets hope they keep moving!

The Big Society is nothing new!

I recently stumbled across a dog eared copy of Winifred Holtby's novel 'South Riding' in a charity shop. I had never heard of the novel or its author, but it is one of the best and most emotive books I have read.

By a strange coincidence BBC One have just filmed a version of it which starts next Sunday, but its actually not very strange at all. While this book was written in 1935 the message it has is still resonant and relevant now. Its about a community and its political figures making and dealing with tough economic times and decisions, and through her fantastically defined and vibrant characters she explores deeper questions about what society means and how people in a community are affected and impacted by even the smallest decisions that people can often unconsciously make.

As we enter a new 'age of austerity,' as focus shifts to what decisions are being taken at a local level and Prime Minister David Cameron announces that it is his 'mission' to make the Big Society a successful initiative, this book and its ideas make fascinating reading.

The 'Big Society' as defined by the Prime Minister is based on the premise that both the traditional politics of the left and right have failed; that the introduction of the welfare state meant that people became detached from traditional associations with guilds and other civic society organisations. Then Margaret Thatcher's big bang came along with all the de-regulation that happened in the City and turned us all into selfish beings governed simply by a sense of rugged individualism.

So now, the focus apparently has to be shifted away from Government and back on to society to empower people. While the central theory is a great idea the concept is proving difficult to communicate as there seems to be a lot of reference to stock phrases such as 'social recovery,' 'broken Britain,' and 'social cohesion'. You need look no further than the Chair of the Government Committee on the Big Society, Francis Maude's, appearance on last weeks Question Time to see that those apparently in charge of the policy don't really know what it is they are defining.

I think they should have stuck to what we Lib Dems have been championing for a while...Localism. This isnt as airy fairy as the 'Big Society' slogan, which, lets face it, was probably dreamt up in a drab boardroom in a think tank in London. Localism has already begun to be implemented following the introduction of the Localism Bill which confers greater powers on residents when it comes to planning and service need, and gives them the ability to hold their local institutions to greater account.

Devolving more powers to people at a local level will automatically integrate communities as people come together to campaign, or to oppose and propose various initiatives or schemes. Essentially Local Government will act as a springboard for a bigger, more vibrant, society.

I'll leave you with some of Winifred's wise words on the importance of Local Government:

"But when I came to consider local government, I began to see how it was in essence the first line defence thrown up by the community against our common enemies-poverty, sickness, ignorance, isolation, and social maladjustment. The battle is not faultlessly conducted, nor are the motives of those who take part in it all righteousness or disinterested. But the war, is, I believe worth fighting...we are not only single individuals, each face to face with eternity and our separate spirits; we are members one of another."

Planning Application S/2011/0117 for Hatherlow House, 29 Park Crescent

An application seeking planning permission to erect a part three, part four storey residential care development comprising 35 individual suites at the Hatherlow House site has been submitted  to Sefton Council. This will involve the demolition of the current building.

As Lauren explained "I have some concerns regarding this application given that the current building is so very iconic for this area of Southport forming as it does a gateway entrance for Hesketh Park.  It is vital that developers work with the original building as much as possible to retain the architectural character of this area of Southport."

To see the full planning application please go to the Sefton Council web site  If you would like to object you can write to Sefton Council’s Planning Department, Magdalen House, 30 Trinity Road, Bootle L20 3NJ or complete the online form.

It is also possible to organise a petition against the application. The petition must be supported by at least 25 residents and signed/supported by a local councillor (which Cllr Sue McGuire would be very happy to do). If a petition is raised it will provide the opportunity for one of the petitioners to speak for 5 minutes at the planning committee meeting.

Waving My Baby Off

At 6am this morning you could find me, together with a number of other parents, standing anxiously by a coach to wave our babies off on their school trip to Belgium to visit the World War 1 cemeteries in Ypres. (I say babies loosely - my son is 13 years old and nearly 6 foot tall but you get the idea)


The fact that they are studying World War 1 got me thinking back to my days at high school and the history I studied - from the Italian Renaissance to James II.  Thrilling as they were, they are not topics which come up too often in conversation and not ones which really prepare you for today's world. So I was really pleased to learn the Key Stage 3 History Curriculum now includes the following topics:
European and world history

• the impact of significant political, social, cultural, religious, technological and/or economic developments and events on past European and world societies
• the changing nature of conflict and cooperation between countries and peoples and its lasting impact on national, ethnic, racial, cultural or religious issues, including the nature and impact of the two world wars and the Holocaust, and the role of European and international institutions in resolving conflicts.

If we want our children to understand the world today and their part in it then its vital that they are given the opportunity to study those recent events which have shaped it and this means not glossing over the history of the 20th Century or the Two World Wars (as I believe happened in my day).  

Children must see and study for themselves the effect wars have on real people, on governments and on countries. Its essential that their view of war is not dictated by Hollywood blockbusters or more worryingly by graphic video games.