The report is here from David Bartlett.
To be honest, I'm a little surprised by the result of 94 to 50 votes with Wendy Simon a fairly distant second place. From the outside it looked like a contest between a genuinely local candidate versus what feels like a more career orientated politician parachuting in, my feeling was it was going to be a bit closer than that. It looks like Wavertree is going to be an interesting contest this year but I think Labour have gone with the wrong candidate.
Right now nominations for a new Green candidate in Wavertree have been re-opened after Rob Smith unfortunately had to step down due to a potential political restriction arising in his paid job. We are also having internal discussions about whether Wavertree is going to be the best other constituency to stand in, but we are certainly committed to standing at least two General Election candidates here in Liverpool.
24 January 2010
20 January 2010
Thank You
What a great day. Our recycling was collected for the first time this year. The bin was completely full from Christmas and today's excellent letter from Ian Lowes of the GMB in the Liverpool Echo:
I FEEL it necessary to respond to the comments made by your columnist, Joe Riley, concerning the bin men who he accuses of being weather wimps, idle and lacking in motivation (ECHO January 14).
Let me first say that the weather conditions we have recently experienced have been the worst for many years. It is not the fault of the binmen that due to council cutbacks roads are not gritted sufficiently and side roads are not gritted at all. Is he suggesting that the binmen attempt to carry on regardless, putting their own safety and the safety of the public at risk?
May I suggest that next time we have severe weather Joe Riley volunteers to drive a bin wagon on roads which are more like a ski slope and show us how it is done. I think he would decline as he is more content to sit in the comfort of a warm office and make snide comments about people who do a dirty, difficult and sometimes dangerous job.
I'm also saying thank you to my wife. The recycling bin is already 3/4 full again, because we've just been cluttering the place up rather than doing a car journey to the tip, but tonight the house is tidy once again.
Wow - Having also just turned on the TV, I'm beginning to wish I'd finished my marking about an hour ago. Aston Villa v Blackburn is a goal fest!
I FEEL it necessary to respond to the comments made by your columnist, Joe Riley, concerning the bin men who he accuses of being weather wimps, idle and lacking in motivation (ECHO January 14).
Let me first say that the weather conditions we have recently experienced have been the worst for many years. It is not the fault of the binmen that due to council cutbacks roads are not gritted sufficiently and side roads are not gritted at all. Is he suggesting that the binmen attempt to carry on regardless, putting their own safety and the safety of the public at risk?
May I suggest that next time we have severe weather Joe Riley volunteers to drive a bin wagon on roads which are more like a ski slope and show us how it is done. I think he would decline as he is more content to sit in the comfort of a warm office and make snide comments about people who do a dirty, difficult and sometimes dangerous job.
I'm also saying thank you to my wife. The recycling bin is already 3/4 full again, because we've just been cluttering the place up rather than doing a car journey to the tip, but tonight the house is tidy once again.
Wow - Having also just turned on the TV, I'm beginning to wish I'd finished my marking about an hour ago. Aston Villa v Blackburn is a goal fest!
18 January 2010
Haiti
So much has been blogged elsewhere, it is difficult to know what to add. Listening to Radio 4 on one particular occasion last week I was in tears listening to a father ask for help for his 2 year old child who had serious injuries. There was no-one to help.
Like many others, we've donated to the relief effort, but it is frustrating that while we get on with our everyday lives, an entire capital city lies in ruins in one of the poorest places on this planet. What kind of appalling international economic system leaves people in continued poverty in large sections of the world? We know the answer...
So work continues, family life continues and I'll be doing my usual blog. We've all been touched by this disaster, but it is what we try to do in response as individuals about the kind of society we live in locally, nationally and globally that should be how we might make some judgement on ourselves.
Like many others, we've donated to the relief effort, but it is frustrating that while we get on with our everyday lives, an entire capital city lies in ruins in one of the poorest places on this planet. What kind of appalling international economic system leaves people in continued poverty in large sections of the world? We know the answer...
So work continues, family life continues and I'll be doing my usual blog. We've all been touched by this disaster, but it is what we try to do in response as individuals about the kind of society we live in locally, nationally and globally that should be how we might make some judgement on ourselves.
Councillor Attendance - What Rate is Good Enough?
I recently ran a blog poll asking people what they thought was an acceptable level of attendance for a councillor. I was actually surprised by the result. Slightly more than 8 out of 10 respondents thought 70% or more was acceptable, but that meant 2 out of 10 thought that less than 70% attendance is acceptable.
At college, we have attendance and achievement targets for our students. 90% attendance is pretty standard. Students who miss even one lesson a week end up missing out on their £30 a week Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). Why the discrepancy?
The Liverpool City Council website has a pretty comprehensive section on councillor attendance. How do the two Green councillors do?
In the last 17 months, John Coyne has been to 80% of his "expected" meetings and attended an additional 8 (effectively 120% attendance). Sarah Jennings has been to 100% of her "expected" meetings and an additional 9, effectively 160% attendance. As a group, the Greens finish head and shoulders above the other parties.
Credit where credit is due, there are some outstanding levels of attendance by individual councillors in the other parties, but 12 city councillors have an attendance level of less than 70% for their expected meetings. You don't find many of them with the additional meetings to compensate. Well done to John and Sarah for showing how the job of councillor should be done.
At college, we have attendance and achievement targets for our students. 90% attendance is pretty standard. Students who miss even one lesson a week end up missing out on their £30 a week Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). Why the discrepancy?
The Liverpool City Council website has a pretty comprehensive section on councillor attendance. How do the two Green councillors do?
In the last 17 months, John Coyne has been to 80% of his "expected" meetings and attended an additional 8 (effectively 120% attendance). Sarah Jennings has been to 100% of her "expected" meetings and an additional 9, effectively 160% attendance. As a group, the Greens finish head and shoulders above the other parties.
Credit where credit is due, there are some outstanding levels of attendance by individual councillors in the other parties, but 12 city councillors have an attendance level of less than 70% for their expected meetings. You don't find many of them with the additional meetings to compensate. Well done to John and Sarah for showing how the job of councillor should be done.
11 January 2010
National Coverage
The national media has caught up with the implications of the December poll for British Politics, with the Indy and the Telegraph both making comment on this.
I think there is now enough expectation and belief that we will win a seat this time, and the party is putting in the appropriate level of resources to do this. Time for some local focus though, as it is our monthly party meeting tonight.
I think there is now enough expectation and belief that we will win a seat this time, and the party is putting in the appropriate level of resources to do this. Time for some local focus though, as it is our monthly party meeting tonight.
5 January 2010
No RMT Backing for NO2EU Successor
This has been posted up today by the Socialist Unity site:
"Prospects for the “son of No2EU” coalition for the coming general election look poor. The RMT rail union Executive has voted not to back it.
The groups which took part in the “No2EU” coalition for the Euro-elections of June 2009 - the Communist Party of Britain (Morning Star), the Socialist Party, and the Alliance for Green Socialism - have been meeting since then to try to agree on a new coalition for the general election.
RMT rail union general secretary Bob Crow has been taking part in the talks, but not the RMT as such, although the RMT did endorse “No2EU”.
Now the RMT Executive has voted not to back the coalition. We understand that the chief reasons for this were that the RMT Executive wanted to focus RMT’s election effort on winning the re-elections of MPs in the RMT parliamentary group (all Labour) and felt there was not enough broader trade-union support for the coalition venture."
The RMT provided a substantial amount of the funding for the NO2EU project in the Euro Elections, around £75,000 in total of the £118,000 they spent in the 2009 Euro Elections. At the General Election it seems a much more tactical (and practical) approach is being adopted but it does leave the latest left unity project being put together in the last four months before the General Election starting from a very low funding base.
I do know a number of people involved in this and I wish them well in their efforts to bring some sense of unity amongst the diverse socialist currents that exist.
"Prospects for the “son of No2EU” coalition for the coming general election look poor. The RMT rail union Executive has voted not to back it.
The groups which took part in the “No2EU” coalition for the Euro-elections of June 2009 - the Communist Party of Britain (Morning Star), the Socialist Party, and the Alliance for Green Socialism - have been meeting since then to try to agree on a new coalition for the general election.
RMT rail union general secretary Bob Crow has been taking part in the talks, but not the RMT as such, although the RMT did endorse “No2EU”.
Now the RMT Executive has voted not to back the coalition. We understand that the chief reasons for this were that the RMT Executive wanted to focus RMT’s election effort on winning the re-elections of MPs in the RMT parliamentary group (all Labour) and felt there was not enough broader trade-union support for the coalition venture."
The RMT provided a substantial amount of the funding for the NO2EU project in the Euro Elections, around £75,000 in total of the £118,000 they spent in the 2009 Euro Elections. At the General Election it seems a much more tactical (and practical) approach is being adopted but it does leave the latest left unity project being put together in the last four months before the General Election starting from a very low funding base.
I do know a number of people involved in this and I wish them well in their efforts to bring some sense of unity amongst the diverse socialist currents that exist.
Unexpected Time
I'm writing from home because Skelmersdale College (where I work) is closed today due to the bad weather. At this time I'd expect to be talking with my Public Services students about Copenhagen, the UN and other international issues in the unit I'm currently teaching.
This is the coldest winter (in the UK - I'll come back to this) in ten years. It seems like a normal winter to me. It is the kind of weather we used to expect at this time of year, but we've had a succession of milder winters in recent times. Yesterday I enjoyed taking my 13 month old son to Greenbank park where he was excited to see the ducks, geese and pigeons and to look at them walking across the thin ice.
So how are we coping with it in Liverpool? Unfortunately our council has run out of grit and if you were using Liverpool's road this morning, which at times doubled as ice rinks, you would not have been best pleased.
With the cold snap set to continue, this year's winter planning by Liverpool's Liberal Democrat council is skidding along on thin ice. We'll see how it progresses.
This is the coldest winter (in the UK - I'll come back to this) in ten years. It seems like a normal winter to me. It is the kind of weather we used to expect at this time of year, but we've had a succession of milder winters in recent times. Yesterday I enjoyed taking my 13 month old son to Greenbank park where he was excited to see the ducks, geese and pigeons and to look at them walking across the thin ice.
So how are we coping with it in Liverpool? Unfortunately our council has run out of grit and if you were using Liverpool's road this morning, which at times doubled as ice rinks, you would not have been best pleased.
With the cold snap set to continue, this year's winter planning by Liverpool's Liberal Democrat council is skidding along on thin ice. We'll see how it progresses.
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