Liz Harsant- the Tory leader- not a Tory misleader (just a spelling mistake!)Now I know I am not the best at spelling (or typing)but I can't believe the Tory Council leader in Ipswich (Liz Harsant) is blaming a factual error in their last Tory leaflet (and only leaflet for about the last 10 months!) on spelling!
The full story can be found on the Evening Star website here. Liz Harsant may feel unlucky that she has been asked to explain the "mistake", but she is the only Tory councilor who actually gets much of a mention in the leaflet as the rest is all about the 'young' Gummer.
In the leaflet Liz was quoted as saying that every council house in Ipswich has been upgraded to the 'Ipswich standard' , which dictates maintenance necessary to meet national minimum standard requirements.
However it is now confirmed that 1,670 homes in Ipswich are still waiting to be upgraded and estimated completion is not till December 2010!
Liz will next blame the schools for not teaching spelling up to a correct standard!
She states that the leaflet should have read - "all council houses are being upgraded" rather than what it did state - " all council houses have been upgraded".
Seems more than a spelling mistake to me.
Mr Gummer is meant to be happy to make a statement about the 'mistake' in his next 'Changes' leaflet. why wait? Put it on your Ipswich Tory (really only about Gummer) website, and what about the Liberals? Well I know certain Liberals read this site, are you going to join Labour in asking Mrs Harsant to make a formal apology- or are you going to stick to your normal modus operandi - and claim it is the Liberals who have forced their Tory partners to get all council houses to the 'Ipswich standard' , - even if 1,670 houses have another 2 and half years to wait!
4 comments:
Dear Alastair,
I always enjoy reading your blog, even though - as you would expect - I do not agree with everything you have to say.
I do want to take issue with your piece on my newspaper 'Change'.
I said that I want to be straight with people, and that is why I said I would correct anything that was not clear. The next issue of the newspaper is the best place to do this, as not everyone who got the paper reads the website, and vice versa. This, as you know, is what any decent publication would do.
I should make two things clear while we're at it.
I have been really impressed by how dedicated Liz Harsant and Steve Wells have been in trying to upgrade Borough housing. It is not for me to speak for them, but for the record: by the time this administration completes upgrading Borough housing in Ipswich, it will have installed 4,500 new kitchens and 3,190 new bathrooms; provided 2,330 homes with new double-glazing and 4,650 with new central heating; and ensured that 4,170 homes are re-rewired and 2,928 re-roofed. I know that you don't agree with many Tory policies, but please give credit where it's due.
The second issue is this. Your party has been putting out some incredibly misleading literature of late, some of which has caused needless upset. It is simply untrue, for instance, that the Council 'wants to build in your back garden'. Nor were there were any cuts to the bus service, like you claimed before the election last year. Will there ever be a correction from Cllr Ellesmere? I doubt it.
I'm not sure if you will post this comment but I wanted to put these things straight to you in any case.
No doubt we will meet soon - I look forward to it.
Yours,
Ben
Ben
Thank you for your comment- at the end you mention the bus service- in Rushmere from next week the Number 22 bus will no longer go onto Grundisburgh- this will cause the numbers of users on the 22 to be reduced, again putting it under threat- I would ask you to visit the bus depot, you will find a staff whose morale is low- they do not know if they are moving, they do not know when the next new bus will be purchased- maybe you can influence the tory council to help lift the morale of the staff.
Dear Alasdair,
I have been assured that the Number 22 bus route is safe.
Thank you for letting me know about the bus depot - I shall certainly visit. I know Ipswich Conservatives are very proud of the service that Ipswich Buses provides, and the several awards that the company have received.
Yours,
Ben
Ben
The number 22 is only safe because at present your Tory councilors have put back the move to the new depot- so when and if this move happens- will you then charge the company such a large rent that services and the purchase of a new fleet are effected
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