When Cameron first became leader of the Tories he reached out for the green vote, here was a Tory who actually believed in global warming- he even travelled out to the arctic. We then had re-branding of the Tory logo with a dash of green and some sort of childs drawing of a tree thrown in.
Seems time now for a further re-brand – throw away the green bit, the tree and just have a St George’s flag and the drawbridge being drawn up with the slogan ‘I’m alright Jack’.
Since May we have had the scrapping of the ‘Green deal’ – we know it was not working but replace the scheme do not just scrap it. We have also seen the Tories state it should be easier for residents to refuse wind turbines but with a large dose of hypocrisy, Cameron informs us residents should not let their views get in the way of fracking- which will be the saviour of our nation!
This Tory dumping has hit Ipswich, making it more difficult for us to place solar panels on council roofs, we are going ahead with placing more panels on roofs but this should have been done over 2 years ago and every time we start we are always left worried that Osborne and the Tories will change the rules at any time.
As the East of England has a number of businesses involves in the off-shore wind farm industry this state of uncertainty over the industry does not help.
This ditching of any sort of green policy has now reached the Tories in Suffolk, with their latest proposal (remember the Tory slogan – the ‘Greenest’ County) to charge residents £50 for their brown bins – and they think this will help recycling!
What it will lead to is more waste in the black bins, more anti-social bonfires – remember this is on top of green waste no longer being taken in at the Foxhall waste site and big queues at Portman’s Walk after the Tories shut other waste sites including the one on the way to Shotley.
Good news for Ipswich residents is that Labour run Ipswich are not willing to charge residents £50 for their brown bin and we may also be joined in this action by Tory run Suffolk Coastal. The strange thing is that some of the Tory Cabinet who are for charging £50 for the bin may vote in their own District Council to not charge residents £50! The reason for this strange decision? It seems to me all they are interested in is moving some of the costs that the County has to pay to District Councils, making it easier for them in 2017 to come out with their one and only policy- no council tax rises for the next 5 years ( they will also fail to mention you will also have no schools, no bin collection and no care homes!)
What it does show both nationally and locally that the Tories only care about now and those who ‘have’. They have no concerns for the future of our planet- for our children or grandchildren – it is just self, self and more self.
What can you do? Write to Ben Gummer and Dan Poulter, your local Tory Councillors – ask them do they support the £50 charge on brown bins? And if they do not are they going to lobby the Tory run County not to implement this badly thought out plan!
Good news for at least one advertising agency- they will get to design a new Tory logo , no tree or any green needed this time.
Showing posts with label wind turbines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wind turbines. Show all posts
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Plenty of hot wind - where is that turbine when you need it?
This week our neighbouring council, Babergh turned down a planning application for a wind turbine. The application was originally meant for two turbines one of which would have been on IBC owned land. That plan was dropped so the application was just for one turbine on farmland owned by a well known Suffolk family (who included amongst their clan, a Suffolk Tory MP)
The Tory leader in Ipswich, Cllr Cenci was quick to take to social media to tell everyone that the application had been turned down and was also quick to mention that no South West Ipswich Labour councillors had attended.
Cllr Cenci has campaigned for more than a year to see the turbines not built but she was never that keen to mention that she was part of the executive that had signed the deal with the turbine company originally. She was keen for the council to renege on the contract even if it meant that the council would be then liable for costs and a possible compensation claim.
With family living in an area that would have been able to see the turbine from their houses I know that some residents were actually keen to see the turbine but the Tory leader was keen to see the turbine rejected. Where this desire sits with Mr Cameron and his ‘Green’ credentials, I am not sure.
But even forgetting that Cllr Cenci had been a member of the executive that had signed the contract with the turbine company what annoyed me was her tweeting about the non attendance of Labour councillors at the Babergh planning meeting. What she seemed to forget was that on the same day was the Ipswich Planning meeting where 4 South West Labour councillors were attending, but she seemed to think they could miss the meeting (the one they are elected to serve on) as it was just ‘a run of the mill’ planning meeting. Not sure the residents of Brunswick Road would agree as the committee examined an application to build a house in what many would call a ‘back yard’ development.
Now I myself have tweeted about the absence of opposition councillors at meetings – but these were at our own councils meetings – the meetings that we are elected to serve on not those in another District. I mentioned this to Cllr Cenci as she had failed to attend a housing panel the week before, she had a valid excuse as she was working – but maybe the other Labour councillors who were not at our own planning committee were also working. But if Cllr Cenci is now going to be checking the attendance at meetings I hope we may see a Tory at the next East Housing panel, as not one of the 6 Tories in East Ipswich could attend, we did receive belated apologies from one but you would have thought one of the other 5 could have substituted. So maybe Cllr Cenci needs to make sure her own group turn up for meetings before she highlights the lack of Labour councillors at a meeting that they did not even have to attend!
The Tory leader in Ipswich, Cllr Cenci was quick to take to social media to tell everyone that the application had been turned down and was also quick to mention that no South West Ipswich Labour councillors had attended.
Cllr Cenci has campaigned for more than a year to see the turbines not built but she was never that keen to mention that she was part of the executive that had signed the deal with the turbine company originally. She was keen for the council to renege on the contract even if it meant that the council would be then liable for costs and a possible compensation claim.
With family living in an area that would have been able to see the turbine from their houses I know that some residents were actually keen to see the turbine but the Tory leader was keen to see the turbine rejected. Where this desire sits with Mr Cameron and his ‘Green’ credentials, I am not sure.
But even forgetting that Cllr Cenci had been a member of the executive that had signed the contract with the turbine company what annoyed me was her tweeting about the non attendance of Labour councillors at the Babergh planning meeting. What she seemed to forget was that on the same day was the Ipswich Planning meeting where 4 South West Labour councillors were attending, but she seemed to think they could miss the meeting (the one they are elected to serve on) as it was just ‘a run of the mill’ planning meeting. Not sure the residents of Brunswick Road would agree as the committee examined an application to build a house in what many would call a ‘back yard’ development.
Now I myself have tweeted about the absence of opposition councillors at meetings – but these were at our own councils meetings – the meetings that we are elected to serve on not those in another District. I mentioned this to Cllr Cenci as she had failed to attend a housing panel the week before, she had a valid excuse as she was working – but maybe the other Labour councillors who were not at our own planning committee were also working. But if Cllr Cenci is now going to be checking the attendance at meetings I hope we may see a Tory at the next East Housing panel, as not one of the 6 Tories in East Ipswich could attend, we did receive belated apologies from one but you would have thought one of the other 5 could have substituted. So maybe Cllr Cenci needs to make sure her own group turn up for meetings before she highlights the lack of Labour councillors at a meeting that they did not even have to attend!
Friday, 27 September 2013
No wind power but plenty of hot air!
Today we have found out that ‘Partnership for Renewals’ (PfR) will now only be putting in an application for one wind turbine to be built to the South West of Ipswich.
The turbine that was to be built on Ipswich Borough Council land will not happen. This means that IBC will not raise any revenue from renting the land – disappointing when we have just heard of the massive cuts to local council funding planned by the Tory and Lib Dem government.
Local Tory councillor, Nadia Cenci has (recently) campaigned hard against the building of the turbines and states that the decision today is a ‘partial’ if welcome victory.
When asked if the campaign will continue against the other planned turbine (to be built on the land owned by the family of a Suffolk Tory MP) she seems slightly less committed.
Local Ipswich Tory activist, Kevin Algar informs us that he will continue campaigning against the turbine but Nadia seems less sure, she (in a comment on Ipswich Spy here) seems to imply that the people of Wherstead could have campaigned harder and because they didn’t we should not just look at PfR to wonder why the scheme is still going ahead. But if it is within her jurisdiction she will help!
Not sure jurisdiction matters? She is either a Judge or an MP, and can campaign where ever she likes, of course Mr Gummer did not seem keen to answer the question- ‘was he for or against’ the turbines – quoting that it was up to Babergh District Council – maybe he should have told his own Tory members this, who kept asking IBC questions. But as the turbine could be seen by Ipswich residents, should he not be allowed to comment?
A few months later he seemed to be happy to be quoted about the state of Colchester Hospital.
Now getting back to Nadia Cenci, the Tory councillor for Stoke Park, Ipswich Spy had this to say about her:
Councillor Nadia Cenci, who has campaigned for years against plans to build a wind turbine on Ipswich Borough Council land – despite her own administration supporting it. She always states that she was standing up for her residents, rather than following some party line that she didn’t believe in.
Now this I find strange and it seems, Ipswich Spy has turned into a Tory election leaflet produced on behalf of Cllr Cenci rather than a neutral political blog.
If she did not agree with the turbines, why did she not resign from the executive like her fellow North West Tory councillors did over the agreement to build on the Northern Fringe?
Now I do believe that Cllr Cenci did question her fellow Tory executive members when the agreement was signed – But (unless I am wrong- and I have no evidence to believe I am) she did not at the time inform her constituents that her administration were planning to have a turbine built on IBC land that they would see from their homes? She did not produce a survey or canvass public opinion. None of that happened until she became a member of the opposition.
Of course is not only the Tories who are sending out mixed messages about the need for wind turbines, according to local Tories it was their coalition partners, the Ipswich Lib Dems who were the keenest to have a turbine built – then once the plan becomes public we have a Babergh Lib Dem Cllr advocating civil disobedience in the campaign to stop the turbines being built.
Today we had Mr Gummer use his local paper column to inform us that the lights may go out in the UK, not because of the brave scheme promoted by Ed Miliband this week that would see energy prices frozen but because there has been a lack of thought put into building new power stations, but this is where the Tories have a major problem- they are the NIMBY party, they are the party of ‘climate change deniers’ and it seems Cameron and Gummer- who were happy to promote their green credentials before the last General Election are now afraid to say anything (scared of UKIP?)
Maybe they (and Nadia) should read fully the UN report published today – UN ‘95% sure’ humans cause warning.
If they did they may have been happy to see one, two or even more turbines built near South West Ipswich. Not all Tories are against wind turbines, even locally – when she was in the Executive, Tory Judy Terry had one built in Christchurch Park – trouble is that one never worked!
The turbine that was to be built on Ipswich Borough Council land will not happen. This means that IBC will not raise any revenue from renting the land – disappointing when we have just heard of the massive cuts to local council funding planned by the Tory and Lib Dem government.
Local Tory councillor, Nadia Cenci has (recently) campaigned hard against the building of the turbines and states that the decision today is a ‘partial’ if welcome victory.
When asked if the campaign will continue against the other planned turbine (to be built on the land owned by the family of a Suffolk Tory MP) she seems slightly less committed.
Local Ipswich Tory activist, Kevin Algar informs us that he will continue campaigning against the turbine but Nadia seems less sure, she (in a comment on Ipswich Spy here) seems to imply that the people of Wherstead could have campaigned harder and because they didn’t we should not just look at PfR to wonder why the scheme is still going ahead. But if it is within her jurisdiction she will help!
Not sure jurisdiction matters? She is either a Judge or an MP, and can campaign where ever she likes, of course Mr Gummer did not seem keen to answer the question- ‘was he for or against’ the turbines – quoting that it was up to Babergh District Council – maybe he should have told his own Tory members this, who kept asking IBC questions. But as the turbine could be seen by Ipswich residents, should he not be allowed to comment?
A few months later he seemed to be happy to be quoted about the state of Colchester Hospital.
Now getting back to Nadia Cenci, the Tory councillor for Stoke Park, Ipswich Spy had this to say about her:
Councillor Nadia Cenci, who has campaigned for years against plans to build a wind turbine on Ipswich Borough Council land – despite her own administration supporting it. She always states that she was standing up for her residents, rather than following some party line that she didn’t believe in.
Now this I find strange and it seems, Ipswich Spy has turned into a Tory election leaflet produced on behalf of Cllr Cenci rather than a neutral political blog.
If she did not agree with the turbines, why did she not resign from the executive like her fellow North West Tory councillors did over the agreement to build on the Northern Fringe?
Now I do believe that Cllr Cenci did question her fellow Tory executive members when the agreement was signed – But (unless I am wrong- and I have no evidence to believe I am) she did not at the time inform her constituents that her administration were planning to have a turbine built on IBC land that they would see from their homes? She did not produce a survey or canvass public opinion. None of that happened until she became a member of the opposition.
Of course is not only the Tories who are sending out mixed messages about the need for wind turbines, according to local Tories it was their coalition partners, the Ipswich Lib Dems who were the keenest to have a turbine built – then once the plan becomes public we have a Babergh Lib Dem Cllr advocating civil disobedience in the campaign to stop the turbines being built.
Today we had Mr Gummer use his local paper column to inform us that the lights may go out in the UK, not because of the brave scheme promoted by Ed Miliband this week that would see energy prices frozen but because there has been a lack of thought put into building new power stations, but this is where the Tories have a major problem- they are the NIMBY party, they are the party of ‘climate change deniers’ and it seems Cameron and Gummer- who were happy to promote their green credentials before the last General Election are now afraid to say anything (scared of UKIP?)
Maybe they (and Nadia) should read fully the UN report published today – UN ‘95% sure’ humans cause warning.
If they did they may have been happy to see one, two or even more turbines built near South West Ipswich. Not all Tories are against wind turbines, even locally – when she was in the Executive, Tory Judy Terry had one built in Christchurch Park – trouble is that one never worked!
Friday, 16 August 2013
Quail eggs or food banks? - Tim Yeo only knows about quail eggs!
This morning, the Tory MP for South Suffolk was the guest on BBC Radio Suffolk – I decided to listen in as expected him to be questioned about the building of two wind turbines outside Ipswich. The turbines have become an issue that certain Tories have campaigned about in South West Ipswich. One reason is that the turbines will be seen from Ipswich and secondly the land that one of the turbines will be built on is owned by Ipswich Borough Council. Trouble is the Tories seem to forget they signed the deal with the turbine company and that the land that the other turbine will be built on is owned by the family of another Suffolk Tory MP.
Ben Gummer our own Tory MP has spoken about the issue and his picture is on the Tory leaflets but he states that he can’t say much about the issue as it is outside his constituency (this did not stop him recently talking about the hospital in Colchester!)
So I tuned in to hear what Tim Yeo, the Tory MP for South Suffolk would say about the turbines. The issue being complicated further by his involvement in a number of green energy companies.
First of all Mr Yeo was late for the interview and only one question was asked about the wind turbines, Mr Yeo said it was up to Babergh District Council and that as no planning application has been submitted, he could not do much else at the moment (a similar explanation given by Labour councillors in Ipswich that did not seem to be accepted by Tories protesting against the turbines.) Tim Yeo did promise to hold a public meeting once or if the application is submitted.
Tim Yeo also answered questions on other planning issues, he was also asked about Cox’s Park in Hadleigh, he said he would meet the group trying to save the park but did not seem to know much about the issue though in the past he has told residents that he has written to Babergh Council detailing concerns of residents - maybe he should make the answers he received from Babergh (if he has received any) public?
But where Tim Yeo highlighted the fact that he is a Tory MP totally out of touch with his residents and the ‘real’ world was an answer he gave about supporting local shops then a further question about food banks.
Tim Yeo said that he himself used local shops and recently purchased some quail eggs in Hadleigh, at first this remark sounded quite amusing but then he was asked about food banks. The lady with the question was from North Suffolk, and Tim replied that it was shame that food banks were needed but then stated that there were none in his constituency and he believed that not one family in his constituency depended on food banks. Within seconds of this statement a number of listeners (and the BBC) had googled food banks in South Suffolk and found that there was one in Sudbury. One that had been running a number of years and in the biggest town in his constituency! Tim was quickly informed that there was a food bank in his constituency- Tim answered, that they must have been keeping it quiet!
Well Mr Yeo they have not been keeping it quiet and have been working with the Sudbury branch of Waitrose to help families and during Christmas 2011 supplied food hampers to 43 families in crisis and expected to give out more last Christmas.
You would have thought a local MP would have researched the number of food banks and how many people were using them when it is such a national talking point and I would have thought any decent MP would like to know if any families are now in crisis due to changes to the benefits system. But it seems Mr Yeo has not bothered to find out about food banks or even just ask a member of his staff to put Sudbury Food bank in google! Well Mr Yeo to save you the time just check this link to Sudbury Food Bank.
So we have in South Suffolk a Tory MP who knows where you can buy quail eggs but not where to go if you need a food bank! Out of touch.
The bad news for South Suffolk constituents is that Yeo also told BBC Suffolk that he hopes to be standing again in 2015. He was then asked about the corruption claims against him, he said he would be found innocent and once he had he would again take the chair of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, seems he still can’t see that being the chair of that committee and at the same time working for green energy firms causes any conflict of interests!
First of all will local Tories still want him as their candidate? I am afraid the answer will be ‘yes –so it will be up to the constituents of South Suffolk to get rid of an MP who today managed yet again to show us that he is completely out of touch with the real world.
Do they have quail eggs at the food bank?
Ben Gummer our own Tory MP has spoken about the issue and his picture is on the Tory leaflets but he states that he can’t say much about the issue as it is outside his constituency (this did not stop him recently talking about the hospital in Colchester!)
So I tuned in to hear what Tim Yeo, the Tory MP for South Suffolk would say about the turbines. The issue being complicated further by his involvement in a number of green energy companies.
First of all Mr Yeo was late for the interview and only one question was asked about the wind turbines, Mr Yeo said it was up to Babergh District Council and that as no planning application has been submitted, he could not do much else at the moment (a similar explanation given by Labour councillors in Ipswich that did not seem to be accepted by Tories protesting against the turbines.) Tim Yeo did promise to hold a public meeting once or if the application is submitted.
Tim Yeo also answered questions on other planning issues, he was also asked about Cox’s Park in Hadleigh, he said he would meet the group trying to save the park but did not seem to know much about the issue though in the past he has told residents that he has written to Babergh Council detailing concerns of residents - maybe he should make the answers he received from Babergh (if he has received any) public?
But where Tim Yeo highlighted the fact that he is a Tory MP totally out of touch with his residents and the ‘real’ world was an answer he gave about supporting local shops then a further question about food banks.
Tim Yeo said that he himself used local shops and recently purchased some quail eggs in Hadleigh, at first this remark sounded quite amusing but then he was asked about food banks. The lady with the question was from North Suffolk, and Tim replied that it was shame that food banks were needed but then stated that there were none in his constituency and he believed that not one family in his constituency depended on food banks. Within seconds of this statement a number of listeners (and the BBC) had googled food banks in South Suffolk and found that there was one in Sudbury. One that had been running a number of years and in the biggest town in his constituency! Tim was quickly informed that there was a food bank in his constituency- Tim answered, that they must have been keeping it quiet!
Well Mr Yeo they have not been keeping it quiet and have been working with the Sudbury branch of Waitrose to help families and during Christmas 2011 supplied food hampers to 43 families in crisis and expected to give out more last Christmas.
You would have thought a local MP would have researched the number of food banks and how many people were using them when it is such a national talking point and I would have thought any decent MP would like to know if any families are now in crisis due to changes to the benefits system. But it seems Mr Yeo has not bothered to find out about food banks or even just ask a member of his staff to put Sudbury Food bank in google! Well Mr Yeo to save you the time just check this link to Sudbury Food Bank.
So we have in South Suffolk a Tory MP who knows where you can buy quail eggs but not where to go if you need a food bank! Out of touch.
The bad news for South Suffolk constituents is that Yeo also told BBC Suffolk that he hopes to be standing again in 2015. He was then asked about the corruption claims against him, he said he would be found innocent and once he had he would again take the chair of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, seems he still can’t see that being the chair of that committee and at the same time working for green energy firms causes any conflict of interests!
First of all will local Tories still want him as their candidate? I am afraid the answer will be ‘yes –so it will be up to the constituents of South Suffolk to get rid of an MP who today managed yet again to show us that he is completely out of touch with the real world.
Do they have quail eggs at the food bank?
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Tories call Ipswich a 'poor' town
Yesterday we had the last Full Ipswich Borough Council meeting of the year, as in previous meetings we had further questions on the wind turbines proposed for an area South west of Ipswich but not surprisingly the Ipswich Tories or Lib Dems were less keen to ask questions, knowing that the answers would highlight their involvement in the original deal to being turbines to the town.
The main focus of the meeting should have been the two motions that were to be debated, the first was one put forward by Labour to support the fight to save the Postal Sorting Office in Commercial Road. The Tories (no surprise) put forward an amendment, what was surprising was that their amendment did not include the name of Ben Gummer the local Tory MP.
Much of what Cllr Carnall proposedin his amendment was very acceptable to all and you wonder why he did not discuss it with the administration first, but he seemed to prefer to score some cheap political point. The good news was that a newly worded motion was agreed and that it gained unanimous support. Wonder why the Tories did not include Ben Gummers name in their amendment? Possibly because in his local paper column he seems happy for the market to decide if a sorting office is needed in Ipswich. The very opposite to when he was trying to win the Ipswich seat, then it was petitions in the town and sacks of signatures placed outside Number 10 when fighting to save a local Post office, don’t hold your breath if you expect Gummer and local Tories to be collecting signatures on the Cornhill this Saturday to save the Sorting Office.
The Tory motion was centered around the Ipswich Labour plan to start building council houses, the Tories wanted us to write a letter to the Housing Minister to thank them for the changes to housing revenue that have enabled us to start building again. What the Tories forgot was that changes to Housing Revenue had been started under the Labour Government and was just one of the very few plans from the previous government that the Tories and Lib Dems had not scrapped. It does seem strange to hear Tory councilors attempt to lecture us on social housing. Of course Ben Gummer our MP thought it was better that the new housing we were building should be run by a Housing association rather than the council, not even sure many Tory councilors would agree with him on that point.
The other main issue of the meeting was the Council Tax Support Localisation report being presented by Cllr Martin Cook – which included the effects on those in receipt of Council Tax benefit. A conservative estimate is that the changes will effect up to 9,000 families in Ipswich. So there would be less money coming to the town. Well that is what most people thought but we had Tory Cllrs queuing to say how much better the new scheme will be. Cllr Stewart even declared that we would be better off financially in the long run! Cllr Cenci also had her usual pop at those on benefit. But then Cllr Stewart came out with the comment that Ipswich was a ‘poor’ town, not sure that is a valid description of our town. I tweeted my anger and agreed with my Labour colleague who said Ipswich was not a ‘poor’ town but a town living with ‘low wages’ in what is a ‘low wage’ county.
I received a reply from a leading Ipswich Tory telling me that if I was not happy living in a low wage town, I should move. I love this town and love living here, I probably could earn far more in many other places in the world but I would rather live in my home town and fight to improve life for all Ipswich residents.
Roger Fern also angered by Tory comments, then informed us of just one center for homeless people in Ipswich had 20 of its 25 beds full last night and demand for these beds would only increase under these Tory (and Lib Dem) proposals to benefit changes.
Many residents you speak to on the doorstep mention that all political groups are the same. Last night showed quite clearly that the Ipswich Labour Party is on the side of all Ipswich residents whilst the Tories are just interested in themselves and their rich friends.
The main focus of the meeting should have been the two motions that were to be debated, the first was one put forward by Labour to support the fight to save the Postal Sorting Office in Commercial Road. The Tories (no surprise) put forward an amendment, what was surprising was that their amendment did not include the name of Ben Gummer the local Tory MP.
Much of what Cllr Carnall proposedin his amendment was very acceptable to all and you wonder why he did not discuss it with the administration first, but he seemed to prefer to score some cheap political point. The good news was that a newly worded motion was agreed and that it gained unanimous support. Wonder why the Tories did not include Ben Gummers name in their amendment? Possibly because in his local paper column he seems happy for the market to decide if a sorting office is needed in Ipswich. The very opposite to when he was trying to win the Ipswich seat, then it was petitions in the town and sacks of signatures placed outside Number 10 when fighting to save a local Post office, don’t hold your breath if you expect Gummer and local Tories to be collecting signatures on the Cornhill this Saturday to save the Sorting Office.
The Tory motion was centered around the Ipswich Labour plan to start building council houses, the Tories wanted us to write a letter to the Housing Minister to thank them for the changes to housing revenue that have enabled us to start building again. What the Tories forgot was that changes to Housing Revenue had been started under the Labour Government and was just one of the very few plans from the previous government that the Tories and Lib Dems had not scrapped. It does seem strange to hear Tory councilors attempt to lecture us on social housing. Of course Ben Gummer our MP thought it was better that the new housing we were building should be run by a Housing association rather than the council, not even sure many Tory councilors would agree with him on that point.
The other main issue of the meeting was the Council Tax Support Localisation report being presented by Cllr Martin Cook – which included the effects on those in receipt of Council Tax benefit. A conservative estimate is that the changes will effect up to 9,000 families in Ipswich. So there would be less money coming to the town. Well that is what most people thought but we had Tory Cllrs queuing to say how much better the new scheme will be. Cllr Stewart even declared that we would be better off financially in the long run! Cllr Cenci also had her usual pop at those on benefit. But then Cllr Stewart came out with the comment that Ipswich was a ‘poor’ town, not sure that is a valid description of our town. I tweeted my anger and agreed with my Labour colleague who said Ipswich was not a ‘poor’ town but a town living with ‘low wages’ in what is a ‘low wage’ county.
I received a reply from a leading Ipswich Tory telling me that if I was not happy living in a low wage town, I should move. I love this town and love living here, I probably could earn far more in many other places in the world but I would rather live in my home town and fight to improve life for all Ipswich residents.
Roger Fern also angered by Tory comments, then informed us of just one center for homeless people in Ipswich had 20 of its 25 beds full last night and demand for these beds would only increase under these Tory (and Lib Dem) proposals to benefit changes.
Many residents you speak to on the doorstep mention that all political groups are the same. Last night showed quite clearly that the Ipswich Labour Party is on the side of all Ipswich residents whilst the Tories are just interested in themselves and their rich friends.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Tories don't like to tweet!
Last night a Full Council, one of the Tory Front bench asked a question about the use of electronic devices at Full Council. Cllr Pope was the 21st Century Luddite – and his follow up question was the real crux of the matter – he wants councillors to be banned from tweeting at Full Council. In the end this caused even more tweets as Labour and Lib Dem Councillors joined the Ipswich Press in tweeting every question at the meeting. They were also joined in this tweet fest by two prominent Tory bloggers.
The Tory Group does not seem at home with the use of social media in getting information over to residents. Now there is one Tory councillor who does use twitter and blogs and that is Cllr Cenci, but she was missing from Full Council last night.
So why did Cllr Pope want to get twitter banned? Cllr Cenci seems to think that the dispute is in some strange way being used to highlight splits in the Tory Group over the use of twitter and blogs. She seems to forget it was a Tory question.
I feel the question may have come around after Labour tweets at the last council meeting. The tweets informed Ipswich residents that the Tory spokesman for Transport did not know the cost of a bus fare in Ipswich.
But I am sure there are many more reasons why the Tories would like to see the end of the use of twitter and other social media in Ipswich Council meetings. Cllr Cenci and her infamous blog may be one reason they would like to see a total news blackout but there are other reasons I can think of.
They do not want Labour Councillor’s to tweet when:
Tory councillors have failed to turn up for important budget working groups (and not even sending apologies)
Tory councillors can’t even fill all their allocated spaces at Scrutiny
Answers to questions about the Wind Turbines to be built to the South West of Ipswich, inform residents that the Tories signed the lease.
Or is it that they can’t find anyone who knows how to use twitter or even blogs. The Ipswich Tory website has not been updated for over 7 weeks and their last tweet was 5 weeks ago (though the Tory blogger at ‘A Riverside View’ would deny this). Even the Tory MP for Ipswich, Ben Gummer seems to be struggling with his website, according to his own site he has done no casework since February!
The Tory Group does not seem at home with the use of social media in getting information over to residents. Now there is one Tory councillor who does use twitter and blogs and that is Cllr Cenci, but she was missing from Full Council last night.
So why did Cllr Pope want to get twitter banned? Cllr Cenci seems to think that the dispute is in some strange way being used to highlight splits in the Tory Group over the use of twitter and blogs. She seems to forget it was a Tory question.
I feel the question may have come around after Labour tweets at the last council meeting. The tweets informed Ipswich residents that the Tory spokesman for Transport did not know the cost of a bus fare in Ipswich.
But I am sure there are many more reasons why the Tories would like to see the end of the use of twitter and other social media in Ipswich Council meetings. Cllr Cenci and her infamous blog may be one reason they would like to see a total news blackout but there are other reasons I can think of.
They do not want Labour Councillor’s to tweet when:
Tory councillors have failed to turn up for important budget working groups (and not even sending apologies)
Tory councillors can’t even fill all their allocated spaces at Scrutiny
Answers to questions about the Wind Turbines to be built to the South West of Ipswich, inform residents that the Tories signed the lease.
Or is it that they can’t find anyone who knows how to use twitter or even blogs. The Ipswich Tory website has not been updated for over 7 weeks and their last tweet was 5 weeks ago (though the Tory blogger at ‘A Riverside View’ would deny this). Even the Tory MP for Ipswich, Ben Gummer seems to be struggling with his website, according to his own site he has done no casework since February!
Sunday, 30 September 2012
My week ahead, 1 - 7 October 2012
Monday 1 October 1pm – Ipswich Angle, Editorial meeting
6pm – Campaigning in Central Ipswich
Tuesday 2 October – Finance meetings at Sidegate Primary School
Wednesday 3 October 6pm – Culture and Leisure working Group
Friday 5 October 10am – Launch of ‘No cold call’ zone in Roxburgh Rd, Ipswich
Saturday 6 October 10.30am – Campaigning in North Ipswich
Seems to be as almost as many meeting this week as there were last week! The highlight of last week was Full Council and I was privileged to be able to second the proposal that will see Ipswich Borough Council, join Suffolk County and our neighbouring districts in signing the Community Covenant – this is just another step in Ipswich Borough helping our servicemen, veterans and their families, a subject close to my heart. It was also humbling to receive a round of applause from my fellow councillors and as expected the motion was voted through unanimously.
The meetings saw a debate on a motion put forward by the Tories to thank Mr Gummer and Mr Poulter for their support in getting over £20 million pounds from the government towards transport in Ipswich. Even most Tories would agree that the process for getting the money from government had been started well before the Tories took power. The amended motion by the Labour Group asked for the County Council to consider re-opening the ‘Park and Ride’ on Bury Rd. The Labour amendment was passed. Not sure what the Lib Dems done (as only two turned up) as they seemed to move from abstaining to voting against and then voting for as the night went on.
We also had George Debman indicate in debate that he did not know how much bus fares cost in Ipswich. I put this comment on twitter and have since been attacked by one of Tory bloggers – now I like George and I am sure he will be the Culture working group on Wednesday – as unlike many Tories he does turn up for meetings, but the point is as Tory Transport spokesman – he should have a basic idea how much it cost to get to town on a bus (and it is not £6 to £7). Now the Tories were also against me tweeting at meetings, if I was a Tory blogger I would be more concerned about their inability to get an up-to-date twitter feed and that at many meetings they can’t even get a Tory Cllr to turn up!
We also had two questions about wind turbines being built to the south west of the town, it was a pity that Cllr Cenci missed the meeting as she would have been reminded that when she was an executive member she had supported the proposal to build the turbines and then agreed for officers to sign a lease to get the turbines up as soon as possible. Now in opposition and also possibly being able to see the turbine from her house she seems to be against the proposal – what made her change her mind? Was it the ‘Stop the turbines’ leaflet that seems to just focus on the point that the erection of the turbine will see house prices drop! Sounds a bit NIMBY to me.
6pm – Campaigning in Central Ipswich
Tuesday 2 October – Finance meetings at Sidegate Primary School
Wednesday 3 October 6pm – Culture and Leisure working Group
Friday 5 October 10am – Launch of ‘No cold call’ zone in Roxburgh Rd, Ipswich
Saturday 6 October 10.30am – Campaigning in North Ipswich
Seems to be as almost as many meeting this week as there were last week! The highlight of last week was Full Council and I was privileged to be able to second the proposal that will see Ipswich Borough Council, join Suffolk County and our neighbouring districts in signing the Community Covenant – this is just another step in Ipswich Borough helping our servicemen, veterans and their families, a subject close to my heart. It was also humbling to receive a round of applause from my fellow councillors and as expected the motion was voted through unanimously.
The meetings saw a debate on a motion put forward by the Tories to thank Mr Gummer and Mr Poulter for their support in getting over £20 million pounds from the government towards transport in Ipswich. Even most Tories would agree that the process for getting the money from government had been started well before the Tories took power. The amended motion by the Labour Group asked for the County Council to consider re-opening the ‘Park and Ride’ on Bury Rd. The Labour amendment was passed. Not sure what the Lib Dems done (as only two turned up) as they seemed to move from abstaining to voting against and then voting for as the night went on.
We also had George Debman indicate in debate that he did not know how much bus fares cost in Ipswich. I put this comment on twitter and have since been attacked by one of Tory bloggers – now I like George and I am sure he will be the Culture working group on Wednesday – as unlike many Tories he does turn up for meetings, but the point is as Tory Transport spokesman – he should have a basic idea how much it cost to get to town on a bus (and it is not £6 to £7). Now the Tories were also against me tweeting at meetings, if I was a Tory blogger I would be more concerned about their inability to get an up-to-date twitter feed and that at many meetings they can’t even get a Tory Cllr to turn up!
We also had two questions about wind turbines being built to the south west of the town, it was a pity that Cllr Cenci missed the meeting as she would have been reminded that when she was an executive member she had supported the proposal to build the turbines and then agreed for officers to sign a lease to get the turbines up as soon as possible. Now in opposition and also possibly being able to see the turbine from her house she seems to be against the proposal – what made her change her mind? Was it the ‘Stop the turbines’ leaflet that seems to just focus on the point that the erection of the turbine will see house prices drop! Sounds a bit NIMBY to me.
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