My week ahead 25 - 30 June 2012

Monday 25 June 6pm – Labour campaigning in South West Ipswich

Tuesday 26 June 5pm – Sidegate Primary School – Full Governing Body meeting

Wednesday 27 June 7pm – ip-art – ‘The Importance of being Earnest ‘ Christchurch Park

Thursday 28 June 6pm – Area Committee chair meeting

Saturday 30 June 10.30am – Campaigning in North West Ipswich,
3pm – Labour fundraiser, Roundwood Bowls Club

Last week it was good to be holding a Full Council meeting back in the Ipswich Town Hall, a number of questions from opposition councillors. In hindsight they may need to discuss their questions with their MP first as still not sure if they are supporting our plan to build council houses or against it ( or sitting on the fence).

The Lib Dems also seem to have forgotten what they have voted for in the past, as their question was about development of the Northern Fringe. I expect next May in the County Council elections both the Tories and the Lib Dems will have totally forgotten that they voted for the Local development Framework, which included building much needed houses to the north of the town. Sounds like the start of a NIMBY coalition.

On Monday I attended a play by young pupils from Copleston School, that may not sound that remarkable but what was different about this play was that it was held in an empty shop in the Tower Ramparts shopping centre. The play was based on the myths about the number of tunnels that exist under our town. This was a great use of an empty shop and something that we hope we can repeat in the future.

Thursday, saw a brief return visit to the army as I spent a day on the shooting range in Colchester. Good to be involved in some inter army unit banter but though the jokes had not changed much I also sensed a fear amongst the troops that their units may not exist for much longer. ‘Army 2020’ is the plan that is being put forward to set the army up to operate with the future manning that will be available to Generals after the savage cuts by the Tory Government. The General who has the unenviable task of putting that plan together is General Nick Carter. I first served with him when I was 18 and he was young Captain. Later in 2000 he promoted me to Sergeant Major – so we go back a long way. The changes will not be welcome and he will be very unpopular in the army but I do believe he will come up with the best plan with the numbers that Fox and Hammond have forced upon him. My worry is that once the plan is published, Tory MP’s will end up changing it and saving the wrong regiments. This happened under the last Tory Government where small County Regiments were saved rather than the third battalions of my own regiment or our local unit, The Royal Anglians.

Good luck General Carter- not an enviable task.