My week ahead, 10 - 15 February 2014

Monday – 10 February, 4pm – Culture portfolio meeting
6pm Labour campaigning

Tuesday – 11 February, 5pm – Sidegate Primary School, Full Governing Body meeting

Thursday – 12 February, 7pm – Talk on ‘Sangin – Afghanistan’ to the Sidegate Lane Community Centre Women’s Group

Friday – 13 February, 7pm –Labour Party fundraising quiz

Saturday 14 February, 10am – Labour campaigning – South East Ipswich

Politics can be a ‘dirty game’ and at times the petty name calling can get you down but there are also often moments that make you realise why being an councillor can be so rewarding.

Two weeks ago whilst attending the first ‘Activ-Lives’ session at Dundee House a number of residents mentioned that the organ they own which is used for their monthly ‘Songs of Praise’ events had seen better days.

Later that day I was a guest on the Mark Murphy show on BBC Radio Suffolk and I mentioned that Dundee House needed a new organ, 20 minutes later we had been offered 7!

This Monday, I drove to Woodbridge to pick the organ up from a lovely couple. They were so happy that their organ was going to good home.

When I arrived at Dundee House, I was met by Peggy, one of the residents plus the lady who would play the organ (from St Andrew’s Church) within seconds tunes were being played and the residents were left overwhelmed by the generosity of Suffolk residents.

A great start to the week and so it is nice then to finish the week by writing a positive post.

Keeping fit with Activ-Lives and then we end up with an extra organ!

On Thursday, I visited Dundee House in Rushmere Ward, Ipswich. It is probably my favourite place to visit in the ward as the residents soon put me in my place. They are not slow in coming forward to tell you what they think! They also talk a lot of sense!

Through the North East Area Committee we had commissioned Activ-Lives to provide fitness and social session for some of our senior residents and we decided to use Dundee House as the ‘hub’ for the fitness activities.

Arthur Jolly, 103 years young and making it look easy!

I managed to get out of most of the fitness session but Sandra Gage was more enthusiastic and joined in, but we were all left in awe of 103 years young, Arthur Jolly who was natural at all the exercises. Not a surprise as Arthur had only just started using a stick at the age of 102!

Whilst at Dundee House, the residents asked if I could find them electric organ to replace theirs, a quick call to Mark Murphy at BBC Radio Suffolk and we were suddenly swamped with 7 organs!

The new organ will arrive on Monday! Dundee House, where the residents are active and musical.

My week ahead, 27 January - 2 February 2014

Monday – 27 January, 3pm – Ipswich WW1 Centenary steering group
4pm – Culture portfolio meeting
6pm Labour Group meeting

Tuesday - 28 January, 5PM – Sidegate Primary School, Finance committee

Wednesday - 29 January, 6pm – Ipswich Borough Council meeting

Thursday – 30 January, 10am – Visit to Dundee House

Saturday 2 February, 10am – Labour campaigning – Central and North West Ipswich

A busy week ahead but the good thing is as well as a number of meetings there is also the opportunity to meet a number of Rushmere residents with visits to Dundee House in Renfrew Rd and Inverness Rd planned for this week.

It will also give me further opportunities to inform residents of the planned Suffolk County Council consultation on the next 3 proposed projects to be undertaken under the ‘Travel Ipswich’ banner.

The project with the most interest for Rushmere residents I believe will be the Argyle Street/ Woodbridge Rd junction but many residents will also be glad to hear that the proposed removal of the mini roundabouts on Norwich Rd seems to have been shelved.

Some would say the exhibition on the road schemes (the exhibition will be located in the Tower Ramparts shopping centre from the end of the week) is more about information than consultation. We already have one senior Ipswich Tory seeming to claim that the decisions have already been made by the Tory run County Council and that the consultation may be a waste of time.

At first it was quite amusing to see Tory blaming Tory but all it does show is taht Tory run Suffolk has little concern or interest in what happens in Ipswich.

At the Area Committee this week in North East Ipswich we had a Tory County Councillor come along to talk about their budget proposals, there was much talk again about consultation but when the use of an opinion poll was mentioned residents asked who had been surveyed. It seemed very few people had been asked and the County Tory could not say how many in Ipswich had been asked about what they wished money to be spent on.

The Senior Officer and the Tory Councillor answered a number of questions, but it did not seem that residents were very enthusiastic about the Tory budget plans, some of the questioning was quite critical including questions from at least one Ipswich Tory councillor.

I had the alst questions and asked about how much money the County had in Reserve- no exact figure given but over £150 Million and I also asked about the two biggest concerns I believe that effect North East Ipswich residents, highways and Education. The Tory councillor said he would pass on my concern about the state of road repairs and commented that it seemed to be the main concern of most communities in Suffolk. His answer about the failure of the County to support Education? None given!

Wonder what the four Year 12 Northgate students thought his failure to answer the question on education?

My week ahead 12-18 September 2011

Monday 12 September 4pm - Meeting at Grafton House on Parks and culture
6pm - Labour Group Meeting

Wednesday 14 September 6pm - Ipswich Borough Council, Full Council Meeting

Saturday 17 September Tour of Britain - race start- Bury St Edmunds

Sunday 18 September 2pm - Ipswich Labour selection of parliamentary candidate

This week started with campaigning on Monday night in North West Ipswich. On Thursday I attended the North East Ipswich forum, the importance of maintaining a Safer Neighbourhood team in North East Ipswich was mentioned by many residents.
Friday was the highlight of the week as I went and met residents at Dundee House on Renfrew Road, the residents are very concerned about the future of sheltered housing in Ipswich. The Tory Government is cutting the money given to councils to assist in running these highly valued schemes.

Rest of the week - 14 August 2011

Back from a short break and straight back into campaigning!




This week I will be delivering to and calling on residents in Rushmere Ward, Ipswich.

I will be passing on good news to residents that it seems likely that we will be getting parts of Renfrew Road re-surfaced. We also should see this month a new bus shelter being built outside Dundee House in Renfrew Road. Very good news for our Senior residents who live in this great council home.

This Saturday I will be joining a number of other Labour members both in Rushmere and Holywells, as we continue to talk to residents about their concerns and interests.

Then it is off to Portman Road for the first home game of the season.

Tories say "put it in the bank"

Last night saw Ipswich Borough Council debate the budget plan, I say debate but what I mean it was just an opportunity for the tories to blame the whole worldwide recession on Labour and Gordon Brown in particular.


We had put forward 10 amendment's to the budget, which would have led to an £8 million boost to the Ipswich economy and still keeping the Council Tax at the same level as the Tories/Lib Dems have set. All the amendment's were thrown out by what became the Carnall and Cenci show! Just like a music hall act but one with little laughter. Actually that is wrong John Carnall spent most of the time laughing- obviously he has not met many constituents in Bixley who have been hit by the current economic meltdown.


The Tory answer to the problems we face is to leave the money in the bank- till a rainy day, well its seems to be pouring at the moment. What Carnall means, is they want to save money so they can set a low Council Tax rate in election year!


A number of our amendment's would not have cost much money- an example was the £7,000 proposed to employ a member of Council staff to help with Ipswich to keep their Fairtrade status, this was thrown out and what was quite amazing was the attack on those who want Fairtrade, by certain Lib Dem members. I wonder how those who vote Lib Dem would have felt?

I was so annoyed by the Carnall/Cenci show that I even left before the end of the meeting - I thought that I would rather spend time with my family in my last week here before I depart for my final training before I deploy to Afghanistan. I even felt like giving up politics.


But fortunately this morning a visit to the Dundee House sheltered Housing scheme, has made me more even determined to not only return a Labour Council to Ipswich but even more importantly help Labour win a fourth term in government.


For those who feel the Tories have changed- and that Cameron is now moving to the centre- forget it- Carnall and Cenci showed that in Town Halls all over the county, the same Thatcher Tories are still running the show.

Still campaigning hard in Rushmere

Tuesday saw me out lone canvassing in Rushmere- not always the best thing to do but the reaction of local residents made it worthwhile- They seemed to want a local candidate. Wednesday and it was some work on editing new leaflets and then out in the evening in St John's, again a good reception for Neil MacDonald, the residents seem to appreciate that Neil and sandy Martin live in the ward.
Today it was off to Dundee House for a visit to their coffee morning, they soon put you in your place! They had very few complaints and all appreciate the service they get from the excellent warden but council cuts are being noticed by the residents, they have gone from 3 cleaners to 1 in the last year. these are the sort of cuts that most residents don't see. A number of visitors to Dundee House did mention the speed of vehicles on Humber Ducy Lane and all are agreed that it is only a matter of time before there is an accident where a child gets run over if something isn't done soon.
Tonight I was out canvassing in Rushmere, the state of the NHS was one topic raised and also the Ipswich Bus service - strange that! according to our local paper, the Tory candidate- Mrs Smith has not had the proposed curs to the bus service raised once whilst she has been campaigning- she must be visiting very few houses! I wonder how they will explain the Bus manager telling Suffolk County Council today that increased rent at the bus depot will lead to cuts in services. Lets just hope the message gets over to residents that there will be even more cuts if the Tories stay in power.
Friday will see a large push all over the town as we try and speak to as many residents as we can.