Monday 1 July – 4pm, Culture Portfolio meeting
6pm, Labour campaigning
Wednesday 3 July – 10am – Meeting residents at Dundee House
7pm – Ip-art, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ play, outside Christchurch Mansion
This week I missed the Full Council meeting as I was on the LGA Leadership Academy – Transforming the delivery of sport in local communities. Learnt plenty, the majority of the councillors were Conservative and it was surprise to see what little respect they have for Eric Pickles. His quick agreement with the Chancellor that means a £10 million cut to Local Government. Wonder what they think today when they hear Pickles department has been fined because of an illegal over draft!
What I did miss at council was Tory Cllr Cenci asking a couple of questions – a surprise as she has plenty to say on her blog about wind turbines but never then ask a question at Full council. But she did take to the floor (as did her partner) to ask question about the Ipswich Bus Service. As I was not present at the meeting I have had to gain my information from Ipswich Spy or two of the Tory blogs. Now Cllr Cenci informed us that she was inviting local residents to hear her question the portfolio holder on transport. She does not say how many turned up but on someone else’s blog she informs us not many as residents already knew the bus route was safe (they knew this thanks to Labour leaflets?) Cllr Cenci also copies a post from Ipswich spy but leaves out the last paragraph- I wonder why? She informed me that she also left out the first paragraph – but that is not the point – what she does miss out is the final summary on the questions >
Where Labour did score a big hit on the Tory position was by reminding people, courtesy of a Tory question, that the Tories had voted against last years budget, without which bus subsidies would be reliant on the county council, who had already indicated they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, afford to support the buses in Ipswich that IBC are currently subsidising. It the Tories had had their way last year, these buses would have stopped entirely come 20th July.
From reading that you would believe that Labour got the best of the questions, no wonder Cllr Cenci did not re-post this paragraph
Showing posts with label cuts to Ipswich buses.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cuts to Ipswich buses.. Show all posts
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Sunday, 16 June 2013
My week ahead 17 - 23 June 2013
Monday 17 June – 4pm, Culture Portfolio meeting
6pm, Labour Group meeting
Tuesday 18 June – 5pm, Sidegate School, Finance meeting
Wednesday 19 June – 9am – Ipswich Borough Council, Planning meeting – Grafton House
Thursday 20 June – 7pm, ‘Refugee Week’ Quiz with a twist! PJ McGinty and Sons Pub
Friday 21 June – 7pm, Launch of Ip-Art, Ipswich Waterfront
Saturday 22 June - 10am, Labour campaigning, North West Ipswich
Many people moan about the town we live in, but Ipswich has far more going on in it than most towns of a similar size and certainly far more than when I was growing up in the town. The best bit is much of it is free and there is something for all ages to see or participate in.
This week we had the final of the ‘Tour Series’ cycle races and it was without doubt a great success and more pleasing was the organisers stating it was the best event of the whole series. The trick now is in conjunction with the County Council to work towards hosting an even bigger cycling event. Manchester may have the velodrome but when it comes to road events, Ipswich (and Suffolk) is certainly becoming a second home for British Cycling.
This week we launch Ip-Art in the town, again a vast range of events and many aimed at our younger residents and many free. The Sherlock Homes play by the Pantaloons, to be staged outside Christchurch Mansion is the one event that I have pencilled in to attend. But I am sure that even the biggest ‘moaner’ will find something they like happening over the next few weeks.
A number of meetings to attend over the next week, planning will see the thorny subject of yet another application for another bookmakers to be opened in the town. The Government and our local Tory MP keep implying that we (the local council) can do something but this is case, similar to phone masts where the Government needs to give more direction.
I also have a further meeting at Sidegate Primary School, the staff – and the pupils are working so hard to improve standards but often it seems the Tory Government just want to pull the rug from underneath them with the Tory County Council not helping but just saying “how hard to you want the rug pulled?”
Any spare time will be spent campaigning in the five wards that are under threat of seeing a bus route removed or reduced. The Tories seem to have just focussed on one ward and spent most of the time scaremongering rather than looking for a solution. Fortunately Labour run Ipswich Borough council has a fund of £140,000 that can be used to help subsidise bus routes- a fund the Tories did not want us to have!
6pm, Labour Group meeting
Tuesday 18 June – 5pm, Sidegate School, Finance meeting
Wednesday 19 June – 9am – Ipswich Borough Council, Planning meeting – Grafton House
Thursday 20 June – 7pm, ‘Refugee Week’ Quiz with a twist! PJ McGinty and Sons Pub
Friday 21 June – 7pm, Launch of Ip-Art, Ipswich Waterfront
Saturday 22 June - 10am, Labour campaigning, North West Ipswich
Many people moan about the town we live in, but Ipswich has far more going on in it than most towns of a similar size and certainly far more than when I was growing up in the town. The best bit is much of it is free and there is something for all ages to see or participate in.
This week we had the final of the ‘Tour Series’ cycle races and it was without doubt a great success and more pleasing was the organisers stating it was the best event of the whole series. The trick now is in conjunction with the County Council to work towards hosting an even bigger cycling event. Manchester may have the velodrome but when it comes to road events, Ipswich (and Suffolk) is certainly becoming a second home for British Cycling.
This week we launch Ip-Art in the town, again a vast range of events and many aimed at our younger residents and many free. The Sherlock Homes play by the Pantaloons, to be staged outside Christchurch Mansion is the one event that I have pencilled in to attend. But I am sure that even the biggest ‘moaner’ will find something they like happening over the next few weeks.
A number of meetings to attend over the next week, planning will see the thorny subject of yet another application for another bookmakers to be opened in the town. The Government and our local Tory MP keep implying that we (the local council) can do something but this is case, similar to phone masts where the Government needs to give more direction.
I also have a further meeting at Sidegate Primary School, the staff – and the pupils are working so hard to improve standards but often it seems the Tory Government just want to pull the rug from underneath them with the Tory County Council not helping but just saying “how hard to you want the rug pulled?”
Any spare time will be spent campaigning in the five wards that are under threat of seeing a bus route removed or reduced. The Tories seem to have just focussed on one ward and spent most of the time scaremongering rather than looking for a solution. Fortunately Labour run Ipswich Borough council has a fund of £140,000 that can be used to help subsidise bus routes- a fund the Tories did not want us to have!
Monday, 4 January 2010
Ipswich has an advantage- we know the Tories are still the same 'nasty' Party!
Just had a Tory Ben Gummer leaflet through my door- as a politics anorak, I read it - and I quite like Ben but I could see no mention of the mess the Tory (with help from their Lib Dem friends) have made of Ipswich.
We have an advantage in this great town as we know for all Cameron's talk the Tory Party is still the 'nasty' Party. In Ipswich they can't even get on with the Tories running Suffolk County Council.
All we have seen is mis management - with the latest Tory/Carnell scheme the maddest of the lot - selling off Ipswich buses. We have also had:
Crown Street Car Park shut
Crown Street Swimming Pool neglected
A promise of a million pounds towards Broom Hill Swimming Pool removed
Planning to close the area Housing Offices
Passing on as much work as they can to private consultants
Planning to close West Villa
And most of this done behind closed doors!!
What next?
Selling off the Refuse collection?
Council Housing?
So in Ipswich use that knowledge of knowing the Tories have not changed by voting Labour this year - in both the local and General Election.
But it is not all bad news in this town as a Labour Government has seen the building of new schools, the current building of a new 6th Form Centre, a new University, a new building at Ipswich Hospital and millions about to be spent on the A14.
On top of that is it just me? But every time Cameron talks about the NHS, it seems he is attacking the brilliant staff that the NHS has, no praise for their sterling work.
We have an advantage in this great town as we know for all Cameron's talk the Tory Party is still the 'nasty' Party. In Ipswich they can't even get on with the Tories running Suffolk County Council.
All we have seen is mis management - with the latest Tory/Carnell scheme the maddest of the lot - selling off Ipswich buses. We have also had:
Crown Street Car Park shut
Crown Street Swimming Pool neglected
A promise of a million pounds towards Broom Hill Swimming Pool removed
Planning to close the area Housing Offices
Passing on as much work as they can to private consultants
Planning to close West Villa
And most of this done behind closed doors!!
What next?
Selling off the Refuse collection?
Council Housing?
So in Ipswich use that knowledge of knowing the Tories have not changed by voting Labour this year - in both the local and General Election.
But it is not all bad news in this town as a Labour Government has seen the building of new schools, the current building of a new 6th Form Centre, a new University, a new building at Ipswich Hospital and millions about to be spent on the A14.
On top of that is it just me? But every time Cameron talks about the NHS, it seems he is attacking the brilliant staff that the NHS has, no praise for their sterling work.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Tories/Lib Dems to sell off Ipswich buses
Ipswich Buses Ltd has been owned by the People of Ipswich for more than a hundred years, but the Tories and Liberal Democrats are planning to sell off the company to a private operator.
Any company that takes a stake in the bus company will only do so to make a proft. We have already seen what this means since the Tories and Liberals took control of the council: by trying to get as much money out of the bus company, instead of treating it as a public service, they have forced fares up by more than 60% and services have been cut.
The demands of a private operator will only accelerate this trend.
Privatisation could also cost council tax payers more in the long run. Higher fares will mean that concessionary bus schemes will cost more. In other areas of the country private bus companies claim that services in the evenings and at weekends are not "commercially viable". They demand tens of thousands of pounds of council subsidies to continue running these services.
Even if we thought privatisation was a good idea, now is surely not the time to do it? We are in the middle of a recession and asset prices are depressed. Any sale now will mean a poor deal for the council tax payer. The only reason the Tories and Liberals are desperate to sell now is because they are short of money due to their own mismangement. £1.5 million has been lost "investing" in dodgy Icelandic Banks. £400,000 of revenue has been lost from the enforced closure of Crown Car Park.
Ipswich Labour Party believes in a publically owned bus company, run as a service for the People of Ipswich, not to maximise profits.
We are totally opposed to the Tory and Liberal plans to sell the bus company off cheaply to a private operator.
Thursday, 31 May 2007
Democracy? Just left on the last Ipswich bus!
It may have taken them nearly a month but the Tories and Lib Dems in Ipswich are after taking revenge on the local Labour Party. Trouble is, the residents of Ipswich will also suffer.
Why the need for revenge? A number of reasons - the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Ipswich, the failure of the Ipswich Tories to make any gains in Ipswich- if anything they seem to have gone backwards from their results in 2004 and 2006.
Labour did well because we ran an organised campaign and we had issues that concerned the public of Ipswich- the likely destruction of the Ipswich Bus Service by the local Tory/Lib Dems and the way the Suffolk County Tories are attacking those who need help most- the elderly- with the closure of day care centres.
The Tory/ Lib Dem answer is not to campaign for what they believe in but to get rid of any dissenting voice, last week they got rid of the lone Labour member on the council executive and this week they really twisted the knife in- getting rid of both Martin Cook and Phil Smart from the board of Ipswich buses. So now the Tories will feel they can do anything they like.
So now we have to really fear for the health of the excellent Ipswich Bus service and in the meantime they can spend money on a publicity war with the (also Tory run) County council over unitary status and then also tell residents that they will re-open Broom Hill lido at the same time that Crown Pools is closed for the half term week as they refuse to spend any money on a pool that is already open.
In the Balkans they have a saying that "Revenge is a dish better served cold" well in Ipswich they couldn't even wait for the dish to go luke warm.
Why the need for revenge? A number of reasons - the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Ipswich, the failure of the Ipswich Tories to make any gains in Ipswich- if anything they seem to have gone backwards from their results in 2004 and 2006.
Labour did well because we ran an organised campaign and we had issues that concerned the public of Ipswich- the likely destruction of the Ipswich Bus Service by the local Tory/Lib Dems and the way the Suffolk County Tories are attacking those who need help most- the elderly- with the closure of day care centres.
The Tory/ Lib Dem answer is not to campaign for what they believe in but to get rid of any dissenting voice, last week they got rid of the lone Labour member on the council executive and this week they really twisted the knife in- getting rid of both Martin Cook and Phil Smart from the board of Ipswich buses. So now the Tories will feel they can do anything they like.
So now we have to really fear for the health of the excellent Ipswich Bus service and in the meantime they can spend money on a publicity war with the (also Tory run) County council over unitary status and then also tell residents that they will re-open Broom Hill lido at the same time that Crown Pools is closed for the half term week as they refuse to spend any money on a pool that is already open.
In the Balkans they have a saying that "Revenge is a dish better served cold" well in Ipswich they couldn't even wait for the dish to go luke warm.
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
Not elected but the tide is turning!
Sorry for not reporting on the election result more quickly but had to leave for an expedition the morning after polling day.
The Result?
We lost but we did increase the Labour vote, reduced the Tory majority and we also saw the Lib Dem collapse.
Result 2007
Rushmere Ward - Ipswich
Labour- Alasdair Ross - 905
Tory - Eileen Smith - 1014 - elected
Cathy French - Lib Dem - 269
Brenda Cavanagh - Green Party - 165
So the Tory majority is now 109 and in 2006 it was 177 so we have reduced that by 67, our vote went up by 100, with the Tory vote only going up by 32- the Lib Dem vote went down by 361!
Turnout and percentages will follow in a further post.
So we did not see a Labour collapse in Rushmere, but an increase in our vote.
Ipswich
We saw a similar pattern all over Ipswich with the Tories making no gains, the Lib Dems gained Westgate off us by 13 votes but all the effort they put into this meant they lost Whitehouse back to us and they almost lost their flagship ward of St Margaret's to the Tories!
So the Council keeps the same shape and we are now ready to push onto 2008 where we make see all out elections if we gain unitary status.
Thank you to all those who have voted for me or supported me, I will continue this blog as we continue to campaign in Rushmere and all over Ipswich.
Keep the faith.
The Result?
We lost but we did increase the Labour vote, reduced the Tory majority and we also saw the Lib Dem collapse.
Result 2007
Rushmere Ward - Ipswich
Labour- Alasdair Ross - 905
Tory - Eileen Smith - 1014 - elected
Cathy French - Lib Dem - 269
Brenda Cavanagh - Green Party - 165
So the Tory majority is now 109 and in 2006 it was 177 so we have reduced that by 67, our vote went up by 100, with the Tory vote only going up by 32- the Lib Dem vote went down by 361!
Turnout and percentages will follow in a further post.
So we did not see a Labour collapse in Rushmere, but an increase in our vote.
Ipswich
We saw a similar pattern all over Ipswich with the Tories making no gains, the Lib Dems gained Westgate off us by 13 votes but all the effort they put into this meant they lost Whitehouse back to us and they almost lost their flagship ward of St Margaret's to the Tories!
So the Council keeps the same shape and we are now ready to push onto 2008 where we make see all out elections if we gain unitary status.
Thank you to all those who have voted for me or supported me, I will continue this blog as we continue to campaign in Rushmere and all over Ipswich.
Keep the faith.
Thursday, 19 April 2007
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.
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.
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