Will Scobie's blog

Be careful what you wish for - Councillor Kim Gibson

2012-01-26T14:11:00.000Z

Yesterday it was decided that the consultation into Infratil's Night Time Flying policy is to begin next Friday 3rd February. The Labour group has previously been very clear about its position, and in fact every Labour Councillor was elected on a manifesto that stated 'No Night Flights'. Below is a guest blog from Nethercourt Councillor Kim Gibson who has campaigned hard for years against the environmental effects of night flights on residents under the flight path.

By Councillor Kim Gibson

We nowhave another independent report about night flights that even Charles Buchanantoday on radio could not argue was wrong. The document shows quite clearly thathis report that said how many thousands of jobs Infratil could create is wrong.Do keep in mind that when he went to the Government for a regeneration grant hesaid then that a subsidy of £600,000 to entice a new airline to use Manstonwould only create 23 jobs and even that was speculative as his staff who arealready employed have agreed that they could cover the extra work by working abit of overtime.

The new independent report also proves the other fact which isthat the environment would be harmed by night flights – that means people, lotsof them, living under the flight path. Despite all this new evidence that nightflights will be a bad thing for the area and that they won’t provide jobs, wewill be asking for peoples’ opinions on night flights. Why? Because theConservatives have left us in this position.

I believe that spending more money and more time on consultationabout something that the experts say is clearly not for the good of Thanet iswrong but legalities are what they are so thank you Conservatives you wastedmoney again. I believe that each independent report on night flights reportcost approx. £20,000 and we’ve had to have two - the Bureau Veritas report 2010and now the Parsons Brinckerhoff report in 2012. That’s your money. Bothreports say night flights are a non-starter and yet because the Conservativesfor some reason agreed to consult with the public that is what is we are now goingto do. Funnily enough, Bob Bayford stood at the last KIACC meeting stating “wedo not have to consult” like he was doing the public a special favour in sayingwe might be consulted. My predecessor Jill Kirby stated to me “it is just a consultation- even if the answer was no to night flights we don’t even have to take heed ofwhat people say”. So, the Conservatives were prepared to spend thousands on theconsultation then ignore what the consultation said if it came back with thewrong answer.

I for one feel that a consultation would make sense if there wasthe slightest chance that night flights would not harm our people and our townand if there was proof that they would create jobs. But in the last elevenyears that has not been the case - no one yet has managed to make this airportviable. Why not? It’s in the wrong place. Not enough people live near it tomake it profitable. Anyone living the other side of Maidstone would not want topass City, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton, or Gatwick to come here and the catchmentarea for this airport isn’t sustainable hence Flybe and all the other airlinesthat have pulled out. Easyjet and Ryanair have looked at Manston and said no.They’re not fools, they are astute business men and if they thought for oneminute this would be viable they would have been in here like a shot.

People say they want cheap flights but Manston isn’t planningcheap passenger flights – it wants freight business. If you want cheap flightsthere are plenty of other airports to fly from. But then people say “but Idon’t want to travel to Gatwick, it’s too far”…and yet the same people areexpecting people in London and Surrey to travel here when they already haveairports with lots of destinations on their doorstep!!!

We’ve been told that night flights won’t deliver jobs. We’vebeen told night flights will cause real harm to residents and towns. We’ve gotthe expert reports that say so – both commissioned by the Conservatives. It seems daft to consult on something we are advised wouldbe bad for this area. But that’s where we are and that’s what we’ll do.

Do read the independent report before you send in your commentsduring the consultation.

Be afraid - you sometimes get what you wish for but it isn’talways what you want.

My speech on Cuts to Youth Services

2012-01-23T18:02:00.000Z

Today I was delighted to beinvited to speak at a conference at Thanet College that included a section onthe planned cuts to Youth Services. I was asked to speak in opposition to theproposed changes. The whole day was a great success and I am glad I got theopportunity to speak to the students. A copy of the speech I gave is below:

Speech on cuts to Youth Services:

Thanet College: 23rd January 2012

Good afternoon everyone.

Thank you for inviting me to comeand speak. And thank you Angela for coming over from Kent County Council andBecky from Thanet Youth Council for this important meeting.

It's pleasing to see so many youngpeople getting involved – and that simply reflects the importance of thesubject and the strength of feeling in the community about youth servicecuts.

The majority of people agree thatpublic expenditure needs to be controlled and that it is necessary to have cuts- bearing in mind the world economic situation and the economic forecasts.

The difficulty is to make cutsthat work in the long term and that are not just a knee jerk reaction.

To make cuts work sensibly youneed to:

1. Prioritise your expenditure so that you cut areasthat don’t matter as much so as to preserve what needs preserving.

2. Consult carefully and listen to the feedback.

3. Remember the principle of "spend tosave".

4. Take care to avoid "unanticipatedconsequences".

By these standards, the KentCounty Council plans and the way they were consulted on do not fit the bill. Tobe sure the County have produced loads of paperwork. But lots of words – attimes quite misleading words - do not amount to a proper policy.

I find some of the statements inthe Council papers produced by County on this issue to be highlyquestionable. There is a clear political slant to some of the argumentsbeing brought out, and as I mentioned it is in danger of being misleading inparts.

There is an expression - "weare not as green as we are cabbage-looking" which means we are not asgreen or naive or simple-minded as to believe everything that we are told.

We are not fools. We knowthat it is ridiculous to pretend that cutting youth services means a betterservice - especially when the new structures do not make sense.

Last Friday the results of theconsultation were presented to Kent County Councillors. There were more than700 responses, and many of the responses highlighted the importance of thefacilities. One respondent stated:

“Once a facility has been lost itwill never be replaced. Work with voluntary organisations but keep thestructure and safeguard the buildings”.

I completely agree with thissentiment because the physical building plays a key role in delivering servicesabove and beyond youth work activities. This is also a false economy. OtherCouncils that have tried this policy of closing down youth services have beenforced to back down due to the negative effects and reopen the facilities.Overall this 'saving' has ended up costing much more over time.

The proposals for Thanet that weshould only retain Quarterdeck in Margate and so take away direct Councilfunding for Concorde and Artwise in Ramsgate also fails to take into accountlocal considerations. It is unfair to expect young people from Ramsgate totravel to Margate, and without their own centre young people from Ramsgate willbe negatively affected.

The voices and opinions of theseyoung people should have been listened to right at the start. Kent CountyCouncil made the proposals, and then suddenly found out that there were localconsiderations that needed to be looked at. We have a situation here whereessentially a group of middle aged politicians who benefitted from freeeducation and youth services are only too ready to deny these benefits for thenext generation.

There is also a worry that the newproposals could open the door to unqualified, inexperienced voluntary orprivate sector groups. While another worry is that by commissioning out theseservices it could lead to deprived communities being exploited for profit bythe private companies that have picked up the County contracts.

Kent County Council has said thatthey will look at the whole proposal again in consultation with the localCouncillors, and I feel that this is an important point that I will return toat the end because we have to chance to influence their decision.

We are not fools - we know that inspite of the spin about the results of the consultation - the overallpublic view is that these changes to youth services are no good.

And that is not surprising giventhat little attention seems to have been given to the likely consequences ofthese cuts. Never mind the "unanticipated consequences" becausewe can see very clearly what the likely effects are going to be. There isenough research - which obviously fits in with common sense - to show that cutsin youth services will have bad consequences. It is not quite that "thedevil makes work for idle hands" - but it is pretty obvious that if thereare fewer youth facilities people will hang around on streets instead ofengaging in purposeful activities. Some might be diverted into antisocial oreven criminal activities, and attraction to gangs, guns and knives mayincrease.

More important is the point thatyoung people need support. We have enough problems in Thanet without adding tothem. We have a high level of general unemployment. We have a high levelof youth unemployment. We have some poorly performing schools in Thanetwith dilapidated facilities. We have a huge problem with substandard housingand not enough homes. Most importantly we have high levels of socialdeprivation.

On top of this we haveunprecedented attacks on young people. EMA has been cut, tuition fees trebled,future jobs fund cut, the highest youth unemployment since records began, andnow cuts to our youth services.

Against this background Iconfidently predict that without properly resourcing these youth services wewill see some increase in crime and anti-social behaviour. But moresignificant is the likely increase in mental health problems, addiction, anddepression. And this will put extra burdens - and therefore costs - onto ThanetDistrict Council, Kent County Council, the Department for Work and Pensions,the NHS and so on. So the "savings" for Kent County Councilwill actually translate into costs.

There is an equally compelling wayof looking at the balance between costs and benefits and the consequencesof cuts.

A decade ago ministers in theTreasury set up an innovative scheme with a new approach to publicexpenditure. This was the Invest to Save scheme. The idea was thatspending money should be seen more as an investment rather than a cost. Kent County Council obviously sees the youth service as a cost. More sensiblewould be to see it as an investment. Leaving aside the need to avoid the problemsI've spoken about earlier, the reason councils put money into the youthservices is that they are an investment in our young people - who will turn outto be self-assured, self-confident, better educated, and more highly motivatedas a result of the purposeful activities in youth centres.

If you want an example of whathappens when you don't invest you need only look at the County's record onchild protection. By cutting costs the County Council let down vulnerablechildren and when OFSTED carried out a spot inspection they discovered thatwell over a thousand cases had not even been allocated a caseworker. This hasresulted in the County now having to spend much more money to clear the backlogand make huge improvements in their children’s services department.

So I am highly critical of the waythe County are approaching the review of the youth service. I fear that historywill repeat itself.

But it gets worse. The youthservice cuts are but part of a wider exercise which attacks services to thecommunity in Thanet.

Every week I volunteer at theMillmead Sure Start in my ward at their youth group for 11-18 year olds. It issustained with community funding, and it does a lot of good because it providessomewhere for young people in Dane Valley to go and hang out. We need more ofthese services not less.

And this is the problem because ifyou have read the papers recently, it looks likely that we will lose all ourqualified teachers involved in the various Sure Start centres.

These Sure Start cuts are going toaffect many of the families whose young people use the youth service. So wehave a situation where the younger children have their facilities downgradedwhile their elder brothers and sisters face a downgraded youth service. Vulnerablechildren could be put at risk as they are abandoned by those that they havebuilt relationships with. And all this against the background of Thanet'ssocial deprivation I mentioned earlier.

This leads me to priorities. Itmakes me angry to see these plans for cuts in the youth service when the Countywaste so much money on senior salaries, generous pay offs and all the rest ofit. There are plenty of other examples of waste in Kent.

So you must be asking, how we cango about changing things?

If you, like me, think that theCounty Councillors are making a mistake then we need to protest. I'm notsuggesting that we set up a Tent City like the protesters outside St Paul'sCathedral but we do need to make our views known through petitions,demonstrations and so on. It is often those that shout loudest that get themost.

The biggest problem I can see isthat there are no County Councillors to represent our generation. If we are notrepresented at this level then how can we expect the decision makers to takenote of what we want? It is no wonder that they do not identify with theneeds of youth. It is up to us to make our views known - and if we feelstrongly enough we ought to be prepared to play our part in the localdemocratic process. In other words, join a political party - and even though Iam a Labour man I don't mind what party you join just so long as you join oneof them. Or even get involved as an independent person. There is no point inmoaning or complaining if we are not ready to play our part. 18 months ago whenI finished university I decided that I wanted to get involved and to helpinfluence the priorities of my community. Just this morning I chaired a meetingof a local group of volunteers that has been given £32,000 to use in ourcommunity. We want to prioritise helping young people and the unemployed, andso help them to gain qualifications and opportunities to unlock their talent.This was the reason I got involved because I wanted to change things andrepresent our generation.

So that is my challenge for all ofyou to get involved and help make a difference. This isn’t about age orposition it is about each one of us taking responsibility. Don’t let anyonetell you that you can’t because you are too young. You have a voice, and now isthe perfect time to stand up and use it.

Thank you for your attention, andthank you for giving me the chance to talk to you.

Councillor Driver resigns from the Labour Group

2012-01-12T22:15:00.003Z

Tonight at the end of the Labour group meeting to discuss the agenda for next Thursday's (19th January) Council meeting, Councillor Ian Driver resigned from the Labour group. It has been well known that there have been differences in opinion recently on some issues.

I am not going to be hypocritical and say that Ian should resign his seat after taking this course, but I am very disappointed that he has decided to walk away. All Labour Councillors were elected on the same manifesto last May and I hope that he considers this when making future decisions at Council. The phrase 'united we stand and divided we fall' comes to mind in this situation. Ian joined the Labour party and signed up to its values, but now by taking this action he has let down both the members of the Labour party who voted for him to be their candidate, and the members of the public that voted for him.

Dreamland updates on Council website

2012-01-12T11:13:00.000Z

Thanet Council have coverage of the Public Inquiry into the future of Dreamland on their website. At the end of each day they provide an overview with notes from what happened in the day's business. This can be found here: http://www.thanet.gov.uk/environment---planning/planning/ldf-and-local-plan/dreamland/public-inquiry.aspx and it is well worth a look.

Judgement Day

2012-01-10T08:50:00.001Z

Possibly not quite judgement day, but it is certainly the start of an important chapter in the future of Dreamland. Today the Public Inquiry into the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) made by Thanet Council and the Dreamland Trust begins. Both sides will be presenting their evidence, and a decision is likely to be made by June/July. I will be attending and if anyone else would like to it starts at 10am in the Council Chambers in Cecil Square.

The 'Save Dreamland' petition is going to be presented to the Planning Inspector this morning and I am very proud to say that we have managed to get 2,869 signatures in total. This comes from across Thanet and we did campaigning sessions in Birchington, Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate. I would just like to thank everyone who has given us support during the last 10 days and I am still in shock that we have managed to get this many signatures in such a short space of time!

It may not make any difference to the overall decision, but it does raise a question. Where is the petition of support from local people for the current owners proposals for the site?

It is clear from the response we have had from the local population that people want Dreamland to be opened again as an amusement park and that we have no faith in the current owners to deliver that.

Save Dreamland campaign update day 8

2012-01-07T21:08:00.000Z

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition today on Margate High Street and at Margate Football Club (congratulations on a hard fought 1-0 victory today!). In just one day we managed to get another 1,100 signatures for the petition taking the overall total to around 2,200. The original target was 1,000 so I think it is pretty clear what the local population think with regards to the future of Dreamland.

It is my dads birthday tomorrow so I have no plans to do any official campaigning, although I will hopefully get a chance to go down to Margate to talk to some of the local businesses. We have a campaigning session arranged on Monday in Broadstairs so anyone still interested in signing the petition should come down from 12pm till 2pm outside Tescos on the High Street where we will have a stall set up.

A copy of my previous post explaining the reasons for the campaign can be found at: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/2011/12/save-dreamland-campaign.html

A copy of the petition itself can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

Save Dreamland campaign update day 7

2012-01-06T19:12:00.001Z

Today the 'Save Dreamland' campaign was out in Ramsgate getting signatures for the petition. In just 4 hours we were able to get another 550 signatures for the petition taking our total number well over 1000. My target when I began this campaign was to get around 1000 and so the popularity of this petition is testament to the desire of local people to get Dreamland back up and running. I thought we might encounter some resistance from Ramsgate residents but I could not have been more wrong. The response was overwhelmingly positive and I just wish I had more time to stand and chat to people about their memories of Dreamland. You talk to anyone about Dreamland and they remember what it was like when they were younger, and now we have a generation of young people that will not have those memories unless we can get Dreamland open again.

I remember riding on the Skymaster and the Big Wheel, and eating far too much candyfloss. What are your memories of Dreamland because I would love to hear them?

Tomorrow the campaign will be back in Margate and we will have a stall outside Boots again from 10am till 12pm, and then we will be heading down into the Old Town opposite the Wig and Pen from 12pm till 2pm. If you are interested in signing the petition or want to come along and help you are more than welcome, and if cannot find us give me a call on 07792416865 and I will let you know where we are.

This campaign might not change the decision of the planning inspector, but as a community we need to stand up and argue for what we believe in. I really hope we are getting towards the end of this legal saga and that soon we can continue our hopes for the new Dreamland and give future generations the experiences that we had when we were younger.

A copy of my previous post explaining the reasons for the campaign can be found at: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/2011/12/save-dreamland-campaign.html

A copy of the petition itself can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

Petition in Ramsgate

2012-01-05T22:45:00.002Z

The 'Save Dreamland' petition carries on tomorrow (Friday 6th January) in Ramsgate to give a chance for people on the other side of Isle to give their support to this Thanet-wide issue. We will be on the High Street in Ramsgate at the cross roads from 10am till 2pm, although I don't think we will have a stall because it will probably get blown away with the wind at the moment. Look out for us with our clipboards!

A copy of my previous post explaining the reasons for the campaign can be found at: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/2011/12/save-dreamland-campaign.html

A copy of the petition itself can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

Save Dreamland campaign update - Day 3

2012-01-02T19:39:00.001Z

This is just a quick post to let people know how we got on today (Monday 2nd January) when we took the 'Save Dreamland' petition to Margate High Street. We were there from 10am till 2pm and got a fantastic result from the people we spoke to. In just this one session of campaigning we were able to get over 500 signatures and hopefully we can keep the petition going from strength to strength. I will keep posting updates as to where the campaign will go next, and the confirmed dates for anyone else interested in getting involved is that we will be on Ramsgate High Street on Friday and back in Margate again on Saturday.

I am not going to make the claim that this petition will change the outcome of the Public Inquiry into the future of Dreamland, but I think it is important that we highlight what the people of Thanet want. As a Councillor I was elected to campaign on the issues that are important to Thanet's population, and the conversations we had today with local people proves that this issue is one of high local concern.

A copy of my previous post explaining the reasons for the campaign can be found at: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/2011/12/save-dreamland-campaign.html

A copy of the petition itself can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

Dreamland petition in Margate on Monday

2012-01-01T20:45:00.002Z

Apologies for posting this so late but I have only just got back from work. Tomorrow (Monday 2nd January) we will be collecting signatures for the Save Dreamland petition. If you are interested in helping out or signing the petition then please just come along. We will be there from 10am till 2pm outside Boots, and clipboards and petition forms will be provided for those who want to help out. If you cannot find us give me a ring on 07792416865, and if you cannot make it don't worry because we will be going to Ramsgate on Friday and Margate again on Saturday.

A copy of my previous post explaining the reasons for the campaign can be found here: http://williamscobie.blogspot.com/2011/12/save-dreamland-campaign.html

A copy of the petition itself can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A4PbpXvHyNyMJmeueyG4-OGmksRL30f25394ryAW6C0/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

Save Dreamland campaign

2011-12-31T09:58:00.000Z

On the 10th January the future of the Dreamland site in Margate is to be decided. After years of neglect of the site by the owners, Thanet District Council (TDC) decided to impose a Compulsory Purchase Order so that they could go forward with plans to build a Heritage amusement park. The owners of the site the 'Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company Limited' have appealed this decision and therefore taken the decision to Public Inquiry on the 10th January at the Council offices.

Every person that I have spoken to wants to see a successful Dreamland that can help to build on the effects of the Turner Centre in the regeneration taking place in Margate Old Town. The 'Margate Town Centre Regeneration Company Limited' have submitted their own proposals for the Dreamland site which are completely unviable because it claims to rely on the same funding as TDC's proposal, yet the TDC funding partly comes from pots of money directly for Local Government. Furthermore because of the history of the current owners in neglecting the site for so long there appears to be a total lack of trust in their ability to implement their proposals.

As a Councillor I was elected to represent the interests of the people, and as such I am going to do everything I can to help. I have spoken to several of the groups involved in Dreamland and we have agreed to run a petition supporting the position of TDC and the Dreamland Trust. Up until the 10th January we will be running this petition in a campaign to Save Dreamland and make it absolutely clear that people want Dreamland back up and running. If anyone is interested in getting involved in the campaign please contact me on 07792416865 or email to cllr-william.scobie@thanet.gov.uk . I will be posting daily updates on how the campaign is going on this blog and we will be petitioning Margate high street on Monday to get more signatures (I will post exact times and location tomorrow). I am not going to suggest that this campaign is necessarily going to change the decision as they will be looking at the planning side of it, however we need to make sure that the Planning Inspector is in no doubt as to what the people of Margate and Thanet want for the Dreamland Site. The petition is below so if anyone wants to see the exact wording or print off a copy to help get signatures you just need to click the link.

Petition for the Save Dreamland campaign.

Outdated views

2011-12-22T12:22:00.004Z

Over on Thanet Life Simon Moores is posting about outdated views within the Labour party.

This is a very strange choice of topic for Simon, after all the local Conservative party is one of most anachronistic organisations I have ever seen. If you take a look John Worrow's blog he has made claims about discrimination he was subjected to while in the local Conservative party.

Local Conservative MP Roger Gale's voting record in parliament on equalities is also quite worrying. It can be found at the following web address: http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpid=40447&dmp=826

If we are honestly going to start a conversation about outdated views within our respective parties then perhaps Simon should look around him first. It is the Labour party that has brought in the changes that makes our society what it is today. It is the Labour party that has legislated on equalities legislation and so opened up our society to minorities and their rights. It is not perfect but it is a completely different place to what it was in 1997. If it was up to Simon's friends very little would have changed.

Astroturfing

2011-12-19T08:30:00.001Z

"Astroturfing is the act of trying to boost one's image online with fake comments, paid for reviews, made-up claims, and testimonials."

I have a hunch this happens on the Thanet blogs as there are far too many anonymous comments arguing things very similar to local agendas. I think it would be a lot better if people give a name, even if they make one up. What do you think?

More time for politics

2011-12-17T16:17:00.000Z

After three years studying for my undergraduate, and a year and half studying for my Masters, my days at University are finally starting to come to a close. I no longer have any seminars left and the last piece of work is my dissertation which I now have nine months to write. Hopefully this will allow me more time to devote to local politics to try and push a couple of issues that I think are really important. These are electoral registration and youth unemployment.

Electoral registration is a large issue for Thanet at the moment especially with the upcoming changes in the Localism bill. Since 2007 4,134 people have fallen off the electoral register, and in my ward Dane Valley there are 302 less people registered with no comparable reduction in the amount of people living there. All the other Councils in East Kent have managed to increase the amount of people registered, so clearly Thanet Council is not doing something. I asked officers back in September to look into this, it went before Constitutional Review in October, and now the issue is due to be looked at by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January. I am going to propose that we set up a working party to look into what other councils locally and nationally are doing to improve voter registration to see if we can take some best practice from them. Due to a lack of resources in democratic services, this working party will most likely have to rely on its members for research and proposals.

Youth unemployment is the other issue that would like to do some more work on. In the last two months the local Labour party has run a petition calling for more action on youth unemployment, and we managed to get over 1,100 signatures. I also organised for Rachel Reeves, who is Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to come down and speak to some young unemployed people about employment problems in Thanet. I will continue to campaign to improve employment prospects for my generation. I have so many friends who are struggling for work, and it is really heart breaking to see them getting disheartened and depressed by their situation. It isn't just a case of not looking hard enough, the jobs just aren't there. Local employers and local people are all stretched and so we need some help if we are going to improve the situation. The National Youth contract is a start but it is only a sub-standard replacement for the Future Jobs fund which was four times its size and scrapped last year.This is an issue that we need to keep highlighting in the hope that the Government will take notice, and in the belief that we can bring local groups together help Britain's lost talent.

New Leader, new politics

2011-12-10T13:56:00.001Z

As the events of Thursday night begin to sink in, I wanted to put a couple of thoughts down.

I am relatively new to local politics so I will refrain from trying to discuss the intricacies and make myself look a fool. Thanet Council's new leader Clive Hart is fully committed to working with the other groups at the Council and he is the right leader to bring Labour, the Independents, and the Conservatives together for the good of Thanet.

After eight years in control it was right for a different party to have a chance to take charge, but the nature of the political landscape is one that requires consensual politics. What is needed now is stability, and I believe that Councillor Hart and his newly appointed Cabinet need time to get on with the job of running the Council. I have noticed that Councillor Moores has been complaining already on his blog about the new Labour Cabinet. However I think that every fair minded person would agree that the new Cabinet should be given a chance first, and that attacking them only hours after taking office is pretty ridiculous. The point is that the new Labour administration was elected democratically by Full Council with a plurality of votes.

I hold no executive position within the Labour party or the Council, but if ever the opportunity presents itself to me I will always work with anyone of any party for the good of Thanet. I am confident that this sentiment is shared by nearly every member of Council, but now it is time to put this into practise and implement the politics that the people of Thanet have told us they want by giving no party overall control.

Clive Hart assumes leadership of Thanet Council

2011-12-08T23:59:00.001Z

Councillor Hart has been elected leader of Thanet District Council, and has replaced Councillor Bayford.

Neither side won the May elections and in fact the people of Thanet voted for a hung council. For the last 6 months Councillor Bayford has systematically run the Council as if he still has a majority and has been unable to adapt to the new political terrain. Councillor Bayford has not kept his group together, and so has subsequently lost the leadership of the Council.

I would like to congratulate Clive Hart on his success. II look forward to the new Labour administration implementing the manifesto that we were elected on, and starting to unpick some of the problems that the Conservatives have chosen to ignore for so many years. No more Laissez Faire approach from Thanet Council!

We live in interesting times

2011-12-02T16:05:00.001Z

'We live in interesting times'

I am not sure how many times I have heard this line repeated this week, but nearly everyone I have spoken to have said it. Councillor Worrow's resignation this time last week has changed the dynamics of the Council by taking away the Conservatives one seat majority over Labour. Both sides now have 26 votes, but the Chairman of the Council is Labour Councillor Doug Clark who would have the casting vote if it was a tie. I am sure both Labour and the Conservatives are thinking through all sorts of scenarios with regards to the Independents, and also whether they can be sure that everyone from their groups will turn up. Just in case anyone is reading this - I will be attending and I know which way I will be voting!

Kent Coastal Conference

2011-11-23T13:02:00.001Z

Yesterday I was fortunate enoughto attend the Kent Coastal Conference held at the Turner Contemporarycentre. There were a number of veryinteresting speakers with the key notes address being delivered by Nicholas Crane from the BBC. Nicholas Crane was an absolutely brilliant speaker and wasdescribed afterwards as being almost ‘poetic’ throughout his speech on the Kentcoast. My congratulations go out to the organisers behind this event because itwas well attended with some very thoughtful speakers.

RichardMorsley, who is Deputy Director at the Turner Contemporary, also gave a speechon the changing face of Margate. As part of his speech we were given severalfacts about the Turner and its visitor numbers. 17% of visitors came fromMargate, 15% from the rest of Thanet, 38% from the South East, 28% from therest of the UK, and 2% from overseas. This just goes to show that the TurnerCentre is bringing in visitors from all different areas, and is not simply justpulling in the locals. Furthermore 48% of visitors stated that they came toMargate specifically to see the Turner Centre. These are very promisingstatistics for the future of Margate’s regeneration, and long may theycontinue.

Yesterdaywas also a good for Margate for another reason because Dreamland was awarded £3million worth of Heritage Lottery funding for its redevelopment. Jan Leandrowho is the Audience Development Officer for the Dreamland Trust gave apresentation to the conference yesterday on the planned redevelopment. Jan talkedus through the plans for the new site, and spoke of her hope that it will buildon the good work started by the Turner Centre and Old Town. Thanks to the hardwork of many the future of Margate is looking good.

It's not just the seaweed in Thanet that stinks

2011-11-18T14:12:00.001Z

I was shocked this morning to collect the Gazette and findout that the former leader of Thanet Council Sandy Ezekiel was arrested back in early October for alleged fraud. Now I am not going to assume that he is guiltyas the law states that someone is innocent until proven guilty, but there is still something very worrying about the whole situation. The Labour party over the years has had their fairshare of political scandals, but with the local Conservative party it isstarting to become a bit of a habit. I could quite easily reel off a list ofrecent scandals they have had, but now is not the time for finger pointing.

Theramifications of this story are not that one party or the other is going togain a political advantage, but that in the mind of the electorate we are allgoing to be tarred with the same brush. Whether Councillor Ezekiel is guilty ornot is only part of problem. We have an apathetic electorate that feel that theCouncil is not working for them, and who can blame them when we hear storieslike this. I am sure there will be some pleased faces as Ezekiel's old adversaries read this story, but I for oneam worried that this will all but confirm to the people of Thanet that theCouncil is only in it for itself. This is a plague on all of our houses.

Residents sick and tired of hospital parking problems

2011-11-14T22:02:00.003Z

Parking problems around the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital is not a new issue, but it is getting worse. People cannot afford to park in the increasingly expensive hospital car park, so they are looking for spaces further afield and then walking in. While this is understandable with the current strain on household budgets, it causes huge problems for those that live around the hospital.

Frequently residents cannot park outside their own home and are forced to park several streets away and then walk to their houses. There are also huge problems along some of the roads near the hospital where people park on both sides of the road thereby making it difficult for cars to get down. This is the case on College Road and Addiscombe Road in my ward Dane Valley, where overflow from the hospital car park has turned both of these roads into rat runs which are dangerous for motorists. It also causes problems for people pulling out of side roads because there are cars parked either side of the junction meaning that cars have to peep and creep.

The problem has got so bad that residents on Addiscombe Road are petitioning the Council’s Joint Transportation Board (JTB) about the problem. While I was not involved in this petition, I agree completely with what they are arguing for. There needs to be some sort of order brought to both Addiscombe and College Road before there is a serious accident. Every day there are near misses and sooner or later someone is going to get seriously hurt. I often drive down Addiscombe Road on my way to Ramsgate, and the road is incredibly hazardous with cars ducking in and out of spaces.

The Officer recommendations in the report for the JTB are that a cross-authority working group should be set up between Thanet District Councillors and Kent County Councillors to look into the wider issue of parking and access to the QEQM. I support this fully as we need to look into finding a sustainable future for parking around the hospital. The Dane Valley councillors recently held a meeting with residents where the issue of parking was raised, and since then we have been looking into ways around the problem. I raised the issue at the last Local Board meeting at Upton School and it is something that we really need to look into. After all the hospital is used by everyone from Thanet, but it is the people who live around the hospital that feel the downsides.

Vandalism at Dane Valley allotments

2011-10-30T14:52:00.005Z

In recent months there has been an outbreak of problems with anti-social behaviour down the Dane Valley allotments. While attending an event with the Dane Valley Woods association this morning, I noticed that there were police there, and it was mentioned that there had been some trouble the previous night.

It would appear that sometime around 2 o'clock in the morning a group of people broke into the allotments and caused lots of damage. Paint was thrown over properties, doors were kicked in, and possessions were scattered around and broken. This group of criminals also tried to set alight to several of the sheds on the allotments and eventually succeeded in setting alight to the compost toilet (the charred remains are pictured below). The fire brigade were called out to deal with the fire and the police have been looking for forensic evidence.

This was targeted vandalism and there is no place for this in our community. The people who own the allotments put their time and money into their plots, and for someone else to come in and mindlessly ruin it is unacceptable. If anyone saw anything connected with the incident or has any information they should contact the police so that the criminals responsible for this can be brought to justice.

Dane Valley Woods

2011-05-19T10:16:00.005+01:00

I attended the AGM of the Dane Valley Woods project last night. It started off with a presentation about local environmental art by Ruth Cutler. It was really interesting to see all the projects that she has been involved in over the years, and in particular how she uses her art to make a point about there being too much pollution in our seas.

The meeting itself was a fairly standard affair, but what struck me was how hard working and close knit the Steering Group are. Dane Valley Woods has had a fantastic last 12 months and managed to get some substantial funding from the Lottery grant. This puts them in a fantastic position to really get people involved in the local area, and their success is fully deserved.

Dane Valley Woods is having another of its action days this Sunday (22nd May) and all are invited to come along. I really urge people to get involved as its a chance to get out in the sun, meet people, and do something good for the community.

For more information go to: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131799746212

Big Thanks

2011-05-07T14:10:00.004+01:00

I just wanted to write a blog saying a big thank you to everyone that voted for John, Sandra and myself in Dane Valley. We have campaigned hard over the last 3 months in the seat, and that has been reflected in the scale of the Labour victory. I also want to say well done to all the other candidates in Dane Valley. The election campaign was conducted in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere and it was nice to stop and chat with the different candidates when we met.

As for now, this is when the real hard work begins. Already today we are working on casework picked up from the campaign, while we are also organising when and where we are going to hold our monthly surgery.

Thanks again for all the support we have recieved over the last two months, and all political parties can be pleased with the turnout of 32% in Dane Valley which I believe is an increase of 8% from last time.

'If we dont help ourselves who will?'

2011-03-10T19:24:00.006Z

The above picture was taken while I was out delivering leaflets in Dane Valley this morning. In a way this speaks for the plight of so many people in Thanet. Currently the Conservative led coalition is reducing benefits, making massive cuts to public sector jobs, and cutting programmes that are aimed at reducing long term and youth unemployment, such as the Future Jobs Fund. All of this is under the mantra that we are ‘all in this together’. This could not be further from the truth.

The massive benefits cuts are going to hit families hard and all we hear in the media and from the Government is that going onto benefits is a choice. For some people this is true as it is a much easier way of getting money than working. However for the most it is not a choice. There are few jobs locally and it is only going to get worse. Businesses are cutting back on workers as there is not the capital available. Schools and hospitals are being hit hard with tightened budgets meaning that teachers, learning support assistants, doctors and nurses are being made redundant. Youth unemployment has skyrocketed to 20.5%, and this is only going to get worst. For many there is no choice on whether to go onto benefits, it is simply the state of Thanet’s employment at the moment. People are being penalised for not having jobs, but there just are not the jobs out there. In effect minimum subsistence is being cut and those who are most vulnerable are going to be hit hardest.

The Conservative led coalition Government has been saying ever since May that cuts made to the public sector and Government schemes will be made up by the Private Sector. This isn’t happening. In the Thanet area we have had the disastrous closure of Pfizer which will lead to 2400 direct job losses and many more support jobs lost as well. This will further lengthen an already long unemployment queue. When will the Government admit it has got it wrong on growth?

Finally the new localism that is supposed to give people more power is a sham. By cutting jobs and benefits the Government is taking away peoples basic human rights and leaving people powerless, further enhancing the dependency culture. The cuts are too hard and too fast. The budget deficit needs cutting that much is obvious. However this is an ideological choice to cut so hard and fast and it will have disastrous effects on society. What does it matter if we solve the budget deficit but are left with a more disastrous and long term social breakdown? The rhetoric of deficit reduction is one of saving our future children. How about the children, vulnerable and youth of today?

Letter to the Isle of Thanet Gazette

2010-10-15T12:23:00.003+01:00

I have just had my first ever letter to the paper published. Here is the original copy:

Letter to Isle of Thanet Gazette

The debate in Thanet District Council on 7^th October over whether to turn local council houses into an ALMO scheme was an absolute farce. Labour Councillors argued in favour of holding a democratic ballot, but the Conservative council claimed that a questionnaire with less than 50% turnout was indicative of people’s opinion. The questions in the questionnaire were biased and clearly aimed at giving the desired result. The Cabinet member responsible did not even attend any of the consultation meetings with residents, and yet makes the claim that he knows what people are thinking.

As a young local candidate who has just been selected to fight the Dane Valley ward at next years local elections, I am concerned with the intransigent attitude of the council. I have spoken to dozens of council tenants in Dane Valley and I am yet to find someone who is in favour.

This proposed scheme is going to change people’s lives, and no matter how long it takes we should make sure that the correct decisions are taken for their future. People have the right to have a chance to vote on a scheme that will greatly affect them and their children. I am 21 and I know how hard it is for young people to get on the property ladder. To rush into a decision without consulting the democratic voice of the people and checking what the consequences will be is reckless, and sums up Tory policy at the moment.

William Scobie

Labour candidate for Dane Valley ward

The problem with Ed

2010-10-08T09:35:00.009+01:00

As an out and out David Miliband supporter you might think that this blog would be all about the problems I have with Ed Miliband's election as Labour leader. However I am actually concerned with another Ed, Ed Balls that is. After a strong leadership election where he came a credible third, and a further third place in the shadow cabinet elections announced last night, many believe that will be appointed as the new shadow chancellor of the exchequer. While I agree that he has recently performed excellently, with his work shadowing Michael Gove in particular proving his mettle, I think he is the wrong choice for Shadow Chancellor.

It is true that he has a strong CV for the job. He worked as an advisor to Gordon Brown as Shadow Chancellor between 1994-7, and became his key advisor from 1997 until his selection as an MP for Normanton in 2004. During this time he was noted as being Brown's economic guru. He also, as already mentioned, impressed many in the leadership election with his frank views on the deficit. But herein lies the problem. Ed Miliband needs to set out a credible alternative on the deficit or the Tories are going to rewrite history and leave the Labour party on the fringes of power for a decade. This is THE issue of the day and currently Labour has not been able to sort out its position. Nearly all commentators agree that there needs to be cuts, and the Labour leadership needs to have a line on this. Ed Balls' ideas espoused during the leadership election are precisely the kind of ideas that the Labour party do not need at the moment. I believe he is correct that there needs to be the right balance between keeping money in the economy and cutting where it is needed, but I think he goes too far in rejecting not only the Tory position but also that of Labours from the 2010 general election. If Ed Miliband appoints Balls as Chancellor then there is no way that Labour can claim credibility on the deficit. Collective responsibility or not, we all know what Balls' opinion on the deficit is and he will be hammered by the Tories for being irresponsible and lacking credibility.

Further we also have a real problem of repeating history here. It is no secret that Balls covets the job of Chancellor and throughout the Brown Government there were manouverings to get him into this job. If he does get the job he will quickly make it his own and try and turn it into his personal fiefdom. Just as the last 18 years have been all about the Blair-Brown rivalry, the next 18 could be all about Miliband-Balls. This is the last thing that Labour needs, and Ed Miliband needs to prove his mettle and appoint one of his supporters or an old hand to the shadow chancellor position. Alan Johnson for example would be a fantastic alternative to Balls, and showed during his time as Home Secretary that he is a safe pair of hands. Miliband has the strength needed to stand up to Balls' demands as he showed last week by asking Nick Brown to step down in favour of his choice for chief whip, Rosie Winterton. Now he needs to carry on in this way by ignoring the claims of the man he once worked with under Brown at the treasury. Balls is a highly qualified and vital part of the Labour party, but he is not right for the job of shadow chancellor. His position on the deficit is wrong and to appoint him would make the Labour party irrelevant to many voters. For now the problem facing Ed Miliband is similar to the one the Reverend Mother faced in the Sound of Music. How do you solve a problem like Ed Balls?

-UPDATE-

Hooray! Ed Miliband has appointed Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor, with Ed Balls becoming Shadow Home Secretary. This is a role which I think suits Ed Balls, and may give him a chance to prove himself in the same way that it did for Tony Blair. Alan Johnson is down to earth and straight talking, and I predict that he will do a good job taking on Osbourne and his claim to be working for the poorest in society. Yvette Cooper will also have her chance to shine as Shadow Foreign Secretary, and I look forward to seeing her take on William Hague. Overall this looks like a very strong shadow cabinet, and under Ed Miliband's leadership I hope it can really start putting pressure on the Tories. Just a pity its missing Miliband Senior...

Chin up Steinmeier

2009-09-27T10:04:00.004+01:00

It really is an exciting time to be in Germany as everyone is talking about the election and getting ready to vote. A surprisingly dull campaign has hardly lit the world alight, but the last polls taken show that the gap has closed with the CDU/CSU hitting 33% and their desired coalition partner the FDP polling at 14%. This lacks the majority necessary for these two to govern and so it looks increasingly likely that Germany will retain the Grand Coalition that has governed for the last 4 years.

But what about the SPD I hear you ask. Well it's a good question as the same polling data pits them at 25% and their favoured coalition partner, the Greens, at 10%. That's 12% less than the centre right coalition and a loss of 13% from the last election. So what's happened to the party for such dire polling numbers to come out? Why has Walter Steinmeier (German SPD candidate) failed so miserably?

It is unfair to blame Steinmeier for the changed electoral landscape, and I don't think there is any SPD politician that could have won against these odds. The first thing to say is that both of the main parties have been squeezed at this election as voters have turned increasingly to smaller parties. This is not a new thing in Germany for the small parties to take a lot of votes and seats because that is what their proportional representation system is designed to do, but it has rarely been on this scale. If polling data is correct the total vote for the two main parties compared to last election will have fallen from 79.2% of the vote, to roughly 58 % - a drop in support of a whopping 21.2% in just 4 years!!! Reasons for this could include the Grand Coalition or the salience of issues for German voters, but either way this is a hard task for any leader to try and battle against.

Secondly Steinmeier has had to deal with the giant shadows of the two last Chancellors of Germany. His former ally Gerhard Shroder was a massive figure in the party and it would have been difficult for any member for the SPD to try and take over the reins from this giant of German politics. Further Steinmeier has also spent the last 4 years working as number 2 to Angela Merkel and so will always be seen as the junior compared to her in regards to experience and gravitas.

Steinmeier has also faced an impossible electoral landscape as his party has been squeezed from all directions. The coalition with the CDU/CSU has meant that his party cannot attack the record of the last 4 years, while they have also been painted by Merkel as being a hindrance on her ability to run the country properly. This is unfair but leaves the SPD outmanoeuvred politically because now they are forced to try and convince the voters why they would be a good coalition partner for the CDU/CSU when they really should be setting out their own agenda for the Chancellor job. The SPD have also been hit from the other side as well because the rise in support for the Left party has meant that they are losing support and members rapidly, yet to try and respond to the demands of the more leftist members of their own party would be disastrous for their image of being the right partner for the CDU/CSU. Schoders Agenda 2010 really alienated those on the left of the SPD and it would take a real effort to woo these supporters back.

Finally Steinmeier and the SPD started the campaign losing quite heavily and really needed an exciting campaign with divisive issues to really shake things up. However this has been one of the dullest campaigns in recent time as voters seem to want to keep the status quo in the time of economic troubles, and so Steinmeier has been unable to gain any momentum.

Therefore I don't think its fair to blame Steinmeier for the massive loss in support that is being predicted by latest polls. Both candidates should be congratulated on fighting strong campaigns, but only time will tell whether Merkel has won enough votes to break away from the SPD. Steinmeier on the other hand will be hoping to land a seat as the number 2 in a Merkel led coalition Government which is long way away from only 7 years ago when the SPD were the biggest party and setting the agenda. But that's politics for you and I predict there will be much more to come tonight!

Solution to the EU's problems? Maybe

2009-09-23T21:13:00.004+01:00

I believe that the case for having the EU is clear, however I agree with many critics in their assessment that the EU is flawed in its processes. Simon Hix argues (and I agree) that what the EU needs is a dose of competitive politics to give it legitimacy and so actively engage public opinion. He suggests several ways in which to do this and in this blog I will discuss some of them.

Firstly the nature of the EU has fundamentally changed since the 1980s and it is about time that people realise this. At first the EU was creating legislation where previously there was none and so compromises were easy to reach between left and right. Now things have changed as the debate has moved to reforming these proposals to either move them more to the left (increasing regulation and social provision) or to the right (decreasing regulation). These decisions produce policy winners and losers, yet there is no real political debate over the outcomes, so when people are affected negatively by EU policies they just blame the EU in total rather than blaming the protagonists for passing this legislation . What is needed to counter this feeling is a proper debate at the heart of the EU so that the reform process actually has a mandate to implement the changes that everyone agrees is necessary.

The point that would logically come next from this is that therefore a treaty is needed to enforce these changes. However in actual fact changes to the rules and regulations of the major EU institutions would be enough to encourage limited competitive politics. In institutions around the world Constitutions set the parameters of what can and cannot be done, but the rules and regulations of the institutions themselves actually provide for how things will be done in practice. Rule changes in the Council of Ministers, European Commission and European Parliament will provide enough competition and debate.

1. Council of Ministers: By making the CoM more transparent it will take away from National Governments the ability to hide behind unanimity decisions as a way of not taking positions. Opening up more meetings to the public and releasing all minutes of meetings (except for sensitive national security issues) will force National Governments to take more political decisions and so require them to form coalitions to push their interests.

2. European Commission: as shown by the low media attention given to the re-election of President Barrosso, the most powerful position in the EU seems to matter very little to the public. What is need is an opening up of the debate to make it matter and so give the EU human faces rather than just being a conglomerate that is blamed for everything. To do this candidates for the Commission President should be announced before EP elections and then Heads of States and political groupings should announce which candidate they are backing. This changes the nature of the election as it now becomes a matter of different candidates representing different visions for Europe. Along with this the candidates should also hold a live public debate broadcasted on National networks to show the public the differences between the candidates. These changes would make the election of Commission President matter and so help to foster the creation of cross-institutional alliances between likeminded groupings.

3. European Parliament: The changes to the way the Commission President is elected will make EP elections matter more, but there still needs to be more at stake. Currently the distribution of rapporteurs and Committee heads is on a proportional basis, but by basing this more on pluralistic election results it will make more up for grabs for the winners. On top of this changing the length of term of the EP President will also help continuity and so encourage a single agenda, while stopping the current practice of the two main parties sharing the position over a term.

By making more st stake in each of the institutions, these changes would encourage cross institutional coalitions which would therefore help to create obvious policy divisions in the EU and so remove this idea that the EU is to blame for everything. Further this would interest the media who could now see the 'Brussels soap opera' where decisions actually matter, and so gain publicity. Political divisions also help to encourage innovation as both sides attempt to capture public opinion. All of these are beneficial to the EU and so can help to rid ourselves of the public perception of a 'Democratic Deficit' while also allowing us to move past our policy gridlock.

Some people argue that the EU should remain just a regulatory body and that by dabbling in redistributive affairs it is distracting from its primary aim of efficiency. However this fails to see that even pareto-efficient policies have redistributive effects (e.g. single market favours some groups and hurts others) and so policy changes need legitimacy or they will have no mandate for this change.

What is clear at the moment is that changes are happening in the EU, especially in the European Parliament where increasingly trans-national political groupings are voting on issues with likeminded groups rather than on a National perspective. What needs to happen is for these changes to be shown so that people can see that a debate is occurring in Europe over policy. At the moment winners and losers are produced, and the losers cannot accept that they have lost out because there has been no political dialogue. If the process is contested then losers in some policy areas can see that they have the ability to win in future scenarios, and so be encouraged to organise cross-institutional coalitions to have the biggest chance of their views suceeding. When this happens then we will have a proper organisation that has the ability to represent its citizens. At the moment public opinion has swung against the EU and what is need is more than a PR campaign. We need to take back the initiative and properly open up our institutions and show the public the many benefits that the EU has to offer.

Case for the EU

2009-09-18T20:03:00.005+01:00

Well my time in Germany is nearly up, just two weeks until I'm back in good old England. This leaves me with a little more free time than I would usually have and so I've decided to write a couple of blogs. My reading recently has led me to the European Union and the arguments surrounding its existence and viability. I was shocked at how little media Jose Manuel Barrosso's re-election as President of the Commission got as this is effectively the most powerful position within the EU with its agenda setting powers. Obviously something needs to be done about the lack of interest in the EU and over the course of my next few blogs I will be explaining my thoughts on what would work.

Firstly however just to set the scene nicely it's probably a good idea to look at the case itself for actually having the EU. Clearly both sides in the debate have points but the economic arguments of having it are far too convincing. While on a more nationalistic sense with Britain, it is better to be part of a process that we can change rather than running away, hiding under the blanket and hoping that EU legislation won't affect us.

So why do we need the EU? Why is it not better for all nations just to trade and negotiate on the International stage? Why do we have all of these rules and bureaucracy?

The main argument in favour of the EU is the fact that larger states are in fact better. If you look across the world who is the most successful country economically? It is the USA. This is because across the US there is a massive amount of diversity in the economy which allows greater specialisation and economies of scale. Only 20% of the USA's GDP is traded in the global economy - the rest is traded domestically. The USA can effectively produce its own goods using its own raw materials, and then sell it domestically to the huge US market. The EU is the same and just like the USA only 20% of the EU's GDP is traded globally. Even Britain trades 56% of the time with other EU countries! By forming a large trading bloc, the EU can compete with Asia and the USA in a way that would have been impossible for smaller states. It is true to say that some small states have been successful like Singapore and Hong Kong, but these have been at the cost of completely integrating with the global economy thereby losing their sovereignty over macro and micro economics. Therefore a large argument in favour of the EU is based around the idea that 'bigger is better'. By forming a large bloc it lowers the cost of public goods, provides a broader range of services, increases productivity and increases employment, growth and wealth. Relatively Europe is in decline compared to the rest of the world and without the EU there is no way that countries like France, Germany and Britain could maintain the high standards of living that they are accustomed too.

Another strong argument is that the EU helps to correct market failures that would normally cause benefits in some countries at the expense of others. Examples are pollution - acid rain, etc - unfair competition and worker exploitation. The EU legislates on these issues in a way that no international agreement could ever do, and so helps to deal with issues that are important to nations but is impossible to deal with alone. Also the EU haslegislated on issues like equality (it is now a crime across ALL EU states to discriminate on the basis of sexuality, race, etc,) maternity and paternity leave, and also given rights to temporary workers. Without these rulings it would be fair to say that some countries and nationalities in Europe would suffer unfairly, and I believe that this is a key point in why the EU is so beneficial.

The EU and the single market are also very advantageous in a different economic way as, for example, in just the first 10 years of the single market it created 2.5 million jobs and gave €5,700 to every household. These are only Commission estimates, but it would be foolish to claim that the single market and the EU have not brought real economic benefits. Also I think it is quite interesting to note that the entire 'mammoth beaurocracy' of the EU in relative terms is probably the same size of one that would administer a medium sized European city. Talk of Brussels sucking in most of the EU budget is far off, and in actual fact the EU is much more efficient than any National Government would admit (why you ask? because than people might ask how the EU is able to run with such small costs and then maybe they might want cuts in Government beaurocracy).

A lot of people also take for granted the benefits of the EU that they might experience throughout the year. For example it is due to the EU that it is so easy to go on holiday through Europe because of the open market and freedom to travel legislation. Also any British citizen if they wanted can just pack up and move off to Spain. These are because of the EU, and people should be reminded of that!

Some people argue that if a country wanted they could just up and leave the EU and so avoid all the social legislation, but get a partial membership and so keep membership of the single market. Alternatively some argue that we in Britain should just leave completely the EU. These claims seem foolish when put into perspective as the above arguments show that the benefits of the EU are vast and that leaving would be bad for the economy. If Britain were to leave it would be a huge gamble that our economy would be able to make the shift, and even if it did why would we want to do this when we get a pretty good deal from the EU? Why should we fight to get back our sovereignty from the EU only to hand it over to the global economy? Also arguments about partial membership seem strange because effectively they are saying that we will still be subject to all EU legislation in the economic fields, yet we won't have a voice in any of the drafting process. To assume that legislation from 26 of our closest neighbours wont effect us is crazy! The EU is now an agenda setter in the world that other nations are forced to follow, for example in the chemical industry the EU is one of the largest traders and creators. Therefore when other countries deal with the EU in the field of chemicals they are forced to adhere to EU standards (e.g. REACH). As I said earlier I would rather be a part of this process and actually have some kind of influence on the process, rather than run away and hide and pretend that the EU won't affect us.

Therefore these are my arguments as to why the EU is needed so much, and also why we as Britain should remain a part of it. I haven't even had space to mention how the EU has dealt with hunger and war, while creating a culture of consensus that my grandparents would have thought impossible. The EU is here and we need it. To think otherwise I think is strange and I will be interested to read what other people's opinions are on the matter. What is needed now is a proper plan to bring EU citizens into the process (but I will leave this for the next blog before I start discussing mor Hix!).

As for now I'm going to return to the world of au pairing, I think it's going to be a long day tomorrow...

Summer in Germany

2009-07-17T19:36:00.006+01:00

During my studies at University and my time at the European Parliament, I have decided to look into doing a Masters in European Politics specialising in Germany. The first problem with this is that I don't speak German very well. So in an effort to change this I have taken a job as an Au Pair in Germany, and what a great decision it appears to have been!

I am staying just outside of Essen in Mulheim an der Ruhr and the family I am staying with are great. They have three boys (aged 5, 7 and 11) who keep me busy all day, but the family seem determined to show me every part of the local area. Essen has been granted European Capital of Culture 2010 (which it has granted to the whole region) and so there is plenty of things going on here. In just a week I have been to the Gasometer (a former Gas storage facility which has been converted into an exhibition) where there is an exhibition on space, to Zollverein which is a former coal mine converted into a museum with art galleries, a castle just outside of Essen, chatted EU politics with extreme right German farmers, Essen Cathedral, and lots more besides!

I am struggling a little bit with my German at the moment, but my lessons start on Tuesday which will move the process on a lot. As for now I know the basics like Bier(beer), essen(eat) and schlaffen(sleep). I'm sorted!

Who's right about the Audit commission - Thanet Tories or Kent Tories?

2009-03-31T19:11:00.013+01:00

There has been much confusion between the local Tories over the credibility of the Audit Commission. The Audit Commission in its recent review of Kent County Council's dealings with Icelandic banks slated them as they and 6 other local authorities had "negligently deposited money after credit ratings for Icelandic banks were downgraded below acceptable levels". The report itself can be found here, but while this in itself is quite a scathing attack, I am more interested in the response of KCC Tories and in particular that of Peter Gilroy and Paul Carter. They described this report by the Audit Commission in a letter to them as "not only breathtakingly naive, but through a combination of unprofessionalism and inaccuracy, has the potential to be extremely damaging". They go on to attack the Audit Commission's own record with Icelandic banks, and also claim that the report was compiled with "the flimsiest of evidence, lacking in research, thorough analysis and empirical data".

A pretty strong response from the KCC Tories to the Audit Commission. Yet just the week before Thanet District Council Tories were praising the report of the Audit Commission for naming TDC in the top 50 for improvements in its service in the country. Council Leader Sandy Ezekiel described these awards as "the Oscars of Local Government" and "shows just how far Thanet has come in improving the services it offers". Quite a difference in opinion over the credibility of the Audit Commission. So who is right? Paul Carter and Peter Gilroy, or Sandy Ezekiel and Martin Wise?

At least the Labour party has a united message over the Audit Commission, and in a letter from the Leader of the Opposition Mike Eddy to the Audit Commission stated that he was "saddened and dismayed by the tone of the letter which Mr Gilroy and Mr Carter sent in response to this report". He went on to say that he was worried about the future of the relationship between KCC and the Audit Commission and stated that he hoped that the Labour group could help to "build positively on the errors of the past and ensure that in future public resources are used in the best interests of the people of Kent". A view enhanced by the fact that only three weeks previously Peter Gilroy and Paul Carter had showered praise on the Audit Commission after it awarded KCC four stars in the CPA for the seventh year running (yet another example of hypocrisy within the Tory ranks).

So can anyone from the Tory party reaffirm their thoughts on the Audit Commission? Or are we consistently going to have a process of the Tories praising them when they praise the Tories, and criticising them when they criticise the Tories? This is not a constructive relationship and I just hope that we can get some answers.

National Coal Mining Museum

2009-03-30T14:05:00.004+01:00

I think I may have just had one of the best weekends of my life. It started because I somehow managed to leave my passport in York, and as I am going on holiday to Egypt in a week this was a pretty stupid thing to do. So after doing some leafleting on Saturday morning I started the long drive up to York with a few friends. We had a good time in York, but it is the journey home that I want to talk about because we ended up going to National Coal Mining Museum and it was absolutely unbelievable. I'm currently writing my dissertation on the 1984-5 miners strike and this was a great opportunity to experience a bit of their life. This place has everything from a museum, a railway station and it even has an underground tour which is amazing, but best of all... IT'S FREE which is a very big thing for a University student!!!

Going down into the pits really starts you thinking because suddenly everything that you've heard and read makes more sense. There is a reason why miners are so closely knit and it is because they all relied on each other for safety every single day. When we went down we weren't allowed to take any phones, cameras or anything with a battery because there could be gases down there that could explode if there was spark from something. All it would take once down in the mines is for one man to make a mistake and the lives of hundreds would be in jeopardy. These men had to do dirty and dangerous jobs hundreds of metres below the surface for little pay and so it's no wonder that they stood together over issues. I'm not going to get into the arguments over who was to blame during the miners dispute and closings until I actually get a chance to do more reading on the subject, but I think that if you get the chance to go to this museum it is well worth it. It is situated just off junction 40 of the M1 near Wakefield, and it has things for the whole family (including a miners kids play park that I was apparently 'too big' to go on (bastards)).

So that was about my weekend and I would be interested to hear from anyone via comments or email whether they have any interesting stories from the mines, or if they have been to the National Coal Mining Museum. I may have had a good weekend, but I currently have to deal with my mum who is still very cross that I left my passport in York. Perhaps I should get back down that mine again while she cools off...

Saturday morning campaigning

2009-03-21T15:43:00.002Z

Spending your Saturday mornings running up and down stairs delivering leaflets might not sound like the most glamorous thing to do, but doing it actually gives you an odd sense of satisfaction. Just from one mornings work you might be able to change the entire course of an election by connecting or informing just one voter who could provide the crucial winning vote in an election. Not only that, but it is also representative democracy in action as we are providing a channel for the representatives to inform the electorate of what is happening in the offices of power. If anyone has free time I would suggest doing something like this. It gets you up and about with fresh air, you get to meet new people, get some exercise and know that what you are doing is making a difference towards getting the message out. I am the king of being lazy on a Saturday morning, but having got up and actually done something today I feel great so now I can just relax for the rest of the day.

I also heard a really funny story this morning from one of the people I was with. He was at the Labour conference and decided that he needed to leave early so as to avoid the rush of people attempting to get away afterwards – a logical choice. One of the last speakers was Yvette Cooper who was Housing minister at the time and so he decided to leave after she had spoken so as not to seem rude to the next speaker. (I would have left before, but don’t tell her that). However his nominated seating was unlucky as he had been asigned the seat right in the corner at the front in the furthest seat away from the aisle. Seeing as the aisle was the one exit, the only way for him to get out was to make everyone along the row stand up. So after Yvette Cooper's speech which gets the applaud of the whole conference, our man steps up to go leave clapping politely as he goes, causing his entire row to do likewise and stand up. Next thing the entire conference has stood up giving a standing ovation to the Housing minister, all because of this guy wanting to leave early! I’m pretty sure that must have been one of the first times that a Housing minister has had a standing ovation at Conference, and it was commented on by the media and powers that be! I think if I ever get a chance to speak at any events I might just have several of my friends strategically sat about the place to engineer standing ovations. Cameron if you’re reading stay away it’s my strategy. We’ve already had enough of all your media tricks thank you very much!

So now after a morning of leafleting and cleaning I’m going to watch Wales snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and be named 6 Nations champions again. I also expect Spurs to beat Chelsea by 7 goals, and for Arsenal to lose by 5 goals to Newcastle. I can dream!!!

Band of Brothers

2009-02-02T16:17:00.002Z

I've just finished watching the Band of Brothers series and it is possibly one of the most emotional and inspiring programs I have ever watched. The series focuses on the exploits of 'Easy Company', who are Paratroopers of the 101st airborne division, as they fight Hitler across Western Europe. Lots of well known actors take part in the series including the likes of David Schwimmer, Simon Pegg and Kirk Acevedo, and it has won several awards such as a Golden Globe and six Emmy awards.

The series charts ‘Easy Company’ all the way from the landings at D-day to the end of the war and the overthrow of Hitler. All of this is a true story and is based exactly on the accounts of the surviving members of ‘Easy Company’, and each episode starts off with a testimonial from the survivors about what actually happens. This adds a different dimension to the series and so makes the horrific situations of fighting war so much worst but so real. What this group of soldiers went through is unbelievable, and the fact that some were even able to survive to tell the tale is a miracle in itself. These were the men who were dropped behind enemy lines on D-day to help take out the German resistance on the beaches. These were the men who then parachuted into Holland completely unaided at first to try and liberate the country. These who bravely stood their ground in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne when all other soldiers had fallen back and so stopped the German advance from taking back the initiative in the war. They who liberated the Landsberg concentration camp from the brutal tyranny of the SS in the poignantly named episode ‘Why we fight’. And ever after all of this fighting and bloodshed where the company were completely decimated at times, they were still the first Allied troops up to Berchtesgarden to find the last of the SS troops who had been ordered to form a last stand there.

All of these events are wonderfully portrayed with the reunited Directing team of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, and the only thing missing from this series is one or two recognisable characters as at times it becomes difficult to follow who each of the characters are due to deaths and changing story lines. Yet it makes up for this through having such amazing special effects, a strong story line and the link between reality and Hollywood. This is an absolute must see for everyone, not just history or military buffs. Once you see this you won’t ever think about World War 2 in the same way as Band of Brothers vividly shows the true nature of war and you can only hope t nothing on the scale of the World Wars will ever happen again.

Zimbabwe: Is the End in Sight?

2009-01-28T14:09:00.001Z

For too long have the Zimbabwean people searched for true freedom for their country away from the probing fingers of a autocratic Government. Mugabe was supposed to be the man to lead them away from the opressive Smith regime of South Rhodesia. Mugabe was supposed to be the light to shine upon one of the darkest corners of the earth and bring equality and strength to Zimbabwe. Yet 29 years after Mugabe’s victory in the election of Febuary 1980, little has changed in terms of Government or style. White soldiers opressing the Black population has now turned into ZANU-PF soldiers opressing the Black population. The economic troubles of the 1970s caused by economic sanctions have now been replaced with an economic crisis based around failed land reform and Mugabe’s reputation (which has sunk far lower then Smith could ever have reached). This is the Zimbabwe of today where hyperinflation ravages the land and where its people are struck by diseases such as cholera and aids while the Government stands idly by claiming that this is all a slanderous lie by the west to take power back in Zimbabwe. How did things get to this? What has happened to a country that had so much hope? The answer is simple - Mugabe. This one man has taken the mantle of the bad man of Africa from the likes of Bokassa and Idi Amin, and one wonders where they keep finding these meglamaniacs who lack even the slightest degree of humanness.

From all of this hate and despair that grips Zimbabwe today is there any hope left? Elections have failed, negotiations have failed and power sharing agreements have failed. What are the options for Zimbabweans and the world to change this horrific situation? Military intervention to remove Mugabe will not happen, and if it did I don’t feel it would have a positive effect as we could just have another Iraq on our hands. Flouting international law and violating the sovereignty of another nation is not the right way to go, and this could just create another ZANU-PF martyr who could claim to be fighting the west and take back power. Similary by now negotiations have failed and unless Mugabe suddenly has an uncharacteristic change of heart then I don’t see any headway being made by Tsvangarai, and any Government formed will just be another one dominated by Mugabe. I have faith in the Zimbabwean people to fight off the terror of the Mugabe regime, but at a time when they are barely staying alive due to the onset of diseases, hyperinflation and lack of food, how is it possible for them to rise up? People are too scared to act lest they be taken away, while any sign of activity is ruthlessly countered by Mugabe’s police units.

Hope however remains which centres around Mugabe’s age and health. Mugabe will be 85 on Febuary 21st and he surely cannot last much longer which brings me to my main point. Mugabe is the symbol of not just terror, but also of the revolution away from white control which may seem strange to us but is evident with many black people. Once this image of fear and history is gone there is no way that ZANU-PF could continue in power with the way the country is running at the moment. This may seem like a ‘wait and see’ policy, yet it need not be as old age has been showing signs of catching up on him which creates a window of opportunity. Pressure from the United Nations and South Africa in particular will turn this opportunity into a reality. If ZANU-PF see Mugabe’s health declining then they will take steps to bring in a new leadership and this is where the break from them can happen. The people of Zimbabwe will see the opportunity for change in power, and so if ever there was the chance to change Zimbabwe for the better then this is the moment to give help to the Zimbabwean people and the Movement for Democratic Change. I for one applaud reports that President Obama is planning on making change in Zimbabwe one of his main international aims. With the right pressure we can avoid a costly war that would scar Zimbabwe for years, while also bringing the change that is necessary to take a country that is now the basketcase of Africa back to the breadbasket that it once was. Some many see this article as saying that there is no solution to Mugabe and that we should just wait, however I believe that change is just around the corner and that now is the time to put pressure on Mugabe as his health fails so as to present us with the opportunity to remove this brutal dictator once and for all.

The 1997 General Election – Labour Victory or Conservative Defeat?

2008-12-24T16:38:00.004Z

With the next General Election fast approaching and the potential for the first change in power for eleven years, it made me wonder the circumstances for power changing last time and why the Labour party was able to win such a landslide election. On first glance it would seem that the victory was owed mainly to Tony Blair and his reformed Labour party, but when you look at the state of the Conservative party in 1997 would they really have been able to continue governing for another four or five years? I would argue that the Conservatives were unelectable by 1997 and the modernisation of the Labour party allowed them to take advantage of this and obtain such a large majority. I would enjoy hearing some other views on this though.

The Labour party in 1997 was a completely different party to that just five years previously when the country went to the polls in 1992. They had made themselves the natural party on issues where previously they had been weak such as on economic policy and law and order. Under Brown the Labour party had also dropped their commitment to tax and spend proposals and so were able to avoid the ‘tax bombshell’ stigma that had so stung them in 1992. Blair and Brown also started a process of flirting with big business which not only brought them valuable support, but also loans and donations to allow the New Labour bandwagon to march onwards. The party made several internal changes as well with the very public removal of clause four being the most important and memorable. This allowed the party to appear completely different to the left wing appearing Kinnock party of the past and so allow them to move on.
Perhaps more important than the changes made by the Labour party was the personality of Tony Blair and his appeal to the public, particularly middle England. John Smith’s death was worrying for the Labour party as he was a very popular leader, but in Blair they had the perfect tonic to carry on the march to power. Blair’s approval ratings were well above 60% from 1994-7, and he was a strong leader who led the party efficiently. Therefore with all of these factors behind them it would seem logical that the Labour party were going to be a tough if not unstoppable opposition at the next election.

The Conservatives on the other hand were having big problems after eighteen years in power, and the legacy of Thatcher and her reforms. There were huge divisions over Europe, with the Maastricht treaty in particular, and over the leadership of the party with many Conservative members disliking John Major’s style of leadership. With a majority of only 21 seats after 1992 any divisions within the party were likely to be emphasised and this became the case particularly over Europe with the ‘Maastricht rebels’. There were also the problems of sleaze in the Government whereby 12 members of the party were forced to resign for one reason or another such as over ‘cash for questions’ or sexual promiscuity. This led to very negative press and so gave a bad image of the party that was made worst by Major’s weak leadership of the party. The party lost its trump card as well in 1994 with ‘Black Wednesday’ whereby Britain fell out of the ERM and lost billions of pounds, as this meant that people felt they could no longer trust the Conservative on the economy. After eighteen years of continuous Conservative government there was also a mood for change in the country as the Conservatives were starting to look worn and out of ideas. These weaknesses within the Conservative party therefore opened the way for the Labour party to take power and obtain a large majority.

Overall then we can see that there were major factors influencing both sides of this argument as the Labour party was stronger, and the Conservatives were weaker then they had been in 1992. The balance between the two however I believe lies in favour of the strength of the Labour party as the Conservatives in their state may still have won the election if the Labour party had been anything like it had been in 1983, and similarly quite a few of the problems of the Conservative party were emphasised by the strength of the Labour party. Therefore the Labour party was able to take advantage of the Conservatives weakness due to the changes and reforms made from 1994-7 and the personal appeal of Tony Blair.