"YOUR ISLAND, YOUR COUNCIL"

After 6 month's consultation with party members and supporters Island Labour has published its 2009 Local Election Manifesto "Your Island, Your Council", which reveals our aspirations for the IW Council after the June local elections.

Labour recognises that having influence at County Hall rather than power is its realistic target, though it plans to field candidates in a majority of the Island's 39 new wards.

For the last 4 years the IW Council Labour Group has been recognised by all fair commentators as the only effective opposition group at County Hall. We now hope to build upon that reputation by securing a larger group of councillors at the June elections who can exercise far more influence at County Hall. We believe that our Manifesto offers Islanders many good reasons to vote Labour at a local level. By releasing it early we are giving Islanders plenty of time to consider our aspirations.

The Manifesto brief says:

From June 2009 Labour Councillors at County Hall will seek to achieve or exert influence upon the following-

YOUR COUNCIL TAX

• Guarantee to limit Council Tax increases to no more than the maximum advised by Government – usually the inflation rate.
• Aim only to use Council reserves and balances for projects that deliver a public asset, such as a swimming pool or day centre for vulnerable people.
• Commit to delivering efficiencies year on year in line with Government targets.
• Choose the Council’s own staff before extortionate outside consultants.
  

YOUR SCHOOLS & YOUR CHILDREN

• Reject the current school closure programme and support small schools, recognising their importance and value to local communities
• Fully implement the government’s ‘Reducing Surplus Places Strategy ‘ and work to reduce the size of our secondary schools
• Introduce free school meals for all primary and middle school children.

YOUR HOMES

• Ensure that all new housing developments include at least 33% affordable homes, and at least 50% when built on Council owned land.

• Target more Council resources on converting empty properties into homes for hard-pressed local people.

• Offer dedicated staff, and work in partnership with other organisations, to provide more support and help with the legal system to prevent Islanders from losing their homes unnecessarily, and improve services such as debt counselling.
  

YOUR TRAVEL

• Pursue a flat rate bus fare of £1 for 19-59 year olds - 50p for 5-19.

• Roll-out a free ‘park & ride’ scheme for Island towns, and ensure buses connect with other public transport links.

• Make car parking more accessible for local shoppers, whilst increasing the costs of long-stay parking and permits (over 4 hours).

YOUR ENVIRONMENT

• Initiate the further development of alternative energy systems based upon LOCAL production and supply that are fuel efficient and powered by renewable energy sources.

• Establish annual community and individual carbon emission targets, monitored by local forums in liaison with elected members.

YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE

• Offer free swimming in public pools for the over 60’s

• Provide the driving force and co-ordination for an annual Island-wide Cultural and Arts Festival, which stimulates the diversity of our community and encourages the involvement of young people.

YOUR HEALTH AND CARE

• Increase support for patient and carer travel to mainland hospitals.

• Improve support for carers – through faster assessments and more respite and day care services.

LAW & ORDER IN YOUR COMMUNITIES

• Seek to improve cooperation with pubs, clubs and outlets selling alcohol to reduce anti-social behaviour in the night-time economy.

• Abolish the existing Environmental & Neighbourhood Officer scheme and introduce a more effective and cost-effective Local Community Warden scheme in areas of anti-social behaviour.

• Increase resources for CCTV monitoring capacity

QUALITY JOBS FOR ISLAND PEOPLE

• Work with IW College and employers to provide the courses and training for the jobs of the future.

• Push the IW Council to take the lead with quality modern apprenticeships

HELPING TOURISM

• Commit to investing a proportion of car parking charges to improving amenities - for example, decorative flowers and safety improvement along the sea fronts - and the appearance of the towns where visitors stay.
  

THE DELUDED

So a four year journey of braggado and hyperbole leads us to this:-

The IW Council under the Tories remains a 2 star authority that is 'improving adequately' (Audit Commission, March 09). Precisely where it was when it was elected four years ago.........

I am the last person to be an apologist for the Liberal/Island First shambles of 2001-05, but the Tories have been slagging them off for the last 4 years and yet have made NO PROGRESS whatsoever in the eyes of the Audit Commission.

What does that tell us about their ability to run a local Council ?

Within the overall ratings they also get just 2 stars for the 'Value for money' and for 'Use of Resources' components.

It is clear that the bragging and the exaggerating was all entirely delusional.

COUNCIL SPINNERS FERRY QUIET.......

I notice that the IW Council spin machine is being very quiet about the great news that there will be a full Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation into Island ferry services, after the local MP's campaign.

Of course at Full Council in February 2008, as I reported here,

"On Ferry Fares Fair (Labour's) motion to support the MP's campaign for an OFT investigation was amended by the leadership to kick it into the long grass of a Policy Commission enquiry by 27 votes to 14 - those against were myself, Deborah Gardiner, Mosdell, Swan, Foster, Stephens, Bowker, Joyce, Bishop, Churchman, Mc Robert, Humby, Knowles and Adams. Again cross party and none."

And that long grass has proved to be pampas-like under the loyal Policy Commission chairmanship of Johnny the Fox-Bond.............as of last month they were still taking 'evidence'. IW Council Tories - as snail-like as ever......

AND THEN THERE WERE 8 - YES EIGHT !

At tonight's Budget Council our Labour amendment (3% increase), inclusive of an amendment we accepted from Cllr Ian Stephens on continuing capital budget slippage, secured EIGHT votes. So that's 2007 - 2; 2008 - 5; and now 2009 - 8. At this rate of increase a Labour budget will be agreed in February 2013.........

Anyway thanks this year to Cllrs Hancock, Joyce and Stephens again for their support a second-year running; and to Cllrs Bishop, Churchman and Humby.

A last minute, fag-packet 'amendment' from the Liberals (see last year) - which wanted to defer budget-making for another 2 weeks until a 'robust and deliverable' budget had been compiled - secured 3 votes - their group leader being absent having been presumably consigned to outer Siberia by his parliamentary candidate for speaking before thinking the other week........

The Conservative proposal for a 3.5% increase in Council Tax - that hammers young people, vulnerable people, and tax payers, and that maintains a County Hall political spin machine at huge public expense - was then voted through by all the 28 Tories present, with 11 votes against - all opposition members present.

WHY WE DO IT......

Last Tuesday I issued for the third successive year on behalf of IW Labour an alternative revenue budget for the IW Council. Once again this alternative is in the public domain well in advance of the Full Council meeting and offers a real alternative to what the Council Tories are proposing. Council finance officer have confirmed that it is a balanced and credible alternative and I hope that we once again get increased support this year.

The other opposition groups - Liberals and independents - have offered nothing so far, which would make it four successive years without anything substantive being offered from those quarters on budgetary matters.

I am asked each year, Why do you do it when you know it will lose ? Deborah and I do it because we feel that being an effective opposition matters in a democracy. Not for us the long sulk of the spurned (aka Island First).

We also do it because we have something to offer. We think offering an alternative budget strategy that does not hammer young people, vulnerable people, and tax payers, that does not maintain a spin machine at huge public expense, is worth doing - and it tells people that whilst Labour may get bad press nationally these days, at a local level there is a living, breathing, and thinking Labour presence that means business. The local Tories know that, which is why they fear us so much to make petty complaints

Having said that getting 6 votes out of 48 next Wednesday would be a success for us this year. It would be one more than last year and would not have depended on 24 non-cabinet Tory sheep steering it through. And you never know this year our Liberal friends might just realise that opposition is a serious business, particularly for those who have serious intentions for the future.

LABOUR COUNCIL BUDGET AMENDMENT - A 'RAINY DAY BUDGET' THAT SAVES ISLANDER'S MONEY

Deborah and I put out the following press release for tomorrow morning:

At the IW Budget Council meeting next week Island Labour councillors will propose a Council Tax increase for this year of 3% ......... 0.5% less than what is proposed by the ruling Conservative administration, and a full 2% below September's RPI on which State Pension increases are based.

The highlights of the Labour Budget amendment (attached), to be proposed by Labour budget spokesperson Cllr Geoff Lumley, are:

1. Reinstatement of £311,000 that the Tories plan to cut from services for people with learning disabilities;

2. Reinstatement of the £128,000 the Tories are planning to cut from the Youth Service;

3. Reinstatement of the £92,000 the Tories are planning to cut from School music lesson subsidies;

4. A £500,000 reduction in the overall efficiency target to help relieve pressure on jobs and a 'no compulsory redundancies' commitment;

5. A £25 increase in the annual Residents Car Park Permit (providing income of £150,000);

6. Cancellation of the expensive and largely unread 'One Island' Council publicity magazine, saving £59,000;

7. Abandonment of the £3/4 million Environment & Neighbourhood Officers scheme, replacing it with a £300k Community Wardens scheme;

8. Doubling the Tory proposals for a reduction in the Councillors Allowances scheme - to £100,000;

9. A £250,000 cutback in the Conservative Council's massively expanded £940,000 Communications operaton;

10. A targeted reduction by 10% in Children's Services Mainland Placements, realising £310,000;

11. Abandonment of Schools Reorganisation, saving £250,000 in extra costs.

Overall these measures will realise £968,000 towards reducing the Council Tax increase and the scale of general efficiencies required.

Labour has also decided that it will for the first time in this 4-year Council propose the use of Council Reserves, in recognition of the impact of the recession on local service delivery. However, rather than using £3.9m as the Tories are proposing, they will reduce this by £250K - to £3.65m - precisely the money saved from abandoning school reorganisation.

Cllr Lumley is likely to say, "Over the last three budgets this Conservative Council have benefited from well above average Government grant settlements and a settled national economy. Even the local Liberal Democrats acknowledge that. At such times sensible people with spare money put plenty aside for the next rainy day. However, this Council has squandered over £20 million of reserves and balances on outside consultants, petty vendettas with senior staff, and shoring up its budgetary incompetence. It now leaves us in the position where we need to use reserves in a limited way in recognition of the recession, though that will leave little room for manoevure the year after next."

He concluded, "For the third year running the Labour Group will have proposed a below inflation increase in Council Tax. The first time we got our own 2 votes, last year we got 5. Maybe this year a few more will come over to our way of thinking, at least in part. The message for June 2009 continues to be 'Island Labour councillors will never be spendthrifts with your money'."

GUILTY, AS DICTATED !

A complaint that I had breached the councillor's code of conduct was made recently. The complaint was about my use of councillor's 'headed paper' for allegedly political purposes. The complaint was made in the last fortnight by the Chairwoman of the IW Conservative Association..........

Under the Council's procedures for standards complaints I was NOT told about this complaint until last Wednesday, AFTER the Standards Committee had considered the complaint and found me guilty. At any minute I half expect the Stasi to break down my front door and hurl me from a ferry into the Solent.

The punishment actually meted out though was to have a Council officer I do not know contact me last Wednesday out of the blue to tell me that they wished to discuss a complaint with me. When I made contact I was advised of the committee's formal decision (no paper copy until Friday) and reminded that I must not use headed paper inappropriately. I thanked the officer for the reminder.

My heinous crime was to introduce myself early last December (by letter on headed paper) to people who will live in the new 'Newport East' ward after June this year. This new ward largely constitutes the ward I currently represent. I guess the offending sentence was, "As a consequence of this Boundary Review, I want to introduce myself to you as the current (Labour) IW Councillor for Pan, who is planning to seek election for Newport East in June 2009. "

I probably am guilty of the breach of code in its strictest sense. However, I object to not having the right to defend myself, to the complaint being formally discussed by people without my knowledge, and to the way the verdict was communicated to me.

I believe that I am a scrupulous councillor in the things that really matter to people. I also believe that I understand what natural justice is and had cause to express my sympathy to a leading Tory councillor 3 years ago after a particularly badly-handled complaint against them.

This has left a very bad taste and I have asked the Labour Group leader to make a formal complaint. I could have kept quiet about it, but I rarely keep silent when anyone has been mistreated - even myself.

PAN: BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT

At the Local Government and Heath Services 'Sustainable Communities' national awards in London last night the Pan Neighbourhood Partnerhip (PNP) was awarded the prize as Best Community Project in the country. This is like winning a BAFTA if you work in these fields of public activity

This was a fantastic award for all those involved - whether it is the small band of PNP staff and their management board members, those in the IW Council responsible for Community Services, the Pan Development Project team, and (not least) the active Pan residents.

The PNP project is now into its fifth year of seven years Government funding for sustainable community development and regeneration. This was evidence that the money has been put to good use over the last 4 years.

As the IW Councillor for Pan and a PNP board member I feel so proud of the excellent work being undertaken within the community.

ALL OVER THE PLACE

The report on the County Press website today pretty much tells us all we need to know about the state of local Liberals:

"SENIOR Liberal Democrats on the Isle of Wight have said they would not raise council tax to protect the 205 jobs under threat at County Hall.
Last week, the County Press reported how LibDem group leader Cllr Garry Price said he would consider putting council tax up by a few pence if it meant the jobs could be saved.
He said it would be his preferred solution to plugging the council’s £8m budget black hole, which has put hundreds of jobs under threat.
However, Lib Dems have now agreed a policy which would rule out any council tax increases. Instead, they would look at cutting consultants, the communications budget and the cost of directors.
(The) Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate said Cllr Price's remarks were more to do with the party’s concern about unemployment on the Isle of Wight."

It will be interesting to see if they come up with an alternative budget this year that tells us exactly how they would fill the Tory black hole.......work on our's continues and it will not lead to an above pension-inflation increase.

SILENCE OF THE SHEEP ?

I have just realised something unusual about last night’s Full Council. Apart from the Chairman and the 5 Cabinet members present, not one of the other 25 Tory councillors opened their mouths. That may not be unusual for most of them, but for someone like Cllr Mazillius – who generally makes Deborah and I look like Trappist monks – that is totally astonishing………

What on earth was going on. Have they been banned by the leadership from speaking for fear of making fools of themselves ? Or have they just got nothing to say……..

TOOTHLESS WATCHDOG

First Full Council for what seemed like ages tonight, though the time is now almost entirely taken up with questioning of Cabinet members - as all decisions are now taken behind closed doors or at Cabinet. I find this a useful time, so it will probably be abolished or reduced in the near future. Sadly few other 'opposition' councillors see questioning as useful apart from Deborah of course, one Liberal and a couple of independents, and the meeting barely lasted much longer than an hour.

A couple of interesting points from my point of view:

1. The Scrutiny Committee Chair has denied Deborah's request for a scrutiny enquiry into local childrens services in the light of the Baby P case, as she has been told by the Chief Exec and Leader that there aren't the 'time and resources' available. And the Scrutiny Chair has accepted this...... Oh, how they must love her ! So councillors have to rely on what they are told by senior officers and the Cabinet member, rather than what they find out for themselves from talking to a wide range of staff and service users through a formal enquiry.......

Leader quote, "We are very happy with what the scrutiny committee has done over the last 18 months". I bet they are.

Scrutiny Chair quote, "I can't get any volunteers from the committee to do enquiries." Because they are mainly Tories who don't want to do effective scrutiny; it was never a problem when the opposition were in the majority when I was Chair in 2006/07......

2. The proposed Pan development is 'no nearer' delivering a capital receipt from developers for the Council than they were last time I asked here - mid-November. They are now actively pursuing getting more Housing Corporation money towards a scheme with more affordable housing than the planned 240 homes. However, that still doesn't get the development started anytime soon.

Apart from that there were a few skirmishes between the only former Liberal Executive (Cabinet) member and the current Council Leader over Council Tax increases between 2001 and 2005 and the current dreadful situation that the Tories have got themselves into. I stayed out of that not wanting to pre-empt what I will be saying next month when I present the Labour alternative budget.

GOOD ON THEM.....

A couple of young Island women have set up a much needed pro-wind turbine group - the Island Turbine Action Group (ITAG).

They can be found at: http://www.islandturbines.co.uk/

They have my support. Its time for young people to speak up about their world, their future.

IN THE FACE OF CYNICISM

Further to my post on 19 Dec 2008 re Petticoat Lane.......

Despite the cynicism expressed by some in response, and in the face of a 6:5 vote (and 1 abstention) by Newport Parish Council on Monday NOT to make representations opposing the Diversion Order, Jackie Hawkins has managed to get 115 representations against this Order - including Age Concern, Voices for Older People, Friends of the Earth, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and Places for People.

The sort of a campaigner I have time for. An optimist who does not want to just look after number one.

£8M TORY CASH CRISIS

Last year this spendthrift Tory Council decided to set a budget that raided our Council Tax Reserves (again) to the tune of £5 million rather than properly tackling the Government’s efficiency target and holding reserves for a very rainy day – as you and I would – and as they would if it was their own money. Instead of £4m of efficiencies – as proposed in the Labour group’s 2008 alternative budget – they set a lower target of £2m and agreed to increase their expenditure on other pet projects.

Consequently they planned to have to find £8 million this year even before the economic downturn fully hit us last summer– a downturn that is denied by one of the increasingly irrelevant Council ‘payroll scrutineers’.

Now the Council Tories are in a position of having to fund an estimated shortfall of £12 million, as a result of the economic downturn. A further £4 million raid on our fast-reducing Reserves brings this down to a still scary £8 million.So an £8 million shortfall looms large over services and staff, with talk of 200 plus job losses and short-time working.

How an opposition group can offer an alternative is a real challenge this year given the mess the Tories have got things into. However, Deborah and I will come up with an alternative as we have at each of the last two budget rounds.

Maybe this year the other opposition party, the Liberals, will come up with their first alternative budget of this Council ?

Whatever, I am very happy to receive suggestions at my private email address – geofflumley@ gmail.com

(updated 21.1.09)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just back from a few days away re-charging my batteries for the next 6 challenging months. My very best wishes for 2009 to everyone.

As usual at this time of year I summarise here the activity on my Blog over the previous 12 months:

This blog has now completed its third complete calendar year - 3 years and 8 months in total. In 2008 I posted 115 times. That's a post every three days ( down a third on last year) and I hope readers still find them reasonably interesting and informative. The evidence suggests they do..........

I had 25,048 page hits throughout the year - a 72% increase on last year - an average of 68 per day;

and 8,882 new visitors to add to the 11,026 I had at the start of the year = 19,908 different visitors over the year - an annual increase of 81%. I suppose I am still providing some sort of service.

PETTICOAT LANE - PLEASE PROTEST

My parish colleague in Newport, Jackie Hawkins, wants people to send in objections to a proposed footpath diversion of Petticoat Lane, which will allow Sainsbury's supermarket to extend. She tells me,

"This is a beautiful walk enjoyed by many people, as well as being a medieval footpath and very much a part of the history of not just Newport but the Island. Indeed it has been included in the Historic Environment Action Plan, which will form a part of the new Island Plan. It is also seen by Rights of Way as a portal into the countryside.

Petticoat Lane in recent years has already seen many changes detrimental to its character; any more changes and it will be beyond recognition.

Sainsburys would like to make the lane 87 metres longer. They try to justify this by reducing the steepness, but the vast majority of the people who regulary use the lane (many elderly. who live nearby) would rather it is left as it is, with the trees and the sound of birds singing. In fact it wouldn't be a lane any longer, it would be nothing more than a pavement no matter what planting they do. The way Sainsburys will maintain their planting is only for visual benefit and not for the benefit of the many species of birds that live in the lane at the present time. And this at a time when we are seeing a decline in what use to be very common birds such as sparrows, starlings and thrushes - all of which are regulary seen here.

Any divertedfootpath will run alongside the proposed extended Foxes Road. So what is now a safe and clean place away from traffic for children, older people and dog walkers to walk along will become dirty, smelly and noisy.

I urge anyone who cares about any of the issues that I have outlined, or any other that may be of concern to you that may be reasons why Sainsburys should not be granted this diversion order, to please write to Alex Russell, Isle of Wight Council, Rights of Way Officer, The Ventnor Costal Centre. Dudley Road, Ventnor. PO38 1EJ. Email - alex.russell@iow.gov.uk We have 28 days to send in our comments - closing date 16th January.

I would very much appreciate it if people would send me a copy of their comments at hawkinsjackie27@googlemail.com. I am also happy to talk to anyone who would like to ring me for more details on this application (Tel 530378).

If there are enough objections then this should result in a public enquiry, which would be held here on the Island and everyone who has written a letter would get the opportunity to speak if they so wished."

I heartily endorse Jackie's plea. This is a beautiful part of our County town that should not be allowed to be destroyed by the expansion plans of a major supermarket.

BY-ELECTION LESSONS

Yesterday the IW Councillor vacancy for Newchurch ward - caused by the death of Brian Mosdell - was won by the LibDem candidate with a slim 12 vote majority over the Tory candidate. This is the first by-election since 2000 that the local Tory by-election machine hasn't won. The last time the LibDems won a by-election was in 2000 in Brading.

What Brading 2000 and yesterday had in common was no Labour candidate. Ever since 2000 Labour has always stood a candidate. However, we decided not to put up a candidate this time as this is a ward we don't normally contest and we wanted to see how it went without us.

Back in the 1990s Labour standing at by-elections made little impact on the LibDem vote - it clearly does now. The result of this by-election is very interesting - and it will give all three main parties on the Island food for thought.........

MERRY XMAS AND A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

To all my readers - my very best wishes for an enjoyable Christmas and hopes for a peaceful new year.

SENSE PREVAILS

Further to my post on 14 November last night Newport Parish Council, on my proposal, REVERSED its decision to take out a lease on a property in Quay Street.

I was against it last month and this time the vote was 10 votes to NIL, with 4 abstentions. On a named vote those councillors in favour of reversal were - the original 5 against taking the lease (me, Coburn, Craven, Hawkins and Smart) plus Flambard, Foster, Reid, Swan and Wilmott. The abstentions were all councillors in favour of the lease - Whittaker, Jones-Evans, Humber and Page. Ball and Downer sent apologies.

At last sense prevailed. We had spent the intervening month grounding the financial implications of a lease in reality and listening to our communities. Even then some seem very happy to spend public money on a building before this new parish council has actually done anything.

Now we can recommence trying to be meaningful............

MAKING A FINE MESS

Last Tuesday I made the trek to Brook for the latest edition of the travelling Cabinet. Seaview last month (which I missed unusually), Brook this month, who knows where next month.........can't they pick a summer's evening for these excursions ?

Once again the Cabinet felt it appropriate to pack the Agenda with EIGHT important decisions for a meeting with just 10 members of the public present.

Just a list of the items on the Agenda will give you a flavour of how important this meeting was for Island Council Tax papers - Revised Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2008/09; Budget Strategy and Capital Programme 2009/10; 14-19 Education Strategy Plan; Strategic Council Accomodation Rationalisation; latest Island Plan document; ICT Services; Quarterly Performance Reports; Change of Procurement Route for Cowes Pathfinder School........

The papers for the meeting were like a phone directory, which doesn't half task anyone who wants to challenge them about the decisions - like me. Perhaps that is why I am invariably the only opposition councillor at these meetings. I asked quite a number of questions about the current and future Budgets, and Performance, but as usual to little avail.

One thing is very clear - this Council is getting itself into a total mess.

ECO WHAT ?

Suspicious person that I am I have attended the last two Board meetings of the Island's Strategic Partnership (ISP), the most recent being last Wednesday. At each I was the only person not invited, though they are supposed to be public meetings. The press don't get along either.

What is it you may ask ? Well it is a gathering of the 'great and good' in the public and voluntary sector - mainly unelected- who are tasked with "developing and making real the island’s Sustainable Community Strategy, called Eco Island" (Constitution).

And how are they getting on with this task ?

Well in the hour or so I was able to stay - 10 minutes having being lost due to the usual late start - the distinct impression I got was 'not very well'. Lots of missed targets it seems (where they are actually being reported), with potential financial consequences for the Island in terms of additional government funding.

Still they are going to be under the glare of the Scrutiny Committee in the future, so that's alright then. But how would some of the unelected Board members react to real scrutiny......

SCHOOL GHOSTS

Went along to the Cabinet meeting tonight that was making the latest decisions on school reorganisation. It was like a Dickension scene with the Ghosts of Education Past (Patrick Joyce and Standards not Tiers) stirring the ashes of old conflicts and 3-tier education, the Ghost of Education Present (the Council leader) going on, and on, and on, and on about what they were proposing to do under 2-tiers - and the Ghost of our children's Education Future yet to be realised.

Apparently the leader's speech was due to last an hour, without the questions, but I had had enough after an hour and three-quarters (7.45pm) and went home for my evening meal. When I last checked Ventnor blog (8.45pm) it is still going on, and on, and on, and on............

On my way out I bumped into someone who had only attended the meeting for the second item on the agenda - next year's Concessionary Fares Scheme. She could not believe that anyone was expected to have to wait for more than 2 hours for an agenda item. I agreed with her and told her to complain to County Hall about the agenda planning tomorrow morning.

NB: Just after 9pm the Cabinet did what they were going to do at the 6pm start - agreed the proposals submitted by the leader of the Council. What on earth were they trying to prove by this charade ?........but I have no idea what happened to the Concessionary Fares paper.........obviously not that important to them !

TALES FROM THE SHEEPFOLD

Full Council last night. Not many there and those that were made me wonder why they bother given their total silence. I suppose that is the price of dumb loyalty, but it must get a little tiresome to have to put up with speeches from the same people in and close to the leadership and the small group of opposition councillors (including me) who contribute. No wonder the Full Council barely gets 10 members of the public present - we always get 15-20 at Newport Parish Council...........

Anyway the biggest debate was on the sudden expulsion from the Council of 'Win Laden' after she hadn't attended meetings for over 6 months. I don't condone that sort of absenteeism, but I do think you should at least get a warning from officers, especially when you are the carer of a sick partner and haven't kept track. However, that cuts no mustard if you aren't in the Tory sheepfold and her expulsion was confirmed by 20 votes to 11, with just 2 of her erstwhile colleagues abstaining (Ward & Arnold).

I was then the only person to argue against the Council's revised plan of polling districts and polling stations for the revised ward boundaries, as I feel they missed an opportunity to make voting more accessible, and preferably away from schools (all of which I had suggested for my own ward). I got the support of 2 Liberals and 1 ex-Liberal, but as so often the sheep voted withouta bleat. Funny how their electoral addresses are full of how they will speak up for their communities until they get into County Hall......

Later on I had my usual enjoyable exchange with the Tory bovver-boy from Kite Hill over how he demands more public funding from central government for things like concessionary fares, when his own party's national 'leadership' has just performed a U-turn and announced it will reduce the current levels of public expenditure should the horror of a Tory government ever befall this country again. Thankfully, I think the people of the UK are waking up to that particular nightmare (cue for anonymous Tory-blog-comments).

FROM LION TO LAMB ?

Although I try not to respond to anonymous comments on this blog, one or two recent ones about me 'turning into a lamb' and' retreating into a corner' in recent times merit a response.

For fans and foes alike I will admit that I have not been as combative over the last 6 months or so about the disgrace that is this Tory IW Council leadership. For three years I hammered away at the IWC administration, but I have felt increasingly that the post-Sept 07 regime was not worth the effort, given their undemocratic tendencies and their foot on the throat of much of the local media (with some very notable exceptions).

Instead I have been focussing my energies on my ward and on Newport as a whole, rather than tilt Don Quixote-like at the arrogant asylum.

However, just because I am not as visible as I once was does not mean that I have given up. Far from it. There are more ways to skin a cat....................

As Arnie said - I will back !

ARE THE LUNATICS IN CHARGE OF THIS ASYLUM ?

Schools reorganisation latest - Weeks to prepare. Lots of fanfare. Press releases. Briefings to all and sundry - except Labour members - and parents.........

BUT the papers still aren't actually available on the website.

£29k FOR NEWPORT PARISH OFFICE ?

The CP today reports on page 5 the debate at the Newport Parish Council meeting last Monday:

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/29000_office_for_parish_2.aspx

As the Chair I feel I need to explain a little more. Newport is one of the four new parishes created last April, after the IW Council said in 2005 they would tax them as if they were parished and some of us said 'no taxation without representation'. So we successfully petitioned for a parish council for the Newport area.

This year's budget, handed down for year one by the IW Council, allowed for accommodation costs of £5000. To date we have not used that as our Clerks work from home and we hold our meetings in venues all around the Newport parish. However, a proposal was made by a parish working party set up to look at potential accommodation needs to take out a lease on a property in Quay Street for 3 years that will cost a minimum £29,000 gross per year; though they expect to get £12,000 pa from sub-letting. So with the actual budget provision taken into account that means an extra cost next year of £12,000 pa.

On Monday the debate around whether to take up those option split between those who want to establish an early presence in the town centre with community access, and those who feel that demonstrating the value of having a parish council should come first. The debate was our most contentious so far and when I called the vote there were 7 in favour (Cllrs Whittaker, Jones-Evans, Ball, Downer, Humber, Page and Reid), 5 against (Cllrs Coburn, Craven, Hawkins, Lumley and Smart) and one abstention (Cllr Flambard). Councillors Foster, Swan and Wilmott had sent their apologies.

ON THE EVE OF THE NEXT SCHOOL PROPOSALS

Just got home from the Downside Middle School Awards Evening. As ever it made me proud to be associated as a governor for so many years - 10 now - with a school that does so much terrific stuff with young people and the local community. Downside is now a two site school, both the Furrlongs (Pan) site and the Kitbridge (Parkhurst) site on Forest Road. There have been some real pressures associated with the merger, but I really think it could work well given time. The guest speaker and awards presenter Alex Dyke also seemed to enjoy himself and hopefully he will 'big it up' it on his radio show tomorrow.

One of the consequences of being at the evening was that I was unable to fit in a County Hall briefing for opposition councillors on the latest proposals for schools re-organisation that go to Cabinet on 24 November. So I won't know what is being proposed until the proposals are in the public domain tomorrow lunchtime.......

Opposition group leaders got notice of this briefing only yesterday afternoon. 'Confusion' was blamed. That is an example of the disregard this Council has for non-Tories.

AT LAST !

Nearly 5 years after some money was first set aside by the IW Council for youth facilities in Pan - as part of the plans to get the community on board for the proposed lucrative Pan development - the new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) behind Downside Middle School is now open (pic), and will formally be opened this Thursday.

£100k was set aside by the then IW Council leadership and it has since been topped up with £300k of Sport England monies; thus delivering a quality facility.

For the last 3 years both PNP and I have been pushing for delivery of this scheme which has taken an inexplicably long time. At last its here, but I hope the community won't have to wait as long for the other promised benefits from the development..... once it actually starts.

STOP GOVERMENT SUPPORT FOR THIS FAILED INSTITUTION !

As Sunderland FC were crushing the Magpies yesterday afternoon it occurred to me - Why is the Government propping up that nearly bankrupt football club ?

Northern Rock was the first bank that the Government decided to bail out, with a full scale 'nationalisation' package. However, is it really appropriate for the Northern Rock brand to be sponsoring Newcastle United FC, particularly sociopaths like Joey Barton ?

SHOPPED BY HOFTON !

Charlotte Hofton was poking fun at me again in the County Press today regarding my non-attendance at the ceremonial starter to Full Council last week,

"The council chamber was packed for this special ceremony. There were lots of councillors, though not, of course, Cllr Geoff Lumley, who was probably down at the working men's club reading his copy of Tribune, in proletariat protest at all this flummery.

Cllr Lumley would not have liked the ceremony. Apart from the councillors, the Rent-a-Nob pack was out in force, with the seats around the chamber and in the public gallery full of the Island's finest."

I love it ! She has my approach to these ceremonies spot on, though I haven't read Tribune in quite some time. And I wasn't the only one not there.......

THANKS BRIAN MOSDELL - R.I.P.

Last night I made my latest visit to Brian Mosdell in the hospice, but learnt from the staff on arrival that he had taken a turn for the worse. This morning he died. Like many who knew him I feel very sad.

I got to know Brian well after the 2005 Council elections, and particularly during our Scrutiny investigation into Wightcare during 2006, when that wonderful Council service was under threat of privatisation. Deborah and I guessed he would be a hard-faced Tory about it, but he proved to be a man of great compassion and integrity, who knew the value of a public service not just the price.

When he stood down from the Council Tory Group in the summer of 2007 I was not surprised. He was far too 'One Nation', too much of a democrat, for that bunch. He was to remain estranged from the party he had been a member of for many, many years due to his active opposition to the Tory Education Betrayal.

I am pleased that I got to know Brian over the last three and a half years. We didn't often agree, but we disagreed with mutual respect and a great deal of humour.

My heartfelt condolences to his widow Shirley and the rest of his family.

SHANKLIN TORY SHENANIGANS

Word has it that the remaining Tories who have been subject to the Standards enquiry into a planning application for over a year now - Sutton, Bishop, Churchman and Peacey-Wilcox are being barred from being selected as Tory candidates for next year's local elections until the enquiry is over. As that is apparently being strung out by 'unnamed persons', that would mean that it will not be concluded until after the elections next June.

All very convenient for two Shanklin incumbents, a town where three wards will become two next year under boundary changes. Barring Bishop from selection will give them - Pugh and Williams - a potentially free run, subject of course to the local party members.......... Bishop has never left the Tory party, just the Council Tory group, and is currently Chairman of Shanklin Conservatives.............

ISLAND TORIES, IT'S NOT POCKET MONEY...........

At last night's dreary Full Council - all the business over in 55 minutes, probably because Deborah and I weren't much in the mood for battle - I asked the Cabinet member for Schools if he knew anything about a projected major overspend on the new Cowes Secondary School pathfinder. This is the school where the government has given the Council £32m, they had to contribute £1.5m, and in June they had to up that a further £2.5m - see my blog of 18 June.

He claimed not to know anything though we have been reliably been informed that the projected cost is now in the £40 millions. Still we will find out whether our information is correct as we have asked the Schools Minister to look into it in the public interest.

ISLAND TORIES, STAB IN THE BACK

Tomorrow night at Full Council the Tory Council leader plans to take away the Council's Local Government Association (LGA) position held by his predecessor for the past three and a half years.

Does he know something we don't, I wonder ????????

ELECTION LESSON

Last Thursday's by-election to the IW Council - with an annual budget of £325 million that touches everybody's life - secured a turnout of 32%.

On Friday a by-election for a Resident Member of the Pan Neighbourhood Partnership (PNP) Board - with a Government budget of less than £400,000 pa for 7 years, that is making real and positive changes to the lives of many Pan resident's - secured a turnout of 31%.

The PNP election was entirely postal. Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt here ?

POOR SOD

Back in 2003, two years before my success in Pan, I lost an IW Council by-election in Newport North by 32 votes on the day the allied forces were occupying Baghdad as part of the massively unpopular invasion of Iraq. I felt like the unluckiest Labour candidate in history, especially when I always opposed that war.

However, the last month has seen my 'unluckiest candidate' crown taken over by the Labour candidate in the Mount Joy by-election, Steve Cooper. For the last month he has seen the world economy crumble around his ears thanks to the greed and incompetence of banker cretins in the USA , UK and elsewhere, who have now taken state bail outs from governments who have still taken all the blame for the crash - whether Labour - or Republican.

Tonight Steve reaped the tail end of the worldwind at the vote counting. Although Labour clearly did not expect to win we expected to poll our usual 15-20% in this ward when the by-election was declared back in August. Sadly our vote crumbled to just 38, or 6%, tonight as the reality of our doorstep experiences over the last couple of weeks hit home.

The Tory won - with 45% of the vote - which tells you everything you need to know about what Islanders are currently thinking about political parties. The Liberals got 25% and the Independent (no school changes) candidate got 24%.

ISLAND TORIES, WASTING OUR MONEY

The following article in the Sunday Telegraph this week reminds us of how Tories govern - by feathering the nests of the few, at the expense of the many:

"When Joe Duckworth resigned as chief executive of Isle of Wight Council to take on the best-paid job in local government at Newham, his decision to leave after less than two years in the post surprised and angered many on the island.

Mr Duckworth had promised to turn around the Isle of Wight's fortunes when he arrived there in 2006.

But the island council, which had been awarded only two out of four stars in the Audit Commission's annual quality ratings for 2005 and 2006, received the same low grade again in the 2007 ratings published earlier this year.

A two star rating is defined as "only at minimum requirements". Only one in six councils has a rating of two stars or lower.

In its report for 2007, published this year, the Audit Commission said Isle of Wight Council was "improving well" overall, but also found that it was the only council in England which had worsened over the course of the year in the key performance area of "financial standing".

Mr Duckworth, a father-of-three and a keen mountain biker and surfer, has worked in local government since 1991, with previous stints at York, Surrey, Hackney and City of Westminster.

He was paid £150,000 a year as boss of Isle of Wight Council, far above his predecessor who received only just over £80,000 a year. His policies included striving to turn the island into an "Eco Isle". But he appears to have alienated some local councillors.

"His departure sparked very mixed feelings," said one councillor who asked not to be named. "People were very cross with him because he achieved very little. But at the same time there was a collective sigh of relief that he was leaving.

"When he arrived we were a two-star council, and we are still a two-star council now he has gone."

Critics on the island claim his time in office was marked by expensive pipe dreams and low morale at the town hall. His personal manner and communication skills were not to everyone's liking.

One female councillor, who asked not to be named, said: "He swore like a trooper, stamped his feet a lot and shouted. You wouldn't think of it when you first met him, but that was the way he operated.

"A lot of people used to complain about that, but they were too scared to complain to his face. There was a real atmosphere of fear at the council."

Mr Duckworth dismissed the complaints about swearing as sour grapes. He said he had curtailed his use of bad language after the matter was raised with him on the Isle of Wight"

MOUNT JOY VOTERS - DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY

On Thursday there is a by-election for an IW Council vacancy in the Mount Joy ward in Newport. The Labour candidate STEVE COOPER is a resident of Ventnor, but if that is important to you you should also know that he works in Newport at the IW College and has many connections in our town.

Island Labour didn't ask him to be our candidate because we were desperate, as theTories seem to have been judging by their campaign literature. We selected him as candidate because we know what an excellent councillor he would be for local people.

I hope that he does well on Thursday and is able to join the most effective opposition Group at County Hall.

(posted and published by Geoff Lumley on behalf of Steve Cooper, both c/o 30 Fairlee Road, Newport, IW)

NEW TORIES, STILL NOT TRUSTED

Lets throw the gang of Tory, but anonymous, blog parasites (one pictured left) who lurk on my open comments facility a little more red meat !

In the Independent today they report the following from an opinion poll they commissioned,

'Gordon Brown is seen as the "best in a crisis" of the two main party leaders by 43 per cent of people, with 33 per cent opting for David Cameron. Mr Brown (43 per cent) is more trusted on the economy, while 33 per cent trust Mr Cameron most.'

ISLAND TORIES, FACING DANGER

I went along to the Standards Not Tiers public meeting on Monday night. It was a very interesting meeting and confirmed that the Council decision of 19 March on schools reorganisation won't be left unchallenged. I won't go into all the details, but SNT are preparing a serious legal challenge to the planned reorganisation - and if that fails are planning to contest the elections to the IW Council next May/June with more than 20 supporting candidates claimed so far.

Given that they are likely to stand primarily against local Tories who reneged on their election promises of 2005, it could be that just at the time the British people may be having collective amnesia about the dangers of Tories at a national election, the good people of the Isle of Wight could be kicking the Tories out here for being what they always are - dishonest b***ds !

NEW TORIES, SAME DANGER

The Tories tactics of marginalising Full Council continues unabated. By not putting any significant decisions on the agenda the Tories have effectively neutered real debate at Full Council. Consequently the Full Council tonight was again very light on attendance with one-third of councillors missing, and all wrapped up after 90 minutes. Real decision-making now takes place at Cabinet, though only Labour seems to have realised that over the last year or so, which is why I am usually the only opposition councillor at their meetings.

As for tonight's agenda - well presentation of the annual Public Health Report is hardly likely to stimulate debate. Everyone thinks it is a wonderful report and only so many people can reasonably say so without it getting very boring. Indeed the two Liberals in the public gallery obviously found it so as they slipped off very early after asking their opportunist questions about traffic in Newport and free swimming. Two issues already pretty much flogged to death by myself.....

We then saw a loyal Tory given an extra job 'championing children' after supporting the planned closure of his local primary school.

After that it was questions to Cabinet members. This was roughly a balance between:

my asking distinctly unfriendly questions about-

• the imperilled budget delivery, with £10m less reserves to raid
• continuing planning process failures
• and persistent non-delivery of affordable housing over the last 3 years;
  

one 'Independent' asking a mixture of friendly and neutral questions;

and Tories standing up and saying "Will the Cabinet Member agree with me that everything in the Tory Island garden is as Eden before man's fall", or something similar.

I can assure them it is not and hopefully they will learn that lesson next Spring. One thing we are seeing on the Island is that it may all be 'new Cameron, new Tories' at a national level, but here we see the reality:

new Tories, same danger

RETURN OF THE 'MIDNIGHT RUNNER' !

or, SEARCHING FOR THE YOUNG LIBERAL REBEL:

Back in the 1993 IW County Council elections, the current IW councillor for Carisbrooke West Barbara Foster (standing for the last time as a Tory) was beaten at the elections by a Liberal Democrat.

This Liberal then spent 2 years as the County Councillor most notable for his absences from County Hall and became known as Dixcey's Midnight Runner. After 2 years of mainly inattendance he dropped out at the 1995 unitary IW Council elections, allowing Barbara to re-claim the ward as an 'Independent'.

So it was to much jollity and astonishment that we today learnt that this same ex-Liberal is to be the Conservative candidate at the upcoming Mount Joy by-election. No wonder there was a major fall-out amongst Newport Tories last week (see County Press, 5.9.08) if this was the candidate that some preferred. Its like holding up the white flag and saying, "but chaps, Roger won't hang around beyond next May even if by some miracle he does win".

And as we in Labour always say - there's no such thing as a Liberal with principles. More evidence here if it was needed.......

CAN I SUPPORT PAN DEVELOPMENT ?

So the IWC Cabinet last night agreed the Financial Agreement with Miller Homes for the Pan Development. No surprise there then.

However, I have a number of continuing worries that I raised at the meeting:

1. There is no guarantee that there will be the additional affordable homes to bring the % on the development up to the 30% the Council leadership claims to aspire to - which in itself isn't enough. They remain fixed on 24%;

2. There is no written guarantee that a future IW Council will maintain the £1 million for community provision on Pan from the capital receipts they will receive for selling this land;

3. There is no written guarantee that the developer's £3.7m for Highways works will be spent by the Council on Newport roads.

I did NOT get any satisfactory responses from the Cabinet to these concerns. Until I do, I do not feel that I can support the development. However, I am hopeful they will be forthcoming.......

ARROGANT & RUDE

I see the IW Council is now issuing press releases about my ward without at least giving me the courtesy of having what I think ruled out as unacceptable !

http://www.iwight.com/home/pressReleases/frmView.aspx?prId=369

I suppose that at least they are saving time arguing with me.......

Anyway what I think about their Financial Agreement with Miller Homes for the Pan Development will be posted here after tomorrow night's Cabinet meeting.

COUNCIL TO REJECT £200K GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR FREE SWIMMING

In just about the most churlish Cabinet paper it has been my misfortune to read over the last 3 years, next week's Council Cabinet is planning to reject nearly £200,000 of Government funding under its new free swimming programme for the over 60s and under 16s.

The Government is offering a mix of revenue support and capital monies, but taking up the offer would cost the Council an estimated £110,000 per annum. The Cabinet paper considers this to be too much - and this from a Council leadership that has happily lined the pockets of solicitors and outside consultants to a quite obscene level in the last 3 years. Instead they go on about their One Card, which they claim has a 'hugely popular' takeup of 4000. Just 3% of the Island's population. Most people have never heard of it.

This Council should be ashamed of itself if it approves this nasty and niggardly paper next week.