A VERY SINGULAR LIB DEM

As suggested earlier, Garry Price is on his own. His Lib Dem colleagues are not joining him. As I said before personal political promotion came before the personal and principle.

LIBDEM - SINGULAR LACK OF PRINCIPLE

Back in operation today after a break - though I did attend another Care & Health Policy Commission on 24th - to find out that the Tories have got a new Chair for their 'opposition' Scrutiny Committee. It is Cllr Garry Price (Parkhurst ward), a LibDem, who was a member of the previous Scrutiny Committee and was the one opposition member who did not resign or refuse the later offer from the Tories to join - probably because he hasn't attended any Council meetings since 18 May, for 'business reasons'. He gave the same reason when he stood down as LibDem group leader after just one month.

Garry Price is well-known for his ambition - some say he is interested in being the next LibDem IW parliamentary candidate - so clearly personal political promotion is more important than his business or the principle his LibDem Council colleagues were defending back in July - his colleagues Adams and Knowles DID resign and Bowker supported them.

Will be interesting to see if they return to the Scrutiny Committee - Price claims he has their support, but we will see.

It is particularly surprising that the Leader of the Council has claimed that Cllr Price’'s appointment will lead to effective scrutiny, having spent most of the previous four years castigating the way it was undertaken by the former ‘'Island First'’ Select Committee Chair’s, of which Cllr Price was one.

So long as the ruling Tories at County Hall intend to dictate to the opposition how to run the Scrutiny function, neither Cllr Deborah Gardiner nor myself will take part. However, we will continue to hold the Tories to account on behalf of our constituents and all Islanders by effective use of the Full Council meetings and the media.

STILL UNHEALTHY

Excellent Care Trust & Health Scrutiny Commission meeting tonight. Well attended by members of the public and lots of media interest - about 100 there in total. MP also there. Health Trust CX given a fair grilling by councillors and public, but in the main got us not very far - some movement on mental health bed closures. One Tory councillor calling for Trust CX's head, but the Tory commission members had agreed beforehand not to personalise the meeting. The CX gave a fair account of himself, but we have heard it all before. I asked about the sustainability of the financial recovery plan, whether we can trust them to deliver financial balance, the safety of our future health services, future accountability of health to the IW public, absence of delivery alternatives in the recovery plan, and the position of staff threatened with losing their posts. Lots of re-assuring words, which I will remind them of at a later stage if necessary. Leader of Council undertook to deliver a Patient Travel Scheme within lifetime of this Council. My 17.5 year old son observed from the gallery and was unimpressed with his first experience of a public engagement with local government and our health services.

UNHEALTHY BUSINESS contd....

Looks like next Tuesday's Care & Health Scrutiny Commission is going to be very interesting - starts 6pm at County Hall. County Press is full of articles and letters criticising the financial recovery plans announced by the local NHS Trusts 2 weeks ago. Our Tory MP is, as usual, putting himself about on a populist issue. That's how he increased his majority. Of course I am a full member of this Commission, so will have plenty of opportunity to state the obvious - the local health managers couldn't run a booze-up up in a brewery. With record levels of health funding from government, what on earth are they doing ? And the Council Tories want to be integrated with them........almost beyond belief. I thought they were all 'business' minded ? Perhaps in Gate Gourmet !

Have found myself on the organising committee for a 2006 Pan in Bloom competition. Of course it is an excellent community initiative, but there is a certain irony in my involvement.......I can't
tell a weed from a flower !

After Tuesday I am going to be taking a couple of week's break. I will still keep the few pre-booked engagements I have, but apart from that I am going to have a rest. Consequently there may be no posts here until September. Enjoy the rest of the summer.....

KEEP 'WIGHTBUS' PUBLIC

On Wednesday the Policy Commission for Economy, Tourism, Regeneration and Transport will be considering the value for money provided by Wightbus - the Council's in-house fleet of buses and coaches.

Having just read the briefing from the Council's Transport Manager, I am astonished to learn how effective this arm of the Council is. Apart from ensuring comprehensive coverage for school bus journeys (particularly for children with special educational needs) and providing public services that Southern Vectis are not interested in (even with a subsidy) they also have a balanced turnover of £1.5 million per year !

This is a success story in my view, and one that should be retained as a Council provided public service

INTERESTING ? CENSORING ? IMPROVING?

The Newport Business Forum (editor) has described me as ' the most interesting' of Newport's councillors in their weekly web updates ? Don't know whether to be flattered or wary!

They also wonder why third-party comments to my posts on this blog are not displayed and suggests that I may be 'monitoring' them - for which read censoring. Well I'm no expert in information technology (just someone not afraid to try things in an attempt to make good communication central to what I do) , but when I click 'comments' under each of my blog posts I can read them (where they exist) and friends tell me they can too. I can assure everyone who may look at this blog - and it is publicised in my ward newsletters, on my headed paper, and on my official Council webpage - that nothing will ever be censored, unless really offensive to readers. What I am more concerned about is increasing awareness of my site, so that all can participate. So thanks to NBP for the plug anyway ! Hope to see more comment soon......

Finally last night the Policy Commission for Children & School Results agreed to recommend to the Cabinet the delayed School Improvement Programme, for implementation from 1st September. This was promised by the new administration to address widespread concerns about student attainment in IW schools - which the last Council was going to address by abolishing middle schools. The programme that has been agreed is entirely practical and they do seem to have listened to various interested parties. The actual delivery of the programme is what needs to be watched now. I will certainly do that........

SHUTDOWN

It seems as if the Council will be shutting down for August ! The Full Council meeting has been cancelled, as have the two scheduled Cabinet meetings. So much for democratic accountability. Policy Commissions seem to be going ahead at present and I will attend the Children & School results one on Wednesday, which will be putting together the long-awaited School Improvement Programme. I am still awaiting a date for a special Health Scrutiny Policy Commission meeting to review the financial recovery plan.........

Talking about Scrutiny - there has been no compromise from the leadership over the Scutiny Committee. So overall scrutiny on this Council is dead for the present. It won't look good for them when outside inspectors discover this.

Have spent the time chasing Highways about loads of outstanding issues - speed of traffic on Furrlongs and Robin Hood Street being just one - and Planning matters. You seem to have to keep chasing everything !

Really enjoyed the Pan 'Well Fun Day' on Saturday. I was there all morning and was very impressed by the hard work that had been put into it, especially by locals. I have decided to join the Pan Samba band in September.........