UNCLE JOE ALIVE & WELL

The trouble with old lefties like me is that we quickly spot a Stalinesque attempt at censorship. Of course 'Uncle Joe' had more in common with the right than the left.

A new 'Communications Protocol' was published today for agreement by the Cabinet next week. If one was to adhere entirely to its strictures opposition members would never again speak to the media. Of course that is its intention.........

If (?) it is agreed I will interpret it loosely. No doubt this will get me into further trouble. However, freedom of speech was only ever won from the Tories by fighting for it !

LIB DEMS ELSEWHERE

Not often I take this blog off-Island, but this is almost beyond belief:

At a full meeting of Burnley Council on December 13th 2006 a position on a local regeneration board came up for renewal. When it came to the vote, there was a choice of only two candidates - a BNP Councillor or a Labour Councillor. The casting vote rested with the Lib Dem controlling group and they backed... the BNP councillor!

Indeed in a letter to the local paper a local Lib Dem Councillor declared that in his view he backed the 'better candidate.' Really? A person who stands on a platform of bigotry, racism and prejudice is, in the view of Lib Dems, a 'better candidate'.

TOO BUSY TO BLOG

Yes, even I find it difficult to find time to blog sometimes, but I have to be at home today so can take the opportunity.

Tuesday was PNP Board where I was pleased to help agree the budget for the 2007/08 Delivery Plan. Some really good stuff planned for next year as the pathfinder programme enters its third year.

Wednesday I had meetings all day culminating in an informal meeting of the Policy Commission for Care, Housing, etc to finalise a 'Blue Paper' on Affordable Housing policy. I had plenty to say - when don't I ? - and remain sceptical of some of its proposals. It will be published on 15 Feb. I also went along to the IW Cycle Forum in the afternoon representing Newport TMC, where I heard about some potentially exciting route developments.

Yesterday I did Extra Extra on Solent TV, which was fun. A better balanced panel than last week and we had a lively debate about policing.

Later I was told that the Tories are going to take away the Blackberry I have had for three months - the only IT thing I have had to help me in my role since I was elected, and particularly since I became Scrutiny Chair, that was any good to me. 18 Tories are allowed them - from the toilet supremo to the farmer, but not one opposition member. Political discrimination, and very petty.

Later there was the much anticipated Policy Commission for Children etc, which agreed its much-trailed Blue Paper on 14-19 Education WITHOUT making a recommendation to Cabinet as to which of the 5 options they supported. Deborah asked about where the idea of a single Trust for High Schools came from and was told it came out in an evidence session last year from the Chamber of Commerce. Everyone I know who was there does not recall that.....Deborah and I have decided we will oppose any further disruption to the school system and the staff on the IW, but this will ultimately go to further public consultation.

GHOSTS OF THE PAST

As I wanted to know what it was like since they started it again and I will be on it next week, I caught 'Extra Extra' on our local community TV last night. I was very disappointed to find that of the 3 councillors appearing they had on an independent who was once a Tory, a Tory who had a spell as an independent, and an independent who now generally supports the Tories. Indeed ALL three were members of the Island First junta that ran the IW Council 2001-05 at some time or another! Not very balanced - though given that they are now in bed with Murdoch maybe I am not that surprised !

RAIN DANCING TORY

First Scrutiny Committee of the year last evening. A fairly light agenda to get us started, but still well attended. Many there for our early look at the effectiveness of planning enforcement. The new Cabinet Member gave lost of assurances in his asured performance, which we will monitor the progress of over the next few months. This is an issue that clearly taxes the people from town and parish councils.

Also took evidence from the Chamber of Commerce and the Quality Transport Partnership in our enquiry review of Car Parking policy. The Chamber think policy is generally going in the right direction (£50 permit etc); the QTP Chair was a little more concerned about environmental consequences of making car usage easier. What a breath of fresh air he was - a successful local businessman with a keen interest in the bigger picture.

At the end I questioned the credibilty of the latest Forward Plan of future decisions - an important document for effective scrutiny - which pretends that EIGHT major decisions will be dealt with by the 21 March Full Council.

I wrapped up by crediting Cllr Mosdell with securing the lifting of the hosepipe ban after an intensive programme of rain-dancing since Southern water came to our committee meeting back in July. !

MYSTERY OF COUNCIL'S SIXTH FORM PLANS

For the last two days the Tories have been preparing the Council - except the Labour Group - for their Options Paper on 6th form Education. I eventually grabbed a quick brief from the Commissioner this pm and was told - as has everyone - the paper would be out at 5pm today.

Got back from Scrutiny Committee tonight - more of that later - to find that nothing has yet been published, and phone/email complaints from people who have been expecting it.

No doubt the Tories will still wish to railroad this through their policy commission next week without due notice. They will probably then change the rules about publication at the next Full Council.

PROVIDING THE ONLY OPPOSITION

Full Council last night. First 45 minutes was a debate on a Tory motion criticising the Government for only funding Police Community Support Officers across the UK to the level that the Association of Police Authorities (Hants Constabulary are a member of that association) and Assoc. of Chief Police Officers wanted - which is a reduction by a third nationally, in Hants, and in the IW, from what the government originally suggested last year. Deborah and I opposed this motion as it is nonsense for the IW Council to be setting itself up as an expert on these matters, when the professionals know better. Of course we are now accused of being advocates for mayhem on our streets and I will require police protection wherever I go in future ! It doesn't seem to have ocurred to them that if they are so unhappy they could employ extra Community Wardens out of their generous government grant settlement; as so effectively deployed by the Council in Ryde and by PNP in Pan.

After that was my motion attempting to stop them politicising the Council publications, which they are already doing in contradiction of our own constitution. Of course it went down with only Cllr Stephens supporting us. Later they agreed constitutional changes that will allow that increased politicisation in the future, as well as removing a number of other democratic tenets which had the elected member at the heart of the Council.

Later the Councillor for Ventnor East was appointed as the Commissioner for the Economy, Transport, etc - as accurately predicted by this blog at the time of the previous incumbents promotion to the Cabinet.

That was about it. One comment I would make is that it is becoming increasingly evident that only Deborah and I provide any opposition at all to the Tories in this Council. The independents are tied into a cycle of support for the Tories or abstention, and the LibDems are biding their time in the futile hope that the electorate will forgive them at the next elections.

SURPRISE QUESTION !

Who Chairs the only Council or town/village management committee on the IW that is likely to agree a 0% increase in its budget for next year ?

I can hardly believe it myself ! I could show these profligate local Tories a thing or two.......2.5% this year, 3+% next year.......

NO ACCEPTANCE OF SCRUTINY REPORT

The Scrutiny Committee's recommendation from our December meeting has been rejected by the Cabinet member. It related to the need for more consultation with business before implementation of the controversial Constructionline decision. The Cabinet member thinks she has done enough.

ABDICATING RESPONSIBILITY: THE ABSENT LIB DEMS

I went along to the Audit & Performance Committee for the first time this evening. This is a committee that I see as Scrutiny's sister, though it is Tory controlled. Labour has no place on this committee, though we have offered to take the LibDem place on the committee since they haven't bothered for some months. However, it seems they prefer to leave an opposition place empty rather than let Labour do it. I don't blame them given their general ineffectiveness in opposition these past nearly two years. Only their 'leader' gets involved in anything in the Council - and that is helping the Tories produce their policies rather than holding them to account.

All a great pity really as tonight's meeting was a superb opportunity to question Cabinet members about service performance, which the Tory members are clearly not going to do too sparkily - or they get their whips after them. I was champing at the bit, but left after an hour as it is clearly not a forum for non-members of the committee. Shame.

Full Council tomorrow - oh joy ! I wonder what new incompetence I will have to endure from the Chairman tomorrow or what personal abuse will be heaped on me by the leadership.....

MP DOING WELL

Mary and I went to visit the Island's MP in hospital on Wednesday evening. Political differences are immaterial when someone has been as ill as Andrew, and when you like someone anyway. Additionally Mary and I have known Carole and Andrew for most of the last decade.

Anyway I was delighted to find him doing much better than I had anticipated. We had a good laugh and conversation and I hope it helped lift his spririts for at least a little while. Obviously he still has some way to go on the road to full health, but I personally feel he has real cause for optimism.

TORIES LISTEN TO TOURISM

Cabinet in Wootton tonight. Tourism paper agreed with no fuss from the trade, thanks to the assurances they got about ongoing consultations.

Meeting well-attended by Wootton residents - about 15 - plus about 10 tourist trade people. Given that the Wootton venue wasn't well-publicised, I was impressed with that. Of course you have to be 'in the know' to know when the meeting is in your village ! I didn't make Freshwater or Brading last year, but this one was far better attended than the Sandown one in December.

One interesting development tonight was the way one Director unusually sat at the Cabinet table and answered public questions on behalf of Cabinet members. I would be ashamed ! They will be accountable at Scrutiny Committee next.......

TORIES TROUBLING TOURISM TRADE

Tomorrow's first Cabinet of the year will consider a policy paper on "Transforming Tourism and Economic Development". This is a long awaited paper and seems to still be ruffling feathers in the trade itself despite the many months since the relevant Policy Commission was considering and agreeing its own 'blue' policy paper.

What has become clear to me today is that since the tourism trade got wind of this Cabinet paper they have been quite concerned about what is proposed within it. I trust this won't be another example of the Cabinet pushing ahead with something without taking Island business with them. I suspect that Scrutiny may have to get involved if that is the case....

SLOWLY BACK TO FULL THROTTLE

The week after the winter break is always a time when it seems to be very hard to get going again! Nonetheless, I was back in action from Wednesday when I attended as a governor a development day at Downside Middle and left feeling that something is definitely bubbling there these days.

Yesterday I spent getting Scrutiny back into gear, with a number of our important enquiries due to conclude in the next couple of months, and quite a number of new enquiries added to the work programme for commencment as soon as we have the time. The problem is that we are so shorthanded as we are now down to 8 after the resignation of one of our lay people - hopefully to be replaced soon - and the continuing refusal of the Liberal Democrats to help hold this administration to account.

Indeed when you look at it the 2 Labour councillors each have membership of two formal committees/commissions = a factor of 2; the 4 Independents have 5 committee memberships between them = a factor of 1.25; and the 5 Liberals have 4 committee memberships between them = a factor of 0.8 (and their Leader has 3 of them!).

Who really tries to provide opposition on this Council ?