Curly's Corner Shop, the blog!

£163m removed from South Tyneside in June

Lord High Everything Mandelson has instructed Brown to go on the attack over Tory plans to restrict public spending, the mantra is repeated ad nauseam at consecutive Prime Minister’s Questions each Wednesday in the House of Commons (a place where the de facto leader has no seat), Mandy tells Brown to carry on borrowing and spending even though the public purse is empty. He tells Gordon to trot out the line that we are “well placed” for recovery, even though international institutions strongly disagree, yet all the while Labour is quietly starting to prune expenditure, quietly in their heartlands.

They treat their supporters with cynical contempt hoping that they will continue to vote for any monkey wearing a red rosette, already in June South Tyneside, which returns two Labour MPs including the Foreign Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband, has had £163m of “investment” removed from it’s economy. A new £102m college has been shelved for two years, a plan which will probably not now see the light of day again, and now we learn that a £41m redevelopment plan for Testos roundabout on the A19 which would help improve the flow of traffic for the new Tyne Tunnel has had it’s funding withdrawn.

Trevor Jackson, managing director of TT2 Ltd, which operates the tunnel, said:

“Whichever regime is in charge, there will probably have to be cuts. I’m not aware of the issues surrounding Testo’s roundabout, but certainly, we need improvement schemes at that and other road junctions.”

Jackson realises the truth, Conservative leader David Cameron recognises the extent of the problems lying ahead, the public understands the tough decisions that will have to be faced, yet Mandelson and Brown seem to be living in cloud cuckoo land where they can spend, spend, spend with total abandonment of reality. We’ve known for long enough that the NuLabour experiment has ran out of cash and that the UK PLC is over it’s head in debts, so when will these two wake up to the truth, and when will they stop this wicked deceit and outright lies over the “cuts” vs “investments” argument?

Cameron was forthright in his arguments yesterday:

“The cupboard is bare. Tough decisions have to be made. Cuts can’t be avoided. It doesn’t sound easy on the ear but the public must have the truth,” said Mr Cameron.

“That would be the worst of it: you go into an election pretending you are not going to have to make spending reductions, then you have to make them, and then you really do have riots on the streets because people do not have faith in their politicians.”

One wonders whether those constituencies throughout the country which are considered “marginal” are having their investments cut?

I’d be interested in compiling a list of public spending plans which have been shelved, posponed, withdrawn, reduced, or to put it bluntly cut by Labour in the past few weeks as they continue to lie to the public about public spending. If you are reading this please drop a comment with your examples and let me know if your area is red, blue, or marginal.

Let’s not allow Mandelson and Brown to get away with these lies and deceits!

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How best to treat your constituents

Twitter is such a wonderful way to share your thoughts with the world, a way that some local councillors around the UK have decided is beneficial for “engaging their constituents”. A useful tool for public (or private) two way communication, it really cannot be bettered – unless you try something arcane and daft like, say, Facebook or email yay! It allows you to “get down wiv de kidz” and and be really connected in a digital sort of way.

So if you live in or around South Tyneside you might like to join in and see what some of your local councillors get up to.

There are some interesting conversations going on here, which were followed by

this, then this, and this,

followed by a response

then a riposte

and another

all very engaging no?

I find Twitter to be very interesting in many ways, either as an access to breaking news and opinions as they happen on the street, or salacious gossiping, or as a semi news reader for those regularly updating their blogs. If you are a political type who blogs, what do you get out of Twitter?

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Will it be a Muslim or Jehovah’s Witness affair?

For a concise, and somewhat witty, reading of the matter (as the world’s media continues it’s Princess Diana syndrome moment) go take a look at Cranmer’s post.

I’m still smirking at his tongue in theological cheek manner.

Thing is, if he is not to be cremated, the casket will need to be huge just to accommodate a few of his favourite toys.

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Prince of Darkness in FT interview

Notwithstanding the fact that Britain is broke, the de facto leader of the country Lord Mandelson has told the Financial Times that his party will outspend and out reform the Conservative Party in an effort to put Gordon Brown back in Downing Street after the next election.

“The worst is behind us,” he said. “The fall in demand, market activity and reduction in bank lending is now bottoming out. These are encouraging signs.”

Just where is the evidence for this poppycock? Labour’s past two Chancellors, Darling and Brown have failed miserably in their Treasury forecasts, and yet somehow Mandelson expects us to believe the hype again.

He said the forecasts of Alistair Darling, chancellor, of a return to growth this year were “on target”, but then goes on to say:

“We will have a better picture of likely growth rates and whether we have resumed the trend rate of growth, but that will probably be too early for any spending review to take place, and not necessary, because the current round continues until 2011″

Regardless of the fact that the comprehensive departmental spending review is being delayed he clearly has no clear picture at all whether or not targets will be achieved!

Mandy also suggests that the planned shake up of the Royal Mail may be put on hold because he is being “jostled for space” in the legislative programme. What hogwash Your Highness Lord High Almighty Everything, you are dropping it because backbench Labour MPs are implacably opposed to it!

Just as many of us suspect, a Mandelson stiffened NuLabour would carry on the spending and debt binge to keep Brown in No. 10, the insurance being (should the strategy fail)  an incoming Tory government would be completely hamstrung by the economic mess.

To say this is a cynical strategy might be the biggest understatement of the year. A resounding manifestation of party first, public second, in a forlorn effort to keep his puppet dancing on a string.

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Was the South Tyneside Independent Leader Hecate?

When she was a girl enjoying her education at South Shields Grammar School for Girls, the now Leader of the South Tyneside Independent Alliance group of councillors, Jane Branley, liked nothing better than to steep herself in drama – not much has changed since then.

One of her best remembered roles was as one of the three witches in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, who although unnamed by the Bard became popularly known in some circles as Darkness, Chaos, and Conflict, and some say their leader was called Hecate. I wonder which witch was which, and which witch was Jane?

Shakespeare gave them roles as agents and their presence indicated impending doom!

During Shakespeare’s day, witches were seen as worse than rebels, “the most notorious traytor and rebell that can be.” They were not only political traitors, but spiritual traitors as well. They defy logic, not being subject to the rules of the real world.

The witches’ lines in the first act: “Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air” are often said to set the tone for the remainder of the play by establishing a sense of confusion. Indeed, the play is filled with situations in which evil is depicted as good, while good is rendered evil. The line “Double, double toil and trouble,”  communicates the witches’ intent clearly: they seek to only trouble for the mortals around them. Shakespeare’s principal source for the Three Witches is found in the account of King Duncan in Raphael Holinshed’s history of the British Isles, The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587). In Holinshed, Macbeth and his companion Banquo encounter “three women in strange and wild apparell, resembling creatures of elder world” who hail the men with glowing prophecies and then vanish “immediately out of their sight.” Holinshed notes that “the words of the Weird Sisters…greatly encouraged” Macbeth to “usurp the kingdom by force.”

Sounds very familiar, almost like the regular acts that we see in the council chamber of South Shields Town Hall, last Thursday Cllr. Branley brought impending doom to the full meeting of the council as she defied logic, not being subject to the rules of the real world, and the Mayor was forced to abandon it. How much the Westoe councillor might have enjoyed the occasion (and the ensuing publicity) if the police had arrived to escort her from the premises.

Once a drama Queen, always a drama Queen perhaps?

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Insult to South Shields electors

I simply cannot believe what I am seeing, Allen Branley the former Independent councillor for Westoe ward who has twice been thrown off South Tyneside Borough Council for non attendance has the bare faced brass neck to offer himself as the Alliance candidate in the by election! Branley along with his wife Jane was sacked from South Tyneside Council in December 1993 and January 1994 respectively, and now Allen has made it a triple treat for the Branleys by losing his seat on 18th June after failing to attend any meetings at all in the past six months.

Jane Branley had enquired of Town Hall officials asking when he should attend a meeting and I understand that she was told that he had already lost his seat by failure to adhere to the conditions of the Local Government Act 1972, there then followed a farcical situation of a quickly cobbled “resignation” letter which was delivered to South Shields Town Hall after he had ran out of time, needless to say this letter was given short shrift by officials yet the Branleys inexplicably continue to insist that this communication was delivered before Mr. Branley was removed from the council. In this post I revealed that South Tyneside’s Head of Corporate Governance confirmed that Mr. Branley could not resign from a position which he no longer held.

How can you possibly resign from a body of which you are no longer a member?

Mr. Branley was spotted in Warwick Road, South Shields yesterday delivering a new newsletter to the residents of Westoe ward, opening it with a clear contradiction of the truth, he states that he resigned from the council on the 17th. June, this is clearly NOT factual as Brian T Scott’s statement shows only too well. The Proper Officer of the Council was not presented with Branley’s letter until the 23rd. June after he had been removed from the council. So Branley has decided that a by-election is the thing that is needed and kicks off the campaign with a statement deliberately designed to hoodwink the electors of Westoe ward, this election will cost all of the electors of South Tyneside an estimated £20000 to hold, money that could be better spent on other causes. He insults our intelligence by seeking to deflect the blame and criticism away from himself after his abject failure to represent his electors at council meetings, his opening statement in his newsletter is contemptuous towards voters in general and displays a terrible inability to connect with reality. You were sacked Mr. Branley – twice!

In his opening statement of his newsletter he states that he feels this is the right decision for him and us, yet on page two he says “I am not sure personally whether this is the right approach” – come on make your mind up, if you are not sure personally then who exactly is making these ridiculous decisions for you?

He tells us that a revoltion occurred in South Tyneside with the election of increasing numbers of Independent councillor, but fails to tell us how many have left his grouping in less than amicable circumstances, and how it is now less than half the size that it once was – he’s taking you all for mugs again!

He says the Independent Alliance have found it increasingly difficult and frustrating to represent your views in the council chamber – Allen it often is when you stay at home and don’t bother going to meetings, a point perhaps that you might hope we forget about?

He talks on page two of the Labour Party and others thwarting attempts by the Independents to scrutinise council policy and then goes on to complain about uncivilised verbal brawling and abuse – he does not tell the people he failed to represent, that at every turn and twist his wife and other Independent councillors simply failed to either understand or adhere to the rules of debate as set out in the Standing Orders given to every councillor, either that or they deliberately attempted to drive a coach and horses through these reasonable rules that, until the recent arrival of this grouping, had provided a good platform for all councillors to be fairly heard. What is the point of crying “foul” when it is your own wife who constantly transgresses the rules and throws hissy fits in the chamber? If you had turned up a little more regularly you might have worked this out Allen.

He then moans about the allegations relating to last week’s meeting, we are not sure  how much Jane might have told him, but one concerns a robustly built woman allegedly being assaulted by an old aged pensioner, and the other is the contrived story of racist abuse regarding Khan and Elsom reported in the Sunday Sun – “Go back where you came from – the gutter” (hope I don’t sound silly but what race, creed, ethnic grouping etc. does that statement specifically refer to?)

Branley then says he has tried a number of approaches over the years to get a debate going on certain issues - unfortunately the past year was obviously not one of them.

On the second page, again, he cries about the frustration of scrutinising council policy - it’s simple dear boy, turn up and you will find out about it and get an opportunity to question Lead Members, is it that difficult to comprehend?

His next paragraph is an appalling and scandalous statement from any elected councillor, or even an ordinary bystander, he complains of councillors fiddling expenses, he says that the infamous 18 missing ballot boxes were stolen, and that financial irregularities are happening at the highest level of the council and cabinet. If these serious allegations have any foundation in fact at all, then the responsible thing to do would be to take the matter to the police – go on back it up Mr. Branley, if you think you have evidence of such serious malpractice do what a good responsible citizen should do, take it to the police and let them investigate.

He then concedes that much of our opposition needs to happen in the council chamber – so why were you not there then?

He ends with the galling bare faced cheek of asking electors for their support – don’t allow yourselves to be taken for fools again, vote for any candidate that you wish but don’t send back to the council a man who has a proven track record of NOT REPRESENTING the people who put him there. He is a non councillor, an absentee landlord for Westoe, and if the legislators of this country had any real sense they would amend the Local Government Act to ban anyone seeking election for the next five years after previously being thrown out for non attendance.

Don’t insult us all with this smokescreen Mr. Branley, show some self respect or honour and stand aside, you have twice failed to carry out the responsibilities and duties that we gave to you, your own conscience should tell you that this is an extraordinarily bad decision that does not sit well with many people, in fact forget your self respect and just show some respect for the people of South Shields who do not want to be taken for fools by an aloof uber wealthy dentist and property developer.

Bloody champagne socialists!

Branley’s insulting newsletter page 1

Page 2

Oh by the way, it is normally the practise of the Independents to “hunt as a pack” in election campaigns, preferring not to let candidates feel isolated and left on their own, yesterday Allen Branley was particularly lonely in Warwick Road.

Isn’t it time that one or two seriously considered their positions in this fractured and imploding group, which appears as though it wants to condescendingly look down upon voters with sheer contempt?

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Spoof Twitter account not picked up by national press.

Didn’t get past me though, I think I was the first to spot it, yet some of the national press had to phone the Foreign Office to seek confirmation. (The 5:37 am time stamp is Teheran time, whilst I’m supporting the Iranian election protesters)

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Have you heard Gordon Brown banging on at PMQs about Tory cuts?

Well for the good folks of South Tyneside here’s the first taste of Labour’s cuts, as the Prime Minister singularly fails to be honest with the electorate about his own spending plans.

When he shouts in the Commons about “cuts or investment”, just think back to this moment. Labour’s cupboard is bare they have ran out of cash to invest.

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Picture exclusive!

This picture just arrived from one of my readers showing the dramatic rescue of a group of Independent Alliance councillors from the roof of South Shields Town Hall last Thursday afternoon, after they came under sustained severe and heavy attack from the Mayor, Labour, Real Independent,and  Conservative councillors. It is understood that casualties were so terrible in the council chamber that local units of the Territorial Army were put on standby and the SAS in Hereford was advising on the rescue operation. The armed assault lasted only a few minutes but was quickly brought under control when the Mayor put away his gavel and fetched out his Kalashnikov.

An RAF Sea King helicopter was called to the scene and a winchman was dropped to the roof of the Town Hall to evacuate some of the casualties who were too large to be transported by ambulance, they were taken to the Bede Wing of South Tyneside Hospital.

Am I the only one around here who detects a sense of ridicule at our local political affairs in South Tyneside?

And there is more – no reference to Huddersfield alas, or to the cost of the next police inquiry.

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Former Health Secretary to give up seat

Alan Milburn, MP for Darlington, is this morning announcing that he will not be standing at the next general election.

I’m a little gobsmacked to be honest, I thought that the Geordie Blairite would have been well positioned to be a key mover and shaker in Labour’s opposition, no reasons given in the report, we’ll just have to wait and see.

However, the Darlington seat could be a temptation for an ambitious local councillor or two.

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