South Shields premier political blog
Parish notice
Unlike some other years I will NOT be live blogging the election results in South Tyneside, it is nigh on impossible to achieve from within the counting hall, the council are offering a good results service (for those of you who cannot sleep) click here.
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Curly's Corner Shop, the blog! 
All wards went as expected , noticed a much lower turnout, The first hint of public anger as the cuts imposed start to take effect on the general public,A no vote abstention.Just busy reading the K Sheerin Independant leaflet through , Cant understand why when promoting a councillor the promoter would use the word unlike to discredit another,thats a negative straight away positive wording only should be published,but i thought you had to live on a ward to represent it ?
mickde
May 6, 2011 at 9:22 am
The turnout was pretty good to be honest, there have been many years when it has been a lot less.
curly
May 6, 2011 at 11:39 am
Cleadon Village certainly wasn’t “as expected”
Allan Steward
May 6, 2011 at 9:28 am
Was the tory councillor not criticized in the press ?
mickde
May 6, 2011 at 10:21 am
They said stuff about Potts but not the candidate. The bottom line though is that this is about Joan Atkinson, pure and simple. She has worked so hard. She would have won without the “potts factor”
Allan Steward
May 6, 2011 at 10:27 am
Definatley.
mickde
May 6, 2011 at 10:44 am
Last year the turnout increased due to the General Election being held on the same day. This year it has reverted to the usual.
Some of the stuff put out in Biddick Hall by the Independents is nothing short of disgraceful. The electorate have spoken and recognised the good work done by the three Labour Councillors and disregarde the personal attacks and negativity.
Ispy
May 6, 2011 at 10:45 am
Still people are fed up with all the cuts.
mickde
May 6, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Mick I wish I could understand this statement, I keep asking what cuts?
Public spending is continuing to grow almost unabated, the structural deficit does not, at the moment, appear to be shrinking in any way, our government’s debts continue to grow at a rate of £400m per day, government continues to spend far more than what it receives in tax revenues, and in South Tyneside the net budget requirement for 2011 grew by £700,000.
The only cuts that are evident are in expectations!
Sorry, I might need to explain that, when councils or other publicly funded bodies ask central government for more of YOUR money, they will have budgeted for what EXTRA they WANT or need to spend next year. For example shall we say that your council wants to spend an extra £50m of your money next year (compared to the current year), the Treasury then agrees to provide an additional £15m of funding in this time of austerity. Now shall we view this as £15m EXTRA cash to play with, or should we view it as a £35m worth of cut? It is after all extra and additional public spending being given to your council.
So in essence the “cuts” are mainly in people’s expectations based upon what they thought they needed to spend, rather than actual reductions in the amount of your money being expended.
The current round of £14bn worth of reductions in the size of that increase hardly bite into £146bn worth of debt interest that the UK will rack up this year.That debt, left behind by Gordon Brown, will be paid for by us in higher taxes, it will also be paid for by our children in high taxes, and also by our grandchildren. Labour left such a financial mess that it will take about 60 years to clear the debts at the current rate.
Curly
May 6, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Sorry I should point out that I was using the term “your council” purely as an illustration, it is not intended as any reference to South Tyneside Council, but I’m sure you get my point.
Curly
May 6, 2011 at 8:55 pm
One highly regarded frontline regulatory team in a Tyneside LA(not STC) has a) had a 50% staff reduction since 2009 and b) stopped recruiting trainees. Please explain why numerous frontline public sector jobs are being cut in Police, Fire Service etc. The recruitment freezes, coupled with unattractive salary and career prospects means that, for example,vital services, rated by both business and wider community like environmental health, trading standards etc will have a paucity of youthful, innovative staff in 5-10 years time. Problems such as underage drinking, fly tipping, rogue traders, noisy anti social neighbours will not be resolved.
LL.B
May 6, 2011 at 11:19 pm
That question would be better posed to those making the decisions on spending plans, asking them why frontline services are suffering, rather than backroom, management, or efficiency savings.
Curly
May 7, 2011 at 12:03 am
The LA where these cuts were made ALSO cut back admin staff, this meant that professional frontline officers were having to cover work previously done by clerical and typing staff.The team’s office is often deserted now, no admin assistant, and 5 staff covering or trying to cover work done by 10. Out of 5 staff, ther may be 2/3 absent because of annual leave, attending courses, occasional sick leave. Phones ring unanswered, personal callers are not seen.
LL.B
May 7, 2011 at 7:33 am
The 20% vat has definatley made my loaf of bread cost more ,the weekly family food shopping trip has risen combined with the cost of electricity and gas , prices at the pump are a disgrace for getting to work ,insurance companies raking in ,Even the banks are taking everything , honestly we are working flat out to survive , ask the residents in our ward,we are skint ,we need growth,we need clothes ,we need more jobs , have you tried looking for one in tyneside ,its beserk theres nothing ,the rich-poor gap increases curly yet our children are suffering and you say the condem cuts are needed? The government statistics are rubbish you tell me where anyone in this borough can get a job for 29k per year ,thats the average salary in the north east,we must borrow more to invest in employment ,p.s i am starving…………
mickde
May 7, 2011 at 6:18 am