THE LIBDEM'S ARE ALIVE! - BUT ARE THEY KICKING?

I'm back from a hectic two day's in the manic Italian City of Milan, but I will have more to say about that in my Sunday comment article!

So, the Libdem's - what are they all about then? It's been a question i have asked of many, many people over recent weeks. I have asked political commentators, city councillors and more importantly, I have asked the ordinary electorate and nobody can give me an answer! They are like the Man in the Iron Mask or Kendo Nagasaki or even worse than that they are like our very own "ORACLE". They have no identity, no one knows what they stand for or what they believe in, what their policies are, or even if they want a presence in this city! Well all thats about to change........

Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Stoke on Trent North, Mr David Jack (pictured). let's have a look at the "Tale of the Tape", This is taken from the Libdem Website.........:

David has lived and worked for thirty eight years in the West Midlands in law, construction, industry, business and the community putting him directly in touch with so many aspects of local peoples' lives.

David is a family man, married with two daughters: he understands the demands of modern day living in the City environment and has gained much experience in order to give help and support when it is most needed.

David is a natural leader who knows how to get things done. David is passionate about protecting the environment and the future of our schools, NHS and policing. He has been actively involved for a number of years as a grass roots campaigner and has previously run for Parliament on the Wolverhampton North East seat.

David has campaigned against Labour plans to bring in Compulsory Identity Cards, against Council Tax, arguing to replace it with a fairer system of tax and petitioned and lobbied for greater use and licensing of green technology.

Outside of Politics David is actively involved in a varied range of social activities including being a regular paintball player, a cricket team member and also playing guitar with a small band. Much of his spare time is taken up with family life.

In the next few day's David is submitting an article to pitsnpots so that we the people of Stoke on Trent can evaluate this party and consider whether they are worth our vote.

One thing is for certain David comes across as a very driven individual who wants to enter the local political debate. During my conversation with him I got the impression that he realises that his party need to connect with the cities electorate and to get the Libdem message out there, rather than wait for the electorate to find them. David has wasted no time in telling us what he thinks of the BNP in this letter to the Sentinel (CLICK HERE)

To give us a flavour of what Libdem policy looks like, I thought I would publish their stance on Immigration and terrorism. This is actual policy:

Firm but fair on immigration and refugees – We will create an integrated
border police force bringing back entry and exit controls to monitor
movement in and out of Britain. By running immigration and asylum services
fairly and efficiently, we will ensure that all migrants pay their way through
taxes and we will cut the number who work illegally or turn to crime.
Tackle terrorism – We will reform our courts to prosecute terror suspects
more effectively. Restrictions imposed on people without trial risks increasing
support for extremists. Our reforms: plea bargaining for “supergrasses”,
intercept evidence in court, and questioning after charge – will be effective
and fair. We will improve cooperation between UK anti terror bodies and
reach out to young men in Muslim Communities.

The Libdems will have their work cut out to overturn the current MP Joan Walley who holds the seat for Labour an enjoys a healthy 13666 majority but David is up beat about his prospects and feels that recent boundary changes to Stoke North will help him and his party.

So, I for one can't wait for David's first pitsnpots article. What is your view on the Libdems both locally and nationally? Do they represent a threat to the other major parties? Over to you........................................

BNP MEMBERSHIP LIST LEAKED! - 10000 IS THAT IT?

Shock Horror! The BNP's membership list has been printed on the Internet! Who cares?

The only thing that it as brought home to me is how insignificant this minority party really are.

For all the huff and puff we hear on this blog about how they are the future for our City nay, our Country. this list proves that it is all piss and wind!

Lets put this pathetic number into some sort of perspective shall we:

Tory Party 290000 members
Labour Party 210000 members
Liberal Democrat Party 70000 members
UKIP Party 16000 members
Green Party 12000 members (England, Scotland, Wales N.Ire)
BNP 10000 members.

At the last General Elections the BNP polled at total of 191,519 votes out of a possible 27000000 votes cast!

The BNP won over 100 council seats at the May 2008 elections in the United Kingdom which is in fact, less than 1% of the total number of seats available.

In Stoke on Trent the BNP polled 8086 vote out of 55288 (14.6%).

Given the fact that Labour is supposed to be on it's arse in this city and is most certainly suffering from the ineptness of the policies of the Labour Elected Mayor, Mark Meredith, Labour managed to poll 14038 vote out of the possible 55288 cast (25.3%)

We are constantly told on this blog by certain posters that the BNP in this city, are like the 2ND coming of the Messiah! The first coming of the No9 bus seems more apt to me!

BNP membership is frowned upon in many organisations, the Police, Fire Brigade, Teaching, Further Education, the Clergy, the Armed Forces, and so it goes on. This leaked membership list has people as young as 14 on it, which in my opinion should be against the law!

Nick Griffin admits that some of his members, especially those in the professions listed above are vulnerable. I say if a name appeared on one of the mainstream parties membership list no one would give a toss! Could it be that association with such an extreme, hateful party who's policies are based on the colour of one skin, might be reviled by the vast majority of the British people.

There is no doubting that the BNP have 9 councillors in our city and have prospered because of the EMB.

The EMB have no doubt taken the voices of every single separate political party represented in Stoke on Trent and left just the collective of the EMB and the extreme views of the BNP.

The BNP would have us believe that they are the answers to all our prayers but in truth, given the above statistics we would be better of voting for UKIP or the Green Party if we were looking to place a protest vote.

Over the next few months we will be bringing the other parties to the forum and giving you the cities electorate the chance to make your mind up which party best represents your ideals and I'm sure if we did this the BNP's popularity would diminish.

The BNP would have us believe that they are a united organisation but this membership list was posted by an angry member who wants to start off a leadership contest. This dissenter believes that Nick Griffin is too dictortorial and want rid of him. This latest rift comes not long after Griffin kicked out most of his executive who also wanted rid of the Welsh Wizard! They went on to form their own far right party called the "Voice of Change" (CLICK)
The BNP are about as united as the "Strictly Come Dancing" judges!

The BNP a credible alternative to the mainstream parties? I'd better be off.... the No9 bus is due............ Oh look a flying pig!

BRING THE U.S. TO US!

Have you, like me, been following the Presidential Campaign in the USA? Wow! They know how to drag something out don't they?

It has been fun to watch though, and seeing the candidates Obama & McCain, turning out in all corners of the country to bid for those last few votes made me realise just how important it is for politicians of what ever level, to connect with the electorate.

I know that last week, it was a fairly intense news week. Feeling was running high throughout the city in the run up to the governance referendum, and for what? A below 20% turn out!

I found myself pondering why the turn out was so bad, do the people of our city care about what happens? Are the population so pissed off at the state of local politics? I came to the conclusion that councillors and MP's alike need to engage with the population of our city!

Over the next seven months, our politicians have a chance of a new beginning, a clean slate. There is too much complacency, councillors say all to often " this is the way it's always been done", well that just won't do anymore!

The debate in this city of who will be leader and what party stands for what has got to be re-ignited. The people of Stoke on Trent need to be won over and our interest in the local political issues awakened.

What I would like to see is for us to take a leaf out of America's book. I want to see the candidates for the Leadership contest go head to head in a number of public debates at somewhere like the Kings Hall (pictured top right) in Stoke with a packed audience and the whole thing broadcast to the entire city.

We have been small time for too long now, time to think big! It's is time for our politicians to be made to face their electorate and to answer the questions put to them from us, the public.

We don't want the Council's highly paid press officer fencing the more demanding and sensitive questions. We don't want it all to be kept "low key" and to be sorted behind close doors.

We want straight answers, straight talking and above all, we want the best man/woman winning.

By the time next May come around we want each party to state who is going to be their preferred Leadership Candidate and it should be this person that faces the public and fights to win the day for their parties! We want to know what each and every party stands for and what their manifesto is, so that we can make are minds up who will do the best job of leading our city.

They should know that if they do not deliver on their promises, both leader and party will be made to pay at the first chance at the ballot box, nowhere to run and no where to hide!

I would love the chance of chairing these debates. I would make sure every question was answered by all the leadership candidates. Imagine a packed Kings Hall and on stage the Labour, Conservative, Libdem, BNP and Independents leadership candidates all trying to win the day for their party and for themselves.

This would surely bring the party voice back into Stoke after so long of just hearing the same old, same old from the Elected Mayor and his Portfolio Holders.

We deserve more don't we? We deserve a choice of what party and we deserve to know which leader we will get from that chosen party, don't we?

So I throw the gauntlet down to the parties in our City:

Labour - Will it be Mike, Mark or Joy and what will you do for this City? Are your group united? Will you do better than when you had the majority last time? Will you look again at the decisions that made the Labour Elected Mayor so unpopular?

Conservative - Will it be Roger or Ross, and what will you do for the people you have so badly let down in Trentham and what Tory policies can we hear about?

Libdem - Will it be Jean or Keiran and how will you make your party electable in a city that has seen so few Libdem candidates in the past, will you tell us just what do you stand for?

BNP - Will it be Alby, Mike or Steve and is your party racist? What will you do for the sizable number of British people born here but who's skin colour isn't white?

What do we have to fear from you?

Independent - Will it be Alan, Brian or Terry and just what the hell do you lot stand for? What are your policies? Why do you court all the other parties in this city? Have you got a party manifesto?

I feel so passionate about getting this PUBLIC debate on and I want your help! I promise you I would make Jeremy Paxman seem like Bambi! I want to know what questions you want answers to! I want to know who you want as each parties Leader Candidate or who you don't want! I want to know if you would attend a U.S. type of debate at the Kings Hall?

If we applied the pressure on to our local politicians they would not be able to get out of such an event! Can we make this happen?

TERRY & CRAIG CONTACT PITSNPOTS ABOUT CHURCHILL CHINA MONSTROSITY

As many of you will know, Terry Cope and Craig Pond both live at the North end of the city, whilst most of Pitsnpots bloggers live in the South.

We at Pitsnpots are keen to ensure we cover stories from all areas of the city, and, to this end, Terry and Craig have provided further information on a local news story which we were all aware of, but didn't quite know the full details. Terry Cope writes to Pitsnpots as follows:

"Why is it that the stench of hypocrisy hangs over the Churchill China factory in Sandyford? Mr Roper - he who complains of the noise coming from Alton Towers two miles from his home in Alton- builds a giant warehouse surrounding the residents of Birchall Avenue, not more than 100 yards away from the rear of their houses. Add to this the future constant comings and goings of 40 ton Heavy Goods Vehicles, the noise of forklifts loading and unloading, an internal tannoy system and radios, and you start to get the picture of what the residents of Birchall Avenue will have to put up with, not to mention the Health and Safety risks of carcinogenic diesel fumes wafting their way into the homes of residents, and their children’s lungs.

When this monstrosity is finally built, sunlight to their homes will be cut drastically, as it towers above all the houses on both sides. The risk of subsidence created by the HGV's has not been calculated into the risk to the adjoining properties. They have also seen their properties' value decrease substantially because of this problem.

Churchill’s have recently laid off personnel, but this monstrosity is still going ahead despite all the objections to it, with this City Council's blessing. Local Councillor Lee Wanger, it is alleged by some of the residents, is informing people that those residents of Birchall Avenue have been financially compensated, which they vehemently deny. There are disputes over the validity of planning permission, public footpaths, and the road subsidence in Holywall Lane , that was reported to the highways department by a local resident who is known to me. One other local resident, also known to me, has been fighting this case for thirty years but is constantly blocked by the City Council and Churchill China ’s insistence on getting their way come hell or high water.

This will not only affect the residents of Birchall Avenue , but those of Reginald Way due to the increase of traffic and noise. There is a proposal for a large Central Fire Station to be built adjoining the Churchill monstrosity, causing further traffic and noise.

Now don’t get me wrong I want more businesses to expand, but they must work with the local community, not bully them, as this case proves. The residents of Bichall Avenue feel as if they have been imprisoned by the surrounding buildings, and once where there was an open countryside view, there is only blue steel walls to look at. I and my party will fight to support the residents of the affected area, as we believe this is wrong. I will update you has to how I get on."

Craig has also provided photos, which are shown at the top of this blog post.

It certainly seems like a monstrosity, along similar lines to the Screwfix building in Trentham/Blurton.

Are you a local resident blighted by the Churchill China building? Tell us what you think - how has it affected your daily life and how will it affect you in the future? Are you happy with the way the council have dealt with this issue? Terry says the BNP are fighting this on behalf of the residents - are there other local councillors from other parties supporting this cause? Or do you think the Council were right to allow Churchill China to carry out this expansion project?

What do you think? Over to you...

THE TRUTH ,THE LIGHT AND THE DEBATE!

We here at pitnspots want the political parties to get involved in our blog. We want all the parties to put up a candidate to become a regular contributor to our site and write an article to be posted on the blog. This would be the ideal opportunity to shout about their parties achievements, what they have done for the good of our city, what they are planning to do in the future. It would also be a great vehicle to get their party policies over to the people who take an interest in local politics. It would also provide a platform for each party to have their say about an opposition parties policies and performance.
It's what i think politics in this city needs. There is a distinct lack of information to help the electorate make up their minds on which party is most representative of their views.
Sometimes the silence from our elected representatives is deafening! For instance I have no idea what the Libdems vision is for our city or their preferred system of governance, the same could be said of the Tories and if I'm honest here the one thing the coalition has done for this city is to dilute the traditional party debate!
Whilst the current cabinet system might be the holy grail for Mark Meredith it just deprives the cities electorate of the party voice.
I want the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, BNP and/or City Independent Parties to put forward a candidate to write on behalf of their branch/party. If I've missed anyone out let me know. What do our posters and followers think of this idea? Is the absence of individual parties voices the reason that the far right BNP have become more popular. What is your understanding of each of the parties policies? Which is the most effective party locally? Who do you think each parties contributors should be?.......................... Over to you!

Liam is Spot On, Bob Bagley is Wrong!

There is an interesting story in the Sentinel today quoting comments by Liam Byrne (pictured) Labour's West Midlands Minister who is also the party's Minister Of State For Borders And Immigration. He really went of the offensive about the rise in popularity of the far right BNP in Stoke on Trent. For the record i agree with his opinion. Read what he has to say here:
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Minister-asks-businesses-attack-racism/article-362137-detail/article.html

I have been attacked consistently by Bob Bagley on the Sentinel website for saying that i think that some (not all!) of the local BNP councilors have been effective in dealing with issues in their local wards! I make no apologies for this because it's true! Bob thinks that we should not say things like this. Let me be clear it do not agree with a single policy of the BNP and i would never vote for them i have done enough research into the BNP to know they do not represent the way i live my life. My rule of life No1 is that i am willing to live in harmony with anyone of any race or creed as long as they want to live in harmony with me and mean me no harm. I happen to think that the people in this city are not stupid, i think that they can see that certain BNP councilors are effective but i also think that the vast majority of those people would not vote BNP. Why can't Bob have the good grace and humility to accept this? even more to the point why does Bob not vent his frustration toward the ineffective, egotistical Labour councilors who have become complacent in their outlook and service to our city. We have a Labour Elected Mayor who is not popular and insists in carrying out policies that the vast majority of this cities electorate do not want! such as in the schools re organisation, how people have not been consulted properly and been forced in some instances to have something that whole communities do not want,ie Trentham. What about the policy on elderly care, where we are seeing the closure of many city home care provisions! Labour councilors tell me in private that they don't agree with the mayor on these issues but are not allowed to come out and voice THEIR opinions, they have to to tow the party line. The are effectively GAGGED! Bob and his pal Joy Garner won't open up to the fact that it could be this that is turning people to the likes of the BNP. Gary Elsby summed it up perfectly the other day in a post on the Sentinel when he said "i am not allowed to comment on that comment" I rest my case!

Longton High Leaders Hit Back!

There has been quite a debate raging on the Sentinel website. It as emerged out of a letter to the newspaper by BNP activist T Cope from Tunstall. It has attracted a lot of responses from a number of posters. One of the posters is Councilor Joy Garner who is also the Leader of the Labour Group on the Council. Obviously Joy is entitled to her say and i fully endorse all local politicians using the Sentinel and pitsnpots to get their views over to us the electorate. We here on this blog have contacted all councilors and urged them to read and contribute to this blog as we believe it will promote good debate. Joy has opposed the BNP and has refuted their claims that there was trouble at the anti-BNP rally held at Central Forest Park last Saturday. In a speech to their followers local BNP leader Alby Walker had claimed that the UAF had "kicked of against the police".

pitsnpots were at neither so we can't comment on whether there was trouble or not. We have several issues with the local Labour party as we believe it is wrong that their councilors have been effectively gagged from speaking out against the Elected Mayor even though privately a number of their councilors have told us that they are not in support of the Mayor.

In a post on the T Cope letter I left a post asking Joy Garner to come out and state her intentions for the future as i had been told by a source that it was possible that she would seek the Labour nomination for the post of Elected Mayor should the city decide it wants to keep this system or, she would be the Labour leader if the city prefers that system. I got this response:

Mr Walley.I think you should take some English Comprehension lessons from the excellent teachers at Longton.The way you missundstood me, that there is no gag - merely common sense, and to keep to the issues. And apologise profusely to the Head of Longton High, because - and I quote you - "and yes, in 2001 particularly they did stir up some tensions with a few ill thought out and factually incorrect leaflets at Longton HS. Fact is we have a BNP Councillor now as Governor" (info - M.Coleman, chair of Education scrutiny com).A few leaflets - the police were there daily. They caused riots amongst the children, some carried knives for 'protection'. And its that, not the schools teaching, that is now bringing forward its closure. The head and teachers have always had my support, They hit lows and picked themselves up. With only around 40 pupils a year now applying to attend - it can not be viable. You are the Vice Chair of Governors there. You should know better than this.
Joy Garner, Tunstall
commented on 24-Sep-2008 09:57

This post prompted this response:

Joy i post as i speak, not how i would write a letter. For the record look at your own spelling and comprehension ie understood and starting a sentence or paragraph with "and". Now a few facts, a) i am the chair of governors at Longton HS.b)BNP leaflets came after a pupil from a neighbouring school came onto the school grounds an assaulted a yr11 Asian boy with a baseball bat. c) students did not carry knives at all, you really should not believe everything you read in the media! d) not a single Labour councilor put him/her self up for the LHS governing body so i assume that your party and you as leader have no issue with the fact that the school is represented by M Coleman (BNP). e) i have always thought that there is a high standard of teaching at the school, never said anything different. f) the reason there is only 40 applying to the school is down to the disastrous plans for the school put forward by the LA over the last five years. You can have my phone number and we can discuss anything else you may wish to raise. With respect i still would like an answer to the questions i asked about your intentions for the future.
Tony, Meir Hay

The SLT at Longton High were told of Councilor Garners comment and yesterday they posted this response:

Councillor Garner

I am responding to your comments on this website in support of the school, its staff & present & former students.You need to get your facts straight before you print false details, you should not believe everything you read in the Sentinel! Fact in 2001 (September 12) following an incident caused by a student from a neighbouring school coming on the premises to cause trouble, intruders not connected with the school did attempt to cause trouble during the lunchtime.The school acted promptly to ensure the safety of the students by bringing them all into the building and calling the police to remove the intruders. A very small number of students were either given fixed term or permanent exclusions for trying to "jump on the band wagon".There were NO riots, NO knives were found - the police can confirm this & in fact the school was complimented for its handling of the incidents by an HMI team.Yes, it was a serious incident in terms of the potential but it was dealt with. Yes, the police did come to school in the days following because we requested their presence in case intruders appeared again. They were very supportive and sensitive to the students.Therefore, I object to your comments re. riots, knives and the police visits. In the interests of my students I would always follow the line of asking for a police presence if I felt it protected our young people from outsiders. The school provides a very calm working environment as experienced by your fellow councillors who have visited us.Yes, the school isn't viable in the long term but it isn't only 40 wanting to join us - and how much do you think the decline in numbers is the responsibility of a council who has been telling our parents that the school is going to shut for some time now.In fact, we have just met with a representative group of parents who do not want their children to be educated anywhere but Longton and not by any staff but Longton's.If we have always had your support why do you print emotive, inaccurate details about us. It is very upsetting to staff and pupils and totally unfair.

Longton High School & Arts College, Longton
commented on 26-Sep-2008 14:55

Whilst I really respect Councilor Garners stance on the BNP, to see these instantiated comments on Longton High is somewhat disappointing to say the least from someone as respected and who as given an enormous amount of her time to the city. I urge Councilor Garner to contact the school and speak to the Head to resolve this issue. We here at pitsnpots would also ask Joy to post on this blog her thoughts and comments on the BNP, the gagging order, her intentions for the future and to share with us her vision for the city. There is no ulterior motive in this request, merely a desire to hear a Labour voice in a city and climate where only the BNP seem to want to be heard.

For those of you who want to read the whole thing you can find it by clicking here:

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/letters/trouble/article-345246-detail/article.html

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

This is one that will cause a great deal of keen debate for sure!Fred Nukagem and Sandra Yonga Mbell have three e young kids, he came to this country on a student visa and she is here illegally. I'm really torn in two about this because if they are deported and they are killed doesn't that leave us with blood on our hands? On the other hand i have been saying on the Sentinel website that i think the BNP have got more successful because the mainstream parties are not tough enough on immigration. What do the BNP supporters want to happen here.... i think i can guess! A few months ago there was a case of a gay Iranian man who was fighting deportation because when he left Iran his lover was executed for being gay. Where do we draw the line? I do think that there has to be clear legislation on immigration and have always believed that this has to come from either Labour, Conservatives or LibDems, but i get the impression that they are worried of losing the non white vote. Read the full story at the Sentinel just click this link: http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/DEPORT-LL-KILLED/article-352438-detail/article.html

Hi All,
Well i have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century! I would never have thought a few years ago that i would be hosting my very own blog!
Q What are we about?
A We are about giving the great people of Stoke on Trent a Voice!

Q Why?
A 'Cos i reckon that we are all of the opinion that we the ordinary people are not listened to and our opinions count for bugger all!

Q Who can post?
A Anyone! All welcome here. White, Black, British, Asian, European, Labour, Tory, Liberal, BNP, Independant, Gay or Straight Stoke City, Port Vale, Crewe Alex!

Q What will we talk about?
A The issues that face this great city of ours and it's people.

Q Can i ay what i want?
A Yes! but let's try to show some respect to each other, we may disagree but let's not resort to insulting each other. No post will be removed unless they are way over the top. We want to say what needs saying! Comment on here with freedom.... this is not the "sentinel"

Q What happens now?
A Well me "Tony" will upload a blog everyday, maybe more discussing the issues making the news that effect us here in Stoke and then it's over to you!.....