One of the big problems with a Euro election is that most of the campaign isn’t actually about what MEPs can and should do in Europe and the domestic focus of the campaigns (from all parties) can lead people to believe that it doesn’t much matter at all whether they vote or not, or who they vote for.

However what happens in Europe does matter.  It matters a lot.  Most of the main issues facing us all today, from climate change to the economic crisis simply cannot be dealt with by one Country alone.  If we want to stop employers switching their factories to Countries with lower standards of pay and working conditions, we need Europe to guarantee minimum standards, stopping employers trying to force conditions down.  If we are serious about tackling climate change, Britain cutting our carbon emissions alone simply will not do.  Europe works best when we positively engage with it and work with other European nations to get the best deal for us all.

If we end up with a BNP MEP in the North West, we will all be represented by somebody who believes that anybody who doesn’t pass their racial purity standards has no right to exist, cannot be classed as British and should be sent “back” to wherever.  Looking around Manchester, that’s a lot of people whose grandchildren could be outlawed.  A BNP MEP will gain access to enough funding to employ an office full of full-time staff to churn out statements such as why a sports star such as Amir Khan should not be allowed to live here and they will use their funding to try to stir up racial hatred in communities which are currently getting along fine.

We need MEPs who will work for all residents of the North West regardless of the colour of their skin or faiths (or no faiths).    All our votes matter on Thursday.

There’s quite a lot going on in Gorton this weekend.  Today the Donkey Sanctuary is holding a medieval day from 10 - 2.  On Sunday, there will be a Community Day at Vine Street Park (12 - 3).  And of course the Monastery will be open on Sunday afternoon, 12-4.  Plenty to do and see.

A lot of people have been asking me what is going on here.  In a nutshell, the issue is that this area has three different owners (in this case “owner” can mean an individual as well as a corporate owner).  The travellers are staying on the land of one of the owners, but they got onto the site via one of the other owners.  Securing the missing gate is an essential part of moving them on, otherwise people can just go round the block and go straight back onto the site (which means that the court costs would have been wasted), but those responsible for the gate seem reluctant to deal with it, as they don’t have travellers on their part of the land.

We’ve been here before and eventually heads were sufficiently banged together to deal with it, but it is enormously frustrating for everybody concerned.

There was a moment during the Lady Chatterley’s Lover trial when the prosecution lost the case and were never able to recover from it.  It was when the Prosecutor asked the jury to consider if they “would allow their servants to read this book”.  From that instant onwards, the case was doomed.

Watching Newsnight last night, it felt like a similar moment when the MP for Bournemouth West accepted that he’d spent £50,000 upgrading the “Servant’s Wing” of his home and attempted to claim the cost on expenses.  Whilst it could be argued that it is commendable that he is concerned that his servants are properly accommodated, it shows a gulf in his understanding of how most of the people who he is supposed to represent live.

There is a world of difference between paying somebody to provide a service (which might well be gardening, cleaning or cooking) and seeing somebody as a servant.  Frankly there isn’t much room in the 21^st Century for regarding people as servants with all of the baggage which goes with it.  It’s as outdated as the notion that only the “little people” have to obey rules or pay taxes.

We are no longer a nation divided into servants and our “betters”, and clearly some of those in positions of authority still need to grasp that fact.

I suspect that the intended victory parade is now off.  The road closures on Thursday probably won’t happen. 

Although at 22:07 I’ve had an email telling me about the road closures if Manchester United win.  Obviously from somebody without a telly!

Councillors get a lot of information.  I got some today and pass it straight on.  Apparently it’s supposed to tell me who is getting the green kerbit bin (garden and kitchen waste etc. recycled).  The map sort of makes sense, in that the pink bits with a red outline seem to correspond to people with gardens for whom an extra bin for gardening waste makes sense and who might have somewhere to store it.  However, nowhere do they give me a clue about what the tags mean.  Those living on cal_7, Cal_5 or Cal_6 can take a guess as to what it’s all about.  I have no idea, but as I’ve been “informed”, I suspect that if it goes wrong, it’s now my fault too.  We are now all equally informed.

Hint for Council Officers.  It’s nice to have something on a map or in the accompanying bumf telling us what the symbols mean!

Wright Robinson Sports College is one of the City Council’s flagship Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schools.  Using private finance, the old 1960s building, which had all of the usual defects of 1960s public buildings was torn down and a brand new school and sports facility built.  The new building effectively is owned by the PFI backers and the sports facilities, which are excellent, are made available for public use for a contracted period of time.  As a local Councillor, I fully supported this as it had been clear for years that the previous building, which had not a single classroom which was wheelchair accessible, leaking windows, flat roofs (also leaking) and many other problems was unsuitable for providing the pupils with the right learning environment.  Last September, the new building was formally opened (an event to which as a local Councillor naturally I was not invited) and since then it seems to have been a successful building, the pupils like it and there are many groups and individuals making good use of the sporting facilities.

Today at the Council’s Executive Committee, we were discussing Foundation Schools, a new formula for governance which the Government is keen for schools to try out.  One of the big issues is transfer of ownership of the school buildings and grounds.  I asked what the legal implications are for a PFI school to get Foundation status.  It seems that nobody knows.  I have been promised that I will get an answer when one is available, but at the moment it appears unclear as to who will own what and what the implications are for community use if the schools changes to foundation status.  We live in interesting times.

Wright Robinson Sports College are consulting on whether or not to apply for Foundation status.  This in essence means moving away from Local Council control.  There are pros and cons to this.

The pros are broadly, the school has more flexibility and freedom.  The cons are that the local Council can no longer do much when things go wrong.  (The latter category doesn’t just mean overall standards, but might include exclusions and various situations where people might appeal to their local Councillors to assist.)

I’ll be putting more details on what this might mean later, but in the meantime, I’m very interested to know what local people think about the suggestion.

Considering how close Gorton is to Eastlands (close enough for large parts of the area to be turned into a car park on match days), it’s impressive how many red flags are currently hanging out of windows.  Last year, many people felt cheated that for a range of reasons, including Rangers fans’ unique take on improving Anglo-Scottish relations there was no parade following Manchester United’s victory in Moscow.

This year, in the event of Manchester United returning with the trophy, there will be a parade on Thursday.  It will be from Manchester Town Hall, starting at 5 p.m. to Trafford Town Hall, so depending on whether you’re a Red or a Blue, Manchester City Centre will either be the place to be or the place to avoid.

Reports in the press today have caught up with the appalling fact that thousands of people are now having to resort to loan sharks, as banks are refusing loans.  There are already a lot of credit companies which seem to operate at the margins of legality, and Gorton residents certainly receive more than our fair share of fliers offering loans at staggering rates of interest (150% in some cases).  Plus of course numerous offers to buy our homes at their valuations with the right to remain as tenants, with the rents guaranteed for a whole six months.  With only one bank branch left in Gorton, it’s easy to see how many might feel that they have no alternatives than the sharks. 

However, there is always the alternative of the Credit Unions, which are literally a lifesaver for many hard-pressed families.  Here is a link to the Credit Union services available in Gorton.

I spent a nice afternoon at the Monastery Open Day.   The Trust are currently opening the Monastery on Sundays from 12 - 4.  In addition to the chance to take a good look around and admire what the Trust have done to restore the building, they are serving up lovely scones and cakes.  I’m afraid that the sultana scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam are every bit as nice as they look.

It’s impressive that looking at today’s visitors’ book, they have people from across the World coming to take a look.  A fine example of how a great building like this can be saved for community use.

It’s one of those Saturdays when many community groups are working hard in the area.  Gorton 100 are busy collecting stories and photos on Gorton Market.  Meanwhile, the Heritage Trail Group are tackling the Butterfly Garden with machetes.  All help gratefully received.  In fact, there is work planned for all of next week on the Butterfly Garden, so if anybody is looking for some useful outlet for kids’ energy during half term, just point them to the Butterfly Garden.

The new traffic lights on Hyde Road at Wellington Street are now operational.  The main effect is that traffic coming out of Manchester can no longer turn left into Wellington Street or right into Hengist Street.  From observation this afternoon, it might well be that the timings need a bit more fine tuning to deal with heavy traffic and sync with traffic coming out of Tesco, but hopefully overall this should help to reduce accidents here.

There’s an advice session tonight at Emmanuel Church, Blackwin Street from 7:30 to 8:30.  All welcome, no appointment necessary.

The Butterfly Garden is needing a lot of work done in the next few weeks.  On Saturday 23^rd and Monday 24^th, volunteers are needed to help move soil around, weed and do a lot of other essential maintenance to make sure that we get a good crop of butterflies this year.  All welcome, so if anybody can spare an hour or two over the Bank Holiday, please come along and help.

There’s plenty of work for all the family.

Unsurprisingly in the last few weeks, I have been asked many times about Councillors’ allowances and how they work (normally with questions about whether I get a second home allowance).  The fact is that Councils bit the bullet some years ago about allowances.  When I was first elected, there was attendance, travel and subsistence.  Unfortunately this tended to result in a proliferation of meetings, which made life very difficult for those of us Councillors who had a full time job.  The system now is simple.  Each Councillor gets a basic allowance, with extra for those Councillors who have additional responsibilities.  The only travel paid for is when a journey is taken on Council business above and beyond what is usual (e.g. a Councillor asked to attend a meeting, say in Preston, representing the Council).  That’s it.  The amounts are laid down by an independent panel and we all agree to accept their recommendations, even on those occasions when we’ve disagreed with them.  So, no furniture claims, no plasma tv sets, no City Centre flats.

If anybody does want to know what Manchester Councillors get, it’s available from here:
 http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=7757

The Gorton 100 Committee (that’s the group set up to celebrate the fact that it’s 100 years since Manchester was allowed to join Gorton) will be holding an event at Gorton Market on 23rd May 11 am - 2 pm.  They’re wanting any stories, memories, pictures of Gorton in past years, with a view to a book later in the year.  So please come along and share your memories.

As a nation, we owe a great deal to the Polish spitfire pilots who fought (and many died) during the Battle of Britain during the War.  Had they not been part of the few, the outcome may have been different.  We should never forget out debt to those brave Poles who risked their lives to save us.

I received a BNP freepost leaflet today.  There are pictures of American models dressed up as a Doctor, another done up as a soldier and a mother with child, plus an Italian pensioner couple, all beneath a picture of a Polish spitfire.  Most political parties would use such a multi-national leaflet to talk about inclusiveness, yet the BNP seem to be using an actual picture of Polish sacrifice on our behalf to suggest that Poles (and other nationalities) shouldn’t be allowed here.

It speaks volumes that they are unable to get any of the people who they claim to be representing to appear on their leaflets.

Winston Churchill spent many years frozen out of the political establishment because he refused to go along with what Hitler was doing.  He spoke out against Hitler’s aggressive nationalism and against his racist policies.  Others in the political establishment at the time were quite happy to curry favour with Hitler, on one occasion demoting a Jewish Cabinet Minister in order to “not offend” him.  During the 1930s, Churchill paid a heavy political price for his principles.

Churchill devoted over a decade of his life fighting everything that Hitler stood for.  After the War, he founded the European Movement, promoting closer integration within Europe, starting the ball rolling for today’s EU.  It is strange that the BNP should be trying to adopt Churchill as their mascot, when it is clear that they oppose everything that he fought for.  Worse, it is a terrible insult to the memory of the man who ensured that this country remained a democracy against all of the odds.

I’d like to thank everybody who stood by the roads today and cheered all of us “runners” on.  Especially those who stayed after the heavens opened and the wind started blowing horizontal rain into our faces all the way back from Old Trafford.  People’s encouragement from the side of the road is part of what makes the Great Manchester Run special.

My time was nothing to blog about, though I was within the hour and a half, but it looks as though I’m going to be well over my initial target of £400 for Cancer Research, so thanks for everybody who sponsored me.

It’s now time for a little lie down.

As a Councillor I see a wide range of issues which come under the broad category of housing benefit fraud.  There are the genuinely accidental ones, which are generally a pensioner putting the correct amounts on the complex form, but getting confused about exactly which disability benefits they are on (some count, others don’t).  The authorities are often unforgiving, demanding swift repayment regardless of hardship.

Then there are deliberate frauds.  People claiming rent for properties which they own, or complex webs within an extended family as to who owns what meaning that a close relative ends up with the cash, or simply failing to declare income.  These are usually met with prosecution, plus an insistence on repayment.

Whilst it might well be argued that many of this week’s revelations for MPs expenses are either no offence at all (attacking an MP for something else on a receipt for which they hadn’t attempted to claim, or attacking an MP with a Constituency with a large number of islands reachable only by a 4 to 6 hour ferry journey once a day for occasionally staying on a B&B on one of those islands in order to spend enough time there to do his job), or could be classified as more or less honest mistakes (uncertainly over which household items qualify), there is no doubt that claiming for a non-existent mortgage could not possibly be an “honest error.”  An overpayment of a month perhaps, as the system catches up with a mortgage finishing, but overpayments for over a year are impossible to believe.

When I’ve encountered people claiming that they honestly didn’t realise that they couldn’t claim rent on a property which they own, I’ve not been at all sympathetic, nor have I found it easy to believe them.  I find an equal inability to believe that an MP could make the same mistake - especially as they are supposed to be competent enough to run the Country!

Incidentally, living in Inner City Gorton, I didn’t know that £8,000 televisions existed.  What do such tvs do that an ordinary one doesn’t?

Well, I can’t say that the training has gone well, but I am looking forward to Sunday - or rather the run being over.  The good news is that the generosity of local people, friends, colleagues and relatives means that I’ve nearly reached my initial target of £400 for Cancer Research, though it would be wonderful to exceed this.  I’m trying to get a button to appear next to this blog.

The Great Manchester Run is a lovely event and it’s always cheering to see how many people turn out to encourage us all on our way.  An occasional shout-out by name from the side of the road really does spur us on.  I don’t know if I was the “Jackie” referred to when somebody yelled “Come on Jackie” last year, but it did help.  However, I felt less appreciative when somebody bellowed “Come on Councillor, move your a***” with 400m to go.

Whilst I think that one or two MPs have been rather roughly treated on the grounds of taste rather than sleaze, the scale of some of the expenses abuses takes the breath away.  I can understand somebody asking the relevant officials if certain furnishings qualify, but I cannot possibly comprehend how somebody could not notice that he’d finished paying off his mortgage for over two years.

If somebody made that sort of “error” on housing benefit, claiming mortgage interest and not noticing that the mortgage had ended, they’d be facing prosecution with the prospect of time inside if convicted.  Indeed, the authorities can be terrifyingly threatening to people who have made an honest mistake (such as an elderly couple getting the different types of disability allowances mixed up) which I have had to help clear up as a local Councillor.

Deliberate fraud is deliberate fraud, whether claiming ordinary housing benefit or MPs’ housing benefit and should be treated the same.

The promised improvements to the homes which have gone over the Eastlands are due to start in Gorton North in June.  The Windows will be upgraded, starting on the Birch Estate, with other improvements being rolled out.  I was pleased by the enthusiasm which the Eastlands Team seem to have for bringing the stock up to standard and delivering a good service.  Early days and a few inevitable teething troubles, but it looks like most tenants in Gorton North will be seeing a positive result from the transfer very soon.

Wednesday will be the AGM of the Council, or as it is often known the Mayor Making, when a new Lord Mayor is elected.  For my first few years on the Council, this was a rather ill-tempered event, due to the refusal of the Ruling Group for many years to abide by the old tradition that the Lord Mayor is considered to be non-political during their year of office and are appointed from different political parties roughly in proportion to their numbers on the Council.  Fortunately, the Lord Mayoralty in Manchester is now back (more or less) to this time-honoured concept, so the Mayor Making is once more a day of celebration for the incoming Lord Mayor and of course a day of thanking the outgoing Lord Mayor for his or her service.

Lord Mayor is in fact a very difficult and time-consuming job.  It’s not just about the robes, chain and feathered hat (an ensemble which isn’t the easiest outfit to carry off in public without some incumbents occasionally feeling the need to also wear a slightly sheepish grin).  Most Lord Mayors have a large number of engagements during their year of office, from meeting royalty to attending a great number of events which are less headline-making, but just as important to those community groups, charities and schools involved – and just as important to the Lord Mayor.  In addition to that heavy (but usually enjoyable) workload, Lord Mayors also have to Chair the meetings of Manchester City Council and try to keep us all in order – with varying degrees of success, depending on what issues we’re all debating and how heated we’re all getting.  The Lord Mayor also exercises that ultimate sanction in the Council Chamber – the power to turn off our microphones!  Regardless of party, the Lord Mayors who have served during my time on the Council have all been dedicated and hard working during their year and their Consorts have also worked incredibly hard at their sides in what is an often thankless task – and the Consorts are unpaid!

This year my long-serving Liberal Democrat colleague, Alison Firth who has served as a Councillor in Withington for 25 years is due to become Lord Mayor, the fourth Liberal Democrat Lord Mayor of Manchester since the non-partisan system was restored.  Alison thoroughly deserves the honour and I have every confidence that she will do a superb job and I’m certain that Andrew will be an excellent Consort.  My warmest congratulations to Alison, I hope that she thoroughly enjoys her year.

Tonight, my fellow Councillors and I have a meeting with Eastlands Homes, who have now been in charge of the former council housing for my Ward for over a month.  Local tenants are very much looking forwards to the promised improvements, but obviously at the moment the priority is to ensure that the change is as smooth as possible and that Eastlands can start making a positive difference.  There’ve been a few glitches so far with Eastlands sending out rent arrears notices to people whose standing orders haven’t transferred across yet, but I’m hoping that nobody gets threatened with eviction when they’re fully paid up.

One big thing in terms of area improvements is the knotweed infestations which Manchester Housing never quite got to grips with.  I’m hoping that Eastlands will be more pro-active.

The late Sir Richard Wainwright used to tell a story about how one of his predecessors as the MP for Colne Valley used to visit his Constituency without fail every year.  He would arrive by train, be carried on a chair by his party workers to the Constituency Headquarters where the annual dinner would be consumed, he would deliver a speech then be carried (presumably rather heavier on the way out than on the way in) back to the station, get on the train and depart.  There is no doubt that times have changed and MPs are expected to be considerably more locally engaged nowadays.  Most MPs need to live either in or close to their constituencies in order to be effective local representatives.  Similarly most MPs also need somewhere to stay near Westminster during the week in order to do what they’re elected to do.  Commuting daily from Greater Manchester is not possible, let alone attempting to commute from Shetland.  Unless we want our MPs to be drawn entirely from the well off, who can afford to maintain many homes, there is a need for some extra support.

The guiding principle in the private sector is that expenses are meant to cover genuine out of pocket costs and are not supposed to be a route by which people supplement their income and that should be the same guiding principle for  MPs’ expenses.

It is time to restore the rule that the second home allowance should cover rent (and maybe the second Council Tax and even a second TV licence, as that’s more or less a legal necessity), but not a mortgage, so that an MP does not end up with a huge taxpayer-subsidised profit on selling their second homes, with maybe a modest one-off lump sum for furnishings for a newly elected MP, as longer-serving MPs should already have their London homes furnished adequately.  Full annual disclosure should discourage MPs from attempting to get around this by renting to each other.  There is no reason at all for anybody within Greater London to have a second home, as their constituents are expected to commute, so their MPs should do the same.

The current system seems the worst of all possible worlds, bringing everybody involved with it into disrepute.

Hyde Road is now fully reopened.  There is a very large and neat patch on the road, which shows the scale of the problem.  So far, I haven’t spotted water emerging from the points where it has been flowing over the last few months, so hopefully the leaks have been solved too.  Credit must go to the people who managed to do such a massive repair in three days.

Next week, 17th May 2009, I will be once more doing the Great Manchester Run (for a given value of the word “run”).  As far as I know, I’m the only Councillor in Manchester who has “run” this race every year since it started.  I can’t confess to having done much training this time, but I am hoping to raise money for Cancer Research  UK.   My target is £400 and so far, the online and offline donations total over £100.  The link to the left labelled “Great Manchester Run” should arrive at my fundraising site.  All donations gratefully received.

Wright Robinson Sports College are offering an aquatic holiday camp for kids aged 8 - 16.  The dates and times are:

 Tuesday 26^th May  –  Friday 29^th May 10.00am – 11.00am

11.00am – 12.00noon

13.00pm – 14.00pm

14.30pm – 15.30pm

Please contact the Aquatics Coordinator at WRSC on 0161 370 5121 for a form to book one of these sessions.

If I can get through the traffic tomorrow, I will be holding an advice session at Belle Vue House, 11 – 12 which apparently is the new name for the building which has been known for 20 years as the Gorton North Neighbourhood Office.  The new name is apparently a sign of change, even though it is neither a house or in Belle Vue.  All welcome to attend.

There doesn’t seem to be much good news.  It does look like the disruption is going to go on to the weekend, but there is real hope that at least one lane will be open by the evening rush hour.  I was told that the buses have been diverted via Reddish Lane or Ashton New Road, though I hope that the latter is a misprint for Ashton Old Road, otherwise it’s so far away as to not be covered by the description of “Gorton” at all!

A further update has now arrived.  Outbound traffic will be diverted via Whitwell Way, Garrett Way, Cross Lane and Tan Yard Brow.  Inbound via Reddish Lane, Longford Road West, Barlow Road and Mount Road.  Buses are using the inbound route, so personally I’d suggest getting on and off at the junction of Mount Road and Hyde Road, or the Reddish Lane junction.  It is now hoped that a single lane will be opened at about 6 tonight, but it will be traffic light controlled, so if your journey doesn’t take you into Gorton, it’s probably best to follow the diversion.

It has been obvious for some time that there are serious water leaks under Hyde Road, with water emerging at various points.  I know that I and my Liberal Democrat Colleagues have reported this on several occasions since Christmas.  Whilst I am sure that United Utilities have diligently investigated these reports, it’s noticeable how carefully they have avoided being noticed doing so by local residents.  Now a massive collapse has happened, resulting in more than a mile of Hyde Road being cut-off for traffic.  As this is a major road into Manchester and an important bus route, many people are going to be unable to get to work today and the entire Gorton District Centre is isolated.  At 7:15 this morning, the surrounding roads are at a standstill.

Although highly tempted to launch into a massive rant about United Utilities, I will instead report that I have emailed various Council Officers to try to get an estimate as to how long this is going to take and what can be done to restore bus services whilst this is going on.

It seems that travellers have once more taken residence on Vine Street.  This happened almost exactly three years ago.  The problem is that the site is owned by three different owners in a complex patchwork.  Last time, they were able to keep moving around the land between the various areas of ownership as each order was served.  As Manchester is one of those local Councils which does have provision for travellers (and only a couple of miles away), there isn’t really justification for staying on land which has no facilities at all for providing water, waste or refuse collection.  Hopefully, it will be sorted out rather more quickly this time around, the various relevant Council Officers have been informed.

What, exactly has Manchester done to deserve being the Government’s testing ground for unpopular schemes?  We’ve just gone through a referendum on whether or not we want to pay a congestion charge in order to get vital improvements to public transport (answer: no we don’t, especially when other areas get their public transport without a stonking tax to go with it).  Now we’re to pilot the ID card scheme on a “voluntary” basis.  It looks like Labour see Manchester in the same way in which the Tories used to see Scotland.

Now there’s a lot about this which simply doesn’t make sense.  First and foremost is what will constitute voluntary.  It’s already clear that it will be entirely voluntary for anybody working airside at the Airport on in the sense that if they volunteer to carry on having a job, they will need a card.  It leads me to wonder if we residents of Greater Manchester don’t rush to our local chemists or Post Offices (if we can find one) to have our details taken (apparently chemists are the highly trained first line of defence against identity fraud), what then?

I can well imagine pressure being put onto the ten Greater Manchesester Councils to make accessing certain services conditional upon having an ID card.

Personally, I volunteer not to carry an ID card.