Here's my thinking, firstly they didnt stick out any promises in their manifesto document (what are they hiding?) but they then select a former city lawyer, who lives 6 miles away from Truro, and has a massive house in Mylor!
Now the independent candidate isnt running (probably wanting to do something else), so that leaves me as the only local candidate who has any distinct policies, I know what Truro needs, and thats not another stereotypical councillor, if the tories are aspousing change, shouldnt they be supporting me?
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
The Cornish Liberal Democrat manifesto
As it's been a busy day at work, I have not had a eventful day, apart from getting COD4 on the Xbox 360 (dont worry I only play it post 8:30pm after door knocking!). I'd thought I'd post the Lib Dem manifesto for Cornwall the whole manifesto is here but here are the bits which I think are my favorite things;
Now the reason why I chose those five, is not because the are the most hard hitting to put in a blog, but they give you an idea of what we are planning to do.
Councilors wages must be put on hold, and further to that we must make it so normal, working people can serve on our council not just the retired or unemployed. I've heard from many people that the only way to do this is increase the allowances offered, but that'll only make sitting councillors better off, the way to do it is by having meetings in the evening, allowing people to engage in the democratic process without having to miss work, it's not a revolutionary idea but if you want more people involved you have to think how the change the pattern of how the council works, not how much the councillors are paid!
The second thing is making Cornwall a "Green Peninsular." I feel that this is at utmost importance, over the next 50 years our planet is going to face some extreme weather, and Cornwall (being on the southwesterly tip of the UK) will be bearing the brunt of it, we have to look at everything we do to bring our carbon emissions down, from the way we produce energy away from coal, gas and oil, onto the natural resources that surround Cornwall, we can produce energy from Wave, to Wind, Cornwall is surrounded by energy, we just have to capture it!
Council tax, unfair, unjust, brought in by the tories without factoring the ability to pay, and made worse by this Labour Government's contempt for local democracy. Cornwall now has a unitary council that means 7 chief executives have merged into one. So effectively we're cutting the cost it takes to run Cornwall so we can pass on those savings on to the council tax payer. We're going to cut council tax = FACT.
1200 affordable green homes to go to local people every year. I dont even have to explain this when some communities down here only have 40% of houses occupied all year round!
The final thing is a credit union to help working people afford a home, when wages down here are 2/3rds of the national average, and house prices are higher than almost everywhere else, we need money at low cost to help us get our homes!
Any way sorry it was a bit long, I know blogs are meant to be 200 words or so long but hey, I have a lot to say!
- We will freeze Councillors’ allowances - at a time when the economy is contracting and
people are losing their jobs and savings, Councillors need to tighten their belts too - We will make Cornwall the ‘Green Peninsula’, leading the way nationally in sustainable policy,technology and the way we do our business.
- We can now promise to cut your Council Tax in real terms over the next four years, whilst
maintaining and improving services. This comes as a direct benefit of creating a single council for Cornwall, which will result in over £70 million pounds worth of savings across the county. - We will ensure at least 1200 new energy efficient homes earmarked for local families and guaranteed to be affordable in perpetuity, are delivered every year.
- We will spend at least £1 million to support Cornwall Credit Union - making possible their work to help households access affordable credit and tackle financial exclusion.
Now the reason why I chose those five, is not because the are the most hard hitting to put in a blog, but they give you an idea of what we are planning to do.
Councilors wages must be put on hold, and further to that we must make it so normal, working people can serve on our council not just the retired or unemployed. I've heard from many people that the only way to do this is increase the allowances offered, but that'll only make sitting councillors better off, the way to do it is by having meetings in the evening, allowing people to engage in the democratic process without having to miss work, it's not a revolutionary idea but if you want more people involved you have to think how the change the pattern of how the council works, not how much the councillors are paid!
The second thing is making Cornwall a "Green Peninsular." I feel that this is at utmost importance, over the next 50 years our planet is going to face some extreme weather, and Cornwall (being on the southwesterly tip of the UK) will be bearing the brunt of it, we have to look at everything we do to bring our carbon emissions down, from the way we produce energy away from coal, gas and oil, onto the natural resources that surround Cornwall, we can produce energy from Wave, to Wind, Cornwall is surrounded by energy, we just have to capture it!
Council tax, unfair, unjust, brought in by the tories without factoring the ability to pay, and made worse by this Labour Government's contempt for local democracy. Cornwall now has a unitary council that means 7 chief executives have merged into one. So effectively we're cutting the cost it takes to run Cornwall so we can pass on those savings on to the council tax payer. We're going to cut council tax = FACT.
1200 affordable green homes to go to local people every year. I dont even have to explain this when some communities down here only have 40% of houses occupied all year round!
The final thing is a credit union to help working people afford a home, when wages down here are 2/3rds of the national average, and house prices are higher than almost everywhere else, we need money at low cost to help us get our homes!
Any way sorry it was a bit long, I know blogs are meant to be 200 words or so long but hey, I have a lot to say!
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
It's election time!
Well it's now official, I am the Liberal Democrat Candidate for the Trehaverne Ward of Truro. A city which I have lived in all my life and a place that I will always refer to as my home.
The election is on June 4th, and I am currently knocking on doors and leafleting as many houses, speaking to as many people, and getting as many people involved in the decision processes that the new Cornwall Council will be undertaking, and I have to say there is a stark choice that is before the electorate.
On the one hand, we have the conservatives, who claim they are the party of change, on the other hand you have the Indy candidate, and somewhere stuck in a rut is the Labour party candidate.
Lets face it. The tories dont believe in anything, and as we saw with grammar schools when they do attempt to make a policy announcement, they are split down the middle. And now for this set of council elections they have put forward a total number of ............................................ ZERO policies. None, zilch, nadda, nothing. To put it into context if I put forward an essay with similar content I wouldnt even get any marks because it doesnt make any points and it doesnt even tell us why they have reached any justification at all. I have, at least, got a manifesto, which is full of promises, from the Freezing of allowences for councillors, to the cutting of council tax in real terms. Manifestos are MEANT to have policy, they are MEANT to tell the electorate what we plan to do. The only thing on their website is a 22 page attack document on the Lib Dems. Their manifesto is only 9 pages. SO you plan to attack people who are forward thinking and progressive, where is the alternative?
The tories are spin, they're a glorifed PR agency, with no belief system in place. Nothing to bind them together, they are a party that stands up for yesterday, and thats not what people in Cornwall want to go back to.
This is because that over the past 50 years, we've had a rotary government, swapping between one party to another, taking turns and sharing power between the two, and over the past 30 years, we've had Thatcher, and Blair, and people dont want that. If we are to restore peoples faith in politicians, we have to stand for something, and that something must be clear. It has to be an core set of principles. and that is something that is lacking in both the Labour Party under Gordon, and the Tories.
Just a quick word about the indy, please dont use the position to try and ban my favorite film again, the Life of Brian was meant to annoy you and it got it's reaction now stop being horrible to almost everyone and be happy, chillax, the modern world isnt out to get you, and if you stop having a go at people you'll realise we're all the same.
We have a stark choice here in Cornwall, it's either for a vision for the future of the county, or one for the past. The real change will be when the Lib Dems get in power and bring back the idea of good government, bring the idea that the underdogs in society should be protect and if the system isnt fair, it's time to change it.
Come with me on the campaign trail, and together we'll see that Cornwall needs more than just spin, it needs promises.
The election is on June 4th, and I am currently knocking on doors and leafleting as many houses, speaking to as many people, and getting as many people involved in the decision processes that the new Cornwall Council will be undertaking, and I have to say there is a stark choice that is before the electorate.
On the one hand, we have the conservatives, who claim they are the party of change, on the other hand you have the Indy candidate, and somewhere stuck in a rut is the Labour party candidate.
Lets face it. The tories dont believe in anything, and as we saw with grammar schools when they do attempt to make a policy announcement, they are split down the middle. And now for this set of council elections they have put forward a total number of ............................................ ZERO policies. None, zilch, nadda, nothing. To put it into context if I put forward an essay with similar content I wouldnt even get any marks because it doesnt make any points and it doesnt even tell us why they have reached any justification at all. I have, at least, got a manifesto, which is full of promises, from the Freezing of allowences for councillors, to the cutting of council tax in real terms. Manifestos are MEANT to have policy, they are MEANT to tell the electorate what we plan to do. The only thing on their website is a 22 page attack document on the Lib Dems. Their manifesto is only 9 pages. SO you plan to attack people who are forward thinking and progressive, where is the alternative?
The tories are spin, they're a glorifed PR agency, with no belief system in place. Nothing to bind them together, they are a party that stands up for yesterday, and thats not what people in Cornwall want to go back to.
This is because that over the past 50 years, we've had a rotary government, swapping between one party to another, taking turns and sharing power between the two, and over the past 30 years, we've had Thatcher, and Blair, and people dont want that. If we are to restore peoples faith in politicians, we have to stand for something, and that something must be clear. It has to be an core set of principles. and that is something that is lacking in both the Labour Party under Gordon, and the Tories.
Just a quick word about the indy, please dont use the position to try and ban my favorite film again, the Life of Brian was meant to annoy you and it got it's reaction now stop being horrible to almost everyone and be happy, chillax, the modern world isnt out to get you, and if you stop having a go at people you'll realise we're all the same.
We have a stark choice here in Cornwall, it's either for a vision for the future of the county, or one for the past. The real change will be when the Lib Dems get in power and bring back the idea of good government, bring the idea that the underdogs in society should be protect and if the system isnt fair, it's time to change it.
Come with me on the campaign trail, and together we'll see that Cornwall needs more than just spin, it needs promises.
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