September 2008

The Archives

• About me

  Hurrah, I’m getting abuse!

  09.29.08 | Permalink | 3 Comments

  I got my first personally abusive comment on my blog today, so I think that means I’ve become a real blogger.  And from an American rightwing nutjob as well! 
  I need to savour this moment, and both consider and seek advice on how to retort.  I note Bob Piper’s developed a handy line in retort (though [...]

• Being Labour, Breaking News

  Conservative Council dishonesty – here’s the proof

  09.29.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments

  At the weekend I got to review this week’s papers for Executive Overview and Scrutiny meeting, including the review of the 2007-08 revenue outturn.   Not a sparkling read, but it has to be done. 
  Here is the relevant bit: ‘Regeneration and Estates – Favourable variance £174,000
  Income levels for the division were significantly better than expected mainly because [...]

• Bickerstaffe Thoughts, Breaking News

  George Osborne – no good at sums, or geography, or both

  09.29.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments

  Hat tip to Labour Boy this morning for listening to George Osborne waffle on about national debt this morning for me while I was getting the kids ready for school.  Apparently, Georgey boy thinks the UK has the biggest national debt in the Western World, and that’s a good thing to attack Labour for. Well, either [...]

• Being Labour, The world beyond West Lancashire

  ‘Lets blame the poor, we might get away with it.’

  09.28.08 | Permalink | 3 Comments

  I’d thought it might turn up soon, and it has.  Far right wing blog trash like thishas turned up in the supposedly balanced MSM, courtesy of an article by Carl Mortished in The Times, which I had to read twice before I could quite believe he was really saying what he saying.  Here’s an excerpt (and [...]

• Breaking News

  Cameron’s Office of Budget Responsibility – the quango to trump all quangos

  09.28.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  Of course the more serious point about David Cameron’s announcement about an Office for Budget Responsibility to act as watchdog over all public spending and borrowing, is that he is proposing to remove from democratic accountability what is probably the most fundamental function of governmen.

  He seek to institutionalise, at a place beyond the reach of the [...]

• Being Labour

  Quango good, Quango bad

  09.28.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  I’m sure I’m not the first blogger to notice/mention that one the very same day that David Cameron announces plans for a new QUANGO to ‘watchdog’ public spending and borrowing, presumably because his government would be rubbish at managing either, his mate Eric Pickles says that the Tories would pay for weekly bin collections by [...]

• Breaking News

  Council to siphon off £50,000 from regeneration funds

  09.26.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  Last week I reported on attempts to ‘abolish’ me, by removing my position on the Funding Management Group of the Local Strategic Partnership, despite my knowing a fair bit of relevant stuff and having served on the group for around six years and had my expertise in the area recognised. 
  Here’s why they want rid of [...]

• Breaking News

  Forgetful Council loses vital website

  09.26.08 | Permalink | 1 Comment

  Yesterday I reported on how our supposedly efficient Conservative Council had lost a £125, 000 commuted sum agreement.
  Now it looks like it’s spreading.  The Council appears to have forgotten to re-register/pay for the domain name for the Local Strategic Partnership, to which it (sort of) provides the secretariat. 
  Click on  www.westlancslsp.org (where you’re directed from the Council website) and you [...]

• Bickerstaffe Thoughts, Breaking News, Cotterill on the Council

  West Lancashire District Council ‘forgets’ £125,000 deal

  09.25.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  After quite a bit of digging, I can confirm that West Lancashire District Council simply forgot about a £125, 000 ‘commuted sum’ agreement with developers, signed in 2000 when greenbelt land behind Firswood Road on the Skelmersdale/South Lathom border.  The agreement states that as soon as 35 acres of the greenbelt becomes built upon, the [...]

• Being Labour

  Did Gordon use my draft?

  09.23.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  Good to see that Gordon did pick up on some of the ideas in my draft, in his speech today.
  And I’m pleased he picked up on the same revelatory quote as I did the other day, from the shadow chancellor, on short-selling.  It bears repeating: ‘No one takes pleasure from people making money out of the misery of others but that is [...]

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