07/11/2014

CYNICALLY SPEAKING…

"I was up for knocking it down!"
John Taylor has a cunning way of staying in the news. 

Last week, the career councillor who already pens a ‘weekly column’ in the local press leapt out of our television sets, suitably dressed in his best tee-shirt, as the first councillor to be featured on the BBC’s ‘Call the Council’ – that’s the show where dedicated, heroic, committed council officers, tirelessly engage in a never-ending battle against, Rats, Mice, Wasps, Pigeons, Fly Tippers, Litter-Bugs, Dog fouling, Smokers, Noisy Neighbours, Fast-food outlets and unfit for purpose Taxi Drivers; bare their souls on camera in a seemingly inexhaustible series of programs where these dedicated front-line council staff endeavour to supply the BBC with perfect eye fodder for satire.

Now I don’t know if there is any truth in the rumour, but word has it that based on his albeit brief screen test, John Taylor is being considered as a prime candidate for a major part in the political remake of ‘Honey, I shrunk the Kids’

Renamed ‘Honey I shrunk the Assets’ The plot this time see ex-market trader Taylor, who inexplicably finds himself in the roll of the Deputy Leader of Tameside council. 

Disaster strikes when an out of depth Taylor is given the total responsibility for Markets and accidentally blows his entire budget on building a number of 'wooden huts' for his pet experiment to create a viable Christmas Market, and, despite countless letters of decent and advice from those who know, the deputy Leader goes ahead regardless and in doing so, shrinks the council’s entire annual budget to the size of a weekly big-shop in Aldi.

On a serious note, another piece of news that emerged this week, that on the face of it may appear rather trivial, however when one looks at it from a holistic point of view, the decision to ‘cut town centre parking costs to £1.00. is of historical significance, because it shows that contrary to popular belief councillors’ not only 'listen' but also actually posses the ability act on public opinion.

It might also signify the possibility that certain career councillors might be considering delivering a long called for return for a high street shopping revival which could benefit both local retailers and thousands of Tameside families for years to come.

Time and time again the Labour councillors have promised the people of Tameside they would listen to them. Well, they may well have listened, but until now, they’ve chosen to ignore the voters requests and ploughed ahead with their own long list of vanity projects and unwanted policies.

Could it now be that common sense is beginning to dawn on our elected few?
Could we really be on the cusp of a breakout of logic; where councillors’ looking at the use of public assets like parks and the disposal of iconic civic buildings, first listen to the people before their party?

Could it be that at long last councillors’ are realising that they do not actually own Tameside?

I believe that the towns that make up Tameside are owned by the people who live in them and it is those people, that have, in the short term, given councillors’ a little bit of their power to do their best on their behalf.

So, when it comes to things like parks; libraries and other precious buildings and other community assets much loved by local people, a councillors’ role should be that of a Trustee; - a guardian for the future, whose first and only job is to protect the boroughs assets, improve the facilities and ensure they are passed down the years for future generations.

For too long now, throughout this Labour council’s near 40 years in office, the people of Tameside have faced and had to accept actions by consecutive Labour politicians as they dispose of the people’s assets and diminish the viability of our towns.

Pragmatism and not petty point-scoring politics is needed. After all, much of what councils do should be apolitical. Getting the bins emptied or looking after our green spaces should be done on a consensual and not a political basis.

Forget the political arm waving stuff and grandstanding, there should be rational discussion from people who listen to and respect each other and who genuinely want to achieve great things for all our towns, not just Ashton!


9 comments:

  1. I have to say it's a better photo of him than this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NrRktMOekA

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  2. Get something done about this lot, it's everyday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P266M7VQXK0

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  3. The more laws, the less justice. Marcus Tullius Cicero

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  4. A Message To You Rudy11/08/2014 7:37 pm

    Waste of space man

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  5. The same goes for the main parties nationally who are fighting old battles based on outdated differences. The class system still plays a major part as theTories and Conservatives pathetically and increasingly irrelevantly try to pointscore off each other on the NHS etc.
    They've become stale, incestuous and self obsessed. the whole thing needs mucking out like rancid stables. They no longer listen to or care about what the PEOPLE think.
    We need CHANGE, and crucial issues relating to the very survival of Britain as a recognisable entity, like immigration and the EU need ADDRESSING not BS from the busted flush main parties who are in truth unprincipled self seekers and power and money grubbers.
    Next May, we need UKIP in Britain and Tameside. Let's hope locally that Mr Taylor is consigned to the political dustbin. It's long overdue.

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    1. Anonymous - the local Tories are ordinary decent people and not members of the Upper Class. They are people who care about local communities and who are prepared to put themselves forward to serve others. The Tameside Reporter last Thursday carried a letter from myself, drawing attention to the revised parking fees. I welcomed the "listening" that has taken place, but pointed out that it was an election issue last May - one of the proposals put forward by the Conservative Party to help revive our failing town centres. Regarding UKIP, I should add that I do not know a single local Tory who advocates staying in the EU. We consider the EU a socialist organisation that will forever be seeking more funds to sort out the problems it creates for itself. We do need change - on that we are agreed!

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  6. @ David Tyler, I suggest local Tories write to David Cameron and tell him about the anti-EU Conservative opinion. They should also ram home to the Tory top brass the strength of feeling of the public on immigration, an issue Mr Cameron apparently thinks is so tainted or untouchable he doesn't want to soil himself with it, let alone take MEANINGFUL action.
    I don't know one politically informed person who thinks the Prime Minister is, in reality, anything other than fervently pro-EU.

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  7. The problem we all face is the fact that the British people have been poorly led for two generations; uncontrolled immigration, sovereignty surrendered to unelected Eurocrats.
    The old saying about Lib/Lab/Con is sadly now true, there is little or no difference between those who lead their parties and as long as they rule there will be no difference in policy. None of them will ever admit to their manifold failures, so voting for any of them cannot be the solution to the problems engulfing our once Great Britain.
    They say a new broom sweeps clean. It’s time UKIP were given a chance. After all, what is there more to lose?

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  8. Labour won't even give the people a vote on EU membership - one of the most crucial issues ever to confront our country.
    No-one should vote for such a disgraceful, arrogant and utterly undemocratic party.

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