A RETURN TO FRIENDLY RIVALRY

It would appear that certain Tameside councillors are, on the whole, totally unaware, utterly confused or simply duplicitous in their grasp of the local loyalty that’s deeply ingrained in the hearts of the families of the towns they claim to represent.

Back in the day, friendly rivalry between dozens of various schools in terms of academic and sporting prowess used to be the norm in the towns of Denton, Droylsden, Hyde, Stalybridge, Denton, Dukinfield, Mossley, Audenshaw and Ashton. It was an integral part of growing up which generally manifested itself in a competitive drive to one up each other with both participants developing their talents.

Team sports, particularly football, were a popular focus point for inter-town rivalry, especially since cattle rustling and pillaging were emphatically discouraged!

But more and more these days we are subjected to letters written by councillors who seem unclear as to the proud history of their areas.

This week, once again John Taylor; that man of vision and sartorial elegance, was metaphorically wandering down a non-existent memory lane, where he told us that ‘Tameside’ was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution, which was turning Britain into the world’s dominant economic and military power!

Really, John?

Well considering that the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 1700s and Tameside was only created by bureaucratic consensus in 1974, it’s difficult to take the Dukinfield councillor seriously on his historical text, or indeed, taking his position as Tameside council’s Deputy Leader, on any other spurious facts, figures or statistics he frequently purports to spew out!

If he must put his name to articles on local history, then in future, will his writer include a little local geography into the sophomoric pieces; after all ‘time and place’ do go hand in hand!

However, John Taylor is not alone in this creeping trend to replace our individual local towns’ priorities with those carrying the dreaded Tameside Label. Too many times our local councillors put their place on the borough council first, before challenging the ‘leader’ by standing up for residents and dealing with local issues and insisting on receiving an equal share of the council spend.

Not too long ago, I overheard one of our councillors suggesting that all the local towns’ football clubs should all disband, with all the ‘best players’ forming a combined Tameside team!

Could you imagine a football team run by Tameside council? Its ground no doubt would be based in Ashton, with its team chosen by executive committee! Several months of arguing about the gender of the team mascot with the deciding vote going to the ‘chair’ of the local government leagues “Diversity Committee” who’s responsibility may also include the scheduled rotation of wheelie bins?

TAMESIDE FC SIGN POLITICALLY CORRECT GOALIE

They would preside over a game where there would be no winners or losers, just teams of “politically correct, community representatively mixed ability players” that must be weakened if they are seen to be winning too easily! 

Not that they could actually run and kick a ball with all the silly health and safety rules because it would be difficult to play wrapped from head to toe in reams of padding, whilst stuffing themselves with a Big Mac and tweeting!

Ugh!

With all the talk of ‘cuts’ it’s not gone unnoticed that council chiefs have seized on an political opportunity to consolidate a great proportion of their funds to lavish on Ashton, much to the denigration of all the other towns; who these days must rely more and more on the residents volunteering to take up the services that used to be paid for out of council taxation.

Ironically, this blinkered Labour administration is carrying out locally the same unfair distribution of funding throughout Tameside, that they never cease accusing the Government of doing throughout the country, with their North/South divide mantra!

How many times have we heard the mighty Quinn bemoan spending in the South as opposed to the North?

Look at investment locally however, and you'll discover that spending gets even worse when you look at the imbalance in terms of council expenditure. Just overlay the amount that our council spends in Ashton, with that of Hyde, Denton or Stalybridge and you’ll discover a borough wide divide!

By allowing this unequal investment of funds, local ward councillors have taken a stubborn and entrenched position that has to be of considerable concern for everyone living in their local communities.

These career councillors seem to have forgotten that a sense of rivalry between some of our towns helps residents feel good about their home town. 

In the not too distant past, town rivalry prompted by competition was instrumental in securing and developing key infrastructure that could significantly improve a towns growth prospects, and even ensure its survival. Today, by lavishing vast amounts of money in Ashton, whilst encouraging out-of-town retail developments and closing facilities like Markets, Libraries, Leisure Centres and Colleges in rival surrounding town centres, the outcome can only be one of diminishing returns.

It’s high time some of our local councillors realised that unlike that encountered in the false world of petty politics, not all rivalries are bitter. Some are actually quite friendly with both parties getting along just great - and seeing as we all pay into the same council tax pot, equal investment should be the norm in every corner of the borough.