All,

One of the bits of good news that has already been reported in the Herald is that the Town Council has frozen it’s part of the council tax again.

This move will reduce the amount kept in reserves, but councillors felt that with economic difficulties still with us it would be wrong to increase the amount we take from local people. The services which the council provides will be unaffected.

Of course the Conservative-run District and County Councils have yet to decide on their part of the council tax - and they take far more than the Town Council. We should know this early in the new year - so I’ll keep you posted.

Philip

All,

I’ve updated my contact details following my recent move, and finally (after 4 weeks of woe with BT) have the internet at home, so I’ll be able to keep this a bit more up to date. My telephone number remains the same.

Philip

Transition Shipston is compiling a local food directory and are looking for:
• local suppliers
• producers
• growers large or small, as well as
• pubs, restaurants, hotels and B&B’s

who provide local, ethically sourced foods that are available to the public .

There is no charge to be included in the directory which will be distributed to local households when it is launched in the spring. If you would like to be included in the directory and have not yet been asked, or would like more information, please contact :

Liz Atkinson: lizj.atkinson@googlemail.com

Pat Harris: paover19@aol.com

Sharyn Singer: sharyn.rainbow@btinternet.com

Regards,

Philip

All,

Many of you will already know of the plans by Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service to close seven stations and lose 100 retained fire fighters’ jobs.

I have long argued that the proposals will lead to a worse service for the residents of Warwickshire, with potentially slower response times for some areas of the County. Fortunately Shipston on Stour’s station is not under threat, but a reduced service across the county could affect us all.

As part of the public consultation process there is a public meeting, and I urge local people to come along. Here are the details:

Monday 16th November
18:30 - Presentation at 19:00hrs
Shipston-on- Stour
Shipston On Stour Primary School, Station Road
Shipston on Stour
CV36 4BT

I hope to see as many local people there as possible.

Regards,

Philip

 All,

Shipston Liberal Democrats had their Annual General Meeting tonight at Clark House.  Richard Cheney was elected as Chairman, Myself as Secretary and Maurice Ribbans as Treasurer.  For the first time we elected an Honorary President, Sheila Ribbans, in recognition of her many years of dedication to the Liberal Democrats, and more importantly the residents of Shipston and Ilmington.

If you would like to know more about what we get up to, or get involved with politics locally - contact me.

Regards,

Philip

All,

This Wednesday, the Liberal Democrats have secured a debate in the House of Commons on climate change. We will call for Parliament and Government to sign up to the 10:10 campaign and commit to achieving a 10% reduction in emissions by the end of 2010.

Please ask John Maples MP to vote in favour of our motion on Wednesday. If enough MPs join us then we can make a huge change to Britain’s future. You can quickly email him through writetothem.com. Ask him to support the Liberal Democrat motion on 10:10 on Wednesday.

We endorsed the 10:10 campaign at our recent federal conference and many Liberal Democrat run councils have shown the way. Now we are calling for the whole public sector to sign up. Once again, the Liberal Democrats are demonstrating leadership on the environment.

This is a big opportunity for Liberal Democrats and for the environment. Under this government there has been a shameful lack of action on climate change. Green taxes have gone down and the government are still pushing for environmentally disastrous new policies like Heathrow airport expansion, new nuclear and dirty coal power stations.

Liberal Democrats have the power to make a change. Leadership now is what Britain needs. So please take a moment to email John Maples MP and call on them to support the environment this Wednesday.

Regards,

Philip

All,

As you can see from their poster, the District Council is planning a consultation about next year’s budget.  I’m probably a little too cynical about how meaningful consultation from the Conservative run District Council is, particularly after their decision to close the Telegraph Street area office - but if we all turn up, they might just listen.

See you there!

Regards,

Philip

All,

Here’s the details of the next Shipston & Stour Community Forum. If you have any questions about it, feel free to give me a ring.

Regards,

Philip

Thursday 19th November 2009Newbold-on-Stour Village Hall

Local surgery 6.30pm, Community Forum starts at 7.00pm Community Forums give YOU the opportunity to raise issues of local concern and keep up to date with what is happening in YOUR community.

If you have a specific concern or problem then come along to the local surgery from 6.30pm – 7.00pm where you will be able to speak to officers from your local Safer Neighbourhoods Team, Councillors and Officers from Warwickshire County and Stratford-on-Avon District Councils.

Topics for discussion at the next forum

* What’s Going on to Make Your Community Safer?

* Working Together to Tackle Flooding

* Young People Have Their Say

* And Lots More………………..

If you would like to suggest an issue for a future Community Forum meeting, or find out more please contact Lizzie Price on 01789 290784 or email:

stratford@warwickshire.gov.uk

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/communityforums

All,

Liberal Democrats, including Cllr. Richard Cheney, recently asked the District Council to look again at plans to shut the Telegraph Street area office.

Tonight the ruling Conservatives voted against Lib Dem proposals to assess the impact of the closure.

The area office supports many of the services the District Council provides, and means that local residents don’t have to travel to Stratford when they want to deal with the Council face to face. It is very well used, not just by residents of Shipston on Stour - but also people from nearby villages.

This only goes to show how little the Conservatives care about Shipston and the surrounding villages, and there is now little that can be done to change their minds.

Regards,

Philip

Transition Shipston asked for Shipston Town Council’s support for a Green Fair in March - likely to be two Sundays before Easter. After a presentation by two of the organisers, the Town Council agreed to support the fair.

Although it’s very early days as far as planning goes, the day promises to be an exciting one, with information and stalls on various ‘green’ issues.

Keep the date free, and I’ll put more information on here when it becomes available.

Philip

Liberal Democrats have called for fundamental review of the plan to build a new giant incinerator for waste near Coventry.

Not only is the cost prohibitive, but the environmental impact will be enormous and harmful. Amazingly, those behind the scheme (a joint project with Warwickshire County Council, Coventry and Solihull Councils) seem to be ignoring the fact that increases in recycling rates would make the scheme pointless.

The economic argument for the scheme says that the recycling rate in 2020 (11 years time!) will be 51% so we will need a scheme of this size to dispose of much of the rest of the waste. However, at the moment recycling has reached 47% and there is no reason to assume that we won’t be doing much better in 2020, making the scheme as it is a giant waste of money.

We would be building it to burn our council tax payments!

Please - write to your local County Councillor to oppose the envrinmental and economic disaster.

Philip

All,

Brief Town Council meeting tonight, to discuss the Italian Market. Some traders were unhappy that the Market was taking place on a Friday - although from the two surveys carried out, one in the past week, the majority were in favour.

The Council voted 6-4 to carry on as planned, following a discussion of the surveys and Councillors’ reports on the positive feedback from local people. Councillors I spoke to were keen that any markets held in the future take place on a Sunday.

Hope to see you there, but, as ever, let me know your views.

Philip

This week an Italian Market is coming to Shipston, for the first time ever - at least to the best of my knowledge!

It’s on Friday 2nd October from 9am to 5pm, and the Town Centre will be closed to traffic during this time.

It will feature a wide range of Italian food and drink - all imported from Italy. The company behind the scheme has already worked in a number of other towns in rural areas - and the experience is that they provide a great alternative for local people and bring new people into the towns, boosting local business.

Personally, I would like to see a farmers market in Shipston more regularly, perhaps once a month, featuring more local produce. What do you think about this? Please use the link to write to me.

Regards,

Philip

All,

It’s been a busier than usual month for Shipston on Stour’s Town Councillors. Apart from the usual full council meeting, there has been a strategy and review of the working groups meeting, and we will also (hopefully) be signing off the accounts later this month. On top of that, there will also have been two meetings of the Mayo Road Trustees (all of the Town Councillors are automatically Trustees).

What with my job, it doesn’t seem like I’ve been home much!

Regards,

Philip

All,

Many of you know I work for the NHS in Gloucestershire. Today was Cirencester Hospital’s Fete - and rather stupidly I volunteered for the stocks, and got very wet on what was a lovely day! At times there were quite a lot of staff, and assorted children queuing up to drench me……

A lot of money was raised for the League of Friends, who support the hospital - but my thanks go to the Mayor, Alan Noyce, and District Councillor Richard Cheney who generously gave donations at the surgery this morning.

One last one for your enjoyment!

Regards,

Philip

All,

As usual, the surgery is taking place this morning between 10am and noon at Clark House. The Mayor is there, as is District Councillor Richard Cheney, and I will be joining in from 11am.

Regards,

Philip

PS - If you’re in or near Cirencester this afternoon, pop along to the hospital. The annual fete is on from 2pm, and at 2:30 and 3:30 I will be found in stocks having very wet sponges thrown at me. It’s all in a good cause, and one of the few occasions you get to throw things at an NHS manager and get away with it! I’ll have photos up on here later.

Martin Turner, the local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman, and Stratford Liberal Democrats celebrate gaining two seats from the Conservatives at last Thursday’s County Council elections.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I was reminded this morning that my site’s graph was now a little out of date, so I’ve updated it (see right).

As the graph shows, the Liberal Democrats in the Stratford on Avon constituency remain well placed to beat the Conservatives at the next General Election - with the results from this week’s County Council results putting us in a strong second place. If enough Greens and Labour supporters voted tactically, John Maples would no longer be our MP.

Embarrassingly for Labour, they came a poor fourth across the constituency, with the Greens easily outstripping their vote.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I’d like to start off by congratulating Councillor Chris Saint, who successfully defended the Shipston Division for the Conservatives. The Division - which includes many of Shipston’s surrounding villages, was always going to be a tough one for the Liberal Democrats to win, and so it proved - although we believe we did well in the Town itself.

I’d also like to thanks all those members and supporters who delivered Focus, put up posters or just generally helped the campaign. Without you we would not have done as well as we did.

Regardless of whether you voted for me, Chris or either of the minor Parties I’d also like to thank those who went out to vote. Turnout was relatively high (just under 50%) - and it is important that people get out to decide what kind of administration they want, even at a local level.

I’ve given up counting how many Labour Ministers have resigned this week - but I’m guessing we will all be back to the ballot boxes for a General Election soon enough!

To end on a positive note, Liberal Democrats took the former Conservative seats of Wellesbourne, Studley, and two seats in Stratford South, whilst losing Alcester and Kineton - a net gain of two councillors.

Once again - thanks to everyone involved (and I’d better get on writing the next Focus - when we promise to keep in touch, we mean it!).

Regards,

Philip

All,

The electioneering has come to an end, and all that counts today are your votes.

There is one message I want to get across before you get to the ballot box. At the last election it was neck and neck between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, the Greens came a distant third and the Labour Party didn’t stand. At the last District Council election in Shipston, Labour polled just 64 votes.

The Conservatives offer increased council tax, reduction in services and a failure to adopt green policies for Warwickshire. The Liberal Democrats offer regular contact through Focus leaflets and this website, efficient spending of your taxes and services that meet the needs of Shipston and the surrounding villages now and for the future.

Whichever Party you decide to vote for, remember to get out to vote today. It is important that local people vote for the services and policies they want for Shipston, Brailes, Long Compton and the other villages that go to make up the division.

Regards,

Philip

All,

You can see the latest Liberal Democrat Focus here.

Remember, the race in Shipston and the surrounding villages is between Philip Vial and the Conservatives.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I’ve been maintaining (well, tidying up really) the site tonight and Vince Cable’s economic recovery plan can now be found here.

Our policy documents can now all be found in the Liberal Democrat downloads section, and, as ever, editions of Focus can be found in the Focus archive section.

I’ve also spent some time in the Local information section - so check out the new contacts.

Regards,

Philip

Something more interesting (I promise) later in the day.

The graph on the right hand side of this page says a lot. At the last election the Greens came a distant third, almost 2000 votes behind the Liberal Democrat candidate.

Since then, the Conservatives on the District Council have abolished the Council’s Environment and Climate Change Panel. In Shipston it is clear that the only person who can realistically oppose the Conservative short-sighted attitude to environmental issues is Philip Vial.

The Labour Party didn’t stand last time, but in the last election in Shipston the Labour candidate received just 64 votes.

If you would like a progressive councillor for Shipston and the surrounding villages, Philip Vial is the only person who can beat the discredited Conservatives.

All,

The poll says:

Conservatives 40% (down 3%)
Liberal Democrats 25% (up 4%)
Labour 22% (down 4%)

(if there were a General Election).

The Telegraph goes on to say:

Nick Clegg’s party has emerged relatively well from the MPs’ expenses scandal.

The latest poll will worry local Conservatives who have seen support slipping away over the MPs’ expenses scandal in recent weeks.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I promise to mention the fact that there’s an election coming up on June 4th soon, but in yet another bid to have a blog which mentions more interesting things, I simply reprint a press release from the excellent Transition Shipston group - which will also appear in next month’s Forum.

Regards,

Philip

“The first public meeting of Transition Shipston and the Surrounding Area which was attended by around 30 people discussed how we can make the town and surrounding villages more self-reliant so that the community can become more resilient in the face of future food and energy “shocks”.

Of major interest to the meeting was increasing the amount of food produced locally.

One suggestion was to start a Community Supported Agriculture scheme similar to Canalside near Leamington where a farmer has rented out 7 acres of his land to members of the local community who all take part in the growing and share the produce. Other ideas included community gardens / orchards and a School Farm.

Re-invigorating the local economy is a primary aim of Transition Town initiatives in other parts of the country. Supermarkets it was suggested were a threat to the continuing health of local shops. The meeting heard that some towns have issued local currencies to encourage local shopping.

The meeting discussed ways of reducing energy consumption by encouraging more energy efficiency in the home and it was suggested that local energy advisers are needed. Schools are able to get grants for sustainable energy such as solar panels and wind generators to cut down on their fuel bills.”

The Transition group is now looking for land or unused gardens that can be used for community food growing and sharing. If you have land or know of suitable land contact: transitionshipston@googlemail.com or phone 07973 846605. 

Web: http://transitionshipston.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=104035097941

All,

Today Nick Clegg today set out a plan to restore trust in the political process by putting power back in to the hands of the people.

The plan sets out radical reforms which can be achieved within 100 days including the ability for constituents to sack their MPs, overhauling MPs’ expenses, abolishing the House of Lords and electoral reform.

Nick Clegg said that Parliament should not break for its summer recess until the constitutional crisis is resolved.

Nick said:

“The expenses scandal is only the tip of the iceberg. Our whole political system is broken and in need of radical reform to give power back to people and make Britain fairer.

“This opportunity to create a different kind of politics must be seized before momentum is lost.

“MPs should be stopped from leaving for their summer holidays until this crisis has been sorted out, and every nook and cranny of our political system reformed.”

The plan ‘100 Days to Save Democracy: Changing Politics for Good’ can be downloaded here.

If you want to see a real change in British politics, sign the petition at www.takebackpower.org.

Regards,

Philip

All,

At the Town Council meeting tonight Alan Noyce was re-elected Mayor and Simon Welch his Deputy. As one of the three candidates in the Deputy Mayor election may I be the first person to say that the best candidate won. As Alan’s proposer for Mayor, his experience will be much needed over the next year.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I get regular questions asking what Liberal Democrat policy is. I’ve uploaded a handy pocket guide to Lib Dem policy here, so click on the link for a good read!

Regards,

Philip

All,

If you hurry you can make the Town Crier competition at 2pm!

Regards,

Philip

All,

Just a quick reminder - the Wool Fair is on tomorrow between 10am and 4:30pm. Many of the shops have got their displays sorted, and I’ve just seen that the Town Square has been shut to traffic (so aim for the Telegraph Street car park if you’re out tonight!).

I’m looking forward to the Town Crier competition……

Regards,

Philip

All,

The County Council has published the list of all councillors and the allowences and expences they received last year.

Shockingly, it shows that the current Conservative County Councillor for Shipston is the third highest recipient of our council tax money - £26,104.04!

I believe strongly that at a time of economic hardship for many in our current economic climate, and with recent rises in council tax, that this level of payment is obscene.  He has even received an additional £5,699 from the District Council in allowances as he also a District Councillor!

If elected on June 4th, I promise that I will publish all of my expenses claims here and in Focus.

Liberal Democrats have recently proposed savings in allowances and expenses for District and County Councillors.  On the District Council, Liberal Democrats proposed moves that intended to restrict the level of earnings of councillors who sit on outside bodies and also reduce the mileage rates paid.  This was opposed by the Conservatives.

It is time that Conservatives started recognising the realities of both public service and the economic situation.

Regards,

Philip

The full list of District Council expenses can be seen here.  County Council allowances can be seen here.

All,

Jerry Roodhouse, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the County Council, has been provided with the recent expense claims by councillors, by Party:

I think the figures speak for themselves, but I’ll return to the thorny subject of what councillors can get from our council tax tomorrow.

Regards,

Philip

All,

Those of you who haven’t yet seen my first election leaflet can find it in the Focus archive.

Sorry that the newspaper isn’t yet up - the file’s a little too large for my server. I’ll try and sort it out soon. If you’d like to help with delivering the Liberal Democrat election material, please get in touch!

Regards,

Philip

All,

A service for Angela Noyce will take place on Tuesday at St. Edmunds at 11:45am. I understand that there are to be no flowers, but donations to a charity.

Regards,

Philip

All,

Sorry if you’ve not seen me out and about as much over the past week, and the lack of updates on this site. I have not personally been campaigning following the recent sad event, and will not be restarting until Wednesday. I can still be contacted using the usual means.

Regards,

Philip

All,

As many of you will know by now Angela passed away on Saturday morning. The entire Town Council and all that knew her are saddened by her passing, and we will miss her energy and commitment to the Town.

On a personal note, I looked up to Angela as a role model for how a councillor should be, and I hope that I will bear her example in mind both on the Council and in life. My thoughts are with her husband and family at this time.

Philip

All,

Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has been having a series of meetings with members of the public around the country for some time. Perhaps uniquely he does not know who’ll actually turn up or what the questions will be in advance.

Liberal Democrats want to answer real questions from real people, and although I can’t really go to Nick’s lengths - please feel free to contact me using my details on the right.

If you’d like to see a video, please click below.

Regards,

Philip

All,

I’ve uploaded a copy of the Liberal Democrat Economic Recovery Plan here. Unlike this discredited Labour Government, and the Conservatives who have no clear policies on what they would do with the British economy, Vince Cable has led the way during this recession. Our policies are clear, costed and supported by many independent observers - please read them if you’d like to know what our commitments are.

Summary of the Plan

1. Massive investment programme to create jobs and help the environment
2. Cut taxes for struggling families so they have more money in their pockets
3. Keep people in their homes, so they don’t need to fear unfair repossessions
4. Lower energy bills so people can afford to heat their homes
5. Action to help people who lose their jobs or have debt problems
6. Ensure government-owned banks are run in the public interest to help keep businesses afloat
7. Reform banking and the City so this can never happen again
8. Action to deliver future economic stability
9. International action to reinvigorate global trade
10. New priorities for Government – cut waste and invest in education and families

Regards,

Philip

All,

Lib Dem campaigners are keeping up the pressure on Gordon Brown to do the right thing for the Gurkhas. For many years, Brown and the Labour Government have treated retired Gurkha soldiers in a dreadful fashion. Some Gurkhas have even been deported by the Government they served.

Following the successful Lib Dem vote in Parliament, Mr Brown should, at last, allow retired Gurkha soldiers to remain in the UK.

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg said, “The Lib Dems are proud to have backed the Gurkhas in their campaign.” “If someone is willing to die for our country, they should be allowed to live in our country.” “Gordon Brown must now abide by the will of Parliament and treat Gurkhas with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

If you want to support the Liberal Democrat campaign, click on this link.

Regards,

Philip

All,

More publicity for non political things - Transition Shipston now have a facebook group. Members of facebook can see it here, and all are welcome to join.

It’s a bit empty at the moment, but more information will be there soon.

Regards,

Philip

All,

The Liberal Democrats have a clear and concise manifesto for these elections which can be read here.

If you would like to talk to me about our policies, or what we want for the Shipston area, including villages such as Brailes, Long Compton and Stretton, then please contact me at any time.

My mobile number is 07595 362637.

Regards,

Philip

All,

Just as a bit of advertising for a good cause:

I’ll be there, hope to see as many of you as possible.

Philip

All,

I’ve been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Shipston Division of the County Council on Thursday June 4th.

Many of you will know me from my time on the Town Council, and from the regular Focus leaflets we deliver in Shipston itself. Those in the villages such as Brailes, Long Compton and Stretton that help to make up the Division will have seen our recent special Focus, detailing Liberal Democrat policies and how our councils under Conservative rule have let us down.

I’ll be updating this site every couple of days between now and the election, so please visit regularly to see what I’m standing for, and to read what I’ve had to say in the past.

If you want to contact me, you can do so using the link on the left, dropping by, or ringing or emailing me at any time.

Regards,

Philip

Residents of Shipston-on-Stour and surrounding villages have taken their first step towards building local resilience by hosting a public meeting to discuss the effects that Peak Oil and Climate Change will have upon the town.

With global oil supplies dwindling and climate change expected to increase flooding and cause huge environmental damage, practical solutions must be sought soon. Transition Towns is a worldwide grassroots movement working to build local resilience against the effects of Oil and Climate Change. Towns have engaged in practical solutions including; shop local schemes, installation of renewable energy production and grow your own fruit and vegetables.

A public meeting will take place on the 29th April at Shipston-on-Stour High School at 7.30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to engage local organisations, residents and groups to become part of the initiative and help Shipston become locally resilient. The meeting will be open to all.

Matt McMullen; local resident and founding member of both Transition Stratford and Transition Shipston said:

“The Transition Town movement is a truly grassroots movement. To act globally we must think locally. The only way to tackle the huge challenges of both Climate Change and Peak Oil is to work from the bottom up. We hope that the meeting will engage and inspire local residents and community groups to take part and take action. We would urge all local residents to come along.”

The meeting will include an opening presentation by James Pavitt, founding member of the National Association of Farmers’ Markets, who will introduce the ideas behind Peak Oil and Transition Towns.

Transition Shipston and surrounding villages hope that the meeting will pave the way for local grassroot projects tackling peak oil and Climate Change. Transition Towns have typically worked on projects encouraging local food production, renewable energy and boosting the local economy.

Shipston-on-Stour will join the world wide Transition Movement which includes initiatives in Japan, Chile, US and Australia.

Contact:

Matt McMullen

Tel : 07969063626
Email : matt_mcmullen@hotmail.co.uk

All,

Quite a lot of fun in the square this evening, when the Mayor opened displays by the Ilmington Morris Men and others outside The George. Many of the Town Council were there - myself, Angela and Alan Noyce, Ian Cooper, Jackie Warner and Karl Peacock. Angela was interviewed by BBC Coventry and Warwickshire about the upcoming Wool Fair - more of that soon.

In the meantime, one more photo :-

Philip

All,

Sorry about this being cut and pasted from a press release, but it does tell you want we think about this afternoon’s budget.

Philip

Responding to Alistair Darling’s Budget, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“Today we got a pick and mix Budget of recycled announcements from a government skilled in raising people’s hopes but incompetent at actually delivering help.

“This Budget is a political supermarket sweep of random promises, without even a hint of a plan or any likelihood the promises will be put into practice.

“The biggest disappointment in this Budget is its failure to sort out Britain’s unfair tax system. To put money into people’s pockets to help them make it through this recession.

“Britain’s taxes are too heavy on those who can least afford it. And too easy to avoid for those who know how.

“The 50p rate will further encourage the very wealthy to avoid tax unless we tackle the unfair loopholes they exploit.

“The Liberal Democrats would get practical help to people who are struggling and cut the vast majority of people’s Income Tax bills by £700, paid for by taking aggressive action to clamp down on all the loopholes and exemptions that benefit the richest people and biggest businesses.

“We would take big choices about what government should and shouldn’t do.

“With a shocking deficit this year of £175bn we need a national debate about what the state can and cannot afford in the future.

“That is the responsible way - the honest way - to reduce spending in the years ahead and avoid painful higher taxes.

“But Labour is out of ideas and out of steam.

“Today they have condemned us to years of unemployment and a decade of debt.

“The country deserves something different.”

Read a summary of the party’s Economic Recovery Plan at www.LibDems.org.uk/RecoveryPlan

The Mayor will be opening the celebrations outside the George at 7pm tomorrow. The Ilmington Morris Men (and I think a couple of other groups) will be giving a demonstration of their traditional art (if that’s the right way of putting it!).

The Town Square will be closed to traffic from 6pm - but don’t worry, if your car is caught inside their will be someone to let you out…….

I’ll be there with a camera - so expect photos in next month’s Forum!

Philip

All,

Hundreds of people in Shipston will be taken out of income tax altogether by new tax proposals launched by the Liberal Democrats. And thousands more will see their income tax bill slashed by £700 a year.

The plans were launched by Party Leader Nick Clegg on 20th April who said that they would boost family budgets battered by rising food, power and transport prices. The plans call for the personal tax allowance to be raised to £10,000

Many families on low income in Shipston will benefit from this tax cut. They will be lifted out of income tax altogether.

People earning over £10,000 will pay £700 less income tax a year, paid for by ending the loopholes and tax avoidance schemes used by the wealthy and big corporations.

Ordinary people are struggling because of the recession. Now is the time to make a far reaching and permanent change to the tax system that benefits those on low and middle incomes. Liberal Democrats want to see more money left in the pockets of ordinary people rather than taken away by the Government.

Philip

Clement Freud, former Liberal MP for the Isle of Ely, but probably best known for his appearances on the Radio 4 comedy ‘Just a Minute,’ has died.

I remember seeing his adverts for a well known brand of dog food as a child (and as my younger brother’s middle name is Henry, you can - if old enough - know what that led to) and it was with some trepidation that I first met him at a conference in the early eighties. He was a charming man to me, amusing and thoughtful to a then young man who has very new to the ways of the Liberal Party. I met him again a couple of times after that - but he has stayed with me most of my adult life as a panelist on ‘Just a Minute.’

I will miss his voice and his humour.

Philip

Liberal Democrats have uncovered the Governments latest installment of ‘Big Brother’ society with plans to monitor activity on social networking sites. Home Office minister Vernon Coaker revealed the shocking proposals in a series of exchanges with Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman Tom Brake.

In the admission, Vernon Coaker disclosed that social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace may be forced to retain private information about users’ web-browsing habits including the name of every person they correspond with on the site. This mass-surveillance strategy will be executed under a terror strategy guise, even though almost half the British population - some 25 million people - are members of social networking sites and are unlikely to have any links with terrorism.

The illiberal move has been attacked by Liberal Democrat MPs, security experts and civil liberty groups alike with Tom Brake describing the proposals as, “the most expensive snooper’s charter in history”. “It is deeply worrying that they now intend to monitor social networking sites which contain very sensitive data like sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political views. ”

Tom Brake added that, “Given the Government’s disastrous record with large IT projects and data security, it is likely that data will leak out of every memory stick, port and disk drive when they start monitoring Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.”

You can back the Liberal Democrat campaign to restore people’s privacy and freedom at http://freedom.libdems.org.uk

Philip

All,

I know that you, like me, rely on having first class local public services. We pay for them just like everyone else, but we often feel like we get a second class service in rural areas like ours. I believe that simply isn’t good enough.

Firstly, good public transport is essential. But decades of under-investment by the Conservatives and then Labour has left our transport system creaking to a halt. Without good public transport, local people aren’t able to do what they want with their lives. Young people can’t enter post-16 education and pensioners are cut off from the services they rely upon.

I believe that Shipston on Stour and, just as importantly, surrounding villages such as Brailes, Treddington and Stretton, deserve better and I am going to fight for better transport links around our community.

But it’s not only transport that keep our community alive. We need good local health care, schools and shops - things people take for granted in towns and cities.

But not only better links - we need to move local services nearer to local people - that is why I believe the Conservatives’ move to abandon a one stop shop for Shipston is short sighted and unhelpful. With only a skeleton service proposed when the District Council’s offices in Telegraph Street close at the end of the summer more people will be forced to travel to Stratford.

This has to stop. I think that rural communities like ours deserve better and I will be leading the fight to protect our vital local services, so often ignored by local Conservatives.

If you support the Liberal Democrat campaign to protect our vital local services, please contact me here.

Regards,

Philip

P.S. Remember, Labour and the Conservatives have ignored rural areas. Only the Lib Dems are fighting to get a better deal for communities like ours.

Some people have seen the economic crisis coming for years. Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP was warning back in 2003 that the reckless behaviour of the banks would lead to serious trouble.

But Labour and Conservatives chose to ignore the growing problem. Even as recently as April last year, a Government minister was describing Lib Dem warnings on the economy as ‘colourful and lurid fiction’ and a ‘hysterical over-reaction’.

Both Labour and the Conservatives got it terribly wrong. Had Gordon Brown followed the advice of the Lib Dems to tackle irresponsible banks, many of the economic problems of the UK would have been avoided.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are still clueless on how to get the economy moving again. They have very few policies and their priority if they won the election is a tax cut for millionaires.

Labour let this mess happen. The Conservatives have no solutions to the crisis. Only the Liberal Democrats are proposing real help to with tax cuts for low and middle income households, and a massive homes and jobs investment plan.

The Tories … are failing in this duty [to put forward policies]. The third-party Liberal Democrats have been a far more fertile source of ideas and policy. (Financial Times 10th March 2009)

Philip

The Liberal Democrats celebrated the party’s 21st birthday at our recent spring conference. The party was formed when the Liberals merged with the Social Democrats back in 1988.

Now we are the strongest 3rd party in Britain for 80 years. With 63 MPs, 4,500 councillors and control of many of Britain’s biggest councils, we are definitely a force to be reckoned with! Locally, at the last District Council elections we made 5 gains from the ruling Conservatives, including Richard Cheney’s win in Shipston on Stour.

If you want to join us, go to our website: http://www.libdems.org.uk/get_involved.

Clegg cashes in as Labour support falls. (Metro 16th March 2009)

The Liberal Democrats are a surprisingly resilient force. (Independent on Sunday 8th March 2009)

Philip

All,

I went to a meeting of the group - I think to be called Transition Shipston (to be explained in a later post!) - planning a public meeting on April 29th to develop Shipston and its surrounding villages as a Transition Town. It’s a really exciting move for the Town, and I’d urge people to have a look at what it’s about (click on this link) and keep the evening of the 29th free.

By the way - this isn’t being organised by the Lib Dems and the group welcomes anyone who is interested and concerned about our future.

Further details to follow!

How can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?

Philip

All,

If you were planning on coming along to the Town Council meeting this month, the date as changed.

It is now tomorrow (Monday 6th) at 7pm at Clark House. It’s had to be moved because of the Easter bank holiday. Remember, there is time put aside during the meeting for residents to put their views to the council.

Philip

Council tax has now been set for the coming year by local councils. And figures show that most of the biggest rises were made by Conservative run councils. A whopping 30 of the top 40 rises were made by the Conservatives!

One of the highest in the country was West Oxfordshire – where David Cameron is the MP!

Last year the Conservatives said there should be a freeze on council tax. But Conservative Councillors then do the opposite – even in David Cameron’s backyard. In Stratford the Conservatives increased our tax by 3.5%, and on the Tory controlled County Council (where elections are due in June), by 3.89% - and both councils are reducing services! As many will know, I sit on Shipston Town Council, where we have maintained essential services and not increased the tax.

Conservatives say one thing when in opposition. And then they do the opposite when they are in power.

Philip

All,

I’ve spent the morning putting some of Shipston on Stour’s community groups and others’ website links into the local information section on the left.

If you’re a member of a local organisation and would like some publicity and a link here then email me and I’ll add you.

Regards,

Philip

All,

Richard Cheney, one of the District Councillors for Shipston on Stour, has joined the 21st century (his words, not mine!) and has his own website. You can see it here. He hopes to be able to use it to keep you informed about his activities as your District Councillor, and to give people more ways of contacting him. Enjoy!

All the best,

Philip

Many of you have already replied to the supermarket survey in recent Focus leaflets.

Richard Cheney has promised that he will let planners know all of the views of the residents of Shipston, whether for or against so keep the replies coming. As of a week ago 71% of replies opposed the idea of a supermarket of any sort at the site, and most of the rest were in favour.

Some of the comments were:

The shopping centre of Shipston would die

I agree it would damage the town centre

A supermarket in Shipston would kill off all the excellent food shops

And some of the reasons for included:

A large supermarket would provide a petrol station

We need opposition to keep the prices down

There is no prospect of a supermarket coming to Shipston on Stour soon. The proposal comes from the District Council’s Draft Core Strategy, which can be read here This sets out the plans for potential development for the next 10-20 years, and has not yet been agreed. Although the consultation period has finished Richard will let planners know what everyone in the town thinks.

Regards,

Philip

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not normally a Daily Mail reader (I think everyone knows my politics by now), but sometimes they do make a lot of sense! I was browsing their site today and came across this:

MailOnline article

It describes the Labour Government’s new ‘e-borders’ scheme, designed to predict terrorist suspects from their travel habits. Among the things they take into account? Ordering a vegetarian meal on a plane, traveling with a foreign born wife and making a last minute reservation. One of my closest friends is a vegetarian, who is married to an Austrian and often travels to Austria at short notice - so I’ve told him it might be easier if he:-

a) starts eating meat, or
b) considers a divorce (although this might be a little harsh for my God-daughter).

OK, perhaps I shouldn’t be making jokes about our safety, but this is a similar system to that used in the US which is well known for getting it wrong most of the time. More worryingly, the Government will keep the details it collects for up to 10 years, and share it with any Government department it chooses to. I think we all have the same worries about the safety of our personal data in this Government’s hands.

If you are worried about the way the Labour Party wants to take our freedoms away, check out the Lib Dem ‘Freedom Bill’ website using this link.

Philip

All,

The latest Shipston Lib Dem Focus has been uploaded here.

As you know, it is delivered (and paid for) by local members and supporters, so you should be seeing your copy delivered to your house over the next couple of weeks.

This month’s issue has articles about the response so far to our supermarket survey, the Conservatives’ refusal to lower council tax and support a ‘one stop shop’ in Shipston and Richard Cheney letting us know about some of the work he’s been doing.

Please feel free to read it - and above all, let us know what you think. ‘Focus’ is part of the Liberal Democrat promise to let you know what we’re up to all year round - and we need your views to make it meaningful.

If you would like to comment - you can click here and it will take you to a response box, or use my contact details on the right.

Regards,

Philip

At some point there had to be a technology post on this site - many of you will know how much I like gadgets and new ways of keeping in touch with local people.

For a change I have to give a positive story about the District Council - it is using Twitter (a sort of social networking site, like Facebook except much simpler) to give people up to date information about Council services.

If you are interested in seeing what Twitter is like, and want to know what the District Council is doing, click here.

Twitter has received a lot of publicity recently, particularly as a number of high profile celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Jonathon Ross regularly use it. A story from the Daily Telegraph can be found here.

Needless to say, I’m on there - if you join just type in my name and you’ll find me!

Regards,

Philip

This morning was the regular surgery that the Town Mayor and District Councillor Richard Cheney hold every month at Clark House. This month it was well represented by councillors, with the Deputy Mayor and me there as well.

The surgeries take place at Clark House every second Saturday of the month, between 10am and 12 midday. You don’t have to make an appointment - please just turn up. If we can’t help you, we can almost certainly point you in the direction of someone who can.

Philip

No, not the Liberal Democrat one - where Nick Clegg has returned from paternity leave and the Party debated the future of faith schools (we want them to continue, I’m told), but the WALC meeting at Myton School in Warwick.

Myton School

WALC is the Warwickshire and West Midlands Association of Local Councils, the body that supports Parish and Town Councils in the area. Four of us (Cllrs Alan and Angela Noyce and Cllr Ian Cooper) went to what is, essentially, a training session for Town Councillors.

We had talks on what are the latest issues that are coming up for councils at our level, and also on employment law for councils. As we employ several people (and are in the process of recruiting a trainee Town Clerk), it’s important that we get this bit right.

There were also sessions in the afternoon about several areas of council policy.

Angela Noyce and I attended the session on the Power of Wellbeing. This is a relatively new right that Town and Parish councils can ask for that gives them the power to spend money on almost anything that promotes social, economic or environmental benefit to the Town. At the moment there are strict regulations about what we can, or cannot, spend money on. Don’t worry, Shipston Town Council hasn’t gone down this road yet, but it could give us the ability to support community initiatives we have been unable to in the past.

If you would like any other information about the work of Town Councillors, you can contact me or, if you’d prefer, any of the other councilors or Town Clerk. Their contact details are here.

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Philip

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7921566.stm

Now I don’t know about you, but as an NHS employee if I’d overclaimed £9,600 in expenses, even accidentally, I doubt that I’d be going into work in the morning…..

I could go on, but at this point I’ll stop and just mutter to myself a bit!

Philip

All,

Some national politics this week:

The Liberal Democrats have published our Freedom Bill, detailing how the party plans to roll back the authoritarian laws passed by both Labour and Conservative governments which have undermined civil liberties.

The legislation is the first time a major political party has collated all of the laws which have undermined civil liberties into one Bill, so that they can be easily repealed.

The 20 measures contained in the draft legislation will:

- Cut the maximum pre-charge detention period from 28 to 14 days
- Abolish the veto in the Freedom of Information Act that allows ministers to keep information secret
- Scrap the ID card scheme
- Remove all innocent people from the DNA database, except for those tried for a violent or sexual offence
- Stop councils and others snooping by restricting the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to serious and terrorist offences
- Regulate CCTV to protect privacy following a Royal Commission on the use of cameras

If you would like to support this Bill, then please sign the petition here, where you can also find more detailed information.

Regards,

Philip

The Conservative-led District Council has reneged on its promise to provide half size wheelie bins for those residents that requested them when the refuse collection system changed.

This was also discussed at the last Town Council meeting - and a news story about this, and the recent Council Tax rises by the District and County Councils can be read in the Cotswold Journal.

If you would like any other information - please contact us using the links on the left.

Philip

There are doubts that the proposed ‘one stop shop’ for Shipston, which would’ve provided District, County and other services from the Telegraph Street offices. There was agreement throughout the town and nearby villages that this service was vital to save people having to travel to Stratford or even Warwick to get the help they need.

Now with the Conservative-led County Council and District Councils’ budgets it looks as if they may not have set aside the money for this to go ahead, and the District Council may even shut the Telegraph Street offices.

The Town Council adopted a motion to write to the Council to demand that the one stop shop should go ahead (see the Cotswold Journal), and the Liberal Democrats will continue this campaign.

Telegraph Street offices - soon to have no-one at home?

Philip

So what does a Councillor get up to at the weekends you may ask? Or possibly not, not even my friends wonder about it that much.

If you’ve got this far, you may want to know - so here is a typical weekend morning.

District Councillor Richard Cheney and I met mid morning for a meeting with one of his constituents. Following that both of us went to join a group of volunteers finishing the delivery of our latest Focus leaflet, including delivering areas where we had not taken enough leaflets with us last time (and there’s a comment about this on the Shipston Blog)! That took a couple of hours, and following that Richard and I were out taking photographs. Unlike the normal holiday snaps you might be taking on the first sunny (and warmish) day of the year - these were ones of problems around the town that have been reported to Richard and he has taken up. I’ve included a couple below for those that are interested:

Richard outside of the old workhouse, a possible site for more affordable housing

Richard by an overgrown hedge on Darlingscote Road

Uneven footpath by the Telegraph Street car park

Now you know some of what we get up to, feel free to contact any of us using the links on the left and we will do our best to help.

Regards.

Philip

Labour and Conservatives support each other but not the hard pressed families of Warwickshire; Liberal Democrats Vote Against Cuts in Vital Services whilst still Proposing a Lower Council Tax.

Conservative and Labour Councillors voted:

* to cut spending on new library books by £150,000, and introduce charges for the use of computers in libraries for the first time;
* in favour of spending £ 1.5 million on council offices in Warwick, when our schools are in dire need of refurbishment and repair.
* voted for cuts in grants to the voluntary sector and charities of up to £600,000. In a recession and with increasing numbers of people facing hardship, many of these voluntary and charitable organisations offer vital help and support.

As a result of the deal done between Conservative and Labour Cllrs, the County Council tax increase for next year will be 3.9%.
Only the Liberal Democrats opposed the Conservative budget cuts. Labour councillors sat on their hands and let it happen!

Cllr Sarah Boad said “The Liberal Democrats were the only group to vote consistently against the Conservatives throughout the budget. Our own budget proposals would have meant the smallest council tax increase of the three groups, while protecting front line services, cutting bureaucracy and avoiding raising charges that will hit those least able to afford them. Sadly neither Labour or Conservative Cllrs were willing to support us.”

Local residents will be hit badly by this budget, both in their pockets and in the services they receive. In June’s elections I hope that Shipston’s Conservative County Councillor doesn’t pretend that his Party’s actions have been good for the people of Shipston.

Philip

All,

I’ve put a survey (in the left hand column) asking whether you support the idea of a large supermarket on Campden Road. I appreciate that it’s not always easy to give a ‘yes/no’ answer - so please use the ‘Report a Problem‘ link to give any other comments you want to.

Philip

All,

Now that the weather has improved, local volunteers are delivering the latest Liberal Democrat Focus. If you’ve not received yours yet, I’ve uploaded it to the Focus Archive

If you have any comments or suggestions, would like to join the Liberal Democrats or deliver Focus, then please contact me.

Philip

All,

I’ve already posted to the Shipston Blog, but in case you’ve missed it, here is the link for the Stratford DC press release, and here is the link for the full decision.

The main concern of the planners appears to be the failure of the planning authorities to provide enough places for gypsies in the area. Costs were awarded against the council.

Philip

All,

You may have noticed it was snowing in Shipston this week (!) and here are a few photos I took over the past couple of days - including a poor, freezing BBC reporter, who appeared to be frozen to the same spot for hours on end. Although I’m probably a bit biased, I think all our thanks should go to the medical centre, the Ellen Badger Hospital, and all the shops and businesses (and of course, their staff) that managed to keep going despite the adverse weather conditions.

Philip

The BBC in Shipston

The Black Horse

View from the bridge

The Old Mill

All,

The Conservatives at County Hall have done a deal with the Labour Party and voted to charge for computer use and reduce the amount of money spent on books in our libraries. So, in this time of economic difficulty our ‘representatives’ at County Hall vote to hit those who can least afford it. I am appalled.

Philip

All,

The County Council is going through its budget setting proposals at the moment. The Liberal Democrat budget proposes:

- Reducing the milage rate paid to councillors and officers
- Freezing members’ allowances (the money counciloors receive for carrying out their duties)
- Opposing the reduction in new library books proposed by the Conservatives
- Opposing charges for the use of computers in libraries, again suggested by the Conservatives
- Continuing to support the voluntary sector

The Liberal Democrat group recognise that in these dire financial times the County Council needs to keep the council tax down by cutting bureaucracy, but also needs to support local people through the recession.

The Liberal Democrat budget is the smallest of the three main parties, to keep the council tax down. Now there will be more negotiations between the groups to come up with a final budget. Watch this space!

Regards,

Philip

All,

Richard Cheney and the Liberal Democrats on the District Council are opposing the Conservatives’ proposed Council Tax increase. Here is a statement from the group:

“The 4.9% increase in the District Council’s Council Tax proposed by the Conservatives is totally
unacceptable, say local Liberal Democrats, who have promised to do all they can to get the increase
reduced.

Cllr Hazel Wright, Leader of the Lib Dems on the District Council, said, ‘it’s outrageous that the
Conservatives are even thinking about this sort of rise at a time when many people are hard pressed
financially and when inflation is dropping rapidly.

The Conservatives should not try to take advantage of the fact there are no District Council elections this
year. We are looking at ways in which we can keep the Council tax rise down and we are also working
with our colleagues on the County Council, who are equally determined not to allow rises at this level’.”

Philip

It’s probably time to let you know a bit about Liberal Democrat national policies.  Families are facing a difficult winter.  Rising mortgage bills, the fear of unemployment and high heating costs mean that the shockwaves of the financial crisis are being felt in households across Britain, as well as in Shipston.  When the banks were in trouble, they got rescued.  Millions of families who are about to find themselves in trouble must be helped too.  The Liberal Democrat economic recovery plan can be read here.

Philip

Shipston Town Council has set its budget for 2009/2010, and has decided not to increase its part of the council tax.  A fuller story can be found over on shipstononline here.  All three Liberal Democrats on the Town Council supported the budget - which was adopted unanimously.

Philip

This year is Shipston’s third chance to go to the polls in three years!  Following the District Council elections after the past two years, it’s the turn of the County Council and the European Elections on June 4th.

Four years ago the Liberal Democrats came second, but only a few votes separated the Conservatives and our candidate at the time, the now newly elected District Councillor Richard Cheney.  A third candidate stood, but as you can see from my new bar chart -it really will be a straight choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives this time.

 Philip

I’ve been a bit quiet on here, mainly because of the holiday period, but also my computer decided to give up the ghost.  So, happy New Year to all of you and my new laptop, and time to get blogging again.

Philip