Read all about it - again and again and again

Yet more Labour propaganda hitting our streets spreading the same tired message.

This time it is the glossy ‘newsletter’ telling people all about the regeneration of Ponty.

The Council PR department have issued a press release about it!  Yep, good innit?  A press release about a newsletter which includes a series of stories that have already been press released anyway.

As the press release says

“The newsletter illustrates the completed areas of work at Mill Street and Church Street along with the ongoing phases in neighbouring Taff Street, High Street and Market Street. It also explains the exciting works taking place at Penuel Square and to the iconic Fountain.”

(which you can read about here and here and here)

“It also celebrates the news that yet another commercial property owner in the town centre has received major financial support to improve his building as part of the Council’s Townscape Enhancement Programme.”

Which you can read on RCT CBC website here

“Readers will learn more about the success enjoyed by a team of Pontypridd High School pupils who are compiling a series of short documentaries regarding the scheme and their recent recognition in attaining a film award for their efforts.”

A story which appeared here

And then there is

“The newsletter includes a series of images of the unveiling of Pontypridd’s Roll of Honour War Memorial which welcomed hundreds of visitors, including war veterans and families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Seen in a whole string of press releases here

“Finally, the newsletter includes articles relating to the many other private sector investment projects taking place in Pontypridd, most notably the £50million Sainsbury’s project, Riverside Shopping Centre and the refurbishment programme at Pontypridd Museum.”

You’re getting the picture by now. Or pictures, all of them of Labour Councillors looking suitably smug.

The whole lot is repeated on the ‘Love Ponty’ website maintained by the Council.

If you are not amongst the lucky few thousand to receive a copy then you can read it here

The Council already spends £65K on its ‘Outlook’ newsletter.  What is the point of this if not to provide Labour with extra election material at the taxpayers’ expense?

And they are putting Council Tax up by 2.5%

What are we paying the PR department for?

It seems we are paying Christian Hanagan Head of PR and Strategy at RCT CBC a tidy sum to churn out not only endless Labour propaganda but endless repeats of Labour propaganda.

A department that costs over a MILLION POUNDS  a year in staff salaries alone and this is the level of press release we get.  (Please note this is attributed to RCT CBC, the link to their site.  Wouldn’t want them to go un-attributed.)

“Thanks to representations by its local Councillors, Tonyrefail town centre is the latest area to benefit from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s £10m Highways Investment Scheme.”

Now when they did the roads in Trallwn where was the mention of local Councillors then?  Or the regeneration scheme in Pontypridd?  Why the difference?  Oh, of course they are not Labour wards.

Presumably Mr Hanagan wants to make sure he keeps in with his dear mother – make sure he is in the will, or perhaps she just does a terrific Sunday roast!   Because of course she is none other than Tonyrefail Councillor and Cabinet Member Eudine Hanagan.  She is pictured alongside Russell Roberts and Bob McDonald.

But to really rub salt in and emphasize just how much they are extracting the urine take a look at this

Yes, the RCT CBC website again.  And yes the same photo and even the same opening paragraph.   Three months ago.

“Thanks to representations by its local Councillors, Tonyrefail town centre is the latest area to benefit from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s £10m Highways Investment Scheme.”

I know RCT are trying to up its recycling rate but this is ridiculous.  And just in case you miss it on the Council web site then you can see the same story and picture on the Tonyrefail Labour party site.  Work is obviously cracking on apace.

Taxpayers’ money being spent for their benefit.  What was that again about hypocritical parasites?

If not political then what is RAG?

The dictionary definition of politics is

“the activities involved in getting and using power in public life, and being able to influence decisions that affect a country or a society”  or  “matters concerned with getting or using power within a particular group or organization.”

 Why is it then that a leaflet doing the rounds in Tonyrefail from the Ratepayers Acton Group (RAG) states that “RAG is not a political group.”

The RAG Facebook group clearly says that the group will be fielding candidates in the May elections, and is encouraging more to stand.  Now whilst they may not be aligned to any current political party then they are clearly political.  They want to gain power and be able to influence decisions in RCT.  Political decisions concerning the running of Local Government.

Now whilst I have no problem with as many people as possible getting involved in the democratic process, and standing for election, it seems to me that RAG need to be honest with the people of RCT. 

The leaflet goes on to say that too many Councilors only show an interest in their communities for the few weeks before an election, and indeed in some cases they have a point, but could I ask where all these fine upstanding members of RAG have been over the past four years or longer. 

Why have they just emerged now?  Why has this outpouring of ‘outrage’ as the leaflet describes it been dormant this long?  Opposition Councilors in particular the Welsh Liberal Democrats have been battling against Labour waste and greed for years.  The difference is we don’t cloak it in any pretense of being non political. 

Politics is not a dirty word.  There is nothing wrong with being political – but don’t deny it.  Don’t hide behind this cloak that says only Independents care about their communities because that is wrong, and it is deceitful.  RAG should decide just what it is supposed to be.

Labour complacent - surely not?

Wales Online reports that Carwyn Jones is determined “to fight complacency in Welsh Labour.”

“I think that complacency is a great enemy for us” he told his Conference.  “We have to fight for every single vote. We have to have solid policies that people believe in and we will take nothing for granted.”He could have a point for once.  Complacency is certainly creeping in amongst the Labour party in these parts.  Take a look at this for instance:

Minutes of the meeting of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council held at the County Borough Council Offices, The Pavilions, Clydach Vale on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 at 5 p.m.

Questions to Cabinet Member for Community Safety Paul Cannon from Welsh Lib Dem Cllr Mike Powell

“As they ( licensing saturation zones) are effective in Cardiff, would it not be possible for a Community Safety Partnership Scrutiny Committee to look at this matter?”

Response from County Borough Councillor P.Cannon, QPM

What they do in Cardiff is irrelevant to what we do here. I don’t think I have to respond to that question.

Cllr Powell “Would the Cabinet Member comment on the low take-up rate with regard to the townscape Enhancement Programme in Pontypridd?

“Is the process of actually applying for grants too complicated with the criteria too strict and if that is the case, what does the Cabinet intend to do about it?”

(Out of 70 alleged expressions of interest only four applications have been made and three grants awarded.)

Response from County Borough Councillor P.Cannon, QPM

No, the process is not complicated. It is working extremely well and I propose to do absolutely nothing to alter its present position.

How is that for complacency, and this from the man who wants to be the Labour candidate for the post of Police Commissioner.  It doesn’t bode well does it?

Labour losing touch?

Neath MP Peter Hain has been pontificating at the Labour Conference this weekend.

According to the BBC Mr Hain said: "We have got to be constantly on guard to make sure we don't repeat the disease which afflicted us in Westminster - which is the more you stay in power the more managerial you get and the more you lose touch with your supporters."

Maybe he could pop up and have a bit of a chat with his mates in RCT.  He could start with dear Leighton, although in his case maybe arrogant is a better word than managerial.  Now there is a man who has lost touch not only with his supporters but with reality.  He knows best, and he doesn’t care who disagrees with him, he is not for turning.

Then there is the loveable bunch of rogues in the Council Chamber.  Well, ok, maybe not so loveable, but again completely out of touch with the people they are elected to represent.  They announce a Council Tax increase of 2.5% so they can continue to protect public services.  Well how much more could they protect them if they didn’t spend £65K on their ‘Outlook’ magazine – nothing more than a Labour propaganda rag.  Then there is the £85K on newspaper advertising  - which they think buys them the right to dictate to the press what they can and cannot print.

The £1million they spend on salaries in the Public Relations and Strategy department could be tailed back.  But then what would there be for Mr Hanagan to manage?  Who would take the photos that are then used by Labour on their website?  Nice that, wonder if they would acre to send a photographer out to take some for us?

Their supporters don’t have chauffeurs to rely on to run them around to free events – at the taxpayers’ expense.  It turned my stomach to see Russell Roberts and his wife along with the then Mayor Simon Lloyd quaffing back large quantities of free booze at the inauguration of the Llantwit Fardre mayor last year.  Especially when two chauffeurs were hanging around all day waiting to take them home.  Taxi not good enough for our Russell. 

The problem is that there are still too many people who allow themselves to be taken in by the veneer  - the outward gloss that says Labour is the party of the working class. They vote Labour because they have always voted Labour, as did their parents.  They rage about the waste of money and the laziness of their Councillors and the state of the streets, but many of them won’t do the one thing that would make a difference – don’t vote for them!

Labour Cabinet Member faces possible 6 month suspension

A meeting of the RCT Council Standards Committee was held at Clydach Vale on

Thursday, 12 January 2012.

It all appears to have passed very quietly and without comment which is odd considering that the subject of the meeting was a Labour Cabinet Member.  Eudine Hanagan in fact the Cabinet member for Education.

The meeting was admittedly only the initial meeting on the subject – following a referral from the Public Services Ombudsman. 

As the minutes state

“The Committee had to determine, either, that there was no evidence of any failure to comply with the Code of Conduct or that the County Borough Councillor concerned, should be given the opportunity to make representations either orally or in writing in respect of the findings of the investigation and any allegation that she had failed or may have failed to comply with the Member’s Code of Conduct.”

Now there are no details given of what offence Cllr Hanagan is alleged to have committed, but the fact that the Ombudsman has investigated and decided to refer it suggest that he at least is satisfied that there is cause for concern.

A further meeting will now be called where she will be invited to give evidence.

“Following consideration of the contents of Ombudsman’s report, it was RESOLVED that County Borough Councillor Eudine Hanagan as the person who is the subject of the investigation, should be given the opportunity to make representations either, orally or in writing, in respect of the findings of the investigation and any allegation that she has failed or may have failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.”

No date is given for that meeting but one would hope that the Monitoring Officer will see to it that is it convened with all due haste.  After all there is an election coming up and the Standards Committee have the authority to suspend her for up to 6 months.

I wonder how her son, the Head of Public Relations and Strategy will spin that one.

England rugby jokes - well you have to don't you?

Dai was on his way home from the England v Wales match at Twickenham when he had to screech to a halt and ended up in a massive traffic jam on the M4.

He wound down the window and thought to himself, This seems bad, nothings moving at all. He noticed a police officer walking back and forth, in and out of all the cars, so Dai shouts over,Scuse me officer, whats going on then? The officer replies, an England fan,so depressed about losing to Wales today and the prospect of winning nothing again this year, he feels a right idiot for gobbing off saying England are the best team in the world, hes actually threatening to douse himself in petrol and set himself on fire!!

The officer goes on - His family find him arrogant, and he hasn't got many mates. Im just walking around taking up a collection for him.Oh tidy says Dai, how much have you collected so far? So far, replies the officer, weve collected about 100 litres, but a lot of people are still siphoning!!!

Four surgeons are taking a coffee break. The first one says, "Accountants are the best to operate on because when you open them up everything inside them is numbered."

The second surgeon says, "Nah, librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."

Third surgeon says, "Try electricians. Everything inside them is colour-coded."

The fourth one says, "I prefer English rugby players. They're heartless, spineless, gutless and their heads and bums are interchangeable."

Did you hear about the English rugby player who was found dead outside
a Pizza Hut covered in cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers and pepperoni.

Police reckon he topped himself.

The Pope was cruising along the beach in the Pope-mobile when there was a frantic commotion just off-shore. A helpless man, wearing an English rugby jersey, was struggling frantically to free himself from the jaws of a 25 foot shark.

As the Pope watched in horror, a speedboat pulled up with three men wearing Welsh, Irish and Scottish rugby jerseys. One quickly fired a harpoon into the shark's side while the other two reached out and pulled the hapless English fan from the water. Then, using long clubs, the three beat the shark to death and hauled it into the boat.

Immediately the Pope shouted and summoned them to him. "I give you my blessing for your brave actions. I heard that there were some bitter hatred between the Celts and England rugby fans, but now I have seen with my own eyes that this is not true."

As the Pope drove off, the harpooner asked his buddies: "Who was that?"

"It was the Pope," one replied. "He is in direct contact with God and has access to all of God's wisdom."

"Well" the harpooner said, "he may have access to God and his wisdom, but he doesn't know anything about shark fishing. Is the bait holding up OK or do we need to get another one?"

Where Mick's loyalty lies.

Seems Mick Antoniw has decided that his wbesite does need a bit of updating now and again.  He has added a blog to it now.  One particular post was brought to my attention today in which he gives his astute thoughts on Plaid and the Lib Dems. 

Apparently we are

"not even the main opposition in Wales. If their support falls still further they could end up as a marginalised pressure group rump in the assembly."

I'd be cut to the core if I could for one second bring myself to care one iota about what this egotistical waste of space thinks.

It was the next line which caught my eye though

“My loyalty is to Labour and to the values of democratic socialism”

Sums it up doesn't it.  Not to the people he purports to represent but to the red flag.

He doesn't give two hoots about the Pontypridd constituency or the people there.  He saw it as a safe seat, bamboozled the people by pretending he lived there when in fact the rented house was a cover and he has now moved back to Newport.  He has what he wanted, an Assembly seat where he can sit with his Labour pals and pontificate,

Well done. 

Lunatics have taken over the asylum

On the subject of education and Local Authorities and the part they need to play in raising standards  I can’t say I have a great deal of faith in RCT’s education department and even less in the ability of the Labour Cabinet Member and her colleagues.

The recently appointed Director of Education Chris Bradshaw is a money man.  He started out in the finance department.  In 2007 he was the Director of Strategic Policy & Continuous Improvement.  He presented the grand plans for Ynysangharad Park to Cabinet in June of that year setting out the case for regeneration of the Park and Lido.  Five years on and the plans have got no further – they are still talking about putting a business case together.

He had a spell in charge of Communities First and made absolutely no impression at all. 

Then he made the move to the education department – with only one aim in mind, to save money.  His first plan there was the closure of all sixth forms in RCT which met with outrage in many quarters – including amongst RCT Welsh Liberal Democrats.

He has no education background and on the face of it little understanding of educational systems.

On the political front it is even worse.

Now I have made it very clear what I think of school banding – it is a nonsensical system.  However, it is surely the cause of some embarrassment for the Cabinet Member for Education in RCT that the school at which she has been a governor for some considerable time – Tonyrefail Comprehensive – is rated as the worse performing school in RCT.

If she has not been able to influence standards in her own school then what hope can we have that she can make any meaningful contribution to raising them in other schools.

But of course she can always rely on the support of her colleagues, all with their finger on the pulse.

Several of her Labour colleagues sit on the same Governing Body as I do.  Last week we carried out our annual performance review with a presentation and some debate about our performance across the key stages.

The subject of the apparent demotion of science by the Education Minister cropped up, with comments similar to those I expressed on a previous blog post cropping up.

One Labour Councillor who also sits as one of the reps on the Education Scrutiny Committee announced with disgust that of course this was a result of directives from Westminster.  Now I know they like to blame up for absolutely everything, but this idiot actually believed what he was saying.

I pointed out that he was wrong, that education is devolved – this accompanied by much nodding of heads and murmurs of agreement from staff in particular.   He dismissed this as just being a technical point, that they were just doing what they were told.

I rarely lose my temper at governors meetings, and I try to never bring politics into it, but the sheer idiocy of this man did get the better of me.  I pointed out in no uncertain terms, whilst he sat getting more and more flustered, that the banding system and decisions regarding key competencies and curriculum and everything else were the remit of one man and one man only, his Labour colleague at the Bay.

It is quite frightening to know that this is the level of understanding of people supposedly running this Authority.  It is also a mark of just how blindly the Labour lot follow like sheep. Never questioning, never deviating from the Party line - even when they have it completely wrong.

I agree with Leighton

For once I agree with Leighton Andrews – no don’t worry I haven’t had a knock on the head or been taking any banned substances.  I agree with the headline attributed to him in the Western Mail that an ‘adequate’ education system is not good enough for our children.

There is huge scope for improvement in Local Authorities across Wales – yet they have not been helped by constant changes of direction and frankly some crackpot schemes from Labour Cabinet Ministers.  Janey baby before her transfer to the environment department and her mission to save the planet spent some considerable time running around the world bringing back ideas which were then part implemented, usually without adequate financing.

Curriculums change at the drop of a hat depending on the latest idea to waft around the ether at the Bay.

And now we have Leighton.  Possibly the most hated figure in education today.  His single minded arrogance is quite extraordinary and whilst the headlines say all the right things – education needs improving, it is not good enough, we need to do better, etc.,  his actions give little hope to those of us working at school level.

His much criticised banding system has attracted much media attention.

What has attracted less attention is his plan to change the measurement of core subject indicators.  The core subjects for some years now have been maths, English (Welsh in Welsh medium schools) and science.

In future only maths and English will count.  This could well lead to a downturn in science standards.  Schools will no longer have to push that subject in order to keep their base standards measurement up.  There is a new measure of the best 8 GCSE results attained by each pupil.  There may then be a tendency to settle for pupils sitting exams in ‘softer’ (easier to pass) subjects.

The knock on effects of this could be substantial.  We will not be turning out scientists.  Where will our engineers come from? How does it match up with Edwina’s plans for enterprise zones based on energy and engineering?

Joined up thinking appears to have gone out of the window.

Adequate is not good enough for our children.  But until the likes of Leighton start taking on board some proper professional advice instead of trying to make a name for themselves it will not improve.

The (unofficial) RCT Council minutes 27th January 2012 - part 2

So having endured the sickening sights and sounds of the Labour sheep bleating in unison about how terrible we are I could hardly wait to see how they reacted to the long line of questions that had been submitted by the man they all love to hate - Mike Powell.

Now I am not going into details here as they have already been fairly well covered by Mike here and here and indeed here.  Not to mention a letter from Cllr John Bell here.

Even I was surprised by how blatant their contempt was – it is a shame that there are not more members of the public there to see their playground antics.  No wonder they are not prepared to follow the leave of Welsh Lib Dems in Cardiff and broadcast their Council meetings on the web.  Here in RCT they ban any form of photography or recording of meetings.  Open and transparent Labour.  Got to love ‘em.

The session really showed the Labour Cabinet up for the idiots they are.  They come with their officer prepared statements to answer the original question, but then flounder completely when asked a supplementary because they are incapable of individual thought.  What on earth do we pay these idiots for?

Time and again we heard the words “I’ll respond in writing.”   Paul Cannon’s answer when asked what he was going to do about the low take up of the Pontypridd Townscape Enhancement Programme was classic

“I propose to do nothing whatsoever.”

Sums it up nicely – and this man wants to be the Police Commissioner for South Wales.  Heaven help us.  It’s enough to make me want to campaign for Alan Michael.

The Mayor was nothing short of a disgrace as she hassled Mike, obviously as impatient as her colleagues at actually having to waste their time on answering questions on such non important issues as education and economic development.

The bunch of hypocritical parasites cackled on and heckled from the sidelines, never once brought back into line by the woman with the bling in the Chair.

At least one person answered a straight question with a straight answer.  Russell Roberts confirmed that he doesn’t agree with Ed Balls that public sector pay needs to be frozen. 

Quite what he meant by his follow up remark that “Councillor Powell you could be having difficult questions fired in your direction soon” is anyone’s guess.  But then it is not the first time he has made threats in the Chamber.  It’s the kind of nice guy he is

The debate on the Boundary Commission review tugged at the old heart strings.  Pauline Jarman even brought a photograph along of people from Plaid and Labour getting together before the formation of the unitary authority to save the Cynon Valley.

Russell is ‘appalled’ that the Cynon constituency will be ripped apart under the proposals and the “Cynon Valley will disappear from the map.”  Quite how that is going to be the case I don’t know.

A cross party group is apparently needed to discuss the issue.  Alas whilst Pauline and Russell gave rallying speeches on how politics had to be put aside for the greater good the camaraderie was somewhat ruined by the Deputy Council leader Anthony Christopher stated that ‘the two main parties’ should work together, as he didn’t suppose that anyone of the others would take part ‘given their attitude.’

Any wonder that attitude exists Tony?

Just after this point Mike, who had kept his temper through all the nonsense far better than I think I would have, decide enough was enough, and without any fuss or comment gathered his things and left the Chamber.

Cllr Andrew Morgan (Labour of course) asked that it be recorded in the minutes that he had left.  Now considering that at least four Labour people has left already without comment from anyone this may seem a little strange.  Mike's colleague John Bell pointed this pout, and was actually backed by Plaid's Pauline Jarman, but the Labour lot don't allow little things like consistency to get in their way.

They really are a bunch of ......................

(Alternative) RCT Council minutes 25th Jan 2012 (part1)

RCT despite the Labour administration’s insistence that it is open and transparent is in fact about as transparent as a brick wall.  Whilst Cardiff put their meetings on the web, RCT ban anyone making recordings or taking photos or the like.

The minutes such as they are tell nothing of what goes on in the Chamber.  So, as a public service, I thought I’d provide the alternative minutes.  What they said, and what they meant!

Item 1 - DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Item 2 -  ANNOUNCEMENTS – the Mayor is having another charity bash.

Item 3 – minutes of the last meeting.  All happy.  (Most cannot remember that far back.)

Item 4 - OPEN GOVERNMENT STATEMENTS in accordance with Open Government

Procedure Rule 2

To receive any statements from the Leader of the Council and/or statements from Cabinet Portfolio Holders

Um, no , seems they have nothing to say.  Don’t want to prolong matters – the cocoa is waiting.

Item 5 - PUBLIC PRESENTATION in accordance with Open Government Procedure Rule 4  (I love that – open Government?  In RCT? The other one has bells on.)

To receive a presentation from Mr.D.Rowland of Clydach Vale in respect of `Roads surrounding the Cwm Clydach Primary School and the safety of the parents, children and road users’.

Answer from Cllr Andrew Morgan Cabinet Member Highways.  “No, you can’t have any safety measures we haven’t got any money.”

Mr Rowland – but they have then in Tonyrefail and Beddau and Pentre.

Cllr Morgan – we have a long waiting list (and at least two of those wards are held by Cabinet members)

Item 6 – Presentation - WELFARE REFORM – THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON

RHONDDA CYNON TAF

A power point presentation from Mr.N.Elliott, Service Director, Commissioning, Business and Housing Systems and Mr.N.Jones, Service Director,Operational Finance.

The officers outline the potential effects of the Welfare Reform Bill in RCT.  There are lots of ifs and maybes and talks of possible impact.  Then comes the debate.

Russell Roberts kicks off as usual – the measures are ‘draconian….getting people back into jobs, what jobs?

(that’s right Russell – what jobs?  Thanks to the failures of the Labour party at all levels of Government there is nothing in RCT  - your recently announced economic development strategy is a disgrace, you do nothing to help local businesses.  What jobs indeed?)

Pauline Jarman – "would like to see David Cameron manage on the income levels imposed on many in the South Wales Valleys".  (indeed, but many of those are working families who do not get anywhere near £26,000 take home a year.)

Paul Baccara – ‘obviously agree with the leader’  (got to love the Independent group in RCT not an independent thought in sight)  

Mark Adams (who lives in Trallwn) ‘it will affect my ward of Tylorstown where there is a high degree of unemployment.  Our town centre could end up desolate because of businesses closing’

(Maybe Labour should have done something about it before now.  Still when they build their planned new town in Talbot Green it will wipe out lots of existing town centres very effectively so Cllr Adams needn’t worry about the effect of benefit changes.)

Em Jenkins, getting to the nitty gritty of what bothers them  “they refer to Local Authorities acting as agencies, it is RCT Council who will carry the can.  They will blame us for what ‘those people in Clydach Vale have done’.”

Then the voice of the person they have directed all their remarks to – Welsh Lib Dem Cllr Mike Powell.

“no one here has come up with any alternatives.  Russell is right we need to look at this more closely in scrutiny.  I’d like to know some more precise figures though, not a string of guesses and estimates.

“As others have already said there are many in RCT who left school and have spent years unable to find work.  And the Labour party have done nothing at all about it.”

And some classic lines from Aurfron Roberts summing up the Labour attitude maybe?

“that is a bit rich coming from someone in a ward which is nowhere near as deprived as many.  You should be ashamed of yourself Mike Powell.”

But of course, as Kevin Brennan MP said recently ‘poor people vote Labour’ so they would want to keep them dependent.   So do residents in Mike’s ward, or in Tonteg or Miskin have fewer rights than those in Gilfach or Tylorstown or Penrhwceiber?   Unbelievable.

By the time the inevitable comments about condemning the condem government started, along with talk of children running naked through the streets I needed a sick bucket.

Value added hard to measure

I had the pleasure of attending a fund raising event laid on by a group of volunteers at Tonypandy Community College on the 16^th of January.  The event was to raise money to provide improved facilities at our link school in Mbale, Uganda.  A group of staff and students intend travelling out there in February to help with building work.

An excellent meal courtesy of Browning’s caterers was followed by entertainment from Sophie Evans, an ex-pupil of the College who rose to fame on the BBC Programme “Over the Rainbow” and is currently starring as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” in the West End.

Not for the first time I felt an enormous sense of pride in being associated with the College. The sense of team work that exists, the genuine community engagement, and the evidence in the form of Sophie of how much our pupils can achieve.

Much has been said about the new school banding system recently, and I have made it very clear that I think the scheme serves no useful purpose and merely serves to demoralize staff.

Tonypandy Community College band 4 ranking comes about because of the number of free school meals pupils attending and the attendance record – factors which we can only have so much influence on.

They take insufficient account of educational performance, and certainly no account of the tremendous amount of value added benefit that the College – and indeed others – provide. Sophie still obviously has a tremendous amount of affection for the College and for the teachers who supported her along the way and who, along with her family and friends, encouraged her to aim high and helped develop a can do attitude.

That cannot be measured by any banding system.

Karen Roberts

Vice Chair of Governors, Tonypandy Community College

Singing from the same song sheet?

More nonsense from Owen Smith MP for Pontypridd in his Ponty Observer column this week. 

This time he is recycling the 'it's not our fault honest Gov' routine favoured by Labour politicians in these parts.

"During these tough times for families and businesses, it’s inexcusable that there are billions of pounds outstanding in tax revenue as a result of multi-millionaires stashing their money in offshore tax havens."

Of course it is Owen dear boy, but then where have you been until now?  Oh, sorry, you were in Surrey weren't you?  What I mean is where have your party been?  They were in Government for 13 years weren't they?

Am I missing something?

"Just as with phone hacking, the response to last summer’s riots, forests, the economy and the NHS, Ed Miliband and the Labour team are several steps ahead of Cameron & Co on this issue."

Obviously written before Ed Milliband and the Labour team saw the light on the road to Damascus and decided we were right.

Didn't anyone give Owen a copy of the new song sheet?

Just whose vested interest is it?

Owen Smith must presumably be relieved that despite concerns expressed by some of his colleagues the Pontypridd constituency will not - if draft proposals go ahead - be merged with the Rhondda and so he will not have to slug it out with Chris Bryant for the nomination for lead donkey.

He is, however, as he stated in the Ponty Observer this week, not pleased that there will be a cut in the number of MPs

"I’m firmly opposed to a decrease in Wales’ representation at Westminster and will be campaigning to show this government for what it really is – yet another vested interest!

Oh really, Owen, do calm down there's a good man.  I haven't heard any outcry from voters who will now have to foot the bill for fewer MPs  I suspect the vested interest lies within his own party - after all in the RCT area alone Labour would see their number of MPs reduce by a third.

Arrogance that knows no bounds

It is certainly no secret that I have no time whatsoever for Leighton Andrews - the man's arrogance knows no bounds.  He is always right in his eyes, and no matter how high the level of outcry against him he, like good old Maggie T, is not for turning.


His newly introduced banding system has met with criticism from all sides, even the teaching unions, who normally shy away from criticising Labour Ministers, have come out against him. My thoughts on the Secondary school bands when they initially appeared were published in the local press and certainly favourably received by our Headteacher and at least some of my fellow Governors (Labour Councillors were not as forthcoming with praise).  The letter is repeated below.


Yesterday the BBC published the response to an FOI request which gave the 'scores on the doors' for all schools in Wales.  It only served to reinforce my previous opinion, that the banding bears little relation to how schools actually perform at their real function - educating our children.


Pontypridd High School recently underwent an Estyn inspection and performed very well - it is given a Band 5 rating.   Cynon Valley schools by and large do not perform as well as they should - that was much of the reasoning behind the Labour Party's plans to close all sixth forms in RCT.


Now he is to press ahead with his crazy system in Primary schools too.  Again there has been widespread critcism, but boys and girls Leighton knows best. Even though, as the BBC reports,  "many schools - around a third across Wales - will be exempt from banding on the grounds of their small size and other factors."


This surely makes a complete mockery of the whole system. 






LETTER TO PRESS
The school banding system is a complete disgrace and will achieve nothing except the further demoralisation of our teaching staff in RCT and indeed across Wales.


It appears that there is only one person who thinks this is a good idea and that is Leighton Andrews. Even the unions who are usually reluctant to criticise any Labour plans have come out strongly against it.


These tables by and large tell you nothing about how well a school is performing with regard to its core function which is to educate children and ensure that each pupil performs to the best of his / her ability. They are weighted according to things such as the number of free school meals pupils and very heavily weighted according to attendance.


The explanatory guidance which accompanied the banding report is about as clear as mud, and I have been involved in education for some considerable time, and as a political employee at the Assembly am used to deciphering Government gobbledegook.


The bands bear no relation in many instances to what is already published information such as Estyn reports and GCSE / A level results. They take no account of the community aspects of many schools.


They do take account of attendance, and as Vice Chair of Governors at a Secondary School I find this very galling. We, like many other schools, have done all we can to increase attendance, including employing our own welfare officer. Short of picking every pupil up and dragging them to school each day there is little else that we can do. Yet we will be 'punished' for this by being placed in band 4.


Yes there are problems in schools, yes some are not achieving the best they could for their pupils, yes we can all always improve - but the time of the Education Minister would be better spent on looking at ways to support schools rather than this.


Karen Roberts

Taking the Mick?

So Mick Antoniw the AM for Ponty has at last managed to get his website updated, well sort of.  He's added the title 'AM' to it, but can you spot the deliberate error?

The page headed 'about Pontypridd' shows his extensive knowledge of the constituency and the hard work he has put in over recent months.

Or maybe not.

Wardens back in Aber, but here we still wait

As Wales Online reports

“After seven months of a parking free-for-all Aberystwyth is to have traffic wardens

The university town and seaside resort made national headlines last summer when Dyfed- Powys Police first axed wardens in the town, leading to a parking free-for-all on its streets

It is hoped the devices will act as a deterrent to irate Aberystwyth motorists who, by June, will have enjoyed more than a year unchecked by wardens in the town.”

Seven months without wardens.  Been a bit longer than that here in RCT and parking here will remain a free for all for some months yet.  

At the November Council meeting Mike Powell asked a question of the Cabinet Member for Highways

“As Cardiff has had Civil Parking Enforcement powers since July 2011 and has received over £1 million in charges, why has RCT not applied for Civil Parking Enforcement Powers?”

The response was quite lengthy but failed to quite explain the delay in RCT actually getting their act together and applying for the necessary legislative permissions.

In January 2010, a Civil Parking Enforcement Feasibility Report was carried out by Consultants. A letter of 10th April from the Police came forward indicating they are looking forward to withdraw traffic wardens from 31st December, 2010.

The Cabinet then agreed to go forward for Civil Parking Powers and we have moved forward, as follows:

July 2011 – Statutory Consultation was commenced

August 2011 – Survey undertaken of all traffic regulation orders

September 2011 – Submission to Welsh Government

November 2011 – SLA signed with Merthyr

In Jan/Feb – July 2012, remedial work will be undertaken where every sign will be replaced, renewed or maintained.

In Feb 2012, we will submit final comments to the Welsh Government.

April – July 2012 there will be staff training.

Mid 2012 – publicity launched and press releases.

July-Aug 2012 – we expect to have full implementation of Civil Parking Enforcementment

So they knew this was happening in April 2010 and more than two years later, they will have a new system in place. Wouldn’t want to rush them after all.

This explanation – as minuted – is pure gobbledegook.

“July-August 2012 – we expect to have full implementation of Civil Parking Enforcement so to do it any quicker runs the risk that other authorities get to a point where they bring this in and have to hand back potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds because they cannot go ahead.”

Whose fault is it anyway?

According to the Rhondda Labour website, which like all their others it seems is a work in progress, local Labour members oppose the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at Llwynypia.

Good for them, in fact I even signed their petition, sure they were very pleased by that.   They state that

·         The Rhondda Labour Party is opposed to the temporary closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at Llwynypia and demands that the Local Health Board reopens it.

·         This is one of Wales's newest hospitals. Taking services away from our community is unacceptable.

Well spotted.  They then go on to ask the following:

·         We understand that this is not a financial matter. But why has the Local Health Board failed to plan for the necessary numbers of doctors and Emergency Nurse Practitioners to staff both facilities?

·         There are many questions to be answered including:

·         What does 'temporary' mean?

·         When does the Local Health Board plan to re-open it?

·         Can you give us a cast iron guarantee that the unit will re-open when you have more staff?

Um, excuse me, but the Leader of RCT Council, the LABOUR leader of RCT Council is one of several Councillors on the local health board.  In fact he is a previous Chair of the local health board, covering a period of time when they should have been planning for this.

Anyone thought of asking Russell?

Or maybe local AM Leighton Andrews who is after all a member of the Welsh Government Cabinet  - surely there is an element of collective responsibility there , this is a problem not only in Cwm Taf but across Wales.

All of the glory and none of the blame – typical Labour hypocrisy.