And in the red corner fighitng for,,,, err,,,,,

People across South Wales are at last beginning to wake up to the fact that there are substantial changes proposed in health provision across the region.   The grandly named ‘SouthWales Programme’ will see a centralisation across five centres of specialist services.  Consultant led maternity, neonatal, in patient paediatric and severe trauma services will be lost from some hospitals.

The ‘best fit’ option as described in the consultation document means the Royal Glamorgan in Llantrisant would lose these services.  The health board have become very touchy when people have described this as their preferred option, they say it is not, it is just the ‘best fit.’  Go figure!

Over the coming weeks there will be a territorial battle between supporters of the Royal Glamorgan and  the Princess of Wales hospital in Bridgend.  Not only residents will be taking to the streets, but politicians of all hues will be locking horns, not just party against party, but internal clashes too. 

In the red corner, fighting for the Princess of Wales, we have the Labour party, and in the err red corner fighting for the Royal Glamorgan we have, err, the Labour party.

Strange really as the party responsible for setting all this in motion and indeed for failing to do anything about staff shortages for years is, um, the Labour party.

The idea of devolution still has not hit home with many people in Wales.  Aided by a UK dominated media and a Labour leaning local press there is much confusion as to who is responsible.  The Labour party like to add to this confusion blaming the UK Government for absolutely everything.  Pontypridd MP Owen Smith is leading the pack in this, to the extent that it is getting really boring. 

Meanwhile Leighton Andrews and Slick Mick Antoniw have leapt forward like Batman and Robin, underpants outside their trousers, to fight for their local services.  Bit late really, especially in Slick’s case.  He couldn’t even be bothered to put in a submission to the original public engagement exercise, although is trying to claim he did.  Problem is the letter he says he wrote is on the RCT Labour campaign website and is dated a month after the consultation ended.

Along with Chris Bryant MP for the Rhondda (who knows a thing or two about underpants in public) they came dashing across our tv screens like the four horsemen of the apocalypse launching their campaign  - Labour for the Royal Glamorgan. 

Except of course ‘Labour’ weren’t, just RCT Labour.  Someone apart from me obviously cottoned on to this problem pretty quickly, because the Labour4royalglam Facebook and Twitter accounts they had set up disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

Having set up the so called campaign in a flurry of tv activity what have they done since?  Precious little it seems. Away from the glare of the tv cameras Chris Bryant is already saying he thinks it is all a done deal anyway.  So much for fighting our corner.

Slick is a little upright about the while issue, so much so that he threatened to block me from his twitter account if I didn’t stop posting in his opinion ‘inane’ comments - apparently direct political questioning is ‘trolling’ according to him.  Not something I’ll be losing any sleep about.

The State of Independents

Finally in the list of candidates for the Rhondda ward by election we have the ‘Independent’ candidate Bob Fox, a former Town and County Councillor in The Graig. Well, sort of independent, because this is where lines get a little burred.

Mr Fox is part of a local group known as RAG -  the Ratepayers Action Group.  Their Facebook group refers to ‘our candidate’ without naming him, yet there is little else relating to him or to the election.

As I have raved a little about on previous occasions, RCT RAG seem to be a little confused as to their purpose.

They don’t seem to have achieved a great deal at all, nor really become involved in anything locally.  Their Facebook site consists of posts from their Chairman on his own personal anti Tory crusade attacking the UK Government on anything and everything.  The Labour Council’s hike in Council Tax has gone unremarked, as has the Labour Police Commissioner’s 7% rise in the Police precept. 

The cutback in services in RCT has not brought forward a murmur of dissent from this group whose intention is allegedly to stick up for the Ratepayers of RCT. 

They have apparently not noticed the appalling statistics regarding the ambulance service in RCT, nor the unacceptable waiting lists for hospital treatment which are the responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government. Oh yes, they are Independent all right!!

I haven’t seen the latest election leaflet from their candidate but am told that in it he is jumping on the bandwagon of the paddling pool campaign, claiming to have been fighting to save it.  Well if that is the case he has been pretty quiet about it until now.

RAG appears to be a collection of misfits who are not at all sure about which direction they wish to proceed in.  Two of their members were elected to the County Council last year, in Tylorstown and Tonyrefail, but there seems to be little interaction between them and the group these days.  One of their Councillors sits in a group with Welsh Lib Dem Councillor Mike Powell and Tory Joel James. The other sits alone, not aligned to any group.

There really needs to be some clarification.  Is Mr Fox an Independent or is he standing on behalf of a group? And if that group is standing candidates at election then no matter how much they try to deny it then they are political. 

The Pluralist party – coming soon to an election near you – or not!

The ‘Pluralist Party’ appears on the ballot paper for the forthcoming Rhondda ward Town Council  by election.   Their website states:

 “We are different from other parties in that out members don’t support us – we support our members. Our members consist only of those who are elected or standing for election. This makes it easier to avoid conflicts of interest between the party members and the public.

“Each of our candidates stand on their own manifesto and then the party’s agenda for government comes out of win-win bargaining that takes the best bits from the manifestos of those who were elected – in other words it is the people who decide our policies through voting for the candidates we field. Unlike most other parties, we don’t mind supporting more candidates than there are positions as it should be for the people to have the final say who they vote for and not a political party.”

“Different” they say – oh yes they are definitely that. Officially registered with the Electoral Commission The ‘Party’ membership seems to consist of one person at present, as members ‘consist only of those who are elected or standing for election.’ 

They were registered in 2012 as a minority party with Jonathan Bishop as the Party Leader, Mark Beech as the Nominating Officer and no other officers at all. 

Mr Beech is a former candidate for the Raving Monster Loony Party (I kid thee not) who, according to the ‘Crocels News’ site (yet another one of Jon Bishop’s many guises)

 “ [Mark Beech] has put himself down on a ballot paper as ‘BEECH, MARK WILLIAM (commonly known as ‘The Good Knight, Sir Nos Da’)”

 Now I am all for democracy and getting as many people involved in the electoral system as possible, but really, does this further the democratic cause?   I can't see this one catching on.

Another day, another election...

Well campaigning in the Pontypridd Town Council by election is well under way.  The Rhondda ward vacancy came about following the death of the sitting Labour Town Councillor in January this year. In contrast to many town / community council seats last May this one is hotly contested with a grand total of 6 candidates.

Our candidate is Amanda Jones who joined the Party earlier this year having worked closely alongside Cllr Mike Powell and myself on the campaign to save Pontypridd paddling pool.  She took the decision to join because she said we were the only ones trying to do anything positive in the area.

The Labour party are of course contesting the seat, and both the local MP and AM have been out on the streets there, with photos appearing on twitter to prove it, and presumably remind people what Slick Antoniw in particular looks like.  The photos include the person who is presumably the candidate, and two members of staff which suggests maybe that their active membership base is a little low at present.  The last time Oily and Slick and their team took to the streets in such force was in Trallwn last May to try and unseat Mike Powell – it didn’t have the desired effect.

The Tories are standing a candidate in what is previously unknown territory for them, their current vote share coming more from the western end of the constituency.  We haven’t heard reports of their activity as yet.

The Plaid candidate stood for them in the Cilfynydd County Council election last May and the Rhondda ward at Town level.  Plaid have been wiped out at County Council level in the Pontypridd constituency, and almost lost their deposit in the 2010 general election, so will be keen to make any sort of gain.

Then we have the two ‘non mainsteam’ candidates to coin a phrase, which quite frankly make me wonder about the democratic process, but I think they are deserving of their very own entries, so more later!

Educational standards slipping in RCT

I don't mean in our schools, I mean within the Council  - yes the same Council that is responsible for delivering education and keeping up standards.

It may seem to some a little thing, but the humble apostrophe matters.  To coin a phrase it is the difference between knowing your s**t and knowing you're s**t.

Now we all make mistakes, the odd typo here and there, I am certainly not immune to that, and am quite certain someone will find one in this little rant.  But when the Council has a PR and strategy department that costs over a miilion pounds a year in staff alone, and an in house design and print service you would think that someone, somewhere would be responsible for proof reading.  Especially for posters and exhibition boards which are going to be distributed widely amongst schools.

I was dismayed this evening to see a poster on the wall at Council HQ advertising the re-uniform scheme.  Now the scheme itself is great - parents are encouraged to drop off old unwanted items of school uniform which are then washed, ironed, and de-bobbled before being offered for sale at a cut down price to other parents. It saves parents money and helps the environment by recycling.  Well done RCT Council.

It is a pity that such effort isn't put into checking what is put out in the public domain. 

Same old Labour, same old bull……

As if the people of North Wales haven’t had enough to put up with being snowed in the past few days they have also had to put up with an invasion of Labour Party members all keen to be seen and heard at their Llandudno Conference.

With practised lines about swingeing cuts and protecting the people of Wales they collectively delivered the biggest load of b******t to have hit the North Wales coast in some considerable time.  No need for us Southerners to feel too left out though, apparently the Westminster Shadow Cabinet are going to visit their colleagues down the Bay because, apparently, they think they have a lot to learn from them.

Quite what that is may be difficult for many of us to fathom.  We have a failing education system, a Health service that does not meet the need of the people, and higher unemployment than anywhere else in the UK.  So what do they hope to learn?

Apparently, according to Wales Online,

‘First Minister Carwyn Jones’ Labour government in Cardiff Bay has often won praise from Mr Miliband and party members across the UK for how it is protecting working families from swingeing cuts coming via Westminster’

So they would protect us from the raised tax threshold, the fuel duty freeze, the cut in duty on beer, etc.  They don’t want to see businesses benefiting from the employers allowance which will mean small businesses will not have to pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) under £2,000.

Ed Milliband spoke of how Labour are doing a great job protecting families in Wales.  He spoke of what they are doing in relation to the Council Tax Benefit proposals – no mention of labour controlled Councils such as RCT putting up Council Tax for those hard working families by 3.95% and increasing charges for services by way over inflation, around 7 / 8%.

Some of the tweets from Welsh Labour, presumably unintentionally, showed how shallow the Labour ideas pool really is. 

‘Ed: What they did to Remploy was disgraceful. We're going to need some sort of system to help people into work.’

Some sort of system?  Any clues as to what?

‘Ed: we have to cap payday loans and work out a way to provide alternative lines of credit.’

Going to start on that any time soon are they?

Same old Labour, same old bull……

The vagaries of the RCT planning System

There were some very odd items on the RCT Development Control agenda this evening.  There was the case of the barking dogs for example.  A planning application had been submitted to retain a kennels in the Cynon Valley.  The opponents were the brothers and sisters of the applicant – all four of them.  They said it devalued the cottage alongside which had been left to them by their father.

One of the brothers offered to play a recording of the dogs barking “it only lasts a minute.”  The Chair declined. 

The application was approved, against officer’s recommendation, when the local Member spoke up in favour.  The applicant and objectors left, and decided to start a fight outside the Chamber.  All made for a lively meeting.

There were other applications equally interesting although for different reasons.  Like the application to build houses in Coedely – the ward of the Chair of Development Control committee Bob McDonald.

The Officer’s recommendation was to turn it down, for solid reasons as far as I could see.

 To quote the report:

“Set in this context it is important to consider that the application site lies entirely outside the settlement boundaries of Tonyrefail and Coedely where new residential development is strictly controlled unless adequately justified as an exception in an otherwise unsustainable location.

Under LDP Policy AW 3 the DAS refers to the proposed 7 dwellings for social rent and the proposed 25 dwellings for first-time buyers as bringing forward an affordable housing scheme. However, there is no evidence of the proposal being linked to a registered social landlord, such as a housing association, or a clear explanation as to the mechanism that will ensure the dwellings will be sold as affordable homes to first-time buyers and remain affordable in perpetuity.”

Yet the Chair asked that the application be deferred as he had no real objections to the plans but wanted more bungalows included.  These would be the bungalows that the developer claims would be linked to a social landlord but which the Planning Officer says there is no evidence of.

 Strange. Perhaps Cllr McDonald knows something the rest of us don’t?

 

 

More half-baked Plaid ideas – more women in politics, by decree.

The BBC reported this week on Plaid leader Leanne Wood’s latest idea – that legislation may be necessary to ensure more women are elected to the Assembly.

Of course she has no real idea of what form that legislation may take – in typical Plaid style it should just happen, the details can be left to someone else.

Her remarks follow on from a call from the Assembly’s Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler for more women to be elected after the percentage of female AMs fell to 44% after the last election, that s 26 out of 60.  (Quite why she has waited until now to point this out is anyone’s guess the election was after all in May 2011.)

Ms Wood said

"Within Plaid Cymru, we have a strong internal democracy which reflects how much we rely on the party membership as a grassroots body.

"The side effect of this is that measures to promote women are not always at their strongest, but must be balanced out with local party control.”

Rather a strange statement really considering that it was only this month after a special conference that Plaid changed their constitution to allow for a one member one vote system. 

Personally I think the whole idea is ridiculos.  Not the idea that there should be more women in the Assembly or at any other level of Government, nothing wrong with that.  But the idea that there needs to be any form of positive discrimination, let alone legislation, to achieve that.

The Assembly in 2006 had 31 women and 29 men, this followed a by election afer the death of Peter Law.  Prior to that it was perfectly gender balanced.  Two out of the four current Party leaders are women – who were elected by an open process on merit not because of any boost given them because they were women.  The Presiding Officer is a woman.  The Cabinet is not as balanced, but to be honest it is difficult to see who they could put in there. 

That was achieved without any engineering so why the panic?

Any form of discrimination is still discrimination.  As long as there is equality of opportunity then the best person for the job should always be the maxim. 

The AM for where was it again Slick?

Newport resident Mick Antoniw was elected in 2011 as Assembly Member for Pontypridd, the constituency he claimed to be living in at the time. 

Yet it is sometimes difficult to tell looking at his twitter feed and press releases which seem to be almost solely concerned with union issues and his asbestos Bill.  Even his website has little to say about his constituency.

Take a look at his news page. Asbestos Bill, Agricultural Wages Board, and article about a Statement of Opinion he tabled on the “injustices suffered by Welsh miners following events at Orgreave Coke Plant, South Yorkshire, during June 1984.”

There are a couple of pats on the back for RCT Council, and only one article which really addresses any of the major issues of concern on his patch – the appalling ambulance response times in RCT.  Bottom of the league yet again according to the latest stats.  They have been way off target for some time, but this is the first mention he has made of them, coincidentally immediately following a series of direct challenges I made via twitter to him about it.

Under the Pontypridd tab is a direct lift form Wikipedia which is solely about Pontypridd town, not the constituency.  His ‘campaigns’ show a similar disregard for the area – a report about Tonyrefail which is 18 months old and about which nothing seems to have been done since.

What about the disgraceful state of our town centres, what about a reduction in business rates for traders there, what about car parking charges, what about health waiting lists, what about the paddling pool, what about the disgraceful Estyn report RCT received last year? What about the proposed new town centre for Talbot Green? Does the Pontypridd AM have any comments or concerns about any of the things his constituents are talking about?  Or is he too busy pursuing his union interests?

Each week in the Assembly AMs get to put questions to Ministers.  Many use this opportunity to bring up subjects that are important in their constituency / region.  Today was their opportunity to question the Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage.  So what would it be?  A question about empty homes which affects wards such as Treforest and The Graig in particular.  Or about  regeneration – how would the new town in Talbot Green, if it gets the go ahead affect existing town centres, should more be done to regenerate existing centres?  Heritage – maybe a question about the paddling pool?
 

Nope.  His question today

"What plans does the Minister have to recognise the 200^th anniversary of the birth of John Hughes next year?”

Who was John Hughes? 

“A nineteenth century industrialist who founded an ironworks and mining town in imperial Russia, named Hughesovka in his honour. Little is known about his early life, but John Hughes was born in Merthyr Tydfil where his father was an engineer at Cyfarthfa ironworks.”

Although reading on you can see where Slick’s interest may spark from

“It is thought Hughes also learnt his trade there before moving to Ebbw Vale and then the Uskside Foundry in Newport in the 1840s.

There he married Elizabeth Lewis, and had eight children, six boys and two girls, all born in Newport.”

I rest my case.

Public Park or Labour Fiefdom?

Earlier this week I was asked by a post grad journalist student if I would film an interview with her and a colleague about the paddling pool as part of a programme being put together on the subject.  The interview was not for broadcast, merely part of their training / assessment.  So I agreed to meet them at the Park this morning.

Just before I arrived I had a phone call saying they had been told they could not film an interview with me there.  They had apparently asked for permission to film yesterday (but my name was not mentioned then, not to hide anything simply because I presume it didn’t crop up.) They arrived today and were doing some general shots when they were approached by a worker who asked if they had permission.  They said yes but he checked with his manager who asked what they were filming. 

When they said they were meeting me to do an interview they were told they could film some general shots but not an interview with me. At this point several thoughts passed through my mind:

• Who the hell do these people think they are?  This is a public park, owned by the people.
• Glad to know they are so concerned about insignificant little me – must be making an impression.
• How stupid are these people, don’t they know that will be the next story – Council censorship.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if they had said they were interviewing Owen Smith or the anonymous man from Newport?

Labour hypocrites all coming out of the woodwork in RCT.

Well we heard today that WEFO have granted the £3million to RCT to “renovate” the Lido in Ynysangharad Park.  I use the word cautiously because I cannot see how the proposed new building bears any resemblance to the historic baths.

They have the planning permission, and now they have the funding so it is difficult to see any way of preventing this from going ahead and the paddling pool being taken away, despite what would appear to be the opinion of most residents.

The Labour hypocrites have been out in force today welcoming the news.

First we had the Council press release.

Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Cllr Paul Cannon said:

"We have listened carefully to the views of the community in developing these plans and our aim is to create an environment that attracts visitors, benefits business and where communities can prosper.”

Listened carefully to the views of the public? The 2077 who voted on 1^st November to keep the pool he means?  Or the 151 who voted against?  Has he read the letters page of the Ponty Observer lately?

 In the Council Chamber when the vote was reported back he said

“This was a cynical publicity stunt by the Lib Dems. Pontypridd Town Council have confirmed that the poll cost £11,000 which will be added to the precept next year. Perhaps the people of Pontypridd will thank them (the Lib Dems) for that.

“It is easy for others to try and make political capital but we have to take into account the wider regeneration issues. Amongst the 800 people we consulted the overall regeneration of Pontypridd was their over-riding concern.

“I move we note the result of the poll and take no further action.”

So much for listening to the people.

The local AM and MP congratulated the Council of course – the same Council that Owen Smith had said failed to consult properly on the issue.  Later on his Facebook page Mick Antoniw AM broke his silence on the issue and said

“this is great news for Pontypridd. there will be disappointment at the loss of the paddling pool which we all share, however , it was vital that this major project and investment in the future of Pontypridd was not threatened. the contstruction of an all year tion of an all year round adventure park will be a major long term asset to the park and will hopefully go some way to allay the sadness at the loss of the paddling pool. We must now look to the future and the ongoing and continued regeneration and development of Pontypridd. Still so much to do.round adventure park will be a major long term asset to the park and will hopefully go some way to allay the sadness at the loss of the paddling pool. We must now look to the future and the ongoing and continued regeneration and development of Pontypridd. Still so much to do.”

Really Slick, nice of you to pretend you give a damn.  What facilities do they have in Newport where you live?

One of the best examples though was Treforest Councillor Steve Powderhill who tweeted:

"WEFO funding secured now we'll see what Treforest want me to fight for ‘the dilapidated old pool or the new lido, play area and splashpool’”

Bit late for that.  He was one of those who voted in favour of granting planning permission to enable them to remove the paddling pool.  Didn’t he understand what he was voting for?  I mean I know they only took about eight minutes to make the decision but still.  Surely the Labour leader explained to his group that they were about to break the first of numerous manifesto promises?

When asked on the “you know your from Pontypridd when” Facebook page if it was correct that the lido would only open four months a year he replied

 “could well be but we haven't even had a chamber debate on what the final project will be so far it's only outline planning i'm looking forward to the debate so let's wait and see no point in guessing.”

Is he serious?  Even the limited information that was allowed to be made public about the fading application stated quite clearly that it would only be open around four months a year.

The decision to press forward with the scheme was taken by the Cabinet, there was no debate in Council, so what makes him think there will be for the next stage?

Maybe he should take a little more interest in what is going on.  He says he will “fight” for whatever the people of Treforest tell him to.  I take it he will be carrying out a survey very soon then, although it may be too late to fight for anything.  Still he could always sign our latestpetition!

“

 

Is the stress getting to RCT Mayor?

The Pontypridd Observer today reported that

"THE Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Doug Williams, has been temporarily suspended from a Pontypridd branch of a fraternal organisation, a spokesman has confirmed. 

Six members of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) have had their membership suspended following a “disagreement” over how the Pontypridd group was being run."

The piece went on to explain that

"The Grand Secretary of the order, Christopher McMahon, who is based in the Harrogate headquarters, said Coun Williams was “a man of integrity” who was suspended over rules and procedure issues.

He stressed Coun Williams had done nothing wrong and was not suspended for any financial issues or irregularities."

Now I have known Doug for some time  in his capacity as former Elections Officer in RCT, and would not doubt this for one minute, although why the Grand Secretary felt the need to stress it I don't know.

Yet rules and proceure seem to be troubling the Mayor quite a bit lately. Such that in the past couple of weeks he has been the subject of two letters to the press from members of the public about Labour Councillors behaviour and his chairing of a recent Council meeting (see below). 

One resident wrote:

"I was absolutely disgusted by the petty schoolboy bullying that Coun Powell** was forced to tolerate.  Every time he attempted to open his mouth he was shouted down before he could even manage to utter two words.  Every time he tried to speak the rest of the room found it rather entertaining to chat loudly amongst themselves while jeering and booing.   I have rarely been so thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed and found myself bouncing in my seat with anger to find myself witnessing such petty bullying from people who are receiving good money to represent the constituents of Rhondda Cynon Taff.  They even, at one point, threatened to evict him from the meeting.  I would like to know why they are so keen to rid these meetings of Coun Powell. "

(** Welsh Lib Dem Cllr Mike Powell.)

Another wrote

“At one point Cllr Powell was openly insulted by another Councillor but when he attempted to reply he was told he would be removed for the chamber if he dared to speak again.  During the discussion of one item the mayor refused to allow Cllr Powell to make an amendment which I believe is against the rules”

Of course for those of us who have been regular attendees for some considerable time all this come as no surprise, but the current Mayor really is in danger of over-stepping the mark.Maybe the stress of being RCT's first citizen is all getting a bit too much.

 

 

Reduce, reuse, recycle

The RCT Cabinet this week gave the go ahead for changes to waste collection in the County Borough. The plan is to collect black bag waste one a fortnight instead of weekly as at present. This will no doubt spark a great deal of debate amongst residents not to mention in the Council Chamber.

There are two reasons why this move has been made in the majority of other Councils. The first and the reason that is apparently driving this change is to save money. The other is to try and increase recycling rates. The hope is that people will recycle more in order to keep their black bag waste to an absolute minimum. With so many materials being collected for recycling, including food waste, there is no reason why people should not recycle more. The system works quite well in other places.

There are a couple of glitches in the RCT system though – one of the most annoying because it is one that seems so simple to solve is the inability to keep residents supplied with plastic recycling bags. They run out on a regular basis, and despite the Council having various means of ordering them – online, by phone, with stickers on the bags, red lines that denote you have come to the end of a roll of bags – many residents are complaining that they do not get any delivered. As the Council flatly refuse to take away recycling in anything other than their bags then no doubt there is a fair amount of recyclable material going to waste.

Of course there also needs to be a change in the mindset of people in order to drive up recycling rates. Some will not recycle no matter how easy it is made for them, and there will also be those who continue to dump rubbish wherever they feel like. That will not alter no matter how often refuse is collected – although it could be argued that it may increase if people have to store black bags for two weeks. (There are also differences across the County in how refuse is collected. Taff Ely has wheelie bins, whereas Rhondda has black bags.)

The main reason why people will feel aggrieved about this is that they were promised it would not happen – and make no mistake, from a political point of view we will be reminding everyone of just that. The Labour party went into the 2012 Council elections with an unequivocal promise that they would keep weekly collections, they did not say they would try or that they would consider it – they said they would do it.

Now before anyone mentions tuition fees, yes I know. It could be argued that the position is the same. However, we were new into Government, and thanks to Labour’s lack of openness the true state of the nation’s finances were not revealed until the coalition took power. Who could forget ex Labour Treasury Secretary Liam Byrne’s note to his successor “there's no money left".

Labour in RCT on the other hand had been on power since 2004 and knew exactly the state of the finances here. They kept going on about cuts and hard times and pressure on public finances – so why make the promises

Then again they promised to keep the paddling pool knowing they had no intention of doing so. Some could see that as manipulation - or to put it more simply, a pack of lies.

We won't give up on paddling pool fight.

The Council are still determined to get rid of the paddling pool in Ynysangharad Park as part of their plans for the so called renovation of the lido, although quite how it can be called a renovation when the hew build is so vastly different is beyond me.

RCT Welsh Lib Dems and the members of the public who make up the SOS Ponty Paddling Pool group are equally determined that the paddling pool must not go.

A new petition has now been set up to have paddling pool classed as listed building

Despite originally saying that the Council would need listed building consent to remove the paddling pool in Ynysangharad Park, CADW have now changed their minds and said that is not the case.

A new Assembly petition has been set up asking the Welsh Government to classify the paddling pool as a listed building. It can be signed at the official Assembly petition site here, or via www.pontylibdems.org.uk

Antoniw takes the biscuit on employees rights.

Pontypridd AM Mick Antoniw really does have some brass neck.  He has currently been banning the drum on several projects associtaed with employees rights. 

The abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board has been troubling him greatly - despite the fact that this organisation no longer serves any useful purpose as workers are protected by the minimum wage.

Then just last week he reported that he

"Asked Minister and leader of the House about corporate governance in Wales. 111 Welsh workers blacklisted for being members of a trades union or raising health and safety issues. some of these companies have received contracts from Welsh Gov worth millions over the years."

Now I would not suggest for one minute that the practice of blacklisting anyone for being part of a union should be condoned - nor indeed for not being part of a union!  But for Mr Antoniw of all people to be taking this holier than thou attitude is a bit rich.

He is of course a former partner in Thompsons solicitors - reprimanded by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and made to pay costs amounting to £88,000 for irregularities involving miners' compensation claims.

Last week Wales Online carried an article  in which it was claimed he refused to give his own employee - an RCT Councillor - time off to attend Council meetings, even though he is legally entitled to such time.

The double standards shown are quite breathtaking, but then we have come to expect little else from him.  He did after all rent a house on Llantrisant for a couple of months prior to the Assembly election merely to have a Pontypridd constituency address to put on his ballot paper.  He actually lives in Newport.

Those he purports to represent really do deserve better. 

Glad to see Slick Mick taking notice

Mick Antoniw’s Facebook page

 o    Karen Roberts Talking of Health and Safety any comment on the appalling ambulance response figures in your constituency?

31 January at 00:24 ·

   From my twitter feed
 
Karen Roberts‏@KarenClydach

Stats show RCT ambulance dire. Where are our Labour AMs? @MickAntoniwAM@LeightonAndrews@adrianmasters84 @walespolitics @pontyobserver

Having failed to mention anything about ambulance response times over the last year ambulance chaser turned AM Mick Antoniw (Pontypridd) seems to have had his conscience pricked. Well conscience is maybe the wrong word, but nonetheless he has at last woken up to the fact that ambulance response times in RCT have fallen short of the Wales target every month for the past year.

In December they were the worst in Wales with only 43.5% of category A emergency calls being responded to within 8 minutes.  Maybe it was this shocking statistic that finally made him think he had better say something - or maybe it was indeed a result of us bringing it to people's attention that he had said nothing.

Either way he mentioned it in his column in the Ponty Oberver today, and asked a question in theAssembly Chamber apparently. 

Well done that man.  Go for it Michael.  Now, about that paddling pool.........

Self praise is no recommendation Cllr Powderhill.

I have just come across the following post by Treforest Councillor Steve Powderhill on a local facebook group.  The initial post was about car parking charges in Pontypridd,but then he couldn’t resist flexing his over inflated ego.

“Cardiff charge a lot more, so that argument doesn't really hold water out of town shopping is killing our towns, supermarkets, outlets etc wish it was different but it's not perhaps the landlords could do more to help the shopkeepers anyway i've got an early council meeting tomorrow out on site in Treforest it's not easy being a councillor despite what some people might think commitment is a heavy burden and I am committed i've taken one weeks holiday intwo years and lost a stone in weight and I know not every Councillor is the same but remember it's quite easy for people to say things it's a lot more difficult to actually do so on that note i'll say goodnight.”

What a load of bullshit, but how perfectly it sums up the Labour attitude. Pure, unadulterated arrogance and hypocrisy. He obviously has no answers, and as usual is not interested in debating any issue that is of importance to local residents and traders.  “Perhaps the landlords could do more to help” – because Cllr Powderhill and his Labour colleagues are not interested,

Then the change of tack to talk about “me, me, me.” 

“Commitment is a heavy burden” oh come on.  Only one week’s holiday and lost a stone – my heart bleeds.  It is however ludicrous to blame that on Council work. Yes it takes up a not inconsiderable amount of time – if done properly, but it is certainly not time at backbench level. 

 As for the stomach churning line about how “it's quite easy for people to say things it's a lot more difficult to actually do so” that is hypocrisy at its best.

This is the man who on his election leaflets made much about being the only candidate living in Treforest, and then a few months later had his planningapplication for a house in Ynysybwl passed by his Labour colleagues, despite Officers recommending it be turned down.

He spent a great deal of time slamming the previous Welsh Lib Dem Councillor who stood down at the last election.  He told anyone who would listen that he did nothing, that he had no influence, and that the only way to get things done was to elect a Labour Councillor. 

Steve Powderhill was the man to get a crossing for the school – still waiting.  He would champion the community against planning applications that were objected to by residents.  Yet failed to get planning permission rejected on at least two sets of flats.

He has failed to stick up for the people of the area over all manner of things.  He, along with his Labour mates voted for the removal of the paddling pool in Ynysangharad Park.  He attended the meeting at the Muni to decide on a referendum and didn’t have the guts to speak up and defend his position.  When asked about it on the facebook site referred to here he said it was not the place to discuss politics, but refuses to do it elsewhere.

Self praise really is no recommendation – certainly not in this case.

Welfare reform half truths and propaganda not helping

It never ceases to amaze me how many people fall hook, line and sinker for political propaganda based on headlines and hype and not fact.  Many of then allegedly intelligent, thinking, rational individuals.  Some masquerading as ‘independent’ happily spreading blatant Labour propaganda thus saving them the trouble of doing it.

They happily gulp down the half-truths put out by people such as 38 Degrees without really examining the so called facts presented.  Take this campaign for example – to “Stop the Welfare Reform Death Scandal”  which refers to something called Callum’s list

It is headed ‘the welfare reform scandal has to stop’ but most of the links between the stories and welfare reform are tenuous to say the least.

The first report, tragic though it was for the family, was of a man who had already tried to commit suicide once a year before. The letter re benefits may not have helped his state of mind but it was not solely responsible for his death. That is sensationalism.

5 and 6 happened in 2008 and 14 in 2009 – hardly the coalition’s fault then, or the fault of welfare reform.

13 - Jobseeker committed suicide after being rejected for 200 jobs – dated April 2010.

15 - had worked as a supervisor at the Brierley Community Centre in Little Hulton for 16 years before it fell victim to spending cuts. The news tipped her into depression and she had already taken an overdose of pills eight days before she was found dead at her home in Walkden, just before 5pm on May 13. Mrs K, had been offered another post with the council but took voluntary redundancy

16 – this sad tale is of a man who committed suicide immediately after being told he was being made redundant, hardly the fault of benefit cuts then.

All of these tales are tragic to those involved, and I wouldn’t argue there are concerns over ATOS and some of their methods and decisions. Many are tales of people with obvious mental health problems and they should have received appropriate help for that mental health care needs drastic improvement across the UK, but to say they committed suicide because of government cuts is plunging politicking to new depths.   

There are tales of genuine hardship coming forward and they need to be looked at and the system changed if and where necessary, but this nonsense makes a mockery of those who are genuinely struggling.

Message to Labour – not all poor people are on benefits.

I really am getting sick and tired of hearing about how many families are losing out as a result of Welfare reforms.  Now let me make it clear, I firmly believe that the welfare system should provide adequately for all those in need be it the unemployed, the sick, the disabled, anyone who through no fault of their own is unable to earn a living wage and needs help.  That is what it is there for.

I also think that some of the welfare reforms are a step too far – the so called bedroom tax for example.  The whole mess surrounding Council Tax benefits leaves a bad taste, and there are some horror stories coming out about people on disability that give rise to concern.

However, the system had to be reformed, and Labour should have bitten the bullet a long time ago and put the brakes on a benefits system that was rocketing out of control.  But then as was claimed while ago by Kevin Brennan, Labour MP for Cardiff West, poor people vote Labour, so they will keep up their pretence of standing up for them. (Whilst putting up Council Tax in RCT by 4%)

The basic premise is that nobody should be better off on benefits than if they were working.  This is not to say they should not get enough to live on, but surely there should be a base line and above that then the State is right to say ‘no more.’

I have said before, there is a whole layer of society who is seemingly forgotten about – those hard working families who earn just about the limit where they can claim a state benefit.  They have to struggle on regardless and pay full price for everything.

They don’t get Council Tax relief, or housing benefit, or free school meals for their children, or discount at gyms and leisure centres, or even to get their dog neutered!  

So what of those people?  Does Labour, the party of the working class, care about those?  Or would they rather continue to play politics and hope that their voters do not scratch beyond the surface of the spin they are putting out.  Listening to Owen Smith it seems the latter is going to be the case.

 

 

 

Labour Councillor takes bovine excrement to new levels

There is a group on facebook called 'you know you are from Pontypridd when...'   mostly full of harmless chatter and people reminiscing about Ponty.  Amongst them is the Treforest Labour Councillor Steve Powderhill.

Now things rarely get too political on there, but now and again someone will pipe up with a comment about the Council or something it is or isn't doing, to which Cllr Powderhill's inevitable answer is that political debate should be taken elsewhere.  The subject of a few such comments has been the paddling pool fiasco which has stirred anger amongst a large number of Pontypridd residents in all wards - including Powderhill's.

When said Councillor started bragging about what a good job he is doing for Treforest and what dreams he has for its future (pass the sick bucket please) paddling pool campaigner (and non party political resident) Amanda Jones decided to question him on why he didn't support keeping it.

His response gave me almost as good a laugh as tonight's Mrs Brown's Boys and was certainly more inventive than Coronation Street

“Amanda, anyone who knows me knows I am my own man and will stand my ground when I believe in something, My area is Treforest and I intend to do my best to clean it up and turn it around and it is probably the most difficult ward in RCT. Ok because you don't read about me and see me in the newspapers every week other than irresponsible journalism and cheap political swipes at me doesn't mean I don't care, i'll do my talking when it is the right time and that's not now, when the time comes maybe you'll understand why I seem quiet I can assure you it's not because i'm afraid of anything, more I don't want to jeopardise anything like the grant funding etc now I respectfully ask you to put your comments about the pool on the page set up for it and when the time comes I will fight for what the people of Treforest tell me to fight for regarding the pool and everything else even if I sometimes don't agree with things I will vote in the way my electorate tell me to and actually the only thing we have voted on to date is outline planning to secure the grant funding. As i've said a few times I love this group, the chat, the memories old photos etc I don't want to spoil it with politics and neither will the majority on here so please keep politics for the right time and place not here. Thank you.”

Now the people of Pontypridd, including Treforest, have made their opinions clear.  A 2077 vote to 151 in the referendum on keeping the pool seems pretty clear to me.  So at what point exactly does Powderhill intend starting to listen?

He says the only thing they have voted on to date is planning permission.  Yet he voted in favour of that, knowing it would mean the removal of the paddling pool. There won't be another opportunity for him and his fellow backbenchers to vote and keep the paddling pool.  His chance has passed.

He attended the meeting in the Muni in October,but didn't say a word for or against holding a referendum.  So when is his self  enforced silence going to end?

As for posting "on the page set up for it"  there is one slight problem there for anyone wanting to question him or any of his Labour colleagues - they are too cowardly to go online even and face the public never mind doing it in person.