From the Canal to Sevenways

Author: Mike Cordingley

  • Weekly Update 16th January 2012

    Monday

    Transport for Greater Manchester budget consultation at Manchester Town Hall. A fairly well attended meeting although considerably down on last years. Support for ring and ride and real time passenger info. Less support for interchanges.

    Labour Group meeting in the evening. Campaign for 2012 is progressing really well. Great to see so much enthusiasm and desire to work together across all factions, without a hint of posturing or personal agenda.

    Tuesday

    Met with James Hampson, new development worker for Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in Lostock. I was very impressed at the project. I think there’s every potential for the development of sustainable community activity here and look forward to working alongside James.

    Met with Trafford’s other TfGMC councillors, June Reilly (Cons) and Brian Rigby (Cons) together with officers ahead of Friday’s TfGMC meeting on Friday to discuss the agenda and any implications for Trafford. We’re awaiting finalisation of the budget from the Combined Authority (essentially the leaders of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs). This won’t be determined until their meeting of the 27th January. There is cross-party support the Local Sustainability Transport Fund bid; the Bridgewater Way cycling improvements along the canal have proved the potential and we want to build upon that.

    Met with community groups in Old Trafford to discuss the Council’s plan to replace paid staff with volunteers. The manner in which the council has gone about is bungling in the extreme; it has the potential to undermine volunteering for years to come. The groups are absolutely outraged and I don’t blame them.

    Wednesday

    Budget Scrutiny of Transformation and Resources, the directorate responsible for the libraries. Clearly the issue of volunteers taking over Old Trafford and Hale libraries dominated. We’re told there’s no Plan B for the possibility of volunteers not coming forward in sufficient numbers. There’s no plan to shut the libraries and there’s no budget for supporting the volunteers via commissioning or other route, although they might be able to find some money to help the group start. There will be training and funding for CRB checks.

    Thursday

    Cycled over to Hale Library to get a better understanding of the dynamics there.

    Friday

    Transport for Greater Manchester Committee. (see Tuesday) I suffered a puncture to bike almost upon arrival in Albert Square and returned using the train to Trafford Park Station. I was one of five passengers to alight from a sparsely crowded train – leaving it fairly empty. If I’m to believe the figures no one uses this station, but my experiences seem to suggest otherwise; it doesn’t help that no member of staff at Deansgate seems to want to check ticket or take the fare. Still think Trafford Park Station has huge potential – I was lucky, the next train would have meant a 2 hr wait.

    Met with the Scrutiny Team to discuss the report to the executive.

    Saturday

    Campaigned in Davyhulme. Great response on the doorstep.

     

  • Kate’s Blog 13th January 2012

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    Happy new year! Parliament resumed this week, and the holiday seems a long time ago.

    I spent the first day back dealing with a backlog of emails. But by Wednesday, I was up and out of the office very first thing to attend a breakfast meeting. I met businesses and campaigners to discuss the alarming number of households living below the official poverty line, even when at least one person in the family’s got a job.

    It was a good day to be discussing the subject. The campaign to End Child Poverty had just published figures that morning showing Greater Manchester has the third highest rate of child poverty in the country. Many of those children have a parent in work, but on wages too low for them to be able to meet household bills.
    The government wants people to take work as a route out of poverty. But it is freezing the working tax credit that helps people on low wages to make work pay. It’s also cut help with childcare costs. It simply doesn’t make sense.

    Prime Minister’s questions were a bit subdued. A rush of agreement broke out between Ed Miliband and David Cameron on the subject of Scottish independence. The Scottish Nationalists want to hold a referendum for people in Scotland to decide if they want to leave the UK, but not till 2014. I have to say the Prime Minister asked a good question when he wanted to know, if the SNP are in such a hurry to leave the UK, why they want to delay a referendum.

    Thursday saw a debate on progress on recommendations made in the last parliament to improve the diversity of backgrounds of MPs. Despite a higher proportion of women and BME MPs than in any previous parliament, we’re still far from representative of the country. Less than a quarter of MPs are women, and the number of disabled MPs is shamefully low – they continue to experience extra hurdles in parliament.

    I was very pleased to respond to the debate on behalf of the opposition as our spokesperson on equality. It’s an issue I feel very strongly about. I don’t think we can do the best possible job unless we have people from a wide range of backgrounds in parliament. MPs draw on their own life experience when debating new laws. If we all have similar backgrounds, we’re bound to miss ideas, misunderstand problems, and simply miss the point.

    But the lifestyle and the yah-boo atmosphere in parliament put off lots of potentially excellent MPs, and for many people, the cost of standing for parliament, especially if they have to give up a job or travel to another part of the country to find a seat is just out of the question.

    There were some really good ideas to address these problems, but progress is painfully slow. At present rates, it will take another 14 parliaments to get equal numbers of men and women MPs. That’s another 70 years. It isn’t good enough.

    There was however some good news for our first week back. The government were defeated on important votes in the house of lords, on cutting benefits for disabled children, and on restricting access to benefits for people with long-term health problems or disability. The government’s plans would mean cancer patients for example could be forced back to work while they’re still receiving treatment or feel too unwell. Ministers say they will reverse the decisions of the house of lords when the bill comes back to the commons, but we’re determined to fight back to prevent this. They’re way out of touch with the public on this one.

    And we also won a vote in the commons to defeat a bill that would restrict paid time off for trade union reps to carry out their union duties in the workplace. Tories seem to think unions are ripping off businesses, but the truth is that union reps use the time to help solve workplace problems, deal with health and safety issues, and represent employees who may be facing redundancy or need time off to care for an elderly relative or their kids. In fact, no employer has asked for this change in the law, because they know it helps the workplace work more smoothly. I’m pleased to say the bill was heavily defeated – let’s hope that’s one mad idea that won’t be coming back.

    Best Wishes

    Kate

  • Vote for our Champions of Lostock: No.1 Roy Jolly

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    Unsung Hero Awards 2011: Vote for the champions of Lostock

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    If something positive’s going on in Lostock then Roy Jolly will be involved.

    That’s the opinion of Councillor Mike Cordingley who nominated Roy for his community work.

    Roy is a member of Lostock Partnership and the current chair of Lostock Tenants and Residents Association.

    He was also featured earlier this year in the Advertiser for his campaign to get the work on three unfinished roads completed after years of neglect.

    Mike said: “Roy has been an active member of the general volunteering community of Trafford serving on the Trafford Partnership and other capacities. He’s still taking an interest in Lostock issues, recently campaigning for road resurfacing works in his former neighbourhood.

    He’s been involved in fun days, inter-generational activities and essentially if it’s going on in Lostock, Roy will be involved in it.

    “He moved to Urmston about three or four years ago but is as heavily involved in Lostock as ever.”

    To Vote for Roy – Follow this link to the Advertiser Page

  • Vote for our Champions of Lostock: No.2 Luke Winstanley and Edward Howells

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    Unsung Hero Awards 2011: Vote for the champions of Lostock

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    A get-together organised by two teenage boys is more than just a quiz night for its elderly attendees.

    It’s a chance to get out of the house and make friends.

    Luke Winstanley and Edward Howells have been nominated for the monthly night they organise at Lostock Youth Club.

    The boys were nominated by Maureen Reilly, chairwoman of Lostock Partnership, who said: “Many of the older people say that they feel lonely and isolated and Luke and Edward felt that they would like to make a difference.

    “They decided to hold a monthly quiz night in the youth centre and applied for a grant to fund this.

    “They then publicised the quiz nights and encouraged three younger members to help them at the quizzes. Between them they produced quiz sheets, bought refreshments and prizes and recruited a DJ.

    “The quiz nights have really attracted older people and are getting more and more popular.”

    Luke, 17, of Mount Drive, Urmston and Edward, 15, of Barton Road, Stretford, also work as youth leaders and encourage other teenagers to undertake voluntary work.

    Maureen added: “Both these young men deserve recognition for the excellent voluntary work that they do which is always done with a smile and good nature.”

    To Vote for Luke and Edward – Follow this link to the Advertiser Page

  • Andy Burnham’s take on the NHS reforms (and the threat they pose to the NHS)

    The Guardian newspaper is hosting a video piece from Labour’s new Shadow Health spokesman, Andy Burnham on the NHS reforms and how they threaten the very existence of a national health service.

  • Kate Green interviewed at Labour Conference

    Kate Green interviewed by ‘Winkball’s Conference Reporters’ at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

    Don’t forget to follow Kate on twitter (@KateGreenMP) or Facebook (Kate Green)