Monday, September 20, 2004
Lib Dems two-faced on civil service cuts
THE Liberal Democrats are being two-faced on the issue of cuts in the civil service.
When Gordon Brown announced reductions in the civil service during the last Comprehensive Spending Review, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Lembit Opik criticised the announcement. And Liberal Cardiff Central AM Jenny Randerson has been campaigning against possible civil service cuts in Cardiff.
But today the Liberal Democrats announced at their party conference that if they win power in Westminster, they will axe over 100,000 civil servants.
Labour AM CARL SARGEANT said:
"This is just another example of how unprincipled and two-faced the Liberal Democrats are. I challenge Lembit Opik and Jenny Randerson either to condemn their own party leaders or to apologise to those civil servants they have provided false hope to and explain to them that the Liberal Democrats aren’t really a very serious party.
"Sadly we are getting used to this kind of behaviour from the Lib Dems. They campaign locally against anti-social behaviour and petty crime even though their MPs voted against tough new Government measures to tackle these very issues.
"The Liberal Democrats have no guiding principles. They are the party without a soul, without a conscience."
Notes:
"Gordon Brown used to present himself as the champion of the worker. Now, employees find out that their job may be on the line live on television." - Lembit Opik, Western Mail, 13/07/04
Welsh Liberal Democrats Economic Development Spokesperson, Jenny Randerson, has tabled an urgent question to the Labour Assembly Government about the impact on Wales of the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions that it will be pursuing a programme of job losses and site amalgamation as part of its so called "modernisation" programme. - Welsh Lib Dem website, 30/06/04
When Gordon Brown announced reductions in the civil service during the last Comprehensive Spending Review, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Lembit Opik criticised the announcement. And Liberal Cardiff Central AM Jenny Randerson has been campaigning against possible civil service cuts in Cardiff.
But today the Liberal Democrats announced at their party conference that if they win power in Westminster, they will axe over 100,000 civil servants.
Labour AM CARL SARGEANT said:
"This is just another example of how unprincipled and two-faced the Liberal Democrats are. I challenge Lembit Opik and Jenny Randerson either to condemn their own party leaders or to apologise to those civil servants they have provided false hope to and explain to them that the Liberal Democrats aren’t really a very serious party.
"Sadly we are getting used to this kind of behaviour from the Lib Dems. They campaign locally against anti-social behaviour and petty crime even though their MPs voted against tough new Government measures to tackle these very issues.
"The Liberal Democrats have no guiding principles. They are the party without a soul, without a conscience."
Notes:
"Gordon Brown used to present himself as the champion of the worker. Now, employees find out that their job may be on the line live on television." - Lembit Opik, Western Mail, 13/07/04
Welsh Liberal Democrats Economic Development Spokesperson, Jenny Randerson, has tabled an urgent question to the Labour Assembly Government about the impact on Wales of the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions that it will be pursuing a programme of job losses and site amalgamation as part of its so called "modernisation" programme. - Welsh Lib Dem website, 30/06/04
Friday, September 17, 2004
Senior Lib Dem blasts own leader
A SENIOR Liberal Democrat has blasted his own party leader in Wales, dubbing recent comments on fox hunting a "disgrace".
South Wales West AM Peter Black has launched a scathing attack on his party’s Welsh leader, Lembit Opik, for saying a ban on hunting would lead to violence in the countryside.
PETER BLACK, on his own website, said:
"The reported comments of Lembit Opik in today's Western Mail are a disgrace and he should withdraw them. Although Lembit condemns violence and illegal acts his warning that civil unrest and even targeted violence will follow a ban on hunting with hounds effectively amounts to an explicit threat on behalf of the fox-killers. It is not a position that any responsible politician should take.
"I personally do not believe that 'young men would resort to violence if "the only way of life they know" is criminalised while others would risk imprisonment or heavy fines to defy the ban', but in saying that he believes that such a thing could happen, Lembit has got off the fence and effectively issued a call to arms. He is not speaking on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats or me on this issue."
Labour Cardiff West MP KEVIN BRENNAN said:
"I couldn’t agree more with Peter Black’s comments. It was irresponsible of Lembit to talk of possible violence if hunting is banned after our vote in the Commons.
"What this comment reveals more than anything I think is the gulf between what the Liberal Democrats say in the cities and what they say in their rural seats. Recently we have seen the Liberals campaigning against anti-social behaviour in by-elections and council elections despite having voted against tough Labour measures to combat petty crime.
"This ferocious attack on Lembit Opik is symptomatic of today’s Liberal Party - unsure about what they stand for and lacking in solid, fully costed policies they can stand up in public."
South Wales West AM Peter Black has launched a scathing attack on his party’s Welsh leader, Lembit Opik, for saying a ban on hunting would lead to violence in the countryside.
PETER BLACK, on his own website, said:
"The reported comments of Lembit Opik in today's Western Mail are a disgrace and he should withdraw them. Although Lembit condemns violence and illegal acts his warning that civil unrest and even targeted violence will follow a ban on hunting with hounds effectively amounts to an explicit threat on behalf of the fox-killers. It is not a position that any responsible politician should take.
"I personally do not believe that 'young men would resort to violence if "the only way of life they know" is criminalised while others would risk imprisonment or heavy fines to defy the ban', but in saying that he believes that such a thing could happen, Lembit has got off the fence and effectively issued a call to arms. He is not speaking on behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats or me on this issue."
Labour Cardiff West MP KEVIN BRENNAN said:
"I couldn’t agree more with Peter Black’s comments. It was irresponsible of Lembit to talk of possible violence if hunting is banned after our vote in the Commons.
"What this comment reveals more than anything I think is the gulf between what the Liberal Democrats say in the cities and what they say in their rural seats. Recently we have seen the Liberals campaigning against anti-social behaviour in by-elections and council elections despite having voted against tough Labour measures to combat petty crime.
"This ferocious attack on Lembit Opik is symptomatic of today’s Liberal Party - unsure about what they stand for and lacking in solid, fully costed policies they can stand up in public."
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Our policy on moderating comments is pretty straightforward. We tend to filter out personal abuse, racism, and hostility to minority groups. We prefer those who comment to avoid gratuitous discourtesy to other writers. We don't encourage people who turn every subject toward their pet obsession, nor do we like excessive length, although this is a grey area. Foul language is not welcome. Self-promotion and thinly disguised sales pitches don’t go down well, and those who abuse us on their own sites must not expect to get posted on ours.
These are very basic and fairly obvious rules which will underpin robust debate expressed in couteous and good tempered language on this site.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
The trouble comes when there is no quality control, and rational political debates descend into trivia, nit-picking, or simply insults flying back and forth across cyberspace. Some political blogs have had to remove the comments facility from their sites because of the risk of libel, and because of the disturbed nature of some of the comments.
Our policy on moderating comments is pretty straightforward. We tend to filter out personal abuse, racism, and hostility to minority groups. We prefer those who comment to avoid gratuitous discourtesy to other writers. We don't encourage people who turn every subject toward their pet obsession, nor do we like excessive length, although this is a grey area. Foul language is not welcome. Self-promotion and thinly disguised sales pitches don’t go down well, and those who abuse us on their own sites must not expect to get posted on ours.
These are very basic and fairly obvious rules which will underpin robust debate expressed in couteous and good tempered language on this site.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
Unfit for government
Getting Grangetown back to work
Since Labour came to power unemployment in Grangetown has fallen by nearly 62%. This is not a meaningless statistic – in Grangetown alone, 557 fewer people are now on the dole compared with 1997.
Unemployment in Cardiff South since ‘97:
overall unemployment down 45%
long-term youth unemployment down 79%
long-term unemployment among over-25s down 88%.
'Alleygating' - What's your view?
A new crime-cutting scheme developed by the Welsh Assembly has seen gates fitted to rear alleyways in parts of Wales making it harder for thieves to access houses and garages.
‘Alleygating' can cut burglary rates and make people feel much safer in their homes and helps to keep back lanes free of rubbish and prevent nuisance behaviour such as graffiti and youth annoyance.
If you think a similar scheme would be good or bad for Grangetown, we are keen for residents to make their views known to their Grangetown Labour team or Lorraine Barrett AM.
‘Alleygating' can cut burglary rates and make people feel much safer in their homes and helps to keep back lanes free of rubbish and prevent nuisance behaviour such as graffiti and youth annoyance.
If you think a similar scheme would be good or bad for Grangetown, we are keen for residents to make their views known to their Grangetown Labour team or Lorraine Barrett AM.
What did Labour ever do for us?
It's easy to forget a lot of the real improvements that we have seen in Grangetown. Here is a quick list of some of the things your Labour councillors delivered over the past few years to help make Grangetown an even better place to live:
Training & enterprise centre – more than 1000 local people helped into work in 2003/2004.
The Buzz Café – helping more than one hundred local children learn life skills and providing help with homework club.
Channel View Leisure Centre refurbished – providing leisure & learning opportunity for young and old.
The River Walkway – designed by local people in planning for real exercise.
Bringing the past back to life with the installation of the bandstand and water fountain at Grange Gardens.
Millions of pounds invested in private sector housing over the past 15 years.
Improved elderly day care service at Worcester Court.
Renewal Area declared for North Grangetown.
Demolition of problem maisonettes at Allerton Street and Stafford road.
Small business grants for Penarth Road, Clare Road and Corporation Road.
The introduction of wheelie bins in areas of suitability.
Many road safety measures across Grangetown.
Improved lighting and highways.
Anti-social Behaviour Orders – which will help to bring a better quality for life.
CCTV - River walkway, Penarth Road, Oakley Place, Worcester Close.
The Lib Dems have a lot to live up to.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Anti-Social Behaviour, The Real Story
So the Liberal Democrat Council is carrying on in power the way it did in opposition!
There is no doubt that youth Anti-Social behaviour is a real problem. And likewise, it is undisputable that the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 provides a real solution to it, by making additional new powers available to police and local authorities.
In Splott, Cardiff Council has utilised these new powers by giving Police powers under a Section 30 Dispersal Notice to crack down on the numbers of young people hanging around in public areas. In itself, a good move.
But the Lib Dems can't help themselves. They are claiming responsibility for powers given to CardiffCouncil by the Labour Government at Westminster. The claim is made even more irrational when viewed in light of the Lib Dem voting records at Westminster. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which gives Cardiff Council these powers, was voted against by the Lib Dems in Parliament.
The Section 30 dispersal notice has already been successfully used in Holyhead on Anglesey and Rhymney in the Gwent valleys. So let's give credit where it is due - the the Labour Government at Westminster who gave the Police these additional powers to protect communities.
The Lib Dems know that their time in the sun will soon run out, and already desparation is creeping in. It's far harder to claim the praise for someone else's work when you're in power!
There is no doubt that youth Anti-Social behaviour is a real problem. And likewise, it is undisputable that the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 provides a real solution to it, by making additional new powers available to police and local authorities.
In Splott, Cardiff Council has utilised these new powers by giving Police powers under a Section 30 Dispersal Notice to crack down on the numbers of young people hanging around in public areas. In itself, a good move.
But the Lib Dems can't help themselves. They are claiming responsibility for powers given to CardiffCouncil by the Labour Government at Westminster. The claim is made even more irrational when viewed in light of the Lib Dem voting records at Westminster. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003, which gives Cardiff Council these powers, was voted against by the Lib Dems in Parliament.
The Section 30 dispersal notice has already been successfully used in Holyhead on Anglesey and Rhymney in the Gwent valleys. So let's give credit where it is due - the the Labour Government at Westminster who gave the Police these additional powers to protect communities.
The Lib Dems know that their time in the sun will soon run out, and already desparation is creeping in. It's far harder to claim the praise for someone else's work when you're in power!
