Tameside Citizen

Another Tameside manufacturer bites the dust?

2008-07-17T17:05:00.001+01:00

I regularly drive past this place on the M67 and have always wondered how long it would last. It appears to be a case of ‘will the last UK based manufacturing company please turn off the light before you leave’.

Date announced for diversity AGM

2008-07-15T20:40:00.002+01:00

The Equality and Diversity Centre's AGM is to take place this Thursday (16 July) at Ashton Town Hall. The AGM will be attended by Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Jack Davies along with the mayoress. It will start at 7pm. For further information contact chief executive of the centre, Ahmed Ali on 0161 343 3399. The Asian News

Tameside benefits cheat jailed

2008-07-14T13:12:00.003+01:00

A scheming former town hall worker fiddled benefit claims even though he had £750,000 in the bank.Benefit staff became suspicious of Christopher Barcroft when they discovered he was pocketing large sums of interest from undeclared accounts, and now he's been jailed.Barcroft, 44, swindled £32,518 in housing and council tax benefit over 10 years.He submitted a renewal form each year, detailing his place of work, income and the fact that he had only one current account containing `a few hundred pounds'. The former lesiure manager for Tameside council was jailed for three months at Manchester Crown Court.His assets will be subject to a confiscation hearing early next year, following a High Court application by the council.Deputy council leader Joe Kitchen said: "I sincerely hope this prison sentence acts as a suitable deterrent to anyone else who's thinking of abusing the benefits system in this way." Barcroft, of Huddersfield Road, Stalybridge, pleaded guilty to one count of theft, two of deception and 10 of making false representations. A further 28 similar offences were taken into consideration.Barcroft worked for Remploy in Wythenshawe from 2000 until earlier this year. The company is government owned and provides employment for disabled people.When interviewed, Barcroft said he did not declare his bank accounts because he was concerned there would be a security risk.A female relative of Barcroft said: "Chris wishes this matter to be kept private. "But he has consistently provided his National Insurance number, so any relevant details about his assets could have been identified while making any assessment regarding his applications. These were never questioned."Perhaps had this question been raised, this matter could have been concluded much sooner."When passing sentence, the judge commented about his references of good character." Manchester Evening News

Sheer and utter greed – no other words to describe the actions of this man! The one thing I find curious about this case though is the fact that “benefit staff became suspicious when they discovered he was pocketing large sums of interest from ‘undeclared’ accounts”. How did they make this ‘discovery’? Is everyone’s bank details and financial status open for inspection by council benefit staff? Tameside Citizen

Beijing takes dog off the menu for Olympics

2008-07-13T20:04:00.003+01:00

Beijing has asked hotels and restaurants in the city to take dog meat off the menu for the duration of next month's Olympics and September's Paralympics. Dog is eaten not only by the large Korean community in China's capital but is also popular in Yunnan and Guizhou restaurants. A directive from the Beijing Food Safety Office issued last month ordered Olympic contractor hotels not to provide any dishes made with dog meat and said any canine material used in traditional medicated diets must be clearly labeled. Concerned that canine dishes might offend animal rights groups and Western visitors, Beijing said restaurants expected to be popular among foreign visitors must stop serving dog meat "to respect the dining customs of different countries." The directive "advocated" that all restaurants serving dog suspend it during the Olympics but made no mention of the many popular establishments with donkey on the menu. Criticism from Westerners caused the dog meat-loving South Koreans to ban canine dishes for a period of time during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Reuters

Close shave for power-mad James Purnell

2008-07-13T19:32:00.003+01:00

When politicians shave off their facial hair, they are up to something - usually a grab for power. They want to be more acceptable by becoming less noticeable. A case of the bland leading the bland. Peter Mandelson took off his tash when a Cabinet position beckoned. Ambitious Alistair Darling, the smooth chinned Chancellor, washed off his baby-hair beard. And now James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has shaved off his sideburns. Mostly. To get rid in one go would have smacked of real nerve, when he's still hesitating about a coup against Gordon Brown. Little Jimmy, 38, who boasts the finest lip-curl at Westminster, is touted as Labour's last hope if Grim Gordie falls under a Number 11 bus. But that doesn't stop him inviting a posh newspaper into his political boudoir to say: "I really admire people who have made money." You bet he does, especially while looking in the mirror. And he thinks nobody has a right to benefits - not even people who have paid taxes for them, presumably. This is the future planned by the lost tribe of the Blairites, still wandering the wilderness after Tony's departure but hoping to make a comeback if it's a disaster for Labour in the forthcoming Glasgow East by-election. Mirror.co.uk

Race row over 'Black Power' statue meant to bring a community together

2008-07-12T13:55:00.003+01:00

It was meant as a powerful symbol commemorating the abolition of the slave trade and celebrating good community relations. Instead, a £15,000 sculpture installed in an inner-city park - depicting a large, black clenched fist - has itself been accused of being racially divisive. Daily Mail

Interesting! This racially offensive structure is only down the road in Trafford. Remember when we had a similar incident in Tameside when two white children were coerced into giving Black Power salutes?

Tameside Citizen

Is Liam Billington in possession of a crystal ball that allows him to see into the future?

2008-07-12T12:57:00.003+01:00

He must be, or failing that he is a young man with extraordinary knowledge of how the various government/council quango’s operate. Read what he said here on the 17th Feb this year, then take a look at the full page advertisement in this weeks local papers regarding the C-Charge and Stalybridge railway station car parking. It is easy to see why the powers that be wish to silence someone who is as on the ball as Liam.

Women are having more children than at any time since the 1970s, with almost one in four born to foreign mothers, official figures show.

2008-07-11T02:45:00.002+01:00

Each woman now has 1.91 children on average - the highest since 1973 - according to the Office for National Statistics. As a result the number of births - 690,000 - increased by 20,000 in 2007 compared to the previous year, when there were 1.86 children per woman. A third of those were born to British mothers and the rest to women originally from overseas. One factor in the rise is the tendency for foreign-born mothers, particularly from the Indian sub-continent, to have large families. On average, foreign women have 2.5 children each, rising to almost five for those from Pakistan, and 3.9 from Bangladesh.The number of babies born to British mothers is also increasing, but lags far behind immigrants at an average of 1.7 children each. The Telegraph

Police warn tameside residents to lock up sheds and garages during the summer

2008-07-10T13:40:00.001+01:00

Police are actively encouraging residents in Tameside to secure their sheds and garages before jetting off on their summer holidays this year.The Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw areas have had a 50 per cent rise in shed and garage burglaries in June compared to the previous month with Dane Bank and Yew Tree proving to be the most affected.Garage and sheds can become easy pickings for burglars during the summer months when they are often left insecure during the warm spells.Residents are being encouraged to remove valuables from sheds and garages when they are going away and lock up items inside the house so that they are safely stored away.Lindsay Atherton of Tameside Operational Policing Unit said: “In many cases, residents underestimate the overall value of items they keep in their sheds and garages. Garden tools, lawnmowers, hedge cutters and other equipment such as power tools, push-bikes and pedal cycles all add up and make your shed or garage very attractive to criminals.“Homeowners need to be more security aware and by taking some easy steps can help themselves from not becoming a victim.”Some useful safety tips for securing your garden or shed:Security: These are easy targets and need protecting to stop a burglar stealing your gardening equipment or using these tools to break into your home. Think about whether your garage or shed is the best place to store expensive items. Use window locks on all opening garage and shed windows and replace or repair any broken glass. Fit steel mesh or grilles internally and a curtain or nets so that items cannot be seen.Lock it up! Don't make it easy for the burglar by leaving your tools out while you are not in the garden. A garden spade could be used to break in through a door, and patio furniture left out overnight could be stolen or used to help a burglar gain access to an upstairs window. Keep your possessions locked up and, if possible, secured together by a padlock and chain in case your shed or garage is broken into. Fit a good quality hasp, staple and padlock to the door of the shed or garage.Insurance cover: Does your contents insurance cover the shed and garage and all the equipment you store there? If not, perhaps it is time to upgrade your policy to include these things.Make a list: Do you have a list of what you keep in the garage or shed? Have you security marked your garden tools and possessions with a bold marker pen, including your postcode and house number? Lawn mowers and other tools are less attractive to a thief if you write your postcode and house number across the top.Watch out! Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your shed and your house and offer to do the same for them in return. If you are out enjoying the sun in the garden, have you left any windows in your house open that could invite a burglar to pop in and steal something? Remember, 1 in 3 burglaries happen when doors and windows are left open or unlocked - even when you're at home.To contact the Tameside West Neighbourhood Policing Team, telephone: 0161 856 9390 or e-mail: tameside.west@gmp.police.uk

Toddlers who dislike spicy food 'racist'

2008-07-07T17:20:00.003+01:00

Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency. The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care. This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food. The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age. Daily Telegraph

New IT suite for Hyde

2008-07-07T16:38:00.001+01:00

Hyde Bangladesh Welfare Association has opened the door onto IT for local people. Following a successful funding bid to Awards For All, the group has opened an IT training facility at its base on Chapel Street.Councillor John Sullivan opened the suite, which consists of 15 laptops and will be used by not only the Bangladeshi community by by all Tameside residents. Chairman of HBWA, Abdul Musabbir said: "I believe our community’s people would be benefited in their daily life by this training. I would like to invite our entire community to join these session to learn computer skills."Classes will be held every Tuesday, 1pm-3pm. The first men’s course is fully booked but there are still places on the women’s class. There will be different classes depending on ability level and they will be ongoing. For future dates phone 368 1349. The Asian News

Remembering Ukraine victims of Bolshevik mass murder

2008-07-04T12:26:00.005+01:00

Tameside's Ukrainian community gathered this week to mark one of the darkest hours in its people’s history. Scores of people with family ties to the former Soviet country filled Ashton’s Ukrainian Club to remember the famine of 1932-3. To raise awareness of the mass starvation, in which 10m Ukrainians died, a torch is travelling round the world’s Ukrainian communities — with Tameside among those selected to receive it. At Tuesday’s ceremony, local and international members of the Ukrainian community welcomed the torch, spoke of the need to recognise the famine, known as the Holodomor, and held a minute’s silence to remember the dead. Martyn Chymera, of the UK’s Holodomor Commemoration Committee, said: "For a long time the Holodomor was hidden behind the Iron Curtain. But this is a chance to tell the world — it’s such a significant part of history. People should be aware of it as they are aware of other tragedies." Ukrainians all over the world want the famine officially recognised as genocide.They say that the United Kingdom and other countries need to accept that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin deliberately starved millions of Ukrainians in order to suppress dissent across the Soviet Union. Mr Chymera added: "The British government probably are scared of the Kremlin’s reaction and want to keep good relations with Russia." The Mayor of Tameside, Jack Davis, was presented with a book about the famine, saying he had never realised the scale of the atrocities. He said: "Tameside is very honoured and very proud to have been chosen for the torch here today." The Ukrainian community in Tameside dates back to about 1946, when Ukrainians started entering the UK after World War Two. Many of them headed for Yorkshire and Lancashire, where they set up communities in mill towns. Peter Revko, Secretary of the Tameside Ukrainian Association, says today’s Ukrainian community is now pushing hard to get the Holodomor on the GCSE history syllabus. Tameside Advertiser

“The Mayor of Tameside, Jack Davis, was presented with a book about the famine, saying he had never realised the scale of the atrocities”. Mr Davis cannot be blamed for his ignorance on this man made tragedy, very few people are aware of the horrors committed under the banner of Communism. The 100 million victims of Communist genocide in the 20th very rarely get discussed – especially in history lessons in schools! Everybody bar none knows of the acts perpetrated by the Nazis between 1939-45 because the media and vested interests never let the subject drop, but the crimes of the Nazis pale into insignificance when compared to the mass slaughter carried out by the Communists.

I am sure most people reading this are already aware that many senior figures both past and present within the New Labour regime were card carrying Communist Party members, ‘illustrious’ figures such as Straw, Reid and Blunkett. It is already established that the ideology of Communism was responsible for the deaths of tens millions innocent people – yet it is totally acceptable for one to admit they are a Communist or harbour Communist sympathies. Could you imagine the outcry and uproar if a political figure expressed their support or admiration for Fascist or National Socialist ideology?
For more reading on the barbarism committed by Communists click the links below. Tameside Citizen
http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archives/communistbodycount.php
http://www.ukrainiangenocide.com/favicon.ico
http://www.gulag.hu/favicon.ico
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/19/europe/ukraine.php
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM

The legacy of New Labour

2008-07-02T12:33:00.003+01:00

A 29-year-old man has had to have metal plates inserted into his jaw after being assaulted during a robbery in Tameside.Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened on Pickford Lane, Dukinfield, at about 6.45pm on Tuesday 24 June 2008.The victim was walking his dog along the lane near the junction with Russell Street when he heard a man shout 'Oi' from behind him. As he turned around he was punched to the left side of his face, causing him to fall to the floor and lose consciousness.When the victim came round he realised his gold chain had been stolen.The 29-year-old suffered a broken jaw in two places as a result of the attack and had to undergo an operation to insert two metal plates into his jaw.Anyone with any information is asked to call the volume crime unit on 0161 856 9264 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The nasty attack in Dukinfield is just one of the hundreds of similar incidents that will occur throughout Britain today, tomorrow and into the foreseeable future as the seeds of Nu Labours anti-family policies begin to grow. The Labour administration that gained control of this country in 1997 has been, by any register in modern history, the most destructive government to rule this land.

I have tried very hard to think of anything good that I can say about Labours governance of this country since 1997. Here are a few that I could think of:

The national minimum wage

The brilliant Right to roam legislation

Banning the elitist and outdated ‘sport’ of Hunting with dogs.

Courageously supporting the renewal of Trident

After those four positive points my mind begins to blur and visions of the real meaning of New Labour come to mind, far too many things to mention here but a few of the most infuriating have to be mentioned:

Three wars of aggression of which one was certainly illegal using the principal of the Nuremburg Rulings, none of the three were of any direct benefit to Britain.

The PFI schemes designed to siphon money from the NHS in a bid to introduce a form of ‘stealth’ privatisation.

Mass and uncontrolled immigration the likes of which we have never witnessed before.

The total betrayal of the working class.

Countless and never ending stealth taxes.

The relentless promotion of the poison known as Political Correctness.

This brings me onto the second news item I wish to include in this entry. The words of Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable of South Wales should be studied closely because she is right on the mark with this one. This decline in our national wellbeing must be halted. Will the Conservatives address this burgeoning crisis when they form the next government or will Mr Cameron continue to ‘hug Hoodies’? Tameside Citizen

Family life has been replaced by gang culture based on drugs and violence for "almost feral groups" of young people, a police chief has suggested. Barbara Wilding, Chief Constable of South Wales, said in some areas tribal loyalty replaced that of the family. Her speech was made at King's College London in May, and reported in The Times, which obtained a transcript.
Ms Wilding said that family breakdown was the root cause of many problems for young people.
Speaking at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, she said: "In many of our larger cities, in areas of extreme deprivation, there are almost feral groups of very angry young people.
"Many have experienced family breakdown, and in place of parental and family role models, the gang culture is now established. "Tribal loyalty has replaced family loyalty and gang culture based on violence and drugs is a way of life." The former deputy assistant commissioner for the Metropolitan Police also said more focus should be placed on tackling the complicated social and economic issues that lead to criminal behaviour. "In an age of cost-benefit analysis... there is no appetite for solutions that have no visible return and no patience for any which will not bear immediate political fruit." During her speech, Ms Wilding also said disaffected young people were a prime target for terrorist recruiters. BBC News

Its ok for us – we make up the rules – you are the ones who have to abide by them

2008-07-02T12:07:00.002+01:00

Pro-congestion charge councillors are planning to build themselves a private underground car park in the city centre.Senior Labour councillors - who are backing the toll in exchange for a massive expansion of public transport - want to tunnel next to the town hall to provide spaces for the 96 elected members, a handful of top officials and approved visitors.Ironically the car park bunker, under the Peace Gardens, would be only a few yards from one of Manchester's main tram stops in St Peter's Square. The scheme is part of a £150m plan to carry out urgent repairs to Central Library and the town hall complex.The Labour group have been branded `hypocrites' for backing a project to build more car park spaces when they are encouraging the public to use more trams, trains and buses.But Bernard Priest, Labour's finance chief and the man behind the plan, said better parking for councillors was `in the interests of democracy'.Council officers have been told to draw up detailed plans including the exact size and cost of the car park - expected to run to many millions.A private Labour group document says it would `provide adequate parking for members on busy council days'.The news comes as the council is spearheading plans for a peak-hour congestion charge of up to £10 a day in return for £3bn of public transport improvements in the region. Manchester Evening News

Lest we forget

2008-07-01T16:33:00.001+01:00

This day in 1916 was the first day of the Battle of the Somme. We should never forget the sacrifices made on that terrible day.

Ridge Hill Heritage Project - The Tilsleys

2008-06-30T14:49:00.001+01:00

The discreet rise of James Purnell

2008-06-28T10:16:00.002+01:00

The Labour Party has been in a state of suspended animation since the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. As Rachel Sylvester reports today, the private unanimity among Labour MPs, from the Cabinet to the backest of benches, that they cannot win with Gordon Brown is shocking. But David Miliband has not yet made the compelling case for a leadership change, failing to "tell it like it is" after the Irish No vote on the Lisbon Treaty, for example. He remains the most likely beneficiary of a revolt against Brown, which I still think is more likely than not before the next election, but MPs are waiting to see what happens, fretting that David Cameron is meanwhile allowed to pose as an alternate prime minister. One important finding of our poll for The Independent on Sunday was that, although the voters agree that Labour has to get rid of Brown if it is to have a chance of winning, specific questions about the two most likely replacements produce negative responses. More people disagree that Alan Johnson or David Miliband would be a better prime minister than Brown than agree - although the margin is small. Hence the importance of a speech made by James Purnell, Work and Pensions Secretary, to Progress last week. It was very good, hardly reported at all, although Black Dog in The Mail on Sunday picked up the information from Paul Waugh's blog that it had been written by Phil Collins, Tony Blair's former speechwriter. It is significant, as my colleague Jane Merrick reported a while ago, that Collins is still working part time for Purnell. But it is more significant that Purnell not only runs an important delivery department but makes brilliant speeches. Here, he took the fight to the Conservatives with a wit and skill that was refreshing because so unfamiliar. On the 42 days vote, he said: When Gordon Brown made the Conservatives choose between policy and positioning, they fell apart. David Cameron wanted to defeat the government. Michael Gove and George Osborne were worried they were on the wrong side of the argument. David Davis just wanted to have an argument. Two things count against Purnell in the Labour leadership stakes. One is time. As the youngest member of the Cabinet, he needs time to establish himself. Is 18 months enough? The other is that he is an unapologetic Blairite, having begun his political career in Blair's office in opposition. That's why the speech was interesting, because it was such an effective attack on Cameron. Just as Blair became leader primarily because his party recognised him as the most potent anti-Tory weapon, Purnell in this speech showed that he can marshal the most effective anti-Cameron argument. Cameron has said many times that we shouldn't judge him on where he's come from but where he's going. Absolutely: I couldn't care less where he went to school or who his parents are. It's where he's going that worries me, not where he's been. Because I don't think, in his heart of hearts, he knows who he is any more. At every stage in his life David Cameron has just drifted with the orthodoxy around him. The answer, for him, is always blowing in the wind.So when people say he's really right wing they're almost right. He was really right wing once. He wrote the 2005 manifesto, after all. But then the wind changed direction so he turned with it. No wonder several Labour people in Westminster in the past few days have said to me: "Have you read Purnell's speech?" By John Rentoul

Are British workers incapable of building these trams?

2008-06-27T19:09:00.005+01:00

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive has ordered 28 new trams as part of the £575m project to build new lines to Oldham and Rochdale, Droylsden in Tameside, and Chorlton in south Manchester.The trams will be built by rolling stock manufacturer Bombardier in partnership with Vossloh Kiepe and are costing just over £2m each. The new model of tram already operates in several European cities, including Cologne and Bonn.Philip Purdy, GMPTE’s Metrolink director, said: "We're expecting passengers to make more than 90,000 journeys on the Metrolink network every day when the extensions open so we'll need lots of extra trams. We've got a construction team in place to build the three new lines and I'm pleased we've now reached the stage where we can place an order for new state-of-the-art trams to run on them. I'm looking forward to seeing the new model of tram become a familiar sight across Greater Manchester."Last week, GMPTE appointed the M-Pact Thales consortium to design, build and maintain the new Metrolink lines. Construction work is due to start early next year and the lines are expected to begin opening from spring 2011 onwards.GMPTE ordered 12 new trams from Bombardier last year to relieve overcrowding on the existing Metrolink network, and provide a new service to mediacity:uk in Salford Quays (Transport Briefing 21/11/07). The latest order will take the total number of trams on the Metrolink network to 72.Up to 200 passengers will be able to travel on each of the new trams, and wide double doors will make it easy for people with wheelchairs or buggies to get on and off them. Bombardier will design and manufacture the trams at its sites in Bautzen in Germany and Vienna in Austria. The warehouse now known as Parkers in Dukinfield used to be a centre of railway engineering excellence. Parts of the famous Woodhead electrics were built there. It is sad to see us importing nearly every manufactured product we use when we were until fairly recently world leaders in this field. Tameside Citizen

Another crushing by-election defeat for Labour

2008-06-27T11:24:00.002+01:00

This time in Henley! They have not even got the bottle to stand against David Davis when he stands for his by-election on a civil liberties platform. Are the Labour disasters down to their lacklustre leader or are the electorate finally waking up to the immense damage these criminals have brought wrought upon Britain? The Sun

Roy West on politics and hatred

2008-06-27T11:13:00.001+01:00

White men face jobs ban - Nu Lab lunacy strikes again!

2008-06-26T11:23:00.003+01:00

White men could be blocked from jobs and promotions under a so-called equality drive unveiled by Labour today. Instead women and ethnic minorities will be favoured in the workplace under a new Bill to be revealed by Equalities Minister Harriet Harman. Critics blasted the measure as an unworkable piece of political correctness that will see good candidates overlooked for jobs in the interests of positive discrimination. Tory MP Mark Pritchard said: “Everyone supports equal rights, but special rights cause resentment, do nothing for community cohesion and do not tackle racial prejudice. This is another example of political correctness which will not achieve an improvement in equality.” And John Midgley of the Campaign Against Political Correctness said: “There is nothing positive about positive action or discrimination. It is counter-productive and potentially racist and sexist. This is typical of Harriet Harman, who must be the most politically correct MP.” Under the new measures, firms will be able to favour the ethnic minority job applicant between two equally qualified candidates. Officials insist the move is “positive action” rather than discrimination, and say they remain opposed to job quotas for women or ethnic minorities. Read more at Daily Express

High Court rejects bid to block EU treaty

2008-06-25T11:37:00.002+01:00

LONDON (Reuters) - The High Court rejected a lawsuit on Wednesday that sought to halt the country's approval of an EU reform treaty. Businessman Stuart Wheeler had brought the case to try to force the government to block the ratification of the Lisbon treaty, which seeks to streamline decision-making in the 27-member bloc. "We have found nothing in the claimant's case to cast doubt on the lawfulness of ratifying the Lisbon treaty without a referendum," the judge, Lord Justice Stephen Richards, said in his ruling. He also refused Wheeler leave to appeal, saying: "We are satisfied an appeal has no prospect of success." Wheeler immediately said his lawyers would take the case further and apply to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the verdict. The Lisbon treaty is already in jeopardy because it was rejected this month by Irish voters in a referendum and must be adopted by all 27 EU members to take force. The treaty replaces an EU constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. This time around, Ireland has been the only country to allow its voters a say in a referendum. The British government had promised a referendum on the EU constitution before it was scuppered, but says it did not need one on the Lisbon treaty, and parliament has now approved it for ratification. The government says it stands by the principle that the treaty cannot come into force without Irish consent, but other EU members are still entitled to proceed with ratification. Reuters

This is likely to lead to the end of Britain as a sovereign nation. What would Nelson, Wellington, the countless thousands who fell on the Somme and the beaches of Normandy make of this news? Would they feel their sacrifices were in vain or would they be demanding traitor’s justice for the most treacherous villains ever to betray this country?

Tameside Citizen

Government takes first step towards weekend elections

2008-06-24T20:35:00.001+01:00

The traditional Thursday election day could be replaced by weekend voting under proposals put forward by the Government today.Justice Minister Michael Wills, in a written statement, announced moves for widespread consultation covering parliamentary and European polls and council contests in England and Wales.They include "practical considerations and the potential cost of holding elections at the weekend".Introducing the Election Day consultation paper, he pledged that "in the event that elections were moved to the weekend, this would need to be implemented in a way which did not interfere with religious observance".Mr Wills also announced moves to call a "Citizens' Summit" at which a cross-section of the public would be invited to consider barriers to voting and options available to improve participation levels.He said: "Participants at this summit will be asked to deliberate on the issues, including those raised in the consultation and to make a recommendation on whether elections should be held at the weekend."The Government would respond to the consultation after the summit.Mr Wills added: "I also intend that the summit should discuss more widely the factors that motivate people to exercise their right to vote."The sense of a civic duty to vote has eroded over the last 50 years. It is vital for the health of our democracy that we better understand the reasons for this and what we can do to reverse the trend of falling turnout."The minister stressed: "The Government takes the integrity of the electoral process seriously. Any fraud is unacceptable and we are examining how, consistent with the need to ensure that citizens can access their right to vote, the security of both the registration system and the postal vote process could be strengthened."In that context, we plan to consult on issues relating to the security of the ballot."Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert commented: "The Labour Government's obsession with electoral modernisation has resulted in a collapse in confidence in the integrity of the ballot box."There is no evidence that weekend voting makes any difference to turnout. Rather than fiddling with the day of the election, ministers need to tackle electoral fraud as their first priority.":: Some continental countries, including France, have weekend voting but a test by Britain's Watford Borough Council in 2000 saw turnout drop to 27% from 36% the previous year. 24dash.com

Coming soon – Roy West on recent electoral shenanigans

2008-06-24T19:55:00.003+01:00

I have had a request from Roy West to use this blog to host a video he has recorded where he focuses on past and present events in Hyde and Dukinfield. Would you be interested in watching this video? Feel free to vote in the poll if in favour or if against.

Tameside MBC -- 60 Second News: 19th June 2008

2008-06-24T19:54:00.001+01:00