On Friday the Bury Liberal Democrats had our second annual dinner it was again a well attend event and everybody enjoyed it. The guest speaker was local MP Paul Rowen who gave an excellent insight to what goes on in Parliament.

For next year we are going to try and get someone a little more high profile and plans are already on going

The last two weeks seems to have been disaster after disaster for G Brown and his cronies. Unfortunately its no laughing matter but if someone offers you fifty thousand pounds so you can enhance your political career do you say thank you or do you think where is this money from and whats in it for them.

I often listen to yesterday in parliament on Radio 4 you could tell there was genuine shock when Aliaster Bean announced the extent of the missing data, most minister I believe thought the figure was  1 million how wrong can they be.

So remember it was a junior official that can download all the child benefit data, we didn’t know the actually source of the money, the world is flat and lewis will be our Mp for the next 10 years. 

Amazingly 620 people viewed this website last month, which is fantastic but embarrassingly I only did two posts bad bad boy 

saturday:I heard that a certain J Aitkien was to be given  a job back in the tory party, maybe they are expecting a return of a jeffery archer (it looks like crime does pay)

sunday:was remeberance day a very large and proud turn out at the cenataph. Lest we forget those who gave their tomorrows for our todays.

also on sunday it seems every re-cycle bin in Prestwich was full. A well done to Prestwich for re-cycling but a thumbs down to Bury MBC for not providing enough bins#

monday: was our AGM it seemed like everyone took on their tasks with little or no enthusiasm apart from Julie Baum who is relishing her new role of membership secretary. So its a well done to Julie and Liberal thinking people of Bury beware Julie is after you.

tuesday:not much to report apart from having the worst start to the day seeing Mr wesil on tv. 

thursday: was a PTFA meeting at school as a local dignitary I got to draw the 100 club, still can’t win . Got home to watch question time Nick Clegg won it by a country mile many people at work  warmed to Nick as well.  

Last week I was involved with two important events.

Firstly I chaired my first scrutiny group, in the main I found it both challenging as well as rewarding. The main topic is to scrutinize bullying in our local schools and make recommendations where possible.

Secondly I started a little fund raising idea to try and get some memorabilia from MPs, MEPs and famous figures in the Liberal Democrat party then we shall sell them off. Update so far Bob Russell, MP for Colchester was the first to respond. So well done to Bob

steve 

Bury Council met this week in its first “Emergency Full Council” meeting for many years. The Council was called by the Labour group on the basis of ideas floated by the Conservative Administration on Bury Council to reduce the capacity of the soon to be built Radcliffe Riverside School from 900 children to 600.

Liberal Democrats believe that full consultation with parents and the community must take place before any decision is made. Whist we weren’t able to support the Labour Party in suggesting that a decision for a 900 capacity school had to be made there and then we did propose an amendment on behalf of the Lib Dem Group guaranteeing that Radcliffe Riverside does get built, and that work starts straight away for the planned 2009 opening. Thankfully the Lib Dem proposal received support from all parties.

In Prestwich many of us have painful memories of the discussions when one of our local schools was threatened with closure a year ago (Prestwich Arts College on Heys Road). We said then that there should be a place in a Prestwich high school for every Prestwich child that wanted one, the same must be said for Radcliffe.