CYNICALLY SPEAKING…

"I was up for knocking it down!"

John Taylor has a cunning way of staying in the news. 

Last week, the career councillor who already pens a ‘weekly column’ in the local press leapt out of our television sets, suitably dressed in his best tee-shirt, as the first councillor to be featured on the BBC’s ‘Call the Council’ – that’s the show where dedicated, heroic, committed council officers, tirelessly engage in a never-ending battle against, Rats, Mice, Wasps, Pigeons, Fly Tippers, Litter-Bugs, Dog fouling, Smokers, Noisy Neighbours, Fast-food outlets and unfit for purpose Taxi Drivers; bare their souls on camera in a seemingly inexhaustible series of programs where these dedicated front-line council staff endeavour to supply the BBC with perfect eye fodder for satire.

Now I don’t know if there is any truth in the rumour, but word has it that based on his albeit brief screen test, John Taylor is being considered as a prime candidate for a major part in the political remake of ‘Honey, I shrunk the Kids’

Renamed ‘Honey I shrunk the Assets’ The plot this time see ex-market trader Taylor, who inexplicably finds himself in the roll of the Deputy Leader of Tameside council. 

Disaster strikes when an out of depth Taylor is given the total responsibility for Markets and accidentally blows his entire budget on building a number of 'wooden huts' for his pet experiment to create a viable Christmas Market, and, despite countless letters of decent and advice from those who know, the deputy Leader goes ahead regardless and in doing so, shrinks the council’s entire annual budget to the size of a weekly big-shop in Aldi.

On a serious note, another piece of news that emerged this week, that on the face of it may appear rather trivial, however when one looks at it from a holistic point of view, the decision to ‘cut town centre parking costs to £1.00. is of historical significance, because it shows that contrary to popular belief councillors’ not only 'listen' but also actually posses the ability act on public opinion.

It might also signify the possibility that certain career councillors might be considering delivering a long called for return for a high street shopping revival which could benefit both local retailers and thousands of Tameside families for years to come.

Time and time again the Labour councillors have promised the people of Tameside they would listen to them. Well, they may well have listened, but until now, they’ve chosen to ignore the voters requests and ploughed ahead with their own long list of vanity projects and unwanted policies.

Could it now be that common sense is beginning to dawn on our elected few?

Could we really be on the cusp of a breakout of logic; where councillors’ looking at the use of public assets like parks and the disposal of iconic civic buildings, first listen to the people before their party?

Could it be that at long last councillors’ are realising that they do not actually own Tameside?

I believe that the towns that make up Tameside are owned by the people who live in them and it is those people, that have, in the short term, given councillors’ a little bit of their power to do their best on their behalf.

So, when it comes to things like parks; libraries and other precious buildings and other community assets much loved by local people, a councillors’ role should be that of a Trustee; - a guardian for the future, whose first and only job is to protect the boroughs assets, improve the facilities and ensure they are passed down the years for future generations.

For too long now, throughout this Labour council’s near 40 years in office, the people of Tameside have faced and had to accept actions by consecutive Labour politicians as they dispose of the people’s assets and diminish the viability of our towns.

Pragmatism and not petty point-scoring politics is needed. After all, much of what councils do should be apolitical. Getting the bins emptied or looking after our green spaces should be done on a consensual and not a political basis.

Forget the political arm waving stuff and grandstanding, there should be rational discussion from people who listen to and respect each other and who genuinely want to achieve great things for all our towns, not just Ashton!