CITIZENS BEWARE OF BRAINWASHING BY TAMESIDE COUNCIL

Slipped in among the usual banal drivel regularly emitted from his office in the bowels of Tameside’s Town Hall, it would appear that the leader’s blog which he published earlier this month, once again returned to the question of lowering the age at which a citizen is entitled to vote.

Admittedly, you had to waft away the ink-slingers smokescreen which began by pleading the case for a scheme to bring about the reversal of current youthful voter apathy; but once you’d spotted exactly where the leaders politically motivated blog writer was heading, you could quickly uncover the ‘hidden dialect’ in the honey potion that was intended to lead some of our most susceptible youngsters, (especially those 16 year olds who may be labouring under the illusion that they are ready to engage with the unscrupulous and coercive power of the council’s controlling elders, in meaningful political debate) to volunteer to join the pseudo council ; and in doing so, sleepwalking into a power mad trap that has been set by ‘other dominating organisations’ and baited by marionettes, labouring under the guise of community council chiefs!

Aware he needed to impress an easily hoodwinked, gullible audience – the writer of Kieran Quinn’s blog decided to start his soliloquy with an anti-government name drop.

He started his preamble by saying, “It’s not often in this blog you’ll hear me agree with Russell Brand, but I do think that a lot of young people don’t vote because they don’t feel like they have a stake in the system. It’s for this reason we declared that as part of our 2015 pledges we would set up a Tameside Youth Council.”

“The Youth Council will provide young people with a platform to not just get their opinions heard, but taken seriously by decision-makers in the council and other organisations in the borough, integrating the Tameside Youth Council into our decision-making.”

In other words, and as an example; introduce this diverse group to a problem or crisis, or maybe a local social issue. Conduct the discussion in a council facilitated, council controlled environment, using their fully trained ‘facilitators’, officers and a few of their more vociferous elected political members; (That well known totally unbiased fence sitter, John Taylor, for example) then give it a good stir to create tension, and then attempt to control and manipulate the outcome by providing the desired solution through those same trained council facilitators and totally ‘unbiased’ elected members!

This will result in exactly the same way in which the ‘other organizations’ manipulate the current council chiefs to achieve outcomes that favour their business and lock in their continuing control for years to come.

He continued, “As it currently stands we estimate that the Youth Council will comprise of around 60 young people (in other words, approximately the same number as that of the current council) representing schools, youth and equality groups and geographical areas.” And with a suspicion of the author ‘protesting too much’ he emphasized, “It will be a strictly non-party political organization, - we want young people to be comfortable getting involved and letting us know their views.”

The writer then told how ‘council officers’ and ‘elected members’ will work closely with these Youth Council members to make sure they get the support and training they need to contribute as fully as possible to discussions. “It is our hope that the Youth Council will play a full role in council decisions – even taking part in full council meetings.”

Now, forgive the cynic in me, but can someone explain just how a hand-picked bunch of ‘one party controlled career council officers, aided and abetted by a collection of dyed-in-the-wool Labour councillors’ will successfully shake off years of political bias and blinkered dogma to offer non-party political guidance to this immature and impressionable group, in order for them to arrive at fully thought out answers to ‘council induced’ non-political discussions?

It just can’t happen!

As a magician offers the audience any card in the pack and always gets them to take the one they want. I get the feeling that a group of politically trained facilitator-teachers would then guide this naive group’s dialogue toward pre-planned political consensus, and ultimately to arrive at the same inhibited council conclusions that over the years have been of great benefit to a number of ‘other organizations’, yet have pervaded and retarded the ordinary tax-paying people of Tameside’s economic and social progress, for the last 40 odd years!

They glibly tell us that ‘They work for us’ but in reality we have become ‘their customers!’ Remember, local and indeed central government are supposed to be our servants, not our masters.

This seemingly innocuous form of political recruitment, expounded by our leader, is, in reality, a hidden form of early ‘consensus-building’ and is the process with which the radical left attempts; and in most cases succeeds in controlling and manipulating already cut and dried outcomes.

In order to achieve their ends, this latest idea of attempting to circumvent the current age of voting is nothing more than a cynical attempt to retain and manipulate local political power in indoctrinated hands for future years.

As Kieran Quinn and his power mad puppet masters have inadvertently revealed in announcing this clumsy scheme; today, it would appear that a more sophisticated version of the political brainwashing process is in motion in our midst, in an unscrupulous attempt to drive unopposed social transformation. Governments, schools, businesses and service organizations; even some religious groups are using this hidden agenda, with its predetermined ends to shape compliant citizens, believers and group thinkers to conform to the ‘new order.’ This is often referred to by our council as ‘community organizing.’

Referring back to the ‘Youth Council’ it’s also a clever way of identifying ‘unconformity and free thinkers’ which may, in future become an obvious hindrance. So, by forming a ‘Youth Council’ directed in thought by those seeking to retain power and political control over others, it serves their purpose in two ways, for it helps root out individualism and non-conformist attitudes that could bring conflict and division from future candidates.

Make no mistake. Once these young people have bonded to ‘the group’ and been ‘trained’ in the new rules, only the very brave amongst them will dare offend the majority by taking a contrary stand or by offering a counter argument.

Kieran closes his remarks with these words, “The young people of today will be the voters, the decision makers and the opinion formers of tomorrow; we must help them to get involved themselves.”

Which means, this scheme is nothing more than political grooming at local level, designed purely to mould the next generation of totally compliant Tameside Labour Councillors, who will continue to blindly carry out the bidding of those outside entities that benefit most from Tameside council’s decisions. 

A LETTER TO DAVID CAMERON

Friday, November 20th, 2015

This week our intrepid leader put pen to paper and allegedly composed a letter to the supreme being.

Reporting in his blog, Kieran assumes that readers will most likely have seen coverage of the correspondence between the Prime Minister and the Oxfordshire County Council Leader.

So, not be out done, he called in his scribes and demanded they too, write to the PM!

In it he compares himself to other leaders of Local Government, who have always suspected that national politicians have little idea of how Local Councils work (or in Tameside's case, not work) or understand the services they provide. And goes on to say that the most troubling aspect for him is the assertion that Council’s should be looking for ‘creative solutions’ to their budget challenge and reducing back office functions. 

He concludes by saying; "Having suffered from budget cuts for more than five years, he's not sure why the Prime Minister would believe that Tameside are yet to do those things!"

It’s for this reason, he tells us, that he has written to the Prime Minister and the full text is reproduced above.

He finishes with; "If and when I receive a reply, readers of this blog will be the first to know!".

I wonder whether he'll be so keen to publish it, if the reply goes anything like the one below?   

WHY WOULD 70 BUSINESS LEADERS TAKE ANY NOTICE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER RUN A BUSINESS?

In his recent blog, our gallant leader opened his narrative with:

"I am not an island!"

“No man is an island” “…and the same is true with councils as well. To achieve our goals for Tameside we cannot assume that the Council has all the answers and solutions!”

A great sentiment when it was written and so very true today!

But I think that our Kieran actually spoke better than he intended when he addressed the recent council run ‘Breakfast Business Summit’ attended by over 70 local businesses!

Let me explain.

Christmas Pudding anyone?

Let’s go back to the 6^th September 2013, where a ‘Key Decision’ was taken by Cllr John Taylor, (who was then, and still is responsible for Markets) along with the Borough Treasurer and the Borough Solicitor to grant approval for an annual Christmas Market to be held in Ashton for an initial 3 year period; after which it was to be reviewed and a decision made as to whether or not to continue.

Weighing up those stipulations and ignoring basic logic, instead of testing the water by hiring in 30 wooden Christmas Chalets for approximately £18,000, someone within the council persuaded ‘The Strategic Planning and Capital Monitoring Panel’ to grant £69,000 of capital funding to buy the materials to construct 30 pseudo Christmas Chalets from scratch. (These we were told would last 10 years!) and as if money was no object, a further £97,000 of revenue funding was granted, per year, to manage the event for the initial 3 year period, which in total cost Tameside council taxpayers £291,000 for the scheme.

Get there early to avoid the crowds!

After the first year, the council told us, the Christmas Market was a great success – claiming that it had attracted over 3000 extra visitors to the Market Hall! (yet how they arrived at that figure without counting people in or out, one can only guess at)

Last year too, despite the location being adjusted and timings changed to protect the lost earnings of resident market retailers the previous year; we were told that that too was a resounding success!

 (Although anyone who experienced it, tells a different story)

"I had a vision!"

Now here we are at year 3 and because the council have implemented their ‘Vision Tameside’ which has had the effect of ripping up Ashton’s entire market square, there will be no Ashton Christmas Market, as there is, apparently, no room!

So much for a ‘forward looking council’ and its vision!

So, what do they do with the 30 Christmas Chalets that they have been storing year after year?

Based on the fact that they have told us that for the first two years, these Christmas Market events had been huge successes; do they show basic business logic and distribute the Christmas Chalets between Hyde, Stalybridge, Denton or Mossley, so that they too can benefit from a smaller, yet successful Christmas themed Christmas Market event in their town? After all, their resident shopkeepers do pay the same amount of business tax to the council as those of Ashton and notwithstanding the fact that the council have encouraged all those towns to form ‘Town Teams’ of proactive local people, whose task it is to try to engender vibrancy into their towns and boost trade from further afield for their resident retailers.

But of course this is Tameside, where the words business, profit and foresight are complete anathemas!

So no, dear reader, rather than set up these already paid for Christmas Chalets in one, two or three of the borough’s other town squares, they have seen fit to rent a number of them to Rochdale Borough Council, so that Rochdale’s retailers can benefit from putting on a town centre Christmas Market event!

Brilliant, Kieran! What an astute businessman you are!

With the Metro now fully up and running; hundreds of Ashtonians can get on the tram and travel to Rochdale’s Christmas Market and spend their money with Rochdale’s retailers, while Tameside retailers have to stump up extra monies to get their Christmas lights turned on!

It really answers the question, why many of Tameside’s town centres are losing their shops through falling trade, when the council pulls mind-blowing tricks like this!

In 2016, we will once again be asked by these council gravy-train ‘visionaries’ to give them our vote, so that they can carry on in the same old way, constantly finding new ways to fritter away our money, whilst we taxpayers receive sub-standard services.

This time, let’s use that vote wisely. In all honesty a group of cardboard cut-outs would be better qualified to run the council than this band of blundering buffoons!

Maybe we should respond to Kieran Quinn’s opening remarks by quoting the last line of John Dunne’s famous poem; - ‘send not to know for whom the bell tolls Kieran. It tolls for thee!’

A RETURN TO FRIENDLY RIVALRY

It would appear that certain Tameside councillors are, on the whole, totally unaware, utterly confused or simply duplicitous in their grasp of the local loyalty that’s deeply ingrained in the hearts of the families of the towns they claim to represent.

Back in the day, friendly rivalry between dozens of various schools in terms of academic and sporting prowess used to be the norm in the towns of Denton, Droylsden, Hyde, Stalybridge, Denton, Dukinfield, Mossley, Audenshaw and Ashton. It was an integral part of growing up which generally manifested itself in a competitive drive to one up each other with both participants developing their talents.

Team sports, particularly football, were a popular focus point for inter-town rivalry, especially since cattle rustling and pillaging were emphatically discouraged!

But more and more these days we are subjected to letters written by councillors who seem unclear as to the proud history of their areas.

This week, once again John Taylor; that man of vision and sartorial elegance, was metaphorically wandering down a non-existent memory lane, where he told us that ‘Tameside’ was at the epicentre of the Industrial Revolution, which was turning Britain into the world’s dominant economic and military power!

Really, John?

Well considering that the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the late 1700s and Tameside was only created by bureaucratic consensus in 1974, it’s difficult to take the Dukinfield councillor seriously on his historical text, or indeed, taking his position as Tameside council’s Deputy Leader, on any other spurious facts, figures or statistics he frequently purports to spew out!

If he must put his name to articles on local history, then in future, will his writer include a little local geography into the sophomoric pieces; after all ‘time and place’ do go hand in hand!

However, John Taylor is not alone in this creeping trend to replace our individual local towns’ priorities with those carrying the dreaded Tameside Label. Too many times our local councillors put their place on the borough council first, before challenging the ‘leader’ by standing up for residents and dealing with local issues and insisting on receiving an equal share of the council spend.

Not too long ago, I overheard one of our councillors suggesting that all the local towns’ football clubs should all disband, with all the ‘best players’ forming a combined Tameside team!

Could you imagine a football team run by Tameside council? Its ground no doubt would be based in Ashton, with its team chosen by executive committee! Several months of arguing about the gender of the team mascot with the deciding vote going to the ‘chair’ of the local government leagues “Diversity Committee” who’s responsibility may also include the scheduled rotation of wheelie bins?

TAMESIDE FC SIGN POLITICALLY CORRECT GOALIE

They would preside over a game where there would be no winners or losers, just teams of “politically correct, community representatively mixed ability players” that must be weakened if they are seen to be winning too easily! 

Not that they could actually run and kick a ball with all the silly health and safety rules because it would be difficult to play wrapped from head to toe in reams of padding, whilst stuffing themselves with a Big Mac and tweeting!

Ugh!

With all the talk of ‘cuts’ it’s not gone unnoticed that council chiefs have seized on an political opportunity to consolidate a great proportion of their funds to lavish on Ashton, much to the denigration of all the other towns; who these days must rely more and more on the residents volunteering to take up the services that used to be paid for out of council taxation.

Ironically, this blinkered Labour administration is carrying out locally the same unfair distribution of funding throughout Tameside, that they never cease accusing the Government of doing throughout the country, with their North/South divide mantra!

How many times have we heard the mighty Quinn bemoan spending in the South as opposed to the North?

Look at investment locally however, and you'll discover that spending gets even worse when you look at the imbalance in terms of council expenditure. Just overlay the amount that our council spends in Ashton, with that of Hyde, Denton or Stalybridge and you’ll discover a borough wide divide!

By allowing this unequal investment of funds, local ward councillors have taken a stubborn and entrenched position that has to be of considerable concern for everyone living in their local communities.

These career councillors seem to have forgotten that a sense of rivalry between some of our towns helps residents feel good about their home town. 

In the not too distant past, town rivalry prompted by competition was instrumental in securing and developing key infrastructure that could significantly improve a towns growth prospects, and even ensure its survival. Today, by lavishing vast amounts of money in Ashton, whilst encouraging out-of-town retail developments and closing facilities like Markets, Libraries, Leisure Centres and Colleges in rival surrounding town centres, the outcome can only be one of diminishing returns.

It’s high time some of our local councillors realised that unlike that encountered in the false world of petty politics, not all rivalries are bitter. Some are actually quite friendly with both parties getting along just great - and seeing as we all pay into the same council tax pot, equal investment should be the norm in every corner of the borough.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Kieran Quinn, opened his recent blog with the following sentence: “Every so often I find out that, despite my long years in politics, I still have the capacity to be surprised.”

"I have the capacity to be surprised!"

Paradoxically, and speaking for myself, I find the opposite to be true!

As a consequence of living in Tameside, nothing that Kieran Quinn and the rest of the Labour controlled Tameside Council does or says ever surprises me!

Let’s look at the twisted statistics that our leader is trying to get us to swallow regarding the ‘Budget Simulator’ - the council’s excuse for turning their inability to priorities their funding by getting a few of their acolytes to complete the ready set questions contained in their latest edition of their online budget consultation.

Last year, he tells us, “… they knew that the people of Tameside would be willing to take part, and they absolutely delivered. By the end of the consultation period they (the council) had received over 1,000 responses through the online budget simulator alone, and nearly 3,000 responses if you include other ways of getting in touch like e-mail, letters and social media.

To put that into perspective, the population of Tameside is over 220,000 people. So, even if we assume that half are under the age of voting, it still remains the case that only 0.83% bothered to take part in the simulator scheme.

He went on to proclaim that “…the truly important thing is what you told us.”

Firstly, 73% supported rolling out the bin swap as a way to protect vital services and the environment by reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

Sounds convincing, doesn't it?

But that means that 730 people thought it a good idea, whilst over 219,270 didn't pass a comment!

So, based on that we are supposed to believe they had our blessing to go ahead and do it!

Next he tells us that when faced with the choice, 78% of us supported an average council tax increase of 4.2%. That’s over twice the amount they were legally allowed to raise council tax by without having a costly referendum.

"What colour is it this week Gladys? 

Again they pressed ahead by allegedly taking the say so of 780 people, whilst 219,220 said nothing!

He then goes on to say:

“Honestly, if somebody had told me that would be the outcome at the start I don’t think I would have believed them!” 

– And I thought satire was dead!

So now, undeterred he is launching the council's second online budget consultation. Where from now until 22nd December anybody in Tameside can give their views on how to manage the cuts imposed on us by the government.

Now here he starts to get ironic, because he tells us that in order to help as many people as possible reply they’ll be putting on over 150 budget simulator events and drop-in sessions throughout Tameside in libraries, Active Tameside centre’s, community groups, children’s centre’s and more.

The problem with this simulator scheme is it only gives those attempting to take part a pre-set group of answers to budget saving areas.

For instance, I’ll bet a pound to a pinch of salt, nowhere will there be a facility to ask how much could be saved by cancelling 150 needless simulator events and drop-in sessions, along with the unnecessary literature, videos, and personnel needed to man these already cut and dried council concluded shows.

Nor the facility to ask the powers that be why they have spent over £2million building a 240 space multi-story car park in St Petersfield that has been open since Christmas 2014 yet is only open to permit holders, whilst every street and alleyway in that vicinity is cram packed with cars on yellow lines?

In his dramatic Press Release back in July 2014 he told us: "the new car park will provide 'much needed' parking in this expanding business quarter." So why is it closed to the general public?

It could have been open to taxpaying drivers for 12 months and making money? 

BEFORE YOU CHOOSE - WATCH THIS...

Over the coming months, we the British people will be subjected to points of view, diverging opinions, and veiled threats and promises regarding the consequences we may face if we vote one way or another in the approaching EU referendum.

This video is worth watching.

YOU GOT IT WRONG AGAIN KIERAN!

Once again in the latest history lesson from our leader Kieran Quinn, it would appear that he too has changed the facts of antiquity by alluding to an undoubted act of bravery undertaken by Andrew Moynihan during the Crimean War.

In his blog, http://www.tameside.gov.uk/blog/leader/he tells us that originally the brave soldier was born in Wakefield in 1831, and moved to Dukinfield at a very young age and lived near Crescent Road and up until he joined the army at 17 his life was typical for most young ‘Tameside’ men of that time.

However, as the councillor well knows, ‘Tameside’ is just a made-up name for a borough that came into existence in 1974 as part of the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972. Therefore could poor Andrew’s life could not be typical of a man from a non-existent place!

Dukinfield maybe, Tameside, no!

However, the most extraordinary fact that ‘he who never makes a mistake’ tells us, is in his next paragraph, where he writes that ensign Moynihan’s career did not end with Sevastopol and the Crimea, as he served with the forces that suppressed the Indian Mutiny in 1857 and was then stationed in Ireland and Gibraltar.

Now here’s a strange anomaly; Kieran then tells us that by 1965 he was a Captain and appointed musketry instructor for the island of Malta!

If this man was still in the army in 1965, he would have been 134 years old and if so, deserved more than a VC, but another medal for the longest serving government employee in the world, beating Roy Oldham by some 90 years!

Check your facts Kieran; the secret is, don’t leave proof reading to your Deputy who's prone to frequent confusion!

Remember his 'Frankie Abbott' moment, when he got a little confused with which country The Mercian Regiment was defending, us or Spain?

THE MUSHROOM TREATMENT

It’s little wonder that we have heard not but a peep from all but one of our local councillors (Oliver Ryan – Yvette Cooper) regarding for their choice of Party Leader, as it has been said by prospective candidate Andy Burnham that more than 500 Labour councillors risk losing their seats in next year’s local elections if Jeremy Corbyn becomes their ultra-left wing leader.

The rest of our councillors have got until next Saturday to tell us their preferences and explain their reason of choice, but seeing as they've had months to tell us, they have chosen to embrace silence.

It appears that as a dominant Labour controlled council they are not interest in addressing any sensible questions regarding the boroughs future should the newly led opposition produce policies like nationalising the railways, controlling rents, introducing a National Education Service, following the NHS model, ending public schools’ charitable status”, nationalising the power companies which will involve printing even money or plucking it from their magic money tree!

We should not be kept in the dark over this!

As long as we pay our council taxes, we have a right to know the views and policy preferences of those who decide where our tax pounds are spent, so that we can then react accordingly.

These councillors must realise it’s time for a political reality check. Apart from themselves; their party supporters and activists, very few people in Tameside have any interest in local politics. I suspect most of think of Tameside councillors as a necessary evil.  All we ask is a bit of honesty and a degree of competence. And not lying too often. No smoke and mirrors. And not treating constituents as if we are all fools.

However, until next week, I expect that we’ll get more news and views about Trainspotting, Local History or from the likes of Kieran Quinn who cannot resist pressing the current populist button, blogging a piece on how Tameside council, are acting with others to find a lasting solution to the Syrian refugee crisis, by advocating taking in large numbers of refugees when Labour never stop complaining (rightly) about our housing shortages.

Something they should and could have sorted out during their 13 years in office!

Mark my words, regardless whoever wins, next 

INCONGRUITY COMES TO THE FORE!

This week we were presented with a perfect example of situational irony when Cllr John Taylor, (AKA WAG Taylor) allegedly penned a letter praising the recent educational achievements of many of the students from secondary schools across Tameside.

Now there’s nothing wrong with passing a sincere sentiment, but coming from such an ‘uncut stone’ as the self-decorated councillor, well, it’s like a marriage counsellor filing for divorce or as daft as launching an anti-technology website!

What John Taylor knows about the rigours of sitting exams, let alone passing them, one could write on the back of a postage stamp! 

In all probability he didn't earn the nickname John ‘WAG’ Taylor for his exceptional school attendance record, or, paradoxically, maybe he did!

Now to change the subject.

This week saw ‘The Carbuncle Cup’ awarded to ‘the Walkie-Talkie’ building in London.

This accolade was  granted for being voted the ugliest building in the country! - But hold the front page here, for it would seem that Tameside College in collaboration with the council; who chase every award going, no matter how ridiculous its origin, could well sweep the board next year when they unveil the first phase of the Collage upgrade.

Located on Stamford Street, we are told that when finished the Centre will be an iconic five storey building providing a cutting edge learning facility!

Here it looks like the architect took the ‘cutting edge’ part of the brief rather too literally and has not only given the structure a cutting edge, but has thrown in an enormous ‘cheese grater’ to boot!

My great fear is that this blot on the landscape is merely the beginning not the end, as future carbuncles appear to be mushrooming across the borough at astonishing speed.

There are many local architects who have endured the familiar frustration of having minor planning applications refused on spurious grounds; submitting plans that the authority have refused stating that they were considered of ‘unacceptable detriment to local character’ yet here we have the local planning authority passing designs that appear to be trying to provide the next logical progression in the Prince Charles pastiche by inflicting a strange wedge, a giant multi-coloured oil filter on stilts and a large shoebox of a building on the urban landscape.

Perhaps Cllr Taylor in his role as the chap responsible for all that’s wrong with Tameside can explain in his next letter the architectural intent of these monstrosities for our edification.

What is now becoming increasingly clear is that Tameside’s planning system that is spawning these urban monstrosities is entirely unfit for purpose.

EENY, MEENY, MINY, MO...

"Stuck behind the Black, Green, Brown and Blue, ...Now I'm wheelie snookered!"

As the great Tameside ‘Bin Swap’ controversy rumbles on, we were treated this week to an image of our Deputy Leader, Cllr John Taylor, apparently deliberating which bin to use to deposit his weekly letters!

Should it be the Blue Bin for waste paper or the Black, or is it now the Green Bin, for the recycled miasma of political garbage he regularly writes upon it?

Reading his latest drivel, there are times in life when I am unsure whether the imperturbable individual to whom I often refer has not received some authority from some divinity giving him the power to recreate, bend or annihilate the truth.

How, anyone who has benefited from 16 years of cabinet control governance can talk about how proud he is of our democratic process, given our present local authority’s voting system, must know full well that democracy is a total nonentity in Tameside!

Let us not forget that in 2000 it was a Labour administration who forced the vast majority of councils across the country to give up their committee systems and adopt a new executive model of governance.

This cynical move by Tony Blair’s government has had the effect of focusing far too much power in the hands of the Council Leaders (Roy Oldham and now Kieran Quinn) and a few of his hand-picked colleagues, which in effect has allowed this small number of career councillors to make unchallenged decisions; thus undermining all the other ward councillors, who, by listening to the needs of local people, know far more than the cabinet cabal about how their particular areas should be run.

Previously, local authorities could take decisions in full council or could delegate decision making to committees, sub committees or officers. But now, if an individual councillor has eyes on a long career in local politics, they must learn the rule of the greasy pole and don't question the Leaders decisions!

Then we have the voting situation as I’ve pointed out previously and recently touched on again in Carl Simmons excellent blog: http://carlsimmons-independent.blogspot.co.uk/

Today, as it stands with 52 Labour and 5 Tories making up Tameside council; and local elections only concerned with 1/3^rd of the council coming up for re-election every 4 years, means that in any local election, even if Labour lost every one of their 19 councillors, Labour would still have 33 out of 57 councillors and would still be in control.

We then read from the heavily blinkered councillor that he and his party was against the alternative voting system in 2011 and crowed about the ‘No’ result in the referendum for electing MP's!

Strange then councillor that the alternative voting system (AV) has now been adopted by the Labour party to elect their new Labour leader! Perhaps you could explain that in your next letter (or will you duck the question and harp back on the history trail or enthral us with further adventures of a Train spotter?)

I suppose it depends which way the wind is blowing, eh councillor?

If Tameside is ever to return to democracy, two things must happen.

First, the council should return to the committee system.

Secondly, all the councillors should be up for re-election at the same time.

SLIGHT OF HAND - SMOKE and MIRRORS and LOCAL HISTORY RE-WRITTEN!

The Charge of the Light Brigade as happened it Tameside!

Just what is it with our so called council leaders and their penchant for twisting historical facts?

Upon reading the latest walk down poor-memory lane written ostensibly by Councillor Taylor, we were treated once again to complete fallacy in his opening paragraph!

He wrote, ‘ A century ago this month, Tameside won the first of five Victoria Crosses its men were to receive during the First World War!’

Now first of all, I do not wish to denigrate the honour or bravery of the fine fighting men he mentioned, but if one is to write about these brave souls, then the very least the councillor could do is to give them the courtesy of getting the basic facts right!

The men in question lived in the once proud towns of Aston, Denton, Hyde, Droylsden and Mossley.

Tameside did not exist one hundred years ago! – Therefore Tameside could not have won anything as it was only created, ironically on 1 April 1974.

However, the twisting of historical facts is not, it would seem the sole monopoly of the Deputy Leader. Councillor Quinn can show an equal disregard for accuracy too!

In his Blog (Aug’ 13^th) he states, If Britain was the workshop of the world then Tameside was the workshop of Britain, clothing and fuelling the Industrial Revolution through its cotton mills and coal mines!”

He too, appears to have forgotten that until 1974, Tameside did not exist! And to make matters worse, he went on to tell us that The Moravian Church arrived in Tameside in 1751!

 …Really?

But that’s all smoke and mirrors!

Isn’t it strange that whenever there’s a hint of unrest and unease within the Labour ranks, the dynamic duo instantly stop writing about their stringent political dogmas and whinging about having to deal with ‘the cuts’ and cynically brief their ghost writers to pen some harmless yet trite utterings in an effort to take the readers eye off the comical political cat-fight unfolding over their leadership contest.

Councillors. Harping on about history is all very well, and it’s indeed important that lessons from the past be learned, but, with all the shenanigans going on with the Labour leadership contest, it just goes to show that this Labour Leadership contest is another glaring extension of Senior Labour party officials political incompetence, organisational fiasco, and downright inability to run, manage or control anything, anywhere at any time!

So, why are we surprised that they choose not to voice their opinions and preferences?

But surely the perspective of our local Labour government as to who they are backing in this chaotic political bun-fight should be announced so that we, the electorate; who keep them in a position to make decisions on our behalf, is vitally important.

Are we wrong to expect the leader and deputy leader and all their acolytes to tell us for whom they intend to vote, so that we, in turn can make an informed judgement as to how their policies will affect us in the future?

As it stands at local level we have a Labour fiefdom with no true opposition and no accountability to the electorate, an example of which you may remember, when they in effect imposed the Council Tax increase on us without the democratic problem of having a referendum as other councils did. And at National level, we have a Labour party that made pledges before the General Election then immediately withdrew them after the General Election!

So, if they say they are voting for Corbyn, they are backing far left polices that will consign Labour to the wilderness, like in the days of comrade Foot and brother Kinnock. 

However, if they back any of the others, it’s more of the same Blair/Brown/Millipede and their debt ridden policies.