A new direction for Bury South

I wish to extend seasons greetings and a Happy 2008 to all my readers and look forward to an exciting and interesting year ahead!

I seem to recall my kids becoming addicted to an American television programme called Lost.  I watched the first few episodes and then decided that it really was too far fetched to even be entertainment.  I think this Labour Government have taken a few tips from the producers of this programme when I learn this week that yet more data has been lost – this time details of all those who have passed their driving test since September 2004 and April this year.  Many of them like my children will also have been on the child benefit database at the same time – a double lost!   All this data lost from a Government that wants to introduce ID cards – let’s hope this badly thought out and expensive initiative gets lost! 

They say a week is a long time in politics and certainly a long time for not having posted anything on this site so apologies.  Well let’s see what has happened – last Friday was the final event in the host of events to support the White Ribbon Campaign when cross party and officer support was given to the sponsored walk when men had to walk a mile across Bury Town Centre in women’s shoes.  This was a huge success and thanks once again to Jaria Hussain of the Community Safety Team for organising this.

On Monday I learnt of Chief Superintendent David Anthony’s departure from Bury MBC.  After only 21 months with us it is time for yet another Chief Superintendent to move on but I wish him much success in his new post and thank him for his support and advice and positive action during his time here.  It is said that someone in a senior position should not stay in once place for too long as they become tired and run out of fresh ideas but I fear that here in Bury we have not been able to substantiate this with the high ‘turnover’ of Chief Superintendents over the past few years but I do wish his successor, Jonathan Rush good luck and look forward to working closely with him in my capacity as Exec member for Safer and Securer Communities.

On Wednesday night was the Council meeting when a motion was passed regarding the TIF bid confirming once and for all that Bury Council is against congestion charging!  The whole meeting was action packed and productive and in fact as far as I can recall the first Council meeting I have been to when we ran out of time to carry out all the proceedings on the agenda.

As part of the range of events arranged by Jaria Hussain of Bury Council around the White Ribbon Campaign I was invited to Chair a seminar on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  This was held at the Education Centre at Fairfield Hospital and the two guest speakers are pioneers in this country in their field on FGM.  The first speaker was Dorcas Akeju OBE a practising midwife for over 30 years and who made an OBE in 2003 for her services to the NHS and community.  She explained how wide spread this practice is and the medical implications – it affects of 100m women per year – a staggering number and her talk was very thought provoking.  She was joined by Abigal Dawes who works the Agency Culture Change and Management organisation based in Sheffield.  She spoke on the impact on children and issues for agencies and all practioners. �

I strolled down to Radclife town centre yesterday afternoon for the Fun Day and to attend the switching on of the Christmas Lights by the Mayor of Bury and Ben Thompson who plays Ryan Connor in Coronation Street.  In spite of the cold weather the ballerinas, the belly dancers and singers carried on regardless in true show business style and congratulations must go to all who helped to organise this event.Â