A new direction for Bury South

Today is the 8th National Holocaust Memorial Day and this evening I attended Bury’s service at the Radcliffe Civic Hall along with the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury and the Leader of the Council and fellow Councillors.  The service, as always, was well organised and very moving.  Thanks must go the organisers of this from across the Borough and to all the pupils from local schools who took part.   The significance of this day must never be forgotten and we must continue to educate people through events such as this and in schools.

On Wednesday night the cash machine at my local Asda swallowed my card albeit before I had even typed in my pin.  Being a good minded citizen and being aware of the all the scams around at the moment I contacted the Nationwide Bank which owns the machine to be told there was nothing they could do and I would not get my card back.  I realised this but thought that they may have shown a little more concern.  I rang my bank First Direct to put a ’stop’ on the card and was told it would take 5-10 days to receive a new card and guess what only two days later yesterday morning my new card arrived!  How is that for efficiency so a well done to First Direct!

Just catching breath this morning after a busy day yesterday which started off at the Town Hall doing a follow up interview for Channel M on the success of the person who breached his ASBO by drinking in Bury Town Centre a week last Saturday. This arrest was made only 3 days after the Bury Safe website went life.

From the Town Hall I went to visit the flood site at Bury Road in Radcliffe and to chat to residents. I am delighted that the road is now open but a lot of distress to residents and some damage to properties was caused. The emergency services, Bury Council highways engineers, emergency planning and the Waterways all contributed to resolving the floods and from preventing what could have been a much worse disaster.

In the evening I was at a dinner where The Rt Hon William Hague MP was the Guest of Honour and was delighted to be able to extend to him the vote of thanks. William Roache MBE (aka Ken Barlow from Corrie) was the auctioneer.

Today has been much quieter and I spent earlier this morning meeting the new Chief Superintendent of Bury John Rush.�

I was delighted to be invited to the Manchester Ukranian Christmas Party this afternoon at the Ukranian Social Club in Bolton.  The concert was amazing and the performers were all very professional from singers to dancers and good old Ukranian knees down sweeping the floor dancing.  I was made to feel very welcome and thanks to Sean Reynolds for being my host for the afternoon.  I look forward to attending future such concerts and events.

Wow what an amazing match my throat is still sore from shouting!  Well done to Bury for their 2:1 win over Norwich it was the talk of the news this morning on Radio 5 and gave lots of publicity to Bury and provoked a discussion about famous Bury residents!  So now through to the 4th round for the first time in over 20 years.

The feature on Channel M about ASBOs that I filmed yesterday was the lead news item last night and can be seen on ‘Shamed on the Internet’. 

Manchester City’s turn tonight in their FA cup replay match – maybe it will be a lucky week for Greater Manchester football teams!

This morning started off with an interview by Channel M in my role as Executive Member for Safer and Secure Communities on Bury MBC regarding the new initiative we have of naming those who have an ASBO in Bury on the Bury Safe website.  This link which went live only last Wednesday has already seen a result as a security guard in the Millgate Shopping Centre in Bury saw someone acting suspicially checked the website and called the police. 

This afternoon The Lord Mayor of Manchester visited the Day Centre where I work and spend time chatting to the members including inviting himself to the birthday party of one who will be 100 all being well in March!

Tonight off to the Bury FA Cup replay match against Norwich - hopefully the match won’t be called off because the pitch in flooded!

David Cameron this week announced his Green Paper for Welfare Reform which includes proposals on how to get people back into work and off long term sickness benefit.  This seems to have provoked the most discussion I have heard so far from listening to the phone in on Radio 5 Live this morning following the interview with David Cameron and Nicky Campbell (who happens to be my favourite Radio 5 Live presenter but that is a different matter).  His aims are to set out to make a more responsible society and to get us out of the benefits welfare mentality.  Those who need help will get it but the aim is to give people dignity and a purpose to get up in the morning.  Well done to David Cameron and Chris Grayling for setting out these policies and let’s hope it is not too long before they get the opportunity implement them.

I was today delighted to attend David Cameron’s first speech of 2008 at St Matthews’s Church Hall in Stretford.  David Cameron outlined the Party’s new reforms and hopes for the NHS and health care services including better patient care, abolishing mixed sex wards, removal of targets but focusing more on outcomes and equal funding for children and adult hospices.  Local activists, party supporters, Councillors, Parliamentary Candidates and press packed the hall to hear David speak and I had the opportunity talk with him afterwards.

Other good news also for the Conservatives today here in the North West is that we have gained our first Councillor on Manchester City Council for over a decade.  Cllr Cllr. Faraz Bhatti has left the Lib Dems and we welcome him to the Conservative Party.

Wishing everyone a very happy 2008 and thank you to everyone who visited my website in 2007.   

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