In Local Government opposition is muted. The oft peddled statement that the public don’t want Party Politics means that most councillors allow the controlling group(s) to proceed unhindered. A second weakness is the fig leaf of Scrutiny Committees. Scrutiny implies that Council decisions will be examined, questioned and where appropriate, challenged. In Ryedale and North Yorkshire nothing is Continue reading Party Point – May 2011
For over 200 years the census has been a useful process. It provides an immense amount of social and economic information about citizens in each area of the country. Government can then use this general information to fund the needs of each area. Funding to local councils is based on the census information. Another useful benefit is that a hundred years later we are able to look back at society and get an accurate picture. People use the 100year plus censuses to trace their ancestors. Continue reading Ryeview – March 2011
Hypocrisy is alive and well and living in Ryedale. In the same week, the Tories have saved both our forests and our Libraries. Where there has been a public outcry the government and North Yorkshire County Council have backed down. I’m not sure about the forests. It may have been a mistake. It may even have been a financial miscalculation and will they try again later? We will see. Continue reading Ryeview – February 2011
Society must be judged on its poverty levels – not the wealth of the nation. Are there homes for the poor? Is there decent support for the elderly? Do the young have employment opportunities? Continue reading Ryeview – January 2011
New Year’s resolutions don’t work for me. If I’m going to achieve an aim there is often a better time to start in the year than in the middle of winter. On the other hand it is a good time for reflection and making big or long term decisions. Continue reading Ryeview – December 2010
North Yorkshire is about to make a massive decision. A £1,400million decision on the disposal of household waste. It will be a £1,400million mistake. Bad enough in its own right but made considerably worse by the fact that they are using our money. Continue reading Ryeview – December 2010
I recently received an email saying: ‘The Council is supposed to serve the people who pay rates and taxes…….What do we have Councillors for?’ A very logical approach. If Councils and Councillors ignore people they don’t deserve to represent them. Continue reading Ryeview – November 2010
George Osborne has stated ‘people who claim benefits as a lifestyle choice would have to stop’. This is linked to statements about the welfare bill (£1 in every £3 of government spending) having risen by 45% in the last 10 years. The problem is that there is no connection between these two statements. Benefits spent on the state pension and pension tax credits make up the majority of benefits. People who receive this money have clearly paid taxes for decades. Continue reading Ryeview – October 2010
The governments Autumn Spending Review will cause cuts in frontline services. These include education, libraries, roads, social and youth services. The impact will as usual hit hardest on the elderly, the poor, the young, the ill and the unemployed – those that a civilised society should care for. Continue reading Ryeview – September 2010
David Cameron said: “We are all in it together”. Will his family miss out as a result of the cuts? I doubt it. Those that lose out will be the low income households, the sick, those that rely on public transport and others who are lower down the ladder. Continue reading Ryeview – August 2010