03/07/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Note: Sections of this blog post were updated with new information on 6th July 2009 and where there have been changes they are marked (Update)

Note: A second update has taken place on 10th July 2009 following an email from Val Bolem.  My records have been adjusted accordingly.

Ghost Passage Revisited

Before I start: Can I once again stress that I am not the County Councillor for the division in which Ghost Passage resides (Cllr Simon King is) and so this post is written as a resident and business owner and not in my capacity as a councillor.  Can I also say that I respect the opinions of those on the other side of this debate and that my comments are made because in this instance I do not share those opinions and feel obliged to speak out for myself and the many other residents who apparently feel the same way.

Since I last posted about Ghost Passage and the police plan to close it there have been some developments in the matter.  Since the previous posts elicited several comments and a whole bunch of emails I thought it was worth writing a brief update on where we are now. 

As some readers will know I hand-delivered letters to all the local residents to research their actual opinions rather than just presuming the police view of the matter was correct.  I’m glad I did.  Of the people who have responded so far not a single one has been in favour of the police plan exactly as stated.  Most have been against the plan completely.  Two have been for the plan in a limited form - but against full closure. Not a single person who has responded liked the proposals by the police as they currently stand 

Here is a sample of some of the pertinent comments received:

John Anker emailed a lengthy letter to tell me he opposed the plan.  An extract of the email included: “I do not agree with the closure of Ghost Passage and consider that the consultation is based on a few ‘’special constables’’ or the like talking to a few people. If we are to have a consultation let’s have an open meeting to discuss the matter at a pre-arranged date!!” 

Cllr Michael Hill confirmed to me in person at the mayor’s function today in St. Peter’s Church that he was opposed to the idea of closing Ghost Passage and asked to be kept in the loop so that he could contribute to the discussions.

Janet Stott said that she had signed up to the original idea (the first person who had even heard about it during the much-vaunted ‘consultation’) but that the final plan bore significant differences to the original suggestions - and that she did not support the current plan for complete closure.

Juliet Cairns also emailed me in support of my position saying: “Thanks for your letter regarding the closure of Ghost Passage.  I am in complete agreement with you that the passage should remain open.  I certainly have not received any communication about this so they cannot state that everyone has been consulted. So if they are going to close the passage, won’t that lead to an area which is perfect for the actual activities like drinking, drug taking etc,which they want to stop.  What we actually need is more of a police presence just walking through and actually doing something about the problem, not just shutting it off, so no one can see it, because it certainly won’t stop it. I use the passage daily.  It is needed for the car park at the rear and for access into the town.  There are always little ‘hotspots’ like this in every town, but shutting the passage is not the answer.”

Rupert Wilkes is one of the people who supports the plan in a limited form, but not the plan as outlined by the police.  He said: “If you are right that the police’s draft closure order means that the passage is closed in its entirety, this appears to us unacceptable.  The direct route from under 7 The Crescent to Love Lane is an important pedestrian thoroughfare.  Closing it leaves inbound foot traffic either to pass along Love Lane to the Museum (equally unpoliceable and detrimental to the former almshouses) or to walk against the traffic, with virtually no pavement, up Post Office Lane.  Conversely the path behind the Masonic Hall and your property, which ends up in York Row, does not strike us as too significant a route.  Going via the front of The Crescent and York Row is no major detour.”

Cllr Jonathan Farmer (who has been very supportive and helpful on this matter and whose ideas form most of our alternative proposal) is completely opposed to the police plan saying: “I could not agree with you more. This is a classic example of a consultation being highly selective in who it consults to verify the pre-conceived judgement already decided at.”  His lengthy email went into some detail as to his considered objection to the present plan. 

Cllr Simon King seems a little isolated right now but remains supportive of the original idea: “The police have put in a huge amount of work to try to improve the Ghost Passage area but because of the layout of the alleys it has proved impossible to achieve this other than by gating.  All those who have access onto the alleys were consulted and were very enthusiastic about the proposals, as, indeed, am I.”

(Update) Philip Stokes was one of the minority who supported closure but with the following comment: “You somewhat miss the point when you suggest that we all love the idea of closing Ghost Passage. Ideally it would be far better if it was policed properly. But like the rest of Wisbech this is not going to happen. Alternatively they could put CCTV cameras there – too costly so I’ve found out, so that’s not going to happen either. This leaves what?”

(Update) Jane Coates seems to agree with the compromise plan saying: “I agree that it’s sad to lose the character of Wisbech in the process. Is there a half way solution in gating between A and B on the map hence allowing usage of the passage from Love Lane to the Crescent? Also why couldn’t security cameras be sited in the passage? Just a couple of thoughts and a bit of support.”

(Update) Jeff & Robi Harper sent a brief text saying:  Sorry 4 delay in reply 2 letter re ghost passage , we both agree with your reasons not to close.

Apparently there is a local resident with whom I have not yet spoken who is very taken with the plan.  Luckily, I am at a function on Sunday where I will be sitting at the same table as this individual, which will give me a chance to discuss it over a nice meal (always a good way to get to the heart of things, I find!)
(SECOND Update) The mystery person was Val Bolam with whom I had an interesting chat on Sunday.  Val felt that the police had misrepresented the original idea and agreed that partial closure as per our compromise suggestion was more in keeping with the original plan - and preferable.  Val has emailed me to say that he does not, in fact, feel the police have misrepresented him and has asked me to remove that statement.  Although the original idea was (according to other residents, at least) only two gates and the final plan was for three, Val does not agree with my view of this or feel that any misrepresentation has taken place.  I appreciate Val taking the time to correct me on this and apologise if I misunderstood his original comments to me.

A Way Forward:
Having discussed all this (at length) with most of the local residents now there seems to be a concensus position becoming clear.  A compromise which is acceptable to most of us and is more in keeping with the original idea that the few people who were consulted on this were “sold” in the first place and less like the blanket ban the police seem to have decided will make their life easier.

The current police plan involves three gates which will prevent access to most of the alley and close down the important route from The Crescent to Love Lane.  Our amended proposal would involve only two gates, one at the location the police call “Gate A” exactly as per their plan.  The other on the same length of alley just after the entrance to the Masonic Lodge. 

The effect of this would be to cut off the section of Ghost Passage which is unlit, known to be a “problem area” and which residents frequently complain about, while leaving the well-lit main pedestrian route from The Cresent to Love Lane accessible by all.  This would mean the most attractive and historic section of the alley would be open, but the more standard ‘back alley’ section, which is also seldom used by pedestrians, would be closed except for residents.  This would preserve the right of way for people using the St Raphael centre, the Car Park and the Masonic Lodge without hindrance.  All in all, as compromises go, this seems pretty much perfect.  Every resident I have spoken to agrees this is an excellent way to address the concerns on both sides of the argument. 

But will the police and the Powers That Be go for it?  I suppose that depends on whether they are open-minded enough to accept they misjudged this a bit and are flexible enough to adjust their plans to suit the residents and users of the passage.  I’ll be having a meeting next week (accompanied by Cllr. Jonathan Farmer) to argue the case and then we’ll see!

Posted in Ghost Passage, Wisbech | No Comments »

02/07/2009 by Steve Tierney.

The Little Wooden Boy
Just imagine for a moment that Pinocchio were a Labour Parliamentary spokesman for North East Cambridgeshire.  (A stretch, I know, but stay with me.) 

The little wooden fellow would want to demonstrate that his party would be a force for good in the area, right?  That they were most certainly not naughty boys and that his mentor and creator Geppetto Brown had everything in hand. 

But what a terrible day it would be if the local college had suddenly and “inexplicably” lost its funding.  He would know that the reason the money had run out was because Geppetto had no idea how to manage his finances.  He would also know that what money there was had (also “inexplicably”) all been given to places which didn’t vote for Geppetto’s main rivals. 

“I promise you,” The Little Wooden Boy might cry in his best falsetto voice: ”It is not politically motivated.  Really, truly with sprinkles on top!”  He might ignore the fact that all those other funded colleges are in Labour areas.  Or he might try and suggest that poverty in those other areas was to blame, while utterly dismissing the large pockets of deprivation in the place he is supposed to be a spokesman for.  (With friends like this…)

Whatever he chose to say The Little Wooden Boy would be unable to hide the truth because the whole time his nose would grow and grow and grow.  Sooner or later, a rhinoplasty would be necessary.  I believe Bupa offer the service, Mr Roberts.

Posted in Labour Party, Wisbech | 3 Comments »

29/06/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Not A Ghost Of A Chance
I received a letter recently from Cambridgeshire Police.  Apparently they want to close Ghost Passage for “3 months, possibly 6 months”.  Since I am a resident adjacent to the alleyway they’ve written to me to “confirm I have been consulted.”

I haven’t been consulted. 

Unless this letter confirming I have been is supposed to actually be the consultation - which would be a pretty sad state of affairs I think.

Before I proceed I should stress that I write this blog entry as a private citizen, not with my County Council hat on.  My division does not actually include the area in which I live (missing it by about 200 yds, but that’s neither here nor there.)  So I’m writing as a resident and property owner on this issue.

For those who do not live nearby: Ghost Passage is an alleyway with three entrances that winds and twists it’s way along the back of The Crescent and Alexandra Road in Wisbech.  It’s also known as “Gunson’s Passage” and is something of a historic little path, in its own quiet way.

The police state their reasons for wanting to close the alleyway (by erecting fences blocking all the entrances).  These are; Graffiti Removal, Needle Removal & Prevention of Antisocial Behaviour.

I’ve seen graffiti removal being done a few times.  It doesn’t take six months, or even three months and I see no reason why it would cause the alleyway to need to be closed.  Needle Removal takes even less time - and I should add that in the 8 years I’ve been walking along Ghost Alley pretty much every single day I’ve never seen any needles lying around.  Let’s try to keep this in perspective.  Perhaps there have been one or two - a sign of the times - but it’s not like the alleyway is littered with them and I’ve never encountered any at all.

Which leads me to the sad conclusion that the real reason for closure is antisocial behaviour.  Yes, groups of youths do hang around in the alley at times.  Yes there is some vandalism and some antisocial behaviour on occasion.  But is this really how we deal with the occasional problem people now - close the area to the public? 

Quite frankly, I see a lot more antisocial behaviour going on outside the Angles Theatre beside me than I ever hear from the alley behind me.  So does that mean we close Alexandra Road?  Of course not.  The nearby churchyard is always host to groups of drunk leery visitors to Britain, but that remains joyfully open to all.  Are we really at the point where our solution is to put up fences and close up shop?  God forbid the police might actually patrol once in a while to encourage order - oh no, let’s just build a barrier and sweep the problem under the carpet.

Why do I even care?  It’s only an alley, right?  Well first - I rather like that alley.  I walk my dogs through it every night and have done since I moved to Wisbech eight years ago.  But even before I moved here, when I was just visiting the town, I used it.  I found it’s winding route and quaint meandering brick-lined passages charming back then and I still do.  It’s mostly peaceful and it’s pleasantly old-fashioned.   But more importantly I really don’t like this idea of just surrendering.  Of seeing a problem and instead of trying to solve it - just walling it up and pretending it isn’t there.  I don’t like to be bullied away from places I enjoy by a tiny minority of difficult social elements.

It may be that my fellow residents want the alleyway closed.  It certainly is easier to throw up your hands and accept any solution that’ll move trouble on from your doorstep.  But I hope that’s not the case.  I hope they agree that there are other - better - ways of dealing with this than closure.

Cambridgeshire Police say this is for 3 months, maybe 6 months.  That’s too long.  But I worry that what they really mean is forever and this is the quiet way of getting the ball rolling.  Maybe nobody cares, but I think that would be a sad day indeed.

Cambridgeshire Police want me to fill in a form saying I “consent” to the closure.  Well I don’t.  Will that make any difference?  I doubt it.  But I wanted to say it anyway.

Update 30th June 2009: 

After further discussions and a flurry of emails brought on by my blog and my comments thus far, the Powers That Be assure me “everybody but me” is in favour of this.  I just can’t believe that.  I’ve decided to find out and have posted letters to all the residences in Alexandra Road, The Crescent and Ghost Passage asking for their views.  Comments on this blog and responses received thus far seem to suggest the Powers That Be are talking from their posterior.  But we’ll see when a few more comments come in.  On my side of the fence - Town and District Cllr Jonathan Farmer seems to agree (and suggests most of the Town Council do too.) 

On the other side of the debate - Councillor Kit Owen, while not expressing an opinion directly, suggested I was “point scoring” (whatever that means).  I’m not point scoring, I’m just speaking up for what I believe.  Isn’t that what we expect one another to do in a civilised democracy?  County Cllr. Simon King does not share my view on this, saying plainly he “supports the closure”.  I have a great deal of respect for Simon King, but I simply cannot see how the solution to an antisocial behaviour problem in a public right of way is to put up barriers to the public.  This is not Northern Ireland during the troubles.  This is Wisbech.  So in this instance I am afraid I have to respectfully disagree with the view of my friend and colleagues.

I plan to meet Insp Sissons next week with whatever evidence I have managed to gather and state the case against closure.  If any readers of my blog agree with me, please take the time to email me on me@stevetierney.org, text or phone me on 07831 616127, or write to me at Steve Tierney, 6 Alexandra Road., Wisbech PE13 1HQ.  The more comments I receive the better case I will have when I meet the police.

I must again stress that it may turn out that the majority of my neighbours think this is a great idea.  If that turns out to be the case then I will be disappointed, but I will pursue this no further.  Democracy is democracy.  I don’t enjoy causing a stink just for the sake of it.  I just feel obliged to show there is another side to the argument.  I hope that seems reasonable.

Posted in Ghost Passage, Wisbech | 5 Comments »

27/06/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Is There A Time Lord In Town?
I was walking my dogs through St. Peter’s Church gardens tonight and was absolutely stunned to see a life-size Tardis sitting amid the beautiful flower displays.  A tardis!  I kid you not.  I presume this is something to do with the Rose Fair coming to Wisbech next week, but even if it is I really hope they leave it there afterwards.  It looks fantastic!  I was chuckling to myself and grinning like a loon all the way home.  The gardeners have set it up so that flowers and vines trail over it, blending it into the display quite effortlessly.  I probably did a double-take when it first caught my attention.  I’m glad nobody was around to see me gaping gormlessly.  And i’m not particularly a Doctor Who fan.  Imagine how excited people who are will feel…

High Maintenance
I happened to catch the Cambs Times this week and lo and behold if it doesn’t have the full list of expenses paid to Fenland District Councillors inside.  As regular readers will know I’ve taken issue with the style of an independent councillor in the past and I admit that a wicked grin crossed my face as my eyes scanned the names and fell upon my old pal Mark Archer.  I’m pretty tired of the national expenses witch-hunt now but Mark has previously criticised pay and expense levels of other council employees and I feel this makes his own fair game.  Now according to Mark’s FDC webpage he lives in Manea.  Hardly the other side of the world from the council offices.  Travel and Subsistence expenses of £1533.00 put Mark at fourth highest claimer in the council.  Considerably more claimed than the leader of the council, in fact.  This should not be taken as a criticism though.  I’m sure Mark beavers away very hard indeed and is worth every penny.

I should probably stress that I know just how much work District Councillors do and in my humble opinion they aren’t given enough credit for their work or enough respect for their contributions.  Even Mark Archer.  I actually think the small remuneration they receive reflects incredible value for money since many of these guys will put incredible time and effort into their jobs way beyond the call of duty. 

Scorched Earth Video

Posted in Scorched Earth, Labour Party, Fenland District Council, Wisbech | No Comments »

20/06/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Pothole Buster ™
If I had to name one thing that annoys the people of the Roman Bank & Peckover Division more than any other I’m pretty sure I’d end up using the ”P” word.  Potholes.  Of course there are many other issues, plenty of them more serious than the rugged surface of some of our roads.  But there they are every day, rattling your suspension as you bump and grind over them.  If you talk to the council officers they assure you that they are doing loads of repairs - that they are out there all the time patching up the problems.  If you talk to the people of the division they say they never see anybody and potholes stay untouched for months on end.  Everybody understands that the last winter took its toll on the roads and that its not cheap to repair hundreds of miles of tarmac. 

On reflection I really think there is truth on both sides of this.  It is fair to say that the council agent’s are working hard to fix all the damage.  It’s equally accurate that some places remain unrepaired for long periods. So here’s my
Pothole-Buster ™ idea.  (I’m not serious about the trademark, it just makes me chuckle.  Pay no attention to it.)  I’d like to ask anybody who lives within my ward (Wisbech Peckover, Leverington, Newton, Gorefield, Tydd St. Giles) to report any significant pothole in their road by email or phone to me.  I’ll then drive down, take a picture of it, and report it to the county agents for you.  I’ll post the pothole report, the picture and the status on a webpage on this site so everybody can see what potholes have been notified to us, where they are, when the council were told about them … and hopefully when they are repaired.

Each week I’ll chase the council agents and ask about potholes which have not been fixed, pointing to the date I notified them and the evidence on the website as it accumulates.  What I very much hope is that this will demonstrate just how quickly and how often repairs are done and vindicate the council a little.  Of course, it may go the other way, in which case we’ll be able to keep track of the problem and make a judgement of how best to proceed.

In the end you may laugh: “What’s a website and a bunch of phone calls going to do?”  And perhaps it will be a difficult task in the current climate, although I like to think otherwise.  Whatever the case, it certainly can’t hurt can it? 

My challenge to all readers is this: don’t just moan about a pothole and presume you can do nothing about it.  Notify me and let’s get to work, together, encouraging and cooperating with the council to put our roads to rights.  Pothole-Buster(tm) style!

Report Potholes to:- me@stevetierney.org  or leave a text on 07831 616127
Remember to state your name and phone number, the road and area where the pothole is.

*  Your right to contact the council directly is not affected by this request.  This is purely my own individual idea to try and get something done in a slightly different way.
**PLEASE - Only residents of my division.  I can’t do anything for people in other areas - but I’m sure your own local councillor will be pleased to help.

Recession - The Action Movie
Our country is in big trouble.  Not because of the much-vaunted ‘Broken Society’.  Not because of crime and antisocial behaviour.  Not because of the bloated, cannibalistic public sector.  Not even because of the cumbersome mass of the welfare state which successive parliaments have consistently failed to have the courage to address.  It’s because of the wasted, starving economy.  But wait!  Before you yawn and tell me to change the channel because you’ve heard this script before - consider this:

Here’s the problem with talking about the recession right now - if you say: “There is no way we’ll see any serious recovery this year” people accuse you of talking down the economy.  So all the commentators are harping on about “Green Shoots” here and “positive changes” there and even how we’re “past the worst.”  The trouble is that the government has been borrowing (and printing) money like there’s no tomorrow and sooner or later that money was going to trickle into the system and result in what economists call “greater velocity of currency” and what you and I probably call “lots of shopping.”  People are spending all this borrowed and freshly-minted cash and this creates the appearance of slight recovery.  These green shoots are an illusion, like a bright red apple hanging from a branch but full of squirming maggots within. 

In a movie of the current crisis we are somewhere near the middle of the story.  We’ve done the character development and had a few car chases to keep the excitement up.  But the plot is getting serious now.  At some point down the line - and we’re not talking about very far down the line here - the government’s desperate attempt to borrow its way out of debt is going to come to an extremely messy end.  Maybe the sale of bonds will fail when international lenders refuse to buy any more until they see some chance of a return on their investment?  Maybe the dollar will crash when China decides to start divesting itself of the currency and causes a run on it - with the knock-on effect of crippling the pound?  Maybe money will continue to gush into the many public sector black holes while unemployment keeps spiralling up until a critical mass is reached?  There are so many weak points in this particular card castle that its hard to say precisely which way it’s going to come tumbling down - but tumble down it shall.  At this point in a movie you’d really hope the ‘heroes’ of the piece would be taking action, right? 

What everybody should realise is that inflation is coming.  Perhaps we can keep putting it off for a bit longer if Mssrs. Darling and Brown are allowed to pursue their profilgate borrow and spend policies.  But do not trust the government or the media’s talk of green shoots.  They want to keep the masses calm in the face of economic armageddon for as long as possible.  They are, in fact, the villains of this story.  The twist at the end would be a diabolical prime minister chuckling: “Yes, yes!  My plan is complete!” as he contemplated the ruin of the nation.

Even at this late point it is not too late to save the day.  In our action movie, when the evil mastermind’s plans have resulted in the country teetering on the brink of destruction you might expect a dashing, square-jawed musclebound hero to arrive in the nick of time.  Now I’ll agree that David Cameron’s Conservatives are probably not very dashing and certainly not musclebound.  But the Conservatives are the only party with the will and the experience to fix this horrific Labour mess.  After all - they’ve done it before.  In fact I’d guess this movie is a sequel.  Let’s hope it has a happy ending.  And if we get though it intact, please let’s make sure it never becomes a trilogy.
 

Posted in Wisbech, Gorefield, Pothole Buster (tm), Leverington, Newton, Credit Crunch, Tydd St. Giles, Conservatives | No Comments »

07/06/2009 by Steve Tierney.

A New Blue Day

Friday 5th June was ‘The Count’.  The day when I would find out, one way or the other, whether the long and arduous campaign I had just fought was going send me to Shire Hall as a county councillor or to the Cupboard Under The Stairs to lick my gratuitous wounds. 

I should stress that I enjoyed my campaign very much.  I canvassed 90% of my division and got to meet people from every corner of it; Tydd St. Giles, Gorefield, Leverington, Wisbech, Foul Anchor, Tydd Gote, Four Gotes and Newton.   I leafletted every house at least twice, some more often that that.  I went to every Parish Council meeting and to a great many fetes, quiz nights, events and functions.  (I intend to keep doing all these things.  Some people say they usually ‘only see a politician when an election is coming’.  It’s my intention to change that perception where it exists.)

The night before ‘The Count’ (each time I say that I have the urge to do a faux Dracula laugh, a la Sesame Street) I thought I would be unable to sleep, such was my nervous excitement.  But sleep I did.  Like the dead.  I’ve always been somebody who likes to work, but this was one of the toughest, most gruelling months of my life.  And the last week… that was the toughest of all.  So my head hit the pillow and that was all I knew until the alarm screamed me awake and I stumbled, bleary-eyed, into the Day Of Reckoning.  (You think I’m being dramatic?  Try standing for council!  It takes on a life of its own.)

Our ‘telling’ from the previous day suggested we were at 45% of the vote in my division.  You’d think this would have helped me relax, but no.  Quite the opposite.  You imagine you may have gotten it wrong.  That there may be some place where votes have been cast quite differently to what your canvassing suggested.  Labour and the Liberal Democrats had utterly collapsed in Fenland and that had become clear to us during the campaign (despite a puzzling Cambs Times online poll that suggested Labour were doing well, much to our bemusement.  Luckily that turned out to be a pretty duff poll.)  It was UKIP that made me nervous.  Which is a shame because (and this is a personal, not a party view) I am very much a Euro-Sceptic myself and agree that we would be Better Off Out.

On the day of ‘The Count’ (Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa) I stood at the table with my Wife (Marie Tierney), My Mum (Brenda Barber) and one of my Best Friends (Samantha Hoy) watching the drama unfold.  As far as I could see, in the entire building there were only two Labour people:  the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (whose ‘prospects’ are so limited I can’t even remember his name) and another man in a red tie who looked very grumpy indeed.  Looking around the hall, there weren’t a whole lot of Lib Dems either.  But the Schooling Brothers showed up for UKIP (and they were very nice guys.)  Andrew Hunt showed up for the Libertarian Party (and despite our differences, he was a really great guy too.)  Even independents like Mark Archer (who was trounced soundly by Geoff Harper, proving that the world is a just place after all, in my humble opinion) managed to get there.  Perhaps a message for the ‘opposition’ has been sent by impressive smaller parties and  independents : “Do some work, show some interest, or you’ll wither away.”

The final result was that every single seat in Fenland was won by a Conservative.  The whole area has remained that same wonderful blue and this is great news.  It’s great for Fenland because decent, hard-working honest councillors have been returned to continue doing their vital jobs.  It’s great for politics because it shows that even in the face of public scandal from high above and assault from opportunistic other interests all around the public here remain strongly conservative in heart and soul.  And it’s great for me because I have experienced colleagues to go to for advice and guidance as I begin my own new position as a County Councillor. 

Oh yeah… I won, by the way. Fifty-three percent of those who voted ticked the box next to ‘Steve Tierney’ on their ballot paper.  It’s a truly humbling experience and a great honour.  I’ve said it before.  I’ll say it again.  I won’t let you down.

Thank you, everybody.
  

Thanks

I have so many people to thank who were part of my team and who worked feverishly on my behalf and for the Conservative party.  I’ll get around to thanking them all properly, but in brief:-

Bonnie Drewry and Ann Balls plus their entire wonderful Tydd St Giles team.

Rosemary Peggs, Rachel Tranter, David Humphrey and the entire Gorefield Conservative branch and friends. 

Gavin, Paul, Adam, Laura, Tom, Saluwedin and the brilliant gang at Fens Conservative Future. 

Gary Tibbs, Lynny, Peter Tibbs and Jamie Edwards, who got involved purely because they are amazing friends and worked as hard as anyone (particularly Gary). 

My Dad, John Tierney, who drove up from Hemel Hempstead to canvas with me. 

Steve Barclay PPC, Cllr Nick Meekins, Lucy Heighton, Janet Stott, John Lewis and the many other Leverington and Peckover tellers.

My stepdad Tony Barber (and the whole Leverington team), who delivered more leaflets, canvassed more houses and walked more streets than I could have ever hoped for. 

Cllr Simon King for getting me involved in all this in the first place and for being the font of all knowledge and sage advice whenever I have needed it.

My wife Marie Tierney for putting up with my barely being in the house for a month and managing all the usual things we do together, plus taking great care of our Son while I was seldom around, with good humour and grace.

And most of all:-

Debbie Clark, almost certainly the most wonderful Organising Secretary any Conservative area could ever hope to have.  

Samantha Hoy  - My Right Hand Girl.  Who worked every bit as hard as I did and without whom I would have been lost.

Steve Brunton - Who put in so many hours of help I lost count and who deserves a medal for his dedication.

Brenda Barber - My Mum, who was the lynchpin of the entire campaign and who offered support, encouragement and almost all her free time in the same way she always has whenever i’ve needed her.
 
My victory belongs to all these people as much as, or more than, it does to me.

You guys were absolutely, mind-blowingly, awesome.  Thank you so much for everything.

Posted in Cambs. County Council, Family, Election, Victory, Gorefield, Wisbech, Tydd St. Giles, Newton, Leverington, Conservatives | No Comments »

06/06/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Cynical local newspapers, ‘Independent’ troublemakers and Massive upper Government scandals notwithstanding…

 We won!

The whole of Fenland remained entirely Conservative and I won my seat with a very humbling majority.

Thank you so much for your overwhelming confidence and support, people of Wisbech Peckover, Leverington, Gorefield, Newton and Tydd St. Giles.  I will not let you down.

I’ll blog more after the weekend.  Now… I need a celebration drink (or two.) 

Thank you again.- Cllr. Steve Tierney, Roman Bank & Peckover. Conservative.

Posted in Cambs. County Council, My Campaign, Election, Gorefield, Wisbech, Newton, Leverington, Tydd St. Giles | 1 Comment »

10/05/2009 by Steve Tierney.

The Expenses Witchhunt
Doesn’t watching the news just get you down, lately? Every day a new sleaze allegation, a new misuse of office, a new expenses scandal. MP after MP, night after night, is being brought low by the terrible might of the Daily Telegraph (and whatever mole made a fortune leaking the list to them.) I know it’s not going to be popular, but I’d like to make a plea for calm. Before I do, I suppose a few clarifications need be made to prevent being hauled into the stocks and having fruit hurled at me.

Clarifications: I’m as outraged by the misuse of MP expenses as the rest of you. It’s wrong, they shouldn’t have done it, and the rules need to be changed right away.

Okay, with that out of the way, I’d like to make the case for some old-fashioned reason instead of all the frothing and shouting that the press are urging so fervently.

This is what has happened (in a nutshell). MP’s represent huge bodies of people and in public life somebody with that level of responsibility and duty would be paid very highly indeed. MPs earn a perfectly healthy wage (most of us would love to earn that much), but compared to the private sector wages for a similar job they earn very little.  On top of that, those who live a fair way from London and have to work there several days a week must have somewhere to stay while doing their job.  It’s no good telling them they ‘earn enough’ to pay for it themselves.  They mostly don’t (unless we only want millionaires in parliament…)  Hotels in London are expensive and staying in one several nights a week would be just as expensive as a second home.

Over many years MPs have shied away from giving themselves any significant pay rise, but the costs of living and staying in London keep getting higher.  Let’s face it, the reason they didn’t give themselves a pay rise is because there’s no nice way that story will ever play in a newspaper. 

So a culture has built up between MPs that instead of taking a pay rise, they will use their second homes allowance instead.  Please note: I’m not saying this was right.  It certainly wasn’t clever.  But nor is it ‘evil’.  If anything it was cowardly, or just a bit dumb. 

Instead of shrinking back in horror as it becomes clearer by the day that: “they are all at it” we could choose to take some solace in that.  Surely only the most paranoid anarchist actually believes that ‘every MP’ is crooked?  It’s so obviously not true.  What they are is human.  They used a scheme rather than take a payrise (stupidly) and presumed it would never get looked at too closely (also stupidly) and because they were all doing it they talked themselves into believing it was right and proper (most stupidly of all.) 

We know it was wrong.  They know it was wrong.  Yet still the public bay like a pack of starving wolves, circling the increasingly wide-eyed and frightened members of parliament with the scent of blood in their nostrils.  The media are stoking the fire with furious glee.  After all, every new secret brought to light is a new headline, a new expose, and a hundred thousand papers sold. 

The damage being done here is immense.  The public are losing all faith in their politicians.  Our whole system of democracy is being undermined.  The story is now feeding itself and getting hungrier.  Some sanity needs to be restored.

All MPs, or even most MPs, are not crooked.  You may not like the rules (I certainly don’t) but they were within them.  It was a ridiculous, flawed system.  But it has now been uncovered.  The thing to do here, the sensible, calm, rationale thing is to change the rules.  Do away with the loopholes and all non-business expenses.   Demand all receipts.  Publish the full list every year.  And that, my friends, will be the end of that.  As for second homes, I personally think they are fine, but that they should belong to the taxpayer.  When an MP finishes their time in parliament the house they bought is sold and the money (and profit) is put back into the taxation pot.   Voila! (Excuse my French)   No more expenses problems ever again.

As for getting the police involved.  Sure - if they have actually broken the law.  A very few may have done so.  Let’s just try not to tar them all with the same brush.  It’s certainly a good story to see that an MP bought nappies on his parliamentary expenses, or a plug, or a couple of toilet seats, but it’s not the same as, say, cash for honours.  If the police think there’s a case, let them make an arrest.  That is, after all, their job. 

Visiting Sutton
I’ve been canvassing in Sutton (Ely) today on behalf of Cllr. Philip Read.  Why am I campaigning for somebody else and not my own seat?  That’s easy - because I’m part of a team.  Cambridgeshire Conservatives don’t operate in little isolated pockets, we work together and help one another.  An impressive team it was too, since it included (but was not limited to) our organising secretary Debbie Clark, the leader of the county council Cllr. Jill Tuck and the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Steve Barclay. 

Highlights of the day included a very interesting debate about Europe with a gentleman who wanted to know what the Conservative position on it was.  The fantastic views of rolling countryside and fertile fields that can be seen from most of Sutton and is particularly easy to appreciate on such a clear and sunny day.  And being chased by a dog (who caught me and proceeded to drool all over me.)  Please note: nobody set the dog on me.  I wasn’t canvassing for Labour. 

Councillor Read is an experienced, dedicated local politician, councillor and gentleman.  The people of Sutton clearly know that already, since many of them knew him personally when I knocked on their doors and had nothing but good things to say about him and his work.  He also has a donkey, which is kinda neat in my humble opinion.  How many people have a donkey in their backyard?

So, if you live in Sutton, maybe we met today!  If so, maybe you were one of the many people who told me on the doorstep how tired you were of Labour and how unenthused you were by the Lib Dem’s unlikely affectations and grandiose promises.  I couldn’t agree with you more.

Out n’ About
My own Campaign begins officially tomorrow.  Obviously I’ve been doing preparation and all sorts for quite some time.  But tomorrow is my first day of actual canvassing and leafletting.  The Conservative Office have done a great job of my literature and I’m really pleased with it.  Over the next month I’ll be in Wisbech Peckover, Leverington, Gorefield, Tydd St. Giles and Newton.  It is my intention to get around as much of the division as is humanly possible.  If I can do every house, I’ll consider that perfect.  That’s the target I’m aiming for.  If you live there and you see me, please say: “Hi!”.  And please remember to vote Conservative on June 4th.  Every vote counts. 

If you have any questions for me please don’t hesitate to;
phone (07831 616127)
Email me@stevetierney.org
or write : Steve Tierney, 6 Alexandra Road, Wisbech. PE13 1HQ.
 
The Small Print (legally required during election campaigns.)
Published by Mrs D N Clark on behalf of Steve Tierney both of 111 High Street, March, Cambs PE15 9LH.
  

Posted in Gorefield, Cambs. County Council, My Campaign, Wisbech, Leverington, Tydd St. Giles, Newton, Conservatives | No Comments »

05/05/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Too Many Cooks
The Prime Minister has had one of those weekends. You know the ones; everything goes about as wrong as it can go and all your friends try to stick daggers in you every time you turn your back on them. Or maybe you don’t ‘know the ones’. It’s actually quite difficult to become so universally disliked that everything you do turns to dust. Let’s face it, Gordon Brown is stewing in his own cooking pot. He lit the gas, chose the pan, selected the spices and vaulted into the bubbling mixture. The fact that he is now simmering close to boil is a problem entirely of his own making. He has surrounded himself by weak and ineffectual ministers who, faced with such a terrible mess and with the imminent demise of many of their careers, do what weak ineffectual people always do. Blame somebody else. It doesn’t matter that he’s the man who chose them for their positions or that he’s the one they are always saying is: “the right man for the job.” All that seems to be on their minds is how to keep their personal gravy trains rolling into the station a little longer. One minister (or ex-minister) after another has been lining up to smirkingly suggest they would be ‘happy’ to save the day. As if. They can no more ride to the rescue than a drowning man can prevent an air crash. There are too many (bad) cooks in Gordon Brown’s kitchen. The food is poisonous and the whole place reeks of rot. It’s time to look at a new establishment entirely… and a brand new Conservative menu.

Bowthorpe Reunion Party
The Bowthorpe Association is a charity which helps and supports people who suffer from mental illness in and around Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The trustees (of which I am one) are putting on a Reunion Party for old and new service-users tomorrow (Wednesday) night. The purpose of the party is threefold; to give service-users a chance to meet and chat with old friends and new, to ask everybody what sort of services they would like Bowthorpe to try and provide in future and to build a strong bond of trust and friendship between the Association, Service Users and other interested parties. We’re laying on refreshments including snacks, hot drinks and soft drinks and the Association very much hopes people come along and take part.
Bowthorpe ReUnion Party
Wednesday 6th May 2009
7PM - 9PM
The Elgood Hall, William Road, Wisbech.

Morning Has Broken
Very early Sunday morning the Friends Of The Park’s ‘Dawn Chorus’ took place.  The plan was to bring together people from all walks of life, of mixed ages, in mutual appreciation of the wonder and power of nature in Wisbech Town Park.  “Don’t be silly,” some people probably told John Smith, whose brainchild this event was.  “Nobody will get up at that time to stand quietly in the middle of the park.” 
“Who is going to want to listen to bird’s singing?  They’ll all still be in bed after their Saturday evening festivities.”

Wrong!

Something in the region of one hundred and fifty people turned out to listen and to watch and to marvel, slack-jawed in wonder, at the beauty of the dawn as it unfolded over the discrete but magnificent gardens of our wonderful Town Park.  The birds, perhaps enthused by their new audience, sang their hearts out as a fresh new morning broke over the assembled crowd.

I was proud to be part of John’s team, offering what little I could in support.  I made the webpages and handled the online bookings.  Upon arrival I was on the registation desk checking people in.  Later, I was dressed as a parrot for quite some time to amuse the children and make a spectacle of myself for newspaper photographers (Why a parrot?  No idea.  I just did as I was asked.)  Then I was drafted into the kitchen and given to cooking bacon for the free breakfast rolls.  I cooked a lot of bacon.  Maybe it sounds like I did a lot.  Not a bit of it.  I did the same as everybody else, because the whole team (no more so than John Smith himself) threw themselves enthusiastically into the event. 

The Dawn Chorus was an absolute triumph.  Cynics were converted to enthusiasts.  The community in all its diverse shapes and sizes came together.  Wisbech Town Park provided the incredible backdrop for a memorable morning.  I was, quite simply, blown away by it.  On behalf of myself and everybody who enjoyed the Dawn Chorus so much:
Thank you John Smith and the Friends Of The Park.

Posted in Wisbech Town Park, Bowthorpe Association, Labour Party, My Campaign, Parliament, Wisbech | No Comments »

29/04/2009 by Steve Tierney.

Ordinary British Decency
Prime Minister’s Questions today brought up the important issue of the Gurkhas. I was pleased to see David Cameron give Gordon Brown both barrels over this because the current state of affairs is just plain evil. I was also surprised to find that Nick Clegg, somebody for whom I generally have little time for, made the most poignant statement and it was this:
“Simple ordinary British decency means that soldiers who were prepared to die for this country must be allowed to live in this country.”
He is quite right. It’s so obvious that I wonder how anybody can even argue about it? This one doesn’t need debate. It needs action. Right now. If for no other reason than to prove the government still remembers what Simple Ordinary British Decency is.

20 MPH Or Bust
The Local Liberal Democrats are once again on their high horses, this time over the idea to reduce speeds on our roads to 20MPH in towns and villages. Sadly, this is a clear example of what is so wrong with Liberal Democrat thinking. Their first impulse when dealing with any problem is to slap a law, or a rule, or a regulation on it. Aren’t they supposed to be the party of liberalism?  Anybody with any common sense would agree that dangerous driving is a problem that must be dealt with and that slower speeds almost certainly equal less danger. But where do we draw the line? Why not 10 Miles Per Hour? Or Five Miles Per Hour? Or two miles per hour while a man walks in front of the car waving a flag and tooting a horn? In the end, you can reduce speeds as much as you like, but if there’s no enforcement of those speeds it is nothing more than words and hot air.

I put it to you, dear reader, that if people actually kept to the current 30MPH speed limit, drove sensibly with proper care and attention and avoided using mobile phones, sat navs and other distractions while managing their cars that would go a long way to reducing accidents too. The Highways Agency used to tell us in their adverts: “It’s Thirty For A Reason.” According to the Lib Dems they should have reasoned a bit longer. There is a place for a 20MPH speed limit; alongside schools for instance. I worry that if we give the Lib Dems a free run on this they’ll keep slowing and slowing and slowing us down until we’d get there faster on a Tonka toy (and safer too, those Tonkas take some breaking.)  I’m just saying, before we begin knee-jerk legislation and enforcement, couldn’t we think about making the current system work properly?

Dawn Chorus Day
I tend to work pretty late hours quite often and its not unusual for me to be going to bed at about the time dawn breaks.  The happy chirping of the birds can be annoying when all you want is to snatch a few hours sleep.  Of course, that’s a blinkered view of what is actually a rather wonderful phenomenon.  Nature, having laid still during the dead of night, wakes up and bursts into song to mark the start of a new morning.  Which is precisely what Dawn Chorus Day is all about.  The brainchild of town park champion John Smith and in association with the Friends Of Wisbech Park, we are all being invited to come and experience the Dawn Chorus in all its glory, eyes wide with excitement.  On Sunday May 3rd, at 3.45AM (that’s the crack of dawn this Sunday for the chronally-challenged) many local people will be gathering in Wisbech Town Park for a tiny adventure amidst the urban spawl.  I can’t claim to be a bird-watcher or a person who spends much time getting up close and personal with nature, but I’m certainly going to attend.  The world wakes up and sings.  Can you think of a better cure for our current economic malaise than that?  They’re even throwing in a free bacon roll for everybody who attends.  Now that is nourishment for the soul.

Click HERE to see the Dawn Chorus Day poster which has all the details and HERE to book a place!  I’ll see you there!

The Small Print (legally required during election campaigns.)
Published by Mrs D N Clark on behalf of Steve Tierney both of 111 High Street, March, Cambs PE15 9LH.

Posted in Liberal Democrats, Parliament, Wisbech, Conservatives | No Comments »