Peel Away!

Talking about un'appealing' press releases it is most unfortunate that residents from Medway have to observe a 51 year old lady quite literally shedding skin on the Rochester & Strood Conservative website.

We all know the local Tories are beholden to corporate and vested interests, unless of course its based anywhere near Europe, but anti-ageing companies based in North America could, you would think, be going a bit far.

It is particularly interesting to note the product being advertised, somewhat ironically given the age profile of the Tory group (who presumably dont use the product), is actually subject to a number of user concerns.

The advert is a link to a fake newspaper screen (try linking to the other topics in the main news section) and is actually a shameless plug for two particular products BellaPlex and Hydroxatone, produced by a US company called Bellezza Products, LLC.

One google of this company and you are quickly drawn to the conclusion that this company is not all that is appears to be. There are huge numbers of complaints about whether this product actually works and/or the difficulty in getting out of any purchase agreement once signed into.

I, of course, would never seek to make a comment on its relative merit, but given the number and nature of complaints there should be concern from local Conservatives about who and how they are advertising.

We all know Cameron likes the air-brush but could it be that like the Tories its promises are just too good to be true or are we about to see some miraculous results from our blue-rinse brigade of Councillor's?

I don't know any Tories that shed skin like that in the advert, but I have been known to be wrong. I wait with earnest the next Council meeting.

Do we know who they are?

Above press statement from Conservative-controlled Medway Council

Given you have just paid £300,000 to one of them Cllr Jarrett we should hope you do!

£2.3m over-budget. With Medway Tories it is incompetence as standard!

Where's Wicks?

The ever silent and ghost like Cllr Wicks has not spoken a word since the fiasco over the 11+

Today, even more revelations were revealed from school teachers themselves, which lay bare the incompetence and shambles of a portfolio holder who just cant accept the blindingly obvious fact that not one parent, teacher, pupil or resident has an iota of confidence in his ability.

The damning indictment of Cllr Wicks, was delivered by the Chair of Governor's Sheila Mann who pointed the blame firmly at the department managed by the portfolio holder

"As chair of governors of Rainham School for Girls, in light of recent media coverage, I feel compelled to write to clarify the involvement of the school in the Medway Test on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

"On August 8, Rainham Girls’ School was approached by the student services manager at Medway Council to see if we could provide another venue, as the number of parents requesting the test had been underestimated. It was made very clear from the outset that the student services team at Medway Council would administer the test and supervise children on the day.

"Rainham School for Girls were not asked to provide any extra assistance other than premises access. The administration and organisation of the test on the day was agreed to be the sole responsibility of Medway Council, this is a fact that appears to be overlooked."

You would think Cllr Wicks would have been immediately available, think again... Rehman Chisthi also has remained strangely silent; not one call from the MP for any resignation over this issue.

Journalists at the Medway Messenger have been struggling to find the ever elusive portfolio holder and have dubbed the quest 'Where's Wicks'.

They were told he was first on 'holiday' by ward colleagues but this was denied by the Council.

It has since emerged that instead of managing his department overcome this fiasco he has in fact, according to reports, been at the Conservative Party conference, presumably cheering the same cuts to education budgets which are undermining the future for children across the borough.

The Council stated that children were not disadvantaged in the 11+ chaos but this is increasingly hard to believe. It seems our portfolio holder is dealing with other matters to make any comment.

Councillor Wicks has a record of failure and has been allowed to get away with it for too long:

• 11+ exam fiasco at the Chatham Grammar School for Boys and the Rainham School for girls
• Botched Primary School re-organisation programme using incorrect pupil statistics to close local primary schools including the closure of Ridge Meadow and St Peters and St Johns threatene
• The £350,000 photocopier contract with Ridge Meadow School
• The £1.8m overspend on the Walderslade School
• The £2.25m overspend on the Woodlands School
• The cuts of 144 frontline teachers and teaching assistants in 2010/11
• The cancellation of the School improvements at Luton School and the cuts to Building School budget from £5m to cover maintenance only
• Medway ranked close to bottom of Level 4 league table with only 67% of pupils across area gaining level required

We have all had enough. Go.

What a Labour Council means?

Boris Island Poll

Sometimes the local media surprises even this blogger in the lack of research undertaken before publishing a story.

This week a poll commissioned by Medway Council, but dubbed independent, has revealed that of 1,000 people surveyed (on the back of another undefined piece of work), the overwhelming majority of people do not support the idea of Boris Island in Kent.

Welcome news indeed it would seem and especially given the whole thing cost less than £500. You wont here me complaining if this is truly reflective.

However, dont expect London policy-makers to be that concerned.

Any one with a basic science degree will ignore a poll like this. Not only have the Council failed, and they do this time and time again, to publish the full statistical breakdown and methodology but they have also not revealed the question.

In any poll; the question needs to be unbias and given with the full facts including the questions asked before. Was this a poll for instance added to a wider one on transport, use of tax payers money, future priorities for UK? Was this a poll on the competence of Boris Johnson or merits of rail v air travel.

Clearly the context of the preceeding questions will impact the outcome of the Boris Island question. My suspicion is that this poll was neither independent nor weighted correctly; therefore will be totally ignored by Tories in London.

If we want to get credibility on this issue widen the poll; focus on Kent; print the statistics and metholodology and open it up to scrutiny. Like most Council polls; this is rarely done...

The local media has some good journalists but instead of printing ad-verbatim Council press statements they should ask the serious questions.

If we are to see a media monopoly in the Medway Towns it is more important then ever that someone does ask the serious questions.

I agree with the outcome of this poll but am suspicious that it was commissioned with an outcome in mind and that is how it will be perceived.

Update

Council has now published full statistical breakdown here

Ron Sands Defects

Picture of Ron Sands joining the Tories
WITHDRAWN AFTER COMPLAINTS FROM COPYRIGHT HOLDER

Particularly interesting to see Mark Reckless MP bolting back from his wedding night to welcome the decision by Cllr Ron Sands, who stood as the English Democrats’ Parliamentary Candidate in Rochester and Strood at the last General Election and is currently a Parish Councillor in Hoo, to join the Conservative Party.

Pity that the communications guru for the Tories didnt do his research on some of the opinions of Ron before dropping out the press release this morning.

Ron has been regularly blogging over the last 18 months about his new found friends in the Conservative Party. Indeed, it does make me question his underlying principles as a Politician given some of the views he previously held.

You can read about the opinions of the Conservative Councillor on his blog.

The New Conservative Councillor believes that

"It is in the Tory DNA to punish the poor for being poor. Deep down they feel people on benefits are there because they deserve to be. They complete ignore the fact that in life as the historian A J P Taylor once said 'luck and fate play an enormous part in peoples lives'”.

"Personally I think Cameron and his Coalition have disenfranchised working people and now worry about the local elections in May and so now and only now does he come up with patriotism. Despite some optimism on the part of the electorate last year, many feel that the main parties have all made it abundantly clear that they only thing they are really concerned about is protecting the rich."

On the NHS

"Medway Conservative MPs Tracey Crouch, Rehman Chisthi and Mark Reckless who are supporting a privatisation agenda and the undermining of NHS through increased use of private-sector provision"

On the Coalition

"Remember that the Cons really do not have a mandate for their destruction of the public sector and only hobbled over the line propped up by the Lib Dumbs"

"Money doesn’t seem to just be talking with this Tory government, it seems to be positively shouting".

On Conservative Controlled Medway Council

"Medway Council the slapstick council

buy a tunnel for £1 …..oooops £500,000 repair bill
Knock down a local historic building for a car park… at a time of massive cuts spend £250,000 on a new web page…. In middle of a recession lets build a new bus station a new hotel and lets not worry about the traffic chaos hmmmmm a new hotel in Central Chatham what about Mountbatten House could that not be refurbished in to a hotel or better still converted into accommodation for single residents of council housing list. Stop free swimming for senior citizens and children Until that is we English Democrats made a promise in the River Ward By election to bring back. Produce council documents and advertising say City of Medway before any decision is known.
Medway your local council stated the The Medway CCTV car is ABOVE the law while it prowls the
Medway streets inflict parking fines on hard pressed local motorists from a law breaking position themselves.
Medway your council pays it chief executive more than the prime Minster
Medway your council which has one conservative councillor reported by Chief Constable of Kent as unit for a position as a councillor. One Conservative Council convicted of Kerb crawling in his own ward now there local for you………one labour councillor committing benefit fraud. And now the latest wheeze
Lets wallpaper of closed shops with pretty pictures of busy shops new meaning to papering of the cracks"

We are wondering whether Ron will keep his solumn pledge to campaign for an English Parliament because last time this blogger checked it wasnt part of the Conservative manifesto.

Ron is clearly an intelligent and erudite individual. We wish the Rochester & Strood Conservative Association well.

Protecting our Greenspaces

Myself with Friends of Horsted Valley Campaigners

Planning Proposal Graphic (Click to enlarge)

The Luton & Wayfield Labour team is very worried about the proposed development of the Daisy Banks and the manner in which land is being transferred from the Banks to Luton Primary School, to facilitate an NHS facility which is poorly situated within a dense urban area with poor vehicular access.

The application is that part of Daisy Banks, just as you enter the Valley from Pheasant Road will see 2,500 square meters of the Local Wildlife Site to off set the lose of Luton School playing fields for vehicular access to another development on adjacent undeveloped land (proposed NHS facility) on the other side of the playing fields. The area will be cleared and a 2 meter fence erected.

This will block off existing pathway. The planning statement accompanying the application, agues that it will not in fact ential the lost of open space or impact upon the character of the local landscape. However, in view that the change use is in fact to allow further development, which includes construction of an access road and development of undeveloped land, it in fact mean that a significant area of open space will be lost. It also ignores the significant lost of wildlife habitat which is not compatible with it use as a playing field. Lastly, the planning statement completely ignores that is the primary gateway to the valley and has been used by the public for well over 20 years.

We are working with the Friends of Horsted Valley and local residents to oppose this planning application

Have you or somebody you know been walking Daisy Banks, entering via Pheasant Road for more than 20 years?

Would your be prepared to make a statement to that effect? Please contact the Vice Chairman at andrew401968@yahoo.co.uk

If you wish to make a submission concerning application MC/11/2345, you can do so via Medway Council planning porta, link above or by writing to: Development Control, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR, quoting the reference number MC/11/2345.