Telling it like it is!

Posted By: Ted Flynn
Date Posted: 05/03/2007

Firstly can I congratulate Rochdale Online for the excellent idea for Councillor’s Diaries.  This is something that I meant to do for a long time and I welcome the opportunity.  I am a Liberal Democrat Councillor for the Castleton Ward and have been so for many years.  During this time, we have strived to do our best for the area and I am delighted to say that we done so for a long time.

I was intrigued to see Councillor Brett’s comments on this Website – it certainly makes for interesting reading.  Let me make this quite clear that Councillor Brett until May was in power or part of power for decades.  I have watched with awe at his hypocrisy over the last few weeks.  Let’s be honest about this – he has had an opportunity to act for years – he was a former Finance Portfolio Holder – stuffing himself with biscuits, enjoying his Council Meals, taking advantage and parking his expensive car outside Rochdale Town Hall for years and the rest.  He has watched silently as he and 9 other Cabinet Members got on with their business, never once offering to reduce the number of Cabinet Places.  It was only April that he was attempting to bring in Councillor’s pensions for his colleagues – opposed by the Liberal Democrats.  Every amendment proposed by the Labour Group is a sign of their failure to act before, when in opposition he comes out with this but why didn’t he act before.

The one good thing about the Council Budget Meeting was the debate.  Members were quite constructive and the Conservatives certainly came up with some ideas that we will be considering for next year.  It was only weeks ago that Labour and the Tories were prepared to increase your Council Tax by 4.9% though.  This Liberal Democrat Administration have worked hard to keep the unfair Council Tax low and despite the Opposition headline grabbing – it is our party who have delivered the lowest increase for a decade – as Keith Swift said – “Actions and not words.”  This Council does need to have a look at a number of issues over the next year though.

Part of my job on this Council is as Cabinet Member for Crime and Community Safety and I have approached this job with particular relish.  It is vital that this Council work with the police and other agencies in the fight against crime.  Locally and Nationally the Liberal Democrats are campaigning for more police on our streets with full powers of arrest.  I am delighted to see positive action by the Liberal Democrats to bring the funding crisis at Greater Manchester Police to an end.  It is not right that we should be suffering from a £26 Million Shortfall over the next few years.  This will mean LESS officers on our streets and Jim Dobbin MP can say what he wants.  The fact of the matter is that we are suffering from crime and anti-social behaviour and over the last few years we have seen 30 LESS Police in Rochdale.  I was also concerned at Councillor Lynn Brosnan’s attack on Anti-Social Behaviour Orders in a recent paper.  Her attack was unjustified and I her attempt to garner publicity has not made our streets any safer.

I am happy to see the 442 Bus Services back up and running from Castleton into Rochdale.  I would like to put on record my thanks to Bu-val who were unsuccessful in bidding for a contract renewal.  I know that Councillor Peter Davison, my Ward Colleague was especially delighted that the future of this popular service has been maintained. I have represented Castleton for many years and everyone is Castleton knows that we put our area first and always have done.  The ‘anonymous’ leaflet delivered in Castleton was a disgrace and as a Senior Council Officer said last week – Information on this was ‘misleading’.  Labour Councillors have been spotted actually delivering the leaflet and I am calling on them to publicly apologise for the scaremongering they have caused.  The new Library at Castleton Community Centre is a huge success and is increasingly busy.  The Coffee Morning on Friday had over 20 people attending and I would like to thank the staff at the library who are doing a great job despite being relentlessly undermined by certain people locally.