Councillor Norman Owen

I was very pleased, a few weeks ago, to appear on the BBC’s Politics Show alongside Hazel Blears and Mathew Sephton. I believe it was clear from the interview that Hazel has nothing new to say and as for Mathew Sephton, a cardboard cut-out would have been more animated and a more convincing parliamentary candidate! Unfortunately, something that didn’t come across well in the interview was the Liberal Democrat position on tuition fees. Allow me to be quite clear; it remains Lib Dem policy to abolish tuition fees but it must be done in a financially responsible way. In a six year plan, we will phase out tuition fees for full and part-time students taking their first degrees. This is an important policy. We have a significant student population in Salford and many young people in our city that are being disenfranchised by Labour policies. Being able to get a degree should be a matter of ability, not bank balance and an individual child’s aspirations should not be limited by their parents’ social or financial situation, only by their own commitment and willingness to strive.

This coming May we have the opportunity to change the politics of this country for the better by getting rid of corruption and creating fairness and balance. At a local level we have the chance to put things right in the way our city is run so that the council functions for the benefit of the people that are really important: local residents. I would like to take this opportunity to thank people for their brilliant support during this last year and I make a promise that, with your continued support, the Lib Dems will be back with even more councillors after May 6^th.

One change that needs to take place in the new municipal year is to clean up the streets of this city by enforcing existing litter laws with more vigour. When the Lib Dems have more of a say in running this city, we also aim to end the ongoing saga over road repairs and will seek better value from our Highways budget.

Labour has been in power in Salford since 1974 and is a party that is looking tired; it has run out of political legs. I was looking over old Lib Dem leaflets from our 2001 campaign and I’m sorry to say that the same complaints from 9 years ago are still yet to be resolved. Can we afford to give Labour another decade of power in the hopes they will eventually get around to sorting out our problems?

I have recently picked up casework within the new constituency of Salford & Eccles. The area concerned is around Manchester Road, Clifton, where a bus stop was to be moved to a position that residents did not want. After intervention by the Liberal Democrats, a successful result was achieved and the bus stop will remain at its current site. I’d like to thank the residents who attended the PACT meeting at Clifton Cricket Club for their warm welcome. It was a privilege to be able to help and I was delighted to be able to deliver that right result for them; something which I feel the ward councillors could and should have taken care of themselves!

TV appearances and media interviews aside, opposition to Hazel Blears is prominent across Salford & Eccles. I will be making every effort to defeat her. Voters will not be hoodwinked by carefully staged photo-calls with the Home Secretary and Business Secretary. Labour and Hazel Blears can stand on their track record – what have they done for you lately?

As a long-standing councillor, the empowerment of communities is close to my heart and is a key Lib-Dem policy. It is time to allow local people the chance to manage their own communities. That’s why Salford needs a fresh start from Labour and Hazel Blears. We urgently need fair and transparent local and national politics.

First of all I am sorry to find myself having to set the record straight. Two weeks ago this paper misquoted me as saying that 70 youth workers were set to lose their jobs. The accurate quote is that up to 70 posts across Children’s Services will be lost. Pamela Welsh, the reporter that wrote the article, stated publicly on Twitter on the 5^th February that this was her mistake and she has since made numerous public statements and apologies. It was an honest mistake and I am happy to let the matter rest. However, Councillor Merry appears to have chosen to ignore this and has restated the error in his column. If it was his intention to try and score political points, it has backfired. I am also very concerned that the editors of this publication would allow this misquote to be perpetuated knowing full well the continued embarrassment that it causes to all concerned.

Unfortunately, Councillor Merry’s misjudgements don’t stop there. Salford Council’s 0% council tax rise will be funded by hidden increases in community charges that will hurt the pockets of families and elderly residents. To fund their commitment Salford City Council plan to increase the price of Meals on Wheels for elderly residents, increase the cost of funeral administration and bereavement services, increase library costs and increase costs for schools’ extra-curricular music lessons and for schools’ training and administration. Finally, the 0% rise excludes the precepts for the police and fire authority, which will have to increase in order to maintain services. The reality is that despite the Council’s promise not to increase your council tax, it will go up. Salford City Council has made a promise that it can’t keep!

The Salford Liberal Democrats are proposing a budget that will see no hidden increases and will minimise the impact of present economic difficulties on frontline services. We propose cutting unnecessary allowances for councillors, as well as ensuring that loss-making events like the ice-rink and proms in the park make a profit. We would also cut spending on the hugely expensive Life in Salford magazine.

Councillor Merry would have you believe that living in Salford is good value for money and that the average council tax in Salford is low compared with other English authorities. However, my Lib Dem colleagues and I have been checking his claims. According to the data on the Department for Communities and Local Government website, when you calculate the average council tax of each authority in England, Salford ranks among the highest! So which is it? I for one do not trust Councillor Merry’s statistical jiggery-pokery and I know I’m not alone!

At the end of the day it is the people of Salford that matter and, over the last few weeks, I and my fellow Lib Dems and Lib Dem Councillors have been out meeting real people on Salford and Eccles Precincts. We expected an anti-Labour response but the amount of people who have said they will not be voting Labour has still been a real shock. Last weekend, on Eccles precinct, local residents also raised concerns about the publicity that this paper has been giving Hazel Blears recently. On Salford precinct, Councillor Merry came in for a lot of stick from residents, some of whom even singled out particular Labour councillors as ‘useless’. This shows that the electorate are not just sick of Hazel Blears but also sick of the Labour council and its poor leadership. My message to anyone that wants rid of Hazel Blears and failed Labour councillors is simple: Only the Lib Dems can beat Labour in Salford.

Finally, congratulations to the person who threw the BNP leaflet in the bin (letter 11^th Feb). Well done! Where the BNP have been elected they have been proven incompetent and they spread dishonesty and create divided communities. Residents deserve hard working and honest councillors who work for all rather than for some.

By the time this column goes to press, another year will have almost passed us by. It astonishes me that Hazel Blears as well as failed Labour councillors are still seeking re-election in 2010. Next year the Salford Liberal Democrats will be pushing as one to oust these failed politicians and will be pursuing our goal to break Labour’s control of the city council.

A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to be joined by my youngest daughter at the launch of Salford’s controversial ice rink. There was a brilliant display of ice dancing and we look forward to visiting the ice rink again soon to skate. However, it would have been nice to see more councillors at the opening. After the questionable financial decision by the Labour Council to operate the ice rink at a loss for the third year running, the least they could do would be to personally support it! I only hope that this year will be a greater success than previous years so that at least it will not lose as much money for the city, or better yet, make a profit!

I was also very proud to be present for the homecoming of the fusiliers from Afghanistan. I had the chance to speak with officers and soldiers and could not admire them more or be more grateful for the contribution they make to our country. They have been away from their families for quite some time so it is wonderful that they will be together for Christmas. Other families with relatives serving are not so lucky and whether you support the Afghanistan war or not it is important to remember and support our troops and their families.

On a lighter note, the Women’s Centre at the top of Langworthy Road recently invited me to act as auctioneer for a fundraising event. The evening was very successful and I am glad to be involved so directly in the community. I even auctioned my tie for the organisation, although I have no idea what motivated the buyer!

I have really had to do some soul searching over the recent dismissal of Jill Baker, former Director of Children’s Services. Undoubtedly, she has played a role and must at least be partly responsible for the shortcomings of her department. But why has this individual been singled out? It would seem that Jill Baker has every right to feel that she has been made a scapegoat. Reading the Salford Advertiser website comments and letters pages it seems that many members of the public believe that Councillors John Warmisham and John Merry should be the ones walking over the various failings of Children’s Services. Perhaps the song ‘I’m walking backwards for Christmas’ is about right – it would certainly free this city of two walking political disasters!

In his column last week, Councillor Merry wrote about The Langworthy Hotel, which has been under threat of demolition and he claims to have reviewed the decision. Why wasn’t he already aware of these plans? At last week’s Seedley & Langworthy Forum meeting, residents made it clear that, if an alternative is available, they do not want to see the Hotel demolished. Needless to say that no-one has much faith in Councillor Merry to actually reverse the decision, or indeed take any further action to ensure the survival of this landmark site. The Liberal Democrats will continue to work with the community and look into possible options for the building.

Councillor Merry also called, in his column, for the Lib Dems to forego the proposed 1% pay increase in councillor allowances. It seems that Mr. Merry has trouble reading – perhaps he needs glasses? For the avoidance of doubt and for Councillor Merry’s edification, I will repeat my last column: “Everyone [in the Lib Dem group] agreed that in the present climate it would be wrong to accept even a small increase while many families in Salford have lost their income or taken a pay freeze.” Was this in any way unclear?

On a final note, as this will be my last column before Christmas, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Last week, I was dismayed to see the meeting of full council turned into a sorry spectacle by Salford Labour. Some time ago I asked my fellow Liberal Democrats if they wanted to forego the proposed 1% annual pay increase in councillors allowances. Everyone agreed that in the present climate it would be wrong to accept even a small increase while many families in Salford have lost their income or taken a pay freeze. It is therefore particularly galling to come under attack from Councillor Merry. Councillor Joe O’Neill was particularly incensed at these ridiculous tactics as he had already stated that if he was forced to take the 1% pay rise, he would give it to charity rather than benefit from it himself. The time available in council would be better spent concentrating on more important matters rather than pathetic attempts at political point-scoring. But then again, when this Labour council get it wrong, it is usually in a big way!

As per usual Labour has attempted to deflect their failings and shift blame over the St. Georges school onto opposition parties. The facts have been well documented by this publication and after a strong campaign organised by the parents, teachers and pupils of St Georges the schools adjudicator has determined that it would be foolish to close a successful and oversubscribed school. Astonishingly, the decision seems to have really thrown the Labour group off-guard and they have decided to devote £140,000 of taxpayer’s money to set up a schools “commission” to investigate the future of Salford’s schools. This is a clear attempt to hide their failure to consider any alternatives and shows a lack of inspiration or original ideas. The Liberal Democrats believe that instead of signing off more of the council’s tight budget on yet more consultants, the Lead Member for Children’s Services should sign his resignation letter immediately to make way for others with more creative thinking. It is clear that Labour is facing election defeat. The message from the Lib Dem group is that you have failed St. Georges and failed our city’s children.

Elsewhere, I was delighted to be invited to Salford University’s debating society, where the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Peter Fahy, was the guest speaker. We debated the conflicting requirements of security and liberty. Obviously, surveillance of groups that threaten our home security is important but we also have to measure, as was mightily contested, that any actions taken do not endanger the freedom of honest citizens. Following the disturbing news that residents of Chimney Pot Park are continuing to suffer from burglaries, the relevance of the Salford University debate was brought home to me. While it’s gratifying to note that the number of burglaries city-wide is falling, the figures are still too high. There is ongoing debate however; CCTV married with improved lighting is a proven and effective weapon  and Salford Lib Dem councillors have been arguing for more CCTV installations to combat problems affecting local residents and traders, including Bolton Road in Irlams O’th Height where there have been some instances of violent crime. The lack of CCTV as a deterrent has resulted in the closure of banks and shops on the Height.

Finally, I would like to thank Labour MP Hazel Blears for highlighting the sterling efforts of the Police and PCSOs who have worked tirelessly to rid our streets of the illegal off-road motorbikes that have plagued Salford, but she failed to mention the involvement of Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners in Claremont, Langworthy and Weaste & Seedley who were instrumental in pushing for tougher action, who have assisted the police with their enquiries and who were present at the crushing in Buile Hill Park. Hazel has been conspicuous by her absence.

Councillor Norman Owen
Leader, Salford Liberal Democrats

Some readers may have seen in the press this week an article about a whistleblower within Salford’s Children’s Services. While I am concerned that the changes taking place are within the service are improvements in name only, and are changes for change sake, I think this also highlights the issue of whistleblowing.

Whistleblowing as a practice, as well as safe-guarding and meeting legal and professional ethics has got to be debated because it is the individual on the frontline that has the greatest understanding of how changes impact on service delivery. How do we encourage and empower staff to come forward and how can regulators make a difference in enabling whistleblowing as a means to improving and safe-guarding services?

On another serious issue, I found that I have been repeatedly asked about the monthly column that this publication has given to each of the three sitting MPs for Salford, Eccles and Worsley. Many people have expressed concerns to me that the presence of the column affects the political leaning of the Advertiser and there is a great deal of concern over the timing of this new feature. The three sitting MPs have been representing our constituencies for as much as 12 years. Why now? Why not 12 years ago?

In addition, with a general election so close, why were other possible Parliamentary contenders not informed beforehand? Regardless of the reasoning behind this new feature, it has an impact on the build up to the election and advising interested parties before the feature appeared would have been a matter of common courtesy. It irritates me that we are giving these failed Labour politicians a stage to back-peddle where they have failed miserably in the past. I’m not just talking about expenses either: it is about the failure to promote the opinions of the residents of this city over so many issues, including Iraq.

This week I had the pleasure of being involved in a discussion at the Salford University Debating Society. The guest speaker was the former Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali, who delivered his view of faith in a plural society. It was an interesting evening and I was glad to have the chance to engage with students from Salford University and some of the people attending and participating did not fight shy of being vocal which led to some lively debate.

Unfortunately, I also attended two funerals last week, the first which was of the late Marie Wakefield. When I first met this lady some years ago I found her to possess a wonderful sense of humour and wit. She will be sadly missed and I would like to express condolences on behalf of the Salford Lib Dems. The second was on Friday morning where I attended the service of Frank Corfield at Agecroft Cemetary. Frank was well known throughout the British Legion and for his organisation of the Salford cenotaph remembrance parades. He will be sadly missed at this years parade and service this coming Sunday.

Finally on Friday 30^th October I attended the crushing of off-road motorbikes at Buile Hill Park in conjunction with the motorcycle nuisance campaign. This campaign has the support of all the Lib Dem Councillors from Weaste & Seedley, Swinton South, Claremont and Langworthy Wards where off-road and illegal quad-bikes and mopeds are an ongoing nuisance and danger to local residents. It was good to witness actual practical action being taken. Despite the situation being difficult for them, the police and PCSOs are quite successful in dealing with this problem.

Councillor Norman Owen.
Leader, Salford Liberal Democrats.

Well, the conference season is finally over, along with the traffic chaos and daily news mayhem it inevitably brings! However, one of the really great things about the conference season is being able to look at what each party has to offer in terms of ideals and policy. I believe there is still a lot of deep thought required before the General Election and here in Salford and Eccles, our constituency is more open than ever. Locally, the Liberal Democrats have the best chance to overturn Labour’s majority, particularly with the backing of good solid local and national policy that will benefit the community.

On another subject, I was recently invited to attend a meeting at the Women’s Centre on Langworthy Road, regarding the possible deportation of Gambian asylum seeker, Sukai Jack. Reading about Sukai’s horrific injuries endured before leaving the Gambia was heartbreaking and it brought home to me the fact that there are still many countries in the world where human rights is nothing more than a notion. Some people in the UK would seek to prevent people in Sukai’s situation from coming to our country and our communities, despite the alternative being sickening abuse. Amnesty International are campaigning around the world to highlight places where these kinds of acts take place and are working to protect people like Sukai from injustice.

I was saddened and outraged to hear that an act of arson has recently taken place at the Salford City Football Club ground, Moor Lane. It appears that the blaze was the result of a random act of vandalism that spread to the clubhouse which contained an irreplaceable display of club memorabilia. I’d like to thank the Labour leader and council officers from Urban Vision for their contribution to getting the club back up and running in time for the next home fixture which was played last Saturday. My belief is that no criminal act of this nature should go unpunished, therefore I would like to appeal for information about the attack: if there is anyone with details, no matter how seemingly inconsequential, please contact the police immediately. Anything provided to the police will be dealt with in confidence.

However, as we head down into winter and the fireworks season approaches, I fear we will hear of more of this type of criminal destruction. Already the streets are beginning to echo with the boom of misused fireworks so I’d like to issue a quick reminder to kids (and to parents!) that fireworks are dangerous and can cause criminal damage  and more importantly, serious injury or death.  Please use fireworks responsibly.

Finally, I’d like to refer to comments made by Councillor Garrido in the Advertiser on the 1^st October, when she encouraged readers to put themselves forward as prospective councillors. I must admit that I had not realised the situation of the local Conservative party had become so dire that they need to beg for prospective candidates: local Conservative meetings must be very lonely! But seriously, whatever your political persuasion, standing as a council candidate is admirable because it shows a willingness to try and improve your community. However, if you do want to take that step into the murky pool of local politics, all I ask, if you are elected, is that you try to deliver fairness and democracy in our city. In the Liberal Democrat party, our core ideals are fairness, freedom and openness, so much so that our first loyalty is to the people we represent, followed by the core principles of the party and finally to our leaders. As a councillor it is most frustrating and distressing when policy is set by the Council without due diligence and without engaging in meaningful dialogue – with anyone! So those people who are thinking of becoming a council candidate please be aware that you may be in for a rough ride if you intend to serve your friends, neighbours and the people of your community properly, because local politics is on many occasions an uphill struggle, particularly within a group that will potentially expect you to tow the party line without question!

Councillor Norman Owen
Leader, Salford Liberal Democrats