Labour run Wigan council has been slated by literacy charity Beanstalk after it was discovered nearly 400 children were going to secondary school who did not meet basic minimum requirement of their age group
Amy Lewis, Beanstalk area manager for the North West, said: “It is truly shocking that so many children leave primary school unable to read confidently. We are urgently looking for more volunteer reading helpers to provide vital one-to-one support in local schools.
Wigan Council’s education department refused to comment on the issue.
Trust the Labour party on education? 40 years in control of education in Wigan and they fail 400 children this year alone.
Full story here...
http://www.wigantoday.net/news/education/hundreds-of-children-fail-to-reach-minimum-literacy-standard-1-6863160
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Monday, 20 October 2014
Labour run Wigan Council closes more care centres - profits before care
Despite the objections of disabled residents, Labour run Wigan Council has continued to bash away at the services it provides to the most vulnerable in our community.
Incredibly the council has decided to close day centres in Wigan borough to improve social isolation and loneliness, with even more work being put out to private companies.
The following will remain open;
Central Day Centre,
Etherstone Day Centre,
Broadmead Day Centre,
Selkirk hub,
Hunter Lodge Day Centre
But the following will close;
Fourways Day Centre and Assessment Centre in Tyldesley
Heath Road Day Centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Heathside Day Centre in Leigh.
The Ullswater service, which currently runs from Broadmead, will also stop running
Future Steps and Chapter One, services currently delivered by Wigan Council, will be put out to tender, further increasing the use of private companies by the Council to deliver care.
Cllr Keith Cunliffe, cabinet member for adult social care and health at Wigan Council (you may remember him, the heavy smoker who led the Councils stop smoking campaign) has admitted that the council will save money and it was one of the reasons for the change.
He also admitted, as he has done so before, that many of the buildings Labour run Wigan council operates from, are old and not fit for purpose.
UKIP Wigan opposes the use of private companies to deliver care for profits and says services for the elderly and disabled should be improved on and not closed.
Incredibly the council has decided to close day centres in Wigan borough to improve social isolation and loneliness, with even more work being put out to private companies.
The following will remain open;
Central Day Centre,
Etherstone Day Centre,
Broadmead Day Centre,
Selkirk hub,
Hunter Lodge Day Centre
But the following will close;
Fourways Day Centre and Assessment Centre in Tyldesley
Heath Road Day Centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Heathside Day Centre in Leigh.
The Ullswater service, which currently runs from Broadmead, will also stop running
Future Steps and Chapter One, services currently delivered by Wigan Council, will be put out to tender, further increasing the use of private companies by the Council to deliver care.
Cllr Keith Cunliffe, cabinet member for adult social care and health at Wigan Council (you may remember him, the heavy smoker who led the Councils stop smoking campaign) has admitted that the council will save money and it was one of the reasons for the change.
He also admitted, as he has done so before, that many of the buildings Labour run Wigan council operates from, are old and not fit for purpose.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Get Ukip!
Well said.....
Get Ukip
Published on the 18 October 2014 14:50
CONGRATULATIONS to Ukip for securing their first MP and just missing out on a second in a Labour heartland.
The best the Tories can do is not fight Ukip on their policies, but use the mantra “Vote Ukip, get Miliband” instead. The only reason the Tories can use this is that under the present system (with the current exception of a coalition government) we are given a choice of a Labour or Conservative government. They take it in turns and as a result largely take us for granted and do what’s best in politicians’ interests, not ours.
What would be fair is, of course, full proportional representation. Then every vote cast actually contributes towards what we the people want. Under full PR, there is no such thing as a ‘wasted vote’.
Research in the marginal seats shows that Labour is as much at risk as the Tories from Ukip. So what I say is “Vote Ukip, get Ukip”. Only Ukip gives us any hope of electoral reform, which is actually the biggest issue in politics as it would guarantee that everyone is heard.
Then the Tories would have to fight elections on policies as opposed to pathetic scaremongering.
Then Labour would not be able to sit back and hope that Ukip will hand them an undeserved victory on a plate.
Phillip Smith
address supplied
Get Ukip
Published on the 18 October 2014 14:50
CONGRATULATIONS to Ukip for securing their first MP and just missing out on a second in a Labour heartland.
The best the Tories can do is not fight Ukip on their policies, but use the mantra “Vote Ukip, get Miliband” instead. The only reason the Tories can use this is that under the present system (with the current exception of a coalition government) we are given a choice of a Labour or Conservative government. They take it in turns and as a result largely take us for granted and do what’s best in politicians’ interests, not ours.
What would be fair is, of course, full proportional representation. Then every vote cast actually contributes towards what we the people want. Under full PR, there is no such thing as a ‘wasted vote’.
Research in the marginal seats shows that Labour is as much at risk as the Tories from Ukip. So what I say is “Vote Ukip, get Ukip”. Only Ukip gives us any hope of electoral reform, which is actually the biggest issue in politics as it would guarantee that everyone is heard.
Then the Tories would have to fight elections on policies as opposed to pathetic scaremongering.
Then Labour would not be able to sit back and hope that Ukip will hand them an undeserved victory on a plate.
Phillip Smith
address supplied
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Scandal hits Wigan Councillors again
It seems they are never out of the news for some misdemeanour or other.
The latest embarrassment to hit Wigan Council is that it has been claimed that 2 Labour Councillors have stopped living in the Borough sometime ago, yet continue to claim thousands of pounds in allowances.
It's claimed that Cllr Joy Birch has even left the country and has been living in Ireland but she continued to receive thousands in council payments.
Cllr Kelly Ready is believed to be in Blackpool. Although she attends town hall meetings, residents say she hasn't been seen in the Orrell ward for sometime (a fellow Labour Councillor makes no reference to her attending any surgeries in the Ward). Out and about in Orrell, her ward residents have complained to UKIP that calls to Cllr Ready go unanswered with issues they raise not being dealt with.
Lord Smith makes no comment..
We put to Lord Smith of Leigh, leader of the Labour run Council to confirm if the locations of his Councillors were true, he made no comment. Readers can draw their own conclusions but one Councillor has now resigned according to another Wigan Councillors blog www.garethfairhurst.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/labour-cllr-lives-in-ireland.html
If this information is correct, (although not illegal) it is yet another example of the poor standards we are seeing from the Council and the Labour party in particular. If Councillors are unable to complete their functions, then the should not be making money for the jobs they are suppose to do.
This isn't the first time this has happened believe it or not, the Lib Dems had two Wigan Councillors move to Australia, see the story here http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/aussie-based-councillors-paid-allowances-1-172109
Lord Smith couldn't have said it better, when speaking at the time he said;
"This is a disgrace and Councillors should not be paid if they are not doing their important council work"
"In addition to the financial scandal, these Councillors are not representing the interests of the public who elect them."
"The public should ask their candidates for council seats, will they attend regularly to act on behalf of their constituents."
We also remind Lord Smith that he opposed with other Labour Councillors UKIP's policy of cutting back on Councillors to save money. Labour Councillors claimed that the work they have to do requires three Councillors for each ward.
Clearly that's not true.
Cllr Ready's phone goes to an answering machine, whilst Cllr Birch's phone is already disconnected. So we ask Lord Smith;
Why didn't Cllr Birch stand down when she left the country.
Who knew in the Labour party she had moved away, was she told by the Labour party not to stand down?
Where exactly is Cllr Ready now? Has she also been told to attend council meetings to prevent a by election?
Which of his other Labour Councillors live outside the borough?
The latest embarrassment to hit Wigan Council is that it has been claimed that 2 Labour Councillors have stopped living in the Borough sometime ago, yet continue to claim thousands of pounds in allowances.
It's claimed that Cllr Joy Birch has even left the country and has been living in Ireland but she continued to receive thousands in council payments.
Cllr Kelly Ready is believed to be in Blackpool. Although she attends town hall meetings, residents say she hasn't been seen in the Orrell ward for sometime (a fellow Labour Councillor makes no reference to her attending any surgeries in the Ward). Out and about in Orrell, her ward residents have complained to UKIP that calls to Cllr Ready go unanswered with issues they raise not being dealt with.
Lord Smith makes no comment..
We put to Lord Smith of Leigh, leader of the Labour run Council to confirm if the locations of his Councillors were true, he made no comment. Readers can draw their own conclusions but one Councillor has now resigned according to another Wigan Councillors blog www.garethfairhurst.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/labour-cllr-lives-in-ireland.html
If this information is correct, (although not illegal) it is yet another example of the poor standards we are seeing from the Council and the Labour party in particular. If Councillors are unable to complete their functions, then the should not be making money for the jobs they are suppose to do.
This isn't the first time this has happened believe it or not, the Lib Dems had two Wigan Councillors move to Australia, see the story here http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/aussie-based-councillors-paid-allowances-1-172109
Lord Smith couldn't have said it better, when speaking at the time he said;
"This is a disgrace and Councillors should not be paid if they are not doing their important council work"
"In addition to the financial scandal, these Councillors are not representing the interests of the public who elect them."
"The public should ask their candidates for council seats, will they attend regularly to act on behalf of their constituents."
We also remind Lord Smith that he opposed with other Labour Councillors UKIP's policy of cutting back on Councillors to save money. Labour Councillors claimed that the work they have to do requires three Councillors for each ward.
Clearly that's not true.
Cllr Ready's phone goes to an answering machine, whilst Cllr Birch's phone is already disconnected. So we ask Lord Smith;
Why didn't Cllr Birch stand down when she left the country.
Who knew in the Labour party she had moved away, was she told by the Labour party not to stand down?
Where exactly is Cllr Ready now? Has she also been told to attend council meetings to prevent a by election?
Which of his other Labour Councillors live outside the borough?
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