Lisa Nandy MP - very concerned about housing developments in Palestine, not so concerned at housing developments in Wigan!

Local Labour MP Lisa Nandy gets 'burned' by local independent councillor:

Independent Councillor Gareth Fairhurst had a side swipe at Wigan Labour MP Lisa Nandy on his blog.
Lambasting Ms Nandy for her lack of support over the residents opposition to a massive housing development in Standish near Wigan, he commented that she'd been to Palestine more than Standish...
Such an outlandish accusation can't be true can it?
UKIP Wigan fully investigated the matter (we Googled it)

There's only one reported visit by Ms Nandy when she visited Standish for a pint in August 2011 at the Prospect Brewery for an hour (ish)

However it's well recorded that Ms Nandy visited Palestine in December 2011 for 3 days!

Photo below shows Ms Nandy looking at map of settlements in the west bank.

It has been suggested that the above is the PLO showing Ms Nandy the new Standish link road but those reports are invented.

Lisa Nandy - very concerned about housing developments in Palestine, not so concerned at housing developments in Wigan!

Mayor of Wigan passes on private e-mails but escapes censure by ruling Labour council.

In yet another twist to the goings on over the tendering process for the land at the former Pemberton Colliery Site at Goose Green, Wigan. The Mayor of Wigan has admitted passing on e-mails to his son over the issue. But escaped with no penalties at all by the Labour dominated standards sub committee.

Last year a recent Local Government Ombudsman report criticised the way Wigan council (aka Lord Smith) had dealt with the tendering process for the Land, ordering it to pay compensation to one of the bidders Mike Cotta who runs Winstanley sports club.

The land and building off Anthorn road was originally earmarked for sale in 2009 but the council reconsidered its sale after bids were made for it by sports clubs led by two local councillors, the late Rona Winkworth and the current Mayor of Wigan William Rotherham.

A complaint to the Ombudsman about their bids resulted in an investigation finding that the process had not been made public, resulting in those two Councillors bids having an unfair advantage over other sports clubs.
www.lgo.org.uk/news/2013/nov/wigan-metropolitan-borough-council-denies-community-sports-club-chance-run-disused-facilities/

After the initial investigation by the Ombudsman the council opened the tendering process up. Council officials found that a new bid by rivals Winstanley sports club, had the strongest bid and best business case.  However in a u turn the Labour run cabinet decided not to grant that club use of the land, except on the condition it worked with one of the unsuccessful bidders, Winstanley Warriors football club, whose President Shaun Rotherham is the son of current Mayor William Rotherham.

When this partnership didn’t materialise, the council decided in 2012 to look at selling the land for property development.  This generated another investigation into the tendering process by the Ombudsman, who found no evidence or reasoning behind the Councils latest decision to refuse to work with the best bidder and found there were flaws in the Council’s decision not to award the land and community centre to the rival bid. (paragraph 44 to 46 of the Ombudsman’s report)

Wigan council has now agreed with the Ombudsman to pay compensation to the rival sports club bidder and revisit the original decision. (page 5 of the Ombudsman’s report)

A local spokesperson for UKIP said ‘once you start looking into the actions of the Labour run council in the tendering process the worse it sounds.’ ‘Councillors in the know only being allowed to tender, public and press excluded from meetings, redacted minutes, Councillors with personal and family interests involved in the tendering process, e-mails being sent to rival bidders by Councillors’  ‘These are the actions of a third world country not a democratically elected council.’

‘Lord Smith and the Mayor need to explain their decisions to the people of Wigan because it’s taxpayers who are paying for this’  ‘It is clear from the investigation that someone else won the bid to use the land fair and square. Lord Smith needs to explain why he moved the goal posts and offered joint use of the land to a losing tender’ ‘This closed door policy and the lack of transparency except to a select few in the local Labour party, raises into doubt how above board the whole process is’

‘If this has happened in one tendering process, has it happened in others?’
‘The people of Wigan are starting to tire of the shenanigans that go on in Wigan town hall and they need to be held accountable. They should be given a full and frank explanation by Lord Smith of Leigh and Mayor Rotherham’

Tory MP is not the only one to repay expenses, ask local ex-Labour MP's

The Maria Miller expenses row story makes us wonder why our local MPs haven't taken the opportunity to bash the Tories over the expenses scandal.

However they well know that their Labour party predecessors also had to pay back their expenses.

Conservative MP Maria Millers pay back came to £5,800

In 2009 Labour MP for Wigan Neil Turner, paid back £6786 from his second home expenses claim.

Ian McCartney, Labour MP for Makerfield, shortly before he retired paid back £15,000 of expenses.

The latest senior MP to be caught up in the scandal admitted that what he charged to the taxpayer for furnishing his second home was ' inappropriate'.  The claim, submitted in 2006, included an 18-piece dinner set, champagne flutes and wine glasses.

Labour and Conservative - as bad as each other?

EU commissioner admits 75 to 80% of UK laws are made by EU

EU commissioner admits 75 to 80% of UK laws are made by EU click on the picture to watch the video.

So why haven't our MP's had a 75 to 80% pay cut?

Days before nominations open for local elections, Wigan Labour Council offers £400,000 in interest free loans to residents in Council Leaders ward.

11 days before nominations open for local elections in Wigan and Leigh, Wigan Council has announced that residents living in the Leigh ward of Leader of the Council Lord Smith, are to be offered interest free loans totalling £400,000.
www.leighreporter.co.uk/news/local/chance-to-reduce-bills-1-6540232

The interest free loans are open to people and landlords in his ward living on Glebe Street, Gordon Street, Prescott Street and Selwyn Street and affects some 700 voters in Lord Smiths ward. The interest free loans can be used to improve the energy efficiency of properties, such as wall installation, new combi boilers, double glazing, doors and loft insulation. This will in turn reduce the outgoings on the energy costs of Lord Smiths constituents.

www.wigan.gov.uk/News/Articles/2014/April/Council-scheme-to-cut-energy-bills.aspx

Although it appears that the loans are being match-funded through the Government’s Green Deal scheme, the council has gone further by offering its own taxpayer funded interest free loans and has extended its application process to 30 September 2014, whilst the governments green scheme closes to new applicants on 30 June 2014.

These Wigan Council interest free loans are not open to any other residents outside of Lord Smith’s ward,  regardless of the age, condition of the property or the financial situation of the resident.

Wigan labour party dumps sitting councillor Emma McGurrin

Despite Standish Labour party endorsing her as a candidate 2 months ago, Wigan Labour party has unceremoniously dumped sitting Councillor Emma McGurrin from her Standish Ward.

The new candidate (expected to be a relative of an existing Labour Councillor as usual) will be selected next week.

Wigan Labour Councillors spent £3000 on wooden ornaments

The champagne socialists on Wigan Council have put their heads together to try and work out a plan to keep us oiks happy.

Noticing that we are a bit glum about getting hammered in this economic climate with the price of everything going up but our pay packets, they have got their heads together over a glass of bubbly and racked their brains on what to do:

Fill in a few pot holes?  NO

Give a OAP care home a lick of paint?  NO.

Sell a few million shares in the airport?  NO

Spend 3 grand on wooden sculptures that will be ideal bonfire material come the 5th Nov YES!

The same Wigan Labour party that shuts care homes because they can't afford to maintain them....