Can't sleep?, need to read something, kindle not charged? read Wigan Councils accounts for 2013-2014 here.
Squirrelled away on Wigan Councils Website so no one can locate them and scrutinise them.....
Saturday, 2 August 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Labour run Wigan Council recruits 5 full time spin Doctors
Despite claims of a financial crisis and making millions of pounds in cuts, Labour run Wigan council has advertised for 5 full time spin doctors to improve its image on twitter, facebook and the media.
This will be seen by many as an attempt to put style over substance and will be seen as a kick in the teeth to hardworking front line council staff who have been made redundant.
Volunteers giving their time for nothing for Wigan Council will likewise be upset that the ruling Labour party has found over £150,000 a year to employ several spin doctors to 'manage and enhance our reputation on a local, regional and national basis' in the run up to the 2015 general election.
Residents already annoyed at the poor service they receive from the council, will be surprised that the Labour party's priority is 'spin' rather than providing a better service. No extra bin men, no extra social workers or carers, no money to repair day centres, but hundreds of thousands of pounds allocated to improving the Labour partys image in Wigan
Many believe that this is a reaction to UKIP's encroachment into traditional Labour territory. The Wigan Labour party grandees, frightened by UKIP's showing in the polls are now having to devote more and more time and money into fending off the challenge of UKIP in Wigan.
UKIP the party of the working class in Wigan would not have cut staff to employ 5 spins doctors when the money could have gone to protecting and improving front line services. A crew of 5 extra bin men, 5 extra carers, a team of 5 constantly repairing potholes in Wigan, is where we would have put the money first.
This will be seen by many as an attempt to put style over substance and will be seen as a kick in the teeth to hardworking front line council staff who have been made redundant.
Volunteers giving their time for nothing for Wigan Council will likewise be upset that the ruling Labour party has found over £150,000 a year to employ several spin doctors to 'manage and enhance our reputation on a local, regional and national basis' in the run up to the 2015 general election.
Residents already annoyed at the poor service they receive from the council, will be surprised that the Labour party's priority is 'spin' rather than providing a better service. No extra bin men, no extra social workers or carers, no money to repair day centres, but hundreds of thousands of pounds allocated to improving the Labour partys image in Wigan
Many believe that this is a reaction to UKIP's encroachment into traditional Labour territory. The Wigan Labour party grandees, frightened by UKIP's showing in the polls are now having to devote more and more time and money into fending off the challenge of UKIP in Wigan.
UKIP the party of the working class in Wigan would not have cut staff to employ 5 spins doctors when the money could have gone to protecting and improving front line services. A crew of 5 extra bin men, 5 extra carers, a team of 5 constantly repairing potholes in Wigan, is where we would have put the money first.
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Telegraph - Ukip voters will make Ed Miliband Prime Minister, Labour claims
If just nine per cent of voters support Ukip then Ed Miliband will become prime minister, according to Labour researchers
Ed Miliband will become prime minister if Ukip wins more than nine per cent of the vote in next year’s general election, Labour advisers have calculated.
Mr Miliband’s strategists have calculated that a significant vote for the Eurosceptic party will cost the Conservatives enough seats to put Labour in office, The Telegraph has learnt.
Senior Labour figures say that, despite losses to Ukip in recent local elections, Mr Miliband’s team believe their party has a lot to gain from its advances and the final result in May’s general election may hinge on how Mr Farage's party performs.
Ukip took three per cent of the vote in 2010, but has since seen its polling figures soar. It took 27 per cent in the European elections, and is at about 13 per cent in current opinion polls.
Polling by Lord Ashcroft, a Tory peer, has shown that of those people who backed Ukip in this year’s European elections, 52 per cent had voted Conservative in 2010. Only 15 per cent were former Labour voters. Labour sources say the party’s private polling suggests a similar split, leading Mr Miliband’s team to conclude that Ukip is a bigger threat to the Tories than Labour.
“The Tories lose a lot more than we do from a decent Ukip performance,” said a senior Labour campaign source. “The whole election could hang on how many of their current voters stick with them next May.”
Some Opposition figures, including Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, and Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, have called for the party to take a tougher line on Ukip, fearing that Mr Farage’s party will eat into Labour’s traditional working-class vote.
But others involved in the Labour election campaign have persuaded Mr Miliband that Ukip gains are good for Labour’s prospects.
Another Lord Ashcroft poll last week showed that Ukip was performing well enough in marginal constituencies to take at least two Commons seats, Thurrock and South Thanet, both currently held by the Tories.
Senior Conservatives admit privately that winning back a significant number of today’s Ukip supporters is a “strategic priority” for them.
Lynton Crosby, the Conservatives’ polling adviser, has told colleagues that Ukip voters could be divided into three distinct groups: “natural” Tories who would return to the party next year; waverers who could be persuaded to return, and a smaller group of irreconcilables who were permanently lost to the Conservatives.
Some Tory strategists that the best way to win back wavering Ukip supporters is by warning them that a vote for Mr Farage’s party helps Labour.
As a response to that argument, Mr Farage has been talking up Ukip’s ability to take votes away from Labour, highlighting his party’s gains in Labour areas.
Earlier this month, the Ukip leader proposed a deal with the Tories in which the Conservatives would agree not to contest working-class marginals where he claimed Ukip could defeat Labour. In exchange, Ukip would not run candidates in more affluent Tory-held seats.
Without such a deal, Mr Farage said a solid Ukip vote among working-class voters meant “there are a number of seats here that [Conservatives] probably aren’t going to win but that Labour probably is going to win.”
Some senior Ukip figures have even suggested that their party could cost the Tories enough seats – and win enough of their own – to end up holding the balance of power in a hung Parliament in a close election.
A ComRes poll in May commissioned by Ukip donor Paul Sykes found that 37 per cent of Ukip voters said that they were “certain” to support the party at the general election. Another 49 per cent said that they were “likely” to do so.
The British Election Study, an academic project, found in May that more than half of people, 57.6 per cent, intending to vote for UKIP in this year’s European Parliament election intend to stick with the party in the 2015 general election. The proportion was half that number at 25.5 per cent in 2009.
The prospect of losing seats to Labour because of Ukip has added to Conservative fears over the current constituency boundaries, which Tories argue are slanted against them because the urban seats where Labour traditionally wins are smaller than Tory strongholds in the suburbs and countryside.
That means Labour needs fewer votes nationwide to win enough Commons seats for a majority.
The Conservatives attempted to redraw the boundaries in 2011 but we’re thwarted by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
An all-Tory Government would make a fresh attempt to redraw the boundaries soon after taking office, party sources have said.
One Conservative MP said: “Ukip is not just a dark-blue party. They are picking up votes in Grimsby and in Bradford and other key Labour seats.
“Yet again Ed Miliband’s office seems to be about 10 years behind the curve. While they are taking votes from the Tories, Ukip are also taking votes away from Labour which could cancel out any benefit Miliband sees.”
Mr Miliband’s strategists have calculated that a significant vote for the Eurosceptic party will cost the Conservatives enough seats to put Labour in office, The Telegraph has learnt.
Senior Labour figures say that, despite losses to Ukip in recent local elections, Mr Miliband’s team believe their party has a lot to gain from its advances and the final result in May’s general election may hinge on how Mr Farage's party performs.
Ukip took three per cent of the vote in 2010, but has since seen its polling figures soar. It took 27 per cent in the European elections, and is at about 13 per cent in current opinion polls.
Polling by Lord Ashcroft, a Tory peer, has shown that of those people who backed Ukip in this year’s European elections, 52 per cent had voted Conservative in 2010. Only 15 per cent were former Labour voters. Labour sources say the party’s private polling suggests a similar split, leading Mr Miliband’s team to conclude that Ukip is a bigger threat to the Tories than Labour.
“The Tories lose a lot more than we do from a decent Ukip performance,” said a senior Labour campaign source. “The whole election could hang on how many of their current voters stick with them next May.”
Some Opposition figures, including Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, and Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, have called for the party to take a tougher line on Ukip, fearing that Mr Farage’s party will eat into Labour’s traditional working-class vote.
But others involved in the Labour election campaign have persuaded Mr Miliband that Ukip gains are good for Labour’s prospects.
Another Lord Ashcroft poll last week showed that Ukip was performing well enough in marginal constituencies to take at least two Commons seats, Thurrock and South Thanet, both currently held by the Tories.
Senior Conservatives admit privately that winning back a significant number of today’s Ukip supporters is a “strategic priority” for them.
Lynton Crosby, the Conservatives’ polling adviser, has told colleagues that Ukip voters could be divided into three distinct groups: “natural” Tories who would return to the party next year; waverers who could be persuaded to return, and a smaller group of irreconcilables who were permanently lost to the Conservatives.
Some Tory strategists that the best way to win back wavering Ukip supporters is by warning them that a vote for Mr Farage’s party helps Labour.
As a response to that argument, Mr Farage has been talking up Ukip’s ability to take votes away from Labour, highlighting his party’s gains in Labour areas.
Earlier this month, the Ukip leader proposed a deal with the Tories in which the Conservatives would agree not to contest working-class marginals where he claimed Ukip could defeat Labour. In exchange, Ukip would not run candidates in more affluent Tory-held seats.
Without such a deal, Mr Farage said a solid Ukip vote among working-class voters meant “there are a number of seats here that [Conservatives] probably aren’t going to win but that Labour probably is going to win.”
Some senior Ukip figures have even suggested that their party could cost the Tories enough seats – and win enough of their own – to end up holding the balance of power in a hung Parliament in a close election.
A ComRes poll in May commissioned by Ukip donor Paul Sykes found that 37 per cent of Ukip voters said that they were “certain” to support the party at the general election. Another 49 per cent said that they were “likely” to do so.
The British Election Study, an academic project, found in May that more than half of people, 57.6 per cent, intending to vote for UKIP in this year’s European Parliament election intend to stick with the party in the 2015 general election. The proportion was half that number at 25.5 per cent in 2009.
The prospect of losing seats to Labour because of Ukip has added to Conservative fears over the current constituency boundaries, which Tories argue are slanted against them because the urban seats where Labour traditionally wins are smaller than Tory strongholds in the suburbs and countryside.
That means Labour needs fewer votes nationwide to win enough Commons seats for a majority.
The Conservatives attempted to redraw the boundaries in 2011 but we’re thwarted by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
An all-Tory Government would make a fresh attempt to redraw the boundaries soon after taking office, party sources have said.
One Conservative MP said: “Ukip is not just a dark-blue party. They are picking up votes in Grimsby and in Bradford and other key Labour seats.
“Yet again Ed Miliband’s office seems to be about 10 years behind the curve. While they are taking votes from the Tories, Ukip are also taking votes away from Labour which could cancel out any benefit Miliband sees.”
Friday, 18 July 2014
Wigan Council to spend £11 million on lighbulbs in the next 2 years
This compares to £ ½ million allocated to repair Wigan potholes in 2014/2015.
Has Labour Wigan Council got its priorities right?
We don't think so.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Failures by Labour run Wigan Council nearly doubles road scheme cost
Here's the Leader of Wigan Council, Lord Peter Smith, at the official opening of Southgate this morning. pic.twitter.com/M2Gge5sQDZ
— Wigan Council (@WiganCouncil) March 18, 2013
An internal Audit by Labour run Wigan council has identified numerous failings in its 'Wigan South Gateway scheme', costing Wigan taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The scheme which included various road changes to Frog Lane lane and saddle junction, original should have cost £694,000 but the final cost came to over £1.04 million.
Errors highlighted in the report included;
Compensation claims paid by the council due to delays with the project.
Constant alterations and variations to the contract from the initial specification by Wigan Council.
A failure in the councils contract administration adding to an escalation of costs.
Sunday, 29 June 2014
Wigan Council slated by Government department for banning twitter
The Department for Communities and Local Government has heavy
criticised Wigan Council’s failure to record and publish its council meetings. In a major setback for Lord Smith’s policy to ban council
meetings being digitally recorded for the public, the government is set to overrule the
Labour leaders ban and to allow recording in all Council meetings.
In its report The Department for Communities and Local
Government, describes a couple of incidents (including Wigan Councils actions
in calling the police to a council meeting) ‘we understand that on the 24 April
2014 police officers were called to effect the removal from a Wigan council
meeting of a councillor on the grounds that he was using social media during
the meeting’ it went on to say; ‘whilst
the great majority of councils already allow persons attending an open meeting
to use social and digital media for reporting the meeting, there are examples
where attempts have been made to prevent such reporting to the detriment of
effective local democracy and of ensuring full transparency and accountability
in step with the digital world of today.’
Describing such actions including Wigan Councils it said ‘such
situations are clearly indefensible and are deeply damaging to public
confidence in our democratic processes’ It plans to legislation to allow the
legality of using social and digital media, including filming, to report any
open meeting of a local government body.
‘The Regulations can therefore be confidently expected to
put an end to any incidents such as those described above arising in future.
The need for the Regulations to be in force at the earliest opportunity is
therefore, in the Government's view, unarguable’
So it looks like the next time the police are called to a
Council meeting it might be Lord Smith escorted from the building….
Friday, 20 June 2014
Wigan Labour party abandons democracy
 |
| Newly elected Wigan Labour Councillors |
Despite many Labour Councillors standing on an 'independent' ticket and being a 'strong voice for their ward' local Labour councillors voted on mass to abandon discussions and debate at the last council meeting on 11th June 2014 and vote through all agenda items.
This meant that issues of concern to residents were not discussed but simply rubber stamped by the Labour controlled council.
It further undermines Wigan Labour's claim that they need 75 councillors (claiming full expenses of over £1 million) to deal with council issues. Surely they only need one if they agree to rubber stamp everything Lord Smith says?
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