Typical arrogant behaviour from the Cabinet as usual. I suppose they had to climb down over the job evaluation so they have to push one thing through!
Their motto at the moment is ‘Changing People’s Lives’. I think they mean ‘Ruining Peoples Lives’!
Some random thoughts
Got a reply from my MP the other day. Enclosed was a letter from Tom Harris, Minister responsible for rail.
The work to upgrade the track in the vicinity of the now closed Etruria station, including removal of the platform, is currently planned by Network Rail to commence in late 2007. This is part of the work to upgrade the West Coast Main Line in time for further improvements to be made to services, with effect from December 2008.
Far from neglecting the provision of train services at Stoke-on-Trent and indeed the wider catchment area, there have been substantial improvements. There are two trains an hour towards Birmingham, a further half hourly service to and from London and four services an hour to and from Manchester. The area now receives an excellent range of inter-city and inter-regional services, providing the scope, for example, to attract further inward investment.
The proposed West Midlands franchise will also contain the provision of a new hourly semi fast service between London and Crewe, via Stoke-on-Trent. This will provide new journey opportunities and further enhance the quality of public transport for the area.
A considerable amount of investigatory work was carried out by the then Strategic Rail Authority and Rail Passengers Committee along with the local authorities, in connection with the closure of Etruria station.
All relevant issues concerning its potential value were considered and given the objective of making best use of the railway, there was no case to retain this lightly used facility.
What rubbish! So I've written back.
With regards to the letter you received from Mr. Harris, and forwarded to me, it still appears that the DfT have no real interest in, or appreciation of, our area.The removal of the remains of Etruria station and the realignment of the track will make no real gains to the people of North Staffordshire.Trains will still have to slow down before they reach Stoke and the extra acceleration gained when travelling North will be negligible.The proposed new semi fast service between Crewe and London via North Staffordshire is an interesting and exciting one. However, as I understand it, the service would not start until at least 2009 (a long time to wait for a train!). It is proposed that it would stop at Alsager, Kidsgrove and Stoke but not Longport (Longport, is of course, the nearest and most accessible station to a lot of people in the Borough). This is particularly relevant to the service level at Longport which with its present level of dilapidation and lack of promotion, not to mention Travellers camps, is rapidly going the way of Etruria!As I wrote in my previous letter, it is very difficult to travel Northbound without going to all the extra inconvenience of going to Stoke first.I hope the Minister can be made aware of these irregularities and that he will be in a position to make public rail services in our area improve.
My MP does seem supportive, so I'll just have to wait and see…………|-)
I've been thinking how it would be interesting to become a Councillor on our Borough Council.
The only problem is that I don't want to become involved in Party Politics. There seems to be too much squabbling going on and a lack of cooperation between the Councillors because they are in one party or another – Labour seem particularly bad at this at the moment!
The problem with the Labour Party and its Councillors is that they think they have the divine right to rule in Newcastle. What they seem to forget is that it is the local residents and voters who give them their jobs and they are the ones who take them away when they don't like what their Councillors are doing.
It's time they stopped spitting out their dummies and grew up!
Today, potential attacks on aircraft have been, thankfully, averted. Seems like everything has been done properly and things have been done to ensure people's safety.
So I find it unbelievable that some people are on the news whinging that their flights have been cancelled and potentially their holidays cancelled. Which would these selfish whingers prefer? To be alive and not able to go on holiday, or allowed on a plane and blown up?
Some people just can't see the bigger picture! :@
I went to one of our local primary schools yesterday as they wanted a bit of IT advice. What they want, and to some degree need, to do is buy a whole load of equipment. However, they don't have the money. So how are they supposed to provide up to date IT for their pupils if they don't have the cash? They can't even afford to employ a technician on a part time basis to keep everything running.
Just to change the subject totally, I've managed to get a car in our garage this week! That's the first time in 3 years!! Had another clearing out session and we've bought a plastic mini shed thingy for some of the junk. I think the garage was built for an original Mini though. Even with minimal stuff in the garage, it's still snug!
I've signed up to theyworkforyou.com so I can see what our local MP is saying in Parliament.
I report with great sadness to the Prime Minister that, following the local elections and a bit of bed-hopping by the Liberal Democrats, Newcastle-under-Lyme is being temporarily led by the Conservatives. In the past 20-plus years Newcastle has been well served by Labour leaders—Mike Brereton, Eddie Boden and David Leech—and I wonder whether, in this novel situation, the Prime Minister can help me out. By which yardsticks would he judge this new, Tory/Liberal Democrat alliance in my area, however temporary it may be?
The point of that was what exactly? What a total waste of time saying that to the PM. Political points scoring I suppose.
Thing is, Labour controlling the Borough Council were a total waste of time. All they seemed interested in was saying how great they were and making a complete pigs ear of the Borough. I just hope the Conservative / Lib Dem people are better!
Well, that was interesting. Our council has gone to one with no one in overall charge (Labour were in control before) and a couple of quite high profile and long standing Labour Councillors have lost their seats.
I'm not surprised that the Conservatives won in our area. The Lib Dems haven't been very high profile recently, which to be fair was in part down to the health of the Councillor who stood down. Labour were contemptuous of the electorate as they didn't even bother to do any canvassing until two days before the election! So well done to our new local Councillor, just don't go quiet until the next elections!
One thing that is interesting is that in Stoke, next door to us in Newcastle, the Council has also gone to no overall control, but there have been a lot of people voting for the BNP. Bad move Stoke!
It now seems that the Government is in a major mess and everyone is blaming everyone and his dog for their own problems!