PaulRogan

Another special Council meeting, this time to hear members' views about closing the troubled Ridings school in North Halifax.

Members' views? Do they count?... I doubt it. The views of parents don't seem to either.

Should the Ridings be closed? .....More like asking when the undertaker should close the coffin lid rather than "should we let the body inside live or die?" Certainly it is already a cadaver and I don't think there are any Tory Cabinet members able to raise the dead. Even if they could, and whilst many feel they can walk on water, I doubt they would want to.

The whole debate cannot be seen in isolation. The closure of this school will affect every other in the Borough. My fear is, adversely too.

As a means of getting one of these ‘new' idea Academies.... Dangerous to experiment with children's lives and schooling. Experimental mixtures often go wrong and may become highly explosive.

As a means of supporting excellence.... What is wrong with supporting the two Grammar Schools we already have? Nothing except it seems to go against local Tory thinking. Supporting a Blair idea instead seems to be much the safer bet. Especially when the Tories reply upon New Labour to keep their Cabinet jobs! It will be interesting to hear the views of those New Labour members, as their constituents will be directly affected first of all.

Castlefields Area. (Incorporating Close Lea & Foxcroft )

Tuesday 4^th September at Castlefields School, 6.30PM

Carr Green & Crowtrees.

Wednesday 5^th September at Carr Green School, 7PM

Field Lane All Residents

Thursday 6^th September at Arncliffe Centre, 6.30PM

Woodhouse Area

Wednesday 19^th September at Woodhouse School, 6.30PM

What can I say?

I found this Mirror article most interesting headlined "Yorkshire Tories' breakaway bid" an exclusive by Bob Roberts And John Kelly (Daily Mirror, Aug.6^th) Quote-

Shocked David Cameron was given a mauling by angry grassroots Tories in Yorkshire - who have warned they will form their own breakaway northern party if he does not shape up.

Cameron is said to have been so shaken by the ferocity of the verbal assaults during the get-together with local activists that he could not finish his lunch.

The summit meeting in Leeds was supposed to be a charm offensive to allow Cameron to soothe the fears of those angry at his move away from traditional Tory values.

But a source who was there said: "There was blood on the walls in no time - and most of it was his. He turned white because everyone was laying into him.

"People got very angry with him. I don't think he enjoyed the meal. By the time we got to dessert, he'd had enough. The dish was put in front of everyone but he just said, 'I don't want one'. To be honest, he looked a bit sick by then. He was given a right good kicking. Some people were so upset with his performance they refused to shake his hand.

"But whether or not we got through to him is a different matter."

The meeting with 22 activists at Bertie's French restaurant last week - which included constituency chairmen and prospective MPs - was called by Cameron after he was warned about the discontent among northern Tories. He was told the party in Yorkshire is on the verge of meltdown, with members leaving in droves. In West Yorks alone, 250 party loyalists out of a total of 500 are refusing to renew their membership.

Some of those present said they were ready to form a breakaway party if Cameron were to be defeated at the next election but refused to quit.

The source added: "We are stuck with him, we all agreed about that. But his hand is on the tiller and it's better that it still is when we go down at the elections. "At least after that we can start over again - or even start a new party. We can't go on as Tories like this.

"Cameron doesn't seem to realise we are the people who get the vote out. We know what this party needs."

Among those at the meeting was prospective Yorkshire MP Craig Whittaker. He admitted the lunch was: "Very open and very frank." But he insisted he was not unhappy with Mr Cameron. He said: "Personally, I found him very inspirational."

Tory FACT

Exciting plans for Bradford's regeneration were announced within days of an article in The Echo that Brighouse is behind the times.

Bradford's ‘living water front' vision, a plan by leading architect Will Alsop is going forward at a cost of many millions. The irony is that with a site bounded by a flowing river and tranquil canal, a similar Alsop waterfront vision for Brighouse has been dismissed by Calderdale, who consider an outdated ‘tin shed' development as being good enough for our town.

As usual, the Echo with little by way of constructive proposals and even less knowledge - they couldn't even be bothered to send a reporter to the Sugden's Public Inquiry - heap all the blame on one local developer.

This is not my understanding. The Council's Sugden scheme still awaits planning approval and they have had since 1997 to get this done. This was confirmed to me by the Inspector at the Public Inquiry which has not yet concluded.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but facts should always come first.

What is the age of consent these days in England? When I was a lad, we could ride a motorbike at 16, be a soldier at 18 and vote only when 21 years old. My dad could start work when he was 14 but I had to be 16. Clearly some changes had to be made for the sake of fairness. Either no fighting (and possibly dieing) for your Country until 21 or the right to vote at 18 for the Government, which might want to send you off to war.

We have now certainly rested on the age of 18 when a man or woman is considered old enough to be engaged in the Nation's conflicts and vote for Her Government. The age of 21 is now, regrettably, nothing more than the distant historical age when a man was considered strong enough to raise a sword above his head in full armour. I still think there is much merit in 21 as the age of adulthood, but we are where we are. (Thanks mostly to the World Wars of the 20^th Centaury)

This being so, 18 should be the age for all things. That wonderful and universal watershed between youth and adulthood.

I suggest all permissions be aligned at 18 years of age, including the right to join a political party and vote in any public election.

This means the ability to drive/ride anything on a public road. Perhaps there would need to be some allowance for horses and pushbikes but only when accompanied by an accountable adult.

Ability to leave school or full time education.

Ability to buy and consume alcohol or tobacco or any other prescribed items (glue, knives etc)

Any other views out there?

At last night's Council meeting a Tory Cabinet member (or members, not sure who wrote the speech) urged members to condemn the New Labour Government for being behind the proposed closure of many rural post offices.

It is fair to say that not many New Labour voters live in rural areas so this cost saving exercise would not lose Gordon many Westminster seats generally. Labour are traditionally not strong in the English Shire Counties. Parts of Calderdale and the key Calder Valley seat are an exception to this generality and Labour members sat quietly to endure the Tories political posturing on the matter.

As an English Democrat I was happy to support the motion to support rural England. However, I did feel it was a fine example of political duplicity coming from a group which locally has closed public toilets, closed rural libraries, closed village recycling points, closed off free stop and shop parking facilities and closed Brighouse swimming pool.

Do what we say and not what we do. No wonder the Tories are doing so badly in the polls.