PaulRogan

Calderdale's Tory Cabinet has decided upon fortnightly waste collections by wheelie bins. Not with widely tipped Spanish owned Focsa but with the French company Sita. Spinning and seeking to cover up the reality of taxpayers losing 50% of their general refuse service, the Tory Deputy Leader waffles at length about the new recycling initiatives in the package they have decided upon for us. Not surprising the DL let his cabinet colleague responsible for waste collection Councillor Graham Reason off the hook with this announcement. The notoriously well known ‘councilor bin-bags' is up for election in May and is often known to say things from the hip which he later claims are mischievous misquotes.

Well my dear and wise Tories, there would be a lot more recycling going on today had you not closed down all the village and community recycling points, or did you expect this had been forgotten?

Never mind, the Cabinet's statistic that more than half our residents positively want wheelies, some surveys claim even 9 out of 10, will guarantee that Councillor Reason gets a good night's sleep in the days before the election. On the other hand, different surveys have put those against wheelies at 7-8 out of 10. In Rastrick straw polls, there were 100% against.

Oh, and you can still have bin bags anyway, but only every fortnight and only if you are considered ‘wheelie inappropriate'. But who will decide if you are wheelie inappropriate?

There is now a campaign to take Berwick out of England and put into Scotland. Once Berwick is gone, will Scottish eyes then fall upon York? After all, York was the English staging post for our many attacks on Scotland in the past, William Wallace conquered it and in order to protect Scotland's borders, it would be a very handy City to have.

Firstly, how should the Berwick question be decided? By referendum? Should we ask the people of Berwick if that's what they want? With Scotland doing already so much better than England in so many ways, better health care, better schooling, free tuition fees, it might not be a big surprise if the people of Berwick voted with their wallets. Especially when last week PM Gordon apparently feels it is only right for more spending power to be allowed to the Scottish Parliament, they can be expected to be even better off.

Perhaps we should ask the wider public. Ask the people of England if they want to cede one of their towns. Ask the people of Scotland if they even want Berwick. No, I forgot, even when absolutely promised a referendum on moving closer into the EU, PM Brown has decided we won't get one after all. Not much chance of a referendum then. No doubt instead, a secret committee appointed by the Government, which will of course have public consultation but as usual, take no notice of it, will make the decision.

Seems we can no longer turn to our armed forces to protect our sovereignty either. The British Army finds that the one bootlace left to them has now been cut in half. Already well-overstretched policing civil wars and so forth, getting proper gear, including enough bootlaces is to be denied them too. Never mind our brave boys, you are now, like the rest of us taxpayers £3,500 better off as the value of the Northern Rock hits the Country's assets. Oh, or is it a liability?

From the BBC London Elections, Features

http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2008/02/13/mattoconnor_feature.shtml

Matt O'Connor, of the English Democrats, is no ordinary mayoral candidate. If he wins, he promises to erect a statue of Batman outside Buckingham Palace. He is probably joking, but then what would you expect from the founder of Fathers 4 Justice?

"We were talking about the role, the importance and significance of fathers in the lives of our children. I think we were pioneers in getting that message across in a high profile way. And yes, we had to take risks. We didn't have a big budget. We had to be crazy and inventive."

"I've always tried to use ridicule, humour and satire to take on the government. I am fairly fearless in my approach. I will do what I believe."

Matt O'Connor is talking about Fathers 4 Justice, but he could just as easily be talking about his plans for the mayoral campaign. However, it would be a mistake to underestimate him or write him off as a novelty candidate.

Fathers 4 Justice outside Buckingham Palace

In conversation at a Piccadilly Circus café, Mr O'Connor is far from the brash and obnoxious character that is sometimes portrayed in the press. Instead, he is friendly, chatty and intelligent. While he could never be described as shy and retiring, there is a serious political passion that burns deep within him that was perhaps lost underneath all the superhero outfits.

The young radical

And it is a passion that has been there since his early childhood. Born in Manchester in 1967, both his parents were strong Labour supporters and as a youngster Matt O'Connor regularly went out canvassing. When Cherie Blair unsuccessfully contested the Tory seat in North Thanet, Kent, at the 1983 general election, O'Connor was out stomping the streets on her behalf.

Matt O'Connor says that he has previously been a member of the Fabian Society, CND, Amnesty International, he supported the miners' strike and took part in anti-apartheid protests. It's this experience of direct action that was used to great effect when he launched Fathers 4 Justice in 2002. For a while, it seemed that superheroes were scaling famous London landmarks on a weekly basis.

But what happened to his radical roots?

"I got materialistic and that all went out of the window. In the early 1990s I was trying to build up a business in design, marketing and PR. That's all I was bothered about."

"I had no intentions to get back into politics or campaigning. Believe you me, it was the last thing on my list of things that I wanted to do."

The English Democrats

While the story behind Fathers 4 Justice is a well-trodden tale (he has written one book and is planning another), much less is known about the party that Matt O'Connor will be standing for, the English Democrats.

The party aims to restore, what they see, as the imbalance between England and the rest of the United Kingdom, particularly since devolution was introduced by the Blair government. As well as the issue of English taxpayers' money being shared out across the Union, the English Democrats also raises the issue of the West Lothian question: Why Scottish MPs can vote on matters that affect England and Wales.

And not being afraid of patriotism and of being English is another key issue for the English Democrats and for Matt O'Connor.

"We gave the world the English language, Winston Churchill, football, fish and chips, democracy and the Magna Carta. We gave all these great gifts to the world, yet we don't recognise that," says O'Connor.

"I thought where this vacuum exists - nature abhors a vacuum but bigotry loves one - that's where you get the Men of Hate who come in and say 'England this and Britain that' and start discriminating against people on the basis of race, colour and creed. And that's a really dangerous slope."

The original candidate

Initially it had been announced that the media pundit, Garry Bushell, would be the English Democrats mayoral candidate, but he pulled out due to work commitments. Matt O'Connor had actually been in the process of setting up his own political party, the People's Alliance, when he was approached.

"We were engaged in a conversation and it sort of came up," he says. "As far as I was concerned they had already done a lot of the leg work in terms of what I was going to be doing anyway."

Matt O'Connor makes four pledges for London:

• Defending individual liberty: "You might be happy with all the number of CCTV cameras round here, but I'm not."
• Protecting Londoners from crime: "Ken Livingstone has failed in his duty of care for Londoners."
• Strengthening families: "I want to tackle the causes of family breakdown by putting fathers back into families."
• Repairing communities: "Integrated communities rather than segregated communities."

"The last thing I'm going to do is stand and just bang on about the English Parliament," says the English Democrat candidate. "One-trick politics is no good to man or beast."

A credible candidate

While O'Connor is candid about his chances of winning the election - 'I'm along for the ride, as well as trying to make a difference' - he looks positively insulted when it is suggested that his Fathers 4 Justice shenanigans could result in people taking him less seriously.

"Credibility? Boris Johnson is running. If he stands next me, I'll look like a more serious candidate."

However, he does acknowledge that it is an uphill battle and it is one where he will have to make do without his superhero costumes, having promised to keep them under lock and key.

David and Goliath

"Obviously, this is David and Goliath. It's like we are up against Mr Tesco, Mr Sainsbury and Mr Asda and I'm your local delicatessen. We've got to look at strategy and how we deploy our resources. We've got a very inflammatory and provocative campaign."

"I'm hoping that with a little big of creativity and innovation, we can make a bit of a splash "

Matt O'Connor

"I'm hoping that with a little big of creativity and innovation, we can make a bit of a splash and have a bit of fun at the same time and give Londoners a bit of a choice and get them thinking."

"Politics can be fun, it can be involving. I think if we can get some radicalism going to get people involved in campaigning and to be more politically active that would be a significant thing."

Intriguingly, O'Connor declares that he has a 'Plan A and a Plan B' up his sleeve.

Letter to the Mayor

Last week, Matt O'Connor sent a letter to Ken Livingstone.

"I said, thanks for keeping the seat warm, wash the glass out when you leave and I've decided that when I move in, I'll have a plaque to mark his achievements and that plaque will be above a urinal, so each time I went, it'll remind me that he was taking the piss."

Mr Livingstone has yet to send a reply, although O'Connor doesn't seem too disappointed. He is relishing the fun ahead and the chance to serve the city he loves.

"I've looked at this city from penthouse suites and top hotels. And I've also looked at this city when I was one or two steps away from the metaphorical gutter."

"What I love about London is the spirit, the people. Maybe we're not as warm as the northerners, as people might perceive it, but I love the cosmopolitan vibe, I love the cultural melting pot that is London."

• Matt O'Connor: Vote English >
• The English Democrats >
• Fathers 4 Justice >

We are all aware of the Secretary of State's decision regarding the Council's plans for Sugdens in Brighouse. The Secretary of State refused to confirm a compulsory purchase order, which would have resulted in the Sugdens site being redeveloped as retail sheds and in Mill Royd Street being closed. Many people in Rastrick consider the announcement of the £6million to be spent on swimming pools in the Borough to be either pre-election spin or smoke and mirrors. Could the Leader please help to dispel such cynical comments by giving clear answers to the following questions?

1. An outside solicitor (Mr Creer) was appointed at the beginning of December to look into allegations that false evidence had been presented to the Compulsary Purchase Inquiry. A report was promised by Christmas. Has anybody had sight of Mr Creer's report yet either in draft or final?

2. When will all Elected Members have sight of it?

3. Exactly what proportion of the headlined £6million is specifically intended to be invested in Brighouse pool?

4. Do you agree that Brighouse should have the first and major call on the capital investment for new pools as it is the only one of the three areas which had a swimming pool and now does not, for whatever reasons?

5. Do you accept that the timing of the announcement made about the investment in pools, at the very least in Brighouse/Rastrick and Sowerby Bridge may be thought by some to be politically motivated?

6. At what time do you consider it appropriate for the Council to respond to requests from the Brighouse Area Voluntary Sector to publicise proper details of the Council's plans for the wider community?

7. What are the Council's costs to date in the matter of the Sugdens compulsory purchase inquiry and have all those costs been reimbursed by the developer in accordance with the terms of the development agreement?

Just got my notification of meetings schedule. Member Training - Understanding Your Role in Area Forums, Tuesday April 1st.

I have already blogged my views on these 'Forums'. Unlike those in many other Authorities known as committee's, which have some purpose and teeth, the Calderdale ones cover too large an area and have no authority to do anything. Talking shops and sop to Government tick boxes.

Training on April Fools Day is so appropriate!

What everybody needs to know?

The Scrutiny Panel, convened to ‘give a view' or ‘make any recommendations' to the Tory Cabinet towards the proposal to submit an Expression of Interest, was packed with spectators. As well as Halifax's former MP, a great many other people too.

Q - Does anyone wish to speak in support of said academy?

A - Silence, none.

[The Labour group, having already ‘vowed' in the press beforehand that, along with their Tory Cabinet allies to support the academy looked like they were facing a siege on their ‘establishment' position.

Q - What on earth has happened to old Labour's grit and determination to speak out for the oppressed and over-administered common people?

A - God knows, or maybe the Bishop of Wakefield.] (Back to the meeting)

Q - Is this a Council decision?

A - Despite protestations to the contrary, I remain convinced that it is. If the Council says yes - it flies. When not, it seems most unlikely.

Q - Will the Bishop of Wakefield seek to help the Anglican Church deliver its academy target with North Halifax as one of the promised 100 and go it alone?

A - My view, with so much local opposition, a foolish choice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, would seem a more sensible approach. BUT...

The Church may decide (covert threat?) to ‘convert' Holy Trinity' into a smaller version academy. That would of course still count towards its target, BUT is this likely to succeed?

A - The Council couldn't support this (as it wouldn't solve the problem of their closing down The Ridings) - Strike 1. It is unlikely to fulfill the Government's criteria of ‘most cost effective way forward' - Strike 2. In the present hostile local climate, the Church would have to ‘manage' opposition better than the Council seems able to do - Strike 3.

Q - So what can The People do?

A - Stand a local candidate in May's elections who promises, if elected, to stick to their pre-election stance on ‘No to an academy instead of Holy Trinity' and ‘the Council should find another way to solve their (ill considered) Ridings closure problem'.

Q - Will It work?

A - Yes, I think it will. The English Democrats stand ready to support such a candidate who will take the stance of ‘Local People's Views Come First'.

The English Democrats candidate in the election of London's Mayor is Matt O'Connor.

No need of further comment from me, this link contains all he has to say, http://www.voteenglish.org/

I hope Londoners support him and he wins!

Carr Green and Crowtrees Community Action Group has launched a website... many thanks to Chairman, Christine Beal. It is excellent and can be found here

http://www.cccactiongroup.btik.com/home.ikml

Any other community groups wanting a website, go here for info.

http://www.communitykit.co.uk/

The Project launch is at Brighouse Community Learning Centre, Church Lane, Brighouse on 20^th Feb from 3pm to 7pm.

The goal is to enable local community organisations in the area to use the facilities and borrow the resources at the Centre. Also to provide training as requested.

For more information, contact Eileen Fawcett on 01422 392829 or email, Eileen.Fawcett@calderdale.gov.uk