Allan Smith

Nelson Mandela, one of the most important political icons in history, is to turn 90 this July and a special concert will be held in Hyde Park to celebrate such a landmark.  I do hope David Cameron and the Conservatives will not be hypocrites and turn up to this event. The Tories supported Apartheid and I do hope they will not show up and taint the celebrations.

I was a solid supporter of the anti-Apartheid group and went on marches at the time, during a Conservative government. At the time big businesses in Britain were the worst employers in South Africa and backed the Tories by pumping millions into their coffers.

I have read comments in the press in recent weeks regarding cleanliness at local hospitals. I was pleased to read the North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust had signed up to a new scheme to encourage staff to wash their hands in a bid to reduce infection levels.

Last week I attended a hospital appointment for a minor operation and was delighted with the service I received. The wards were not only clean, but also maintained on a regular basis. The staff were very attentive and good-spirited and clearly had the patient's interests at heart. My operation was carried out quickly and effectively and I was up and about in what seemed like no time at all.

I cannot say enough good things about the staff and it's clear to me from my experience they are already doing everything they can to combat the spread of infection.  A big well done to all those involved.

In the national press recently David Cameron compared himself to Margaret Thatcher. I am glad Mr Cameron has set his stall out early so that North Lincolnshire residents can be reminded of what may happen if, God forbid, Mr Cameron is ever in a real position of power.

Mrs Thatcher's destruction of the social fabric in Britain has left many scars and, as the problems with the Post Office have recently shown, have left true public services in tatters. Communities were ruined as Thatcher and the Tories shut down industries and left three million unemployed. Her relaxation of credit controls led to a boom and then a massive bust, leaving millions on the breadline as she played the economy using only the interest rate to make the poorest even poorer.  And then there's her friendship with tyrants such as Pinochet and the fact the Tories supported Apartheid!

Does this mean we can look forward to millions of people being unemployed if the Tories win the next General Election?  Would we see increases in the minimum wage scrapped and hospitals closed?  Judging by Mrs Thatcher's record, the answer is yes.  We can also look forward to workers' strikes and rioting in the streets - who could ever forget the Poll Tax riots!

And then there's the issue of transparency - this Government introduced the Freedom of Information Act and has made the expenses of MPs available to the public. Does Mr Cameron really want to emulate Mrs Thatcher's ‘achievements'?  If Mr ‘hug a hoodie' Cameron promises to cut taxes, and by nature will cut services, how can this be a better deal for the residents of North Lincolnshire?

I am sure those who attended Marty Wilde's performance at the Plowright over the Bank Holiday weekend will agree that the event was absolutely fantastic. The theatre was packed to the rafters for a fantastic night of rock and roll. 

As many people know I am more of a jazz fan but the entire event was fantastic and was very well received by those in attendance. It just goes to prove that people in North Lincolnshire do want quality entertainment and they will support whoever comes and performs here.

It's a good job the Tories didn't get in last May because I am quite sure the Plowright would have been shut down by now if they had!

According to Cllr Liz Redfern in the Telegraph on April 29 there is ‘no point' in calling in items for discussion on scrutiny. What a sad indictment of this opposition Tory group who, rather than get on with the job they were elected to do, have continued to spit their dummies out rather than challenge and constructively oppose council policy.

The Labour group spent four years in opposition up to 2007 and found scrutiny to have a very valuable and important role in the decision-making process.  Panel members, made up of councillors from the Labour and Conservative groups, review decisions and make recommendations to ensure the people of North Lincolnshire get the best out of their public services.  I chair the Economic Development and Corporate Issues Scrutiny Panel and, alongside six other councillors, we enjoy non-political discussion on a number of issues. I am sure the vice-chair, Cllr Trevor Foster, would agree with me.

I wanted to write to pay tribute to the lifelong socialist and master jazz musician who died last week.  I was privileged to see Humphrey perform in Scunthorpe on a number of occasions over the years and he was not only a wonderful musician but a fantastic man also. A man of the people he was a public schoolboy sent to work in a south Wales steel mill which completely changed his outlook on politics because of the way workers were treated. He will be sadly missed.