Quote:
Originally Posted by entwisi
I was just wondering why Graham has posted all this and not our new Council Leader.
Sorry Graham but I'd rather you focus on your role as MP and let the local council leader focus on his job ( and by that I mean setting out how we are going to work for the next X years not how much mud he can chuck at someone across the council chamber)
far too much energy is wasted on "he said this, he did that" as opposed to making OUR TOWN the best it can be with the funds it has. If I worked like that in my job I'd be thrown out as not fit for purpose. We all know there are lies damm lies and council finances so lets stop messing about and get on with the job in hand.
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The new administration are trying to make local government more cohesive and as such are involving the MP. I personally feel that it gives the council more credence to have be unified whole than several faceless entities who pop up every four years for your vote and are then never heard from again, you can't have it both ways. The fact that parts of Westminster are currently in recess may also have something to do with Graham's presence in Hyndburn just now, although I don't think that Cllr Britcliffe would need an inexperienced councillor like me to tell him that.
Burnley's MP is also the Leader of the Council, would people level the same criticisms at him?
Council meetings from now on are intended to be a much more civilised affair and Miles Parkinson has restructured Question Time to give more answers than before by eliminating pointless political debate and getting on with what we're paid for rather than dodging bullets.
A cursory glance at the local papers shows that Graham Jones puts well above the required effort into improving Hyndburn and fighting for the borough, far more than I ever saw of Greg Pope before him and criticisms of getting too involved don't add up to me. He doesn't live permanently in London, he comes home every Thursday night. I think we're lucky to have an MP who does care enough to speak out on local political issues when it matters.
We are told by Conservative councillors that HBC's finances are in great shape and yet one of the officers was left on his own to answer questions on the Township Regeneration proposals at a Resources Overview & Scrutiny call-in this Tuesday:
Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee
I would have thought that portfolio holders would have the courage of their convictions and face questions themselves on policy decisions that they have tried to implement.
Accusations of Labour lies will never be a substitute for solid answers.