Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

According to the letters page of this week's Observer, ex-Conservative councillor and Britcliffe chum John Farrer, informs us of some interesting news.

His letter moans that the Mela won't be happening, and blames central government funding, but then tells us that Peter Britcliffe has 'managed to find some money to celebrate Accrington Stanley's inevitable return to league football.'

He doesn't offer any information about how much money, or what our esteemed Council leader is planning to do to celebrate the occasion. It may just be a cup of Freetrade coffee in the Town Hall for all we know.

If, hopefully tonight, Stanley win their rightful place back in the football league after forty four years, the event should be celebrated. What I object to is it being used as a political point scoring exercise by the Tories.

Lastly, I've commented before how the letters page of the Observer are used by the Conservatives to get their views across, indeed this week we have Britcliffe attacking 'our Gayle', yet so few of them are willing to enter into a debate about local issues on here.

Shame.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Didn't think it would be long before it popped up on here.

I'm going to answer through the letters pages next week but suffice to say the letter about me is one long lie from beginning to end and I'm not going to qualify it by saying any more.

As for the John Farrer letter - that's just a joke and also incorrect.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

John Farrer's letter was nearly as hilarious as the one about his ex-wife.:)

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Does this mean I can start a bender tonight all being well? Gayle they might be running scared of you and the easiest way to get at someone is a pile of porkies.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I couldn't agree more with you Garinda, the Conservatives are very adept at negative campaining. Rather tham making cheap jibes at his opponent it would be better if Peter Britcliffe et al could tell us what he has done to improve the lives of the citizens of Hyndburn. He has been strangely silent about free travel for the over 60's and disabled, within Hyndburn from 1st April 2006. One can only draw the conclusion thast this is for the follwoing two reasons -
A It is a Labour Government
B If people don't take advantage of this, they will not have to use all the £1.4 million the government has given them to pay for the free travel, and so can use any surplus on expensive projects which benefit very few people.

Letter in the Observer.
 

I'm surprised no-one has made a comment on the letter in this weeks Observer 7:4:06. The one from our esteemed council leader.
He thinks the press officer on the Mid Pennine Arts association is standing against him in the local elections just to spite him..... a fit of pique on Gayles part becuase he does not support the Panopticon. How old is this man....? His outburst sounds like that of a 12 year old who does not get all his own way. I have just one thing to say to this man......Get a life!

Re: Letter in the Observer.
 

You must have got the wrong end of the stick Margaret. In the letter he said the spokesman for Mid Pennine was running against him. I am fairly sure that Gayle is not a man. Also in the Observer it refers to AccyWebs Bill Greene as running for the Lib Dems in St Andrews against Peter and Gayle. I bet most people who read the Observer are now thinking that Mid Pennine's spokesman is Bill Greene.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

This had been on the cards for months and was mentioned along with the Queens birthday celebratyions after a Friends meeting.
Come on Gary you need to get involved with your Community a bit more so you know whats going on around you ;)

Re: Letter in the Observer.
 

Neil....I still think it is a very childish outburst and would be ashamed to put my name to it......I said he should get a life, but I think I probably meant he should get a job....a proper one!

Re: Letter in the Observer.
 

Anyway, according to another post (jumping on the bandwagon)....Gayle is going to reply in next weeks paper. I can't wait.....hehehe

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Had to read this letter several times to even make sense of it, not terribly literate !! To suggest (even if I didn't know Gayle), that a person would stand up against him on one issue seems quite an inane comment to me. The commitment generally is quite a huge one and extremely time-consuming, and as we have already seen in past posts she is just as interested in ridding the dog pooh from our streets.

Think nicotine withdrawal is affecting this man ... mmmm convinced me to carry on with the weed. :rolleyes:

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Maybe we should all write letters to the observer about what we think of PB & co. Would be interesting to see how many would be printed

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

It would be an excellent idea for everyone to write aletter to the Observer and say exactly what they feel about Peter Britcliffe. I am sure some of them would get printed.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I'm quite happy sitting on the communal fence, thank you.:)

Peter Britcliffe did mention in one of his Observer columns, not the smoking, wheezing one I think, but his musings in general one, that the Council would mark the occasion of Accrington Stanley re-entering the football league somehow.

I just note my interest that Peter's little chum and acolyte John Farrer, seems to know what is planned, and deems fit to inform the general public via the letters page of the Observer.

How much will it cost?

Who is paying for it?

A ticker tape parade round the town in an open top bus, or tea and buns in the Mayor's parlour?

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Perhaps Peter Britcliffe will produce a commerative calendar to celebrate the event?:D

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

PMSL (sos text) Garinda, visions of the Mother's Union one, council member with a footballer ... which month you reckon Britcliffe should be ? Something in the Autumn, when the leaves are dro(o)pping off the trees.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Will be a better one if he loses. He will need 12 things he accomplished for a "as it was" calender. :p

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Perhaps he'd do April, lathered up in the showers with the lads?:D

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Coral,Ladbrokes and William Hill are now taking bets on which page Peter Britcliffe will appear in the Observer each week and there are good odds on multiple page bets.I'm betting on page 3 next week,although I read the Mail I believe in other papers the t*ts are usually on that page.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Sadly, I don't think he is going to lose; voters feel the devil you know mostly and we are all a little lazy ; he has too much of a public image (bad or good) to fall. Hope I am wrong though. :(

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Well if he gets back in how much moaning will there be?

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I have to admit that Britcliffe's letter in the observer smacks of sour grapes. It is a pathetic attempt to keep interest in the local election high by mentioning a project which to many of us holds no interest.

His statement:-
"I have even been told that the Mid-Penine press spokesman is standing against me at the forthcoming election."

This implies that he had no idea whom his opponents were until very recently, whereas the rest of the borough have known about the Mid-Penine 'spokeswoman' for months...
Really Peter!!!!!! If you wish to retain your seat, you really are going to have to try to keep up......:D

Re: Letter in the Observer.
 

It's strange that this should be mentioned as I was only talking about this yesterday with a nieghbour. I think many people don't understand how being a Councillor works. I don't pretend to understand it myself so maybe someone like Graham Jones, Gayle or Bill Greene might like to explain for us. The main cause for confusion appears to be thinking that being a Councillor is a job, this implies salary. I know Councillors are not employed by the Council but they do receive expenses, some appear to claim more than others from what I remember from the Observer months ago. I have no idea if someone like Peter Britcliffe receives anything extra for being leader of the Council or not. I think a lot of the public don't realise how much of their own time our Councillors spend on Council business.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Become a doer then and not a talker and get them written.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Re: Neil's question about expenses/salary.

Didn't Peter Britcliffe again use the Observer to tell us that he receives a salary of £15,000 as leader of the council, and in his words, if I remember correctly, 'he's worth every penny.'

Councillors receive expenses only and are not paid a salary. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Not bad going if you can get it. Seems that the service on a council is no longer done for the good of the community. :(

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

With expenses included, the leader of the council's salary will be in the thirty thousand pound region.

Quite a bit more than the average income in Hyndburn I presume.

Though as Peter Britcliffe said in the Observer, he is worth it.;)

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

£21,000 plus mileage plus childcare plus junkets.

plus your in a good position to put yourself on one of the plague of trusts/boards/trustees that have broken out and bag an extra £5,000-£10,000 for each one of them.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Then question has to be "are the public getting value for money?"

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Peter told us he's worth it.......so we must be.;)


Who else used to inform us they were worth it, as leader of the council?

Oh yes, Dame Shirley Porter just before her downfall.:D

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

HE MUST BE SUROUNDED WITH YES PEOPLE THEN!

Wouldnt mind seeing if he could justify it at a public meeting. The money he gets is provided by our taxes in all its forms so we have the right to quiz him and other politions over it.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Well, I have done mine...but I bet it doesn't get into print.
Here is a copy:

With reference to the letter from Peter Britcliffe in last weeks Accrington Observer.
What a pathetic, petulant rant, more suited to have come from a primary school child than the supposedly articulate adult leader of HBC.

I would consider it to be essential for the leader of the council to possess the ability of clear and logical thinking. His letter is worrying because it demonstrates no evidence of such ability.

Does the leader of the council seriously believe that Gayle Knight is standing against him in the local elections in a fit of pique, because he and his cohorts blocked the building of the Panopticon?
Surely he must know and appreciate the commitment, work and effort that go into standing in the local election.

Gayle Knight is a working mother of two small children, she has enough to do without going to such far fetched lengths of seeking revenge.
She is a politically aware individual who believes that she can make a difference to the quality of life for the people of her local community - THAT is why she is standing in the local elections.

The message I would like to convey to Peter Britcliffe is 'Get real and get a life' and I fear that after the local elections it may change to 'Get a job'.

And before the esteemed leader levels any criticism at me, I would like to point out that I have NO political affiliations, I am not related to Gayle Knight and know her only in the capacity of reading her column in the paper.

And by the way......if the rant was the effect of Nicotine withdrawal......maybe someone could give HBC's leader a cigarette and see if that helps him to see the situation more clearly.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

All ready done Neil

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

what a fab letter marg :D

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Glad you like it H.R..... now let's see if Accy Observer will print it!

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I found this listing Councillor allowances

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I would like to add I didn't take the 26% pay rise so I got around £3,000 (£4,150) with no extras. I have just turned down for the forthcoming year last years 26% rise again.

I don't claim travel as its part of the job and I manage like ordinary folk do with childcare.

Of the £3,000 the exchequer gets a third with taxation and donations to affiliations take up another couple of hundred. Obviously mileage and phone calls account for a some of what is left. I also lose a lot in wages with time given up.

I am not against councillors being payed a fair amount, however given the poor state of the council should we be rewarding ourselves?

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Possibly not. I do think though that you should not be out of pocket, it should not be costing you money to do us a service. Then again I suppose some Councillors probably provide a better service than others and maybe some don't deserve to be renumerated ( or be Councillors for that matter ).

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

i wish i could put a letter together like that Margaret,,, short and to the point... i hope it pays off...

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

I graft hard for mine. If it was a job, I'd pack it in as a money loser!

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Sadly Margaret's letter, and that of Debbie J, wasn't printed in this week's Observer.:(


The highlighted letter this week though was from 'our Gayle'. The Observer gave it the headline 'Bordering on the bizarre', and in it she quite clearly states why she is standing for the Council against Peter Britcliffe.


Although the Accy Web member's letters weren't published this week in the letters page, two Britcliffe cronies Messrs. Roberts and Farrer do get the space to score more cheap political points. This is in tandem with an article published in tonight's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, were again Peter Britcliffe is waffling on about the irrelevant Pantopican, in order to rubbish Gayle Knight.
With all the dirty tricks that are being played out, I only hope people remember the real issues at stake here come election day.


Gangs of underaged drinkers, parking, and a feeling of security are the issues at stake, not a couple of dozen dead hanging baskets given as a sweetner to the electorate.


Roll on May when it's all over, bar the inquest.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Double post.:(

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Back on thread....

According to the Observer if/when Accrington Stanley win the league, and promotion back into the football league after forty four years absence, there will be an open top bus parading round the town, followed by a reception with the Mayor and the big nobs, in the Town Hall.

This will be great for the town, I just hope politics can be left out of it, and am still a bit dubious as to why/ how the news was first mentioned in the press last week by Peter Britcliffe's chum Mr. Farrer.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Panoptican would have been better and looks far more impressive to passing cars that may then stop than that crappy old shelter and crumbling monument. Who's responsibility is maintenance of that?

G jones, perhaps you should take all the money you can get then donate it to worthwhile local projects that can't get any or start your own. I'd never leave money in the pot if I can get it out, they'll only waste it.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Peter Britcliffe, the leader of our council, is in tonight's Lancashire Evening Telegraph saying how he and the Tories never wanted any version of it. Which if my memory serves me right is totally wrong, as they did support the initial idea, and were quoted in the press saying as much.

He then says how he is supporting his fellow councillors in the Ribble Valley who also don't want it. They comment at the end of the article that this is not the case.

Straws and clutching at, springs to mind.;)

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Poor Peter what a bad memory. Maybe if he was a member we could keep him on the straight and narrow.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

What a surprise that our letters castigating PB didn't get into print...but those of PB's cronies did....It makes you wonder if our local paper operates some form of political bias.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

No political bias they just dont believe there are other parties.

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

It was considered but PB had challlanged those who objected to not take it. At then end of the year the allowances taken are published and I would not want someone who did not realise I had donated part of mine, getting the wrong impression. Its in black and white; 'I didn't taken em!'

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Just received a flyer from my local Councillor, Mr Britcliffe.

It doesn't really say very much. Infact it's a bit like one of those menus you see in Spain, were you point to a photograph of egg and chips.

The two centre pages just has pictures inside, including a CCTV camera, a dog doing a poo, and a flying saucer on what I presume is supposed to be the Coppice.

Now which coloured sack do I put waste paper in?:D

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

My daughter was at the back of her door straightening her doormat when someone pushed one of these flyers through the letterbox....she immediately thrust the thing back, whereupon the guy knocked on her door and was about to put it into her hand....she said she didn't want his rubbish shoved through her letterbox, and that if he didn't want it he should dispose of it in a litter bin. He said 'I take it you won't be voting conservative then'...she said 'What do you think?'

Re: Jumping on the bandwagon.
 

Collect them all and then post them to the council and see if they like their mail box full of rubbish.