Attack of the Lib Dem Bloggers!

Just written my first blog post over on LabourList about Lib Dems plans to create an 'army of bloggers.'

I wonder if they'd look like this?

The Sloan Ranger and the Fib Dem

I don't like to intrude on personal grief, but as resignation statements go it's up there with Geoffrey Howe's cricket bat sabotage of Thatcher.

Former Lib Dem Cabinet member Andy Sloan has chosen to defect to the Tories in Hull's Guildhall.

He said: "I had once believed that the Liberal Democrat Party possessed a set of values and beliefs that were an alternative to the socialist Labour Party." POW!

"I see now that this view was misplaced and that the Liberal Democrats exist for a singular purpose - namely, to maintain bits of orange on a political map, no matter what the consequence." SPLAT!

"The Liberal Democrat party stands for nothing except to further its own electoral existence." BLAMMO!

This brutal but justified attack has been on the cards for quite a few weeks. Before voting against the Lib Dems proposed revenue budget for the coming year, Sloan said that council leader Carl Minns had deliberately used last summer's floods to "make political sunshine," describing his criticism of the Government at the time of the floods as "tantamount to criminal."

I've been saying this for some time but unfortunately the Lib Dems don't seem to be listening - they're still trying to kick the Government when they're trying to help.

Today Minns claimed the city has been excluded from a round of Government cash handouts because our roads suffered the "wrong type of damage" in the summer floods.

He told the press: "It appears that Hull's roads suffered the wrong kind of flood damage.

"After working with the Government-appointed advisers WS Atkins to assess the damage to the city's infrastructure, a claim for £1.3m was submitted to cover road surface damage caused by the flooding.

"The response was that the money was only available for structural not surface damage. This being the case, Hull was excluded from applying for the additional funding."

Unfortunately, that's not true at all. The Hull Daily Mail hasn't quoted the Department for Transport's response but if you click here you'll see the story from both sides.

The Department for Transport spokesman says: "It is wrong to say Hull City Council has had a claim rejected and has been excluded from applying for additional funding.

"The department has been quite clear that all reasonable claims for funding for flood road repair money will be considered and we would welcome further discussions with the council.

"The council did submit an initial estimate of damage in September after being asked to do so by DfT. Subsequently, Hull decided not to submit a formal claim. The Government's appointed technical advisers stand ready to offer further help to Hull should they wish to work up a claim.

"In total, Hull City Council has so far received £7.7m in Government funding to help communities get back on their feet following the floods."

So they only submitted a rough estimate because they were asked to by the Department for Transport, they didn't submit a formal claim and they haven't been excluded - in fact the DfT says it's still willing to help them claim money!

But Lib Dem party political hackery has spurned a Government's offer of help and graciously countered with a kick in the teeth designed to cover up their own incompetence.

These two stories just go to show what Hull sorely lacks is strong leadership and firm direction in the Guildhall.

A party that's prepared to work with all sides to get things down for the good of this city. A party that's prepared to really address the needs of local people.

The challenge for Labour is to prove to Hull people that we are that change.

Minns Spins in Bins

Glad to see the officers and the GMB are trying to come to a sensible agreement over the dispute over rubbish collection in Hull on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

But it's not been helped by our childish Lib Dem leader using the press to bully refuse workers into worse pay and conditions.

A £250 bonus payment for working a day over Christmas might seem a lot but their pay and conditions have been radically restructured over the years.

But it's as nothing to the thousands of pounds of council tax given to a London PR company that helped to get Minns and his grossly exaggerated flood damage figures on the media 24/7 ('There's been £350m DAMAGE!..no £200M!..ok, er,..£51m') which caused insurance premiums to double in some parts of the city.

Then his claim that binmen in Hull were amongst the best paid in the country on a starting salary of £22,374 was exposed as a lie when Labour's Daren Hale proved it was actually £14,800.

And don't take my word for it on bullying - even his former colleagues are revealing the truth.

In a six-page e-mail sent to all councillors at the Guildhall, Councillor Joyce Korczak Fields claimed she was "bullied, threatened and blackmailed" by the Lib Dems.

I remember on local election night chatting to a pal when Minns bounded over and excitedly said: "Shall we take a sweepstake on who's going to be the first of my lot to defect?"

So there you go.

They steal free school meals from your kids

They kick public sector workers at Xmas

and they even have contempt for their own

People have woken up to you Carl.

And they're getting organised.

There IS such a thing as a free lunch

Really must congratulate West Hull Labour Party for putting on the Thank You event for John and Tony at the KC.

Sally Waters from Alan Johnson's office worked tirelessly in planning a fantastic do and raised thousands of pounds for next year's council elections.

Tony's speech was very moving and the anecdotes were hilarious. Especially the one about.....actually, I'd better not!

But what struck me was how well TB looks now. He's lost quite a few pounds and it seems the premature aging seems has reversed - and this from a man who's charged with the simple task of trying peace to the Middle East!

I don't think people realise the stress politicians - local and national - have to deal with. They never switch off, they're always on call and they can be sacked every four years irrespective of whether they're doing a good job or not!

So as each year goes by, I become less judgemental of politicians from different parties.

I have friends from all shades of the polticial spectrum. We all want to make things better - our differences lie in the priorities and the approach.

But when it comes to our children , you'd think we'd all share common ground.

Which is why the Lib Dems decision to axe Free Healthy School Meals in Hull continues to anger and frustrate me.

How can anyone NOT see the social and educational benefits of making sure each primary school child has a full stomach for the day ahead? If we're really serious about tackling the ticking timebomb of obesity, we need to instill healthy eating habits now.

The Lib Dems say that those who are entitled for Free School Meals will claim them. But a recent study found that 250,000 children eligible for FSM, don't eat them. Stigma plays a big part in this.

The interim evaluation of Eat Well Do Well by Professor Derek Colquhoun confirmed children became more focused, performed better and the classrooms were calmer.

Where Hull led, others are following. Scotland is now piloting a similar in several areas scheme and Wales may consider implementing it.

But in our city, take up of School Meals has in less than two months dropped from 62%to 45%

All that good work thrown away because the health and achievement of our children is, according to this Lib Dem council, not a priority.