The Westminster Election can be officially called any day now, and as I stated at the UNISON Retired Members Hustings last week, you have to feel sorry for the electorate in England, such is the level of debate between the Tories and New Labour.
Why they believe in putting each others leaders in their material and posters beggars belief. If the SNP is such an irrelevance why do they both direct so much fire on us?
Of course when they both promise big cuts in Public Spending, (even more than Thatcher did in the 1980's,) it is little wonder when you are told from Labour and Tory voters that they will not vote in this election on the doorstep.
The expenses debacle is still an issue, and the anger of the public is just as fierce as it was 6 months ago.
Elections are all about choices and values. With the so-called big two bereft of ideas, or values, we must ensure that the SNP message is heard.
The need for a fiscal stimulus, protecting public services and spending, the need to to retain Attendance Allowance, and moreover, the need for political representatives to rebuild a relationship with the voters, by championing their communities, and cancelling the replacement of Trident, are all reasonating on the doorstep.
Only the Scottish National Party have the choices and values to properly represent the people at this election.
03 April 2010
02 April 2010
GLASGOW'S GOVERNANCE
I have delibrately waited to blog for a while, whilst the allegations and revealations concerning my employer settled down. It could be that there is more to come. But I feel now is the moment to comment, and after much reflection.
I will not comment on the private lives of any politician, and therefore will keep my observations in respect to Steven Purcell to the political.
In truth at this moment in time there is no silver bullet that can suggest there is corruption in the City Chambers. However, corruption or no, there is poor governance.
Officials are given too much devolved powers over staffing structures, contracts awarded are not being reported to Committees, and the ALEO's do not need to enter into service agreements or purchase services from the Council, yet Councill Departments are compelled to do the reverse. Why was the controversial contract awarded for transport provision for City Building ever tendered for at all, when the Council has a transport section who could have provided this service?
Culture Sport Glasgow has failed, no private investment of note as been attracted, yet business leaders were invited onto the board.
Interestingly only late last year did the Council admit that one of the reasons for setting up such bodies was to mitigate against equal pay claims. An insult to employees.
At the May Day Rally two years ago the Trade Unions warned that the creation of such companies was the slippery slope to undemocratic, and unaccountable service provision.
The irony that Nicholas Ridley's dream of an enabling local authority was tested by New Labour in Glasgow is not lost on yours truly nor I suspect the voters.
If the death knell of the enabling authority is what comes out of this sorry affair, then the citizens of Glasgow will benefit.
I will not comment on the private lives of any politician, and therefore will keep my observations in respect to Steven Purcell to the political.
In truth at this moment in time there is no silver bullet that can suggest there is corruption in the City Chambers. However, corruption or no, there is poor governance.
Officials are given too much devolved powers over staffing structures, contracts awarded are not being reported to Committees, and the ALEO's do not need to enter into service agreements or purchase services from the Council, yet Councill Departments are compelled to do the reverse. Why was the controversial contract awarded for transport provision for City Building ever tendered for at all, when the Council has a transport section who could have provided this service?
Culture Sport Glasgow has failed, no private investment of note as been attracted, yet business leaders were invited onto the board.
Interestingly only late last year did the Council admit that one of the reasons for setting up such bodies was to mitigate against equal pay claims. An insult to employees.
At the May Day Rally two years ago the Trade Unions warned that the creation of such companies was the slippery slope to undemocratic, and unaccountable service provision.
The irony that Nicholas Ridley's dream of an enabling local authority was tested by New Labour in Glasgow is not lost on yours truly nor I suspect the voters.
If the death knell of the enabling authority is what comes out of this sorry affair, then the citizens of Glasgow will benefit.
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