DC!

Great quote from Cllr Thomas Neumark on his Labour website "I love living in the Camden Town and Primrose Hill area and can’t think of anywhere I would like to live more." Apart from Washington DC it seems!

Actually, a rather thoughtful person, with a passion for US style bagels! We worked along side each other for the past two years on the Housing and Adult Social Scrutiny Committee and we got to know each other well enough to have mutual respect. Certainly we did not agree on all issues, but he has common sense. I am sure he has a bright political career ahead of him.

To be fair to Tom he clearly was unable to know that he's family would move to the USA.
But notwithstanding this. The election is now called and indeed I have a part to play in it as I have been selected by the Conservative party as the local candidate.

I have lived in and around this area most of my life and Primrose Hill is is a wonderful place to be. The vibrancy of Primrose village and Camden Town and especially the canal water front area around the locks is very kaleidoscopic indeed!

Photo (c) AOL Jobs / AOL Inc

Camdens Labour MO if there is one!

It seems likely that Camden Labour council is set to impose a massive 8.1% rent hike on all its tenants living in council properties.

So far Labour has cut after schools clubs for children, cut Libraries and cut facilities to the elderly. It is too many cuts to detail here in this blog, but the above is a highlight of key cuts hurting real residents today.

The three libraries Chalk Farm, Belsize and Keats will cease in one year unless saved by local support volunteers. This local community support has been very forthcoming. It is people of the local community that has brought this about.

As a local resident who has not only worked as a Saturday lad in my youth at Belsize, Chalk Farm and Keats Library. I am appalled that these historic cornerstones of Camden community may vanish as a direct result of the meddling of Camden Labour bosses.

Now Camden council tenants are set to pay a 8.1% rent increase. As a co-opted member for Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee I am shocked at this treatment of Camden council tenants. It has been explained to me that the formula used is uniform but even so this does really hit families on squeezed budgets even further.

It is common practice in the private sector rental market to not exceed a 5% increase in rent, to stay within thise accepted guidelines. However, Camden's Labour Cabinet wish to increase by over 8.1% and think that that represents a fair deal for its tenants. It could have been introduced more gently rather than in one go.

Camden's Labour has failed to make the required cuts through efficiency drives but instead has chosen to play the blame game of attributing all responsibility on to National Government. Even when children's after school play places were being axed last year Labour councillors were telling mothers that it was not there fault but go and blame the ConLib Government.

These excuses could not be so far from the truth. More flexibility at a local level has been given to Local councils by National Government to help make local efficiency savings.

It is up to how the controlling Councils political supremos use there flexibility that is the key issue.

It was clear that the New Labour Project had lost the support of the populous long before May 2010. But yet through quirks of having local and national elections on the same day some councils were voted in with a Labour majority. But that is democracy!

However, the residents of Camden are now experiencing the ramifications of this as are the other Labour held councils scattered around the country.

So what next you might ask and you would be right to ask?

Here in Camden, Council Tax has been frozen along with most other London councils and it is hoped with the support of Mayor Boris Johnson will be again this May.

But I hear that even with Council Tax Camden's Labour elite are considering increasing that too!

I also hear from my sources that Camden council has had a good financial year and is £12.5M better off on the books than forecasted!

So come on Camden's Labour Elite!

The people voted you in with a majority to serve the best interest of Camden residents in time of austerity so get on and do it.

Surely, Camden's Labour wouldn't be playing the let's blame the Tories and Lib Dems game hoping to score extra votes in 2015 General Election at the expense of the best interest of its own residents, would they. No surely not? that would be an unimaginable thing to do and would make Ministers Expenses look like a picnic outing!

Author: Nigel Rumble 14th Feb 2012

UKBA and the very best of Britain!

The Army is on call-out alert to man the border control immigration desks at all ports and airports in Britain!

The 30th November 2011 is set to enter modern history as the largest public sector strike since the seventies.

Why? Because an incompetent boss of UKBA got fired for allegedly allowing hundreds of thousands of unchecked immigrants into the UK during the summer of 2011, surely not?

Apparently, it is more to do with pension disagreements that have been rolling on for ages. The ConLib Government wishes to make cuts and control the generous pay-out perks that public civil servants get but the Unions have stepped in to do what they do best in moments of national economic crises and call a national public service strike.

Camden Labour chiefs have issued instructions for all Councillors not to enter the Town Hall and therefore, not to cross the picket line tomorrow at Jude Street. Fighting talk indeed.

Whilst, I have no problems with a local rebellion at this level in support of a legitimate strike. I do have a big problem when an authority called UKBA that feels appropriate to strike at key ports and airports on critical immigration posts thus bringing commerce to a grinding halt.

It is estimated that such a strike, should it occur at levels of 2 millions or more strikers would result in a loss to the country of £500,000 Million or put another way £0.5 Billion.

Pension deals on the table would then be revoked and made non economic on next rounds of discussions. And just as in the Seventies with Union strikes a never ending spiralling worsening of relations between the Unions and a Government unable due to the deficit crises to give in to demands for improved pensions future pay-outs.

What is certain is the UK appears locked in to enter a new period of 'Winter of Discontent' strikes with public sector workers.

Sadly for the thousands of NHS patients waiting for life saving operations on Wednesday 30th November strikes all hospitals will be providing only weekend coverage. Only the most critical procedures beings provided where it is a matter of life of death.

I think we all can agree that the NHS needs reform and that all workers receive a decent wage, I am sure that most Unions would agree with this view but the question is at what costs should the return to national strikes be endured.

Author: Nigel Rumble
Photo: (c) AP

Poppy Lib Dems a National Disgrace

I don't normally post a raw cut from the press courtesy of Richard Osley of CNJ in his private blog. But I wanted this out ASAP. Putting any branding let alone political branding on a wreath on memorial Sunday is just ignorant and beyond the pale. Do the Lib Dems really think this will win them votes!

Very sad Day for local politics.