Dear Theresa, I’m a young person, should I vote?
Monthly Archives: May 2017
A song for our times
From a correspondent”
“Maggie May”
The Tory slogan or cliché
Is “Strong and Stable Mrs May”.
“Strong”? Just on the weak, I’d say.
“Why take disableds’ pay away?”
Said Kathy*. May had nought to say.
TV debate? Too “frit” to play.
And what, last April*, did she say? –
She argued not to “leave” but “stay”:
Irish and Scots could break away;
The bankers could all go away;
Trade deals? Could be worse, O.K?
In single market? Costs to pay.
On Brexit it is all hearsay:
Why put your trust in Mrs May?
Do YOU know what she’ll give away?
Tories are split, in disarray.
And what if she’d just “run away”
And Far Right/Daily Mail hold sway?
What does her manifesto say?
For social care you’ll have to pay;
More cuts for schools are on the way;
Retireds face a cut in pay*;
Few immigrants? The figures say
A record under Mrs May*.
What will we get “post-Brexit day”?
The NHS will fade away
And if you’re ill you’ll have to pay*;
More zero hours and more low pay;
Meanwhile the richest will make hay;
More cuts – for that’s the Tory way.
Why WOULD YOU vote for Mrs May?
*Disabled Kathy in Abingdon recently wanted Mrs May not to cut disabled living allowance and care. (Kathy has £100 a month to live on.) * 25 April 2016
*No triple lock on state pensions
*A record 650,000 immigrants entered UK in May’s last year as Home Secretary.
*Boris Johnson wants us to pay for NHS treatment, Michael Gove to privatise it, Iain Duncan Smith to replace it with an insurance system – John Major said the NHS was as safe in their hands as a pet hamster would be with a hungry python.”
Osborne unwittingly reveals a coalition dirty secret on health and schools
George Osborne in the Evening Standard unwittingly revealing TRUE coalition policies in an article meant to diss Jeremy Corbyn:
“The Coalition government enacted a programme of austerity but claimed that key services such as the NHS and schools would be ‘ring-fenced’ — true in the strict sense that their budgets were not cut, but in practice they faced a prolonged freeze that meant they couldn’t do everything asked of them.”
No vote from Maldives for Swire – in spite of all his visits and questions in Parliament!
Heck, Swire can’t even vote for himself in East Devon as he doesn’t live in the constituency, preferring to syay well away on the other side of the M5!
“The ability of Commonwealth citizens to vote in our elections means that changes to the membership of the Commonwealth have a knock-on impact on who can vote. (It also means that Mozambique and Rwandan citizens can vote here – surely the obscurest group with the franchise given that neither country was part of the British empire but they were admitted to the Commonwealth for political reasons.)
The latest change, following the news about The Gambia, is that Maldivians have now lost the vote. Their country left the Commonwealth last year under pressure over human rights, and the relevant legislative change has just come in.”
http://www.markpack.org.uk/149913/maldives-electoral-registration/
Now
The REAL cost of the new Tory social care funding?
This post has come from the Save our Hospital Services Devon website – it’s not been verified but, if true, is VERY scary:
“Tim Woodcock Quote from a city worker :
“The Conservatives will attempt to soften the blow by promising that pensioners will not have to sell their homes to pay for their care costs while they or a surviving partner are alive. Instead, ‘products will be available’ allowing the elderly to pay by extracting equity from their homes, which will be recovered at a later date when they die or sell their residence.
I have just seen this post online:
‘People need to read the small print associated with this because its a lot nastier than it looks.
I work in the City. The insurance industry was approached by the Government several months ago with the aim of creating a new market for a new product.
This arrangement is a culmination of those discussions. You wont have to sell your house PROVIDED that you purchase an insurance product to cover your social care. The “premiums” would be recovered from the equity after the house has been sold and the Insurance company will have a lien on the house and can force a sale if it wants to. So your offspring cant keep it on the market for long in order to get the best price.
The real kicker in this is that in order to encourage the industry to market these products the government guaranteed that there would be no cap on the premiums.
This was in some ways “attonement” for Osborne’s destruction of the highly lucrative annuties market. This means that the premiums could be up to (and including) the entire remaining equity in the property after the government has taken its cut. Compamies will be falling over themselves to get their snouts in this trough.
In short your offspring and relatives could get absolutely nothing from your estate.
If you buy one of these products you need to read the small print very very carefully indeed because there will be some real dogs on the market.
I suspect that this is another financial scandal waiting to happen, but by the time it does May will be long gone.”
EDDC and community hospitals: too little, too late, too suspiciously close to the general election
Well, they would say this now (“slamming” the decision to close Honiton and Seaton community beds with those in Axminster and Ottery already gone) wouldn’t they – after saying almost nothing before county elections but with all the recent bad news that reflects badly on incumbent Tory MPs and extremely well on Claire Wright!
Remember: talk is cheap and actions speak louder than words.
Swire refuses to attend any hustings: what COULD he be afraid of!
He says he prefers door-knocking. Please do inform Owl if he knocks at YOUR door.
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/hustings-row-as-east-devon-election-campaign-begins-1-5023424
People might think he is afraid to meet the most popular councillor in Devon (Claire Wright, Independent Parliamentary candidate) on her home turf. Especially as she has a strong track record of standing AGAINST health and education cuts and FOR environmental protection.
Swire? Says he wants ” good health care” but has endorsed CCG changes, did not fight bed cuts in East Devon, only his own corner, is part of the government that is cutting Devon education funding and says we don’t need to worry about environmental protection as it is safe in Tory hands. AND he says being an MP isn’t a job, so he and George Osborne should have as many jobs as they like (he declares two, bringing in £5,000 per month).
He spends much of his time in the Middle East, frequently asks questions in Parliament about places like the Maldives, Egypt and Venezuela and lives in mid-Devon when he ventures south of London.
No wonder he won’t debate!
Claire Wright says:
“I am really disappointed that Hugo Swire is refusing to attend hustings during the general election period. MPs are supposed to be accountable to constituents and this is a golden opportunity for him to talk about how he plans to represent people if he is re-elected. It reflects very badly on him that he is refusing to attend.
“I was looking forward to having a robust debate with him and I can only assume that he is refusing to attend because he is worried about being challenged by me – I have been regularly holding him to account for the past three years via my blog and through the media!”
NHS Sustainability and Transformation plans: all costings now wrong? And what happens to the money gained?
Surely, May’s announcement of many, many more people being made to pay directly for their social care means that costings in STPs are wrong?
As such, they cannot and should not be implemented.
Those providing the care will also have large assets in the form of charges on people’s homes. How (if at all) will these be ring-fenced for the NHS and/or social care in future?
Those making the charges will have assets and so be able to borrow against them or sell them on to hedge funds – they could, in effect, be packaged and traded just as mortgages were – a big facet of the last big financial crash.
A great deal of money can be made or lost in this situation.
Oh dear.
Breakdown of Cranbrook crimes March 2017
To the respondent to the previous post who queried the crimes in the Bluehayes Road area of Cranbrook:
15 antisocial behaviour
1 bicycle theft
1 criminal damage and arson
1 public order
3 shoplifting
4 violence and sexual offences
https://www.police.uk/devon-and-cornwall/DEV.4087/crime/623128/
If this is incorrect, the correspondent should take the matter up with Devon and Cornwall Police who provided the above information on their interactive crime website.
Cranbrook street in top ten for crime
“Among the street areas with the highest levels of recorded crimes were:
Union Street area, Plymouth – 43
The Strand area, Torquay – 33
Northernhay area, Exeter – 32
Little Castle Street, Exeter – 30
Barnstaple High Street area – 27
Market Avenue area, Plymouth – 26
Bluehayes Lane, Cranbrook – 25
http://www.devonlive.com/devon-s-crime-hotspots-revealed/story-30338233-detail/story.html
British air pollution worse than Mexico, Brazil and US
“People in the UK are 64 times as likely to die of air pollution as those in Sweden and twice as likely as those in the US, figures from the World Health Organisation reveal.
Britain, which has a mortality rate for air pollution of 25.7 per 100,000 people, was also beaten by Brazil and Mexico – but it trailed far behind Sweden, the cleanest nation in the EU with a rate of 0.4 per 100,000.
The US rate per 100,000 was 12.1, Brazil’s was 15.8 and Mexico’s was 23.5, while Argentina was at 24.6.
The figures are revealed in the WHO World Health Statistics 2017 report, published on Wednesday, which says substantially reducing the number of deaths globally from air pollution is a key target. …”
With a recent judicial review announced for the effect on air pollution of a new town, one wonders if Cranbrook would have been one of those cited in the current (toxic) climate.
Main tactical voting site endorses Claire Wright (Ind) as only credible choice to challenge incumbent Swire
“Claire Wright, Independent Parliamentary candidate for Devon East has been endorsed by the chief tactical voting site Tactical2017 as the only candidate who can defeat the Conservatives. Ms Wright is the only Independent candidate in the country to be endorsed so far by the site.
This follows odds of 9/2 from William Hill who confirmed that they see Ms Wright as the official opposition in East Devon and the only credible alternative to the Conservatives.
Commenting on her listing Claire Wright says:
“I’m absolutely over the moon to be endorsed by Tactical2017. The momentum behind my campaign now is incredible. My boards and posters are appearing all over the constituency and my team continue to be deluged with offers of help, as my manifesto is hand delivered across East Devon by my army of helpers.”
“People’s generosity and faith in me is astonishing. Crowdfunding has reached around £7500 in just 10 days with 100 separate donations. This is half the amount we fundraised in a whole year during the 2015 General Election campaign.
“Thank you so much to everyone who is working so hard to elect me as East Devon’s MP. You are doing a sterling job!”
The tactical voting endorsement comes as Claire Wright launches her manifesto in Sidmouth tomorrow (Thursday) evening with clear statements on her policy ideas from health, education, small businesses, young people and the environment as well as Brexit.
Introducing the manifesto Ms Wright says: “On health I will fight to protect community hospitals and other local health services from cuts and work cross-party to achieve more NHS funding to keep pace with demand. I will press for more funding for social care, which is still significantly lower than it was in 2010. I will also strongly oppose plans that disadvantage our NHS, such as the creation of NHS Property Services which seeks to sell off hospitals and health centres.
“In education I will support local schools and parents and work cross-party at a local and national level to gain a realistic and fair level of funding for East Devon’s education system. I will listen to headteachers views on local education provision and represent these views in parliament.
“For small business I will work to reverse the recent increase in business rates, listen to small businesses and their requirements and work to achieve a better deal and be a champion for independent traders, especially those working in tourism.
“For younger people I will work towards giving 16 year olds the right to vote; help young people to have a voice in improving their communities and work for improvements to underfunded mental health services, counselling and pastoral support in schools.
“On the environment, I accept that we need some development, especially for younger people and those of us on low incomes and I will work to amend the permissive National Planning Policy Framework so it is less about growth at any price and more about balanced communities.
“In East Devon nature, as elsewhere in the country
, is in serious trouble due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.
“I will listen and act upon local people’s views on protection of the countryside and nature and urge government ministers to do all they can to comply with vital climate change targets.
“I am asking the people of East Devon to listen carefully to what I am saying and use their vote to elect a hardworking and effective MP to represent them in parliament.”
Event Diary
Thursday 18th May, Claire’s Manifesto launch at Sidmouth Community College, Primley Road, Sidmouth, EX10 9LG, from 7.30-8.30 in the main hall.
Sunday 21st May, Q&A with Claire at the Grapevine Brewhouse, 2 Victoria Road, Exmouth, EX8 1 DL, 7pm.”
Tory Party chairman rallies the faithful – all 14 of them!
“Tory Party chairman Patrick McLoughlin has been in Devon rallying party faithful. The former transport minister was in Paignton and Exeter on Wednesday ahead of the party announcing its manifesto on Thursday for the General Election. …”
You can be sure if there were more of them, they would have been in the picture!
General election: how do we protect our NHS? Choose your candidate carefully
Claire Wright, the only credible alternative to Hugo Swire has not only made this pledge she has actively campaigned as Devon County Councillor to scrap it and start again with a clean sheet and full public and health service input.
Hugo Swire, who voted for the Health and Social Care Act 2012 that inevitably leads to cuts and privatisation has not. He still channels Jeremy Hunt and witters on about the “elastic” £10 billion for the NHS.
A critique of NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans
A really good (short and readable) explanation of why they are simply vehicles for undemocratic cuts to the NHS (apologies for long link):
Not a single general election issue covered in today’s Midweek Herald!
One short letter supporting Claire Wright, a front page about chaos at Honiton Town Council – and that’s it! Though there are a lot of pages about gardening, good works and homes for sale.
Has anyone told them there’s a general election and local newspapers are expected to inform us about, well, local news.
Or maybe someone has and that’s how they have decided to deal with it.
Well, at least it’s free.
Tiverton and Honiton hustings tomorrow in Axminster
Guildhall
7 pm
Expensive Teignbridge Council CEO not being replaced
Owl says: Remember when our current CEO went 50/50 to South Somerset Council and no-one noticed – and his work was shared out to other officers? Somerset terminated that contract early and he returned to us full time.
Why?
“A council chief who is paid almost as much as the Prime Minister is leaving her post next month. Nicola Bulbeck, Teignbridge Council’s CEO, told a meeting of the full council on Monday that she would be departing from her role on June 9 once she has fulfilled her duties as the Acting Returning Officer for the General Election.
Ms Bulbeck faced criticism last year after it was revealed that she had been awarded an inflation-busting 12 per cent pay rise. Her total remuneration package, including pension contributions and benefits in kind, jumped from £126,097 in 2014/15 to £141,972 in the 2015/16 financial year. Theresa May currently receives £143,462 for leading the country, the Conservative Party and overseeing the hugely complicated Brexit process. …
… Ms Bulbeck will not be directly replaced, but instead, her duties will be distributed between the existing officers and the Deputy Chief Executive, Phil Shears who will become the Head of Paid Service.”
Support for Claire Wright and her campaigning for the NHS
New estate in Bristol could be (should be?) demolished
“Developers UKS Group were given permission to build 13 three-bed houses and one two-bed house off the A38 in Highridge, Bristol. But locals say they have actually built 13 four-beds and one three-bed.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4510530/Bristol-s-new-multi-million-estate-demolished.html
East Devon Watch 