Victory - at last!

Some of "Team Northenden" celebrating at the town hall on the evening of the count at 2am.

Victory! We now have a Lib-Dem Councillor representing Northenden, Northern Moor and Benchill.

It's been a long and difficult campaign, but after almost 4 years of hard work and relentless effort, the good people of Northenden Ward have voted in their first ever Lib-Dem Councillor.

It is also the first Lib-Dem to be elected to either Manchester or Trafford Council within the constituency since it was formed in 1997, and I believe the first ever Wythenshawe Liberal or Lib-Dem Councillor.

The work started in September 2004 when Mark Clayton (now Councillor in Didsbury West) started campaigning. He put a huge effort into setting up the ward campaign back then. Martin Eakins joined the "core team" a year later in September 2005.

Mark was selected as the prospective Lib-Dem candidate for Didsbury West, his home ward, later in November 2005, when Martin took over as lead campaigner. In 2006 Martin stood in the local elections as the Northenden ward candidate and almost doubled the share of the vote.

He stood again in 2007, coming within almost 100 votes of winning, and finally in 2008 won by a mere 8 votes (1562 vs 1554). It doesn't come much closer than that, but it has been known.

Three depressing news stories this week

Prison Spaces

"Justice" Minister Jack Straw announces that judges are to jail fewer convicts because prisons are too full. I'm not sure what is more depressing, record amounts of prisoners, or not enough space to hold them.

The good news is that record prisoner levels means we're catching more criminals. The bad news is that after 10 continuous years of economic growth, where overall crime is falling nationwide, record levels of people are committing custodial offences. This, sadly, says something about our 21st century society.

As for prison space - how is it that the most bureaucratic, statistical and target setting obsessed party in Britain managed to bodge this up so badly? Aren't socialists supposed to be expert planners?

US Arrogance

The UK/US "special relationship" seems to have had the extraordinary effect of making us an international joke this week.

Despite telling us differently, the US has been using UK territory to transport terrorist suspects for a roughing up in some God-forbidden hell hole.

Severely embarrassing for the government, which seems to have been caught with its pants down. Miliband seems to have handled it well so far, going into "full apology mode" at Parliament and convincing the Tories he only knew when Condoleezza admitted to him the "administrative error" this week.

This raises some pretty serious questions over why we're being taken for granted by our greatest ally. Perhaps this relationship has turned sour? Time for further integration in the EU Mr Brown!

Police fail to protect couple on the run

The Nottinghamshire Police's complete failure to protect a hunted couple. This is the most distressing piece of news. The IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) reported that a couple on the run from a gang who wanted to kill them were offered full police protection provided that the mother give evidence against her son. She declined and they attempted to hide on their own.

Worse still was the police response when the mother called in about a prowler, only to have to wait 10 hours for an officer (who was told it was "nothing urgent") to turn up and discover their bullet ridden bodies.

The worst was the police telling us that if they had acted quicker they doubt they would have been able to protect the couple anyway. This is a classic example of our State's inability to fulfil its highest duty - the protection of its citizens from harm.

Surely it's wrong to only offer conditional police protection? Surely it was the duty of the police to insist on some form of protection for this couple? It sounds as if the couple really didn't realise how much danger they were in - and nor did the police! But even if they did, would the police spend the time convincing the couple take it more seriously?

Analysis

It seems to me that the government is losing its authority on the world stage and its ability to function for the rapidly changing needs of the people who elect it into power. As Blair would often say in his final years - it's delivering the change that's the hardest part.

I suspect that part of the problem is the electoral system itself. MPs in marginal seats and parliamentary candidates in target seats are required to be hardwired into a campaigning reflex to address problems and issues. This can lead to a large and powerful group of MPs who know no other than "government by press release", who govern by tomorrow's headlines and short term gains. Perhaps why we got into the mess with prison spaces.

However, I think that most of the problem lies in the institutions themselves. Designed in the 19th century, renewed mid 20th century, but unable to adapt to free flowing change and the increasing demands of a stressed population in the 21st century.

I think Clegg is right - we need a limited, pluralistic and decentralised structure of government. Further integration into the EU to challenge world dominance of the US, proportional representation to create pluralistic governance in partnership, a bill of rights and a written constitution to protect citizens and structures from tomorrows headlines, and finally, radical localism and decentralisation to limit and rebuild our power structures - enabling all communities to take a functioning part in the change they want.

This is the change we need to make Britain not just a functioning society again, but a world leader in progressive advancement.

The Chorlton Park Posse in Northenden

Lib-Dems from across the Mersey. Pictured from left to right: Cllr Norman Lewis and Bernie, both from Chorlton Park. Mary Di Mauro from Northenden, John Leech MP of Manchester Withington (also Councillor from Chorlton Park) and Martin Eakins from Northenden.

Lib-Dems were out in force at the weekend delivering our latest Focus leaflet and the 2008 calendar in Northenden Village.

Our good friends from Chorlton Park came along and gave us a hand on Sunday, meaning we got most of the Village delivered in one weekend.

Good to see Norman, Bernie and John again. They frequently give us good advice on serving our community, who to contact over casework and helpful tips on campaigning.

Thanks guys - much appreciated!

Looking down the barrel of a gun in Northenden

On Monday I had noticed an article in the MEN that three locations in Wythenshawe and Northenden had suffered an armed robbery, Tescos being the location of the Northenden site.

On Tuesday night I went along to Northenden Civic Society, as I usually do, and asked the PCSO there what was being done to combat gun crime. His response was surprising as it was disappointing. He told us that Gun Crime in Northenden "isn't too bad".

If we had the odd raid every other year or so, perhaps we could say we're not suffering from a gun crime wave, but to have two armed robberies in as many months, on top of all the other armed robberies throughout the year, is too bad.

It is unacceptable and intolerable - in the truest sense of the words.

After the meeting, a few of us went for a couple of drinks at the Lounge About where we all caught up properly. At about 11pm most of the customers had left, leaving only four of us and two bar staff. We were just finishing our drinks when three masked lads wielding hand guns and a sword burst in!

Events moved quickly, but two of the lads quickly secured the bar area and starting taking cash, the third rounded up us customers and moved us into the gents.

Once in the gents he told us all to hand over our mobile phones, and then pointing the gun at my head said "You - pick up the phones and give them to me". It was a very weird situation, looking down the barrel of a gun in my home town, after just having been told by the police that gun crime "isn't too bad".

He said to us that he wasn't stealing the phones, just making sure we couldn't use them until they had left. He was lying of course, but I claimed my phone wasn't with me and I actually lost nothing.

He was such a young guy - maybe 17 or 18. He was very calm, and dressed like a ninja with a scarf across his face. I remember him having a good look at us - as if he was registering our features.

We all remained calm, and soon he left the gents telling us to lock the door and they then escaped through the front door.

We emerged when it was obvious he had gone, and I immediately saw one of the bar staff in tears in the corridor. I gave her a hug and comforted her, then ran out to the front to see if I could see where they went. They had already left the scene and I dialled 999 and asked for the police to get here as soon as.

So that was it - more or less. We gave all our details to the police (who arrived rapidly and in force) and I walked my friend home and had a stiff drink.

I have written to my local inspector asking her to assure us that she doesn't share the same view as the PCSO. Gun crime is a real menace across south Manchester, open a local newspaper and you're bound to see several examples of armed robberies. Northenden is particularly suffering at present - it's as if we've turned into the Wild West!

If you think you can help the police with their enquires, click through here.

Update: The local Inspector has been in touch and she has described the PCSO response as "not appropriate" - which is assuring.

Nick Clegg's first PMQs

Nick Clegg pressed the Prime Minister to act over Fuel Poverty that will claim an estimated 25,000 lives this winter

Nick Clegg performed well for his first Prime Minister Questions today as party leader.

Unlike his predecessors, he's now sat further away from the speaker, so no longer perched on the end of a bench, but surrounded by his colleagues. I think this looks like he's speaking "from the crowd" rather than picked up from a lonely perch, and does look more like he's part of a bigger team.

He also strides out, almost to the middle of the aisle, turns to the Prime Minister and asks his question. A confident move which shows just how at ease he is in the chamber.

The questions he used were about relief for the poor who pay the most for their energy on pre-payment cards. Energy prices are rising and a predicted 25'000 people, mostly elderly and poor, will die this winter from the cold.

He pressed for a commitment that the government would "take action to stop the energy companies from hitting the poorest families with higher bills on pre-paid meters, so we can end the scandal of the poorest families paying the most for their energy needs?"

Brown gave a typically weak answer that the government has "asked" fuel companies to "look" at pre-payment meters. Hardly the action that would prevent so many poor families having to default on payments, or worse, turn off the heating during these cold, dark winter months!

The shocking state of decay under Labour

Just before Christmas I noticed that Labour had sent out a leaflet in Benchill announcing a new Skate Park to be sited inside Hollyhedge Park, in neighbouring Sharston.

Curiosity got the better of me and I went over to check out how Hollyhedge Park is doing these days.

I must say, that I when I turned a path and laid eyes on Sharston Youth Centre, I was totally shocked! I just hope that the Skate Park doesn't share the same fate as the Youth Centre!

(click to zoom in)

I am totally disgusted by these sights, and totally frustrated at how lazy, complacent and totally ineffectual this pitiful Labour administration is at governing.