tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24381198147700656622008-05-23T20:04:11.018+01:00John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-1187941218537766872008-03-26T18:30:00.007Z2008-03-26T21:21:22.825Z

Although I have no intention of ceasing blogging (unless any future employment precludes it), this particular blog will need to close for the simple reason that its address (URL) includes "medwaycouncillor" which is no longer correct. Therefore I shall post no more here (apart from in response to comments on old posts) but instead am starting afresh on a new 'blog HERE. I shall leave this 'blog

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-2090647608571865892008-03-25T14:36:00.006Z2008-03-25T20:07:21.476Z

I have today, after a lot of thought, resigned from the council. I wasn't going to do so originally, but in today's Soviet-style Britain, with all the pressures coming down upon us from on high and with yet more to come (as I recently reported HERE), all the indicators are that recent events have, funnily enough, afforded me an opportunity to 'get out from under' before even more bureaucracy

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-74070812098536918722008-03-22T10:59:00.005Z2008-03-22T11:17:29.598Z

Which is better, the carrot or the stick? Actually, both have their uses, but in human society it is generally found that in most cases offering an incentive (the carrot) works better and is kinder. That's the Conservative way, by and large, as is of course very well known. There will always be exceptions, such as how to deal with crime that has already happened, but most desirable behaviour

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-47623758398236704522008-03-21T19:59:00.004Z2008-03-21T20:06:26.237Z

This week's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) session was interesting (as they often are, though not always) and included some brilliant stuff by David Cameron, starting at eight minutes 35 seconds in. It's a classic! Watch it all (or just part[s], by dragging the bar) HERE.

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-49289149567907664452008-03-19T06:30:00.005Z2008-03-19T23:22:01.438Z

At least once a year, usually around this time, every one of the Portfolio Holders in Medway Council's Cabinet comes before the Scrutiny Committee that scrutinises their portfolio. This is to give an account of what they have achieved during the past year and to answer questions from members of the committee. In a couple of cases, the one portfolio spreads across two committees so they are

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-40579213161120399882008-03-17T23:12:00.006Z2008-03-18T21:44:59.667Z

So, the Cabinet decision to proceed with the Strood Academy School was "called-in" (as the jargon has it) to the relevant Scrutiny Committee, by six members of the Labour Group on Medway Council, and that committee met earlier this evening to discuss this issue. Regular readers will recall that I have already written about this issue twice, first HERE and a couple of weeks later an update HERE.

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-21900642510984741782008-03-15T11:47:00.021Z2008-04-14T13:57:11.876+01:00

One of the most memorable quotes from the House of Commons' Prime Minister's Questions sessions of 2007 was Vince Cable (then acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the Commons) quoting a line from elsewhere that referred to Gordon Brown as "having gone from Stalin to Mr Bean". Everyone remembers the "Mr Bean" part of that line, but the "Stalin" reference is rarely mentioned beyond being part

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-36504065263744311652008-03-13T09:48:00.006Z2008-03-21T16:33:16.961Z

Others all over the mainstream media and in the Blogosphere have commented on how boring the Chancellor's budget was yesterday. Taking my cue from the Pet Shop Boys' "We Were Never Being Boring", I am instead featuring David Cameron's truly outstanding (and devastatingly accurate) response for the Conservatives HERE (click the button under David Cameron's photo).

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-74938861684731488692008-03-10T10:39:00.008Z2008-03-13T20:15:56.494Z

We in my ward are very much aware of the effect of Post Office closures. We have suffered two already, though at least the one on the Davis Estate will be replaced by a new Post Office Counter there, due to open next month. When the branch on the corner of Pattens Lane and City Way closed a few years ago, we ferried older folk who lived nearby to and from another branch every week, on a day and

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-65661730346940620752008-03-07T09:27:00.007Z2008-03-10T00:01:40.856Z

At last night's meeting of the Full Medway Council (which I have dubbed the "minus one" meeting as each of the three political groups was minus one member) the Labour and LibDem Groups' sheer desperation to make something they could use out of every single item on the agenda became almost farcical at times. The Conservative Group, though, performed very well, with some excellent contributions by

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-46538012934048467652008-03-06T14:03:00.006Z2008-03-06T14:17:15.561Z

The British House of Commons has yesterday, as widely reported (and not exactly unexpectedly) voted-down the Conservative motion for a referendum on the EU Constitution Treaty. This, if fully ratified, would mean that the original Constitution (carefully re-worded and re-cast to make it look like something significantly different, though few have been fooled) will be implemented without having

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-7619437078836290602008-03-02T04:00:00.005Z2008-03-03T14:21:09.866Z

How often have we heard or read that, eh? Especially at the moment, politicians (who, as a group, are not generally held in particularly high esteem at any time) are coming in for that kind of attack more and more. Although the present wave of sleaze allegations, of which some at least appear to have a basis of truth in them, is eroding further the public-at-large's trust in and respect for

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-18263996379266378822008-02-27T23:30:00.004Z2008-02-28T12:54:42.916Z

...Learns! Another brilliant personal anecdote from Snuffy. Worry not: I am not planning to turn this 'blog into a series of links to others' writings; but this is again something we all need to read in order to "re-calibrate our thinking" (as my brother would no doubt put it) on the issue covered. Trust me: you'll be pleased you read it!

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-15899258590824728552008-02-27T15:18:00.008Z2008-03-04T08:42:38.085Z

In an almost unbelievably offensive act -- at least to anyone concerned with decency and humanity -- a number of left-wing MPs have signed an Early Day Motion praising what they term the "achievements" of Cuba's Fidel Castro, who has just stepped down from office. This follows on from Harriet Harman's well-publicised statement just days ago that in her opinion Castro is "a hero of the left".

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-91715347081670934672008-02-27T15:01:00.003Z2008-02-27T15:13:59.069Z

EU = "Extremely Unpleasant", as this clip shows... Here is a photo of the protesters, dressed as chickens, and the logo on their costumes:

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-7299186856724453752008-02-26T14:42:00.007Z2008-02-27T04:08:29.727Z

Now, HERE is a post well worth reading, from a teacher in inner-city London who runs an excellent 'blog and is known by the pseudonym Snuffleupagus (a character from the superb Sesame Street children's TV series, pictured right). We all learn from our own life experiences, we generally mature, broaden our appreciation and knowledge of a wide range of topics, and "Snuffy" has done the same. Her

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-8946185886709571572008-02-20T18:04:00.007Z2008-02-22T09:20:23.505Z

Okay, it's only a minute and a half long and has no-one speaking at all, but it's a useful reminder of what we have in this country now, and what (it is being proposed) would happen under a Conservative Government at Westminster. I hope the party has the opportunity to show that it really can be done, after the next General Election...

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-23983851525018470032008-02-20T09:03:00.009Z2008-02-20T09:59:45.284Z

Just a typical day in the life of the Greater London Assembly (GLA)... This happened only last week, on 13th February 2008. The original is HERE, and the (five so far) comments are worth reading as well. Why is it virtually always those on the left who behave so appallingly, even at formal meetings? They never seem to have respect for anyone, but plenty of excuses for their stance. We

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-20347807500483656802008-02-13T08:44:00.005Z2008-02-13T13:07:56.015Z

I mentioned a few days ago that Medway's Scrutiny Committees a currently going through our customary "end of term" exercise of holding the Executive to account, as it's termed. I was at Children's Services Scrutiny last night, and the latest Cabinet "victim" to sit in our equivalent of the Mastermind chair and be questioned was the portfolio holder for children's social care -- Councillor David

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-33740127086483922122008-02-10T22:00:00.001Z2008-02-19T15:54:54.555Z

There have been some quite alarming headlines in the tabloid press this past day or two, but to "Bash the Bishop" (as I saw in one tabloid headline) is not the right way to go, even if it's being done only with words. No, he is not the problem here, though the way he handled this seems to have been poorly devised, and not helped by our typically selective and slanted media. The problem that has

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-55454523528511603092008-02-10T05:29:00.000Z2008-02-10T14:58:13.178Z

This is the time of year when Portfolio Holders (the members of the Council's Executive -- the Cabinet) are called to appear before the Scrutiny Committees to account for their work in that position during the past year. The photograph shows Medway's Cabinet in session, where their decisions are taken. We have had two Portfolio Holders appear before the scrutiny committee of which I am the

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-89063653676910318302008-02-08T22:42:00.000Z2008-02-11T18:56:15.863Z

Iain Dale today asks the question: "Are we being Islamaphobic?" as a result of the widespread reaction to the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent pronouncements on such topics as Sharia Law in Britain. Although Rowan Williams' lecture seems to have been somewhat clumsy, and probably not reported in a way that would accurately convey what he was trying to say, it is timely to ask Dale's question,

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-73982961214052972332008-02-04T08:39:00.000Z2008-02-04T08:47:38.079Z

This 8-minute WebCameron video affords a behind-the-scenes look at how David Cameron handles Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs), from bicycling in to Westminster, via the pre-PMQ discussion with his team (including George Osborne), his side of PMQs itself (they weren't allowed to include the Prime Minister's responses!) and ending with a "how it went" comment or two. Worth watching...

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-79583602074946323342008-02-02T19:28:00.000Z2008-02-11T18:04:40.091Z

This introduction to something called The Laffer Curve shows clearly why, in general (though not in all cases) low tax tends to be beneficial to the economy... My thanks go to the Tax-Payers Alliance on whose website I first spotted this. UPDATE: There is a more detailed explanation of the Laffer Curve on this web page.

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2438119814770065662.post-73645607937350703022008-02-02T01:49:00.000Z2008-02-02T14:21:37.521Z

As the Budget Scrutiny exercise reaches its conclusion this coming week, the true extent of the revenue funding shortfall is worth stating publicly. In fact, it is already clear from last month's documents that went to Scrutiny at the start of this part of the budget-setting process. I already knew the amount we were having taken away from us, as I had calculated it beforehand, using official

John M Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06251285057595626917noreply@blogger.com