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Letter: Unionist can’t lecture council on civic pride
I would wish to take issue and respond to statements made by Ron Graves ET Letters February2 “Costly stunts do not instil civic pride”.
It is ludicrous to believe that Labour funded Red Ron can lecture me or anyone else for that matter on civic pride, public finances and the local services provided by Peterborough City Council as, if I recall correctly, the last time Peterborough had a Labour controlled council they almost bankrupted the city and were forced to handover the reigns to ourselves “the publicity seeking Tories”.
It is no coincidence that when in government, the Labour party did the very same thing which has placed us all in the dire financial straits we now find ourselves in today. It is a tough time for public finances yet Peterborough, it should be noted, still has the fifth lowest unitary authority council tax rate in the UK.
This is, though getting tougher to manage our finances, against a back drop of reducing government grant (as a result of the almost criminal financial mismanagement by Labour) and rising demand across all our services. This inevitably may lead to a reluctant council tax increase in May to maintain and invest in the many good services we currently provide. Despite these difficult times, it is important that we do not shut up shop and do nothing culturally or otherwise in promoting growth and improvements in commerce, employment, housing, education and healthcare to name but a few key areas across our fantastic city. Peterborough is very much “Open for Business” and the Olympics and Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations will help to showcase many of our city’s greatest assets to the world.
Turning specifically to a number of points he raises. In his mind civic pride might be that we should expect “clean and safe streets”, I agree by the way and as I travel around the city by and large I see this to be largely true thanks to the excellent work of the Enterprise staff – his very own trade union members by the way. He also says we should have “good healthcare freely available to all”. Forgive me, but has something changed in the NHS, are they now charging? Because as far as I know it is still available to all that are entitled to it, and it is still free of charge.
He goes on to say that we should have “a sufficiency of school places”. Has he forgotten that it was under the Labour government, the same one that he and his left wing cronies continue to support, that allowed unprecedented and uncontrolled numbers of immigrants into the UK and had they not done so then perhaps we would not have the shortage of school places we have today here in Peterborough. It is also worth pointing out the same could be said for the overflowing doctors surgeries and hospital waiting rooms, not to mention the stresses and strains on just about every other public service you can name here in Peterborough.
I could go on and answer his every point on civic pride issues save to say I believe it exists in many forms and means something different to all sorts of people but what would be the point, he just won’t get it anyhow.
However, I do believe the public should know of the views of their elected members and I am not afraid to state mine on the subject of “Civic Pride”. Mr Graves states: “ I accused” Cllrs Murphy & Sandford”. Ask those that were there, it is a fact that at Monday night’s budget scrutiny meeting in the town hall that Ed Murphy a Ravensthorpe Labour Councillor and the self declared anti-Royalist the Liberal Democrat for Walton Councillor Nick Sandford wanted the forthcoming Olympic and the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the city to receive no financial support from the council whatsoever. They asked that these items be struck from the forthcoming budget, so it was at this point I stated to the committee members and those present that I felt that their stance was “unpatriotic” and dented our city’s civic pride and that of the nation, and the public’s desire to be part of these national British celebrations. It would also be detrimental to the city’s economic and tourism opportunities that will come via the planned TV coverage, a fact they completely ignored.
In closing, while I would concede that this council like others is not perfect we are in a darn sight better place than most, and God forbid should we ever fall under Labour’s control in this city again, we might as well pack up and move out as they would destroy all the good work currently going on.
Cllr. Wayne Fitzgerald
Bretton North Ward
Proud to Stand for Queen & Country ..... & The Olympics of course!
Be British - Be The Best
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
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