JohnBM:Liberal

While I have nothing per se against the introduction of a ‘lad’s army’ national voluntary scheme, I do have serious doubts as to its implimentation in the real world.

In areas like the Upper Calder Valley where I live there is already a long history of community voluntary work which improves the communities without the need of any centralised quango imposing targets and quotas.

There is a serious danger that introduction of a ‘national’ voluntary service could see many small groups being pushed aside by regional managers who think they know best and ignoring the needs of communities.

The direction of resources must be determined at community level otherwise such a scheme will end up as just a Tory election gimmick which I suspect it is anyway.

This morning, in my mayoral capacity, I opened the new park on Scout Road in Mytholmroyd.

This park is part on an ongoing regeneration of the old methodist’s cricket pitch. About 5 years ago the methodists were selling the land in a blind auction and a community group formed to save the park from development.

With a little bit of help from Hebden Royd Town Council and a lot of work at a community level the group were able to buy the land.

Today’s opening was the latest stage in what has been an exciting development locally, driven by a small and committed band of volunteers.

As I’ve been involved on and off (expanding family and mayoralty permitting) with the community group since the beginning of the project, I was pleased that the mayor of Calderdale was unable to make it this morning so I could do an impromptu opening.

Thanks Arshad and thanks to all those involved.

Little piece on the front page of the Hebden Bridge Times this week on a campaign I’m pursuing – Getting Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale recognised in the Royal Mail postcode database.

This is not a call for the unilateral declaration of independence of the Royd and Cragg, just making sure our post goes to the right place.

My address is :
10 Cleveley Gardens
Mytholmroyd
Hebden Bridge
HX7 5JE

not:
10 Cleveley Gardens
Hebden Bridge
HX7 5JE

Hebden Bridge is a wonderful place with wonderful people – I just don’t live there.

Questions are being asked by some members of the Calder Valley Labour Party over the selection of Cherie Blair’s stepmother, Stephanie Booth, as their parliamentary candidate.

In an article in the Yorkshire Post members of the Calder branch of the Labour Party are alleging postal voting irregularities including that Mrs. Booth’s supporters directly helped party members to fill in their postal voting papers.

Of the votes 95 cast for Mrs. Booth in the selection, 73 were postal votes.

Of the 52 votes cast for Cllr. Susan Press, 17 were postal votes.

The other votes were made in person at the hustings on April 9th.

Effectively; the selection of Steph Booth was a done deal before the hustings began.

It could be that Mrs. Booth fought a better all-round campaign or, as suggested by some local Labour Party members, it could be a little more sinister.

This latest episode comes on the back of the Labour Party NEC’s ousting of the previous Labour candidate, Janet Oosthuysen, for receiving a police caution for scratching an ex-partner’s car. Janet narrowly beat Steph Booth by a handful of votes last July.

This could well be a space that needs to be watched.