Wirral Cabinet to vote on shutting Pensby Park School

This evening the Labour / Liberal Democrat rulling ”soviet” will vote of shutting Pensby Park Junior School.

This is against the wishes of the Staff, Teachers and Parents.

A plan by the Govenors to become a “Special School” is dismissed out of hand by the report of the Director of Childrens Services.

Listed in Section 7 of the report - Staffing Implications

7.1 When a school closes, all staff at the school are made redundant.

A full copy of the report is available at : -

http://www.wirral.gov.uk/minute/public/cabcsll080123rep7_26158.pdf

How long before the Lib-Dems Councillors blame the Tories who are not in the Cabinet!

However perhaps Lib-Dem Ward Councillor Sarah Quinn may save the day and ask for intervention from one of the Lid Dems on the Council Cabinet? I would start with her own mother Cllr Jean Quinn!

“Keep the Post Offices Open” update

The news that Heswall Village Post Office is to shut has been reported today in The Daily Post.

This is a blow for the community and has grave implications to the local population who rely on these facilities.

Having worked on Esther McVey’s campaign to stop any such closures in Wirral West we had been hitting the streets of Wirral and in particularly Pensby for months! Each Saturday we had been to shopping areas in Meols, Hoylake, West Kirby, Greasby, Irby, Pensby and Upton. On one occasion in May I had even been to Prenton… (OK that was my mistake!)

I do find it strange that, based on Hansard, the local New Labour MP Ben Chapman only started campaigning to stop the closure of Lower Heswall in November 2007, some six months after we had begun and the picture above of Esther and I campaigning at Hoylake Post Office was taken.

Too little too late!

When he asked what discussions the Secretary of State had on the proposed closure the answer was simple. “None”!

How about subsidising The Post Office to keep essential sub branches open… or did all the money go to Northern Rock?

“…i’d like to help you son; but your too young to vote!”

Last Wednesday I was delighted to take part in a Politics morning at Hilbre High School Humanities College in West Kirby.

Originally, I had gone to support Esther Mcvey who was taking part in the exercise with members of the local Labour and Liberal democrats. (Two ideologies, but only one voice on Wirral Borough Council?) Joining Esther were Cllr Peter Reisdorf  from the Lib-Dems and Cllr Walter Smith  for the Labour party.

However, I was thrown into the deep end and had a class all to myself. Having not been in a school class for almost 20 years it was a shock to find the Head of Politics who organised it was both younger than me and a Councilor!

Individually we were quizzed on a number of topics in the first session and subsequently took part in a “Question Time” type event in the main auditorium.

It was amazing to me that here where a group of 15 and 16 year old that were both obviously intelligent and highly articulate but did not have a direct voice into politics.

Questions asked ranged from “Immigration”, “The NHS”, “The War in Iraq” and “How to Campaign against Bus Service reductions” (or reading between the lines “How do a group of 15 and 16 year olds form a group to pressure “the grown ups” to listen to us!). 

My favorite was the question resulting from the smoking age being raised to 18! - this question was based on the legal age for sale of Alcohol and Tobacco being 18. 

Having already had this in our breakout session earlier in the morning I widened the question to include the Voting Age being 18.

I did point out that I was both a smoker and a drinker and pleaded with the kids not to smoke or drink as both were bad for your health and that by my age they would have spent a fortune! 

Some of these children will be leaving school as early as next summer and if they are lucky enough to get a job will become tax payers. Yet they will not be able to vote until they are 18 for either their local, national or European representatives. 

Is this democracy? Only listen to those that have a vote?

Surely any cuts in Leisure Services will affect this age group significantly and yet their voices are not listened to either locally or nationally when policy is devised.

The minimum age for recruits to Her Majesties forces is 16-and-a-half; troops are not able to take part in operations until they turn 18. 
Whilst still under 16 they can wear the uniform of the Crown with pride and carry out UK based training and deployment but can’t wind down at the end of the day with a cigarette or a beer? 

“No Taxation without Representation” already has caused some problems for this country by way of George Washington! Could there be a link between 16 and 17 years olds being disenfranchised and problems with anti social behavior on our streets?

Ask the children hanging around the West Kirby Concourse on a cold Friday night in January why they are there and you will get the reply “Because we got nothing else to do!” or “We are bored”.

Where have all the excellent out of hours activities gone that I used to do when I was a youngster? 

Is it right to further cut Leisure Services on The Wirral when already so many of our children have no where to go in the evenings?

I may only be a Council Candidate but the pupils at Hilbre have at least got their point across to one grown up!

“Keep the Post Offices Open” Campaign

Back in November we were thrilled to hear that Esther Mcvey eight month campaign to prevent Post Offices in Wirral West from closing succeeded!

That means no closure in Pensby! We are the only area in Wirral to escape the Labour Party axe.

To celebrate Charles Hendry MP, the Shadow Minster for Post Offices met up with some of our campaign team at the Newton Post Office. In the picture can be seen Cllr Geoffrey Watt, me, Esther and Mr Hendry and other campaigners.

The full story can be seen at Esther’s Blog at : -

http://esther2009.wordpress.com/2007/11/07/save-our-post-office-campaign/trackback/

John M Meyer - Conservative Candidate for Pensby, Barnston and Thingwall ward in the May 2008 elections to Wirral Borough Council

Hello I am John Meyer.

I will be standing as the Conservative candidate in the Local Elections in May 2008 for the Pensby and Thingwall ward.

Some of you may know me from around the area, particularly if you live in the Pensby, Barnston and Thingwall ward of Wirral Council, where I am the Team Leader for the Conservative Action Team.

Others will have seen me as part of Esther McVey’s team througout Wirral West

For those of you that have elluded me allow me to tell you a little about me: -

I am 37 years old and run my own business specialising in Traffic Management and IT.

I was born and live in West Kirby.

My parents and older siblings lived in Newton when I was born and we moved to Hoylake in 1974 to the home my parents still live in.

I was educated on the Wirral and in Suffolk. After Carlett Park I went to University in London and I stayed in London working until returning to the Wirral in 2001.

I am a season ticket holder at Tranmere Rovers, an accomplished tennis player and a frustrated golfer!

I have been involved in Politics for over 25 years and have held office in The Conservative Party at either national, regional or local levels on a number of occasions going back to 1990. May 2008 will see me stand for Local Government for the first time.