As if they didn’t have enough wealthy twits from Clifton in their councillor ranks, come the elections in June it looks like the Lib Dems will be foisting some more of these ridiculous home counties Tories-in-disguise upon us.
Joining Lib Dem boss, Babs “Call me ma’m” Janke, the city’s self-styled Green Goddess whose swanky BS8 lifestyle is funded by her wealthy hubby’s exploits for the clean ‘n’ green aerospace industry; Mike “Biggles” Popham, Alpha Course religious nut and the former Tory Councillor for Bonkersdean, Surrey and Simon “the business plan looked robust to me” Cook, whose main qualification for running the city’s culture department is a 30 second appearance in Eastenders in the early 90s followed by a glittering career doing voiceovers for Destination Bristol (oddly not declared as an interest) and sitting next to Janke with his nose in the air at Council meetings will be Clifton architect Simon Rayner.
Simon was introduced to his adoring public by “Call me Ma’m” Janke and Jon Rogers on Monday night at a meeting in his alloted Kingsweston ward where he attracted a crowd of, er, four people! That was two pensioners, a Lib Dem activist and the Conservative candidate for Kingsweston, Adrian Clarke.
Despite remarkably strong evidence to the contrary, Rayner, Rogers and Janke thought the whole thing a glorious success. “Hopefully we can build on this,” leaderene Janke told the Cancer, adding delusional lunacy to a burgeoning portfolio of unusual skills.
Tory on-the-spot, Adrian Clarke, took a different view of proceedings, however. Rayner who lives in a rather delightful spot nestled by the Downs was forced to agree it was “highly unlikely” he would ever live in Kingsweston before admitting he knew nothing about the schools in the area. Although this didn’t seem to stop the gormless snob then announcing that Weston Park School was one of the worst in North Bristol!
Intrigued? Want to know more about this latest Lib Dem looney? You’re in luck! His application to the Lib Dems has been leaked EXCLUSIVELY to us. And note how it reads just like a job application for a public sector middle manager in the Department for Folding Deckchairs:
My professional career has equipped me with a range of skills and knowledge which will be of value both in fighting an election campaign, and as a member of the City Council.
I have experience of working in teams of varying sizes in differing roles, including managing others. I am able to deal effectively with different people and personalities, from a range of backgrounds. I have considerable experience of community consultations and working with community groups, particularly in economically deprived areas.
I am a good communicator, and confident public speaker. I am able to write clearly and concisely, and am experienced in producing well-designed, attractive documents. I have considerable experience of producing internet content, which is playing an increasingly important role in communicating with voters.
My job involves generating imaginative and practical answers to complicated problems. I have the ability to quickly comprehend new issues, analyse information, generate solutions and communicate them to others.
As an architect, I have a strong interest and broad understanding of the processes that shape cities. I have particular expertise in architectural and urban design, sustainable development, and planning regulations. I also have practical experience and knowledge of community regeneration, housing policy, school redevelopment, and public procurement procedures.
I hope to be able to apply these skills, and learn new ones, in helping us gain overall control of Bristol City Council. I then hope to be able to use my skills and knowledge to the benefit of the community which I represent, and to develop polices which will make Bristol a better place in which to live and work.
Look out for more of The Bristol Blogger’s unrivaled election coverage over the coming weeks …
Ooh, his CV looks like a CV – fancy that!
Not sure why you’re attacking this guy before he’s even done anything. Is it just because he lives in Clifton?
Yes.
I live in Clifton. So do quite a lot of other people who don’t fit the stereotype.
It is going to be a nasty old campaign isn’t it?
Terry Cook was gloating about our meeting on twitter …
“LLib Dems held public meeting to introduce their Clifton Boy candidate in Kingsweston last night. No one turned up – shame!”
I replied, “Actually 4 residents came out to the meeting in the rain. You may call them “no-one”, but they came and we listened carefully.”
Terry Cook continued…
“Is listening to 4 out of 7500 voters a representative sample? I had 7 at my surgery on Sat and I wasn’t even trying!”
We also had Labour’s John Bees and Charlie Price skulking around outside, scaring away prospective attendees!
I spoke with Cllr Charlie Price, husband of Labour Kingsweston Cllr and candidate Judith Price, outside. He told me that people “don’t come because they don’t have any problems”!
Such complacent nonsense.
True, we didn’t get a great turn out, but at least we tried.
BB may sneer from his Clifton hating anonymity at the fact that Lib Dems include people from all walks of life, with a wide range of experience and knowledge that we want to apply to improve Bristol.
KingsWeston is a close, Lib Dem Labour marginal. 38 votes last time in May 2006…
John Thomas Bees – Labour – 1078 votes – 36%
Joanna Prescott – Lib Dem – 1040 – 35%
Anthony Smith Conservative 614 20.71
Geoff Collard Green Party 233 7.86
And the time before 24 votes in 2005…
Judith Price – Labour – 1556 votes – 35%
Joanna Prescott – Lib Dem – 1532 votes – 34%
Michael Cobb Conservative 941 21.11
Terence Thomas Independent 429 9.62
Oh and the final treat of the evening was the appearance of Conservative Charlotte Leslie joining us for tea and biscuits, then leaving when we suggested she might meet half the cost!
The people of Lawrence Weston, Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle have many problems, they just don’t believe that politicians can help solve them.
We must convince them otherwise, and by actions not words.
Jon
Yes Jon it is, mainly because the occupants of the council chamber – with barely an exception – have proved to be totally incompetent and not to have a brain cell to share between them. They seem to prefer behaving like primary school children poking cheap jibes at each other rather than holding over-powerful officers to account.
I for one will be using my vote; it’s only a shame that Nobody isn’t standing this year as I’d definitely Vote Nobody again.
Well if you vote nobody you get unsuprisingly-nobody.
The over powerful officers that you refer to are following directives and money control measures handed down by central government. This might be acceptable to Lab/Con but it is not acceptable to us.
Breaking the chains and getting to a position where Bristol Cllrs can really effectively represent the views of Bristol residents is what this election is about.
BBs inverted snobbery is no surprise. And actually the fact that Labour look like they’re going to run a class-based campaign isnt that much of a surprise either – two days ago this surfaced:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/columnists/thewhip/article2365832.ece
It’s just ironic that a government party that has for 12 years been run by a middle-class elite of technocrats and allowed the gap between the have’s and have-nots to grow bigger than ever should feel it still has the credibility to run an “anti-toff” campaign. I guess the most important thing for Labour (nationally and locally) is just to make sure the campaign isnt run on their record – by whatever means necessary.
Like giving privileged access to the local great and good? Ignoring adopted council policy?
I want the council to represent and implement the wishes of local people – and ALL local people, not just the rich and powerful. I somehow cannot see any of the incumbents doing that. The political parties have ruined local politics and Mr Hopkins’ response is typical – the ‘it wasn’t me, it was him’ approach of the child pulled up short in the playground they adopt. We need more independents in council chambers: people who aren’t stupid enough to compromise on what they know to be right and needs doing to fit in with the policy objectives of any political clique; people who are guided by their consciences rather than ideology.
“BB may sneer from his Clifton hating anonymity at the fact that Lib Dems include people from all walks of life”
Especially wealthy people with no right to government and no qualification to run other people’s lives. However, you people seem to think wealth is reason enough. It’s also the idea that pandering to rich people isn’t harmful. Who are they more likely to look after? YES, you guessed it. Big companies that want to build piles of shit over your green spaces. Them boiz make money. People complain when Labour look after the rich but actually can’t see it’s exactly the same thing when the Lib Dems do it. No wonder Bristol is a joke. Besides, that architecht.. my gerbil could write a better “CV” of why he should be a councillor. Do you really think being a councillor should be like, as BB said, “a public sector middle manager in the Department for Folding Deckchairs.” That is actually exactly what it sounded like. His reasoning was that he can use the internet ergo he should be a councillor. You people have bare LOW standards.
The only thing I would agree with Rogeurs on is Charlotte Leslie. That woman is a spectacular idiot. The most genuinely vapid politician (/person) I have seen in a long time.
Oi!
Leave my beloved Charlotte alone!
Just because there’s never been a photo published of her where she doesn’t look like she’s enjoyed a hefty line of nose is no reason to pick on her!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bj4PtHX2sHM/SdaSEStEgQI/AAAAAAAAAQA/fpfkYn73Vr8/s1600-h/IMG_1568.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Bj4PtHX2sHM/ScQdVDWuxII/AAAAAAAAAPg/ociqBbnX80U/s1600-h/IMG_1515.JPG
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Bj4PtHX2sHM/SbRwDLTkCtI/AAAAAAAAAPA/Hs2UaVYaXAI/s1600-h/No2ID+FEB09+021.jpg
I shall look forward to a ballot paper somewhere in Bristol with an option of “sceptic” on it.
Until that time when you sweep to power there is a real choice for the city. Lab/Con , some of whose unpleasant characteristics you have described or Lib Dems.
We are equiped to do battle on behalf of the Bristol electorate but do need the support of some of those who at the moment choose to opt out.
Sceptic “We need more independents in council chambers: people who aren’t stupid enough to compromise on what they know to be right and needs doing”
That’s right sceptic, we could do with more known people to stand as independents. Some places have plenty independents on their councils, eg round mid-wales.
Snafu said “Some places have plenty independents on their councils, eg round mid-wales.”
True, and most of them are even more useless time-serving losers than the Bristol lot!
For independent read small “c” conservative.
(at least in 90% of cases)
Morning Sceptic
When was the last time an independent won on Bristol City Council?
Most of us need the support and team work that comes from a political grouping.
It is also great working with people that share a common set of values and principles, and it is brilliant now having the opportunity to make it happen.
Jon
All a bit pompous John.Personally I find it hard to listen to lectures on principle from a party led by Barbara Janke.
Rosso, in this city the conservative small ‘c’ consensus is around big spending, social engineering government. A consensus shared by Labour, Lib Dems, the Greens and many Tories.
Just look at the general agreement that the best way forward for the city is to employ a copper on £140k a year to do marketing for instance.
There continues to be a remarkable level of agreement across the parties in the face of the total failure of this kind of government in the city.
All the biggies – education, transport and social services – continue to go nowhere. Why would more of the same change this?
Hmmm…
BB calls me “a bit pompous” and whines “All the biggies – education, transport and social services – continue to go nowhere.”
Sadly you are probably right on both counts!
So what is to be done about them?
(1) If I stray into pomposity then please point it out at every opportunity. “His speeches left the impression of an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea”
(2) Education – Cllr Pickup and more recently Cllr Hammond have IMO struggled to make sensible decisions or give strong leadership. The Sefton Parks school debacle and their “head in the sand” approach to primary school places. Cllr Campion-Smith is making headway, but lots more to do.
(3) Transport – Cllrs Bradshaw and T Cook IMO seemed to prefer facing inward rather than facing outward. Having done the job for less than 2 months, I can understand why, but I will resist the temptation!
(4) Social Services – Cllr Hammond and now Cllr Pickup have presided over plans to close seven, no six, no five residential homes (despite their scurilous election literature in 2007) and (despite their scurilous election literature in 2007) increased dramatically the percentage of home care provided in the independent sector. Cllr Knott is now tackling these issues.
So, all of us are happy to take suggestions. We have no monopoly on wisdom (or humility) and are keen to hear and consider ideas to make it happen.
Jon
Jon, BB’s only calling you pompous because it’s so hard to find anything of real substance to criticise in your approach.
If anything I would say you were verging on naivety (which can be mistaken for disingenuousness) in your aspirations for open, ‘outward-facing’, principled government, but if we can’t aspire to that we might as well give up.
Chris,
with the best will in the world there is nothing of substance in the words:
Neither is there much substance in blaming Pickup, Hammond, Cook, Bradshaw etc.
The problems the city has predate this lot by years. This is punch and judy politics.
Neither was there anything in Janke’s last two outings as leader to suggest she will do anything substantially different to Labour in the areas I outlined.
We need root and branch reform, not a new set of people to badly part-time manage the technocrats that will continue to run the system in the same old way with the same old problems.
Jon Rogers said:
“When was the last time an independent won on Bristol City Council?”
Not for decades I suspect, but an Independent Councillor called Gwynville Lawson won Bedminster on Avon Counuty Council in 1973, and held it until she retired I think.
Mind you I think she was originally a Labour Councillor that was de-selected. More recent ones in the same position like Pat Roberts and Peter Crispin have just accepted it an become Aldermen.
(Of course Roy Tallis was elected as a Lib Dem, went Independent, lost the subsequent election in his ward heavily, then joined the Tories and failed to be elected in the next ward.)
Jon Rogers said
‘(4) Social Services – Cllr Hammond and now Cllr Pickup have presided over plans to close seven, no six, no five residential homes (despite their scurilous election literature in 2007) and (despite their scurilous election literature in 2007) increased dramatically the percentage of home care provided in the independent sector. Cllr Knott is now tackling these issues.’
How is Cllr Knott tackling the privatisation of Home care? Privatising more? Privatising less? What is the plan?
“We need root and branch reform, not a new set of people to badly part-time manage the technocrats that will continue to run the system in the same old way with the same old problems.” BB
I agree, but isn’t Jon Rogers main selling point his call for openness and everything being in the public domain by default? It seems to me that this would, if carried through, amount to a root and branch reform since the present system could hardly continue under such scrutiny.
Is Jon Rogers’ main selling point one and the same as the Lib Dems?
Correct me if I’m wrong but the Lib Dems are led by Ms Janke, who’s well-known in these parts for not providing straight answers to straight questions.
On matters of openness there’s still a lot of foot-dragging by BCC going on on What Do They Know?
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/bristol_city_council
It seems to me that if people in Bristol want more openness and transparency then we need to rally round those candidates who are standing for that, irrespective of their Party.
As you said above, it doesn’t make much difference which Party is “in power” if the current culture of secrecy persists because it means than in effect the officers continue to run the show.
Yeah, because they always do exactly what they promise. Perfectly trustworthy.
Thanks BB
Just been looking at the 51 FoI requests from Bristol City Council on the site.
15 appear to be about the Sefton Park School debacle [Hammond and Pickup]
4 appear to be about the Chocolate Factory/Railway Path “consultation” debacle [Bradshaw and Price]
3 about home education [Hammond & Pickup]
Notice any similarity with my earlier posting?
18 out of 51 have been “successful”, 10 have been “partially successful”, 11 have had no response or response overdue, 10 are awaiting classification or “internal review” and 2, bless em, the “information is not held”.
It is ridiculous that residents should have to resort to FoI requests to find out what is going on in their own council.
The previous Labour administration thought it was OK to hide their poor decision making behind a cloak of secrecy.
Let us not forget that in 2007 Helen Holland and her Labour colleagues were voted in to replace the Liberal Democrats who were by far the largest party. She was voted in by a strange coalition of Labour, Conservative and Green Party votes.
The electors of Bristol have a clear choice in June, between more of the same or an open and transparent Liberal Democrat leadership with vision, imagination and a desire for change.
Ooops, getting pompous and preachy again!
Jon
I notice Jon “Mr open government” Rogers chose not to answer Charlie’s question –
How is Cllr Knott tackling the privatisation of Home care? Privatising more? Privatising less? What is the plan?
As Jon Rogers surely knows, as Bev Knott surely knows, as the Labour Party knows and pretends it doesn’t and as Charlie should know, privatisation is the only option.
There was all-party agreement on this in 2005 when they all accepted the Parrot Report in its entirety without serious discussion or debate.
I should know, I was one of two objectors in the public gallery who got attacked by that vile blind Labour councillor who thankfully resigned for my trouble
Well. I’m pleased to see my political debut has created such a stir.
I can only apologise for living in Clifton. The rent’s a bit more than I can afford, but it means I can walk to work rather than rely on the whims of First Group in the morning. I’m afraid I forgot to factor in the opinions of anonymous cynics on the internet when I was flat-hunting.
Congratulations on the exclusive. It was on my website for a good month, so I can’t imagine how anyone managed to get hold of it.
I would have thought that professional experience of planning, urban regeneration, and housing policy would be pretty useful for a councillor, particularly when you want to represent a ward with several hundred structurally unsound council houses.
My expertise and passionate discussion about this key electoral issue might explain why Adrian Clarke wants to attack my honesty about not being an expert in everything (although he made the comment about Weston Park School up). It seems he forgot to mention Charlotte Leslie’s response to a question about the Severn Barrage which was along the lines of ‘Err.. well it’s an important issue.’ And that was it.
I look forward to your future ‘coverage’, and hope that you will soon be able to judge me on my actions as a hard-working, idealistic, new councillor, rather than just prejudices based on my postcode.
BB – the Labour Party effectively tore up the Parrot Report after the 2007 elections when they got back into power campaigning solely against the contents of the report… which they had previously accepted in its entirely.
The report was drawn up to make sure that there was no repeat of the £15 million overspend on adult care that was under Labour’s last stretch in control. Surprise, surprise, the moment they got back into power they disowned it…
Once again Simon Rayner shows his naivety about Lawrence Weston, its people and facilities. Does he not think that it is important to live in an area and get to know the people that he would like to represent?
Simon states that he knows about housing, and I am sure that he does, but his colleagues’ answer to me was quite preposterous. I live in a concrete house, with a flat roof, as do many residents in Kingsweston and when you mentioned about insulating flat roofed houses, your answer appeared confused, whereas Jon Rogers (the LibDem councillor present) mentioned that he had heard about grassing the roof !!! Unbelievable statement (unless he comes round to cut it!)
I accept that as a state school teacher, I may be deemed an expert in education, but to not even have a point of view on the schools in Kingsweston is naive. And talking of schools, let me re-iterate, so you get for facts straight for the future, I did not state that YOU, Simon, made any comment about Weston Park (you have already said you know nothing about the schools in the area where I live), it was the Lib Dem Activist who was present at the meeting. I clearly stated this in my response to your article on the Bristol Evening Post on 07-Apr-2009 22:20 (http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Bristol-leader-won-t-despite-low-turnout/article-881101-detail/article.html), the day before this blog started. Simon, please make sure your quotes about me are accurate in the future.
I am sure the Bristol Blogger will be only too pleased to hear your “idealistic ideas”, and hear my realistic ideas for the area of Bristol you visit, but I call home, Kingsweston.
Adrian Clarke said:
“Does he not think that it is important to live in an area and get to know the people that he would like to represent?”
An interesting question to ask a prospective Councillor, and one he might also like to address to sitting Labour Councillor Judith Price who lives in………..KINGSWOOD!
So lets see – Kingsweston can elect someone who lives a few minutes away by bus or bicycle, or someone who lives at the very opposite end of the city. Try getting from Kingswood to Kingsweston on the bus, or by car in the rush hour, and you’ll see what I mean.
Good evening Mr Clarke
You seem to take some delight in seeking to ridicule me?
May I suggest that you type flat roof insulation sedum into Google? There are over 4,600 hits.
As one of the sites says, “Green roofs have been around for decades but it is only recently that technology has been robust enough for the concept to take off.”
How do you treat your pupils when they suggest something you haven’t heard of?
Just a reminder…
Labour – 1078 votes – 36%
Liberal Democrat – 1040 – 35%
Conservative – 614 – 20.71
We have a very strong candidate in Simon Rayner. He is honest, hard-working and straightforward. He will make an excellent councillor for Kingsweston if the voters so decide.
Jon
I see it doesnt take long for this Clarke fellow to get personal about his opponents. Instead of showing us all know snide he can be, perhaps he’d be more impressive if he had constructive things to say about Kingsweston’s future?
I see this long thread talked about ‘Lib Dem thickies.’ Yet has anyone actually met the alternative – Labour’s Judith ‘Kingswood’ Price. If Rayner’s thick I hat to think what you’d call Jude, just check our her appearances at Full Council on the webcast archive.
There’s nothing honest, hard-working or straightforward about terms such as “sustainable development” and “community regeneration”.
They are meaningless and ill-defined PR terms invariably used by the wealthy and influential to get their way.
I suspect Mr Rayner – like most councillors – will be spending more time helping out business interests – particularly construction ones – than he will people in Kingsweston.
Anyway, I’d be very interested to hear from Mr Rayner and Mr Clarke what they intend to do about education. For me it’s the number one issue in Bristol.
BB, you correctly identify Bristol education as a major challenge.
No quick fixes, but we must stop making the mistakes of the last 18 months.
The Liberal Democrats are again building a new primary school on Brunel site (one year later than planned because of Labour’s foolishmess). The school would have been opening in September 2009 but is now scheduled for September 2010.
We don’t intend to bury our heads in the sand like Labour did when they ignored the shortage of primary school places. CYPS like all council departments needs strong and consistent leadership. A Lib Dem majority in June will deliver that.
Be good to hear what you think.
Jon
That’ll be aka ‘Vicky Pollard’ – me thinks !
Agree? or too harsh
on Little Britain’s best loved Bristolian ?
” The rent’s a bit more than I can afford, but it means I can walk to work rather than rely on the whims of First Group in the morning. ” Simon Rayner
Well, if you couldn’t afford it you’d get evicted and at least you’re happy to BRAG about the fact that you have the privilege to choose not to ‘rely on the whims of First Group’ while the people you’re going to con out of votes don’t. Moron. You really should take Jon Rogers’ Lying 101 course. It’s inaffective but at least he tries.
Dear Compost Corner: Vicky Pollard is brighter than Judith Price, and sharper too.
Dear Ella: So Simon can walk to work? How long does it take Judith Price to walk from home to her ward?
Years ago I heard a group of local politicos discussing a local Bristol Councillor in a pub. It got heated and one of them shouted: “well he may be useless, but at least he’s Labour!”
Sums up the level of debate on local politics at times I think…..
Morning Ella
I am sorry, but you are a bit out of date.
I gave up my “Lying 101 course” some years ago. I was no good at it and found that honesty proved much, much easier.
Doesn’t stop me cocking up from time to time, but at least now I can admit it.
Jon
“….shouted: “well he may be useless, but at least he’s Labour!” Sums up the level of debate on local politics at times I think…..”
That’s the left for you; long on inflexible ideology (not to say idiocy) and short on pragmatism. Can you have too much pragmatism?
It’d be even better to hear what you politicians think. You’re running in an election to be in charge of education. Not me.
Oddly none of you want to get into detail on this. Only the ya-boo it’s their fault stuff.
Makes you suspect no one has any answers …
Thanks BB, I would most definitely be interested in talking about education. I have a child in primary school in Lawrence Weston, so not only as a candidate and a teacher, but more importantly, as a parent, education in Bristol is a major concern.
Speaking as a teacher, and as a union field officer for Bristol and S Gloucestershire, the biggest problem is simply school sizes are too big. To work in a school of approx. 1000 students allows you to keep up to date with all major issues with the students that we teach. It also allows us to maintain a network of colleagues who can support each other up in school. When schools get bigger than 1000 students , this means more teachers, and then teachers lose their network, and students (particularly the “characters”) know this and play the system. Schools in Bristol have been made bigger over the last decades, as head teachers see their salaries increase, as they are related to backsides on seats. Ideally more schools, both primary and secondary need to be built. In reality, the land on which these schools could have been built has been sold and housing has been built on this land.
We are continually being told to teach to ensure children achieve the targets they have been set, with many parents being concerned with their son/daughter not achieving the target set. The Government has ensured that SAT targets have been met (and at GCSE), by lowering the standard of requirement to pass. This, I hasten to add is NOT the fault of any student, who is only doing his/her best in their examinations.
Examinations and Government need to be separated, and business/universities need to be in charge, as their interest in what the student has been taught is paramount to our future. I do not advocate linear paths of learning, but a rounded learning approach as instigated by the International Baccalaureate (http://www.ibo.org) .
Clearly this mess that the Government has put us in, and the Labour party locally in Bristol has lovingly followed, can not be cleaned up quickly, and will take many years of Government funding.
We need locally more schools, and integrated “yellow bus” scheme to allow children to go to and from school to avoid the horrendous congestion seen in our school locally in the morning. This would, as I am sure you would be aware, reduce the need for cars and help the environment. Until this happens, we will simply be plastering over the cracks.
Jon, I will not waste my time commenting on a personal attack on my professionalism in the classroom.
Sorry Adrian, I was trying to understand you a bit better.
You said, “I live in a concrete house, with a flat roof, as do many residents in Kingsweston and when you mentioned about insulating flat roofed houses, your answer appeared confused, whereas Jon Rogers (the LibDem councillor present) mentioned that he had heard about grassing the roof !!! Unbelievable statement (unless he comes round to cut it!)”
I replied, “You seem to take some delight in seeking to ridicule me?
“May I suggest that you type flat roof insulation sedum into Google? There are over 4,600 hits.
“As one of the sites says, ‘Green roofs have been around for decades but it is only recently that technology has been robust enough for the concept to take off.’
How do you treat your pupils when they suggest something you haven’t heard of?”
You retorted, “Jon, I will not waste my time commenting on a personal attack on my professionalism in the classroom.”
I am sorry that you consider it “a personal attack”. You seemed to treat my suggestion of a sedum roof with such disdain I wondered if it was just fellow politicians you dismissed. I appreciate your clarification that you don’t dismiss your pupils in the same way. Good to hear it!
And thanks for your thoughts on education.
Jon
Kingswoodsten Ken – I stand corrected !
As should Ms Price – long overdue and over rated.
How tenants must feel – given the previous role of Exec Memb for Housing is beyond all natural justice.
Officer puppet / outdated muppet – ta ta Labour
your work (sic) is well and truely over.
Adrain Whoever – “And talking of schools, let me re-iterate, so you get for facts straight for the future,”
“It also allows us to maintain a network of colleagues who can support each other up in school.”
Back to the drawing board – Grammar and punctuation !! SHAME ON YOU.
Well now Mr Clarke where do we begin.
Glad you agree with the LibDem line on smaller schools which we have been pushing for some years with zero support from the conservative party locally and I have to say little vocal support from unions(which is yours?). Part of the reason given by central government for larger schools was the need to have a wide range of teachers available to teach a wide range of subjects. This could of course have been dealt with by having the core dealt with by in house teachers and a few specialist teachers to travel.
Yes this government have been appalling in terms of narrowing the educational remit but I am afraid they got the idea from the Tories in the first place.
It is actually easier and more environmentally sound to have 1 or 2 teachers travelling than hundreds of pupils.
Can you tell me your union response to this?
The yellow bus scheme is an interesting one.
When you say “our school” do you mean one in Bristol or the one you commute to in South Glos.
Are you advocating fleets of yellow buses following you up the M5.
Analysis of the users of the pilot yellow bus actually showed that many of them had previously been walking to school by the way.
The problem of providing cost effective school transport is tied up with the appalling privatisation of bus services brought in by your lot and so lovingly endorsed by NUlabour.
Clearly your party has not bothered to tell you that you have no chance of winning and that your job is really to try to stop the Tory vote collapsing too far in the ward as this would potentially affect Cllr fox in the Euro elections and help protect Charlotte Leslie from the political advance of Paul Harrod.
Would you have voted Labour into the administration into power in 2007 as your colleages did?
The pertinent reason for asking this is that that action is one of the main reasons that Bristol Tories will again underperform against your national trend.
Would you also have supported the PFI and incinerator which would have been polluting Kingsweston, as your Tory colleages did a year ago costing the council so much time and money.
I think those voters who are deciding whether to waste a vote on you or vote Lib Dem deserve to know.
“Makes you suspect no one has any answers …”
Maybe they don’t. Maybe there ARE no answers.
Good afternoon Mr Hopkins,
Let me now respond to the issues raised by you, and to start, my union is Voice (http://www.voicetheunion.org.uk/).
I agree with you that the Government “have been appalling in terms of narrowing the educational remit”. But you must also agree that this Government has, once again, taken what was a good idea, and turned it into a target driven, paper filled poorer version.
You state “It is actually easier and more environmentally sound to have 1 or 2 teachers travelling than hundreds of pupils.” Oh dear! As any teacher, of any political persuasion will tell you, this would be a disaster. Why, well what if a student has a problem with Homework and the teacher(s) are not on site or likely to be there until the due in date? How do these travelling teachers keep up with what is going on? Let me give you a simple scenario. A teacher is allocated to 2/3 schools, then they will have to do the paperwork for 2/3 schools. Teachers want less paperwork, not MORE! Furthermore, what about INSET days, where do they go; what about parent’s evenings, which school(s) do they go to? This is a daft idea.
This would result in a further breakdown in teacher networking, a point I raised earlier.
When you state “Are you advocating fleets of yellow buses following you up the M5”, are you suggesting that parents would prefer their child to leave a LibDem/Labour controlled education system ,and travel up to South Gloucestershire to study in schools controlled by the Conservative run South Gloucestershire council, where academic achievement is noticeably higher?
Of course, walking (along with cycling) would be the preferred way for any student to travel to and from school.
When you say “Clearly your party has ……. of Paul Harrod.”, that shows me that you sound really worried at this point. You must have thought that it was going to be a two way race between the Lib Dems and Labour in the local elections. I am sorry to have ruined your little plans, but it needed someone local, who has personal interests in what is happening in Kingsweston to stand up and offer the people a chance for a real change. Regarding the General Election (the sooner the better), I believe Charlotte to be the best person for North Bristol, but that debate is for another blog another day.
You asked me about the incinerators, and how I would have voted. Now knowing the information as I do, and not being someone who rushes without careful thought, I would NOT be in favour of an incinerator, and to quote you on your website http://bristoleastlibdems.org.uk/news/000090/lib_dems_burn_labours_budget_plan_for_incinerator.html “We welcome that the Tories supported our position on this occasion”
You are almost correct in the final line of your comment. It should read “I think voters are deciding whether to waste their vote in the Lib Dem candidate who has little idea of what is going on in Kingsweston, or Adrian Clarke, a local person who will continue to live in the area, and be directly accountable to the people he will meet everyday.”
Ah, “Voice” – formerly “The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT)”. The “family values” union that wants a military cadet force in every state school!
Get Out – So where does it state that. You forgot to mention that we are the only union to have a non-strike policy.
Mr Clarke
Clearly comprehension is not your strong subject. As I was tought -read the question and then make the answer relevant.
Try again
1 Would you have voted Labour into power in Bristol in 2007 as your party did.
2 Would you have supported the incinerator LAST YEAR as your party did not this year when they reversed their vote. Unfortunately this was not soon enough to prevent the wasting of millions of taxpayers money.
Your views seem to be rather teacher centered rather than pupil orientated but if you want smaller schools ,as we do, with a wide range of subjects and specialities available then you are going to have to put in extra cash (supplemented by some teacher flexibility) which your party is not prepared to do and certainly had a poor record on.
Do you regard the pupil premium as wasteful spending? Your party has not supported it.
Your commitment to Bristol schools is less than touching but please do not forget that in Bristol we have had Labour rule for the vast majority of the time we have had responsibility for schools but that half of the rest of the time it was your erstwhile leader Peter Abraham in charge.
South Glos children have spent a lot of their time with a Lib Dem controlled council so unless there was some remarlable magic wand waving in the l;ast 18 months you seem to have heaped the praise injudiciously.
Mr Hopkins
Clearly spelling is not your strong subject. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad – you can go to the top of the class for being a patronising twat.
I see that the Clifton posh boy doesn’t have anything to say for himself on education then.
The fact he leaves it to Gary Hopkins to waffle on aimlessly – in a discussion about education FFS – about global warming and incinerators tells us a lot about what he’ll be up to in the Council House.
ie. Sod all for our kids and plenty for his developer mates.
Vote Lib Dem: the business as usual candidates.
Mr Smith
Very unparliamentary language. Just as well you will never get there.
Mr Hopkins,
Good morning.
Let me start by bringing your knowledge of education terminology up to date. In education today, we no longer use the word pupil, it has been redundant for at least the last 15 years, we use the word student. I should like to know when you were last in a state school and heard them talking about pupils. By the way, who is the member responsible for education in Bristol?
I am not going to be drawn into how I would or would not have voted 2 years ago. I was not in a position to vote then, but ideally after the 4th June this year, I will be in a position and you will be able to see how I vote on all issues.
I have also explained that after careful thought I would have opposed the incinerator. I do not believe I can be clearer on this.
Clearly as BB requested it is a debate on education. How are the Lib Dems going to improve the education in Bristol? What are your plans? I would really like to know, as I expect would all the voters, not just in Kingsweston, but all over Bristol.
I look forward to your response.
To be helpful, I have googled “pupils” and got, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7987633.stm
This is a report from this month on…
Pupils ‘under greater pressure’
“Teachers felt pupils were under ever more pressure
More than 70% of teachers think pupils are under more pressure now than they were 10 years ago, a survey suggests. “
Jon
Schools that dont use “pupil” tend to use “learner”, not “student” – as the latter is usually only applied to over 16s.
Get Out – You are correct that in all academic literature, learner is used, whereas student is now used in schools to refer to the learners. Jon, the term pupils is no longer used in schools. The fact that journalists may still use it does not infer that it is correct.
If Adrian Clarke is so concerned about ‘education’ doesn’t he have a more compelling point for debate than whether pupil, learner or student is the ‘correct’ term?
I thought BB’s points were well made and worthy of some serious discussion. So should we give up on the unrealistic notion of comprehensive education and accept that selection is inevitable?
Adrian
Have you told your Leader Richard Eddy that you are that keen on politically correct language?
Do we actually care whether we talk about ‘school children’, ‘pupils’ or ‘students’, I know I don’t.
This is the trouble with education, all full of people concentrating on giving themselves grander names and titles. So Polytchnics are now ‘Universities’, Secondary Schools are now ‘Colleges’ or ‘Academies’, and pupils are now supposedly ‘students.’
How long before Teachers like Adrian decide they ought to be called ‘Lecturers?’
Whatever happens, I hope Adrian sticks to the day job, the Council already has too many teachers and ex-teachers ie:
Barbara Janke
Helen Holland
Brenda Hugill
Bev Knott
Clar Campion-Smith
Sylvia Townsend
That’s 6 out of 70 Councillors – way out of proportion!
To both Chris Hutt and “Not another teaher”, I accept that under Brown and Blair, school, colleges and polytechnics have all had name changes placed upon them. I certainly do not want to be called a lecturer. I am proud to be in an vocation where I call myself a teacher.
Earlier in this blog, when BB asked, I started talking about education only to have Mr Hopkins ask how I would have voted on issues 2 years old.
With so many ex-teachers in the Council, I wish the LibDems, who are in control at the moment, would answer my questions earlier as to what are their plans on how to improve education, and who is the councillor responsible.
I still await their reply.
its all very well going on about shcools adrian but what r u going to do about the yobbos hanging round on the streets
Screw that, what about my clorious heating bill? I have to pay almost TEN QUID A WEEK, all year round, for a service I only use sparingly anyway lest I get hit with a bill and have to pay even more. Even if I get it back as a rebate, I notice you don’t pay interest on the money you take from us- £446 a year by my reckoning.
It’s no use saying that company has upped the bill, you should be actively seeking a better deal for tenants, not rolling over to the greedy sods. A lot of the utilities are putting their prices down now, anyway. We CAN’T AFFORD this BLATANT RIPOFF and it’s about time somebody did something about it- people are going to start getting behind with their rent and going hungry because of this.
Not to mention all the other ripoffs and scams the Council pull on Bristolians, like the theft of our green space.
Hi badnewswade
Put clorius heating bill into Google and you will see that Lib Dems and the Green Party have been seeking resolution for some time.
Back in Spring 2008, Sue O’Donnell, Lib Dem Councillor for Lawrence Hill was able to “point out the unfairness of this to council officials. The council has now agreed to send out amended bills.”
She went on to say, “I am pleased that the council have decided to review their position. The billing process was clearly unfair. There was no way that, faced with such a dramatic rise in their bills, residents would have been able to pay.”
“I will do everything I can to pressure council
officials to find a long term solution to this
problem. A replacement meter system must be
found so that we can get rid of Clorius once and
for all.”
Labour have walked away from running the city so with Lib Dems in charge we should expect some answers.
Jon
Adrian
1) I think you’ll find Polytechnics became Universities in the early 1990s under a erm Conservative Government. The same government renamed some Schools ‘City Technology Colleges’. Brown & Blair may have carried on with this atupid nonsense, but your lot stared it.
2) I expect all parties will release their plans for Education once manifesto season starts, at the moment I suspect the Lib Dems priority is to deal with the primary places fiasco that Labour left them.
3) I don’t know why you haven’t read this in the Evening Post or on the Council website, you seem a bit ill-informed for a prospective Councillor, but as you can’t do your own research I’ll tell you that the Lib Dem Cabinet member for Education is Clare Campion-Smith.