In May 2012. A year has passed since the local elections in Blakenall which resulted in defeat for myself as the Labour Party candidate and the election of the Independent candidate Peter Smith. His vote supporting the Tory group on the Council tipped the balance to keep Walsall Council run by the Tories and his vote again in May 2013 has directly prevented the Labour group from again taking over. I still however continue to fight for your futures.
What damage has happened over this last year? Over 400 households in Blakenall have suffered from the imposition of the ‘bedroom tax’ penalising households who happen to have a spare bedroom , often with a genuine need to have one available. No availability of any smaller property to move into will result in a forced housing benefit cut. Peter Smith again keeping these Tories in power will lead to further big blanket cuts to the budget for care of the more vulnerable disabled and elderly residents living in Blakenall and over all Walsall.. the continued disastrous outcomes of education for our children in Walsall and unacceptable levels of unemployment ; the continued favouritism of budget spends in road and pavement repairs for the more prosperous Tory wards leaving Blakenall behind yet again We continue to lag behind in ill health statistics while the resident tat wagons still plague our neighbourhoods supported by Cllr Smith.
There will be local elections in Walsall in 2014. For the sake of the more disadvantaged wards such as Blakenall, I hope that Labour will win back at least one seat and so put a more caring Labour party in control and so stop independent Cllrs such as Peter Smith from blocking and defeating the Labour Party
Is Peter Smith a Tory? Walsall residents are again condemned to suffering a Tory/ Liberal run Council until 2014 when the ballot box can change the balance of power after 14 years under the Tories.
The three Independent Councillors who are not members of the Labour Party Peter Smith from Blakenall ward and Paul and Chris Bott from Darlaston, two of the more disadvantaged wards of Walsall Borough have for the second year running refused to vote with the labour group of councillors and so allowed the current Tory/Liberals to continue in power and so in control of the budget.This last year has seen failure of the Tory Council in their job creation schemes, overseeing child protection services judged inadequate on inspection, a failure in securing the future of our Town centres and threatening to close our Gala swimming baths… while the ruling Tory Councillors awarded themselves this year a massive pay rise. How Councilors such as Smith and the Botts can allow another year of a Tory run Council who have a record of letting the weakest in our Town go the wall with their policy of ‘let the market decide’ OK for those who earn lots or live in the more prosperous parts of Walsall. Here we have three who profess to be concerned about the most disadvantaged in their wards and end up abandoning their so called principles in return for a promised seat at the top table.
We note that Councilor Smith is now installed to be Mayor in 2014, while residents in his ward suffer increased unemployment, increased fly tipping, and disastrous effects on the many very poor residents in his ward unable to avoid the cuts caused by imposition on their families with the ‘bedroom ‘ tax.
We now see the reality of the effects on our NHS by the so called re-organisation with accident and emergency departments finding at times unable to cope, while those who were in the top management of our NHS for example at Stafford Hospital where hundreds of patients died prematurely due to concealed continued incompetence claim to be ‘not guilty’ and announce their intention to retire with a nice £2 million pension.
There is a more positive way forward .. a council driven by a partnership of organisations who are determined to address the unfair inequalities in our society, are committed to social justice and recognize that our children deserve a better future by receiving an education that is not judged as at present near the worst in the Midlands and to live in a Town that is not amongst the worst in the Country for hosting empty shops … we are all in this together but the Tories are in it for themselves and their friends…. Please join us in helping to gain those crucial extra 3 seats for Labour and so enable a caring and listening Labour group to take control of Walsall council after 14 years of mismanagement by the Tories.
