Stephen Morris
Donations here are only used
for English Democrat NW campaigns
| Contact me |
| Guestbook |
| Party Political Broadcast |
| English Democrats Merchandise |
| Blogspot |
| Homewatch Group |
Links
Campaign for an English Parliament
Bury council Under spot light for accepting bribes An article from the Manchester Evening News ARRESTED: Coun Bob Bibby and Coun Jim Taylor were quizzed by police The two senior Tory councillors - including a former town hall boss - arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes in relation to a planning application, can be revealed today. Coun Bob Bibby, the former leader of Bury council, and Coun Jim Taylor were held after officers under took a series of raids. Both men were arrested on suspicion of corruption in a public office. It follows a long-running police investigation into alleged corruption in relation to a planning application. The inquiry relates to a single planning application, believed to be for a housing development. Watch a video of the site... Police swooped on Bury town hall and seized a number of computers and documents. Similar items were also recovered from a business in Moston. Both Coun Bibby and Coun Taylor, who have 20 years of experience on the council between them, were arrested in Bacup, Lancashire, by officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Crime Division. Three other men were arrested on suspicion of corruption in a public office after warrants were executed at addresses in Altrincham, Kersal and Didsbury. All five arrested men - who are aged between 45 and 69 – were questioned in police custody yesterday before being bailed last night until a date in April. Police said that the ‘intelligence-led’ operation into allegations that bribes were accepted in relation to a planning application was launched last June. Chief Supt Jon Rush, Bury’s chief of police, said: "This has been a complex investigation. I recognise this operation will cause some disruption at the council. "However, the council is co-operating with the investigation and we intend to keep disruption to a minimum." A council spokesman said: "We are currently assisting police with their ongoing investigation so it would be inappropriate to comment further." Coun Bibby represents the Church ward and was first elected to the council in 1999. Coun Taylor was first elected in the North Manor ward a year later. Both are due to stand for re-election in 2014. Coun Bibby became leader of the council when the Tories swept to power in Bury in 2008. The party lost overall control two years later. Labour became the largest party and took outright control of the council last May. Coun Bibby subsequently stood down from front line politics. A Conservative Party spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate for us to comment while a police investigation is underway."Read more at: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1472615_revealed-top-bury-councillors-held-in-planning-application-bribes-probe---video The above article is from the Manchester Evening News
"There is an alternative to the costly HS2" Despite widespread opposition from Conservative M.P.'s / Councillors & others,the Government is expected to give the go-ahead for a new £32billion high speed rail routefrom London to Birmingham (and beyond) - HS2. The recent report by Network Rail (N.R.) into alternative solutions to the construction of HS2 -including expanding capacity on existing lines, further electrification and longer trains said "that patchwork upgrades to the existing rail network will not resolve the huge capacity challenges we face." This of course makes major assumptions about a continued massive growth in long distance rail passenger travel, with construction of the proposed HS2 line taking 8 years (until 2026 to Birmingham & 2032 to Manchester!). We are also told that "in just over a decade the West Coast Main Line ,Britain's busiest-will be full,with no more space to accomodate the predicted growth in demand".Again based on major assumptions ,with I.T. development /Video-Conferencing deflating future growth? What seems a glaring omission in all this HS2 hype is just where in these economically stretched times will the money to pay for this "white-elephant" project come from? As journalist Christian Wolmar (RAIL magazine 661) says "concentrating on a desire to have a prestige line to match those in Europe" (HS2) "isn't what's required" Also, with existing main rail routes between London ,the Midlands and the North crying out for infrastructure investment why build a totally new route across an unspoilt landscape in an already grossly overcrowded country that England has become? Their are already 4 existing main rail routes between London and the North (with 2 to Birmingham) so why do we need yet another? We in the North West English Democrats feel that all this emphasis on developing further passenger capacity misses the point,as what our Country really urgently needs is the means to expand our manufacturing exports , with grossly congested roads hampering growth.Only rail can provide the solution to allowing a re-balancing of our economy to occur.Unfortunately,our politicians have a blind-spot regarding Rail-freight -hence HS2! Ironically,if they developed a new dedicated High Speed Rail-Freight Route to serve the Midlands/the North and beyond using an expanded/upgraded line (Midland Main Line-orMML) most if not all long-distance Rail -Freight could be diverted off our existing Main- Lines freeing-up paths for future passenger train growth -thereby destroying the case for HS2! To quote Lindsay Durham,Freightliner Head of Rail Strategy on the House of Commons Transport Select Committee Report"Priorities for the investment for railways" RAIL magazine638 Feb2010 - "Sometimes the importance of Rail- freight to the U.K. economy can be overlooked,as containers don't vote" So what do we propose? Instead of committing huge amounts of public money we don't possess on an environmentally disastrous prestige project,we would work with the Private Sector Rail- Freight industry to develop a High Speed Rail-Freight Route to connect the existing HS1 line in London (recently passed for International Rail- Freight traffic) via a short spur line into the MML.Northwards from here an expanded/upgraded i.e.electrified dedicated rail-freight route via Leicester/Nottingham/Derby/Sheffield & on to Manchester using a re-opened Woodhead Tunnel.Further links using existing routes passed for larger containers from our major ports (Felixstowe/Southampton/London Gateway/Mersey etc.) and the proposed East-West Link to the MML,would enable a large proportion of long-distance rail-freight to use the dedicated HSRFR. By agreement between the HSRFR CONSORTIUM and Government owned NR a project could be financed by the Private Sector,NR only providing the routes trackage i.e. at no cost to the Taxpayer (unlike HS2!). The MML would be electrified earlier and again at no cost to the Taxpayer!At a later date it would provide the option of a Privatisation of theMML, meanwhile this HSRFR would finally enable our neglected Rail-Freight Industry to thrive,allow our manufacturers to expand much needed exports and England's environment to greatly improve! As the (then)new Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said on his first day on the job June 2010- "We must learn to do things differently because the era of easy public money is over" "we must sweat the assets much better than we have done to extract as much value as possible for the taxpayer and rail user","new and innovative ways of funding would be needed because public money was going to be tight" So why January 2012-HS2? and why not a privately funded High Speed Rail-Freight Route?
International Aid.
HOW TRUE Our pensioners are living on a 'fixed income' Great Britain - a country where we have: - YET................... Sad isn't it? English Democrats - "Putting England First!" Chief Executive of Salford City Council has now validated the petition for a Mayoral referendum a nd we await the date of the ballot. Salford's Chief Executive Admits to breaking the law
We are now in the process of writing to the Secretary of State and the Electoral Commission over this clear breach of law. Referendum triggered by English Democrats in Salford
Stephen Morris English Democrats N.W Chairman and Geoffrey Berg the Referendum Petition Organiser Some Politicians really need to know the difference
Discrimination Against the people of England continues Prescription charges to increase by 20p to £7.40 per item in England Devolution has been good for Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland but has left us in England without the same Democratic Rights, seriously disadvantaged, financially worse off and in some cases affecting the very health of English patients. Whilst prescription charges are FREE in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland we in England pay £7.40 per item. Cervical Cancrer screening in women starts at the age of 20 in Wales and Scotland whilst in England the age is 25 (Remember the Jade Goody case) Never trust a pledge from a Lib Dem as students found out to their cost over tuition fees which are free in Scotland, capped at £3290 in Wales & N. Ireland but English students have to pay up to £9000 per year. Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland all have their own Parliament/Assemblies to look after their own countries interests whilst England is blatently Discriminated against by the British Government because we have no such Parliament or Assembly.
True Fairness and Equality within the United Kingdom Is the English Democrats way Democratic fairness for England is needed, via a referendum on the creation of an English Parliament, Executive and First Minister with at least the same powers as the Scottish Parliament, Executive and First Minister within a federal UK and a reformed Second Chamber at Westminster. There should be fiscal devolution so that the English, Scottish, Welsh and N. Irish parliaments become responsible for financing their own expenditure. This will save the taxpayers of England a substantial amount of money We reject the plans for regional assemblies because, among other things, they will promote disunity and conflict within England. The English Democrats will study the future findings of the English Constitutional Convention (ECC), and may accommodate ECC findings within future party policy. We demand action on the following matters:- England to be recognised and treated as a unified country. Scotland and Wales have been recognised as countries and their people given the opportunity to vote in referenda for devolved government. Scotland now has a parliament, and Wales an assembly. In contrast, the people of England have been denied the opportunity to choose an English Parliament. Instead. We find this discrimination unacceptable. England should be a political entity with its own parliament and executive. English Democrats say - only a Parliament
with a First Minister and Government for Counterfeit Cameron denies recognition of EnglandOn Monday, the 17th January 2010, David Cameron delivered a speech which had been touted as "Prime Ministers speech on modern public service" but which, in fact and as widely reported, was about the Health Service in England. True, he also mentioned "our schools", but they and "our hospitals" have been devolved matters since 1998 and as "Prime Minister" he can only have been referring to ENGLAND's hospitals and ENGLAND's schools! Yet not once did he use the word ENGLAND. Yes, this deceitful person got by with evasions such as "our country", "Britain", "our schools and hospitals", "countries like ours", "our public services", "Take the NHS", "NHS budgets", and "Health inequalities in 21st century Britain". This is the man who had the gall to say: "The right were guilty of focusing too much on markets. The left were guilty of focusing too much on the state. Both forgot that space in between – society." but who could not bring himself to mention English society, the very society he and his cronies are singling out upon which to inflict their dubious policies! The people of England cannot look to David Cameron and his British gang for fair treatment. Real change will only come once the strangle-hold of the CON-LIB-LAB axis on Parliament has been broken and their Post War "pass-the-parcel" practice of passing power solely amongst (or between) themselves stopped in favour of putting first the interests of the majority in Britain.
|
Stephen Morris N.W. Chairman