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.

This was originally posted to www.johnbm.com

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.

This was originally posted to www.johnbm.com

This is second time lucky for Mrs. Booth having been previously beaten for the PPC by local town councillor Janet Oosthuysen by just five votes.

Janet went on to be vetoed by the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee in January following revelations that she had received a police caution for damaging her ex-partner’s car.

It is widely rumoured and believed in the Calder Valley that close supporters of Steph Booth briefed the press with these and other revelations in what was ultimately a successful attempt to unseat Janet and install Mrs. Booth.

It looks like the Steph Booth faction got their way in the end but will the Labour Party unite behind Steph Booth - We’ll see!!!

Hat tip to the fallen (this blog also makes interesting reading for a view of internal machinations of the Labour Party): http://grimmerupnorth.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-lost.html

This was originally posted to www.johnbm.com

Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr. Christine Bampton-Smith said “This is an excellent budget for the whole of Hebden Royd with no increase for tax payers. We have renewed our commitment to working with Calderdale in improving Central Street in Hebden Bridge by increasing the amount available for the project and we have earmarked large sums for rest of the parish.”

In seconding the budget, Deputy Mayor and Liberal Democrat, Cllr. John Beacroft-Mitchell said “I am particularly pleased we have secured significant amounts of money for public spaces in Mytholmroyd, Cragg Vale and Brearley.”
In times of recession and hardship it is doubly important that councils make their money work hard for the benefit of all residents and businesses.”
This budget will build on the successes of previous years and show that we are a council that gets things done and does it efficiently.”

Nearly £10,000 has been put in the budget to work with Royd Regeneration to improve the memorial gardens in Mytholmroyd and further £9,000 has been approved for public spaces in Cragg Vale and Brearley. The council’s environmental renaissance budget of £20,000 has also been split equally between the six wards of the parish.

The council continues to support local community groups and projects with a grants pot of £55,000.

Chris Sawyer (Lib Dem) 176
John Rhodes (Labour) 131

29% Turnout

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080611/debtext/80611-0020.htm

Liberal Democrat Election Manifesto 2008

Christine Bampton-Smith has been selected by the Local Liberal Democrat Branch, for a third time, to represent the Luddendenfoot Ward at the election on May 1st 2008. Christine said ‘It is an honour to be chosen again to stand in Luddendenfoot.

In 2004 I was elected to serve this ward for a second time with a clear majority for the Liberal Democrats. As a ward councillor I have helped many local residents with issues and problems ranging from housing to litter and planning to flooding. I will continue to work hard both in the Town Hall and in the ward.

I have lived in the ward for over thirty years and hope to be elected in May to continue to work for the community and campaign for change in Calderdale to make it a better place for everyone to live, work and enjoy.

I am proud to be part of the Liberal Democrat Team which works hard to help people with a wide range of concerns. The team has campaigned successfully on many issues that affect the local area. Commitment to the Ward is my promise.’

Christine is married and has two grown up children, she works part-time at Leeds College of Art and Design.

Calder Valley Liberal Democrats are once again celebrating being the largest party on Hebden Royd Town Council after by-election wins in the wards of White Lee and Caldene.

Polling, which took place on Thursday 6th March, brought success over Labour for local businessman Karl Boggis who took 78% of the votes in Caldene ward. Jade Smith, who stood in the White Lee ward and took 73% of the votes to Labour’s 27%. Conservatives did not field a candidate in either ward.

Karl said, “I am really pleased to be elected, I can get on and raise the profile of Mytholmroyd and direct resources toward projects such as the Memorial Garden where an upgrade is long overdue.”

Backing Karl’s list of priorities Jade said, “It is time the community spaces in Mytholmroyd were upgraded for the benefit of local residents. Mytholmroyd might not be a tourist honey pot but that does not mean the locals have to miss out.”

Calderdale and Town Councillor, Cllr. Christine Bampton Smith, herself up for re-election in May welcomed Jade and Karl, saying “They are a first-rate addition to our dedicated team of councillors and their election makes us once again the largest party on the council.”

The revised proposals are tax neutral and have been independently evaluated by the IFS.

The proposals launched in the document Reducing the Burden: Policies for tax reform include:
· Reaffirming the commitment to abolishing Council Tax, replacing it with a tax based on ability to pay
· Removing tax loop-holes exploited by the super-rich
· Radically simplifying the tax code, removing over 500 pages of unnecessary regulations
· Reforming stamp duty to reduce the amount of tax paid on properties worth less than £500,000
· Reforming Inheritance Tax, with the aim of raising the starting threshold to £500,000

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader, Menzies Campbell said:
“Our new proposals will put fairness at the heart of the tax system.
“Low and middle income earners in this country shoulder too heavy a tax burden.
“By cutting the basic rate of national income tax by four pence in the pound the Liberal Democrats are proposing the lowest basic rate since 1916.
“By reforming stamp duty and inheritance tax we will ensure that people who were not originally intended to pay these taxes no longer do so.
“The unacceptable reality is that in Britain today the poorest pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the super-rich.
“Under our proposals tax cuts for the majority will be paid for by the wealthy minority, as well as those with environmentally damaging lifestyles.
“Only the Liberal Democrats have produced a costed plan to create a tax system that is fair, simple and green. I challenge Gordon Brown and David Cameron to back up their rhetoric by endorsing our plans.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable MP said:
” This paper takes forward, in a more radical form, the proposals we passed at our conference last year. Those on low and middle incomes will benefit from a cut in the basic national rate, and from the scrapping of council tax.
“The national tax cuts will be paid for by abolishing the capital gains tax break, which allows the very rich to pay a lower tax rate than the person who cleans their office, as well as only providing tax relief for pensions at the standard rate; and raising taxes on polluters.
“Taken in conjunction with the abolition of council tax, these policies benefit the vast majority of families.”