January 2009 Archives

Good job he wasn't at a Liverpool Council meeting or he would have been asked to make a donation to the Lord Mayor's charity, and as we all know he (like the banks) is starting to run out of cash.

Any suggestions as to what Gordon might consider replacing the boring Nokia ring tone with?

This week Shop Direct announced the closure of its call centre in Crosby, here the town's MP Claire Curtis-Thomas blogs for Dale Street Blues:

The sudden announcement of plans to close the Shop Direct call centre in my constituency, with the distressing loss of 1,050 jobs, marked a very sad day for Crosby and will have a massive impact on the community.

In all my years as MP for the constituency we have never suffered such a blow. Littlewoods, as everyone knew it locally, has been a vital employer for such a long time here and the call centre on Kershaw Avenue has always been a focal point for the neighbourhood.

The festive season may have officially having ended 23 days ago, but I still thought you all might be interested in this.

I've just been forwarded an email about the Merseyside Scrooge of the Year award for 2008.

The joint winners are... National Museums Liverpool and Wirral Council.

The Dale Street Blues blog partly took its name from the footballing allegiances of council leader Warren Bradley and his sparing partner Labour leader Joe Anderson.

Last night's full council meeting happened to coincide with Everton's home game against Arsenal.

I'm sure they were tempted to pair off (the process where two opposing councillors agree not to attend the same meeting to cancel out the effect of their non-attendance), but Cllr Bradley and Cllr Anderson opted to fulfil their civic duties to debate next year's budget.

Instead leaving me to go to the match (I too am an Evertonian) and keep them updated via the odd text message.

What a difference seven years makes. In 2001 lollipop men and women in Liverpool were getting a 400% increase in the retainer paid to them, now 25 face the axe.

I am of course referring to the recent coverage of Liverpool Council's proposal to save £200K by getting rid of 25 lollipop jobs.

Deputy council leader Flo Clucas has been getting flack over this decision.

Dale Street Blues has been made aware of some quotes attributed to Cllr Clucas made back in 2001 when lollipop retainers were being increased from £5.50 per week to £19.08:

Paul Brant is the deputy leader of the Labour group on Liverpool Council and is also a board member of Riverside Housing Association.

Here Cllr Brant guest blogs for Dale Street Blues about the "missed opportunities" of the now deflated housing boom:

On one of my previous posts a commentator offered me a £50 bet that Jane Kennedy would keep her Wavertree seat in a General Election.

I haven't taken up the bet and won't be (I'm not a betting man, impartiality would not allow it, and it is likely to be a close run contest).

Any how, the latest information from betting exchange Betfair, says that the Labour Party now has just an 11% chance (odds 8-1) of securing an overall majority at the next election.

Jason Harborow's "not settling any scores here" two-hour radio review of 08, is under discussion yet again.

In today's Daily Post, columnist Jim Hancock focuses on notable absences from the line-up.

But one man who did make his mark on the show was former council leader Mike Storey, who gave the former Culture Company chief executive as good as he got.

I've just spotted an extensive interview with Birkenhead MP Frank Field from the Sunday Times.

The Labour rebel speaks of his admiration for Margaret Thatcher, who "knew how to capture the government machine and run it." Asked if he still admires her; "Oh yes."

He also describes why he thinks Gordon Brown should have been sacked years ago.