Year of the Environment

2009 is Liverpool's Year of the Environment. Here's a link to the website - Our City Our Planet

Mastermind date

I now know when I will be appearing on Mastermind. It'll be the 27th February at 7 30 on BBC 2. This was recorded back in the Summer so all seems a long time ago now but it's nice to know it'll finally be shown. I am answering questions about Seinfeld.

Standing looking at trees

I spent part of this afternoon wandering up and down a road looking at trees. We have some really impressive trees in Cressington ward. But along with those trees comes some problems. All three of the councillors have been contacted over time about trees needing cutting back, or those that look dangerous. So today we went, with three officers who really know their stuff, to have a look at some of them. It makes a lot more sense to deal with tree issues as part of a planned programme (apart from in the case of potential danger and statutory problems) so I made the point that if we had knowledge of existing programmes we could make sure that any extra work could get slipped into them.

Mind you I would like to just for once find a day for a site visit that is not freezing cold - we were being snowed on as we walked along today.

Keeping children safe

A very interesting seminar this evening about the subject of Safeguarding and Children. All elected members, whether they like it or not, are Corporate Parents and so its important that as many as possible are aware of all the issues this involves. I suspect in some people's minds its a bit of a hidden subject - much easier to talk about roads, or litter or leisure centres. But I'm really glad the staff and key elected members are making sure this information is pushed out as widely as possible.

We in Liverpool often complain that the Government favours Manchester and puts Manchester first when it comes to various initiatives.

But given this one (below) perhaps we ought to be pleased they take that attitude!


Text of an Early Day Motion

Mr John Leech

Andrew Stunell

Mark Hunter

Paul Rowen

Bob Spink

Peter Bottomley



That this House condemns the Government's proposal to consider piloting the identity card scheme in Manchester; notes with concern the wide disparities between Government and academic costing estimates of the scheme; believes that such funding would be better spent putting more police officers on the streets of Greater Manchester; notes the rising levels of public discontent over the scheme; and calls on the Government to halt the identity card scheme without delay.

Our City Our Future Debate - and procurement

Last night was the Our City Our Future Debate (which has previously been called the State of the City Debate). The attendees were a mix of councillors and council officers, representatives from partners, representatives from some community organisations, young people from the Schools Parliament etc. We were looking at Sustainable Development and the Credit Crunch. A very interesting short talk by Eric Bichard in the plenary. I went to the workshop on economic development. Procurement kept coming up and I mentioned that I had been asked to lead on setting up a procurement group of members within the council to have a look at what we are doing and what we could do better. This is clearly a massive job so we may have to split it up and take things one issue at a time if we are going to get anywhere. Anyway today I have been sending e mails to get the group set up and hopefully we'll start work soon.

Can the week get any more hectic?

We are about to start some work at the City Council on improving the shared understanding of people's jobs - councillors need to understand better what officers do and vice versa. We are hoping to set up some shadowing opportunities, but I also thought I would start keeping a diary as if several of us do "week in the life" type stuff it might help others understand what we do. Of course for most councillors this will also include their job - but we need to leave this in as understanding that many of us have other work is key to understanding why we are sometimes in so much of a hurry. Needless to say remembering to write the diary has been a problem but I did manage a sketchy one for the week just gone, which turned out to be particularly hectic. Here is is:

Monday - off to Ormskirk very early as when I have a 9 am lecture that means 9 am for the students, not for me. Today was year two and the crisis management module. Marked some work on the train. Got to work just before 8 and checked the materials for the session. Did some more marking and writing from 11 am, getting ready for the postgraduate session at 2. Finished teaching at 5. Caught up on some casework e mails and phone calls. Left the University shortly after to travel back to Liverpool to go straight to Lib Dem group meeting. Came out at 9. Very hungry so treated myself to a pizza before going home

Tuesday - a meeting with a student at 9 am and then our PR workshop (we teach all the PR students together for this. They are working on two PR projects for the Valley Community Theatre). Found some time over lunch and after 4 to catch up again on e mails, including some work on amendments for the next days council meeting. Stayed at work later than usual then back to Garston for a residents meeting on a local issue.

Wednesday - a lecture with year three PR students then back to Liverpool for work in the Council offices. A seminar about building schools for the future, then a special council meeting then full council. I had a question down about police costs and was responsible for moving an amendment to the Labour leader's motion towards the end of the meeting. For various reasons the meeting went on longer than usual although we didn't finish everything. A quick drink with a few colleagues afterwards then home (rather tired)

Thursday - a days leave from Edge Hill. Work on casework in the Council offices from 8 am. I then joined the panel for the interviews for the new City Solicitor. Back to the office later for more e mails and phone calls. Did my City Talk book review at 3 30. That evening was Education Select Committee. I am not on this Committee but thought it would be useful to go along to get a sense of the meeting, which was discussing Croxteth Comp ( a subject coming up at exec board the next day) The meeting started at 5 but finished after 7 (fair enough as there was a lot to say)

Friday - 8 am meeting with Exec Board colleagues before 9 am exec board. We deferred the Croxteth decision as we wanted officers to have a chance to look at a proposal. After board a series of briefings. At lunchtime I joined Peter Millea and an officer from traffic and highways for a site visit to the Horrocks Avenue, Woolton Road Long Lane junction (problems reported turning across the bus lane). We then walked to Garston hospital for a meeting about how to keep parts of the history of the building incorporated into the new build.

Saturday - travelled down to London to see my parents. Spent much of the journey writing outlines for new PR degree modules.

Today - back from London and more degree module writing. The coming week looks equally crammed with site visits and meetings. Its my turn to do the surgery tomorrow as well. I hope the snow holds off!!