Countdown to General Election 7th May 2015

[Glenda Powell]

I watched the whole two hours, and was non the wiser or have any confidence in voting for any of them. I did like the lady from Wales but felt she was hitting her head against a brick wall, all of them have promised this or that if they are in number 10 on May 8th, my argument is why didn't David Cameron and Nick Clegg put their promises in place before the election. I am one of the undecided and will be until 7th May.

[Roger]

[Paul Neades]

I like it Roger

[megilleland]

Runners announced today:

 

Hereford Times News by Paul Broome

 

Final candidate lists released for Herefordshire's general election seats

 

THE names of candidates set to fight it out to become the latest two MPs to represent Herefordshire have been announced this afternoon.

 

As expected the two Conservatives, Jesse Norman - who currently holds the Hereford and South Herefordshire constituency - and Bill Wiggin, the MP for North Herefordshire, are standing again.

 

Mr Norman will be joined by Anna Coda (Labour), Nigel Ely (UKIP), Lucy Hurds (Lib Dems) and Diana Toynbee (Green Party).

 

In North Herefordshire, Mr Wiggin will come up against Daisy Blench (Green Party), Jeanie Falconer (Lib Dems), Jonathan Oakton (UKIP) and Sally Prentice (Labour).

 

Herefordians will join the rest of the country in going to the polls on Thursday May 7.

 

Those standing for election to Herefordshire Council will be published tomorrow.

 

General Election 2010 result - Hereford & Herefordshire South

Jesse Norman, Conservative

22,366 votes - 46.2% of vote

 

Sarah Carr, Liberal Democrat 

19,885 votes - 41.1% of vote

 

Philippa Roberts, Labour 

3,506 votes - 7.2% of vote

 

Valentine Smith, UK Independence Party 

1,638 votes - 3.4% of vote

 

John Oliver, British National Party 

986 votes - 2.0% of vote

 

Conservatine Majority 2,481

Turnout 48,381

 

General Election 2010 result - Herefordshire North

Bill Wiggin, Conservative

24,631 votes - 51.8% of vote

 

Lucy Hurds, Liberal Democrat

14,744 votes - 31.0% of vote

 

Neil Sabharwal, Labour

3,373 votes - 7.1% of vote

 

Jonathan Oakton, UK Independence Party

2,701 votes - 5.7% of vote

 

Felicity Norman, Green

1,533 votes - 3.2% of vote

 

John King, Independent

586 votes - 1.2% of vote

 

Conservative Majority 9,887

Turnout 47,568

 

Countdown timer to General Election 7th May 2015

 

If there is to be any change here then the votes have to come from the Conseervatives and Lib Dems and given to one opposition party. Who do you think it would be?

[Roger]

CONFIRMED - Candidates for the 2015 Herefordshire Council election

 

CANDIDATES contesting the 2015 Herefordshire Council election have been confirmed this afternoon (Fri).

Fifty three wards - drawn up by boundary changes - will be contested when the county goes to the polls on Thursday, May 7.

Each ward will be represented by a single councillor.

One ward, Kington, is unopposed.

The count for the council election will be held at Hereford Leisure Centre on Thursday, May 8.

On a ward-by-ward basis the candidates are:

Arrow: Sophie Matthews-Paul (IOC), Roger Phillips (Conservative)

Aylestone Hill: Maggie Davies (Conservative), Marcelle Lloyd-Hayes (IOC), Angela Starling (Lib Dem), Ange Tyler (Independent)

Backbury: Graham Green (Conservative), John Hardwick (Independent), Vivienne Mary Southorn (IOC)

Belmont Rural: Tracy Bowes (IOC), Adrian Bridges (Independent), Mark Chester (Conservative)

Birch: Elaine Godding (Independent), David Harlow (Conservative), Jon Norris (IOC)

Bircher: Sebastian Bowen (Independent), Peter Denbeigh (Conservative), Neil Jeffery (IOC)

Bishops Frome and Cradley: Ellie Chowns (Green), Patricia Morgan (Conservative)

Bobblestock: Clive Butler (Conservative), Mike Francis (Lib Dem), Charles Nicholls (IOC), Gwyn Price (UKIP)

Bromyard Bringsty: Nigel Shaw (Conservative), Gary Swinford (Independent), Sue Turner (IOC)

Bromyard West: Stuart Dawson (Conservative), Alan Seldon (IOC)

Castle: Stephen Grist (Independent), Dave McAndrew (IOC), Clive Skelton (Conservative)

Central: David Hurds (Lib Dem), Patricia Paul (Conservative), Len Tawn (IOC)

College: Paul Andrews (IOC), Roger Goodwin (Independent), Matt Lane (Lib Dem), Brian Wilcox (Conservative)

Credenhill: Julia Blackshaw (Conservative), Bob Matthews (Independent), Darrell Meekcom (IOC)

Dinedor Hill: Peter Sinclair-Knipe (Conservative), David Summers (IOC)

Eign Hill: Hugh Brooks (Lib Dem), Tom Kennedy (Conservative), Cath North (IOC)

Golden Valley North: Moira Cotterrell (UKIP), Colin Lawrence (IOC), Philip Price (Conservative), Brendan Charles (Independent)

Golden Valley South: Ellen Pawley (Independent), Graham Powell (Conservative), Jessica Smith (Green)

Greyfriars: Paula Hawley (Conservative), Anthony Powers (IOC), Tim Price (unattached), Stephen Williams (Lib Dem)

Hagley: Michael Fitzgerald (Independent), Dave Greenow (Conservative), Paul Neades (IOC)

Hampton: Bruce Baker (Conservative), Sasha Norris (IOC), Angela Verley (unattached)

Hinton and Hunderton: Chris Chappell (Independent), Laura Hall (IOC), Jeremy Milln (Green), Kevin Tillett (Lib Dem)

Holmer: Sebastian Hope (Conservative), Andy Moorcroft (IOC), Andrew Round (Independent)

Hope End: Anthony Johnson (Conservative), Karen Waller (IOC)

Kerne Bridge: Simeon Cole (Independent), Paul Newman (Conservative), Caroline Utting (Lib Dem)

Kings Acre: Mark Mansell (IOC), Andy Swift (Independent), Anna Toon (Lib Dem)

Kington: Terry James (Lib Dem)

Ledbury North: Phill Bettington (Conservative), Liz Harvey (IOC)

Ledbury South: Matthew Eakin (Lib Dem), Emma Holton (Conservative), Terry Widdows (IOC)

Ledbury West: Debbie Baker (Conservative), Andrew Warmington (IOC)

Leominster East: Jenny Bartlett (Green), Elizabeth Portman-Lewis (UKIP), Wayne Rosser (Conservative)

Leominster North and Rural: Andrew Gibson (Green), John Stone (Conservative)

Leominster South: Robert Barton (Green), Peter McCaull (Independent), Craig Morgan (Conservative)

Leominster West: James Johnson (Conservative), Felicity Norman (Green), Clive Thomas (Lib Dem)

Llangarron: Cherry Morgan (IOC), Jane Roberts (Lib Dem), Doug Skeggs (Independent), Elissa Swinglehurst (Conservative)

Mortimer: Carole Gandy (Conservative), Vic Harnett (Independent), Alison Kay (IOC)

Newton Farm: Jacqui Carwardine (Lib Dem), Andrew Cooper (Conservative), Phil Edwards (Independent), Jamal Haider (IOC), Glenda Powell (Unattached)

Old Gore: Barry Durkin (Conservative), Val Lilwall (Independent), Charles Willis (IOC)

Penyard: Harry Bramer (Conservative), Chris Morris (Independent)

Queenswood: Pauline Crockett (Independent), Christian Dangerfield (Conservative), Robert Ruck (IOC)

Redhill: David Foster (IOC), George Mardle (Labour), Paul Rone (Conservative), Mary Springer (Lib Dem)

Ross East: Phillip Cutter (Conservative), Clive Hamilton (UKIP), Robert Hendrie (Lib Dem), Craig Morgan (Independent)

Ross North: Caroline Bennett (Lib Dem), Jenny Hyde (Conservative)

Ross West: Anthony Avery (IOC), Chris Bartrum (Lib Dem), Richard Mayo (Conservative)

Saxon Gate: Alison Davies (Independent), David Griffiths (IOC), Mark McEvilly (Conservative), Aubrey Oliver (Lib Dem)

Stoney Street: Carol Ann Protherough (Green), James Stokes (IOC), David Charles Taylor (unattached), Steve Williams (Conservative)

Sutton Walls: Kema Guthrie (Conservative), Mike Hughes (Independent), Jon Robert Stannard (IOC)

Three Crosses: Giles Blackmore (IOC), Jonathan Lester (Conservative)

Tupsley: Jim Kenyon (IOC), Archie Macleod (Conservative), Lionel Meredith (Lib Dem)

Weobley: Mark Cooper (Conservative), Mike Jones (Independent)

Whitecross: Gemma Fraser (Lib Dem), Bernard Hunt (Independent Group), Sharon Margaret Michael (IOC), Jenny Sheppard (Conservative), Richard Barrington Smith (UKIP)

Widemarsh: Polly Andrews (Lib Dem),  Amanda Suna Martin (IOC), David Sheppard (Conservative)

Wormside: Mark Bramwell (Lib Dem), Jon Johnson (Conservative), Jim Knipe (unattached), Paul Thomas (IOC)

Hereford Times

[Roger]

Voters may wish to familiarise themselves with the map showing the ward boundaries ...

 

Map Here

 

I only mention it as I live slap bang on Aylestone Hill and I am now part of the College Ward.

 

The Nuffield Hospital (200 yards from me on Venns Lane) is in The Holmer Ward. I know they are trying to even out the numbers of people in each ward but I don't think the boundaries are ideal.

[Ubique]

Roger , thanks for that , I am in Queenswood Ward, looking at the length of it , from the Roman Rd , Hereford to the close outskirts of Leominster, thinking what they / we have saved on a reduction of County Councillors they will be spending on mileage and refreshment allowance . Because of the size of the "Patch" I just wonder if we will receive the same excellent Service as previous ?

[dippyhippy]

Brilliant, Roger!

 

Thanks for posting this, very useful.

 

Although actually seeing in print that Pat, Harry and Tony are standing again has made my blood start to boil again......

[Roger]

Couldn't see Nick Nenadich on that list ...

[Cambo]

Yes well done Roger.

Harry only has one other candidate to contend with as does Pat bloody Morgan as Bobby would say!

[dippyhippy]

No, Roger.... it doesn't appear he's on the list.

 

And Bobby's nemesis, Jarvis, has obviously decided to call it a day!

[Colin James]

Couldn't see Nick Nenadich on that list ...

 

Oh good so the prat is not standing again then?

[Roger]

53 Wards in the County. Labour is contesting 1/53 .... Redhill ... 

[dippyhippy]

I see the Conservatives have a David Shepherd standing in Weobley, and a Jenny Shepherd standing in Whitecross.

 

I wonder if they are related?? 

[megilleland]

This topic was about the General Election not the Herefordshire Council elections. Denise had started a Herefordshire Election topic here otherwise we are going to duplicate information and waste our time looking for it.

[Denise Lloyd]

Sorry Meggieland I just wanted to know if anybody knew anything about Paul Thomas an IOC candidate standing in Wormside and I thought where I posted it was the correct place. I'm still none the wiser about Paul Thomas! 

[Roger]

I see the Conservatives have a David Shepherd standing in Weobley, and a Jenny Shepherd standing in Whitecross.

 

I wonder if they are related?? 

 

Colin Shepherd was Tory MP 74 - 97 for here.

 

Link

 

Haven't got a scooby if they are related! 

 

He used to park his clapped out surgery caravan at the JK Johnson filling station on the Callow when I worked at said garage! 

[Denise Lloyd]

There is an absolute classic on Facebook Hereford and Worcester page but I am unable to link it.  It involves Tony Johnson a big van and a stray dog 

[flamboyant]

Denise you can't do that! Lol

 

Go to the FB page and copy the link and paste it on the thead.... You know how we love to hear about Tony!

[Denise Lloyd]

No Meggieland or somebody more wised up than I will have to I did try honest

[dippyhippy]

Hi Roger..... yes, it was that link that got me wondering......!

[twowheelsgood]

Here you go

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=854711917934551

 

The lady in white is much more attractive than TJ …

[ragwert]

As days of unusually warm and sunny weather followed on from the first party leaders’ debate, the leaders themselves have been arguing about who deserves the most credit for it.

‘I arranged for the fair weather to start today,’ said David Cameron. ‘I pledge that the next Conservative government will continue to improve the weather in real terms over the next five years.’ He looked annoyed when George Osborne suggested that he had, in fact, created the ‘right climate’ for the good weather.

Ed Miliband immediately countered Cameron’s claims, saying that the Tories had cynically taken credit for a long-standing Labour policy. ‘Under the last Labour government, we always provided good weather for Easter Monday,’ claimed Miliband as he barbecued another bacon sandwich. ‘Admittedly it was easier back then. Tony only had to drop his pants and bend over – instant sunshine.’

‘I can tell you categorically that without us in the coalition the Tories would have had rain every bank holiday,’ retorted Nick Clegg during a whirlwind tour of his last three supporters in Hallam. ‘If they had their way bank holidays would be so miserable workers would be happy to work through them on normal time. And Labour would make it too hot for many people to enjoy. Only the Liberal Democrats offer true balance in sunshine hours.’

Nigel Farage wasn’t as keen on the weather until he discovered that the warm front had not originated in Europe. He then agreed that warm weather complemented his third pint of warm beer perfectly.

‘It’s typical of the main parties, contributing to global warming and pretending there’s nothing wrong, said Green Party leader Natalie Bennett. ‘If we are part of the next government, we will hold bank holidays only in the summer to reduce the carbon footprint of Christmas trees and people having the heating on all Easter.’

‘Actually we arranged it,’ said Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP, with a menacing glare. ‘In Scotland, the sun shone for nearly three minutes on Easter Monday and the temperature got close to above zero, no thanks to anyone in Westminster.’

The Met Office confirmed that the good weather will continue ‘until it changes, possibly sooner. Or it will go dark first’. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood declined to comment as it was pissing down all day in Wales as usual.

[Denise Lloyd]

Be warned I am having a Bobby moment studying Milliband's face tonight on the the television whilst he was talking my gaze reached his eyebrows and blow me down he has them either waxed or plucked they are perfect in every way .  Now the question is can we really trust a man  who has his eyebrows manicured to rule our country? 

[dippyhippy]

In a word, Denise...... No.

 

Surely Ed should have more pressing things to worry about......???

 

I was also watching Ed in action this morning, discussing mental health services. I was most interested to hear his views on CAMHS services in particular. He admitted that in a health service where mental health services are the poor relation, CAMHS are the poor cousin of the poor relation. (I have commented previously that CAHMS services in  Hereford are an unseen crisis)

 

A well informed woman in the audience seemed better prepared to speak on this hidden, but ever growing problem, than Ed. It didn't exactly fill me with positivist that they would get to grips with this......

[megilleland]

JONATHAN OWEN  - The Independent - Sunday 12th April 2015

 

Crippling PFI deals leave Britain £222bn in debt

 

Exclusive: Treasury data analysis unearths the 'enormous financial disaster' of Private Finance Initiatives

 

Every man, woman and child in Britain is more than £3,400 in debt – without knowing it and without borrowing a single penny – thanks to the proliferation of controversial deals used to pay for infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.

 

The UK owes more than £222bn to banks and businesses as a result of Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) – “buy now, pay later†agreements between the government and private companies on major projects. The startling figure – described by experts as a “financial disaster†– has been calculated as part of an Independent on Sunday analysis of Treasury data on more than 720 PFIs. The analysis has been verified by the National Audit Office (NAO).

 

The headline debt is based on “unitary charges†which start this month and will continue for 35 years. They include fees for services rendered, such as maintenance and cleaning, as well as the repayment of loans underwritten by banks and investment companies.

 

Basically, a PFI is like a mortgage that the government takes out on behalf of the public. The average annual cost of meeting the terms of the UK’s PFI contracts will be more than £10bn over the next decade.

 

And the cost of servicing PFIs is growing. Last year, it rose by £5bn. It could rise further, with inflation. The upward creep is the price taxpayers’ pay for a financing system which allows private firms to profit from investing in infrastructure.

 

An NAO briefing, released last month, says: “In the short term using private finance will reduce reported public spending and government debt figures.†But, longer term, “additional public spending will be required to repay the debt and interest of the original investmentâ€.

 

A case in point is Britain’s biggest health trust, Barts Health NHS Trust in London, which was placed in special measures last month. It is £93m in debt – struggling under the weight of a 43-year PFI contract under which it will pay back more than £7bn on contracts valued at a fraction of that sum (£1.1bn).

 

PFI’s were the brainchild of the Conservative Party in the 1990s, but were swiftly embraced by New Labour. Successive governments signed hundreds of the deals. PFI-funded schools, streetlights, prisons, services, police stations and care homes can be found across Britain.

 

The system has yielded assets valued at £56.5bn. But Britain will pay more than five times that amount under the terms of the PFIs used to create them, and in some cases be left with nothing to show for it, because the PFI agreed to is effectively a leasing agreement. Some £88bn has already been spent, and even if the projected cost between now and 2049/50 does not change, the total PFI bill will be in excess of £310bn. This is more than four times the budget deficit used to justify austerity cuts to government budgets and local services.

 

Responding to the findings, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Crippling PFI debts are exacerbating the funding crisis across our public services, most obviously in our National Health Service.â€

 

According to Jean Shaoul, professor emerita at Manchester Business School, PFIs have been “an enormous financial disaster in terms of costâ€. She added: “Frankly, it’s very corrupt... no rational government, looking at the interests of the citizenry as a whole, would do this.â€

 

Unlike government funding, PFI’s cannot be adjusted to match the economy’s fortunes. They are governed by contracts that often run to thousands of pages. In contrast to the radical cuts to public spending, less than 1 per cent has been trimmed from the total cost of PFI deals since 2012.

 

Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, admitted last month: “Too many of the old PFI deals were poorly negotiated... with high costs draining local and national coffers.â€

 

Last year The Independent revealed how firms given 25-year contracts to build and maintain schools doubled their money by selling their shares in the schemes less than five years into the deals. Four – Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Interserve, and Kier – made combined profits of over £300m.

 

Repeated concerns over projects suffering years of delays and soaring costs have been raised in Parliament in recent years, chiefly via the Public Accounts Select Committee. Its chair, Margaret Hodge, has spoken of Labour’s promotion of the deals during its time in power: “I’m afraid we got it wrong... we got seduced by PFI.â€

 

Allyson Pollock, professor of public health research and policy, Queen Mary University of London, said the diversion of funds from other budgets to PFI payments make the schemes “an engine for closure of public services and further privatisationâ€.

 

No surprise to see Herefordshire Council jumping on this bandwagon without opening their eyes over the years. They must of had expert advice on this. Even Jesse Norman has said this arrangement is a disaster, but no idea what he is going to do to resolve it. 

 

UKIP in their manifesto say:  "We will stop further use of PFI in the NHS and encourage local authorities to buy out their PFI contracts early where this is affordable", although we will still be in intensive care as a result!

 

PFI contracts involving Herefordshire Council

Refurbished magistrates court Hereford

Whitecross High School 

Hereford County Hospital

The waste management project for Herefordshire and Worcestershire

[Colin James]

This was dropped through my door earlier today, can't say I have ever heard of this guy but this is his campaign leaflet.

 

 

 

 

This was the insert;

 

 

[RobertP]

General Election Hustings for Hereford & South Herefordshire constituency

 

Tuesday 14^th April 7pm

 

St John’s Methodist Church - Chaired by the Bishop of Hereford.

 

Should be five candidates on show - assuming UKIP turn up They bailed out of the event in Ross last week. We got on fine without them...

[dippyhippy]

Hi Robert!

 

Welcome to Hereford Voice. Thanks for posting this information, much appreciated!

 

Hope to hear plenty more from you in the future.

[Aylestone Voice]

Anybody going to the meeting tonight?