Continue reading »]]> Good reason for no Gills parade

I HAVE been a Gills fan for more years than I care to remember, and I well remember standing in Gillingham Park as the Division Two Play-off Final success was celebrated from the balcony of the Municipal Buildings more than a decade ago.

That is why I can understand Mr Sengelow’s sentiments (Letters, May 10) regarding a victory parade following the Gills’ extremely successful centenary year. The club has not always had an easy relationship with Medway Council, but it is important to note that the council is always keen to allow all residents the chance to celebrate the club’s success and has, in the past, accommodated victory parades.

Unfortunately, this time the club was unable to take up the council’s offer, which has provoked a mixed reaction from fans.

I am not too concerned about the fact that a victory parade will not be taking place this year. Unlike the play-off finals, the League 2 championship was won and the trophy presented on home soil, in front of a capacity crowd. This allowed the team to celebrate the success in Gillingham, without the need for an additional local celebration.

Gillingham Football Club is one of the best Football League clubs for involving fans, and Martin Allen has put the fans at the forefront of everything the team has done this year. From inviting them on to the team coach at away matches and into the dressing room, to opening up training sessions and ensuring players do not leave without signing autographs and posing for photographs, the fans have always been held in high regard by the club, management and players. The fans have even been asked to choose next season’s kit.

The decision not to hold a victory parade was, therefore, clearly not taken with the intention of disappointing the fans, although I accept that there may be a few who were unable to attend the match against AFC Wimbledon who may be disappointed. I am therefore happy to accept the club’s decision and look forward to another successful season, albeit this time in League 1!

Alan Collins
Goudhurst Road, Gillingham

Continue reading »]]> As far as political inevitability goes, the departure of Cllr Les Wicks from Medway Council’s cabinet ranks pretty highly.

However, the surprise is that it has taken until last night’s annual meeting of Medway Council for the Leader of the Council, Cllr Rodney Chambers, to show Cllr Wicks the door.

My position on this issue has been clear for a long time. Back when my blood ran in the deepest blue imaginable, I argued that Cllr Wicks and the relevant Director should resign in the best interests of Medway’s children. She left, but Cllr Wicks stayed.

This sorry saga has become a drawn-out embarrassment for the Conservative Group and was one of the few local issues which influenced my decision to leave the party. Cllr Wicks’ continued presence on the cabinet became one big distracting sideshow, while the children in Medway suffered, partly as a result.

It may be that Cllr Chambers hoped that the furore would die down in time, but bad news kept piling on the pressure and the anger from parents in Medway never subsided. At last month’s full council meeting, yet another petition of 800 signatures was presented, calling on his resignation. Cllr Chambers continued to praise his embattled cabinet member, but the writing was surely on the wall.

When I wrote my notorious post calling for Cllr Wicks to resign in 2011, I did so with a heavy heart, because he was a councillor I respected. Such respect has been severely dented after he hung on to his post far longer than he should have.

Now that Cllr Wicks and his cabinet colleague for children’s social care, Cllr David Wildey, have gone, I hope that we can finally put this matter to bed and support the pairing of Cllr Mike O’Brien, taking both jobs, and cabinet newcomer Cllr Kelly Tolhurst, taking a newly created Educational Improvement portfolio (under the direction of the Children’s Services portfolio holder), as they settle into their new roles.

Only time will tell if they are the right people for the job, but I wish them the very best of luck and will reserve judgement for a suitable period of time. After all, change doesn’t happen overnight.

But if it change doesn’t happen at all, it is only the children of Medway who suffer.

*

Other changes were introduced to the cabinet last night. In moving to the Children’s Services portfolio, Cllr O’Brien vacated the Community Safety and Customer Contact portfolio he inherited from Cllr Rehman Chishti when he became an MP in 2010. This portfolio has been taken over by another cabinet newcomer, Cllr David Carr.

Meanwhile, veteran Cllr Tom Mason has been removed from the cabinet as his Corporate Services portfolio was abolished. The functions he carried out have been split amongst the remaining portfolio holders, of which there are now nine (down from ten).

*

The new cabinet looks as follows:

Leader – Cllr Rodney Chambers
Deputy Leader and Finance – Cllr Alan Jarrett
Adult Services – Cllr David Brake
Children’s Services (Lead Member) – Cllr Mike O’Brien
Educational Improvement – Cllr Kelly Tolhurst
Community Safety and Customer Contact – Cllr David Carr
Front Line Services – Cllr Phil Filmer
Housing and Community Services – Cllr Howard Doe
Strategic Development and Economic Growth – Cllr Jane Chitty

Continue reading »]]> In 2010, the Liberal Democrats asked voters for their support with a 112-page manifesto.

Page 67 of that manifesto contained their promise to hold an in/out referendum in relation to the EU question:

Liberal Democrats therefore remain committed to an in/out referendum the next time a British government signs up for fundamental change in the relationship between the UK and the EU.

At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Nick Clegg seemed to suggest that the European Union Act 2011 fulfills this commitment. However, the EU Act only requires a referendum on changes to the Treaty on European Union or Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – such changes do not automatically trigger an in/out referendum.

But then why should we trust the Liberal Democrats, led by a former MEP, to have Britain’s best interests at heart when it comes to Europe? After all, the very next paragraph in their 2010 manifesto was, unbelievably, a desire to join the euro:

We believe that it is in Britain’s long-term interest to be part of the euro. But Britain should only join when the economic conditions are right, and in the present economic situation, they are not. Britain should join the euro only if that decision were supported by the people of Britain in a referendum.

It should be a relief that such a step could only take place after a referendum, but given the Liberal Democrats’ recent attitude towards referendum commitments, one does not feel relieved at all!

Continue reading »]]> The Tories’ decision to combat the rise of UKIP by insulting their supporters and members has backfired spectacularly after the party’s best-ever local election results.

David Cameron was last night forced to back-peddle after calling the UKIP’s members and supporters “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists” and sending veteran Ken Clarke to do the media rounds, describing the faithful as “clowns”.

After UKIP gained 139 council seats, becoming the official opposition on five councils and costing the Tories their overall control of others, Mr Cameron came out apologetic, saying “Look, it’s no good insulting a political party that people have chosen to vote for.

“We need to show respect for people who have taken the choice to support this party.”

But Mr Cameron has a long way to go in persuading almost 25% of voters who came out to support Nigel Farage’s party that the Tories are the true party of the aspirational working class.

And, despite the Liberal Democrats losing their deposit in the South Shields parliamentary by-election and polling seventh behind even the British National Party, Nick Clegg will breathe a sigh of relief that his party’s losses was not the story.

UKIP again proved their popular support coming in second in the by-election – the fourth time they have done so in recent months – without having stood in the seat in 2010 and almost halving Labour’s majority.

Ed Miliband, meanwhile, will be concerned that his party failed to live up to his new “One Nation” mantra. Despite the anger directed against the coalition government, they couldn’t make the significant gains needed in the south to point towards a majority in the general election.

Following the results, Nigel Farage said:

It’s a fascinating day for British politics. Something has changed here.

I know that everyone would like to say that it’s just a little short-term, stamp your feet protest – it isn’t. There’s something really fundamental that has happened here.

People have had enough of three main parties, who increasingly resemble each other. The differences between them are very narrow and they don’t even speak the same language that ordinary folk out there, who are struggling with housing and jobs, speak.

Common thought at the moment is that 2 May 2013 was a good day for UKIP alone, and the big three parties need to take stock and listen to the concerns of ordinary voters, rather than lobbyists, special interest groups, donors and the EU, if they are to stand a realistic chance of halting UKIP’s rise in popularity.

Continue reading »]]> It was the late Margaret Thatcher who once correctly observed that “the defence budget is one of the very few elements of public expenditure that can truly be described as essential”.

Indeed, throughout her time in office, Baroness Thatcher won many friends amongst the large Armed Services family in the UK for supporting her brave boys more than most post-war prime ministers.

Since she left office, however, successive governments have raided the defence budget, squeezed the capability for operational deployment and hacked away at troop numbers. This dysfunctional coalition of posh boys with little real world experience is no different, and their attitude to our armed services was a key factor in my decision to leave the Conservative Party.

The days in which ex-servicemen swamped the House of Commons are long gone, but that does not mean that their interests are any less relevant. Perhaps just as importantly, our national defence interests are jeopardised by a bureaucratic and political Ministry of Defence led by a succession of defence secretaries with no military experience, paying lip service to our forces family whilst disgracefully turning their backs on them.

I have seen the effects of willful inaction and unrelenting cuts through my involvement with the Royal Air Forces Association and the Royal British Legion. I have also seen the effects of government cuts passed on to the cadet movement since my recent return to the Air Cadets.

That is why I was pleased to see the UKIP Defence Policy 2013, released this week, make disbanding the MOD over the course of a parliament one of their priorities. They (rightly) say:

Soldiers, sailors and airmen win wars- not civil servants no matter how worthy. The Ministry of Defence is not fit for purpose, nor has it been for many years – and it is very expensive –the cost of keeping 85,000 civilian staff alone will run to the order of £6 billion per year.

The UKIP policy goes into some detail about what would replace the MOD:

UKIP will disestablish the MOD, removing both the responsibility for procurement and for defence doctrine and management. A new defence ministry will be created, with primacy given to the Central Staff over civil servants. The civilian role in framing policy and strategy will cease and be left to educated military professionals.

Responsibility for the planning and conduct of operations will pass to the Chief of Joint Operations (CJO). The new ministry will have no role in this function, thus making it a Department of State rather than a military HQ.

Defence procurement will be overseen by a slimmed down and independent Defence Procurement Executive with a brief to equip the armed services with such systems and manpower as they need to achieve the government’s strategic objectives. Single service chiefs should have direct input on weaponry, platforms and logistic budget without political interference. Defence doctrine and management will return to the individual armed forces. The government of the day should, like service personnel, command ‘one down’ having established appropriate direction.

The linkage will be restored within the single services between operational analysis, doctrine, training and equipment procurement.

There can be no place in the future for equipment procurement on the basis of lobbying by constituency MPs. Jobs can be secured through striking deals with manufacturers to assemble and service equipment under licence in UK, but the services, and the defence and security of the country, cannot be held hostage to the whims of individual MPs or local political issues.

UKIP will ensure that, once the new organisations are in established, shadow ministers are brought in to the procedure to ensure strategic decisions are continued beyond the parliamentary life span.

I would thoroughly recommend anyone interested in the defence of the realm, particularly the role UKIP believes our services should be playing and how much money should be invested in defence, should read the full UKIP Defence Position. It goes into some, honest, detail about UK defence and answers many questions which have been raised about their policy in this area in the past.

Crucially, it establishes UKIP as the only party in the UK which is committed to both protecting the interests of our service personnel and national defence, the only party in the UK to formally recognise that self-interested pen-pushers in Whitehall are not as important (in fact, significantly less so) than the brave men and women who put their bodies on the line on a daily basis to protect us.

UKIP is the only party in the UK which can be trusted to honour our covenant with our Armed Services.

Continue reading »]]> Gillingham’s championship-winning manager Martin Allen has announced his starting XI for the final gane of the season.

As the Gills travel to Burton Albion with little left to play for besides pride, Allen is seeking to give development squad players a runout before the record-breaking centenary season concludes.

The team will be Forecast, Romeo, Davies, Frampton, Muggleton, Gregory, Dack, Allen, Grant, Birchall, Weston.

Allen said “we have a combination of some senior and younger players. This is a big game for a lot of our players, and we are ready.”

Cllr Chambers added that they had offered to facilitate a victory parade, but unfortunately the club was unable to take that up.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Geoff Juby described the club’s decision as a shame.

Continue reading »]]> Some time ago, whilst still a very committed Conservative, I wrote an article on my old Birmingham and Beyond website, calling on Cllr Les Wicks to resign his portfolio.

18 months on, he is still facing irate parents and others concerned with the more recent OFSTED inspection in relation to child protection.

Whilst Rose Collinson has since left, in most other respects the article is still as relevant today as it was 18 months ago, and merits reproduction here now:

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post about a man for whom I have a great deal of respect, but, in the end, the interests of Medway’s school children must come before personal feelings.

Councillor Les Wicks, Medway Council member for Rainham South ward, is the long-standing Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services – a department which has seen no shortage of angry parents, badly-managed crises and critical press.

Despite ever-improving school results, the children’s services department has managed to cause angst and upset amongst teacher, parents and pupils on a number of occasions, from its school closures program to the recent Medway Test debacle.

It is clear to every observer with a brain cell that something clearly needs to be done about the department – and fast – before it is allowed to mismanage another project or program that could prove vital for the future of every child in Medway.

It must, of course, be made clear that, contrary to the (mainly) party political outbursts from Medway’s opposition, Cllr Wicks is not personally to blame for every ill in his department.

Liberal Democrat blogger Chris Sams hit the nail on the head in his call for Cllr Wicks to resign yesterday, when he said that Rose Collinson, the £115,000 p.a. (plus benefits) full time Director of Children’s Services, was equally to blame for the wrongs of the department.

No matter how dedicated and knowledgeable the portfolio holder (on 10% of the Director’s pay for the privilege of being the public figurehead and politically accountable), they cannot be expected to know absolutely everything in their department, and rely on the Director and staff to keep them up-to-date accurately and fully with their brief.

The children’s services department, though, is clearly ineffective and badly in need of a complete overhaul from the top down.

It is of no use to merely apologise and learn ones lesson, and even Cllr Wicks’ resignation would be little more than papering over the cracks.

Although it would be a useful start.

If he cares at all about the children whose futures are currently in his hands, Cllr Wicks must resign his portfolio and allow another person to take the task of reforming the department.

But, so too must Rose Collinson.

What is needed is an outsider with experience to take the helm as Director of Children’s Services, to clean up and reform an ineffective, under-performing department; to ensure that no further monumental disasters are permitted; and to introduce greater consultative procedures to ensure a helpful dialogue between the council and parents and teachers at all times.

As far as I am concerned, the children’s services department is the weak link in an ever-improving council, and measures must be taken immediately to bring it up to par and to end the apathetic, below-standard operations in the department.

As long as the Les and Rose show continues, disaster is only a curtain call away.

Continue reading »]]> The fairy tale of Gillingham ended, like all good fairy tales, in dramatic fashion.

The blue boys, playing in red as they have done throughout their centenary season, only needed one point to secure the nPower League Two trophy but, after less than 23 minutes the thought of a draw was far from the minds of players and fans alike.

Veteran striker Deon Burton opened the scoring for the Gills early on with a strike that seemingly came from nowhere before former Don Danny Kedwell doubled the Gills’ lead heading in Chris Whelpdale’s cross.

The Gills kept pushing until the second half, when they returned from the dressing room playing like they’d OD’d on valium. AFC Wimbledon, fighting for Football League survival for the first time in their short history, saw their chance, with Jack Midson bringing them back into the game after the hour and Jon Meades levelling the scoring with less than ten minutes to play.

Every Gills fan knows that supporting the club is not easy, and were nervously watching the clock as referee Andy D’Urso seemed to drag out stoppage time. In the end, it need not have concerned Gillingham whether they won, lost or drew, as Port Vale dropped points at home to Northampton, securing the Gills’ League Two title as the sun shone on the MEMS Priestfield Stadium.

*

In times of success, it is fashionable to congratulate those who made it happen – and it went without saying that on Saturday the Chairman, Paul Scally, the Manager, Martin Allen, the Assistant Manager, John Schofield, all the backroom staff, Captain Adam Barrett, the whole playing squad and, of course, the loyal fans, were all mentioned in dispatches.

Also worth giving thanks to, though, are the sponsors – those who, along with paying fans, fund the football club and have allowed such a successful squad to be built. To Medway Mowers, sponsors of the 37 goals scored at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium. Ah yes, to MEMS, who sponsor the club and the stadium, and whose logo has been seen across the country side-by-side with that of the Football League sponsors nPower (the irony of which I will let you research yourself). And to all those whose advertising space can be seen in matchday programmes and advertising boards around the ground.

*

There is now just one game of the season to go and Martin Allen may look to play those who have spent much of the season warming the bench. He is keeping his selection under wraps for now, but the Medway Messenger are reporting that Mad Dog is approaching the final game of the season differently.

Who knows, even Tommy Forecast might get his first league start for the champions before he returns to Southampton…