Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

Jim Dobbin MP

The Liberal Democrat Budget will have been decided a couple of days before this article is printed in the local newspapers. The indications are that a council tax of 3.7% will be levied. Rochdale Council received a more generous grant settlement from Government than any other Greater Manchester Authority.

The level of grant, plus reserves of over £20 million and a huge build up of capital receipts from sales of buildings and land combined with some vicious cuts to services should have enabled the Liberal Democrat controlled council to levy a council tax of almost zero.

I question the council’s commitment to devolved local government when I see interference in the democratic rights of elected members to represent their constituents. The Hopwood Hall, Hollins decision prevents local communities having proper democratic processes.

I am aware of interference in other parts of my constituency where local communities are being bullied into accepting changes to the way they have worked for many years – without proper consultation or debate. The local politicians who practice this technique do the democratic system great harm. Local community groups should resist these tactics.
I send my best wishes to Head Teacher Kieran Heakin for a speedy recovery from the violent attack against him in a local restaurant. Kieran is a good friend, an excellent Head and a respected political colleague.

It was reassuring to hear Lord Digby Jones, former Chairman of the C.B.I. and a recent government minister, confirm on Channel 4 News that Gordon Brown was the one politician who understands the global economic problems we face and has taken the correct decisions to tackle the downturn.

It now requires every country to work together to repair the damage brought on by the failure of banking and the capitalist system which is marked essentially by greed and fraud and corruption in the system. The Sir Allen Stanford debacle is just the latest example of this greed. As a Labour and Co-operative member of Parliament I am pleased to see the Co-operative movement go from strength to strength, especially since the roots of the Co-op began in this borough. Co-operatives are well placed to survive the economic down-turn and indeed grow stronger.

The co-operative group have chosen as their charity for the year the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and will be supporting 18,000 deaf and hard of hearing people. The 23rd February to the 8th March is Fairtrade Fortnight, so please support the Fairtrade Movement by buying its products, particularly from local Co-ops.

Social enterprise initiatives have much to offer the economic system and should be supported. The Government have supported a number of measures put forward by the Co-op Movement in Parliament, and will support more such bills in the future.

Friday 13th was a particularly busy day in the constituency, and the first full day of the half term recess. The recess period is an opportunity to move round the constituency and try to take full advantage of the break from London. The day began with a visit to All Souls Primary School, where Mrs Rennie had organised a tour of the school with two senior pupils.

They were well informed ad were the perfect guides. I then dropped into the new playgroup launch at Hopwood park adjacent to the bowling green. The kids were settling in nicely to their new surroundings.

My first surgery at Desmesne Community Centre Lansley was my next stop. I intend to continue this surgery on the Second Friday of the month from 11am – 12 noon. After a quick lunch I was due at St Luke’s Primary School to meet new head Mr Bentham. The school was taking part in a fundraiser.

It was a speed penalty shoot out and looked great fun. The evening ended at the Royal Toby for the Catenian Dinner at the invitation of President Vincent McNichols. It was a pleasant event and I didn’t have to sing for my supper.

Saturday Morning was my first surgery at the new Middleton Arena. The Arena was very busy and obviously well used.

Tuesday was an opportunity to introduce myself to Father Kieran Malarky the new parish priest of St Peter’s Middleton. We had an hour’s chat before returning to my constituency office in Heywood to do some casework.

Wednesday 18th was spent lunching with a group of pensioners at Desmesne Centre where Mal and Christine and their team served up a scrumptious menu. It was good to see Councillor Lil Murphy in the centre of this group. Lil does a great job as a representative of Langley. Friday 20th started with a visit to Derby Street Sure Start for Children and Families which I opened last year. I met with Pauline Goulding, the Centre Leader. It is a fantastic facility.

I support the Sure Start Programme – a really successful government investment. I hope it develops right across my constituency, and it will have my support. The benefits for local children and families are endless, and should be welcomed by local communities. I then had the pleasure of officially opening the new Bowness Road Pharmacy. It’s a credit to Kieran and Prakash, the proprietors, who have created local jobs and training for young people.

The area will welcome their very personal services. I had my annual constituency AGM in the evening, which went very smoothly. Saturday was double surgery day in Norden and Castleton. In the evening we attended Cardinal Langley School for the St. Gabriel’s Castleton production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, provided by Mr Show Business Billy Sheeran, a Castleton stalwart and a super trooper.

Before returning to London on Sunday evening, I attended the Freedom of the Borough ceremony for Margaret Geoghegan. Margaret and I were members of the old Rochdale Health Authority together. She is a remarkable woman and has created one of the leading Hospices in the U.K. Margaret is respected as a real entrepreneur in the proper sense of the word. She is a special person and deserves every honour that comes her way. London here we come.