Rob to hold surgeries at Whitby Library

As from the 1st June I will be holding a surgery at the library, where people can just 'drop in' by to discuss a problem or for advice. I will be there from 12 noon to 1.30 to begin with, just to see how things go. Hopefully the Whitby Gazette will print something to advertise the fact that people can come and speak to me in person and discuss things in private.

Another job done!

Here's me checking out work on the verges of Helredale Road. They look a lot better than they used to - although the grass hasn't come through yet!

New Labour - New Tories?

While I disagree with a lot of what the Conservatives and Labour represent, the most objectionable is the lack of straight-talking, honesty and integrity from councillors. I'll give you a couple of examples from recent county and borough meetings, which people have a right to know who says what, and which way they vote. During a debate on the council tax at Scarborough Town Hall, the Labour group leader Eric Broadbent said his group could not support the 3.7% increase in council tax as proposed by the Council Leader, Cllr Tom Fox. I then pointed out to the council that the previous week at County Hall Cllr Broadbent and his Labour group would not support the Liberal Democrats' motion to reduce the proposed increase of council tax from 4.9% down to 3.7%, yet went on to give their support to the Tories to out-vote us! At last week's county council meeting to elect a new Chairman of the council, again the Labour group supported the conservative nomination, and not the LibDems. This sort of thing goes on all the time' and if Labour voters could only see this, they certainly would think twice about voting for them again. You can listen to what went on in the last couple of county meetings, as they were recorded for a pilot scheme to regularly record meetings for the public to listen to. These were introduced as a result of a LibDem proposal for openness in council. Just click on the NYCC on the left to get to the home page, click on 'Council and Democracy' and follow the links to 'Listen to'.