Sign the petition against the cull

Click here to getImages  &
Badger Pictures - Pictures

I have just signed the League Against Cruel Sports' petition against the badger cull.

It is vital that they reach 100,000 signatures to ensure the subject is debated in parliament but to show the government just how opposed the public is to the cull, their target is ONE MILLION SIGNATURES.

Please help them reach this target. It only takes a minute but could save the lives of thousands of badgers.

Just follow this link www.league.org.uk/badgerpetition

Parish Council precepts and student exemption

This is my latest contribution to the Press letters page:

IT WAS disappointing to read that residents are still facing a rise in their precept payment even though parish councils have frozen the precept (The Press, April 20).

Heslington Parish Council froze the precept this year, but we didn’t have the information to hand at the time to know how many properties were exempt from council tax and whether it has risen from the previous year.

It seems grossly unfair that residents face an increase in their precept due to an increase in student lets. It would be unreasonable to expect students to pay council tax and the precept.

Perhaps it is time for a change in the law to make the landlords responsible for council tax, and therefore precept payments, when they rent properties out to students, so there isn’t an increasing tax burden on those residences which are not inhabited by students.

Letter in support of Labour winning Heslington

Got this letter in today's Press

On May 5, the voters of York are faced with a decision which will have major consequences for the next four years.

They can vote for the Lib Dems and four more years of Tory budgets, as they continue to rely on the local Tories and push through the national agenda from the Tory-led Government.

Or they can vote for change and vote Labour, who have an alternative vision for York, based on protecting local services and reducing waste. As a Heslington resident and parish councillor, I am supporting David Levene.
Since being nominated as the Labour candidate, he has made a point of canvassing the whole of the village and has listened to residents’ concerns.

He launched a petition to call for double-yellow lines on University Road – which the council has now thankfully adopted – and continues to work on traffic and parking issues in the village and Low Mill Close.

Despite what some might say, Labour can win in Heslington, having essentially tied for second last time.
Please support David in the upcoming local elections, a candidate I strongly believe will stand up for the residents of Heslington and listen to their concerns.

Want to vote Conservative in York? You may be left disappointed.

As reported in today's Press, the Conservative Party are not fielding candidates in all wards for the City Council Elections.  If you look at the Council's election page to check nominees you will notice:

Clifton - Only 2 candidates standing in a 3 candidate ward
Fishergate - No candidates in a 2 candidate ward
Guildhall - Only 1 candidate in a 2 candidate ward
Heslington - No candidate
Heworth - 2 candidates in a 3 candidate ward
Holgate - 2 candidates in a 3 candidate ward
Hull Road -  Only 1 candidate in a 2 candidate ward
Huntington and New Earswick - Only 1 candidate in a 3 candidate ward and that candidates nomination form was not valid.
Micklegate - 1 of the candidates forms was not valid so only 2 candidates standing.
Westfield - 2 out of 3 candidates forms had insufficient subscribers


It could be just coincidence that this lack of Conservative candidates will help the Liberal Democrats, especially in wards like Heslington where the Lib Dems are trying to keep the seat.  If it is just a cock up, it shows a high level of incompetence and would you really want to vote for a party who cannot even get their nominations right?

Why I'm voting No to AV

No to AV referendum broadcast

It is only in the last few weeks that I have finally made a decision over how I'm going to vote.  I found myself rather conflicted as I consider myself to be progressive and support a change to the electoral system but I do not believe that the alternative vote system is the right way to go.

My main reasons for voting against are:

• It will increase the chance of coalitions.  When coalitions are formed the governing parties can tear up their manifestos and start again with a coalition agreement.  I am not saying that parties in the future will sell out as badly as the Lib Dems have, but it is likely that parties will have to renege of pre-election promises.
• It is not proportional representation.  If this system genuinely created a level playing field for all parties I could be convinced, but this system only benefits the medium size parties like the Lib Dems and possibly UKIP in some areas.  Smaller parties are likely to get lower preferences from the majority of electorate so are unlikely to be successful.  This may be attractive because it keeps out the BNP, but it will also probably make it more difficult for the Greens or socialist parties to get elected.
• You could have a situation where the 2nd of even 3rd party with the most first preferences ends up winning.  This could lead to dull middle of the road parties who stand for very little, which is probably why the Lib Dems like it.
• Finally I see it as a negative system.  Apart from your first preference you are using the rest of your preferences to keep out the party you hate the most.  In reality there is only one party you want to win, the rest of you votes are being used to block another party from getting in.

What does surprise me is that the Tories are against it.  Chances are they will get a lot of 2nd and 3rd votes off UKIP, English Democrat and BNP voters as well as a good chunk of Lib Dem voters.  Alongside the re-drawing (or gerrymandering) of boundaries they must be on to a winner if it goes through.  Where as it is not too clear that it will advantage Labour as this Channel 4 report shows.

My preference for an electoral system would be to keep the current system and have a proportion of seats used as top up seats so that the smaller parties are represented.  That way we would have a fairer system whilst keeping the constituency link.