I see that our MSPs have agreed to a two year freeze in their pay from next year, following the lead of Councillors who agreed to a freeze in the current financial year. Well done to them.
Mind you the basic salary of an MSP at £57,521 is still nearly four times the basic salary of a Councillor, which currently stands at £16,234.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Kids are Street Smart...
I had the pleasure of attending one of the Council's 'Street Smart' showcases in Port Glasgow High School tonight where youngsters from P7 in local primary schools demonstrated what they had learned about various safety issues (including Internet safety, road safety and alcohol awareness) at workshops run by Council staff in September and October.
The youngsters from Kings Oak, St John's, St Michael's and St Francis all gave very informative and entertaining presentations. The trophy for the best presentation went to St Michael's Primary School.
Well done to the youngsters, their teachers and Council staff for making this such a successful event.
The youngsters from Kings Oak, St John's, St Michael's and St Francis all gave very informative and entertaining presentations. The trophy for the best presentation went to St Michael's Primary School.
Well done to the youngsters, their teachers and Council staff for making this such a successful event.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
The future of Education...
I was interested in the coverage today of the views of Keir Bloomer, a leading educationalist, on the management of schools, where Mr Bloomer was arguing that schools should be removed from local authority control and taken over by local community trusts.
While our Council has a reputation for delivering quality education services, we are not complacent. We recognise that there is always room for improvement and that we need to continually look for new ways of meeting the needs of all our young people.
While I strongly believe that our state education system should be democratically accountable I am nevertheless prepared to listen to the case for change. I intend to contact Mr Bloomer to invite him down to Inverclyde to give him an opportunity to explain to us where we are going wrong and to outline how his proposals would improve the quality of education delivered to our young people.
I am sure that, if he accepts my invitation, we will have an interesting debate.
While our Council has a reputation for delivering quality education services, we are not complacent. We recognise that there is always room for improvement and that we need to continually look for new ways of meeting the needs of all our young people.
While I strongly believe that our state education system should be democratically accountable I am nevertheless prepared to listen to the case for change. I intend to contact Mr Bloomer to invite him down to Inverclyde to give him an opportunity to explain to us where we are going wrong and to outline how his proposals would improve the quality of education delivered to our young people.
I am sure that, if he accepts my invitation, we will have an interesting debate.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
The week ahead...
Monday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
4.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
5.00 Special meeting of the Administration Group
Tuesday
At work all day. In the evening I have a surgery at Boglestone Community Centre at 6.00.
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.30 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
4.30 Weekly meeting of the Administration Group
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
7.00 Street Smart 2010 at Port Glasgow High School
Thursday
At work all day. In the evening I have a meeting of the Kilmacolm New Community Centre Company Board.
Friday
At work all day again. In the evening I will be attending the 'Pride of Inverclyde' Awards in Greenock Town Hall.
Sunday
I will be representing the Council at the Remembrance Sunday Service in Port Glasgow and laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
4.00 Leave work to travel to Greenock
5.00 Special meeting of the Administration Group
Tuesday
At work all day. In the evening I have a surgery at Boglestone Community Centre at 6.00.
Wednesday
7.30 Start work in Glasgow
1.30 Leave work to travel to Greenock
2.30 Weekly meeting with the Chief Executive
4.30 Weekly meeting of the Administration Group
5.30 Weekly meeting of the Labour Group
7.00 Street Smart 2010 at Port Glasgow High School
Thursday
At work all day. In the evening I have a meeting of the Kilmacolm New Community Centre Company Board.
Friday
At work all day again. In the evening I will be attending the 'Pride of Inverclyde' Awards in Greenock Town Hall.
Sunday
I will be representing the Council at the Remembrance Sunday Service in Port Glasgow and laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Good on you Tom...
Opening my Greenock Telegraph last night I was pleasantly surprised to see that my fellow Ward 1 Councillor, Lib Dem Tom Fyfe, was holding a surgery in Kilmacolm Community Centre this morning.
Tom is not known for holding regular surgeries - in fact I can probably count on the fingers of one hand how many surgeries he has held since he was elected in 2007.
So good on you Tom: who knows, maybe next month it will be Port Glasgow's turn?
Tom is not known for holding regular surgeries - in fact I can probably count on the fingers of one hand how many surgeries he has held since he was elected in 2007.
So good on you Tom: who knows, maybe next month it will be Port Glasgow's turn?
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Improvements at Kilmacolm Cross...
Work is due to start on Monday (8 November) to improve pedestrian crossing points at Kilmacolm Cross. The work, which is scheduled to last for 3 weeks (weather permitting), will cost around £18,000.
I have received a number of representations from constituents about the difficulties for pedestrians crossing Bridge of Weir and Port Glasgow Roads at the Cross since I was elected - and have experienced them at first hand - so I am pleased that this work is getting underway. Hopefully it will go some way to make it safer for pedestrians crossing at this very busy location in the heart of the village.
I have received a number of representations from constituents about the difficulties for pedestrians crossing Bridge of Weir and Port Glasgow Roads at the Cross since I was elected - and have experienced them at first hand - so I am pleased that this work is getting underway. Hopefully it will go some way to make it safer for pedestrians crossing at this very busy location in the heart of the village.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Parking U-turn...
I see that outspoken SNP Councillor Chris Osborne has now welcomed key aspects of the draft parking strategy for Greenock Town Centre developed by the Council's consultants.
Quite a U-turn from young Chris given that he had previously attacked the proposals without actually knowing what they were.
Maybe the next time he will attend the Members' briefing rather than relying on one of his colleagues to tell him what was discussed!
Quite a U-turn from young Chris given that he had previously attacked the proposals without actually knowing what they were.
Maybe the next time he will attend the Members' briefing rather than relying on one of his colleagues to tell him what was discussed!
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