Brighton & Hove: Recent issues.

Falmer Stadium;

LABOUR: All councillors including Roy Pennington and MPs David Lepper, Celia Barlow and Des Turner lobbied hard for the stadium and despite objections from the Greens, Lib Dems, Tories and Nimbys, John Prescott delivered the verdict that Albion fans were so desperate for.

GREENS: "We don't think Falmer is a suitable site."

Their reaction to the announcement was slightly different;

"We are pleased that the fans will get a local stadium and accept the decision that John Prescott has made in his role as Secretary of State."

LIB DEMS: Have campaigned vigorously both for and against the stadium (talk about hedging your bets!). Lewes Council controlled by the Lib Dems have launched a legal challenge which could waste even more money and delay the stadium further.

TORIES: Campaigned against the stadium.

Park and Ride

LABOUR: Suggested Patcham (the only suitable area for a park and ride) for a much needed way of reducing congestion in centre of town. Instead of driving into town, people could park up and use buses provided.

GREENS: "Park and ride is a good idea in theory for people who can't make their whole journey by public transport"
The Greens suggest that people in rural areas should use existing public transport, but this is just not realistic for a lot of people.

LIB DEMS: Are for park and ride in principle but oppose every suggestion in practise (whatever that means!). Me thinks just another excuse to win votes by riding a NIMBY outrage. Another example of the Lib Dems putting duplicity to win votes before real policy ideas.

TORIES: Same as Lib Dems but with knobs on. Tories insisted on investigation of the Braypool site which wasted 400,000 pounds on consultants. They want more car parks in centre of town. Inexplicably claim this will 'reduce' congestion. What planet do these guys think we are on?

In the end a combination of Tory, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors voted against the park and ride proposal, defeating the minority Labour administration. Which just goes to show why we need more Labour councillors so we can actually get things done in this city.

Mobile Phone Masts

Ever wondered why mobile phone reception is so bad in Brighton?

Well next time you can't get reception, you know who to thank, the Lib Dems and Greens who seem to object to every single application.

Recycling and refuse collection

The Lib Dems are great at exageration. Under an article criticising the roll out of community bins, the Lib Dems show this picture, (which actually looks very much like the recycling points for paper and cans in Norfolk Square and not community refuse bins at all). Yes there are a few papers on the floor, but walking around Regency the other day I could have taken pictures of dozens upon dozens of community bins that are immaculately clean (I might actually do this just to prove a point). I didn't see a single community bin that was overflowing or had been flytipped. (I'm sure this happens on occasions but it is hardly frequent).

The worse areas tend to be the streets that don't have community bins (which even the Lib Dems seem to acknowledge as you read their article which mentions black bag collection). Like I've said before Brighton has a unique problem with space in such a densely populated area that doesn't allow for wheelie bins being universal. The council have come up with many inovations such as binvelopes and community bins and we now have successful weekly recycling collection.

Pub Opening Hours

LABOUR: Finally got rid of our archaic laws on drinking times (despite the hysterical media and opposition parties) that had made us the laughing stock of the world and visitors from abroad just bemused at the perverse logic of pubs having to close at 11pm.

GREENS: "We are generally supportive of liberalising the licensing laws, where doing so will enhance people’s access to leisure facilities. However this must not be at the cost of the community’s quality of life or add to the police's already heavy responsibilities."

Which is a round about way of saying, 'yes Labour is right, but we have to find some way of criticising their policy, just for the sake of it'.

LIB DEMS: Oppose the new laws and would prefer we were all safely tucked up in bed by grandma's bedtime. Call themselves liberals?

TORIES: Like the Lib Dems, quite happy to ride the moral outrage of the Daily Mail until they realised the new laws might actually be successful and prove popular, when they suddenly went all quiet.

Just remember if you want real solutions for Brighton and Hove and not a load of sensationalised bullshit, you had better vote Labour at the council elections in May 2007.