Well I am back.

 Sorry I have taken so long to renew my Blog but I’ve been occupied…

Work has been hectic and I have had the misfortune of being ill for a couple of weeks.

That said I have still been more active than the many of my fellow STC members!…

 So back to the topic in hand.  I have been asked to speak on the subject of debt and mental illness at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth hosted by MIND.  I will be, hopefully, taking part in a round table discussion.  I am not sure of the exact format but it should be relevant to many sufferers and friends and family. 

I have been in debt many times in my life but lucky to be able to hold down difficult jobs and pursue a political career despite an acute mental disorder.  I am a survivor.  I also have a fantastic credit history.  But so many people, able-minded and mentally ill have got themselves into financial trouble.

I hope to learn from Doctors and Politicians at conference but really it is the real experts, the mentally ill I want to listen too.  

Debt has to be tackled.  The Banks get away with a lot.  So I will speak out, and I encourage anyone reading this who has a similar story to speak out as well.  

Lets make a difference. 

Vince Cable MP predicts a sharp drop in house prices.

He also calls for ‘Social Landlords’ to increase the scale their property assets by taking on unsold housing.  With major house building corporations facing financial meltdown this could help to shore up some of the damage to the economy whilst providing hope to the 1.7 Million people on housing lists.

What is clear is that the country has been ill prepared for this Recession.  And the man how is to blame for that lack of preparation is Gordon Brown.  He presided over an unprecedented debt bubble.  The man who had claimed to have ‘No more boom and bust’ has taxed, borrowed and spent on such a scale that has never been seen before in this country. 

And we are going to suffer for it…

I spend a lot of time staring at monitor screens.

I test software for a living, which means I deal with all kinds of ‘Computer related’ issues. 

PCs consume an inordinate amount of energy.  But we need them!  So how do we use our technology sustainably?

 Not leaving machines on over night (even over weekends…) can help cut down the carbon footprint.  Use of lower energy equipment and recycle as much as possible.

Also manufacturers need to consider disposal of any component that can not be reused.

 Other things that spring to mind are the fact that certain rare metals used in Personal Computer construction come from Central Africa and an ethical import policy is therefore required to ensure the workers in the mines are not exploited.

 But Technology brings great benefits to our society.  And Technology can help in both the battle for Climate stabilisation and the Credit Crunch.   With the use of remote networking technology it is possible for office workers to ‘work from home’  thus reducing the carbon footprint and employers costs. 

And that has to be a good thing…

I hope the reopening of the Canal (Which Stroud Liberal Democrats support) will bring the prospect of growth in both the “new” Service sector and also more traditional manafacturing.

 Brimbecombe and Wallbridge are the too main Centers which will benefit from the restoration Project.  The former was once the site of boat buildng and a revival of old crafts and skills could really become a possibility.

Wallbridge is the gateway to Stroud and with the prospect of the a ‘Wallbridge Basin’ opening up again lcoal traders will benefit. 

With careful planning this will encourage business to move into the Stroud area.  I can see in the near future the 5 valleys and the Vale thriving with light industry combined with arts and carfts.

 But it will need All parties and groups to agree to support this vision. 

So don’t play short term gesture politics…  (You know who you are!) 

So Labour got a hiding in Henley.

And David Cameron has another acolyte elected .

 I do understand why people might want to get rid of Labour and / or Gordon Brown.  The Labour party has not prepared for the lean times we now face despite 10 years of record growth.  We are heading for a steep down turn and who was it who said “No more Boom and Bust!”…?

But I grew up under a Tory Government and I remember what they are really like.  Underneath that ‘Spray on’ compassion lurks the ‘Inner Tory.’  The shear ruthless malice of thatcher will be reborn in a Cameron Government… they will cut and savage the fabric of society again just as they did in the 1980’s…

So please think carefully for whom you cast your vote.  But you really shouldn’t need me to tell you that

The little blighters are at it again… relieving themselves in the street…

I am referring to Stroud’s perennial “Pigeon Problem” … The creatures in question lurk under the railway bridge and mess up the walkway.

I have had a few complaints about this issue.  Do not fear this Town Councillor is on the case! (Polite suggestions of what we can do with the Pigeon infestation are welcome…)

Lib Dems want to be upbeat and positive where possible

Nick Clegg has spoken on the subject of encouraging green businesses.  Rather than just taxing bad behaviour which pollutes our environment why not use the powers we have to make it attractive to ‘green’ the workspace.

I believe that the only way to ’save the planet’ (aka ’save our necks!) is to build a cross party/cross community consensus on tackling climatic change.  No one group can do it on their own.  No one party has all the answers…

All of us must be green.

But why?

As the world economy slides towards Recession there are many people in our society (let alone ‘the developing world’) that simply Can not afford to green… Or at least that is the perception.  We must turn the tables on this concept and make the environment an economic asset!

We must wean ourselves off Oil.  We need clean generation of electricity (Radwaste that can kill for thousands of years does not count!) we can use the science and technology and all the imagination of the human mind to overcome the current crisis.  We can do it… but we must be clear that ‘Being green’ isn’t about a ‘Lifestyle choice’ or a ‘fringe movement’ or just something practiced by a few ‘rather weird’ social groups…

I want to see Hydrogen combustion engines in our cars.  We can do that now.  Fuel Cells can follow.

I want to see a decentralised grid with each town or even smaller communities with local clean energy sources.

Yes to tidal, geothermal, wind (offshore, onshore and inland)…

Yes to solar (both photovoltaic cells, solar power stations and water heating)

 Yes to greater recycling, reuse and reduction in waste.

I don’t think this will happen without government intervention but also the power of the market needs to be brought into focus. No command economy will produce these necessary results… Don’t believe me?  Then look at California and tell me if ‘The Governator’ is achieving world leading results by ignoring the Market… I don’t think so.

So lets all be Green.  No matter what party or group you are from. 

Residents of Stroud have commented that it would be nice to have more places to sit while waiting for the Number 37 bus…

Just a quick note to say I’m on the case and currently investigating where additional seating could be sited. (Opposite the Pop up loo… hmm?)

 Keep the ideas flowing…

Are a chance in a life time?

I am talking about the Stroud Canal Project of course, and the answer to the question depends on who you talk too.

I am concerned that the project may be rushed through leaving key elements of the community ‘Out of the Loop’

Local Traders have voted with their feet and left the concordat (the partnership between the Chamber of Trade and the District, County and Town Councils) This is highly regrettable and I’m hoping everyone comes to their senses.

The Traders are not being consulted properly about the proposed traffic management (The Canal over the A46 will cause a certain amount of disruption.  How much know one really knows…) but lack of real consultation is pretty typical of the whole planning process…

What we need to do is to involve and explain more. (And listen to what people are actually saying!) If we don’t then the Canal will stay as an expensive failure and Stroud will be robbed of a fantastic opportunity for growth and regeneration.

So the Irish have voted no to the Treaty of Lisbon.

And already the European Commission President has tried to ignore the referendum result.

Shame on him…

 We live in the European Union not the Soviet Union

Don’t get me wrong on this.  I am a dedicated Pro-European.  I always have been and I always will be.  I believe that the benefits of economic and political integration far out-way any loss of that etherical concept called “national sovereignty”

But it is got to be a “Peoples Europe”… Not a entity run by and run for bureaucrats and jaded national politicians, but for the peoples of the continent to ensure peace, prosperity and security.

I am a Liberal Democrat but I also would say (and I don’t think this is party policy, just me)  Lets scrap the Treaties and set up a simple, democratic and effective arrangement. 

And let the people decide!