Archive for the ‘Local Council’ Category

When the County Council debated increasing members’ pay, I voted against. But, the Tory majority made sure it went through. Rather than trousering the increase, I’ve been trying to put it to good use by making the total value of the increase (after tax) available to seed fund community projects in the division. These are […]

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How I’m giving back my pay rise

by Steff on 17 January, 2018

Before Christmas, whilst wielding an axe to public services including mobile libraries, bus subsidies and even road gritting (all of which we’re campaigning hard against), the County Council voted to increase Members’ allowances. You couldn’t make it up: politicians giving themselves an extra £142,000 a year, whilst cutting more than twice that from each of […]

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I’m pleased that the motion I proposed, and Dr Marie Strong seconded, was passed with welcome adjustments from Councillor colleagues. That this Council considers that sexual harassment, bullying and intimidation are completely unacceptable and believes that it has no place in any workplace or society. Any councillor or member of staff who feels that they […]

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I had a very interesting meeting this afternoon with the County Council’s head of finance.  What a tough job he has! Amongst other things, I learned that the £100m the County Council needs to save is not ‘in total during 2018-22’, but per year by 2022. This means in total £175m less will be spent on services during […]

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“Keep an eye on your local services to make sure they don’t disappear” Liberal Democrat group leader Dan Roper has told people in Norfolk this morning. His comments came in advance of this morning’s full meeting of the County Council, where the big issue is the way the Council plans to meet the £100m gap […]

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I’ve learned a lot more about this since I started campaigning, although I’m still getting to grips with things at County Hall – the big soviet-like building on the ring road South of Norwich where the County Council is based. We have lots of different Councils in Norfolk and they each look after different things. […]

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A Very Big Thank You

by Steff on 2 June, 2017

I’m incredibly happy to have been elected as County Councillor for Melton Constable – thank you very much for returning me with such enthusiasm. I am here to represent all of you, regardless of how you voted.  I will try to explain my decisions as I go by referring to my personal values as well […]

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Reversed the decision to build an expensive and polluting waste incinerator at Kings Lynn and instead set Norfolk on a course to achieve zero landfill waste;   Transformed failing education services meaning Norfolk children are now achieving the national average for GCSE results for the first time in years;   Recruited more social workers to […]

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