LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY-ELECTION 29 NOVEMBER 2012
Uig and North Lochs
Declaration of Results
The Percentage Poll was 40.88%. There were 1013 valid ballot papers and 14 rejected ballot papers. The quota of votes for a candidate to be elected is 508.
Les Mac an Ultaigh 73
John Norman Macdonald 195
Angus Macdonald Morrison 745
Caught in a time warp, they still dodder about trying to make us join in to celebrate a bygone age. It’s all about what once was because they stubbornly refuse to move into 21st century. They are stuck in a time warp. They sometimes admit they are not very good at what they do, are grumpy and often to each other, and act like a bunch of prima donnas caring little what anyone else thinks and spending enormous sums of money on nonsense that helps no one. Frankly, they have seen better days. They are past it.
Who? Ah, you thought I was talking about the elected members of Western Isles Council, didn’t you? Not this time. Why people will pay up to £400 to see the shoogly old codgers that are the Rolling Stones is a mystery to everyone – except maybe to the deluded people who continue to vote in some of our even more shoogly councillors.
The only one I ever really liked was Bill Wyman. He was quiet, enigmatic and did nothing to make me think that years of mega-decibels had reduced his brain to froth like some of his bandmates. Then he met a giggly schoolgirl called Mandy, sang Let’s Spend The Night Together to her and I promptly began to think Ronnie Wood should be on Mastermind.
Wyman is now 76. He is still cool and not as wrinkly as you would expect for what he’s been through. He got over his fondness for teenagers and now seems as surprised as the rest of us at the Stones’ enduring success. A while back, he admitted quite openly that they were not the best musicians. In fact, he said they were not even great musicians.
They were just better at putting on a high-energy show to hide the fact. Like Rylan on X Factor, you mean? No no no, absolutely not. These guys were in a different class but, yeah, exactly like that, actually. Of course, Wyman was saying it while in his 20-year huff with the other Stones – but he has always said it. Or at least he did until they got promised a fortune to all get back together and whoop it up to mark 50 years since starting out by horrendously ripping off their richest and most stupid fans with a low-energy show turned up loud.
In fact, the volume was so high no one could hear how they had changed the words. Mick did his best with I Can’t Get No Circulation. They also did an updated version of You Can’t Always Get What You Want, which many years ago one critic said reflected “the end of the overlong party that was the 1960s …”
Remember, they are pensioners which is why it is now You Can’t Always Chew What You Want. That’s right, you stick with the soup and custard, guys, and you’ll be fine. Party on, dudes.
Everyone is going on about Jagger at the O2. He was so slim. He was so young looking. He was so Jagger. In other words, he is suffering weight loss and is now painfully thin, has resorted to hair dye and cosmetic enhancements and still looks as glaikit as ever. Can’t be Botox, surely? Not with lips that huge already.
Jumping Jack Flash? Nah, more like Limping Jack Flush.
Still, we are getting on a bit ourselves but at least we still have our memories of the rock greats. There was the Stones, The Who and those other talented legends from Merseyside. What were they called again? Er, Frankie Goes To Holywood? No, earlier. Gerry and the Pacemakers? Nope. There was a guy with wee glasses. Oh, what was his name? They named a place after him. Was he Lenin? Leningrad? No, that’s not on the Mersey. Lennon Airport? John Lennon Airport, that’s it. Lennon and his mates were on the bottles. Wait. No, they were in the Beatles. Phew, I do get there in the end. Yeah, as I said, at least we have our memories.
However, despite their lives of excess, some rockers do still have the brainpower to recount their days at the top. Three members of these three great rock bands got together recently for a catch-up. After the inevitable talk of girls, Paul McCartney, Pete Townsend, and Mick Jagger discussed the gifts they had got over the last 50 years. McCartney told how a man came up to the farm when he and Linda were living on the Mull of Kintyre and presented him with a hand-carved wooden sculpture of himself. Lovely.
Then Townsend showed them a necklace with gold letters an inch high that spelled Tommy which was from a fan for composing the rock opera. They agreed it too was impressive. That was when Mick Jagger produced a small hard, stale lump of bread and said he got it after a concert in Algiers. Bemused, McCartney and Townsend and Peter said it was, er, nice. Sensing they were unimpressed, Mick explained: “I know, it’s only a Moroccan roll but I like it.”
SNP GROUP STATEMENT
Speaking following the Comhairle’s Budget Choices Seminar Councillor Rae Mackenzie outlined a selection of services and functions the SNP Group are committed to maintain. Cllr Mackenzie stated “These are just some of the items we are committed to saving, all of which have appeared on the list of choices that most of the other Council members have included in their cuts”.
Cllr Mackenzie added “The SNP group wish to ensure that the weakest and most vulnerable in the islands are protected and these are amongst the cuts we will fight to avoid. We are still looking at the overall picture and are waiting on more information on the 90% of the Council spend that is not before us. We want to see £1 million taken from contingencies and the £1.1 million BBCI dividend used over the next 2 years to reduce the level of cuts being proposed.”
Education and Children Services
Retain Specialist Itinerant Teachers
Keep Lionel School in self management
No Cuts to Special Needs
Stop School Closures
Avoid Shared Headships
Stop changes to Bus routes
Retain 2 Learning support Teachers
Retain Early Learning Funding
Retain training in Department
Health and Social Care
Maintain Penumbra
Maintain Home Care Service
Maintain Overnight Services
Protect voluntary organisations funded via CHaSHP
Continue Exceptional Care Packages
Transportation and Infrastructure
Maintain Community Transport Funding
Continue Grants to Community Groups for Public conveniences
Continue enhancement to Concessionary Fares on Sounds of Harris and Barra
Retain Community Skips
Retain Stornoway Abattoir
Environmental Services
Retain financial support to Foyer/Alpha Projects
Retain Fuel Poverty measures
Policy and Resources
Retain Trade Union representation
Retain Funds for WICAS
Retain Community Grants
Retain grants to 3rd Sector
SOCCER fans in the Western Isles have slammed the Scottish Premier League for changing the dates of the Edinburgh New Year derby to fit in with television schedules.
The date change from January 2nd to the following day for the upcoming Hibernian versus Hearts match has left some island fans being forced to change the dates of economy air tickets which can be hugely expensive. Some fans are also facing having to pay for an extra night’s accommodation and trying to negotiate more time off work if they want to see their heroes.
One Stornoway fan said they were facing charges of up to £100 extra for each leg of the air journey to change the dates on Flybe air tickets to Edinburgh. He said: “That is just not fair. The dates should not be announced until they are set in stone. We have to book early to get cheaper tickets.”
The supporters believe it is scandalous that they are sometimes left to pick up unexpected costs and some even say they should be paid compensation if the SPL changes the dates.
Another said: “Not all Hibs and Hearts supporters are in Edinburgh, you know. They should get it confirmed first with the TV companies. The dates should be set in stone before being announced.”
The Scottish Premier League confirmed it was aware of the difficulties but stressed that the initial fixture list is always provisional. A spokesman said: “The list is published in June but the TV games are selected on a period-by-period basis. This Edinburgh game was confirmed for television on the 24th of October.
“Our message is please don’t make travel plans until that set of fixtures has been prescribed for television because there is always the danger the games will move. Of course, the dates are set early but they are only provisional pending TV selections.”
He said that the SPL currently had TV selections up until the end of January so if a fan was going to a game, for example, on the 9th of February they would urge them not to make any plans until it had been confirmed they had been selected for broadcast. It was conceded that some games are regularly switched from Saturday to Sunday, for example.
Although the fixture list is published in June, it is always regarded as being subject to TV-related changes, he said. “In July we do the first selections but there are so many other factors like European and other matches that can impact on the dates. It is not straightforward.” The SPL, he said, was always happy to help any fans looking for guidance and they appreciated some people would be unhappy that the Hearts-Hibs game had been moved to January 3.
Another island fan said: “It happened to the Old Firm game last New Year as well. My mate got tickets for himself and his two sons – then the date was changed. They had to re-book flights and that cost a small fortune. They then also had to try and get accommodation for the new dates.
“The easiest thing would be not to announce the fixtures until the dates were absolutely confirmed.”
The SPL insisted it completely understood the cost to fans in time and money of making an air journey and that many supporters do not live near to stadiums. However, its spokesman insisted Scotland was no different to other nations. He said: “There are the same issues in other European countries where they only finalise the games about a fortnight beforehand when TV is involved.”
A pollster guy called Pete asked me tonight for my views about the by-election and whether I was involved with any candidates.
No, I have no interest in the outcome here other than as a journalist who has now put on his cynical spectacles, taken a sip of bitter and is shaking his head at what our Star Trek style of local democracy really means here.
Let me explain. There are two hopefuls who live in the ward – tour guide Les Mac an Ultaigh (McNulty) and former Johnston Press executive Angus Morrison. Meanwhile, John Norman MacDonald is from Point on the other side of the island.
Les seems like a bright, positive guy but just not high-profile enough in the community to make an impact. People tell me they know him, but not what he stands for.
John Norman of the Scottish National Party too is a personable, if rather reserved, fellow but my own inquiries have found many Lochies unsure who he is, despite his claimed connections with the area. Openly political, he represents the SNP desperately trying to cling onto the ward. Does that make him a Klingon?
Therefore, I must tell you that Angus Morrison, as unexcitable as Mr Spock, shall romp home because he has the benefit of being known as a former boss of the Stornoway Gazette. That, and more importantly, the single line in his election literature noting he is a Free Church of Scotland elder. History tells us those few words make it a no contest. That makes him different, just as a Vulcan’s ears are not the same as ours.
A candidate could be as thick as the two proverbial short planks but a majority in this kind of ultra-presbyterian community will, nay, must vote for him on the sole basis of him being a church office-bearer. It’s democracy, Pete, but not as you know it.
PROPOSED NEW LOCATION FOR BAYHEAD POST OFFICE, STORNOWAY
Opening hours extended by 39 hours a week
The Post Office is proposing to move Bayhead Post Office from its current location to create a modern open-plan branch with extended opening hours for customers.
The proposed new location for the branch is Engebret Ltd Filling Station, Sandwick Road, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2SL. This is 1,200 metres from its current site at Matheson Road, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2LB.
The Post Office is inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on the move in a six-week public consultation.
The move is part of major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.
Post Office Regional Network Manager for Scotland Sue Richardson said: “We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Stornoway and we are confident that this new modern branch will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.
She added: “The proposed changes to the branch are part of a three-year investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office, that will see around 6000 branches (about half the Post Office network) converting to new-style branches. The investment marks a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”
The new Bayhead Post Office would have a mixture of four open plan and traditional screened counter positions – a new concept for delivering Post Office services with Post Office products and services available alongside retail transactions during shop opening hours.
Opening hours at the proposed new location would be 07:00 – 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 – 15:00 on Sunday, offering customers an extra 39 hours a week to access Post Office products and services.
The Post Office, now independent of Royal Mail, is the largest retail network in the UK, with over 11,500 branches. It is also one of the fastest growing financial services companies and is developing its online and telephony services.
During the public consultation Post Office Ltd welcomes feedback on any issues customers would like considered before a final decision is taken on this proposal. The consultation will close on 11 January 2013. Submissions can be made during the consultation by Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd, via email to [email protected], via the Customer Helpline: 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.
A former councillor has said that the current members of Western Isles Council should start listening to the community and show leadership by making sacrifices themselves before imposing cuts on the the weakest and most vulnerable people in the islands.
At last week’s cuts consultation meeting, Callum Ian Macmillan confronted the council leader in front of a packed group of irate islanders and told him his job was obsolete and shouldn’t have been created in the first place. He told the meeting it was a huge waste of money .
The former Labour group leader said the only population in our islands that had increased in recent years had been the number of councillors and council leaders. “And,” he said, “it’s got to stop.”
Macmillan has now followed up his claim by demanding that not only should the council leader’s post be terminated but he has also asked the Chief Executive Malcolm Burr to tell all local councillors they should agree to take a pay cut.
Chief Executive Burr, who Macmillan says has take-home pay that is more than the Prime Minister’s, defended the post of council leader, whose office is next door to his own, by telling angry islanders that every other council apart from Orkney had one.
Macmillan retorted: “Half of Scotland have floods tonight that doesn’t mean we want one.”
Macmillan believes the Chief Executive should call on the 30 island councillors to lead by example and take a £3,500 cut in their £16,000pa basic salary and abolish the post of council leader. He has calculated it would save more than £125,000 at a stroke.
“It simply isn’t good enough to ask the people who elected you to suffer the pain when you’re getting £16,000 just for turning up. Western Isles councillors need to know that if our community faces the consequences of the painful decisions they have to make they too have to share some of the pain,” said Macmillan
“The days of ineffective luxuries like the council leader’s job are gone. It’s time for our councillors to get off the gravy train before we hit the buffers. I am calling on them to show leadership and lead by example.”
I am not sure what to make of all the palaver about the sub-post office moving from the Trading Post site to Engy’s filling station. Sure, it will be less handy for a few people in Manor Park and the toffs in Stewart Drive and Matheson Road.
But it will be much better for almost EVERYONE in Parkend, Melbost, Plasterfield, Steinish and the whole of Point. Engy’s is even on their bus route. That’ll be perfect of the old and infirm. Maybe these people don’t matter to our more-vocal community reps. Yet we haven’t heard anyone yet welcoming the move on behalf of all Rudhachs, for example.
Could the unmentioned fact that the new post office will be open for a lot longer – including, er, wait for it, Sundays – be a very relevant factor for those who have already come out screaming in protest and who already boycott Engy’s at Sandwick Road for daring to be of service to people seven days a week? I think they should be honest and come clean on the real reasons for their daft objections.
Fair Fuel Solutions has learned that not one retailer has walked away from the Scottish Fuels contract since that company claimed they were free to do so. What is going on? Behind the scenes, plenty. The retailers were told they must not jump ship until they have a meeting with management – probably Donald MacFadyen, a dodgy character previously sacked by another company for price-fixing. The usual lethal mix of promised sweeteners and threats ordered by Tony Stewart, the rapacious, two-faced boss of Scottish Fuels, is expected by all those who will be at that meeting in the hope that the retailers will sacrifice their loyalty to looking after the disadvantaged in the the islands in return for an under-the-counter thick wad. Our sources reckon certain retailers will undoubtedly opt for the big bucks and put two fingers up to this community. We will, of course, keep you informed.
