Scott Collins, Liberal Democrat

Councillor Rosemary Bromwich, County Councillor for Towcester, who moved 240 miles away to Cornwall,  has finally decided to call time on her long distance role as Towcester’s  County Councillor three months after leaving the area.”

Scott Collins Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire and former Towcester resident for 34 years continued “This is the right decision but a little late in the day. It’s a shame that the situation has again highlighted the lack of connection between what the public expect from their councillor and what the councillor can deliver. Living 200 plus miles away was always going to be unsuccessful as voters have a right to expect that if they have a problem their councillor will be there. Not just at the end of an email or phone call but on the doorstep seeing problems first hand and just being there for residents, in their homes, on their street, wherever they want you, their councillor, to be. You cant do that if your four or five hours away for most of the time.”

“Having now seen a copy of Councillor Bromwich’s resignation letter it is now clear that the Conservative group asked Councillor Bromwich to remain in post rather than stand down. For this she has my sympathy as they appear to have placed her in an impossible position”

“Now Towcester will have the chance to choose a new councillor, two in fact following the sad and premature death of Cllr Dallyn, sometime in the new year. The local Liberal Democrats will, of course, fight election to win and deliver Towcester two strong local councillors to be advocates for the concerns of all Towcester’s residents.

Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has announced a £1 billion pound Youth Contract to tackle youth unemployment, which aims to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.

In Northamptonshire 3830 18-24 year olds are currently in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance and would stand to benefit from the Youth Contract.

Starting next April, the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24 year olds into work over the next three years. This includes 160,000 wage subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.

A new programme to will help 16 and 17 year olds who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs).

This will help the most disengaged of the 3830 in Northamptonshire get back to school or college, onto an apprenticeship or into a job with training.

In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices in England.

Commenting, Scott Collins said:

“I feel that in spite of difficult times its the Liberal Democrats that are doing the right thing and making sure we help those who need it most.

“If young people are out of work, the consequences of that will be felt for decades afterwards. We need to ensure that the young people of today do not have a false start. We are still reeling from the lost generations that suffered under Labour gimmicks and previous Conservative failures.

“The Youth Contract will help those who need it most through advice, support, training and by giving people in Northamptonshire the experience necessary to be successful in the work place.

“While we’re clearing up the economic mess that Labour left behind, the Coalition Government is ensuring that our children do not bear the consequences of Labour’s mistakes.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I am proud that the Coalition Government is doing the right thing to prevent another lost generation.”

Commenting further, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said:

“Youth unemployment is an economic waste and a slow-burn social disaster.

“We can’t lose the skills and talent of our young people – right when we need them most. We can’t afford to leave our young men and women on the scrap heap. We need the next generation to help us build a new economy.

“The aim of the Youth Contract is to get every unemployed young person working or learning again before long-term damage is done.

“This is a £1bn package and what’s different about it is that it gets young people into proper, lasting jobs in the private sector.”

Lib Dem Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has outlined a £1 billion pound Youth Contract to tackle youth unemployment. The aim is to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or learning again before long-term damage is done.

• Over three years, the Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to 24 year olds into work. Starting April 2012
• Including 160,000 wage subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.
• In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to encourage employers to take on young apprentices.
• A new programme to help the most disengaged 16 and 17 year olds – getting them back to school or college, onto an apprenticeship or into a job with training.

Councillor Martin Johns is asking South Northants Council to explain why a large council property in Towcester has been left empty and unused for the past five years. At a meeting next week Cllr Martin Johns will raise the matter with the council’s Conservative led administration.

Commenting Councillor Martin Johns said: “Despite spending £454,895 of public money on a building intended for those in housing need, the property is still empty five years on. There appears to have been difficulties with housing organisations that should be running the building but leaving it empty for five years is a disgrace.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Lofts commented: “Given the level of housing need, failing to use this property to help those in need reflects poorly on the Conservatives.”

Councillor Lofts added: “ It shows yet again that it’s been left to the Liberal Democrats to expose how the Tories are failing to get to grip with important issues in our town and district.”

Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire, commented “Its unbelievable that such a facility has stood empty for so long. To have spent half a million pounds on the facility and then moth ball it is a disgrace when there are people on the housing list who could have made use of the property or indeed the money now shown to have been wasted”

It’s Movember, the month formerly known as November, now dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health; specifically prostate and testicular cancer.

I’m donating my top lip to the cause for 30 days in an effort to help change the face of men’s health. My Mo will spark conversations, and no doubt generate some laughs; all in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for cancer’s affecting men.

Why am I concerned about men’s health?
*1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
*This year 37,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed
*1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime
*26% of men are less likely to go the doctor compared to women

I invite you to join me by registering to grow or by donating to my support of the Mo http://mobro.co/ScottCollins

If you want to go old school you can write a cheque payable to “Movember”, reference my name and Registration Number 1556812 and send it to: Movember Europe, PO Box 68600, London, EC1P 1EF

Funds raised will help make a tangible difference to the lives of others. Through the Movember Foundation and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and The Institute of Cancer Research, Movember is funding world class awareness, research, educational and support programs which would otherwise not be possible.

For more details on how the funds raised from previous campaigns have been used and the impact Movember is having please click on the links below:
About Movember
Prostate cancer genome mapping
Prostate Cancer Foundation research
Global Action Plan

Thank you in advance for helping me change the face of men’s health.

Scott Collins

Scott Collins
Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire

Over the last couple of weeks, especially this week, it has become ever more apparent that the public unrest over Cllr Rosemary Bromwichs decision to move to Cornwall but retain the role of County Councillor for Towcester, has become ever more untenable.

I feel great disappointment that the people of Towcester will now be represented by a County Concillor living almost 250 miles away.

That is unless Cllr Bromwich see’s sense and understands their point of view and the concerns expressed by many voters in Towcester.

I hope these events come to a resolution sooner rather than later as Towcester faces many issues from the future expansion of Towcester to the local issues of street lighting and the Moat Lane development.

All issues a local councillor should not just understand but also have physical prescence and involvement in.

Personally I love South Northamptonshire and cannot see the draw of Cornwall but each to their own I guess.

Scott Collins
Parliamentary Spokesman for
South Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats

At a hurriedly called South Northants Council meeting on Wednesday the conservative administration of South Northants Council selected a developer as the preferred bidder to lead on plans for building on Springfields and Moat Lane in Towcester. This is all still subject to conditions being met by the developer.

Towcester Liberal Democrats, who have long been critics of the plans, along with some independent councillor support opposed the controversial plans.

Lib Dems believe the proposal represents an unacceptable financial risk to local tax payers and at the same time may not comply with the council’s own master plan for Moat Lane. The Conservatives remain fixated on their vanity scheme for new council offices. Tories spent most of the meeting trying to score party political points, rather than debate the issues that are so important to Towcester.

Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire said

“This issue still continues to infuriate local people who still cannot understand the Conservative obsession with moving their own offices to Moat Lane. I still meet many people who are astounded at the councils refusal to listen to local peoples view”

“One lady I met recently said she felt they [The Councillors] were treating local people like fools and seemed deaf and blind to our arguments against the move”

The proposals heard in secret because of commercial and legal reasons will be made public when put forward through the planning process. Liberal Democrat, Councillor Chris Lofts said: “The plans show a sense of desperation by the council’s Tory administration. The council office move remains in the proposals against very strong public opinion.”

Liberal Democrat Children and Families Minister, Sarah Teather has announced the extra money each school will receive through the Pupil Premium this year – more than originally expected.

In South Northamptonshire, schools will get a total of £495k to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The original plans for an extra £430 per pupil have been boosted by £100m, meaning that that every school in South Northamptonshire will now get nearly £500 for every child on Free School Meals.

News of the extra money comes after Sarah Teather recently announced that the total Pupil Premium funding for next year will rise to £1.25bn, double the amount in 2011-12.

Thanks to Liberal Democrats, it will rise again each year until 2014-15 when it will be worth £2.5bn.

Commenting, Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northamptonshire said:

“It is a shocking fact that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are three times less likely to achieve five good GSCEs than their more well-off classmates. “Education is the best way to end the underachievement of disadvantaged pupils through supporting children comprehensively from early years straight through to secondary school.

“That is why Liberal Democrats have ensured that in South Northants schools will receive £495k as part of the Pupil Premium. This is more than expected and will make an even bigger difference for our children. I look forward to working with schools and teachers to make the Pupil Premium the success our children deserve it to be.”

Commenting further, Sarah Teather said:

“The Pupil Premium will benefit poorer pupils, providing extra money directly for those pupils who need it the most. “This extra funding will help tackle inequality and enable schools to provide the extra support their pupils need to reach their full potential.”

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition at County Hall and Lib Dem Finance Spokesman, Chris Stanbra has condemned the Northamptonshire Conservatives, who today revealed a £110m black hole in the county’s finances. This comes on top of the £69m cuts implemented by the Conservatives in February this year.
Cllr Stanbra said “£110m over 4 years is a lot of money. The latest proposals from the Conservatives spell it out – there will be job losses and if the Tories can’t privatise it, they’ll cut it.”
“The Conservatives’ dogmatic obsession with artificially low levels of Council tax, which fail to address the needs of the most vulnerable, means that the services that the public rely on are under serious threat. The Conservatives’ low tax policy has failed because they continued with a bloated back office bureaucracy for too long and now they are playing catch up, but it’s too late.”
“If you care about the elderly, the frail, the disabled you should be worried. If you care about our children’s future in this County, you should be worried. Northamptonshire Conservatives have made it plain – they are still the nasty party.”

The Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr Jane Hollis, is demanding answers after a senior Conservative Councillor in Oxfordshire attacked Conservative-run Northamptonshire County Council over roadworks on the A361.

Conservative Councillor George Reynolds wrote a letter to the Banbury Guardian in which he stated that he was “appalled at the cavalier fashion in which residents affected are being treated by NCC… Attempts by local parish councils to get reasons for the delay have been met with a wall of uninformative press releases and half-truths”
Cllr Jane Hollis commented “If even their colleagues are angry with them, the Conservatives in Northamptonshire need to get a grip. Clearly residents are very unhappy with the mess over the A361 and it needs sorting quickly.”

Scot Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for South Northants said

“This debacle has gone from farce to ridiculous and continues to blight the surrounding communities forcing commuters’ and local alike onto already poorly maintained rural roads. This needs to be resolved with the utmost urgency and there needs to be a full, open and frank investigation into my this situation has occurred and is lasting so long”.