Hillingdon’s Lib Dem Spokesman Mike Cox, who handed out prizes at last summer’s Cadbury School Games in Hillingdon, has expressed his shock at news that the Government have allowed Cadburys to be taken over by Kraft.

“This is a merger too far” said Councillor Mike Cox, 52. “It’s appalling to think the Government are doing nothing to stop the takeover of a much loved UK brand and the creation of this monster global enterprise. It will not serve the interests of the consumer at all - we need healthy competition between companies, not monopolistic giants dominating the market.

And even worse for local people, it’s going to be devastating news for the staff and their families at the head office in Uxbridge, who, we are told, are expected to lose their jobs.”

Earlier the Lib Dems had discovered that some of the money for Kraft’s takeover was being loaned by the Royal Bank of Scotland, recently bailed out by Government money and now 84% owned by the UK taxpayer.

Speaking in Parliament, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg challenged Labour prime Minister Gordon Brown on the takeover. He said “Last month Lord Mandelson declared that the government would mount a huge opposition to Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury’s. So why is it that Royal Bank of Scotland - which is owned by this government - should now want to lend vast amounts of our money to Kraft to fund that takeover?”

Cllr Cox said “Nick is spot on, as usual. When British taxpayers bailed out the banks, they did not expect that their money would be used to put British people out of work and sell off a major UK brand like Cadbury’s. It’s just plain wrong.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if local residents could protect local pubs, support local post offices, save local services, including police stations, increase local involvement in democratic decision making and strengthen the planning process to protect local residents?

Do I live in a dream world? Well no. Actually there is a new piece of legislation which does just that.

In 2007 Conservative MP Nick Hurd sponsored Bill known as the Sustainable Communities Bill which, with the support of MP’s from across the political divide, was passed into law.

The Act was promoted by a coalition of organisations called Local Works (www.localworks.org). It introduces a new process whereby Communities and Local Authorities have to reach agreement on proposals for government action to promote sustainable communities.

Councils who decide to use the Act must set up panels of local representatives. These panels can make proposals originated by local residents and look at proposals made by the Council.

The council have a “duty to reach agreement” with the panels - not just to consult, then do their own thing. Councils then have to pass these proposals to Central Government which also has the same duty to reach agreement.

The first round of these proposals was due to be delivered on the 31st July 2009 but Hillingdon Council have seen fit not to sign up to the Act at this stage. The Conservatives in Harrow have, Liberal Democrats in Kingston have as also have Labour in Hackney.

If you think this is a good idea as I do, then please you should write to the Leader of Hillingdon Council, Cllr Puddifoot, C/O Civic Centre, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1UW and tell him so.

At the peak of its power New Labour changed the way local government works. Out went committees and the power of ordinary Councillors and in came either an “Elected Mayor” or “Leader and Cabinet”.

In 2001 Hillingdon chose the Leader approach as the least worst option. Since 2006 the constitution has been changed to silence opposition and now after 2010 the Leader, elected by a small bunch of Councillors in the ruling party, will be able to act as a quasi dictator for 4 years, whether those that selected him or her like it or not.

This final change alters the whole rationale as to which system is better. An “Elected Mayor” is voted for by all the residents of the borough. There is a direct line of responsibility to the voters. The new system for Leader thrusts more power into back room dealings within the larger political parties. Independents and smaller parties have little chance.

In 2006 2,122 people voted for Cllr Puddifoot in Ickenham yet he is able to wield power over 183,000 eligible voters. 1.15% of Hillingdons electors voted for the current leader. How much more authority and respect would he or she have if 50% of the voters had chosen him or her?

The argument for a “Leader” is that it is more in keeping with the British representative democracy we have had for hundreds of years. But that assumes Councillors are free to hire and fire their leader. In 2010 all that changes.

In Hillingdon residents were supposed to have been consulted on these changes. Like so many things over the last 4 years we have not been. The choice at the moment is simple: An “Elected Mayor” or an “Unelected Leader”. Personally I would prefer to go back to the drawing board, but of the two I know which one I would chose.

Mike Cox has paid a glowing tribute to long standing Hillingdon Liberal Democrat Tony Bonner. Tony suffered a terrible stroke in June which affected him very severely and he died on September 10th. At his funeral on September 24th, many members of the Liberal Democrats joined the family to pay tribute to a man who was warmly regarded by all. Councillor Mike Cox penned these words to sum up our thoughts.

Hello Tony (where ever you are now)

Or should I say “Elo there, Come in” as you always used to greet me on the steps of No 28 Westbury Close

It’s a funny thing I can’t remember when I first met you.

I first heard of you was when Tony Little used to effuse about how much work this chap from Ruislip had put into trying to get elected in Harlington in 1986. He got in; You just missed out.

By 1990 you were at the forefront of the campaign to retain the seats we had. You stood for Deansfield one of our held wards alongside Ric Wegener.

I remember that night vividly. While most of us slumped in despair at losing all our seats while you were busy doing your job as agent checking and rechecking results.

Throughout all this time you were the Secretary to the Ruislip Northwood Party. A position you made your own. You were respected, thoughtful and efficient. You always had a kind word to say.

By the General election of 1992 you were our election guru. I believe you were agent to your old friend Harry Davies. However it was another big blow. We were pushed us into 3rd place. Many people give up at this stage but not you Tony. You would just suck on your pipe and get on with it.

Two years later in 1994 with a candidate short in our top target ward of Cavendish you put yourself forward. This is when I witnessed the inner cunning within you Tony. After years keeping my head down I had been goaded by a friend to stand where I lived at the time in Ruislip. I went to the AGM where candidates were being chosen. You pushed for me to stand in a winnable ward not the desperately unwinnable old Ruislip ward but I refused. So when the meeting agreed I could stand in Ruislip you leapt up and said “On the proviso young man that you join the executive”.

When I became the new Chair a year later I remember being concerned that I had not upset any of the “Old Guard”…..and yes Tony you were part of the old guard then. I need not have worried. You were encouraging, helpful and positive throughout.

Since then you have been an integral key part of my life as I know you have been to many others. Utterly dependable, fiercely loyal and a thorough gentleman in everything you did and said.

In the 1997 election we worked closely together. I thought we were a pretty good team. Our local result was rubbish of course … we were getting used to that weren’t we? I do vividly remember cherishing the Portillo moment in your front room though. I have so many memories of sitting and enjoying a chat with you on your sofa or at your dinner table and occasionally watching high political drama unfold on election night parties at 28 Westbury Close.

I hope I am not making you out to be an easy going doormat. God forbid! You had strong opinions and usually ones that many people disagreed with.

In the 1998 local elections we campaign hard against Labour wanting to build houses on local Green fields. It helped us win back seats in Cavendish but you were doggedly opposed to our stance. “Young people deserve decent homes” you insisted. It was part of your charm and your character that you accepted the majority view even when you were implacably opposed.

Before 1998 another not so young man from the BBC, a certain Pete Dollimore, came on the scene with fancy ideas about leaflet design and printing. I remember you didn’t think much of this at the time. Did you Tony? To ensure more people actually absorbed our message he preferred few words and big pictures (the tabloid approach). You on the other hand preferred your beloved Guardian - thoughtful and intellectual. We compromised. Pete produced the Focuses and you produced the members’ newsletters and what a good job you both made of each.

Despite these initial differences I know you came to value and appreciate Pete’s ideas and contribution. After Brenda passed away you became the best of friends sharing many a Sunday pint and dinner of Beef and Yorkshire pudding.

As secretary to the local party you were for years its back bone and for a while, when Brenda was ill, we had a glimpse of life without Tony Bonner. I remember you apologising for letting us down but that your first duty was to Brenda. Fancy apologising Tony! When did you ever let us down?… NEVER!

It was about this time you spent a lot of time putting forward our views on proposed boundary changes. Your work was meticulous and thorough. Virtually all our ideas were adopted by the Electoral Commission - a lot of the credit for which was yours.

In 2002 we ran our most effective campaign yet getting 7 Cllrs elected. It was quite an achievement but one which could so easily have been different without your diligence and your thoroughness. While at the count we were getting increasingly hopeful of winning Manor from 3rd place when we had the terrible news that Cavendish had fallen to the Tories. That was until your eagle eyes and meticulous checking revealed 99 Lib Dem votes bundled in with the Tory votes. Thanks to the Tony Bonner transfer of 198 votes we ended up keeping 2 of the 3 seats in Cavendish. All thanks to you Tony.

A year later we won a by election again from 3rd place and you took quite a shine to our candidate Oliver Curley. He was a passionate left winger who you so much enjoyed debating with. When he lost his seat in 2006 and lost his job and finally his home you did not hesitate to open up your home to him as a temporary refuge. Friendship and compassion were part of your DNA.

Tony I have already mentioned the years of service as Secretary you did for us. After Brenda died you picked up the challenge of Membership Secretary. But let’s not forget the other things you did for us as well.

You were an election agent; the 200 Club organiser; the printer of 100’s of thousands of leaflets; a Director of our print company; a Distributor to deliverers; an individual deliverer whenever we had gaps in the network (a frequent event!); a Cheese and wine fund raiser; a Returning Officer for internal elections in Hillingdon and beyond; Constitutional expert … we have to read the damn Constitution now rather than say - just ask Tony! A Cowley Street volunteer where I know you are missed …the list goes on and on. You once said to me that nobody is irreplaceable. You might be right but, good grief, you could be the exception.

Over the years Tony you have been far more than a party colleague.

You have been our source of advice and help;

You have been our confidante;

You have always encouraged us;

You have never complained or criticised us;

You have always worked tirelessly for me, the Hillingdon Lib Dems and the party nationally.

Above all you have been a very very dear friend.

I will miss you terribly as I know many others will too.

God bless you Tony. May you rest in peace.

Mike Cox

The definition of corrupt in the Cambridge dictionary is “dishonestly using your position or power to your own advantage”.

By that definition our politics is indeed corrupt isn’t it? The goings on at Westminster has just reinforced the view held by many that “They are all corrupt” “They are just in it for what they can get”. A few months ago when I heard this opinion I would vigorously defend politicians of all parties. For the last month my protestations have been silent. What possible defense is there to some of these expense claims? There isn’t any.

It is my strongly held belief that it is the system which is corrupt not necessarily the people (though one or two clearly need to serve time behind bars). There is a strong correlation between the size of the majorities that MPs hold and the level of these dodgy expenses. There are too many wards and constituencies in this country where there is no challenge to the established party. For the last 20 years I have worked for the cross party coalition now known as “Make Votes Count” www.makevotescounts.org.uk . Ensuring we have a proportional system of voting has been a long held passion of mine.

Opponents of PR often claim it will lead to dirty deals in smoked filled rooms. I disagree. What PR will do is make politicians pay attention to the worries and concerns of the electorate, it will act as a safeguard against outrageous expense claims and immoral outside earnings and most of all it will more fairly reflect the will of the electorate.

Where one party dominates the political agenda complacency is bred, this quickly fosters arrogance which eventually leads to corrupt practice and bad decision making. The political scene in Scotland has been transformed because of PR. Once Labour fiefdoms riven with outmoded practices have now become exemplary beacons of cooperation and cross party working. The power is now back in the hands of the people where it should be, not in the hands of party officials.

To quote Winston Churchill “Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried”. As we hear about the abuse some of our MPs have undertaken in completing their expenses it is hard to imagine how worse the others are.

My parents are exasperated with me. “Why on earth would I want to join this lot?” they say. “Give it up, concentrate on your business.” They have recently pleaded. Is giving up the answer? I don’t believe so. “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing”

The catalogue of tax free claims are totally unacceptable and must be stopped and repaid. However in addition the opportunity to make vast sums from second homes at taxpayers expense must also be ended.

However abuse of tax payers money doesn’t just stop here. In Hillingdon we have awarded 50% increase in allowances for senior councillors without any mandate. The Gazette have just revealed 30-80% increases to senior directors for doing the same job. None of these increases include the cost to the pension scheme which will be huge.

The above are all so called “Public Servants”.  With pay awards, allowances and benefits like these they are more like a “Public Rip Off merchants”.

There are millions of people out there who are struggling to make ends meet and this sort of public display of greed will only alienate them to vote for extremists. Its time politicians stopped trying to out do each other and started to listen to ordinary people. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”.  We need more listening. We need more real public service.

Increasingly people have been asking me: “how long will it be until the next local elections?” Not supporters, but ordinary residents fed up with the attitude of the local Conservative run council.

As the years have gone by the arrogance of the Conservative Cabinet has grown. Readers may have noticed I seem to have got into a spot of bother recently. The local Conservative dominated standards committee decided that I breached the Councillors code of conduct by allegedly calling all the Conservatives “corrupt”. I didn’t. As it happens I called the system of democracy that elected them “corrupt”.

That hasn’t stopped them pursuing their vendetta presumably trying to silence me at the cost of over £10,000 of public money. The committee concluded however that “No further action should be taken”. Some Conservatives are said to be furious. Actually I don’t blame them. Its perverse, which is one of the reasons I am appealing the decision.

This saga however is minor compared to some of the suffering that has occurred in the 3 years since the electoral system handed ultimate power in Hillingdon to a small cabal in the Conservative group. Since then they have:

1. Increased their personal take home pay by around 40%.

2. Closed down the young people’s outdoor centre in Wales.

3. Withdrawn grants from the Race Equality Council, the Law Centre and even Children’s Uniforms

4. Closed down the Swallows Gymnastics centre of excellence

5. Spent £400k on a new logo

6. Lost £20m of Hillingdon’s tax payers’ money in Iceland

7. Been castigated for the shoddy treatment of asylum seeking children

8. Have reduced eligibility criteria on benefits for handicapped children and the elderly

9. Forced through reactionary changes in the Council’s constitution limiting the rights of the opposition to speak

10. Introduced new higher grades of directors with large bonuses and pensions to do the job they get paid to do.

11. Decimated a lot of good quality middle ranking officers who wanted to get on and do a good job.

12. Failed to drag themselves off the bottom of the league table of London Councils. We now rank with Haringey as a 2 star authority.

I could go on. There are lots of other small individual examples of where this Conservative Council have corrupted the name of democracy, squandered the assets of the borough and threatened the livelihood of many residents and traders. If this is not worth fighting for, nothing is.

Please join me as we approach 2010 in what will be a fight to restore Hillingdon’s democracy, rebuild Hillingdon reputation and release the energy of local people to care for their neighbours and their environment.

We live in interesting times!

The fluctuations of the stock market, currencies, and oil prices have made the last few months a roller coaster to observers never mind those who work in these sectors. The greed and arrogance of a relatively small number of people who profited out of the naivety of others nearly brought the whole edifice of our financial system to its knees.

Such naivety even runs to Councils (of all political persuasions, but mostly Conservative) who saw fit to invest millions of our tax payers money in foreign bank accounts to earn a fraction extra interest. The first fiduciary duty of any Council should be to protect our assets. Investing our cash should be risk free activity yet in order to get our money back we have had to rely on Gordon Brown invoking anti terrorist legislation to seize Icelandic assets. Where will it all end? A recession I have no doubt. If the pundits are to be believed it will be a long and difficult one.

Such a recession should call for a radical rethink of what we as a Council do to help those most in need. At the last Council meeting in September I put forward a motion urging the Cabinet to do just that. Instead the motion was completely changed to give the Cabinet another pat on the back. They can do that they have the numbers!

The situation since then has become far worse. There are talented people on the Council from all parties and it is time petty differences were put aside and a genuine dialogue entered into as to how the Council can best serve the residents in these difficult times.

Hillingdon have lost two good councillors in the last few months. Norman Nunn-Price, the former leader of the Labour group and Solveig Stone, the former cabinet member for Education. The subsequent by elections which followed brought home to me the enormous value which many local people have for a good Councillor who has the time, the experience and the commitment to give to local residents. Irrespective of the party, residents value a pro active councillor and both these councillors qualified for this in abundance.

However the last few months has also seen the darker side of political life in Hillingdon. The saga of Ian Oakley, until a few weeks ago the Chair of our Residents Overview Committee, has been shocking even to those at the front line of the political battle. Oakley has pleaded GUILTY to five charges of criminal damage, two charges of harassment against Liberal Democrats in Watford, and asked for 68 other offences to be taken into account. He is due to be sentenced for his crimes in October.

When harsh words are exchanged in the political debate it is important that those involved see the others point of view as a legitimate expression. It must never resort to the sort of personal and criminal actions which were undertaken by Cllr Oakley. Too many times in Hillingdon the “gang culture” takes over and everything your opponents does or says is reviled. In reality as councillors we agree on 95% of the decisions which need to be taken. Let’s concentrate on electing good local councillors of all political persuasions who will work hard for the interests of local residents and the community we live in; not those who prefer the status, or the money for themselves or their party.

At last, Hillingdon Council tax payers have something positive to celebrate. The Labour government admitting, finally, that Hillingdon is a special case for the funding of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children is good news indeed.

A lot of work by council officers and councillors over the years has gone into negotiating a practical solution. Shortly after the 2006 election I accompanied the other two Hillingdon party leaders to put forward the case to the minister in charge. Despite Hillingdon Council losing their case in the courts common sense has finally prevailed. I agree with Cllr Puddifoot that special praise needs to be given to John McDonnell and Cllr Anthony Way for challenging their own party’s position so effectively.

The big question now must be what will Hillingdon do with the special windfall? Will we see some of the painful cuts in services reversed, will we see some of our potholed roads repaired or will the money be used just to bribe Tory voters ahead of the next local elections?

One candidate for enhanced funding should be the borough’s sports facilities. Not just the bricks and mortar of buildings but a proper competitive programme to push Hillingdon into the forefront of the preparations for 2012. After the fantastic achievements of Team GB in Beijing we have an opportunity over the next 4 years to make Hillingdon a centre of excellence and a beacon of achievement in sport. The Conservative administration now has the opportunity and the funds to save the Swallows gymnastics centre as a existing and strong base for sporting excellence in the borough. What’s stopping them?

Hillingdon Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative response to the Oakley affair as “weak, ineffectual and the height of double standards.”

After waiting more than 2 weeks, Cllr Ray Puddifoot has finally reported Cllr Oakley to the Standards Committee in an effort to be seen to be doing something

Mike Cox, leader of Hillingdon’s Lib dem group, said “This is simply too little too late. If Cllr Puddifoot wants us to believe that this is not just “putting on a show” he would have done it weeks ago. He would also have thrown him off his well paid job as Chair of an Overview Committee where Hillingdon Tax payers are paying him an EXTRA £20,000 a year on top of the £10,000 Councillor’s Allowance”

“The Conservative response has been weak, ineffectual and the height of double standards. There has been no action from Mr Cameron into his activities in Watford, there has been no action from Puddifoot into his status as a Chair of Scrutiny. The Conservative party are the kings of spin and the paupers of truth and democratic values.”

On a daily basis we get one horror story after another about the tragic consequences of knife crime. In the last week a young man was stabbed 3 times round the corner from where I live and another was violently attacked near the Grapes where I once lived.

There is outrage and despair in equal measure by politicians and the public. It’s too easy to come up with half baked populist measure to counter this problem. The fact is that the problem and therefore the solutions are more complex and deep rooted.

There is a London youth charity called the Kids Company founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh which does the some fantastic work with the most violent and problematic kids. She argues we are dealing with a public health issue NOT a criminal justice issue. These children lack parents who can provide social and emotional support. Emotional deprivation is a lethal weapon. Adrenalin rushes are used to counteract their fears.

One of the solutions her charity advocates is to provide non violent adrenalin rushes for the kids which enables them to channel their energies and frustrations into other areas. I have spent most of my working in and around Youth Sport. I have witnessed many children whose lives have been transformed by the physical exercise and competitive sport.

The London Borough of Hillingdon is accumulating a dreadful record for demolishing successful sports and activity centres who provide just the type of adrenalin rush young people need. Building a new long overdue swimming pool with a grant from Sport England is great but beware the consequences of closing a sports facility which its predecessor helped fund. Where I come from that could be biting the hand that feeds you.      

It’s been a difficult week one way and another for Hillingdon Council.

Many will have followed the controversy over the Conservative Cabinets decision to liquidate the Hillingdon School of Gymnastics. I have spent much of the month trying to stop them.

Hillingdon’s initial case was that the School owed £300,000 in rent and rates, but the fact is these are backdated invoices designed purely to liquidate the company and force the return of a valuable lease. It will never recover any monies for the tax payer.

Appalled that someone should dare to fight back Hillingdon then spend hundreds of pounds writing to petitioners many of them children. This letter contained so many distortions and inaccuracies it could have been prepared by Stalin’s propaganda department.

Hillingdon then inform the BBC they are concerned about the Health and Safety of the building and yet forgot that they were provided with all the documentation months before.

The case took place on the 30^th April at the Royal Courts of Justice. The Hillingdon Cabinet sent along 3 senior officers plus a highly paid barrister. They were humiliated by the judge who adjourned the meeting because Hillingdon had failed to submit the correct papers. The Cabinet then inform the press it had been adjourned because of additional late information.

On May 1^st hundreds of excited children and parents gathered in Hayes for the Hillingdon Swimming Gala organised by Hillingdon Council. It was abandoned because of concerns by Hillingdon’s Health and Safety regime.

The phrase Hillingdon could not organise a Swimming gala in a swimming pool comes to mind. Sadly in the case of parents and children who use the Swallows that is a fact.

I have a confession to make. I like Boris Johnson. I like him because he makes me laugh. He has no respect for people or places. He uses his buffoonery to good comic effect. Tommy Cooper had a similar (though much funnier) gift. 

In less than a months time we have an opportunity to vote in the next Mayor of London. I will make one prediction. It won’t be Ken. He has had his day and whilst I would admire some of the things he has done, the antics of some of his clique of friends and his ability to offend rules him out for too many now.For some people the only alternative may seem to be the clown from

• Our streets need to be safer
• Our transport needs to be cheaper
• Our gardens need protecting, and
• Our children need to be safe and able to live their childhood years as children.

No-one should live in fear of crime, but many in Hillingdon doOn May 1^st I will be giving my 1^st preference to a life long Londoner with 30 years service in the Metropolitan Police, the former deputy commissioner Brian Paddick. 

Over the last few years there has been a transformation in the way our communities are policed. The introduction of the Safer Neighbourhood Teams has brought back the old concept of the “Bobby on the Beat” and with varying degrees of success local sergeants and their teams are building knowledge and data on each local ward. This is good news.

Last year however there were a few changes which have seen a backward step to delivering high quality local policing.

Calls to 999 are dealt with through a centralised exchange which has led to frustration and delays in dealing with members of the public. Responses to serious incidents are not being dealt with appropriately or speedily enough.

Hillingdon’s Police Patrol cars now operate out of just one hub in Hayes. Ruislip’s station has ceased to be operational. This is leading to the north of the borough being known as a “patrol free zone”. The traffic time delays and the additional problems in Hayes have had a detrimental affect on policing north of the A40. The local teams will do their best but faced with gangs of youths of 20 plus strong patrol back up is needed

We now have an asset management plan which will inevitably mean a further reduction in physical resources of the police such as police stations and a diminution in the service the public receive. If you want your say then write directly to the Police Commander in Hillingdon or alternatively write to me c/o the Civic Centre.

At the last Hillingdon Council meeting politics descended to new depths. Opposition Councillors walked out in protest at Cabinet arrogance, a non political motion to improve standards strangled by the administration to protect their own and a major dispute over gerrymandering of motions. It was a poor example not just for young people but for anyone interested in our borough. 

One bright spot was a motion confirming our complete opposition to the governments plans to build a 3^rd runway and 6^th terminal. 

The hypocrisy and duplicitous nature in which these plans have been put forward beggers belief. It was only a short time ago we were promised there would be no further expansion. 

However passing motions at Hillingdon Council will not stop this expansion. The forces ranged against local people are extremely powerful with very deep pockets. The Council is distributing a “Say NO to

I make no apologies for returning once again to the subject of Hillingdons Libraries. It appears I may have done the administration an injustice! In October I highlighted their decision to make redundant 13 librarians and make cuts in learning programs. It appears they may only be guilty of “following orders”.

Up and down the country Libraries services are being attacked. 40 Libraries were closed in the last year and more are on the cards. How long will it be before the cuts made to date of £250,000 are not enough? How long will it be before Libraries in Hillingdon start to close?

 The so called “modernises” charter for making Libraries compete with coffee shops and bookstores is undermining Libraries. The British Library service has been the bedrock of our literacy culture. British Libraries sprang from the enlightenment of the Victorian era and transformed social mobility.

Service standards in Libraries have been swept away and the indicator they are judged on now is adult visits. Presumably that is why Hillingdon is replacing Children’s literacy programs with expensive latte and cakes.Another “Great British” institution which is again under threat is the Post Office. Successive governments both Conservative and Labour have ignored the social benefits Post Offices provide particularly to the elderly.

The latest round of cuts sees the Labour government targeting 2,500 closures which in Hillingdon means 24 Post Offices could shut. Liberal Democrats are campaigning to stop these closures. You can help by signing our petition at http://www.libdems.org.uk/commerce/issues/

The Labour Government’s recent data disaster where the personal details of 25 million parents and children were lost by the tax authorities, possibly falling into the hands of identity fraudsters shows why plans for Identity Cards must be scrapped.

The fiasco has shown the dangers of the Government holding huge amounts of information about each one of us whilst being slipshod in the way that information is kept.

This whole saga of incompetence has been shocking and families in Hillingdon are rightly asking whether their personal details are safe. The proposed National Identity Register will hold much more information on each one of us than the taxman managed to lose.

The possibilities for the loss of that information, either accidentally or through illegitimate means, must make the Government stop and think again seriously about their plan to store all the data they can on us on a central register.

This is a clear warning of the real dangers of a big brother state.  State control of personal identity details is a real threat to our civil liberties.   The Government should respond to the anger and abandon its ID card scheme. The Government cannot be trusted to manage effectively mass databases of personal information.

A debacle on this scale must give any government cause to think again. I would urge all our MP’s to press the Government to end the ID card scheme for good and to ensure that we do not risk a personal data disaster on an even more catastrophic scale.

Hillingdon Council recently invited a Waterstones director to look at our libraries and come up with savings. The report produced aimed to make libraries more like bookshops. A deal was done with a multinational coffee company to sell coffee without any competitive tender.

The changes proposed could cause 13 librarians in Hillingdon to lose their jobs. It has seen Library staff being measured up for uniforms to sell coffee. This has happened without proper consultation of staff, unions or the public.

The administration admits “libraries provide a good service”. They just didn’t look as good as they should. This is extremely worrying for Librarians. They are not against change, but when this happens without any significant consultation then they and the public have every right to be concerned. There could be a loss of children’s activities at libraries. The coordinated program of reading schemes, activities for babies and children may be jeopardized. Libraries are not just bookshops, they are learning centres. 

There were already improvements in progress which looked to bring new users to libraries. These have been hijacked as part of this restructuring. Specialist expertise and experience will be lost. It takes experienced and motivated staff to organize and prepare events.  

Once again this administration thinks they know best and anyone who questions them is against them. It’s called paranoia. The Library service has been a jewel in Hillingdons crown and probably taken for granted. Its time to modernize our libraries yes! Its also a time to stand up for what is best.

I have a list at work dated 2006 detailing officers in Hillingdon I might contact for help. Since then a swathe of senior officers have gone, either sacked, moved on or retired. The loss of so much experience does not bode well for the future stewardship of Council business. One senior Conservative publicly welcomed some of these losses as the ditching of “Deadwood”.

An organisation’s greatest asset is its people and this is just as true for Hillingdon Council. I was reminded of this when I attended a meeting in Ruislip about a local park. A young officer had organised a survey, analysed the results, arranged a meeting, drafted support from Councillors, Police and other officers. She then stood in front of a sceptical audience with hostile questions, treated them firmly but with respect and achieved a positive step forward for improving our park. That work took drive, energy, persistence, patience and it took guts. We still have some excellent officers in Hillingdon. We need to keep them.

One departure however was greeted with universal shock. After 38 years David Brough has retired. It is difficult to imagine Hillingdon Council without him. In all his years here he defended our democracy, improved resident’s rights, fought injustices and stuck up for the rights of individuals and the disadvantaged.

David Brough was not just been a trusted officer, he was a tower of strength to many and the source of sound advice which will be greatly missed. It is a tribute to him that he will shortly be made a Freeman of the borough.