Citizenship ceremonies.  I was able to attend today a citizenship ceremony at County Hall, at which three new Wyre Forest residents were formally accepted into our society.  This is the first one of these I have been able to attend.  I had alsways not thought much of these events, dismissed them as “a bit new age” and just lip service.  How wrong I was.  The candidates have to go through a lengthy process, which culminates in this service.  The process really does make new residents understand and commit to the society that they want to join.

Newspaper interview.  Not so certain that that headline of “Whipper snapper looks to the future” in the shuttle this week, was really the angle I was going for with this interview………….

Health issues.  I have been out and about meeting the Health organisations in Worcestershire as part of my new role as Health Scrutiny Chairman at Worcestershire County Council.  Many, many facts and figures, the running theme seems to be the substantial reduction in budgets that everyone is suffering from.  The Acute trust having to save in excess of ten million this year alone, and are aiming to be in balance next year, the mental health trust having to find three million, again aiming to be in balance at the end of the year.  All of this money has to come from somewhere, and ultimately means that less is spent on users.  Another interesting fact that the mental health trust in Worcestershire has some 47 sites in Worcestershire, and yet has to send hundreds of patients out of the county to receive the specialist care that cant be provided here.

In my opinion it is irresponsible for Health Concern to continue to falsely raise the expectations that A&E will return to Kidderminster, and Howard Martins continued attachment to a popular Dr Taylor’s coattails is embarrassing to say the least.  It is amazing to see this tiny change in health arrangements as a victory for Health Concerns merry men on the District Council.  It was NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM!  Health Concern district group care so much about health provision that they walked out at the District Annual Council and didn’t stay to nominate anyone from their number to serve as the Districts representative on the County Health Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr Mike Shellie was elected to be the Town Mayor of Kidderminster for 07/08.

Cllr Marcus Hart was elected to be Deputy Town Mayor of Kidderminster for 07/08.

Mike Shellie has been an excellent Deputy Mayor and I’m certain will be an excellent Mayor.

I had the honour to propose Marcus to be Deputy Mayor, I know he will be a loyal deputy to Mike.

Tonight is not only about welcoming the new Mayor and deputy, but also celebrating the achievement of the out going Mayor.  Paul Harrison has had a truly great Mayoral year, and has attended many, many events and raised thousands of pounds for local charities.

The highlight for me was obviously being elected Leader of the Council.  It is a role that I take with humility.  I am immensely proud to be part of the minority administration during the last three years and I hope I can take my group and the Council forward over the next 12 months.  Minority politics is about getting things done through consensus, working the scrutiny structure to make sure the kinks are iron out early in the process.  The other highlight is also reforming a minority administration for the fourth year, with a Conservative Cabinet, and regulatory chairs.

Health Concern would play no part in the structure I was proposing tonight.  I had offered to nominate them for three major vice chairs of scrutiny committees.  But no, it wasn’t good enough as it didn’t suit a party of their stature and refused to play any part.  They moved an amendment that increased the main scrutiny committees to 18, and replaced Graham Ballinger (as chair of a scrutiny committee) with a Health Concern nominee.  We debated the amendment, during which the Leader of Health Concern launch an extraordinary attack on two Conservative councillors for no apparent reason.  Fresh from his un-provoked attack, he then went on to insult the memory of the late Mike Oborski with an extraordinary attack on his record as leader.  It was disgraceful that a senior Councillor would attack a dead mans record in front of his widow for political gain.  I hope as the Leader of Health Concern calms down, he recognises that he has crossed the line and issues an immediate apology to Fran.

Anyway, when the vote was put, the Health amendment was lost, so in a very melodramatic fashion they walked out.  It is an odd sight, nine 50+ year olds walking out of a meeting because they lost a vote.  I don’t know what they hoped to gain from walking out, as there was still important business that needed voting on.  Do the electorate know that the Councillors they vote for, firstly wont participate in Council life, and secondly walk out when they don’t get their own way.  I don’t have an issue with Health Concern, I just have a problem with their District Group Leader, the sooner Howard Martin is replaced as group leader, the sooner Health Concern will play a more active part in Council life…………..

In the pre-prepared (they obviously planned to walk out from) media release by Howard Martin, it states I am immature and inexperienced.  It seems hypocritical when he led his band of merry men from the chamber because they didn’t get their way to call me immature!

This week has so far seen Cllr Mike Salter elected as Mayor of Stourport on Severn.  Congratulations to Mike and June.  They have both given stirling service to the town of Stourport and they will both be excellent ambassadors for the town.

After having to bring back two members from holidaying on the South Coast, 9 freshly elected Health Concern Councillors elected a brand new Health Concern Town Councillor to the role of deputy mayor for Stourport.  All this from a party that claim not to be political………… there certainly was a whip on!

Bewdley Town held its monthly meeting, discussing a wide range of local issues including an excellent report from its County Councillor!  I congratulated the Mayor for her excellent year in office and updated the Council on some issues I am progressing in the Town.

West Mercia Police opened a new Police base in the Horsefair.  This is part of a significant investment by West Mercia to get its local police teams rooted in the areas it is trying to work with.  The facility is “compact” but contains most facilities an officer would need to conduct his duties.  The importance that the Constabulary places on this type of initiative was marked by the attendance of the Chief Constable Paul West, in what has been a very emotional week for the force with the loss of PC Grey on Monday in a firearms incident.

Thursday was the annual meeting of the Worcestershire County Council.

We elected Cllr John Smith to become Chairman of the County Council and Cllr Alwyn Davies to become Vice Chairman.  There were opposition nominees for the Chairman and Vice Chairman from the Lib Dems and Labour.  The Conservatives had the majority in the chamber 28 to 27 opposition members.  The meeting went on to establish the political structure for this municipal year which will continue to be lead by Dr George Lord as Leader of the County Council.

In the afternoon I met with opposition Group Leaders on Wyre Forest District Council, to discuss the forthcoming Annual meeting of the Council.  No group has a majority on the District Council, so it isn’t as straight forward as County.  The decisions will be taken at Full Council which meets Wednesday 16^th May at 6pm in the Civic Centre.

Last night capped off with a post election get together for Tory Councillors and party activists.  Good food, wine and the obligatory speeches……..

Today, I’m trying to catch up with the emails, letters, telephone calls that are piling up, then I’m off to Manchester to visit some friends who have just had a new baby………… and then next week we start all over again.

PC Gray was an Armed Response officer with West Mercia Constabulary who attended a domestic incident which led to him being shot and killed.

As a member of the West Mercia Police Authority I have had the honour to work along side these brave and honourable officers, who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.

I am delighted to Welcome Jenny Greener and Tracey Onslow into the Councils Conservative Group.  Both new Councillors join the Council with significant majorities.

The best bit about the elections being over?  Now all councillors get to do what they were elected for ...... ie making the District a better place to live, work and visit.

The Liberal leaflet firstly degrades the Conservative candidate for apparently having no education, when he does.  Apparently the fact that the Conservative candidate runs a take a way means he is unfit to be a councillor.  Personal attacks that is un-warranted.

The back of the leaflet then tries to whip up some kind of anti Muslim feeling by stating words such as “extremist” and “fundamentalist”.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that the article is nearly racist.

Do the Tory party get it right all the time? No.  Do we produce articles that we would think better of in hind sight? Yes.  I would never deliver this type of rubbish that belongs in the gutter.

The Liberal party have some massive talents, Fran who has given decades of service to the District, Hold many positions of responsibility, Graham, who is a County Councillor, and also holds senior political positions.  This is frankly beneath them, and no wonder voters are more and more apathetic.  I hope those that were involved in its production and distribution are ashamed.