Political 'spin' (From Penarth Times)

Political 'spin'

PERHAPS it was not entirely unexpected that my recent letter to the Penarth Times, which cast doubt on the role of local Labour politicos in moving forward the Penarth Headland Link, would go unchallenged. Indeed the response from at least two of your contributors was not only underwhelming, but also highly personal, in their unwarranted attacks on me (July 21 issue).

I well recall my late and well loved colleague, Cllr Ruby Parsons, telling me how Labour activists loved to lay spin on everything they thought they controlled, but equally how viciously they responded, when very occasionally the tables were turned on them!

And nothing changes in Penarth, it seems, with a fresh line appearing every week from New Labour giving "good news" to unsuspecting Penarthians.

If "endorsement" of just about every initiative coming from County Hall, Cardiff or the Civic Offices, Barry, is the sole criteria to judge them by, then they score 100 percent. If the realities of Local Government, with its constant fight against gross underfunding by central government and WAG, who are quick to heap "new initiatives" onto hard working local councillors and their staff, without a penny extra in funding to achieve "targets", then our Labour politicos score just zero for their actual help.

Look at our schools in the Vale, with the Secondary Sector receiving the lowest capitation (allocation per pupil) in Wales. Yet look at the results achieved with the support of the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Look at "Free" bus travel - a great success, paid for by every taxpayer in the Vale, who also deal with all the administration of passes and subsidise many of the less profitable services, whilst the Assembly sit back and glow in reflected glory, for doing absolutely nothing.

My message to every reader is not to always believe the headline stories from those whose simplistic role in life is just to endorse other peoples" products, (eg Headland Link and Bridge across the River Ely), but also to read between the lines as to how Conservative lead Local Government in the Vale of Glamorgan has successfully overcome bureaucracy, frustration and a general lack of assistance by those who keep tight the purse-strings in the Assembly and Westminster.

Anthony Ernest (Cllr)

Penarth