Derby City Council’s new external auditors, Ernst & Young, have issued a very critical interim report( 23 September 2016) about the way that the Council has been managing its finances for the […]
Audit report confirms Derby City Council can’t make “informed decisions” or “assure value for money”
Proposal for a “Fair Deal for School Support Staff”
The Teaching Assistant / School Support staff dispute is in grid-lock with Derby City Council – there is another strike this week! Background If the Schools Support staff were asked to accept […]
Why does the Mayor of Derby find this banner so ‘offensive’?
It would seem that the Mayor of Derby doesn’t know whether to be sympathetic to the cause of the Teaching Assistants, or to be offended by a banner which one parent felt […]
Derby Feste 2016 ; The weird and the wonderful
The annual street festival was back in Derby with a collection of some very strange, weird, astounding , and wonderful acts. It never disappoints!
Disability social/health care funding – there is hope after the Independent Living Fund (ILF)
In June 2015, Marta was part of a high profile demonstration organised by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) at the House of Commons that tried to storm Prime Minister’s Question Time. For […]
“Dear Cllr Banwait…” Open letter in response to Teaching Assistant complaint.
Dear Cllr Banwait I have seen the response that you have sent to the Teaching Assistants who have written to you complaining about the unresolved pay dispute. Your letter deals with many […]
A woman born in the 1950s? Hoping to retire at 60? You may be disappointed!
Attention! Women born in the 1950s! You should be concerned, and annoyed about your state pension (SP). If you thought you were getting it at 60, after a lifetime of hard work, […]
Derby City Council Labour Group vote against measures to reduce electoral fraud
In the Full Council meeting today, Cllr Ruth Skelton (Lib Dem) proposed a motion to volunteer Derby as a pilot area for implementing improvements to combat electoral fraud. This was based on […]
Strike! Teaching Assistants/ School Support staff continue their fight against a 25% PAY CUT
Today the Teaching Assistants / Schools Support Staff are on strike for the first time, in the new term. Anyone who thought that the school holidays would dampen their resolve is very […]
TA/School Support Staff : Letter from Derby City Council Chief Exec sparks angry response.
Following discussions between Derby City Council (DCC) and UNISON on Friday 9th September ( which proved to be unsatisfactory) and in an attempt to head off the Strike action planned for next […]
Derby City Council Funding – remains flat for 8 years.
The Derby Labour Party rhetoric is that, Council funding has been cut, for the last 6 years, since the Conservative Party came to power in 2010, leading to a reduction in services. […]
“Disgusting despicable individual” – Banwait abuses fellow Councillor in public
The Grant Thornton report issued in June 2016 referred to the “fractious” political culture within the Council, and within the Chamber. The opposition group leaders would attribute the start of this to […]
Domestic violence is not always physical. Freedom to take back control!
Domestic abuse and violence are part of a range of tactics, predominantly perpetrated by men, to keep women under control. Many of the methods of abuse do not involve any form of […]
NHS in Derby ‘Requires Improvement’ – what are the issues?
The NHS seems to be in a constant state of change, and over the next few years it will be transformed. Whether that is actually beneficial to the patient is difficult to […]
Jeremy Corbyn “supports” Derby Teaching Assistants
Jeremy Corbyn was in Derby today as part of his national tour to promote his leadership campaign. His 45 minute speech reinforced his well-understood philosophical position on a wide variety of issues […]
Banwait’s cynical complaints against fellow Councillors falls flat.
The Full Council meeting on July 1st 2016 discussed the conclusions from the Grant Thornton report issued in late June; it strongly implicated 4 Labour Councillors. The Conservative group in the Council […]
Cllr Paul Pegg found guilty by Legal Officer of breach of conduct and lying to constituents.
On 19 April 2016 I reported that, the then Mayor of Derby, Cllr Paul Pegg had used the mayoral office to misrepresent his diary for the evening of 18 April 2016 in […]
Chaotic lifestyle of a vulnerable sex-worker, a future with her son, and the threat of cancer.
I was born in 78. I lived with my Mum – I can’t remember living with my Dad. She had a bloke who she met – she had another kid with him. […]
Cllr John Evans: Why did Derby City Council try to unseat a democratically elected Councillor?
Shortly after being elected as the UKIP Councillor for Alvaston on May 5th 2016, John Evans found himself in court, and being met with the shame of the Derby Telegraph headline “Newly […]
The “accessible” Cllr Banwait: 10 months, 2 complaints, 1 Council question, and a pointless 14 minute meeting….and still no action for a disabled man.
When a member of the public asks a question in a Full Council Meeting, it is to get some sense of progress on an issue. It should be a forum whereby the […]
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