BREATHTAKING HYPOCRISY......

You may recall that last week's vote on Post Office closures was opposed by only about 20 or so backbench Labour MPs. Strangely, Ministers had a rather different take on the situation in their own constituencies. Jack Straw (pictured) , Tessa Jowell, and Geoff Hoon are among a coterie of Government members who joined picket lines and protests, received petitions and then voted AGAINST the interests of their constituents. This is mindboggling hypocrisy. No wonder Labour is trailing in the opinion polls. It is, to put it mildly, a disgrace. And the electorate won't forget it.

FIB DEMS DO IT AGAIN ........

It's no small wonder that many people I know refer to our political opponents as the "Fib Dems." Last night our Labour group moved a Budget which put up the precept round here by a staggering, er, 9 pence a week.
This paid for various increases to grant funding for community groups, plus an extra £10,000 for parks and public spaces. Yet even this small advance was violently OPPOSED by leading Liberal Democrats who today have the gall to pretend they were in favour of it.
I must add that after two hours of debate these two voted AGAINST the overall Budget which , strangely is praised today on our Hebweb by the Libs as being one to "ensure that Hebden Royd continues on the path to prosperity, by building and strengthening the pillars that create a great community",
Cllr John Beacroft-Mitchell leader of the Lib Dem group on council says their priority was to "keep the rise to a minimum". What he doesn't say is he spent more or less the whole evening opposing the increases for which his Party is now claiming credit and saying we were "throwing money away." The Lib Dems' original budget also proposed a £5000 cut ot the overall grants budget. Unbelievable hypocrisy......