LibDem propaganda in Trentham & Hanford

We have in Trentham received our first leaflet for the local election in May, from Alan Alcock the Libdem candidate.

What spin with regard to the Libdems view of Trentham High School!

“Alan Alcock is a local businessman and community activist, for Cockster Brook. He feels very strongly about the inequalities in our area, schools for one, Trentham High School,should never have been under threat. Stoke-on-Trent City Council wanted to close this school, how wrong could they be?.If elected Alan promises to support the interests of the people of Trentham and Hanford before all other interests.”

(Sloppy punctuation as printed, not mine.)

You could easily read this, if you didn’t know better, as the Libdems being on our side through the whole Trentham High School saga. They were so not!

Let us instead look at the facts and the track record.

To be fair, back on 9/7/08 at the Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Dave Sutton was on our side when he voted with the City Independents and British National Party and Jean Edwards from Labour

That this Committee recommends to the City Council that it supports the soft statutory federation between St Joseph’s College and Trentham High School and that, as a consequence, Trentham High School be removed from any school closure list and placed upon the upgrade and renovation programme.

Other Labour and Tory were against us but the recommendation was carried. That was of course before Dave Sutton did an about turn and decided he thought we were snobs.

On 2/10/08 at Full Council a motion

“This City Council has no confidence in SERCO or the recent building schools for the future consultation exercise and calls upon the City Council to:
(i) instruct the Executive to reconsider all the building schools for the future
proposals and in particular give a commitment to keep open Trentham High
School.
(ii) instruct the Executive to consider, despite the potential financial costs,
termination of the SERCO contract and awarding a new contract for the
remainder of the period of Government intervention.
(iii) instruct the Executive to reconsider the proposed site (Park Hall) for the Academy
planned to replace Edensor High School, in the light of the representations made
by parents and others”.

supported by a group of City Independents was defeated by Libdems, Labour and Tories. The Libdems also voted against some amendments to the motion that commanded support from other City Independent, British National Party, Potteries Independent, Libertarian and non-aligned councillors.

On 4/12/08 at Full Council a motion

‘This Council notes the widespread and deep disquiet amongst a number of communities across the City concerning the proposed sites, proposed catchment areas and proposed forms of governance, associated with parts of the restructure of the City's High Schools. This Council further notes that it believes the disquiet, upset and controversy around these issues is having an increasingly unsettling and debilitating effect both within the schools and the wider communities.
Therefore this Council resolves that: “The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee sets up a Task and Finish Group under the Children and Young People's Overview and Scrutiny Committee to research the views of parents, pupils, governors, teachers, councillors and relevant officials with regard to the restructure as it concerns Trentham High, Blurton High, Mitchell High, Berryhill High, Edensor High and Longton High Schools and to present their findings and evaluations to the Executive for debate and resolution".

supported by Potteries Independent, non-aligned, British National Party, City Independent and Libertarian councillors was defeated by Libdems, Labour and Tories.

On 26/3/09 Full Council approved the motion:

‘The City Council is requested to ask the Executive to reconsider the future of Blurton and Trentham High Schools. Following the recent public meeting about Blurton and Trentham High Schools the Executive are asked to consider:
1. rebuilding the Blurton High School on the existing site and keeping a school in the
community
2. remove Trentham High School from the Building Schools for the Future programme
3. consider the refurbishment of Trentham High school
The City Council is also asked to note that Trentham High School would continue to seek foundation and co-operative trust status through the Department for Schools and Families’

thanks to the City Independents, British National Party, Potteries Independent, Libertarian an non-aligned councillors. No thanks to Libdems, Labour and Tories who tried to defeat this.

So what did the Libdems ever do for Trentham High? Nothing! Because of that, is it any surprise that I am sceptical when Alan Alcock says he will support the interests of the people before other interests? What I think is he will do what his party tells him and past experience shows that they will put the wishes of any coalition they are in before the wishes of the people.

No, we don’t need a Libdem for Trentham and Hanford, we need an independent who can truly put us first.