Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook

Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322        Letter for Publication

Dear Editor

I have found the whole adoption catholic / gay opt out debate highly distasteful and self indulgent

Over 15 years ago Liverpool City Council discussed the role of gays and lesbians in adoption , Every Councillor, irrespective of religious traditions, was totally happy with the simple policy, that adoption was not a right but a responsibility and that what was best for the child was the only concern

Therefore social workers should judge each potential adoptive parent or parents on the merit of the application in respect of the child or young person to be adopted.

Many councilors recognised that a young person abandoned by his or her parents because they  were gay or lesbian may actually benefit from being placed with gay parents.

Even the most ardent religious councillors at the time respected a loving parent was preferable to leaving young people in institutionalized care.

If the Roman Catholic church  gained the right to opt out of public policy then surely immediately gay, lesbian and secular tax payers would be right to demand the right, as a matter of conscience ,to opt out of funding catholic schools and other institutions

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader Liberal Party Group
41 Sutton Street
Tuebrook
Liverpool
L13 7EG

0151 259 5935

Dear Editor

Can we place on record  that the current council rent rise has been imposed by government ,with its declared policy to push up rents to catch up with those of housing associations

The current rent rise is not a result of improved maintenance.

Once again pensioners on fixed pensions and low paid are being penalised

At the Housing Budget meeting we called for the increase in rents to be moderated to current inflation levels and the council carry out an efficiency asset review

We continue to be alarmed that the City council continues to own substantial derelict houses and waste land which should be sold, giving an opportunity for local building companies and families to carry out the renovations the council has not budgeted for

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party Group

Council and Religious Leaders need to challenge Homophobia in City" appeals Cllr Steve Radford

Last year Liverpool City Council commissioned a study by Storm Brake to look at various issues effecting the Gay Lesbian and Transgendered Communities.

The research company reported back last Thursday to community leaders. The report back showed endemic homophobia in the city. Of a selected 210 interviewees 53%, suffered from Verbal abuse, 33% physical assault and 16% damage to homes, all believed to be the result of homophobia.

Even more disturbing the response of recent former pupils was that when they were subject to homophobic bullying they were often treated as the problem rather than a victim to be supported.

The survey showed that homophobic attacks were throughout the city and not linked to the city centre.

Liberal Party Leader Steve Radford at the meeting asked for the results to be broadcast to city civic and religious leaders.

"No longer can we make piecemeal progress the widespread intimidation of gays , lesbians and transgendered people is sa direct cause of suffering and over the years an exodus from the city, A clear public stand must be taken to challenge public attitudes now, any suggestion that we should not share these results as it would interfere with the city of culture promotion should be disregarded"

Cllr Steve Radford 07920090322

Gay Business Association protests at lack of pedestrianisation plans for Liverpool City Gay Quarter

Over December and January city centre residents and businesses were consulted over changes in traffic flow for streets in the gay quarter , such as Stanley Street and Cumberland street

Council officers are proposing to change the direction of the traffic flow.

The Liverpool Gay Business Assocation has presented a joint letter appealing for leading councillors to implement plans for the pedestrianisation of the central section of Stanley Street , Cumberland street and Eberle street and not waste the oppportunity

The joint letter was drafted by Liberal Party Leader and the Gay Business Association co-chairman Cllr Steve Radford and was signed by representatives of The Masquerade, Poste House, Lisbon Bar, Navy Bar, Boudoir Superstar, G Bar , Garlands and Foundation.

"its just typical of Liverpool council  officers to ignore the views of councillors and the wider community and just press ahead with their own agenda regardless. We have written to Executive Members Peter Millea and Richard Marbrow and copied the ward councillors . I am pleased we have the majority of gay venues working together to press our concerns commented Cllr Steve Radford

For further details telephone 07920090322

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook

Liverpool L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor

The Labour group are finally recognising the shortage of family homes and the excess levels of new build small flats at a time the city is littered by vacant boarded up houses

.The irony this is a direct result of their own government policies.

It is the Pathfinder , or House Crusher more to the point, Project that is using tax payers funds by the millions to reduce the supply of affordable terraced houses and replace them with new build small flats

We in The Liberal Party Group have persistently called for the long term vacant council properties to be sold to enable local builders step in and turn them back into homes.  At each Housing Committee we have never had support from the Labour Group, who have been dismissive of the issue.

It begs the question does Cllr Joe Anderson or Cllr Munby lead the Labour Group[.

After months of protests by us ,there is finally a list of such council properties proposed recommended for sale , including houses in Muirhead Avenue, Oak Leigh, Davidson Road, Elmhouse Road, Skipton Road and Finborough Road.

We believe there are many more cases where sale would be better than long term dereliction

If residents have examples where they believe the council or housing associations should put vacants up for sale, please write to me at

The Liberal Party, 41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook L13 7EG

Yours

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

Tuebrook City Safe - meets at Alton Road Methodist Church

Thursday 25th from 7.00 - residents of Tuebrook, Larkhill, Newsham Park and Stoneycroft have an opportunity to discuss policing and crime issues with local Councillors and Senior Police

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader Liberal Party Group
41 Sutton Street
Tuebrook
Liverpool
L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor

It feels that hardly a month goes by without the launch of another  initiative on community safety

However  my concern is will there is a real benefit on the ground , Much noise was made about the city council crime warden scheme.

We have a mere 14 wardens looking after limited areas like the city centre Anfield and Norris Green

However at the same time vast areas of the city with equal high levels of crime are not covered, Tuebrook and the bulk of Clubmoor for example

Lets hope the respect agenda becomes a benefit for all the city ,not another cherry picked press stunt

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party Group

Multi-faith is best

MAY we make it quite clear that the Liberal Party does not support grammar schools as such.

However, the current debate about Blue Coat School is essentially about the prospect of a well-supported school ceasing to be secular and open to all faiths to having an admissions policy biased towards one denomination.

I am sure many Christians would have preferred this country had never gone down the road of schools divided by religious denomination.

We in the Liberal Party believe in parental choice and diversity in education.

The prospect of converting an "open school" to one showing preferential admissions on religious lines reduces equity and choice.

We should be encouraging more multi-denominational schools, not going backwards. We hope members of the other opposition party will reconsider their position on this count and enable the council to speak with one voice rather than opt out of this debate.

Cllr Steve Radford, Leader of the Liberal Party Group

LGBT research feedback : 25th January at Millenium House 12.00 hrs

Research into the views of the LGBT communities will be feedback from the Stormbreak Team at in the Huskinson Room at 12.00 on 25th January

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party Group
41 Sutton Street
Tuebrook
Liverpool
L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor,

May we make it quite clear that The Liberal Party does not support grammar schools as such, however the current debate about Blue Coat Scholl is essentially about the prospect of a well supported school ceasing to be secular and open to all faiths to become "discriminatory ", in having an admissions policy  biased towards one denomination , Anglicans

I am sure many christians would have preferred this country had never gone down the road of schools divided by religious denomination with the socially divisive impact this has had

We in the Liberal Party believe in parental choice and diversity in education.  The prospect of converting an "open school" to one showing preferential admissions on religious lines reduces equity and choice.

We should be encouraging more multi denominational  schools, not going backwards

We hope members of the other opposition party will reconsider their position on this count and enable the council speak with one voice ,rather than opt out of this debate

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

Cllr Steve Radford                                Mike Butler

Leader Liberal Party Group                  Anfield Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook                  1 Coningsby Road, Anfield

Liverpool L13 7EG                                Liverpool L4 ORS

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322           07932969349

Dear Editor,

Substantial public funds have been provided to the council to redevelop housing in Anfield.

Our taxes have paid to buy up hundreds of properties and to compensate people for moving out. All this is backed up by the threat of CPO, to bully those people who may not have wanted to move.

The claimed objective by the council was to provide superior housing - a matter we would seriously question.

So residents and taxpayers should be alarmed to uncover that Liverpool City Council has been negotiating to use land purchased for housing in the Lake Street area of Anfield ,for the purpose of providing a car park for LFC. Not mobile homes we should add !

Of course some of us understood from the outset, the interests of people of Anfield were always to be sacrificed to the demands of corporate financial interests.

Cllr Steve Radford                           Mike Butler

Leader Liberal Party Group             Anfield Liberal Party

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader Liberal Party Group

41 Sutton Street ,Tuebrook

Liverpool L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Letter for Publication   " Demolitions scaled down in face of rising house prices and communities résistance"

Dear Editor,

In their annual review of housing policies the Audit Commission have made some interesting comments concerning the spending pattern of the Nine Pathfinder areas

Firstly ,across the country ,the level of planned demolitions have fallen from 90,000 homes to 64,000 homes , a reduction of 29%.

For the same period of projection planned house refurbishments has been reduced by 20%.

At the same time the planned level of new build housing has increased from 94,000 to 115,000 homes.

The Audit Commission acknowledge this due to both rising house prices ,across all northern cities ,and the increased résistance by residents objecting to CPO and demolition.

We in Liverpool remain alarmed that the Merseyside Pathfinder has the highest proportion of expenditure on demolition and related costs and continues to ride roughshod over the rights of home owners.

In light of the global environmental challenges there needs to be a major shift towards retaining and renovating properties ,rather than demolishing family homes in favour of even more empty flats for speculators.

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader Liberal Party Group

Anfield, Tuebrook , Stoneycroft and Old Swan Area Committee meets on Thursday 18th January at 6.30 at the All Saints Parish Centre, Oakfield Road, Anfield

This area committee is open to the public, the Liberal Party Councillors have requested updates on the high level of council, housing association and private vacant properties in the area and the lack of progress by the council in this respect

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street, Tuebrook

Liverpool L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor

The EU's auditors haven't, for 12 years running, been able to explain how the majority of money it is given has been spent. However we find it is difficult to get the British public to comprehend the size of our tax input to the EU

To use an old economics adage  "the cost of doing something is the missed opportunity cost, that is to say would would be achieved with the same sum of money instead "

So if we look at 5 of the Chancellors recent expenditure forecasts and how they could be compared to the EU spend then we can have a better idea of the EU burden upon the UK: To quote from the chancellors budget speech:

1. "universities will have access to £60 million a year directed to applied research with commercial potential"
applied unversity research vital to economic expansion will only be 4 days worth of cash allocated to the EU in 2007

2. "with a pooled budget of over £1 billion a year ... President of the Academy of Medical Sciences Professor John Bell will lead this new drive to identify for Britain the most useful and fruitful areas for potential medical breakthroughs"
NHS medical research for this year will be the same as the EU gets in just 9 weeks

3. "our new institute to investigate new environmental technologies will start with a budget of £550 million"
The spend on green technologies will be worth 5 weeks of cash for the EU.

4. "to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and other international obligations the Secretary of Defence has been allocated an additional
£600 million"
Our support for troops is the same support Brown will hand the EU in just 6 weeks of 2007 payments

5. "Our budget for security ...will now be for 2008, over £2 billion"
Our security budget is equivalent to 18 weeks of EU payments)

The stunning truth is that the EU is a major drain on the UK economy and the EU is incapable of providing the most  basic accounting protection to show their use or abuse of our taxes

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

 

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

41 Sutton Street

Tuebrook, Liverpool

L13 7EG

0151 259 935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor

This week has seen the fifth anniversary of a day of universal shame .

For five years ago, on the 11th January we saw detainees being transported to the US military prison at
Guanta¡namo Bay in Cuba.

 Men being hauled in orange jump-suits,
ear-muffs and blind-folds being from planes at landing at Guanta¡namo Bay, the US having created a travesty of justice.

Attempts to investigate reports of torture by Amnesty International are still blocked by the USA government


Still worse after 5 years of the camp being run not a single person yet found guilty of any offence in an open and honest trial.

We support calls by Amnesty International for the immediate closure of Guanta¡namo Bay and for all
other ˜war on terrorism" detention centres to be identified and closed.

 
Any detainees should be  properly charged before fair courts or released to safe countries.

The UK governemnt should also come clean and reveal its part in the transportation of detainees outside international legal procedures

Cllr Steve Radford

President of The Liberal Party

Letters to the Editor - 08 January 2007

We welcome other residents writing in on this issue

Police Community Meetings:

Thursday 25th Jan at 7.00 at Methodist Church , Alton Road

Tuebrook City safe open to all residents Tuebrook, Stoneycroft, Newsham Park, Breckside Park and Townsend Lane Area

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader Liberal Party Group
41 Sutton Street
Tuebrook
Liverpool
L13 7EG

0151 259 5935 / 07920090322

Dear Editor

In the press Cllr Paul Brant made some very valid criticism of the money wasted on the city council magazine - all points we have repeatedly made.

However, when the budget for the city magazine came up at the Resources Committee ,only one Labour Councillor voted for my proposal to discontinue the city magazine.

The other two Labour members failed to attend or arrange for their deputies to vote in their place

Even more to the point ,at the last council budget the Liberal Party proposed to reduce the excessive levels of expenditure on publicity by 10% and spend the money on traffic safety instead. Labour didn't even vote

So can Labour explain why they are prepared to kick a fuss up in the press and them miss the key votes or even abstain on those same very issues.

 Every administration is better for having an effective opposition - clearly Labour is failing to do take that role seriously.

Cllr Steve Radford

Leader of The Liberal Party Group

£714k computer system to sort out city property chaos

As featured in the Daily Post 4th jan 2007 and written by Sam Lister

Family plea: Don't let our Dixie's name die

This article was kindly written by Alan Westin and printed in the Daily Post - we have reiterated that the School could be built on the crrent john Hamilton School site adjoining Dixie Dean fields everyones needs could be meet