A Bird in the Hand

Waiting to see if a window in the weather might let me fly two jobs today but it's not looking hopeful as the 'Great British Summer" gets underway in traditional rain, sleet, hail and thunderstorms. Wonderful to have our Blue Flags back but it would take a brave soul to walk on the beach as I write this.

Keeping an eye on the vigorous blog debate surrounding the collapsed TransEuropa and the Port of Ramsgate and I wonder if several of the more exercised contributors may have missed something? If Thanet Council had foreclosed on the ferry operator three years ago, when the debt was hovering at £1 million would we be financially worse off than we are today?

After all, this is a large debt for the use of the harbour by a ferry company and not money the Council had in the first place. In the interim period the Council had an obligation to keep the Port of Ramsgate operating and there was a benefit to the local economy in having a cross-channel service operating, in much the same way as small regional airports in Europe are paid, a small pittance by the likes of Ryan Air but benefit from the tourist traffic in a broader sense.

Without a doubt, this is a serious debt that has run wildly out of control over the last year, with little or no chance of recovery. However, one question that needs addressing is whether Ramsgate is better or worse-off, as a consequence of the Council, like any sensible creditor, attempting to find a way of helping the ferry operator through its financial crisis, rather than pulling the plug on the debt two years ago?

Perhaps we should think hypothetically of the harbour, in terms of a large and expensive local car park, frequently empty and used by the lorries of a big supermarket delivering in and out of the island and subject to a regular billing process for the privilege. The supermarket chain admits to having cash-flow problems and the Council suggests a reduced payment schedule until the business can climb back on its feet. This works for a short while but then the business folds, leaving large debts everywhere. Was the Council, as a creditor, right to follow this initial course of action but wrong to let the debt run out of control?

Were the residents of Thanet better or worse-off as a consequence of the Council's decisions or was there really no change, as the £3 million only existed on paper, which would have been nice to have if there was any sensible way of achieving a solution that kept the cross-channel route operating in the long term?

It's a simplistic argument of course and there is of course a great deal more to explore next week in Cabinet in terms of the conduct of proper and correct local government process but I think we need to retain sight of the financial context as opposed to counting £ 3 million which never existed for us.

Support Help For Heroes

Millions of people will have been both shocked and appalled at the events that unfolded outside the Woolwich Barracks yesterday and words can't suitably frame the emotions of many.

From what I can see, the Help For Heroes website collapsed under the strain, not long after, as the public attempted to show solidarity through buying t-shirts and making donations. It was available briefly earlier this morning and I managed to make my own small donation and order a shirt to express my sense of solidarity with the men and woman of our  armed forces in the face of the atrocity that took place on the streets of London yesterday.

The direct link to the Help For Heroes shop is here. Good luck, as it is fading in an our of availability.

There's a suggestion today that the two visibly crazed individuals involved were radicalised through reading Al Qaeda material like the "Inspire" magazine opposite. Once again however and in the footsteps of 7/7 and a number of other foiled terror attempts, the threat of bloody violence stalks our streets and we still remain helpless to deport the likes of Abu Qatada and many other dangerous individuals, posing a threat to the public or our national security, held in our prisons. With luck, Qatada will be gone in a month, if the Jordanian Government ratifies a new law but I'm reminded that one of our local independent Councillors thinks he's a victim of discrimination.

I'm sure that like me, readers will approve that the police reportedly did not take any chances when they arrived on scene yesterday and shot both men on the spot. This is, I'm sure, a politically incorrect opinion but I believe the great British public are becoming heartily sick of the subject and its consequences.

Perhaps the grim events of yesterday afternoon in all its horror will serve as a wake-up call of sorts but I'm unconvinced by the feeble platitudes of our politicians. I'm  sure you will all join me in offering my deepest sympathy to the family of the soldier involved in this awful crime.

A Ferry Fiasco?

The subject of the £3.3 million debt owed to Thanet District Council featured on last night's BBC Southeast news and of course several local weblogs with of course, the now compulsory ;'Green' Cllr Ian Driver, popping-up on his soap-box to give his opinion, rather than asking anyone with credibility or a command of the facts.

By any measure, it's a huge amount of money and there will be an extraordinary meeting of the Council's Cabinet, next week to discuss the debt.

As ever, wild speculation abounds across the blogs, much like the rumours of my impending arrest with other councillors and officers being pedalled after the Sandy Ezekiel trial. I am worried that some people are starting to believe the mischievous story, that the Council 'Gifted' TransEuropa £3 million pounds of taxpayers money, as opposed to the ferry operator running-up an enormous debt for its use of the Port of Ramsgate.

Let me try and place this story in its proper context, rather than debate the matter on the weblogs. There, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make a contribution, thanks to the usual suspects, with conspiracy theories or simply malicious 'trolls' who have their own agenda. This kind of behaviour simply means that local politicians are reluctant to engage in debate over the internet and for good reason too.

As I recollect, TransEuropa started to struggle at least three years ago, around March 2011. The Council, which also has a commercial responsibility for the Port of Ramsgate, wanted to quite sensibly do everything it could to help the operator through a difficult period, as did the Port of Ostend, which I believe, waived its berthing fees and other creditors, such as the fuel company which was vital to the operation. The cross Channel ferry trade is a fiercely competitive and commercially sensitive business and so the matter was treated with the discretion it required.

Once again, working from memory and I'm sure the exact figure and detail will be revealed next week, when the Conservatives lost control of the Council, the debt was large. Big enough to cause an atmosphere of concern but not large enough to provoke real budgetary alarm, as it is today. From what I remember, an adjusted repayment schedule was put in place while TransEuropa identified the new source of finance it appeared confident in pursuing at the time.

Since then of course, the paper debt to TDC has ballooned to over £3 million and that is more than enough to cause alarm, despondency and some despair. This was a source of much-needed income that was accounted for and that we now appear very unlikely to receive unless, it's a few pence in the pound from the administrators.

Over a decade ago, I was owed a significant amount of money by a company I had invested in. I recall, that at the time, I did something similar, I arranged a repayment schedule, supported by a solicitor's contract. At first, it worked until that first big recession arrived and the business started to collapse. At which point, I had no choice but with regret, to to join its other creditors in applying for a winding-up order and then wait more than ten years to receive a modest dividend cheque and a large loss.

The question we should ask today, is really no different than the dilemma I faced then. At what point in the last 18 months, did the present Labour administration and Council officers, realise that the debt was growing beyond the point of no return? Was that passing £1 million, £2 million or even £3 million? Cllr John Worrow (Ind) is Chair of the Finance and Audit committee. I wonder if he knows as one might think it should have appeared in the last year's accounts?

Why wasn't this information bought to Members attention earlier In fact, it looks as if the very opposite has taken place, as I found out at the same time as my readers did.

There is of course another very important question which comes from the story and that is whether a local Council should be involved in commercial activities of this size. The evidence suggests probably not but I suspect this will prove the focus of a fierce debate next week.

A Marxist Margate

www.marxistmargate.com

As people in Margate gathered to celebrate the opening of the fabulous new sea wall steps opposite the Turner Contemporary Gallery on Saturday afternoon, the big beasts of the national newspapers were packing-up their overnight siege equipment in a small road in Westgate-on-Sea and I had done a quick disappearing act to hide, rather unconvincingly, in the skies over Brighton.

This was the first marriage proposal of the season over Brighton Pier and even though one GoPro camera wasn't working, I was quite happy with the results as you can see below. If you should own the latest GoPro, then beware last week's software update which appears to reset the camera's wireless password. I only discovered this when I turned it on in the aircraft.

In the footsteps of last week's arguably disastrous Mary Portas, Ch4. television documentary and If you look at the sidebar, you'll see I'm experimenting with a different kind of branding for Margate outside of Tracy Emin's profound and insightful quote as a "Really Good Place for a ...."



I've a personal interest in Karl Marx and the irony isn't lost on me, sitting opposite several 'Marxists' in the Council Chamber. Marxist Margate, the web site I've created, I think, says it all and it's very much work under development, so don't expect great things. What I want to try and do is reinforce the battered image of the town, historically and intellectually in the public imagination, alongside the great work done by the Turner Contemporary; challenging the occasional sordid website and the prevailing derelict and fading seaside picture delivered by Mary Portas.

Margate is without doubt a seaside town of two compelling stories and one facing huge economic and social challenges. It also has a unique artistic and intellectual history and a wonderful coastline to celebrate. So perhaps I'm playing the part of the eccentric but the internet is a powerful tool and the more we present the positive and interesting side of the town, the more we are likely to benefit from tourism and visitors with a greater disposable income.

Karl Marx and political tourism is is huge for his home town of Trier in Germany and his burial place at Highgate cemetery in London. The Chinese, who I saw in great numbers in Prague recently, are great fans and we have an airport and a European shuttle service to Schipol from Manston on our doorstep. I think we should promote the fact that a global political figure of historical interest found peace and inspiration on his regular holidays to Margate and perhaps a commemorative blue plaque, Thanet District Council, might be a good start?

The BBC's Sunday Politics Show this morning and I'm wondering what they will present for their local story on UKIP and the County Elections and whether I'll appear sane in the rain, at best, if I have my fifteen seconds on camera alongside Col. Roger Latchford and Will Scobie. It always strikes me, that what one actually says in front of a camera is in sharp contrast with what one would really like to say but would be political suicide. Here's the BBC iPlayer link for later.

Walk This Way

"Petty and vindictive" was how the Conservative Group Leader, Bob Bayford, described Clive Hart's Labour decision to remove Cllr Shirley Tomlinson and Cllr Ken Gregory from all their Council committees last night and which led to a Conservative walk-out from the Annual Meeting of the Council in protest.

There had been some hope that this most important meeting of the new Council year might have led to a recognition that squabbles going back to 2003, (Mike Harrison mentioned one) and the baggage of the near and distant past, might have been left behind but apparently not.

The meeting started with the election of a new Chair of Council and brave Doug Clark, who recently suffered a stroke and now has speech difficulties, was dragged-in by Labour to make-up the critical voting numbers. As expected, the vote went unanimously across all Parties, to replace him with the admirable Cllr Kay Dark but the next surprise came with Labour putting Cllr Harry Scobie forward as Vice Chair and UKIP,'s Roz Duncan, siding with Labour to give it to him by one vote, flexing her new political muscles in a minority administration.

As one might expect, Cllrs Worrow and Cohen, sitting together, voted with Labour on every motion, reminding me of two ventriloquist's dummies and once again, were duly rewarded with the well-remunerated and influential roles of Chair of Planning and Chair of the Finance Committee. Cllr Ian Driver left the Chamber before the next vote as he was unceremoniously kicked-off his job of Chair of the Scrutiny Committee and this was awarded to Cllr Jo Gideon in return for the Conservatives not opposing Labour having the Chair of Council and its casting vote. Cllr Driver is now firmly back in the wilderness, where many would argue he belongs, together with his soapbox.

It's not, I fear, an auspicious start to the new Council year. Ian Driver, who has now turned Green, may have been booted-off scrutiny but Worrow and Cohen now represent a protected species in return for the two votes that keep Labour in control of the Council; that's if every Labour member turns-up to vote at every meeting until May of next year and UKIP sits on its hands.

None of us yet know what UKIP actually stand for locally or what they are actually able to achieve beyond representing the purple protest vote. Indeed, what we have here in Thanet, is the worst of all worlds with a minority administration in control and personal vendettas being pursued in the chamber, that go back a generation.

For some of us, the good news hidden by the walk-out, was the appointment of Cllr Julie Marson to the Conservative Cabinet, who will now 'Shadow' Cllr David Green on the Labour bench. It would be nice, I believe, if my colleagues and I could actually get on with business without being reminded of what happened in 1993, 1982 or indeed during the 19th century Peterloo Riots but I don't believe it's going to happen any time soon, given the tortured landscape of local politics.

Dambusters Seventy Years On

Lancaster over Reculver Towers

A photo to celebrate today's 70th anniversary of the 'Dambusters' raid over the dams in Germany. Operation Chastise, was a pivotal mission of the Second World War, using Barnes Wallis' legendary 'Bouncing Bomb' which was refined in practice runs by the pilot's of the RAF's 617 Squadron, along the coast here with beach at Reculver Towers as an aiming point.

The targets between 16-17 May 1943 were three water dams in Germany's Ruhr industrial region. Two on the rivers Möhne and Sorpe, and a third on the River Eder.

The Start of the Mission - credit M.O.D

If anyone locally is still surviving, who perhaps saw this training take place as a young man or woman, it would be wonderful to hear their story.

Returning to the present, which is far less exciting, it's the annual general meeting of Thanet District Council tonight. This is when we witness the local 'Game of Thrones,' to determine who controls the three most important committees, as well as the appointment of a new Chair of Council.

Tonight of course, we not only have new microphones but two new members of UKIP sitting in the chamber, Zita Wiltshire and Roz Duncan and they will be looking to be recognised as a minority presence, alongside Cllr Worrow's surviving TIG party with Cllr Dr Jack Cohen and Cllr Tom King's Independents, Cllr Bob Grove and occasionally Cllr Ian Driver.

Clive Hart and Labour are clinging-on to a minority administration and need the independent vote to stay in place. So one may expect that Cllr Worrow and Cllr Cohen will hang on to the 'plum' committee jobs of Planning and Finance, in return for their votes, even though they have consistently proved themselves wanting. What happens to Cllr Ian Driver after his most recent series of outbursts is another question. Labour badly need his renegade vote but they simply can't afford the association with his toxic left of left wing personality politics as the County election result proved last week.

On a further note, a source tells me that a member of Labour's front bench is the subject of two separate bullying complaints from council staff. If this allegation is correct and I will leave the local paper to investigate, it's a very poor reflection indeed of their trades union credentials.

Cllr Will Scobie

Lastly, the BBC's Sunday Politics Show, this coming weekend, looks set to have a beauty contest between Colonel Roger Latchford, Will Scobie and me. I was interviewed in the rain on Margate's harbour arm yesterday afternoon and young Scobie, as he pointed out to me in a Twitter message, was interviewed in the sheltered warmth of the Cup Cake Cafe (a new political nickname perhaps?) Roger Latchford, UKIP's new leader at KCC, was interviewed in Ramsgate and one can only guess what he was up to?

Which one of us puts up the worst performance remains to be seen and I might put up a poll on Sunday morning for anyone who can bear to watch the result.

Among the Unbelievers

Mary Portas in Margate

Having watched last night's Channel 4. programme on retail guru, Mary Portas' attempt to regenerate Margate, I can only express my disappointment and that's an understatement.

I watched and took part in a massive national Twitter discussion which labelled the people of Margate as 'Vile,' 'backward,' 'ungrateful' and far worse and witnessed the good work of a great many people, swamped by a tide of criticism and negativity that may take some time from which to recover.

To be honest, I really think that Tracy Emin's contribution for a slogan for the town, only served to make matters worse and drag the popular opinion of Margate deeper into the cultural gutter of last night. I can now quite understand why Tracy is an eccentric artist and doesn't work in marketing but I guess we should be grateful that she didn't come-up with "Visit Margate for a really good ***" but it was uncomfortably close.

'St Mary,' as we might describe her, focusing sharply on the desperate, run-down, tatty state of Margate High Street, made almost a passing reference to the Turner Contemporary and said absolutely nothing about a thriving Old Town which is a great example of what can be achieved with investment and imagination.

I'm sure that most if not all of today's readers will have watched the programme last night and will have their own views but I didn't like the way that Mary Portas painted herself as a martyr to the vindictive and obstructive attitude of the people of Margate. From my photos and a story at the time, I saw how it was developing and I even wrote a rather cynical blog entry, which my wife convinced me to delete for fear of provoking a controversy. I now wish I had the courage to have pressed the publish button at the time.

A prize goes to that loose collection of left-wing militants, Occupy and former members of CND that publish 'Thanet Watch' and so convinced Mary Portas, that they expressed the voice of public opinion in rejecting her efforts, rather than simply being a sinister comic with a not-so hidden political agenda.

Several key figures involved in the project did themselves no favours appearing in front of the television cameras but the fears of others were justified in worrying over selective editing, which is indeed what actually took place in the programme, as one might expect. People may have been naive in believing that their views had any real weight on a national prime-time reality TV programme. It' was all about Mary and Margate was, I'm afraid was simply a coincidental backdrop to the script and the Daily Mail story hasn't helped either.

Arlington Margate

When I was working for a big computer company, many years ago, the Google of its time, Lotus Development, we used to have such a thing as a 'Sanity check' in our really important marketing meetings, just to make sure the 'Good Ideas Fairy' wasn't going to run amok and damage our reputation our budget or both. This patently didn't happen at any part of making this programme and the results were on public view last evening.

I'm writing this early, because a little later I have been invited to go and give an interview for the BBC's Sunday Politics Show. Quite why they want to speak with me than someone higher-up the political food chain I really can't fathom but from several years working with other broadcasters in the past, I'm sure the results will come as a surprise. You may have a good laugh at my expense on Sunday!

A Sunday Tune

Somewhere between 'Finding Bin Laden' and 'The Bones of the Buddha' on Sky TV last night, I caught a glimpse of 'The Green Berets', starring John Wayne. A Vietnam war epic, filmed in the dense steamy jungles of California and slated for being one of the corniest US propaganda movies ever produced, it's an old favourite, none the less. I think I first saw it at the Carlton Cinema with my father when it was released.

For some bizarre reason, I thought the film's famous marching ballad might be an ideal tune for all those new UKIP councillors at County Hall and so if you've forgotten it, here it is again.



Thanet's only remaining, non-UKIP County Councillor, Will Scobie has announced that he has placed his 'Professional Profile' up on Linked-in this morning.

Being a 'professional network' which I use extensively, this is either a smug demonstration of political hubris, an embarrassing example of immaturity or both. If you consider for a moment that the young Labour 'wannabe' MP has never really had a full-time job that any hard-working person in Thanet might recognise as such and that his path to combined generous allowances approaching £20,000+, has been oiled by his family and Margate Party machine. This, in just two years, has eased him along Labour's gravy train, as someone who demonstrated no intention of joining the bulk of the people he now represents. If he had been a Conservative, just imagine the howls of protest at leveraging daddy's friends and the old boy network so cynically.

The principle surrounding public service as a councillor involves juggling a part-time commitment to the community, rather than offering a subsidised career path for the feckless, work-shy or unemployable; not so uncommon here in Thanet. Here I agree with fellow blogger Tony Flaig at such hypocrisy at the public's expense. Advising anyone much older than a schoolboy on how to live their lives without any life experience beyond sixth form, university and driving the minibus at a local school of English. Most of us I dare say would admit to being completely naive at age twenty-three and I had to go as far away as Saudi Arabia to find a job, as they were equally hard to come by at the time.

I may have found that perfect volunteer for a flying marriage proposal on the One Show, a young soldier, the same age as Cllr Scobie but possibly earning less, going back to Afghanistan. There was some brief discussion about involving James May, if he's available but that seems very unlikely. I did have one chap yesterday come back and ask if the BBC would 'pay him' to propose to his partner but I really don't think that's the spirit, as I'm sure you will agree.

On a different note I've been booked to fly over the coming India vs Pakistan cricket game at Edgbaston with a 'Good Luck' message but I'm checking it first as its bound to be sensitive but not as unusual as the 'Jesus Saves You' message scheduled for Brighton beach very soon.

Sea Road, Westgate on Sea

As everyone else seems to be commenting on the results of last Thursday's parish and district council elections, I thought I would give the topic a rest, other than remark that thanks, I suspect in part, to the antics of  our TIG party, independent candidates don't hold very much appeal to the electorate anymore and everyone else in local politics, is now far more worried by UKIP.

There's a campaign just starting in Westgate, to protect the now derelict buildings in Sea Road, pictured, from that old trick of applying for one kind of development, in sympathy with our conservation area and then revising the application, when granted, to deliver something very different indeed. I'm going to soon be pointing readers at another petition and very soon, a public discussion over whether we should be looking at writing our own neighbourhood plan for the town under the new Government legislation designed to give communities much greater control of local development. Watch this space.

Let the People Speak

Picture Credit Eastcliff Richard

Another protest drubbing for Conservatism in yesterday's two local District and Parish council elections but an even bigger disappointment for Labour in the mid-term of an unpopular coalition government.

Once again, the UKIP vote prevailed (see results below) and I really don't believe that anyone was really surprised at the result. Yesterday, I had an exchange of views with an old friend, Michael Fabricant, the Government Whip and he assured me that at Westminster local results of this kind are being taken very seriously indeed. I'm at a meeting in Parliament on Monday evening and so will be very interested to hear the opinions of my colleagues in the committee room.

What the last seven days illustrates is that Labour are no longer the main party of opposition and the LibDems have become locally irrelevant to the point of non-existence, as the public's resentment over their grip on coalition policy grows.

Labour have nothing really new to say other than deliver promises on the economy and welfare, they know they can't possibly keep. The big debate has moved elsewhere. Not to a financial crisis and a national debt accruing at £1,600 per second but to our place in Europe and most of all, immigration, which until not long ago was a subject that would raise howls of 'racism' from the socialists and politically correct; not be discussed in polite company.

Quite how David Cameron's Government now disentangles itself on central issues of Europe and Human Rights, from the corrosive brand of Nick Clegg and the LibDems, I really don't know. By voting UKIP, people are telling Government what they want but only one Party, the Conservatives, are prepared to listen or even consider a referendum on Europe, amending the Human Rights Act or far-reaching changes on immigration. Both Miliband and Clegg are now on the same page on Europe. They believe that David Cameron’s promise of an in/out referendum by 2017 could put job-creating foreign investment at risk and lead to the EU exit door.

I have a sense that Government is now trapped in a cage and the public are now enjoying the opportunity of poking it with sharp sticks. But like UKIP, aren't really able to express what they really want beyond leaving Europe, the introduction of passport control at Birchington, bigger sticks for the police and if we are really lucky, free beer and the Sky Sports Channel on Sundays.

The real losers of the last week's results are likely to be the people of Thanet, because there will be no overall control of the Council, more facile bickering over subjects that have no real place in local government and new members of Kent County Council, with large budgets to administer locally and no clue about the gears of local government or influence over the big machine that holds a responsibility for our schools and roads. In one example, a retired, elected member for Herne Bay is still, I'm told away on a cruise because he never expected to win at the polls last week.

Meanwhile, here's a favourite clip to revisit with last week's military coup in Maidstone and the overall political balance in Kent in mind.



Cliftonville East Results: Rozanne Duncan (UKIP) 699 (41%) Wendy Chaplin (Conservative) 526 (31%) Alan Currie (Labour) 352 (20%) Louise Oldfield (Independent) 112 (7%) Proctor (Liberal Democrat) 32 (2%) Total votes 1,721 (35% turnout).

A Big Day in Small Politics

Margate Harbour (c) Airads

Nice to see one of my aerial photos of Margate from the weekend on BBC's South-east news story on the town's new flood defences this morning. (see this excellent summary) I'm pleased to say they asked for permission too.

Another big day on the local election stage, once again, as Sandy Ezekiel's seat on Thanet Council is being fought. Labour have deployed a small army of activists in a desperate attempt to stall UKIP's advance and as a Conservative, I can only wait and see whether a week has been a long enough time in politics for local people to consider the wisdom of playing the protest vote against national issues in a local election. Curious to see our Cllr. Will Scobie pop-up on local TV, claiming that immigration is not the central problem but the minimum wage. Clutching his well-thumbed copy of 'Politics for Dummies,' young Will has been visibly brainwashed into delivering Orwellian 'Mili-speak' by the very same people who gave us the vexing national problem that so many people in Margate feel angry about. I recommend he revisits Karl Marx for his views on the subject, which make complete sense to many these days.

Required Reading for Aspiring Politicians

Not long now until the big Manston South-east Airshow on 22nd June and I hear ticket sales are going well and that there's a Groupon offer on these this week. I'm doing a small turn but people will be waiting to see the Vulcan, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Fokker Triplane and the B17 among many others for a great days out of displays and ground events.

For the aviation enthusiasts among my readers, you'll be delighted to know that in the United States, a Mosquito is flying for the first time in many years and below, is the video of its maiden flight. One of our Broadstairs residents and my father's best friend was one of the top Pathfinder pilot's in WWII and so I used to hear his amazing stories when I was a boy.

Finally, I'm looking for a volunteer who would like to propose to his partner in front of millions on national TV? The BBC's One Show are planning a couple of projects with me this summer and this is one of them.

Of course, it involves an aircraft and a romantic beauty spot and is a once in a lifetime opportunity but I would love to be able to help promote Thanet this summer, by filming it here if possible.

So far the 'proposers' on my books for the coming weeks are reluctant to pop-the-question on TV but perhaps there's someone living in Thanet who's made of sterner stuff?