Conservative Election Address

[rsh]

I am trying to answer all questions if I can. If I have missed any questions, please let me know.

How about jethroh65:

On Local council elections, I am personally more interested in what if anything the candidate is going to to do
to benefit the area where I live, do you have any wonderful suggestions as to what you will be campaigning for on behalf of the local community rather than just following party policy?

And I have to agree. On a local level it seems pointless to me to vote just to see a ward "go the Conservative way". I just want someone with passion and a bit of imagination for the local area.

[Carl Rydings]

I am trying to answer all questions if I can. If I have missed any questions, please let me know.

[Carl Rydings]

OK Duke, point taken.

Carl,10% reductions in Councillor's exes is old hat.

In fact, if we didn't pay such a paltry allowance we might get better Councillors. The current allowance scheme prevents candidates of diversity from standing and all we get are old fogeys who have drawn down their pensions and can afford to work for 9 Grand plus. Take a look at the pictures of Councillors on the Stockport website - what would you say the average age is ?

Why don't you campaign for INCREASED allowances for Councillors now that would be innovative. It's the officers that get all the money on the Council not the Councillors. Peanuts and monkeys springs to mind. Why is it that the Chief Executive at Stockport gets £180k per year yet the Leader of the Council gets a fraction of that. There's an imbalance, what can you do about that?  

I think at a time we are making cuts to council budgets, workers' salaries are being frozen both in the public and private sector, we need to lead by example.

If you look at stockport.gov.uk, yes most are older people. However Councillor William Wragg is in his 20's.
If things go the Conservative way in May and Oliver Johnstone (Hazel Grove) and myself are elected you will have three Conservatives in their 20's.

You see, I get people saying Councillors shouldn't be paid, it should be voluntary (like School governors)
and you are saying they should be paid more. I can't really win, I have given my view and you have yours.

[Carl Rydings]

Good Morning,

Duke, you just hate Councils - full stop.

Carl, you just hate LibDems - full stop.

Carl, questions for you if you would be so kind : Have you ever been to see Stockport County? What reason do you think that the Council had for making this loan? Do you think that there is any value at all to Stockport people in Stockport County FC?

No, I have never been to see Stockport County play, as I have very little interest in football, I will watch England play on TV but that's as much as I do.
I stand by what I said, Stockport Council is not a commercial lender, its a council for providing public services. Don't get me wrong I'm not against County,
I think a football club is good to bring to together - however, when we have to make cuts to council budget's is this really the best way to spend tax-payers
money? Maybe on this one we will have to agree to disagree.

[Duke Fame]

Duke,

There is no thinly veiled pop at Carl's age. That's in your head. I'm not really interested in his age one way or the other as far as I'm concerned if you're old enough to vote then you are old enough to get elected.

Oh, and stop calling me Simon. Did you read what I have actually written or what you thought I'd written?   

Forgive me Simon, I took the following question to be an attempt at under-mining Carl. To clear things up, can you elaborate on your reasons for asking the question?

1/ Is it true that you are 21 years of age and that you still live with your mum?

I completely agree with your point on Shan's accident, a horrible accident which (as I said in an earlier post) I'm sure she'd do anything to put the clock back - it's completely irrelevant and I feel it's quite disgusting that it's been used as a way to attack her politically. Disagree with her politics by all means but dragging accidents up is a bit low IMHO.

....I think that reference to her accident is below the belt and she's got my sympathy. Neither am I interested in her punishment, what do you expect, that she should break rocks in the hot sun? Who cares about her alleged actions as governor of Marple College. I'm not even sure what they are supposed to be. If you've got a problem with it ask her.

[simonesaffron]

Duke,

There is no thinly veiled pop at Carl's age. That's in your head. I'm not really interested in his age one way or the other as far as I'm concerned if you're old enough to vote then you are old enough to get elected.

Oh, and stop calling me Simon. Did you read what I have actually written or what you thought I'd written?   

[Duke Fame]

OK Duke, point taken.

Carl,10% reductions in Councillor's exes is old hat.

In fact, if we didn't pay such a paltry allowance we might get better Councillors. The current allowance scheme prevents candidates of diversity from standing and all we get are old fogeys who have drawn down their pensions and can afford to work for 9 Grand plus. Take a look at the pictures of Councillors on the Stockport website - what would you say the average age is ?

Why don't you campaign for INCREASED allowances for Councillors now that would be innovative. It's the officers that get all the money on the Council not the Councillors. Peanuts and monkeys springs to mind. Why is it that the Chief Executive at Stockport gets £180k per year yet the Leader of the Council gets a fraction of that. There's an imbalance, what can you do about that? 

Some mixed messages Simon, it's ok to complain about old fogeys but there was a thinly veiled pop at Carl's age which is the one thing he can't do much about.

I tend to agree with you about councillors remuneration, I dont think there is a need to pay the sort of salaries we see north of £40k for a town clerk but nevertheless make it worth their while. I'd sooner see less councillors and pay a little more. That said, if we can achieve a 10% cut in the payroll bill and similarly firm on contracts, that would get my vote as council tax bills must be addressed.

[jethroh65]

The Conservative address is a nationally produced piece propaganda, I'm not even bother going to watch it.

On Local council elections, I am personally more interested in what if anything the candidate is going to to do
to benefit the area where I live, do you have any wonderful suggestions as to what you will be campaigning for on behalf of the local community rather than just following party policy?

[simonesaffron]

OK Duke, point taken.

Carl,10% reductions in Councillor's exes is old hat.

In fact, if we didn't pay such a paltry allowance we might get better Councillors. The current allowance scheme prevents candidates of diversity from standing and all we get are old fogeys who have drawn down their pensions and can afford to work for 9 Grand plus. Take a look at the pictures of Councillors on the Stockport website - what would you say the average age is ?

Why don't you campaign for INCREASED allowances for Councillors now that would be innovative. It's the officers that get all the money on the Council not the Councillors. Peanuts and monkeys springs to mind. Why is it that the Chief Executive at Stockport gets £180k per year yet the Leader of the Council gets a fraction of that. There's an imbalance, what can you do about that? 

[Duke Fame]

Good Morning,

Duke, you just hate Councils - full stop.

Carl, you just hate LibDems - full stop.

Carl, questions for you if you would be so kind : Have you ever been to see Stockport County? What reason do you think that the Council had for making this loan? Do you think that there is any value at all to Stockport people in Stockport County FC?

I don't hate councils Simon, I appreciate they have a role but it's limited. I don't like councils trying to meddle in areas beyond their remit and way beyond their capabilities.

[simonesaffron]

Good Morning,

Duke, you just hate Councils - full stop.

Carl, you just hate LibDems - full stop.

Carl, questions for you if you would be so kind : Have you ever been to see Stockport County? What reason do you think that the Council had for making this loan? Do you think that there is any value at all to Stockport people in Stockport County FC?

[Duke Fame]

The loan to keep Stockport County would not be so bad if there was a feasible plan. Now the rugger team have decided to move, eagerly park is going to used once every 2 Weeks. It's made worse when you realise Salford council subsidise the Salford reds stadium so Stodkport county go out of business. Councils should stick to sweeping the roads & bins because they cock everything else up.

[Carl Rydings]

Hi All,

Conservative Election Address is at:
http://www.carlrydings.com/

I am happy to answer questions.

Best Regards,
Carl

Good stuff Carl, I know you alone cannot do this but you can at least highlight where waste is. How will you be able to change the Town Hall culture into one that delivers economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Stockport is by no means the worst but I'd like to see the day when our council tax returns to 1990's levels in real terms rather than the current 10pc average earnings

Hi Duke Fame,

Thank you for your comments.

Lets start with the councillors, Stockport Council spends nearly £1 million a year on councillors. Lets start by calling for all of
them to take a 10% cut for their next term in office. Our candidates this year, including myself, will take a 10% cut if they/I
win. At a time when the council is making cuts, councillors have to take a fair share of the cuts to their own allowances.

Secondly, If we had control of the council the £182,000 loan to Stockport County would not have happened.

Our reasons are very clear:

1. To state the obvious, Stockport Council is not a lender of last resort. It exists to provide services to its residents who
pay their council tax. In difficult times residents expect their Council to be concentrating on providing frontline services.
2. If other businesses in Stockport are in need of such loan funding, with free application costs, do they now go to the Council rather than a commercial lender?
3. Despite what the Liberel Democrats have said, there will be cost to council tax payers, as the council have agreed to pay the legal fees for the loan transaction.

Thirdly, Council publicity costs are nearly £1 million a year, including the Stockport Review newspaper, I would like to see the newspaper scraped
altogether until the council's finances are in better shape, then we can revisit it or publish it every 6 months rather then every 3 months and see how it goes.

As you say, I can't change the culture at the Town Hall myself, but The Conservative Group with me in it sure can. I would love to see Stockport Council
under Conservative control with Conservative councillors who spend money wisely as Executive councillors, one of their first job would be to find waste.

Regards,
Carl

[Duke Fame]

Hi All,

Conservative Election Address is at:
http://www.carlrydings.com/

I am happy to answer questions.

Best Regards,
Carl

Good stuff Carl, I know you alone cannot do this but you can at least highlight where waste is. How will you be able to change the Town Hall culture into one that delivers economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Stockport is by no means the worst but I'd like to see the day when our council tax returns to 1990's levels in real terms rather than the current 10pc average earnings

[Carl Rydings]

Hi All,

Conservative Election Address is at:
http://www.carlrydings.com/

I am happy to answer questions.

Best Regards,
Carl