Tameside Labour's SureStart Electioneering

The Advertiser have issued what must be a press release from the Labour Party. It claims that the coalition government has forced staff to claim voluntary redundancy! The article states that 32 out of 148 staff have put in for voluntary redundancy, a choice of their own. One of the "concerned" parents, Elanor Priestly is a Labour Party activist according to her Twitter account, however the article makes no mention about this conflict of interest.

This should come as no surprise as 1,145 members of staff have want to voluntarily quit the council. The council claims it needs to axe 600 jobs in the process.

So if Labour have their priorities right, then they can save SureStart staff like Trafford Council have done. You can just see the contrast of Tameside's Labour priorities vs. Conservative Trafford's in this excellent leaflet produced by Longdendale candidate, Rob Adlard.



But for all we hear about the cuts, are there any being made in Tameside Council's press department? None if the gossip on the grapevine is to be believed. Then here's a suggestion for Kieran Quinn. Why do we have a Head of Communications on a Grade Sum 3 of £54,348 to £59,979 then we have a Communications Manager on £27,052 to £30,851 and Tim Rainey who is Director of Media, Marketing & Communications on £100,156.

There just seems to be too many layers of management, and if this is just the press department, then goodness knows what else is going on in other departments.

GMP FFS!

Cuts haven't hit Greater Manchester Police in Tameside. We have 15 extra police officers, who piss about on their iPhones using the Facebook app so it seems. Presumably for the lulz.

GMP Droylsden East clearly have a sick sense of humour with their favourite quotation "I fought the law and the law won....". A reference to the famous song from The Clash.



GMP Droylsden West are slightly more helpful with their tiny pearl of wisdom included on their favourite quotation being "Dont do the crime if you cant do the time........". Their favourite TV shows include Crimestoppers and the excellent BBC Drama, Life On Mars. A homage to GMP's "no nonsense" policing policy perhaps?

I'm a little cynical and I'm wondering why they couldn't create a simple "like" page where people don't need to befriend their local bobby who no doubt will be peeking at that oh so innocent racist joke you shared on your wall.

Admittedly with the funding cuts to GMP, the Hyde Werneth branch have reviewed the page and saw fit to keep it for another six months at the least. Hip Hip Hooray!

Source: GMP Denton West Ward, GMP Droylsden East Ward, GMP Droylsden West Ward and GMP Hyde Werneth.

UPDATE: Werneth Neighbourhood Policing Team have issued a response on my Facebook wall which reads more like a press release if anything. They have also blocked me from being "friends".