Last week I posted a blog on the disgraceful cuts to bus services in Blackburn. In the comments, Imran Khan, a Conservative council candidate, responded as follows:

No policies but one point she often misses out is that it was her as leader of the council who sold Blackburn Transport to fill a hole she'd created. When questioned by my father at a meeting last week (he's a bus driver) she said " its a record i'm proud of". So bang on all you like about buses Kate but people will soon realise that its you who is to blame.

I thought that this misinformation deserved a full response, so here is my note to Mr. Khan:

Hi Imran,

Thanks for your contribution but I am sorry, I did not say it was a decision I was proud of.

Not only is this verified by the 150 people who attended the meeting and the audio recording made by one of our campaigners but also by your father, who spoke to me after the Executive Board meeting in Blackburn town hall yesterday.

What I did say was that it was a very difficult decision. A decision that after months of open debate, had all party support (see LET article of August 2006) and would help provide access to transport in the areas that needed it most.I added that difficult decisions had to be made given the losses Blackburn Transport were suffering and the competion they were facing. The money the Council was pouring into Blackburn Transport could be better spent providing socially necessary routes like the 10 and 11.

What was important that these decisions are made in an open and transparent way, not held behind closed doors, unpublished and not open to public challenge

I went on to say that the decision was public, unlike the current Coalition's decision to give away hundreds of thousands of pounds of concessionary travel money to other authorities, then cut the subsidy to bus companies leaving them with no alternative but to cut routes.

The sad part here is that pensioners have been made to feel guilty by Councillor Cottam saying that they were abusing the system. The suggestion here is that it is due to pensioners over using their free pass that the bus companies now have to cut routes, this is simply not true. The Government gave Blackburn Council plenty of money to pay for concessionary travel, but the Council decided to use it in other ways.Mainly to prop up other areas of Lancashire. It is my opinion that Blackburn and Darwen come first

The reality of the situation is that the Council, in a secret decision held outside the Borough, with no one to challenge or scrutinise, decided to pass Blackburn with Darwen's money to Preston and Blackpool. The same group then decided to cut the allowance they gave to bus companies, again in secret.

What was this decision based on,who was involved in it, and on what authority did they have the right to put the residents of Blackburn and Darwen in this plight with cuts to services in Wensley Fold and many areas to follow in the coming weeks.

As you are aware Your Tory colleagues decided some months ago to give away £300k of extra money we had for concessionary fares. You attended the meeting in which the Labour Group exposed this decision. Of course in typical Tory and Liberal fashion , the coalition denied this,even when we produced a document that proved they had agreed to subsidise bus routes in west Lancashire rather that using the money for Blackburn. Eventually they had to admit that they decided that other areas needed Blackburns transport money more than Blackburn.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

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I recall a joke which went as follows:

Q: How do you lose 20lbs of ugly fat?

A: Cut your head off

I never appreciated the joke then nor do I now. But what has been happening in Blackburn reminded me of this sick joke. The current coalition made up of Liberals and Tories has decided , in their words, that  "they will not be forced into subsidising bus routes".

In October last year The Tory Councillor in charge of Regeneration accused Blackburn pensioners of misusing their free bus passes and wasting tax payers money. Councillor Cottam not only accused residents of wasting tax payer’s money but claimed that it left a £ 400000 black hole in his budget that the local residents would have to make up.

What utter rubbish!

Councillor Cottam deliberately misled residents of this Borough. There was never a £ 400,000 black hole, there was actually a £ 400,000 surplus in Blackburn, money that was given to them by a Labour Government to ensure people who had paid into the system for many years could travel freely, wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted.

Money that should have been spent providing socially necessary routes, that would encourage shoppers into the markets and shops of Blackburn. Supporting local businesses and local residents and creating jobs for local people was given away by Councillor Michael Lee.

In a meeting somewhere, well away from Blackburn, the Leader of the Council, another Tory, Councillor Michael Lee, decided to give this money to other authorities, no decision in Blackburn, not even a discussion in Blackburn. £ 400,000 of our money just handed over to support other Tory led authorities.

The result of the Coalition's sick joke is they have cut the subsidy given to bus operators, leaving them unable to deliver a service where there are a large number of concessionary passengers, pensioners to you and me.

But as they said "they will not be forced into subsidising bus routes", regardless of the cost to residents or businesses.

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Cutting town centre buses: another nail in the coffin?

Labour group leader Cllr Kate Hollern lays bare the impact of Tory/Liberal cuts to our buses.

I could not believe the arrogance of the Tory led coalition in Blackburn, firstly I raised concerns regarding the cuts to bus services right across the Borough. Typically the Tory Councillor for Regeneration, Allan Cottam restated that it his firm believe that bus company’s and pensioners have abused the concessionary fares system and over used the service, despite the fact that he gave away over £ 300K that the Labour Government gave this authority for concessionary fares, to Tory led authorities.

This suggests the service was actually under-used by the residents of Blackburn and we should be encouraging residents to use bus services that Jack Straw fought hard to secure funding for.

The limp response from the Liberals, as with all the other cuts to service, is to support the Tory led administration, I don’t know if it is because they totally believe Tory policies, or they just want to hold onto their positions of power.

Regardless, the people of Blackburn will suffer. There will be no bus services in the Wensley Fold area; People who live in the Corporation Park Ward along with Shear Brow residents will also feel the effect. Queens Park, Bastwell, Mill Hill, Ewood, Shadsworth and Audley residents are also suffering from these cuts. Who knows which area will be next but you can bet it won’t be Livesey with Pleasington, Darwen or Beardwood with Lammack .

Then I raised the ludicrous suggestion of raising Market Traders rents by 40%, this will certainly help kill off Blackburn as shopping area. Yet the Council propose to spend thousands of pounds opposing Preston’s redevelopment. They should be concentrating on getting Blackburn more competitive rather than spending all this money on fighting Preston, shoppers need choice.

It is not rocket science to understand that if there is no bus service and nowhere to park in the town centre people will go elsewhere. Market Traders and shops will pull out of Blackburn, leaving fewer options for residents, sending them to Preston or Bolton and less people to contribute to the running costs of the town. Somebody has to pay for the huge increases increase in Officer’s salaries, They have just agreed to spend another £ 25k on increases to salaries of a few.

So who will pay, the residents of Blackburn will, either by reduced services, which we have seen a lot of recently, look at how dirty your streets are, or an increase in Council Tax, which the Tories are loath to do. They along with the Liberals want to continue to con people with small council tax increases but huge cuts in services,

If elected with a majority in the chamber, a Labour Council would put our money where our mouths are, we would subsidise bus routes, keep market rents at the same level for two years, until we have shown that the new market site can allow traders to pay for the cost of the new site.

Lets face it market traders can only pass on any increase to you the shoppers

We would get Blackburn firmly back on the map as somewhere to live and shop - on clean streets!

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“It's not me Guv it must be someone else!” - the Arthur Daley attitude of the council coalition

"It's not me Guv it must be someone else", is a refrain you expect from a dodgy builder or someone who, in Arthur Daley fashion, has sold you something that is obviously faulty and won't do what they said it would.

Understandably such an experience leaves you frustrated and feeling bad towards your fellow human being.

Well that's how I feel as time and time again I and my Labour colleagues on the Council challenge the policies that are being undertaken by the Tory, Liberal and For Darwen independents who are presently running Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Just a few examples of the dodgy goings on*:

Huge hikes in the cost for family's who want to swim at Waves

"Don't know anything about that, love" - Tory Cllr Michael Law Riding Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport

Closing old peoples homes and doing back-room deals

"It can't be us dear we believe in openness and new ways of doing politics" - Liberal Democrat Leader David Foster Executive member for Adult Services

Cuts in support for vital bus services across Blackburn

"Nothing to do with me, darling, I use a car" - Tory Cllr Alan Cottam Executive Member for Regeneration

Secrecy about children at risk

"We've been misquoted by the Telegraph, honey" - Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Thayne Executive Member for Children

Salary increases for senior officers and cuts in pay for everyone else

"I know nothing babe, it was before my time" - Tory Leader Michael Lee and former Executive Member for Resources

I know others who have attended meeting at the Council recently share our frustration too as members of the public are treated rudely and disdainfully when they raise concerns at Executive Boards and Council forums.

If it's any comfort however, history tells us that once people get conned they are much more careful the next time someone tries to sell them something dodgy. That though helps me remember that the day of reckoning isn't that far off before our friends controlling the Council will get their collars felt and told by the electorate that the game is up and they don't want to buy their mixed brand of politics anymore.

*These aren't direct quotes, obviously. But I think it's fair to say these sum up the attitude of Executive members.

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