BILL Cawley

@Labourheartland As was John Smith

Tony Benn wrote in his diary on Monday 16th February 1987: “Today we had a meeting of the NEC and the Shadow Cabinet. The first since Neil Kinnock became leader. Kinnock introduced the meeting and spoke for about twenty minutes. We went on to Peter Mandelson who said a few words. I find Mandelson a threatening figure for the future of the Party.” Prophetic words. Tony Benn proved to be a much shrewder judge of character than Tony Blair and Keir #Starmer. #Mandelson

In all fairness he’s not the first Orangeman to not like the pope #donaldtrump #pope #orangeman

@Regenerate_SOT Never heard it called Downs before . I suppose Barlaston comes into that category, but its definitely gritstone and Moorlands to the north of the Potteries

@Regenerate_SOT I did when I was a young Stoke Cllr in 1985;, about the same time as Nottingham was being considered . I suggested using the old loop line . It was blocked it seems by Tunstall Cllrs

Crazy to think two very light rail tram lines. 1) Stoke station to Newcastle Under Lyme & the hospital (3 miles) 2) Stoke Station to Hanley (2 miles) Would likely cost around £80m With cost likely to come down as installation improves Why is nobody asking for this?

This English gentleman helps the baby swan out of a tricky situation, even though the little one's father sees things differently.

In 1992 when the late John Smith MP was Leader of @UKLabour he kept Peter Mandelson - newly elected as MP for Hartlepool - at a distance. John was a good judge of character.

@Regenerate_SOT Thought my SMDC Cabinet colleagues did sterling work selling Option D an enhanced North Staffs today. They have put forward a compelling case

The future… North Staffordshire Mid & South Staffordshire Let’s get on with it Option D

@Regenerate_SOT @MoorlandsLabour @StaffMoorlandDC My Leek West colleague Phil Barks contribution was particularly effective

Massively impressed with Labour Councillors comments @MoorlandsLabour @StaffMoorlandDC tonight. Excellent justification and show the quality of the work undertaken. The best option for North AND South Staffordshire. Let’s take back local control together!

@martinpmurray At its southern tip it is 7 miles from Sutton Coldfield, at its northern point a few miles from Buxton

Let’s get one thing perfectly clear, ‘We did not Ask for Devolution’, ‘We do Not want Devolution’ and ‘Staffordshire Does NOT need Devolving.’ As we said right from the start, Reform UK in Staffordshire, would do what was asked of us, we would do the work, and we will always put forward the best business case for Staffordshire without Political bias. Despite objections from across all political fronts, despite objects from the people, Devolution is being forced upon us by the Labour Government. We have engaged with the process in good faith, committed to presenting the strongest business case without political bias, as others have clearly done. We have followed the Rules of the Game as instructed to do by the Government However, they do keep changing the rules of the game. What began as Devolution, ‘Strategic Mayoral Authorities’ has now shifted entirely to LGR, Local Government Reorganisation’ (Unitary Authorities) with no clear timeline for a Strategic Mayoral Authority It is essential to have an executive body, today that is the County Council, in a devolved area that is the Mayoral Authority. This gives the collective area a voice to central government and its funding, it manages large areas like Education, Social care, Highways… it manages all those vitally important services that act collectively, across all boundaries without favour or prejudice. In short LGR with no guaranteed timeline for a Strategic Authority would make for a very unbalanced and unfair system, possibly favouring one Unitary Authority over another. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED! As I said, Reform UK will always put the best business case forward and that is what we have proposed. The best business case, Measured by Labours Criteria, using Labours Rules, we even used the same consultancy firm PwC as the Labour Government We have played Their Game, by Their Rules, using their Referee. And I CALL FOUL. The rules are complex and the Labour government, well Angela Rayner, the ex-deputy leader, and the ex-English Devolution minister Jim McMahon, have changed the rules several times, mid game. So again, I CALL FOUL Using the Rules of THEIR Game, the most equally balanced and best financial option is a West Staffordshire UA and an East Staffordshire UA, that’s by their Rules, using their referee. By the Rules of the Game, this option gives the best combined outcome of any, I repeat, any of the choices proposed so far today. A West UA & East UA, gives the best- Gross Disposable Household Income – Digital Connectivity It gives the best, most equally split, Business Rates & Council Tax - Employment & GVA work hours, It even gives the best Life expectancy. Across all other metrics there is little to no difference. Their rules, Their Game, NOT OURS. There are so many other factors the Devolution white paper should have considered as a priority, Local culture and community being the highest. They should have factored in the cost, which has changed, and put in place the systems for each area to still have a Voice, local democracy matters, but sadly in this game, it has been forgotten. A North - South Unitary Authority places far too many assets under one Northern Powerhouse, not a North Staffordshire Unitary Authority but a Greater Stoke Authority. Both our Universities Plus Staffordshire two largest colleges would be in 1 the Northern Authority Staffordshire’s largest, most prosperous Business zones with the largest future growth plans, like Chatterley Park, over 1million sq./ft, leading into Ceramic Valley, the amazing and globally renowned, Keele Science Park. PLUS, the upcoming Fifty/500 development, would all be under 1Northern Unitary Authority or as I suspect the ‘Greater Stoke Authority’ And if Labour changes the rules again, to allow boundary changes, we will see even more assets under one Northern UA, this creates a further unbalanced & unfair split, making all parts of South Staffordshire POORER. There is a real and present danger that parts of South Staffordshire could be absorbed into neighbouring authorities: South Staffordshire could be merged into Wolverhampton, Tamworth could be taken by Warwickshire and Lichfield could well be absorbed into Birmingham. All this would make South Staffordshire Economically Unviable, leading to one thing, A Greater Stoke Authority taking control over what remains of Staffordshire. Like I said at the beginning. This is Their Game not ours and I CALL FOUL. We have played their game, now it is time to rewrite the rules. So, I call on all MPs from every political background to STOP Devolution, because this current plan, this game we are being forcing to play, will Break the Heart of the Country in two. #StopDevolution #NoLGR #SaveStaffordshire #Staffordshire #BeatingHeartofTheCountry @reformparty_uk @GBNEWS @TalkTV @LBC @BBCRadioStoke @ITVCentral @ExpressandStar @bbcwm @PoliticsMids @BBCPolitics @StaffsChambers @PolitlcsUK @timespolitics @PoliticsJOE_UK @SkyNewsPolitics x.com/politicshome @birmingham_live @ryanmarkparsons @astor_charlie @joshsandiford_ @KerryAshdownLDR @LewisJWarner

@Regenerate_SOT East and West . It didn't work for Germany

Serious people, paid an awful lot of our money Think this is the sensible solution Reform have lost their marbles at the county council. Do they even know this area?

Wetherspoons gets a lot of flak, but hats off to them for promoting women brewers during their current Beer Festival.

Please join us at this extremely important significant service in #Leek #HolocaustMemorialDay

I stand with @jessphillips… National treasure 👍 Share if you agree.

@JonathanPieNews The rather camp actor Ernest Thesiger was asked what he thought of fighting on the Western Front .." The noise.. the people" was his reported reply

Very true. Every day I wake up and think: “Fuck sake, off to fight in The Battle of The Somme again.” Bloody sick of it.

Who knew that #Leek Labour councillor @BILLCawley12 did a bit of moonlighting as one of Santa's little helpers?

The newly refurbished markets in #Leek open for business and buzzing! 📸 @mattswindl35262

Rob, a versifier from Hartshill, has put together this ode to celebrate the reopening of the markets in #Leek for @BILLCawley12

The markets in #Leek will be reopening today! Great news for the town, and everyone involved

Leek's refurbished market is an asset to the Staffordshire Moorlands. It will attract tourists to the Moorlands and the Churnet Valley. Good luck, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all Leek's market traders.

Opening on 6 December in the newly refurbished #Leek markets: Scrumbles Cake Shop and The Slamwich Club @mattswindl35262 is "absolutely thrilled" to welcome them to the town And if you want to join them, there is just one unit left! 📸 @StaffMoorlandDC