Monthly Archives: January 2011

I don’t know whether many of you saw the article in last week’s Inside Housing from SAVE about the Welsh Streets. I have never read such absolute twaddle since I read one of Grant Shapp’s speeches on housing. SAVE and … Continue reading →

There I knew that headline would get your attention! It’s true that I can with undue modesty claim that I am one of the most forthright critics of Ollie and Stanley but even I recognise that even a broken clock … Continue reading →

I doubt that there were many people surprised by the announcement the week before last that RBS the parent of the Nat West Bank had been fined £2.8million for its shoddy handling of complaints. I certainly didn’t raise an eyebrow. … Continue reading →

For the past 30+ years I have been in and out of Parliament – for the last ten years quite intensively – certainly as much as some members of parliament! I have never been impressed. The so called ‘Mother of … Continue reading →

Yesterday I did two interviews for BBC TV on housing – I know that this was picked up by several BBC radio stations as well because of the tweets that I have had. I have been a councillor connected with … Continue reading →

So Mr. Milliband Junior has been suggesting that dissident Lib Dems should work with Labour. So far so good. I’m a dissident Lib Dem (I’ve been one for years actually) and I am very content to work with Labour at … Continue reading →

I have been connected with the national side of local government for 16 years. I had my first Ministerial meeting on behalf of Liverpool in 1977 so I do have a bit of history. That historical perspective leads me to … Continue reading →

It is now more than 10 years since the then Labour Government produced two reports which I thought were superb, seminal and might actually change the course of urban history and the long decline of many urban areas since the … Continue reading →

If you walk through the centre of Liverpool you will walk through an area which has been made a World Heritage site. On a quiet day have a look at the buildings there and you will see the commercial history … Continue reading →