What do our MP's do for us? - Page 2

derekgas · 14-06-2009, 19:02

They have done the opposite Garinda, expensive business rates, poor town planning and though actually affordable, poor housing in a lot of cases.

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:07

Hyndburn has changed in the last thirty odd years.

It might no longer be seen as a industrial/manufacturing area, though unemployment in Hyndburn is less than it was in the late seventies.

Those in work are ensured of a minimum wage, something that didn't happen in the past.

Also those not in work certainly have a higher standard of living than thirty years ago.

State of the art televisions, telephones, washing machines etc., are now seen as a nesessity now, not the luxury items they were thirty years ago.

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

They have done the opposite Garinda, expensive business rates, poor town planning and though actually affordable, poor housing in a lot of cases.

That's down to successive borough councils, and isn't really anything to do with a Member of Parliament though.

Margaret Pilkington · 14-06-2009, 19:10

derek is that not down to local politics?
OK, I know that government allocate monies, and we may feel that we do not get enough of those monies, but then however much was given we would still spend it.
I think that the local council has made some poor decisions when it comes to spending money to improve the town centre.......you only have to look at the farce that is Broadway to realise that....all that money on a substandard project that has lasted no time at all.........it is breaking up all over the place.

The Roads and the state of them is down to LCC.....and I suppose that our MP has little control over what they do with their allocated money.

derekgas · 14-06-2009, 19:14

I would have thought they could be heard in the right places to change things though, and should make lots of noise imo.

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

derek is that not down to local politics?
OK, I know that government allocate monies, and we may feel that we do not get enough of those monies, but then however much was given we would still spend it.
I think that the local council has made some poor decisions when it comes to spending money to improve the town centre.......you only have to look at the farce that is Broadway to realise that....all that money on a substandard project that has lasted no time at all.........it is breaking up all over the place.

The Roads and the state of them is down to LCC.....and I suppose that our MP has little control over what they do with their allocated money.

You're totally right.

Governments dicate policy, but is borough/city councils who make all the important local issues, and some of the decisions we're living with here in Hyndburn have been howlingly bad.

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

I would have thought they could be heard in the right places to change things though, and should make lots of noise imo.

Sadly a MP has no say at all about moving the market, and 'revamping' Broadway, at a cost of nearly a million pounds, or the waste of a £700,000 grant from central government, for the now defunct community website, or the decision to allow a town centre Tesco, which many traders will be the death knell for their businesses.

All those decisions are down to local councillors.

Bless 'em.

BERNADETTE · 14-06-2009, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

I would have thought they could be heard in the right places to change things though, and should make lots of noise imo.

My thoughts exactly, to me it is a cop out to say he couldn't influence things if he really wanted to

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:22

...and it was the local council who decided to sell off all the social housing in the borough. A decission nothing a MP can do anything about.

derekgas · 14-06-2009, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Sadly a MP has no say at all about moving the market, and 'revamping' Broadway, at a cost of nearly a million pounds, or the waste of a £700,000 grant from central government, for the now defunct community website, or the decision to allow a town centre Tesco, which many traders will be the death knell for their businesses.

All those decisions are down to local councillors.

Bless 'em.

Seems to me we pay them for not a lot, I wasn't aware they had no influence (or say in things) locally, that is I think, very sad, and needs to change, mainly because it appears that councillors either get things very wrong, very often, or they themselves actually dont have much clout/make enough noise.

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

My thoughts exactly, to me it is a cop out to say he couldn't influence things if he really wanted to

Give an example of where he could have lobbied locally?

For example as far as I know Hilden's no longer manufacture at Ossy Mills, which they have for decades, if not centuries. How could an MP fight to prevent the loss of textile jobs, when as a company they are facing competition from abroad, because of our desire for cheaper goods?

The company will make the best decision for themselves, which in this case is to carry on locally, but in Blackburn.

(I'm sure the birthday girl will correct me, if the major details are incorrect.)

garinda · 14-06-2009, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by derekgas

Seems to me we pay them for not a lot, I wasn't aware they had no influence (or say in things) locally, that is I think, very sad, and needs to change, mainly because it appears that councillors either get things very wrong, very often, or they themselves actually dont have much clout/make enough noise.

You have a point.

I think we expect a more greater degree of professionalism of MPs...hopefully, than we do of our councillors.

They decide our laws, and if we are going to go off an fight a war etc, but locally our councils have much more impact on our day to day lives, now and in the future, yet many people don't really care if we have a bunch of numskulls in charge of a massive multi-million budget...raised from our council taxes.

shakermaker · 14-06-2009, 19:36

Come to think of it, what did those Romans ever do for us?

derekgas · 14-06-2009, 19:38

Many of us, myself included, are guilty of the same thing then, apathy and ignorance, dont suppose it will change anytime soon either, thank you for clearing a couple of things up Garinda.

Neil · 14-06-2009, 19:39

So at the moment it looks like the only use for an MP is to help us out with personal problems.

If they don't do anything for us then why do we need them?