Taxman Targets Interims and Consultants on Local Authorities

20:00 Tuesday 13th March 2012
File on Four Radio Four

ANNOUNCER: With tax avoidance increasingly in the news, Fran Abrahams investigates the extent of the problem. ..
FRAN ABRAHAMS: HMRC is certainly facing criticism. MPs have been asking why it’s doing deals with big business over unpaid tax bills. There was anger over the revelation that the Chief Executive of the Student Loan Company wasn’t on its payroll. And we’ve discovered it isn’t just central government that’s under pressure on the issue. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has been thanking its residents for helping it cut costs. It’s even been able to reduce council tax bills. But there ‘s been concern it might also have been cutting back on another kind of bill, the tax bill. The issue arose over the employment of a man named Nick Johnson, who’s recently been working at Hammersmith in a senior role. Theresa Pearce, who’s now a Labour MP, knew him when he was Chief Executive of Bexley Council in South London. Continue reading “Taxman Targets Interims and Consultants on Local Authorities”

The Accelerating Decline in Road Maintenance

07:17 Thursday 15th March 2012
Cambridge Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

JEREMY SALLIS: Let’s talk about potholes. Despite the mild winter, it’s going to take eleven years to clear the backlog of potholes on the UK roads, according to a new report out today. The annual report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance says £90 million was spent on repairing the 1.7 million potholes last year. The report also says the number of complaints received by local authorities from the general public about the condition of roads increased by 10%. Well let’s speak to the Director of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, David Weeks. A very good morning to you David.
DAVID WEEKS: Good morning.
JEREMY SALLIS: We’re catching our tail here. It doesn’t look like we’re ever going to catch up. Continue reading “The Accelerating Decline in Road Maintenance”

Alaric Aldred on Saving Water

17:50 Wednesday 14th March 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Some of us are facing the first hosepipe ban imposed by Anglian Water in twenty years. What are we in the county doing to save water? Our reporter Johnny D. has been out to Melborn to see Alaric Aldred, who seems, well, quite well prepared. Continue reading “Alaric Aldred on Saving Water”

Afghanistan – The Mechanics of Withdrawal

17:10 Tuesday 13th March 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The Prime Minister is flying to Washington for talks with President Obama. During the three day trip the two men are expected to discuss measures leading up to the withdrawal of British and US troops in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. .. It’s thought the precise timetable for Afghan troops to take over combat operations could be brought forward. New opinion polls here suggest the tide of public opinion wants it to be speeded up. But how likely and how possible is that? I talked a little earlier to a leading military analyst, Major Charles Heyman. (TAPE)
CHARLES HEYMAN: Well everything is possible. And they could make a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan, if our politicians wanted them to do that. But it’s fraught with danger, both political problems there and military problems as well.
CHRIS MANN: What kind of dangers? Continue reading “Afghanistan – The Mechanics of Withdrawal”

Before Queensgate

07:12 Friday 9th March 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: Trevor Pearce is ..Chairman of the Peterborough Local History Society. Do you remember the .. centre of Peterborough pre-1982?
TREVOR PEACRE: I do indeed Paul. Yes.
PAUL STAINTON: Was it a vibrant centre at the time?
TREVOR PEARCE: Yes it was. You’ve got to remember, in the middle of what is now Queensgate, was Perkins Engine factory.
PAUL STAINTON: Yes.
TREVOR PEARCE: That’s where it all started. There was also a huge printing works. There was a big department store called Trollope’s, and numerous little shops. And I think something like fifteen pubs.
PAUL STAINTON: Was there really?
TREVOR PEARCE: Yes.
PAUL STAINTON: Really! It’s before my time. I came in ’89. It was all built then. It was all sorted, and running very very nicely. It’s undoubtedly been a success.
TREVOR PEARCE: Indeed.
PAUL STAINTON: We were one of the first places to get a shopping centre. And that was a great thing. But has it had a detrimental impact do you think on those independent shops that we had before?
TREVOR PEARCE: Yes. Maybe. I think there was a huge price to pay. It was a labyrinth of tiny little streets. Very narrow little streets. And I think there was a price to pay for that centre. But at the other side of the coin is I think we came off pretty good, because it’s a good centre. You compare it with the Broadmarsh or the Viccy Centre in Nottingham ..
PAUL STAINTON: Hmm.
TREVOR PEARCE: We’ve come off quite well.
PAUL STAINTON: Well the Broadmarsh is half empty all the time. That’s the thing. (THEY LAUGH)

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Weeping and Wailing as Green Bank Long Shot Kicks the Bucket

07:21 Friday 9th March 2012
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: The Government announced yesterday where the UK’s Green Investment Bank will be based. You may remember we’ve been bidding for it, we’ve been expecting it, hoping for it, looking for it. Well we didn’t get it. We were snubbed. It’s gone to Edinburgh. Edinburgh of all places. What was Vince Cable playing at? (TAPE)
VINCE CABLE: Edinburgh has a very good financial centre. A lot’s happening in the green industry front. London is a centre for specialist banking. We want to tap into both of them. And we’ve had a competition which showed that those two were the two cities that came out on top. But this is a big step forward. By the end of this year the Green Investment Bank will be getting out good projects. So we’re well on the way to making Britain a world leader in green investment.” (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well, disappointing for Peterborough. Opportunity Peterborough disappointed too. They put the bid together for the city. Neil Darwin, Director of Economic Development is here with a little frown on your face this morning. Continue reading “Weeping and Wailing as Green Bank Long Shot Kicks the Bucket”

UKIP Welcome New Believers

17:21 Thursday 8th March 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Nigel Farage, Leader of the UK Independence Party, is in Cambridgeshire this evening. In fact he’s in this studio, claiming growing support in Cambridgeshire. In a moment I’ll be talking to him, but earlier this week a Tory MEP defected to UKIP. Roger Helmer, and MEP for 13 years, explained his reasons to us earlier. (TAPE)
ROGER HELMER: I have strong views about Europe. I think we would be better off out. I have strong views about climate and energy. I don’t think we should be covering the country with windfarms. And on a whole range of other issues, I’m afraid I disagree with the direction that Cameron’s Conservative Party is going. Indeed, I would say that the Conservative Party today is just another pro-European social democratic party, a bit like the LibDems, a bit like the Labour Party. Whereas the common sense solutions that most Conservative Party members want, on Europe, on energy, on all these issues, actually UKIP is offering the common sense solution. Those are the opinions that I’ve had right the way through, and I’ve been trying all the time to move the Conservative Party in a more Eurosceptic direction, more closely in line with the members. because it’s the leadership that are going in the wrong direction. And I finally finished pushing water up hill. Too many disappointments, too many false dawns, and I’m afraid I don’t think the Conservative Party is going to adopt a sensible attitude on Europe, or on these other issues. And by the way, I would stress, you say UKIP is an anti-European party. We’re in favour of Europe, we’re just against the European Union. But we also have a range of other policies. And I do want to stress, the media often presents us as a single issue party. We’re not. We’ve got very clear policies on a wide range of issues. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: Roger Helmer talking on this station a little earlier on. He defected earlier this week from the Conservative Party to UKIP. And the Leader Nigel Farage is in the studio now. Good evenening. Welcome.
NIGEL FARAGE: Good evening.
CHRIS MANN: On your way to St Ives this evening, where you’re going to be announcing another move, are you not, another recruit? Continue reading “UKIP Welcome New Believers”

Campaign Lifeline for the Cambridge Royal Standard

17:54 Wednesday 7th March 2012
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The demise of the pub in the county continues. Planning applications to remove three more pubs from Cambridge have just been submitted. They are The Royal Standard in Mill Road, The Greyhound in Coldhams Lane, and the Seven Stars in Newmarket Road. They could all be destined to be knocked down or converted into flats and businesses, in the face of, it has to be said, stiff opposition from some residents. Well Paul Ainsworth from CAMRA joins me now. Paul. Well we’ve discussed this before haven’t we?
PAUL AINSWORTH: Yes we have.
CHRIS MANN: Because there’s already been quite a toll in the last decade on pubs around the county, and specifically in Cambridge. But this is three more. What do you think? Continue reading “Campaign Lifeline for the Cambridge Royal Standard”