BBC transcripts
Two stories from the Cambs Times defy rational explanation. Both involve Cambridgeshire Police.
1. A camper van load of cannabis plants ends up in the river, but the owner is in the clear, despite evidence of a crime having been committed.
2. A platoon of police wrestle a man to the ground, spray him, and evict him from his own pub, despite no crime having been committed.
Where do we stand on this? Where is the firm ground?
08:06 Monday 11th April 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: The English Democrats have accused the ruling Conservative Party of electioneering ahead of next month’s local elections. It follows the news on Friday that Stanground College and Orton Longueville Schools would share £34 million pounds for major rebuilding works. Jonathan Lewis from the City Council broke the news on the show. (TAPE)
JONATHAN LEWIS: When we started the Building Schools for the Future programme, we put aside £40 million to support the overall building of the school, assuming then Government funding was coming on top. We still have around £34 million of that money left, and now we feel is the right time to start the build work with the money we have, and an expectation that there will still be money from Government, and you know, we’re fairly confident we will get something. But we want to get on. We want to transform the schools. And we want to make a difference. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: However, Opposition parties have questioned whether this announcement should have been made at such a politically sensitive time. Earlier, we heard from Councillor Stephen Goldspink. He’s standing in Stanground Central ward for the English Democrats. (TAPE)
STEPHEN GOLDSPINK: They’ve known about this money being in the budget since back in February, when it was published. They were apparently going to spend £73 million on the schools. Now they’re only going to spend £34 million, and hope they get some Government money on top. But why announce it now? They’ve known all about this for a long long time, and there was no reason to announce it right in the middle of an election period. It came from the schools, but it also came from the Education Department. You’ve spoken to Jon Lewis. And they rang up the schools, told them the news last Wednesday, because I checked with the schools. They could have said to the schools, keep this to yourselves please. It’s an election period, and there’s a convention that we do not make major announcements during election periods. They didn’t do that. (LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: We also heard from the Labour candidate Chris York in the first hour of the show. Also standing in Stanground central, John Swallow for the Independents, and Marco Cereste for the Conservatives, Leader of Peterborough City Council, who joins me now. Morning Marco. Continue reading “Cereste Pleads Ignorance and Blames Others for Purdah Breach”
BREAKING NEWS:Stephen Barclay MP questions why a “small rural force” spends £300,000 on PR and pays its top man £190,000 pa.
08:45 Tuesday 5th April 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: Several drugs raids have been taking place in and around the city this morning, and our reporter Johnnie Dee is in Thorney, where a raid took place in just the last hour. Morning Johnnie. (OB)
JOHNNIE DEE: Good morning Paul. Yes I’m on Wisbech Road in Thorney. If you go to the left of me at the moment it’s Guyhurn, and the other way is Peterborough. And there is a row of old terraced cottages, known as Bedford Cottages, erected by the Duke of Bedford in the 1800s. And outside Paul, something very unusual is going on, because we’ve got a large blue police van, two police patrol cars, and lots of police officers I can see in front of me, in this little cottage. Continue reading “Cambridgeshire Police Impact Team”
08:24 Friday 1st April 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: Something is wrong on Priestgate. .. Brass plaques displaying the names of businesses in Priestgate have just disappeared into thin air. Our reporter Miss Kerry Devine has been down Priestgate to see what’s going on. She started by talking to Carol from Priestgate Business Centre. Continue reading “Plaque Attack by Metal Thieves in Priestgate”
07:35 Thursday 31st March 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: To AV, or not to AV, that is the question. On May 5th we’ll be asked to vote in a referendum on changing the way we elect MPs. The choice is between keeping the current system, or switching to Alternative Vote, where you can rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just putting one cross in one box, the old traditional way. A series of TV and radio adverts to promote the referendum is launched on Friday, and from next week all of us will get an information pack posted to us. But we’re going to give you the low-down first, starting with these five facts from our political reporter Alan Soady. Continue reading “The Mysteries of AV”
07:37 Wednesday 30th March 2011
Peterborough Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
PAUL STAINTON: What is a police officer? As police forces have their numbers axed, there’s a debate over what is a front line police officer. In Cambridgeshire we’re being told front line policing will be protected. But what is it? Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary has done a study into the definition, and Zoe Billingham is the HM Inspector for the Eastern Region. Morning Zoe.
ZOE BILLINGHAM: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: What is a policeman? Continue reading “Police Cuts – What is a Front Line Officer?”
11:31 Monday 28th March 2011
Mid-Morning Show BBC
Radio Cambridgeshire
ANDY HARPER: The Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is in Cambridge this morning, in his new role as Labour’s East of England Champion. He’s hosting a fightback summit with Party members on how they can win back seats here in the Eastern region. So, is this an admission that the Party’s going to have to work hard to win back votes in Cambridgeshire and across our region? Well let’s find out. Good morning to you.
ED BALLS: Hi there.
ANDY HARPER: Now then, would it be fair to say that really this part of the world is bandit country for Labour politicians at the moment? Very little representation these days. Continue reading “Shadow Chancellor Campaigning in the East”