Category: Peterborough

Lee Hammered In Peterborough Leadership Challenge

07:15 Wednesday 8th May 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[R]ONNIE BARBOUR: The Leader of the City Council in Peterborough has survived a challenge for his position from his own Deputy. Marco Cereste won the vote to be Leader of the Conservative Group last night, beating Matthew Lee. Johnny D. has more for us. Morning to you Johnny. (OB)
JOHN DEVINE: Good morning Ronnie. Yes. Good morning everybody. I’m outside Peterborough Town Hall on Bridge Street Ronnie, which last night was the scene of another dramatic night in Cambridgeshire politics. Just days after the King of Cambridgeshire Nick Clarke was dethroned in the elections, there was a chance that the Peterborough Leader was going to meet a similar fate Ronnie. Every year the Conservatives in Peterborough have their annual group meeting, and the councillors within that group have the opportunity to stand for certain positions. Last week the current Deputy Matthew Lee shocked us all by announcing he’ll be taking on Marco in the Leadership vote. But in the end the Tory group stood behind their Leader and gave him a huge vote of confidence, voting in favour of him by twenty four votes to eight, which is quite a big margin.
RONNIE BARBOUR: This type of Leadership challenge, has it happened before Johnny? Continue reading “Lee Hammered In Peterborough Leadership Challenge”

BBC In Peterborough Again Featuring Marco Cereste On Immigration

In the run-up to the local elections the BBC’s Nick Robinson visits Peterborough, for reasons best known to the Beeb, and advises residents to get over their insularity, and any lingering objections they may have to the loss of their status as an English market town. Continue reading “BBC In Peterborough Again Featuring Marco Cereste On Immigration”

Peterborough The Self-Harm Capital Of The Prison Estate

07:07 Friday 26th April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Peterborough Prison had the highest amount of self-harm incidents in the whole of the UK in 2012. More than 1200 incidents were recorded last year. That’s more than 400 more than the next worst prison, Foston Hall In Derby. 24 self-harm incidents were recorded every week at the prison last year. Now Andrew Nielson Director of Campaigns at the Howard League For Penal Reform, which is a charity working for less crime, safer communities, and fewer people in prison, he’s with us this morning. Andrew, morning.
ANDREW NIELSON: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: First of all I suppose, your reaction to these figures.
ANDREW NIELSON: Shocking obviously that Peterborough tops the table. There is some positive news in that the national figure of self-harm incidents in prisons has gone slightly down. But why Peterborough is top? I think they ke point, and I think it actually relates to another story you’ve got today about the Dawn Project, working with women, is that Peterborough holds both men and women. And while self-harm in custody is a problem found across the board, there’s absolutely no doubt that it’s the biggest problem with women in prison. Continue reading “Peterborough The Self-Harm Capital Of The Prison Estate”

Posh Championship Survival Down To The Wire

18:36 Thursday 25th April 2013
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[C]HRIS MANN: Peterborough United boss Darren Ferguson says he won’t be keeping an eye on the other Championship results on Saturday. Posh kick off in their crucial game against Sheffield Wednesday at five twenty, but Fergie says he’ll resist the temptation of checking the progress of their relegation rivals. The Posh boss says he’s using previous experience to help him cope with the pressure. (TAPE)
DARREN FERGUSON: We’ve always had really important games at this end of the season, even last season. And there’s never been a year when we haven’t. In fact as a manager I’ve never had it. Even at Preston I was trying to keep them up, and things like that. I’ve never had a mid-table game that doesn’t matter. So I’m used to it, and I have to use all my experience. The players, a lot of them are used to it as well. And when it’s really come to the crunch, on the past that is, when we’ve been going for promotion, when we’ve been trying to stay in the league, we’ve always managed to succeed. And we have to try and do it again. Continue reading “Posh Championship Survival Down To The Wire”

Scarce Funds Squandered On Vain Posturing

08:20 Wednesday 24th April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Creating the UK’s Environment Capital. (MUSIC: THIS IS A SIGN OF THE TIMES) That’s the claim made by Peterborough City Council. A series of new signs that are popping up around the city’s boundaries. The Council are spending three thousand pounds replacing the Welcome signs and posts. The current ones have apparently reached the end of their natural. But are they wasting a stack of cash, and is the slogan just a little bit premature? Well Councillor Darren Fower is the LibDem councillor for South Werrington and North Gunthorpe. Morning.
DARREN FOWER: Morning sir.
PAUL STAINTON: Would you like a nice three thousand pound sign on your front lawn?
DARREN FOWER: Oh yes. What a great idea this one is. The latest one out of the Council machine. Continue reading “Scarce Funds Squandered On Vain Posturing”

BBC Immigration Survey Seeks To Calm Fears

17:18 Monday 22nd April 2013
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[C]HRIS MANN: How many Bulgarians and Romanians will come to the Uk once travel restrictions are lifted next year? Some newspapers have talked of fears of a major influx, but a BBC survey suggests that might not be right. We’ll get some more reaction from local Conservative MP Stewart Jackson, and also talk to the Head of Ukip, the Deputy Head of Ukip Paul Nuttall in just a moment of two, but first of all our Political Reporter Robin Crystal has more.
ROBIN CRYSTAL: Well I think we need to put this in context first of all Chris. At the moment, there are travel restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians coming to this country, so they are lifted at the end of this year. So the BBC went to Bulgaria and Romania and carried out a proper constituted survey of a thousand people in each country. They asked the simple question, are you thinking of moving elsewhere in the EU when the restriction’s lifted, to which a third in both countries said yes we are. Then they asked well are you thinking of coming to the UK. For Romania the figure dropped quite a lot to 8.2%, Bulgaria it was 13.6%. Then they started to ask what I think is the more interesting question, is well, what have you done about it. Have you approached a job agency, have you got accommodation, and there the figure dropped quite dramatically for Romania down to 0.3%, and Bulgaria to 2.5%. Of those relatively small numbers, the majority of Romanians who were interested had degrees and were affluent, were looking for reasonably higher paid jobs. A number of the Bulgarians tended to be younger, and more likely to be unemployed than the average.
CHRIS MANN: I’m sure the Bulgarians and Romanians are aware there’s been a bit of a tabloid storm here, so how trustworthy are these findings? Continue reading “BBC Immigration Survey Seeks To Calm Fears”

Leftists Sacrifice Pensioners On The Altar Of Austerity

07:27 Monday 22nd April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Are many pensioners receiving too many benefits and paying too little tax? A new report from the left of centre Fabian Society suggests that might just be the case. It says middle income pensioners have typically done much better than working households in recent years. Well Tony Bonsignore is here, our business guru. Morning.
TONY BONSIGNORE: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: I can hear pensioners across Cambridgeshire going “No”
TONY BONSIGNORE: Yes indeed. Yes indeed. And I think some politicians in Westminster will be reading this this morning and I imagine shuddering at the thought of what this will do to their vote as well. Can I give you their argument, and you can make up your own mind? Continue reading “Leftists Sacrifice Pensioners On The Altar Of Austerity”

An Outline Of The Green Manifesto For Cambridgeshire

07:22 Tuesday 16th April 2013
Bigger Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

(TAPE OB CAMBRIDGE)
ED MILIBAND: It’s more to the seriousness with which we’re taking every part of the country. Look, in a way we’re a long way back on the County Council, and I’m not predicting we’re going to take control of the County Council. But what I am saying is we’ve got something to say to everybody right across the country. I think it’s right that we do that. And that’s what I’m determined to do.
(LIVE STUDIO)
PAUL STAINTON: With Labour admitting it’s unlikely to make much headway in Cambridgeshire, a Tory stronghold of course, maybe the Greens could capitalise on the party’s decline in fortunes. Councillor Simon Sedgwick- Jell is leading the Green Party in Cambridgeshire. Good morning.
SIMON SEDGWICK-JELL: Hiya.
PAUL STAINTON: Were you impressed with Ed’s message yesterday in Cambridge. Is he going to make serious inroads and batter the Greens and the Tories in the forthcoming elections? Continue reading “An Outline Of The Green Manifesto For Cambridgeshire”