Justice For Rioters

 Listening to the reaction of the shop owner makes you proud to be British.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17154739

Now can we get the European Court of Human Rights to do the right thing? (pun intended)

Commendation from the Taxpayers Alliance

 The Taxpayers Alliance have given me the “Pinup of the Month” award for February 2012. Awesome!

I did wonder if those authorities that are increasing by just-under-the-referendum-limit were given the money to hold a referendum, whether they would do so? Unlikely, methinks.

Every local government person I’ve ever spoken to is very much against democratic accountability for big tax rises.

It’s a curious comparison to Greece, where the threat of a referendum on the earlier bailout was also greeted with abject horror from the Eurocratopoly.

I’m just pleased that the implementation of tax cutting is starting to spread across the UK – something begun by Hammersmith and Fulham, and then ourselves but only very occasionally elsewhere  . . . but now happening in Brentwood, Wirral, South Oxfordshire . . and hard pressed local people are the winners, those on fixed incomes or low salaries the ones who benefit directly from a reduction in one of the largest household bills.

Given the huge amount that Council Tax has increased over the last decade, there must be more to follow.

Berkshire Fire Authority helps Windsor retain 24/7 service with a full sized fire engine

At the meeting of the Berkshire Fire Authority last night, the Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) was approved. It contained a good deal of standard stuff around the fire service, but the important thing for the Borough is the service provision in Windsor. We now have a full sized pump on the run, 24/7, and it will be crewed pretty much all of the time by at least 4 crew. This is some way forward from the position 5 years ago when the Fire Authority wanted to close Windsor altogether.

In Maidenhead today at 1.41am our local fire service was called into action at sheltered accomodation in Brill House, Cox Green – which had a night time fire. Fortunately, automatic equipment alerted the problem before it spread too far and residents were evacuated without injury. The property is a bit damaged, I understand.