Author: Brian Riley

It is the soldier

Brian Riley Political - National and other, Quotation of the day

It is the Soldier, not the minister

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer

Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,

Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

— (c) Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army
Purple Heart Medal

Amazon Again

Brian Riley HadCham, Money Matters, Political - Local, Political - National and other, Uncategorized

Daily Telegraph Logo

The Daily Telegraph on 21st May had some cogent comment on the Amazon lack of taxes paid in the U.K . debate.

The article begins:

The criticism, of Google, Amazon and even Marks & Spencer for seemingly trying to lower their corporation tax payments threatens to take the focus away from the real tax issue in retail – business rates.

For all the focus on how little Amazon pays in corporation tax, it is how little they pay in business rates that is really hurting the high street Their business rate bill is negligible while Home Retail Group, the owner of high street rival Argos, pays £140m.

There is no complex tax avoidance scheme by Amazon to avoid paying business rates, their low payment is simply because they have little physical presence as a business compared to the 700 high street stores of Argos.

Therefore, if the Government is serious about making online companies pay taxes and also about saving the high street it must focus on revamping business rates.

One of the reasons Amazon appears to pay little corporation tax is that its profit margins are wafer thin, reflecting the fact that online retailing is not yet as. profitable as high-street retailing. In 2012, for example, the company posted a global operating profit of $676m (£444m) on sales of $61.lbn; That is a profit margin of just 1.1 p.c.

However, business rates have no relation to profitability – they are simply measured by the rentable value of a commercial property and inflation. This means that struggling high street’ retailers have been spending millions on business rates while start-up online retailers have been free of the tax. This imbalance threatens to distort the future of the retail industry.

The full article is enclosed as a PDF Freeze on Business Rates (since the on line version has been truncated).

 

Polling Day Eve

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local , ,

Vote for BrianTomorrow is polling day for the Suffolk County Council election. My family and friends have worked tirelessly to cover Hadleigh with leaflets and letters designed to remind my supporters that I am the right choice and I need their votes.
Hadleigh needs someone who can ensure that the town gets its fair share of the County’s budgets and who can make a positive contribution to the town’s well being.
The Council is responsible for the following major services:
Transport and streets: maintaining and improving Suffolk’s roads, footpaths and public rights of way, road safety, public transport co-ordination.
Social care: care for older people who are physically or mentally infirm, or have a mental health problem, those with physical or learning disabilities and children and families who need protection and support.
Education and learning: schools, evening classes for adults, youth clubs and higher education grants.
Environment: conservation of the countryside and public access to it, waste disposal and archaeological services.
Business and trading standards: enforcing fair trading laws, protecting consumers and giving advice.
Leisure and culture: library services, archives and support for arts and museums.
Public safety: fire fighting, rescue and emergency services, safety advice.
Registration: births, marriages and deaths.

So, all in all, it’s an incredible job to suggest to the electorate that I am the right choice.
The work has been done, only time will tell whether I have worked hard enough and have been deemed worthy.

Promoted by Brian Riley of Baskwood House, 4, Benton Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 5AT

Pay Policy Statement 2013/2014

Brian Riley Money Matters, Political - Local ,

 Flag bTuesday’s  Babergh District Council Meeting was a quiet affair being mainly concerned with formalities of approving matters already agreed upon elsewhere. For example who sits on and who leads the various sub committees.
However at the back of the morning we got around to looking at paper “N9 Pay Policy Statement 2013/14”. It was introduced in a gentle way. We were reminded that our approval was required in accordance with Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011.
However, under Financial Implications, we were informed that “The pay policy has been produced within existing resources and there are no financial implications”
I interpreted this statement to mean that Babergh produced the policy without chopping down any more trees than had already been killed in manufacturing the paper and that (perhaps) more importantly we had not used any external consultants.
This was not the information I would have liked. As always the key to analysis is not only to examine what is in front of you but what you are not seeing and what I was not seeing was an indication of how much this policy was costing us on a year on year basis.
After much standing up and sitting down the Chief Executive affirmed that there would  be no increase in the payroll as a result of the policy. I was grateful for the unequivocal statement along these lines and thanked the Chairman, the Chief Executive and the Head of Corporate Organisation.
It was like pulling teeth without anaesthetic .
Whilst I was congratulating myself of achieving unexpected reactions it did occur to me that perhaps there will be increases in the overall payroll but they won’t be due to the policy but to something else.
I’ll ponder on this when the time comes, probably in the small hours of a morning.

Convalescence

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things , ,

ConvalescenceA few weeks ago I went to a poetry reading in aid of Success After Stroke. Readings were taken from “Convalescence” a slim volume of poems written by Gerard Melia and performed by a professional actress and Andrew Frolish (head teacher at St Mary’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School). The evening raised over £300 for Success After Stroke.
More interesting was the description of the work done by Success After Stroke and how Gerard worked through his communication issues after his second stroke.
In a foreword to the book Margherita Baker, Speech and Language Therapist at Ipswich Hospital writes  …
“At first his words had a life of their own, never quite able to match Gerard’s voice. Gradually with tremendous effort and determination, after two years, Gerard managed to express his thoughts and observations on paper as poems …  He would hope that in sharing them he is raising awareness of how it feels to be lost for words and then, bit by bit to clamber back”
The book is available from Mr. G. Melia,56B, Aldham Road, Hadleigh IP7 6BP.
Please send Gerard a stamped self addressed C5 envelope together with a small donation (min. £5). Cheques should be made payable to Success After Stroke.  The book is worthwhile as is the charity (for which Gift Aid is applicable).

Tessitori (Weavers)

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things

Weaver bird by exfordyFor a few weeks Weavers Spice (one of Hadleigh’s Indian restaurants) has been closed.
In a few weeks time it will open under new management (and business ownership) as Tessitori (Italian for Weavers). Tessitori plans to open early next month as a wine bar/pizzeria. I
t’s good to see this part of the High Street coming alive and I wish Tessitori every success.  

Tools With A Mission

Brian Riley Church matters, Local Colour, Nice Things , , ,

TWAMOn Wednesday evening I dropped into the Churches Together in Hadleigh group. I am a trustee and my duties are not onerous and it’s possible that CTiH will deregister as a charity, in which case I and my three fellow trustees will become redundant.
The various representatives directing CTiH are an interesting group of people and one of the items  of business was “What will be the group charity this year?” The answer was Tools With A Mission (TWAM).
TWAM started twenty seven years ago, and has since then provided help by collecting and refurbishing tools and equipment no longer required in the UK and sending them overseas. Tools with a Mission enables people to earn a living and to support themselves.
So it’s not just a case of sending money, it’s a good opportunity to clear out the shed(s) and pass on the duplicate tools and those tools no longer required. The web address is http://www.twam.co.uk/index.html and their location is  2 Bailey Close, Ipswich, Suffolk IP2 0UD.

Out of the Frying Pan – April

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local ,

Recently Babergh’s full  Council discussed and approved a proposal that a vacant piece of land in Lady Lane (just up from The Green) be transferred to a Registered Provider (of Social Housing) and that a four bedroom house be built possibly with a capital contribution from the Council.
At no time were we given an estimate of the land value. Nor were there figures to indicate the financial implications of the proposal.
I dislike giving approvals when I am not aware of the potential price tags. Similarly we were not told why the Council was ignoring its own policy which states that the greatest need in the housing market is for small (one and two bedroom) and medium  sized (three bedroom) houses.
If we built two two bedroom houses we could then relocate two families who no longer need their four bedroom houses – their children having flown the nests.
Joined up thinking was not in evidence that day. On the one hand we were being asked to approve a scheme for a four bedroom house. On the other long term Hadleigh residents are being encouraged to move from their “empty nests” to smaller housing elsewhere.
It is not the first time that policies have been pursued without regard to local needs.
One department is busy implementing under occupancy penalties and another does nothing constructive to reduce its incidence.
The paper presented never mentioned why the Council thought there was a need for more four bed room social housing accommodation in Hadleigh.  The Babergh Development Framework Core Strategy (2011- 2031) Submission Draft is quite clear as to perceived housing demand. What is the point of having policies and then ignoring them?
I have asked about the intended Registered Provider  and why it was so important that they are the recipient of this particular property.
National Mushroom Day is not until October, but I have the feeling that I am being kept in the dark and covered with opprobrium.

This post first appeared in the Hadleigh Community News for April 2013

In Touch

Brian Riley Canine Matters, Local Colour, Political - Local, Uncategorized ,

Hopefully there can be few people who are not aware that I am hoping to be elected County Councillor representing Hadleigh on May 2nd. The current weather situation has precluded me and my team of helpers from delivering leaflets. However with just over a month to go it’s time to crank up operations.
I enclose a link to my In Touch leaflet.  Can you help by displaying a poster for me and/or by delivering leaflets? Canvassing support on the doorstep is not everyone’s cup of tea but if you fancy that, please come and join me enjoying inter-action with the residents.
The leaflet includes an article on land in Cock’s (Cox’s) Park which is used by St. Mary’s school. I have had an interesting response by the Head of St. Mary’s School advising that the field is not ‘common land’ or public land.  The field is owned by Suffolk County Council, for the school (and has been in the County Council’s ownership since the 1960s).
The field is open to tCox's Park 1303he public out of school hours (evenings, weekends and holidays).   The pedestrian gates are always left unlocked, other than in exceptional circumstances, such as when the playgrounds are being resurfaced.  (The gates I saw locked were  the double gates for vehicles. These are always locked unless the County Council Grounds team are mowing the grass).   It is very uncommon for schools not to have a fence around their land.  This is for obvious safety reasons and I have some sympathy for the school in the way in which dogs foul the grounds.
 However, none of this moves us from the point that some time in the past, land which was part of Cock’s (Cox’s) Park was transferred from the town to the school via the County and we need to be vigilant that in future (for whatever reasons) green space is not given up without the full consent of the people.

No Dogs – Polite Notice autumn 2012

Supporting the High Street

Brian Riley HadCham, Local Colour, Money Matters, Political - Local , , ,

Hadleigh Loyalty CardMary Portas writes how people can be categorized as watchers and doers. Watchers watch (and criticize)
and doers do. There will always be  those happier about talking about the death of the High Street than actually doing something about it.
The Hadleigh Chamber of Commerce are only too aware of the situation of our High Street, especially now that Morrison’s have opened and new shopping habits are being  formed. The Chamber is working hard to create a High Street for the twenty first century.
Monday evening sees the second of a series of meetings (at Hadleigh Town Hall) with retailers to plan ways forward. Hadleigh now enjoys a population of 8,000 people which roughly equates to 4,000 families. If each family resolved to spend £25 a week in our High Street (and it’s not that difficult to find what you need at a price which is affordable) then we are looking to a boost of £100,000 coming into the High Street shops. We enjoy first class butchers, florists, farm fresh green grocery, wine merchant, bookshop, pet food shop, health food shop,delicatessen with artisan breads and cheeses, picture framer and decent and welcoming pubs. The High Street is one of the reasons why we chose to move here. For that reason alone we should support it vigorously. The High Street also brings social interaction, a chance to meet your neighbours and friends and to catch up on their news.
So tomorrow’s jobs include ordering the Easter lamb from the butcher and also a nice piece of brisket for slow cooking during the week.
Money has to go somewhere and if it doesn’t go in our neighbourhood then it goes somewhere else – not always to our benefit!