This weeks news review with Labour Councillor for St. George West Ron Stone: Britain officially enters recession after five quarters of zero growth. Should we have a major programme of public works like we did in the 1940s and 50s? Is Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne representing vested interests and braving it out? Prime Minister David Cameron was in Bristol on Monday promoting the Yes campaign in next weeks mayoral referendum. Is Bristol in fact a very sucessful city which doesnt need a mayor? How would an elected mayor affect the Bristol tram, the arena or the city ground decisions? Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne at Temple Quarter to launch Enterprise zone on Friday. Bristol North Baths was closed 7 years ago by Bristol City Council after a dubious public consultation but has been re-occupied by local people in its centenary year. Justin and the Recession Bristol project are restoring the baths for free and providing free skills training and security. Lack of capital money from the council to look after and restore such buildings so they just rot and are snapped up cheap by the private sector. Old Grammar School next to St George Park has been brought back into community use. Groups paying peppercorn rents to the council then restoring and reusing public buildings. 2012 St Pauls Carnival is called off over safety fears and as community groups disagree. This is the latest of several cultural events to be cancelled including the Ashton Court festival, but the Harbour Festival will go ahead. Leader of Bristol City Council Barbara Janke is to stand down, we speculate on whether she has been elbowed out because she does not support the pro-mayor wing of her party... and ask who might take her place. Thousands of people taken off of Incapacity Benefit and told by local Lord Rothermere owned paper, The Post, to get back to work, but there are not enough jobs on offer. Cuts in benefits are crashing the economy. Respect MP for Bradford West George Galloway criticises the present leadership of the Labour party for losing touch with its roots. Social cleansing: Newham council in London proposes to move 500 families 150 miles North to live in the much cheaper town of Stoke. We hear the views of Housing Minister Grant Shapps and mayor of Newham council Sir Robin Wales. Boris Johnston and Ken Livingston have both said this is social cleansing. We spend most of our money throughout our lives on our housing. 14,534 people are on Bristols housing waiting list. Borrowing on Bristols housing revenue account is over £70m. Ron Stone wants to get pension funds to invest in social housing. Bristols council rents going up 8.1% this year. James and Rupert Murdoch appear at the Leveson enquiry and we hear about damning email "Managed to get some info on the plans for tomorrow. (Although absolutely illegal >:)" Back channel between Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt and News International. "Total impartiality and strict due process." but can anybody have any confidence in Jeremy Hunts trustworthiness and are his acions illegal? Conservative MP for North-East Somerset Jacob Rees-Mogg also has an email which casts Vince Cable in a bad light. Compulsory microchips to be introduced to curb the menace of dangerous dogs. But our guest Ron Stone is a Crufts dog show judge and says it will not help at all.
![<?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/rp-navimg.gif)
![Support the <?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/support.png)
