Stuart Bruce, the Labour councillor for Middleton in south Leeds, UK

2003-07-08T19:14:00.000Z

If you want to continue reading my blog then you need to visit it's new home at 20six.

It's a much better (and still free) blogging tool. It lets visitors post their comments, I can email or MMS (multi-media messaging from my mobile) entries, you can easily edit links, it's easy to add graphics. And as if that's not enough it is a European company, not a giant US corporation like Blogger!

Hope you all come and visit me at my new home!

2003-07-07T13:43:00.000Z

Just seen that the site has also had mention in The Guardian (it's quite a way down the page so I'll quote it below):

OUTDOOR BLOGS

Reluctantly, the Backbencher dragged herself away from Tom Watson's blog this week to read the musings of the man Tom describes as "Britain's first blogging councillor", Stuart Bruce. Stuart, who is the lead member for customer services, has had a "very, very busy" few weeks. "I'm chasing up the six new litterbins which we'd been promised would be put up in April," the Pepys of the south Leeds suburbs informs his readers. "There is also a need for grass cutting, hedge trimming and a general clean up in the village." Stuart, you're wasted on Middleton.

2003-07-07T12:45:00.000Z

The Yorkshire Evening Post has just a half page story on this blog which resulted in a flurry of extra visitors. You can read it here.

So what's really going on with Alistair Campbell and the BBC. My professional take on it as a PR man is that it is the classic frisbee technique where you create a distraction to divert attention from the real issue. It's a text book PR technique.

If you haven't already done so then please take a moment to do the poll about regional government on my main web site. I'm going to replace it soon with a question about smoking in public.

I feel very strongly that smoking in public should be banned and I'm heartened that most vox pop type polls appear to agree with me. I find smoking to be particularly offensive in restaurants and pubs where you go to enjoy yourself. It's bad enough in the open air, there is nothing worse than walking through a lovely park only to end up staggering through a cloud of fag smoke. These people then of course insist in scattering their fag ends everywhere.

2003-07-02T14:47:00.000Z

Just been listening to the news. Have to say that I'm not really convinced by this new legislation to outlaw 'ageism' in recruitment. Don't get me wrong I don't think older people should be discriminated against I'm just not sure that this is the solution. Why shouldn't you be able to describe a company as 'young and dynamic' if that's what it is. Wouldn't stop an older person applying for the job but they would have to be able to work in that environment. And surely the simple way round it is to ask for experience - specify a minimum and a maximum. After all it is quite possible to be overqualified for a job.

2003-07-01T18:03:00.000Z

Sorry, that this post is a day late. At the moment I try to do an update at least once a week and hopefully more often. Last week wasn't as frantic as most but I still had quite a bit on. There was a Labour Group meeting where all of the Labour councillors get together to discuss policy and issues effecting the city. I took part in a workshop looking at how we can improve services for young people.

We had a full council meeting on Wednesday that was compartively good natured. To be party political for a moment something that always occurs to me at the moment is what a complete and utter shower the Lib Dem group are. Their Leader is hopeless, appearing totally and utterly confused on most issues. They do have one or two decent members (Stuart Galton and Don Wilson spring to mind) but the majority I wouldn't trust to run a whelk stall. The Tories are a much more credible bunch.

On Saturday I called into the Hunslet Gala which was a really good day. Hilary Benn MP was there along with the Hunslet councillors. The NHS health bus (which we part paid for though the Community Involvement Team) was there giving out lots of free advice and support. South Leeds has really serious problems around smoking and heart disease, so it's good to see something being done about it.

2003-06-23T16:17:00.000Z

Another busy week. Kicked off on Monday with a Lead Member briefing about the council newspaper. In the evening we had a Labour Group meeting to talk about the potential changes resulting from the boundary review (the results are out at the end of July). On Thursday I had a meeting with some of the other CIT chairs to talk about how the new local area management systems might work.

On Thursday evening I chaired the Hunslet and Middleton Community Involvement Team meeting. Before it started we had a look round the Rylestone Early Years Centre which we have an £11,000 grant to build a new outdoor play area. They've done some great work with a 'trundle' race track complete with tyres and finish line for toddlers to race on thier tricycles. There is also a 'construction site', willow tunnels, sand and gravel pits and an outdoor music area.

The police came to the meeting to give a report on the CIT funded overtime hours that are being used to crack down on illegal motorbikes in the area. We also agreed to fund some major projects. I will post more about this later.

On Friday I had my regular Lead Members meeting at 8:00 am and then had a Leeds South Homes newsletter meeting in the afternoon.

I also spent most of the week dealing with a particularly difficult piece of housing case work to help a family that has been forced out of their homes and are staying with friends while trying to find a new house in Middleton. It is made trickier by the recent introduction of Choice Based Letting, which will eventually improve things but at the moment is still trying to settle in.

2003-06-13T18:14:00.000Z

What a busy week it has been! A great meeting with the pensioners on Monday - they are really keen to help Jack Dunn and me get cracking on the Friends of Middleton Park project. On Tuesday there was a really good training session about planning. I learnt a lot that will help be a more effective member of the planning committee and to better represent my ward on planning issues.

On Thursday all three councillors were down at Middleton St Cross to help residents choose new secure doors (see the news release on the main website). In the afternoon I had CIT briefing meeting then straight into a planning meeting - it was the first of the new style ones we had. I think it was much better to look at fewer items in more depth. Giving objectors and supportors an opportunity to speak worked really well.

Later on Thursday afternoon was the best meeting of the week when I chaired out CIT Youth Sub-Group. For the first time we had members of the Youth Council attend. It was brilliant, they had lots to say and contribute and we've resolved to look at how we can get more young people involved. We looked at some of the activities planned for the summer holidays and made some changes based on the comments from the youth councillors.

On Friday I had a briefing on the communications review which is looking at how the council can improved the ways it communicates with local people. There has been some good work done and I relish the opportunity to get involved in an area that I know a lot about.

2003-06-09T08:43:00.000Z

At the weekend I was having a browse to look at the websites of some other Labour MPs and councillors and came across what I think is the only blogging MP - Tom Watson. It's not surprising that it's Tom as he is an ace campaigner. He was the Labour Party's Youth Officer way back when the HQ was in Walworth Road and I was young enough to be a young-ish member. He then went to the AEEU (now Amicus) to work with Sir Ken Jackson as Head of the Political Office.

Tom was a good friend of one of my best friends, who is sadly no longer with us. Dominic McElroy was a brilliant Labour Party Organiser in Leeds who died tragically young. We all still miss him.

Anyway go and have a look at Tom's blog. It's a good read and shows just what a hard-working Labour MP does.

2003-06-09T08:23:00.000Z

Last week was quite busy, even though I was in London for some of it. There was a stack of council work waiting for me when I got back. I'm just about to get a new answerphone as I'm worried that the one I use at the moment is losing messages.

On Thursday I had my first official meeting as the Lead Member for Customer Services. I met with Adam Ogilvie, the Executive Board member, and John Illingworth, the other lead member. We had a briefing from officers on some of the key challenges and tasks the authority faces. The biggest one of which is to continue moving away from the 'silo' mentaility where everyone's focus is what department to a customer focused model where the most important thing is what does the customer want. My main areas of activity will be the 'e-government' agenda and customer communications (my own area of professional expertise).

It's busy this week. I'm seeing Middleton Pensioners Organisation this afternoon to talk about Middleton Park. Tomorrow I've got a planning seminar tomorrow and a Leeds South Homes training session. Wednesday is a meeting about pre-fab bungalows in Robin Hood and the difficulty of making them into decent homes for people to live in. In the afternoon I have a meeting to look at how the new area management system will work (it will eventually replace local Community Involvement Teams). Thursday I have a CIT meeting, a planning meeting and I'm chairing the CIT's Young People's sub-group! Friday is a Customer Services meeting first thing in the morning, followed by a Leeds South Homes editorial afternoon meeting about the next newsletter.

All in all a very, very busy week.

2003-05-30T14:51:00.000Z

Over the bank holiday and this week I've tried to take some personal time so have done less council work than normal. But I'll be back into the fray next week.
Things that I have been up to this week include a meeting with the tenant involvement officer of Leeds South Homes to work out how we are going to get a new resident's group set up on the Manor Farm Estate. I'll be posting more details of this as we firm it up.

I also chaired a meeting of the Look South editiorial group to start planning the next issue. We've had some really good feed back from the first issue - on the whole tenants liked it. We've got lots of ideas for the next issue (coming out in early/mid-July).

Tomorrow we have the official opening of Navigation House, the new head office for Leeds South Homes. It should be a fun day as we've laid on free entry to Thwaite Mills with things like face painting for kids.

2003-05-30T10:50:00.000Z

Apologies for anyone who has tried to email me or access the website over the last few days. My internet host was hacked and it took them sometime to get it back up and running. I'll post a fuller update shortly.

2003-05-16T16:39:00.000Z

It's been another busy week. Last Saturday I had a very busy advice session in Thorpe where most of the issues raised seemed to revolve around street services. I'm chasing up the six new litterbins which we'd been promised would be put up in April. There is also a need for grass cutting, hedge trimming and a general clean up in the village.

On Monday night we had the second part of the Labour Group AGM. I'm continuing as CIT Chair but have also volunteered to be a Lead Member as well. I'll be working with Adam Ogilvie, a new Executive Board member. We'll be looking at 'Access to Services' which basically means make it easier for people in Leeds to interact with the council.

On Thursday I spent all afternoon in a Development Control (planning) meeting. In the evening I went to the Thorpe residents meeting. We had a lively discussion about a housing issue in the village to do with vulnerable young people who need to be given more support, as they are causing problems for other residents. I was also tackled about the same problems to do with street services and promised to help resolve them. After a vote the group also agreed to have a community clean-up day where councillors will provide a skip and come along to help.

2003-05-05T09:12:00.000Z

Well, the election is finally over and like to thank everyone in Middleton who voted for me and helped ensure my election for a second term. Overall it was a mixed result for Labour in Leeds, including Brian Walker, the Leader losing his seat to the Lib Dems. But we had a spectactular victory in Bramley, where we won a seat back off the Lib Dems. It just goes to show what you can do when you have a good local councillor (Denise Atkinson), a good candidate (Ted Hanley) and a well fought campaign.

One sour note was how well the far right BNP did, coming second in one ward and receiving over a thousand votes in another. The democratic parties of whatever colour need to rally round to prevent the anti-democratic far right gaining a toehold in Leeds next year when we have all out elections.

Last week most of my council work was focused on case work as a result of people emailing or writing after receiving election leaflets. I need to have a blitz to chase things up with officers and get back to constituents this week. We finally put Look South, the Leeds South Homes newsletter, to bed and it should be hitting tenant's doormats in about a week.

The focus for this week is mainly in the Civic Hall as we have the firstLabour Group AGM to get through. Keith Wakefield will be the new Leader but several people are contesting the posts of Deputy Leader and Chief Whip. I'll report back the result on Wednesday morning.

2003-04-29T09:19:00.000Z

Today I've got another Leeds South Homes meeting to progress the newsletter for tenants. Hopefully, we will approve the final proof and it will started hitting people's doorsteps by the second week in May. I've also got some case work to do from constituents - one from an elderly couple who need a rotten door replacing. Another is a grandmother of a child at a local primary school that keeps losing its football matches by 9-0! They want to know if I can find someone to coach them how to play.

Yesterday I had two people contact me about the delays and problems in receiving the working families tax credit. This is a great boost that Labour has given to working families on low incomes, but like every new innovation it is dogged by teething problems as it is first introduced.

2003-04-28T13:20:00.000Z

Well, as promised I'm reporting on last week's activities. Because of Easter Monday it was a short week. I had a meeting of the Leeds South Homes (LSH) board where I gave a report on the progress of the newsletter for tenants (I chair the editorial sub-group). On Friday I was at another meeting of LSH, this time to discuss the newsletter in more depth with members of the communications sub-group. In the afternoon I ended up having to re-write much of the copy for the newsletter. It should really be an officer of the LSH who does this but since I have the expertise, and it is so important, then I ended up doing it.

Involving tenants in decisions and keeping them informed is a key priority of the LSH board and that is why we want to make sure the newsletter is as good as possible, despite all of the constraints of time and budget.

I also handled a flood of case work including: residents worried about a planning application on the Greenmoor Turf site at Lofthouse, several people needing housing repairs, a couple of parents with problems regarding the Working Families Tax Credit, street cleaning (in Robin Hood), and finally a resident wanting more info the new Leeds Youth Council.

As the local elections are now imminent I also spent a lot of time delivering leaflets in my ward and also found time to attend a street stall in Rothwell.

2003-04-24T11:12:00.000Z

The Local Election Campaign

OK, Great. My test post proves that I've got this working. I'm going to try an personalise the look of the page a bit but don't know if I will have time to do this before the election. Yes, I'm up for election on May 1st, so at the moment I'm extremely busy campaigning in my ward but also going elsewhere in Leeds to help other candidates.

My website is proving to be an even better campaign tool than I thought. So far more than 100 people have downloaded the PDF of my election leaflet. I read in The Guardian today that only 34% of people in the UK don't have internet access, although the figure rises to about 64% amongst lower income groups. During the election people can contact me by post, phone or email. I'll let you know which was the most popular after the election.

Council Work

I'm doing a fair bit of case work at the moment (only some of it because of my higher profile now that the election leaflets are going out). I was at a board meeting of Leeds South Homes last night. The board is gelling really well and I think we should be able to do some great things to improve council housing in south Leeds. I'm spending a lot, and I mean A LOT of time on this work at the moment. I am chair of an editorial group that is trying to get out a tenant newsletter by the middle of May.

2003-04-24T11:03:00.000Z

Hello, welcome to my personal web log. Here I will try to keep local residents informed about what I am up to as a councillor. Hopefully, I'll up date it weekly but ironically the busier I am as a councillor the less likely I am to be able to up date it.