Tuesday 19 November 2013

A 'highlight' from the press office, and the 'no-eviction' Motion rejected


If you cast your mind back to June you'll remember the grand opening of the Xcel Bowl centre in Johnstown, Carmarthen. Photos of Meryl and Kev snapped in 'mid-bowl posture' graced the pages of our local papers, well some of them anyhow.

As we know, Xcel Bowl is part of phase one of the ambitious evangelical aspirations of the Towy Community Church, phase two will include, amongst other things, a church auditorium and, if we're really lucky, a Mercy Ministry to deliver Carmarthenshire's vulnerable young women from the devil.

The Council has, as we also know, thoroughly and without question embraced this fundamentalist evangelical church as its 'partner' and they even form part of the Team Around the Family social care initiative.

Buried within the 'Departmental Reports' for the next Policy and Resources Scrutiny meeting is a summary of the achievements of the Council press office, for a summary of its more embarrassing moments you'll have to search the local blogs. One "highlight" is the "Organisation of the opening of the Xcel Bowl in Carmarthen. This included a marketing campaign leading up to the opening plus a competition"

It is not entirely clear whether Xcel Bowl/Towy Community Church (the church now has its address at the bowling alley site) paid for this comprehensive media promotion service, which included a front page spread in the Council rag, the Carmarthenshire News. If not then it would seem that the council is not content with bestowing £1.4m of land, grants and loans on their evangelical partners, (as well as an alcohol licence) but delivered a tailored press service too.

It was only a couple of weeks ago the council website was advertising jobs on behalf of Scarlets Regional Ltd. If these adverts were bought and paid for then perhaps the press office might like to let the rest of the county, and the local papers know it provides this service. However, it would seem that as long as you fulfil the criteria of being the council's preferred rugby team or even the council's preferred branch of evangelicalism, their willingness to help out knows no bounds.

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For reasons best known to the Chief Executive 'in consultation with the Chair of the Council', a Plaid Cymru motion for the council to adopt a 'no evictions' policy over the bedroom tax was deemed unsuitable for debate at full council. The reality is, in my opinion, in practical terms it is very much a political issue and should have gone to full council.

Instead, it was placed on the agenda for yesterday's Executive Board meeting where it was duly rejected by this Labour run council supported by its independent cohorts. It's strange because I'm sure I can recall hearing, numerous times, both Kevin Madge and Pam Palmer (Ind leader) expressing their utmost concern for the poverty stricken residents of Carmarthenshire and how they will do all they can to help. I must have been mistaken.
(Plaid press release here)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Some people are £40 a month worse off because of the 'bedroom tax' and I've had women breaking down in my surgery," (Kevin Madge, South Wales Guardian 24th April 2013). Hypocrite!!!

Anonymous said...

This is what happens to people who are evicted. A gentleman who no doubt fought for this country. Shame on this government and shame on Cllrs like Kevin Madge and LA's like CCC who support eviction!

http://humanrightspoliticanjournal.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/a-stark-reality-of-today-as-elderly-man-evicted-and-left-to-die-23112013/