I think I will wait to see what people think about the 10% tax fiasco. New Labour Tory traits.

I've knock 459 doors up until 7.30pm last night and it was mentioned on the doorstep 3 times (twice by people who always say they vote Conservative anyway).

http://www.researchsandwell.org.uk/research/downloads/State_of_Sandwell_Overview.pdf

One of the most deprived areas in the country, one of the lowest income areas in the country. Outward migration is a flood and crime and education are as you would expect. 56 out of every 1000 pregnant under 18. Sounds as if the Watson family are the only ones making a decent living.

No wonder you are always so angry

This is one of the most deprived boroughs in the country. It was the cradle of the industrial revolution. Yes. It happened here. However, Thatcher ripped the heart out of British manufacturing and our traditional industries entered terminal decline with globalisation. The other indicators you mention are the inevitable consequences of poverty, but fortunately, with a Labour Government and a Labour Council, things are improving dramatically. In the last year of the Major government capital spending on all schools in Sandwell was just over half a million pounds. Not even enough to mend the leaky roofs. This year we are spending tens of millions on capital programmes for schools

I don't expect some southern softie with lillywhite hands gentle grinding his pencil in the insurance office to even begin to understand the problems of a borough like Sandwell, so you are forgiven.

I suspect that the Tories are going to do well again this year at our expense ...

... but I doubt that they'll make any impact on Sandwell.

I like to think of the SS these days - Sandwell and Salford (and a kind of comforting Labour majority glow comes all over me!)

Eeeooo...the very thought outs me right off my Harpsichord recital

"Sandwell and Salford"

And Stoke, my own native city. :)

I'm inclined to agree with Bob, after watching his (Tony Ward's) performance in the council tax debate I don't know how he has the gall to continue. After my comments on my blog (Bob the Black Country Brummie) he accused me of not being able to see the bigger picture. The picture I saw was bleak enough. I'm being told he thinks I'm off my trolley; I'm thinking pot, kettle and black. Labour deserves to get beat this time but with the opposition we have I think it unlikely here in Sandwell. We would be jumping out of the pot into the fire. I don't however agree with the rosy picture you paint of progress in Sandwell. I'm doing a series of pieces on where we could possibly save money, perhaps the leader of the Tories might like to contribute to this debate or perhaps he is saving it for the next council meeting where he is going to dazzle us with ideas.

I'm not sure where you get the 'rosy picture' from, Bob. Apart from that, I don't disagree with you.

'Thatcher ripped the heart out of manufacturing'?

'Traditional industries entered terminal decline, because of globalisation'?

Firstly, I think the Birmingham area became that much richer because of globalisation and not suffer because of it. It may be suffering now because of the decline of globalisation in that area, after all, the Chinese (who invented pottery a million years ago, have now decided to have it back.

The bit about Thatcher needs explaining.

Gary

Gary, do you remember the motor industry, or are you too young?

By the way, Sandwell isn't in Birmingham, and our traditional metal bashing industries disappeared when manufacturing did.

No explanation necessary on the old witch. Before her we had manufacturing, steel, coal, shipbuilding... after Thatcher we had Macdonalds and KFC.

By the way, the Japanese invented pottery, some 900,000 years after your suggested date.

The car industry can claim an injustice only for British cars that died. Foreign cars made here is the result of globalisation after WW2.It is up to them if they withdraw that honour.China, deciding it wants in have done nothing that we haven't already done previously. The British Empire did a good job in curtailing the biggest exporters in world history in approx 1750, namely, India and China. They chose to get back in on the act after the Berlin wall came down (no particular reference there).The rise in British manufacturing as the 'workshop of the world' came about because of sharp practices by our companies in those lands from 1750 onwards.
Globalisation, is nothing new, as we dominated globalisation for this amount of time up until the fall of Thatcher.

Coal, steel and ships is another story, but coal has now become cheap due to the rise in other energy supplies becoming dearer. I doubt I can claim that Thatcher got it wrong, because Tories will say that she had no crystal ball, but, she did encourage cheap coal production from Poland and she did want Poland to fight and leave the Soviet Union and become a Capitalist beacon of Eastern Europe. Therefore, I conclude she miscalculated and sold an entire manufacturing sector down the sluice. The knock on effect of losing coal production in the Country is an economic crime so big, that each and every one of us is now beginning to pay above and beyond our means for. This act is by far worse than Black wednesday and Thatcher will pay for it when she is dead. Have no concerns in that department, for justice will be done and be seen to be done.

Gary

"Thatcher will pay for it when she is dead"

Interesting use of language there!

I'm anticipating the, 'she was a great Prime Minister' stuff.

Economically, she was awful and politically, she killed the Tory Party.

Tories have the unenviable affliction of being Tories know no different in banging on how fantastic they all are and when it comes to past leader, they go into overdrive.

She was tough, no doubt in that, but being tough and correct has always deluded the Tories.

Yes she will be buried with full conservative honours, but I will be there to piss on her grave.

I'd like to apologise to you for that comment, but I was born and raised in a mining community and i'll stab anyone who gets in my way.They are a sick breed, them Tories.

Gary

"Salford Sandwell and Stoke" could well be the Tory Axis of Evil. Talking of which I had dinner with Laura one of your leafleters in Salford the other night!

Incredibly ineffectice mmm home goal Bob. If we want to talk about incredibly ineffective why is it that every local authority surrounding the red island of Sandwell are performing and improving...why because they are Tory of course. Ineffective? well if Sandwell wants more of the same they should continue voting Labour. Personally I think the voters in Sandwell should take a leaf out of the book of their close neighbours...and if they want to go further afield perhaps they should ask the electorate in Crew and Nantwich or Greaster London what they think. Sandwell voters missed out on an opportunity on 1 May, but there's always the General Election

Interested to find this site. When are either party going to do anything in Sandwell except talk and have expensive meetings. Oh i forgot, last time you all had a meeting you spent 63 milion on an art gallery in West Bromwich that we DON'T want. To recoup a bit of money Labour also decided to merge a few schools without taking any notice of what the parents thought.And all you an do is blame Mrs Thatcher!!!!!!!!!!!!