“A liberal is a conservative who has been arrested.”
Tom Wolfe – The Bonfire of the Vanities.
Asked if the commissioning of the woeful Bradford On Duty had been a good idea, a response from the Council Executive was: “What is seen on TV is typical of every city in the UK, Bradford is no different.”
Whilst it is true that the headline issues are common, the depth and severity in Bradford run far deeper, something that is lost on the deluded duo who featured so consistently.
Despite craving to be centre of attention so far as the making of the mockumentary, The Two Egos were lacking any direct comment.
The obscenely remunerated CEO appeared clueless whilst her lackey reminds me of a woman who spends all day moaning about life at the bingo. To further compound the evidence of their combined stupidity.
“We are one of the biggest cities in the UK, bigger than Newcastle, Bristol and Liverpool.”
Simply having a higher birth rate does not equate to economic prosperity.
“We…feel that this programme shows the impact that 12 years of austerity has left on communities across the district…”
Except other cities have developed and prospered, notably the three above, and one only ten miles down the road.
The saddest thing about Bradford is that it is not important enough to be on anybody’s radar; we have been written off.
There was an allegation about the Tory government in the 1980s so far as looking to oversee a managed decline of Liverpool, so often a thorny issue in those times.
Liverpool is not perfect but it has bounced back. You may argue this was on the back of the European City of Culture awarded in 2008 and that Bradford can do the same.
With the current leadership this will not happen.
The Hit
A friend rang me distraught; not known for my compatibility with The Samaritans, I listened patiently. She had driven past a wounded – half-flattened – squirrel and, a little bit further on, had decided to turn back and put it out of its misery.
She braced herself, revved her powerful BMW and aimed at the terrified squirrel. As it closed its eyes and said a few last prayers, she missed!
Turning back again she saw it start to crawl off the road but only – surely – to a lingering end. So she revved again and this time made partial contact…still it hobbled on.
One more go and the squirrel was still limping to the kerb as my pal erupted in floods of tears, probably musing how she ever passed the driving test…like a few more in Bradford.
The moral of the story gents? If you ever have a hit placed on you pray it’s not a woman driver!
Economic Illiteracy – Hapless Style
In last week’s council meeting it became clear that it faces a £33.8m overspend in the coming year – see full article here.
Councillor Mike Pollard…discussed the huge costs the Council faces in placing looked after children outside of the district…placements can cost the taxpayer up to £250,000 per child per year…in the past year costs have risen from £3,600 a week to £4,800 a week.
The number of kids is 105; I make this over £26m out of a budget of £388m to support around 0.02% of the population of Bradford.
A few months ago Hapless accused the government of economic illiteracy; it appears she is not too hot with numbers either. Unsustainable madness from a council unfit for purpose.
Worse still, the local paper chose to put this story on page seven; work that one out?
Tales From The Allotment
With Gregarious George overseas, the place lacks its usual hustle and bustle. There was no hustling or bustling Bombastic this week as he arrived red-faced, gasping for a whiff of fresh air.
Greenfingers and I have harvested our pea seeds for next year saving barely the price of a pint but with a sense of fulfillment only tight Yorkies could understand.
The sweet corn is pushing ever higher, as over a hundred potato plants promise rich rewards if we can find some migrant labour to pick them. August, the harvest month, is approaching fast.
For the record, we welcome all squirrels.
Climate Change
I’m nowhere near bright enough to work the pros and cons out here but a message to the fat university bloke on Look North this weekly. If you want me to take you seriously, wearing a skirt is not a good start – rant over!
Yoh!
Each day a community bus reverses up my street with a warning voice in clipped Old Etonian: “Careful, bus reversing.” Imagine if the BBC got hold of this given their obsession with diversity?
“Yoh! Mother-f*cker get outa da way!”
Just saying.
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