The Conservative Action Team is working across Wirral – If you’d like any help or would like to join please email me at Esther@wirralwestconservatives.co.uk

The winners of the 2nd Northwest Women in Business Awards, which showcased some of the region’s best entrepreneurial talent, were revealed at a glittering awards ceremony in Warrington on 23rd January.The event was attended by 260 people from across the region and really was a terrific night.

As part of the Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum (NWWEF) team I helped organise the Awards as well as host them.  The winners included:

Business of the Year:

Winner – Liz Clarke, BikeRight! (Greater Manchester)

Runner up – Debbie Pierce, Bury Black Pudding Company (Greater Manchester)

Young Entrepreneur of the Year:

Winner – Kate Hughes, Merseyside Property Auction (Merseyside)

Runner up – Victoria Corcoran, The Small Animal Hotel/Rent-a-bod (Merseyside)

Business start-up of the year

Winner – Libby Nightingale, Chromasia Training Ltd (Lancashire)

Runner up – Lisa Horne, Healthy Paws (Merseyside)

Growth Business of the Year

Winner – Liz Clarke, BikeRight! (Greater Manchester)

Runner up – Lula Braithwaite, LoveLula.com (Cheshire)

Social Enterprise of the Year

Winner – The Wool Clip (Cumbria). Representatives Pam Hall, Sally Seed and Marion Woolcott were present on the night to collect the award on behalf of rural cooperative business.

Runner up – Paula Gamester, Connector Media CIC (Merseyside)

                        SAVE OUR SERVICES

From the people of Wirral please click here and see what we are saying.

Above – some of our Wirral West Conservative Action Team

Despite the meteorological gloom and doom forecast of ; snow, rain and high winds , the weather was wonderful – if not a tad cold – and 50 people came out to help.

A huge thank you to everyone who put an hour aside to help – If you missed helping this time but would like to do so another time please call the office on 0151 632 1052 or email me on esther@wirralwestconservatives.co.uk

Tomorrow morning (Sunday 18th Jan) what are you doing?

Well if you’re not feeling tired and hung over then come and join me and 40 other people who are going leafleting in Greasby ( only for an hour) to let people know about the cuts on Wirral.

We’re meeting at the Red Cat Pub car park 11am – all welcome. Afterwards it’s bacon butties and mugs of tea…….

To see the Cabinet Decision and full list of closures  click here

Thursday night  was a terrible night for Wirral with the announcement of 11 libraries closing and countless community facilities facing the axe.

For Wirral West,  it was a  mixed night,  the Woodchurch Leisure Centre is to remain open which is terrific news (although the community centre is facing an uncertain future) as will Pensby library and Upton Library … at least for now….. whereas Hoylake Library, Irby Library and Woodchurch library are all set to close – disastrous for those local areas.

Rest assured for me the Fight continues to Save Our Local Facilities, in fact straight after the announcement I went out with colleagues and various members of community groups to discuss the best way forward and to put a strategy together to fight these closures.

I want to make the Conservative Party Position on Wirral quite clear on this matter, we believe in local facilities for local communities, so we will reopen whatever this Labour /Liberal Council close.

I have already been down to Parliament working with Jeremy Hunt MP, shadow minister for Culture and Ed Vaizey MP, spokesman for art and culture,  who have submitted an Early Day Motion regarding the disgraceful closure of libraries on Wirral.

Above Jeremy Hunt, Ed Vaizey and myself with the EDM

and below the EDM 

This House condemns the proposal put forward by the Liberal Democrat/LAbour co-alition on Wirral Borough Council to close thirteen libraries across the borough, as well as the Wirral Transport Museum and the Pacific Road Arts Centre; notes that two of the libraries ear-marked for closure serve two of the most disadvantaged communities in the UK; further notes that Birkenhead Central Library, a purpose built library dating back to the Thirties was recently renovated at considerable cost and that 70 library posts are under threat; agrees with Alan Gibbons from the Campaign for the Book that this is “cost-driven vandalism”; and with the leader of the Conservative Group on Wirral Borough Council Jeff Green that the proposals are “disgraceful”; and with the readers of Wirral News, 92 per cent of whom have voted on-line to say that the Council’s actions do not represent their views; and urges the Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors to think again about their proposals”. 

Above – Cllr Tom Anderson and I standing firm with the local community.

‘The fight aint over til it’s over’ and all the community groups and user groups have taken that stance to heart. Above Cllr Tom Anderson and myself stood side by side with over 300 residents from the Woodchurch Community protesting against closures, last night I met with hundreds of local residents outside Hoylake Library protesting against these ludicrous cuts- tonight I’ve another set of meetings and tomorrow too. We must keep challenging these closures to the bitter end and I know, from the people I’ve met and the conversations I’ve had we will. Many I spoke to last night had never taken part in a protest before – but they were so incensed that they broke their life long protest free record and took to the streets.

Thursday is our last chance to be heard so please let’s get as many people to Wallasey Town Hall as possible and make some noise – Council meeting starts at 6.15pm but many community groups will be arriving from about 5pm

Yesterday David Cameron met with , my colleague Leah Fraser (Wallasey) and myself, the purpose to brief him on the cuts being planned by the Council to services across the Borough. 

It is vital to be able to show David Cameron the evidence of public opinion against these cuts.  That’s why I took  with me the dossier of letters I’ve received, newspaper reports and a copy of the Globe, all clearly opposed to the plans.

It’s no use Gordon Brown and the Cabinet being in Liverpool saying they want ‘to listen’ while their colleagues over the water are ignoring public opinion and cutting services.

The meeting last night at Hulme Hall was packed to the rafters - all the local residents saying the same thing as the night before  in Birkenhead – A resounding ‘No’ to these cuts. We want local services for local people. These cuts have been poorly conceived,  ill thought through and without regard for the local communities.

Tonight the meeting will be at West Kirby Concourse – it is vital as many people turn up as possible so as to have their say. I will see you there later. Meeting commences at 7 pm.

As with the leisure cuts across Wirral the Irby Quarry Consultation is also being conducted over the Christmas period.

It is vital as many people as possible take part in this consultation and have their say. The preferred approach is for people to write their comments and do this via the website  ; www.wasteplanningmerseyside.gov.uk and the particular question where there is an opportunity to comment is Qu 12.4, right at the bottom of the page Precise link : http://merseysideeas-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/public_sss/public_sss?pointId=1215175896107#section-1215175896107

However it is also possible to write directly to : Waste Planning Team, Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service, Bryant House, Liverpool Road North, Maghull, L31 2PA   Or email waste.dpd@sefton.gov.uk

 It is important everyone gives their name and address.

Consultation ends on 16^th January (extended from original date)

In the Daily Post letter page today

Dear Editor

I write regarding the Daily Post’s article of 29^th Dec 2008 ‘Storm as Tories ‘shut out’ of culture meetings’, from which we can be left in no doubt that here on Wirral,  Labour and the Lib Dem’s have not only formed a solid alliance but appear to have merged into a single party. Lib Dem deputy council leader Simon Holbrook commenting on behalf of himself and the Labour Leader Steve Foulkes about the public consultation process over the proposed leisure cuts across Wirral told us there won’t be ‘Four Area Forums’ with the usual constitutional formalities applying, instead these meetings have been reduced to ‘consultative meetings’ and will all be chaired by Labour Leader Steve Foulkes. Imagine not only my surprise but also that of the groups I am working with by this sudden change in status which have until now been referred to as ‘Area Forum Conferences’.  This change of name may suit the purpose to avoid true representation at these meetings but it is a slap in the face for local democracy and for the people of Wirral.

One further point from that article which left me concerned was Lib Dem Cllr Simon Holbrook’s comment  ‘We’re not far from making a final decision’. How on the 29^th Dec before any of the ‘four Area Forums Conferences’ have been held can the decision be not far from being final? Is this whole process of public consultations, collecting petitions, working with local groups and gathering evidence of the value of these establishments to the people of Wirral mean nothing to those in charge? If that is the case then those in charge have lost their way. The People of Wirral deserve better than that and I will be working with the full Conservative team to make sure that happens.

Esther McVey

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Wirral West