The Sunday Times reveals that the Government is recommending a fine of £75 to £110 for families who overfill their rubbish bins. The newspaper notes that this scale of penalty would be "higher than the £80 on-the-spot fines levied by police for offences ranging from being drunk and disorderly to shoplifting". Eric Pickles told The […]
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has condemned Government plans to make central government contracts conditional on private firms promoting trade union membership. The proposals in the Cabinet Office document ‘Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting’ include the words: “[S]ervice providers are strongly encouraged to communicate […]
The law has existed for 130 years but The Telegraph reports that a household’s right to have its rubbish collected by their local authority is to be scrapped by Labour. Conservative HQ believe that the change could mean no bin collection if… "(a) the bin was put out the night before rather than on the […]
An email from Eric Pickles MP has alerted us to this page on Unison’s website, celebrating the impact today’s strike action is having on communities across Britain: Here are some key quotes: "Reports coming in that Wyre and Kidderminster are effectively closed – which is great work by our team." "5000 driving tests cancelled as […]
Related links: > Eric Pickles’ previous video. > Stephen Greenhalgh: Help me write a bold Conservative blueprint for local government
And you’ll love Eric’s naughty ending to the video! Eric Pickles’ previous video diary.
The Guardian today picked up on Pickles’ speech to Conservative councillors at the start of the month urging them to sometimes "say no" to the Government’s demands of them. In the second instalment of Pickles’ video diary he says he is not taking a Conservative victory for granted, there is still a lot to do, […]
Eric Pickles is producing a video diary for ConservativeHome from this year’s LGA Conference. This first installment also features Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
The BBC is reporting that the Local Government Association is embarking on a major advertising campaign to promote the work of local authorities. The campaign is defended by the Chairman of the LGA, Sir Simon Milton: "Most people just think that the council collects the bins and they haven’t the faintest clue of the vast […]
We recently noted Philip Dunne MP’s findings that rural councils – largely Tory – were losing out to urban councils – more likely to be Labour. Eric Pickles MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government, signals that the Conservatives want to stop the possibility of any future manipulation: “We are toying with the idea […]
Later this morning Eric Pickles MP will be addressing the Conservative Councillors Association’s Leadership Conference in Nottingham. He intends to deliver a blunt message: Stop Implementing The Orders Of This Dying Labour Government And Start Behaving Like Conservative Councils. Here are three key extracts of what he is expected to say: Labour is dying: "Time […]
Questions tabled by the Conservatives have forced the Government to reveal the findings of a £27,000 study that warned of increased health risks from rats, flies and seagulls if rubbish collections were reduced in frequency. The report found that vermin and insects could be "encouraged into the home environment" as a result of fortnightly collections. […]
Stephen Greenhalgh is Conservative leader of Hammersmith and Fulham and a key member of the team that Boris Johnson has appointed to audit City Hall. He won ConservativeHome.com’s 2007/08 ‘Local Hero Award’. In this article Stephen introduces the aims of the new Conservative Council Innovation Unit and its aim to write ‘the bible’ of best […]
The Daily Mail reports documents uncovered by the Conservatives that show that ministers HAVE NOT shelved plans to introduce taxes on household waste but that these taxes could be introduced for 62% of households once tomorrow’s elections are over. Speaking to The Daily Mail, Eric Pickles MP said: "Ministers know that bin taxes will cause […]
This from the Daily Mail: "Labour has been accused of giving extra subsidies and grants to northern towns and cities, which allow them to keep local taxes down. Tories, who obtained the information through Westminster questions, said yesterday that Labour has been favouring its own voters. Shadow Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said: "Everyone has […]