P-David Winnick MP RSS feed for the P-David Winnick MP tag
found 15 stories.
News
Advertiser 18 Nov 10
Walsall North MP David Winnick says he is pleased the Manor Hospital has deferred applying for foundation status for three years.
“I was not in favour of the application being made, though the present government wishes all NHS hospitals to be foundation ones within the near future; whether this comes about remains to be seen,” he said…
Comment
The Bookworm Turns 15 Nov 10
Dear Walsall MPs,
I write to appeal for your help in preventing the savage cutting back of Walsall Metropolitan Borough’s exemplary public library and heritage services.
Walsall Council is actively contemplating the closure of up to eight branch libraries and the loss of up to thirty jobs as a result, and their preliminary decisions on this matter will be made in a council cabinet meeting on 17 November. No doubt they are also considering options for making more staff redundant in museums and at the borough’s local history centre, with who knows what consequences for Walsall’s heritage…
News
Adam Lumley The YamYam 23 Nov 09
MP David Winnick has blasted council plans to close Willenhall Leisure Centre as “sheer vandalism” and that Walsall Council are “spitting in the face of its residents”.
At a packed protest meeting at the Bath Street venue on Friday night, the member for Walsall North told furious leisure centre users that there was no justification in closing the venue. He acknowledged that all Local Authorities are facing tough budget decisions, but said that it makes no sense to cut facilities in the areas that need them most. The closure of the popular centre is part of Walsall’s Draft Budget proposals aimed at saving £11.2 million which will also see a rise in council tax of 4.5%.
Labour representative for Willenhall South, Councillor Sean Coughlan told the meeting that Walsall’s ruling Conservative cabinet claimed that closure was based on “pure economics” and that Willenhall Leisure Centre did not provide “value for money”. In the last year, the number of people using the facility has risen by 17%. “There are some people in the council who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing” he said.
The town centre swimming pool is used by 12 schools across the Willenhall and Bentley area for swimming lessons and other popular activities include ballroom and sequence dancing, badminton, indoor bowls, aerobics and a fitness centre. Councillor Coughlan said that the venue attracted more visitors aged over 60 than Bloxwich and Darlaston Leisure Centres put together.
Ballroom and Sequence dancers Brenda and Harry Hale of Thompson Street dance at the hall on Saturday nights. “Willenhall Leisure Centre has one of the best dance floors in the Midlands” said Brenda. Husband Harry added: “Anywhere between 80 and 100 people attend on a Saturday night. It is a major social event for people in our age group. Closing the centre would take away three parts of our social life.”
Gwyn Davies, Chair of Walsall Swimming Club, said: “It is laughable that the government tells us that the 2012 Olympics will give a tremendous boost for British sport, yet this council wants to close swimming facilities.
Because of the lack of water time, potential national and world class swimmers are being forced to train elsewhere. The council are quick to remind us that the likes of Nick Gillingham and Ellie Simmons are from Walsall, but Nick had to train in Birmingham and Ellie is now based in Cardiff.”
After the meeting, Councillor Coughlan told The YamYam: “The meeting was really successful and was a great start to our campaign to save the centre. The breadth of views was fantastic. This is not just about a swimming pool, it`s about the future of our town and the future of our community.”
A “Save Willenhall Leisure Centre” page has been set up on the Facebook internet website by Councillor Carl Creaney and has already attracted over 300 members. He said: “Whenever cuts have to be made, Willenhall gets the blunt end of the deal. It`s not just Locksmith`s House but the closure of Sneyd School too.”
Speaking exclusively to The YamYam, Walsall North MP David Winnick said that he was encouraged by the turn-out at the meeting and that it showed the anger felt by local people at the proposed closure. “It is absolute impertinence for Walsall Council to suggest that council tax payers should travel to Wolverhampton to use leisure facilities. Walsall Council will be guilty of sheer vandalism if they close Willenhall Leisure Centre.”
News
Walsall Advertiser 17 Nov 09
Fury at Council cabinet over leisure centre closure
Walsall North MP David Winnick has accused the Walsall Council’s conservative cabinet of having a vendetta against the Willenhall area and ‘spitting in the face of its residents’ after it was announced the area’s leisure centre will be closed…
News
Express & Star 26 Sep 09
West Midlands MPs have defended their lengthy summer holidays after House of Commons Speaker John Bercow called for the recess to be cut back but Walsall North Labour MP David Winnick welcomed Mr Bercow’s remarks…
News
Telegraph 31 July 09
Walsall North MP, David Winnick, has begun a bid to legalise assisted suicide in Britain a day after Debbie Purdy won the right to have the law clarified…
News
Daily Telegraph 18 Jun 09
House of Commons publishes heavily edited documents setting out some details of the expenses claims of every MP…
News
Birmingham Post 13 May 09
Walsall MP David Winnick was dragged into a growing row over Michael Martin, the Speaker of the Commons, and his response to the expenses revelations…
Birmingham Post 13 May 09
Broadcasters should employ more older women to read the news, to help put an end to age discrimination, according to 76-year-old David Winnick (Lab Walsall North)…
News
Sky News 12 May 09 (scroll)
David Winnick, Labour member for Walsall North, asked Speaker Martin if Ms Hoey should have been allowed to raise a point of order in the House without a response involving personal comments from him…