“This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organising genius could produce a shortage of both.”— Aneurin Bevan, Labour MP and founding father of the NHS Ah, Bevan. A man who could spot a political farce when he saw one. Little did he know that decades later, his homeland –Continue reading “We’re Net Zero and Net Broke – But Morally Radiant”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Fireworks at the Guildhall
Transparency, Accountability and Democracy I’ll be stepping away from my usual ironic style for this post. The subject is too important for irony or levity. This is about Democracy, Transparency, and Accountability—principles you we are rapidly losing in this country. When Fireworks Become a Smoke Screen for Civic Evasion There’s something symbolically perfect about fireworks.Continue reading “Fireworks at the Guildhall”
🎇 Oswestry’s Firework Farce
When Civic Trust Was Torched and the Report Went Up in Smoke “In Oswestry, when the rockets misfire, it’s not just the fireworks that vanish — it’s the truth.” Picture this: 2nd November 2024. The skies above Cae Glas Park were lit with explosions — not of celebration, but confusion, mismanagement, and delayed bangs. WhatContinue reading “🎇 Oswestry’s Firework Farce”
🧵 Austerity & Alibis: Shropshire Council’s Five-Year Plan to Save Itself (From Itself)
Shropshire Council has published its Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) — a 100+ page saga of budget balancing, political tightrope-walking, and the kind of fiscal optimism normally reserved for national lottery winners. The headline? A projected £63 million black hole by 2029/30, held at bay in the short term by one-off grants, temporary patches, and whatContinue reading “🧵 Austerity & Alibis: Shropshire Council’s Five-Year Plan to Save Itself (From Itself)”
Blunders, Bonfires and Boredom: The Oswestry Way of Governance
Once the toast of local government, Oswestry Town Council now seems to be on a daring mission to win “Most Detached Local Authority 2025.” Transparency is out. Accountability has emigrated (along with one councillor, permanently sunning themselves in Australia). And communication? That’s a quaint relic of the past—rather like the outdoor market. A multi-million poundContinue reading “Blunders, Bonfires and Boredom: The Oswestry Way of Governance”
The Gatekeepers of Silence: Shropshire’s Transparency Dream Team
The Transparency Tango: A Two-Council Performance in Delayed Disclosure Let us distil this for the public record: This, my friends, is not administration. It is performance art. And the recurring theme? Transparency is a threat to the system. Act I: Shropshire Council’s FOI Vanishing Act On 1 March 2025, a Freedom of Information request wasContinue reading “The Gatekeepers of Silence: Shropshire’s Transparency Dream Team”
Closed Doors, Open Wallets: How Shropshire Council Perfected the Art of Public Secrecy
Masterclass in Opaque Governance” Or: How to Run a Council Without Letting the Public Know You’re Running It Introduction: In an age where “transparency” is the buzzword of the season, Shropshire Council appears to have mistaken it for a type of window glazing—something to be looked at, but never through. Over the past five years,Continue reading “Closed Doors, Open Wallets: How Shropshire Council Perfected the Art of Public Secrecy”
How to Lie Like a Local Authority: A Shropshire Masterclass
Seven Cures for the Opaque Council Syndrome With Shropshire Council elections looming, and local politicians preparing to limber up their vocal cords for another round of truth-bending gymnastics, I thought it only fair to revisit the sacred art of political lying — in all its elegant forms. So, let’s go back to basics and exploreContinue reading “How to Lie Like a Local Authority: A Shropshire Masterclass”
The Pyjama Council
The Pyjama Council: How Remote Working Became the New Civic Disservice Once upon a time, in the sleepy shires of Shropshire, there was a noble dream: a council that served its people with diligence, integrity, and perhaps even a touch of punctuality. Fast forward to 2025, and what do we find? The dream is aliveContinue reading “The Pyjama Council”
Shropshire’s Spending Saga: A Road to Nowhere (Literally)
O woe, woe,People are born and die,We also shall be dead pretty soonTherefore let us act as if we were dead already (Ode to Shropshire Council) Housman IntroductionFor decades, Shropshire Council has been a stronghold of Conservative control, promising fiscal prudence and efficient governance. Yet, reality tells a different story: spiralling deficits, crumbling public services,Continue reading “Shropshire’s Spending Saga: A Road to Nowhere (Literally)”
The Alternative Council 