It's not corruption it's policy! Don't you see?

The giveaway was the word "academy" in your post. There is literally shed loads of money available from central government if you want to set up one of those. I am sure the will to make them happen re planning/land is there as well.

Well I know all the above is true as it is what is happening here.

It's usually a sign of an upcoming election when Gideon and his ilk express faux concern for the North. Personally I'm not bothered about getting to Manchester quicker but wouldn't mind a seat now and again. Just putting another carriage on would suit me fine!

Could the money be better spent? www.standard.co.uk/business/busi ... 64930.html

Could the money be better spent? www.standard.co.uk/business/busi ... 64930.html

I can't see the Conservatives being in power at the next election so this is all pie in the sky.

Making Northern Rail modernise their rolling stock would be a good start to improving transport in the North, I believe their contract has no clause for replacing their trains, hence we have 70s/80s trains still.

I agree with another poster that we need more than just a high speed rail link, as RL fans know more than most as soon as the M62 has a delay the North is at a standstill, we need more alternative routes and bypasses.

On the contrary, I can, I dont see any opposition to them with any sort of domination in the media that will present any sort of challenge. The deciding majority of votes in any general election are usually decided within the last few days before polling and in that respect its all down to what the media decide to tell you - the football supporter style voters may think that they control an election but its the majority who have no allegience who decide and they will put a cross in whatever box they have been told to, the Tories currently hold all the aces and you wouldnt want to be in charge of an oppositions PR campaign right now with what they have.

On the contrary, I can, I dont see any opposition to them with any sort of domination in the media that will present any sort of challenge. The deciding majority of votes in any general election are usually decided within the last few days before polling and in that respect its all down to what the media decide to tell you - the football supporter style voters may think that they control an election but its the majority who have no allegience who decide and they will put a cross in whatever box they have been told to, the Tories currently hold all the aces and you wouldnt want to be in charge of an oppositions PR campaign right now with what they have.

Yep. It's a major factor in why I don't go to away games on the other side of the Pennines.
Firstly, there's the awful York Ring Road to negotiate, which adds a half hour to the journey to start with, and then obviously the packed M62. Then, certainly when getting to Wigan, the roads after leaving the M62 are a nightmare too.

Basically if I want to watch Leeds away at Wigan on a Friday night I'd have to set off at around 4pm/4:30. Which is ridiculous for a journey of less than 100 miles.

I am a delivery driver going all over the North West so I often see huge build ups of traffic in certain areas. I've seen a couple of websites which detail local and national governments plans for new roads from around 50 years ago to the present day which have never happened. Every single one of them makes sense.

One plan was to carry the M58 on around the south of Wigan and join it on to the M61 close to Bolton. Anyone who's ever driven hrough Wigan town centre will know how congested it gets and that road would go a huge way toward alleviating this.

What I find perplexing is that St. Helens, a town with a population of around 20,000 more than Wigan, is an absolute doddle to get around in comparison.

Yep.
I've just found out that York Council are planning many more house building areas all around the city. In total plans are to build 22,000 new homes, leading to an increase in population of the City by between 15-30%.
The sum total of planned transport improvements? A new park & ride (on an already busy and clogged section of the Ring Road) and an expansion of 2 others.
Sum total of planned Education improvements? An expansion of one of the Universities and some more sports fields for a single secondary school.

On top of which they've just revoked the car parking scheme whereby York residents got discounted car parking in council car parks.

I went to a council meeting a while back and it revealed just how out of touch they are. They wonder why people don't use buses (they're expensive, slow & uncomfortable), they wonder why people don't use bikes (not everyone can, the roads are dangerous, not enough facilities at workplaces, cycle lanes are dangerous & too small).
They wonder why people don't go into the city centre (because it costs £2 per hour to park and there's not enough). They wonder why people don't use the train station more (because it's a nightmare to get to, deliberately made harder by City of York Council traffic policies, the parking is expensive and there's not enough of it).

The funniest thing I heard was them bemoaning the fact they'd installed cycle & bus lanes around an out of town shopping park but no-one was using them. Until someone asked the question of how you fit a weeks worth of shopping on your bike.

There are mass house building projects going on all over the place which will only add more traffic on to the roads. These need major but expensive road systems to cope with the added traffic but local councils take the cheap option and add mini roundabouts and puffin crossings which will only compound current problems instead of adding graded junctions and subways/footbridges which cost more.

How could you [inot[/i vote for him???

SNAP!

Yep, he's your man! Who couldn't trust a face like that?

And while we're at it...

That Sun photo represents the worst of the link between the media and politicians...

"Excuse me Prime Minister/Deputy Prime Minister/Leader of the Opposition, the editor of The Sun is on the phone and he wants you to pose with this draft copy and send him the photo by noon so they can publish it tomorrow"

"I wouldn't wipe my backside with that f'kin poor excuse for a newspaper"

"Its a patriotic front page though sir..."

"What are they going to think in Liverpool ?"

"The Sun will crucify you if you don't pose sir..."

"Oh fook it, give it here and hurry up..."

I've said it for years. The media run this country, not the PM. They have far too much power. The scandalous goings on of the phone hacking trial is a perfect example.

The media and private companies who use lobby groups to pay MP's and political parties.

The only way to deal with the corrupt media is through press regulation, but unfortunately it looks like that won't happen despite the phone hacking & Leveson.
The corrupt payments can be dealt with quite easily - ban MP's from having any additional income and fund political parties from public money. Simple.

...and remove the whips system of forced party voting, leave MP's to vote on issues according to either their own beliefs and ethos, or on behalf of the constituency that they represent and suddenly you have 600+ individuals to lobby and "bribe".

The idea that an MP can "represent" a constituency when they would be effectively sacked for not voting along party lines even when it directly affects that constituency is both outrageous and ridiculous and could only have been invented by a committee of MP's.

Yep. It would also make party leaderships more reactive to their party rather than the latest media trend.

And stop MPs allowing pop stars schmoozing up to them. The words Gary and Barlow spring to mind!

You only have to take a look at the BBC Parliamentary Channel.

Apart from PMQs, the Budget, Autumn Statement and a few other photo-call debates, the green benches are virtually empty. Then the division bell sounds and in they troop through the division lobby, to get their heads counted after listening to buggerall of the debate.

The whips' system is peverse in a democratic society

As is the method by which they pair up if one is going to be absent - its also a complete travesty of democracy, fiddling the expenses doesn't even come close.

Its the North... who cares??? *joke*

However, it isn't only the north where massive infrastructure and housing developments have been proposed and railroaded (forgive the pun) through parliament and local councils. HS2, Heathrow/Gatwick expansion, "Boris Island" (if it gets approval instead of expanding existing airports) and turning green belt into housing estates are all wonderful ideas for the south east at the moment

Dennis Skinner refuses to pair up!