Frank Little

Councillor for East Central ward on Coedffranc Town Council Learn more

Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

I hope I am a good loser

by franklittle on 3 May, 2012

This is written some days in advance of the count which will have taken place an hour before this post appears. I am assuming that I have failed in my attempt to retain my seat in the council chamber for Cadoxton. The signs are not good: ancient antipathies towards not only the Thatcher & Major […]

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Party conference

by franklittle on 3 March, 2012

One of the advantages of the Welsh Liberal Democrat spring conference being held in Cardiff is that I don’t have to absent myself from Neath for the whole weekend, but pick and choose which debates to attend. The theme, in this year of local council elections, will no doubt be to contrast the good management […]

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The sort of decision a community councillor has to make

by franklittle on 25 January, 2012

I couldn’t possibly comment on the discussion that went into setting the Blaenhonddan precept for 2012/13, for reasons stated earlier, but I found this posting from a Liberal Democrat parish councillor in England summed up well what invidious choices face community councillors. In passing, I should say that I am glad that the Welsh Government […]

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Williams and Ashdown on lessons from Liberal history

by franklittle on 25 January, 2012

There’s an excellent report, plus video, of a recent meeting of the Liberal History Society by Mark Pack here. There were major contributions from Paddy Ashdown and Shirley Williams. Several passages stood out for me. Shirley Williams drew lessons from her knowledge of the United States* “in particular the way the limited teaching of history […]

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Income inequality

by franklittle on 5 December, 2011

Thanks to Mark Valladares a fellow LibDem councillor in England for this observation, inspired by a new report (Tax and the coalition: fairness and responsibility?) : “There is a valid debate to be had in terms of how fair our tax system already is, and the Gini coefficient (a measure of a population’s overall income […]

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There should be more women in government

by franklittle on 29 October, 2011

It is discouraging to women who have an interest in entering Parliament if the man at the top passes over good female candidates for ministerial positions in favour of uninspiring men. “Take Back Parliament” has launched a campaign to press David Cameron to fulfil a pre-election pledge. There is a petition form here: http://www.countingwomenin.org/index.php/take-action/make-david-cameron-keep-his-promise/

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A critical vote tomorrow

by franklittle on 4 May, 2011

The next Welsh Assembly Government will last five years, not the normal four. The change in the law was made in order to avoid a clash with the UK general election in 2015. This extra year of power puts even more responsibility on WAG to get it right over a period when we should be […]

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The mass media and coalition government

by franklittle on 24 January, 2011

Words of wisdom from Tony Greaves in the House of Lords last week: “People will say that it is very difficult because we live in a media environment which is one of the worst in the democratic world. The media observe policy differences and call it a split; they observe policy discussions and call it […]

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Communities First underachieves

by franklittle on 31 October, 2010

A number of us have felt for some time that the scheme generates little employment except for Communities First administrators. Now comes confirmation, courtesy of a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, quoted by Eleanor Burnham MEP here.

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We need to reinvigorate local democracy

by franklittle on 15 October, 2010

Disappointed as I was by yesterday’s result in the by-election in Neath North, I was encouraged by the fact that the new Labour councillor is of the age from which we should be drawing more of our council members: mature, but some way from pensionable age. Too many of us are in the latter category. […]

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