Congratulations to all those involved in the fantastic results achieved by many of our local primary schools.  Some are within the best in the country for success as Key Stage Two – including Lingham Primary School, which I visited last month.  The work that goes on by teachers, teaching assistants and governors and, not fogetting parents, carers and children, has produced these results.

Last night, I welcomed 100 volunteers and community activists to the Town Hall to say ‘thanks’ for what they, and their colleagues, do across Wallasey and Moreton.  Over the last couple of years, I have visited so many groups, from those dealing with the very young, to the elderly; from Seacombe Lunch Club to the Saughall Massie Conservation Society and pretty much everything in between!  It’s incredible to see te work that these people do, day in, day out over years of their lives.

The reception was my opportunity to say thanks to these groups for the warm welcome I have received, to say thanks to my two diary secretaries and for the people to mingle and talk about each of their experiences.  We also circulated details of how the three area fora in Wallasey can possibly help (including the Seacombe, Liscard, Poulton and Egremont Forum, which I chair).

All in all, a very successful night.

Any reasonable person acknowledges that we all make mistakes, some more serious than others. 

However, having now read the report by Sue Charteris into the library closures, I am beginning to wonder of the people responsible realise they have made a mistake or the scale of their error.

Sue Charteris states “I am profoundly concerned at the lack of transparency in the process.”  Haven’t we all!

And it’s not just about the current service which Sue Charteris has concerns, but also Labour’s favoured model of ‘hubs’ or ’super centres’: “There are unlikely to be sufficient physical locations to satisfy the particular needs of Wirral.”

The report also recommends a new, Wirral-wide advisory body to develop the service because we can’t rely on the Council alone.

And it’s not just about money – the report also recommends the Council regains trust and redesign the service (if it needs redesigning) with library users and other stakeholders.

At last!  You can read the report by Sue Charteris into the Labour plan to close our libraries.  Click here for a copy.  It makes depressing reading for those involved in the decision to axe our libraries and, among the key findings, is this:

The Public Inquiry into Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council’s (MBC) Library Service has found the Council’s decision to restructure its Library Service to be in breach of its statutory duties under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964  , to provide “comprehensive and efficient public Library Services for all persons desirous to make use thereof”.

With Olwen Jones who was busy selling toys

It was Open Day at Claire House this weekend and I was invited to go along by Olwen Jones, one of the founder members.  It was also their Christmas Fair and it was packed with youngsters and their families having a great time.  There was a huge wig wam in the garden where you could sit down and relax.  The Police Band were also resting at the time and were tucking into tea and mince pies!  It was very successful event and all proceeds go towards maintaining the hospice.  They need £2.5m per year so every penny counts.

Jayne, Amy and me

I bumped into Amy enjoying the Christmas Fair at Liscard Primary School yesterday with her two brothers, sister, mum and dad.  Amy was 18 earlier this year and has suffered from Cockayne Syndrome since birth – but she wanted to get out of her wheelchair for a photo which we were happy to do.  Although I haven’t seen her for quite a while she looked well.  I’ve known Amy and her mum Jayne for a couple of years when I knocked on the door one night and she told me how Amy was suffering and the problems she had getting help. 

Jayne’s done a tremendous amount since then and also formed a group to facilitate the support of children and families suffering from Cockayne Syndrome in the UK called ‘Amy and Friends’.  She’s bought many families together as well as accessing help from doctors in America.  She’s an inspriational woman and I was delighted to hear that she’s been nominated for Radio City Local Heroes Award 2009 - which celebrates the remarkable people who make our world a better place, she’s in the last three and we’ll know who wins on Tuesday night   Good luck!

I was invited by Suzi and the team from the Wirral Environmental Network who are based in Falkland Road, Seacombe, to open their Winter Green Fair at St Mary’s College in Wallasey Village this morning and I was delighted to accept.

Greeting everyone at the door was a Drumming Group who played West African music, and at intervals throughout the morning.  They were excellent and I was interested to hear about the Wallasey Drumming Club.

I decided it weighed 2Kg

There were lots of stalls, cakes, jewellery, plants, books, to name a few.  It also gives people a chance to buy ‘green’ gifts as well as locally produced crafts.  I bought some cakes and then stopped to speak to Shirley, who was running a stall but I usually see her in her capacity as secretary of Egremont Community Voice – I tried to guess the weight of a Christmas cake, which instead of being decorated with a Christmas theme had an iced cabbage, turnip and carrot on top! 

I also spoke to Jim O’Neill who has been running a campaign to save Hoylake Library and is very involved with the Environmental Network, like thousands of people across Wirral we’ve been waiting months to hear the Government’s view on how Wirral Council handled its now scrapped library closure plan which should be announced on Monday.

This Winter Fair had a slightly different theme to the other Fairs, very interesting and enjoyable.

With Suzi and the team from Wirral Environmental Network

… is one of three Conservative Members of the European Parliament for the North West of England and I’ve added a link to her blog.  Jacquie is also a Twitter fan.

Leah Fraser, Cllr Steve Williams and teacher, Jill McTierney

After the by-election yesterday it was back to normal and this evening I went to Foxfield School’s Christmas Fair with Cllr Steve Williams and Cllr Chris Blakeley.

The school was packed with parents and children plus all the usual stalls.  We spoke to Jill McTearney one of the teachers who has invited Steve to visit the school next week.  Congratulations to all the staff, parents and youngsters who went to so much effort to make the evening special.

Steve Williams has been elected Conservative Councillor for Moreton West and Saughall Massie tonight.  The election, following the sad death of Suzanne Moseley, saw the Conservatives win 70% of the vote with New Labour trailing on just 19%.  Liberal Democrats won just 4.1%.

Steve will be a first-rate councillor for Moreton and Saughall Massie.  As a former police man, and as someone who lives in the town, he knows the issues that people in Moreton and Saughall Massie are facing.  Along with Chris, Simon and I, Steve will work all year round for the people who elected him.

I spent the day in Moreton and Saughall Massie and spoke to many voters.  As well as voting for change, several people also commented on the nasty, negative tactics of New Labour and tonight’s result was an utter rejection for their style of campaigning.  It seems they are so ashamed of their own record, they are lying to people about mine.