Corby Street Lights

Yesterday’s expectations at the Northampton County Hall soon came to a crashing end when it was quite apparent that the Tory lead Northampton County Council were merely paying lip service to the notion of transparency at the public meeting. The day’s business was a packed agenda and when it came to the turn of Corby Streetlights the Tory Chairman showed his arrogance and at times inconsiderate to the plight of the speaker who had a legitimate case on behalf of the Streetlight Group, as he sat perched in his chair with his arms folded and interrupted speakers as they sat before him.

County Councillor John McGhee from Corby and a member of our TUC committee went on record and told the Cabinet that he has no apologies for yesterday’s protest and our actions was born out of frustration that the NCC has ignored the plight of the Corby people. Furthermore, he added, as Corby lights are the first to be switched off… can he have the Cabinet’s assurances that when the new lights eventually come, Corby will be the first to be re-connected? Of course there was a deadly silence and no reply from the Chair or Cabinet and the speaker went on to say “please”.

For some time now the Corby & Kettering TUC has argued that the issue of street lighting is political and is an example of the Tory ideological-driven assault on public services… and today’s frustration of not being heard proved just that.

However all is not lost. There is also a remedy to this onslaught, although we must be patient and organise for a long haul campaign. Certainly we must build a united front through a local movement called the Corby & Kettering Trade Union Council. Our strategy is not complicated….in fact its brilliant. By linking up trade unionists with student, pensioners, community groups, tenant associations, the unemployed and welfare we can take this fight to the ballot box and oust those County Councillors from office next year who are all complicit in budgets before the safety and welfare of the people who they are elected to represent.

Shame on them all….