Stop Subsidising Those who are Damaging Our Roads,

When our utility companies were owned by us, they dug up the roads, made a hash of reinstating them and the cost of repairing them fell on the local authority. This was OK because we were bailing out organisations which we owned.

It is very different today. The local authorities are responsible for repairing the roads after they have been damaged by the shoddy repairs of the privately,and often foreign owned utility companies.

The ulility companies make the profits and we subsidise those profits by stumping up to repair the damage they cause. They have no incentive to do robust repairs after they have excavated and caused delays.

I propose that any utility company requiring to dig up our roads must be made responsible for any repairs required in that section of road surface for the following ten years.

Industry Burns, Mandy fiddles.

The news that 900 jobs are to go at the car parts maker Bosch in Wales arrives at the same time that Dame Peter Mandelson, our oxymoronic Business Secretary, has said some stern words regarding business taking a long term view to their UK operations.

Don't you get it yet Peter? Remember the old rhyme 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.' I am sure that you will always be able to point to what you have either said or not said in your defence but what have you done but fiddle whilst our manufacturing industry dies?

Russia

Have just spent the new year in Moscow and St Petersburg. What a stunning country.