August 2001

Keighley citizens demand own council (10 August 2001)

Provident police pimps (1 August 2001)

Keighley citizens demand own council

Almost half the population of Keighley responded to a postal ballot to demand their own town council.

Ballots were sent to 38,000 eligible voters with the question: "Do you agree with the proposal to establish a Town council for Keighley?" Over 18,000 returned the ballot with a majority of 93% in favour.

Although town councils have little clout, the huge support for the proposal reflects an increasing disenchantment in outlying regions with the City Council based in Bradford. Keighley was absorbed into the new Metropolitan district in the 1974 government reorganisation. There are now increasingly popular moves to demerge Airedale entirely.

Local authorities themselves are losing more and more power to secretive quangos as local services are privatised. Consequently turnout at local elections has plumetted. The high response to the Keighley Town council ballot shows clearly that people are still keen to maintain some say over their lives.

The result will be discussed by Bradford Council's Keighley Area Panel next Wednesday at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the old Keighley Council chamber.

See also: Keighley Town Talk

Provident police pimps

Bradford moneylenders Provident Financial are paying the police a "bonus" to move prostitutes from their doorstep.

The financial giants, who have grown to an estimated value of £2 billion from lending money at exorbitant interest rates to the very poor, are giving the newly formed Bradford South vice squad £15,000 a year for the service. In return the police will put on extra patrols around Provident's HQ at Colonnade House, Sunbridge Road.

Provident spokesman David Stephenson said "We are doing this to help the police make the Sunbridge Road and surrounding area safer for our staff by helping them reduce the rate of crime".

Many women turn to prostitution to help alleviate poverty and debt - indeed many are undoubtedly in debt to Provident. But the irony seems lost on the moneylenders, whose loans typically come with interest rates of 300% or more.

See Full story

Back to Top of Page

Back to Contents Page