June 2001

Festival future uncertain as thousands watch parade (24 June 2001 )

No Change in dull election (8 June 2001)

District's new job strategy heads for meltdown (1 June 2001)

Festival future uncertain as thousands watch parade

24 June 2001

The future of Bradford Festival remains uncertain as the 15th annual extravaganza got off to a hugely popular start with thousands watching the Carnival Parade on a sun-baked Saturday afternoon.

The contract to run the festival is up for renewal next year, but a consultants report suggests that the Festival event might be dropped altogether to make way for "Bradford - a Festival City". Focussing on the councils bid to become Europe's "City of Culture" the suggestion is one of a number to rejig the current short-span festival.

Other suggestions include running the Mela as a completely separate entity and cutting the number of free events.

The report was also critical of the quality of some of the events.

Bradford Festival Ltd, who devised the festival originally, now have to bid for a new 3-year contract, but they remain confident of winning it whatever changes are introduced.

See previous posting
See also: Bradford Festival site

No Change in dull election

8 June 2001

One of the dullest election campaigns in living memory brought absolutely no change in the Bradford District, with Labour sweeping the board on a turnout of just 57%.

The tightest result came in Shipley, where MP Chris Leslie hung on with a reduced majority of 1428. Labour party activists had worked hard in the area, inundating local people with leaflets and doorstep visits in the last week, but the effort proved enough in the end.

Elsewhere Marsha Singh held Bradford West with an increased majority despite concerns of widespread ballot rigging through the abuse of postal votes. Terry Rooney took Bradford North comfortably and immediately condemned the British National Party, who had tried hard nationally to exploit racial tensions in the area. In the end they took less than 5%, of the vote.

See results:
Yorkshire & Humberside results (BBC)
Bradford & District results (T&A)

District's new job strategy heads for meltdown

1 June 2001

Bradford Council's new strategy for jobs in the district is on the verge of total collapse.

The draft jobs strategy focuses entirely on the high-tech industries clustered around Saltaire, including Pace and Filtronic.

But Filtronic has seen its value crash in the last 14 months, threatening the jobs of it's 1100 UK workforce.

And Pace last month stunned workers when it announced that all it's 500 manufacturing jobs are to go abroad.

Anxious councillors are watching with bated breath as Filtronic prepare to release its latest annual figures. Share prices in the company have gone into freefall since March last year, plumetting from a high of £23.25 to a low of £1.35. They have rallied in the last few weeks to stand at £2.70.

The fall slashed the value of the company from £1.7 billion to under £200 million. Current stock market advice to shareholders is "sell, sell, sell".

See: full story

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