Dr Ian Gibson

£100k to lead Heartsease Academy

I was shocked to see reports today of a £100,000 salary attached to the post of 'Principal Designate' at Norwich Open Academy. Not least because the Academy is yet to be given the go-ahead and there is still a strong campaign in the community against the closure of Heartsease High.

The campaign remains strong and I have just secured a meeting with the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP and Lord Adonis, I will be taking a small delegation from Norwich with me to discuss the proposed Academy on 30th January.

Should we loose the fight and should the Academy get the go-ahead I am seriously considering applying for the post myself. With almost thirty years experience at UEA under my belt, six of those serving as Dean, I am confident I would be a suitable candidate and that I could offer the educational experience used car salesman Graham Dacre lacks. Plus it pays considerably better than my current job as an MP.

That said the job description does require the selected candidate to create an environment which reflects a Christian ethos. I may have some trouble with this as I believe that education and knowledge provide a satisfactory ethos in themselves.

From Mousehold to 'Covent Garden'

Blog 15^th October 2007

I broke into lathers of sweat and developed a sore back cutting out gorse on Mousehold Heath with the Mousehold Heath Defenders this weekend. They are an amazing bunch of hard working environmentalists. Couldn’t we have a day when 1000 people from Norwich help to preserve the Heath and manage the flora and fauna?

Down to Anglia Square which could yet meet my ‘Norwich’s Covent Garden’ ambition as it seems to be busy bustling and full of energy as ever. But do we really need a new supermarket? More local shops which add to the unique character of the area would be my preference.

Visit to People First of Norfolk

Just a few photos of my visit to the "People First of Norfolk" open day I attended on 4th August in Lawson Road, Norwich

People First Norfolk

Recess

Since recess I’ve been catching up with things in the constituency. Firstly, meeting Police Community Support Officers in Sprowston. We had a very frank discussion about Sprowston, Thorpe St Andrew, and Old Catton and the problems that are faced by residents in those areas. It was refreshing to talk to people who are totally committed to community policing and helping to resolve several problems. Also, Taverham officers came and told us about the problems they are facing in their patch. The problems aren’t particularly kids but just a general anti-social behaviour situation. The PCSOs are amazingly dedicated people who handle a whole range of sensitive and complex issues in a delicate way.

The safer neighbourhoods scheme will be up and running in September and I’m really hopeful that things will get even better from then.

I’ve also been around Old Catton to the cemetery and recreation areas, and also saw how the Parish Council are trying to improve sports facilities. I am supporting their application and urge others to do the same. Go to www.broadland.gov.uk and search for planning application number 20070962 if you would like to add your comments.

Back to work now, and I look forward to updating you all again soon.

Dementia

Dementia

We often meet the sons and daughters of people whose parents have various problems associated with dementia .

The care, attention and time they spend looking after their parents is superb and I remain very concerned about them having to sell their parents’ homes to pay astronomical sums for care and attention in the last phases of their life.

We need a support group in Norwich to really help individuals who feel confused and upset about having to put their parents into care. I will be writing to the director of adult social services at the County Council to see if he would support a support group to these people out in Norfolk.

We also need the government to recognise the increasing number of people who are going to need care. And the state will have to find the resources to look after them. We look forward to Gordon coming out with another of his bright and breeze initiatives.

Bye Bye Bethel Street

Bethel Street was once the centre of political activity in Norwich, and was home to the Norwich Labour Party for many, many years.

It was opened by Harold Wilson and has been visited by the likes of Tony Blair and John Smith.

It is a sad sight to see these days, with demolition of the club now well underway.

Click here to look at some photos of Bethel Street:

59 Bethel Street

Sardine Man

A quick photo for you of me, Sardine Man, and Jenny Agutter campaigning for less crowded trains on the rail network. It was all organised by Transport 2000, and more details can be found online www.transport2000.org.uk

Sardine Man

My Google Map

Now you can see my latest activities on a map of Norwich

Click here to see my map of Norwich

Visit to the Assist Trust

Here are a couple of photos of my visit to Assist Trust last week, to mark the start of Volunteers' Week. The visit was arranged by Norfolk and Norwich Voluntary Services.

To quote their website, "Assist Trust is a charity offering basic skills, educational courses, training, personal development and supported employment opportunities for adults with learning difficulties."

They're a fantastic charity and do a lot of excellent work around Norwich. You can get more details at http://members.aol.com/assisttrust/

Photos of Ian at the Assist Trust

Some photos

Here's a link to a few photos of my recent visit to the Startrite site and of the academy meeting at Heartsease High

Heartsease Academy Meeting and Startrite site

Cubans and Computers

You may know that the Hilton Hotel complex in the UK is now owned by the USA. You may not know that they have told managers not to allow Cubans to stay there under threat of legal proceedings from the USA. The APPG on Cuba, which I chair, is opposing this and will visit the FCO to protest at this illegal discrimination. Meanwhile there is a growing trade union and individual boycottof Hilton hotels.

More locally, the battle over Heartsease high school being given away is rising up the agenda. There is something so very concerning about a successful and still improving local school falling out of local education authority control and being controlled by two patrons who, for 2 million pounds, get 25 million from the government, and can set the curriculum that they think ought to be taught, rather than the experts. Think tanks and many organised groups are opposing this move to academy ‘private’ status on the grounds that it is divisive and potentially selective in how it admits its students. Why should a Bishop and a born-again Christian car salesman be given the ownership of a school and its pupils when the existing site is doing a superb job? There is a real question of trust here, and it is worrying to see people buying their way into the education of our youngsters for their own selfish intentions.

In less serious news, I had fun this week going on a basic computer course. It's known as the 'active talk' scheme, and I learnt how people in Norwich are helped into the job market via computer literacy. Didn’t do me any harm either thanks!

Update...

It's been a long time since the last blog in February. That's not because nothing happens -- rather too much, in fact.

Local elections, a campaign to get a candidate to run against Gordon Brown, the Norwich to London trains (as ever), and the proposed Academy at the Heartsease, and so on! The workload keeps mounting up and I never seem to get a chance to stop.

I'm hoping to finish a book shortly on what life is like as a backbencher. Not an autobiography though! There will be plenty of strange tales about life as an MP. One that does spring to mind took place up here in Norwich, whilst accompanying an ambulance to the Heartsease to see the work that the paramedics do. I was asked by a passerby if I was out doing some leafleting... funny how some politicians are associated with only one activity!

That was the week that was.

Blog: Jan29^th to Feb 4^th

A very health-orientated week. Kicked off proceedings with a talk on infertility treatments in the House of Commons – all went well. It came out that we could well save the NHS £17 million if we reassessed hormone treatment. The Minister will contact my sources to get some more information and hopefully start the ball rolling. I wonder where that £17 million might end up instead…

Richard Branson’s press conference to announce a ‘cord blood bank’ was fascinating, and I was caught by the press and asked to make a comment... I’m not sure Branson was too thrilled about some of the comments, but although there are questions about the effectiveness of cord blood given its short life span, you have to applaud his determination. The press conference itself was full of surprises: we meet a Norwich constituent who had done the advertising for the project, then phoned the Evening News and they published the story.

Friday comes around quickly, and I was home on the last train after a MacMillan Cancer Relief Concert in London. The train was just about running to time, but sadly I didn’t get home until 2am. Up again at 7 to carry out constituency work in the office with staff – 6 cases at surgery, interviews with Look East and Anglia TV about an illegal immigrant who committed a crime in Norfolk, national newspapers about cord blood, Tony Blair, and other issues with radio programmes. After that, a talk at a mental health meeting in the Maddermarket, and a meeting with hospital consultants. The day ends with a quiz at Colney Lane – I can only explain my position by saying that the lack of political questions didn’t help me cause!

Saturday meant surgery at Sainsbury’s Pound Lane where we heard about everything from problems at the N&N, CSA cases, Tax Credit failures, speeding, and dozens more. Afterwards, off to see a house in Thorpe St Andrew where the neighbours are opposing planning permission. An interesting afternoon spent at Carrow Road, but a good result at least.

Sunday is a day of rest apparently, but I started off by reading most of my papers for next week in Parliament. The ‘rest’ comprised of a walk from the Berney Arms to Reedham. Managed to relax for 2-3 hours.

Singing with Kinnock

To Strangers Dining Room to join in with Lord Kinnock in a sing along with Tom Paxton (the 60s folk singer... "Last Thing on My Mind, etc!)

The week sees a debate on Iraq... funny how the government has forgotten that originally all about weapons of mass destruction and not overthrowing Saddam and regime change. I've also been giving talks on Heritage and Innovation in the House, and learn some important lessons from each. A lot of preparation went into them and it certainly paid off.

Union dinners come and go, event with Syngenta, a Burns Night, and an advisory committee on science.

Friday comes around quickly, and I head off to UEA to work on the Scientist-MP pairing scheme... ideal for me really - I'm one of the rare breeds that has done both! It's run by the Royal Society and is great to be involved with.

Also in the constituency I opened a new centre for the Norfolk Blind Association and held discussions on saving the Orbital bus service that we fought so hard for -- the Council are holding firm and wielding the axe, sadly, but we will keep trying.

All in all, a quiet week.

(Belated) Week -- 8th January

Usually a quiet week but suddenly it erupted with minister sending children to private schools, Home Office mistakes with "absconders" who may reoffend. John Reid must be keeping everything crossed!

Is it not time to break up the department and get a minister who knows what's going on in the world out there to run the thing?

Back in Norwich we are campaigning on 20mph limits around schools, getting our One Railway Report out (www.freewebs.com/onerailwayinquiry) following an inquiry into the Norwich-London rail service and suffering the embarassment of losing to Plymouth Argyle.

This week our think tank, Newton's Apple (www.newtons-apple.org.uk) examines the cancer services now and in 20 years' time. It will involve question of how to improve our NHS and deliver the treatment which are rapidly becoming available. I look forward too to meeting the President of Tanzania to discuss malaria, TB, AIDS and Cancer and we in the UK can support their programmes.