Cllr Jo Bird gave her first speech to Wirral Council, moving a successful motion on the ongoing impact of New Ferry explosion.
"Thank you Mr Mayor. I am delighted to represent Bromborough ward and all the people in it, following in the footsteps of Cllr Warren Ward. I am honoured to give my first speech to Council, FOR THE MANY not the few.
The number one issue for my constituents is the huge gas explosion that devastated New Ferry, in March last year.
Children and adults are doubly devastated not only by the explosion itself but also by the selective compassion shown by this government. Some families, like Christopher Power’s, are facing their second Christmas in temporary accommodation. In the language of war, they’d be called “internally displaced refugees”.
Disasters could happen anywhere at anytime. When disaster struck in Salisbury, London, and Belfast the government chose to rip up their rule book and paid out quickly. £7.5m was given to Salisbury businesses for loss of trade, but not a single penny has come for traders in New Ferry. Why?
Is it because, as Alison McGovern MP said, “When it comes to helping people, you can never trust a Tory”?
Prime Minister Theresa May – you know, the strong and stable one - and Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, they are as likely to win friends on the Wirral, as to win the next General Election. And we say, “Bring It On!”
Because twenty months ago, in an instant: • thirty-nine people were badly injured • sixty-eight people needed re-housing • shrapnel shot out 700 meters • damaging over a hundred homes and shops • ten businesses closed instantly • loosing twenty workers their jobs.
The Police cordon around the crime scene lasted for weeks. Two criminal trials will start in January.
If this happened in your community, you would be right to expect the government to help.
People on the Wirral have responded brilliantly, giving first aid, money, food, clothes and hugs. Everyone, every worker, did their best in unique and very difficult circumstances.
Now Wirral Council is also making a good start on physical regeneration. The Council will spend £1.3 million capital to buy derelict properties for new housing. Half a million is coming to improve the shopping precinct.
But just as important as bricks and mortar is the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods from the rubble. A common experience for survivors, like Ming Nicholson, is that they received only a few hundred pounds for emergency costs. Why was that?
Given that the common practice in other places, is for a flat rate, not means tested, hardship payments would be paid out very quickly as standard. I am very pleased that it is announced today that a hardship fund will be established to make payments to people directly affected by this disaster.
Wirral has repeatedly sent detailed letters to government asking for help. The Council has spent £560,000 dealing with this disaster and reclaimed £215,000 in charge-backs to insurance, landlords, and residents. The Bellwin disaster scheme should reimburse Wirral Council. But this government will only consider that, it seems, after the Council spends almost half a million pounds. So, there could be a gap of £183,000 for our Council to make payments to meet the government’s threshold - and help heal the wounds and transform the lives of devastated people and traders.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the inspiring community of New Ferry, Port Sunlight and Bromborough, who have patiently taught us so much about the injustice of their situation. We are on a long, painful journey together.
The community is tenderly emerging, like a fragile butterfly from a chrysalis.
As a Wirral Councillor, I would like to apologise to people directly affected. I am sorry some safety nets didn’t hold you. I am sorry it is taking so long to do right by you.
Fellow Councillors, please support this motion. Lets take action, to find a way to make hardship disaster payments of at least £183,000. Lets formally apply to the Bellwin disaster scheme and insist that the government honour their promise to help.
Please vote for this motion, for both government and Council support. Please support people directly affected by the ongoing impact of the New Ferry explosion.
Thank you."
Response to debate
"Thank you very much.
It’s very heartening to see cross-party support for New Ferry and this motion.
There was a lot of very professional support provided for people of New Ferry, and those affected by the disaster, particularly in the first couple of months afterwards.
But my constituents are saying that after that, they feel that they were left. Left to fend for themselves, left to fight their own corners. Meanwhile the houses and shops are left derelict and some were actually demolished.
This kind of dereliction of New Ferry, it shows up large holes in our collective safety net. These holes have been ripped into by the Conservative government. • Budgets to Wirral Council have been super-slashed • families rely on a “social security” system that I think was designed by Ebenezer Scrooge himself. It seems to be designed not to pay out to people who need it. • Workers generally suffer increasing insecurity, low wages, and zero-hours contracts. So our safety net is ripped to shreds.
It seems the government are playing a bureaucratic blame-game. The government blames Wirral for not spending enough and not submitting the right paperwork. Its like Scrooge finally deciding to help the Cratchit family but only after they’ve filled out the right paperwork and after spent they’ve spent their last pennies. This isn’t good enough. The government needs to intervene now. The Council needs to review the lesson learned, look at a progress plan and see what else it can do now too. Thank you."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGszY8ZNA1g&fbclid=IwAR0psqQB-5RoHnHurI8omX_9O-iCghby9BHlkEBllwbjdT1zzfK-UBv0-pw
