Sutton Scarsdale County Councillor Robert Reaney.

27/08/2026

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/asylum-seekers-bumped-to-top-of-council-housing-list/ar-AA2aZux2?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=6a90382bca824a938e1b1a5aa79f0d50&ei=17

24/08/2026

I have a question: Andy Burnham visited our area within his first few weeks in power. I believe he went to Erewash. He was pictured heavily with our Mayor, Claire Ward. Since that visit, not only our Mayor but every single MP in Derbyshire has been posting on social media pretty much every day about their achievements..LOL. Even the camera-shy ones. Now, given that the burning question on everyone's lips at the time for Andy was: are you going to go for an early general election while you are still a bit popular? I can't believe that none of them, and especially not our mayor, did not extract some form of answer. So my question is simple. Did he tell them when, and are they campaigning? Is that what's behind this sudden social media blitz from people you usually struggle to even find? Have they got wind of when he will call it? And therefore, that triggers a second question: do you want more of the same? I post this picture of most of the Derbyshire MPs so that you know who they are, because usually you would struggle to find them. Our own MP Natalie Fleet is not even in this shot, so clearly it's another engagement she couldn't be bothered to show up to at the time. But right now, this lot are all over the place every day. I asked this question at a meeting yesterday. The feeling was pretty certain that they are raising their profile early. The feeling was that they have a sense of when it will be. It went like this: If you are not following local politics, you may not be aware that Derbyshire is about to be split into two halves politically, a North and a South, and that all district councils are about to disappear. It will mean hundreds of councillors losing their seats, and large-scale cost savings because there will also be staff cuts. The election for that will happen next May. Turnout at general elections is much higher than at any type of local election. So, will Andy coincide a general election with the May elections to not only save money (sensible) but also to boost the vote to rescue more of his local Labour chums from the chop? Or will he sprinkle some sunshine at this early budget and announce an early election at the end of the upcoming Labour conference? Either way, are our MPs and Mayor out campaigning, and if so, do you want more of the same? Or do you want to elect serious Councillors and MPs under Reform who will actually get something done? Over to you, tell me what you think of my theory.

18/08/2026

There were a lot of stories last week about the UK passing the £ 3 trillion debt barrier. Taxpayers Alliance then pointed out that, on top of this, things that are not counted include pension liabilities, PFI contracts, nuclear clean-up costs, and so forth, which could be as much as a further £ 8 trillion. Jacob Rees-Mogg did a very good video explaining our situation, and I understand that Rupert Lowe has put out a comment this week along the lines of the UK is simply waiting to go bust. From experience, the mainstream parties, or MPs, do not want to debate national debt. It is a subject they actively avoid. To clear our debt, I understand every household would have to contribute more than £ 100K. The USA is in a worse position than us, which is concerning, as the so-called world's reserve currency is now being rejected by China, Russia, and various Middle Eastern and South American countries in favour of other currencies. There are solutions to this, and doing more of the same is not one of them. Burying our heads in the sand, which is what most political people want to do, is also not really the solution.

15/08/2026

Like most people, I believe that our MPs all support British Jobs. I believe that all of them, from every party, would support initiatives to generate new jobs in the UK at every opportunity. I also believe that most members of the voting public assume that, that is the case. In fact, I think people take it so much for granted that they do not even question it would be otherwise.

So, when given the opportunity to do just that in a very easy way. How many of Derbyshire's Labour MPs have responded, do you think? How many have pitched in to help? Let me explain the circumstances before you answer that.

On the 15th of July, Derbyshire County Council passed a unanimous motion, backed by all councillors from all parties, to welcome the film industry to Derbyshire in a more formal way. This would include supporting them as a Council and investigating building a new studio that could trigger countless jobs. So, we are asking a missing industry to come to our region in order to generate local jobs. Two days later, our cabinet member, Mr Lawson, wrote to all our MPs and asked them to back the initiative and perhaps put something out on their socials or websites to say that they also felt that this would be a good idea. Nothing too onerous, just a verbal support statement sort of thing. A few words here or there. They are in Government, after all, and a big part of their manifesto is to support British jobs, is it not? So, a few words of support should not be a big ask, right?

So, when asked to simply support a local bill or motion that might generate jobs in their own constituencies, can you tell me how many of our devoted Derbyshire MPs have responded? How many have even had the courtesy of even sending an acknowledgment or response to our cabinet member? Any guesses?

Answer: None. Not a one. None of Derbyshire's Labour MPs have either acknowledged the request, let alone done anything to support an initiative aimed squarely at generating jobs for Derbyshire. They have not put a single word out on their socials, and they are all on social media constantly promoting themselves like mad. MPs who are employed in the East Midlands; that is an area where the Government has underinvested for decades, not a one can be bothered to support verbally an initiative to bring jobs. Despite all of them being on summer recess from Parliament, which is a time when MPs catch up on local matters, not one has even replied.

Yet, in the region, we have the Midlands' largest film festival happening in Mansfield next weekend. We have the Derby Stunt Academy being built, which will generate loads of jobs. We have constant projects at Chatsworth, and the Devonshire group regularly stands at film conferences to bring projects into our county that generates lots of income for us. We have a film Company that employs about 100 people at Riply that specialises in sports and events. We have had mission impossible and Peaky blinders film in our area in recent years. Actually, this industry could really put a lot of jobs into Derbyshire. It could really spread some money about for all of us., and this industry indicates that it wants to do more in our area.

Your MPs aren't interested. They say they are, but you as voters must measure them by their actions not just their warm words. Not a single Labour MP has said a single positive word about filming in Derbyshire. They have been asked, and all of them have ignored it. Bringing the film industry to Derbyshire is a Reform led initiative at this moment in time, but was backed on a non political basis by all councillors, and rightly so. However, we can now demonstrate that when asked, not a single Labour MP... who are employed by us, to help improve our lives and job prospects.. have not done a single thing to help in this regard. So, come election time, when you listen to them in future saying they are here to help boost jobs, just remember, when asked to do simply acknowledge and verbally support just such an attempt that can really change things.. every last one of them ignored it. Not a one of them actually helped. That's a fact, and that is undisputed as a fact. Your Labour MP's are not interested, unless it in someway promotes them. Remember that the next time your pen is hovering over a ballot paper. It's shameful.

02/08/2026

From this week's Taxpayers Alliance:
NHS Rich List
The NHS is forever pleading poverty. Yet while patients wait in corridors and taxpayers are told to dig ever deeper to fork over more cash, the management class at the top of the health service is doing rather nicely.

The latest TPA NHS Rich List lifts the lid on senior pay across 220 NHS trusts, and the figures are hard to defend.

In 2024-25, 1,758 senior managers received at least £100,000 in total remuneration, covering salary, expenses, benefits, bonuses and pension benefits. Some 574 had salaries higher than the prime minister, up 12 per cent in a single year. Even more strikingly, the number receiving at least £300,000 in total remuneration surged from 125 to 292, a rise of 134 per cent.

For patients stuck on waiting lists, these numbers will be galling enough. But the real sting is that bumper pay packets are still showing up at trusts with dreadful performance. East Cheshire was the worst-performing trust in England for A&E waiting times for the second year running, with just 43 per cent of attendances seen within four hours. Yet its chief executive’s total remuneration rose from £172,500 to £377,500. Crazy, right?

The rich list drew the attention of the press, the Daily Mail, the Times, the Sun, the Telegraph, the Daily Express, GB News, and local papers around the country, with our investigations campaign manager, Callum McGoldrick, penning an OP-ED for Conservative Home.

Anne Strickland, lead researcher on the project, told reporters: “Taxpayers will be appalled that NHS executive pay is soaring while patients are still left waiting for care…Ministers must keep their promise to link performance to pay, so that failing NHS bosses are held accountable, and money goes into patients’ care, not managers’ pockets. ” Well said, Anne!

The rich list also received support from shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew MP, who agreed with us when he said: “Paying managers large bonuses while patients receive poor care is not good value for taxpayers or fair on NHS frontline staff.”

We all want a well-run health service, and taxpayers are not asking for miracles. NHS bosses who deliver better care and shorter waits should be rewarded. But bosses at failing trusts should not be able to sit back on bloated pay deals while patients are left waiting and services struggle.

That is exactly why ministers promised a “carrot and stick” approach to NHS leadership pay last year. Now the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has a chance to prove Labour is serious about value for money. Let’s see if she follows through.

Help us produce our next agenda-setting research by clicking here to donate
Exposing Britain's NHS Manager Fat Cats
The NHS keeps demanding more money, but patients are still stuck on waiting lists while senior managers take home bumper pay packets.
Podcast host Duncan Barkes is joined by the TPA’s Jonathan Eida and Anne Strickland to discuss the latest NHS Rich List, which reveals 574 NHS bosses now earn more than the prime minister and the number receiving at least £300,000 in total remuneration has more than doubled in a year.n to the latest episode of A Nation of Taxpayers

02/08/2026

From this weeks Tax payers Alliance:

Burnham’s debt interest bill
While our hard-hitting NHS rich list was being released, the research team took no time off and was once again busy cooking more research. This time they turned their guns onto debt interest.

Before Andy Burnham has even implemented any policies, he is already being weighed down by the inheritance of previous government borrowing. In fact, according to our new briefing note Debt interest over time and based on current OBR forecasts, Andy Burnham would have the second highest average annual debt interest bill of any prime minister on record, at £112.8 billion per year in 2025-26 prices.

In 2025-26, more than one pound in every twelve spent by the government was used to service debt. This is all money that is being burned instead of being used to run public services or make room for tax cuts.

Fundamentally, though, this is the cost of reckless spending by previous governments who have spent beyond their means and have maxed out the country’s credit card. This needs to stop, or even more money will be wasted pouring more fuel onto the fire.

Research director Darwin Friend was spot on with his warning to our new Prime Minister when he told the nation’s media: “Burnham must not make a dire situation worse with yet more borrowing and spending. He should get a grip on the public finances and provide the breathing space for Britain that he promised.” But the real question it this: will he listen? Only time will tell, but we’re not optimistic.

01/08/2026

So have the chances of the film industry coming to Derbyshire improved? Well, after this week, the answer is probably yes. For those who do not know the story, I have been pointing out that the East Midlands does not have a film studio since I was elected and campaigning to rectify that. The last one we had of any size was Carlton in Nottinghamshire, which shut around 15 years ago. So why would we want one? Well, they create a ton of jobs, can massively promote the area, and a good film can drive tourism for decades. Have you ever seen how many people a single major film can employ by watching the credits at the end?? Furthermore, the industry runs on talent, new ideas, and energy, so they are a great outlet for our graduates. So hopefully great, well-paid jobs for our kids. It's all positive stuff, and as it's a missing industry here, well, we want a film studio to attract that industry in, right? A few weeks ago, this all went from being a nice idea that we were just chatting about to something a bit firmer as it was voted on at full Council by all Councillors at the County Council as an idea we would like to formally investigate. That means it went from being just an idea to an instruction to officers to get on and actually investigate. At this week's steering group meeting, we found out that it is now also on the Mayor's office agenda and is to go to their investment committee meeting at the end of September as an item. What does that mean? Well, assuming they vote to support it... and nothing is a given, so they may not... but if they do.. then they will probably put in a tiny bit of money into bringing in a specialist film consultant to investigate the idea properly, provide an independent report, and business case. Provided that results in a positive report and business case, we can then raise investment and actually build a studio. You may be reading this and thinking that all sounds very long-winded and with lots of potential to go wrong, and you know what? You would be absolutely right. But all I can do is assure you that this is the painfully slow way these things have to go, but that we are definitely a step closer to a film studio in Derbyshire than we were this time last month. That would have to include a proper film office to help with locations and talent. That would include a ton of backup services being needed. It would trigger all sorts of daily programmes being made here, such as news, chat shows, game shows, documentaries, educational programmes, music production, digital content, game production, animation, bloggers and influencers, and so much more than just films. There was a piece in the Derbyshire Times after the recent vote, and what is nice is the offers of support coming forward from the industry. Plenty of people reaching out saying that they support the idea. It's very exciting because if we do succeed, then that will trigger a lot of new jobs right here in Derbyshire. It will bring in a ton of badly needed money, and offer a lot of hope to graduates or talented kids looking for an outlet. If you know of someone in the industry, an actor or actress, or someone linked to the industry in Derbyshire, forward this post to them and ask them to give me a shout. We need to convince the Mayors office, and possibly investors that Derbyshire is a great place for a brand new film studio. Thats the job for the next few months. I will post again about this when there is news. In the meantime, I leave you with a shot of one of my favourite camera men.

19/07/2026

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15972943/Union-barons-branded-champagne-socialists-emerges-six-figure-pay-packages-including-bosses-threatening-shutdowns-hospitals-schools-rail-network.html?ref=taxpayersalliance.com

16/07/2026

https://order-order.com/2026/07/16/safeguarding-minister-accused-of-refusing-to-work-after-telling-burnham-she-doesnt-want-the-job-any-more/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATF6atjbGNrBMXpf2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHs2CafxdJKsplm95GjC3XU29qvMJTrWHjP8cACPL5-XozWRBFFQFU2AQP55H_aem_rK6EJoQpsfDE7uwMuw1F6g

The MP who replaced Jess Phillips as minister for safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls has been accused by staff and officials of doing "no