David Nuttall M.P. – Bury North

Today is polling day in Bury and indeed right across the Country for the local elections. I suspect most of the media interest will focus on the battle to decide who becomes Mayor of London the big Boris v Ken battle. Closer to home it will be interesting to see whether the City of Manchester decide to go down the same road and have an elected Mayor like London and indeed their next door neighbours in Salford who are also electing a new Mayor today. My guess is that Manchester will decide to stick with the status quo just as Bury did when we had a referendum on the issue a few years ago.

The Secretary of State for Local Government sets out five reasons for voting Conservative today here

Sua and I attended a lunch today at the Man Yuen Chinese restaurant in Tottington to mark the 125th Anniversary of Tottington St. John’s Cricket Club. Founded in 1887 the cricket club has now expanded to include rounders and football – hence the change of name to Tottington Sports Club. Around 150 people attended the lunch and I guess many hundreds of pounds will have been raised towards the new pavilion extension which is in the process of being constructed.

Past and present players were joined by family, friends and supporters in what was a tremendous start to this anniversary year. The club are aiming to raise £10,000 to build the new extension to the pavilion and have launched a Buy-a-Brick scheme. Anyone wanting to help the Club can buy a brick for just £25.00 more details can be found from the Club’s website here

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter.

Apologies for fewer than usual postings on my blog of late. I was not 100% for a while and that combined with usual busy workload means something has to go and regretably it is usually means the blog. Anyway, as I am now fully recovered and spending a few days away I can safely predict a few more posts (including a few updating on some of the things I have been doing over the last couple of weeks) in the next few days.

Let me start with a brief comment about the reported views of the Archbishop of Canterbury that he would not be too concerned if people went to church who were not all that certain about their faith. Well, I have not always agreed with the views of the present Archbishop of Canterbury but on this matter I think he is absolutely spot on. As churchwarden at St. Anne’s in Tottington we have had congregations way in excess of 200 for the past two Sundays and I would like to think we are welcoming to everyone. As the Archbishop said there are no theological exams ( if there were I would definitely fail!).