Stockport Council News

“Dear fellow voters,

I’m sure that I am not alone in being curious about the background and qualifications of our prospective MP, so I started by looking at the bio on her website and left none the wiser. Lisa invites us to get in touch, so I did just that. I asked which charity she had been Chief Executive of, and in which businesses/roles she had gained her 12 years’ experience in International Finance. Perfectly reasonable questions, I thought. There was no reply, so after 2 weeks I mailed again and got a response from a party caseworker, devoid of any facts.

By this point, my curiosity was increasing, so I mailed again and was told that a CV for Lisa would be posted to me at home. It didn’t arrive. A week later I mailed again and a week after that a shiny leaflet containing absolutely no hard facts plopped onto my doormat.

By now, my curiosity was beginning to turn to suspicion. So I did some research of my own. I’ve presented the facts below, but please do make corrections if I have got anything wrong.

1) Lisa Smart is a founding trustee since 2006 of La Vida Vital Development Aid for Investment in South America, charity number 1115796 based in London. The average turnover for the last 5 years of published accounts is £55,489. All of the trustees act as unpaid volunteers. Once you know the name, it is easy to find out all about the charity on the web. According to the charities commission website, Miss Lisa Smart is not currently a trustee of any other charities.

2) Lisa worked for 9 years in London for Pictet Asset Management (PIC), a Swiss Private Bank. According to archived web pages from La Vida, her role was relationship manager for North American institutional clients.

3) According to her profile on Privatebanking.com, in 2010, Lisa joined Genesis Investment Management, LLP as Director of Client Relationships, with a focus on relationships with clients and investment consultants. In addition to her role with the Client Services team, she also runs the Genesis Charitable Trust. In her current profile on the LaVida website, she is described as Chief Executive of Genesis Charitable Trust.

4) Genesis Charitable Trust, charity number 1148643 is based in Westminster, London. It was established in 2012, funded exclusively by Genesis LLP. So far only accounts from 2013 have been filed, which show an income of £2.3m and expenditure of £1.5m. The annual report can be downloaded from the charities commission website. Lisa Smart is not listed as a current trustee. Her name does not appear anywhere in the 2013 annual report or on the Genesis website.

5) According to the Companies House database, Lisa Smart became a director of Stockport Canal Boat Trust on 29th October, 2014. She holds no other current directorships and has no closed or retired directorships.

6) According to her office, Lisa is a governor of Torkington Primary School. According to the website of Merton Lib Dems in her 2012 campaign to be elected to the London Assembly, Lisa was also a local candidate there, having lived in Wandsworth for 10 years and acted as a governor for a local school (Elliot school, since 2012 the ARK acadamy). The caseworker didn’t think to include the last bit.

Opinion
I don’t have a party political view on the above, I just wish people putting themselves forward for public office could find it within themselves to tell the straight-forward truth. My best guess is that someone has determined voters may not empathise with a “Local” candidate who clearly isn’t and has actually had a career in Swiss Private Banking, or to some folks, “A Banker”. Unfortunately for the politicians out there, the power of the web means that there is no hiding place and the truth will out.

From what I can see, Lisa’s CV is actually quite impressive. There is still one question unanswered, though. Why does she want to be the MP for Hazel Grove?”

Mellorite

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dirty-tactics-accusations-after-email-9095649#ICID=sharebar_twitter

Dirty tactics’ accusations after email from councillor who quit Labour party circulated to residents.

Labour has accused the Lib Dems of ‘dirty tactics’ after an email from an independent councillor who defected from Ed Miliband’s party was circulated to voters.

Stockport Councillor Laura Booth, who quit Labour last year after claims of ‘bullying’, is backing Lib Dem Lisa Smart for the Hazel Grove parliamentary seat.

Residents have now received the letter and email after it was circulated by the Lib Dems.

Coun Booth sits in the town hall as an independent after dropping her bid to become Labour’s MP for Hazel Grove next month when she left the party.

But Labour members, including General Election candidate Michael Taylor, have blasted her for ‘misleading’ residents, claiming her email deliberately ‘confuses’ voters into thinking a Labour councillor is backing a Lib Dem – and that the party has given up in Hazel Grove.

The email states: “This is the hardest email I’ve ever had to write. I’ve been a life-long supporter of the Labour movement.

“I was selected a year and a half ago to represent the Labour Party as our potential MP. But for the first time in my life I will not be voting Labour at the elections on May 7. I’ll be backing Lisa Smart to be our MP.

“It really is a two-horse race in our constituency, Labour are out of the race and can’t win here.”

Labour’s general election candidate for Hazel Grove, Michael Taylor

Mr Taylor said: “No Labour member is saying ‘vote for the Lib Dems’. This is just an independent councillor who sits with the Lib Dems, endorsing them.

“There isn’t a single Labour person in the Hazel Grove constituency who is backing the Lib Dem candidate; quite the reverse. The email is deliberately confusing and malicious and designed to confuse voters into thinking the Labour candidate has given up.

“Laura Booth left the Labour party last September – nowhere does she say that. We have evidence of people who have been misled and are angry about this.”

Ms Smart, who is hoping to keep the seat for the Lib Dems, said: “Hazel Grove has always been a clear fight between the Lib Dems and the Conservatives and all polls suggest it is neck-and-neck this time.

“More and more Labour supporters are backing me to win this time and I’m delighted that Laura is one of them.”

Mr Taylor added: “The reverse is true. If more and more Labour supporters are migrating to the Lib Dems, why do they have to pretend this independent councillor is a Labour member? She’s a Lib Dem in all but name.”

Coun Booth was unavailable for comment.

Free the captured Yorkie. Stop this inhumane treatment of Poppy now.

Loathsome, London Lisa is trying to destroy ancient woodland and green walkies spaces in the Borough. What dog would go along with that? Shame on you, Access-for-Cash Lisa.

https://ldhazelgrove.nationbuilder.com/fightingfund

I paid for the LibDems in Stockport to have an apprentice (I didn’t want to).

That apprentice has been used for political campaigning, cold telephone calling, preparation of election leaflets and knocking on doors. Should he have been? It is certainly not how I want my money spent.

Despite Councillor Derbyshire’s letter below, £2,000 was paid over by Stockport Council to Hazel Grove LibDems for this apprentice.

“Commenting, Lisa Smart, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hazel Grove said –

“Stockport businesses are already doing their bit for our young people by taking on over 200 Stockport apprentices in 100 days! The response to Andrew’s campaign really was phenomenal so we thought we should do our bit too.

“I’m delighted we were able to take on Conor and offer him a full time apprenticeship in the Romiley office. He’s a great help and learning the ropes really quickly, we hope he enjoys the apprenticeship as much as we enjoy having him around!”

Stockport Council has announced its next Apprenticeship Campaign which will aim to secure 50 apprenticeships in 50 days, awarding every employer who chooses to take on an apprentice £1,000.

To find out more, ring Alison Cresswell at the Council on 0161 474 2350 or visit
http://www.stockport.gov.uk/services/education/educationtrainingandemployment/apprenticeships/stockport5050apprenticeshipscheme/

Or for more information on National Apprenticeship Week 2014 visit –

http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/awards/apprenticeship-week-2014.aspx

Conor’s diary – a week in the life of a campaign apprentice.

We asked our new apprentice, Conor, to keep a diary of his week, to tell you all exactly what you can expect as an Apprentice. Nineteen-year-old Conor began a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Business Administration this year and is working with the Liberal Democrats in Hazel Grove.

Day 1

Today I’m down in London for the last day of a training course on how to take pictures and write leaflets. I’ve never been to a training session like this before but everyone’s really nice and friendly. I think I’ll learn a lot more about what the job entails.

Day 2

Today I have a long list of work, and I’ve been told there’ll be thousands of leaflets delivered this afternoon. It’s all part of a new challenge and there certainly seems to be a lot of paper involved.

I have also learnt how to enter data efficiently and order leaflets, which will make my job easier later in the week.

Day 3

Today I’ve been given the task of managing volunteers for our phoning evening – we get lots of really nice volunteers to call people and ask them if they have any problems and how we can help. I’ve learnt a lot about managing volunteers, as well as how to set them up on the computers and talk them through what they’ll be doing.

We do it till about 8pm so I’m working late and will take a break later in the week to make up for it. I’m really enjoying the variety of the job and having responsibility over making the evening successful.

Day 4

Volunteer management is a big part of what I’m learning and today is our clerical day. It’s excellent, particularly the cake.

It’s really nice working with so many people that give up their time because they believe in something.

Today we’re putting leaflets in bundles for volunteers to deliver. It’s not that complicated but it’s really important that they don’t get mixed up so I have to keep an eye out for that! Making sure people have a lovely time is a big part of it so I’m going to spend most of my day practicing that part of my volunteer management.

Day 5

Today is a Friday and it’s time for door knocking somewhere in the constituency, rain or shine, as I’ve found out.

I was slightly nervous about people’s reaction but Lisa Smart and the Lib Dems seem to do such a good job round here that most people are very happy to see me. We had a really nice time and took back a few problems, potholes and things that Lisa will try to get fixed for people.”

“With the election now only weeks away, I’ve been keeping a close eye on each party’s leaflets.

Leaflets say a lot about a candidate or party’s character. This week I received a leaflet from the Liberal Democrats which was nothing other than a fear and smear campaign.

It has completely smeared Conservative candidate William Wragg for the small matter of what a former employer of his may or may not believe.

How can anybody be held responsible for the views of someone else?

It then spreads fear about the dangers of voting Labour. The last I checked, Michael Taylor, the local Labour candidate, was running a positive campaign – offering a clear choice to voters across the area.

Local candidates should be promoting themselves and offering a clear plan. Not using two sides of A3 paper to promote smear tactics, distrust and fear.

I voted LibDem in 2010. Not again.”

XXXX
Bredbury

The LibDems launch their election campaign in the wrong constituency and in an area notorious for, shall we say, inexplicable sexual practices.