Labour councillor ignores Manic's message

Back in June 2009 Cardiff Council bosses where delighted  when the Manic Street Preachers opened Cardiff Central Library

The Band  unveiled a plaque at the new city centre structure bearing the words ‘Libraries gave us power’ – a line from their 1996 hit A Design For Life.

The Blackwood group were given a tour of the £15m building where they were shown the music, film and Welsh language sections and the building’s baby grand piano – put there for the public to play.

The Manics said in a statement: 

“Libraries played an intrinsic role in our youth in Wales and contribute greatly to what we became as a band.“It is a privilege and an honour to be asked to open this amazing educational addition to the cultural heritage of Cardiff and Wales.”

The then Liberal Democrat Council leader Rodney Berman said: “

It is an honour that the Manic Street Preachers have taken time out of their busy schedule to officially open the new Cardiff Central Library, and we were pleased that we were able to get a chance to show them around this iconic building.“The opening line of A Design For Life seemed to us to perfectly sum up the ethos of the new library and just how important access to facilities such as these can be to people of all ages.“We wanted to have a permanent reminder of this in Central Library and we are delighted that they unveiled this commemorative plaque.“I am very proud of the new library and believe we have created something that will serve as a standard model for future library projects.”

Fast foward to 2015 and we get  Cardiff Labour politician Richard Cook’s  claiming 

" Anger at library closures is overshadowing the wider debate about local authority cuts because it is a “middle class issue”, 

Clrr  Cook’s comments met an angry response Wales’ capital where seven libraries face an uncertain future if the city council goes ahead with its plan to stop their public funding.

By coincidence  my own Library in Beddau Reopened  manned by Volunteers after the hard work of local people to take over the running after it was closed by R.C.T. council.

I would,t call  the people who worked so hard for our Library middle class certainly no more than Cllr Cook.

I can still remember Pontypridd Library where there was room where you could read the daily papers whilst standing as they were secured to a board.

Cllr Cook  certainly be aware the equivalent  today is people who cannot afford to access the Internet  only form of access is the Library.

Indeed for the unemployed they are obliged if they do not have access at home to use the Library.

Cllr Cook remarks are deeply offensive especially coming from a member of a Party that long ago abandoned the "Working Class voters in Wales" who have constantly  voted for them for the voters of Middle England .