Excellent speech Ed

We had a superb speech from Ed Davey MP this afternoon. He gave us some great attacks on Corbyn, Johnson, Brexit and climate change. But there was plenty of detail about what he would do if he becomes Chancellor including investing in training, town centres and especially in green technology.

Dr Wollaston I presume

One new game we are playing at this conference is get a selfie with a new MP. This is my first, with Dr Sarah Wollaston!

I've arrived!

I arrived at Lib Dem Conference at about 3pm today. I am a day late as I was at the Bowes Agricultural Show yesterday. We do this show every year so Conference had to take a back seat for a day. My train left Newcastle at 7.54 this morning and I am feeling the effects now!

I missed the big debate today on Europe because of my late arrival. It went the way the party leadership wanted. A majority Lib Dem government means revoking article 50 without a referendum. We continue to work cross party before the election to put an end to No Deal Brexit. And if we have no Lib Dem majority after polling day? More negotiating cross party, I guess.

Brexit Party takes over the helm at Hartlepool

If you want to see strange goings on in politics, go to Hartlepool. Famous for electing Peter Mandelson as MP and then the football team's mascot as Mayor, the town's new claim to fame is the appointment of the first Brexit Party local council administration. Or rather, a Brexit/Conservative administration. Apparently, ten independent councillors joined the Farage party last night. Today the old administration was ousted when the Brexit councillors teamed up with the Tories.

No doubt, up the coast in South Shields, Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for the town, will be eyeing up the situation in Hartlepool. She came out yesterday in favour of a coalition with the Brexit Party, rather than the Lib Dems. She may be feeling dreadfully let down by her prospective coalition friends jumping into bed with an alternative suitor. Never mind Emma, I'm sure there will be other opportunities to team up with the Brexit Party in the months to come.

Another Labour vote collapse

Just in, a council by-election result and yet another Labour vote collapse (and Lib Dem gain!):

Middleton Cheney (South Northamptonshire) result:

LDEM: 44.3% (+10.2)
CON: 39.8% (-2.3)
GRN: 10.3% (+6.2)
LAB: 5.7% (-14.1)

Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.

Labour could explain the result by suggesting they were squeezed in what is a marginal ward. Had this been a three way battle, the argument could stand up to challenge. However, in this instance, it was a 4 way battle. And the party that came 4th last time (the Greens) had a modest increase in vote share and leapfrogged into third place ahead of Labour. They weren't squeezed, unlike Labour.

This result is not a one off. Council by-election results are regularly showing a Labour collapse. And opinion poll results, when compared to 2017, are dire.

South Shields Labour MP backs coalition with Brexit Party rather than Lib Dems

Emma Lewell-Buck is the Labour MP for South Shields. She was David Miliband's replacement after he resigned to spend less time with his brother who had just beaten him for the Labour leadership. While David went on to be the head of the charity International Rescue (I'm trying to avoid references to Thunderbirds to the rescue), Ms Lewell-Buck headed to Parliament as the new MP. She is not without her controversies. She seems very much on the Brexit wing of the Labour Party. Indeed, she is so devoted to the Brexit cause that earlier this year Corbyn, a lifelong Leaver, sacked her for voting against a further referendum when the Labour line, as usual, was to sit on the fence and abstain.

Ms Lewell-Buck has now courted more Brexit controversy by announcing she would prefer to go into coalition with Nigel Farage's Brexit Party rather than the Liberal Democrats. Maybe she has an eye on recent expulsions from the Labour Party of members who admitted voting Lib Dem in the European elections in May. While action against Labour anti-semites has been slow, anyone with a hint of Liberal Democracy is immediately show the exit door from the Labour Party.

But could she really be prepared to go into coalition with the Brexit Party? This is an organisation near enough to the far right to make any association with it by anyone of a progressive hue at best uncomfortable and at worst carrying out a complete betrayal of their principles. The answer is yes.

According to ITN's "Acting Prime Minister" podcast, when she was given the choice of a coalition with the Lib Dems or the Brexit Party, she plumped for the latter.

"Nigel Farage openly stokes racism, hatred and division, but some people in the Labour Party are so determined to deliver Brexit they'd put him in Government," said Jo Swinson.

Even Boris Johnson has ruled out an election pact with Brexit and has said Farage will not be allowed anywhere near the levers of power.

It will be interesting to see what Labour will do. My guess is that as she wasn't advocating teaming up with the Lib Dems, expulsion is not an option. Aspiring Labour politicians need to put their CVs back in the drawer!

Whickham eFocus no. 123

We published our latest eFocus for the Whickham area earlier this week. Issues covered include:

• Tour of Britain cycle race coming to Sunniside, Whickham and Swalwell on Tuesday 10th September;
• Dunston house building plans rejected;
• Whickham Social Club to be demolished;
• Mayor re-opens Marley Hill Bowling Club's pavilion;
• Dunston School Plans submitted;
• Teddy bears picnic in Sunniside.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Tour of Britain cycle race in Sunniside

I'm just back from standing on the corner of Sunniside Front Street and Sunniside Road (less than a minute's walk from my house) to watch the Tour of Britain cycle race go through Sunniside. Two minutes of high speed cyclists and support teams captured on video. Enjoy!

Jo Swinson more popular among Labour voters than Corbyn

No doubt the Corbynistas will claim this is evidence of a conspiracy by the media to stop the People's Revolution in its tracks but back in the real world, a poll by Opinium of voters who backed Labour in 2017 puts Jo Swinson ahead of Jeremy Corbyn. Given Jo has been the Leader of the Lib Dems for less than two months, being ahead of Corbyn among his own voters is just plain delicious. Some in Labour worship Corbyn as if he were a deity who can walk on water. Others regard him as an iceberg that has just holed them below the waterline. Either way, Labour are stuck with him if there is a general election this year.

So, a brilliant start to Jo's leadership. In the meantime, here are those delicious opinion poll figures:

• Johnson MINUS 46
• Corbyn MINUS 6
• Swinson PLUS 4
• Farage MINUS 38

Lib Dem brunch

Gateshead Lib Dems' latest social event was held yesterday in the Land of Oak and Iron Heritage Centre near Winlaton Mill. A good turnout and it was great to see some new members attending as well.

I recommend the potato rostis.

On yer bike!

Gateshead is hosting the 4th leg of the Tour of Britain cycle race on Tuesday. This is great news for the image of the area and the local economy. Just think of all those visitors coming here and spending money with local businesses. But I was not overly impressed with an invitation from Labour run Gateshead Council to attend the start of the race. I received an email inviting chairs and vice chairs of committees to the event. As I am the only non-Labour person to be in this category, it meant all other members of my group were excluded. And it is typically elitist of Labour to make such an invite.

I turned down the offer.

The other reason I didn't want to attend the start was because the race is due to come through our village and past my house. With such a good vantage point on home territory, I decided staying in Sunniside was better!

Good luck to all the competitors. I'm looking forward to a great race!

More Whickham Focuses

I had a stack of Whickham Focuses to deliver in the Whickham part of my ward this week. The first batch went out on Tuesday. I finished the entire patch on Thursday. Hooray! Now, all I have to do is deliver the patch I have to do in Sunniside!

Re-elected chairman of Sunniside History Society

And now for something completely different! Forget politics (just for a moment). On Tuesday I was re-elected chairman of Sunniside History Society. My thanks to members for returning me to the post and to the officers and committee members who have made the past year such a success.

Our big project over the coming months is to collect people's memories of wartime and postwar periods. In May next year, along with Sunniside Methodist Hall, we will be using the memories to produce a display at Sunniside Methodist Hall about how people lived in the war years to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

So, lots to do.

Revised clean air zone proposals

Earlier this year Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside councils published proposals to tackle illegal levels of vehicle emissions in the urban core around the Tyne bridges. Two proposals were put forward. The first was for a toll payable when using one of the bridges. The second was for a clean air zone which  would have charged the more polluting vehicles.

My problem with the first was that it taxed clean vehicles at the same rate as dirty vehicles, therefore creating no incentive to people to have a vehicle producing low emissions. My problem with the second proposal was that it was very likely to divert vehicles to the A1 and move the pollution up river to Blaydon.

Both proposals have now been dropped and yesterday at a members' seminar in Gateshead I learnt what the new proposal is. A clean air zone is proposed but it will be smaller than what was previously on offer. People will be able to use the bridges without incurring a charge. In the initial period of the zone's operation, cars would not be charged. Instead, the charge (as yet an unspecified amount) would fall on taxis, buses, vans and heavy goods vehicles.

The problem in my eyes is that we want more people to use buses but charging them to enter the clean air zone will push up fares. I pointed out that a bus that is quite dirty in its level of emissions while carrying 60 passengers will still produce less pollution that 60 people each travelling in their own vehicle.

The proposals come to cabinet on 17th September. They will then go out to consultation later this year.

Visiting Bamburgh and Seahouses

On Wednesday, wearing my Sunniside History Society chairman's hat, I went to Bamburgh Castle and Seahouses on our annual outing. 21 of us took the trip. A good time had by all. Photos from the trip are above.

Ditch digging

In preparation for a prime ministerial visit to our allotment, we have finished digging the ditch!

Low Fell eFocus no. 41

Last night edition 41 of the Lib Dem email newsletter for Low Fell was published. The key articles include:

• Tour of Britain Cycle Race comes to Low Fell
• Sponsors needed for Low Fell's Christmas tree and lights
• More flowers for Low Fell
• Flagstones replaced
• Welcoming Grace College
• Low Fell Library hosts Macmillian coffee morning

You can read eFocus on this link.

Delivering in Whickham

I was out in the Whickham pat of my ward on Tuesday. I had 300 Focuses to deliver. It took just over an hour to completed the patch.

But there's still more to do!

In praise of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act

We had a debate in Gateshead Council last year about the need for a referendum on any Brexit deal. This was at the time when Labour opposed a referendum but supported a "public vote". We were told by Labour during the debate that a public vote was NOT a referendum but refused to say what it was. But one of the most interesting contributions from Labour during the debate was the claim that the Fixed Term Parliament Act was "working class" legislation. This is such utter nonsense that I almost laughed when the comment was made. Stopping Conservative Prime Ministers from choosing the date of general elections to suit themselves and their political party is, instead, a positive. And we have seen the results of that over the past 24 hours. Parliament's decision not to back Johnson's call for an election means we are less likely to have a No Deal Brexit (though the possibility of dropping out of the EU is still very high). As No Deal is most likely to hit those on lower incomes the hardest, Labour's absurb class war rhetoric in Gateshead leaves them with egg on their faces.

We need an election like a hole in the head

I watched Johnson's speech last night and was a little lost for words. "Is that it?" I thought to myself. Nothing new. Just an attempt to move us to an election Johnson wants but claims he doesn't want. If a snap election is held, there will be an improved performance for the Lib Dems, Labour and Conservative votes will drop and the SNP may pick up seats. As Labour will drop more than the Conservatives, Corbyn is likely to lose seats to the Conservatives and some to the Lib Dems. It could hand Johnson a majority which he will claim is evidence of the nation being on his side in terms of Brexit. It is, of course, nothing of the sort and Johnson, at current trends, is polling a share of the vote which is little more than a third of those intending to vote.

We await developments but if Johnson calls an election and therefore sparks a Commons vote on going to the country (which needs a two thirds vote) Labour have made so much noise about having a general election that it will be difficult for them not to vote for one. Turkeys and Christmas spring to mind.

I suspect however that the people themselves are not keen on an election. Indeed, they probably want one like a hole in the head.