Labour leaflet cock up!

Spot the mistake in this Labour leaflet, delivered commercially yesterday in Whickham North ward of Gateshead with all the pizza leaflets! Alas, encouraging people to go to vote 2 days after the polls have closed is arguably not the best route to winning elections. This is the main leaflet for Labour in the ward (Lib Dem held and formerly a top target for Labour during the Coalition years though our majority steadily increased from 2011 onwards). If past experience of Labour elections campaigns is anything to go by, the same leaflet, adapted for each ward, will be delivered across the whole of Gateshead over the coming days to catch the postal voters next week. If their template is wrong, all their main leaflets could potentially be wrong. Oops!

eFocus on Blaydon and Ryton

Just published, our latest edition of our eFocus for the western part of Gateshead. The main towns included in the circulation are Ryton, Blaydon, Winlaton, Chopwell, Rowlands Gill and Crawcrook. You can read eFocus on this link.

Selfish one ruins it for everyone else

Kindred Wood is on the edge of Sunniside, the village where I live and which I represent on Gateshead Council. The wood is popular with walkers and as a play area for kids. So you can understand the anger I felt - shared by many residents - that someone had taken it upon themselves to drag their wheelie bin to the woods and dump its contents there. Having spoken to constituents, I know a number of people witness the bin being moved.

I went with a constituent on Sunday evening to inspect the rubbish. We opened bags and found evidence of who originally generated the rubbish. This has been passed on to environmental health who themselves visited the site and sorted through more rubbish yesterday.

Fly tipping like this is completely unacceptable. Our woodlands, parklands and public spaces are not rubbish dumps. Anti-social individuals who dump their waste selfishly and irresponsibly, leaving it for the rest of the community to clear up, are pursued by Gateshead Council when evidence is recovered of who did the dumping. Culprits can expect a knock on the door.

PCC nomination in

100 signatures and £5000 deposit later and my PCC nomination has been accepted. I went to Sunderland Civic Centre this morning to hand it in with my agent Cllr John McClurey. We will get the full list of candidates on Thursday afternoon.

Canvassing in Whickham

We were canvassing in Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward yesterday. A good response on the doorsteps. I guess the 59% definite Lib Dem response rate is more a reflection of our decision to canvass one of our strongest areas in the ward. It was a targeted canvass, calling on people for whom we don't have a previous canvass response. I found no one intending to vote Labour. We were also asking about police commissioner voting intentions. The vast majority of people answered that their local election and PCC votes will be for the same party.

I'm now off to canvass in another ward.

Birtley eFocus

I've just finished and published our latest email newsletter for the Birtley and Lamesley wards of Gateshead. You can read it on this link.

eFocus 100

A bit of a milestone today - we published the 100th edition of our email newsletter for the Whickham area of Gateshead. This edition covers bin collections, the new Front Street School, house-building at Dunston Hill and my selection as PPC candidate for Northumbria. You can read the newsletter on this link.

Labour - putting party interest first

I am just back from a special meeting of Gateshead Council Cabinet. This all-Labour body met today to decide whether or not to accept the devolution package that is on offer to the North East. It's a package that includes control over skills training, transport, planning and economic development. All areas that need regional direction and control. The price of the devolution package is the creation of an elected mayor.

I am no fan of elected mayors but they were a key commitment in the Conservatives' manifesto. And in case anyone missed this significant point, the Conservatives won the general election last year. Whether we like it or not, if we want devolution, we have to have elected mayors. Details of the devolution package can be negotiated, but the government has made absolutely clear that there will be no negotiations on elected mayors. We can have devolution AND elected mayors, or no change.

Meanwhile, the dinosaur wing of the North East Labour party has swung into action to fight the mayoral plan. They view any change to the current system as a challenge to the Labour Establishment. They have run everything in the North East for too long and exist now to continue controlling the Establishment rather than to do anything beneficial for the people and the region.

Indeed, one of the loudest complaints from the Labour Establishment about the devolution package was that it could challenge the North East as "a Labour region." Labour talk of wanting "democracy" but drill down through their statements and what Labour means by "democracy" is everything run by Labour.

Sadly, the reactionaries and the dinosaurs have won the day in the Labour party today. The cabinet unanimously threw out the devolution proposals. This was a totally and utterly mad decision. It's about internal Labour politics, posturing at other people's expenses. There are lots of bad for the people of Gateshead in this decision, but no benefits.

I've already been interviewed by the BBC. Here's my news release:

Anger as Gateshead Labour reject devolution

Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition in Gateshead, Cllr Jonathan Wallace, has described the Labour Council Cabinet’s decision to reject the proposed devolution package to the North East as “utterly mad.”

The Cabinet met today, 22^nd March, for less than half an hour to discuss the package that had been negotiated by the 7 council leaders in the region with the government.

Despite months of negotiation by Gateshead Council Leader Mick Henry, his own Deputy, Martin Gannon, moved that the plans be rejected as he opposed the creation of elected mayors.

Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Cllr Wallace said, “This decision is completely the wrong one. We have on offer from the government control over skills training, economic development, transport and planning. There is even the possibility of taking on some health powers.

“This has all been sacrificed by those in the Labour party who view elected mayors as a threat to their own establishment and control of the region. Labour have now put party interests before the people’s interests.

“Labour have not even put Gateshead into the Slow Lane. Instead they have put us in the No Lane – no extra powers, no extra investment, no hope.

“There were many smug grins on the faces of Labour cabinet members this morning after the meeting. But smug grins won’t held fill the skills gap, develop the economy or sort out our transport. Labour have set back Gateshead and the North East. It is difficult to see how the region can recover from this wholly unnecessary, Labour-inflicted wound.”

ends

PCC email newsletter no. 2

I recently published the 2nd email newsletter for members in the North East about my Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner campaign. You can read it on this link.

My insider's guide to conference

I filmed this video over the weekend - 7 minutes about everything that goes on at conference.

Full set of photos of York Conference

I was really pleased that Tim banged the drum for community politics in his Leader's speech today. A great speech generally and some strong points especially about the refugee crisis. I now have a full set of photos of the conference on my Flickr site. Click on the picture above and enjoy.

Photos from Saturday at York Conference

Barbican, where conference is being held.



Lots of reminders that there is a referendum coming up.



Debate under way on regulating cannabis.



The best attended fringe meetings are those offering food!



Lib Dem mugs



Our newest members are cuddly and cute.



Me and my handiwork.



Tim's Q&A



Put out to grass (not a reference to the cannabis debate).



Every gay man's hero, Lynne Featherstone, the person who delivered gay marriage.



Glee club (I chose to go back to my hotel!)

Off to York Conference

I've just arrived at York and got to my tiny guesthouse (Gregory's Hotel) about 45 minutes ago. I never see the point of staying in conference hotels as they charge silly prices. I spent the journey on the Cross Country train crammed into a small space reading the latest copy of the Smallholder magazine. And I spent a nearly fruitless half hour after getting to the Gregory trying to connect to the internet. My laptop is now speaking to the system so I'm back on line!

Time now to head to the conference centre, the Barbican.

My first PCC email newsletter to members

Last night I sent out my first email newsletter to Lib Dem members as Northumbria PCC candidate. You can read it on this link.

Visiting Lib Dems in Blyth Valley

On Monday I did another PCC meeting with party members, this time in Cramlington, in Blyth Valley Constituency. There are no local elections to the unitary Northumberland Council this year (unlike in Tyne and Wear) so the contest there is purely about the PCC. We had quite a good chat about local campaigning, the dinosaur nature of the Labour Party and the need to scrap PCCs and use the money on front line policing.

Pictured above, me with some of the members who came to the meeting.

Gone to the dogs!

Today it was the turn of Pelaw and Heworth ward to host an action day. The aim was to get the next Focus delivered across most of the ward. In the end, we managed to cover the whole ward, though a couple of patches were taken by a member to be delivered through the week. I was given a patch to do near Heworth Grange Comprehensive with a warning there are usually lots of big people-eating dogs. Sadly for the dogs, I encountered none and therefore continue to be alive and kicking rather than being Pedigree Chum substitute.

Back at HQ, Pelaw and Heworth now has the most points from me for best action day lunch - sausage casserole. Alas, I wasn't able to hang around for too long to enjoy it. Once lunch was consumed, I was sent off to Bill Quay with another bundle of Focuses to deliver.

Campaigning in Dunston, Staiths and Lobley Hill

Our second action day over the weekend was in 2 different wards: Dunston and Teams, then Lobley Hill and Bensham. We had focuses for each area to deliver. The Staiths area was delivered first and then we split into two teams, one heading to Dunston, the other (with me) to Lobley Hill.

The two wards are strongly Labour but before the Coalition years, we came close to winning Lobley Hill and Bensham. Our aim now is to build up our strength in the two wards. This is a gradual process which will take time, but it is how we won in other wards in Gateshead.

Steps and cake - campaigning in Low Fell

I was in Low Fell in Gateshead on Saturday to help with the action day in the ward. Low Fell is Lib Dem held though the majority is not large. It is home to a large number of Labour councillors who live in nice houses whilst representing less well heeled areas in other parts of Gateshead. On Saturday we spent the morning delivering target letters. I discovered that Low Fell is built on the side of a steep hill. Long flights of steps are needed to get to some streets.



Those hosting action days are expected to provide lunch for the helpers. I was able to tuck into a large quantity of cakes before heading out to do some door-knocking. A good response.

Tom Brake MP in Newcastle

Lib Dem MP Tom Brake was a visitor to Newcastle last week. I was part of the delegation to meet and greet him at Newcastle Central Station and we took him on the Metro to South Gosforth and then the Regent Centre. He then headed to Newcastle University to speak in favour of staying in the EU.

You can see photos from the visit on the above link.

Campaigning in Whickham North

I was away last weekend (in Stockholm) so in my absence, my colleagues arranged for me to deliver lots of Focuses! On Wednesday, I delivered 370 in Whickham East. Yesterday, I headed down to Whickham North to deliver 200 Focuses in the morning then returned in the afternoon to do a survey of residents with Cllr Sonya Hawkins. We called on houses in the Glebe, where my Dad lives. I caught him heading to Newcastle to go to a club that had a free jazz afternoon. At over 85 years of age, we have retired him from delivering Focuses. Dad headed off for the music, Sonya and I continued door-knocking in the cold! We got a good set of survey returns.

Visiting Sunderland

I attended an enjoyable pizza and politics event hosted by Millfield ward Lib Dems in Sunderland last night. Speaker was John Shipley, former leader of Newcastle City Council and now a peer. Host Niall Hodson took the opportunity to show off some of his campaign publicity. I wasn't the only PCC candidate there. Craig Martin, Lib Dem for Durham, was also enjoying pizzas!

Burning pizzas in Ryton

Sunday saw the local Lib Dem team move into Ryton for the day. A group of us hit the doorsteps to do a survey of residents. Alas, one of our members called on the son of the Labour mayor Alex Geddes. Since we like Alex (I appreciate that in the Labour group, being liked by us is something of a popularity killer), the conversation went well.



Meanwhile, back at HQ, we shifted a large quantity of sandwiches. Sadly, one of the pizzas we were hoping to eat was left in the oven for a bit longer than necessary. It emerged a bit incinerated.



Once the survey was done, we spent the rest of the day mopping up a few leaflet patches. Job done by 3pm.

Scampi and Chips in Dunston Hill and Whickham East

On Saturday I headed down to Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward in Gateshead to be part of a team that delivered 1100 Focuses. In rain, snow and hail (which stings when hitting cold hands) we got the leaflets delivered, stopping only when we ran out. We did however take a break for lunch at the Harry Clasper in Whickham. Scampi and chips went down very well.

450 Focuses delivered in Whickham

I headed down to the Whickham part of my ward yesterday. 450 Focuses were delivered. My feet were sore when I got back home! Other wards are now lining me up for more deliveries!

eFocus 99

The 99th edition of our Whickham eFocus has just been published. It leads on the proposals by Labour in Gateshead to change bin collections to once every three weeks. Other issues include house building in Dunston Hill and the Fugar history project. You can read the newsletter on this link.

More Focus deliveries

My colleague Cllr John McClurey kindly dropped off a box of Focuses for me a couple of days ago. I've done a couple of delivery sessions since then in Sunniside and Marley Hill. I have a couple of patches left to do in the Whickham part of my ward. I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow. Once I've delivered my patches, the spares will go back to John who will take the bundles of leaflets to our deliverers.

The lead story is about Labour's proposals in Gateshead to move to collecting general waste and recycling waste bins to once every three weeks. We've also included articles about Labour's proposals to reduced most grass cutting, the Fugar history project and the A1 improvements. I've already had people emailing me about the issues we've raised. And people were asking me about them when I was in the queue for the till in the Sunniside Coop this evening. It seems this is going to be quite a lively edition of Focus.

Selected as PCC candidate for Northumbria

I am pleased to announce that I have been chosen by local Liberal Democrats to be the party's candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria. Below is the news release the regional party has just issued.

Gateshead's Dr Jonathan Wallace selected as Lib Dem Police and Crime Commissioner Candidate for Northumbria

Liberal Democrats in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear are putting forward a candidate for the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner who will campaign for the post to be axed and the savings ploughed back into putting police on the beat.

Dr Jonathan Wallace is Leader of the Opposition on Gateshead Council and has almost 30 years of experience in local government in the North East. He was born in Bensham, grew up in Lobley Hill, and was elected at the age of 23 to Gateshead Council in 1986 for Whickham South and Sunniside ward where he has been re-elected 8 times since.

Whilst Jonathan has extensive experience of local government, he does not come from a typical political background. 7 years ago he gave up paid employment to live the “good life” with his partner David in Sunniside, growing his own food and keeping bees, poultry and goats. His broadcasts about self-sufficiency on his YouTube channel have had over 4 million viewings. Jonathan graduated from Newcastle University in 1988 where he studied history, and was awarded a research doctorate in 1995.

 

“It is a great privilege to have been chosen by fellow Liberal Democrats,” said Jonathan, who is also Leader of the Opposition on Gateshead Council.

 

“My three priorities are to ensure front line policing is protected, bureaucracy is kept to a minimum through scrapping the post of police and crime commissioner, and seeking to reduce the increase in crime experienced under the current incumbent.

 

“Liberal Democrats want a more democratic system to ensure all communities in the area of the police force are taken into account when policing plans are drawn up, without the unnecessary overheads of the commissioner and her office.

 

“I am determined to challenge the Labour establishment in the North East. They have complacently controlled the region for decades without the North East seeing any significant gains. After years of crime falling locally, the incumbent Labour PCC has presided over an increase in crime rates and has been involved in controversy over the departure of the chief constable and her decision to axe funding for Victim Support in favour of funding an alternative organisation of which she is a director. I want to prioritise community policing principles which have taken a back seat under the current Labour PCC.”

On the doorsteps in Chowdene

It was a rather breezy day to be out in Chowdene in Gateshead. With a gale blowing, I still managed to get round by leaflet patch. The Focus being delivered is joint with Low Fell, the neighbouring ward which we are also defending. Yesterday. Low Fell was delivered. Today was the turn of Chowdene.

I had a superb view from one street across the Team Valley to Ravensworth, the country estate which is partly in my council ward.

Anyway, the next ward to be delivered will be my very own Whickham South and Sunniside. I printed the back page of the Focus last night. Front page awaits more ink from the print suppliers.

On the doorsteps in Whickham South and Sunniside

A useful afternoon on Sunday: I was door-knocking in my ward of Whickham South and Sunniside. We got a positive response on the doorsteps. Issues raised included the traffic lights at Sunniside, the recent rain, my goats and how my aunt in Canada is doing. Clearly we were calling at a patch where, not only was I well known, some people had known my family for decades!

We will be doing another door-knocking session shortly but in the meantime we are ploughing our way through the pile of survey returns that was the result of Sunday's activities. There are quite a few email addresses to add to our email newsletter. And one of my forthcoming jobs is to complete and publish the next edition.

Tim revisits Newcastle University

Tim Farron was a visitor to Newcastle University tonight. I was invited to do the photos. I was a postgraduate student there at the same time Tim was an undergraduate and then Union President. I guess for both of us, it was the first time in the Students' Union building in over 20 years. It's changed quite a bit.



The meeting itself was packed, as you can see from the photo above. The daftest question came from a student who was clearly a Conservative who asked that, with economic recovery underway for the past few years, wouldn't voting Lib Dem put that at risk. Tim politely pointed out that the economic recovery was taking place when the Lib Dems were in government. How short the memory of Conservatives can be.

Helping in Hexham

I had to be in Hexham yesterday to go to the animal feed supplier to stock up with poultry and goat food. And knowing in advance that I was going to be in the town and that Hexham Lib Dems are fighting a town council by-election, I offered help to deliver some leaflets.



Alas, the patch I was sent to consisted largely of large detached houses on a hillside, each with long flights of stairs to front doors. Thanks guys! Leaflets were delivered and I was able to return home. It brought back memories of campaigning there as parliamentary candidate 24 years ago. How time flies!

Fugar and Washingwell History Project

Last year the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £10,000 to the Sunniside History Society to support a project to draw out the history of the Fugar and Washingwell area of Gateshead, much of which is in my ward. The project grew out of a proposal by me that the historic orchard that once belonged to the medieval Fugar House (demolished in 1950) should be renovated and restored. When I took the proposal to the History Society, of which I am deputy chairman, it was decided that the project should be about the whole area as it is packed with 2000 years of history.

So, we split the project into 3 phases. The first is to draw out the history of the area from the 13th century, when it is believed Fugar House was established, to 1950 when it was demolished. The second phase will cover the Roman period (there was a Roman fort at Washingwell) and the 3rd will deal with the orchard restoration.

So, we are into the 1st phase now and part of the requirements we need to fulfill is to involve Washingwell School. So last week, 3 of us from the society met up with one of the teachers from the school to walk around the site and discuss the historic issues that will feature in the resulting booklet and dvd.

Washingwell Wood is very familiar to me. I used to walk through it to get to school back in the 1970s. And when I was first elected to the Council in the late 1980s, I persuaded Gateshead to tackle the fire in the nearby Watergate pit heaps. After a number of years, the fire was extinguished, the heaps were removed, the land restored and Watergate Park was created.



One of my roles in the project is to study the landscape to see if there are any historical features. And I think I've found some. In the photo above is a mound. It is totally unnatural. It is typical of the mounds built in the medieval period on which were constructed forts, better known as motte and bailey castles. And applying my knowledge of historical features, I think I've also found the medieval road into Whickham, possible early fortifications for Fugar House and 2 fords across the Black Burn.

Those taking part in the project will be meeting tomorrow evening to discuss our findings. It could be an interesting meeting!

Door knocking in Ryton

I was in Ryton today for a door knocking session that saw 4 of us call at over 400 houses. It was a very positive day despite the cold and my decisions to keep adding further streets to the list of those to be canvassed. We handed over a survey form to each household. On one estate of 125 houses alone, 65 surveys were returned and we expect more to come back via the post. So, this estate has now set the benchmark for response rates. We'll see if we can beat it over the coming weeks.

Conservatives coming out of the woodwork

I've just finished another 2 days of campaigning in Gateshead. Yesterday (Friday) I spent the afternoon in Ryton during which time I helped deliver nearly 600 calendars. Today I was in Dunston, helping to do a survey. Generally we had a good response and we got plenty of replies to our survey. What I found interesting is that those who are Conservative supporters seemed more likely to say so than previously. This is more helpful for us as, though it does not mean there are more Conservative voters, it makes our data more accurate and that is useful when it comes to targeting. But it is also interesting that Conservatives are more willing to admit to their allegiance. For decades, these people tended to be more non-committal on the doorsteps. Hidden Conservatives were probably the cause of the inaccurate opinion polls in last year's general election. The growing acknowledgement of their party loyalty also suggests the greater confidence of the Conservatives generally across the country, even though in my home patch of Gateshead the Conservative organisation barely exists.

It is yet to be seen whether Conservative confidence survives the almost inevitable splits that will be on public view in the forthcoming Europe referendum but the Conservatives themselves have increased levels of confidence that are understandable: we have been knocked well back into 4th place across the country, Labour have brought about a self-imposed meltdown and UKIP are wilting. There is a great deal of water still to pass under the political bridge but as things stand, the Conservatives can hope to be in power for so time to come.

Why is this news?

The BBC have reported today that Conservative MP and Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, has come out as gay. Well done Mr Mundell. It's always good to see people in positions of authority setting an example and being a role model, even if he is a role model for a political party whose policies are not necessarily shared by me. The question has to be asked however: why is this news? This is, after all, the 21st century and only a few nutters in UKIP seem to believe that the existence of non-heterosexuals in society is a world ending situation. Mr Mundell's sexual orientation is just not a story. It may have been different in 1992 when I came out, at the start of the general election campaign, after my Conservative opponent in Hexham, Alan Amos MP, was arrested on Hampstead Heath. Amos was rapidly dumped by the Conservatives but it was the Labour party that put my being gay at the centre of their campaign. 24 years later, an MP or minister coming out is just not a news story, in my opinion. Perhaps the BBC had demonstrated that there is still some way to go before being gay is fully mainstream.

1150 Focuses delivered

Yesterday I was in my own ward delivering 500 focuses. Today I was joined by our campaign organiser Michael Cotterill to deliver 650 leaflets in Whickham East. I now feel totally knackered but think of all those Christmas calories I've burnt off.

Farewell Minnie Robson

Minnie Robson was the Labour councillor for Lamesley until 2003 and when I was first elected to Gateshead Council in 1987, she was chair of the social services committee. I very rapidly learnt that she worked with my Dad on the Team Valley Trading Estate in either the 1950s or 1960s. Minnie was one of the most friendly councillors when I was elected. I worked closely with here on a small committee of 5 members called Adaptations for the Disabled. She was not one of those Labour councillors who believed I was a baby eating monster just because I was not a member of the Labour tribe. She saw merit in everyone and was happy to work with anyone in pursuit of better public services.

Minnie passed away on 26th December and her funeral was yesterday. I went to pay my respects. Kibblesworth Methodist Church was packed for the service, a strong indication of the affection felt for her.

RIP Minnie Robson.

Delivering on the Rectory Estate

As the sun shone across my hen and goat houses this morning at 8.15am, I thought to myself, "Great, no rain, time to get those Focuses for Whickham North delivered." So I headed down to the Rectory Estate and started started putting the leaflets through doors. And then the rain started falling. I won't repeat the thought that crossed my mind at that point! I decided that as I was there, the job was going to be finished. 200 doors later and it was done. I headed back home with a handful of soggy Focuses destined to be shredded and used for bedding for the goats.

Self-Sufficient in Suburbia

I've just finished the first edition of my self-sufficiency email newsletter of 2016 which you can read on this link. It goes to those who follow my battle to be self-sufficient and the circulation list includes a large number of people outside the UK. This edition outlines our plans for 2016 and looks at how we prepared our self-sufficient Christmas dinner.