Staying at home

 So, the expected happened in the Rutherglen by-election. Labour won, and did so comfortably. What was unexpected was the size of the swing - 20% from SNP to Labour. There's nothing like a by-election victory to make a conference go with a bang. I speak from experience. There was a great feeling seeing our new by-election victors around the conference centre. Labour members will have a spring in their step when they arrive in Liverpool. But let's not get carried away....

While it was clear that Labour were able to pull off a significant gain, take a look at the votes cast. There was a big collapse in the SNP vote but Labour's vote, compared to the general election, was largely unchanged, indeed it was down a smidgen, from 18,545 to 17,845. Remember - the last general election saw Labour's vote down to its lowest level since 1983. What has happened is that SNP voters are staying at home. They are currently sitting out election contests, unsure on what to do. Unlike 1997 when the Blair government was able to reach out and soak up some of the undecided votes of other parties, Rutherglen is an illustration of the limited appeal of Labour. Dig a bit further back in time and the total Labour vote in the byelection is their lowest since the constituency was created in 2005. Indeed, in 2010, Labour's winning candidate in the constituency notched up over 28,000 votes in a general election in which Labour went down to defeat.

The appeal of opposition parties to voters who had previously supported the government (SNP in Scotland and Conservatives in England) is what will decide the outcome of the next general election. Both Labour and the Lib Dems aim to appeal to Conservatives who are currently staying at home. But how successful has that appeal been? Take a look at the Somerton and Frome by-election. The Lib Dem vote increased by about 4,000. But how much of that was the result of a successful squeeze on the Labour vote?  The Conservative vote meanwhile dropped from 36,000 to 10,000. Clearly, most of that stayed at home though the figures suggest a modest inroad by the Lib Dems into the Conservative total.

On the same day, the Selby by-election produced a similar result in terms of vote changes: a collapse in the Conservative vote and a modest increase in the vote of Labour with the Lib Dem vote squeezed. But the biggest group of voters across the constituency, as in Somerton and Frome, is likely to be stay-at-home Conservatives unhappy with their party's performance.

As we get closer to the general election, this group of undecided Conservatives will start to move. Some will go back to the Conservatives, others to the opposition parties (at a constituency level they will move to the party most likely to defeat the Conservatives - likely to be Labour in Red Wall seats and Lib Dems in Blue Wall). The killer question is, what proportion of the undecided Conservatives will turn out to vote Conservative?

Back to Rutherglen. The bloated representation of the SNP in the UK parliament annoys me. While the SNP has most seats, their vote share in Scotland is in a minority - in other words, most people in Scotland didn't vote SNP in the last general election. Yet, because of Parliamentary arithmetic, they are the UK's third party in the Commons. This results in media coverage going to the SNP that is unmerited while stripping it from the Lib Dems. We have the daft situation of the SNP being invited on to UK wide news programmes to explain SNP policy on issues that in Scotland are devolved. The SNP leader in Scotland gets 2 questions at PMQ while Ed Davey gets pot luck.

So Labour may have done us a favour in Rutherglen. If they are able to take seats in the Tartan Wall from the SNP, we could see the Lib Dems overtaking the SNP in Parliament, and returning to third party status in the House of Commons.

Ed speaking to Lib Dem local councillors

 

Last week at Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth, I attended the Association of Lib Dem Councillors and the Local Government Association joint reception. Ed Davey was the guest speaker and he spoke about the importance of local councillors to the party and the electoral successes of the past year. The video above covers the whole of his speech.

The Bournemouth West Cliff goats

 

This made me feel at home at Bournemouth conference last week! Goats are kept on the cliff in front of the Highcliff Hotel. I assume they are there to keep the vegetation under control. I counted 6 in total, all Boer billies. It looks as though they are doing a good job!

Conference video diary - day 4

 

It's the final day of Lib Dem conference at Bournemouth. I attend the debate on biodiversity and was in the main hall for Ed Davey's speech. Once Ed had finished speaking, it was a rush to the train station to catch my train for the start of the journey home. I go there with a minute to spare!

Conference video diary, day 3

 

Day 3 of the Lib Dem conference at Bournemouth. I started at the food and farming debate, then took my seat for a speech by Kira Rudik, Leader of the Ukrainian Liberal Party. Lunch was at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, and after this I went to the National Farmers' Union where Tim Farron and Ed Davey were the guest speakers. The day finished at the Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidates Association dinner.

Conference Video Diary day 2

 

My video diary of the 2nd day at Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Health and education debates took place, Daisy Cooper gave a great speech, I checked out by-election cheesy props, I popped in to the Liberty Network fringe, in the afternoon I went to Ed Davey's Q&A and in the evening I rounded off my day by going to an LGBT meeting followed by the ALDC/LGA reception.

Conference video day 1

 

Last week we were back at Lib Dem autumn conference for the first time in 4 years. This video was filmed across day one of the gathering in Bournemouth and includes:

• a look at the exhibition area;
• the general election briefing;
• lessons from the Somerton and Frome by-election;
• Countryside Alliance fringe meeting;
• and the rally which included videos of Steve Coogan and Carol Vorderman backing fair votes.

Let them eat cake

 

Sunniside Club hosted a Macmillan coffee morning yesterday so after feeding my livestock, having breakfast and doing some casework, I took the 5 minute walk to the Club for coffee and cake. Well done to all those who helped out, and to those who arrived to eat cake and part with their money!

A bird in the hand....

 

I visited the Material Recovery Facility at Teeside on Thursday. This is the plant where the the waste for recycling from Gateshead is sent for separation, processing and onward sale to companies for whom the material is a resource. The plant occasionally has a problem with sea gulls so the help of birds of prey is regularly sought. An old fashioned solution to a modern problem!

I filmed a short video when I was there but it is yet to be edited. I will post it once it is ready.

Anyone try the West Cliff Lift?

 

Did any of you who were in Bournemouth earlier this week had a ride on the West Cliff Lift? For £2, it was worth it!

MP and farmer

I went to the National Farmers Union meeting last night and bumped into fellow farmer Sarah Dyke, newly elected MP for Somerton and Frome. We had a useful conversation about which breeds of sheep we keep and which are the easiest to handle! (For me it's the Hebrideans as they have horns, just what you need to hold onto while shearing them!)

Good speech by my old university friend Tim Farron on why the farming community's tendency to vote Conservative is misplaced, especially following the trade agreements that have knifed farmers. 

Kira Rudik

Lib Dem conference had a guest speaker today. Kira Rudik is a Ukrainian MP and leader of the Ukrainian Liberal party. She gave a moving speech about the horrors inflicted on her country and on the Ukrainian people. It is vital that Ukraine wins the war. A world in which Putin and fellow dictators and international bullies are free to do as they wish would bee a terrible place.

Look who I bumped into

The Lib Dem ALDC local government reception last night was a rather crowded affair. I'm not sure whether that was down to people not seeing each other for 4 years, hundreds more councillors being elected since we last met or the wine being free (but limited in supply!) Ed Davey was guest speaker and I had a chat with him. We've known each other for 20 years, since he was local government spokesman in the Commons and I was responsible for all things local government in the policy unit in HQ. Last night Ed quizzed me on our gains in Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland in May. He was particularly pleased about our ending Labour's 90 year hold on Saltwell. 

On the cliff top

Here's the pic of one of the goats. The cliff is quite steep so it makes sense that goats, which have evolved to climb vertical cliffs, rather than people take on the job of vegetation control. 

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd...

A number of people mentioned to me today that they had seen goats on the cliff in front of the Highcliff Hotel here in Bournemouth. So I had a look and there they were: three billy goats presumably there to clear the vegetation. If made me feel right at home! 

I've arrived!

 Well, here I am, in Bournemouth, enjoying the sunny weather and meeting people I haven't seen for ages. There are however lots of people here at Lib Dem conference I don't recognise. Assuming I can get the hotel WiFi to work (don't count on it) I will keep posting from Bournemouth throughout conference. In the meantime I need to head to the rally. 

Heading to conference

It's that time of year when bags are packed, train tickets are booked and we head to a town or city with a large conference centre. Yes, it's Lib Dem autumn conference and this year it is back in Bournemouth. It is however the first in person autumn conference since 2019 with covid and the passing of the Queen having cancelled the recent annual gatherings . So it will feel a bit strange meeting up with people we haven't seen for 4 years. Meanwhile, I have a 6 hour train journey ahead of me so I am armed with lots of BBC History magazines and a book on medicines in the Roman Empire to keep me occupied. 

2 motions for debate

 Full council tomorrow in Gateshead and there are two motions from the Lib Dem group. 

The first is about flytipping and reads:

Gateshead Council congratulates Durham County Council on their tough stance on fly tipping by issuing nearly one thousand fines in 2021/22. Council notes that in the same period Gateshead Council issued one fine. Council calls on the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Executive of Durham County Council to invite him to send an appropriate officer to conduct a Gateshead members’ seminar to explain to members and officers how their success was achieved.

The second (which will be moved by me) reads:

This Council calls on the Chief Executive to draw up a proposed amendment to the Council constitution that would allow the submission of amendments and motions to full Council by email. This change should be ready to be incorporated into the next review of the Constitution.

Labour have submitted a wrecking amendment to the first motion but a not-unfriendly amendment to the second. Should mean an interesting debate.

Booked for regional conference

I've just signed up for the 2nd conference of the autumn. Northern Region Liberal Democrats will be meeting for the AGM on Saturday 4th November at the Little Theatre in Saltwell, Gateshead. It's four years since we last met in person, having switched to online conferences because of covid. No motions are on the agenda yet as the period for submitting them has just opened. The Little Theatre is in Saltwell, scene of one of our gains from Labour in the local elections in May. That on its own is worth attending conference to celebrate.

The other conference is the party's national conference in Bournemouth starting in 8 days. This time next week I shall be on a train heading south, hopefully in better weather than we have at the moment.

Rejoining by stealth?

I thought one of the main reasons for Brexit was to free ourselves from all those European institutions, whatever the cost. The announcement by the current Brexit government that the UK will rejoin the Horizon Europe programme must be a source of concern for those who thought withdrawing from the EU was a great idea. All those Brexiteers must be fuming that a fundamental plank of Leave has been tossed onto the fire. Being part of Horizon is strategically crucial for UK science and it is clearly in the national interest to be part of it. So, for once, let me congratulate Brexit-backing Prime Minister Sunak on his U-turn.

Other government decisions must also be upsetting Leavers. We were promised control of our borders but we have an internal border between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland. No matter how much the Windsor Agreement improves the flow of goods and people, Brexiteers must feel a sense of betrayal that control of our border with Ireland rests with the EU. And don't forget the government's failure to take control of all of our borders in relation to goods coming into the country from the EU. While Europe has implemented border checks, the UK still enjoys the free movement of goods into the country, very much against what was promised in the referendum.

We await, of course, the benefits of Brexit to arrive. In their current absence, Leavers must be worrying that Horizon, Windsor and movement of goods without checks show Britain is rejoining the EU by stealth.

Low Fell eFocus no. 128

 Team Low Fell are still hard at it with their latest eFocus. In edition 128, they cover the following issues:

• Sunday's flooding
• Bus shelter on Durham Road replaced
• Ward boundary changes - have your say
• Lorton Road trees

You can read eFocus on this link.

Dinner time

Gateshead Liberal Democrats have never before had an annual dinner. That is now changing. On Monday 16th October, we will be sitting down to dinner in Rosa Twelve in Low Fell. Guest speaker is Simon Hughes. I will be attending and I've just carried out the most significant job of today: choosing starter, main course and dessert!

In the olden days, when I worked for the Lib Dems, I once prepared a briefing for Simon for a meeting at conference. He got the briefing in the morning and attended the meeting in the evening, having completely memorised it. He missed nothing out and spoke without notes. Very impressive!

Back up plan

 

Last week, someone managed to back their car into the frontage of Stewart Eyecare in Whickham. Fortunately no one was injured and the business continues to operate, despite the boarded up windows. I had my eyes tested there yesterday. New glasses should be with me shortly. In the meantime, hopefully the glass panels will be replacing the chipboard soon.

I think you are forgetting your past, Martin

On Monday, a post from Martin Gannon, Labour leader of Gateshead Council, dropped into my Facebook feed. He asked:

"Got to ask the question. What part does ATC privatisation play here? Just wondering."

It's an interesting question, given the airline chaos of the day caused by a faulty system that came close to grounding the nation's entire air transport. Martin's reference to ATC (Air Traffic Control) is actually a reference to National Air Traffic Services wholly owned by NATS Holdings. This is a public-private partnership and was proposed by Labour in government in 1998 and implemented in 2001. The public sector retains 49% of the ownership. Though a minority, it is the biggest individual shareholder and the government retains a golden share.

Martin has had a number of political incarnations over the past 40 years I have known him. In the 1980s, he was militant Martin. In the 1990s he could out-Blair Tony Blair. From 2010 to 2015, he at least on the surface was comfortable with Ed Miliband. From 2015, his views on Corbyn were difficult to pin down (in public at least). 

Martin's FB post seems to hint at privatisation being the cause of the problems that blew up on Monday. Given that NATS has been in the private sector for 20 years, privatisation as the cause seems very unlikely. He also overlooks who was responsible for the sell off - his Blairite government of which he was a super fan.

Maybe Martin has a need to shore up his support on Gateshead Council with the left of the Labour party. Attacking privatistion, or at least raising questions about its suitability to operate important infrastrucutre, could bolster his support among those Labour councillors who still pine after Corbyn. Quite what those same councillors think about Martin's pursuit of the privatisation of the management of Gateshead Council's leisure facilities would be interesting to know.

Borderline

I see the government have announced that, for the fifth time, they have postponed the introduction of border checks on EU goods entering the country. If I were a Brexit supporter (I am not) I would be furious at the government's inaction on the borders. After all, taking control of our borders and Britain deciding what comes into the country was a key promise of Brexit. It is yet another promise of beauties of Brexit that have not materialised since we left the EU.

Sunniside leek show

 

On Tuesday, Sunniside Social Club held their annual leek show. I didn't enter any of the competitions myself (I don't grow show leeks) though some of the people there suggested to me I should give it a go next year!

Well done to all those who did enter the competitions and especially to those who won.

Let me eat cake

 

A craft fair was held at Marley Hill Community Centre on Saturday and I popped in, hoping that there would be plenty of cake makers. I found only one as I toured the stalls. But that was sufficient. A large piece of lemon drizzle cake was purchased. Obviously I wasn't being self-sufficient when I bought the cake but we are happy to support local bakers and crafts people.

On a general point, I try to visit as many of the community events in my ward as possible. It is a useful way to keep in touch with people, and pick up issues - as I did on Saturday!

A familiar style

 

Beamish, only a few km from my house, opened the police houses in the 1950s area of the museum in June. During our honeymoon week, David and I visited the new attractions at Beamish. The police houses are built in a very familiar. There are thousands of council houses in Gateshead built to a similar architectural appearance. Police houses have largely disappeared over the past few years though I do remember them in Lobley Hill and Streetgate.

There's much more to come in the 1950s section of the museum. I'm particularly looking forward to the cinema and the rebuilding of the postwar prefabricated houses that were carefully removed from Kibblesworth a decade ago.

The video takes you on a journey through the police houses and you get to see what for some of us is familiar postwar and 1950s furniture, some of which I was still using until about 20 years ago.

What history taught me about self-sufficiency

 

I have another speaking engagement, this time in September. I will be speaking about what history taught me about self-sufficiency to Sunniside History Society. A combination of two interests close to my heart - history and sustainable living, Come along if you are interested.

Booked for conference

 

A few weeks ago I took the decision to attend Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Last year I had my conference pass, transport and hotel booked when the passing of the Queen put an end to the annual gathering (it was meant to be in Brighton). Before that, covid had ensured conference didn't happen in 2020 and 2021. So I am now booked up for Bournemouth. Travelling there will be something of a drag as it will take hours to get from Newcastle to the south coast. I may split the journey by travelling to London, fit in a museum visit, and then head on to Bournemouth. The hotel cost came as something of a shock! However, since we haven't been on holiday for 8 years (try finding someone to look after a farm for a week!) the holiday budget is in something of a surplus, so I won't be sleeping out on a camp bed on the beach!

I've had a quick look through the agenda and found a motion on food and farming. I may put in to speak! I haven't read the other motions yet. That's something to do over the next 4 weeks.

So, I'm looking forward to meeting up in person with friends I haven't seen for a few years. Let's hope they still remember who I am!

Tell Keir

I spotted an article this morning on the Journal website about the deficit that councils are facing. The national figure was a shortfall of £5 billion by 2025/26. The figure for Gateshead was £45.9 million. This is not an unfamiliar figure on the council as the state of the finances of the authority are regularly discussed by councillors. The ruling Labour side blame the Lib Dems in coalition for every problem the borough endures but the Labour blame game could unravel if Labour win the next general election. They have already made clear there will be no additional spending. As with so many issues, a Labour government after the next general election will be a change in management, but not a change is direction. Perhaps Labour in Gateshead need to tell Keir that the country needs more than a watered down Conservative party in power.

Opening King Arthur's garden

 

The Whinnies Community Garden in Sunniside has a new area - King Arthur's garden. It was opened by the Mayor, Cllr Eileen McMaster, on 29th July. The video covered the opening ceremony.

Wilko worries

 

We have 2 Wilko stores in Gateshead, one at the Interchange, the other at the Metrocentre. Both are substantial in size and lots of residents work in them. The announcement yesterday that Wilko have gone into administration is worrying for both the staff and the local economy. Let's hope the company is able to find a buyer though that does not guarantee stores will remain open.

Wilko's store is the biggest in the Interchange Centre and its closure will be a significant blow to the viability of this location. I am not someone who visits any shops regularly but I did sometime use Gateshead Wilko to buy an eclectic mix of goods, from hardware to beer making kits. The loppers pictured above came from that store a few years ago. Ironically, as the news of the company going into administration was released yesterday, my trusty Wilko loppers disintegrated while chopping fuel for our stove.

History Society meeting

 Last night I chaired the monthly meeting of Sunniside History Society in Sunniside Social Club. An interesting meeting that included a video produced about 20 years ago by the Society of Bronte country. The next meeting on 6th September is the AGM followed by a talk by me about what history taught me about self-sufficiency. The meeting starts at 7pm. £1 for members, £2 for non-members.

Low Fell eFocus no. 127

 Team Low Fell have just published their latest eFocus, no. 127. Issues covered include:

• Council backs down on Valley Drive;
• Trees on Dryden Road;
• New bus shelter on Durham Road;
• Chowdene Bank cut back
• Albert Drive lighting.

You can read eFocus on this link.

I do

 

On Saturday 15th July David and I got married. Thanks to the change is the law that was guided through Parliament by the then Lib Dem Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone, same sex marriage could take place from 2014. After 38 years of knowing each other, we decided to tie the knot. Apart from the rain just before the wedding, everything went to plan. Gateshead Registry Office did a great job and Sunniside Social Club did a grand job of hosting the reception. Samantha Cheeseman of Saltmarsh Catering in Dunston did a fantastic job of putting together a buffet that included produce from our farm.

We had a "honeymoon at home" over the past week. We are took busy on the farm to go away, especially with the recent birth of 5 goat kids, all of which we are hand feeding. We did however have some day trips, going to Beamish, Newcastle keep, the Baltic Art Gallery and Marsden.

Thanks for all the good wishes people have sent and thanks to the 100 guests who came along to the reception.

Northern Pride

 

I was in Newcastle yesterday for the Northern Pride parade. Gateshead Lib Dem councillors on the parade in addition to myself were Leanne Brand, Amanda Wintcher, Ron Beadle and Vicky Anderson. Sadly the rain also joined the procession which led to the event on the Town Moor being cancelled. Nevertheless, Pride is something we continue to need. Look at some countries such as Uganda, Malaysia and Russia and the repression and hostility to the LGBT community is horrifying.

Regional conference

In my in box yesterday was an email from the North East Lib Dems. I've just got round to opening it now. It's about the forthcoming North East Lib Dem regional conference and it is being held in Gateshead on 4th November. More specifically, it is to be held in the Little Theatre (hopefully not too small!) which is on the border between Lib Dem held Low Fell and Saltwell, gained by the Lib Dems from Labour in May. A good venue to celebrate! The agenda is not ready yet so we await the motions that will be debated.

Low Fell eFocus no. 126

 The Low Fell Focus Team have been hard at work as usual and their latest eFocus newsletter was published last week. Issues covered include:

• Gateshead Leisure Centre to close on July 21st;
• Consultation on walking and cycling lanes;
• St Helen's Church Fayre;
• Shoplifting in Low Fell;
• Lyndhurst Bowling Club grant success;
• Low Fell Volunteer Gardeners thank Sainsbury's.

You can read eFocus on this link.

The icing on the cake

 

David and I will get married on Saturday. My sister Esther has made the cake. She sent me this photo of it. The icing is on but the decoration is still to be done. I am banned from seeing it until we get to the reception!

Suits you, Sir

 

It has been nearly 15 years since I last bought a suit. I had 6 months' wear out of it before I moved on from my office based job in Lib Dem HQ to the world of self-sufficiency. Since then, the suit only came out of the wardrobe when there is a full council meeting in Gateshead or I have to attend a funeral or wedding. The suit is now showing 15 years of wear and tear and a modestly expanded waistline has not helped! So off to Marks and Spencer I went. A new shirt and a suit were acquired.

36 years ago, at the age of 23, I was elected to Gateshead for the first time. I remember fitting into my shirts which were all 15 inch collars. I then took up swimming as a hobby and had to replace all my shirts as my collar size had grown to 18 inches! It has stayed at that size for the past 30 years. Alas, my waistline has gone from 30 inches in 1987 to 36 inches now. 

The point about this is that a new suit was needed not just to replace my Worzel Gummidge style tatters of a suit, but because my wedding is coming up and I guess I need to look presentable rather than having the appearance of a sack of potatoes! Hopefully, this new suit will last me another decade and a half.

The History of Chase Park

 

Tonight the Suniside History Society will enjoy a talk about the history of Chase Park in Whickham. The speaker is Richard Pears who has spoken to the Society on a number of occasions. The talk kicks off at 7pm in Sunniside Club.

The park has seen some controversy recently when Gateshead Labour Council decided to flog off the stable block and the main park entrance to developers. Labour cabinet member for housing, John Adams, claimed the areas to be used for new executive housing are not in the park but are "adjacent" to it! Labour Leader Martin Gannon repeated the same absurd claim. 

Perhaps both would care to come along to the talk tonight. It would be an opportunity for each to learn something about the park before they each next open their mouth on the issue.

The mini Margaret Thatcher of Gateshead Council

 

The future of leisure centres in Gateshead has been a hot topic for over a year. A consultation was launched in October 2022 which included proposed closures and plans to privatise the management of any remaining facilities. The two most threatened centres also happened to be in the most marginal Labour held wards in Gateshead (Birtley and Saltwell). I think it is fair to say that Labour went into panic mode as the end of the consultation approached in January. The result of this was a last minute change of plan at the all-Labour cabinet which delayed the end of the consultation to 8th May, 3 days after the local elections! The cost of that was £600,000.

If Labour thought they could avoid defeat by delay, they were mistaken. They lost both Birtley and Saltwell to the Lib Dems.

The cabinet member responsible for leisure services is Angela Douglas. The plans for closures and privatisation belong to her. She has presided over a failure to make the facilities self-financing. Cllr Douglas has been rather quiet about the leisure facilities. When the report came to the cabinet in January she had nothing to say, despite the two hour debate that took place. At the budget meeting there was an amendment from the Lib Dems calling for reserves to be used to keep the facilities open while their future was sorted. She made no contribution to the debate despite being the responsible portfolio holder.

The people of Gateshead have every right to ask, "What is the point of Cllr Douglas and what do the people get for the £16K she is paid in addition to her councillor allowance?"

Fortunately her vow of silence came to an end in June at the cabinet meeting that considered again the closure of two facilities and to seek private sector providers to take on the running of what's left. Cllr Douglas in her speech to cabinet decided to blame the Liberal Democrats for the closures and the current state of the centres!

This is somewhat rich coming from Gateshead Labour - they have run the council for nearly 50 years (or should that be "they have run the council into the ground for nearly 50 years?") Given  the privatisation agenda of Cllr Douglas, the mini-Margaret Thatcher of Gateshead Council, she should be the last person making such comments!

There is one hopeful element to this saga. There are possible community asset transfers that could result in the voluntary sector taking on Gateshead Leisure Centre and Birtley Swimming Centre. Nevertheless, the two centres will have to close on the day the school summer holidays begin, stripping Birtley and Gateshead Centres of vital income as well as denying local communities access to important leisure facilities when the kids are out of school. If they were to reopen in the voluntary sector, much of their customer base is likely to have gone elsewhere, helping to fatten up the facilities where Cllr Douglas is looking to privatise the management. But that's market forces for you. Margaret Thatcher would have been proud of her mini.

Second fire

 

I took this photo on my farm yesterday afternoon. Note the plume of smoke on the horizon. The second big fire in a disused building in Newcastle in a month, both times visible from my farm. From what I understand, there is still some disruption to anyone using the central motorway or wanting to travel into central Newcastle.

Name that constituency!

Here's the good news. The Boundary Commission have announced their final boundaries and names for new Parliamentary constituencies and the new Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency has survived attempts by Gateshead Labour to remove "Whickham" from the name. The new constituency contains 4 strong Lib Dem wards (Whickham North, Whickham South and Sunniside, Dunston Hill and Whickham East and Low Fell). In addition, it contains Saltwell, won by the Lib Dems from Labour in May though the majority is narrow. The inclusion of the name "Whickham" recognises the importance of the biggest town in Gateshead outside the inner core. It also puts into play the notion that the new Gateshead Central and Whickham constituency is one in which Labour are the lead party but the Lib Dems are the challengers. No wonder Labour wanted to expunge "Whickham" from the name! An interesting battle lies ahead.

It wasn't all good news however. Labour won the battle to keep the name of Birtley out of the new constituency covering the town. Instead of Washington and Birtley, which we argued for, Labour won the battle to ban Birtley from the name. Instead, it will be called Washington and Gateshead South. It was a similar story with Jarrow and Gateshead East. We argued that the Gateshead East area was effectively Felling town and this should be recognised in the name of the new constituency. Labour's anti-Felling campaign worked, and the initial name of Jarrow and Gateshead East remains in place.

Almost done

 

Our current Focus for Whickham South and Sunniside is now delivered to 80% of the households in the ward. Yesterday I headed out to do a mopping up operation - finishing a couple of patches in Sunniside. Good weather for it - sunny but with a refreshing breeze. Not so today. Cooler and a bit of rain. Looks like delivery will be tomorrow instead.

Village surgeries

 

My two ward colleagues - Councillors Jonathan Mohammed and Marilynn Ord - recently held two village surgeries in Byermoor and Marley Hill. This is an alternative to the usual surgeries normally held in a publicly accessible building. The aim is to had a series of village surgeries throughout the ward. So we set up in the circle in Byermoor (see above photo) and afterwards moved on to the bottom of Cuthberts Street in Marley Hill (see photo below).

The surgeries also gave us the opportunity to check out the state of the play equipment in Byermoor and Marley Hill parks. We are awaiting a final decision on the replacement equipment in Byermoor as all the equipment there is condemned.

Verbs and verbosity

 

At the last full council meeting in Gateshead, Labour submitted a motion for debate. Labour motions here tend to be wordy affairs but the nearly 600 words in the motion on 25th May is probably a new record even for them. A helpful summary is: ask the government to pay for the pay increase demands of those in local government. At Lib Dem group meeting a few days before full council, we discussed Labour's essay of a motion and I joked that because it was full of debating points, the person moving it simply had to read out the motion rather than write a speech!

So I was rather amused when the motion was moved at council and the mover of the motion, Cllr Dot Burnett, simply read out the motion but otherwise said nothing else!

Our amendment simply called on the council to write to the Shadow Chancellor as well as the actual Chancellor about the motion. The demands in the motion are, after all, not Labour policy nationally. Gateshead Labour rejected the amendment. Apparently, they are happy to ask a Tory Chancellor to support their calls on pay, but they aren't happy to bring their concerns to their own Shadow Chancellor. Perhaps Gateshead Labour have given up on their national leadership.

The wording of the motion was:

“This Council notes:

 

Local government has endured central government funding cuts of more than 50% since 2010. Between 2010 and 2020, councils lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government. Councils across England are now facing a collective funding gap of £2.4bn for the financial year 2023/24 and a cumulative funding gap of £4.08bn for 2024/25 according to UNISON research.

 

Councils led the way in efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic, providing a huge range of services and support for our communities. Local government has shown more than ever how indispensable it is. But Covid has led to a massive increase in expenditure and loss of income, and as we emerge from the pandemic, local authorities and schools need far more support from Westminster. Recent funding announcements from the Government relating to schools did nothing to help.

 

Council and school workers kept our communities safe through the pandemic, often putting themselves at considerable risk as they work to protect public health, provide quality housing, ensure our children continue to be educated, and look after older and vulnerable people.

 

Since 2010, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing at least 25 per cent of their value since 2009/10. Staff are now facing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, with inflation hitting 10% and many having to make impossible choices between food, heating and other essentials. This is a terrible situation for anyone to find themselves in.

 

At the same time, workers have experienced ever-increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, 900,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of more than 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.

 

There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three-quarters of the local government workforce.

 

Recent research shows that if the Government were to fully fund the unions’ 2023 pay claim, around half of the money would be recouped thanks to increased tax revenue, reduced expenditure on benefits and tax credits, and increased consumer spending in the local economy.

 

This council believes:

 

Our workers are public service super-heroes. They keep our communities clean and safe, look after those in need and keep our towns and cities running.

 

Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.

 

Local government workers deserve a proper real-terms pay increase. The Government needs to take responsibility and fully fund this increase; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding has been cut to the bone and who were not offered adequate support through the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

 

This council resolves to:

 

Support the pay claim submitted by UNISON, GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers, for an increase of RPI + two per cent funded by central government

 

Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the NJC pay claim

 

Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government

 

Meet with local NJC union representatives to discuss for the pay claim and consider practical ways in which the council can engage with the campaign

 

Encourage all local government workers to join a union.”

Hopping off to Newcastle for the Hoppings

 

David and I were looking forward to a visit to the Hoppings on Newcastle's Town Moor on Friday evening. Given the dry weather we have ensured for the past few weeks, we felt it was tempting fate to take cagoules with us. Almost as soon as we left the house, the rain started. By the time we got to Newcastle, it was clear it was not a passing shower. We abandoned the Hoppings plan in favour of dinner at the nearest restautant to where we parked - Taste of Persia in Marlborough Crescent. More expensive than a trip to the Hoppings, but a dinner much better than the burgher and chips we would otherwise have consumed!

Shaggy dog story

 

I joined Councillors Peter Maughan and Vicky Anderson today at the community fair in Dunston Park. Peter brought along his enormous Newfoundland dog Ziva, an animal so big that it is bigger than some of my sheep! (And as much fur on her as my sheep have wool!) Ziva proved quite a hit with children and adults alike!

Low Fell eFocus no. 125

Yet another edition of eFocus from Gateshead Lib Dems, this time from the Low Tell team, was published yesterday. Issues covered include:

• Consultation on cycling and walking
• Joint Police and Councillor Surgery on 24th June
• No need to close Leisure Centres now
• Weeds cleared on Beacon Lough Road
• Carters' Well clean up
• Sir Ed Davey interview
• School road safety improvements

You can read eFocus on this link.

As seen on tv

The couple dancing in the Tory "Jingle and Mingle" video are probably not enjoying watching the news. Yesterday, they were on every news broadcast. They are probably dreading showing themselves in public. Still, think of the positives. Perhaps a guest appearance on Come Dancing will be offered. Or how about an appearance in Dancing on Ice? On a more serious note, what is it about some people who think they are above everyone else and therefore feel they don't have to follow the rules under which everyone else lives? Those who lost loved ones during the Pandemic can rightly feel aggrieved. Their hospital visits were curtailed and funerals were limited in the number of people allowed to attend. Even those who did not lose loved ones lost the ability to meet family members and friends while some in the Tory Party just kept on partying. I suspect the Tories are heading for a mauling at the forthcoming by-elections. Quite right too.

Gateshead Lib Dem thank you party

 

Gateshead Lib Dems held a thank you party at the Gateshead Legion Club in Saltwell on Friday. And we had lots of celebrate following the two gains from Labour in the local elections last month. There was a buffet, quiz and raffle. A great time was had by all.

Lady Ba Ba and Britney Shears guest stars at Cloverhill School Fair

 

We are often asked to bring some of our livestock from our farm to local fairs. On Thursday, 15th June we headed to Cloverhill School fair with two of our lambs - Lady Ba Ba and Britney Shears. Both were a hit with children and parents alike.

Whickham eFocus no. 183

Gateshead Lib Dems published another eFocus last week, edition no. 183. Issues covered include:

• Local Lib Dem Team says "Thank You!";
• Local election results;
• The picture across Gateshead;
• Changes to local wards;
• Time to cut Gateshead Council down to size;
• Church Green flowerbeds ready for summer;
• Date for Dunston Pool decision;
• Planting Up Sunniside launched;
• Volunteering at The Whinnies;
• Application for stables in Sunniside;
• Wildathon at Shibdon Pond
• And finally - back to those election results.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Booking conference

 

I recently decided to book my place at Lib Dem conference in September. The booking went in 3 hours before the early bird offer ended. Last year I booked a place at Brighton conference. The hotel was booked. I had even booked my seat on the coach service (the train network was expected to be closed due to strike action) and then the Queen died, causing conference to be cancelled. Fortunately I got my money back on the hotel but I had to write off the coach fare.

This year we are back to Bournemouth. Hopefully, after the pandemic and the passing of the Queen, this year conference will actually go ahead. We live in hope.

Planting Up Sunniside

 

A new group of volunteers has been set up in Sunniside, called Planting Up Sunniside, which will plant up and maintain flowerbeds on Sunniside Front Street and at Streetgate. It operates in a way similar to Planting Up Whickham. They have already made a start, having tidied and replanted the raised beds on Granby Terrace on the Front Street. I have been advising them as the local councillor and attended their meeting held last week at The Travellers. I'm looking forward to more activity in the months ahead.

Delivering in the sun

 

Delivering Focus leaflets in my ward of Whickham South and Sunniside over the past week has reminded me how leaflets were delivered in Greek general elections some decades ago. It was my first trip abroad and David and I were in Crete for 2 week. There was a general election on at the same time so we went along to one of the centre/centre left rallies and watched as people sang the campaign songs. It all looked rather fun compared to elections back home. A couple of days later, we watched as a campaign vehicle pulled up at a bus stop in Herakleon, blasted the people waiting for a bus through the loud speakers and then tossed a load of leaflets out through the window! No one picked up a leaflet to read it. I'm pleased to say that this is something that has not caught on back home though given the number of Labour leaflets we've seen scattered on the ground in various places in Gateshead, people could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

Welcoming another new business

 

It is always good to see new businesses setting up on Sunniside Front Street. So welcome Clinic 12 who recently took over the former Sunniside Post Office.

Smoke on the horizon

While I was walking to the farm yesterday I spotted on the horizon at a great distance a huge fire and smoke cloud. I could see that it was somewhere in Eastern Newcastle. It turned out to be Henderson Old Hall. Sadly another historic building had gone up in flames. I attended an event there many years ago. What will happen to it now, no one knows. 

Focus has arrived

Just arrived at my house - the Whickham South and Sunniside thank you Focus. This afternoon I will buy a new pair of shoes. My last pair disintegrated recently following the pounding they got during the local elections. 

Low Fell eFocus 124

 The Lib Dem Focus Team in Low Fell have published their latest eFocus. Key issues covered include:

• cutting the Council down to size;
• Low Fell featured in The Chronicle;
• volunteering for Low Fell Gardeners;
• police and councillor surgery;
• Low Fell Voluntary Library 10th anniversary.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Joining the volunteers in Whickham

 

I am one of the volunteers for Planting Up Whickham who helps look after the flowerbeds on Whickham Front Street and especially on Church Green. Two weeks ago we stripped out all the winter plants from the beds and yesterday we planted up the beds with the summer flowers. I captured both events on the video above.

Out of the race

I learnt tonight that Jamie Driscol, Labour's North of Tyne Mayor, has failed to make the longlist for the new North East Mayor. He is now staring at redundancy as, once the regional mayor is elected, the North of Tyne position is consigned to history. Driscol prospered in the Corbyn days and is described as the last Corbynista still in power. In office he was, at best, rather underwhelming. At least now we won't have to put up with his visits to Saltwell in Gateshead. Not that his previous visits there helped Labour. They lost the seat to us in last month's local elections. 

When is a carbon copy not a carbon copy?

In 2016, the plans for devolution in the North East collapsed. In what was effectively a palace coup, Labour's Martin Gannon seized the leadership of Gateshead Council from Mick Henry who had been prepared to sign up to the deal. He killed off the deal and North and South of Tyne went their separate ways. 7 wasted years later, Martin is now backing the new devolution plan which is currently on the table. All 7 councils have to sign up to the plan and Gateshead's signature has already been added to the dotted line.

I described the current package as "new". In reality, it is nothing of the sort. It is the old deal dusted down. According to Martin however, it is "completely different" to the collapsed plans of 2016. He points to the forthcoming transport deal as being the big issue that makes this deal a new one. The reality is that the transport deal came along after 2016 and had we had devolution back then, we would have had the transport funding assured (the funding is based on having an elected regional mayor.) So, the deal we have now is a near carbon copy of what we could have had 7 years ago.

The only significant change during Martin's 7 wasted years is the way the mayor is elected. The government have changed elections from the supplementary vote to first past the post for all elected mayors. This applies across the whole of England so this is not a change specifically for the North East. So come on Martin, if the "new" deal" is "completely different" to the old one, tell us what these differences are.

Or shut up.......

Saying goodbye to Jol

Today we said goodbye to Jol. She was married to my council group colleague Peter Maughan and was a great friend. There was a big turnout for the funeral service at Whickham St Mary's Church and then at the Gibside Arms. She will be missed.