Chase Park green flag inspection

There was an inspection of Chase Park, Whickham, for the green flag award on 6th June. Volunteers had spend a great deal of time replanting many of the flower beds in the park. I hear the inspection went well but we are not expecting the announcement of the result for a few weeks yet.

Lib Dem Leadership Hustings in Newcastle

The Old Assembly Rooms in Newcastle were packed out on Saturday evening for the Lib Dem leadership hustings meeting. Two candidates are in the running - Jo Swinson and Ed Davey. I will be happy with either though I am backing Ed Davey. Both spoke well at the meeting which I reckon must be in sharp contrast to Labour and Conservative meetings where blind panic and blood on the floor are common features.



Gateshead members Vicky Anderson and Leanne Brand are backing Jo.



Ed's leaflet - you may recognise the photo at the bottom!



Me and Ed.

Ballot papers will be circulated shortly and the winner will be declared on 23rd July.

Gateshead Strategy Meeting

Lib Dems in Gateshead are already planning for the local elections in May next year. On Saturday, we held our next strategy meeting. There was a wide ranging discussion on the selection of target wards and the criteria we apply to come into target status. Within that status there are a couple of different categories based on how far down the route of winnability a ward it. We will be defending five seats next year and we have drawn up a target list of an additional six wards. The meeting also looked at campaigning plans with the result that I ended up adding to my to-do list before meaving the meeting!

Marking D-Day in Whickham

On Thursday a short service was held at the Whickham War Memorial to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The Last Post was sounded. Residents were also joined by three soldiers attending a recruitment event in the village.

A video of this event will follow shortly.

I'm backing Ed

Nominations close today for Lib Dem Leader. Unless there is a sudden and unexpected 3rd candidate, the race will be between Ed Davey and Jo Swinson. Both are first class candidates and I will be happy with either as Leader. However, I will be voting for Ed. For me, Ed has the lead on the environment. 10 years ago I gave up work to live the good life. The aim was to produce our own food and power and live as sustainably as possible. So the environmental agenda is very important to me.

I told Ed over the weekend I will be backing him and he phoned me yesterday (moments after having just dealt with a bee swarm - I learnt at that moment that Ed's mother is also a beekeeper!) When I worked for the Lib Dems over 10 years ago, I was part of the team that supported Ed when he was Shadow Communities, Housing and Local Government Secretary. So we got to know each other quite well.

The hustings meeting for the North East is in Newcastle tomorrow evening. Attendance is expected to be high from members. It should be a good meeting.

Good luck to both candidates. Both are very worthy of the role.

The Peterborough curate's egg

Peterborough is a place I don't know. I have been there once, many years ago, for a Lib Dem training event. I have passed through on the train hundreds of times when I used to go to London most weeks. From the train I could see the prison on one side and the cathedral on the other. Yesterday however it was on our radar screens as we awaited the much trumpeted Brexit Party's victory to win their first seat in Parliament. Except, it never happened! It was another of those occasions in which a few votes made the difference between a political earthquake and a footnote in history.

Labour are behaving as if they have just won a general election, which only goes to show what a dire state they are in. In normal political times, the main opposition should be looking to hold seats it had won marginally with majorities more akin to those in safe seats. Winning by the skin of their teeth with a 17% drop in vote share hardly inspires confidence.

The Lib Dems put in a creditable performance in a constituency which previously saw us win only 3% of the vote. 9% increase is welcome.

Overall, the result is something of a curate's egg. The good parts are: the Brexit Party did not win, the Lib Dem vote improved, Labour performed poorly but not too poorly to risk Corbyn's leadership (he is a vote winner at the moment but for the Lib Dems, not Labour).

The bad part is that the Brexit Party nearly won and Labour's victory means they will continue to have Leaver Corbyn at the helm, blocking a confirmatory referendum.

So definitely mixed news from Peterborough.

Blaydon Lib Dem meeting

Blaydon constituency Lib Dem branch had its monthly meeting last night at Marley Hill. I say "monthly" but our last meeting was actually in March. April and May meetings weren't held because we were too busy winning Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward from Labour. The usual issues were discussed and plans for Focuses were agreed. I am currently writing the next edition for Whickham South and Sunniside.

We also had a discussion about social events - we have been heavily focused on campaigning in the past so we have given insufficient thought to these. This needs to change, especially as we are picking up lots of new members and supporters. So I have been dispatched to contact possible speakers for pizza and politics events. More fundraising is also needed. We have lots of campaign plans but money is needed to pay for them!

I came away from the meeting with a long to-do list!

Echoes of the Enabling Act

Dominic Raab is best known as the Brexit Secretary who resigned in protest at the Brexit deal he negotiated. Now he wants to be Tory Leader and PM. With a large number of contenders for the top position, the race is on to make the most extreme pledges on Hard Brexit. It is reported that Raab is ready to prorogue Parliament to stop MPs having a say on a No Deal Brexit. In effect, the future of the nation would be in the hands of the loonies of a government of the Extreme Brexit Right. So much for Parliament "taking back control".

One of the worrying features is that the exclusion of Parliament and MPs from decision-making has echoes of how the Nazis seized control and turned a democracy into a dictatorship. Hitler used a crisis (the burning down of the Reichstag) to pass the Enabling Act, a move which put legislative power into his hands, thereby sidestepping all Parliamentary representation.

Were we to crash out of the EU without an agreement, it is almost certainly the case that the government will need emergency powers to deal with the crisis that will arise from what effectively is our own, self-imposed siege of our own borders. Perhaps the Raab idea of proroguing Parliament is a hint of how governance will operate under a Raab premiership.

Marking D-Day in Whickham

Thursday 6th June is the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy Landings. A service, led by Revd Barry Abbott of St Mary's Church, will be taking place at the War Memorial in Whickham on Thursday at 10.25am. The Last Post will be played and minute's silence will be held.

All residents are invited to attend.

Meeting Trump

I had planned to be in London yesterday for a meeting of Lib Dem group leaders. Alas, the meeting was postponed until later this year. Frankly, I didn't want to be in London at the same time as the Trump visit and the demonstrations taking place against him. The postponement also allowed me to go to the Sunniside History Society meeting last night. As chairman, I had already arm twisted someone to stand in for me so I was able to relieve them of that burden.

And now for something rare: praise for Corbyn! I think he was absolutely right that he tried to seek a meeting with Trump. Corbyn is a waste of space but he is, sadly, Leader of the Opposition. In that capacity, he should have been given an audience with Trump. In the nightmare scenario in the years ahead of a 2nd Trump term of office and a Prime Minister Corbyn, the two are going to have to deal with each other. A meeting should therefore have been held between the two. After all, if Trump could find time to meet Nigel Farage, whose party has no seats in Parliament, he should find time to meet Corbyn.

Where were you when we needed you Mr Corbyn?

Jeremy Corbyn attended the anti-Trump rally in London today. This seems to be a break with recent practice. Where was he when the People's Vote rallies were taking place. Nowhere to be seen. Trump's anti-EU comments must be music to Corbyn's ears.

What negotiations?

After the European election results were announced, the Brexit Party demanded a seat at the negotiations with the EU over how we leave. The same demand has just been made by Trump, in his capacity as self-appointed leader of America First. This all strikes me as rather odd. The Brexit Party demands a No Deal Brexit. So what is there to negotiate about, at least in terms of how we leave? And if we leave without an agreement (the key Brexit Party demand), it is highly unlikely that there will be any negotiations on a future relationship. So quite what role there is for the Brexit Party in negotiations they believe should not happen now and won't happen in the future is not clear.

Trump has always made it clear that he backs Brexit. In terms of world politics, he wants no competition to his country's superpower status. America First means negotiating from strength with smaller countries many of which have smaller GDP than some of the big states of the USA. Such an approach is destroyed by the existence of the EU, itself a bigger economic superpower than the USA. The UK has an economy a fraction of the size of the off the USA. There is no way that negotiations between the UK and USA on trade could be anything other than totally one-sided in favour of America. That is why, in the Brexit negotiations, the EU has the upper hand - the UK is a fraction of the economic strength of the EU and in negotiations that is what counts. When Brexit Britain goes out into the big wide world to negotiate our own trade agreements, we will constantly bump up against the same problem. We will, of course, have thrown away the advantages that go with being part of the economic powerhouse of the EU.

The mayor is non-political as long as they are Labour

Gateshead Council is 45 years old. There have been 45 appointments of mayors of the borough made in that time. Every single one of them has been Labour. Gateshead is one of the few councils that does not rotate the mayoralty around the parties represented on the Council (in Gateshead two parties have councillors - Lib Dems and Labour). To be fair to Labour in Gateshead, the Leader of the Opposition does have a role to play - but that is simply to second the vote of thanks at the annual council meeting to the outgoing (Labour) mayor. But no longer. I made it clear to Labour that I was no longer willing to do this as Leader of the Opposition if there is no rotation of the mayor.

We have been told by Labour that they have a monopoly of the mayoralty because the mayor is "non-political". Indeed, because we raised this issue, Labour accused us of politicising the Mayor. They were not pleased at the annual meeting when we put forward our own candidate for mayor, Cllr John McClurey. Martin Gannon, Labour leader of the Council, even interrupted me when I was nominating John to have a go at us for spoiling their little Labour jamboree.

The new mayor is not exactly new to the role. Lamesley Councillor Michael Hood has already served once as mayor. As for his Labour deputy, Dot Burnett, she was only elected as a councillor in May last year.

On the plus side, the last mayor, Jill Green, ended her term of office by crashing to defeat in the local elections this year. We took her seat with a majority of 500. The mayor in 2016-17, Allison Thompson, lost her seat to the Lib Dems last year. I think it's time to dust down those campaign plans for Lamesley ward!

Not seen for 38 years!

A very interesting poll of people's general election voting intentions was published by The Times last night. The downside was that The Brexit Party were on 22% and in 2nd place. The upside is that the Lib Dems are in first place on 24%. Sky News this morning said that the last time the Lib Dems were in the lead in terms of general election voting intention was in 2010 during the general election. I can't recall this at all and I suspect what they are actually referring to was a poll on the performance of the party leaders after the leader debates when Cleggmania was at its peak.

Personally, I have to go back to 1981 for the last time the Lib Dems (then the Alliance) were ahead in the polls. The SDP had just been launched and I was a founder member. The poll lead however did not last and the Conservatives were returned at the 1983 general election with a landslide majority, assisted by the Falklands War and a meltdown in the Labour Party.

Whether or not what is happening now - Lib Dems resurgent while the Nigel Farage fan club has moved home from UKIP to The Brexit Party with Labour and Conservatives in meltdown - will become a permanent fixture is an interesting question which has no clear answer, at least not yet. Nevertheless, we should enjoy it while it lasts and keep on recruiting new members to the Lib Dems - 11,000 have joined this month so far.

Labour's unhappy headlines

Front page of the Journal, our morning newspaper here in the North East, was not good reading for Labour today. Apparently, their drubbing in the European elections has kicked off a civil war in their ranks. I merely post a photo of the Journal for the enjoyment of readers. Given the large number of Labour members who read this blog, I guess the enjoyment is all with me!

Video: back to school with the goats

Earlier this month I was invited to take some of our goats to Whickham School so the children could pet them. This was part of the schools work for Mental Health Awareness Week. The event was a success with hundreds of children visiting the animals. The video above covers the event up to the point just before the children arrive.

I've woken up in a parallel universe

Yesterday the world was as it normally is: politics dominated by the two old parties. I woke up this morning and found I am in a parallel universe. The two old parties have been destroyed, the Lib Dems are resurgent and a hideous monster party has topped the polls. Some good bits and some bad bits in this unfamiliar parallel reality.

Congratulations to the team of Lib Dem MEPs whose numbers have increased from one to sixteen. Sadly, Fiona Hall is not one of them. Here in the North East, the bar we need to cross is so much higher as the region has only three seats. That has normally worked to Labour's advantage. Yesterday it worked to the advantage of the Brexit Party. Labour (Britain's new third party) however held one of their seats.

I attended the count in Gateshead and the result was very much as I expected, The only difference was that the Lib Dems were closer to Labour than I expected. Less than 3000 votes separated us from the Corbynistas.

Meanwhile, Sky have added up the votes for the clear Remain and Brexit parties. They calculate that the Lib Dems, Change UK, PC, SNP and Greens are on 38%, Brexit and UKIP on 37%. YouGov suggest 40% and 35% respectively. Very good news for Remain.

Losing it at full council

We had another incident on Thursday at Gateshead's full council meeting of the Labour Leader Martin Gannon losing self-control. He launched a tirade at the Lib Dem group and totally lost his temper in doing so. He needs to calm down because further repeats of these temper tantrums are not good either for Gateshead or for him. 

As for why he loses his temper, I suspect there are two factors at work. Firstly, for the first time since the start of the Coalition, the Lib Dems are electorally hurting Labour in Gateshead. In the local elections earlier this month, the mayor and the head of office of Liz Twist MP both went down to heavy defeat. Secondly, I hear the vultures are starting to circle on his own side.

Changing the Leader changes nothing

I got home at lunchtime to the news that the long awaited announcement of the departure of Theresa May had been made. Politics is a brutal world. Those sticking the knife into the PM's back had let go of the handle long enough to take to Twitter to praise her courage and determination. The next few weeks will be dominated by the assassins trying to finish each other off in the contest for the Tory leadership. But what will it change? The Parliamentary arithmetic is still the same. The EU aren't going to renegotiate the deal. Tories and Labour will still be split. Parliament will still reject No Deal (though it is questionable as to whether, without government support, MPs can stop No Deal Brexit taking place.) There could be a general election but with the Conservatives heading for meltdown at the European elections, would they dare risk going to the country?

Bizarrely, the way out of the mess for the Conservatives is a People's Vote. I'm not sure however whether they realise that to be the case.

How did it go in Gateshead?

I am picking up on social media straws in the wind about how the parties did yesterday in the European election in the North East. Talk is of the Brexit Party being ahead, Labour vote down significantly and behind the Lib Dems and the Conservatives out of the race in different areas of the region. So this is my penny's worth about Gateshead: Brexit well in the lead with Labour well back in 2nd place. The Lib Dems are in a respectable 3rd place. All other parties were in contention for last place.

We will know on Sunday.

Just voted

I called into Sunniside Social Club at 11am to vote in the European Parliament elections. I was struck as I walked there by the thought that I was about to take part in one of the biggest exercises in democracy on the planet. Yet many of those who support Brexit claim the EU is undemocratic. How they square this claim with the likely result of the Brexit Party taking part in and finishing today's election as the party with the most votes would undoubtedly make for an interesting display of political contortion and the rewriting of the meaning of the word "democracy".

Anyway, I voted Lib Dem, unsurprisingly!

Gateshead East branch meeting

I was in Heworth Golf Club tonight to go to the Gateshead East Lib Dems branch to give my group leader's report. We also had a wide ranging discussion about the local election campaign and then moved on to the election campaign for next year. We are drawing up campaign plans for the year ahead but we are also considering proposals for which wards should be our targets for 2020. We have a draft list of six wards (in addition to the five  we will be defending). Busy times ahead.

Buzzing

At this time of year, many local residents contact me about bees. Most have bumble bees in their back gardens and call me as councillor and also as a beekeeper for advice. I always advise people to ignore the bees. Generally speaking, the bees will ignore people if their nest is not threatened. Typically, the nest will die out through the late summer.

Lots of people put up nesting boxes but are then surprised to discover bumble bees have moved into them, instead of birds. They make ideal nesting sites for bees. So occasionally, I will remove a bird box containing bees for them and relocate it to a place of safety. The nest box pictured above was above the patio doors of a house in Whickham. I moved it on Sunday evening and it is now on the fence on one of my allotments. Tomorrow evening I will be doing the same when I remove a nest box full of bumble bees from a house in Sunniside.

All in a day's work!

Helping hand from a Labour member

Gateshead Lib Dems were contacted recently by a Labour activist unhappy with Labour policy on Europe and the Brexit tone of it. Like the Lib Dems, this person, who, to protect from either being expelled from Labour or generally hung out to dry by them, is not being named by me but offered to deliver some of our European campaign leaflets. This person has now delivered 300 for us.

I have seen on social media that lots of ex-MPs of a variety of political persuasions have announced they are voting Lib Dem in the European elections. Our news from Gateshead is our modest addition to this growing trend. Hopefully there will be more to follow.

Delivering in Birtley

We are heading back to the polls this week and so today I was in Birtley to help our ward candidate Paul Elliott to deliver a few hundred postcards calling on people to vote Lib Dem on Thursday. Job done in two hours. I still have lots to deliver in various places in Gateshead by 23rd May.

Not getting carried away with opinion polls but....

I am too long in the tooth to get excited by opinion polls. I've seen lots before that have predicted one outcome but we end up with something else. The trend in recent polls is for a Lib Dem rise, a collapse in the Conservatives' ratings, and Labour slipping badly. Sadly, the Brexit Party is in the lead, and by a significant margin.

But, putting aside the Brexit Party, and taking the polls with a great deal of salt, the fun of seeing the Conservatives and Labour squirm at the sight of the Lib Dems doing well is a moment to be savoured. Sadly, such delights don't always last long. The European Election results may or may not come up to expectation but in the meantime, I am going to enjoy the polls and the Lab/Con discomfort.

Thank you Dave

Gateshead Lib Dem exec was held on Wednesday evening. We had a good discussion about the local election campaign and we provisionally agreed six more target wards. But the evening went to Dave Fawcett who was attending his last meeting as local party secretary. He stood down from the post he has held for many years due to health issues. We presented him with an engraved tankard and some bottles of craft beers. We wish him all the best in his  retirement.

Back to school

It is mental health awareness week and I was invited by Whickham School to take some of our goats in today for the children to pet, stroke, feed and generally enjoy the company of. The conclusion was that such activities with animals are good for children's mental health. This is the second year running we have taken in the goats. It looks like it was become an established event in the school calendar!

Lib Dem Cllr John McClurey to be nominated for Gateshead mayor

Below is the news release published by Gateshead Lib Dems tonight - tomorrow at the Council annual meeting we will be nominating Cllr John McClurey to be the first every non-Labour mayor of Gateshead.

Lib Dem Councillor proposed as first non-Labour mayor in Gateshead

Following on from the success of the Liberal Democrats in the local elections in Gateshead, the party will be proposing Cllr John McClurey as the first non-Labour mayor of the borough at the Council annual meeting on Friday 17^th May.

Since the Council was first established in 1974, every mayor has been from Labour. Most other councils share the mayorality around all the parties that have local representation. In Newcastle, for example, the post alternates between Labour and Lib Dems.

Have-a-go hero Cllr McClurey was elected to Gateshead Council in 2008. He had previously hit the headlines when he battled his way through smoke, fire and burning debris to help save a mum and her child in a house fire near his shop in Newcastle.

As a result of his actions, John was recognised for his bravery by the Royal Humane Society.

“It is a great honour to be proposed by the Lib Dem group to be mayor of Gateshead,” said John. “I’ve lived in the area all my life and I know I can make a strong contribution to civic life in Gateshead.”

Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Jonathan Wallace, said, “Gateshead has never had a non-Labour mayor before and we believe it is time that changed. Labour should follow the practice of their colleagues on most other councils and alternate the mayorality between the two parties represented on the Council.

“They need to back John so that the post is no longer restricted to the narrow views of the Labour Party.”

                   

Labour’s vote slumped to 44% in the local elections in Gateshead earlier this month. They lost two seats to the Lib Dems as well.

“After all, Labour no longer speaks for the majority in Gateshead,” said Jonathan. “It’s time for Gateshead’s mayor to be appointed on merit, rather than for political reasons.”

Ends

Pr190501

Notes to editors:

1)Press report on John McClurey saving occupants from house fire:

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/brave-man-fights-flames-reach-1470540

2)link to Royal Humane Society report on John McClurey’s bravery:

https://royalhumanesociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/AnnualReport2008.pdf

Labour's European Election leaflet

Labour's European Election freepost leaflet arrived today through my door. It seems Labour have little to say as there are some significant unused spaces in the leaflet. Helpfully, most of the front page is taken up with a photo of Jeremy Corbyn. That should scare the voters away from Labour (that was certainly what was happening during the local election.)

The bit about a confirmatory vote  reads, "If we can't get changes to their bad deal or a general election, Labour backs the option of a public vote." That's about as non-committal as you can get. Hardly surprising given Corbyn is a Brexiter.

Oh joy - a by-election!

It looks as though we are going to have to go onto election overdrive. It has been announced that Vera Baird, Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria, has been appointed as the new Victims Commissioner by the Conservative government. It means she will be vacating the PCC role. Oh joy, a by-election across the whole of Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

I was the Lib Dem candidate in the last PCC election in 2016, held on the same day as the local elections. I campaigned on the basis that the PCC role should be abolished and its functions should be part of the powers of elected regional government. And then Labour fell apart in the North East over devolution with the North of Tyne going off to do their own thing and the South of Tyne left going nowhere. The devolution and PCC combination will have to be revised!

In the PCC election, there were 4 candidates (this was in the days of UKIP having a presence on the political landscape). I romped home in, errr, 4th place! However, I came second in both Gateshead and Newcastle, reflecting our stronger local government base there. We can now add Sunderland to the list of councils where we are growing significantly.

Personally, I think the vacancy should be left unfilled until next May when the next PCC election is due (on the same day as the local elections). That would save a huge amount of public money (and shoe leather!)

North East Lib Dem European Election video

North East Lib Dems have produced an excellent campaign video about the European election campaign and why people should vote Lib Dem on 23rd May. You can view it on this link.

Delivering in Ryton

While most people today were putting this sunny Sunday to good use at home, I was in Ryton delivering 500 leaflets in the Riverside Estate. Two hours of treading the streets and only one negative comment!

I still have quite a few hundred leaflets left to deliver elsewhere!

Low Fell eFocus no. 35

Just published by our Low Fell Focus Team, edition 35 of eFocus. This edition includes:

• Save the Hardman Centre
• Northumbria University's 'Making Low Fell Better' event a success
• Time running out to give your views on Tyne Tolls plan
• Low Fell's Summer Fayre

You can read eFocus on this link.

Be wary of projecting opinion polls

I have been in politics too long to be excited by opinion polls. Having seen stratospheric ratings for the SDP/Liberal Alliance in 1982, Lib Dem ratings within the margin of error of zero in 1989 after the Lib/SDP merger, poll ratings for the Lib Dems in the Blair years which were interpreted by Labour as the end of liberal democracy and 2010 poll ratings which overdid the Lib Dem vote, I tend to take them now with a large pinch of salt.

Opinion polls are guestimate snapshots. Useful for showing trends, getting an accurate prediction is something more challenging (remember the polls in 1992 and 2015). So, don't get carried away with polls this morning that put the Lib Dems ahead of the Conservatives in the European elections. Yes it is the case that the Brexit "Party" is almost certainly romping ahead of the field (but not with a majority of the votes) and Labour and especially the Conservatives are slipping badly. Yes, the Lib Dem vote is up a bit. But success also depends on having a party machine on the ground that can deliver victory.

The grassroots organisation of the Lib Dems is what ensured we survived the Coalition years. The same, but expanded, grassroots organisation delivered the big gains we made in the local elections earlier this month. The European elections are quite unique in that the need for a grassroots organisation to deliver a campaign is far, far less. As long as there is a list of candidates in each region, the rest of the campaign can be delivered from an office in London.

That advantage does not carry over to a general election in which 650 candidates and 650 agents are needed, as are 6500 signatures and lots of form filling, and that's without even thinking about a constituency campaign. So while the Brexit "Party" can mop up lots of votes in the European election, running a general election campaign that delivers the constituencies predicted as likely to go to them is a challenge which the Brexit "Party" will find extremely difficult to mount. Just look at the 2015 general election in which UKIP failed to win a single seat but scored a reasonable share of the vote.

My advisory note to Lib Dem colleagues is not to get carried away with rising poll ratings for the party. Effective targeting, as carried out in the local elections, is what wins elections.

And now I'm going to spend 2 hours of my Sunday lunchtime delivering 500 Lib Dem European election leaflets in Ryton.

Flying visit to Dunston Festival

After our European election leaflet delivery today, we popped into the Dunston Festival at Dunston UTC. Sadly, I couldn't stay long (but I was there long enough to get a burger!) as I had to drive Fiona Hall back to her car for her next event in Newcastle. It was good to see the Dunston Lib Dem Councillors at the festival as well (see photo above). Like me, all 3 had been delivering European election leaflets in the morning.

The next local fair is at Chase Park, Whickham, on 18th May.

European campaigning

Fiona Hall, the lead Lib Dem candidate for the North East in the European election, visited Gateshead today. Quite a few people turned up to help so we split into a number of teams. I took Fiona and two others to Festival Park to deliver the estate. From there we went to Windmill Hills in Bensham. Other teams delivered in Dunston, the Staiths Estate and Felling. Lots of leaflets went through letter boxes!

No escape from elections!

Just when we thought it was safe to go out after the local elections without a bundle of leaflets to deliver, we find we are in the middle of another election campaign. This weekend in Gateshead we are starting to deliver our first European election campaign leaflet. We will be hitting the streets of Felling and Teams. Fiona Hall, our lead candidate will be joining us as well.

So, just when my legs thought they'd be getting a rest, I'll be wearing out shoe leather instead!

Re-elected Leader

Gateshead Lib Dem group meeting tonight and the big contest was for the Leadership. It was a tough battle but I just scraped in! Alas, as an exercise in open democracy, there was a flaw in the process: I was the only candidate! Clearly group members don't yet want to send me off to the allotment, at least not yet! Thank you to my colleagues for their faith in me.

The Red Rose of Hypocrisy

Rosie Oxberry was first elected to Gateshead Council last year as a left wing "socialist" Labour member. Her first year on the Council can best be described as noticeable for being unnoticed. But Red Rose is something of a fan of Facebook. She seems to spend lots of time Facebooking. She visits my site regularly and is happy to post up comments which castigate both Lib Dems and Blair/Brown in equal measures. On the picture above, on the left is a screenshot of some comments on my page which support my assertion.

Then take a look at the screenshot on the right, from Labour's Facebook page "Our Ward", (Pelaw and Heworth represented by the Red Rose herself). Notice how she rather dislikes others writing on her page. As is so often the case, one rule for "socialists", a different one for everyone else.

So now for a bit of advice for Red Rose, from myself, relating to the spectacular defeat her ward colleague Jill Green suffered at the hands of the Lib Dems last week (Labour lost Pelaw and Heworth to us by 500 votes): spend less time on Facebook and more time campaigning if you want to hold your seat. From my point of view however, continue spending lots of time on Facebook and I look forward to seeing even more comments from you on my page!

Suits you sir!

The above was the Journal's coverage on Saturday of the Gateshead local election results. It was very thoughtful of them to include a big photo of me and completely ignore all winning Labour councillors. This photo of me speaking at council a few years ago is a favourite of the Journal. It is trotted out most times I'm quoted. Alas, the suit I am wearing in the photo is now a great deal more threadbare!

I gave up the rate race a decade ago to live the good life and avoid unnecessary consumerism and consumption of products we don't need. I am certainly no fan of throw away fashion so the suit in the photo, which I got shortly before I gave up the world of paid work, continues to be my only one. Sadly, I'm not sure it will last much longer.

Let's hope it lasts at least til Thursday however. I am in court then as a witness for Gateshead Council so I need to look smart!

Lobley Hill and Bensham

The results of the local elections in Gateshead last week were very encouraging and the feel was much like it was over a decade ago, before the Coalition. One ward result that stood out to me in particular was Lobley Hill and Bensham (LHB). In Gateshead our targeting strategy places each ward into one of various categories. LHB was in what we call the "developmental" level. In other word, this is a ward where we are building it up to be winnable. The aim this year was to have a good increase in our vote and to get into second place to be the main challenger to Labour.

Last year we were 4th and last, on 9% but this year our candidate Nick Seaborn took 18% and second place. The icing on the cake was Labour's vote: it was below 50%. Okay, it was just under 50% but nevertheless, more people voted against Labour than for them. LHB is a ward where Labour usually mope up a significant majority of the votes cast. Not so this year.

Gateshead Lib Dems will be drawing up the next stage of our campaign strategy shortly. LHB is one of a number of wards which could be promoted up the targeting scale. Watch this space!

eFocus edition 118

As I write this post, eFocus no. 118 for the Whickham area is in the pipeline due to be sent to people's inboxes in a few minutes. The lead story is the local election results, especially the gain of Dunston Hill and Whickham East by the Lib Dems from Labour. Local news stories include the Whickham festival in July, Marley Hill bowling green, Dunston Hill School and Whinnies Community Garden.

You can read eFocus on this link.

The Sunderland Count

Gateshead's local election counts took place on Friday so I was available to attend the Sunderland counts on Thursday evening. It was a fascinating experience watching Labour in meltdown. They were losing seats in all direction and those seats they did retain were all reduced to marginal status. Lib Dems held three seats though technically two were gains as they we defences of by-election gains. A further two seats were picked up from Labour. The most interesting was Doxford. We came from nowhere to win by a landslide.

The above video was filmed on the night and covers all the declarations on Lib Dem seats.

Three defences and two gains in Gateshead

We had a number of clearly defined targets in Gateshead for the local elections:

• hold our three defended seats - Low Fell, Whickham North and Whickham South and Sunniside - and to do so in a way that did not detract from sending resources to wards we aimed to gain;
• to gain Dunston Hill and Whickham East and Pelaw and Heworth wards from Labour;
• to develop new territory for future gains.

I'm pleased to report that we held all our defences quite convincingly.

We also easily achieved our targets for gains:

Outside the above five seats, we secured the significant increase in our vote (and gained second place) in Lobley Hill and Bensham. Birtley however was complicated by the appearance of a "Liberal" candidate who is a former Councillor for the town. Put the Lib Dem and "Liberal" vote together and it is almost the size of the Labour total. Meanwhile, in Bridges ward, we got a good increase in our vote and 2nd place on the back of a minimal campaign.

We will be considering our targets shortly for next year. Watch this space!

Size isn't everything but....

Well, I'm back! The voters of Whickham South and Sunniside voted on Thursday to re-elect me to Gateshead Council for my 10th term. The result, declared yesterday was:

• Jonathan Wallace (Lib Dem) 1917 (72.9%, +6.2%)
• Judith Turner (Labour) 479 (18.2%, -4%)
• Perry Wilson (Conservative) 232 (8.8%, -2.2%)

Majority 1438 (54.7%, +10.2%)

The changes are on the results last year. I am not one who thinks size is important but let me have a moment of self-indulgence! I got the biggest vote in Gateshead and the second biggest in Tyne and Wear of any candidate. I got the highest share of the vote in Gateshead and (I think) in the whole of Tyne and Wear. My majority alone was bigger than the total actual vote of any Labour candidate in Gateshead. So a good result all round!

Thank you to the people of Whickham South and Sunniside for their magnificent vote of confidence in me.

Today is polling day!

I am about to head off to help with the get-out-the-vote operation in Dunston Hill, Pelaw and Heworth, Birtley and Lobley Hill and Bensham. Yes, today is polling day. But first, breakfast - a bacon buttie in Whickham.

Gateshead Lib Dem video: vote for Paul Diston

Gateshead Lib Dems have been experimenting with short videos about the local election campaign. This video is about Paul Diston, who is battling Labour in Pelaw and Heworth ward (Labour majority of 102).

Vote for Paul tomorrow!

Whickham eFocus no. 117

I put the finishing touches to our latest Whickham area eFocus this morning. We decided to make it entirely about the local elections as it is polling day tomorrow. The local news stories we have will be held over to the next edition which will go out over the weekend, complete with a report on the elections.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Delivering in Lobley Hill and Bensham

Much Lib Dem campaigning time in Gateshead has been focused on our top target seats but we also have developmental wards as well. Today, we had a team in Lobley Hill and Bensham ward delivering leaflets for Nick Seaborn, the Lib Dem candidate. I delivered two patches - one in Festival Park and one in Lobley Hill. No one any of us spoke to was voting Labour! Long may that continue.

Labour's position on confirmatory referendum now made totally clear!

Just leaked, Labour’s European Manifesto section on confirmatory referendum:
"Taking into account the variations in people’s voting intentions and the scope of austerity as it impacts on the jobs related economy, and intersecting this with the Tory agenda of the few rather than the many, Labour will consider the next steps towards a resolution of the 2016 referendum vote in conjunction with Labour’s 2017 manifesto commitment to require a general election as the solution to wide ranging and challenging issues. As part of this wide ranging review, Labour will nationalise fences, bringing them into public ownership where they rightly belong, allowing unhindered fence sitting by the Labour party.
"With reference to the confirmatory referendum, Labour confirms it will remain a party of indecision by confirming that it confirms that Labour may, or may not, look at a confirmatory vote provided it does not confirm that Labour confirms it will be confirmatory.
"Up the socialist revolution and all hail the great one."
So Labour's position now is clear for everyone to see!

Last leaflet drop

This evening I did my last leaflet delivery in Whickham East. That does not mean I have no more deliveries to do! Alas, tomorrow I will be in Dunston, Festival Park, Lobley Hill and Birtley. It will be my eve-of-poll Gateshead tour! In the meantime, I am working on the next eFocus. It will be another edition eagerly awaited by Labour!

Vote for me, I'm on a committee: Labour's car crash campaign in Pelaw and Heworth (no.2)

I wrote earlier this month about Labour's local election campaign in Pelaw and Heworth where the Mayor of Gateshead, Cllr Jill Green, is defending her seat against a strong Lib Dem challenge. In that post, I suggested Jill would be well advised for her sake to replace Cllr Leigh Kirton as her campaign manager/agent given the car crash nature of her re-election campaign. Thankfully, Jill did not follow my advice and Leigh continues in her prized role as inadvertent helper of the Lib Dem cause in Pelaw and Heworth.

Leigh was the recent author of a highly transphobic motion to Gateshead Council which led to the Labour group winning gold medal in the 2019 Quickest U-turn of the Year Competition. (Her motion was dumped by Labour after a media backlash.) Telltale signs of Leigh's material includes producing text heavy leaflets stuffed full with turgid, dull lists few people will read. You can see the most recent one above.

Whether or not people will be motivated to vote for Jill due to her being a "long-standing member of ANEC (Association of North East Councils)" is one of the great unanswerable issues of the campaign. I can't quite bring myself to imagine people sitting down to dinner and discussing the reasons for voting for Jill, and then reaching the conclusion that Jill is the one for them because of her membership of an organisation few are aware of!

Our best canvass so far

We were back in Pelaw and Heworth ward this evening for another canvass. Admittedly we were in an area that is normally good for us anyway but the returns tonight were the best so far for this local election campaign, not just in this ward, but in all our target and defended wards. It seems that the vote is firming up well and people have read our literature.

I'm not complacent. The final battle is yet to be fought.

Six to Fix video

Gateshead Lib Dems have launched our manifesto for the local elections and have produced a short video version - click on the link above to view it.

Targeting today

We are now half way through out get-out-the-vote weekend targeting operation in Gateshead in all the wards where we are aiming to top the poll. I have a stack of leaflets to deliver to my constituents in Whickham South and Sunniside and a load of letters to deliver in Dunston Hill and Whickham East.

Order for new shoe leather will be placed when I get home later today!

Too close to call

Last night Gateshead Lib Dems' canvassing attentions were focused on Pelaw and Heworth ward. Again, more positive responses on doorsteps. Labour are defending a majority of around 100 over the Lib Dems. Our campaign this year has been much more targeted than last year but our candidate then was new to the ward, though so too was Labour's. Nevertheless, in what was traditionally a very strong Labour ward, Labour's core vote was enough to let Labour scrape through.

This time round, I feel we have closed the gap though Labour are having to fight back, albeit in a very amateurish manner. Three years ago we unexpectedly snatched the ward from Labour by 20 votes. As I watched the canvass figures being uploaded to Connect at the end of the session, my feeling is that this ward is still too close to call.

Marley Hill Bowling Green transfer

About three years ago, Marley Hill Bowling Club invited me to a meeting so I could talk to them about what could be done to give the club a strong, long term future. I told them about community asset transfer, under which the club itself would take on a lease of the bowling green and run it themselves as a charitable group, thus opening up more external funding opportunities.

The club eventually decided to go ahead and are now enthusiastic proponents of community asset transfer. On Tuesday Gateshead Council cabinet agreed the transfer. I spoke at the meeting in support.

Good luck to the club and I'm looking forward to your having a successful future.

Softening Labour vote

On Facebook this morning I found a Mirror article which focused on the dire state of the Conservative vote which is in meltdown in the local election campaign. As this is the Mirror, Labour's poor state was only mentioned in passing.

In Gateshead our canvassing is finding it increasingly difficult to find Conservative supporters (admittedly their base here is tiny) and those we do manage to find are largely voting tactically for the Lib Dems. The interesting point about the Mirror article is that it reflects what's happening with the Labour vote. Our canvassing has deliberately targeted Labour areas and Labour voters we identify are softening rapidly. I am not however taking anything for granted. This weekend we will be working on a major targeting campaign to get out the vote on Thursday.

This one will be close!

I'm just back from Pelaw and Heworth ward where I've been canvassing for Lib Dem candidate Paul Diston. Another positive set of results. There was no sign of a vote for Conservatives, Greens or UKIP. We did find a former Labour voter who recently switched to the Conservatives but is voting Lib Dem in the local elections. Quite a journey! Overall, once we number crunched the figures (a large number of devices had to be uploaded to Connect before we could do so), added the won't says and soft Labours into the Labour column, the projection continues to show it is close.

Labour won by 100 votes last year. This year it could go either way though I admit the Lib Dems have a spring in our steps!

Another good canvass!

We had another good canvass in Dunston last night. Again, we went to areas where Labour are traditionally stronger. Labour supporters here seemed more prepared to admit their party colours to us than was the case on Tuesday. The flip side is that people backing us were much more likely to say so as well. We identified a good number of people as Lib Dem supporters from whom we have not previously had a canvass response.

Overall I was very pleased with last night's results, but we are taking nothing for granted.

Canvassing in Dunston

We had a good evening canvassing in Dunston. We deliberately went into the strong Labour areas to see what was happening to the Labour vote. The preliminary results are encouraging. There was no swing to Labour from us and we found a number of Labour supporters who aren't voting or are voting for us because of Jeremy Corbyn.

Yet again, I'm not in the photo above as I was the one taking the pics!

Printing and delivering

This is a bit of catch up from a couple of weeks ago. I seemed to spend much of my time in the Lib Dem office in Consett printing leaflets for Birtley and Lobley Hill and Bensham wards. Both wards are developmental campaigns where we are aiming to build up a strong base in the ward for future gains. Most of my activities are captured on my video diaries listed here.

Pelaw and Heworth eFocus no. 8

Published this week, edition 8 of the Pelaw and Heworth eFocus, covering Paul Diston's local election campaign. You can read it on this link.

Whickham eFocus 116

Just published, edition 116 of the Whickham area eFocus. Issues covered include new speed limit on Fellside Road, Staiths reopens this weekend, streetlight problems on Watergate Bank, and the local elections. You can view eFocus on this link.

Canvassing in Whickham East

Tonight I joined a canvass session in the Whickham East area of Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward. This is one of the most closely fought wards in Gateshead, indeed, probably in the North East. Labour are defending their last seat in the ward - they clung on four years ago by 23 votes on the day of the general election. Since then, Labour have been a more distant second place. Last year they went down to defeat by 600 votes though some of the explanation for that was the poor quality of the Labour Councillor who lost so badly.

So, nothing is being taken for granted but the canvass tonight was positive for the Lib Dems.

(I'm not in the photo above as I was the one with the camera!)

More letters delivered

Another morning of deliveries - I was back in the Whickham part of my ward to deliver more of the letters we are sending to postal voters. I'm pleased to report job done by 1pm. Postal votes hit the doormats tomorrow.

Canvassing in Bill Quay

We had a great canvass session in Bill Quay in Pelaw and Heworth ward tonight. There was a positive response on the doorsteps which reminded me of the reaction we had from people before the Coalition years. I'm not going to predict victory on the basis of this canvass but I do feel buoyed by it. Labour held the seat here last year by only 100 votes. It could be close again.

Letters to constituents

This morning I delivered a large number of letters to constituents in Sunniside and Marley Hill who vote by post rather than at polling stations. Postal votes arrive this week so the letters I delivered focused on my record as councillor for Whickham South and Sunniside for the past 32 years and my priorities for the area in the years ahead. Last year we got about two thirds of the votes cast but I'm taking nothing for granted.

There has however been no sign of a Labour election leaflet. They are leaving it a bit tight if they want to get their message out before the majority of those likely to vote have exercised their democratic rights.

The photo above is of the pile of letters I will be delivering in the Whickham part of my ward.

March campaigner and councillor video diary

This is my video diary for March 2019 mainly covering the local election campaign but also a wide range of council meetings.

Low Fell eFocus

I have somehow managed to miss the publication of recent Low Fell eFocuses so I've included the links to them here.

Edition 27 (4th February 2019) includes:

• Success for Cardinal Hume Catholic School
• Residents fight litter
• Preparations for the Low Fell's Summer Fayre are underway
• Council to decide budget this month

You can read it on this link.

Edition 28 (20th February 2019) includes:

• Council Budget
• Dealing with overflowing litter bins
• New flats to be built on Durham Road
• Supporting Low Fell businesses
• Outrage over Council's double standards

You can read it on this link.

Edition 29 (3rd March 2019) includes:

• Council Budget passed - but calls for extra money for street cleaning rejected
• Gas pipe works planned for part of Low Fell
• Supporting local schools
• Tolls on the Tyne Bridge?
• Dealing with weeds

You can read it on this link.

Edition 30 (14th March 2019) includes:

• Play equipment in Kells Lane Park
• Tolls on the Tyne Bridge?
• Time to cut the number of Councillors
• £11,000 spent on wall at Lowrey's Lane car park
• Low Fell Library Easter fair

You can read it on this link.

Edition 31 (29th March 2019) includes:

• Ron Beadle selected as Lib Dem candidate for Low Fell
• Fighting Labour's plans for tolls on the Tyne's Bridges
• Broken speed sign to be replaced
• Hoarding repaired

You can read it on this link.

Dropping off in Birtley

I was back on familiar territory this afternoon when I visited Dunston to help deliver a pile of letters to voters. This evening I was back to being the delivery driver for the local Lib Dems when I headed down to Birtley to drop off the remaining leaflets for Paul Elliott, our candidate there. The main focus is Labour waste. Paul already had 1000 copies of the leaflet so delivery is already underway and should be completed over the next few days.

Printing for Lobley Hill and Bensham and Birtley

I had another visit to the Lib Dem office yesterday. This time I was printing for Lobley Hill and Bensham and Birtley wards for the local elections on 2nd May. Postal votes arrive next week and in many wards, of those who vote, far more do so by post than at polling stations. So when the postal votes arrive next week, we are effectively having our first polling day. Circulation of the Lobley Hill and the Birtley leaflets has already started.

On BBC today

Today I was on the BBC's Sunday Politics (North East and Cumbria) programme speaking about the need for stronger opposition to Labour on North East Councils. It was recorded on Thursday on the Gateshead Quays. My bit was longer than my usual blink-and-you-will-miss-it but two blinks and you could be forgiven for not noticing me!

You can see the interview on this link.

Euro selections

I have just voted in the selection of Lib Dem candidates in the North East region for the European Parliament elections. It is of course a secret ballot so I will not be divulging who got my preferences. Two candidates stood out. It's still up in the air whether or not the election will take place. And I have a feeling that if there is an early general election, it could be on the same day (23rd May). We shall see.

Labour's car crash of a campaign in Pelaw and Heworth (no. 1)

Pelaw and Heworth ward in Gateshead is a marginal ward. Once a Labour stronghold, it went Lib Dem in the Blair years, back to Labour in the Coalition years and since then Labour lost one seat to the Lib Dems Ian Patterson) by 20 votes but held on by about 100 votes last year. So it is a ward with an interesting history. To add to this, defending Labour councillor Jill Green is the mayor. I have a lot of time personally for Jill but I fear that her campaign is being run in the manner of a slow motion Labour car crash. 

Her agent is Labour Councillor Leigh Kirton, agent to Ian Mearns MP (an opponent of a confirmatory referendum). She emerged from obscurity recently to hit the headlines as the author of a council motion widely regarded as Transphobic. After Labour got a battering, her motion was dropped like a hot potato. Having therefore become the queen of the political car crash, Cllr Kirton is exactly the person Lib Dems want in charge of Labour's campaign in marginal Pelaw and Heworth.

Labour's activity in the ward this weekend has been the delivery of the above letter. If anyone has a spare half hour to read this voluminous essay, please go ahead. Sadly, I did read it to the end (I need to get a life!) and decided that if anyone managed to do the same, this excessively long diatribe about the Lib Dems is likely to ensure they vote Lib Dem.

Much of the Labour letter is a personal attack on Lib Dem candidate Paul Diston, even going to the extent of naming him. Jill then reminds people of the letters Paul has sent to people. (We know the letters were well received by residents!) Topping the list of car-crash-things-not-to-mention however was the number of Focus editions we have produced. Referring to Focus edition 87 simply reminds everyone of the long history of Lib Dem activity in the ward.

The Labour letter attacked Paul for having changed ward - Paul had previously stood in Wardley and Leam Lane. But the comments by Labour are somewhat rich. Last year their sitting Councillor in Pelaw and Heworth switched to the neighbouring Labour stronghold of, none other than, Wardley and Leam Lane!

Meanwhile, Labour's attack on us for opposing something 21 years ago suggests an element of barrel bottom scraping!

To add to the car crash scenario, Labour have made the classic blunder of delivering another text heavy leaflet with the letter. The number of people likely to read both through to the end will probably be less than the majority Ian Patterson got when he won the seat back from Labour in 2016.

So Jill, I suggest for your sake that you sack your campaign organiser (I assume it is Cllr Kirton), though for the sake of the Lib Dems, stick with her!

Windmill Hill Park litter pick

On Saturday, Nick Seaborn, Lib Dem candidate in Lobley Hill and Bensham ward of Gateshead, organised a litter pick in Windmill Hill Park. A number of residents and Lib Dem members joined in. The result was 20 sacks of rubbish removed from the park. Well done Nick for your efforts.

More printing

This video is a bit late but last Friday I had yet another printing session in the Lib Dem office in Consett, this time for my ward, Birtley, Low Fell and Lobley Hill and Bensham. Job done but there is more coming down the line to print as well!

House plan rejected

Over the weekend I was asked by residents of Cornmoor Road and by ward councillors Peter Maughan and Kevin McClurey to speak at Gateshead's planning committee against plans for a new house in the back garden on the street. Peter and Kevin were unable to get to the meeting because of work commitments so I agreed to attend the meeting, which took place yesterday. Unlike most of my previous appearances at planning committee, this time I was speaking in support of the officer recommendation, which in this instance was to reject the application.

The officers explained that Cornmoor Road is an area of low density housing and continued infilling of back gardens is changing the nature of the area. In my presentation I was able to put more meat on the bones. I explained that the Cornmoor Road area was bought by a back-to-the-land allotment society in the 1890s. The land was sub-divided into plots large enough to contain a bungalow and enough land for a family to grow their own food, hence the reason for the plots being much bigger than what would be expected for a late Victorian family home.

I am aware of only two such surviving sites in the North East: Cornmoor Road and Darras Hall in Ponteland.

After my presentation, and that of the developer, a short debate took place and then the vote was taken: unanimously in favour of the recommendation to reject.

Only mainstream opponents

Nominations for the local elections in Gateshead closed this weekend. I've just spent a few minutes looking at who is standing where. In my ward of Whickham South and Sunniside, I have only Labour and Conservative opponents. No fringe candidates this time (though we had none in my ward last year either). Not too many years ago, we had TUSC, UKIP and the Greens standing here. They have quietly departed from the battlefield.

So, good luck to my Labour and Conservative opponents. I look forward to meeting you both at the count on 3rd May.

Delivering in Dunston

I was in Durham this morning for a meeting of the NECA audit and standards committee. My time was more usefully spent this afternoon when I went to Dunston to deliver 220 Focuses as part of the election campaign. No sign of anything from any other party over the past few days. A month to go to polling day. Oh joy!

Nomination papers submitted

My nomination papers for Whickham South and Sunniside were handed in to Electoral Registrations at Gateshead Civic Centre today. I'm pleased to report that they were accepted and therefore I will be standing for the ward for the 10th time. On the previous 9 occasions, I was elected each time. Sadly, in one of those elections, I did not receive at least half the votes cast. That was when I first stood in 1987 when I gained my seat from the Conservatives (who have since disappeared organisationally). In that election 32 years ago, I got only 48.8%, 856 votes ahead of the Conservatives. Labour were third. Since then, I have taken between 50% and 78% of the vote.

Hopefully, the trend will continue on 2nd May.