The Low Fell Focus Team yesterday published their latest eFocus newsletter. Issues covered include:
Your can read eFocus on this link.
I've dipped into some of the debates and I was pleased to see conference yesterday backed proposals for a universal basic income. Currently, the debate taking place is on a federal UK. Alas, the joy of not being away from home for 5 days is also a drawback. I have half a tonne of winter fodder for the goats to sort. I don't have the excuse of being a few hundred kilometres away. So I have to leave the federalism debate and get on with some manual labour, though I did get a chance to vote against referring back the federalism motion.
Today we said goodbye to Elaine Earl, councillor for Winlaton and High Spen 2008-2012. Elaine passed away earlier this month. Due to covid restrictions we could not attend the funeral service but individual residents and friends lined the the route of the funeral procession so we could pay our respects. Sadly, with social distancing in action, we were unable to chat and share memories of Elaine but she will be remembered.
Gender recognition reform is urgently needed to end discrimination against transgender and non-binary people. Sadly, the Conservatives have abandoned reform. While Lib Dems and Labour support reform nationally, there is a significant number of Labour councillors in Gateshead who are with the Conservatives on this issue and oppose reform. They must be rubbing their hands with glee with what the government has done.
You can read all about how the parties view the issue on this link.
I can see it coming in our direction - like an out-of-control juggernaut crashing through every obstacle on the road. The tougher pandemic restrictions are on their way and the nation has been subject to leaks, plans, proposals, warnings and so on about the rising incidents of positive coronavirus tests. We have less than an hour and a half to go before the actual restrictions are announced. We are already seeing the government calling on people to work from home wherever possible. I thought it was a mistake (from an environmental point of view) to encourage people to go back into the office and I miss no opportunity to raise the damage to the environment, the economy and people's mental and physical health of congestion and vehicle pollution. If we are able to cut out unnecessary travel, all the better.
Anyway, the announcements will be made shortly. So put on your facemasks and keep your social distance because things are about to get tougher.
At last, the UK has been able to negotiate a free trade agreement with a major economy. The government had previously clocked up agreements with the Faroe Islands and Papua New Guinea but anything large seemed to elude them. Now however, Japan can be added to the list of countries which will be free trading with the UK. A big achievement? Well, no actually. Membership of the EU gave us a free trade deal with Japan which came into operation in 2019. It was the world's biggest trade agreement. So, what has the government achieved in dealing with Japan themselves? Little more than a photocopy of the EU-Japan free trade agreement. In other words, the UK gained what it already had! Let's hope for the sake of the UK economy in the future that we can ensure all trade deals allow us to import photocopiers tariff free!
The Low Fell Lib Dem Focus Team have just published their latest email newsletter eFocus, edition no. 72. There is an update on Gateshead being moved tot he coronavirus "watch list" as well as news about the garden waste collection scheme (customers are to get a discount). There are also a number of Low Fell news stories.
We are looking over the edge of the local lockdown cliff in Gateshead. We now have the highest rate forpositive infections in the North East and the 10th highest in England.
Please everyone, stay 2 metres apart others not in your household, but if you can't, wear a facemask. Wash your hands often and stay away from crowded areas. These are simple actions that could help save Gateshead from a local lockdown.
Our latest eFocus for Birtley has just been published. issues covered include local museums and galleries reopening, modest rise in coronavirus positive tests, Birtley gym reopens, full range of waste accepted at waste and recycling centres and Ed Davey chosen as new leader.
We brought forward the publication of our latest eFocus for the Whickham area so that we could update residents on the recent rise in the number of people in the area testing positive for coronavirus. At this point Gateshead is not on the list of areas likely to require a local lockdown. Nevertheless, the figures are a move in the wrong direction and we felt it important to ensure residents are kept informed.
So hopefully, the party will continue to have Zoom meetings. Meanwhile, I also hope that Gateshead Council will continue after November to hold meetings online.
Anyway, a good conference today and a good speech by new leader Ed Davey. He can drop the "Acting" bit from his previous title. He's the real thing now!
A rather busy week doing farming and self-sufficiency activities for this is a bit late - I am very pleased to see Ed Davey elected as new Lib Dem leader. I've known Ed since 2002 when I was working for the party on policy and I was allocated to the Parliamentary team around him. Key for me, then and now, is the green agenda and I am confident Ed's experience will be put to great use to move forward the environment debate.
In the short to medium term, times will be challenging for the Lib Dems nationally. There will be no quick fixes and the road ahead is bumpy and full of potholes and delays, Nevertheless, we need to take the journey to recovery and with Ed at the driving wheel, I am optimistic about our Lib Dem future.
The photo above was taken at the March 2019 Lib Dem spring conference.
Moving on from that, Cllr Eagle has now decided to take aim at the residents of Gateshead themselves, more specifically, those who live in Low Fell. A council plan that reduced car parking on Durham Road next to the shops to increase the space available for socially-distancing shoppers sparked a public debate. Alas, John decided join in the debate on a Low Fell residents Facebook page. His contribution to the debate was to attack residents who raised concerns as "whingers and moaners". Apparently, according to Jaguar-driving "socialist" John, some people believe the "world begins and ends in Low Fell."
Fortunately for the residents of Low Fell, they aren't represented by Cllr Eagle on Gateshead Council. That privilege falls to Lib Dem Councillors Susan Craig, Ron Beadle and Daniel Duggan. John is actually the member for Bridges ward where he appears to have taken a vow of public silence over the gigantic changes to the road system that resulted in gridlock in the town centre and a high speed uturn by the council. I can find no public comments by Cllr Eagle regarding the biggest transport issue to hit his ward in many years. Perhaps Cllr Eagle's comments got lost in the Gateshead town centre traffic jams. Or maybe he's too busy taking potshots at residents elsewhere in the borough.
Just published: edition 139 of eFocus for the Whickham area. Contents include:
Our production of eFocuses - our email newsletters to residents - has been on overdrive recently. The Low Fell team has been the most productive. A few be viewed of our recent editions can be viewed on the following links:
