Hexham Abbey Festival

Saturday spent at the Hexham Abbey Festival - unseasonably sunny weather meant I managed to get ever so slightly sunburnt. I chatted with Philip Clark who was involved in organising the food festival outside. The music rehearsals going on inside the abbey were impressive. After the festival, I headed over to Haltwhistle to do some canvassing, and met a number of voters who seemed pleased to see me even though I was keeping them away from their sunbathing! Dinner with my wife and kids in a local restaurant watching Newcastle United hammer Ipswich 4-0. Given his loyalties, I think Bobby Robson would have been both delighted and upset by the result. Night topped off at the Haltwhistle Working Men's Club's 'race night', where I managed to win £2.50 on a racing pig. Don't ask ...

School governors meeting

This evening was spent at a school governors meetings at Longbenton Community College, where I have been a governor since 2005. It was a nice meeting as we had something to celebrate - an excellent set of GCSE results, 60% meeting the government target of 5 A-C grades including Maths and English. The school's internal target was 58% so we exceeded our own expections - smiling (but not complacent) faces all around.

Lib Dem leader promises voters in Prudhoe, Hexham, Haltwhistle and Ponteland "savage cuts"

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has promised "savage cuts" if elected. Has anyone told his Lib Dem Parliamentary candidates in the North East that this is their 'official' message to voters? Somehow don't think so. Is it just me, or do the Lib Dems look more and more like the Tories every day?

Hexham canvassing

Out canvassing in the eastern part of Hexham today in blazing sunshine - had I known how nice the weather was going to be, I would have planned on going to Wallington Hall today instead of yesterday when it was overcast.

Spoke to a number of older voters, most of whom appreciate that it was a Labour government which introduced (1) winter fuel allowances (2) free bus passes for the 60+ (3) free TV licenses for the over 75s, but didn't appreciate that (4) Labour just increased the single person's pension by £5 a week (the largest single increase ever) (5) Labour have restored the link between pensions and earnings which the Tories abolished in the 1980s. Labour has got a good story to tell on what it has done for older voters, but still has a job to do making sure everyone knows the facts.

Whalton village annual show, Wallington Hall

It's Saturday, so that means it's family day. We decided to go to Wallington Hall, which I've never been to before. On the way, we picked up my mother who lives in Morpeth, who suggested we stop off at the Whalton village annual show, which is what we did. I'm a sucker for classic cars, thought don't ask me to drive one (I only know how to drive automatic). There were some cool cars at the show, including this one:



Wallington Hall was great: the weather held, and we were all enchanted by the walled garden and the dragon heads.

Labour saves the day care centres till November

Yesterday I attended the "meeting in public, not a public meeting" (as the Lib Dem chairman charmingly put it) at Morpeth County Hall where the fate of the 7 day care centres in Northumberland -- destined for closure at the hands of the Lib Dem administration -- was decided. A coalition of Labour and, yes I admit it, Tory councillors, managed to stave off the closure of the day care centres until November when the matter will be reviewed again. So the day care centres live to fight on another day, and the Lib Dems go home to lick their wounds - not a bad result, all in all.

Terrier racing at Slaley show

I have (finally!) managed to crack how to download a video clip from my phone onto my PC and then upload it onto my blog. In August, we went to the Slaley Hall show, the highlight of which was undoubtedly the terrier racing - my eldest daughter loved it! Check it out:

Oh no, now it's the Lib Dems as well ...

Today's Journal quotes Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable as suggesting he would cut money used to support One North East and other regeneration groups while at the same time slashing the budget for the export guarantee credit department.

The export office has been described as having huge importance to the region, which still has a large manufacturing base dependant upon the guarantees offered in case foreign companies fail to pay up.

It effectively safeguards job in the North East by ensuring companies do not have to lay off staff if they do not receive payments.

Dr Cable said he would look to hand some regeneration cash to councils but warned of deep cuts as part of “a radical programme of reform”.

Choices in 2010 general election

As we approach a general election in 2010, with constraints on public expenditure tightening by the day, it is becoming increasingly clear that voters in the North East and in my Parliamentary constituency of Hexham will face a real choice.

On one hand, a Labour government committed to getting us through the worst financial recession in a lifetime, bringing forward capital expenditure to keep the economy moving forward, and taking hard decisions such as a temporary increase in the top rate of income tax.

On the other hand, a Tory government which would cut public investment now before the recession is well and truly over- a historic mistake. A Tory government which will almost certainly abolish key programmes such as Sure Start, designed to help pre-school children living in the most deprived areas of the UK. A Tory government whose shadow Home Secretary has already warned will target the North East in particular for extra cuts in public expenditure.

The Lib Dems, of course, do not present a credible government – and they know it.

It is fashionable these days to decry politics and suggest all politicians, and impliedly all governments formed by politicians, are the same. They are not. The national minimum wage, significantly increased investment in education and the NHS, and the restoration of the link between pensions and earnings, to give just a few choice examples, happened only because a Labour government was elected.

If North East voters want to protect these achievements, there is only one sure way of doing so – by voting Labour at the next general election.

NB: The Journal published this as a letter in the 'Your Shout' section on Monday, 5th October 2009. Unfortunately I can't find a link.

Battle of the barristers

The Hexham Courant ran a feature a few months back about my standing in Hexham - here's a link http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/news_at_a_glance/battle_of_barristers_as_labour_chooses_1_509636?referrerPath=news/newsataglance

Are you getting your entitlements?

WHILE some pensioner households are getting up to £1,000 a year in pension credit, many pensioners don't claim state benefits they are entitled to – especially pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit.

Help and advice is always available at Tynedale Citizens’ Advice Bureau, which has offices in Hexham, Haltwhistle and Prudhoe.

The Tory Government under Mrs Thatcher broke the link between pensions and average earnings – which had the effect of significantly reducing the state pension over time. But this Labour Government’s pension credit scheme is actually giving pensioners more than they would get from restoring that link – and it directs the money to those most in need.

This is in addition to winter fuel allowance, free local bus travel, free NHS prescriptions, flu injections and eye tests for all pensioners as well as free TV licences for the over 75s.

Happy ending

For a change, here's a nice story with a happy ending: http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/news_at_a_glance/labour_pains_1_592368?referrerPath=news/news_at_a_glance