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