Northern Democrat No 57 Feb 11

8/7/2019 Northern Democrat No 57 Feb 11

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Produced, printed and promoted by Jonathan Wallace, 7 Laburnum Grove, Sunniside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE16 5LY

The Northern

Democrat

no. 57no. 57no. 57no. 57no. 57FebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruaryFebruary

20112011201120112011

The newsletter for Liberal Democrats in the North of England

North East Lib DemEuro MP Fiona Hall hasjoined campaignersfrom across the politicalspectrum calling for aswitch to fairer votes.

A referendum onchanging to a fairer votingsystem will be held in

May. A cross-party Yes toAV campaign is alreadyactive throughout theNorth East.

Fiona helped volunteersat street stalls as theyspoke to passingshoppers and handed outitems to remind people ofthe MPs expensesscandal.

Fiona said, Thereferendum on fairer votesis hugely important. It is aonce in a generationopportunity to makepolitics fairer and toensure every vote counts.

A Yes vote in the referendum will mean all MPs will have to gain the support of at least half of localvoters. Safe seats will be a thing of the past.

The people I spoke to today are looking forward to finally getting fairer votes. They recognise that the

current system is outdated and ineffective. The only people who have anything to fear from the new systemare the MPs who owe their position to the status quo.

It is clear from the polls - which show the Yes vote leading the way - that people are ready for a change. Iam sure that lead will continue to grow as more people learn more about the referendum. Hopefully, eventslike todays street stall can help that process of raising awareness.

Fiona backs campaignFiona backs campaignFiona backs campaignFiona backs campaignFiona backs campaign

for fairer votesfor fairer votesfor fairer votesfor fairer votesfor fairer votes

Fiona Hall MEP teams up with students in Durham to back thecampaign for fairer votes. A referendum will be held on 5th May inwhich people will vote on whether or not to change the votingsystem.

Referendum to be

held on 5th May

Fairer Votes referendum special edition


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Page 2 Call to Arms - the Fairer Votes ReferendumPage 3 Chris challenges Robo-Cop

Page 3 MEP hosts exhibitionPages 4-5 I make no apology: Ron BeadlePage 8 Winning TeamsPage 9 National NewsPage 10 Local News

Northern DemocratFebruary 2011Contents

Editorial: please send material forinclusion to the editor, JonathanWallace, phone 0191 4883190 or [email protected]

On 5th May Britain will go to the polls - to vote on how we vote! A referendum will be held onvoting for MP should be changed to a fairer system.

Call to arms for fairerCall to arms for fairerCall to arms for fairerCall to arms for fairerCall to arms for fairer

votes - Mavotes - Mavotes - Mavotes - Mavotes - May deadliney deadliney deadliney deadliney deadlineLiberal Democrats have campaigned for years for a

change to the voting system to make MPs work harder,be more accountable to constituents and electionresults more representative of the way people vote.

A referendum on changing the voting system was a

key demand of the Liberal Democrats during thenegotiations to form the Coalition.

I strongly urge all Liberal Democrats to encouragetheir family, friends and neighbours to vote Yes on 6thMay, said Frank Hindle, Chairman of the North EastRegion Liberal Democrats Remind people that thevoting system in Britain is broken. It gave us theexpenses scandal and a situation in which too manypeople feel their votes do not count.

Changing to the Alternative Vote will mean MPs

will need to work harder to get elected. They will be farmore accountable to residents and no vote needs to bewasted.

Gateshead Liberal Democrats will keep you informed of news about the campaign. In themeantime, visit www.YesToFairerVotes.org.uk to keep in touch with what is happening to win aYes vote across the country.

Fairer votes will make all MPs work harder to get elected as they will have to win at

least half the votes cast. People will have a stronger voice in Parliament as MPs will have to keep in touch to

make sure they get re-elected.

Fairer votes will end jobs for life for MPs.

Why vote YWhy vote YWhy vote YWhy vote YWhy vote Yes?es?es?es?es?


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Northern DemocratFebruary 2011

Chris challenges Robo-CopMiddlesbrough & East Cleveland Liberal Democrats haveselected Chris Foote-Wood as their candidate for Mayor ofMiddlesbrough in this years election on May 5.

Chris is committed to Liberal Democratic values, highlyexperienced in local government and passionate aboutMiddlesbrough and the North East. He offers the electorate theopportunity for real change and a better future for Middlesbrough,said local party chairman Ian Jones.

Chris fought Middlesbrough in last years general election,consolidating second place and reducing Labours majority by nearly4,000 with the third best result in the North East for swing fromLabour to LibDems.

Middlesbrough is one of three councils in the North East to havean elected Mayor, and one of four mayoral elections being contestedin England this year. The present mayor of Middlesbrough is RayMallon, first elected in 2002 and better known as Robo-Cop for hiszero-tolerance policy when he was a Cleveland police officer.

Chris Foote-Wood

North East MEP Fiona Hallwill today launch anexhibition to mark the firstanniversary of thedevastating earthquake inHaiti.

Fiona oversaw the 2007elections in Haiti on behalf ofthe European Parliament andthe photo exhibition she ishosting aims to highlight thecontinuing plight of Haitians,particularly how those withdisabilities are coping.

Fiona Hall said, Havingspent time in Haiti before theearthquake, I know what apoor state the country was ineven then. It is difficult tocomprehend the scale of thechallenge facing the countrynow as it looks to rebuild.

MEP hosts Haiti earthquake exhibition

To see buildings we used during the elections razed to the ground in a matter of minutes brought home tome the indiscriminate ferocity of the earthquake.

The quake killed 230,000 people and left a million people homeless. The record level of charitable

donations in the wake of the disaster shows just how keenly people felt the shock of that day how determinedthey were to help put it right.

It is important that the international community continues its work to help rebuild Haiti and to rehouse thehomeless. There is still much to be done and I hope this event can help, particularly in raising awareness ofthe special needs of those in the country with disabilities.

Fiona Hall MEP launches theHaiti photo exhibition in theEuropean Parliament


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You said you would make things fairerWe are!

taking poorer workers out of tax and delivering the pupil premium the pension is now being tied to risesin earning so that pensioners will receive a 2.5% increase in April.

moving the basic state pension to 140 a week.

guaranteeing respite leave for carers for the first time.

stopping the wealthy from putting 250,000 a year tax free into their pensions as they could underLabour.

raising Capital Gains Tax so that high earners cant reduce their income tax by switching earnings tocapital.

freezing Council Tax this year.

building 150,000 social houses a year, a massive increase on Labours record.

the first government to meet its obligations under the United Nations for spending on Development inthe Third World.

taking tough decisions, such as on Child Benefit but we do so in a way that ensures the burden fallsmore heavily on those who can afford them most.

You said you would make Britain more freeWe have.

ID Cards have been scrapped.

We will reduce the number of CCTV cameras.

We have reduced the number of days that people can be imprisoned without being charged. We are stopping the scandal of children being locked up in Yarls Wood.

So what else? This government will not replace Trident.

We will bring our troops home from Afghanistan.

We will reduce net immigration.

We have stopped the Post Office closure programme.

We will increase spending on the NHS.

Cllr Ron Beadle was the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Newcastle North in 2010


I make no apology - continued

10 things Labour wants you to forget1. Labour left Britain with the worst national debt since the Second World War - it now stands at 1 trillion.

2. In their last year in power, Labour borrowed a quarter of the money they spent - a staggering total of 160billion.

3. Labour doubled the starting rate of income tax, hitting hardest those on lower incomes.

4. The wealth gap between the richest and poorest got wider under Labour.

5. Labour claimed to have abolished boom and bust but gave us the worst recession in 70 years.

6. Labour s new Leader, Ed Miliband, was rejected by Labour members and MPs. He was foisted on theLabour Party by the Trade Unions.

7. Labour took us into an illegal war in Iraq.

8. Labour closed 5,000 Post Offices.

9. Labour planned to raise VAT to 19% had they won the election so it is hypocritical of them to complain of therecent raise.

10. Labour failed to raise the state pension in line with earnings despite 13 years of promises in Government todo so.


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From policy wonk to tv presenter


Northern Democrateditor and former Lib

Dem policy officerJonathan Wallacehas been recruitedas a presenter of anew gardening andcookery programme.

The HorticulturalChannellaunches onSky on 6th March andruns until October.

Jonathan left

Cowley St in June2009 after seven yearsas a policy officer andthen communicationsofficer for the LiberalDemocrats.

He gave up his jobto pursue otherinterests includingaiming to become self-sufficient. He set up a

blog to show people how he was growing his own food and made videos about his activities which he put ontovideo-sharing site YouTube.

The videos were discovered by London production company Interfusion Films. Producer Sean Cameron waslooking to recruit enthusiasts to present the programme. On the stength of his videos, Jonathan was recruitedto present the cookery section of the programme.

The Horticultural Channel aims to fill a gap in the market for tv programmes. Sean felt that mainstreamgardening programmes catered too much for people with stately homes and large gardens. There was notenough about ordinary people with small gardens and allotments.

Im really pleased to have been asked to be a presenter on the Horticultural Channel, said Jonathan.

The programmes we will be making will aim to show that growing your own food at home, in the garden oron an allotment, or picking it wild, is rewarding, healthy, greener and saves you money.

And he joked, I never thought in my wildest dreams I would end up as a celebrity chef!

The Horticultural Channel can be seen on Sky Channel 166 starting at 9am on Sunday 6th March.

More information about the Horticultural Channel can be found at: http://www.thehorticulturalchannel.tv/.

It is also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thehorticulturalchanneltv.

You can follow Jonathan as he aims to become self-sufficient at

www.self-sufficientinsuburbia.blogspot.com.

As bold as brassicas: Jonathan Wallace has been recruited as a presenterfor a new gardening programme, the Horticultural Channel.


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New measures to promote the recycling ofmillions of tonnes of electrical andelectronic waste (WEEE) have beenapproved by Euro MPs.

Although many items, such as mobilephones, contain valuable rare metals that arein short supply, only one third of Europeselectronic waste mountain currently reachesprofessional recyclers.

As part of the legislation North West Lib

Dem MEP Chris Davies persuaded theEuropean Parliament to end a loophole thathas led to waste electrical equipment beingdismantled by children and the poor working inextremely hazardous conditions.

North West Euro-MP tackles electrical

waste mountain

With criminals often claiming that the electrical equipment is being sent for use abroad, he has securedsupport from the European Parliament for measures to require every item to be individually certified as inworking order.

Without the change rogue traders could dump old computers, televisions and household goods ondeveloping countries as a way of getting round strict EU recycling laws.

Often the toxic waste generated would be dumped in landfill and deadly chemicals could enter the water

and food supplies.

Green-minded consumers deserve to know that when they pass their old gadgets in for recycling anddisposal the components will be reused and dangerous chemicals will be disposed of properly, said Chris.

When properly recycled our old electrical equipment needs not be considered as rubbish but as avaluable raw material.

If people can export used electronics for reuse elsewhere then more power to them but if they are using itas an excuse to make our laptops into someone elses toxic sludge then they need to be stopped. Our wastemust not become another persons poison.

More can be done at a European level to protect World Heritage sites such as Hadrians Wall andDurham Cathedral, says Lib Dem Euro MP Fiona Hall.

Fiona has signed a Declaration in the European Parliament which highlights the huge benefits that suchsites bring and which calls for more support.

Fiona said, The North East is blessed with stunning tourist attractions and they all benefit from the factwe have two World Heritage sites in our midst. Durham Cathedral and Hadrians Wall are known aroundthe world and help bring people into the region, who then go on to discover the other gems this area has tooffer.

It is this halo effect that makes World Heritage sites so valuable. My office in Durham is just a stonesthrow from the Cathedral so I know very well the the tourism and the economic opportunities that arisefrom having such a prestigious site in the area.

That is why I am calling on the European Commission to recognise the special value of these sites andto encourage support at a European level for conserving and protecting them.

For World Heritage Sites, and indeed all our cultural assets in the North East, the value isnt justhistorical, it is a key part of the economic well-being and pride of the region. Recent warnings that localjobs will be at risk if visitor numbers decline are further proof of the importance of boosting tourism.

MEP calls for support for North East heritage sitesMEP calls for support for North East heritage sitesMEP calls for support for North East heritage sitesMEP calls for support for North East heritage sitesMEP calls for support for North East heritage sites


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Diana meets local business people in LeedsYorkshire and Humberside Euro MPDiana Wallis has met members ofthe regional branch of the

Federation of Small Businesses(FSB) in Leeds to discuss proposedchanges to contract law.

Diana is writing the report on theCommissions Green Paper onEuropean Contract Law. The mainobjective of the Green Paper is toimprove the level of cross border trade,especially for consumers and small andmedium sized businesses.

One of the suggestions is to give

businesses the option to offer a singlesales contract which would berecognised across the EU.

Diana said, Britains small


businesses are not always the first in line to welcome new initiatives from Europe, but in this case the FSB isvery supportive, a message confirmed by my meeting in Leeds on Friday.

The meeting encourages me to think that small businesses will take advantage of the optional scheme of

a European Contract Law if it is constructed in a simple and user friendly manner.

Diana Wallis MEP meets members of the Federation ofSmall Businesses in Leeds.

North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall is calling formore EU support for the beekeeping industrywhich is threatened by increased death rates andfewer beekeepers.

With many plant species dependent on pollinationby bees, any threat to this important insect is not justabout honey but about food production more generally.

MEPs have now called on the EuropeanCommission and on EU Member States to step up the

fight for Europes bees.Commenting after a vote on the beekeeping

situation, Fiona said, The continued decline of thebeekeeping sector is hugely worrying given theimportance of bees as pollinators.

Our agriculture and biodiversity depends on theselittle insects and the Commission must now comeforward with a strategy on how to tackle the problem.We need co-ordinated action across Europe in the fieldof research, information sharing, veterinary treatment,and the recruitment and training of young beekeepers.

MEPs also called for clearer labels for honey

To bee or not to bee?

products, taking into account that 40% of the European honey market is dependent on imports.

Fiona added: Enhancing labelling rules is essential for keeping our high quality European honeyproducts competitive.

Documents

Northern Democrat No 57 Feb 11