Now Labour are calling for Tory parliamentary candidate Anne Marie Trevelyan to answer why her Conservative councillors tried to derail the extra cash by voting against the council budget and not even bothering to submit an alternative budget.

BUDGET DELIVERS EXTRA CASH TO KICK START LANDSLIP WORK

Work starts on Rothbury landslip as Labour budget clears Conservative opposition

 

Labour’s budget passed by the council on 26 Feb finally unlocked an extra £1.5m to start the work on the Rothbury landslip despite a decision by Northumberland Conservatives to try and block it by voting against the budget.

The work began with diggers clearing rocks and slippage soil and the vital extra cash provided by the council brings its total contribution to £4m.

Now Labour are calling for Tory parliamentary candidate Anne Marie Trevelyan to answer why her Conservative councillors tried to derail the extra cash by voting against the council budget and not even bothering to submit an alternative budget.

Scott Dickinson, Labour’s PPC in North Northumberland said

“The Tories have to answer why they’re intent on blocking schemes across North Northumberland like the Crag End landslip by voting against the council budget. The scheme would not be underway now if it hadn’t been for a Labour council facing down Tory opposition. This is yet another example of them putting politics before people”.

 

 

“Our plans to grow the Northumberland economy have been fought tooth and nail by local Tories and it’s a bit rich for them to pretend to be interested in the local economy.

LABOUR INTRODUCES FREE PARKING ACROSS COUNTRY PARKS

Tory opposition fails to stop latest boost to local economy as budget passes new free parking scheme amongst the ‘budget for jobs and investment’

 Hot on the heels of the delivery of free parking for Northumberland’s towns which was opposed by ConDems in Labour’s first budget in 2014, Labour in Northumberland are planning to roll out a new scheme to make parking free in the county’s Country Parks such as Druridge Bay Country Park.

The budget passed by Labour last week (26 Feb) was hailed as a ‘budget for jobs and investment’ by Labour’s PPC in North Northumberland Scott Dickinson who highlighted the free parking scheme for country parks as an ‘example of a small scheme which will boost tourism’. He also pointed to new building schemes like new leisure facilities for Hadston, £35m injection into a reopened Ashington-Blyth-Tyne line which will see new job opportunities for the rural coalfields and the new investment in the South East which will see an increase in house prices in the rural areas on the edge of North Northumberland.

He also pointed to new investment in affordable houses which will see hundreds of new affordable homes built across North Northumberland with new jobs and a boost for local firms as part of the supply chain.

Scott Dickinson, the Labour PPC in North Northumberland said

“Our plans to grow the Northumberland economy have been fought tooth and nail by local Tories and it’s a bit rich for them to pretend to be interested in the local economy. The Tories and Liberals opposed our investment in the new line, free parking schemes and the affordable housing programme which will see over 2000 new homes built across the county and refused to back the budget. We’ll continue to work hard to give communities a chance to succeed against the backdrop of huge ConDem cuts in council spending. Residents will notice the Tory silence on budget cuts from their government but they also need to know that the Tories are opposing sensible investment from Labour in the council chamber for their own narrow party political advantage”. 

“In public, local Tories led by their PPC say they’re in favour of policies like the Living Wage and the capital investments across North Northumberland such as broadband roll out yet they vote against them in the council chamber

CONSERVATIVES SLAMMED FOR ‘HYPOCRISY’ OVER BUDGET SNUB

“They say they support policies like the Living Wage yet vote against them in the budget” – Grant Davey, Leader of Council and Labour group

Northumberland’s Conservatives have come under fire after their decision to vote against last week’s Budget at Northumberland County Council (25 Feb 2015) which would have seen £350m of capital schemes such as the Duchess of Alnwick High School refurbishment and the Crag End landslip works scrapped if the local Conservatives had been successful in their attempt to derail the 2 year budget.

Now Labour’s PPC for North Northumberland Scott Dickinson has aimed a salvo at his Conservative counterpart and accused her of ‘breath taking hypocrisy’ as it emerged that Conservative attempts to wreck Labour’s budget would have meant that plans to implement the so called ‘Living Wage’ in October would have been scuppered. He also accused the Tories of ‘putting politics before people’, pointing to the recent independent Peer Review findings which said opposition councillors were deliberately damaging the reputation of the council.

Seventeen Conservative Councillors voted against the budget and had their attempt to sabotage the budget been successful, North Northumberland lose out on dozens of building projects such as Crag End Landslip investment program, schools capital investment programme for Alnwick partnership, Hadston/Druridge Bay leisure facility, Alnwick Lionheart fire station and depot renewal programme, Housing Investment Programme (HfN), Rural Broadband further rollout, new street lighting program, Affordable Homes Programme, retention of libraries service programme, repair of leisure facilities, solar PV for schools, biomass for schools programme and major parks enhancement programme for Alnwick and Berwick.

Scott Dickinson Labour’s PPC for North Northumberland said

“In public, local Tories led by their PPC say they’re in favour of policies like the Living Wage and the capital investments across North Northumberland such as broadband roll out yet they vote against them in the council chamber. Seventeen Tories tried to derail investment in schemes like the Crag End landslip yet their PPC tried to take credit for the Labour decision to commit extra funds. That’s called rank hypocrisy and residents won’t forget local Tories putting ‘politics before people’ come May”.

End

Notes for Editors – schemes that would have been scrapped if Tory budget opposition had succeeded

1.     Free Car parking in Country Parks.

2.     Crag End Landslip investment program.

3.     Schools capital Investment program for Alnwick partnership.

4.     Hadston/Druridge Bay Leisure Facility.

5.     Alnwick Lionheart fire station and depot renewal program.

6.     Housing Investment Program (HfN).

7.     Rural Broadband further rollout.

8.     New street lighting program.

9.     Affordable Homes Program.

10.                        Early Years Investment Program.

11.                        Care for the elderly.

12.                        Retention of Libraries Service Program.

13.                        Repair of Leisure Facilities.

14.                        Solar PV for schools.

15.                        Biomass for schools program.

16.                        Major parks enhancement program, Alnwick and Berwick.

17.                        Living Wage from Oct 2015

 

 

Scott Dickinson the business chairperson of Council said:" We now know that the removal of parking charges in our townships is a real draw to people visiting

Budget Changes Will Increase Tourism Numbers In Northumberland Country Parks.

One of the budget items commended by Northumberland County Councils Policy Board as a recommendation to full Council on 25th February 2015 is the removal of car parking charges in the Country Parks.

Northumberland County Council has valuable experience of the removal of charges from its own car parks and the benefit it brings the market towns across the County. Tourism numbers have soared as people venture out from Tyneside, Wearside and Durham or the Carlisle conurbation to shop and visit the attractions Northumberland has to offer, aiding the local economies in the bargain.

Scott Dickinson the business chairperson of Council said:" We now know that the removal of parking charges in our townships is a real draw to people visiting and shopkeepers have commented on the number of repeat visits they now get. The removal of those same charges at our Country Park sites will increase visitor numbers immensely.

Dog walkers, those enjoying our beaches, woodlands and footpaths and those using the service's of the parks will not be hampered by cost to visit our sites and for those who believe that revenue will disappear from the service haven't factored in the increase in catering from our snack bars and cafe's where increased footfall will lead to increased income."

 

Food banks in North Northumberland are at an all- time high with families struggling to feed families

Welcomed news but don’t let it hide the issues

Labours Parliamentary Candidate Scott Dickinson today welcomed the news about the 11miles of the A1 that is set to be duelled, Northumberland County Council officers and politicians playing a vital part of that writing economic plans and meeting with the DFT to present them. However the devil of course will be in the detail, securing the remaining 22miles and ensuring that these current plans are actually delivered. We MUST however not let this cloud our view of the issues faced in this Constituency. While the Libdems and Tories fight out who should take credit for the duelling of the A1 important issues are not being focused on.

Food banks in North Northumberland are at an all- time high with families struggling to feed families. The NHS is under threat from the Coalition Government with the Labour Politicians at County Hall stepping in to finance a new Hospital for Berwick to ensure new modern day facilities are available. Local Government Cuts of £130million impacting on jobs and services while Council bosses minimise the impact and think of innovative ways to work differently and support communities.  Housing issues rarely talked about by the other parties with houses now being built across North Northumberland supporting those left on the Housing lists by Libdems for years. We must also remember despite these financial restraints Labour bosses at County Hall have allocated without any support from Government £33million towards the Ashington, Blyth and Tyne Line which will open the Rural Coalfield area and wider communities to new jobs and experiences to benefit Northumberland creating a gateway network  to Northumberland.

So this is a gentle reminder that I know many people don’t need but for others let’s remember that the A1 is an announcement welcomed its timing is electioneering and its creating a smoke and mirrors approach to cover or shift the discussion from some incredibly important issues in North Northumberland that are being totally ignored or brushed away for the election.

END

COUNCIL ANGER AT PRIVATE PRISON BOSS SNUB

COUNCIL ANGER AT PRIVATE PRISON BOSS SNUB

Privatisation giants Sodexo snub ‘fact finding mission’ in community claiming contract is with ConDems raising fears of ‘accountability deficit’. 

A Overview and Scrutiny committee meeting set up to probe a series of incidents at HMP Acklington has been told by French privatisation giants Sodexo Head of Operations in the UK that he won’t give evidence to the committee because ‘Sodexo’s contract is with the Ministry of Justice’ not the local community.

The response has provoked anger as a new ‘scandal’ has hit the prison with a seizure of class a drugs and local Councillor and parliamentary hopeful Scott Dickinson has vowed to seek answers from the company and the Ministry of Justice Secretary of State Chris Grayling about the failure of the company to provide reassurance for local communities.

Since the prison was privatised, staff numbers have been reduced by 39% from over 440 to 270. The prison has also seen a riot where prisoners took over a wing and the latest seizure has sparked fears that the prison may be ‘powder keg waiting to explode’. The fears have been raised by NAPO who are now faced with the same company running probation services who have branded the prison as ‘chaotic’. 

Northumberland County Council launched a scrutiny investigation to explore the impact of the privatisation of Acklington on the local community and had invited Sodexo along to explain how they saw their role in the wider community. The snub by Sodexo Head of Operations in the UK Mike Conway has angered council leaders who say the decision ‘does not bode well for accountability for the controversial decision by the coalition government to allow Sodexo to run the North East Probation Service.

Councillor Dickinson who represents Druridge Bay ward said

‘This is a shocking snub for the local community which needs to be reassured about the changes at HMP Acklington and for Sodexo to say their only answerable to Chris Grayling in Whitehall shows how little this ConDem government and its rush to privatise really value local communities. I can promise Mr Conway that this council will get to the bottom of the reasons why he won’t come clean about the company plans for HMP Acklington and I will be taking this up with the Ministry of Justice. This is totally unacceptable and the silence coming from local Conservative and Lib Dem politicians on the privatisation of North Northumberland really is deafening. We’ve seen the prison shipped out to the private sector with the loss of hundreds of local jobs, we’ve seen the privatisation of search and rescue at RAF Boulmer, the rushed sale of the East Coast mainline franchise and we’re now told that Sodexo has been handed the keys to Northumberland and Tyne and Wear probation services. We’re now left to pick up the pieces with hundreds of jobs lost and a real lack of accountability”.  

 

 

BEITH VOTES TO BACK PRIVATISATION OF EAST COAST MAINLINE

BEITH VOTES TO BACK PRIVATISATION OF EAST COAST MAINLINE

Labour bill would have allowed public and mutual operators to run railways

Outgoing Berwick Lib Dem Alan Beith has voted (28 Oct 2014) to block a Labour bill which would have allowed the public sector and mutual operators a ‘level playing field’ on bids to run the country’s ever fragmenting rail service.

His decision has been branded as a ‘sell out of East Coast’ as the government is currently rushing through a re-reprivatisation of the service which has been bailed out twice by the public sector after private companies ran into trouble.

In 2009 Labour took East Coast into public ownership when the private operator walked away from the franchise, unable to deliver on its promises. Since then it has proved to be one of the best train operators in the industry – achieving record passenger satisfaction and punctuality; investing all its profits in better services and stations; and returning more than £800 million to public coffers. In 2014 it even managed to cut fares in real terms – something that hasn’t been matched by any private franchise.

East Coast has proven that a public operator can work in the best interests of passengers but the Tories’ ideological 1993 Railways Act prevents a public sector operator in all but the most restricted circumstances. The Labour Bill blocked by Beith and North Northumberland Lib Dems seeks to put that right – by allowing a public sector operator to be able to take on lines and challenge the train operators on a level playing field.

Labour’s Berwick PPC Scott Dickinson said

‘It’s now obvious that North Northumberland ConDems are waging an ideological war on the public sector. They’ve allowed the privatisation of search and rescue at RAF Boulmer, the privatisation of HMP Acklington and are actively voting to support the reduction of services under the re-reprivatisation of the East Coast mainline. Sir Alan’s hypocrisy over this botched privatisation in the making is astounding but comes as no surprise after the ConDems attacks on public services in Northumberland. Hundreds of jobs don’t seem to matter to the ConDems as they sell off the family silver’.