Sky Tyne and Wear News

Cancellation of Mayoral Debate at TyneMet College

Posted by Lisa Dawson on Tuesday 16 April 2013 Other, Tyne and Wear

The Debate scheduled to take place between the Mayoral candidates Linda Arkley (Conservative), Norma Redfearn (Labour) and John Appleby (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday 18th April at TyneMet Coast Road Campus, has been cancelled.

The decision to cancel the event has been made because of the withdrawal from the Debate by Elected Mayor Linda Arkley due to circumstances beyond her control.

Jon Vincent, Principal and Chief Executive, TyneMet College, said:

“As hosts for this event we felt it was essential that all of the Mayoral Candidates would have the opportunity to fully participate in the Debate.

It is therefore with regret that we issue this notice of cancellation.”

http://tyneandwear.sky.com/noticeboard/post/63811/cancellation-of-mayoral-debate-at-tynemet-college

Elected Mayor from the Mayoral Debate on Thursday 18th April 2013 we have decided to cancel the event. I have asked Linda’s agent (Andrew Elliott) for her reason for non-attendance and alternative dates but thus far I have not received a response.

Subject: Fwd: Mayoral Debate - Cancelation

Dear Labour Team, we have been informed that the hustings meeting scheduled for this Thursday at the tynemet college, has been cancelled. The simple reason is that the Currrent Mayor cannot make it despite it being arranged quite a while ago.

I have attempted to find out what the circumstances are for her being unable to participate, without success. I did not want to be too critical in case there are genuine grounds, but as even a vague explanation has not been provided, then speculation will continue. It is really disappointing as there were a large number of North Tyneside Residents planning to attend to hear from the three candidates.

Could you please pass this on to others you maybe unaware of the cancellation.

If I find any information on her absence I will let you know, remember, the Tory Group did not attend the last council meeting and were vague of why none of them could be in attendance?

Best Wishes

Jim Allan

07909234752

>
Subject: Mayoral Debate - Cancelation

Dear All,

It is with great regret that I wish to inform you that following the withdrawal of the Elected Mayor from the Mayoral Debate on Thursday 18^th April 2013 we have decided to cancel the event.  I have asked Linda’s agent (Andrew Elliott) for her reason for non-attendance and alternative dates but thus far I have not received a response. 

This afternoon I will be issuing a press release announcing the cancelation and making clear that our decision is based solely on the withdrawal of the Elected Mayor and our need to remain politically neutral.

I hope you will appreciate the very difficult position that Linda’s withdrawal has put us in and respect our decision.

Best wishes,

Jon Vincent

Principal and Chief Executive

T 0191 2295000 Ext: 5213 | E Jon.Vincent@tynemet.ac.uk

Workers’ rights champion has Europe in her sights Jane Shotton- Mobile 07528793904

Workers’ rights champion has Europe in her sights

Monday 8th April, 2013

Community campaigner Jayne Shotton is looking to combine her political and trade union principles to good effect following her selection as one of four potential candidates for the Labour Party in the election for MEP to the European Parliament next year.

Jayne, 50, has a wealth of experience having worked for shopworkers’ union Usdaw as an Area Organiser for 14 years where she has campaigned tirelessly for improvements in workers’ terms and conditions across the North East.

She was at the forefront of the campaign when the Twinings factory in North Shields was closed and relocated to Poland. While the factory did eventually shut its doors, Usdaw was instrumental in stopping Twinings claiming a European Regional Development Grant to help the company relocate the site.

Before working for Usdaw Jayne, who left school at sixteen with very few formal qualifications, worked in retail and a call centre. She was an active trade union rep and represented workers for more than six years.

Jayne has been a member of the Labour Party for more than 20 years and served as a Labour Councillor in North Tyneside for six years for the Camperdown ward.

"The way Twinings could just upsticks and relocate, putting hundreds of workers on the dole, was one of the reasons why I have put myself forward so I can represent North Eastern workers in Europe," she said. "Stephen Hughes MEP has done an excellent job and I want to continue that and build upon it. I also want to work with other Labour Party members, and the electorate at large, to emphasise why Europe is important to the people of the North East.

"Since the Coalition was formed in the UK in 2010, workers have faced an onslaught on their terms and conditions at work and their standard of living. Many people don’t realise just how important the European Parliament is in setting minimum standards on workers’ rights – and the Coalition would love to take these away too.

"I’m looking to use all of my experience to promote and protect the citizens of the North East and to encourage future investment in the area."

Ends

Notes for Editors

Jayne Shotton was born in Barnsley and moved to the North East in 1998.

She is married with a daughter and two stepsons, has a grandson, and lives in North Shields. Her work with Usdaw has seen her represent workers from Tyneside to Teesside, across to Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria.

You can follow Jayne on Facebook, and Twitter @jshttn Email:

Jayne.shotton@live.co.uk

Picture enclosed

There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.

PRESS RELEASE

Mayor snubs her own Council Meeting

‘Mayor is failing the leadership test’ – Jim Allan

There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.

The Mayor who earns over £61,000 per year and her entire Cabinet and Conservative group of twelve councillors failed to show for last night’s Council (21 March 2013) meeting which was due to agree the council’s pay policy and the new Health and Wellbeing  Board which will be responsible for over £10m of NHS and council spending.

Now the Mayor faces calls for her to ‘explain and apologise’ why she led the whole Conservative group in the council into, what is being described as a ‘dereliction of duty’ before she faces election on 2 May.

Labour group leader Jim Allan said

‘In the first time in the history of this council, a Mayor and her entire political group have snubbed their own meeting. Tonight’s pay policy and the establishment of the Health and Wellbeing Board are her own policies and she’s deserted her post. The Mayor and her Cabinet are paid collectively over £120,000 to make decisions and she’s decided to put her own party political aims above the needs of the residents of this Borough and the priorities of the council’.  

See Photograph of empty conservative seats in the full council meeting.

There were scenes of amazement as North Tyneside’s Tory Mayor Linda Akley chose to snub her own council meeting to attend a Conservative Federation political fundraiser.

The government's economic plan is failing. Instead of more of the same failing policies we need a bold and radical Budget this week to kickstart our economy and help millions on low and middle incomes struggling with the rising cost of living.

Briefing for Labour Group Leaders

Pre-Budget script

The government's economic plan is failing. Instead of more of the same failing policies we need a bold and radical Budget this week to kickstart our economy and help millions on low and middle incomes struggling with the rising cost of living.

Our economy is flatlining, prices are rising faster than wages, the deficit is going up and even our triple-A credit rating has been lost. On every economic test this Government set itself, it has failed. It’s no wonder the Cabinet are losing confidence in the Prime Minister and his downgraded Chancellor by openly calling for a change of direction.

We need action now to kickstart our economy, create jobs and support businesses:

·         bring forward long-term infrastructure investment in schools, roads and transport and build thousands of affordable homes — getting builders back to work, creating the homes we need now and strengthening our economy for the future;

·         temporarily reverse the government’s VAT rise to boost spending power in the economy;

·         give small firms a national insurance tax break if they take on extra workers;

·         get people back to work to help get the benefits bill down by guaranteeing a job for every young person out of work for a year or more and every adult unemployed for over two years – a job that they will have to take up or lose their benefits – funded by a fair tax on bank bonuses and changes to pensions tax relief for the very richest;

·         and get lending going to small and medium-sized companies, who desperately want to invest and expand, by establishing a British Investment Bank.

A strong and sustained recovery can only be made by the many, not just a few at the top. So we need to ease the squeeze on people on middle and low incomes who are seeing their living standards fall year after year:

·         next month's tax cut for millionaires should be cancelled. It cannot be right that millions are being forced to pay more for this government’s economic failure - and through cuts to tax credits, child benefit, maternity pay and the bedroom tax - while millionaires get an average £100,000 tax cut;

·         we need fair tax cuts for millions of people on middle and low incomes, for example by bringing back a new lower 10p starting rate of tax (paid for by a mansion tax on homes worth over £2 million) and putting right a mistake Labour made in the past;

·         and if the government finally wants to help families with the growing cost of childcare, they should start by reversing their cuts to childcare tax credits which cost a family with two children up to £1,500 a year and extending Labour’s free nursery places from 15 to 20 hours a week.

The government is borrowing to pay for economic failure:

·         David Cameron says any action to kick-start the economy will lead to more borrowing. But the government is already borrowing more to pay for the costs of their economic failure.

·         Without growth we cannot get the deficit down. If confidence is crushed, businesses go bust, long-term unemployment soars, the Government gets less from tax revenues and the benefits bill goes up.

·         That is why the deficit is rising this year and the Government is set to borrow a staggering £212 billion more than planned to pay for the mounting costs of its economic failure.

·         This doesn’t make any sense. A steadier and more balanced plan – sensible spending cuts and tax rises, together with measures that support our economy, create jobs, invest in infrastructure, and reform our economy for the long term – would be fairer, more successful in getting the deficit down and make Britain better off for the future.

Background: Three years of economic failure

After nearly three years in the job, George Osborne’s record is one of failure – failure on growth, failure on living standards and failure on his own tests on the deficit and debt.

Failure on growth

·        Since George Osborne’s spending review in 2010, the UK economy has grown by just 0.7% compared to the 5.3% forecast at the time.

·        Only two other G20 countries have grown more slowly than the UK in that time.

·        Last year the UK went through a double-dip recession and the economy shrank by 0.3% in the last quarter.

GDP growth (%)	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
June 2010 Budget OBR forecast	2.3	2.8	2.9	2.7	2.7	n/a
Latest OBR forecast	0.9	-0.1	1.2	2.0	2.3	2.7

Failure on living standards

·        With the economy flatlining and inflation high, real wages have fallen since this government came to office meaning people are worse off.  

Real wages (%)	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
June 2010 Budget OBR forecast	-0.5	0.4	1.8	2.4	2.4	n/a
Latest OBR forecast	-2.3	-0.1	-0.3	0.6	1.7	2.0

Failure on the deficit and debt

·        Lack of growth has meant more borrowing to pay for the costs of economic failure – with borrowing forecast to be over £200bn more than planned at the time of the spending review.

·        The government will not “balance the books” by 2015 as David Cameron promised.

·        National debt as a % of GDP is not now forecast to start falling until 2016/17 – breaking one of the government’s fiscal rules.

·        Latest ONS figures show that public sector net borrowing (PSNB), excluding the Royal Mail and Asset Purchase Facility transfers, is over £5 billion higher so far this year than the same period last year.

PSNB (£bn)	11/12	12/13	13/14	14/15	15/16	16/17
Nov 2010 OBR forecast	117	91	60	35	18	n/a
Latest OBR forecast	121.4	119.9	111.6	98.6	81.2	49.0

Debt (% of GDP)	11/12	12/13	13/14	14/15	15/16	16/17
Nov 2010 OBR forecast	66.3	69.1	69.7	68.8	67.2	n/a
Latest OBR forecast	66.4	74.7	76.8	79.0	79.9	79.2

Government Cuts to Childcare

Brief for Labour Leaders

Government Cuts to Childcare

Tuesday 19 March 2013

From Stephen Twigg MP and the Shadow Education team

Further Information:

Please contact the office of Stephen Twigg MP, Shadow Education Secretary

alex.bigham@parliament.uk 

020 7219 4158

A open letter to the Chancellor

Dear Chancellor,

Your Government's efforts to deal with the deficit so far have focussed on cutting public spending. Since 2010, 1,500 fire fighters have lost their jobs; over 300 libraries and 400 Sure Start centres have closed; police numbers have been reduced by over 6,000 and there are 5,000 fewer nurses. The rise in people relying on food banks is a clear sign that many are facing high levels of economic and social distress. 

We believe that you should invest in growth. Local government is demonstrating its ability to drive growth by providing infrastructure investment and supporting local businesses. Allowing local government to borrow in line with prudential rules will enable us to invest in building houses and create desperately needed jobs.

Councils have been handed some of the deepest cuts in the public sector. Local authorities have seen their budgets cut by 33% in comparison to 8% across Whitehall departments. Further cuts to local government would only shift costs to other public services leading to more budget pressures overall on healthcare, policing and prison services.

We believe that you face a clear choice. Rather than hitting frontline services, this Budget presents an opportunity to pool funding across public agencies and could save taxpayers up to £4 billion each year. We are offering help to deliver this policy.

At a time of increased unemployment, the nation's safety net has been seriously compromised. The bedroom tax, council tax benefit reductions and other cuts will mean that many people will struggle to keep their heads above water.

We believe that you should support those who are being hit hardest by the economic downturn. Scrapping the bedroom tax and looking again at the costs to families of all the benefit changes should be a priority before giving tax cuts to the richest people in the country.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Alan Smith, Leader of the Council, Allerdale Council

Cllr Paul Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, Amber Valley Borough Council

Cllr Robin Stuchbury, Leader of the Labour Group, Aylesbury Vale District Council

Cllr Liam Smith, Leader of the Council, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Cllr Alison Moore, Leader of the Labour Group, Barnet London Borough Council

Cllr Stephen Houghton CBE, Leader of the Council, Barnsley Council

Cllr Simon Greaves, Leader of the Council, Bassetlaw District Council

Cllr Susan Oliver, Leader of the Labour Group, Bedford Council

Cllr Chris Ball, Leader of the Labour Group,           Bexley Council

Cllr Sir Albert Bore, Leader of the Council, Birmingham City Council

Cllr Kate Hollern, Leader of the Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Leader of the Council, Blackpool Council

Cllr Eion Watts, Leader of the Council, Bolsover District Council

Cllr Clifford Morris JP, Leader of the Council, Bolton Council

Cllr David Green, Leader of the Council, Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Cllr Philip Barlow, Leader of the Labour Group, Braintree District Council

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, Brent Council

Cllr Mike Le-Surf, Leader of the Labour Group, Brentwood Borough Council

Cllr Gill Mitchell, Leader of the Labour Group , Brighton & Hove City Council

Cllr Helen Holland, Leader of the Labour Group, Bristol City Council

Cllr Julie Cooper, Leader of the Council, Burnley Borough Council

Cllr Mike Connolly, Leader of the Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Timothy Swift, Leader of the Council, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of the Labour Group, Cambridge City Council

Cllr Sarah Hayward,         Leader of the Council,    Camden Council

Cllr George Adamson, Leader of the Council, Cannock Chase District Council

Cllr Jewel Miah, Leader of the Labour Group, Charnwood Borough Council

Cllr Justin Madders, Leader of the Labour Group, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Cllr John Burrows, Leader of the Council, Chesterfield Borough Council

Cllr Alistair Bradley, Leader of the Council,            Chorley Borough Council

Cllr James Alexander, Leader of the Council, City of York Council

Cllr Tim Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Colchester Borough Council

Cllr Elaine Woodburn, Leader of the Council, Copeland Borough Council

Cllr Tom Beattie, Leader of the Council, Corby Borough Council

Cllr John Mutton, Leader of the Council, Coventry City Council

Cllr Tony Newman, Leader of the Labour Group, Croydon Council

Cllr Stewart Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Cumbria County Council

Cllr Bill Dixon MBE,           Leader of the Council, Darlington Borough Council

Cllr Mrs Joan Butterfield OBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Denbighshire Council

Cllr Paul Bayliss, Leader of the Council, Derby City Council

Cllr Anne Western, Leader of the Labour Group, Derbyshire County Council

Cllr David Sparks OBE, Leader of the Council, Dudley Council

Cllr Simon Henig, Leader of the Council, Durham County Council

Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of the Council, Ealing Council

Cllr Trevor Webb, Leader of the Labour Group, East Sussex County Council

Cllr Sheila Carlson, Leader of the Labour Group, Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

Cllr Doug Taylor, Leader of the Council, Enfield Council

Cllr Julie Young, Leader of the Labour Group, Essex County Council

Cllr Mick Henry CBE, Leader of the Council, Gateshead Council

Cllr John Clarke, Leader of the Council, Gedling Borough Council

Cllr Kate Haigh, Leader of the Labour Group, Gloucester City Council

Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Leader of the Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Cllr Brian Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, Gwynedd Council

Mayor Jules Pipe, Executive Mayor, Hackney London Borough Council

Cllr Rob Polhill, Leader of the Council, Halton Council

Cllr Claire Kober, Leader of the Council, Haringey Council

Cllr Thaya Idaikkadar , Leader of the Council, Harrow Council

Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, Leader of the Labour Group, Hartlepool Council

Cllr Jeremy Birch, Leader of the Council, Hastings Borough Council

Cllr Caitlin Bisknell, Leader of the Council,             High Peak Borough Council

Cllr Jagdish Sharma MBE JP,  Leader of the Council, Hounslow Borough Council

Cllr Miles Parkinson, Leader of the Council, Hyndburn Borough Council

Cllr David Ellesmere, Leader of the Council, Ipswich Borough Council

Cllr Geoff Lumley, Leader of the Labour Group, Isle of Wight Council

Cllr Catherine West, Leader of the Council, Islington Council

Cllr Judith Blakeman, Leader of the Labour Group,           Kensington and Chelsea Council

Cllr Mehboob Khan, Leader of the Council, Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Cllr Lib Peck, Leader of the Council, Lambeth Council

Cllr Mrs Eileen Blamire, Leader of the Council, Lancaster City Council

Sir Peter Soulsby, Executive Mayor, Leicester City Council

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, Executive Mayor,           Lewisham London Borough Council

Cllr Richard Metcalfe, Leader of the Council, Lincoln City Council

Mayor Joe Anderson OBE, Executive Mayor, Liverpool City Council

Cllr Hazel Simmons, Leader of the Council, Luton Borough Council

Sir Richard Leese CBE, Leader of the Council, Manchester City Council

Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of the Labour Group, Medway Council

Cllr Stephen Alambritis, Leader of Merton

Cllr Charles Rooney, Leader of the Labour Group, Middlesbrough Council

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of the Council, Newcastle upon Tyne City Council

Cllr Gareth Snell, Leader of the Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme  Council

Sir Robin Wales, Executive Mayor, Newham London Borough Council

Cllr Bob Bright, Leader of the Council, Newport City Council

Cllr Graham Baxter MBE, Leader of the Council, North East Derbyshire Council

Cllr Jim Allan, Leader of the Labour Group, North Tyneside Council

Cllr John McGhee, Leader of the Labour Group, Northamptonshire County Council

Cllr Grant Davey, Leader of the Labour Group, Northumberland Council

Cllr Brenda Arthur, Leader of the Council, Norwich City Council

Cllr Alan Rhodes, Leader of the Labour Group, Nottinghamshire County Council

Cllr Dennis Harvey, Leader of the Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council

Cllr Jim McMahon, Leader of the Council, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Lady Liz Brighouse OBE, Leader of the Labour Group , Oxfordshire Council

Cllr Nazim Khan MBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Peterborough City Council

Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of the Council, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Jim Patey,  Leader of the Labour Group, Portsmouth City Council

Cllr Mrs Sandra Davies, Leader of the Labour Group, Powys County Council

Cllr Peter Rankin, Leader of the Council, Preston City Council

Cllr Jo Lovelock, Leader of the Council, Reading Borough Council

Cllr Colin Lambert, Leader of the Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Sam Souster, Leader of the Labour Group, Rother District Council

Cllr Chris Roberts, Leader of the Council, Royal Borough of Greenwich

Cllr Dr James Shera MBE, Leader of the Labour Group, Rugby Borough Council

Cllr Keith Dibble, Leader of the Labour Group, Rushmoor Borough Council

Mayor Ian Stewart, Executive Mayor, Salford Council

Cllr Darren Cooper, Leader of the Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Eric Broadbent, Leader of the Labour Group, Scarborough Borough Council

Cllr Mick Lerry, Leader of the Labour Group, Sedgemoor District Council

Cllr Peter Dowd, Leader of the Council, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Steve Shaw-Wright, Leader of the Labour Group, Selby District Council

Cllr Julie Dore     , Leader of the Council, Sheffield City Council

Cllr Alan Mosley, Leader of the Labour Group, Shropshire Council

Cllr Andy Perkins, Leader, Labour Group, South Gloucestershire Council

Cllr Mark Wilson, Leader of the Labour Group, South Lakeland

Cllr Mrs Eleanor Hards, Leader of the Labour Group, South Oxfordshire Council

Cllr Iain Malcolm, Leader of the Council, South Tyneside Council

Cllr Richard Williams, Leader of the Council, Southampton City Council

Cllr Peter John, Leader of the Council, Southwark Council

Cllr Martin Leach, Leader of the Labour Group, St Albans Council

Cllr Marie Rimmer CBE, Leader of the Council, St Helens Metropolitan Council

Cllr William Kemp, Leader of the Labour Group, Stafford Borough Council

Cllr Kevin Jackson, Leader of the Labour Group, Staffordshire Moorlands  Council

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader of the Council, Stevenage Borough Council

Cllr Mohammed Pervez, Leader of the Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council

Cllr Sandy Martin, Leader of the Labour Group, Suffolk County Council

Cllr Paul Watson, Leader of the Council, Sunderland City Council

Cllr Victor Agarwal, Leader of the Labour Group ,Surrey

Cllr David Phillips, Leader of the Council, Swansea City and County Council

Cllr Jim Grant, Leader of the Labour Group,         Swindon Borough Council

Cllr Kieran Quinn, Leader of the Council, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Stephen King, Leader of the Labour Group, Three Rivers District Council

Cllr John Kent, Leader of the Council, Thurrock Council

Cllr Peter Box CBE, Leader of the Council,    Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

Cllr Tim Oliver, Leader of the Labour Group, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Chris Robbins, Leader of the Council, Waltham Forest London Borough Council

Cllr Rex Osborn, Leader of the Labour Group, Wandsworth London Borough Council

Cllr Terry O'Neill, Leader of the Council, Warrington Council

Cllr John Barrott, Leader of the Labour Group, Warwick District Council

Cllr Tod Sullivan, Leader of the Labour Group, Waveney District Council

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, Westminster City Council

Cllr Kate Wheller, Leader of the Labour Group, Weymouth & Portland  Council

Lord Peter Smith, Leader of the Council, Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, Wiltshire Council

Cllr Phillip Davies, Leader of the Council, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Cllr Roger Lawrence,       Leader of the Council,    Wolverhampton City Council