* The typical family in Newcastle is set to pay an extra £121 in national insurance contributions (NICs) this year as cost of living crunch hits.

* Local businesses are also set to feel the squeeze with £23 million tax hit.

* Newcastle Liberal Democrats are demanding emergency VAT tax cut to put money back in the pockets of struggling families.

Thousands of families in Newcastle may miss out on the Government's £150 council tax rebate to help with soaring energy bills, new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

115,277 properties across the area are in council tax bands A-D and so are eligible for the £150 rebate. But the government's financial watchdog estimates that around a third of these will not be paying their council tax bill by Direct Debit and therefore won't automatically benefit from the help.

You may not be familiar with the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC). It oversees public transport and infrastructure from Berwick to Barnard Castle, and administers capital and revenue budgets including that of Nexus, which funds Metro, many bus services, and the Shields Ferry, alongside arrangements for public transport in Northumberland and Durham. Its membership is limited to council leaders and deputy leaders (mainly Labour), without any opposition to challenge or ask questions.

In a recent report to Council, Labour's Cabinet Minister acknowledged that the highways network is the most valuable asset of the City Council, that Newcastle currently has a maintenance backlog of £184 million (roads £75 million and footpaths £109 million) and that over 200 streets in Newcastle have more than 80% of the length needing treatment. That is simply unacceptable, Cllr Wendy Taylor from Newcastle Liberal Democrats told a Council meeting on 12th January. (She's pictured just before it started)

Newcastle's Liberal Democrats are backing their party's proposals for a "Robin Hood" tax on energy giants to support families with heating bills - which could bring £20 million to well over 60,000 people in the city

The Liberal Democrats are pressing the Secretary of State for Energy Kwasi Kwarteng to backs the party's call for a "Robin Hood" tax on the super-profits being made by oil and gas firms, to help local families who are facing soaring energy costs.

The North East is one of the leading regions for booster jabs. Two Liberal Democrats Councillors who had theirs recently have urged others to follow suit to protect us all as Christmas approaches.

Councillor Ali Avaei, who is a community pharmacist who runs a Covid vaccination clinic on Sundays at Adelaide Terrace in Benwell, administered one to his colleague Cllr Helen Laverick (Both pictured here). He said " We have enough supplies for appointments and walk-ins to take us through the New Year. So I urge all adults to get their jabs - including those who haven't yet had first or second ones. Our main line of defence against Covid and variants is a fully vaccinated and boosted population. The data shows that the vaccines are helpful against all variants - even if you catch covid, it's likely to be a lot less severe and less of a burden on the NHS if you've had all 3 shots."

To mark Small Business Saturday, Liberal Democrats have been out on Gosforth High Street - and have been highlighting some of the many great local businesses in the City (seen here are councillors representing 3 of the 4 wards covering Gosforth.)

Robin Ashby, who speaks for Newcastle LIberal Democrats on business matters, said "If we don't cherish our local businesses - be they in the centre of town, or in the district centres like Chillingham Road, Wansbeck Road or Brunton Park - they are at risk after the gruelling trading conditions of the pandemic, and the switch to online retailing. And once they've gone, they've gone.

As more cuts and council tax hikes are set to whittle away residents' services for another year, the release of the Council's budget proposals have branded as "Groundhog Day" and "Labour's cuts, Labour's choices" by Opposition councillors in Newcastle ,

Under more than a decade of Labour rule, the residents of Newcastle have watched their City struggle to deliver the services and support they expect. Opposition councillors remain concerned that the Labour administration remain focused on the impact of the Government's funding cuts, and neglect to look at how their efforts compare to neighbouring authorities.

It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of our friend and colleague Anita Lower. She will be sorely missed by many in local government, in Newcastle and further afield, and by her constituents who she has served with great commitment over many years.

Cllr Anita Lower was first elected to the Council in 1994, serving continuously as a councillor since then until her death. She was councillor for Blakelaw ward for 10 years and then councillor for Castle ward from 2004 to 2021. Anita held many important roles in the Council, including serving in the Council's cabinet during the years of the Liberal Democrats administration between 2004 and 2011. She also held the post of Leader of the Opposition between 2013 and 2020. Anita had been serving as chair of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a role which won her great respect across the Council, for her ability to work constructively in ensuring that council decisions and decision-makers were open and held to account.

The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative MPs of "placing anti-immigration ideology ahead of tackling the scourge of modern slavery", after the Tories voted for new legislation that will weaken safeguards for victims and lead to more of them being held in immigration detention centres.

The Immigration (Guidance on Detention of Vulnerable Persons) Regulations were passed by 358 votes to 270, with all Liberal Democrat MPs voting against.