Elswick Ward (Newcastle upon Tyne Liberal Democrats)

ELSWICK WARD

Your local Lib Dem FOCUS Team would be pleased to hear from any resident who has a problem, a query or would like to help the Lib Dems in the ward. Please get in touch with us via info@newcastle-libdems.org.uk, or register your support using the 'Register/Support' link on the left.

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Don't be idle - turn your car engine off near schools

Article: Jul 10, 2019

The effect of car engines idling near schools is under increasing scrutiny. As well as damaging young lings and health, the latest research shows that drivers are poisoning themselves too. Liberal Democrats are campaigning to get drivers to turn off their engines when stopped near schools by persuasion at the moment. This poster outside a local school shows all the problems that arise from the practice of not turning off.
The true cost of Labour's litter policies probed

Article: Jul 10, 2019

What is the true cost of the reduction in the number of litter bins across the City by the Labour run Council?

At last Cabinet Members and Service Directors have decided to come out of the Civic Centre to see what residents and we have been complaining about all this time.

They are annoyed about what it looks like. But what about the impact? Here are some examples observed by Liberal Democrats councillors who are often out and about in their wards litterpicking, frequently with local volunteers :
Government must fund more police officers to tackle knife crime

Article: Apr 15, 2019

"It seems the Home Secreatry will talk about anything to tackle knife crime except the one thing that communities most desperately need: more police officers", says Ed Davey, who leads for the Liberal Democrats in Parliament on Home Affairs .

"The Home Office's own analysis shows that the Tories' excessive police cuts have contributed to the rise in serious violence, yet the Home Secretary stubbornly refuses to fund forces properly so they can put more officers on our streets.

"Tackling this knife crime epidemic does require a public health approach, but police are an integral part of that approach. How on earth does Javid expect police officers to spend more time working with youth workers and other agencies when they're already hugely overstretched?

"The Liberal Democrats demand better. The Government must urgently give local police forces the funding they need to recruit more officers and restore the community policing that prevents crime and keeps us safe."

According to the National Audit Office, the Government has cut £1 billion from frontline police budgets in real terms since 2015.

In the same period, the number of full-time equivalent police officers in England and Wales has fallen by 4,797 (4%). On top of that, the number of Community Support Officers is down 2,579 (21%) and the number of Special Constables is down 5,045 (31%).

A leaked Home Office report last year shows that the Government's police cuts "likely contributed" to the rise in serious violent crime
Local elections 2019 : Newcastle Liberal Democrats launch manifesto

Article: Apr 13, 2019

NEWCASTLE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS LOCAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2019

'Forward to a better future with the Liberal Democrats'

OUR PARTY'S PRINCIPLES AND VALUES AND AMBITION

I. Introduction
Newcastle Liberal Democrats hold firm to the values of the wider Liberal Democrat party. Our national vision is set out in the preamble to our party's federal constitution:
The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
In Newcastle, we aim to stay true to our national vision.
In all that we say and do, we will strive to be open, tolerant and united and to demand better for the residents of our city.
We add one more proviso to our vision locally in our desire to be close to the communities in which we serve, to listen to local people, to work with community organisations, and to act on their behalf where it is possible to do so, in line with our Liberal Democrat principles.
We believe passionately that our focus as a local party and actions should be rooted in communities.
Newcastle's Budget 2019 - Liberal Democrats approach

Article: Mar 7, 2019

Here's what Cllr Colin Ferguson (pictured with Cllr Phil Hall, right, who chairs the Budget and Finance Scrutiny Committee) said in launching the Liberal Democrats' approach to Newcastle's 2019 budget which saw Labour hiking Council Tax by 3.95% and cutting services by £20 million, highlighting that the budget is based upon Labour's choices.
Massive cop-out on local air quality action risks charges on motorists.

Article: Jan 8, 2019

The statement by the three local councils (reproduced in full below) is a massive political cop-out and an abject failure of political leadership on the issue of the dangers of the air quality on our Tyneside streets.

Cllr Greg Stone, who speaks on transport and air quality issues for the Liberal Democrats, said "Other cities are dealing with the same challenges and the likes of Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, and Birmingham are consulting on their clean air charging proposals for polluting diesel emissions, not making excuses. We recognise that the A1 Western Bypass needs a national Highways Agency approach, but Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside had the opportunity to set out by the end of last year how they proposed to reduce emissions on the local network without a clean air charging scheme and have failed to do so.
Newcastle's bins - what do you think?

Article: Oct 2, 2018

Newcastle Liberal Democrats would like to hear from you about domestic waste and public litter bins to inform our response to the City Council'c review of its waste strategy and our manifesto for the 2019 elections. So we invite you to complete the survey which can be found at here
How Brexit uncertainty is harming the NHS, and call for it to do better by older people

Article: Jun 27, 2018

I have worked in the NHS for almost all my working life and I'm hugely proud of what the NHS achieves, Cllr Wendy Taylor who speaks on health and social care issues for the Liberal Democrats, told Newcastle City Council tonight.

As a doctor, I can't overstate how important it is to me to be able to offer my patients the best treatments available, without having to ask how much they can afford to pay. Yet as the motion says, the NHS is facing many difficulties including lack of funding, loss of staff and increasing debt. The impact of Jeremy Hunt's attack on junior doctors has been devastating, with over 50% of doctors not taking up a training post when they complete their basic training. Many are going to New Zealand or Australia, others are giving up medicine altogether. Of course many will come back to train as a GP or Consultant at a later time, but when I think of the enthusiasm and excitement of medical students when they apply to study medicine, it is so sad that much of this is lost once they qualify. And the loss of the bursaries for student nurses has been just as damaging.
Virgin Money takeover - bad news for region

Article: Jun 18, 2018

Following news that Virgin Money is to be taken over by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank Group, Cllr Robin Ashby, Newcastle Liberal Democrats Shadow Cabinet Member for Business, Development and Employment commented:

" This further piece of financial engineering comes at the price of quality professional jobs in Newcastle that are core to our regional economic strategy. It can therefore only be seen as a setback for us.

"Similarly, the relocation of the headquarters of a major quoted company from Tyneside to Scotland is detrimental to our image as a region which is good for business.

"The takeover is built upon the ashes of local people's investments, confiscated by a Labour Government and flogged off on the cheap by a Tory Government.

"The reported pay-off package of £12.5 million for the Chief Executive of Virgin Money will leave a very bad taste in the mouths of those 1,500 people likely to lose their jobs.

"It's a sad day, and those who will lose their jobs just to build a bigger bank have all my sympathy."
Welcome to new Liberal Democrats councillors in Newcastle

Article: May 26, 2018

The Newcastle Liberal Democrats Councillors Group consists of 19 people, representing new wards in our City.

New councillors are :

Tom Gordon - Manor Park Ward

Aidan King - Castle Ward

Colin Ferguson - Gosforth Ward

Phil Hall - Gosforth Ward

Peter Lovatt - Fawdon and West Gosforth Ward

Returning councillors