We live in dark times. Our democracy is under threat, Cllr Colin Ferguson (seen here with his colleague Cllr Phil Hall) told Newcastle City Council last night. He went on : Our Government seems more interested in playing party political games and maneuvering for personal advantage than in attempting to heal the deep divisions cutting across society. The various figures at the top of the Tory Party seem pathologically obsessed with driving forward with Brexit, come hell or high water.

"The news that the councils seem to be no longer considering the possibility of the £12.50 daily charge for the Central Motorway and Coast Road will be a relief to many people, but it isn't immediately obvious that the new proposals comply with the relevant air quality targets", says Cllr Greg Stone, Liberal Democrats opposition spokesperson on transport and air quality. "These plans appear to do nothing to improve identified air quality problem areas like Shields Road, the Cradlewell, Gosforth High Street, and the Coast Road.

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.

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 :

"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

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.

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.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/new-speed-limits-great-north-15869275

The full response of Liberal Democrats councillor in Gosforth, Peter Lovatt, was : "Great North Road is already congested at times of rush hour. A reduction in speed limit is a positive step for road safety on Gt North Rd, however this scheme needs to be fully thought through with appropriate signage directing road users to alternative A routes, but not encouraging the use of B, C and D routes. Motorists are already taking the easy option to divert onto side roads, due to the congestion on Gt North Rd. We don't want to see a further increase in traffic on our side roads especially at a time when we are promoting safe routes to school and walking schemes. This scheme needs a full investigation to mitigate the shift in load onto our side streets and ensure the continued safety of our children and wider community."

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.