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Welcome to the website of the Morpeth & District Liberal Democrats
Keeping in touch ...
Reporting back ...
All year round ...
Year after year ...
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.
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Mon 8th Jun 2009
In this question and answer session Simon Reed explains why yet another Labour win Wansbeck Constituency is not a foregone conclusion.
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
Network Rail has been lobbied over a number of years by SENRUG, Castle Morpeth Borough Council and Morpeth Town Council, supported by Liberal Democrat councillors, to make improvements at Morpeth Railway Station. At long last, improvements are on the way. Network Rail recently applied for planning permission to provide additional spaces by constructing an overflow car park on the opposite side of the road to the Station to be used when the existing car park is full. The plans involve the introduction of a daily charge. Whilst welcoming the proposals, Morpeth Town Council, has suggested train travellers should be able to reclaim all or part of the charge (this should be possible when the Station Office opening hours are extended) and that there should be designated spaces for disabled people to meet the national minimum standard, a bus only turning circle and appropriate additional yellow lines along adjacent Coopies Lane. In the longer term (probably some time between 2012 and 2015) Network Rail has plans to make the Station DDA compliant. The preferred solution involves installing a lift with an emergency telephone at each end of the existing subway, but this will require Department of Transport support.
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
A massive administrative change will take place on 1st April when the new unitary council for Northumberland takes over all the responsibilities of the old Northumberland County Council, Castle Morpeth Borough Council and the other 5 District Councils. Morpeth Town Council and other parish and town councils will continue as before.
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
Rebuilding of the town centre is progressing well. The new bus station opened in February, along with new premises for the Disability Association. This will allow the existing bus station to be demolished. The first of the new shop units should be open by April, with Marks & Spencer scheduled for mid-November. The developer has announced that most of the shop units have been let and that they are now letting office space.
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
The lack of available capital due to the worldwide financial crisis means that the 'Putting the Learner First' programme, which would have forced the abolition of middle schools across Northumberland, has been suspended. This move also fulfills the Lib Dem election promise that an education review needs to consider each school pyramid individually rather than applying a 'one-size fits all' approach across the County. Morpeth's three schools KEVI, Chantry and Newminster, which are achieving excellent results, are now proposing to increase their collaboration by forming a federation with a single governing body. Simon Reed, Lib Dem executive member responsible for Education and prospective parliamentary candidate for Wansbeck said: "I am delighted by the continuing great results of the Morpeth schools and welcome the efforts of governors and teaching staff to work together to make them even better. I will continue to press the Government to release the money they promised under the "Building Schools for the Future" programme to upgrade school buildings, which in many areas are in very poor condition."
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
Morpeth Town Council will need to take on an increased community role when Castle Morpeth Borough Council disappears on 1st April 2009. The traditional role of Mayor is being taken over when the Chair of Morpeth Town Council becomes the Mayor of Morpeth. Some other services, such as management of the markets and allotments in the town, may also eventually be transferred. As no budget is to be transferred, the Town Council will need to raise the required funding through an increase in its share of the Council Tax. This adds approximately £2.10 a year to the Council Tax bill for a Band D payer. This is in addition to an increase of approximately £4.90 a year to cover increased costs in other Town Council services and a further £3.20 to make good the loss of income due to flooded households not paying council tax this year. Ken Brown, Chair of the Town Council said: "Although Northumberland County Council will now provide the services that were provided by the Borough Council, increasingly, Town Councillors will act as the first point of contact for residents. The close working relationship and dialogue between us and the 4 councillors who represent Morpeth at the County level will be critical in ensuring that we are able to deal with issues and help residents. Plans to meet regularly with neighbouring parish councils are also in hand. It's going to be a challenging year in local government but we will be doing our very best to ensure that the Town Council plays its part in making the transition a success."
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Wed 18th Feb 2009
Simon Reed, the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wansbeck Constituency (which includes Morpeth) has launched his campaign to challenge Labour in the forthcoming general election. Speaking at a rally held in the Ashington Leisure Centre at the end of last year along with Berwick MP, Sir Alan Beith and Fiona Hall, Euro MEP for the North East, Simon argued that another Labour Wansbeck MP doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion and that it is time for a change. In the Northumberland Unitary Elections held in May 2008, the Liberal Democrats polled 47% of the vote in Wansbeck Constituency. Labour only received 34% of the votes and the Conservatives 11%. There has to be a General Election either this year or in 2010. An important Euro election is on 4th June this year. Simon says: "We want to keep building Lib Dem support for these important elections and for the General Election. Fiona Hall has been an excellent MEP and we will be working hard for her re-election in June. Last May's local election results show that the Conservatives can't win in Wansbeck, but the Liberal Democrats can. If everyone who doesn't want Labour to win again uses their vote and votes Lib Dem, Wansbeck can have a Liberal Democrat MP. The irony is that voting Conservative in Wansbeck helps Labour back into power!"
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Archive of earlier news stories.
 News Story Feed (v1.0).
Printed and hosted by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY.
Promoted & published by Alan Jones on behalf of Morpeth Liberal Democrats, all at 10 Queensway, Morpeth, NE61 2BG
The views expressed are those of the party, not of the service provider.
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| Quotes of the Week |
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"On issue after issue, the Liberal Democrats have led the fight for real change while the Conservatives lagged behind. On the economy, on the environment and now on the real reform of politics, it is the Lib Dems that are offering something different. "
April Pond, Liberal Democrat candidate for the Norwich North by-election
www.norwichlibdems.org.uk - 21 June
"I believe that my position as an MP between now and the next election is untenable. "
Labour MP Ian Gibson
Resigning as MP for Norwich North - 6 June. See www.norwichlibdems.org.uk for Norwich North by-election news.
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