Liberal Democrat councillors at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have unanimously re-elected Councillor Chris Abbott as their group leader.

Chris, a self-employed electrician, represents the Newcomen ward in Redcar with his wife Glynis. He has been group leader since 1999.

The group has grown from 13 to 15 members in the past year with by-election wins in Kirkleatham and Dormanstown, and is the main opposition group at the Council.

Chris’s Deputy will be Councillor Mary Ovens, also from Redcar (West Dyke ward). The Lib Dem Group will be again chaired by Councillor Irene Nightingale, who represents Ormesby ward.

Cllr Chris Abbott, said:
“I am delighted to be re-elected as leader of the growing Liberal Democrat group.”
“Council Tax bills are going up whilst Labour drags the Council down from 4-stars to just 2-stars, and is branded “negligent” for its irresponsible investments with Icelandic banks. Our Borough needs to have an effective opposition they can turn to hold Labour to account.”

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have condemned former Independent Councillor Liz Beadle for joining the Labour group.

Following the Liberal Democrat success at the Dormanstown by-election, Labour and their Independent colleagues lost their majority on the Council.

But today it appears that Cllr Beadle, elected as a “True Independent” in Eston in 2007, has now joined the Labour group.

Lib Dem Group Leader Councillor Chris Abbott said:

“I am disappointed that Cllr Beadle has joined Labour.”

“Another so-called “True Independent” is now propping up a failing Labour administration which has dragged the Council down from 4-stars to 2-stars and which has been called “negligent” by the Audit Commission for putting £4 million of public money into failed Icelandic banks.”

“Labour has now lost three out of four by-elections since last September. It’s time they got the message.”

Liberal Democrat Ken Lucas has stormed to victory in the Dormanstown Ward By Election on Redcar and Cleveland Council, which could put an end to Labour control.

The result was as follows:

Ken Lucas (Lib Dem) - 809 (42.4%; +17.3%)
Marion Fairley (Lad)- 667 (35.0%; -17.1%)
Lynn Payne (BNP) - 305 (16.6%; +16.6%)
Barry Hughes-Mundy (Con) - 125 (6.6%; -16.2%)

Majority 142
Turnout 36.83%
LD gain from Lab
Percentage change is since May 2007

Composition of the Council now is:

Labour - 26
Liberal Democrats - 15
Conservative - 11
East Cleveland Independents - 2
Independents - 2
Independents supporting Labour - 3

“How can Redcar and Cleveland Council be an ‘improving Council’ when it has gone down from four to two stars?” asks Liberal Democrat Councillor Glyn Nightingale, former Cabinet Member for Resources.

“The Liberal Democrat-led Coalition in 2007 achieved a Four-Star Excellent rating from Government inspectors. Now the Labour Rulling Group has relegated the Council down to Two Stars. It’s only one step away from inadequate.
 
“What a difference 22 months of Labour rule makes. Labour is quite good at talking, but fails to do what needs doing. People want a cleaner, tidier borough where they are safe from crime and anti-social behaviour. Like all previous Labour administrations it’s is now presiding over local job losses and a situation where families are cutting back on spending.
 
“Labour’s use of resources is in a mess. It has produced the riskiest possible budget where it relies on luck to save £2.2m on staff vacancies, puts more money into its “back office” bureaucracy and takes £8 million out of front line services. Just one example illustrates this - Labour is taking £1m away from urgently-needed school building repairs in Nunthorpe and Guisborough.
 
“It’s cutting back on “clean and green” improvements, closing care houses for the elderly and putting off employing more wardens.”
 
Lib Dem Group Leader Councillor Chris Abbott said: “How can people trust Labour when they go back on their promises and can’t even get the basic needs of people right?”

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Council today opposed the Labour Council’s plans to increase Council Tax by more than inflation.

The Council today voted to raise Council Tax by 3.75%, taking Band A bills above £1000 a year for the first time ever.

Local Liberal Democrats voted against the rise, calling it “excessive” during a recession.

Councillor Chris Abbott, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at the Council, commented:

“When people are losing jobs, struggling to make ends meet and the country is in the deepest recession for 60 years, a Council Tax rise above inflation is insulting and will do nothing to help struggling households. Money in people’s pockets is the best way out of a recession.”

“It is also unnecessary. Gordon Brown’s Government should be making sure no council is forced to put up Council Tax this year by giving councils  enough money to provide the services people need.”

Councillor Glyn Nightingale, Lib Dem Finance Spokesperson, added:

“The budget is highly risky and speculative. To make savings Labour are relying on staff vacancies not being filled, but how can they be certain that the vacancies will arise? Can they be sure that services will not be affected? It’s a dodgy budget.”

Even Labour’s Cabinet Member in charge of finance admitted the budget was “a big ask”. The Lib Dems think it’s too big an ask. At some stage during the next twelve months Labour will be forced into a re-think. Then local people will be called upon to pay the bill for Labour’s risk taking.

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Council have condemned a proposal to raise the pay of the Council’s Labour leader by 33.8%.

The recommendation to raise the Leader’s special responsibility allowance from £12,550 to £19,710 comes in a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel, to be discussed by the Council on 2 March.

But local Liberal Democrats are horrified by the proposal to increase allowances so much during a recession.

Councillor Chris Abbott, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at the Council, commented:

“At a time when people are losing jobs, struggling to pay bills and the country is in the deepest recession for 60 years, we should not be even considering giving the Leader of the Council such a massive pay boost.

“If Labour vote this recommendation through next week it will be highly insensitive and a slap in the face to hard-working families in our borough.

“It is also particularly galling that the Labour leader himself was such a critic of increases in Councillors’ allowances when in opposition and now in control he wants to almost double his own special allowance.

“Reading the report it is clear that this was more than a recommendation from the Independent Panel. It was, in fact, requested by the Labour leader himself and his colleagues on the cabinet.”

Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have condemned as hypocritical attempts by the Labour Council to boost attendance at its Area Committees.

The Labour Council recently announced a poster campaign to encourage people to attend the five Area Committees.

But Liberal Democrats say that Labour’s interference in the committees is what has put people off in the first place, especially their cynical creation of the Greater Eston Area Committee. This just isn’t working.

When they took power in 2007 Labour immediately merged the Ormesby, Normanby and Eston Area Committee with the Grangetown, Teesville and South Bank Area Committee to create the huge “Greater Eston” Committee.

Attendances have slumped. At the December meeting only two members of the public attended.

Last year, only 2% of public questions came from the Ormesby Ward and about the same number from the Normanby Ward.

Labour Councillors continually usurp public questions raising their own concerns that could easily be dealt with through direct contact with Council officials.

Ormesby Lib Dem Councillor Glyn Nightingale said: 

“There is no rational justification for a local committee covering such a large area and so many people. There is absolutely no need for Labour to be so hung up on controlling every aspect of local affairs. It’s Labour control freakery at its worst. They’ve created an area committee to ensure they have a majority when there are rarely any votes for them to use their majority.” 

“Local people have shown what they think of Labour’s Greater Eston Area Committee. They are simply not going to them. This culminated in the embarrassing meeting in December last year when only two people were there for the meeting.”

“The Area Committee is there for the public - not for Labour councillors to pursue their own agenda.”

A Liberal Democrat Councillor has called on Redcar & Cleveland Council to help local businesses through the “Credit Crunch” by paying invoices earlier than the current 30 days.

In a question at full Council last Thursday, Councillor Chris Abbott, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, asked for invoices to be paid within 10 days instead of the usual 30 days.

Some Lib Dem-led councils such as Sutton, Islington and Kingston are doing this to help the cash-flow of contractors working for the council.

Redcar Liberal Democrats, have produced the Liberal Democrat Calendar 2009.

This A5 black and white calendar features famous Liberals and Liberal Democrats from the past and present. It also features Liberal Democrat Conference dates, Liberal Democrat organisations, with contact details, and County days for those counties which have them.

It is priced at £1 plus only 52p postage no matter how many copies you order.

It is ideal to give to friends as a stocking filler.

Copies can be ordered as follows from:

Gold Printing Society
39 Essex Close
Redcar
Yorkshire
TS10 4BY

Please make cheques payable to Gold Printing Society.

A former fireman who is now a councillor is drawing attention to the effects of funding cuts on Cleveland Fire Brigade.

Liberal Democrat Councillor John Hannon, who was elected to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council in October, will put a motion to a Council meeting next week demanding more funds from the Government for the fire service.

The Cleveland Fire Brigade received a very poor financial settlement from the Government earlier this year. The fire crews continue to provide an excellent service, but the financial pressure will continue to be a problem in the future.

Councillor Hannon commented:

“Just by chance I was in the vicinity when a serious fire broke out in Wykeham Close in Redcar on 25 November. At the time I arrived there were two fire appliances from Redcar. Smoke was billowing out of the roof, all windows and doors and into next door’s roof void. The other bystanders were saying there were people inside. I realised that two teams of firefighters had entered, one from the front and one from the rear with breathing apparatus and two hose reels.”

“This only seemed to leave four firefighters outside, the officer in charge, breathing apparatus entry control officer, pump operator and the second pump operator driver. This situation since the reduced staffing levels concerns me and the general public very much, and has been discussed at local community meetings.”

“The officer in charge obviously requested more help and a third appliance was sent from the neighbouring Grangetown station, with a journey time of about six to seven minutes. On their arrival two more firefighters entered the building as there was obviously still a lot of work to be done inside. If the manning levels were nine firefighters instead of eight this would take the pressure off the others. This additional person (hydrant man) would be dealing with the hydrants, first aid and communications, as well as forming part of a third breathing apparatus crew if required, before the third appliance arrived.”

“The firefighters did a great job, as did staff from Coast & Country Housing and some of the neighbours.”