Liberal Democrat councillors in Redcar and Cleveland have condemned Labour’s handling of care home closures in the Borough.

The Labour council is proposing to close the four care homes it owns in Guisborough, Redcar, Ormesby and Brotton. Their future has been in doubt for many months now, causing uncertainty and insecurity for the residents, their families and staff.

Liberal Democrats believe that, whilst there is clearly a trend towards new purpose built private sector care facilities, it is vital to retain at least one public sector home in the Borough which can also provide respite care. Local Authority homes have always been more expensive to run, but the emphasis has been on care for the elderly and not profit.

Lib Dem Prospective MP for Redcar, Ian Swales, said:

“Labour has dithered around for far too long on this issue, causing uncertainty and stress for residents, their families and staff. The Council has already introduced a £25 charge for day care centres, deterring people from attending. Now it’s clear that the Council intends to close all its elderly care homes.”

“The Council’s consultation was inadequate and offered very limited options. The Council only examined two possibilities.”

“Clearly the current situation cannot carry on, and some of the homes have to close. However, it is the Council’s duty to provide a safety net of care for those who need it.”

“Can the Council guarantee that suitable alternative accommodation can be found in time, to avoid disruption and upset for people who need care?”

Redcar & Cleveland Liberal Democrats have paid tribute to former Borough Councillor Keith Blott, who died last week aged 83.

Keith served as councillor for the West Dyke ward between 1999 and 2007.

Outside of politics, Keith was a local football referee and worked with young offenders. He loved travelling and visited Australia, Africa and Canada.

Group Leader Chris Abbott said:

“Keith was a well respected, hard-working councillor. He was always cheerful and ready with a joke or two. He will be sadly missed.”

Redcar and Cleveland Liberal Democrats are celebrating their fourth by-election win in Redcar constituency in just over twelve months.

Candidate Ann Wilson cruised to victory in the Ormesby Ward by-election with a majority over Labour of 874. The result was as follows:

Ann Wilson (Lib Dem)..1084 (73.5%; +12.4%)
Steven Goldswain (Lab).210 (14.2%; -5.1%)
Martin Bulmer (UKIP)…103 (7.0%; +7.0%)
Colin Jones (Con)…….77 (5.2%; -14.4%)

Majority 874
Turnout 29.55%

Lib Dem hold

The by-election was held due to the resignation of long serving Lib Dem Councillor Eric Empson and was the sixth in just over twelve months in Redcar constituency. The Lib Dems have taken three from Labour and held one. Labour have held two.

New councillor Ann Wilson, who lives in the ward, said:

“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of highly respected Councillor Eric Empson. I will do my best to repay the confidence people have placed in me and I look forward to representing the views all residents of Ormesby Ward regardless of their political affiliation.”

Lib Dem Prospective MP Ian Swales said:

“The result is a massive boost for the Liberal Democrats in Redcar constituency and is most encouraging for the coming General Election campaign.”

Ormesby Ward Councillors Glyn and Irene Nightingale said:

“We are delighted that the residents of Ormesby and Nunthorpe continue to have confidence in the Liberal Democrats.”

The composition of the Council is now:

Labour - 25
Liberal Democrats - 16
Conservative - 11
Independents supporting Labour - 4
Independents – 3

In Redcar constituency Liberal Democrats now hold 16 seats, to Labour’s 16 and the Tories 3.

Former Redcar & Cleveland Council Leader Eric Empson has today announced his resignation from the council.

Eric, who will be 85 next month, has represented Ormesby on the Council since 1989, initially on Cleveland County Council and later the borough council. He led the council from 2003 to 2007, when the Council achieved a 4-star rating.

But Eric feels the time is right to step back now.

Eric said:

“After discussions with my doctor I feel my health will not allow me to continue to represent the people of Ormesby and Nunthorpe to the full.”

“I was proud to serve as Leader of the Council. It was a special privilege to represent my fellow citizens in local, regional and national forums.”

“I would like to thank the people of Ormesby and Nunthorpe for electing me, and thank everyone who has worked with me as a councillor.”

Councillor Chris Abbott, Liberal Democrat Group Leader at the Council, said:

“I thank Eric for his excellent hard work over the years. His experience and wisdom will be missed by many.”

Lib Dem Group Chair, Councillor Irene Nightingale, who also represents Ormesby ward, added:

“It has always been a pleasure to work with Eric in helping local constituents. Local residents will miss his dedication in representing their interests.”

Liberal Democrats came within an ace of taking Labour’s safest seat on 17 September. 

Steven Abbott improved the Lib Dem vote, on a lower turnout in Labour’s safest seat to move within 88 votes of winning South Bank ward in the by-election.

The result:

Sue Jeffrey (Lab)…………442 (43.6%; -6.3%)
Steven Abbott (Lib Dem)……354 (34.9%; +12.8%)
Vince Smith (Ind)…………102 (10.1%)
Martin Gordon Bulmer (UKIP)..69 (6.8%)
Joan Bolton (Con)…………47 (4.6%; -0.1%)

Turnout 21.3%
Majority 88
Lab hold
9.55% swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats
The result last time (by-election in 2008):

Marilyn Bramley (Labour)…. 652 (49.9; -0.6)
Toni Meir (Liberal Democrat) 288 (22.1; +12.3)
Bernard Collinson (BNP)….. 206 (15.8; +1.4)
Oz Sadiq (Independent……. 101 (7.7; -7.3)
Joan Bolton (Conservative .. 59 (4.5; -5.8)

Turn out 27.6%
Majority 364
Lab hold
Swing 6.45% Labour to Liberal Democrats
Percentage change is since May 2007
(Based on highest placed candidate for each party in 2007, when all three vacancies in South Bank ward were up for election)

Redcar Liberal Democrats completed a hat trick of sensational victories from Labour in less than twelve months when Eric Howden won the Dormanstown By-Election held on Thursday 23rd July.
 
The result was as follows:
 
Eric Howden - Lib Dem 805
Richard Green - Lab 515
Lynn Payne - BNP 145
Joan Bolton - Con 73
 
For the third time Labour has lost its overall majority on the Council. After the previous two by-elections Labour managed to persuade one of the Council’s seven independents to help them cling onto power.
 
Candidate Eric Howden said:

“I am delighted we have won. It was an extremely professional campaign by the Lib Dems. I will do my best to repay the confidence they and the people of Dormanstown have placed in me.”
 
Prospective MP for Redcar, Ian Swales, said:

“This is a terrific result for the Liberal Democrats. It’s clear that people have had enough of Labour both locally and nationally. This is yet another election showing that it’s the Liberal Demorats who can beat Labour here.
 
“We had an excellent candidate in Eric Howden and I’m sure he will do a great job for the people of Dormanstown.”
 
Councillor Chris Abbott, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Council said:

“The cock has crowed three times for Labour and it is time they got the message. In the two years they have been back in control of the Council they have destroyed all the good work the previous Lib Dem led Coalition had achieved.”
 
The composition of the Council is now:
 
Labour - 25
Liberal Democrats - 16
Conservative - 11
Independents supporting Labour - 4
Independents – 3
Vacant - 1
 
In the town of Redcar Liberal Democrats now hold 10 of the 15 seats, to Labour’s 4 and the Tories’ 1.

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.

There are now 14 Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. We are the main opposition to the Labour/Independent administration.

By-elections

During the year, there were three by-elections. Guisborough was caused by the death of a Conservative councillor, and was held by the Tory candidate. There was no Liberal Democrat candidate.

The Kirkleatham by-election (2 October) was caused by the death of a Labour councillor, and was won very convincingly by Liberal Democrat John Hannon, with over 50% of the vote in an award-winning campaign.

John Hannon (Lib Dem)     1031
Paul Dixon (Lab)                  486
Brian Mundy (Con)              204
Dawn Castle (BNP)              106
Turnout 36.8%

The South Bank by-election (16 October), due to the resignation of a Labour councillor, was held by Labour. The Liberal Democrats moved into second place with a 6.5% swing to our candidate, Toni Meir.

Marilyn Bramley (Labour)               652 (49.9; -0.6)
Toni Meir (Liberal Democrat)         288 (22.1; +12.3)
Bernard Collinson (BNP)                206 (15.8; +1.4)
Oz Sadiq (Independent)                  101 (7.7; -7.3)
Joan Bolton (Conservative)            59 (4.5; -5.8)
Turnout 27.6%

Council Meetings

There have been nine full Council meetings in the year (with one to come), at which the Lib Dem Opposition played a full and active part, using motions and formal written questions.

In March we opposed the 4.9% council tax increase, as Labour failed to find efficiency savings.

In March we opposed closure of four post offices in the borough, and exposed the hypocrisy of Labour MPs voting for closure of post offices in Parliament but then fighting to keep them open in their constituencies.

In May we questioned the way the council decided to demolish the footbridge over the B1380 at Ormesby.

In October we asked probing questions about the money the council has invested with Icelandic banks.

Other Action

As well as trying to get policy adopted by the Council through motions, and holding the Cabinet to account by asking Questions in Council, Liberal Democrat spokespersons often speak at Council and our members on Scrutiny Committees play a full part at their relevant meetings. We can claim to influence policy on occasions.

In January we campaigned (partly successfully) against £50k worth of cuts to voluntary organisations, many of which help vulnerable women and children.

In April we attempted to uncover why taxpayers are asked to pay £25 million a year for ill-defined “Other Services”.

In July we supported Travelodge’s “Save Our Seaside” campaign, calling on the local MPs to sign a Lib Dem Early Day Motion in Parliament.

We also fought the scrapping of Road Safety Committees, and raised fears about small parades of shops in the borough becoming too dominated by take-aways.

And, of course, individual Lib Dem Councillors have taken up local issues with officers and Cabinet members and attempted to resolve them.