MEP backs Toni

18 years old Toni Meir has been selected for South Bank Ward in the By Election to be held on 16th October. Tina is pictured between North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall and Redcar's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Ian Swales

Redcar and Cleveland Council is currently Labour controlled by one vote with two by-elections pending in Labour held Wards. Kirkleatham Ward polls on 2nd October and South Bank Ward on 16th October.

980,000 Lib Dem voters read the Daily Mail

Posted by Chris:

I was interested to read the posting by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice about why he reads the Daily Mail. I was surprised to learn that 980,000 Lib Dem voters read the paper. I thought I was the only one.

My reasons for reading the Mail are nothing to do with the political coverage, though I do wish they gave more balanced coverage to the Lib Dems. I like the Coffee Break pages with a choice of eight Sudoku puzzles and a crossword that I can actually do. I always go straight to the Questions page were I often find very interesting answers to questions submitted by readers. The only thing Glynis likes about the paper are the recipes but still buys it for me every morning. The sports coverage is good too.

If it is true that 980,000 Lib Dem voters read the paper then it is time this was reflected in the editorial content of the paper and it was drawn to the attention of the nasty-pasty columnists who seem to have nothing but snide remarks to make on the rare occasions that Liberal Democrats are mentioned.

Changes to Kerbside Recycling Collections

The following information is being distributed to residents in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland by letter.

From Wednesday 1st October, the kerbside recycling collection service will transfer from an external contractor to the Council.

This transfer will mean a slight change to the way we collect your green box (glass and cans) and blue bag (paper).

From Wednesday 1st October, two vehicles will collect your recycling. One will collect your glass and cans and a second vehicle will collect your paper (these two collections will take place on the same day).

Please take your green box and blue bag to the front of your property by 7am as usual for collection and do not remove until both the green box and blue bag have been emptied by our collection teams.

Please note your collection day will remain the same.

The advantage of changing to this new method is that both vehicles (similar to refuse wagons) can carry more. This means less travelling time for the wagons as the number of trips to unload is significantly reduced. It also reduces the risk of contamination resulting in better quality recycling products.

The Council is committed to improving service delivery and customer satisfaction, should you require any further clarification regarding this matter then please do not hesitate to contact the Council’s Contact Centre on 01642 774774, or email contactus@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk. Further details are also available on the Council's website: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Labour MP Vera Baird's fit of pique

The Liberal Democrats By Election campaign in Kirkleatham Ward, Redcar, received a boost yesterday from an unlikely source - Labour MP Vera Baird.

Lib Dem campaigners fell about laughing when they read a letter from the out of touch MP that was published in the Evening Gazette.

Obviously miffed by an item in Focus she complains that we referred to her office as the 'Justice Department' and claims we need to do our homework better. We made the reference simply because it was clearer and shorter English than her official title Solicitor General in the Attorney General's office.

Why would a Government Minister bother to write a letter about that? Clearly she was rattled because we exposed the fact that her Department had "sneaked in new rulings increasing the likelihood of criminals -even murderers - serving only half their sentence."

The leaflet she refers to was distributed in Kirkleatham Ward and not Guisborough as she claimed in her letter. Ms Baird should know, really, that Guisborough is not in her constituency and the Lib Dems did not even have a candidate in the Guisborough By Election that took place on 11th September.

Lib Dems give youth a chance at South Bank

The South Bank Ward By Election has provided Liberal Democrats with an opportunity to introduce 18 years old Toni Meir to front line line campaigning. Toni (pictured) may be the youngest ever candidate for Redcar and Cleveland Council.

"I am delighted that we giving a young person a chance. Toni would be an excellent advocate for South Bank and I am sure that she will do very well for local residents," said Ian Swales the Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar.

The By Election takes place on 16th October.

That Clegg Speech

Nick Clegg's speech was excellent but who were all those Colonels and QCs that have been appearing on the platform all week?

Winter times for Household Waste Recycling Centre

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Household Waste Recycling Centres at Warrenby and Dunsdale will be reverting back to their winter timetables from the 1st October until 31st March 2009.

The winter timetables are as follows:

Warrenby
Weekdays: 1pm - 5pm
Weekends: 8am - 5pm

Dunsdale
Weekdays: 8am - 12.30pm
Weekends: 8am - 5pm

Items accepted at the two sites include asbestos, brick/rubble, car batteries, electrical goods, gas bottles, mattresses, waste oil, scrap metal, soil, textiles, tyres and wood.

Theresa's March - More Pics

Theresa's march for peace on our streets

Posted by Chris:

I took part in Theresa Cave's 'Peace on our Streets' March through Redcar today with John Hannon (pictured centre), Liberal Democrats Candidate in the Kirkleatham By-Election. Also pictured (front) is our 8 years old Granddaughter, Charlotte (front) who also took part, along with 4 years old Daniel who is not pictured. Daniel took the event very seriously and marched the whole way just like a soldier.

People attended to support Theresa from Sunderland and Leeds and it ended in front of Redcar Town Clock with speeches and music.

DISMAY AT LOSS OF FOUR STAR STATUS

Liberal Democrat Councillors on Redcar and Cleveland Council have expressed dismay at the loss of the Council’s Four Star Excellent Status following the latest Audit Commission Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

The previous Lib Dem led Coalition worked its heart out for four long years to progress the Council from Two Star ordinary to Four Star Excellent and in 16 short months the new administration has dragged us back down again.

“I am dismayed at this performance. It is like being relegated from the Local Government Premier League. With the huge amount of Council Tax that local people have to pay the very least they should expect is for us to retain our Excellent status. But instead, all the chaotic Labour Administration has produced is “Performing Adequately.” Adequate is only one step up from inadequate. This means the Council has definitely lost its Four Star Excellent status.

The Audit Commission say that the Council must 'speed up delivery' of its services, it is not linking finance to service delivery and there is a 'need for robust delivery plans'.

Prospective Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Ian Swales said: "It now looks like our Labour Council is being run just as badly as the Labour government"

Where does the Labour Candidate live?

Four candidates have been nominated for the Kirkleatham Ward By-Election for Redcar and Cleveland Council, on 2nd October.

Lib Dem challenger, John Hannon, pictured above, is the only candidate who lives in the Ward and appears to be the only one who actually lives in Redcar.

The Tories have chosen Brian Mundy who lives getting on for three miles away in Wilton Village and the BNP have put up someone who lives over six miles away in Guisborough.

But the biggest mystery is where does the Labour Candidate Paul Dixon live? He has put his address as 39 Cypress Road, Redcar, more than two miles away on the other side of the town from Kirkleatham Ward, but he is not registered to vote there. If YOU know please contact us by clicking on the comments button below.

Roman remains found in a farmers field near Loftus

Redcar and Cleveland Council is inviting the public to step back in time a staggering 1,600 years to see how the Romans laid the foundations for a settlement with fantastic views over the North Riding countryside.

Freelance archaeologist Steve Sherlock, whose painstaking work in a farmer's fields near Loftus uncovered evidence of Anglo-Saxon royalty last year, has returned to the site - and been able to go even further back in time in the latest dig.

Aerial photographs first guided Steve's Iron Age research project to the location in 2004, showing evidence of an Iron Age enclosure, then last year, the site revealed 109 Anglo Saxon graves, dating back to the seventh century.

A hoard of brooches, pendants and beads was also uncovered in superb condition and a gold brooch - a bracteate - will go on show in a special display at Redcar's Kirkleatham Museum this week.

Steve, who has been helped by volunteers from Teesside Archaeological Society, is thrilled and surprised by the look-out station, discovered just inches below the surface.

An open day on Sunday, September 7, from 10.30am-4pm, including guided tours at the site will clearly show visitors the entrance to the building, a cobbled road leading to the entrance and the stone foundations.

Sunday's open day will also feature a craft session for people to paint a clay replica of the brooch, then have it glazed while they tour the site on a visit, expected to last 20-30 minutes.

To reach the site, drive to Loftus Town Hall, turn on to North road, then right on to Micklow Lane, following the narrow road and then veer right on to Street House. Parking on the grass verge, opposite a row of terraced cottages, is limited.