Chris Abbott celebrates 300th Focus newsletter

Long-time community campaigner and Redcar Councillor Chris Abbott is today celebrating the publication of the 300^th edition of his Newcomen Ward “Focus”.

The unbroken series of newsletters began in October 1984, raising issues of council house rent, fly-tipping and asbestos. The “Focus” newsletter has always been about community politics and getting things done for local people issue number one carried the tag line: “It’s often the little things that really matter to people”. Thirty years later, Cllr Chris Abbott continues to work by this premise.

Commenting, Chris Abbott said:

“We have come a long way since the early days when we produced Focus on a typewriter, cut and paste headlines with Letraset and hand drawn graphics.

“Although we now have good quality printing facilities, all the work is still produced and distributed by volunteers at no cost to residents.

“It’s been a pleasure to support the local community these past thirty years and I look forward to many more.”

Liberal Democrat MP for the Redcar Constituency, Ian Swales commented:

“This is an incredible achievement for Chris Abbott.

“It goes to prove that Liberal Democrats are passionate about our local area and work all year round for the benefit of communities.”

Redcar Lib Dem slams Labour over crime

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Abbott has condemned Labour councillors who today implied that crime in Redcar & Cleveland Borough is the result of benefit cuts.

After falling considerably in 2012-13, this year’s crime figures in the borough have so far shown a small increase overall.

At today’s Borough Council meeting Labour Councillor Ian Jeffrey blamed this on Government cuts to benefits. However, as Lib Dem Councillor Chris Abbott points out, most of the rise this year is due to anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, not people stealing food.

Chris Abbott said:

“Crime has fallen massively under the present Government. Today’s figures from the Crime Survey of England and Wales show crime falling to the lowest level since 1981.

“The rise in crime in our borough is due to anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, not people stealing food to feed their families.

“To suggest that being on a low income causes crime is an appalling insult to the vast majority of people on low incomes who are law-abiding.

“Whilst Labour make irresponsible excuses for criminals, the Lib Dems are on the side of law-abiding people and the police.”

Ian Swales MP re-selected to fight for Redcar

At the January meeting of Redcar Constituency Liberal Democrats this evening, Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar Constituency, was unanimously reselected to stand in the 2015 General Election. 

Ian, who was elected with the biggest swing in the country in 2010, has been a strong voice for Redcar Constituency and the region in Parliament. He he serves as Lib Dem Treasury Spokesman, has been Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Chemical Industry and as the only trained accountant on the influential Public Accounts Committee. 

Locally, Ian has overseen the beginning of a new future for manufacturing on Teesside - with huge sums of Government money to create jobs and stimulate growth here, than anywhere else in the country. Unemployment is now at its lowest level since 2009 and according to the North East Chamber of Commerce, the indicators for business sales and jobs are the best since 1995. He campaigned hard to get the steelworks restarted and has taken up thousands of cases for local people since 2010. 

Nationally, Ian has been at the forefront of campaigning for a stronger economy and a fairer society: tackling the cost of living by giving hard working people a £700 tax cut, freezing fuel duty and extending free childcare; introducing the triple lock guarantee for the state pension - an extra £800 a year so far; giving our children the best start in life by introducing free school meals for infants and giving more money to schools for the less advantaged; and providing opportunities by creating 1.2million new apprenticeships and one million jobs, so far. 

Commenting on Ian's reselection, Josh Mason, Chair of Redcar Constituency Liberal Democrats said: 

" Ian is a local man with exactly the experience of industry and business we need to get our area back on its feet. He's made a huge impact since being elected in 2010. We're very lucky to have him!" 

On his own reselection, Ian commented: 

"I'm delighted that the Liberal Democrats have put their faith in me to represent them again at the next general election.

"After decades of decline - with falling employment and failing industry over successive Labour and Tory Governments, there's no quick fix for our local economy. But things are definitely starting to improve here - manufacturing is increasing all the time and unemployment is at its lowest level since 2009. 

"I hope to be able to continue the fight we've started to bring jobs and prosperity back to our area."

Lib Dems condemn housing payments scandal

Liberal Democrats have uncovered a scandal involving hundreds of people in Redcar & Cleveland Borough being denied help by the Labour Council.

The Government has given the Council £429,000 for Discretionary Housing Payments following the removal of the spare room subsidy.

But with only ten weeks of the financial year left, the Labour-controlled Council has used less than half of the money to help people who need it.

Cllr Chris Abbott, Lib Dem Housing Spokesman, commented:

“It’s a scandal, especially as local Labour activists have been scaremongering and condemning the Government as hard-hearted.

“George Dunning’s Labour Party must explain whether they are being incompetent or whether they are depriving people of help for party political reasons. It’s one or the other.

“If people need help and the Government has given the money, they should get it.”

Redcar MP Ian Swales added:

“The Government knew this policy would cause initial problems for some people. That's why they gave a large sum to the Council.

"I'm shocked that the Council has so much left. It looks like they’ll have to hand money back to the Government when they should be supporting hard pressed local residents.”

Lib Dems condemn Labour’s Local Plan

Councillor Glyn Nightingale (left) pictured with
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Councillor Chris Abbott (right).

Liberal Democrats in Redcar and Cleveland Borough have criticised the Labour Council for its poor consultation over its new Local Plan.

 The draft Local Plan includes over 1000 new houses at Marske and over 450 in Ormesby. Labour says that the area needs more houses, even though all the indications are that the population of the borough will continue to fall.

Lib Dems are particularly worried that the proposals will allow building on greenfield sites, increase the risk of flooding, and will massively increase traffic. This is why Lib Dems voted against the Local Plan at Council. It was passed only because of the casting vote of the Labour Mayor.

Lib Dem Council Group Leader Glyn Nightingale said:

“Those affected have not been told directly by the Council about houses being built near them. Instead people have found out through rumour and local newspapers that their lives may well be significantly changed by these developments.

“The Council has let people down by not thinking their plans through properly. These proposals will diminish people’s quality of life by increasing traffic and the risk of flooding.”

Lib Dem Housing Spokesperson Cllr Chris Abbott added:

“We have held a series of meetings with the Director of Regeneration aimed at scrutinising aspects of the Draft Local Plan that take away sections of school playing fields, areas that are prone to flooding and green fields in general.

“We have made it very clear that we do not support development on these sites and have called for new housing development on brownfield and clearance sites only. Sites prone to flooding should be avoided at all costs.”