Ensus shows what is needed on green jobs, say Lib Dems

The Government must rethink business regulation in order to make it easier for new companies to set up on Teesside, say North East Lib Dems Fiona Hall MEP and Redcar Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Ian Swales, following  a visit to the Ensus biorefinery plant at  the Wilton site in Redcar, which came online earlier this year.

The Ensus plant, the largest biorefinery in Europe, produces bioethanol, high protein animal feed substituting for rain forest soy meal, and non-fossil carbon dioxide for the drinks industry. It has created 100 jobs on site and around 2000 in the supply chain.

Said Ian Swales:

“Ensus is a success story and shows how the Wilton site, where I used to work, is transforming itself with the new technologies of the 21st century.

“The British business regime is difficult for any new company trying to get off the ground. Holland and Germany are much more user-friendly. If we don't make it easy for new enterprises to base themselves on Teesside, then they will go elsewhere.”

Commented Fiona Hall:

“The message we heard at Ensus is that European-level regulation is helpful, because it gives investors certainty. But much more needs to be done at a UK level to get new green jobs off the ground. That is why support for green jobs is a key commitment from the Liberal Democrats.”

 

Lib Dems carry the torch for North East Olympic hopes

North East Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to bring the Olympic flame to our region as part of the UK celebrations in 2012.

Led by Berwick’s MP Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrats from around the north east have written to Lord Coe as Chairman of the London Organising Committee asking for the flame to visit the North east. Other signatories are: Fiona Hall MEP, Cllr John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council; Cllr Jeff Reid, Leader of Northumberland County Council, Ron Beadle, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle North; Greg Stone, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East; Carol Woods, parliamentary spokesman for Durham City; and Ian Swales, parliamentary spokesman for Redcar.

Sir Alan Beith said

"The Olympics is a wonderful opportunity to encourage many people to get involved in all kinds of sporting activity. Bringing the Olympic flame to the north east will remind people that although the focus of the Games is London, we can all get involved.

"The Lib Dem team presented Lord Coe with a letter inviting the Olympic Flame to the North East at an event to promote London 2012 at the recent Lib Dem party conference in Bournemouth."

Simon Hughes MP in Redcar to support Fiona Hall

Fiona Hall Liberal Democrat Euro Candidate and Simon Hughes MP visited shops in Redcar town centre on Tuesday 26th May to carry out a survey on how small businesses are coping with the recession.

Simon Hughes is the Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and MP for North Southwark & Bermondsey.

Pictured left to right Simon Hughes MP, Cllr Chris Abbott, Cllr Irene Curr, Fiona Hall MEP, Ian Swales Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar, Cllr Josie Crawford and Cllr Glyn Nightingale.

What a pleasure it was to see Simon in Redcar and what a good reception he received. The last thing he did before heading off for another engagement was to "have a look at the sea from our superb beach."

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.

Government Minister campaigns against Government decision!

Vera Baird MP has been campaigning against the closure of Lazenby Post Office. She joins a long list of Labour Ministers campaigning locally against their own national decision to close 2,500 Post offices.

Ian Swales, the Liberal Democrats Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar said:

"They should have listened to local people before taking the decision not afterwards.

"The Government is killing the post office network by withdrawing business such as TV Licenses and Car Tax, by restricting what they can do and by restricting their opening hours. Our MP should be campaigning in Parliament to save the Post office network not engaging in cynical local publicity stunts. Only the Liberal Democrats have firm plans to turn round the Post office business and rescue the network.

"Liberal Democrats in Redcar & Cleveland are campaigning against the closure of four post offices in the Borough and for the reopening of the post office in Roseberry Shopping Centre. Councillor Dunning, Leader of the Council, has been telling residents in Lazenby that the survival of their post office is the Council's priority. It seems he has already admitted defeat on the others. Labour's gimmicky campaign is phoney. They made the decision to close the post offices in the first place.

"We need all our post offices to survive and for plans to be put in place for them to prosper. Along with Fiona Hall MEP I have presented the first batch of 1000 signatures on our petition to save the post offices to Sarah Teather, MP Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise."

Sarah Teather MP, who is pictured (attached) receiving the petition from Ian Swales and Fiona Hall MEP said:

"The Government should be helping local Post Offices to develop their business rather than forcing more and more of them to go to the wall."

Fiona Hall tops the list for Euro Elections

Fiona Hall MEP tops the list of three North East candidates selected by the Liberal Democrats to contest the Euro Elections in 2009.

1. Fiona Hall

2. Chris Foote-Wood

3. Neil Bradbury

The full list for England can be viewed here.

Fiona's Little Helper

Posted by Chris:

When our three year old grandson, Daniel, asked to come with me this morning when I set out to deliver Focus and Fiona Hall MEP's Annual Report I readily agreed.

Carrying Fiona's glossy leaflet along with Focus is heavy work and by putting the carrier bag on the push chair solves that problem.

What I didn't expect was Daniel's willingness to help. We went on our delivery round with Daniel holding some of the leaflets in his lap and handing me one of each when we got to a garden gate.

He was happy as Larry singing Postman Pat and using his favourite cbeebies phrases like "we'll get the job done in no time."

With Focus No 255 now being distributed in Newcomen Ward we must be one of the most frequent in the land having delivered No 1 in October 1984, though I am sure someone will be along to say they have produced more in their Ward?

Redcar & Cleveland Lib Dems Election Campaign gets off to a flying start

Posted by Chris:

Redcar and Cleveland Council has received 160 nominations from 85 men and 75 women for the Borough's 59 seats in 22 wards at the Thursday, 3rd May poll.

The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party in the Redcar Parliamentary constituency with a full slate of candidates in all the constituency wards.

The Lib Dem campaign has got off to a flying start with the launch of our excellent manifesto "No Turning Back" on Friday with a visit to Redcar and Brotton from Greg Mulholland MP. Greg gave our Candidates a real boost and everybody is well motivated for the campaign. Our manifesto can be viewed in full on the local party website http://www.redcarlibdems.org.uk/.

Yesterday we got the excellent news that the Planning Committee approved by nine votes to two our flagship Coatham Links Development, that will bring 200 jobs to Redcar and top quality leisure facilities and housing. We are getting our swimming pool back after ten years of being about the largest town in the land without a pool. In fact, we are getting two pools, a swimming pool and a leisure pool. I can't wait for the work to get started it will revitalise an area that is run down and I am absolutely convinced it will help to kick start Redcar's economy.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that two of the Labour Councillors voted for the scheme, in spite of the fact that the local MP has threatened to call in the decision. If she does the swimming pool will be set back yet another year. There are no genuine grounds to turn it down, I am convinced of that and calling it in in could put grant funding at risk.

Today we had a visit from the lovely Fiona Hall MEP. Fiona visited the Coatham Links site, where work is about to start on the improvements to the boating lake area (see picture above with Glynis and I). This did not require planning permission and would have gone ahead regardless of yesterday's decision. Fiona spent a lot of time with candidates in a number of wards including the solar energy scheme that Coast & Country Housing have installed on flats around the Closes Estate in our ward, the flood defence work recently carried out in Skinningrove.

We look forward to a packed month of intensive campaigning that may well surprise our opponents.

Promoted by C. Abbott 39 Essex Close, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 4BY, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, of 39 Essex Close, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 4BY.