“The Leader’s debate last week has shown that the Liberal Democrats are a credible political force. Here in The North East, the Liberal Democrats have been Labour’s main challengers for years and have demonstrated that we are able to make a difference once in charge. Our principles set out in our manifesto nationally will also bring a very positive change to the region: our planned tax reform means that people in the North East will have an average £700 extra to spend each year; we will invest £175m into local schools with children from poorer backgrounds to make sure that each child gets a fair start in life; and we will invest in the North’s manufacturing base by improving the region’s infrastructure and refurbishing derelict ports which will enable giant offshore wind turbines to be produced here rather than abroad. The Liberal Democrats are committed to real change for the North East.”Ian Swales (pictured first left) Lib Dem Candidate for Redcar said:
"The Liberal Democrats have the ideas to improve the Teesside economy and are prepared to back them with major investment. Labour have done too little, too late, to deal with the local jobs crisis. Teesside would be a net winner from the Liberal Democrat tax policies and our schools would get a big injection of funds. I hope local people will recognise that we can bring real change after the area has been taken for granted for so long."
“People feel badly let down on Teesside. The Conservatives and Labour have both failed to protect the North’s industrial and manufacturing base. They have both pursued an unsustainable economic model dependent on the City of London. Only the Liberal Democrats have put forward the policies needed to build an economy based on innovation and sustainability for jobs that last. We would break up the banks and get them lending again and our plans for creating jobs by investing in green energy and infrastructure would greatly benefit Teesside.
“Only the Liberal Democrats are really putting fairness at the heart of their policies, raising the income tax threshold to £10,000. In Redcar constituency this would mean people are on average £700 a year better off.
“On education, our Pupil Premium will see an extra £10m invested in local schools, targeted towards the most disadvantaged children and giving every child a fair start regardless of their background.
“Finally, we will clean up politics by giving people the right to sack corrupt MPs.
“All of these proposals will lay the foundation of the just and fair society the people in Redcar constituency want to see.”
Local unemployment is around 4%, the lowest for nearly 30 years. The Government has plans to move well paid civil service jobs out of London which will create more opportunities. Vera Baird's website 2nd December 2007.
“I believe that the hills around Redcar and Guisborough would be an ideal breeding ground for these beautiful birds.The Labour Leader of the Council said he would look into the matter.
“If successful a scheme of this kind would help to boost tourism in our area.
“It is not so long ago that hundreds of people came to Guisborough when an osprey visited the town for about a week.”
Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, has written an open letter to Lord Mandelson urging temporary nationalisation of Teesside Cast Products assets and the unused land on the Corus site.
“We need to make sure we come out of this recession with a rebalanced and green economy.
“Our plans would act as a huge boost for Britain’s budding wind industry and create nearly 60,000 jobs in many shipyard cities where unemployment is a huge problem.
“New off-shore turbines, with blades the size of the London Eye, need to be built and launched from modern docks, so we need to upgrade our shipyards to take advantage of this massive opportunity.
“Just imagine the docks and shipyards in the North East coming to life and leading the world in this new technology.
“Expanding off-shore wind will create jobs but unless we act now, these jobs won’t be British jobs. It’s a scandal that 90% of the £1.75bn contract for a wind farm off the coast of Kent is going to foreign contractors, with the turbines being manufactured in Germany.
“Investing in infrastructure for a new green economy not only helps create jobs now but will allow the North East to take its place at the cutting edge of this growing industrial sector for the future.
“Britain clearly has the manufacturing and engineering expertise to lead the world in this green technology but government must play its part in supporting this.”
"This commitment by the Liberal Democrats is key to ensuring that the jobs that will be created from the development of North Sea offshore wind will be created here in the North East. This region has the skills and capacity to become the European leader in offshore wind and we must make sure that potential is realised. We desperately need some large new businesses in the area to get things moving again."
Ian Swales is pictured (centre) at the Eston Great Park display"These figures are truly shocking. Severe poverty means 1.7million children are living in families who don't have enough money for basic necessities. The children lack basic needs such as a winter coat or a decent bed.
“Labour has failed to tackle child poverty with its complicated tax and benefit tricks. Ministers seem to have run out of ideas. Thirteen years after promising to end child poverty the situation is getting worse not better.
“Our area desparately needs more jobs so that people don't get caught in a long term cycle of deprivation.
“Keith was a well respected, hard-working councillor. He was always cheerful and ready with a joke or two. He will be sadly missed.”
“People have to meet appointments. If appointments are missed, which at present many are, they may have to wait a long time for another to be allocated. Many of the people affected are ill and infirm. It is our duty to help them.”
“People in East Redcar face a similar problem. A circular type route that gives maximum coverage to both these areas and runs from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday would be well used and greatly appreciated.”
Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, has made a submission to Parliament's North East Regional Committee inquiry into Corus.Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, is abolishing an exemption for charities from music licensing rules – hitting them with huge bills for holding events with recorded music. Community groups say they will be forced to abandon hundreds of services for the elderly and children because of the new rules. Abolition of the exemption will affect old people's homes, charity discos, tea dances, youth clubs, salsa groups, sports clubs, coffee mornings and even charity shops which have a radio in their staff room.
Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar said "this is a typical New Labour move. A hasty change to legislation with no consultation and little thought of the consequences. Once again we can expect a public outcry, more Government spin and a complicated climb down. In the meantime I will have to eliminate the music round from the occasional quiz that I run for a local organisation.
"I have never wished to imply that Corus were motivated to profit from unused carbon allowances. But the situation remains very unclear.Full statement issued by Bob Jones (Group Head Media Relations) on behalf of Corus:
"It is vital that the Government and Corus come forward now with a clear statement about what is going to happen to the 7 million tonnes of annual CO2 allowances.
"Clarity on this issue goes hand in hand with supporting the efforts of local Corus managers to save the TCP plant in Redcar."
"The Teesside Cast Products plant is to be partially mothballed, which is not the same thing as permanent closure. The question of what is to happen to TCP's 2010 allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme is therefore undecided. But any allegation that Corus has been motivated by the desire to profit from the mothballing via the ETS is totally without foundation and insults the efforts of all those who have spent the past eight months desperately searching for a long-term viable future for the plant."
Any hope that the Government will support the local steel industry while it looks for a buyer who will invest in the site looks to be over. A £60m package of investment announced by the Government makes no mention of a future steel industry. Lord Mandleson, speaking after a meeting with the area's business and political leaders, said the investment was designed to help the area's transition beyond traditional heavy industry. He seems to have given up on Teesside's core industries."This confirms what we have thought all along, that the Government has no commitment to a future steel industry on Teesside. It's a very sad day for local people.
"The package announced is welcome but in the short term will do little to help the 25,000 currently out of work in the Tees Valley or the thousands about to join them.
"The Government also need to be clear about how the £60m will be spent and how much of it is new money. The £30m announced for Wilton does not sound like anything new compared to what has already been proposed.
"People will rightly be very sceptical about claims that this investment will create 3,000 new jobs."
A Redcar Councillor, who is the wife of a local steelworker, has hit out at the Government's announcement of £60m which she feels is not going to to help the steel industry?
Reacting to the news of Corus closure, Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar said:
