Ian Swales pledges support for NSPCC General Election campaign to protect children

Ian Swales, Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar, has pledged to support the NSPCC’s ‘I stand for children’ campaign which aims to make child protection a priority for the next Parliament.

Ian Swales said:

“Many residents have contacted me to raise awareness of the NSPCC’s valuable work and I am supporting the NSPCC’s new campaign to ensure protecting children is a political priority: I Stand for Children.”

The NSPCC’s campaign is calling on all candidates at the General Election to commit to a range of child protection measures including:

* Making the internet safer for children
* Continued funding of helpline services for children and for adults concerned about the safety or welfare of a child
* Tackling domestic violence from a child's point of view
* Ensuring that vital child protection reforms are fully implemented and resourced, following the death of Baby Peter and other child deaths since
* Provision of resources for vital therapeutic services for children who have experienced abuse
* Strengthening the role of the children's commissioner in England to act as a genuinely independent voice for children.

The charity’s Diana Sutton, head of the public affairs and campaigns unit at the NSPCC, said:

“We need to make sure that the next elected Government keeps child protection high on its list of priorities. By signing up to our campaign, candidates in this next general election can help. The public can play their role by letting the politicians know what they want done.”

Sir Alan Beuth MP shocked at Ashok Kumar MP’s ‘sudden accidental death'

Commenting on the news of Ashop Kumar’s ‘sudden accidental’ death, Sir Alan Beith says:

"I was shocked to learn of Ashok Kumar's death. He was a much liked and respected MP with whom I worked on a number of national and regional issues and he will be greatly missed."

Bring Red Kites to Redcar & Cleveland Say Lib Dems!

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Abbott is asking Redcar & Cleveland Council to contact the RSPB to see if red kites can be released into the wild here.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds recently launched a successful scheme of this kind in the Leeds area and in other parts of the country.

Chris, who represents the Newcomen ward of Redcar, said:

“I believe that the hills around Redcar and Guisborough would be an ideal breeding ground for these beautiful birds.

“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.”

The Labour Leader of the Council said he would look into the matter.

Time the Evening Gazette stopped the Labour bias

The posting immediately below this one, dated 22nd February 2010, is a press statement from Ian Swales Prospective Lib Dem MP for Redcar calling for the Corus site to be nationalised.

The press statement was ignored by the Evening Gazette who today publish a front page lead reporting that Stockton Labour MP Dari Taylor has called for the Corus site to be nationalised. Ian's press statement points out that a letter was emailed to Peter Mandelson.

On 18th December this blog reported that Ian Swales had produced a detailed plan outlining a positive future for Corus, which was also ignored by the Gazette until early in the new year. This plan was also emailed to Peter Mandelson.

Are local MP's being passed on these ideas by Mandelson's office?

Why is it that the Evening Gazette concentrates only on the platitudes of local Labour MP's and ignores the positive ideas being put forward FIRST by Ian Swales?

Nationalise Corus site - Swales

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.

He said: "We have to make sure that Corus can't get in the way of a sale to a credible buyer. They should also be made to give up spare land that is needed for other new business opportunities. Leaving a huge site unused and increasingly derelict will do nothing to help the Teesside jobs crisis."

North East Economic Forum

Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, was a guest speaker at the North East Economic Forum annual meeting at Ramside Hall, Durham. The theme was North East England and the Low Carbon Economy. Other speakers included Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and Environment Minister Ed Miliband.

Ian took the opportunity to talk about the economic crisis on Teesside and the great opportunities that the area presents. Building on the existing businesses, assets and skills of the area, there's every chance to make Teesside a powerhouse of new low carbon technology and manufacturing. We're open for business!

Teesside Cast Products is definitely shutting down

News that Teesside Cast Products is definitely shutting down has been greeted with dismay by local Liberal Democrat campaigners.

Ian Swales prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar constituency said, "I am shocked that, despite all the talk, there has been no solution to this problem. With the right intentions from the company and the Government, this site could have been saved and turned back into a world class steel producer. Closing the site is industrial, economic and social vandalism. The news is devastating for the area.

"It's now time for urgent government action. The package they have already announced will do little for the thousands losing their jobs or the thousands more already out of work. One of their first steps should be to move a major Government agency from the overcrowded South East to the Tees Valley. They have been promising this for years."

Lib Dem Leader on Redcar and Cleveland council Chris Abbott said, "This is a real setback for our area but we must continue to keep up the pressure on the Government to provide real jobs in our area."

Liberal Democrats launch plans to tackle high street crisis

Liberal Democrats in Redcar constituency have set out plans to revitalise local high streets, protect the future of the Post Office, and help small businesses establish and grow in a fairer marketplace.

The announcement comes as research shows that more than one in six Teesside shops is now empty after the recession. Middlesbrough and Stockton are amongst the worst hit centres in the country.

Ian Swales, prospective MP for Redcar constituency said.

“Even before the credit crunch hit, independent shops were disappearing fast from our local shopping centres. Things will only get worse if Corus TCP closes.

“The Government’s skewed planning system has seen supermarket giants squeeze the life out of towns like ours and now all our high streets have the same mix of charity shops and chain stores.

“We need thriving high streets in our area, with real character that allow local businesses to survive and grow.

“The financial crisis has exposed Labour and the Conservatives’ folly of being entirely dependent on the City of London. The Liberal Democrats understand that it will be small businesses and manufacturing that are key to building a healthy and balanced economy.”

Liberal Democrats launch green jobs manifesto pledge for Teesside

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today set out a manifesto pledge to create 57,000 jobs by investing £400million upgrading disused shipyards to enable the production of off-shore wind turbines.

Nick Clegg launched this latest plank of the Liberal Democrats’ economic stimulus and job creation package. The proposals would enable firms to manufacture off-shore wind turbines in the UK, instead of seeing them built abroad due to out-of-date facilities.

Current plans to expand wind farms in the North and Irish seas could see every one of the 6,400 turbines needed brought in from abroad, as there are currently no turbine manufacturers in the UK. Analysis by the One North East Regional Development Agency shows attracting wind turbine manufacturing to the region could bring economic benefits worth as much as £1.9 billion.

British ports and especially those in the North East are ideally located to host turbine manufacturers due to their proximity to the off-shore wind farms; however, they are currently unable to invest due to the lack of appropriate docks with suitable space.

The Liberal Democrat proposals to invest in physical infrastructure to support a greener economy also include a pledge to invest £100million in training and testing facilities, including at universities in the North East.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

“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.”

Prospective MP for Redcar Ian Swales, who has been campaigning hard for new jobs on Teesside, said:

"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."

Praise for Velodrome idea

Ian Swales is pictured (centre) at the Eston Great Park display

with current European 500m sprint cycling champion for his
age group, Derek Thurrell (left) and his wife Yvonne.

Redcar and Cleveland Council have announced plans for a possible cycling velodrome at the regenerated Eston Great Park.

The idea has been welcomed by Ian Swales, prospective Liberal Democrat MP for the area.

He said "this would be a terrific addition to the facilities of the area. With only two other velodromes in the country at Manchester and Newport in Wales, a local velodrome would attract people from a wide area.

Teesside has a great cycling tradition and has still produced many champions like current stars Chris Newton and David Daniel, despite having no local facilities. I hope the Council will be able to put a funding package together for the building and ongoing running of a velodrome.

Lib Dems condemn Labour handling of care home closures

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?”

Child poverty figures are a disgrace

Commenting on the report by the New Policy Institute showing an increase in the number of children living in severe poverty since 2004/05, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, Ian Swales said:

"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.

Doctors receive £15m in ‘ash cash’ payments – Swales

Doctors working in hospitals earned almost £15m last year in so called ‘ash cash’ payments made by grieving families, figures released by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. The payment is made to doctors to sign a form releasing a body for cremation.

Commenting Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, Ian Swales, said:

“This is a well established practice but you really can’t justify taking money off grieving relatives when this involves nothing beyond most doctors normal working hours.

“People are at their most vulnerable after the death of a loved one and the last thing they need is these extra charges.

“The NHS is meant to care for people from the cradle to grave but these charges undermine that principle.

“The Government must take action to put an end to this practice as soon as possible as it simply cannot be justified.”

Before a deceased person can be cremated, two certificates stating the cause of death have to be signed, one by the doctor who attended the deceased before death, and the other by a doctor of at least five years’ standing.

Normally the undertaker arranges for the certificates to be signed and pays a fee, often known as ‘ash cash', to the two doctors. The amount of the fee is then included in the charge which the undertaker makes to the deceased person’s estate. Doctors currently receive £73.50 for each cremation form they sign on top of their NHS salaries.The fees for forms 4 and 5 are paid by the funeral director who will almost invariably pass the cost on to the relatives.

Former Councillor Keith Blott

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.”

Over 15,000 local pensioners will miss out on Cold Weather Payments – Ian Swales

Over 15,000 Teesside pensioners will miss out on Cold Weather Payments triggered by the recent weather, according to analysis of Government figures by the Liberal Democrats.

Cold Weather Payments of £25 a week are paid to people on low incomes who receive a qualifying benefit, such as Pension Credit, which goes unclaimed by as many as 1.7m pensioners across the country.

Commenting, prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Redcar constituency, Ian Swales said:

“It is a scandal that local pensioners on the breadline are missing out on these payments, worth an estimated £375,000.

“Fuel prices are at an all time high, making Cold Weather Payments all the more important to people already struggling on a poverty pension.

“Labour has failed pensioners by creating a complicated system that makes it difficult for them to get the help they desperately need.

“The Government should be making every effort to identify pensioners who are missing out and get them this extra cash.”

People can get Cold Weather Payments worth £25 when temperatures are below zero degrees Celsius for seven consecutive days when they claim a qualifying benefit.

2. Pension Credit is a qualifying benefit yet Department for Work and Pensions figures for 2007-08 (the most recent available) show that between 1.1m and 1.7m pensioners who are poor enough to qualify for Pension Credit do not claim, meaning they won’t receive Cold Weather Payments to help with fuel bills during the recent cold snap

Lib Dems Demand Bus Services to new Redcar Hospital

Liberal Democrat councillors in Redcar will this week demand better bus services from Dormanstown and East Redcar to the town’s new hospital.

At present people in Dormanstown have to catch two buses or face a long walk to the new Redcar Primary Care Hospital.

Not only that, the new complex is now the location of several local GPs.

At this Thursday’s meeting of Redcar & Cleveland Council, Dormanstown Councillor Eric Howden will ask the Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways to demand a better service from bus operators.

Eric said:

“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 puts fairness at the heart of the Liberal Democrat campaign

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will fight the General Election on four key principles, designed to make Britain a fairer place.

PPC for Redcar constituency, Ian Swales, has today set out his campaign priorities: fair taxes; a fair start for every child; fair, clean and local politics and a fair, green economy with jobs that last.
Ian Swales said:

“Local people have been let down by their politicians and are rightly frustrated. I am going into the election with a clear direction and a manifesto that is short, direct and to the point.

“We will introduce fairer taxes by closing loopholes for the richest, introducing a tax on mansions and tax cuts of £700 for everyone else.

“If your child is at school in this constituency, we can promise investment to help reduce class sizes, improve discipline and develop one-to-one tuition.

“We would also give you the right to sack your MP. The Liberal Democrats are the only party committed to real change of our political system, flushing out big money and corrupt donors and reducing the number of MPs by 150.

“And we will rebuild the economy in every part of Britain in a way that promotes green technology and creates lasting jobs. We will put an end to casino banking, bring back competition and support local entrepreneurs to make sure businesses can find the money they need to grow.

“The coming months are a crucial time for politics and I will be using them to focus on these four priorities and delivering real change for our area.”

In his speech to launch the campaign, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg said:

“David Cameron and Gordon Brown are playing the politics of the airbrush and the focus group.

“One doesn’t know what he believes. The other doesn’t know what to do with the power he clings to so desperately.

“I believe the country wants something different. The Liberal Democrats are different. We offer credibility where it’s needed. And hope for our common future.”

Ian Swales - A Positive Plan for Corus

Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, has made a submission to Parliament's North East Regional Committee inquiry into Corus.

His document "a Positive Plan for Corus Teesside" was published before Christmas and has already had a good reception from Corus managers, Union officials and local politicians.

The plan calls for investment at Corus to reverse the fortunes of the declining site and suggests ways in which this could be financed.

Ian Swales said: "If Corus and the Government want to see it happen, Teesside could once again become a world leading site for the production of steel. What's needed is investment to put right the neglect of the last ten years and to introduce new technology. I have listed many opportunities including ideas to reduce the energy use and cost base of the site. A good example is to get on with building the giant windfarm that was approved way back in 2004. Short term subsidies may help the programme happen but are not the answer for the long term. My plan would create jobs, not destroy them, and get Teesside's heart beating again. The local community deserves nothing less than a serious attempt to make this happen."

How should Redcar and Cleveland Council be run in the future?

Redcar and Cleveland Council wants the public to get involved in a consultation about how it is run in the future.

Following a change in the law there will be two options to choose from, both different from the current system.

The choices - a Council Leader and Cabinet or a directly-elected Mayor and Cabinet - will be the subject of three months consultation in January, February and March and depending on the result, there could be a referendum in the summer.

The Council's existing arrangements involve 59 councillors elected every four years. The Leader and ten-member Cabinet are elected by the majority party on an annual basis.

The option of a Council Leader and Cabinet is similar to how the Council is currently run, all 59 councillors would decide who will be the Leader. Then the Leader would select their own Cabinet, appointing up to nine councillors, including a Deputy Leader. The Leader would remain in office for four years and could only be removed by a vote of no-confidence by the whole Council.

As in the existing arrangements, a Civic Mayor would continue to be appointed annually to carry out ceremonial and other duties.

The second option is for a directly-elected Mayor, elected by local people, and Cabinet. The directly-elected Mayor, who would serve for four years, would also select their own Cabinet, appointing up to nine councillors, including a Deputy Leader.

The differences are that the directly-elected Mayor could not be removed from office by the whole Council and, under this system, the title of Civic Mayor would probably disappear, although the Council could appoint one councillor to carry out these duties under an alternative title.

People can give their views through the Council’s website, by post or in planned group discussions and surveys. Depending on the results we may hold a public referendum in the summer of 2010.

You can write to Communities Team, Town Hall, Fabian Road, South Bank, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, TS6 9AR, email to , visit or call 01642 774774.

The new arrangements need to be in place three days after the next local elections in May 2011.

Mandelson to abolish exemption for charities from music licensing rules

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.