Phone conference on Health issues

Again with my Regional Lib Dem hat on I had the privelege of being part in a telephone conference with Paul Burstow, Minister of State for the Department of Health.  A most interesting discussion where Paul gave us quite a bit of information about progress on the reforms to the Health and Social Care Bill, and listened to concerns.  Sorry cannot reveal what was said at this stage, but I did feel a lot of relief that despite all the problems it has created, thank goodness we are part of the coalition, and able to have some influence on what is happening.
It all goes back to February this year, when a number of us signed to support an amendment to a motion on health policy.  I was able to be there and vote to make sure that amendment went through.  The rest is history to be made.

Equal representation

With my President of the North East Liberal Democrats on I was at a meeting in Darlington with some people from the Party's Diversity Office.  Some good thinking and planning as to how we can better increase the number of people we have that are either women, people with disablities or from ethnic minorities not just in parliament, where past efforts have been made, but as Councillors, on Party decision making bodies and in public life.  Interesting ideas and plans will evolve from here onwards.

I was rather pleased that thanks to my lesson the night before from Halyey I was able to use my new phone to navigate the way from the station at Darlington to the meeting place.  Well done me !

The new Council begins

The annual meeting of the Council, and it didn't seem at all strange not to be part of it, but a very interested onlooker.  What made the day for me was seeing Julia Cherrett and Elliot Kennedy (now the Councillors for Bishopgarth and Elm Tree Ward) getting on with the business as I walked in.  A huge relief to know that the ward is in good hands.

Not a relief at all to know that the future of our Borough is with a strange coalition of Labour and Ingleby Barwick Independents.  Not a hint in anything said of any policy base for this coalition, but there seems to be a nice sorting out of seats on Cabinet, but even worse on the running of select committees that scrutinise how services are being run - Labour and IBIS have all the chairs and vice chairs except for 4 to share out amongst 23 other councillors.  Call that real scrutiny ? really ?

put the debate on whether AV was complicated to shame

Women Bishops was the subject of the Stockton Deanery Synod (a sort of Council of representatives of the Church of England in Churches north of the river in Stockton).  It was a special and important meeting, so I decided to go to that, even though I was also supposed to be presenting the revised constitution to the Northern Region Lib Dems (choices, choices !), but then what are mobile phones for.
The meeting was much more interesting than I thought it would be, after all I had already decided some time ago that women Bishops had to be.  Nothing is that simple though, and much of our debate was around how to address the issue of how to accomodate people who could not accept women Bishops.  How very different from party politics, especially locally.  "A vote of one's enough" was the catch phrase of one Labour Leader here, warmly embraced by his followers  Get the vote through, do what you want and blow anyone else is the mentality.  Everyone else can like it or lump it.  Is the result the best for the people being governed ?  The best model of governance ? well I leave you to answer that one.
Then for a most interesting way of voting.  Deanery Synod does not have a vote that counts on the issue, that is taken by the Diocesan Synod (governing body for the area between Tees and Tyne), but what we decide colours  how those reps vote.  We could of course have had a show of hands on each of the points we were considering.  However we were asked to take a post it note (the stronger the colour, the stronger we felt about the issue) and post along the wall of the Church.
Firstly how we felt about having women Bishops.  For at the end near the altar, against the other end, and anywhere between for shades of opinion.  That was easy for me.
Then how we felt on how strong the framework should be on accomodating those who could not accept women Bishops.  I, and I strongly suspect others, were glad of the opportunity to be able to express our view in a way that was not "black and white".
Our Discesan Reps were then able to view and ponder on what people thought, and the strength of that opinon.   Puts the debate on whether AV was complicated to shame - yes it was complicated in a way, but showed very clearly just how people felt on the issues.

Caught up!

caught up at last with the blog, and intend to keep a proper track from now on!  A day off, and decided to dodge the showers and see the bluebells.  It was lovely to see these in Newton Wood below Roseberry Topping.  As we sheltered under a tree during a shower I tried to find out location on the GPS on the new mobile phone - but the battery ran down before I could manage to open the right bit.  So much for technology.  I did enjoy the walk - but knees not working well now :-(

John was counting Christian Aid collections tonight, and sad to say the amount is down from last year, probably.  From some of the reactions I have picked up I do wonder how much is about cuts in people's income and how much a feeling that we should not be sending money "abroad".

7,793,778 voters want it

Lots and lots of clearing out going off in our house – again not retirement, but hopefully some room for sorting many of our papers that we now want to have better access to.  One thing found was this sweatshirt.  It says “"7,793,778 voters want it".  Now I think it relates to the Liberal / SDP Alliance vote in the 1983 elections.  Any further ideas ?  Also some badges relating to PR (Proportional representation), one of which demands “PR by 84” – doesn’t say which century though !

The All Party party

One of the downsides of being a Councillor is that there is no such thing as “sick leave”, so I suppose it is a bonus that having a nasty bug during the week meant that I didn’t have to worry about keeping up with the Council work!  However not my idea of retirement.  However I have managed to do lots of doorstep work with Christian Aid (maybe doorsteps are my second home), Jack’s birthday tea, and a Thank You party for the Eaglescliffe Ward Lib Dems (I did deliver all of the road I live in!).  Lib Dems do know how to say Thank You.

Then there was the “All Party, Thank You Party” for Council Officers that myself and other retired Councillors held in the Town Hall.  We think around 80 came, and it was a great opportunity to have the chance to say a proper goodbye and “thank you” to the wonderful staff.  Here is a picture of the Councillors who did the organising (minus John who had popped out for a minute).

Helping people out of poverty

Christian Aid week begins today, and we were able to go to the very good service in Yarm to start us off in the week.  As you may have seen the theme is “helping people out of poverty”, and it was very encouraging to see and hear how relatively small amounts can make huge and life changing differences to those who receive the Aid.

Thank you time, which means Party Time.  Stockton Lib Dems say thank you to all who helped and worked in the election campaign, so a welcome chance to relax and enjoy the company of fellow members.