NYCC – Labour Group back where it belongs

Posted on 15/05/2013 by Eric Broadbent

Today at County Hall the successful Labour Candidates in the May 2013 North Yorkshire County Council election took their seats - the seven of us, four from Scarborough and three from Selby were enormously pleased to be back where we had worked so hard to be.

There was it has to be said a view that there should be more of our Labour comrades sitting with us, as the public rightfully showed that they were fed up that their views were not being represented by the past Tory/ Lib Dem/ Independent Councillors on North Yorkshire County Council and wanted the Labour voice back to articulate their hopes, wishes and views at County Hall..

Our Labour Councillors will now give those disenchanted voters a platform they can turn to, and make their views known with confidence that our Labour Group will do their utmost to promote their wishes,

Best regards

Eric Broadbent, Labour Group Leader on. North Yorkshire County Council,

Councillor Eric Broadbent, Labour Central Ward Councillor.

Tackling the energy crunch – help is on the way

Posted on 15/05/2013 by Cllr Colin Challen

Once again news has emerged of how big energy companies have been working together to fix prices. This time it is big oil, in the recent past it has been big energy utility companies seeking to maintain high prices. The poor consumer has to pay the price. Many more people now face fuel poverty.

That’s why I am pleased that the Borough Council has taken up my proposal for an energy advice shop, which will be run initially for a trial period of one year. It will be based in Hanover Road, near Scarborough rail station and opens on Saturday, 18^th May. The object of the shop is to provide an independent focal point for residents to learn more about energy efficiency in the home, renewable energy, energy ‘switching’ (where consumers can pool together to bulk buy energy at lower cost) and other money saving devices like water meters. More …

No censorship at SBC?

Posted on 15/05/2013 by Cllr Colin Challen

A full meeting of Scarborough Borough Council took place on Monday (13^th May) and I was a little nonplussed to be at the receiving end of a sustained attack from another member – and member of the Cabinet to boot – about a piece I had written on this website about the new standards regime. The new regime seems pretty toothless, and part of the problem is that it doesn’t seem to be benchmarked against the seven ‘Nolan’ principles of public life, rather it takes a very narrow view of what may constitute improper behaviour. I cited the MPs’ expenses scandal having raised the public’s scepticism about the handling of allowances and expenses, etc. as a reason for taking a broader view of what is acceptable and what is not.

This does not seem to have gone down well with some members, not least the Cabinet member who at the full council meeting suggested I should no longer have a place on the Standards Committee. More …

David Billing – County Councillor for Woodlands

Posted on 06/05/2013 by Cllr David Billing

Life suddenly feels empty.For the past few weeks every day has been occupied for at least some of the time by leafletting or knocking on doors.This will I know be only a temporary feeling of having all the time in the world because I have already had to give apologies for a meeting because I can’t be in Northallerton and Scarborough at the same time.

But getting my priorities in order I give heartfelt thanks to all the people who helped me during the campaign.And before I get too egotistical about the victory I was elected by the wonderful support of 7.3% of the Woodlands electorate!

By the way I do wonder if there will be any demand on eBay for a used North Yorkshire County Council alderman’s badge because I have one going spare.

I hope having got today’s bank holiday out of the way life will assume some reality though being involved in local government I have my doubts.

Meanwhile, though I do not know what committees I will be on, any constituent with any queries please contact me.

The Labour Group will be led by Eric Broadbent and its secretary will be John Ritchie.

More to come in future.

John Ritchie – County Councillor for Falsgrave and Stepney

Posted on 06/05/2013 by Cllr John Ritchie

Well we did it! And when I say “we” I mean we. It would take me weeks if not months to get round and thank everyone for their messages of support and congratulations.

The past couple of days have been clouded by beer and a fog of emotion I’m afraid, and I’m only just getting round to thanking people. More …

Billing’s blog – ’twas the eve of the election….

Posted on 01/05/2013 by Cllr David Billing

The day before the election and the troops came out in force in the Barrowcliff area of the Woodlands division to support my campaign.
Linda McAvan MEP, Cllr Tracy Simpson-Laing, executive member on York City Council, Borough councillor Steve Bairstow who represents Woodlands, Holly a member of Linda’s staff, Sam Prest who is standing for Hovingham and Sheriff Hutton and a noble sacrifice from Cllr John Ritchie taking time off from fighting to gain Falsgrave and Stepney. My grateful thanks to them all.
After a tour round a wonderful Labour child care initiative, the Surestart centre on Briercliffe which I believe I helped to bring to this area of Barrowcliff (one of 10% most deprived areas of the country), an excellent fish and chip lunch at Alleyways in Falsgrave then to work.
We visited Labour promises in the streets around Barrowcliff School, a polling station, and the results were encouraging with our support holding up. Let us hope they turn out but the positive feeling seems to be across the division and it stretches from Burniston Road to the top of Stepney Road.

But our success depends on you turning out

to put a dent in the Tory hegemony of North Yorkshire, in Yorkshire language ‘stuff ‘em!‘

David Billing
Labour councillor, Central ward

Home 01723 361415
Mobile 07813139130

Does anyone sober join the Labour Party?

Posted on 01/05/2013 by admin

That was the question asked on BBC Radio 4′s ipm programme on 29 September. One of the respondents was our very own Joseph Hughes who explained why he has finally taken the leap to join the party. More …

That was the campaign that was

Posted on 01/05/2013 by Cllr Colin Challen

With a few moments to spare from a hectic round of county council electioneering, I thought for purely philanthropic reasons I would analyse some of the campaign ‘literature’ (as we prefer to call it) or ‘junk mail’ (as unattached readers may wish to call it) that has plopped through people’s letterboxes the last few weeks. This service is brought to you in the interests of truth and transparency – of course.

I was inspired to read an independent leaflet for a candidate in Northstead Division, which was generously delivered to electors in Castle Division. This says “Independents have to work three times harder than Labour, Conservative or LibDems to get elected and retain office.” I wonder how many LibDems would agree with that statement this year – they may have to work 10 times harder than the ‘Independent’ and still not get elected. It may not have occurred to the writer of this particular leaflet that where there are three candidates standing for one seat, they may all have to work three times harder to get elected – but two never will! The leaflet goes on to make a number of claims, none of which stand up to much logical scrutiny either. Take my word for it. More …

Spital Bridge – part 2

Posted on 29/04/2013 by Diana Jeuda

Useful meeting with Town Councillor Ian Havelock about the Spittal Bridge Tip. The attached picture shows what the site currently looks like – even after the site leaseholders, (Wharton Skip Hire) has supposedly started work clearing it. It’s still an unhygienic and dangerous eyesore. The Environment Agency has issued Wharton’s with an order to clear it by May 10th but it’s unlikely that this will be the end of the problem.
Spital is the WRONG place to have a building materials tip.
It wasn’t great when it was the main houshold tip for the town – but at least it was well run with an orderly arrangement of skips which were regualrly emptied and always clean.
A far cry from Wharton’s operation. More …

David rescues rabbit – all in a day’s work for a councillor!

Posted on 24/04/2013 by Cllr David Billing

Councillor David Billing Local councillors are often asked to perform many tasks but on my way back home today I was asked if I knew to whom the rabbit in the middle of the road belonged.

I did not but my sister, a retired school mistress, ( sic) did of course and of course also knew who had asked me and to whom the rabbit belonged. She is my elder sister and of course a school teacher.

The lop-eared rabbit disappeared under a wagon but when it emerged nuzzling a little rubber ball along, I was able to scoop Eddy the buck up and present it back to its owner whom my sister had alerted.

Sadly, they live in the wrong electoral division, well that’s life.

Back to reality, wasted time canvassing this morning. The only family I made contact with can’t really be bothered.

Well at least all the exercise I’ve expended leafletting appeared to have produced a blood pressure level my general practitioner is happy with.

Please do not waste your right to vote. Remember those who fought to obtain it for you and that those who opposed it, particularly for women, are the very ones now intent on slashing child care and maternity benefits.

Scarborough and Whitby Labour Party

Labour for the Yorkshire Coast