Excellent news as the North East Combined Authority has been conditionally accepted to Phase Three of the One Public Estate programme.
The programme brings together all public sector bodies within a locality to work together to develop a radically new approach to managing their land and property.
In each area the programme will deliver significant savings as well as providing better and more integrated local services in places that are more convenient for users. They will also release land and property, which can be reused for housing and new enterprise, boosting local jobs, growth and house-building.
Since its launch in 2013 One Public Estate has supported 32 councils in England, which are set to create an additional 20,000 jobs and around 9,000 homes; raise £129 million capital receipts from land and property sales, and save £77 million on running costs. Northumberland County Council have been welcomed on board in Phase Three with a grant of £130,000. The council now has an opportunity to build a strong partnership and develop a full programme of ambitious projects to be delivered as part of One Public Estate. I sincerely hope they grasp this fantastic opportunity so they can become fully integrated into the project.
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
Sunday, 3 January 2016
Rreflections on how Labour are faring in the North - does Labour's win in Oldham spell good or bad news for Labour in the long term?
This from the Labour List website makes interesting reading:
http://labourlist.org/2015/12/the-tories-lost-elections-when-they-didnt-understand-modern-britain-labour-is-at-high-risk-of-doing-the-same/
At the by election I spent some time campaigning in Oldham. Even by Greater Manchester standards I think we arrived during monsoon season. The wind was biting and the rain was relentless. I was in Oldham to support our candidate Cllr James Daly in the by-election, with a team I’d brought down from the North East. Oldham West and Royton is one of three seats which cover the Borough of Oldham. This seat, covering the western part of the borough, was once as Labour as they come. In fact, Labour have held the seat on various boundaries since the 1970’s, and in May 2015 - even under Ed Milibands’ ill-fated leadership - Labour racked up a majority of 15,000.
Labour chose a strong local candidate, and he won well. The question is whether this win was a win for Jim or Corbyn? Some were highlighting how poorly Jeremy Corbyn was resonating with those on the doorstep, even as there was disdain for the hard left, north London, elitist direction in which Jeremy has taken the Labour Party. According to YouGov, Corbyn was the first opposition leader in polling history to start off his tenure with a negative rating. Since then things have worsened – Corbyn’s personal ratings have slumped even further - to minus 20. Locally, Labour tried not to talk about Corbyn because the simple truth is that he does not have mass appeal. Corbyn’s supporters argue very robustly that general consensus does not matter – and that he is reenergising Labour with those that matter. However, the gulf between Labour’s target voters and Corbyn’s supporters is visibly growing day by day. 71% of Corbyn supporters believe that competition among private companies does more harm than good, compared to just 25% potential Labour voters.
It is little wonder then, that when asked who they trust more to improve the economy, 40% of voters say the Conservatives, and only 23% say Labour. Under Corbyn’s leadership, this 17-point lead is the Government’s greatest since Labour lost power.
Even amongst declared Labour voters, only 56% trust Corbyn over the Conservatives on the economy. In other words, of the nine million people who voted Labour in the General Election, around four million now tick the boxes that they trust the Conservatives more, neither party, or simply ‘don’t know’. That is a notable decline in the short time since Corbyn and MacDonnell took over. Support from northern voters, who had previously stuck by Labour, has been rejected in favour of the nodding approval dog from the Twitter echo chamber.
Perhaps less well known is that members of Corbyn’s left-wing faction, Momentum, have already ousted a Labour MP’s husband as a local Labour campaign co-ordinator here in the North East - after allegedly claiming they had “a mandate to assume control.”
The long-standing members of the North West Durham Labour Party found their AGM packed out, and Paul Simpson, who actively campaigned for Mr Corbyn’s leadership was voted in as Mr Glass’ enforced replacement.
http://labourlist.org/2015/12/the-tories-lost-elections-when-they-didnt-understand-modern-britain-labour-is-at-high-risk-of-doing-the-same/
At the by election I spent some time campaigning in Oldham. Even by Greater Manchester standards I think we arrived during monsoon season. The wind was biting and the rain was relentless. I was in Oldham to support our candidate Cllr James Daly in the by-election, with a team I’d brought down from the North East. Oldham West and Royton is one of three seats which cover the Borough of Oldham. This seat, covering the western part of the borough, was once as Labour as they come. In fact, Labour have held the seat on various boundaries since the 1970’s, and in May 2015 - even under Ed Milibands’ ill-fated leadership - Labour racked up a majority of 15,000.
Labour chose a strong local candidate, and he won well. The question is whether this win was a win for Jim or Corbyn? Some were highlighting how poorly Jeremy Corbyn was resonating with those on the doorstep, even as there was disdain for the hard left, north London, elitist direction in which Jeremy has taken the Labour Party. According to YouGov, Corbyn was the first opposition leader in polling history to start off his tenure with a negative rating. Since then things have worsened – Corbyn’s personal ratings have slumped even further - to minus 20. Locally, Labour tried not to talk about Corbyn because the simple truth is that he does not have mass appeal. Corbyn’s supporters argue very robustly that general consensus does not matter – and that he is reenergising Labour with those that matter. However, the gulf between Labour’s target voters and Corbyn’s supporters is visibly growing day by day. 71% of Corbyn supporters believe that competition among private companies does more harm than good, compared to just 25% potential Labour voters.
It is little wonder then, that when asked who they trust more to improve the economy, 40% of voters say the Conservatives, and only 23% say Labour. Under Corbyn’s leadership, this 17-point lead is the Government’s greatest since Labour lost power.
Even amongst declared Labour voters, only 56% trust Corbyn over the Conservatives on the economy. In other words, of the nine million people who voted Labour in the General Election, around four million now tick the boxes that they trust the Conservatives more, neither party, or simply ‘don’t know’. That is a notable decline in the short time since Corbyn and MacDonnell took over. Support from northern voters, who had previously stuck by Labour, has been rejected in favour of the nodding approval dog from the Twitter echo chamber.
Perhaps less well known is that members of Corbyn’s left-wing faction, Momentum, have already ousted a Labour MP’s husband as a local Labour campaign co-ordinator here in the North East - after allegedly claiming they had “a mandate to assume control.”
The long-standing members of the North West Durham Labour Party found their AGM packed out, and Paul Simpson, who actively campaigned for Mr Corbyn’s leadership was voted in as Mr Glass’ enforced replacement.
Election
result’s aside, the revolution, comrades, is already underway.
And if the reshuffle rumours are true then labour MPs in e nor east who are not 100% Corbynista in fact, word and deed will know that their time is shortly up.
And if the reshuffle rumours are true then labour MPs in e nor east who are not 100% Corbynista in fact, word and deed will know that their time is shortly up.
Friday, 1 January 2016
2016 will see the Tynedale Community Bank truly take off
A Local organisation, providing Local savings and loans, to local people, with dividends and profits going back to local people and local causes.
I do not think this is too much to ask.
And today this is a reality.
I want a bank that is based in the community, run by someone from that community, with profits going back to that community - like a German Sparkassen .... rather than that which you call Lloyds / HSBC or another of the big banks, who are based so far away in so many ways, and who struggle - despite the best efforts of local staff - to be a truly local bank.
To that end we have done many things:
First we have changed the law to make it easier to set up local community banks and enhanced credit unions. I spent a large part of the last parliament doing this.
Then we started by setting out our vision and an idea of a community bank / beefed up credit union would look like and work upwards from that. For more details of what our plans are read here:
http://www.saveoursavers.co.uk/banks/guy-opperman-mp-on-plans-for-regional-banks-and-how-to-fix-the-banking-industry/
We have set out to convert people locally with regional banking events in Gateshead and elsewhere covered by the media and featuyring local successes in banking:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/guy-opperman-hosts-meeting-regional-4391940
Finally, we are taking steps to expland our offer to cover not just those in fuel poverty but anyone who is struggling with pay day lenders and / or are unbanked; we are also unashamedly seeking to attrract middle class savers, which is the perennial failing of an old style credit union. This has been a journey of many years but we have much more news to follow. I am spending a lot of the spring and summer taking this forward.
We are now beginning to take shape locally with
- a number of local champions across Tynedale
- a proper board of key local supporter and community leaders
- a partnership, and common bond, with the Prince Bishops Bank in Stanley, County Durham
- a formal proper launch today, after several months of soft launches, visits to interested parish councils, oil buying clubs, and discussions with clergy and commuinties.
We are fully regulated and your money is as secure as is it were in a high street bank.
As always, we need volunteers interested in contributing by action or outreach, fundraising and engaging with the wider community. This is an utterly apolitical project. Anyone interested should get in touch with me and I will pass on details of the key players taking forward this exciting project in our community.
Or you can visit our website at www.tynedalecommunitybank.org.uk
Application forms can be found there too.
I do not think this is too much to ask.
And today this is a reality.
I want a bank that is based in the community, run by someone from that community, with profits going back to that community - like a German Sparkassen .... rather than that which you call Lloyds / HSBC or another of the big banks, who are based so far away in so many ways, and who struggle - despite the best efforts of local staff - to be a truly local bank.
To that end we have done many things:
First we have changed the law to make it easier to set up local community banks and enhanced credit unions. I spent a large part of the last parliament doing this.
Then we started by setting out our vision and an idea of a community bank / beefed up credit union would look like and work upwards from that. For more details of what our plans are read here:
http://www.saveoursavers.co.uk/banks/guy-opperman-mp-on-plans-for-regional-banks-and-how-to-fix-the-banking-industry/
We have set out to convert people locally with regional banking events in Gateshead and elsewhere covered by the media and featuyring local successes in banking:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/guy-opperman-hosts-meeting-regional-4391940
Finally, we are taking steps to expland our offer to cover not just those in fuel poverty but anyone who is struggling with pay day lenders and / or are unbanked; we are also unashamedly seeking to attrract middle class savers, which is the perennial failing of an old style credit union. This has been a journey of many years but we have much more news to follow. I am spending a lot of the spring and summer taking this forward.
We are now beginning to take shape locally with
- a number of local champions across Tynedale
- a proper board of key local supporter and community leaders
- a partnership, and common bond, with the Prince Bishops Bank in Stanley, County Durham
- a formal proper launch today, after several months of soft launches, visits to interested parish councils, oil buying clubs, and discussions with clergy and commuinties.
We are fully regulated and your money is as secure as is it were in a high street bank.
As always, we need volunteers interested in contributing by action or outreach, fundraising and engaging with the wider community. This is an utterly apolitical project. Anyone interested should get in touch with me and I will pass on details of the key players taking forward this exciting project in our community.
Or you can visit our website at www.tynedalecommunitybank.org.uk
Application forms can be found there too.
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