Chris Whiteside's Blog

“A party that cannot be trusted in relation to Jews cannot be trusted at all.” (Anthony Julius , Lawyer and academic.)

Six days to Thursday 12th December 2019. On that day Britain holds what may be one of the most pivotal  General Elections in our lifetimes. Polls will be open from 7am until 10pm. If you have a postal vote you can put it in the post or hand it in to your local council: for example Copeland electors with a postal vote can put it into the ballot box at the Market Hall in Whitehaven. However, you vote, make sure you use your vote. You have a real choice at this election. Vote Conservative to  Leave the EU, with a deal, by 31st January 2020 Recruit 20,000 more police Boost spending on schools Provide more doctors, nurses and operations in our NHS The biggest hospital building programme in history.

A Conservative majority government will get Brexit done and deliver the transport investment our country needs by boosting local trains, buses and trams in England's biggest cities, and the towns around them - changing the face of local transport around the country, improving quality and delivering value for commuters. By getting Brexit done we can focus on the people’s priorities. Our new, devolved and long-term Local Public Transport Fund will give eight mayoral or combined authority areas the control and certainty of funding they need to invest. £4.2 billion will be allocated to the new fund, with more to come from the Government's promise of £100 billion for infrastructure investment in the new Parliament. Local leaders will also be given significantly more control over existing local rail services, including fares, service patterns, rolling stock and stations.

The next meeting of Cumbria's Health Scrutiny committee will be held at 10.30am at County Hall in Kendal on Tuesday 10th December 2019 This is an important opportunity for councillors to hold the NHS in Cumbria accountable. The agenda includes some very significant reports including 6) Primary Care networks 7) Winter preparedness 8) Recruitment and retention 9) Digital records There are separate reports in all these areas for North Cumbria (e.g. the West, North and East of the county) and for the South Cumbia/Morecambe Bay health areas. Full details of the agenda including reports to the committee are available on the CCC website here .

Here is an important non-election reminder: Copeland Borough Council's consultation  on the local plan is underway and remains open until January 20th. This is an essential step towards sorting out many of the problems in Copeland. The lack of an up-to-date and approved plan is a huge handicap to the CBC planning panel in trying to make the right decisions on planning applications for new development. Britain's planning system is based and has on a presumption in favour of applications which meet the policies in the local plan. It is much easier for councillors and officers to resist inappropriate development if you have an agreed plan which sets out what sort of new housing and other developments the community needs and wants. It is much harder if, as is the current situation in Copeland, your local plan is out of date. It's not just the issues for which Copeland Borough Council is responsible which can better be addressed if there is an up-to-date plan. It will...

"I looked at all the promises on the Labour literature and thought ' how can they afford all this? ' And then John McDonnell admitted the £58 billion promise on pensions which they suddenly added half way through the election wasn't included in the costings for their so-called 'fully costed programme,' and I realised they haven't got a clue how to pay for it either. "Labour ought to remember the band who sang 'Money for nothing and the cheque's for free' were called 'Dire Straits'  and that's what their plans would put the country in." ( Copeland Voter )

Today, with seven days to go, the Prime Minister has been in the East Midlands where he set out the Conservative action plan for the first 100 days of a majority Government – contrasting it with the gridlock and uncertainty that would follow the election of a hung parliament on 12 December. The first 100 days of a Conservative majority Government would see the passing of the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal, a Queen’s Speech to introduce key domestic legislation covering law and order and health and a post Brexit Budget to take advantage of the opportunities before us. By the 22 March, we will have taken the following actions: Changing the law to end the automatic release of serious violent and sexual offenders at the half way point. Launching the biggest review of our defence, security and foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.  Legislating for a funding increase to our schools – raising minimum funding per pupil.  Changing the law to increase the amount that migr...

If there was one endorsement at election time which Labour can usually rely on, it is that of the New Statesman. Not this time. I don't agree with their general approach to politics or with most of the rest of the editorial linked to here which refuses to endorse any party in the present election. But to any reader who thinks that the concerns about Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party are all "smears" put together by the "right-wing press," the fact that a magazine which is sufficiently left-wing to put forward the other views in this article has also published the paragraphs which explain why they cannot endorse Labour under Jeremy Corbyn should come as a wake-up call.

A week tomorrow, Thursday 12th December 2019 is the UK general election. Probably one of the most pivotal British elections in the lifetimes of the people currently alive. Polls will be open from 7am until 10pm. If you have a postal vote you can put it in the post or hand it in to your local council: for example Copeland electors with a postal vote can put it into the ballot box at the Market Hall in Whitehaven. However, you vote, make sure you use your vote. You cannot say you don't have a real choice at this election. Vote Conservative to leave the EU, with a deal, by 31st January Vote Lib/Dem to cancel Brexit and stay in the EU Vote Labour if you want to spend more months if not years arguing about it and have two more referendums.

"A People’s Republic is a place where you do what you are told or get shot. National Liberation Movements are organisations that are trying to create People’s Republics.” ( Thomas Sowell , American Economist)

Rather less seasonally appropriate than yesterday's offering, but far too good not to use!

Nine days to the general election on 12th December Nine days to what is probably one of the most important elections in British history. People involved in politics say that at every election but this one really does look pivotal. On 12th December Britain can either elect a Conservative majority government, which will leave the EU by 31st January with a deal, or a hung parliament which is likely to mean more dither and delay, two more referendums, and another election within a year. Labour is no longer even bothering to pretend that they can afford all the expensive promises they are making. When Neil Kinnock was Labour leader he once said of one of his shadow cabinet members, the Bennite Michael Meacher, that "He just cannot be allowed to go on rushing round like a demented Santa Claus, scattering imaginary tenners from his sleigh.” That quote perfectly describes the Labour campaign in this election. A Conservative majority government will: unleash Britain’s poten...

"If you handed it to us on a silver platter, we want nothing to do with it." ( President Donald Trump on the NHS, dismissing the suggestion that he would insist on the NHS being included in any UK/USA trade talks.)

There are only 10 days to go until polling day! The choice at this election is between a majority Conservative government that will end the paralysis and confusion in Parliament, get Brexit done, and let the country move on OR a hung Parliament bringing more confusion and Corbyn in Downing Street. Only the Conservatives can win a majority – we only need to win 9 more seats to end the gridlock in Parliament. Corbyn can’t win a majority but it is still possible that he might win enough seats in a hung parliament to form an administration propped up by the SNP. Jeremy Corbyn has no plan for Brexit. Under Labour, 2020 would be lost to the chaos of another two referendums – one on Brexit and another on Scottish independence. But with a Conservative Government we can unleash Britain’s potential. Investing in our NHS with 40 new hospitals, cutting crime with 20,000 more police, introducing an Australian style points based immigration system, and giving businesses and families the ec...

"I see no evidence that the NHS and drug prices would be on the table in a negotiation."  "Indeed there is far greater risk of increases in medicine prices and availability from his [Corbyn's] own policy." ( Lord Darzi , former health minister in the last Labour government and one of Britain's most senior clinicians, dismisses the NHS scaremongers currently being put round by the Labour party and criticises Labour policy on drug pricing , saying it will put research collaboration "under threat.")

The Liberal Democrats in Penrith and the  Border have just made the faux-pass of the election campaign so far by putting out a leaflet which says that Lib/Dem policy to tackle climate change will include, quote "insulting every home." One of my colleagues from the constituency responded that the Lib Dems "have been doing it for years." (I presume they had intended to write "insulating every home." ) Definitely a contender for the Freudian Slip award of GE2019. Gave us all  good laugh, anyway!

Our thoughts are with the two members of the public have lost their lives in this attack, and with their families, their loved ones and everybody affected by the attack. We pay tribute to the emergency services, the police, for their bravery and professionalism. We also pay tribute again to the sheer bravery of those members of the public who went to deal with the perpetrator putting their own lives at risk. Today, the Prime Minister has outlined how a Conservative majority government will keep people safe by stopping terrorists being let out of prison early. He said: ‘Since becoming Prime Minister I’ve said we need a big change of direction on violent crime and security. What I have seen over the last 24 hours has made me angry -- it’s absolutely clear that we can’t carry on with the failed approaches of the past… The terrorist who attacked on Friday was sentenced 11 years ago under laws passed in 2008 which established automatic early release. This system has got to end - I...

Today is both the first of December - which is when many people think is a reasonable time for the Christmas season to start - and also Advent Sunday, which is when the Christian churches, who logically ought to have some say in the matter as it is the celebration by Christians of the birth of Jesus Christ, say that the lead in to Christmas officially starts. So after weeks of seeing Christmas decorations and lights all over the place, and hearing Christmas "musak" in various shops, the Christmas season has finally officially arrived. I personally think that the lead in to Christmas is more enjoyable if you celebrate it over the three to four weeks it is supposed to last rather than stretching it for two months starting just before Halloween. Advent Sunday is the first day of the church's year: it is the start of the season when Christians look forward to the coming of Jesus. Here is are two quotes, one from Mother Theresa and one from Pope Bendict, which for me s...

Conservatives are ensuring counter terrorism policing has the resources it needs. At the Spending Round we announced that the budget for counter-terrorism policing would increase in line with inflation, including continuing the additional £160 million announced at Budget 2018, which maintains current counter-terrorism capability and protects officer numbers ( HMT, Spending Round 2019, 4 September 2019 ). We are developing a new Counter-Extremism Strategy to keep people safe. In October our Commission for Countering Extremism published its report, which will inform our new Counter-Extremism Strategy. Our 2015 Counter-Extremism Strategy was the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and our new strategy will reflect the changing nature we face from extremism whilst building on the positive work already delivered ( Home Office, Blog, 7 October 2019 ). We are taking action to ensure there is no safe place for terrorists online. We will legislate to make the UK the safest place in...

Following yesterday’s appalling incident, please see the Prime Minister’s statement below.  'I've just been briefed by the commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police about the events at London Bridge this afternoon and while this is an ongoing investigation, the police can confirm that this was a terrorist incident. And clearly, my thoughts are first with the emergency services, with the police, the bravery that they showed in going towards danger as they do. I also want to pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery of those members of the public who physically intervened to protect the lives of others and for me, they represent the very best of our country and I thank them on behalf of all of our country. I think we are all very saddened also to learn that some people have been injured in this event and our sympathies are very much with them and with their loved ones. Clearly, the Metropolitan Police are continuing their investigations and I...

Yesterday the Conservatives announced how we’ll improve standards in schools by giving Ofsted greater powers and more money – so we can make sure that every child in this country is getting a world class education. This will mean: Longer inspections to be sure of the full breadth of a school’s activity.   No-notice inspections to ensure inspections truly reflect the day to day experience in schools.   £10 million additional funding to back Ofsted.   End of outstanding exemption – meaning all schools will be checked.

Campaigning for the election has resumed today following a pause announced last night as a mark of respect for the London Bridge terror attack victims.

A lot of frost and ice on the ground this morning and through to the early afternoon. Please do take great care if you are out and about.

Responses to the London Bridge terror attack: Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said she wanted "to thank the members of the public who have helped, either by showing extraordinary courage by stepping in to tackle this attacker".  "Speechless. Members of the public with nothing but a narwhal tusk and a fire extinguisher tackle a murderous terrorist. Heroism, pure and simple."  (Matthew Thompson on Twitter) One member of the public ‘ran to the attacker and stamped on his wrist to make him drop the knife he was clutching. ‘Thomas Gray, 24, said he was “just a Londoner doing his bit” and went to the pub for a pint afterwards “to shake it off”’  (Henry Jones on twitter, quoting the Times) "It only gets more British: "Thomas Gray, who was driving his classic mini over London Bridge at the time of the attack, said "One thought was going through my mind - stop the dude. I’ve played rugby for most my life and the rule on and off the...