Chris Whiteside for the North

 

 

Out campaigning with a great team in York today, supporting Keane Duncan for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and Julian Sturdy MP. Listened to Holst's rousing music to relax when I got home.

I was actually campaigning in York today, but I was reminded of something I saw on a previous campaign session in Yorkshire (in Ormskirk)

Congratulations and good fortune in the campaign to Peter Cartridge, a teacher and Wyre Borough councillor for Great Eccleston, who was selected last night as Conservative candidate for Lancaster and Wyre. Peter is a great guy and would make a fantastic MP.  

Today the government  announced our Back to Work Plan to provide additional support for over a million people to look for and stay in work , giving many more people the benefit of a regular wage and growing the economy.  Boosting employment is not only a crucial part of our work to grow the economy but it can also transform the lives of people who are struggling to get into the workplace. That is why the Conservative government has announced our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan, giving over a million people the help they need to get off benefits and move into work over the next five years alongside stricter benefit sanctions to drive up employment as we grow the economy. We know the best plan to grow the economy is a jobs plan and our Back to Work Plan will help more people into work, giving them the security of a regular wage as we grow the economy.  

  Today the government  announced the allocations of funding from the £8.3 billion long-term plan to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across the country , improving journeys for all as we grow the economy.  Conservatives are taking the long-term decisions needed to provide transformative change for people across the country and improving our road network is central to our plan to level up the whole country. That is why we have announced local allocations for our £8.3 billion long-term plan to resurface over 5,000 roads across the UK, using funds redirected from HS2 to deliver transformative change for motorists as we take the long-term decisions needed to level up the UK and grow the economy.  Each local authority can use its share of the £8.3 billion to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. This is divided as           - £3.3 billion for lo...

  (Stephen Pinker was quoting a saying by Robert J Hanlon)

 

"Good afternoon, Today, the Supreme Court has judged that the Rwanda policy requires a set of changes in order to be lawful. I do not agree with this decision, but I respect it and I accept it. The rule of law is fundamental to our democracy. We have prepared for all outcomes of this case. And so we have been working on a new international Treaty with Rwanda. This will provide a guarantee in law that those who are relocated from the UK to Rwanda will be protected against removal from Rwanda. And it will make clear that we will bring anyone back if ordered to do so by a court. We will finalise the Treaty in light of today’s judgement and ratify it without delay. But we need to end the merry-go-round. I said I was going to fundamentally change our country and I meant it. So I am also announcing today that we will take the extraordinary step of introducing emergency legislation. This will enable Parliament to confirm that, with our new Treaty, Rwanda is safe. It will ensure that peop...

At the start of the year the Prime Minister laid out his five top priorities, starting with halving inflation. New figures out today show that we have met our target to halve inflation by the end of the year. But there is more to do.   The world has been grappling with high inflation, caused by the pandemic and Putin’s weaponisation of energy – which is why the Prime Minister made it his top priority to halve inflation. New figures this morning show thanks to action we have taken, such as holding down energy bills and taking responsible decisions with public finances, we have halved inflation from its peak of 10.7 per cent to 4.6 per cent in October – giving families the immediate relief they need.  Inflation is a tax on people’s pockets – halving it is the best thing we could do to help people’s money go further. As we took the difficult decisions, Labour’s plans would lead to higher inflation for longer, with their £28 billion borrowing plan, risking higher interest rates to...

"Abide with me" was the final hymn at today's Act of Remembrance at Moor Row, Cumbria.

Today is a day for the community to come together. It is not a day for partisan comment. I will not be posting anything partisan today and will leave my reactions to yesterday's events in London until tomorrow. Today we remember all those who have lost their lives in the service of our country and of freedom, including not just people from Britain but from the former Empire, the Commonwealth and from our allies. Today we remember the price of freedom and security. My grandfather and father grew up in Darwen, Lancashire. Near my grandfather's house in Darwen is  Bold Venture park, which has this beautiful war memorial. Darwen is not a particularly large town. But this memorial does not carry a list of names. Instead it has this: Both my grandfather, and his brother Robert served in the Great War. I exist because my grandfather, who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps with Allonby's army in the Middle East, made it back home. His brother Robert didn't come back - he wa...

  I attended the Remembrance Sunday act of Remembrance at Egremont at 11 am this morning as a member of Egremont Town Council. Wreaths were laid in a non-partisan manner on behalf of both main parties: I laid a wreath on behalf of the North West Conservative party.  I will be attending the Moor Row commemoration later today. "They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them, or the years condemn, At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, We will remember them." (From "For the Fallen" by Robert Binyon)

Today the government,   announced new laws to safely roll out self-driving vehicles   across British roads, putting the UK at the forefront of a new multi-billion pound industry – as we take the right long-term decisions to grow the economy and create new jobs. Self-driving vehicles could help reduce deaths and injuries from drink driving, speeding and driver tiredness. That is why, as announced in the King’s Speech, the government is introducing the new Automated Vehicles (AV) Bill which will put safety at the heart of the roll-out of self-driving vehicle technology by introducing the legal framework needed to keep road users safe. This Bill will position the UK as world-leaders of this exciting £42 billion industry and creating an estimated 38,000 new British jobs.  

Today the government   launched the Dairy Export Programme   to help Britain's farmers and UK agri-businesses grow by seizing new exports opportunities around the world.  Food and drink are key to growing our economy with the UK’s dairy exporters selling over £2 billion of products to worldwide markets last year.  That is why the government is are launching the new Dairy Export Programme, which will help UK agri-businesses grow even further through a wide range of targeted support for businesses through education sessions on how to boost exports, target new markets and trade promotion activity following the £1 million commitment from the Prime Minister in May at the Farm to Fork Summit. This will support farmers and agri-businesses to grasp exciting new opportunities around the world, moving us forward in the race to £1 trillion exports by 2030.

German text English translation Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage, Celebrate, rejoice, rise up and praise these days, Rühmet, was heute der Höchste getan! glorify what the Highest has done today! Lasset das Zagen, verbannet die Klage, Abandon despair, banish laments, Stimmet voll Jauchzen und Fröhlichkeit an! sound forth full of delight and happiness! Dienet dem Höchsten mit herrlichen Chören, Serve the Highest with glorious choruses, Laßt uns den Namen des Herrschers verehren! let us honor the name of the Supreme Ruler! translation © Pamela Dellal, courtesy Emmanuel Music Inc.