News that St. Peters school on Normanby Road, South Bank, will definitely close has been greeted with dismay by Ian Swales.
He said: “The St Peters school closure is a devastating blow to the local community in South Bank. I was at the public meeting on 23 February and was very moved by the passion shown by pupils, former pupils, teachers, parents and others over the future of the school. So many people attended that the oriignal venue at Eston Learning Centre was far too small. The adjudicator seemed to be listening but in the end has taken no notice of local feelings.
“This decision is driven by the Government’s “Building Schools for the Future” programme. Even though St Peters is one of the most successful schools in the Borough it has had to go under the “one size fits all” policy. The Council had proposed alternatives to the department of education in London which were rejected. Now it’s a London based adjudicator who has decided the school must go.
“Under Labour it’s Whitehall that makes all the decisions. It’s time to put the “Local” back into Local Government. We should trust people to know what’s best for their own communities.”
Ian has pledged to support the NSPCC’s ‘I stand for children’ campaign which aims to make child protection a priority for the next Parliament.
He said: “Many residents have contacted me to raise awareness of the NSPCC’s valuable work and I am supporting the NSPCC’s new campaign to ensure protecting children is a political priority: I Stand for Children.”
The NSPCC’s campaign is calling on all candidates at the General Election to commit to a range of child protection measures including:
·Making the internet safer for children
·Continued funding of helpline services for children and for adults concerned about the safety or welfare of a child
·Tackling domestic violence from a child’s point of view
·Ensuring that vital child protection reforms are fully implemented and resourced, following the death of Baby Peter and other child deaths since
·Provision of resources for vital therapeutic services for children who have experienced abuse
·Strengthening the role of the children’s commissioner in England to act as a genuinely independent voice for children.
The charity’s Diana Sutton, head of the public affairs and campaigns unit at the NSPCC, said:
“We need to make sure that the next elected Government keeps child protection high on its list of priorities. By signing up to our campaign, candidates in this next general election can help. The public can play their role by letting the politicians know what they want done.”
Ian was filmed for the Politics Show at Eston precinct. The precinct is a monument to Labour’s neglect of the area and broken promises. Every election they pledge to do something about the derelict precinct in the centre of Eston but nothing changes.
Now that the protesters have won the battle to stop the Coatham Links development Redcar regeneration is left in limbo again.
The Council were planning to invest a significant sum in the project. Now it’s time to use some of the money and build the planned swimming complex. The proposed location will not be affected by the judgement. Local people have already waited 13 years for a new swimming pool. Enough is enough.
Ian Swales has written an open letter to Lord Mandelson urging temporary nationalisation of Teesside Cast Products assets and the unused land on the Corus site.
He said: “We have to make sure that Corus can’t get in the way of a sale to a credible buyer. They should also be made to give up spare land that is needed for other new business opportunities. Leaving a huge site unused and increasingly derelict will do nothing to help the Teesside jobs crisis.”
Ian Swales was a guest speaker at the North East Economic Forum annual meeting at Ramside Hall, Durham. The theme was North East England and the Low Carbon Economy. Other speakers included Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and Environment Minister Ed Miliband.
Ian took the opportunity to talk about the economic crisis on Teesside and the great opportunities that the area presents. Building on the existing businesses, assets and skills of the area, there’s every chance to make Teesside a powerhouse of new low carbon technology and manufacturing. Teesside is open for business!
News that Teesside Cast Products is definitely shutting down has been greeted with dismay by local Liberal Democrat campaigners.
Ian Swales said, “I am shocked that, despite all the talk, there has been no solution to this problem. With the right intentions from the company and the Government, this site could have been saved and turned back into a world class steel producer. Closing the site is industrial, economic and social vandalism. The news is devastating for the area.
“It’s now time for urgent government action. The package they have already announced will do little for the thousands losing their jobs or the thousands more already out of work. One of their first steps should be to move a major Government agency from the overcrowded South East to the TeesValley. They have been promising this for years.”
Lib Dem Leader on Redcar and Cleveland council Chris Abbott said, “This is a real setback for our area but we must continue to keep up the pressure on the Government to provide real jobs in our area.”
Liberal Democrats in Redcar constituency have set out plans to revitalise local high streets, protect the future of the Post Office, and help small businesses establish and grow in a fairer marketplace.
The announcement comes as research shows that more than one in six Teesside shops is now empty after the recession. Middlesbrough and Stockton are amongst the worst hit centres in the country.
Ian Swales said.
“Even before the credit crunch hit, independent shops were disappearing fast from our local shopping centres. Things will only get worse if Corus TCP closes.
“The Government’s skewed planning system has seen supermarket giants squeeze the life out of towns like ours and now all our high streets have the same mix of charity shops and chain stores.
“We need thriving high streets in our area, with real character that allow local businesses to survive and grow.
“The financial crisis has exposed Labour and the Conservatives’ folly of being entirely dependent on the City of London. The Liberal Democrats understand that it will be small businesses and manufacturing that are key to building a healthy and balanced economy.”
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today set out a manifesto pledge to create 57,000 jobs by investing £400million upgrading disused shipyards to enable the production of off-shore wind turbines.
Nick Clegg launched this latest plank of the Liberal Democrats’ economic stimulus and job creation package. The proposals would enable firms to manufacture off-shore wind turbines in the UK, instead of seeing them built abroad due to out-of-date facilities.
Current plans to expand wind farms in the North and Irish seas could see every one of the 6,400 turbines needed brought in from abroad, as there are currently no turbine manufacturers in the UK. Analysis by the One North East Regional Development Agency shows attracting wind turbine manufacturing to the region could bring economic benefits worth as much as £1.9 billion.
British ports and especially those in the North East are ideally located to host turbine manufacturers due to their proximity to the off-shore wind farms; however, they are currently unable to invest due to the lack of appropriate docks with suitable space.
Ian Swales pictured talking to local students who are applying to university this year.
Ian Swales has reacted with dismay to the cutting of University places. News that 300,000 students will be turned away this year is another let down for our young people. Ian said ” the Government had ambitious targets for increasing the amount of University education. Now their mismanagement of the economy means that cuts are taking place. This is yet more evidence that it’s young people who are paying the heaviest price for this Government’s failure.
