On the 19th of December 2020 the Prime Minister announced additional COVID-19 restrictions were to be put in place, using the regional tiering system. London went into a new ‘Tier 4’, but Worcestershire remained in ‘Tier 2’. Herefordshire was in ‘Tier 1’. At the time that the Downing Street gathering on 19th December took place […]
Category: National Politics
Repealing the Fixed Term Parliament Act will take a welcome step closer
Back in 2010 the coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were so concerned that things would collapse they introduced the Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) to give certainty to when a general election for the UK Parliament could be called. No more a case of the Prime Minister visiting the palace to […]
COVID-19 Local Alert Levels 1-3 – what they mean and how they are triggered
Local COVID Alert Level – Medium This is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. This means: All businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law, such as nightclubs. Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to […]
Redditch e-Scooters answers to FAQs
As Deputy Leader of Redditch Borough Council please allow me to answer some of the frequently asked questions about the e-scooter trial and hopefully address some of the concerns some people might have. Why don’t they cover the whole town? The zone is restricted as part of the trial. The council and the Department for […]
Welcoming the suspension of the ‘get back to work’ campaign
I welcome the postponement of the ‘get back to work’ campaign the government was looking to launch, which sought to encourage workers back into the cities. The news comes as research reveals as many as 4 in 10 people who used to drive into work are still working from home. Amongst senior management that figure […]
Pavements could be made safer for people with disabilities, and families, under new proposals to ban antisocial parking unveiled by the government
New plans set out to boost safety and make journeys more accessible for disabled people and parents Review found third of people with visual impairments and almost half of wheelchair users were not as willing to go out because of antisocial pavement parking Consultation will set out proposals to make transport more accessible and help […]
A-Level & GCSE Predicted Grades to Apply
I was pleased to hear that Ofqual has listened to public opinion on the issue of A-Level and GCSE results and issued a statement, which includes: We understand this has been a distressing time for students, who were awarded exam results last week for exams they never took. The pandemic has created circumstances no one […]
The Conservative Case for Active Travel
Background and Context The government has had what might be argued as a road to Damascus conversion to the benefits of active travel. Others might argue Boris has always been keen on cycling. Either way, Boris wants us all to get fit and he likes cycling as a means to get about.
Statement to clarify confusion regarding Morton Stanley Park
I am aware this is a very sensitive issue, but I do have to correct campaigners who have incorrectly named Morton Stanley Park in Redditch on a ‘hit list’ for toppling of statues, which was then published by the Metro and The Sun newspapers and others. Efforts are being made to correct these sources. I […]
A CLEAR WARNING ON REDDITCH PARKS – ENJOY RESPONSIBLY
RISK OF CLOSURE If there’s evidence of continuous failure to comply with public healthcare guidance I will not hesitate to ask for an urgent decision that all public parks across Redditch be closed.