I have received the following warning from Durham Trading Standards. If you have regular contact with an elderly person, please be alert to the problem and let them know if you think it is appropriate:

“ I have been alerted that a company called Medicare Health system Ltd is telephoning elderly people in

At the start of this month I explained about the new site counter, and why the numbers were so much less flattering than the old ones.

I also said that the new target would be 1,000 visitors to the site in a month, and I’m pleased to record that we passed that figure today. Thank you very much for the encouragement.

Actually I know that you’re interested in the numbers because the “blog statistics” page is the most read page on the site. It’s intriguing. Who exactly is looking at it? Is it our political opponents, hoping it’s low to show how little impact we are having? Is it our friends, rooting for it to go up? Or are you all just plain nosy?

That should make for some intriguing results next month. If it goes down I’ll assume that our political opponents are not logging on in order to put off the day we hit the next target which has to be 2,000 hits in a month. If it goes up, it will of course be a reflection of a groundswell of support for a changing political climate in Consett.

I must be turning into a politician. Whichever way the statistics go, they’re on my side.

It wasn’t me. I’m generally too much of an optimist.

I was pleased to see, however, in The Times business section that of the 10 people who predicted the current financial turmoil 2 were Liberal Democrats. You won’t be surprised to know that none of them were Conservatives. Whatever they do have going for them, economic expertise isn’t it.

Having disposed of the economic lightweights, try this exchange between the two economic heavyweights in the House of Commons:

Here is a question Mr Cable’s posed to Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, during Treasury Questions back in November 2003: “The growth of the British economy is sustained by consumer spending pinned against record levels of personal debt, which is secured, if at all, against house prices that the Bank of England describes as well above equilibrium level. What action will the Chancellor take on the problem of consumer debt?”

Mr Brown did not answer how he would solve the problem, merely replying that: “We have been right about the prospects for growth in the British economy, and the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Cable) has been wrong.”

That’s straight from The Times Online. You can read the full report at http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2008/10/10-people-who-p.html

Derwentside District Council changed its mind tonight.

Just three weeks ago the council decided it was not a sound idea to give large amounts of land to just Derwentside Homes. Tonight it decided it was a good idea.

So what had changed? The only thing I know of is that it had become clear that there was another housing association interested in developing new build rented social housing in Derwentside.

Durham Aged Miners Homes Association had written to the council leader, Alex Watson, to say so.

Perhaps over-optimistically I thought that would support the Liberal Democrat case for giving the land not just to Derwentside Homes, but to other housing associations as well, a case I have argued here before. Apparently not; in fact judging by the swing of some people’s votes it was a reason for not sharing the land out. I don’t understand it, but I suppose there must be some reason behind it.

The only good thing to come out of the debate for me, therefore, was a categorical statement by Alex Watson that Derwentside  would definitely find somewhere else more suitable for Durham Aged Miners Housing Association to build bungalows for rent. That’s one promise that I’ll be looking to hold the council to.

Mind you, would you want to rely on a council that can change its mind in twenty one days?

It was a proud moment on Saturday when Northern Durham Lib Dems got regional recognition for the fantastic progress we have made since the 2005 General Election campaign. At the North East Regional Conference the local party was awarded the Alistair Wardlaw trophy.

The party has increased its membership by 41% in that period, and a look at the picture tells you that this is not a bunch of oldsters, but a forward-looking team which blends youth and experience.

Photo: Left to right: Andrew Stunnell MP, Cllr Keith English, Cllr Owen Temple, Natalie English, Judith Fletcher, David Bowerbank, Eileen Blakey (Regional Chair)

To top it all, the Consett North Focus Team who have delivered so many leaflets - and so much success - won the “Best Individual or Focus Team award”. I can’t resist including the photo. It’s not so often I am recognised by an MP!

Today I received the 1st Consett Scout Group’s newsletter.

I knew that they were planning to build a new Scout Hut to replace their aging building in Constance Street, but was really pleased to get the update which goes into considerable detail.

It’s a fantastically ambitious proposal, and will take great determination to turn the vision into reality. It will also take the support of the town. I’m sure the scouts would appreciate yours.

For full details click here: Scout Newsletter

You’ve probably seen it on the BBC News. Councillors were informed today by letter. Derwentside had £7 million invested in 3 Icelandic Banks when the Icelandic government nationalised them.

The accounts are frozen, and whilst my letter from Derwentside’s Chief Executive states that “there is no immediate threat to (sic) the loss of the total value of our investment” there is nothing in the news to suggest that Icelandic banks or the Icelandic government is committed to the interests of anyone outside Iceland.

It seems likely, then, that only if the British government steps in and decides to protect local authorities the way it protects individual savers will Derwentside recover all the cash. That’s a grotesque situation.

Think about what’s at stake. We’ve a Sports Centre waiting to be built. Last week I extracted figures confirming that we had the reserves to build it and still pass £4 million to County Durham on April 1st 2009. I made that case to George Garlick, the Chief Executive of Durham County Council. This week we can’t make that case with any confidence.

I’m not into blaming anyone for the situation. The investments were made in 2006 and 2007 and due to mature quite shortly. There was then no reason to suspect a problem, just as there was no reason to suspect that Northern Rock or the Bradford and Bingley wasn’t a safe place to keep your cash.

That said, we need to take a very close look at where else the rest of the investments are held, and consider whether paying off council debt would be better than sitting with money in the bank. Ironically I pointed out at the last audit committee that we could reduce risk by paying off debt rather than keeping debt alongside credit balances. I was told that the debt had penalties of £2m for early repayment so it wasn’t worth it. Today, £2m is looking cheap at the price.

I noticed an innocent sounding footnote to the BBC report on the backwash from the failure of the Icelandic banks. Here its is:

“The Local Government Association (LGA) said a number of local councils had sums in Landsbanki, which had saved taxpayers money in different institutions to spread risk.

“While this may affect some councils financially, we do not expect it to have any impact on local services,” said Margaret Eaton, chairwoman of the LGA.”

I have written to both the Durham County Council Treasurer and the Chief Finance Officer of Derwentside District Council to ask whether either council is affected.

I’ll let you know when I get an answer.

Berry Edge Residents Association held their AGM tonight, electing a new Chair and Vice Chair. It wasn’t that they were unhappy with the old one, just that Dominic Haney has started his university career so there was a vacancy.

The new chair is Jim McArdle, and he will be assisted by Albert Huntley as vice chair. Unfortunately no-one volunteered to take over my role as secretary, so I’m still in post, and Len Woodland agreed to continue as Treasurer. That’s the complete team.

The mood was upbeat. The police report showed fewer crimes in Berry Edge this month, and I was able to report that the full funding for the Berry Edge Gardens landscaping project has now been committed as follows:  

Durham County Urban Renewal Initiative    £25,000

Awards for All Grant                                      £ 8,395 (+ £1,300 for consultation process)

Derwentside District Council                          £10,000

Member initiative fund of £500 from each

Cllrs Robson, Temple Watson & Westgarth   £ 2,000

Project Genesis                                             £ 4,725

There are a few details to fill in, but we’re all but ready to roll.

There was also discussion about the review of the homeless young person’s accommodation, officially referred to as the “More Than a Roof” (MTAR) project, but mostly referred to locally as “Centrepoint” (after the organisation which currently operates the accomodation on behalf of Derwentside District Council).

This review is being conducted by Three Rivers Housing Association, and questionnaires have been distributed all local residents. Some people were concerned that residents would not recognise the title “More Than a Roof” and realise that it was “Centrepoint”. Another resident was concerned about not having received a questionnaire. I understand  that responses have to be in by October 16th, so if you need a questionnaire just get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to forward one to you.

These are difficult times economically, not just in the UK but across the world.

That made me particularly happy to read of a long established local firm, employing 126 people, which has chosen to maintain its operation in Consett.

The independent chemical manufacturer, Thomas Swan, which has been based here for 80 years and which is run by the great-grandson of its founder, recently confirmed that it will be staying in the North East. You can read the full story at http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/latest-business-news/2008/10/06/china-move-rejected-as-company-stays-in-north-51140-21969964/ . I am indebted to The Journal for bringing me, and you, such positive news on a day when most of the headlines are of gloom and doom.