Same opening message as last week, if you get the opportunity for a vaccine please take it and if you missed your turn but would now like it, get in touch and you can. We have seen a fantastic level of take up on vaccinations but there remain some who have not taken up their option.
This week saw another interesting range of subjects. Starting with a discussion on the Bishop Rail line and its connections into Darlington and with the Weardale railway. This reminded me of the Locomotion pub at Heighington crossings which I drank in many years ago when working at Perstorp. I wonder if we could do anything to get it open again by 2025 for the Darlington to Stockton railway Bicentennial? I also joined the two Parish Council meetings I mentioned last week, both were interesting but neither made the national media, thankfully. We finished the week with a briefing from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccinations minister, and then the Police on Covid controls, whilst the vast majority of people are doing the right thing there remain a few idiots breaking the rules and they are being fined accordingly with some repeat offenders incurring serious fines. I would also remind you that there are some online scams around and be very clear that in order to get vaccinated you will never need to pay, so if you are asked for bank details never provide them, instead please let the Police know. Another online meeting I had was with the NFU and a number of local farmers about rural crime, this nicely tied in with the Police call and gave me the opportunity to raise their concerns. I was also able to engage in some discussions about mental health and how some people are being really badly affected, if you believe someone is struggling or indeed if you are yourself, remember it’s okay to not be okay. Either ask for help or if you are able to offer help.
After mentioning local elections last week I thought it might be interesting to explain a little about the levels of Government.
The top level of Government in the UK is of course Parliament, based in Westminster and is where 650 MP’s are elected to represent their constituencies. The responsibilities are the creation of the laws of the land and as such MP’s have both a responsibility to their constituents and also engage in national and international considerations. Stepping down a level you have what are called tier 1 authorities of which Durham County Council is an example. Here we elect County Councillors and their responsibility is to the ward from which they are elected and to the County as a whole. Below that you have the hyper local councils like Town Councils, as we have Great Aycliffe Town Council, and Parish councils like Middridge. These are entirely focused on their local area. Each level of government has its own responsibilities and funding. The Parish Councillors are typically unpaid and do what they do solely as volunteers, then as you go up the hierarchy Councillors would receive a small allowance at Town Council level and a larger one at County Council. Typically the more local councils, like Parish Councils, see less party politics whereas Town Councils will see some party influence and a number of independents. At County level there are less independents and in Parliament it is unusual to see any independents unless they have lost their party whip after being elected. The elections that are due in May for us in Aycliffe will be from County Council down and then additionally we will be simultaneously electing a new Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner. So you will likely have 3 ballot papers to complete on the day.
Back to the present and the Prime Minister is due to present a framework plan as to how we exit lockdown next week. Clearly this is likely to be a plan with options depending on how data evolves but I am sure we will all be pleased to get the opportunity to start and plan the rest of the year even if some of the dates end up moving a little. I believe the PM is absolutely correct when he says this has to be the last lockdown. I sincerely hope we can achieve this and that the efforts of everyone enable this to happen. So if we can all remain patient, follow the rules and
Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives – Stay safe.
Paul Howell
Member of Parliament for Sedgefield
