Coronavirus updates
The Corona Virus epidemic and lockdown is making changes to all of our lives, and following the current advice isn't always easy - but it is important to do so as much as we can, especially as lockdown is being eased.
There are many local organisations gathering to offer help, if you are self-isolating and need help, or simply need to speak to a friendly voice.
We will be publishing details of local organisations as we hear of them:
Teignbridge Council website is a good place to start if you have any questions
and Devon County Council have information about schools and more.
The latest medical advice from the NHS is here.
We have a list of contacts for economic help for Teignbridge residents here.
Local councillors are working with the organisations locally to help, so please contact your local councillor if you need help.
How you can help others
If you would like to help your neighbours, our community and those vulnerable, we recommend the following in the first instance:
- Let your nearest neighbours, maybe the nearest 5 - 10 know your contact details so that they can call you if they need help. You will be someone known to them, a familiar face rather than a stranger. (Sadly we must still be aware of safeguarding concerns even at this time).
- Set up or join street level or Resident's Association level WhatsApp groups, Google Groups, Private Facebook Groups or email chains to help connect those offering help with those needing help at a micro level. Some have already done this (particularly Residents' Associations), and they are the optimum way of turning offers into action.
- Some of the existing facebook groups we know of in Newton Abbot Town are Our Fairways, Hele Park Community, Jetty Marsh Residents Group, Orleigh Cross Residents Group, Buckland Estate and Proud of It, and Newton AbbotCovid-19 Mutual Aid - Other towns and villages have set up similar groups
- Do not buy too much produce or goods. Those that are most vulnerable are left even more vulnerable if our stores are bare of the essentials. Several supermarkets have over 70's only shopping hours, check their websites.
- Donate to foodbanks. Panic buying has led to a reduction in the number of donations to local foodbanks when they need them more than ever, so please do donate what you can. Many people on lower incomes or zero hour contracts are likely to struggle more now than ever. If you are self-isolating and wish to help you can donate online to both foodbanks.
- HITS Foodbank https://hitsfoodbank.org/contact-us/ info@hitsfoodbank.org Tel 01626 906371 (Hits Food Bank are looking for more volunteers especially evening drivers)
- THAT Foodbank https://www.thatfoodbank.com/ mailto:thatfoodbank@gmail.com Tel 01626 437310 (THAT need more volunteers and donations)
Helping us to help you
As councillors we want to assist in facilitating resources where we can, by putting together a resource list, but we need your help to do so.
Please send us details of the local street/community communication group or mailing list you have setup, as well as a primary contact for this group so that we can direct people that contact us or known vulnerable residents to it if they are in your area.
Contact us if:
- you are a community or volunteer group and would like our support in any way;
- you are a local business or trader that is helping as part of your business, such as with local deliveries.
- Please let us have any information about the community response to the coronavirus, that you would like us to share in our next email newsletter. Please shae this email with others.
We cannot cover everything in this post, so will try to answer any questions on things we have missed as we can, however, please appreciate that some of our councillors are already, or are likely to be self isolating themselves as well.
Please do always take the NHS and Government's advice as the primary source of information and recommendation for how to act in the coming weeks:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
Other help can be found at,
CAB citizensadviceteignbridge.org.uk Tel 0344 411 1444
Federation of Small Businesses https://www.fsb.org.uk/ Tel 0808 20 20 888
We will provide you updates on this as regularly as we can.
Thank you,
News...
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Article: Jul 30, 2020
"Slow, inconsistent and negligent approach" to social care in pandemic.
Not our words but those of one of the most senior House of Commons Committees, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
…slow
There have been some successes by the Government during the COVID-19 crisis, the Nightingale Hospitals a clear one, but a worryingly large number of failures. Especially when taken in the context of comparisons with similar developed countries. It's no great accolade when the only western country making the United Kingdom look good during this crisis is Trump's America.
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Article: Jul 30, 2020
Voting opens today for the Liberal Democrat Leadership Election!
You might get your ballot by either email or post and it might take some time on the 30th or 31st to be sent, as delivery is being staggered through the day. Postal deliveries may take longer, especially if you're overseas.
If you haven't had a ballot by 10am on Friday 31st July, please feel free to drop elections@libdems.org.uk an email. Votes have to be cast by 1pm on Wednesday 26th August 2020.
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Article: Jul 29, 2020
Let's be honest with ourselves - we're in a tough spot. Our average polling figure currently stands at 8%, a far cry from the late teens or early 20s we previously enjoyed as recently as last year.
I won Oxford West & Abingdon from the ground up. Nobody knows the potential of Liberal Democrat activists like I do.
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Article: Jul 29, 2020
By Greg Foster
Postal Votes
Postal votes have gone to print on the 27th July 2020. The initial run was around 5,000 voters. These will be sent to Royal Mail on the 29th July 2020.
We expect paper ballots to land between the 30th July and the 2nd August in the UK. We expect this to take up to the 14th August for non-UK postal ballots.
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Article: Jul 24, 2020
In our Democracy the Prime Minister and Government are accountable to Parliament, not the other way round, and yet Boris Johnson has been systematically unpicking the vital checks and balances which moderate his powers. Without these, it is a slippery slope towards an elective dictatorship.
Boris Johnson's attempt to prorogue Parliament was ruled 'unlawful'.
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Article: Jul 24, 2020
By Mark Wooding
Time for Change. Time for a Green 'New Deal'.
The responses to our survey into a #postcovid19 United Kingdom make it clear that you want to #BuildBackBetter and that now is the time to embrace change and not, as the Conservatives appear to be doing, re-embracing the 'old normal'.
A whopping 83.7% of you said that now was the 'time to try and change things for the better' in comparison to a mere 7% who felt we should 'get back to normal'.
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Article: Jul 24, 2020
Welcome to the Weekly Whip. Your one-stop shop for Lib Dem Parliamentary updates, covering the week that was and the week to come.
For up to date information from the Lib Dem Whips Office, follow us on Twitter: @LibDemWhips
Weekly Whip w/c 20th July
Monday 20th July
The final week of Parliament before the summer recess kicked off with the Foreign Secretary coming to the House to give a Ministerial Statement on China. After the imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong, the U-turn decision to ban Huawei from 5G infrastructure, and the serious concerns of human rights abuses in Xinjang, the China-UK relationship is under strain to put it lightly.
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Article: Jul 24, 2020
I am the South Hams District Councillor for Ivybridge East (and also the Vice Chair of the South Hams Liberal Democrats). I was first elected to the District Council in 2019 and am interested in seeing local government funding restored, housing issues and infrastructure, and the implementation of a more representative electoral system.
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Article: Jul 23, 2020
A complaint has been made by an individual about Ed Davey's 2020 campaign's use of data gathered in his 2019 leadership campaign for direct marketing.
The party has taken legal advice and received representations from the campaign.
The party's advice concludes that a technical breach has occurred in relation to specific consents. We have advised the campaign of the issues, and have required the campaign to cease using the affected data now and to gain new consents before using it again.
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Article: Jul 21, 2020
The UK has suffered a number of tragic terrorist attacks in recent weeks and months. The first duty of government is to protect people from this kind of violence, and Liberal Democrats will always work to ensure that our security services have the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.
This Bill would massively expand the Home Secretary's power to impose Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures.
"Changing Britain's Future: no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity"
Liberal Democrat Constitution
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