That BNP List

I've been pondering which of the news stories that caught my attention over the past couple of days to blog about. Lack of time due to the by-election which I am involved in means I can't cover all of them. That means I'm keeping my counsel on John Sergeant's departure from Strictly!

One of the biggest stories this week has been the publication of a "membership" list of the BNP on the internet. First things first - I have no intention on publishing where people can find the details of the BNP list, nor do I condone what the people who have published it have done.

I don't make any secret of the fact that I find the BNP abhorrent as a party, however, publishing people's details on the internet is completely irresponsible.

The BNP as an organisation works on fear, and in these difficult economic times, it is easy for them to blame minority groups for the country's problems. It has come to my attention that the party has been out canvassing in some areas in Newton Abbot recently.

What I found most shocking about the list was the number of young people who have membership with the party, and that Teignbridge has the highest concentration of members in Devon.

As a Councillor, and in particular as the Youth Champion for Teignbridge; I see my role as one of being a community champion, and I guess that this includes promoting diversity within our area so that parties like the BNP don't make any headway.

It is too easy to blame others for our problems; what we should be doing is embracing the skills that we all can bring forward to get ourselves back on track.

We Will Remember Them

I spent a wet and windy morning yesterday at the War Memorial in Newton Abbot to honour all those people who gave their lives so that we may live in peace.

Despite the rain, hundreds of people lined Queen Street to watch us as we marched by, and the number of young people there to watch or participate was incredible to see.

Our local MP, Richard Younger-Ross gave the reading, and we all marked the two minute silence during a brief gap in the showers.

Whilst we remember those who have gone before, we must also remember the living, including those soldiers who are currently serving in the Armed Forces across the world. With this in mind, I was so pleased to hear that the single released by Simon Cowell's latest prodigies has reached Number 1 in the charts. The single raises money for Help for Heroes, a charity helping those wounded in the conflicts that Britain is still involved in.

One of the projects that they fund is in conjunction with Troop Aid. Every patient who is injured while on active service and goes through the hospital in Selly Oak will now receive a Troop Aid Hero Grab Bag.

This simple idea makes a real difference to the moral and comfort of the patient. The bag contains all the ‘nice to haves’ like a t shirt, underwear, socks, washing and shaving kit, or female equivalent, as well as other items like writing paper, a telephone card and memory stick.

YES WE CAN!

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today."

Martin Luther-King Jr. 1963

Bleary-eyed, I went to work on Wednesday, full of hope. I had stayed up to watch the results in the American Presidential election and was almost walking on air.

I had always been a huge fan of Hilary Clinton, and loved the idea of a woman being President, but after her support for the war in Iraq, I could not support her Presidential bid.

Barack Obama first came to my attention in 2004, when he gave his famous speech at the Democratic National Convention. I've read his books and have a huge amount of respect for him - did you know that he got 70% of the vote when he was elected to the US Senate in 2004?

I have followed the race for the White House with real interest, but never let myself believe that Obama could do it. I was so disappointed in 2004 when John Kerry was unsuccessful and I didn't want to feel that way again, so did not let myself get too excited when the polls were showing his lead. I can't believe that America achieved so much in just one evening.

A friend joked that with the election of Obama, America "could be welcomed back into polite society", and whilst a little extreme; I can't help but think that alongside working on the economy when he is inaugurated on January 22nd, President Obama is going to have to put some work into relationships with other nations.

The last word on this subject for a while must be reserved for another friend, Dipesh, whose Facebook status revealed his healthy political cynicism:

"Dipesh thinks having a new president is like falling in love or having children. There may be an initial high, but it's downhill all the way from today."

The Tale of Two Presidential Elections

Today, I cast my vote in the Presidential Election - no, not in the election that everyone has their eyes on in the USA; but the one to decide the next President of the Liberal Democrats.

Baroness Ros Scott got my first preference vote, with my second going to Lembit Opik MP. Ros is an excellent politician, who cut her teeth in local government. I didn't hesitate to vote for her, and when the ballot closes on Friday, I hope that she will be the person to take my party forward in order to fight the next General Election from a strong place.

Turning to events on the other side of the pond; I am looking forward to watching the results come in with some friends in Exeter. The last time America went to vote, I was working in London, and the anticipation was almost too much. Sadly it didn't go our way, but I have high hopes for this time around.

Several of my friends are currently working on the Obama campaign in various States in America. I am extremely jealous of their opportunity, but work keeps me here this time around, and I will have to make do with the rolling news channels to keep me up-to-date! Having campaigned in a couple of General Elections here and numerous by-elections, I can imagine that volunteers are starting to get a little tired now, and are looking forward to the final push tomorrow.

Results in America won't be known here until breakfast time, but it is an exciting time, and I look forward to seeing what direction our closest allies will be taking in the next few years.

Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ObamaAbingtonPA.JPG

Busy Weekend

Three weeks ago, a colleague of mine on the District Council passed away after suffering a heart attack at a public meeting. Brian Berman represented Kenn Valley on Teignbridge District Council and Exminster and Kenton on Devon County Council.

Brian was an extremely dedicated Councillor and worked tremendously hard for the people he represented. He will be sadly missed by all those who worked with him; those of all parties and none.

There will now be a by-election to replace him, and I have spent today out and about in Exminster canvassing on behalf of his wife, Hilary, who is standing as the Lib Dem candidate to replace him on the District Council. Colleagues were out to help, and we saw a number of our Conservative counterparts out and about, braving the elements too.

I look forward to working alongside whoever wins the by-election so that together, we can all do our best for the people of Teignbridge.

Youth Champion-ing!

When I was elected to Teignbridge in 2007, I was appointed the Youth Champion for the Council - a role which, given my young (in local government terms!) age, seemed very appropriate!

I have been very proud to undertake this role, and I have met some incredibly talented and intelligent young people, all with a lot to offer Teignbridge.

Last week, I was part of a group of Councillors who visited South Dartmoor Community College, who were hosting Teignbridge's Local Democracy Day. Schools from across the District took part.

The Solent People's Theatre came along to officiate, and we kicked the day off with a play called "Who Runs This Place", designed to highlight what different councils and levels of government do, and who young people can approach if they have a problem, or want some support for a project they are undertaking.

The young people were then split into two groups, one of which spent some time voting on issues that were important to them, and the other had a discussion about what priorities the Council had, and how they would spend Council Tax if they were in charge.

The event was a huge success, and I was pleased to be a part of it. I'm hoping that next year will be even bigger and better!

Newton Abbot Retail Markets

Source: Teignbridge

Newton Abbot Retail Markets, located in the centre of the town, offer a range of events and retail experiences throughout the week. Aside from the regular Outdoor Street Markets and the Pannier Market, there are also Trash & Treasure Sales on Fridays and seasonal events such as the annual Cheese and Onion Fayre and Victorian Evening, both run by Newton Abbot Town Council.

All Newton Abbot's Markets whether livestock or retail are important for their history as well as to the vitality of the town centre and are still today, essential to the local economy.

Originally there where two Markets held in what we now know as Newton Abbot town. One in Newton Bushel, one of the towns that bordered the River Lemon and that was held weekly in the "Triangle". The other, which was granted by Royal Charter in 1269 in the town on the other side of the River Lemon - New Town of the Abbot, was held every Friday on Wolborough Street. This market often attracted as many as 30 butchers, because there were no butchers shops in those days and the other main commodities were cheese and onions. It was after the dissolution of Torre Abbey in 1633 that Newton Abbot market absorbed the Newton Bushel one and in 1826 the combined markets moved to their present site and changed to Wednesday.

Newton Abbot Markets activities now encompass a number of weekly events. The historic Butter Market Building houses a Pannier Market which offers a variety of stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables, plants and flowers to CDs, videos, PCs and accessories. Also from clothing, leather goods and sewing services to pet food, kitchen utensils, cake decorations, electrical accessories and cards.

The Market Hall also contains a Food Hall where there is a home brew centre, bakery, butchers, health food shop, cheese counter, sweet shop and a delicatessen.

The Market Hall and Food Hall are open 6 days per week from Monday to Saturday and from 9am until 4pm daily, although some Food Hall traders are available until 5pm. Additionally, there are Outdoor Street Markets from 9am until 4pm Wednesday and Saturdays. Also on Fridays there are Trash & Treasure Sales, a must for those searching for that something special, with the potential opportunity to unearth an antique armchair, or an ancient Chinese vase. You can also find clothes, shoes, books and a variety of assorted bric-a-brac.

2007 Refurbishment Program

The market has had a £1.8 million refurbishment program carried out which was completed in September 2007. There are now 70 stalls in the market hall, plus 10 food hall stalls and shops around the outside, new public toilets were also built at the same time. The outside stalls were all replaced for the Wednesday and Saturday markets. Newton abbot continues to be one of the best, if not the best market in the west, well worth a visit whether you are local or one of the many visitors we get to the market from all over the country and aboard.

The photos to the right show the new entrance opposite Somerfield supermarket, some of the stalls in the main hall and the food hall.

Newton Abbot Market Traders Association

Newton Abbot Town Council