12th March 2025 - Cllr Jonathan Wallace visited the Whinnies Community Garden in Sunniside to see the new transport-themed play area.
11-03-2025 - members on the Gateshead West branch met and voted in Paul Elliott as chair and Joe Sowerby as secretary.
10-03-2025 - Gateshead Lib Dem council group met online to discuss and agree a motion to go to full council on 20th March 2025.
10-03-2025 - Cllr Ian Patterson delivered Focus in Eighton Banks.
09-03-2025 30 Lib Dem councillors and campaigners gathered at Sunniside Social Club to work on the manifesto for the local elections in 2026.
09-03-2025 - Ron Beadle leads discussion on the Lib Dem manifesto for the local elections in 2026
06-03-2025 - Focus delivery is underway in Whickham with Jonathan Wallace.
05-03-2025 - Cllr Jonathan Wallace gave a talk at Sunniside History Society at Sunniside Club about the history of tv adverts.
4th March 2025 - Gateshead Lib Dem executive met to discuss, among other issues, plans for Lib Dem campaigning during 2025.
03-05-202 Councillors Chris Ord, Ian Patterson and Paul Elliott at Corporate Resources Scrutiny Committee where the financial background of council owned Regent Funeral Services were closely examined.
02-03-2025 Councillors Marilynn Ord and Jonathan Mohammed inspecting damaged street signs in Whickham
01-03-2025 Leader of the Opposition in Gateshead, Cllr Ron Beadle joins Ryton Lib Dem Focus Team - Steve Kelly, Jack Muers and Ione Rippeth at their street surgery outside the Coop.
01-03-2025 - Pelaw, Heworth & Bill Quay Councillors Paul Diston, Amanda Wintcher and Ian Patterson at their street surgery.
28-02-2025 - Gateshead Lib Dem Councillors attend the Sunderland Lib Dem annual dinner. Speaker of the evening, Lord John Shipley, former Leader of Newcastle City Council.
01-03-2025: Cllr Diston litter picking at Meresyde Shops. Cllr Patterson and Cllr Diston are working with shop owners to support in litter becoming less of a problem in the area.
26-02-2025: Jonathan Wallace was in the Lib Dem print room to print 2000 survey forms.
20-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dem Councillors arriving to the council chamber.
20-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dem councillors and campaigners met in the opposition office at Gateshead Civic Centre before the full council budget meeting. It is clear the Lib Dems need a bigger office! They are looking to move into the Council Leader's suite of offices after the next local elections in May 2026!
18-02-2025: Gateshead East Lib Dem branch met in Heworth Golf Club to discuss plans for campaigning.
17-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dem Council Group met to discuss the budget for the year ahead.
16-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dem core group met online to discuss campaigning across the borough.
15-02-2025: Councillors Jonathan Wallace and Marilynn visit Kindred Wood in Sunniside to check on damage caused by unauthorised development at the site.
15-02-2025: Cllr Jonathan Mohammed, Cllr Marilynn Ord and Cllr Jonathan Wallace on Sunniside Front Street where they held a street surgery.
15-02-2025: Saltwell Campaigner Jamie Rickelton was in Chowdene delivering the latest ward focus.
10-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dem council group met to receive a briefing on the council budget from the Director of Finance and the Chief Executive.
09-02-2025: Today we hit the doors to support and hear from residents as well as post our Chowdene Focus. Cllr Craig of Whickham posting in Kenwood Gardens
09-02-2025: Lib Dem Campaigner Jamie Rickelton out today with the Chowdene Focus!
09-02-2025: Chowdene Activists meet up! Today we hit the doors to support and hear from residents as well as post our Chowdene Focus.
06-02-2025: He's the Ron that we want! Ron is actually a leader, he listens, cares and supports and ensures you see the truth in the trough of news. Ron consistently holds the council accountable for its failures on even the most basic of things and especially on items which affect us regionally *cough* Fly-over *cough*
06-02-2025: Councillor Joe Sowerby out in Lamesley for an action day. Residents thanked Joe for his hard work and passion for the area, also mentioning to us that Labour do and will continue to do nothing for the area. THE LIB DEMS HAVE GOT YOU LAMESLEY!
04-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dems held their monthly executive committee meeting. Our executive meetings our the legislative branch of our party, approving or amending our strategic work.
04-02-2025: Gateshead Lib Dems held their monthly executive committee meeting. Our executive meetings our the legislative branch of our party, approving or amending our strategic work.
02-02-2025: Today we delivered a small portion of the latest Birtley focus. 6.5 people delivered 1200 leaflets to residents in 2hrs... talk about commitment!
02-02-2025: Cllr Jonathan Wallace out in Birtley delivering the latest focus.
02-02-2025: Our Gateshead Lib Dem Officers have a bi-weekly Strategic & Action meeting where they plan and action work in response to; resident casework, council activity, our national manifesto and our Gateshead manifesto
01-02-2025: Cllr Jonathan Wallace visited residents in Sunniside to discuss casework issues.
29-01-2025: Whickham North & Swalwell ward councillors were at Swalwell Community Centre today for a meeting that they had arranged for residents to speak with the Neighbourhood Policing Team. This is in response to the concerns that several residents have raised following the three incidents in Swalwell that police were called out to the weekend before last.
30-01-2025: Birtley Councillors Paul Elliott and Joe Sowerby at their regular advice surgery.
23-01-2025: Last week Gateshead full council meeting took place. The Lib Dems had a group meeting before the start of the council proceedings to discuss amendments to motions. The group meeting was a bit crowded as we are beginning to outgrow the opposition office. So in a cramped room, over homemade lunches, we went through the motions and amendments.
The motions debated at full council were:
support for social care experienced people - Labour motion, backed by Lib Dems;
thanking residents and officers for enduring Gateshead flyover closure - Labour motion, Lib Dems regarded it as unnecessary as the thanks had already been given but questions about the timing of inspections have not been adequately answered;
tackling intimidation and harassment of elected councillors and MPs - Labour motion backed by Lib Dems;
reducing employers' National Insurance Contributions in the care sector - Lib Dem motion but amended by Labour to remove the focus on shortages of staff in the care sector. Lib Dems opposed the amendment but voted for the substantive motion.
27-01-2025: At the Housing, Environment, and Healthy Communities meeting we talked about the causes of homelessness, particularly domestic violence, and how the council is increasing the number of homes available for people who are at risk. We also got an update on Building Safety and Community Safety.
25-01-2025: Lib Dem Councillor, Paul Elliott has been delivering the latest Focus newsletter in Birtley and Lamesley wards.
21-01-2025: At the Care, Health, and Wellbeing scrutiny meeting we discussed a report from Healthwatch Gateshead on residents' views about healthcare in the borough. Council officers also presented updates on the Autism Strategy for adults and the Home Care initiative, which aims to help people live at home for longer.
21-01-2025: All 3 Lib Dem Councillors for Pelaw, Heworth & Bill Quay - Amanda Wintcher, Ian Patterson and Paul Diston - are members of the council's Health Scrutiny Committee. The most recent meeting was held on Tuesday 21st January, also attended by Cllr Jonathan Wallace (Whickham South and Sunniside) who took the photo.
21-01-2025: Councillors Marilynn Ord and Jonathan Wallace visited the Whinnies Community Garden on Friday last week to meet up with the new Locality Coordinator who covers the NE16 area. It was also an opportunity to try out the new meeting room at the Whinnies.
20-01-2025: The Gateshead Lib Dem council group met online to discuss the agenda for full council this Thursday (23rd). There are 4 motions:
Support for those having experienced care (Labour);
Thank you to residents and officers regarding the Gateshead flyover (Labour);
Debate not hate (Labour);
Employers' National Insurance contributions and social care (Lib Dem).
20-01-2025: Lib Dem Councillors Chris Ord (Whickham North), Amanda Wintcher (Pelaw, Heworth & Bill Quay), Ian Patterson (Pelaw, Heworth & Bill Quay), Paul Elliott (Birtley), Ron Beadle (Low Fell) and Jonathan Wallace (Whickham South and Sunniside but not in the pic as he took the photo!) attended corporate resources scrutiny committee.
Ron spoke on the report about introducing a policy to support council staff experiencing the menopause, calling for it to be taken up by school governing bodies where they employ staff.
Jonathan spoke on the fuel poverty report about standing charges. He called them a poll tax on gas and electricity bills, hitting those on the lowest incomes the most.
18-01-2025: Ryton Lib Dem Focus team members - Jo Stanton, Steve Kelly, Ione Rippeth and Jack Muers - met up outside Tynedale House in Ryton. Planning permission is being sought to demolish the now derelict building which the Council closed in 2017.
They have welcomed plans to demolish Tynedale House but are concerned that the proposal to build new houses will not serve the needs of young families in Ryton. The current plan is to build 7 executive homes but the site could take up to 20 affordable starter homes.
12-01-2025: Every month we hold strategic branch meetings to develop our strategy of Demanding Better For Gateshead. In this meeting we met with our Lib Dem Councillors of Pelaw, Heworth and Bill Quay and our Low Fell Councillors to discuss how to better support the police and neighbourhood officers in combatting anti-social behaviour.
16-01-2025: Whickham South and Sunniside Councillors (Jonathan W, Jonathan M and Marilynn Ord) were at the Sunniside Courtyard Cafe tonight for a meeting of the Sunniside Hub group. The group will be looking to raise the funds needed for a Christmas tree in the village later this year.
15-01-2025: Gateshead Lib Dems (or at least the social media group) decided not to meet on-line last night. Instead, we met in person at the Tilley Stone pub on Jackson Street, Gateshead. Jonathan's thinks his role is to be the old guy who doesn't understand TikTok!
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