There’s been radio silence from me for 2 months. Humble apologies for that. It’s an odd irony that, when you’re very busy doing interesting things, there is no time to write, and when you have plenty of time to write, you have nothing to write about.
So here is a brief summary of the last 8 weeks or so. Back then I was seeing my garden hedgehog regularly but now I’m really worried. I haven’t seen him for ages – I hope he’s fine but just moved elsewhere. I know they range about 2km (or 3 in the breeding season) so I’m hoping he’s just off somewhere else and will be back at some point. Meanwhile the moles are active and thriving – as are presumably the worms.
Suddenly close to the end of March we had three definite candidates for town and parish elections, so we had to go into overdrive and launch a full-blown election campaign, starting with a survey to establish what the issues were. Cathy was our candidate for Cockermouth Town Council Double Mills ward, and Jane for Workington Stainburn ward. Having never been active in either ward, we were very glad to have volunteers Wilson, Kerry, Chris, Rachel, Toby and Keith to help deliver surveys and leaflets, and do the canvassing, while Sharon was a very active campaign manager persuading us all for just one more push. Fortunately, Papcastle was an uncontested parish council election so we only had two active campaigns to run, and Keith has his place.
Meanwhile all the usual work went on for me, attending parish councils, dealing with residents’ issues and responding to requests for interviews. You can see me on ARTE (French/German TV) here: https://t.co/nITPFZiuch Then the 1st April happened. Vesting Day had arrived – we were officially councillors not merely shadows. To be honest, I didn’t notice the difference although I do think I get a quicker and more helpful response from officers now. The inaugural meeting was not until 13th April, and at that point we found out the membership of the various committees and who was delegated to the main outside bodies.
We have places on various scrutiny committees, and I have a place on the regulatory and licensing committee, as well as the Corporate Parenting Board and perhaps most interestingly the Transport for the North scrutiny committee. Now we are going through the detailed training process to make us fit to do our work. We have just two Green Party councillors but rest assured Helen Davison (Carlisle) and I will work tirelessly to make a difference.
And the Community Panels which are being set up are perhaps the most exciting initiative set up by the new council. Our Community Panel includes the wards of Keswick, Bothel and Wharrels, Cockermouth North and South, Dearham and Broughton and Maryport North and South, and has been called Lakes to Sea Community Panel. We will work with members of the community in Community Network Panels to set local priorities, draw up a Local Investment Plan and seek funding to deliver those priorities.
We know a lot of priorities from our work on doorsteps – common themes include river pollution, climate change, affordable housing, public transport. Therefore, I have been liaising with West Cumbria Bus Users group, attending their latest meeting, and meeting representatives from Stagecoach there. It hasn’t helped the residents of Bassenthwaite get back their Saturdays in Summer bus through the village but I’m still working on it. I’ve also been liaising with Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CaFS) to try and introduce their Solar Made Easy project into some of our villages, removing some of the doubts and obstacles and increasing take-up of solar panel roofs.
Three of us went down to London for The Big One protests on 21st April. We picketed the Department of Levelling Up, where the decision to allow the coal mine was made, hearing speeches, singing songs, watching the Quaker canaries dancing and dying. We also hung our canaries at various famous sights around the city. In the afternoon we heard speeches from Caroline Lucas, and MP Watch members outside home of climate denial and delay 55 Tufton Street. Sharon got involved in catering for hungry, thirsty campaigners and Cathy played the ambox and sang with the climate choir on the mobile bicycle-drawn stage. I wish we could have been there for the whole weekend but the financial implications and our other duties meant only one day of protests for us.
A brief interlude of leafleting and canvassing in Cockermouth and Stainburn was followed by another quick trip away. We had promised to help Lancaster Green Party with their campaign in return for Jack Lenox coming to speak about his role as spokesperson for Culture, Sport and Digital Inclusion. That was when we thought we might not have a campaign of our own to run. Sharon and I spent two days campaigning in four wards for Lancaster Green Party. They hoped to become the largest party on their City Council where they had been ruling in coalition with other parties. They thought that increasing to 20 councillors would be a good result. In fact, all the Green candidates in the wards where we campaigned were elected and the final total was 21 councillors. Unfortunately, the Labour Party got 24 and are the largest party so may enter coalition with another party other than us.
Attendance at our count was similarly frustrating – neither of our candidates were elected despite a relatively close result in Cockermouth Double Mills. However, we were buoyed up by the national result, going from 175 to 737 seats in just four years, and taking control of Mid-Suffolk Council. The Greens are now the largest political party in 9 councils, and that’s a positive note on which to end this episode.
Cllr. Jill Perry
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