Chris Whiteside's Blog

I am not going to pretend that I was not very disappointed by many of the election results on Thursday. However, democracy means that you don't always get the result you like. My congratulations to all those who were elected on Thursday, whether I would have supported them or not, and I hope they are all successful in their new roles, because it is in the interests of their local communities that they should be. 

 Polls have just closed in the local elections today. Good luck to all the fantastic Conservative candidates standing for election

Today, voters across the country will go to the polls in the 2024 Local Elections. The facts are clear, Conservatives keep council tax low and deliver better local services. I believe that the interests of local communities are best served by a Conservative vote today. Today voters across the country will go to the polls to choose who runs your local services. While our Conservative mayors in Teesside and the West Midlands charge no council tax at all, Labour’s Sadiq Khan has hiked up tax on Londoners by 70 per cent since he was elected. In Labour-run Birmingham, Labour are raising council tax by an eyewatering 21 per cent, making local people pay for their own mismanagement. Only the Conservatives have a plan to keep council tax low and deliver better services. Filling potholes, collecting bins, and cracking down on fly tipping. Vote Conservative today to deliver a brighter future for your area.

 

 Polls are now open around England and Wales. In many places there are local council elections, in a number of area there are elections for Regional Mayors. Throughout England and Wales there are elections of Police and Crime Commissioners (in some places including Cumbria these positions also hold responsibility for Fire, in others the role is included in that of Mayor,) Polls are open until 10pm. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING ID TO VOTE. I will be campaigning for Keane Duncan to be the first Mayor of North Yorkshire.

As per the previous post I have been campaigning for Mike Johnson to be elected as the new Police, Crime and Fire commissioner for Cumbria in tomorrow's elections.

There are elections tomorrow for Police Commissioners, or in many cases including Cumbria, for Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners. My life is currently split between Cumbria in Yorkshire and when in Cumbria I have been campaigning for Mike Johnson who for the last year, as Deputy to the retiring Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, has been overseeing the integration of the Cumbria Fire service into the updated organisation.  The fire service in Cumbria used to be part of the County Council but when Cumbria CC and the six districts were replaced by two unitary authorities, it made far more sense to put the fire service under the Police Commissioner as the remaining elected official with a Cumbria-wide remit, than split it in two or have a stand-alone fire authority. Mike would be a superb Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner.  In many places there are also, or instead votes for directly elected regional mayors. Two people seeking re-election who have been doing a fantas

  Posted on Twitter earlier today.

 

I completed the Swimathon 5,000 metre challenge to raise money for cancer care - 200 lengths of Copeland pool in 2 hours 11 minutes. Very pleased with this result and I am OK but quite exhausted so will put off chasing for a bit more sponsorship until tomorrow!

 

Just about to leave for Copeland Pool. More details of the swim and how you can support Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Swimathon Foundation on my Justgiving page at Christopher Whiteside is fundraising for Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie & The Swimathon Foundation (justgiving.com)

 

Tomorrow, Sunday 28th April 2024, I will be taking part in  Swimathon 2024  to raise money for UK Cancer Research and Marie Curie Cancer care. Cancer Research UK is the largest charitable funder of cancer research in the world and aims to stay at the forefront of the global fight against cancer. 1 in 2 of us will get cancer. All of us can support the research that will beat it.  Marie Curie is here for people with any terminal illness, and those close to them  from diagnosis to bereavement. Our nurses and healthcare assistants support families directly across the UK. Our free support line can help with any question about end of life.And we campaign for structural change and fund vital research that improves end of life for everyone.  Tomorrow I will be one of thousands of swimmers who will head to a swimming pool to raise money for these two fantastic causes as part of Swimathon 2024. Swimathon is one of the largest charity swim events in the world. I hope to swim 5,000 metres - 200 le

 

I can never decide whether I prefer Vivaldi's original concerto for four violins or Bach's transcription for four harpsichords. I usually end up posting both.  Note that the two recordings I am posting today - both the previous Vivaldi original and this Bach version - are directed by the same conductor, Giovanni Antonini

  The units which served with great bravery on the Allied side in the Gallipoli campaign included regiments and formations from Australia, New Zealand, Lancashire, Ireland, India, and I understand there was also a largely Jewish unit. I have a personal interest in the contribution from the Lancashire Fusiliers, because my Great-Uncle was killed later in the war serving in the same regiment. The Lancashire Fusiliers famously won "six VCs before breakfast" on the first day of the Gallipoli campaign for taking all their objectives for the first day despite suffering dreadful casualties - two thirds of the battalion becoming casualties in that 24-hour period. The Allied soldiers from around the world who took part in that campaign showed great courage and determination in the face of enormous adversity and terrible losses. We will remember them.

There have been very few Labour MPs who I could truthfully say that I greatly admired. I could count them on the fingers of one hand. Frank Field, who has just died at the age of 81, was one of them. He will be missed especially by his family and friends but also by people on all sides of the political spectrum. Rest in Peace.

The pledge: committing to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 The last few years have seen two unprecedented international events: a global pandemic and a war in Ukraine. Despite the impact of rising inflation and our generous cost of living package on the public finances, we have still been able to increase defence spending to a record £50 billion a year – including an uplift of £24 billion, which is the largest single investment in defence since the end of the Cold War. However, the security environment is deteriorating, with threats to the UK and its interests increasing. An axis of authoritarian states with different values to ours like Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China are increasingly assertive, acting together and making common cause in an attempt to reshape the world order. We need to deter threats now because, while the cost of doing so is significant, the cost of inaction would be higher still – both in terms of our security and our prosperity. That is why the Con

"Today is a landmark moment in the defence of the United Kingdom. We’ll spend an extra £75 billion in defence over the next six years.      ▪️ Protecting our security and prosperity      ▪️ Backing Ukraine for the long-term      ▪️ Leading the way in European security" Rishi Sunak , UK Prime Minister

Today the   Prime Minister announced the largest-ever military aid package for Ukraine   on a visit to Poland, as we stick to our plan to work with global partners to defend freedom and democracy in Europe, and deliver long-term security for the British people.   If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border. That is why the Prime Minister went to Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit £500 million of additional funding for Ukraine.  This will deliver much-needed ammunition, air defence, drones, and engineering support, taking our total military aid for Ukraine to £3 billion this financial year. We will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, including strike and air defence missiles, to help push back the Russian invasion.  This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and Ukraine the support they need to win this war. We will continue to do all we can to work wit

 

"We welcome the Met Police's apology, and recognise the complexities of policing fast-moving public protests, but simply being Jewish, or of any other race or religion, should never be seen as provocative. Anyone of any religion should be free to go about their lives and feel safe doing so." Home office spokesman , responding to the recent issues with the policing of pro-Palestinian marches in London.