Teignbridge Lib Dem MP Richard Younger-Ross has been talking Electral Reform with the students at South Dartmoor Community College, but that’s not all he’s been up to in a week that also contained sad news
Edward Woodward
I was very sad to hear that Edward Woodward died last week. He was a great actor and I was a big fan. I recall waiting for the next episode of ‘Callan’ every week as a teenager, and sitting up too late watching the ‘Equalizer’ in my 30s, trying to work and watch the television. I also owe him a personal debt of gratitude for he played a small part in helping me get elected in 2001. Edward was a Lib Dem supporter and agreed to be the guest speaker at my adoption meeting. The hall of the Queens Hotel was packed and the papers covered the event in great detail. He was witty and clever and very supportive. I will miss him.
Schools and Climate Change
I met with two groups of school pupils last week, the first in my office and the second on site. The groups visiting Newton Abbot were pupils from Doddiscombsleigh Primary School and they were accompanied by members of Greener Teign, a climate change action group. The pupils had undertaken school projects on the environment, along with Hennock, Dunsford and Christow and had prepared work for the Global Day of Climate Action on October 24. The eight pupils sat around the table in my meeting room firing questions at me about what the UK is doing to cut carbon emissions and save the planet. They posed some interesting problems like how do we cut food miles without harming third world farmers? It is the most important political issue at the moment and one the World’s Governments must get right in Copenhagen next month.
Schools and Electoral Reform
The second group were the politics students from South Dartmoor Community College. Part of the reason for my talk was to cover a specific curriculum area, voting systems and in my case, why the Liberal Democrats believe in Electoral Reform and a proportionate voting system, in particular the use of the Single Transferable Vote (STV).
The Government has now promised to look at this again but I don’t hold out much hope. The party in power and its members are elected on the simple first past the post system and it is to their advantage to keep it. STV would create multi-member constituencies – three or four in most seats. This would pit Labour against Labour, Conservative against Conservative and Lib Dem against Lib Dem. There would be no safe seats, all MPs would have to work hard, donkeys wearing rosettes would be a thing of the past and that is why it will not happen. Turkeys do not vote for Christmas and there are an awful lot of turkeys in the House!
Newton’s Christmas Market
As the rain swept across our peninsula and the wind snapped branches, there were at least one group of happy people, umbrella sellers, as umbrella after umbrella flipped inside out and broke! Every cloud has a silver lining; then again does that mean every silver lining has a cloud!
There were at least no clouds in the Avenue Church on Saturday as the Magpies Pre School group delightfully sang, as the Town Crier’s elegant tones rattled the rafters and I opened their Christmas Market. Dozens of stalls packed the halls and hundreds sought an early seasonal bargain. A lovely event and a honour to open.
Healthy Hearts and Minds at Broadmeadow
Back in Teignmouth, the community association ran a splendid healthy living event at the Broadmeadow Leisure Centre. A large number of organisations and companies gathered to promote the Healthy Hearts and Minds Day, from surfing and diving to chiropractors, to personal hygiene (washing your hands properly – you would be horrified to see how many don’t) to good eating, and even an outreach church – all were there as were the public. A tremendous event and very well run.
Surgeries
Friday, November 20: Bovey Tracey Methodist Church Hall, Fore Street: 5.30pm – 6.15pm
Monday, November 23: United Reformed Church, Dawlish Road, Teignmouth: 9.30am – 10.15am
See all of Richard Younger-Ross’s columns on the PRSD
Come and enjoy Devon – book a hotel and get away!
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