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Independent East Devon Alliance statement on Neil Parish & the by-election
I’ve just issued this statement to the press on behalf of the Independent East Devon Alliance:
Like most people in the Tiverton and Honiton constituency, the Independent East Devon Alliance is shocked by Neil Parish’s actions and believes that he has done the right thing by resigning. The forthcoming by-election is an opportunity to choose an independent-minded, local MP who will stand up for the people of the area and oppose the debasement of public life by the present Conservative government. We will be consulting our members about the best way to achieve this.
About the Independent East Devon Alliance: we have 13 councillors on East Devon District Council and are the largest party within its ruling Democratic Alliance Group which also includes the Liberal Democrats and Greens. In the 2019 elections, IEDA candidates topped the polls in the Seaton, Axminster, Coly Valley and Yarty wards of the Tiverton and Honiton constituency.
Saturday 7th May – Music for Ukraine in Seaton
A variety of local musicians and singers performing to raise money for the official Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) fund for Ukraine.
Thury Harcourt Place (Tesco Plaza), Seaton, Saturday 7th May between 10am and 1pm.
In case you thought it was all over … East Devon Covid cases hit record level
Image Posted on Updated on
When will East Devon’s MPs take notice of the cost of living crisis?
My latest for the Midweek Herald didn’t seem to make it into the print edition, but here it is: https://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/local-council/martin-shaw-column-cost-living-crisis-8799466
Cycle/walking route in Seaton Wetlands will be finally linked up next year
Devon County Council have confirmed to me that the programme for this scheme has now been agreed. Vegetation clearance will take place in the coming winter (Jan 2023), with the main construction in spring/summer 2023. They are not in a position to start this summer, with several planning conditions to discharge prior plus detailed design to complete.
An important survey by EDDC on cultural provision in East Devon
Follow the link in this story: https://eastdevonwatch.org/2022/03/12/public-survey-east-devon-culture-strategy/
In my reply, I emphasised the need for more support for local museums, like Seaton Museum.
The Great Levelling Down Year for the SW (plus a note on Beer!)
Here’s my latest column for the Midweek/Sidmouth Herald.
Please do let me know if you have any thoughts on the issues raised.
The Omicron crisis is still severe for individuals and the NHS – don’t believe what the Tory ostriches are saying
A lot of misleading headlines in the UK press this morning. It seems that:
1. Omicron may be a little less ‘intrinsically’ severe than Delta (in the range 0-30 per cent) – so this is the slightly reduced threat for unvaccinated people who’ve never had Covid.
2. Its ‘observed’ severity is rather lower – a lower proportion of people will end up in hospital or dying – because most of the people it’s infecting have either had Covid before (it may be as much as 10 times as likely to reinfect than Delta was), or been vaccinated, and therefore have a degree of immunity.
3. However Omicron is far more transmissible than Delta (and remember Delta was twice as transmissible as the original Covid), and so is infecting more people than ever and – although the proportion being hospitalised is smaller – the absolute number of Covid patients in hospital is going up quickly in London and will probably follow elsewhere.
4. At the same time, the number of hospital outbreaks of Covid has doubled, putting already sick patients at risk. More doctors and nurses are isolating because of Covid, so fewer are available to look after the growing number of patients. Non-Covid activities (operations people have been waiting for for months or years, etc.) are being cancelled on an industrial scale.
5. So overall, this is a very, very serious crisis, getting worse. The Tory government, its backbench ostriches and allied press are criminally minimising this, causing many more deaths and potentially catastrophic effects on the NHS.
6. Boosted immunity is still very good against serious disease but a bit less against infection – so get boosted. However it’s a lie to say that boosters will solve the present crisis, because millions are not eligible and people boosted now will not get the full benefits for 2-3 weeks.
7. Do all you can to avoid catching Covid, and basically don’t fall sick with anything or have an accident, because if you do the medical help may just not be there.
Happy Christmas!
A very, very serious situation – the measures taken are not enough, & we must look after ourselves
It was evident from Dr Chris Whitty at yesterday’s press conference that the UK has a very serious new Omicron epidemic which is already huge in London and spreading everywhere. In Devon we already have a large Delta epidemic, which is still continuing alongside Omicron – you can even catch both at the same time.
Yet bumbling Boris Johnson could only repeat ‘boosters, boosters’ and – afraid of his ‘ostrich’ backbenchers like Simon Jupp – failed to back up Whitty’s crucial plea to everyone to reduce their social contacts. Therefore the onus is on us to be the grown-ups in the room and follow Whitty’s advice.
Quite simply, if we don’t, the likelihood is that quite a few of the people who will fall seriously ill with Covid and other conditions over the next couple of months will not get the treatment they need. This is not an abstract threat. In Spring 2020, many – especially older – people who were gravely ill were never admitted to hospital, and died when they could have been saved. It could easily happen again. The NHS is already creaking terribly under the strain of the Delta pandemic.
Boosters and vaccinations are vital, but I agree with Independent Sage – the UK-based group of scientists who monitor the pandemic and make public recommendations – that boosters+Plan B are not enough in this situation, even though working from home and wearing face masks are important measures (make sure those masks are FFP2 which are far more protective).
Please read their full statement of the situation. This is what they say the Government should do next:
- A return to Step 2 of the Spring roadmap where outdoor mixing, retail and outdoor hospitality remain open but indoor hospitality and entertainment are shut.
- No indoor gatherings between households of any size (excepting bubbled individuals and other roadmap exceptions).
- All close contacts of new cases must isolate for 10 days, with financial and practical support to do so.
- Adequate financial support for affected businesses.
- Neither schools that choose to end term early nor parents who take their children out of school for the last few days of term should be penalised.
- Continuation of the concerted effort to get as many people vaccinated (particularly younger age groups for whom uptake is low) and boosted as possible.
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 