‘Living Memories’ founder receives national award
Brian Norris, the founder of Living Memories, a Colyton-based Community Interest Company with a large database of films for use with older patients suffering from dementia, has been received a Points of Light award from the government for his contribution. Brian hopes that Living Memories might in the future be based in Seaton Hospital.
Dental shock for local NHS patients
The Axminster Dental Practice, a large practice which serves a wide area, has told its NHS patients that it will cease NHS treatment from October. Only those who sign up to Denplan before then will continue to receive (private) treatment, and even then on a first-come first-served basis.
It seems particularly unfortunate that the practice did not delay this decision to give the new Labour government a chance to outline its plans to remedy the terrible state in which the Conservatives have left dentistry. I am sure Richard Foord, who made this a major issue, will want to press the government on it.
If you are an Axminster Dental Practice NHS patient and have not received a letter, you should contact them immediately.
‘I’m committed to making the NHS more of a neighbourhood care service’ – Wes Streeting
Does this have implications for our hospital, as well as for GP services?
Amended plan for Seaton Green Wedge development
The Save the Green Wedge Group has posted this about Application 22/2781/MOUT – land adjacent to Harepath Road, Seaton:
Baker Estates have just submitted a revised concept masterplan, landscape strategy, sections and lighting to their application number 22/2781/MOUT to build on the Seaton/Colyford Green Wedge. Some points to note:
- The amended plans propose a spine road running from Harepath Road through the site to the Colyford Road, enabling vehicles from the proposed new development to travel across the site, as well as provide a short cut from Harepath Road onto the Colyford Road.
- The proposed exit from the site onto the Colyford Road is closer to Cemetery Corner than previously.
- To enable the new link road, the proposals show removal of part of the hedgerow which may be a Devon bank.
The date for determining the application has been extended to 31st July. Comments on these revisions can be made, as previously, to EDDC on the Planning portal, application number 22/2781/MOUT.
Seaton Town Council is considering the proposed revisions at their Planning meeting on Monday 8th July at 5.45pm at Marshlands Centre, Harbour Road, Seaton if you wish to attend or submit comments.
Divided opposition helps Tories cling on in Exmouth & Exeter East
While we are celebrating Richard Foord’s tremendous victory, spare a thought for our neighbours in the Exmouth & Exeter East constituency. Here, the combined Labour and Lib Dem vote was almost 26,000, compared to a Tory vote of 14,700, but division between the opposition candidates cost them the seat. Tory David Reed held on by just 121 votes over the Labour candidate Helen Dallimore, with Paul Arnott for the Lib Dems behind them.
I strongly supported Paul, not only because he would have been an excellent MP but also because I believed he was best placed to beat the Tory. The chart below shows how the Lib Dems had consistently been the main challengers in the area before Claire Wright’s Independent campaigns – and Claire was supporting Paul. Yet many polling projections, applying oversimplified national models, were unable to take into account of the unusual situation created by Claire’s legacy, and projected Labour to beat the Tories – which Dallimore’s campaign naturally capitalised on. Meanwhile, other projections, which I shared, showed Paul winning.
The actual result shows that both parties had substantial support. Labour’s advantage in ‘tactical’ recommendations may have pushed them ahead of the Lib Dems – but not enough, since other projections suggested the Lib Dems were ahead. Thus the competing campaigns and projections proved a recipe for failure. Neither national party gave strong backing to their candidate, which added to the confusion.
The lessons are that First Past The Post is a brutal system. In Devon, where the Tories will always be strong, we need a consensus on the challenger – as we had with Richard after his by-election win. Really, we need to end the need for tactical voting by introducing Proportional Representation. Let us hope that Labour members will now push Keir Starmer to rethink his opposition to this. We also need PR to avoid the return of a Tory government in 5 or 10 years’ time.
A sweeping victory for Richard
23007 votes to Simon Jupp’s 16307. This is way beyond our expectations – what a testimony to Richard, everyone who worked on his campaign, and to the good sense of the voters here in the Seaton area and around the constituency. It’s the first time that Sidmouth has not had a Tory MP for 189 years!
Tell everyone – you don’t need your polling card to vote
Some voters in Seaton are reporting that they still haven’t received their cards.
First votes cast in Seaton – no Conservative teller on the main polling station
Only the Liberal Democrats – and the voters, of course – seem to be taking the election seriously.
Open Letter: Britain is on the brink of change – does East Devon want to remain a Tory backwater?
Dear fellow citizens of East Devon,
On Thursday, we will remove the Conservative government that has broken Britain over the last 14 years. Hundreds of areas will elect Labour MPs, scores will return Lib Dems, and a few, hopefully, Greens. But does East Devon want to be part of this change? Or are we content to remain a Tory backwater, as we have been for 100 years?
This is the question on the ballot paper. Devon has been shockingly taken for granted by the Tories. If we do not remove them now, what will that tell the incoming Labour government? Oh, they stripped our community hospitals of their beds. They left them to be demolished for housing. But, hey, East Devon is still happy to have a Tory to represent us? It would hardly be surprising if a Labour minister concluded: these people are complete suckers – we’ve got other areas to attend to first.
If we want to be part of the change, if we want to be listened to and taken seriously, that means voting for it. And voting for a new government, in this area, means voting Lib Dem – if you vote Labour or Green or other, your vote will be wasted and you could be helping the Tories to cling on.
I’m not a Lib Dem. I don’t think they’re perfect. They’ve made some big mistakes – but so, for that matter, has Labour (remember Iraq?). But under our first-past-the-post voting system – which Labour supports – to be part of this year’s change we have to choose the party that’s most likely to beat the Conservatives in our local area, and in both Honiton/Sidmouth and Exmouth/Exeter East, that means the Lib Dems.
It helps that in both constituencies, the Lib Dems have outstanding, genuinely local candidates – Richard Foord, who has made his mark supporting Seaton Hospital, and Paul Arnott, who has led the fight to end Tory corruption in the district council over the last decade. But even if they didn’t – do you really want another Tory carpetbagger who cares little for our area?
On Thursday, make sure you cast your vote for change. In both our constituencies, the results will be close. There are still too many of our neighbours who ARE content to let the old corruption carry on. They must not prevail. Instead, vote for a different East Devon, and a different Britain.
Please think about this, and pass the message on to your families and friends.
Martin Shaw, former Independent Devon County Councillor.
Seaton, 2 July 2024.
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 