It has been a year since Conservative Karl McCartney was elected as Lincoln MP. We caught up with him to find out about his first 12 months representing the city.
The Lincolnite: You hold regular surgeries where constituents can express their thought on various issues affecting them. What seem to be the most talked about issues at your surgeries?
Karl McCartney: Constituents can come to me with a whole range of issues or problems, usually personal problems, most commonly: housing, immigration, benefits and problems with the Child Support Agency (CSA).
Occasionally, constituents also wish to see me to express their concerns about a particular aspect of government policy such as reform of the Disability Living Allowance or tuition fees.
My regular advice surgeries are a great opportunity to meet constituents and to stay in touch with the real issues affecting the lives of people who live in Lincoln and the surrounding area, and often I also visit constituents or meet up informally with them if an advice surgery appointment is inconvenient. Whilst not all Members of Parliament choose to hold advice surgeries, they are, for me, an integral and very worthwhile part of the job I was elected to do.
The Lincolnite: Your first PMQ about Libyan gold was received with a mixed response by constituents because it was not addressing any Lincoln issues. In hindsight, would you have asked the Prime Minister a different question?
Karl McCartney: I don’t accept the premiss of your question at all, and if you actually look again at the content and substance of my question, I was comparing Libya’s sensible decision to hold onto its gold reserves, with the previous Labour Government’s irresponsible decision to sell Britain’s gold in order to bolster the failing Euro, at a very reduced price.
This is just one aspect of the previous Government’s financial mismanagement that has affected detrimentally the whole country, including my constituents in Lincoln. Moreover, if you look at other questions and issues I have raised in recent weeks in Parliament, they often directly affect the people of Lincoln such as broadband provision in Bracebridge Heath; fuel prices; welfare spending; and Network Rail issues such as the direct link to London and the High Street level crossing.
The Lincolnite: Do you think the Coalition Government cuts to local authorities in Lincoln and Lincolnshire had a positive effect on the city so far?
Karl McCartney: Whilst I accept that councils are being asked to help play their part in tackling the inherited deficit from Labour, I do believe that they have been given a huge amount of spending freedom over their budgets with new powers to ensure that the front-line services people rely on are protected. This Government has performed a difficult balancing act, ensuring that the most vulnerable are shielded from cuts and that taxpayers’ interests are given priority.
Councils will, in many cases, have to re-examine the way they do business, however many councils to date, including the City, County and North Kesteven councils have shown how savings can be made and frontline services for residents protected.
It is my hope that innovative councils can make efficiency savings through sharing back office staff; eliminating waste; cracking down on senior pay and collaborating to spend smarter in order to maintain the key priorities of local residents and protect vital front line services.
The Lincolnite: Almost a year on since the proposal to bring back horse racing on the West Common was withdrawn, what is your involvement with the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company? Do you still consider horse racing has a future in Lincoln?
Karl McCartney: Whilst I accept that horse racing on the West Common will not happen any time soon, I certainly would not necessarily rule it out forever. I will always promote ideas of economic regeneration within the city, for example, by supporting the proposed Magna Carta anniversary exhibition in the Castle and seeking to persuade both the Highways Agency and ministers alike of the potential benefits to Lincoln of erecting more brown tourist signs so that visitors to the county can readily find and access the Cathedral, Castle and our other attractions from the A1 for example.
But back to the horse racing proposal, I am still — and will continue to be — of the belief that horse racing on the West Common would be right for Lincoln and, were it ever to go ahead, would bring much-needed investment into our city, improving the amenity of the West Common, the local economy and showcasing our city and county for tourism and business, improving the bottleneck of the Carholme roundabout and implementing to the West at least ‘Park and Ride/Walk/Sail’ options at long last to improve flows of traffic and decrease traffic congestion for Lincoln.
The Lincolnite: If Lincolnshire County Council could start work immediately on either the East-West Link Road, the Eastern Bypass, or the Park & Ride project, which one would you prioritise?
Karl McCartney: Lincoln’s transport problems and needs are as varied as they are complex. I wholeheartedly support the East-West link, the Eastern Bypass, Park and Ride, as well as looking at initiatives to ease the congestion caused by the High Street level crossing.
Moreover, I feel that Lincoln would greatly benefit from a bicycle scheme similar to that introduced by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, and, although the idea is at a very early stage, I have been making enquiries to this end.
I am very clear: as the Member of Parliament for Lincoln, I am convinced that resolving Lincoln’s transport issues is pivotal to our city’s future prosperity and levels of quality of life for its inhabitants. Politics often boils down to difficult choices and whilst my priority is doing all I can to improve Lincoln for those who live, work and visit our city, improving Lincoln’s transport infrastructure will enhance so many of these aspects of city life. I will do all I can to bring about all of these projects and ideas, as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Lincolnite: What would you consider your biggest achievement as Lincoln MP so far?
Karl McCartney: I feel that there have been a number of campaigns which I was glad to support. For instance, I was delighted by the news that from May 2011 a new Lincoln to London direct rail service will commence, though I will be seeking to persuade East Coast Trains that more direct trains are required than the present one per day in each direction.
I also receive tens, sometimes hundreds, of emails, letters and telephone calls daily from constituents who sometimes have nowhere else to turn to for help. Constituents require help with all sorts of situations: from the state of the footpath along a particular stretch of street; to asking me to make the minister aware of concerns for the welfare of Christians in Iraq. The work of backbench MPs largely goes unnoticed in this respect, but I am very pleased that I am in a position to help people across my constituency and often bring about a positive outcome.
Photo: Kelly Moore for The Lincolnite
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Public transport unions have warned the government may struggle to get people back to wearing masks if COVID surges in the winter, as 583 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire.
Government figures on Monday showed 361 new cases in Lincolnshire, 86 in North East Lincolnshire and 136 in North Lincolnshire.
Five further deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents were confirmed in the government figures, with four in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire.
NHS data reported one fatality at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust.
A new report from the RMT union has said the number of people wearing masks on public transport and at major railways stations has dropped from 80% to 20%.
Mike Lynch, general secretary said people were ignoring rules even where masks were mandatory.
“As more people see others failing to comply, the situation will escalate quickly over the autumn,” he said.
“With the government already making compulsory mask wearing on transport a contingency if cases escalate in the coming weeks, there is a real danger they won’t be able to get the genie back into the bottle.”
Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to September 20. | Image: GOV.uk
A government spokesman said people needed to take personal responsibility.
“The guidance is clear that people are expected and recommended to wear a mask when they come into contact with people they don’t normally meet in enclosed and crowded spaces,” they said.
“It is open to transport operators to decide if they want to implement their own policies, working within their particular environment.”
Elsewhere, the Department of Education said just 0.7% of pupils were absent from school with COVID in England last week. The figure is a fall on previous ones.
Meanwhile, University College London (UCL) has warned that around 10,000 people could die of cancer earlier because of increased pressure and a lack of resources in the NHS.
It follows a survey of 2,096 UK adults in May and found three in four wanted blood tests for cancer screening.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, September 21
109,001 cases (up 583)
71,511 in Lincolnshire (up 361)
17,210 in North Lincolnshire (up 136)
20,280 in North East Lincolnshire (up 86)
2,321 deaths (up five)
1,699 from Lincolnshire (up four)
316 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
306 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)
of which 1,393 hospital deaths (up one)
853 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
496 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
Major plans for Lincolnshire could be put on hold as the economy suffers short term pain, but local business chiefs are optimistic the county will pull through eventually.
Lincolnshire County Council’s portfolio holder for environment and economy Councillor Colin Davie did not specify which projects could be in danger, but agreed that a perfect storm of COVID, the ending of Universal Credit bonuses, energy crisis and others were about to collide to the detriment of the economy both nationally and locally.
“The short term is flashing red,” he said. “The outlook is challenging, but the long term future is full of optimism.”
He said: “We’ve got significant growth, businesses are reporting their order books are really good, but they also are reporting really significant challenges, particularly around labour, and particularly around rising costs and difficulties with supply chain.”
Rising manufacturing and energy costs spiking nationally
Manufacturing orders have grown by 7.5% nationally, but Councillor Davie said the inflated prices of materials would be passed down to consumers in the country.
They include the cost of steel, which has gone up by 65% and timber by 100%. In general material costs last year rose by 20.1%.
On top of this, businesses now face rising energy costs due to reasons including a mix of fuel shortages and rising prices internationally.
Some energy companies face collapse, while businesses and residents are due massive hikes in their bills.
“That’s going to feed through quite clearly in rising costs to the end user. So if you’re building one house, you’re going to have a least 20% extra money to find to pay for it to be completed. If you’re building a huge commercial development, then you could be really challenged.”
He was confident projects which had already started were budgeted for, but warned projects that had not yet started and had been budgeted pre-COVID would “be the ones that are really challenged.”
This could include, he said, grant funded projects such as those listed in various town deals, or which had received Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership funding where contingency plans may not be able to meet the increases.
He was critical of governments’ previous over-reliance on renewable energy and not having a balanced energy mix, adding “the whole thing is a total mess”.
Universal Credit was only temporary, but job market improving
Cllr Davie pointed to the shortage of HGV drivers in some industries, as well as supermarkets paying higher wages to delivery drivers.
Despite the caution over the outlook, however, Councillor Davie agreed Universal Credit should be temporary, adding: “COVID has cost £500bn so far and someone’s going to have to pay for that.”
He indicated that it was not all doom and gloom: “It’s not just energy costs rising, people’s wages are rising too because those in work are now in a position to move around and dictate where they work.
“We’ve got as many vacancies in our county right now as there are people unemployed, so it is a work person’s marketplace, they can dictate where they work, and to a large extent what they now get paid.”
Lincolnshire still “very attractive” to investors
Elsewhere, Councillor Davie was even more positive, particularly around projects such as the 3,200 new homes in the Western Growth Corridor in Lincoln.
“Land prices in a place like Lincolnshire are relatively low compared to other parts of the country and we do have a lot of space to grow.
“There is a clear demographic change underway, with people wanting to live in nice places, work from home, commute to the office a little bit and Lincolnshire is very attractive — we’ve got some very fast rising house prices in the county,” he said.
“So big schemes like Western Growth Corridor, subject to meeting all our objections… There is no reason why that scheme was still not a viable proposition.”
He acknowledged there were still challenges around providing homes for young people and reiterated previous points about a need to reinvent High Streets to provide more housing, as well as making homes environmentally friendly.
Despite all the issues outlined above, however, Councillor Davie was confident the county “was a place of optimism”.
“If we can manage the next few months carefully, it will be a place that comes out of COVID and moves forward as a greater place and a greater economy.”
Post-Brexit and post-COVID “optimism”
He said Brexit, which has continued to rumble on in the background, had created “opportunities for manufacturing products within our own borders”.
“We are embarking on, after Brexit and after COVID, a march for this country to be a global player.
“We’ve got lots and lots of foreign investment inquiries into Lincolnshire.
“I also want Lincolnshire to have a presence on the global stage, so as government announces trade deals with different parts of the world, we will be looking to work through the government departments, and talk to those individual trade deal areas about what opportunities Lincolnshire could offer their investors.
“Lincolnshire will be global Lincolnshire, alongside global Britain.”
A bridge which partially collapsed two years ago and was held up with bulk bags as a temporary fix will now finally be replaced and rebuilt.
The damaged Bedford Bridge in Quadring Eaudyke near Spalding will be replaced after the northern side of the bridge partially collapsed in late 2019.
It was temporarily repaired at the time, but it is now to be fully replaced with a new wider bridge.
Construction will start on Monday, October 4 and last up to nine weeks.
As part of the works, Water Gate will have to be closed in the village between Sarah Gate and Wood Lane, and a local diversion route will take traffic through Quadring and Gosberton.
Access to the properties immediately adjacent to the bridge will be maintained, but no route will be available over the drain as the bridge is being entirely replaced.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We carried out temporary repairs last year to keep this bridge safe, but it has narrow verges and low sides, so now it’s time to replace it and bring it right up to standard.
“The new bridge will have concrete parapets to make it safer. I thank local residents for bearing with us whilst we carry out this work.”
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