“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night,” said Bette Davis’ character, ageing actress, Margo Channing, in the 1950 Oscar winning film, ‘All about Eve’. That’s what 2017 has been like for many of us and 2018 looks like offering more of the same.
As far as the international scene was concerned, the Middle East seems to be in as big a mess as ever, while the new occupant of the White House was elected by an arcane device called ‘the Electoral College’, constructed with the best of intentions by the founding fathers when their country comprised a few colonies on the eastern seaboard; but totally inappropriate for the nation of over 230 million people it has become today.
He actually lost the election by over two million votes, and has struggled to get many of his campaign ‘pledges’ into law, despite his party having control of both Houses of Congress. His only ‘success’ so far appears to be a Finance Bill that blatantly rewards his billionaire buddies and, while it has gone down well on Wall Street, will arguably do nothing for what our American cousins call the ‘Middle Class’ (known here as ‘Working Class’). Surely a nation, which has for so long been called ‘Leader of the Free World’, with the riches it possesses in terms of population alone could have come up with a better choice – and to think that some of us thought that George W Bush left much to be desired.
China continues to build up its military strength in the Far East and its pre-eminence in manufacturing and trade around the world, while in mineral rich Africa, despite all that overseas aid their largely despotic and corrupt governments are receiving, many people continue to starve. In North Korea the antics of dictator, Kim Jong Un aka ‘Little Rocket man’ continue to offer an excuse for you know who to rattle his substantial sabre.
Nearer to home we have Brexit, and then we have Brexit and then even more Brexit. When will it end? You can forget about a reform of Adult Social Care, improving the NHS, building enough Housing and the rest. Westminster appears to be locked into the tortuous process of trying to make ‘the will of the people’ a reality some time soon. It was the coach of the 1971 British Lions Rugby Team, the late Carwyn James, who urged his players, when confronting the mighty All Blacks, to “get your retaliation in first”, a tactic that Messrs Davis, Johnson, Fox and Gove appear to be copying. Did they and those who believed them really think that extricating ourselves from over 40 years of increasing integration with what is still a mighty powerful organisation would be a walk in the park?
2017 saw Prime Minister Theresa May’s female interpretation of Sir Vince Cable’s famous ‘Stalin to Mr Bean’ description of the transformation of PM Gordon Brown. Buoyed by the local election results in Spring (more of them later) and sensing a chance to give Labour a good kicking she went to the country offering ‘strong and stable government’ and ended up with nothing of the kind. What we did end up with was a return to ‘two party politics’ in Parliament for the first time since the 1960s with both Tory and Labour parties sucking in a level of support they had not enjoyed for many years. With a turnout of nearly 70%, the highest in 25 years and with strong support for nationalist parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland, national campaigning parties such as the Lib Dems and the Greens were left to pick up the scraps. Whilst over 80% voted either Tory or Labour, it’s pretty clear that, given the current polarisation in both parties, particularly in England, there is a large hole in the centre ground that nobody seems able to fill at the moment. Somehow, I can’t see an SDP like coming together of remainers in either major party of the kind we witnessed in 1981. The current voting system makes pluralism in terms of seats in Parliament still a pipe dream.
Nearer to home, following the local elections last May, Lincolnshire appears even more to be a one party state (nothing new there then?). Barely one third of the electorate bothered to vote and the Tories picked up 58 of the 70 County Council seats available. ‘Official opposition’ Labour was reduced to a rump of six, the Lincolnshire Independents and the Lib Dems one councillor apiece with four independents. UKIP, the largest opposition party after the 2013 elections (but not for long when defections reduced its number to thirteen), was wiped out completely. The fact that local government is facing an existential crisis appears to have gone unnoticed; but the problems it faces will not go away.
On a personal level, in the year I retired after thirty years as a councillor I was pleased that the Central Lincs Local Plan, in which I was actively involved as a member of the Committee tasked with producing it, got the blessing of the Inspector, which could bring the elusive Lincoln Ring Road a little closer as well as putting a brake, amongst other things, on speculative planning applications. However, I’m still awaiting that consultation with the public on streamlining local government in the County, let alone, on a national level, the reform of local government finance, which in its current form just isn’t fit for purpose any more.
So, what does 2018 hold for us here? First of course is Brexit. Opinions vary as to how it will proceed. About a month ago, Lincoln’s doyen of Industry and Commerce, the ex boss of RGT/EGT/ALSTOM UK, Paul Barron, in his Lincolnite column, ‘My Plan for surviving Brexit’ adopted the Doris Day approach. Some of you may remember her hit song from the film, ‘The Man, who knew too much’. It went like this:
“Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see Que sera, sera.”
Paul summed it up in the phrase: “It is what it is”, and that’s very much my view as well. However, in order to lead us to the promised land, we need leadership that is up to the job, and here again, I refer to something Paul Barron wrote on The Lincolnite about a year ago in a column entitled: ‘Filling the void: Leadership post Brexit’. He wrote that we needed “a leader who can stand above the rhetoric, with a clear vision and plans to deliver it, communicated in a language everyone can understand.”
I agree and might add that we also need a REALIST. But, where are the candidates for this role? So far, I can’t see any of the current crop being up to it, and that includes the Leader of the Official Opposition! Perhaps there is another Winston Churchill out there. And perhaps, with the first round of Brexit negotiations more or less complete, we have, to quote his famous words as the tide of WW2 was beginning to turn in late 1942, reached “the end of the beginning.”I sincerely hope so. Mind you, it took another three years of “blood, toil, tears and sweat” before that particular job was done.
A Happy New Year to you all, but don’t unfasten your seatbelts just yet!
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John was a councillor for thirty years, finally retiring in 2017. A schoolteacher by profession, he served on the North Hykeham Town Council (1987-2011), the North Kesteven District Council (1987-1999, 2001-2007) and the Lincolnshire County Council (2001-2017). He was also a County Council member of the former Lincolnshire Police Authority for eight years until standing down in 2009. In 1997 he was the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Sleaford and North Hykeham. He is currently not a member of any political party.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
There have been 263 new coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday and three COVID-related deaths, compared to 195 cases and two deaths this time last week,
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 204 new cases in Lincolnshire, 36 in North East Lincolnshire and 23 in North Lincolnshire.
On Thursday, two deaths was registered in Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county. North Lincolnshire deaths have now hit 300.
NHS England reported four new local hospital deaths, including two at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and two at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.
On Thursday, national cases increased by 9,985 to 4,154,562 while deaths rose by 323 to 122,070. Some 18.6 million have had their first jab.
In local news, the latest NHS England figures show that nearly 240,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Lincolnshire so far.
The weekly data released on Thursday shows 237,027 jabs have taken place between December 8 and February 21 — up by 34,228 on the previous week. However, that figure is lower week on week (36,828 last week and 38,365 the week before).
The UK’s COVID-19 alert level has been downgraded as the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed recedes.
The UK’s chief medical officers said the alert level should move from 5 to 4 as the numbers of patients in hospital are “consistently declining and the threat of the NHS and other health services being overwhelmed within 21 days has receded”.
Level 4 means transmission of COVID-19 is now “high or rising exponentially” compared with level 5, the highest level, where there was “a risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed”.
Police have handed out nearly 70,000 fines to people for breaching COVID-19 lockdown rules since they came into force, with more than 6,000 issued in a single week, new data shows.
Figures published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) on Thursday show that a total of 68,952 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued by forces.
GCSEs and A-levels cancelled in England by the pandemic will be replaced by grades decided by teachers, the exams watchdog Ofqual has confirmed.
Schools can determine grades this summer by using a combination of mock exams, coursework and essays.
More surge testing will be rolled out in Ealing after additional cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa were detected.
It is an extension of testing which was started in the west London borough earlier this month following the discovery of previous cases.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate numbers up to February 25 according to the government dashboard:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 17 to Feb 24. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, February 25
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
53,054 cases (up 263)
37,468 in Lincolnshire (up 204)
7,969 in North Lincolnshire (up 23)
7,617 in North East Lincolnshire (up 36)
2,060 deaths (up three)
1,513 from Lincolnshire (up two)
300 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
247 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,213 hospital deaths (up four)
752 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
419 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up two)
4,154,562 UK cases, 122,070 deaths
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.
Lincoln City manager Michael Appleton has committed his future to the club by signing a new four-year contract.
Appleton arrived at the Imps in September 2019 and currently has Lincoln dreaming of promotion to the Championship, as they currently sit in second place in the League One table.
His work hadn’t gone unnoticed, with Championship side Bristol City heavily linked to the former Oxford United manager, but he has pledged his future to the Imps with a contract that will run until 2025.
Lincoln City chairman Clive Nates was pleased to keep the 45-year-old boss at the club, saying: “I am delighted that Michael has signed a new contract through to 2025.
“The successful transformation of the squad and a promotion push in his first full season is remarkable, even more so considering the curtailment of last season and a significantly lower pro budget.”
The manager isn’t the only one to sign on the dotted line on Thursday, with forward Anthony Scully and midfielder Remy Howarth also being given new contracts at the club.
Scully, 21, has been in great form for the Imps this campaign, scoring 12 goals in 34 games and he has been rewarded with a two-year deal, expiring in June 2023.
Howarth, 23, joined Lincoln on a free transfer in the summer, after impressing during a trial at the club, and will sign a one-year extension on his contract.
Remy was “so excited” to sign for The Imps, says boss Michael Appleton. Photo: Lincoln City FC
Remy has featured 17 times this season, scoring twice, and said he is delighted to be staying at the LNER Stadium.
“I couldn’t be happier and prouder to be a part of this football club, I have enjoyed my time so far working under the gaffer (Michael Appleton).
“I’m so grateful for the support of the fans and I look forward to feeling their support behind us in the stadium soon.”
Anthony Scully, 21, has been in electric form for The Imps this season. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
Anthony Scully said his time at Lincoln has been the best of his career so far, praising the club for helping his progress.
“I have to say a big thank you to the gaffer, backroom staff and all the players since I arrived one year ago.
“Being a Lincoln player has been the happiest I’ve felt in football and I look forward to the next few years together and what we can achieve.
“Also, I want to say a massive thank you to all of the fans for the support they have shown since I’ve joined, I can’t wait to have them all back in the stadium and enjoy the journey together.”
The Imps’ First Team Manager Michael Appleton. | Photo: Lincoln City Football Club
Imps boss Michael Appleton was full of praise for Remy and Anthony, both of which he signed in his first year in charge.
He said: “We are really pleased to keep Anthony at the club beyond this season.
“He has developed well over the last 12 months and will help continue to improve and grow the club in the next few years.
“He’s a great lad to have around the place and I’m looking forward to watching him develop.”
Appleton continued: “Remy is a young player who has worked very hard this season. We are delighted to see him commit himself to the club beyond this season.”
The news will be a boost to the Imps’ promotion hopes, ahead of their next League One match away to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
A prolific and aggressive beggar who caused issues in Lincoln and North Hykeham has been issued with a criminal behaviour order by Lincolnshire Police.
The man caused issues particularly around The Forum in North Hykeham and the Tritton Road retail parks in Lincoln — but police would not name him.
He failed to engage with support offered to him and became very aggressive with his begging. This included approaching cars that were pulling into car parks and opening their doors to ask for change.
He was also abusive to shop staff who asked him to stop harassing their customers.
The man already had an existing CBO from the Nottinghamshire area for similar behaviour, but that only applied to areas within that county.
On one occasion, he also told Lincolnshire officers he did not care about criminal behaviour orders. A CBO was issued to the man after work between Lincolnshire Police and the city council’s intervention team.
Lincoln Police said: “We are sure he will when our city centre team start arresting him for breaches and he finds himself facing a custodial sentence.
“This is slow painstaking work building up a real picture of the individual’s behaviour for the court but it will ultimately reduce the negative impact he has had on the community.
This comes after police said in September last year that there had been an increase in the number of people begging at The Forum in North Hykeham.