Category: Suffolk

Lewis Herbert and Lucy Nethsingha – reservations around an Eastern Powerhouse devolution deal

“We’re going to take this in a democratic and transparent way to the first possible meeting, which is on 23rd March, and Cambridge will make a decision.”

17:20 Friday 11th March 2016
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: The BBC understands the Government wants to go ahead with an Eastern Powerhouse devolution deal, despite Cambridge City Council announcing it’ll not take part. The Leader of the City Council is with us very shortly. The proposals would give control of transport and planning to a single mayor, with responsibility across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. And the Leader of the LibDems on the County Council also with us in a moment or two. But first of all, political reporter Tom Barton from Look East. Tom, what’s it all about?
TOM BARTON: So this is about effectively Government giving away some power. So decisions that are made at the moment by civil servants and Ministers in Whitehall and Westminster instead being passed to local areas. It’s been going on for a while, trying to find an area that they can give it to effectively. Norfolk and Suffolk had put together proposals which they took to the Government. The Government said, we like what you’re talking about, but we don’t think you’re a big enough area for this to work in. We want you to go and work with Cambridgeshire instead.
CHRIS MANN: Big enough in terms of numbers?
TOM BARTON: in terms of the impact of the economy if you like. So not just population, but economic power.
CHRIS MANN: Because Cambridgeshire is a powerhouse.
TOM BARTON: Exactly. And the Government, this is all going to be announced at the Budget next week. George Osborne the Chancellor wants to stand up in the House of Commons and announce a deal for an Eastern Powerhouse. That’s what he’s talking about. And so this would give a new elected mayor, effectively East of England’s very own version of Boris Johnson, the power ..
CHRIS MANN: Or Alex Salmond.
TOM BARTON: Or Alex Salmond. .. the power to do a range of different things. We don’t know exactly what it’s going to be, but it’ll be around housing, infrastructure like roads, railways, public transport, skills, those sorts of things, across all three counties. So it would wear away the borders between the counties, and see decisions taken across the board.
CHRIS MANN: Where would it be based, this government, this devolved, not parliament, but devolved .. ?
TOM BARTON: The institution if you like of the mayor. We don’t know. That’s one of the things to be decided. They might choose a point somewhere geographically in between Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge. Who knows? But the crucial thing is the Government has been trying to get this deal signed off. They really wanted the whole of Cambridgeshire on board. But last night, as the deadline approached for the deal to be signed off, Cambridge City Council walked away. They said that they don’t want to be part of it.
CHRIS MANN: OK. And let’s bring in the Leader of Cambridge City Council, who is councillor Lewis Herbert. Lewis.
LEWIS HERBERT: Hi Chris.
CHRIS MANN: Why did you say no?
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PM Praises Southwold Pier Rescue

17:44 Wednesday 5th June 2013
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: David Cameron has paid tribute to Sufolk’s volunteer coastguards, who rescued more than fifty people during a charity swim that went wrong. Organisers have apologised for going ahead with Southwold’s Pier to Pier swim nearly a fortnight ago, when more than a hundred and thirty swimmers ended up getting into difficulty. Therese Coffey the Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal, thanked the rescuers during Prime Minister’s Questions. (TAPE)
THERESE COFFEY: The weekend before last Mr Speaker there was a community swim off the coast of Southwold, which actually could have become a tragedy, were it not for the brave efforts of our emergency services, and in particular the volunteer coastguards and the RNLI. Can the Prime Minister My Right Honourable Friend join with me in thanking our volunteer coastguards, and in particular helmsman Simon Callaghan, crewmen Paul Barker and Rob Kelsey, in pulling out fifty six people from the water and averting a tragedy. (LIVE)
CHRIS MANN: David Cameron agreed. (TAPE)
DAVID CAMERON: I certainly join the Honourable Lady that the Royal National Lifeboat Association do an extraordinary job for our country. They are really one of our emergency services and should be treated as such. And I think she’s absolutely right to raise this case, and I join her in paying tribute to those brave people.

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