Spring 2008
Concerned About POSTAL VOTING?
After the controversy over the missing ballot boxes and uncounted ballot papers at the last elections
many of you are concerned about postal voting. The decision whether or not to vote by post is entirely down
to the individual. In theory there is no reason not to vote by post providing you keep your vote safe, secure,
secret and do not let anyone else handle it whatever they say. The Electoral Commission have produced
a guide on postal voting, for details visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. Here is a summary of their advice:
NEVER HAND IT TO A COUNCILLOR, CANDIDATE OR THEIR SUPPORTERS
COMPLETE YOUR BALLOT PAPER IN SECRET & ON
YOUR OWN.
DON’T LET ANYONE ELSE VOTE FOR YOU
PUT THE BALLOT PAPER IN THE ENVELOPE &
SEAL IT.
SIGN THE RELEVANT BOX WITH THE SAME
SIGNATURE YOU USED ON YOUR ORIGINAL
APPLICATION. ENSURE YOU FILL IN YOUR DATE
OF BIRTH DETAILS IN THE CORRECT FORMAT
ALWAYS TAKE IT TO THE POST BOX YOURSELF -
If you can’t give it to somebody you know &
trust. Alternatively ring the elections team on
0191 424 7230 & ask if they can collect it.
DON’T LEAVE IT WHERE SOMEONE ELSE CAN PICK
IT UP.
REMEMBER IT IS YOUR VOTE - SO KEEP IT TO
YOURSELF.
SEND YOUR POSTAL VOTE BACK IN GOOD TIME -
Don’t leave it until the last minute.
IF ANYONE TRIES TO HELP YOU AGAINST YOUR
WILL, OR FORCE YOU TO GIVE THEM YOUR
POSTAL VOTE THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW
& YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE POLICE.
For any other help including assistance with handling your
postal voting papers, physically voting or if you need replace-
ment postal voting papers (if you think you’ve made a mistake)
contact the Elections Team on 0191 424 7230 or e-mail
elections@southtyneside.gov.uk
You should also contact them if you haven’t had your postal
voting papers by 25th April.
If you still have concerns and would like to cancel your
postal vote in favour of voting in person at a polling station all
you need do is confirm your request in writing, you will need to
include your name, address and signature. Once completed post
or take your cancellation letter to The Elections Office, Town
Hall & Civic Offices, Westoe Rd, South Shields. NE33 2RL.
You have until 5pm on 16th April to cancel your postal vote.
Printed by CVN Print of Maxwell St, South Shields NE33 4PU.
Promoted by Maureen Khan on behalf of Ahmed Khan both of 60 Julian Ave, South Shields NE33 2EW.
Your Right to Know
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you the right
to ask any public body such as South Tyneside Council and
South Tyneside Homes for all the information they have on any
subject you choose and unless there’s a good reason, they have
to give it you within 20 working days. If they withhold information
they have to tell you why. You can also ask for all the personal
information they hold on you.
If you would like to obtain information under the FOIA your
request must be in writing (email is ok), you need to provide
a contact address. You don’t have to explain why you want the
information and they have no right to ask you. You also have
rights to obtain information held about you under the Data
Protection Act. This includes data held electronically, ‘structured
personal data’ held in manual files, such as medical and per-
sonnel records and ‘unstructured personal data’, which could
include, for example, notes and memos.
If your request is refused, you can complain to the organisa-
tion involved, which must then carry out an internal review. If
your complaint is rejected, you can appeal to the Information
Commissioner, who, if he supports your case, has legal power
to force disclosure.
If you would like to obtain information from South Tyneside
Council you can complete their on-line form at
http://www.southtyneside.info/feedback/FOI.asp
or write to Brian T Scott, Town Hall & Civic Offices,
Westoe Rd, South Shields. NE33 2RL.
To request information from South Tyneside Homes e-mail
them at: communications@southtynesidehomes.org.uk
or write to the Communications Team, South Tyneside
Homes, Strathmore House, 11 Rolling Mill Road,
Viking Business Park, Jarrow, NE32 3DP.
www.southtynesidealliance.info
MAY 1st will be a pivotal day in the history of South Tyneside and the
people of Beacon and Bents are set to play a major part in determining
the future direction of our borough.
With your help we can finally rid ourselves of labour incompetence, complacency
and self interest and their ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude which has resulted in our
ward being neglected for so long. Almost everywhere you turn anti social behaviour,
crime, alcohol and drug abuse is on the increase. Our social housing, pavements and
roads are in desperate need of refurbishment, our schools and community centres
are threatened with closure (a sign that Labour is itching to sell them off) and if that’s
not enough the council is ‘taxing’ us (bleeding us dry) at every available opportunity
and to top it all our Town Centre is dying on it’s feet. So what do our labour councillors
do whilst all this is happening? They sit by and award themselves yet another ‘pay’
rise and then have the cheek to tell us what a wonderful job they are doing! Well it’s
clear that the vast majority of you have had enough of the lies, deceit and arrogance
of Labour and believe it’s time for change.
Most of you will know that it’s almost election time again. You
can always tell when an election is imminent by the sudden
appearance of ‘THE INVISIBLES’, wannabee councillors that
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
you’ve never seen or heard from since the last election. Yes it
time for a flood of leaflets to hit our doormats, and amongst
OR IS IT?
The state pension is a 100 years old this year. Sadly
them will be a little red number telling us all what a good job it’s now worth less in real terms than it was when it
Labour are doing. You’ll probably even get one from Lib Dems was first launched. I was extremely disappointed that
and Conservatives who want you to believe they are the
Labour missed yet another opportunity to bring forward
only opposition, nothing could be further from the truth. the date to re-establish the link to earnings, especially as
The only certain way of ridding ourselves of labour is if older people are having to deal with huge rises in the cost
you vote strategically by voting for the only candidate able of living their real value of the state pension continues to
to remove Labour, so on May 1st
decline, in fact it’s now official, we have the worst basic
VOTE AHMED KHAN - INDEPENDENT state pension in Europe, shame on you Gordon!
WINTER FUEL PAYMENT INCREASE... put your bets on
yet another gimmick Any bookie will tell you
that there is no such thing as
The recent increase to the Winter Fuel Payment
a ‘banker’. What you can be
is nothing but a short term gimmick designed to con
older people into accepting a shameful budget. Although sure of is that over the next
few weeks Labour will be
it is better than nothing many people will feel it is no-
making lots of promises (so
where near enough to address the cocktail of price hikes
they can be broken later) and
they’ve had to swallow, such as energy prices rising
by up to 50%. It’s an absolute disgrace that this small telling us loads of half truths.
increase will be more than offset by extra tax revenues What you can “bank on” is
the Government receives from extra profits generated that after May 1st you won’t see nor hear from them again
by the energy companies and higher vat revenues. Is it until the next election! I don’t know about you but I’m off to put
too much to ask for a bigger percentage to be given to a bet on if I can find a bookie who’ll give me decent odds!
those that need it most?
PLEASE READ AND RECYCLE
 LABOUR WANTS TO HAVE Town Hall ‘FAT CATS’
KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! THEIR CAKE AND EAT IT! Get Fatter!
In the last edition of the Beacon the public were given details of the Audit WITH the recent price increases on everything from
THE ‘FAT CATS’ in the Town Hall continue to do very nicely thank
Commission’s Inspection team which were due to inspect South Tyneside Homes car parking, to admission charges and burial fees, South you! There are now 80 people working for South Tyneside Council
(STH). If successful STH would receive £167 million of extra funding to bring Tyneside Council is well on the way to joining an increas- who earn more than £50,000 per year. It costs us all (including our
the boroughs’ council homes up to the Decent Homes standard. There was also an ing number of councils who raise more money from children) £32.72 per year (equal to £5 million per year) just to feed
article about STH which raised concerns about the degree of political interference charging the public for services than they levy in coun- these 80 ‘Fat Cats’. Here’s just a selection of what we are paying
cil tax. It seems that the ruling Labour group has an insa- our public servants:
from the ruling Labour group.
tiable thirst for our money and will know doubt encourage Chief Executive for 2006/07 £129,000
Both articles were well received by those that council officers to come up with yet more ways to bleed us
matter most, the tenants and those currently on the housing
list. I have had numerous discussions with tenants (past
‘Fiddling’ The Figures dry. I predict that services where the council has a monopoly
Head of Enterprise and Regeneration £60,022 - £76,171
Assistant Chief Executive: Performance
such as car parking, burials, cremations and even replacing
and present) about issues concerning STH and it seems that or Creative Accounting... wheelie bins will see dramatic price rises in the next few years
£77,905 - £84,846
there is an awful lot of unhappy and frustrated people. I have Head of Corporate Governance

heard some disgraceful stories about how homes have been
allocated and the treatment of those who dared complain.
Discussions have been frank, as I agreed to keep their details
confidential for fear of reprisals.
Sadly STH and the borough’s Labour councillors did not
take kindly to the articles. They particularly objected to the
inspectors’ details being made known to public and the
suggestion of political interference. In fact certain people are
now suggesting that I do not want STH get to the £167 million
worth of extra funding – WHAT TOTAL CLAPTRAP. No one
would be more delighted than I if every home in the borough
was refurbished to the Decent Homes standard. I like the vast
majority of people want to see STH deliver what it was set up
to do. However, surely it is reasonable to seek assurances that
YOU DECIDE
Since 1997 South Tyneside Council’s ruling
Labour group has been responsible for a massive
81% increase in council tax. In 1997 a Band D
property paid £763, the same property in 2008/09
will have to pay £1384. In recent weeks we have
seen Cllr John Wood and his labour colleagues
giving themselves a pat on the back for keeping
the council tax rise down to just below 3%. We now
learn that the Labour group have come up with a
new ruse (some would say scam) to hide the full
story. Apparently this latest attempt at ‘creative
putting even more pressure on our already over stretched
£60,022 - £76,171
resources. It really does seem that our labour council wants to
have their cake and eat it! Executive Director: Neighbourhood
Services £99,458 - £109,403
Arebia Fort Development Executive Director: Regeneration and
Resources £99,458 - £109,403
I have been able to establish that a total of £74,000 was paid Assistant Chief Executive: Policy
in consultancy fees to Pan Leisure for the aborted Arbeia Fort £77,905 - £84,846
Development proposals. If Cllr. John Wood and his colleagues
So why did we pay consultants around
were doing what they were elected to do i.e. represent our £1.5 million last year (2007/08), was it because the borough’s ‘Fat
views they would have known what a waste of money this Cats’ too busy licking the cream off their lips?
whole exercise was at the outset and it would have cost us
nowt. As for the feeble attempts to con us into believing they BOLINGBROKE...A CON
were against it from the start, Many of you will remember that we were told Bolingbroke Hall had
forget it no one believes you. to close for health and safety reasons, yet after the public had been

the entire £167 million will actually be spent on homes and
not on plush offices, exorbitant salaries, glossy magazines,
new vans and compensation to tennants for failure to carry
out relatively minor tasks (STH have already paid out around
£88,000 in compensation). Put another way we don’t want
to see it squandered. Whatever happens with the inspection
you can be sure that I and many others will be watching STH
closely and one thing is for certain I will not be pressured into
keeping silent and I certainly do not respond to threats, veiled
or otherwise! By the way did I mention we are paying the
Chief Executive of South Tyneside Homes £105,000 per year?
accounting’ involves splitting the council tax
into different categories and then claiming that any
increase is for the ‘council element’. What they are
not telling us is that the actual rise is higher because
the Police and Fire Authorities have increased
their element by 4.9% and 2.4% respectively.
So the truth is that the figure quoted by Labour
Councillors of a rise of 45p per week (for a Band
A property) is not exactly the whole truth.
BUS
SERVICES
Cancelling bus routes is certainly catching. The latest serv-
ice to be affected is the number 14. There seems to be very
little thought given to the effect this has on those who rely on
public transport and it seems profit is the only motive of those
who run our bus services. I was delighted to learn that Cllr Ed
Malcolm (Simonside and Rekendyke) has managed to arrange
a limited service for local residents and although far from be-
evicted, the council continued to use it for some time. The site was re-
cently sold to a private developer for £1.28million. At the same time the
council thought it would be a great idea to build a new Registry Office
in the same area. The Beacon can now reveal that the new Registry
Office is costing around £1million to build and that it is being paid from
the proceeds of selling off Bolingbroke Hall. Wonder what they will do with
the money they receive from the sale of the old registry office - it certainly
won’t be anything radical like reducing the council tax! Whatever happened
to “we are going to put the money into leisure and community centres”?
RETURNING OFFICER ADMITS “SERIOUS MISTAKE”
South Tyneside’s Returning Officer Mr Brian T Scott has finally

Measly Allowance Slammed

Did you know that thousands of older people in care homes struggle on ‘PEAnuts’? Angered by witnessing their loved ones
struggle on a pittance, people up and down the country are signing up Age Concern’s ‘Dignity not PEAnuts’ campaign. Labour
Ministers are planning to up the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA) by a mere 70p in April, just enough to buy two first class
stamps and 15p less than last year.
A paltry amount of just £20.45 per week is all thousands of vulnerable older people
in care are allowed to keep from their income if they are supported by the state.
This cash is all they have to buy day-to-day essentials like toiletries and things like
newspapers or socks that we all take for granted. Older people left with only their
personal expenses allowances are saying that they have to do without unless their
relatives, many of whom also pay to ‘top-up’ their care fees, help them out by buying
the basics for them. If you want to add your voice to the campaign, please call
020 8679 1609 and leave your name and number. Alternatively you can sign up by
visiting: www.ageconcern.org.uk/pea
ing perfect (the service stops at 7.30pm) it is a start. I just hope
that the service still exists after the election results are an-
nounced in May and that whole thing is not an election gimmick?
One final point, what the hell are our representatives on The
Tyne and Wear Passenger Authority doing to secure the future of
our bus services? It’s time to pull your finger out and earn the
allowances you so readily claim!
IT’S GOOD TO TALK...
IF SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING!
Since 2005 it has cost the people of South Tyneside
nearly £78,000 to provide just 52 councillors with PC’s,
laptops, Blackberry devices and mobile phones and that
doesn’t include the cost of calls. So why don’t some of them
answer their calls and e-mails, and is it too much to ask that we
have their mobile numbers? After all we are paying for them.
admitted that documents relating to last year’s elections including
more than 1000 uncounted votes have been ‘lost’. In a statement
released to the Gazette Mr Scott has publicly apologised saying:
“I am sorry this was a serious mistake”. He went on to say, “The
buck stops with me. I am sorry that it occurred. This was a serious
mistake. The loss should not have happened. It is my responsibility
and I accept that.” 
So after months of prevarication, denials, cover ups and the refusal to
allow the matter to be discussed the truth is finally revealed. Whilst I
accept Mr Scott’s apology on behalf of every voter in South Tyneside,
it’s a shame it has taken nearly a year, legal action, thousands of
pounds, and a borough-wide leaflet to achieve it. I now call upon the
Returning Officer to do the honourable thing and resign immediately
in order to restore public confidence in the electoral process. Lets
face it his actions are at best negligent and had I not taken legal
action the people of South Tyneside would have never known what
really happens behind the closed doors of the Town Hall! The police
investigation into the missing ballot papers is still ongoing.