Who are Cumbria's Police Commissioner Candidates?

We've been asked who the candidates are who are standing in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections for Cumbria on Thursday 15th November, so here is a screenshot showing the official list as published by the Returning Officer at SLDC.(Click to view a larger version.)

The Polling Station for Burton is Burton Memorial Hall, and voters on the list should have received a Poll Card through the post by now. If you haven't had one, nor arranged a postal or proxy vote, you need to contact the Electoral Registration Officer as soon as possible to ensure you will be able to vote on the day, or if you're not on the Voting Register complete the form you can obtain here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/registering_to_vote.aspx or https://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/electoral_registration_applica.aspx and send it into the Electoral Registration Officer as soon as possible.

Contacts:
Electoral Registration Officer
South Lakeland District Council, South Lakeland House
Lowther Street, Kendal, LA9 4UQ
Tel: 0845 050 4434

Confused about the PCC Election?

The Electoral Commission website has provided 2 helpful pages about the voting process for the new Police and Crime Commissioner on 15 November. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/pcc.aspx and  http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote/voting_systems/police_and_crime_commissioner.aspx

It's especially useful to watch the video they have provided, which explains you can vote for two candidates - a first choice and a second choice, so that's one X in each of the two columns on the ballot paper.



http://youtu.be/PptcuCdSur0

Once elected, the Police and Crime Commissioner will serve until May 2016, a term of 3½ years.

The Electoral Commission has produced a booklet about the election of the Police & Crime Commissioners, a copy of which should be delivered to every household before the 2nd November. However, you can also download a PDF version of the booklet using the link here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/PDF/PCC-booklet-public-info-FINAL-ENGLAND-English-web.pdf

More information on the candidates standing, including copies of their statements, may be found online from 26th October on the Home Office website  http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/ or you can pre-order printed copies by calling 0800 1 07 07 08. The Electoral Commission also has a Helpline if you have questions about the election, where you can talk to a real person, call 0800 3 280 280. Both calls are free from a landline, charges from a mobile phone will vary depending on your service provider.

Election or non-event? You choose!

Why does the Home Office think that having the information about candidates for the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections on Thursday 15 November should only be available after October 26th? Isn't that getting a bit late in the day? It's certainly too late for village newsletters like Burton News, which are published monthly, to carry it in their November issue.

Also, today is the first that I've heard an advert on local radio (Lakeland Radio) about these elections. The information is online, but not everyone has access to the internet still or wants it in that format, but if you want printed info you have to ring up and ask for it. (You can phone now on 0800 107 0708 and pre-order a printed copy.) Which begs the question, if you don't hear or read an advert telling you this, how would you know that you can ask for it?!

The election of Police & Crime Commissioners is the biggest change in the way police forces are managed for decades and yet it's being carried out in a less than voter-friendly manner. An election taking place in November seems destined to attract a low turn-out - dark nights are never an encouragement for voters to turn out, and the Electoral Reform Society is predicting a turn-out of around 18.5% as against a more usual 60%+ for a general election. How is this democratic? How will the person elected reflect the electorate with such a low turn-out?

In Cumbria there are 4 candidates standing. Whichever of them gets the most votes, it still means that the most powerful person in policing in Cumbria would have been elected by a minority of the electorate.

The PCC will have the power to set out the crime plan for the county, set the budget and precept for the county police force, and hire and fire the chief constable and the deputy chief constable. These are huge powers, and they should be in the hands of (preferably) a non-political elected police authority or of a commissioner who is elected by a majority of the electorate, not just by the votes of the few who realise how important these elections really are.

http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/ Home Office website about the Police & Crime Commissioner elections
List of candidates standing in Cumbria: http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/pdf/SPN%20-%20PCC.pdf (PDF file)

The Polling Station for Burton-in-Kendal is Burton Memorial Hall, polling hours are 7am - 10pm.

Food Fun Night

At the Fun Food Night at Burton Memorial Hall on Friday 2nd November, Diana Brown, an independent consultant for The Pampered Chef, will be demonstrating how to make easy yet impressive Canapes for Christmas. There will also be a cook-off between two volunteers, a wine bar, raffle and loads of fun! 

Come along on the night to taste the food, try the fabulous Pampered Chef range of products and be inspired! Just imagine all your Christmas presents sorted in one night for all your foodie friends and family. 

Ordering also available on a dedicated page of the Pampered Chef website towards this event. Free delivery after the event to LA6 area, or £5.00 for delivery direct to your door (free over £100) anywhere in the UK. 30 day trial with easy free return and collection from your door. 

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/tastingcumbria?page=host-search-results&showId=3807898

 

Doors open 7pm, ends 10pm. 

Cost £3 per person. 

Contact for details: 01524 781306

Burton Onion Show Sun 7th Oct

Sunday 7th October is the Annual Onion Show here in Burton-in-Kendal. It is held in the Kings Arms Hotel on Main Street, and entries for classes are accepted from 10am until 12 noon. Judging starts at noon, and all entries will be auctioned, starting at 2pm, along with an Auction of Promises.This year the proceeds of the Onion Show will be split, in the main, between Burton Children's Sports Committee and the Burton First Responders: two great village causes.  Other local causes will receive a donation.

List of classes:
3 Dressed Onions
3 Leeks
3 Onion Sets
2 Cabbages
2 Cauliflowers
3 Beetroot
3 Carrots
3 Salad Veg
3 Vegetables
5 Vegetables
Heaviest Onion
5 Dessert Apples
5 Cooking Apples
Pot Plant
Vase of Dahlias
3 Chrysanthemums
Chocolate Cake
Fruit Pie
Loaf of Bread
Novelty Cake
4 Cup Cakes
Tray Bake
3 Poultry Eggs
Heaviest Vegetable
Novice Class (any veg)

Children’s classes:
 Miniature Garden
 Fruit and Veg Animal
 Autumn Produce Picture
Best of British Theme
3 Decorated Biscuits

List of Promises:
Side of Smoked Salmon.
Walking Stick
Furness Fish and Game Hamper
Bulk Bag of Logs
Half Rib of Hereford Beef
Days Ferreting with Neil Shaw
Dinner 4 4 @ 4teen Hutton Close
Brace of Pheasants + Haunch of Venison
Days Driven Pheasant Shooting @ Heversham
Weekend for 4 @ Peter House Farm Cottage, Bassenthwaite
Park House Box of Beef
Greek Hamper
Meal 4 2 @ 17 Milnthorpe
Weekend at Seathwaite Cottage
Pet Portrait
John Jackson Photo
Carlisle United Signed Football
Ed Wallers Slate Coasters
Natalie Jackson Christmas Cake
Day’s Joinery
County Cricket Match Tickets (Venue TBC)
Mollie’s Marmalade
Pure Essence Voucher
10lb Pack of Traditional Free-range Pork
Trip around the Lakes in open top MG Sports Car
Thwaites Brewery trip for 2 groups of 8
Meal for 2 @ The Canal Turn
Side of Lamb
Slate Place Mats
Platos B&B
Day’s Salmon Fishing on the Lune
MUFC & Liverpool Football Plaques
1 year’s Gym Membership for 2 @ Holgates
4 hour Bush Craft/Forest Skills Kids Session
Wash, Cut and Blo Dry
Hand-crafted Walnut Mirror
Round of Golf for 4 @ Kirkby Lonsdale
Fish Supper for 4 @ The Kings Arms
Mike Earl’s Renowned Dibbers
Pritchard’s MOT
Dinner B&B for 2 @ The King’s Arms
Alex Rutlidge Team GB Water Polo Signed Sportswear (Local Olympian)

Memorial Hall Autumn Coffee Morning Sat 13th Oct

Coming up next Saturday, 13th October, from 10am-12noon, at Burton Memorial Hall is the Annual Autumn Coffee Morning with Stalls.

CraftMarket 2012 - what a weekend!

What an amazing weekend we had at CraftMarket 2012! Saturday was busy all day, Sunday suffered a bit from the horrible cold, windy and torrentially wet weather, but everyone who came said how much they enjoyed it, and how fabulous all the crafts on sale were. We have loads of photos online on the Memorial Hall's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BurtonMemorialHall. If you spot something in the albums and want to contact the crafters to buy from them, we also have a list of them here with website links: http://www.burtonweb.org.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=43.

The catering by Rachel and Jo-Anne - the Vintage Village Hall team - was delicious, and much praised during and after the event. It was lovely to meet so many talented and friendly people with such a wide range of crafts, and also to meet all the lovely folks who came along to chat, browse and buy, and who supported the event so magnificently!