SUNDAY COLUMN: Cleaning Up!

Anne Marie Waters Sunday 14th March 2021 One of the most common issues I’m hearing about from residents as I campaign for local elections in May, is rubbish!  People are tired of rubbish-strewn streets and [...]

Our Free Speech is Gone

Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 2nd March 2021   In the United Kingdom in 2021, citizens do not have freedom of speech.  That is not a matter of debate, that is a statement of fact.  It [...]

The Problem with Policing

Anne Marie Waters  Wednesday 24th February 2021   There is a big problem with policing in Britain.  This is particularly so for us here in Hartlepool.  As I've written previously, Cleveland has the highest crime [...]

Saving the NHS

Anne Marie Waters Wednesday 24th February 2021   Back in 2011, the A&E department in Hartlepool closed.  A couple of years later, the Intensive Care unit closed.  People in Hartlepool must now head off to [...]

SUNDAY COLUMN: The Power of Local Government

Anne Marie Waters Sunday 21st February 2021   This May, our local elections return.  These were cancelled in 2020 because of COVID restrictions, and it’s still unclear exactly how the logistics will work this year, [...]

Hartlepool Housing – A New Reponse

Anne Marie Waters February 15th 2021   Hartlepool needs housing.  People have families, they need homes.  People are moving here from other parts of the country that have simply become too overcrowded.  Others are coming [...]

Election Campaigning Made Difficult for Newcomers

Anne Marie Waters Tuesday 26th January 2021   Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith has stated that door to door campaigning for this May's elections is not permitted.  This will inevitably make effective campaigning near-impossible for [...]

Cleveland – the most dangerous place in England

Anne Marie Waters Friday 8th January 2021   Cleveland is the most dangerous area in England and Wales, according to a recent report. The report reveals that serious crimes such as murder, rape, arson, and [...]

A Sad Indictment of Our Democracy

Letter to Editor of Hartlepool Mail regarding Councillor Karen King   Dear Ms Yates, I read with interest your newspaper's article describing the cowardly behaviour of the bulk of Hartlepool's councillors - it is a [...]

I have toys to give away in Hartlepool!

This week, I received a very generous donation from an anonymous Hartlepool resident; I want to express huge thanks for this. As a result of this kind donation, I now have toys to give away [...]

New COVID Vaccine – Will it help in Hartlepool?

This week sees the first ever vaccination against COVID-19. A woman from Northern Ireland, Margaret Keenan, has become the first in the world to be given the new vaccine, developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and given the [...]

Freedom of Information: Construction in Hartlepool

This week, I sent the following Freedom of Information Request to Hartlepool Borough Council. Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to request that you forward to me the following information (by email). What construction and/or renovation [...]

Mike Hill – A Legitimate Use of Expenses?

Hartlepool MP Mike Hill was in the papers this week, and it isn't a glowing review!  You can watch my video on it here. The Independent reported: A Labour MP accused of sexual harassment has claimed £2,000 [...]