| Only a few days ago Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham sparked a fierce debate by pointing out how, in certain circumstances, it was cheaper to fly from Manchester to India than to get a train to London. And it seems one of the top earners at Northumberland County Council has taken the view that - when it comes travelling between the North East and London - air travel is the way to go. A Freedom of Information request by Local Democracy Reporter James Robinson has uncovered that the council's interim monitoring officer, Suki Binjal, received £3,501.68 to cover air travel expenses in just five months since she was appointed in November. The sky-high spend has been criticised by opposition councillors on the Conservative-run authority. But the council says Ms Binjal spends most of her time in the interim post working remotely in London "and using air travel is much quicker and allows her to spend more time working in the county when required to attend for face-to-face meetings, and less time commuting".  How much flights by Suki Binjal cost the taxpayer. Graphic: Lisa Walsh
It comes just weeks after figures revealed the council was paying 20 high-up employees more than £100,000 a year – the highest number of any council in the North East. At the time, council leader Glen Sanderson pledged to cut around £1 million from the council's wage budget by reviewing the management structure and bringing in new permanent staff to replace interim officers. According to data from BEIS/Defra Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors 2019, domestic rail produces 41g of CO2 emissions per passenger per km travelled. In comparison, domestic flights produce 133g of CO2 per passenger per km, as well as 121g of non-CO2 emissions caused by secondary effects from high altitude. It's not known exactly how many flights Ms Binjal has taken but a quick glance online shows returns from London and Newcastle can be as little as £30 (which is considerably cheaper than train travel). Nick Morphet, who represents the Humshaugh ward for the Green Party, said there was "no excuse" for internal flights. And a Northumberland Labour spokesman said: "Given the cost of living crisis and the perceived waste of money at the county council already, plus the millions cut this year from frontline services, it'll be difficult for people to understand why thousands have been spent on flights when rail tickets are far more cost-effective and work can be completed easily during the journey." 
Parties' final push for votes on eve of local elections  Some of the issues on the minds of voters in the local elections. Image by PA
With just a few hours of campaigning left, party leaders Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer were visiting key electoral battlegrounds today before voters go to the polls in the local elections. And one of the key questions is whether voters decide based on local issues like bins, potholes and council tax or have their views influenced by national controversies. Labour leader Sir Keir was due in Wakefield and Mr Johnson is expected to visit Hampshire after a round of interviews yesterday which included BBC Radio Manchester. This morning Sir Keir confirmed on ITV's Good Morning Britain that Durham police had not been in touch with him over allegations he broke lockdown rules, as calls for a full probe into "beergate" continue to grow. The Labour leader has come under pressure since footage emerged of him drinking a beer with colleagues in April 2021 in Durham, during campaigning for the Hartlepool by-election. Meanwhile on BBC Radio Manchester the PM was scrutinised over his controversial claims about the number of new hospitals being built in the North West. Many were unimpressed as he named projects which are mostly just improvements to existing hospitals. 
A message from BVCA: For many years, the role and value of private equity and venture capital within the UK economy have been under intense scrutiny. But this scrutiny has focused on a series of high-profile transactions, rather than asking "what's the economic contribution of private capital-backed businesses?" So, we decided to commission an objective, independent body to explore this in detail. What we found will surprise many. Read more about the difference that private capital is making in EY's latest report. 
'We want to be a major force again': Lib Dems target seats in the North  Sir Ed Davey is targeting seats in areas like Hull, Liverpool and Stockport
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said he aims to make the party a "major force" in the North, as he identified a number of "key" targets ahead of the local elections. Sir Ed told our Westminster Editor Dan O'Donoghue he expected to make gains across the region, with potential for one council to go yellow on Friday. And he dismissed rumours of a national election pact with Labour after Tory chairman Oliver Dowden claimed the Lib Dems had stood down scores of candidates across the North to clear the way for Sir Keir Starmer's party. The former Energy Secretary said: "I'm determined that we become a major force again. We're really pushing very hard in Hull, traditionally a Labour Council and we're already the main opposition in Liverpool. "I think whether it's Manchester, Stockport, Hull, Sunderland, Sheffield, Liverpool or Newcastle we feel we're beginning to make gains again and that often is at Labour's expense." Sir Ed said despite Labour "throwing the kitchen sink" at them in Greater Manchester, he was optimistic about taking Stockport council - where the Lib Dems are currently the largest party.
Speaking of Stockport, the election race in the Greater Manchester borough is set to be one of the closest in the North. Student Jake Nelson, who tweets as @UKPolCarto, has been casting his eye over past voting records, local demographics and the current state of the polls. And his verdict is that the Lib Dems could end up with the leadership of Stockport Town Hall by this weekend. Read more of his analysis about the seats to watch in his full op-ed at the bottom of this email.
Mayoral candidates vow to overhaul 'terrible' local bus services  South Yorkshire mayor candidates described local buses as "terrible" (Image: Councillor Ben Miskell)
Candidates in tomorrow's South Yorkshire mayoral election have told Yorkshire Live their first priority if they are elected is to overhaul the region's bus network. Conservative candidate Clive Watkinson, Joe Otten from the Liberal Democrats and Simon Biltcliffe from the Yorkshire Party joined South Yorkshire Live for a Facebook Live hustings last night. Several topics were up for conversation, from Partygate to health issues and the cost of living crisis. But the main policy on all three candidates' lips was South Yorkshire's "terrible" and "appalling" bus network. The issue was raised by all three candidates after outgoing South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis's bid to the Government's bus fund last month was unsuccessful. Several viewers aired their concerns throughout the online hustings, writes Kristian Johnson in his write-up of the event. Steve Townend said: "All buses, prices and transport should be under one organisation." Adrian Thompson asked: "What are your plans for taking the buses back under local control?"
Is it time for 'Big Society 2.0'?  Levelling Up Taskforce head Andy Haldane at an earlier event
In a speech in Liverpool in 2010, former Prime Minister David Cameron unveiled his "big society" plan to empower communities. The idea, which was later widely mocked, would see community groups running post offices, libraries, transport services and shaping housing projects. Twelve years on, Michael Gove's levelling-up guru Andy Haldane has seemingly called for a "big society 2.0", writes Westminster Editor Dan O'Donoghue. Mr Haldane, the Permanent Secretary of the Government's Levelling Up Taskforce, told an event in Manchester this morning organised by Local Trust that he would like to see a new model for society. He explained: "There is a need for a new or perhaps more accurately, a newish flavour of capitalism, one that isn't defined by pure market or pure state, one that is founded on local civic institutions, that is fuelled by the empowerment and the enabling of local communities." Haldane, who was instrumental in publishing the Government's recent levelling up white paper called his plan "community capitalism" and said: "At the heart of this is local power and local monies". He added: "Local policy is best conducted with, rather than to communities, co-creation and co-design rather than central command and control is the only way in fact of making good on levelling up."
Liverpool council chiefs plan victory parade as 'quadruple' beckons  Huge crowds came out to celebrate Liverpool's Champions League victory parade in 2019 (Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
To fall back on a tired cliche, the club are taking things "one game at a time". But as Liverpool Football Club booked their place in the Champions League Final last night, planning is underway for a potential victory parade in the city. The Reds are chasing an unprecedented 'quadruple', hoping to add the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League to their Carabao Cup win earlier this year. While any details of any parade are being kept quiet at present, documents on Liverpool City Council's website show that the authority is preparing for a 'potential large-scale short notice event in 2022'. As Liam Thorp writes for the Liverpool Echo, a report to Friday's cabinet meeting seeks permission for Culture Liverpool to 'lead on the organisation and delivery of a potential large scale public event during 2022.'
The 17th century rule about how MPs quit Parliament  Imran Ahmad Khan has formally resigned as Wakefield MP (Image: Copyright (c) 2022 Shutterstock)
For weeks, it's been a decision that has seemed inevitable. Former Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan has formally quit Parliament after being convicted of sexually assaulting a boy. Khan announced his intention to resign as Wakefield MP on April 14 but did not complete the formalities until last week, meaning he received his full taxpayer-funded salary for last month. And in a move which highlights one of the more arcane aspects of our political system, he has now been appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. According to an explainer on Parliament's website, "under a Resolution of the House of 2 March 1624, Members of Parliament cannot directly resign their seat". "Therefore a Member wishing to resign has to go through the process of applying for a paid office of the Crown, which automatically disqualifies the Member from holding a seat in the House of Commons. There are two such offices: Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds and of the Manor of Northstead." The last two occupants of the role have been Northern MPs who took it for very different reasons: Hartlepool's Mike Hill quit last March over sexual harassment claims and two months later Batley and Spen's Tracy Brabin resigned to become West Yorkshire mayor. She tweeted last night: "Sad to see it go but made the most of it for the last year."
Hazardous waste to be stored in mine for another two decades  The No.4 shaft – known as Minosus – is operated by waste and utilities company Veolia
It's known as Britain's only working salt mine which is used to mine rock salt for icy roads, and has been operating since 1844. But in 2004, then-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott gave permission for one of the shafts at Winsford Rock Salt Mine in Cheshire to be used for the storage of hazardous material. The 170m deep mine was classed as ideal for the waste with its dry caverns stretching over five square miles but the proposals sparked fierce opposition from some local politicians and residents at the time. That permission is due to run out in 2025, but Cheshire West planning chiefs are recommended to approve extending the controversial practice until 2045 on May 10. A council report said: "The proposal would help ensure that the country as a whole has sufficient disposal capacity to meet the waste arisings generated."
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Our graphic shows how Stockport's political scene could look if Jake Nelson's predictions prove correct and the Lib Dems gain seats. Graphic: Lisa Walsh
Councillor Lane shopping parade, in Cheadle Hulme. (Image: ABNM Photography)
