A sign of the times11 Aug 2016A walk on the beach proved fortuitous for Eric. On the beach at Silloth, he found the 'Auld Acquaintance' sign from the union cairn at Gretna washed up on the beach. 
Vandals threw the sign into the river but he and fellow former MP Russell Brown, have now returned the sign, a bit battered, to the cairn.
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Pirelli fears post Brexit1 Jul 2016Eric has expressed concerns over the future of Carlisle's Pirelli factory. He fears it could close within five years, and Cumbria County Council leader Stewart Young said the result was "worrying" for firms such as Pirelli. |
Shadow Minister in Carlisle29 Mar 2016Labour's shadow secretary of state for environment, Kerry McCarthy, has visited the city. She came to meet business owners and residents to see how they are coping with the aftermath of December's floods, including Eric, who was able to describe his own experience of being flooded out. |
Fears for eventual break up of UK9 May 2015Eric has said he fears there may be another Scottish referendum sooner rather than later, which would lead to the break up of the United Kingdom. He puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Conservatives, whom he said ran a scare campaign making people believe a Labour government would be in the pocket of the SNP. |
Geoff Whalley - 'a great loss'28 Apr 2014Eric has paid fulsome tributes to a long serving trade unionist from Carlisle. Geoff Whalley was a union and Labour activist who served as Chairman of his ASLEF branch for 25 years and as a county councillor for 20 years; his tenacity demonstrated by his return to work on the railways even after losing a leg in a motorcycle accident. |
Unique pub history to be celebrated.7 Apr 2014A scheme that Eric long advocated when MP for the city is coming to fruition. The city's unique state management scheme, under which almost every pub in the city was nationalised, is to be the focus of a history trail through the city that will tell the story. |
Power to the North20 Fen 2014Eric is backing regional devolution. At a recent meeting in the city, Eric said that when the North-East referendum was held ten years ago, may Labour ministers were from the north, but now they are mostly from the south. |
Disappointment over hospital transfer14 Jun 2013Eric has expressed his disappointment over the failure of Carlisle's MP to get a guarantee that Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust would take over Cumbrian hospitals. The Tory MP John Stevenson has a meeting with the Health Secretary concerning the acquisition which is seen as the way forward to drive up standards at Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven after a series of highly critical reports. |
Caution urged on academy merger idea26 Feb 2013Eric has called on the current MP to exercise caution over the future of Richard Rose Central Academy. John Stevenson has suggested merging the school other academies into a 'wider federation' that would in theory allow movement of staff and more management. |
Too little, too late19 Oct 2012Eric has criticised the Tory MPs for Carlisle and for Penrith for acting too late on Longtown munitions depot. Both John Stevenson and Rory Stewart have recently announced they would lobby on behalf of the workers there to keep the depot open, but Eric says this should have been done long ago. |
Welcome for new jobs24 May 2012As 300 jobs are due to be created, Eric has welcomed the new Sainsbury's which will provide them. Work began in March as is progressing well, and is due to open in the Autumn. |
Tribute to mentor19 Apr 2012Eric has paid tribute to his former mentor and teacher, Dave Weedall. Mr Weedall died recently aged 77. He was Eric's teacher at the former Harraby School and was later a city mayor and long serving councillor. |
Anger over university business school9 Mar 2012Eric has hit out at Cumbria University's decision to locate its business school in Lancaster. 
He accuses the university of betraying Cumbria and reneging on agreements when the university was established in 2007, in which Eric as then MP for Carlisle, was deeply involved.
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Printers' pensions poleaxed5 Nov 2011Eric has called for the pensions regulator to look into the pensions of former Polestar workers. Almost 9000 former workers are set to lose part of their pensions after they received letters saying the pension scheme is being wound up because Polestar UK Print Ltd failed to meet its obligations. |
Fear of the rain10 Aug 2011Eric says that many people in the city still live in fear of rain. 
And with recent heavy rain and the likelihood of more to come, questions are being asked if Carlisle could cope again. Of course the city now has much improved flood defences, in large part thanks to Eric's tireless lobbying and hard work when he was the city's Labour MP.
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Carlisle patients lose out as surgery scrapped8 Jan 2011Eric has hit out at doctors who have scrapped plans for a 'super surgery' in the city. 
While he always opposed plans to site the surgery at Hilltop heights, he wanted it in the city where it would be accessible, especially to those in the south.
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