Labour, set to save Councils millions as getting closer to Europe requires the use of ‘Free Euro-Software’?

 

Oh Dear! Say technology billionaires.

Getting closer to Europe the Labour 2024 manifesto focuses on "resetting" the UK-EU relationship to deepen ties and reduce trade barriers, while explicitly ruling out a return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement. The goal is to "make Brexit work" through a new security pact, a veterinary agreement, and mutual recognition of qualifications.

Making it work has taken on a totally new look on the back of Trumpism splitting the ultra right from 71% of the British Public, an unwarranted and possibly illegal war in the middle east, huge tariff swings on goods inward with dreadful language used if retaliation from affected Governments and nations places America second.

The European Union appears to have had enough and they have decided to lower the huge drain on their own Government budgets but the announcement by the EU was simple indeed ‘If you wish to trade in any way with the EU you use ‘our’ FREE software.

After the announcement it was rapidly picked up by African and South American businesses and Asia appeared to follow suit as day dawned.

In a very short period of time to trade with Europe, firms selling or delivering services to the EU will have to use their free Euro-software.

The savings for British public institutions are immense. The Government struck a deal to try to cap Microsoft licence costs down to £9 billion over five years. The European Government wants to slash bills of that size down to zero and are now set on the path towards delivering their aims. Those aims will drag UK public bodies along with them. Including the NHS the nations largest licence user.

Microsoft whose hardware changes towards universal changeover to Windows 11 haven’t been a success at all right across Europe with home users lost both financially and technically in the changeover may have been the catalyst as people approach their elected representatives for help and advice on what they should do in these cash strapped times. It looks like in Europe passing complaints up the line has been delivered from the top on their behalf.

Europe LAUNCHES Microsoft Killer - Free Euro-Office Goes Live, US Software Control ENDS

Town Markets and Food Halls on the up Where is Blyth Town Council on growth for Blyth?

 

Northumberland’s largest Town with a REFORM UK led Council appears to local social media commentators to have ignored the needs of residents.

Blyth is not only the largest town in the County of Northumberland its also the poorest, a fact that was never ignored by this Council’s predecessor Blyth Valley Council who ensured the essential needs for the community market were always met with its market full of traders at least three days each and every week.

The BBC recently reported on the recent growth in this sector as Unitary Councils press businesses to pay ever increasing rates on their bricks and mortar high street shops. Market stalls and multi-vendor food halls are proliferating across the UK as rising business rates and high costs pressures bite. Pushing traders to move to markets and away from traditional high-street retail ahead of 2026 revaluations. This shift represents a move toward lower-cost, flexible, and high-footfall alternatives for businesses struggling with increased overheads

The FT as well as the BBC has reported growth in the sector at 26% in February 2026 rising rapidly to 31% in March 26. Councils are also seeing shops returning to high streets where footfall has increased through better markets with all current retail staying put in many of those same towns as they enjoy similar footfall growth and stronger passing trade.

Where is Blyth Town Council on this?

It appears Northumberland County Council, the current market managers where most of Blyth Town Councillors are also members have outsourced its market management to a once a fortnight Craft Market run by a company ‘wavelength’NE. 

It's being said by locals that to get a stall in Blyth your business must engage with wavelength NE. Wavelength appears to have set up an exciting market for early June in Cramlington Northumberland but in Blyth they may need to seek help from the Town Council to attract the stalls Blyth folk want and need.

Many Blyth commentators believe that REFORM UK Blyth branch are up to help the market and partner with the current organiser as they have been photographed as a group of politicians at Amble Market, one of the county's most successful ventures. They have also commented on social media that they have asked stallholders about coming to Blyth.

It appears that the new market place, now built on by Northumberland Conservatives does not pass the weight test for market traders to park their vehicles near the stalls and many fear they will have to hire porters to bring stock to the stalls which would be a huge drain on their profits. Blyth Town and County Councillors from REFORM UK and the Conservatives could iron out those problems and improve the retail off for the whole of the largest Town in Northumberland.

Blyth Reform’s hack back on shared streetcare services Solingen Estate suffers the pain

County Councillor Natalie Rolls represents Wensleydale Ward

 Blyth Town Council, a Reform run local authority, has decided to cut back on its partnership with Northumberland County Council for streetcare services.

It may be a money saving exercise by Farage’s right wing gang in the Town but those who voted them into office are livid with the state of grass-cutting, a streetcare service that is one of the first to be cut back.

Prior to the May 2025 Town Council election, Blyth Reform Candidates made public complaints almost every day about the enhanced grass cutting services especially on Solingen Estate in the south of Blyth town.

Blyth is Northumberland’s largest Town and this complete destruction of a partnership locked in place since 2009 and bringing vast improvements to the service delivery right across the town has now spiralled into a chaotic mess and the Reform Councillors who have been taking photos of themselves replacing street cleansing operatives picking up litter don’t appear to be able to get improvements to services they have stopped paying for.

If this is meant to be a REFORMED way to deliver services they haven’t taken Blyth’s residents along with them.