The David Elvidge Interview: Part I

David Elvidge wants to bring back personal responsibility, cut through red tape and maintain Beverley’s unique way of life.

The Beverley Town councillor and former Mayor is hoping to make the step up to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council at next week’s election when he stands for the Conservative Party in the Woodmansey ward.

David is well known as the driving force behind Beverley’s fantastic Armed Forces Day, but his impact on the town goes further than that. He has been a huge supporter of the Beverley Pipe Band, is a champion of local musicians and has led the team responsible for administering the Beverley Town budget and using its budget for the betterment of everyone in the town.

Now, while hoping to retain his St Mary’s Ward seat on the Beverley Town Council, David believes it is time to step up and use his energy and ideas to make a difference to the East Riding as a whole, starting with a return to personal responsibility.

He told HU17.net: “Health and safety is a minefield and the cliche is that people tend to overreact to problems because they don’t want to fall foul of the regulations.

“There is nothing wrong with health and safety, it’s just down to people going over the top. We’ve got a claim culture, which I think is the worst thing that has ever happened to this country.

“People getting into this no win, no fee business and I think it is immoral. It’s a conundrum because it can make you a fortune if you are injured, and if you deserve compensation through negligence I don’t have a problem with that. But with too many claims you look at your insurance and you see it has gone up.

“It’s mine and your tax that will pay that eventually because councils don’t have insurance as such, they put their own bond up as such and you are taking money from public services from claiming for something and nothing.”

It’s an issue very close to David’s heart. The 48-year-old father of one son, Alex, and married to Janet, works at The Defence School of Transport in the REME Workshop as Quality Assurance Manager.

He knows the pitfalls of health and safety issues better than anyone, but as a Beverlonian born and bred with a “traditional upbringing”, he is keen to use his knowledge to ensure that the people of the town and the wider East Riding enjoy their surroundings safely – but without burdening them with red tape and undue fussiness.

David continued: “In my eyes I had a real traditional upbringing – I am the youngest of six and our family never had a great deal of money.

“My dad had worked on the land. If you look at my birth certificate it has tractor driver on it but that’s what he did.

“And I firmly believe we need to be dragged back to an age where kids played in mud and filled jam jars with sticklebacks from the streams.

“We need to be dragged back to an age where if you trip up someone helps you and you don’t have to look to the nearest solicitor for someone to blame.

“I think this is as relevant today to the whole town as it ever was.

“Times are changing and I acknowledge that we have to change with it, but there are certain things that have gone awry and wrong and someone needs to bring it back.”

Two issues close to David’s heart are irresponsible dog owners and unnecessary obstructions to people or groups wishing to hold events in the town.

One is a matter of civic pride and duty, the other is aimed at promoting even further the beauty of Beverley and the energy of its people. But both issues prove that here is a man committed to making life better for his constituents.

“One of the biggest hot topics at the moment is dog excrement,” continued David. “There seems to be an epidemic of mess across the town.

“Most people I know are responsible dog owners but there seems to be a sub-culture of people who go out early morning or late at night and think they can get away with not picking up their dogs’ mess.

“We have some powers at Beverley Town Council, but the main powers lie with EYRC and they have a team of dog wardens. If it was up to me I would have them out all the time issuing fines so we can help to solve this problem.

“We should also have more events in the town. EYRC do help people, but the list of rules and regulations are so long that people get put off.

“I know we can’t have something on every day, but more live music in the town would be great. I am a huge motorbike fan and a fan of Harley Davidsons in particular and would love a custom bike show in the town.

“We need to find a way to make it easier for people to stage the kinds of events they want, without too much fuss and regulations.”

Coming soon Part II of the David Elvidge interview – the turning point in his life, his commitment to local politics and the Woodmansey ward, what drives him on and why he can’t wait to put his ideas to good use on the EYRC.

David Elvidge & Mayor of Lemgo Dr. Reiner Austermann