Liverpool Ice Festival is set to return this November!

A flurry of frozen fun is coming to Liverpool's Waterfront this November, with the return of Liverpool Ice Festival and its biggest sheltered ice rink todate. Between 19 November to 3 January 2022 Liverpool Ice Festival, set within the magical Liverpool Waterfront, will transport the Region into a frozen winter wonderland. Located at Pier Head, the festival will include:- a spectacular covered ice rink, to ensure the elements don't hamper any Christmas spirits, as well as a fully stocked Alpine Bar serving delicious hearty food and beverages all season round. Shelter from the cold, grab a cosy throw and enjoy your drink of choice. Visitors wishing for more of a dare devil experience can try the Ice Slide, which includes three super-speedy 30m runs 6m above the park, enabling for an exhilarating view of the entire Ice Festival.

This year there are even more rides to keep the whole family entertained, with the UK's only Ice Jet ride, displaying a fantastic light show throughout the Christmas period. If that's not enough, visitors can check-out traditional Christmas markets as well as the Bavarian Food Court, which serves delicious bratwursts everyday alongside steaming cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows, traditional mulled wine or cider, and much more.

Committed to an industry Gold Standard of care for visitors, this year's venue will be nearly double the size of previous years with a reduced daily capacity, meaning more space for skating, more fun and even more memories to be made.

Rob Derry, Ice Director at Arena, which coordinates the event, says:- "We've gone all out to ensure Liverpool Ice Festival is a true celebration of winter 2021 to remember. After last year's lockdown Christmas period, we're bringing back the fun in more ways than ever. From the UK's only Ice Jet ride, featuring a collection of sound and light shows, to a whole host of traditional Christmas markets, there's something for everyone at this year's magical Liverpool Ice Festival."

For more information and to book tickets, visit:- IceFestivalLiverpool.Co.UK.

Bill Esterson MP says food and fuel crisis shows Government has "failed"

SEFTON Central MP, Bill Esterson, has slammed the Government's response to the food and fuel crisis, saying the Conservatives had:- "failed to act." Mr Esterson said Labour's Leader Keir Starmer was showing the way forward. Mr Esterson said emergency action was needed to deal with the shortage of HGV drivers but that the Conservatives had no plan.

MP Esterson said:- "The Conservatives have failed to act amid 1 of the worst crises this country has faced in many years. NHS workers who can't buy fuel to get to work, Ambulances unable to reach people in need, care workers who can't buy petrol to make home visits. There are empty shelves in our supermarkets and fears that we won't even have enough turkeys at Christmas. The Tories have absolutely failed to get a grip of this and their delay is causing more uncertainty. The Labour leader Keir Starmer has a plan to solve this and is showing the way to this hapless Government."

Keir Starmer has proposed an emergency summit of road haulage industry figures, training providers, affected business groups, Government ministers and transport unions to focus on the immediate crisis and on finally addressing the pay, terms, training, licensing and conditions of drivers which has led to such serious labour shortages.

The Labour leader said that if the 5,000 short term visas for HGV drivers, which were recently announced by the Government, can be issued only once a "statement of change" to the immigration rules has been passed by Parliament, Parliament should be recalled. Parliament is currently in recess due to the party conference season. The Conservative Party conference that been held over 3 October to 6 October 2021.

Mr Esterson said:- "The HGV shortage is causing chaos across the UK. The Government must take emergency action. Keir Starmer is showing the way forward by proposing using the military right now to deliver fuel to the areas of the country that are most in need and by asking service stations to open up for longer to serve NHS shift and other key workers. Keir is calling for a recall of Parliament, if that is what is needed, so the UK can issue the visas now that we need to increase the number of lorry drivers in the lead up to Christmas and through the winter. The Tories have failed to plan for these predictable shortages. The Government's own risk assessments highlighted these risks so it should have been no surprise. The Government announced on 26 September 2021 a policy to provide 5,000 new visas for HGV drivers through the Temporary Workers' Scheme, but nothing has happened. The Conservatives are just sitting back, unable to make the decisions our country needs. We don't want to see another Christmas ruined by Boris Johnson's failure to plan and by his refusal to act. This is yet again a Government of incompetence. Mr Johnson should be following the lead set by Keir Starmer and taking emergency action today."