Calling time on tax havens

Calling time on tax havens

Important article from Melanie Ward of Action Aid UK on the true, human cost of tax avoidance.  Surely this has to be one of the key battlegrounds for Election 2015.

Why May 8 is important

Today, the Queen goes to the House of Lords to read out 'her' government's agenda for the next session.  This is important in its way but not that important as it will largely consist of a list of sometime-never initiatives that will grab tomorrow's headlines but then sink quietly into the swamp of forlorn political hopes.

Far more importantly, today marks just two years to go until General Election day when the electorate can show what it thinks of five years of pointless austerity which has seen the rich get richer, the rich pay less and less tax (quite an achievement this, given that many government donors have never paid any), the food bank movement become one of few remaining growth endeavours, energy and water cartels cease to pay any attention whatsoever to so-called official watchdogs, and bankers become far and away the biggest recipients of state handouts.

I look forward to it.

Many Thanks

I would like to say thank you to all of you who put so much hard work into the Lutterworth Division. It was quite humbling to see people coming in from other divisions to help in what was not, on previous results, a marginal. Though we did have high hopes. Then there were those who, after a hard day in this division, went off to help elsewhere. Thanks also to our home team who knew, at times, they were leafleting in Tory heartlands but got on with the job. It felt good to be part of such a dedicated team.

The Results are in...

The results are in for yesterday's Leicestershire County Council election.  We did OK, but the plaudits have to go to the six Labour gains in the north of the county: Thurmaston, Loughborough South, Whitwick, Coalville, Ibstock and Measham.  Lots of people thought we could win a one or two of these, but nobody dreamt we could win all six.

In the Harborough part of South Leicestershire, otherwise known as us, the results were as follows:

Lutterworth
David Gair (L)      758
Rosita Page (C)   1525
Martin Sears (I)     518
    Spoilt ballots       11

Broughton
Bill Liquorish (C)          1544
Antony Moseley (LD)     183
Sandra Parkinson (L)      521
     SP                                12

Bruntingthorpe
Elaine Carter (L)             572
Graham Hart (C)           1555
Tim Johnson (UKIP)       723
Kevin Loydall (LD)        229
     SP                                  7

Jo Fox her seat in Braunstone, which is great, but you have to feel for Amanda Hack who missed out on a stellar win in Enderby Meridian by 39 votes.  Having been Pete Knight's agent in 1989 when we failed to take Lutterworth by 6 miserable votes, I have particular empathy.  The good news, Amanda, is that we took Lutterworth for Pete by several hundred four years later.

Back in '94, though, there were issues to be fought.  The County Council did things and spent money.  This year, the scandalously low turnout - for us, 31.7%, 26.5% and 32% respectively - says it all.  What is there to fight about with a council that does nothing, plans to do less, and spends very little except on itself?  Surely the turnout of 22% in a battleground seat like Enderby Meridian makes the argument for unitary councils?

Congratulations to the winners, well done to every single candidate.  Certainly in Lutterworth, Broughton and Bruntingthorpe it wasn't for want of effort.  The Lutterworth4Labour team worked as hard as ever.

The full gory details can be found on the County website.

Good luck tomorrow!

DAVID GAIR

 Standing in LUTTERWORTH DIVISION

to press for a proper bypass to the east of the town.

 

SANDRA PARKINSON

Standing in BROUGHTON DIVISION

to make your roads safer

ELAINE CARTER

Standing in BRUNTINGTHORPE DIVISION

to win funding for rural communities

 

 

All your LABOUR CANDIDATES are campaigning to save your libraries, services to schools, and grants to essential voluntary and community organisations from FURTHER TORY CUTS.

 

Good luck to all in tomorrow's County Council elections.  Voting takes place from 7am to 10pm, so they must be expecting crowds.

 

If you want to know what these elections mean nationally, there's a fascinating article here.