Labour in Leicester and Leicestershire Conference

I don't know about you, but I still miss the Political Education Days we used to have in our constituency.  I remember Roy Hattersley on House of Lords Reform and Chris Mullins on the Birmingham Six.

Today Rory Palmer emailed a number of us with the following.  It seems Political Education is alive and well in Leicester - and we are invited.

David F is putting it on the agenda for January 5.  Maybe we can get up a busload or something.  I'm certainly up for it.

Labour in Leicester and Leicestershire Conference 2016
Saturday 23^rd January 2016 at Leicester Town Hall. 10:00am – 5:00pm
This conference will bring together Labour members from across Leicester and Leicestershire to hear from a range of speakers including members of the Shadow Cabinet and to discuss local and national policy areas.
The conference will hear from a range of speakers including Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra MP and Shadow Cabinet member Jon Ashworth MP.

Speakers also include Leicester West MP Liz Kendall on the EU Referendum and Leicester’s City Mayor Peter Soulsby who will give a report on progress in delivering Leicester Labour’s 2015 Manifesto.

Policy Workshops will cover areas of national and local significance, including: the future of public services including the NHS, schools and the police & 999 services; plans to grow Leicester/shire’s economy and create jobs and what devolution could mean for our area, and; Labour’s approach to improving living standards and tackling inequalities at a time of shrinking public sector budgets.
There will also be a range of informal sessions including an introduction to Labour Party structures for newer members; training on the EU Referendum campaign; a session for members interested in becoming a councillor/ candidate; and much more.
This conference will be a timely opportunity for Labour members in Leicester and Leicestershire to meet ahead of the Police & Crime Commissioner election next year; the EU Referendum; and County Council elections in 2017.
The conference is organised and hosted by the Leicester City Council Labour Group. 

In the meantime MERRY CHRISTMAS to all.  Here's to an active and electorally successful New Year!

Labour In for Britain

David F saw this on the BBC website.  Well worth a look.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34750583

Thanks, David.

Compromising Corbyn

Compromising Corbyn



Interesting article from the less radical wing of the Party.

A timely Halloween reminder of the Euro facts as Nigel Farage rises from the grave and undead Euroseptics prowl the government's back benches.

Jeremy Corbyn | My Week

Zero-Hours Contracts

Decent Work Day Glenis Willmott, our Euro MP here in the East Midlands, used Decent Work Day - a date unaccountably missed by the British media - to highlight the continuing problem of zero-hours contracts in the UK. 

There are currently 65, 000 of these contracts in the East Midlands which means that thousands of people are unable to get a mortgage due to having no financial security. I want to see abusive zero-hours contracts banned. It is completely unfair that some employees don't know how much they will get from week to week - they don't have zero rent, they still have to put food on the table for their kids. People cannot be expected to put their life on hold in the off-chance they are offered work, which they desperately need. 

Recently I called on the European Commission and national governments to take action on zero-hours contracts. With the Tories in power, workers can't expect much support from the UK Government. Labour MEPs have taken the issue straight to EU leaders. I believe that if you work regular hours, you should have a regular contract, and that is why I am working to end exploitative zero-hours contracts across the EU.

Labour's new members

Interesting post by Aaron Bastani on the London Review of Books blog.  Click on the link to read it: Labour's new members.

Straight talking, honest politics

The Leadership Contest

As we finally stagger towards the two-thirds mark in an internal election that has taken twice as long as the national one, David Fish has drawn my attention to several interesting recent articles in the New Statesman.

First, Peter Wilby's column from July 30 has a bit of a pop at Harriet and a non-knee-jerk response to rise of Jeremy Corbyn.

Next, Helen Lewis on the dangers of over-reliance on social media.  And finally Mary Creagh MP (who, if I can remember that far back, was once briefly a candidate) on the sudden 'toxicity' of the middle ground.

Many thanks, David.

We will move on and move forwards

A message from Ed Miliband

Starting Election Day.  The Labour4Lutterworth Committee Rooms 07:10.  David Fish, Amanda Hack, David Gair.  Time to get your rosette on and VOTE LABOUR.

Your Local Labour Candidates for Lutterworth

Fighting to get a better deal for Lutterworth

There is no doubt what will have the biggest impact on our town in the next four years - the massive expansion up at Magna Park. The site is a huge asset to our town, bringing jobs, opportunities and prosperity.

But Harborough District Council, which receives a huge income from the Park, does very little to alleviate the inevitable problems that come with such a major site. It really is like they just don't care.

With your support on May 7 we can start to turn the situation around.

We need routeing agreements, places for the lorries to park overnight, landscaping to reduce the noise, and a bus service from the site to all our local villages to minimise car journeys to and from work.

We can't take another four years of being the bottom of everyone's agenda.

DAVID GAIR is standing in ORCHARD WARD

David has been a Town Councillor since 2008.  He has fought hard to save the De Verdon Road allotments and to secure improvements for our roads and cycle routes.  He says: "We need a strong voice at Harborough District Council that does not simply toe the party line or weakly submit to the national government agenda. Local politics should be about local people and local issues."

MIKE SUTTON is standing in SPRINGS WARD

Mike is a former Marine and a well-known local businessman.  His wife runs a shop in Church Street and their four children all work in the town. This gives Mike a vested interested in Lutterworth.  He says: "This is our town, our future, the place our granddaughter will grow up and go to school.  Harborough has ignored us for too long.  It's time to make things happen!"

SIMON TODD is standing in SWIFT WARD

Simon served in the RAF before moving to Lutterworth.  He now works for the East Midlands Ambulance Service.  For two and a half years he was our Town Crier - so if you want your voice heard at Harborough there really is no better choice.  Simon says: "Your problems are most likely my problems as we walk the same streets and share the same services. I am not afraid to fight for what is right and for what you deserve."

AMANDA HOLYOAK is standing in BROOKFIELD WARD

Having served on the Town Council for the last four years, Amanda is standing as a District Councillor because "I wash to help shape the community in which my children are growing up, and make a difference to the town in which we live." 

The new man in the shadows | Counsel

The new man in the shadows | Counsel



Great article about the new Shadow Attorney General.  Click on the link above.

Our plan to tackle the housing crisis

Labour's plan for supporting families with the costs of childcare

Labour's Better Plan for Rural Britain

Today Maria Eagle, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, launched LABOUR'S BETTER PLAN FOR RURAL BRITAIN - a plan to build a rural economy that works for working people and supports rural families and communities.

"Rural Britain has been left behind under five years of the Tories and Lib Dems. A cost-of-living crisis, a low-pay, low-skill economy and a lack of power to make decisions about their future is holding back too many rural communities." 

Here are just five of the things Labour will do to stand up for rural communities:

1. We'll put right the damage done by the Tories’ decision to abolish the Agricultural Wages Board, replacing it with a new taskforce to tackle low pay and protect conditions for agricultural workers.
2. We will build more affordable rural homes by strengthening requirements on developers to build affordable housing in new developments.
3. We'll back small businesses that form the bedrock of the rural economy by cutting and then freezing business rates for smaller businesses which employ over two thirds of the rural workforce.
4. We will end the unfairness that many rural families face in an unregulated off-grid energy market.  We'll extend the remit of the new energy watchdog to off-grid households, protecting millions of rural families.
5. We will devolve new powers to our county regions, making sure our recovery extends beyond the City of London.

Download a full copy of LABOUR'S RURAL MANIFESTO by clicking here.

Your Local Labour Candidates for Broughton

A Better Deal for Broughton

There is no doubt what will have the biggest impact on this side of the district in the next four years – the massive expansion planned for Magna Park.

We welcome the new jobs and the economic prosperity they will bring. But there is a danger – the danger that councillors from elsewhere in the district will see the bigger Magna Park as a money pot.

Some might try and spend that money elsewhere in Harborough.

Others will see it as a means of offloading responsibility for everywhere west of Husbands Bosworth.

We in Broughton have needs too - not just employment but affordable housing, more facilities for families and public transport.

What we desperately need is someone willing to stand up and shout for our rights!

Sandra Parkinson is standing in Broughton Ward

Sandra and her family have lived in Broughton Astley for fourteen years.  In 2013 she organised a petition to get traffic calming measures at the junction of Croft Way and Station Road.  Even the County Council agreed - but a subsequent petition about the exact siting let them shelve the project! The situation is only going to get worse with more housing and more traffic.  Sandra says, "I look to the people of Broughton Ward to support me in my bid to get peace of mind on this road safety issue."

Paul Maglione is standing in Sutton Ward

Paul has lived in Broughton Astley since 2012.  He is a workplace representative for Unite and joined the Labour Party because of his concerns over the NHS, zero hour contracts, and the erosion of employment rights.  Paul says, "Harborough District Council must get off its knees and spend some of its windfall from Magna Park on a regular bus service to and from Broughton.  Get cars off the roads and give local residents the chance of local jobs!"

d on this road safety issue.

Your local Labour candidates for the villages

Giving Villages a Voice

What does your District Council do for you?  Precious little if you live in a village west of the M1. The odd planning application, perhaps, but otherwise...  It's really not good enough and your chance to change things comes on May 7th.  Not that you'd know it, but it's not just about the General Election.  Every seat on Harborough District Council is up for grabs, and the suspicion is, your sitting councillors would rather you didn't notice.  That way they can have another four years dancing to the Tory tune of cuts, cuts, cuts, and pocketing generous allowances for doing very little.

Your Labour candidates, on the other hand, are committed to village life, protecting the rural environment whilst encouraging local jobs and demanding more facilities and services for local residents.

Malcolm Maguire is standing in the Dunton Ward.

Malcolm undertakes research into aspects of employment, education, training and the labour market, with particular specialisms in: the youth labour market; vocational education and training; employers' recruitment strategies; lifelong learning; career guidance; and employee development.  He has published widely on a range of education, employment and training related topics, and is a trustee of a Leicester-based charity which support vulnerable and marginalised people in securing employment.

Liz March is standing in Misterton Ward

Liz has lived in Walcote since 2003 and for the last six years has served as a Parish Councillor.  Her four children, now grown up, were all educated in local state schools but Liz fears that recent changes make it difficult for schools to plan for the future.  She says: "Housing is also important. I want my children to have somewhere suitable to live, but this need must be balanced by the desire to protect and preserve the environment."

Elaine Carter is standing in Peatling Ward

Elaine has lived in Arnesby for 16 years, and enjoys the village community. She sits on the Parish Council, contributes music to the annual May Fair, shares in the church cleaning rota, and enjoys the local film and book clubs. She is a keen activist on environmental issues.  Elaine says: "Having worked as a consultant paediatrician at Leicester Royal infirmary for over 20 years, I have first hand knowledge of how cuts to services affect poorer people most."

Remember to VOTE LABOUR ON MAY 7, or nothing will ever change.

Labour’s election pledges (BSL)

Let the people decide

Look at what David Cameron has done in five years...

Amanda Hack - your Labour Candidate for South Leicestershire

Amanda's election address should be dropping through your letterbox any day now.  Congratulations to the election team - it looks great and the contents are spot on.

If yours hasn't arrived yet, here are some key points:

• We've seen massive cuts to local services - social care, children's services, school support, youth services, all either closed or cut to the bone.  The next tranche of Tory cuts will close libraries and museums.  Labour is committed to a fairer alternative.
• The NHS as we know it cannot survive five more years of Cameron.  Labour will hire 20,000 more nurses and 8000 extra GPs, funded by a clamp down on tax avoidance, a mansion tax on properties worth than £2 million, and a levy on tobacco firms.
• The cost of childcare has risen by 30% under the Tories.  Labour will provide 25 hours free childcare each week for parents with 3 and 4 year-olds.  Labour will work with primary schools to provide childcare for school-age children from 8am to 6pm, and help parents balance work and family life.

Find out more about Amanda and her campaign by visiting the constituency party's website or by following Amanda on Twitter @hack4labour.

Right to Buy - another uncosted, unfunded & unbelievable announcement from the Tories

Emma Reynolds, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, responding to the Tories’ announcement on Right to Buy for housing association tenants, said:

The Tories can’t stand up for working people. On their watch wages are down £1,600 and we’ve seen the longest fall in living standards since the 1870s. 

This is yet another uncosted, unfunded and unbelievable announcement from the Tories. 

Having exhausted the magic money tree, the Tories now want people to believe that they can magic up billions of pounds a year from selling off a few council homes. Last year that raised just over £100 million, while this policy costs £4.5 billion a year. 

Under David Cameron home ownership is at its lowest point for three decades – there are over 200,000 fewer home owners since 2010. 

Labour will help people own their own home, that’s why we support Right to Buy. But in the 21st Century that means building homes and not forgetting the vast majority of people that want to buy their own home but currently rent privately or live with their parents. 

Labour’s manifesto set out a better plan for all local first time buyers to get priority access to homes built. We will ensure Britain builds the homes working people need, getting at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020, backed by a comprehensive plan - the first in a generation - and a £5 billion Future Homes Fund to support the building of homes for first time buyers.”

Why can’t David Cameron defend his record?

Britain can do so much better than this

Lutterworth Labour coffee morning with Amanda Hack, PPC

The second "Meet the candidate" coffee morning was held on Saturday, 21st March at Lutterworth town hall. Our new Labour party banner was put out, and posters were displayed on am A-board.
There was lots of interest, and Amanda was busy chatting with shoppers as they passed by. Many came in for a coffee to discuss issues further and have a chat.
At the same time, plenty of leaflets were given out, and 3 streets were canvassed.
The morning was grey, windy and bitterly cold, but undeterred by the weather, it was a very successful event.
The next Lutterworth coffee morning is on Saturday, April 25th. Further events will be held in April in Broughton Astley and Arnesby.

Pre-election events for PPC Amanda Hack in Lutterworth and S Leics

We have a timetable of events to enable local people to meet the Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Amanda Hack. They will be in various places around the County, and are as follows:

Tuesday, 17th March, 6 - 7pm, Surgery in Red Admiral, Broughton-Astley
Saturday 21st March, 10 - 12, coffee morning in Lutterworth Town Hall
Saturday 25th April, 10 - 12, coffee morning in Lutterworth town hall
Saturday, 11th April. 1030 - 12, coffee morning Arnesby village hall.

Do come along for a coffee and chat and show your support. Everyone welcome!

Question Time

Questions from East Midlands businesses for Stella Creasy MP (Walthamstow), Toby Perkins MP (Chesterfield) and ... hang about ... isn't that...?

Arrogance is no way to win an election

Shadow Foreign Secretary and Labour's General Election strategist, Douglas Alexander, says:

Last weekend David Cameron announced he had made a discovery: there were "Lidl People" out there — and they should all vote for him. 

It is not hard to see why the Prime Minister is suddenly feeling the need to patronise new groups of voters.

Because two months on from Mr Cameron beginning a relentlessly negative Tory election campaign, he has precious little to show for it.  Arrogance is giving way to anxiety within the Tory ranks.

Downing Street apparently answer questions about why he is so absent from the crises around the world by saying: "There's a general election on, you wouldn't expect the PM to spend much time on foreign policy."

But it is not working for him here either. All he has really proved in the past eight weeks is that he has no problem with MPs having second jobs, won't act on tax avoidance and seems scared of a TV debate with Ed Miliband.
Although there will be many twists and turns between now and polling day, the arrogance of the Conservative leadership — which assumed it would be cantering on ahead by this stage — has already shown itself to be misplaced.

Indeed, there is a growing sense of doubt, even desperation, coming from their campaign.

There are reports of internal criticism about the negativity, a paint-by-the-numbers strategy, as well as a distinct lack of vision or optimism for the future.

Boris Johnson is attacking their disastrous failed plan on immigration as he prepares his leadership bid after the election — and there are even reports about how allies are preparing a "Save Dave" campaign if he loses the election.

By contrast, Labour is making the running as we set out our better plan for a better future for young people, for the NHS and for working families.
Over the next couple of weeks we will be focusing more on living standards across the country. Because our party is rooted in the lives of working families, not talking over the heads of voters with big money and big posters.

By the end of this week we will have already held more than one million doorstep conversations with voters. This puts us on course to meet Ed Miliband's target of having a record four million before polling day.

The heart of our campaign is a dialogue with the public, away from the sound and fury of Westminster. It is in these everyday conversations with local people, in communities across the country, that we're making progress — not by patronising anyone as "Lidl people.

Labour Pledges

3 PPCs join S Leics Constituency for annual dinner

 

 

 

On Saturday, 21st February, the S Leics annual constituency dinner was held. We were delighted to hear from 3 East Midlands PPCs on why they were standing for Labour, and all delivered passionate speeches on why we need a Labour Government in May. They were introduced by Shadow Attorney General, Lord Willy Bach, and we all wished them every success in their campaigns.

 

 Amanda Hack, Leics S PPC talks to Lutterworth Chair, Sandra Parkinson

 

Matthew O`Callaghan for Loughborough  and Kevin McKeever for Northampton

Below: Lord Willy Bach, Shadow Attorney General introduced the PPCs

 

 

 

l

Organiser Gail McDade chats to Kevin McKeever

 

Nick and Mike amused us with their auctioneering skills, and raised good money for the campaign 

The food was excellent, as demonstrated by Darren!

 

Good luck to all candidates. If you can help at all with the campaign, please email gail_mcdade@labour.org.uk

Good news for pensioners!

Government has finally caved in on Labour’s campaign to protect pensioners from rip-offs and mis-selling - Reeves

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, following reports that the FCA will introduce a ‘second line of defence’ for pension savers, said:

“After spending months opposing Labour’s campaign to protect pensioners from rip-offs and mis-selling I am pleased the Government has finally caved in today. Labour have put the interests of savers first on fees, on charges and on pension guidance and time and time again ministers are left playing catch up.

“We remain extremely concerned about the inadequate preparations by government ahead of the introduction of the new pension freedoms in April 2015. The Government must act quickly to prevent pension changes descending into chaos in two months’ time.”

Launch of South Leicestershire PPC campaign!

Today South Leicestershire launched the campaign for our PPC, Amanda Hack.

Amanda is a local resident, a working mum, and a local councillor, so she is well-versed in local issues. She gave a great speech today, passionately expressing her wish to improve the lot of ordinary working people who have suffered over the past 4 years, with measures such as the bedroom tax, zero hours contracts and the fragmentation of the NHS. She hopes to see the minimum wage raised to become a living wage, many more houses built to supply the demand the Conservative government have failed to provide, and a fairer tax system where the rich pay their share of the tax bill.

The launch was preceded by a canvas and leafleting drive.
Speeches of support were given by Alan Methven, Councillor Jo Fox and Lord Willy Bach, Shadow Attorney General.
There was a great turn out to show support for Amanda, and we all wish her well in the campaign!

 Vote Amanda Hack!

Lots of support for Amanda!

 

Amanda Hack, PPC

 

Alan Methven and Lord Willy Bach

Councillor Jo Fox

 

Amanda and her daughter

 

 

 

 

Broken bus market

Michael Dugher, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the Campaign for Better Transport's report on local bus services, said today:

This is more evidence that like with the energy sector, the bus market is broken.  On David Cameron's watch bus fares have risen by 25% - an increase five times faster than wage growth - and big bus companies have been cutting crucial routes that people rely on to maximise their own profits.

The Competition Commission estimated the failure in competition within the bus market costs the taxpayer £305 million each year, but David Cameron has refused to stand up to the bus barons.

Labour is determined to see passenger power by regulating bus services in a better way.  We will act fast and legislate to give cities and county regions greater control over local bus services.  This will result in communities being able to determine routes, set fares and integrate and improve bus services.

Personally, I was with Michael all the way until that bit about counties.  Leicestershire County Council won't even fund rural libraries, so a fat lot they care about rural bus routes.  

I'm afraid many councils have completely failed to use the few powers they still have to face up to service provider cartels.  Another mechanism for breaking up the monopolies urgently needs to be found.  But at least we know Labour will look for one.