Constituency Dinner - Special Guest

Back in the distant days of a fortnight ago, when gatherings of more than fifty people were still acceptable, JESS PHILLIPS MP was the guest of honour at the South Leicestershire Constituency Dinner, held at the Kingsway Centre in Braunstone Town.

Repairing the damage

Lord Willy Bach, your Labour Police and Crime Commissioner, explains what cuts to police budgets really mean for Leicestershire.

Our MP claims the Tories are “the Party of Law and Order.” What a joke! Leicestershire has lost 550 police officers over recent years. Our Youth Services have been savaged. Now – surprise, surprise – just before a likely General Election, there is a promise of 20,000 new officers. Even if that promise is kept (and that’s a big if) it would still not get anywhere near the number lost to the cuts.

Meanwhile I have carefully and responsibly increased the number of police officers each year I have been in office. For this year, up to June 2020, the number is 107. By raising the police part of the Council Tax and making sensible use of Reserves, I have set about repairing the damage caused by almost a decade of Tory and Lib Dem austerity.

Of course the fall in police numbers affects the crime rate. Not only is there an increased population in Lutterworth and Broughton Astley, but new offences like Modern Slavery and People Trafficking demand specialist investigative skills.

It was unforgivable of the Tories to cut the police force to the level it did. A Labour Government will ensure we have the right number of officers to properly protect our communities.

Support your local Labour candidates on Thursday

“I am delighted to support these three excellent candidates and urge local residents to vote for them on Thursday May 4.”

 

WILLY BACH, who is your Leicestershire Police & Crime Commissioner and a local resident.

DAVID GAIR - LUTTERWORTH DIVISION

SANDRA PARKINSON - BROUGHTON DIVISION

LIZ MARSH - BRUNTINGTHOPE DIVISION

Get out and vote for Willy Bach TODAY!!!

It's polling day for our next Police and Crime Commissioner.  

You've not voted for Willy?  OK if you're a member of another party or a criminal, but anyone else? Have a word with yourself!

Voting until 10pm tonight at your usual polling stations.  So get out there and make a difference!

Voting for Willy Bach as PPC this Thursday!

This Thursday we get our chance to vote for a truly local candidate as Police and Crime Commissioner - a candidate, moreover, who has actual experience of the law and leading big bureaucratic organisations.

Willy is obviously the best qualified candidate - but everyone still needs to vote on Thursday. The PPC elections are not popular but they are important.  Look at what happened last time - police stations closed, only some crimes investigated.  Policing matters and the responsibilities of PPCs are only going to increase, with Theresa May talking about hiving off all emergency services and even the courts.  It's time to make the right decision for everyone in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

If you haven't already voted by post, voting in person is at your usual polling station from 7am to 10pm.

Constituency Gala Dinner 2016

On Saturday 27th February 2016 South Leicestershire Constituency held its annual Gala Meal at Braunstone Civic Centre.

Speakers were Jon Ashworth MP and our own Willy Bach, prospective candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. 

Mr Ashworth gave a speech very appreciative of Labour achievements in government and concerned for the losses in services and quality since 2010. Mr Ashworth called for the Labour party to be more robust in its statements about how good Labour's achievements were, when statements are made during the current government period.  

Willy Bach talked about his campaign for Commissioner, in particular the need to support 'city' policing for those most in need in the area. Sadly most crime occurs in areas of the police authority where there is most need.

Over 50 members attended, with 21 from Lutterworth.  Together with a raffle and auction over £400 was made for constituency campaigns.  Many thanks to organiser, David Gair.  Planning is already underway for the 2017 event

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Taking Liberties - the Tory Trade Union Bill

Following Gerry's brilliant introduction to the horrors of the Trade Union Bill at last night's branch meeting, here is the article by John Monks which Willy mentioned.

John Monks on the motives behind the Trade Union Bill, which has its Lords Second Reading on 11 January

For every £1 spent on workplace training delivered by trade unions, the economy gets a return of £9.15. According to the Business Department, 77% of unionised workplaces have a policy on flexible working arrangements, compared with 43% of non-unionised. The annual Labour Force Survey meanwhile, shows that strikes are at an all-time low, with far fewer days lost to industrial action than to illness. Throw in widespread condemnation of the practices of Sport Direct and other over-mighty employers, and you have to wonder why the government wants to prioritise weakening trade unions, reducing the voice of working people and attacking Labour’s funding base.

The Bill proposes to introduce new thresholds for ballots on industrial action. All trade unions would need to achieve a turnout of over 50% for the ballot to be legally compliant. But for ‘important’ public services, such as schools, transport and the NHS, this would also need to deliver a 40% ‘yes’ vote. Ministers say the changes would improve democracy. Yet they have bizarrely refused to agree to introduce electronic or workplace balloting, despite evidence of its positive effect on turnout.
The government is also seeking to bring in intrusive requirements for those engaged in picketing, including wearing armbands and giving contact details to the police. The latter have no problems with the current law, and Liberty has described the proposals as ‘a major attack on civil liberties in the UK’. Such moves are entirely unwarranted. No incidents of unruly or unlawful behaviour have occurred on picket lines since the 1980s. If there were to be, existing public order law could be used.

There are also plans to prevent employers from deducting union subscriptions at source via their payroll, something known as ‘check off’. This is short-sighted, given that employers in all sectors value the current process, which in some cases can generate them a profit. Many have expressed anger over ministerial interference in their right to manage their own employment relations. Ministers also want to interfere with facility time agreements, where paid and unpaid time off is given to union representatives who are being trained to deal with matters that could cause wider problems, for example workplace safety.

At the heart of the proposals, is a fundamental challenge to how unions contribute to political funds – requiring members to opt in rather than opt out as is currently the case. All the evidence shows that opt in would reduce subscriptions and it is therefore a naked, partisan attack on Labour Party funding. Estimates range but the many millions of pounds lost each year will put the Party at a significant disadvantage at election time. Naturally, there is no commensurate proposal to look at how hedge funds and the like contribute to Conservatives coffers. Nor any attempt to ask company shareholders to opt in or out to similar donations.

The final part of the Bill hugely increases the powers of the trade union regulator, the Certification Officer (CO). There is no evidence that there are new problems that the CO can’t deal with under existing legislation. Ministers are expressly concerned about the ‘burden’ of red tape on business but care little about the impact of excessive regulation on unions.

All in all, this Bill is an attack on civil liberties, flouting international standards and singling out unions for draconian intervention. It has little real support from employers, has been rushed through without proper consultation and should never have seen the light of day. Labour Peers will do what they can to counter the worst of it, and work with others across the Lords to make the government see sense. We can only but hope.

Lord John Monks is a backbench Labour Peer and a former General Secretary of the TUC
Published 29th December 2015

And here is the link to the TUC's website about the bill.

Question Time

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

Essential Reading - what a working Labour peer gets up to in a week

Willy has sent us his diary for the past week.  It's top of the page list on the right (well, even this page has to have a right as well as a left).  Fascinating reading.  Thanks, Willy.

Garden Fund Raiser! June 2013

The Branch held our annual tea in the garden event in Arnesby this year, at Elaine and Peters. Despite threats of heavy rain and strong winds, the storm held off for a couple of hours, and no-one got wet!

Over 30 members and friends braved the weather to come along, including old members who came all the way from Buxton and Market Harborough to visit, and Leicestershire members from over the borders in other Branches!

There were plenty of delicious cakes, as usual - yum!

It was hard work providing all those cups of tea.....

Excellent reading material was available at very competitive prices!

Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester attended, and after talking about the positive results in the recent County elections; and his hopes for the Euro and 2015 elections, he stocked up on a wide range of reading material for his forth coming holiday!

Willy Bach also discussed current issues and our prospects in the Euro elections.

A happy raffle winner.....

 

The treasurer was happy that there are now funds in the Branch - we made £200!!

The next events are: Lutterworth Carnival, where our stall will be a Quiz, written by Willy B, and money raised will go to Lord Mayors Appeal; and BBQ at Mike Wailloos, (in the red jacket!)July 13th, 2pm. Tickets £10 from David Fish, Secretary. See you there!

Now that's a leafleting team!

 

 The first leafleting team of the campaign season, Sunday February 17 2013.  And somebody's thumb.