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.



Swiftway Polling Station Closed!!!

The polling station at the Swiftway Centre is not going to be available on 2nd May. Instead voters will have to make their way to The Pavilion on the Coventry Road Recreation Ground. Harborough DC did not realise that the building was not in a fit state to use until they came to deliver the ballot boxes for storage.
Obviously this could affect voting; particularly for the less mobile.
HDC are reissuing polling cards, and there will be extensive information on the day redirecting voters. This, however, is not good enough and we are to press them to provide transport; something that they suggested that we should do. If you live in the area and need help, let us know, or, if you are in a position to assist someone else we would be very grateful.
We can win this, but it will be close and every vote will be crucial. Please help us get the vote out and send this government a message that crushing the poorest whilst giving an easy ride to the most wealthy is not acceptable.

Deadline for Voter Registration and Postal Votes

The deadline for registering to vote in the County Elections and for claiming a new postal vote is only FOUR working days away - Wednesday April 17 at 5pm.  If you, or any Labour supporter you know, needs to do either of these things, tell them now.  They need to contact electoral services at Harborough District Council (yes, such is the logic of local government that the District runs County elections) immediately.

Canvassing gets underway in Lutterworth

A very good morning's canvassing in the region of Riverside and Misterton Roads. Many thanks to Elaine, Peter and Sandra for their efforts. Last week's cuts, benefits for the poor and tax for the wealthy, have clearly struck a chord, as have the Chancellors outrageous linking of benfits and the Philpott case. There is a general sense of how unfair this is, and we need to demonstrate to people that Labour is the best alternative.

Locally there is some amazement that we have new footpaths in Church Street whilst the town suffers increasing, and dangerous, levels of traffic pollution. A bit like giving the bridge of the Titanic a lick of paint. Labour, of course, had a solution for this and was ignored. Lutterworth is not even mentioned in future traffic plans, and there is certainly no evidence of preparing a bid for some of the money that is going to become available for major infrastucture projects.

Lutterworth Labour team ready to go!!

The Lutterworth Labour Team is at the ready for the County Council Elections in May! Our first leaflet has been distriuted, and the second is printed and ready for delivery. Canvassing tomorrow, no matter what the weather!! Good luck to:

David Gair, standing in Lutterworth, (on the far right, ha ha!)
Sandra Parkinnson, standing in Broughton Astley, (out delivering)
Elaine Carter, standing in Bruntingthorpe, (taking the photo!)

Get involved in Team 2015

The latest video from the Labour Party seems timely as we prepare to start canvassing. 

County Council candidates

It was a special open GC meeting at Broughton on Tuesday night, devoted to the upcoming County elections.  Main speaker was Nick Brown, former County Councillor and current constituency campaigns organiser, who reminded us of the hard fact that we must be targeted and disciplined to win anything in South Leicestershire.  But it can be done and here, on the right in the picture (the only time the phrase 'on the right' can ever be applied to her) is Braunstone County Councillor Jo Fox.  Labour is standing in every seat in the constituency and these are our nine candidates.

It was a great meeting and what promises to be a successful campaign got off to a great start last Sunday with twenty-odd out on the streets of Enderby Meridian.

AGM

Last night was our Annual General Meeting and the start of our campaign to win back at least one seat in our area in the forthcoming County Council election.  Yes, another chance to watch the LibDems suffer!

The Chair's annual report has been posted as a separate page - see the Pages panel on the right.  And here, to celebrate, is a picture of our Chair and our Treasurer.

Another new photo has sprouted elsewhere on this page.  All the others Elaine sent me have been uploaded to our soon-to-be-launched photo site.