Maidstone Weald Labour Party

Cllr Leslie Christie

2010-10-18T11:52:00.002+01:00

Please find the link to the Kent County Council Labour Group website and Leslie Christie’s speech to full Council today:(14 October 2010)

http://bit.ly/6WXCQX

Promoted by Kent County Council Labour Group

Kent County Council Sessions House County Hall Maidstone Kent ME14 1XQ

SORTING OFFICE TO CLOSE

2010-09-06T17:34:00.006+01:00

FOUR SORTING OFFICES IN KENT TO CLOSE AND MOVE TO ROCHESTER.

THIS IS MADNESS. MANY PEOPLE WILL NOT RECEIVE POST AND DELIVERIES TO AND FROM KNIGHTS ROAD WILL BE UNDER STRAIN.......ANY NON DELIVERED POST WOULD MEAN MANY PEOPLE TRAVELLING FURTHER TO COLLECT THEIR OWN MAIL.
WHAT WITH 1500 JOBS GOING . IS THIS THINGS TO COME?

LAST POST

2010-09-06T17:25:00.004+01:00

RECONFIGERATION OF THE POST OFFICE. MAIDSTONE TO CLOSE . AS AN AFFILIATED CLP TO THE CWU WE OPPOSE THIS.

PLEASE E-MAIL YOUR SUPPORT TO DAVID BANBURY BRANCH SECRETARY CWU...............cwukentinvicta@aol.com

2011

2010-08-06T20:55:00.006+01:00

2011 STARTS NOW. TEN SEATS TO FILL FOR THE MAY ELECTIONS. WE HAVE 8 SEATS WITH CANDIDATES ALREADY. ANY MEMBER WISHING TO STAND PLEASE CONTACT ME. WE NEED YOUR TIME TO HELP DELIVER LEAFLETS AND TO CANVAS OUR TWO TARGET SEATS. PLUS THE FUN OF THE STREET STALL ON OCCASIONAL SUNDAYS 2HRS IN WEEK STREET,
MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK.
CONTACT richjcoates@hotmail.com THANK YOU.

CONDEM NATION

2010-07-15T20:24:00.007+01:00

THIS ENGLAND , THIS REALM , THIS SCEPTRED ISLE.....................

KIG UPDATE

2010-06-14T15:53:00.008+01:00

KM HEADLINE EDITORIAL. DONT LEAVE US IN A PICKLE, MR PICKLES.
THE KM AND DOWNS MAIL HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT THIS IS A LABOUR STITCH UP.
A NEW LIBCON GOVERNMENT AND NO DECISION YET. I WONDER WHY?
£2 MILLION POUNDS SPENT BY KCC AND MBC OF OUR MONEY, TOP QC APPOINTED TO KIG, 7 YEARS TO BUILD IT, EC OFF ROAD AND ON TO RAIL AGENDA.
THIS IS MORE THAN A LOCAL ISSUE. THOUGHTS. rc

ELECTORAL SYSTEM MAIDSTONE

2010-06-14T15:40:00.007+01:00

BONKERS SAYS BILL MOSS TOWN CENTRE MANAGER. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

2011 IS THE NEXT ELECTION. CHRIS GARLAND CON LEADER SAYS A PUBLIC CONSULTATION IS PLANNED FOR THE AUTUMN.
IF A 4 YEAR CYCLE IS APPROVED ALL OUR ELECTIONS OF ALL 55 COUNCILLORS WILL BE A POSSIBILITY IN SAY 2012.
PS A GOOD CHANCE THAT LABOUR CAN WIN SEATS?

DISENCHANTED

2010-05-26T14:48:00.004+01:00

THE LABOUR PARTY WELCOMES ALL DISENCHANTED VOTERS WHO THINK THAT BY NOT VOTING LABOUR THAT THEIR VOTE WAS WASTED. WHY NOT COME HOME TO LABOUR? A FOURTH TERM IS POSSIBLE .........rc

COALITION

2010-05-26T14:22:00.007+01:00

LABOUR IS NOW THE OFFICIAL OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE OPPOSITION IN KENT IN COUNTY AND BOROUGH. OUR POLICY IS TO SUPPORT THE UNDERDOG AND THE NEEDY. IN THE QUEENS SPEECH CO-OPERATION WAS MENTIONED. THIS HAS BEEN THE WATCHWORD FOR LOCAL MAIDSTONE FOR YEARS WITH THE CO-OP PARTY AND LABOUR PARTY AS JOINT PARTIES. THIS YEAR FOUR CANDIDATES STOOD IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS AND THE PPC WERE SPONSORED. THIS BODES WELL FOR THE FUTURE AND THE NEXT YEARS LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL BE CONTESTED TO GET LOCAL LABOUR COUNCILLORS ELECTED. rc

CRANBROOK HUSTINGS

2010-04-01T20:12:00.022+01:00

OBSERVATIONS. PAUL SIEGERT WELL CHAIRED. PETER CAROL. LIB. RAV SEERUTHUN LAB' STUART JEFFREY . GREEN. CHRIS GARLAND.. MBC TORY.
CHRIS GARLAND. Said only here for the night out,! he did not seem to represent the Tory Parliamentary Party. he only was representing the MBC. this was in a Tunbridge Wells Council Area.

The questions were wide ranging from a mixed audience of councillors activists and pupils.
Over 200 people attended on a very wet night. A round of thanks for the organiser Ben Carpenter a 6th form student at Cranbrrok School.

Q.Reduce the deficit........RS not well enough yet made difficult choices. PC Slow change SJ. Jobs needed. CG. Quick change

Q Selected Education. SJ. For selection. RS. Went to private school. No to selection. CG. Failed 11+ Comprehensive School. Equal for all. PC.Went to Grammar School. did not like it . Not the way forward.

Q DEfence Spending. PC In War more money. RS. Funding balance priority. SJ. Cut Trident.
Cut defence sending? CG Spend more Review foreign policy. Better procurement from PC.

Q Immigration. Cap on entry. PC soft on people. RS getting better. CG Perception worse. SJ. Happy.

Voting. FPTP. RS. for AV system. SJ. PR. CG. No to Hung Parliament. PC a New System.

Climate Change. SJ. Investment in Wave, Solar. no to Nuclear. Renewable Heating. Waste.
CG. Oil running out. Nuclear Power. RS. Copenhagen not gone far enough .
Leadership on a global scale needed . Ed Miliband a good person.
PC. No brainer, Houses need insulating no nuclear. Renewable heating.

What makes a good Politician. All agreed no second jobs. If elected will give all their time to the Constituency.
Verdict. A worthwhile evening and every one enjoyed the event. RC

Kent tory tv...never ours...GONE!

2010-02-11T08:50:00.003Z

KCC Labour Group Press Release Attached.

Kent Tories Ditch “PET” Project

Yesterday Conservative-run Kent County Council finally decided to pull the plug on a fanciful and expensive luxury pilot project when they decided after two and a half years not to issue a contract to continue with Kent TV, a broadband internet channel.

Since its introduction in September 2007 this has cost Kent taxpayers £600,000 a year, a total cost of £1.5 million. Whilst innovative the concept was never explained to the populace at large and very few taxpayers had ever heard of it and certainly never used it.

From the time of its original inception the Kent County Council Labour Group, at that time the Official Opposition, described the project as “a luxury that the people of Kent could not afford”. At that time the original £600,000 to set up the project coincided with an increase of £600,000 in the cost charged to those vulnerable adults receiving domiciliary care.

Leslie Christie, Leader of Kent County Council Labour Group, said “At long last the Conservative Leadership have listened to what we have been saying since Kent TV’s inception. Its continuance would have been a political embarrassment to them and would not have been accepted by Kent Taxpayers. This administration have been whingeing for years that they don’t get enough money from Government but have wasted £1.5 million on this luxury. It is not good enough for them now to say “we are living in difficult economic times”, they owe an apology to Kent Taxpayers for wasting valuable resources.

I hope this late repentance will apply to another one of their pet projects “Kent Health Watch” which duplicates services provided by the Health Service and which is currently funded at a cost of £300,000 per year. Currently it is costing Kent approximately £1,000 per caller. That also is a luxury we cannot afford.”

More information:

Leslie Christie

Email: leslie.christie@kent.gov.uk

01474 361564

07889 639428

More press releases are available online at http://www.kentlabour.org.uk

STV SYMPALS

2010-02-03T15:41:00.007Z

STV. YOUR VIEWS PLEASE. THIS IS A PREFERENCIAL SYSTEM THAT SELECTS THE FIRST CANDIDATE TO WIN WITH 50%+ OF THE VOTE ALL OTHER CANDIDATES VOTES ARE TRANSFERED TO THE 2ND AND 3ND ETC. A QUOTA NUMBER IS THE NUMBER THAT ALL RUNNER UPS HAVE TO PASS TO GET ELECTED. THIS IS A MEERKAT SYMPALS VERSION. RICH.

THIS BLOG BACKS GORDON

2010-01-06T14:29:00.004Z

THE PLOTTERS HAVE SHOT THEIR BOLT. IT'S TOO LATE AND NOT IN THE INTEREST OF THE RANK AND FILE OF THE LABOUR PARTY. rc

SAVE THE MINIMUM WAGE

2009-12-30T20:04:00.004Z

THE MINIMUM WAGE IS AT RISK IF A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IS ELECTED IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. YOU CAN STOP THIS BY VOTING FOR A LABOUR GOVERNMENT AND JOINING NOW WILL BOOST ACTIVISTS IN THE LOCAL PARTY. rc

KEEP THE BAN

2009-12-30T19:19:00.002Z

LABOUR AGAINST FOXHUNTING. LET YOUR PPC KNOW THE STRENGTH OF FEELING AGAINST THIS ELITIST PASTIME. rc.

MAIDSTONE4LABOUR MAINIFESTO 2010

2009-11-05T15:59:00.019Z

INTRODUCTION.
We believe that people will achieve more working together than they can by working alone. Power should be spread evenly throughout society and not be based on wealth, class, gender or race.
LOCAL GOVERNANCE.
We should devolve power to local communities.Decision making at local levels such as neighbourhood policing. Support unitary authorities.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
Free bus pass. Free hospital parking. Bus station connected to rail stations. Green cycle lanes.
LOCAL HOUSING.
To prevent homelessness and deliver affordable social housing to a good standard. Council to have control over new build and to rent. Community trust models to be an option.
LOCAL COMMUNITY.
Schools open longer for sports and community activities, playing fields and parks more family friendly.
Combat graffiti and vandalism with local police support officers and engage with residents forums.
HEALTH.
Easier access to primary health care. Support walk - in- centre to help GP surgery's. Community safety initiatives to prevent accidents.
RECYCLING.
More areas to have bulk freighter collections. Household weekly collections to continue. Allotments to grow own food and encourage more to use gardens and buy local produce.

RC, LGC. MAIDSTONE LABOUR 4 YOU

NO TO KIG

2009-10-30T11:04:00.003Z

A PROMINANT REPORT FROM NATHANIEL LICHFIELD & PTNS (NLP) says that construction and specialist workers will have to be engaged from outside Maidstone area. ie Medway Towns. There is not enough expertiese in Maidstone to run the completed site and the benefit to local people is minimal. The report says that there is no economic benefit to Maidstone jobs. AS THIS CONSTRUCTION WILL TAKE SEVEN YEARS TO CONSTRUCT .......the reports findings and conclusions are that NO MAJOR BENEFITS TO MAIDSTONE. rc

FANT BY-ELECTION 1ST OCTOBER

2009-09-29T18:56:00.004+01:00

THIS IS THE FIRST ELECTION, POSSIBLY IN THE COUNTRY TO VOTE LABOUR DURING THE CONFERENCE......... THOSE THAT CAN VOTE LABOUR. VOTE BRUCE HEALD FOR A BETTER MAIDSTONE AND START THE BALL ROLLING TO A GENERAL ELECTION WIN IN 2010. DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY. YOUR FUTURE YOU CHOICE.

ENDING REJECTION AT 11+

2009-09-03T21:25:00.005+01:00

. LABELLING CHILDREN AS FAILURES AT ELEVEN IS WRONG.

. PREJUDGING CHILDREN'S POTENTIAL AT ELEVEN MAKES NO SENSE.

. SELECTION DAMAGES SCHOOLS WHICH DON'T SELECT.

. SELECTION AT ELEVEN MAKES SOCIAL MOBILITY LESS LIKELY.

. SELECTION DIVIDES CHILDREN, PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES. rc

2009-08-14T11:34:00.003+01:00

Reflections on Elections - a Briefing Note for Labour Party Members Maidstone and Weald CLP
I pen this Note to stimulate discussion at this critical time in the history of the Party and to share some information I have gathered - I would be glad to join in further discussions. Please forward it to others.
****************************************************************************************
1. Turnout at recent Elections :- some worrying statistics
i) Norwich, nearly 45% -- County Election (Kent figures) average of all Divisions 39% - European ,UK 34.7%
ii) Electorate for E-Parliament : UK 45,312,626 - actual UK voters 15,714,510
iii) After 12 years of Labour in Government the number who voted Labour diminished from around 24% in 2004 to 15.7% (EU voters) (NB only 0.8% more than UKIP)
Question : why do about 60% of the voters stay at home? - the bulk of those, must be (could be, should be) Labour voters!

2. When 60% stay at home is it because :
i) A great number of them do not agree with Labour's policies, or
ii) Many do not find ANY of the Parties' policies answer their needs, or
iii) They have been disappointed by un-kept promises or certain political action (such as the numbers of houses to be built)..
Question : There have not been any large scale demands for new policies (such as on the scale of the anti-Iraq War demands) - is just staying-at-home itself a political protest movement by the weak? If it is not to do with Policy, what else can it be?

3. Beyond POLICY? Other possibilities are :
i) The stay-at-homes do not find the method, timing, place of voting convenient,; the Parliament will no doubt urgently reform in several areas, but the Party must discuss it internally also.
ii) If the stay-at-homes obviously did not want to vote for ANY of the actual Incumbents or Candidates (irrespective of party); is it because they doubt that they can be adequately represented by them?
If the reluctance to vote is to do with their disapproval of those presented to them, what could it be about them which gives rise to the anathema? We are all aware of the scandals in Parliament and it is not clear how the Party will successfully cleanse itself; one attempt at Norwich went very wrong. Is the slogan "They're all the same" a reasonable reaction?
If the assumption is reasonable that most of Labour's lost voters are in the 60% non-voters (and have not just transferred to other Parties) they must be from what the politicians call the "hard-working" families of manual and lower paid blue collar workers as the other parties' voters, (the figures show in the 40% ), seem to have remained loyal to them or voted for the newer parties such as UKIP which now is likely to rival the Tories .

4. If it is mostly Labour-voters who are prominent among the 60% who-did-not-vote, (and the slump of votes for Labour seem to bear that out), are there policies or actions that might tempt them to vote next time? It is not possible in this note to review the whole political scene and to try to determine what among all the aspirations of the majority of the 60% could be singled out as the most relevant to their situation and has caused them to go on strike against Labour and to shoot themselves in the foot First of all I would assert my opinion that it is not just that they are apathetic, or insensible to events, but on the contrary many often are overwhelmed by their own difficulties with life and succumb to passivity; politics and its choices do not figure high on their agenda; indeed their own passivity is a way of protest against the Establishment; it is a weapon of the weak!
However, can one look at the totality of manifesto and other policies, and promises and single out say one overshadowing Domestic Issue, the solution of which would do much for the lives of millions particularly among the younger generation, and in its present form is particularly prejudicial to the 'hard-working working- class' voter? And would that issue make so much of a difference that it alone would cause many of the 60% to stay at home?

It would appear to me that there is certainly one Issue which affects many millions of families for a multitude of social and econonic reasons (perhaps as many as half of all the families in the land) so badly that a serious amelioration of it might make a vast difference in their voting intentions because it affects such fundamental aspects of their lives. Could that be the HOUSING POLICY? There are gross deficiencies in it after 30 years of political mismanagement with a decade of Labour's inability to pursue it in other than as a continuation of Tory policy; and the Tories left it with their values and aspirations too. Additionally Housing Policy's inherent difficulties have been greatly magnified in the last 12 months by the effects of the current economic conditions (the credit crunch et al); indebtedness has mounted astronomically, 1.4 m.face the end of fixed mortgage rates, hundreds of thousands face eventual negative equity, and many fear dispossession.

5. Because HOUSING POLICY is possibly of strategic importance and the present situation a tragedy (using that word advisedly) I discuss it in two of its aspects -

a. The Housing bubble : For over a decade in power Labour followed the Tory policies and allowed house prices to escalate into a 'housing bubble', when greed, and ignorance of the consequences of escalating prices, were virtually uncontrolled, and which led to expectations which have turned out to be bad dreams for so many millions. The Labour Housing Group's (LHG) Summer Newsletter tells us that "current Government Mortgage Rescue schemes, only cover a small proportion of the expected repossessions during this year. The gap between rescue provision and expected need is around 60,000. In addition it is forecast that there will up to 500,000 borrowers" (out of the 39% of householders with mortgages) "with mortgage arrears with up to three months-potential repossessions" who could see virtually no help by government. There are, at this date, still 86% of local authority areas where houses are not affordable to those around the average wage of £25,000.

b. Social Housing. Additionally for the lowest paid, those on the minimum wage (now around £12,000) for instance,(and those on Benefits), the hope and expectation that a Labour Government would see the need for a decent home as a Right for all and not a luxury, has not been realised. The weakest members of society look to social housing for their families; and tens of thousands have suffered in temporary accommodation while they waited in vain for years for a council home. The promises of an adequate number, 240,000 each year, of new homes of all categories after the Barker Review and the Green paper have not been fulfilled and no target has been achieved; In 2008-9 the National House Building Council estimates that as few as 85,000 were likely to be completed!. Shelter, the housing charity, refers to 1,800,000 on Local housing waiting Lists and there are estimates in the press of nearly 4m individuals affected. The present output (a few hundreds last year) of social homes both as an outcome of section 106 Planning Agreements and Local initiatives by Residential Social Landlord, (RSL), and Councils, is pitiful when matched against the need and the growth of numbers of households (estimated to be rising to 223,000 p,a,) and the expectation that Government would be able to increase the numbers of social rented home to 45,000 p,a, by 2010/11. Judging by past efforts it is unlikely that any RSL building policy initiative could be effective in time to be noticed at the General Election. However what would make a large difference to the 34,106 unemployed in Kent, (2,365 in Maidstone), if Kent had a share of a large number of firm contracts for say 300,000 new homes nationally, with half of them social houses (a figure which has been achieved in the past by Tory Governments); that could also put to work some of the fastest growing section of the unemployed in Kent; 18 to 24 years old, now almost 8,000 of them.

6. Is there a future for Labour? In Kent the unremitting whittling away of Labour support has been going on for several years and in Maidstone has led to the elimination of Labour Councillors entirely, (and Swanley has elected the first BNP Councillor south of the Thames). If the pattern of voting shown clearly by the figures now available is repeated in 2010, Labour cannot expect re-election, although some hope otherwise as evidenced by the Labour Housing Group (LHG) Newsletter which outlines a scheme by Kerry Pollard and Graham Martin, called the 'New Saver' Policy, for threatened mortgagors, and they say remarkably : " it would have a positive impact upon our Government's standing - this could win the next election for Labour". (NB The President of LHG is a former Housing Minister, Nick Raynsford MP).

That comment by the LHG does at least confirm the argument made here that Housing is more than a critical Policy.. - it could be a decisive one. Can the forthcoming Labour Conference Programme put in place the minimum policies aimed directly at this main problem? Housing Policy with all the social, economic and moral problems which it encompasses must be redirected to give hope to millions of Labour's core voters. Will our Delegates advocate such policies and "win the next election for Labour"...and meanwhile will our CLP continue to make representations to Government to that end?

Sincerely, Leslie Turner, (about half a century associated with Maidstone Labour)

PS : Figures and statistics are gathered/calculated from these sources:-- The Office of the European Parliament, Government statistics, Kent County Council for Kent elections and Kent Research and Intelligence office, the LHG, and Shelter, and The Guardian A breakdown of the total figures for voting by parties in the KCC elections is awaited from KCC research.

B-B-Q

2009-08-03T21:46:00.004+01:00

In Put - Margaret Rose

Big THANK YOU to Morel and Karin for a great evening on 31st July at their annual B-B-Q.

We had a very pleasant time meeting and chatting with friends and the food was brilliant!

Thanks Morel and Karin for your hard work and wonderful generosity.

(Sorry no photos - I forgot my camera :-( !

Housing Letter

2009-08-03T21:20:00.006+01:00

Input by Margaret Rose

This blog is in regard to an item Leslie Turner feels is of interest and has asked to be posted.

Mortgage Rescue
LHG Supports Homesaver Proposal
by Kerry Pollard

Current Government Mortgage Rescue schemes, welcome though they are, only cover a small proportion of the expected repossessions forecast during this year. The gap between rescue provision and expected need is around 60,000. In addition it is forecast that there will be up to 500,000 borrowers with mortgage arrears of up to three months - potential repossessions.
It is vital that Government bring forward an initiative that will bridge this gap.
Saoh a scheme has been-designediiy A group, including Kerry Pollard and Graham Martin, (both LHG executive
members). The scheme is called Home Saver, is not for profit, third sector delivered, includes non secured debt, has no cost to the public purse and brings much needed stability to both the banking and housing sectors as well as keeping many thousands of families in their homes.
The essence of the scheme is that mortgage payments will be topped up to ensure that the lenders receive full payment thus helping them with their balance sheets and cash flow whilst, most importantly, keeping people in their homes. A full 360 degree financial review of each person referred will take place to include secured and unsecured debt and then a payment profile agreed that is affordable with the shortfall being made up by Home

Saver. This process can last up to 7 years during which time stability will have returned and the borrower be in a position to resume his full obligation, or if not can be helped into more suitable accommodation. Each individual will have regular reviews and as individual circumstances improve can exit the scheme at any time.
The scheme is funded by a unique bond swap. As cash flows to lenders are secured via Home Saver there would be an immediate improvement in the value of mortgage bonds, with the lower rated bonds increasing most. It is estimated that £80bn would accrue to lenders bonds, top slicing this by 10% would release £8bn, which would more than fund Home Saver.
So it is the lenders who would pay indirectly for the scheme, at no call at all on the public purse. There would be a healing effect on banks balance sheets, more stability in the housing market, a positive benefit to PSBR and most importantly many thousands of families would not lose their homes.
Home Saver would virtually eliminate all mortgage repossessions.
Home Saver would have a positive impact on our Governments standing - this could win the next election for Labour.

Beaten but not Broken

2009-06-08T10:00:00.002+01:00

Input

Input by Margaret Rose
If the 1997 song for the election was 'Things can only get better' then the song for the 2009 KCC & Euro Elections must be 'Wipe out' - by the Beach Boys.

However The Labour Party goes on to continue our fight for justice, equality and a fair chance for all not just the privileged few. We can be proud of our KCC candidates - Marianna Poliszczuk (568 votes), Bruce Heald (603 votes) and Richard Coates (341 votes) who stood against the tidal wave of protest votes - beaten but not broken!!

The photo was taken at the Euro Count where our candidates were (cheerfully?!) supported by Patrick Coates and Margaret Rose from Maidstone and the Weald CLP.

Wage Concern Lobby

2009-05-31T22:59:00.000+01:00

Input Margaret Rose - Photos from Wage Concern Lobby Event in Jubilee Room Westminster Hall 15th May. (Now I now how to input on the blog there is no stopping me!)

Street Stall Photos 30th May

2009-05-31T22:48:00.000+01:00

Input Margaret Rose - Selection of photos from our Street Stall Event 30th May

Lobby of Maidstone's M P update.

2009-05-31T20:30:00.002+01:00

Input by Margaret Rose 31st May - I have now received an answer from Ann Widdecombe in response to my Lobbying on 15th May in regard to Minimum Wage - Our petition will now be sent to her asking that she represents our request to support the Minimum Wage on its next scheduled reading on 12th June.

Meeting with Euro Candidates in Gillingham

2009-05-31T20:06:00.004+01:00

Input from Margaret Rose - Sunday 31st May - Marianna (KCC Central Maidstone Candidate), Rav (PPC) and Margaret (High Street Branch) went over to M P Paul Clark's constituency in Gillingham and Rainham to add their support to Peter Skinner and Bob Fromant before the Euro elections on 4th June. (Photo to follow - having a bit of technical difficulty)

PPC Rav Seeruthun meets the public

2009-05-30T15:40:00.004+01:00

Rav during our Street Stall event.

street stall

2009-05-30T15:24:00.006+01:00

Brilliant day thanks to all who supported and signed our petition.

Our petition was in support of the Minimum Wage Bill which the Conservatives would like to abolish. We had a great day with over 150 signatures on our petition. We were also able to hand out copies of 'The Rose' which has coverage of the elections in this issue.

TEN YEARS OF THE MINIMUM WAGE

2009-05-13T16:37:00.004+01:00

FOR THE LEAST WELL OFF AND THE WORST PAID THIS WAS A DREAM COME TRUE.
ONLY THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT COULD HAVE DONE THIS.
THIS IS TO BE PUT IN JEOPARDY BY THE CONSERVATIVES.
DONT LET IT HAPPEN. VOTE LABOUR. RC.

EQUALITY

2009-04-30T07:10:00.002+01:00

From: Harriet Harman
Subject: Your party's commitment to equality
To:
Date: Monday, 27 April, 2009, 6:49 PM

If you can't see this email correctly, please click here

I’m writing to let you know about the Equality Bill which we have published today. We promised in our 2005 Manifesto that we would have an Equality Bill. So this is keeping an election promise.

The Bill – which will be debated in Parliament next month – has 5 main points. It will:

* introduce a groundbreaking new law to help narrow the gap between rich and poor;
* shine a light on the hidden pay unfairness against women at work;
* end the last lawful discrimination which is against older people;
* allow employers – if they want to – to make their workforce more diverse by choosing for example a woman or black person who was equally suitable for the job; and
* require public authorities – like councils – to use their purchasing power to drive equality when buying goods and services fr om the private sector.

It was Labour governments that introduced the Race Relations Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, new legal rights for disabled people and changed the law to allow gay and lesbian “civil partnerships”. Labour governments always stand up for equality. When the Tories were in government they did nothing to press forward on equality – instead they brought in the notorious homophobic “clause 28”.

The new Equality Bill will provide a strong legal framework. It will become law – after being debated by Parliament – in about autumn 2010. But to put flesh on the bones and to make these new measures work in practice we need a Labour government. This is an important law and it’s another good reason to keep Labour in government.

Many party members, trade unionists and others have campaigned for all the things that are in the Bill. I hope that you will feel proud of it.

Best wishes,

Harriet

P.S. Please forward this email on to 5 of your friends who care about fighting inequality. You can find more information about the Equality Bill at www.equalities.gov.uk

county council candidates for MAIDSTONE CENTRAL

2009-04-28T17:15:00.006+01:00

Your Kent County Council Candidates
Bruce Heald
Bruce was born in Derbyshire in 1965, educated at the Lees Brook School in Derby and
gained an honours degree in Chemistry at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University.
He became an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants in 1992. He has worked as a Financial Controller for Zahid Tractor, a
company dealing with heavy equipment, principally Caterpillar, in the Middle East.
Bruce has been an active member of the Labour Party for many years and lives in the
ward. He is the current Treasurer of Maidstone & The Weald Labour Party and has
been the Chairman of Fant & Bridge Labour Party for many years before he left to work
in the Middle East. Bruce is also the Treasurer of Fant & Bridge LP.
His hobbies are reading, travelling and sport, especially football and rugby.
If elected, Bruce will be an excellent representative for Maidstone Central.

Marianna Poliszczuk

Marianna lives in the Ward and has a grown up family. She is a local campaigner and fully involved in the community. She takes particular pride in her work as a local church youth leader and as a volunteer with offender families and the homeless. She has an abiding interest in the welfare of young people through her involvement on the Canterbury Trustee Board of the Mothers’ Union. She is chair of Labour West Branch and keen supporter of Fair Trade. She lives and works in Allington and runs her own educational support computer business and is promoter for Maidstone Jazz Weekend.

She says about Local Labour – “We want every resident to have an affordable home, good roads and pavements, better recycling, safe streets and excellent education for our children”.

see the MAIDSTONE LABOUR TEAM www.kentlabourgroup.org.uk

YOUR VOICE YOUR VOTE LABOUR

2009-04-25T13:13:00.009+01:00

If the Conservatives can’t deliver decent services, why would you want more of them on the County Council?

Vote labour candidates to represent MAIDSTONE
YOUR VOICE - YOUR VOTE on 4th June 2009
we will have local candidates standing
MAIDSTONE CENTRAL, SOUTH, SOUTH EAST, NORTH EAST.
MAIDSTONE RURAL SOUTH, RURAL EAST, RURAL NORTH.

visit: kentlabour.org.uk

minimum wage only BY A LABOUR GOVERNMENT

2009-04-25T12:48:00.004+01:00

Fat Cats

2009-03-26T10:43:00.002Z

The details of the salaries for Conservative led Kent County Council top officers will be published on 1st April. Can they ever justify the paying of bonuses and salaries over £100,000 for jobs in the public sector and someone earning more than a Prime Minister? Don't vote for more of the same!
You know the value of your money. Stop Tory waste! Exercise your vote and encourage others to VOTE LABOUR CANDIDATES ON 4TH JUNE 2009.

UNBLOCKING HOUSE BUILDING

2009-03-20T11:30:00.008Z

MINUS. LOWEST NUMBER OF HOUSE STARTS SINCE THE 1920'S.

LOW INCOMES. LONG WAITING LISTS.

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION.

PLUS. AFFORDABLE SOCIAL HOMES-TO -RENT.

COUNCIL WILL TO ACT.

BUILDING FOR JOBS. rc

GONE BANANAS!

2009-03-15T15:59:00.005Z

West Branch Vice-Chair Richard Coates enjoying the fruits of success. Maidstone and the Weald Labour group members worked over two years to attain Fair Trade status for Maidstone.

FAIRTRADE SMASHES RECORD -

380 000 BANANA'S EATEN IN ONE DAY.

SPENDING YOUR MONEY

2009-03-15T15:47:00.007Z

KENT CONSERVATIVES say your Government money goes up north.

They're right.

Thanks to them, £ 50 million, went all the way to ICELAND!

BLUE ISN'T THE NEW GREEN

2009-03-15T15:21:00.009Z

THE CONSERVATIVES HAVE A TREE AS A LOGO.
BUT ARE THEY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
THE WYE A.O.N.B. COLLEGE EXPANSION SCHEME WAS OPPOSED BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE.
THE WROTHAM SUPER DEPOT ON ANOTHER A.N.O.B.
OPERATION STACK LORRY PARK TO CONCRETE OVER GREEN FIELDS.
ALSO WASTING MONEY ON A TV STATION, TURNER CONTEMPORARY PROJECT.
KENT HEALTH WATCH, DODGY INVESTMENTS OFFSHORE, LIBRARY CUTS.
POT HOLES IN EVERY STREET.
HAD ENOUGH VOTE RED 4TH JUNE. rc

Kent Labour Party Manifesto

2009-02-19T15:49:00.005Z

The Kent Labour Party manifesto will be published on Monday 23rd March 2009. This document has the goals we share for a fairer, better society under a Labour County Council. And to Stop the Tory waste.
Learn more by reading the blog of the Leader of the Labour Group of Councillors in Kent.
Vote for Labour Party candidates on Thursday 4th June 2009 - date of County Council and EUROPEAN elections.

MAIDSTONE FAIRTRADE BOROUGH STATUS

2009-02-12T17:01:00.006Z

TODAY MAIDSTONE IS A FAIRTRADE BOROUGH.

Everyone is a winner today.
The customer gets a better product.
The shopkeeper sells more.
The producer gets a better price.
The third world have a better standard of living.

NEW FOUNDATIONS

2009-01-30T20:56:00.005Z

NEW FOUNDATIONS By David Rodgers.

Read the new document by the Co-operative Party on affordable housing, forward by Rt Hon
Margaret Becket, Housing Minister .
rc

Facebook group - I Like Gordon Brown

2009-01-30T08:34:00.007Z

YES WE CAN NOW

2009-01-20T20:36:00.006Z

YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
JOIN.
VOTE.
HAVE YOUR SAY.

rc

PLANE CRAZY

2009-01-18T20:53:00.003Z

Today on the Andrew Marr Show Boris was interviewed about the Third Runway at Heathrow.
He said that this would never happen. The alternatives he suggested were Gatwick, Stansted,
Manston and the Thames Estuary, he clarified this by saying but not to near land !
He gave the name of a chap who designed Hong Kong Airport who might be able to help?
Any more choices? Iceland, Cannes, Norfolk Virginia............. over to you .
rc

YES. I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

2009-01-11T18:24:00.006Z

You can. Make a difference and join the Labour Party today.Call 08705 900 200

Labour is working to ensure Britain remains prosperous and secure for the many not the few.

Help us make a difference.

Join Labour Today.
rc

CLIMATE CHANGE BACKGROUND

2008-11-20T17:09:00.010Z

EARLY IN 2007 THE UNITED NATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE FOURTH ASSESSMENT REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE SCALE OF SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS THAT NOW EXISTS AROUND MANKIND'S INFLUENCE ON THE CLIMATE.
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDED;

The atmospheric concentration of Co2 in 2005 , 380ppm exceeds by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years, 180 to 300 ppm, as determined fron ice cores;

warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level.

continued greenhouse gas emissions at, or above, current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st century, scenarios for temperature inreases this century range from 1.8c to 6.4 c.

Following this, road map to a global deal on greenhouse gas emissions was agreed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, with a view to it being finalised by the end of 2009.
RC

CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-11-20T15:25:00.005Z

STAY COOL.......WE'RE TURNING UP THE HEAT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE PLANET IS GETTING WARMER. BARELY A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT REPORTS OF STRANGE WEATHER PATTERNS: DROUGHTS, STORMS AND VIOLENT FLOODS OR HURRICANES. EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE PREDICTED TO BECOME EVEN MORE FREQUENT IN THE FUTURE. RC.

KEEP ON ROCKING IN THE FREE WORLD

2008-11-09T13:33:00.004Z

Two local Labour prospective Parliamentary candidates who were in America helping Barack Obama’s campaign have arrived back in the UK, hailing his ‘inspirational’ election victory.
Chris Clark, Labour’s Parliamentary Spokesman for Ashford, and Dr Rav Seeruthun, Labour’s Parliamentary Spokesman for Maidstone and the Weald, arrived in the US two weeks before the election and were based in the key swing state of Florida.

Chris and Rav took part in the Florida Democratic Party’s efforts to ‘get out the vote’, knocking on doors and speaking with voters in the Tampa area.

The parliamentary candidates were guests of the Hillsborough Democratic Party and Susan Smith (centre of the picture attached).

They also met with one of the many lawyers working for the Democrats in Florida. They were astounded about how complicated the ballot was, in total it was over four sides of A4 paper. The received a really positive response from the American public. They were really interested in how an Obama win will have a positive effect on the world. Their main challenge was not to get caught up in long conversations and to get on with the job of winning votes!

Chris said:

‘This has been an amazing experience. I’ve worked on lots of election campaigns in the UK but this was something else, an inspirational, defining moment, and it’s been an honour and a privilege to be involved. Knocking on doors in Florida, I sensed real excitement, a feeling that people are desperate for change. And being at the reception in Tampa on Tuesday night with hundreds of volunteers, who’ve all worked so hard, was special.’

‘The hopes of people around the world are invested in Barack Obama following this historic victory. From day one, he will have to take important and difficult decisions on the economy, on energy, on the environment and on foreign affairs. If there’s anyone who can meet that challenge and deliver the change we need, it’s Barack Obama.’

Rav said:

‘This is an event led by my generation doing something incredibly positive and I feel really proud of that. It’s been an absolute privilege to be part of history helping Barack Obama become the first black President of the United States. We have been doing everything we could to help this happen: we have knocked on doors in 90 degree heat, telephoned hundreds of voters and stood outside polling stations in the two hour queues for early voting encouraging people to support change.

We were lucky enough to see Obama and Bill Clinton speak together in Orlando. It was amazing to see the make up of the crowd, all ages, all races, all chanting ‘yes we can’. Obama is an inspirational figure and the right man for the America and the world. I remember doing speeches about Martin Luther King at school, and never thought that in my lifetime this would happen.

When we were out door knocking it was difficult to see that number of houses that had been foreclosed because of the credit crunch. Obama now has to prove himself and his first one hundred days will be key to this, he now has to ask what’s next?’

During the trip, Chris and Rav recorded their experiences on the campaign trail in an online weblog – it's online now at chrisandravinamerica.blogspot.com.

PRESIDENT ELECTED.

2008-11-05T21:12:00.002Z

OBAMA WINS YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

POSTED BY PATRICK COATES

The Times They Are A Changin'

2008-11-02T11:25:00.003Z

Hi guys from the US campaigning for Obama. Please check out our blog http://www.chrisandravinamerica.blogspot.com/
SORRY guys blog is down - Republican plot....??!!

extracted from full blog: -
"Campaigning for the Democrats in Florida has been both a privilege and an eye-opener. It feels as if history is about to be made and the most common comment we hear is it's time to take our country back!

...what I have realised (is) that whatever country you are in, everyone has more in common than the differences that people often concentrate on."

blog extract chris and rav in america 26/10/2008

2008-11-02T11:18:00.003Z

Last night we attended the 'Get Out The Vote Rally' in a barn in Riverview. This was a really special occasion, with local candidates in attendance. There are lots of local elections being run in parallel with the Presidential election, and all the races are on the same ballot paper (more on this in a future blog entry). Each stood up and spoke in turn, delivering passionate speeches about why they're running for office. There was loads of food and drink for free, and campaign merchandise (t-shirts, yard signs, etc) on sale. It was a real community affair, and everyone was very friendly. We ought to hold more events like this in Britain.

The picture above shows Rav and myself with Susan Smith, our host, who's been a great help in organising every aspect of our trip from recommending hotels, airlines and car hire companies, to giving us information on the where we need to go and what we need to do. Behind us (and much taller than us!) is fellow British Labour party member, Harry, who's also out here to help with the campaign.

Today we went out canvassing again. Leaving aside the issue of whether I'm a bad map reader or the American road system is difficult to understand (I think the answer's both), we had another good day. It wasn't so hot but there were still loads of lizards around, and they scuttle across the paths as you walk along. Enough travelogue, back to politics: there are lots of Obama-Biden signs out, and quite a few McCain-Palin signs too. We've met some people who are voting for McCain, but not many. Generally, those that are breaking for McCain are very polite. One said to me today (in response to the question, 'Will you be supporting Senator Obama?'): 'I'm the diametric opposite of Senator Obama, but I appreciate what you're doing, and thank you.' At the other end of the scale was a couple I spoke to, who quoted some wild attacks on Obama they'd pick up from who-knows-where - according to them, he's a secret Muslim (as if - besides the fact that Obama is a practising Christian - being a Muslim would mean he couldn't be a good President), and he's also the fulfilment of a Nostradamus prophecy. We bid them good day and continued on our way.

On the same estate where the gentleman I mentioned above was so polite, we saw the car pictured above, plastered with McCain-Palin stickers and innovatively featuring the Republicans' attack lines on the rear windscreen. (I have pixellated the vehicle's license plate to protect the owner's identity.) As we were coming to the end of our work on the estate, one resident of the estate stopped his vehicle to ask what we were doing. When we told him, he said there was a 'no soliciting' sign at the gate, and we shouldn't be there. He then aggressively told us to leave and threatened to call the police. (Those weren't the exact words he used - they aren't suitable for publication on this blog!) We acted in accordance with his wishes and left the estate, as we still had work to do elsewhere. Subsequently, though, we've found that 'soliciting' means random calls - like door-to-door sales - and does not cover targeted approaches to registered supporters, which is what we were undertaking. So like the Terminator - we'll be back.

So, that's today in summary. We'll be out early tomorrow - not sure what we're doing yet, but we're due at Doug and Roz's for 9am. Later in the day there's a rally in New Port Richey (north of here) to promote early voting. Senator Joe Biden, Barack Obama's running-mate and hopefully the next Vice President of the United States, will be speaking, as will local community organisers. We're planning to go along - for both of us, it'll be our first time at a large scale political rally in the US, so we're rather excited. We'll post our observations tomorrow when we get back from the rally.

xmas fundraiser meal menu sunday 14th december 2008

2008-10-27T11:41:00.004Z

SOCIAL AND FUNDRAISER
@£15 per diner - CLP General Election campaign fund per Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Dr Rav Seeruthun

To register your interest please e-mail Patrick Coates at patrickcoates.908@btinternet.com as early as possible. Hopefully, we are able to get an interesting speaker.

Subject: kalaRED bar restaurant - Christmas Menu for Sunday 14th December
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 From: michael@kalared.com
Menu CHOICES BELOW as discussed.

kalaRED bar restaurant

2008

Christmas Menu

Meal C – China

Starter Beijing hors d’oeuvres

sesame prawn toast, crispy seaweed, kalaRED chicken balls, satay chicken skewer & spring rolls

main course Sweet & sour turkey with mango

main course Blackbean beef

main course Stir fried mixed greens

main course Egg fried rice

dessert Xmas Dessert & Fortune cookies

Conference Delegate 2008

2008-10-19T16:21:00.002+01:00

Marianna Poliszczuk says:

It is important that our CLP has a vote at Conference.

I have struggled back with a mountain of literature from the fringe events that I attended.

Local Labour hopefuls head to America to help Obama

2008-10-19T15:49:00.002+01:00

Two local Parliamentary candidates are heading to the USA this week to help Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama's campaign in the US Presidential elections and will be blogging as they go.

Chris Clark, 28, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesman for Ashford, and Rav Seeruthun, 35, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesman for Maidstone, will be spending time in the crucial swing state of Florida.

Chris said: 'This is an important election because it will set the direction of world policy on major issues like the economy and climate change. Barack Obama has promised change for America, and for the world. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to go and be a part of that.'

Rav added: 'This is already a historic election with the selection of the first black Presidential candidate. I think after Bush, America needs to change, and Obama is the man to do this and that’s why I’m going to help.'

Chris and Rav will be writing about their experiences on the campaign trail in an online weblog – it's online now at chrisandravinamerica.blogspot.com.

Commission Comments.

2008-10-17T16:30:00.005+01:00

All around the world people are using co-operative principle to create affordable homes in thriving communites and I'm delighted to be part of this new commission that will both explore the reasons behind this international success story and find ways of expanding its reach in the UK - Sarah Webb. Chief Executive Chartered Institute of Housing.

We needto explore new ways to create the safe, sustainable and friendly neighbourhoods where people want to live and fulfil their true potential. We need to explore how we can mainstream the excellent work of existing housing co-operatives and mutual housing solutions to shape the housing of tomorrow. The Commission has a vital role to play in that (Caroline Flint. Minister for Housing).

Housing co-operatives have the potential to play a key role in creating successful and sustainable places which are informed and conditioned by the views of those who live there.
This kind of community ownership has been very succesful in many European and other countries.The Commission has a critical role to play in identifying any barriers to their further development here and helping to remove those barriers (David Orr. Chief Executive National Housing Federation.)

COMMISSION ON CO-OPERATIVE & MUTUAL HOUSING

2008-10-17T16:00:00.003+01:00

WHY A COMMISSION........to develop an uptodate picture of the co-operative housing sector in the UK and its historic achievements, successes and lessons to be learnt for future development.
to under take an analysis of the environment in which the sector operates by exploring the role of housing and related co-operatives within the wider mutual arena and in relation to changes in the third sector generally.
to undertake a series of case studies of existing housing co-operatives to illuminate current and future issues and potential ways / models to expand the sector over the next decade.

An opportunity for Development.
Sustainable Communities & Participation.
Devolution and participative local governance.
An imroved housing offer.
Neighbourhood management.
Social enterprise and local economic development.

Affordablehousing, Asset-building and Community Ownership.
Complex housing need and new solutions.
Community ownership of assets.
Individual asset Ownership.

Authors.
Rob Rowlands. Senior lecturer. Centre for urban & regional studies. Univ of Birmingham
Chris Handy. Cheif exec. Accord Housing Group.
Nic Bliss.Confederation of Co-operative Housing..
Kevin Gulliver.R&D Human City Institute.

Working Papers available. Rob Rowlands. CURS www.bham.ac.uk/curs.

SELECTION

2008-10-15T23:39:00.003+01:00

SELECTION FALLS SHORT. ABOLISH THE 11+ .
IT IS ABHORRENT THAT KENT CLINGS ON TO THE EDUCATIONAL APARTHEID WHICH UNDERMINDS AND WRITES DOWN THE FUTURE AND SKILLS OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

MEMMORABLE QUOTES

2008-10-15T23:24:00.003+01:00

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE MANCHESTER 2008.

TONY BENN. " THE ONLY SAFE SEAT IS THE ONE I'M SITTING ON.

OVER TO YOU .CAN YOU BETTER THAT?

RECRUIT A FRIEND

2008-10-15T23:03:00.003+01:00

RECRUIT A FREIND TO THE LABOUR PARTY.....LABOUR.ORG.UK/JOIN
LABOUR BELIEVES IN FAIR RULES,FAIR SAY FOR EVERYONE,SO THAT WEALTH,AND OPPORTUNITY ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE MANY, NOT THE FEW.
YOU SHARE OUR VALUES.DO YOUR FRIENDS SHARE OUR VALUES TOO? HELP THE PARTY GROW.PUT US IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE YOU THINK WOULD CONSIDER JOINING US.

kalaRED

2008-10-14T21:18:00.007+01:00

kalaRED Dinner.............SUNDAY 14th December at 4pm for 4.30pm meal £15.00 per person.
All invited to kalaRED 83-84 Bank Street Maidstone ME14 1SD.
This evening is an informal one for all supporters to meet at this bar/restaurant, the cuisine is Chinese, Thai and Malaysian.
Please contact us for tickets, and more details.

From: michael@kalared.com
Subject: kalaRED bar restaurant - Christmas Menu for 14th December
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008

Menu as discussed
Michael
kalaRED

kalaRED bar restaurant

2008

Christmas Menu

Meal C – China

Starter Beijing hors d’oeuvres

sesame prawn toast, crispy seaweed, kalaRED chicken balls, satay chicken skewer & spring rolls

main course Sweet & sour turkey with mango

main course Blackbean beef

main course Stir fried mixed greens

main course Egg fried rice

dessert Xmas Dessert & Fortune cookies

2009 CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE

2008-10-14T20:57:00.003+01:00

CAMPAIGN FOR CHANGE IN MAIDSTONE. THE LABOUR PARTY STANDS FOR CO-OPERATION AND FAIRNESS. THE NEW YEAR WILL BE A NEW START. ALL MEMBERS PLEASE UNITE TO REGAIN THE LABOUR PARTY SEATS LOST AND TO PUT THE PRIDE BACK IN MAIDSTONE.

Morel's Fant Newsletter

2008-03-21T12:52:00.010Z

Election Voting – are you registered? If not please register. Would you like a postal vote in the next Local Elections? If you need help contact Morel via email on moreldsouza@maidstone.gov.uk or call him on 01622 204581.

Fast Traffic Concerns - Survey Returns

Cllr. Morel D’Souza has had an overwhelming response to his campaign started in his previous newsletter to introduce a 20 mph speed limit on Upper Fant Road, Gatland Lane and Farleigh Lane and in fact received responses for this to be extended to other areas.
Residents are concerned with speeding traffic in Fant Ward.

People from across the area have said that something should be done about speeding motorists before someone is seriously injured or killed. Cllr. D’ Souza is still consulting with members of the public in Fant and will report the results in our next newsletter.

Cllr Morel D’Souza continues his transport campaign

Cllr. Morel D’ Souza strongly defended the issue of discretionary travel scheme for disabled people and their carers. At the Full Council, Morel pointed out that the discretionary travel scheme was always locally sponsored by Borough Councils and Maidstone was not an exception. The government is wrongly being blamed for not funding the voucher scheme. In fact, the Labour government has provided over £1 million towards the concessionary fares that is due to become a national scheme in April’08

The Full Council in February ’08 agreed that the Cabinet should consult with other partners and stakeholders with a view to continuing the benefits of the local voucher scheme for disabled people and their carers.

Morel supports Weekly Waste Collection

The Labour Group have supported the continuation of weekly waste collection and recycling scheme. The Group led by Cllr. Morel D’ Souza has asked Maidstone Borough Council to re-visit areas where the second bin is not convenient for some residents to store. The Council have agreed to do this and residents living in areas where this is a problem will be contacted. If you live in an area where you can not store more than one wheeled bin please contact Environmental Services on 01622 602000.

Morel fights for Community Groups Funding

Community Groups like Fant Wild Life, Friends of Clare Park (FoCP), Invicta Rowing Club and other small groups in future will not be receiving the same level of support from local Councillors. Members yearly allocation of £3,000 has been slashed by a third.
Cllr. Morel D’ Souza was not very pleased with the proposed cut and advised the Leader that cutting vital funding from community groups would be a disaster for many who depended on financial help from their local Councillors. Some groups would not survive and important community work would cease.
The Leader of the Council, Cllr. Fran Wilson (Lib Dem) agreed to review the scheme in August ’08.
In the past Cllr. D’ Souza has given funding to Fant Wild Life, FoCP, Invicta Rowing Club and others. All these groups perform a sterling service to their local communities and they will lose out big time if the fund of £3,000 to Local Councillors is not maintained.

Cllr. Morel D’Souza Supporting Local Talent for 2012

At the Budget Strategy Meeting last month (27 Feb ’08) Cllr. D’ Souza successfully argued that the Council support our young people prepare for the 2012 Games by providing a “one off fund” of £50,000 towards “A Fund for Support for the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics”. This money will not have any effect on the Council Tax.
Morel said, “I am so delighted that the Council has agreed to set up this fund for our young and talented sportspeople. It is important in enabling the Council to promote business and other sponsorship from a position of strength. It could provide better training facilities, equipment, better accommodation, coaching support, funding for trips to competitions that otherwise might not be achievable, etc.”

Election Voting – are you registered? If not please register. Would you like a postal vote in the next Local Elections? If you need help contact Morel via email on moreldsouza@maidstone.gov.uk or call him on 01622 204581.

Local Labour Party Candidate Ties the Knot

2008-01-06T22:47:00.000Z

Local Labour Party Candidate Ties the Knot

Dr Rav Seeruthun, the local Labour Party candidate for the next General Election got married on Saturday 7th January to Dr Clare Spencer. They married locally at the Chilston Park Hotel in Lenham.

Rav and Clare met whilst doing their GP training in Ashford in Kent. Rav had also worked for six months as a GP in the Len Valley Surgery in Lenham, and his good friend and local GP Dr Andrew Reed was also present to represent the local medical community.

Also present were Cllr Morel D’Souza, the current Labour group leader and a previous Mayor of Maidstone, and Mark Watts’ the previous Member of the European Parliament for the South-East.

Dr Rav Seeruthun commented “ This has been a wonderful day for Clare and I. We are really pleased that we could find such a lovely venue locally. After our honeymoon we will return to continue the grassroots campaign as we get ready to defend and win Morel D’Souza’ seat for the Local elections in May for Labour.”

Morel Comments on Roseholme Play area – New Equipment

2007-11-15T17:24:00.000Z

The play area has been refurbished with new multi games facilities (MGF) i.e. football, basketball, etc. Once again Morel has campaigned for youth facilities in his previous role as Cabinet Member. Youngsters who use the new facilities have told Cllr. D’ Souza that they are pleased as they do not have to travel too far from home to use the MGF. The pine trees, some of which were dead, have been removed and a low fence will be put in.

Riverside Moorings Objections

2007-11-14T18:02:00.001Z

A petition with more than 450 signatures has been submitted against the proposed marina development from Unicumes Lane to Tovil Wharf Bridge. Morel spoke to scores of residents who strongly objected to the proposal as not good for the environment, the wildlife or people living close by especially in Roseholme and Bower Lane by the riverside area. Introducing a car park in Unicumes Lane would be unacceptable with unnecessary traffic movements into Upper Fant/Hackney Road and the destruction of vegetation would seriously threaten wildlife habitat by the riverside. Maidstone Borough Council, Fant Wildlife Group and many others are against the proposal that has gone to Appeal which is being heard on 16th January 2008. Watch this space for further developments!

Cllr Morel D’Souza calls for resident Speedwatch in Fant

2007-11-14T17:50:00.000Z

Residents are continually complaining about the speed of cars travelling on Farleigh Lane, Gatland Lane and Upper Fant Road. There is constant fear that someone is going to be seriously injured if reduced speed limits are not introduced in these areas.
Cllr. D’ Souza previously was institutional in getting these changes made to Douglas Road in front of St Michael’s School. He says ‘ We should not have to wait until there’s a serious accident before changes are made.’

Morel is campaigning for a 20mph speed limit on Upper Fant Road, Gatland Lane and Farleigh Lane and would like residents to support him. If you would like to join the campaign visit our website www.maidstonelabour.co.uk or e-mail moreldsouza@maidstone.gov.uk

It is scandalous that one in three children live in poverty in the UK

2007-10-26T09:49:00.000+01:00

As part of the debate please find the topic below. Please comment.

It is scandalous that one in three children live in poverty in the UK.
The Government has set a target of halving child poverty by 2010. As a
member of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, Shelter is supporting a
call for the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to prioritise the issue in
his budget. Email Alistair Darling MP

and find out more about Shelter's involvement with End Child Poverty.
http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/index.html

Leslie Turner discusses a way of involving everyone

2007-10-26T09:37:00.000+01:00

In order to use the interregnum between now and the General Election and the intervening local government elections too, as well as to ensure that you are well briefed to enter the final contest in 2009ish it would be desirable that news, opinions, facts specifically about our Constituency are revealed, for use in argument, propaganda, newsletters, manifesto; we have this new medium of being able to communicate with so many of our members, search in the remotest places and seek out those matters which effect the everyday life of and which correspond to the desires of our constituents. We know by extensive experience that few people are likely to, or often able to, attend 'meetings';
although we may wish to gather much information through door knocking and door stepping and much of that will always be good if only to present our face to our constituents; yet we have the means in this medium (web) to ensure that we garner information on which to base our local policies and reinforce the information we may get from the centre of the party.

Once upon a time we had reporting to local party meetings numbers of Trade Union delegates, (and it was the TUs which originally formed the backbone of the Party) alas now not very much in evidence; we had a youth section, and a women's section, alas defunct; there were activities between meetings ....other attractions have superseded them.
Because there is a need to be aware of those aspects of the politic agenda which have local relevance and be able to respond immediately and knowledgeably to critique of the other parties it would be helpful if we could, in an organised fashion, take on the task of being prepared by systematic reporting through e-mail and web in particular. The following is a list of the areas in which we could begin :
1. Public order - crime, justice and human rights. --For instance : Do we know how Maidstone compares with other towns - what is the state of anxiety in the town?

2. Governance - democracy/citizenship -For instance do we have a clear view of the advantages or otherwise of regionalism and all purpose Local Authorities?

3. Livelihoods - economy, business, transport - can we answer the questions on the numbers in employment, the extent of un and under-employment, in-work poverty, bankruptcies. Do we know the take-up/eligibility of free school meals in the local primary school near each of us - and how does it relate for instance to the current Shelter campaign about the one child in four in relative poverty and how is it in Maidstone?

4 Education and Training - there is much talk in the business pages of the KM and local papers of the difficulties in apprentices and training opportunities - do we know how that is affecting business as well as the young people of the Town?

5. Environment - global warming - are we up-to-date on the problems of the local incinerator and its future?

6. Health and social care - we are fortunate in that we have a number of specialists in these fields, but are we using their expertise for forming a policy locally?

7. Housing and Communities - we have a number of members who have been looking at the local scene and of course there are the Labour councillors who can inform us,

8. International matters - do we know how concerned local people are about the Iraq war, for instance? Are we aware of the world-wide hegemony of one state and the international competition for oil and energy products and the role of finance capitalism in this?

9. Migration and immigration - much is made of this subject in the local press - are the local people much concerned and to what extent is it real in our Town?

10. Taxes and public Finance - for instance is there any support locally for the proposals to tax land rather than the present local tax?

If we were to consider how to be best advised, say on a quarterly basis, on such issues as above, bearing in mind that no single individual can encompass the details of it and research all the local effects, we might look at the possibility of sharing the work between all and everyone of the members by asking them directly to take some responsibility for being Reporters (rapporteurs): that would involve actually asking all of them, first of all about their preferences and finally allocating areas of responsibility and times for reporting. It may well be a way of involving everyone ...............

Yrs Les Turner

Labour Parliamentary Candidate Dr Rav Seeruthun Speaks Out About Maidstone Hospital

2007-10-24T17:14:00.000+01:00

“As a local GP, trust in the local hospital for the local community is essential. The events that have occurred since April 2004 have eroded that trust. I send my sincere condolences to those families who have lost relatives due to the events that have occurred.

The hospital is there for one purpose, for the patients. Over the past few years I have seen patients who will not go in to Maidstone Hospital or the Kent and Sussex due to worries about getting an infection. I’ve actually seen some of my patients fearful that they will not leave if they were to be admitted.

These events must never be repeated and building back the trust in the hospital is paramount. The hospitals’ doctors and nurses and staff work incredibly hard, and the management must take a leaf out of their book.

I welcome the resignation today of James Lee, who had been on the board since 2003. All the board members must be accountable for the events that have occurred That includes those that planned the departure of Rose Gibb who also had been on the board since 2003, before the publication of the Healthcare Commission report. I support the fact that her severance package has now rightly been stopped.”

Dr Rav Seeruthun's Speech to the Labour Party Conference 2007

2007-10-23T16:07:00.000+01:00

Labour Parliamentary Candidate is Local GP

2007-10-21T17:46:00.000+01:00

Dr Rav Seeruthun has been selected as the Labour Party Candidate for Maidstone and the Weald for the next General Election.

Dr Rav Seeruthun is well known in the local community given his work as a General Practitioner and has lived in Maidstone for nearly ten years. He initially did his house jobs at Maidstone Hospital, and has also worked as a Casualty Officer in the Maidstone A+E department that is now under threat.

He says “We are not against change but these need to be made in the best interests of the patients. Having worked there and seen how busy the department is, it currently is madness to say that by downgrading the department lives will not be put at risk given the dreadful road links to Tunbridge Wells.”

As a GP he has worked in a number of local Practices including College Road, Holland Road, Lenham and Shepway.

He has also worked in the Kent and Sussex Hospital, Pembury Hospital and the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Dr Rav also plays for Maidstone Hockey Club and has done so for the last seven years and has captained one of the youth development teams, he further comments “Maidstone Hockey Club is a great example of how a sports club can make a community come together and helps bring together a wide mixture of people from different backgrounds.”

He also delivered a well-received speech at last weeks Labour Party Conference and he received a resounding round of applause as he announced that he was the first Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Maidstone and the Weald from an ethnic background.

The price of house mania

2007-10-21T17:26:00.000+01:00

Leslie Turner from West Branch has pointed us in the direction of this article from the Guardian

By pandering to those who own their homes, politicians fuel a very damaging dependence

Adam Sampson
Friday October 12, 2007
The Guardian

Elections, even phoney ones, tempt politicians back on to safe turf. The past few days have signalled that the traditional electoral signifiers - crime, health, education - have been joined by another: home ownership. With homeowners in 70% of households, there is an inbuilt majority in favour of measures to protect their status. The political strength of pandering to this pressure group by promising cuts to tax on housing wealth - stamp duty, inheritance tax and capital gains tax - has been great enough to turn the polls, delay an election and force last-minute changes to Labour's pre-budget report.Worship at the altar of home ownership is clearly good politics, but is it good policy? There are reasons to believe so. Surveys show that 84% of people want to own a home in the next 10 years. Ownership creates stability, improves behaviour. It is lauded as a solution to declining neighbourhoods and estates - entice homeowners and you create a critical mass with an interest in investing in a community's future.
But is the consensus in favour of ownership right? Ownership is not an unmixed blessing: many poorer owners find themselves with an asset but no income to maintain it, and the cost of getting into the market is spiralling.

Nor is it necessarily in society's interests to encourage ownership: a Bank of England adviser pointed out that countries with higher levels of ownership tend to have higher rates of unemployment because of the adverse impact of ownership on labour mobility. It is also worth questioning what impact the stampede of capital into bricks and mortar has on the wider economy: with British mortgage debt already more than £1 trillion, is it wise to encourage more borrowing to invest in something as economically unproductive as houses?

The truth is that the virtues of - and desire for - ownership have been oversold. We have confused the advantages that come from home ownership with the desire for wealth acquisition. People want to buy because they see it as the quickest and surest way to get rich: wealth acquisition is far more commonly cited in surveys of aspirant owners than security or status. Given three decades of vertiginous house-price inflation, that is no surprise. Housing has been a far safer investment bet for many than pensions or the stock market.

But politicians may be taking too short-term a view. Things may look different to voters if prices go down, and the creaking in the mortgage market signalled by the Northern Rock fiasco swells into a fullblown repossessions crisis. The rush to ownership has, moreover, artificially inflated house prices, fuelled by cheap borrowing, and created massive divides: housing now accounts for more of the nation's wealth than anything else, and that wealth is increasingly in the hands of older people, with under-35s locked out unless their parents recycle some of their own housing wealth. The UK economy is dangerously dependent on housing: the decade of growth has arguably been sustained by the feelgood factor created by rising housing wealth. No one can look at the impact on the US economy of the housing crash without worrying how a similar downturn would play out here.

It is time to reassess the push for ownership. The recent recognition by Labour that house-price inflation has largely been caused by undersupply is very welcome, as is its commitment to increased housebuilding. But we should also think about taking the heat out of the housing market by weakening the link between ownership and wealth acquisition. However, the inheritance tax challenge laid down by George Osborne and picked up by Alistair Darling will only strengthen that link. When one adds the - apparently inadvertent - effect of the reduction of the capital gains tax rate on second-home ownership and buy-to-let, you have fuel for a sharp increase in demand.

What we have is a classic disjunction between two policies, housing and taxation. Promoting affordable housing means making it more difficult to gain wealth by investment in home ownership. It means increasing taxation on the increase in the capital value of homes, not reducing it. It means reviewing the council tax system or examining the possibility of a land tax. It means using inheritance tax to reduce the growing wealth divide.

And this goes far beyond mere policy. Home ownership is driving a return to wealth disparities that we have not seen since the Victorian era. Whereas the space that rich people occupy is increasing, the poor are living more cramped lives. And the rise in house prices is reducing social and geographical mobility, with people far less able to move from the north to the south or from poorer areas to richer ones.

Resisting pressure from any interest group as powerful as homeowners is difficult for governments in normal times. In the febrile political atmosphere of the past few weeks, it has proved impossible. It is vital that the government now uses the 18 months or so before election fever strikes again to take a more sober, considered look at how taxation can achieve the long-term aim of creating a more equal and successful (and decently housed) society

BETTER TRANSPORT NEEDS MORE LOCAL CONTROL

2007-08-24T15:03:00.000+01:00

BETTER TRANSPORT NEEDS MORE LOCAL CONTROL

Further to our recent poll Leslie Turner given transport is at the top of the agenda has sent in this very good press release.

*Councils need more local powers to deliver quality public transport*,
says the South East England Regional Assembly's Planning Committee

.

Responding this week to the Government's Draft Local Transport Bill, the
committee argues that the Bill must be strengthened to address councils'
two key problems - long term funding and quality control. Councils need
greater power and flexibility in managing bus services eg specifying
services, fares and frequency. They should also be able to enter long
term contracts with bus companies.

The committee supports the creation of Passenger Transport Authorities
(PTA), which devolve decision-making to the local level but it doesn't
want PTAs limited to existing council boundaries. Current proposals
would prevent for example the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire from
creating a PTA. The committee also wants the Assembly to be consulted on
any proposals for a PTA in the South East and wants clarification on PTA
funding.

Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly's planning
committee, Cllr Moira Gibson, said:

“To improve public transport in the South East Government must give
councils more power over bus services and bigger long term budgets.
Each transport authority must be able to tailor services to local
needs but still ensure value for money.

“Improved bus services will also encourage more sustainable use of
transport reducing carbon emissions, which is a key objective of the
Assembly's South East Plan

- a
20-year planning vision,” added Cllr Gibson.

And finally the results of our poll...

2007-08-22T10:05:00.000+01:00

Here are the results of our poll, thank you everyone that participated and I can confidentantly see it is the largest amount of feedback we have had. Further to this we will be acting upon this and our campaign group will now be looking at transport as the next issue. Thanks.

Health (23) 23%

Transport (38) 37%

Crime (9) 9%

Environment (19) 19%

Education (13) 13%

Total Votes: 102

Leslie's letter to the Editor - the West Branch campaign

2007-08-22T10:01:00.000+01:00

Dear Editor,

Thank you Liz Davies for the brief study of the housing crisis on August
21 - may I try to comment too but in around 300 words?.

Yes, some tenants have been reluctant to switch from Council to RSLs
but that has not in any way hindered the onward thrust of Government
policy in this regard and the Green Paper of July 2007 does not set out
any significant change; the financial arrangements for those
diminishing numbers of Councils that remain as landlords will do much
to influence the decision they take to transfer and Government may chose
to continue just to wait and concentrate mainly on those who do agree.
There are however, in my view, two really outstanding aspects to the
Crisis : firstly the elevated price of private houses (70% of the
population inhabit those), and : the shortage of houses to rent
(including social houses, and 1.6 million await those.). Some other
problems such as rough sleepers and non-decent council houses, have
diminished in the last 10 years.

In respect of the monstrous price-escalation, the government failure to
take any steps to limit it, fiscal or otherwise, (but allows the Market
interest rates to exacerbate it) is a great crime, the effects of that,
with increasing interest and other charges, will remain with our
children for a generation. Already the numbers of repossessions
increase and the untold misery of trying to keep up high payments, as a
proportion of household expenditure, will take its toll in great
discomfort and privation for many years and adversely affect trade and
prosperity. Failure to build sufficiently for 30 years is now said by
this Government as a major cause of the present crisis. It is
reprehensible of the Government to tolerate the presence of vast numbers
on waiting lists (many in dire need by reason of overcrowding) and the
virtual absence of new lets, together with insufficient social housing
to rent and no rent control at a time of rental pressure, (for the
average let alone the minimum waged). Government seems to be unable to
understand what a crucial difference it would make to prices if the
240,000 p.a. new builds contemplated in the Green Paper (which hardly
equals projected new household growth) was nearer to the 420,000
actually achieved by a previous government which resulted in some
stability. The numbers of houses to be built up to 2020 now quoted in
the Green Paper while formidable in the millions is still insufficient
to break the back of the Crisis and the immediate proposal for 45-50,000
p.a. social homes will take over 30 years to clear the backlog alone.
Lets have a Fifth Option : at least 400,000 new houses p.a., with half
social homes, as built in 1967/8 during a Labour Government!

Sincerely, Leslie Turner,

A message from Leslie Turner - HOMES FOR THE FUTURE

2007-08-06T12:20:00.000+01:00

As the CLP and others have been interested for some years in the
Housing Question may I suggest that the following notice be published on
the CLP Web site pointing out that there is now ample opportunity to
respond in an organised way to the Green Paper on Housing published on
23 July as the period for consultation goes on until 15 Oct. It is
possible to read the Paper on the Web and to get a free hard copy which
is a blessing as it is 121 pages long.
As the Paper includes most of the matters about which we have been
campaigning the CLP should perhaps make an opportunity to discuss it by
the medium of the e-mail and for those able to attend perhaps too a
meeting devoted to it. The Question also arises too as to whether to
respond to the recent appeals from the Fourth Option Housing Campaign to
submit yet another resolution to the annual Conference and if so in what
format and content.
Yrs Les T

HOMES FOR THE FUTURE

Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, has announced the
launch of the Government's Housing Green Paper -* *Homes for the future:
more affordable, more sustainable
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511890

The Paper sets out our plans for three million new homes by 2020. Our
plans include:

* *More homes* -- backed by more ambitious building targets,
increased investment, and new ways of identifying and using land
for development
* *More social housing* -- ensuring that a decent home at an
affordable price is for the many, not the few
* *Building homes more quickly* -- by unblocking the planning system
and releasing land for development
* *More affordable homes* -- by increasing the options for low cost
home ownership and more long term and affordable mortgage products
and
* *Greener homes* -- with high environmental standards and flagship
developments leading the way.

Supporting documents that have been published alongside /Homes for the
future/:

* Eco-towns prospectus
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511894 -- setting
out a vision and specification for local authorities and
developers, including an invitation to propose at least five new
eco-towns
* Building a Greener Future: policy statement
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511895-- our
strategy and timetable for achieving zero-carbon homes by 2016
* Building Regulations - Energy Efficiency Requirements for New
Dwellings, a forward look at what the standards may be in 2010 and
2013 www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511884
* Water Efficiency in New Buildings
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511887 -- our joint
policy statement with DEFRA
* The future of the Code for Sustainable Homes
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511885 --
Making a rating mandatory
* Strategic Land Availability Assessment: Practice Guidance
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511886 -- to provide
local planning authorities with advice on identifying land for
housing and assessing deliverability; and
* Impact Assessment for Homes for the future
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511920
* Regulatory Impact Assessment for Building a Greener Future
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1511899
In addition
* Implementing Planning Performance Agreements

www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/docdownload.aspx?doc=PPA%20Guidance.pdf&pid=52DB9140EE54C7797FC91B4A65E56A6

preliminary advice that accompanies the Department's current
consultation on Planning Performance Agreements: a new way to
manage large scale planning applications.
has been published on the English Partnerships website.

Leslie Turner's Letter to the KM.

2007-07-24T21:31:00.000+01:00

As part of the West Branchs continuing campaign on housing Leslie Turner sent the following letter to the KM:

Paul Francis (July 20th KM) comments on the proposal by Government for 3
million houses, with a share to be built in Kent, over the next 13
years, and alludes to fears of urban sprawl; in my opinion the first
consideration is that those houses are sorely needed, and above all
social houses to-rent are the greatest shortage. Previous governments
have had very much larger programmes, half as big again, and today not
only shortage driven high prices but also backlog and waiting lists make
such a programme imperative, particularly for young families and for
those on the average wage let alone the minimum wage, even with state
help. And its not just a political argument, between competing
politicians eager to be most forward-looking in providing essential
infrastructure, for, with skilled land planning as to numbers and
locations in the new Local Development Framework, with the experienced
and innovative architecture and building techniques now available, with
skilled landscape and tree-planting, our specialist firms and local
government are more than capable of producing townships we can not only
use conveniently but also be desirable and worthy living spaces. So
your readers should support all those who would undertake this task for
your children.

Yours sincerely, Leslie Turner, nearly 50 years in Maidstone

Maidstone Labour ask you to sign this online petion

2007-07-24T21:23:00.000+01:00

As you may have seen before Maidstone Labour Party has asked the Secretary of State for Health to reconsider the immenent changes to Maidstone hospital. As part of this we agree with the following online petition and would encourage people to sign this to help in the campaign. This is from the petition:

Maidstone Hospital is to lose its blue-light service, the A&E
department is to be downgraded, and services switched to Pembury.
Pembury Hospital is old, inaccessible and in the centre of the
town. Parking is difficult, transport to and from it is nigh
impossible for those without cars, and there is no helicopter-pad
for the air ambulance. Maidstone Hospital is only 20 years old, it
has also been modernised and updated during that time, it is only a
couple of years ago that the A&E department had an extensive
update. The people of Maidstone don’t want it, the Borough and
County Council asked for a reconsideration but Maidstone Hospital, which is part of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust have decided that it will go ahead. We ask that this decision be
seriously reconsidered.

Please click on the link below, or cut and paste it, thanks.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MaidstoneAandE/

OUR NORTH EAST CANDIDATE – PATRICK COATES - ON THE 12TH JULY VOTE FOR LABOUR VOTE COATES X

2007-06-21T12:24:00.000+01:00

I am honoured to have been selected to represent the Labour Party in the North East division of KCC. I have lived in Maidstone for 30 years and worked in the area both for the Heart of Kent Hospice and for the Kent Wildlife Trust. I have a long association and proven track record on social and green issues. I know where I come from and what my values are.

I ask for your vote because I will work hard on your behalf to listen to your local voices and keep you all informed of all the local issues. If elected I would hold local surgeries and feedback to all correspondence.
A vote for the Labour party is the only way to hold KCC to account.

An Open letter from Patrick -

Dear Resident,

I have been selected as the Labour Party Candidate at the by-election, in the North East Division of Kent County Council.
My main aim it to see a better road and transport system for Maidstone, also more money to be spent on things which really matter, such as the old and infirm; and stop councillors swanning round the world, chasing airey-fairey schemes which benefit nobody.
The deficiency of the current administration at County Hall, can only be kept in check by constant vigilance. I urge you to take this on board when casting your vote on the 12th July.

Your Sincerely,

Patrick Coates
Labour Party Candidate

Millions of reasons for voting Labour

• Tory controlled KCC have wasted £millions of our Council Tax, for example on abandoned prestige projects, bad investment in failed airlines and bodged re-organisation of transport services.
• They get over 70% of our Council Tax and have increased it well above the rate of inflation for many years.
• Their key responsibilities are transport, education and social care yet our roads and pavements are in a shocking state, school results are below average, and social care for the old and infirm has been cut. Our schools seem to be in such a bad state that they are asking the Labour Government to rebuild them all!

Only Labour can provide the opposition to the Tories at KCC to make them less wasteful and inefficient. We say no more wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds swanning around the world promoting ‘inward investment’ when they oppose building enough houses to meet our housing needs. How can it be right that they say that they can not afford home care for the elderly, but they can find the money to set up their own TV station to say how wonderful they are!

Maidstone Weald vote for Harriet and Gordon

2007-06-02T14:24:00.000+01:00

In a special meeting organised by Maidstone Weald Constituency Labour Party on Thursday 24/5/06 we voted to send a supporting nomination for the Deputy Leadership for Harriet Harman. This was sent in to the Labour Party, and as one can see if one logs on to her website we are listed as supporting nominees www.harrietharman.org. We would like to thank all who attended the meeting and especially those new members that attended.

We also have sent in a supporting nomination for Gordon Brown as leader. Gordon's website is www.gordonbrownforbritain.com

NO COALITION - MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL LABOUR GROUP

2007-06-02T12:59:00.000+01:00

PRESS RELEASE
16 MAY 2007
MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL LABOUR GROUP

The Labour Group has today voted to support the Liberal Democrats in forming a minority administration, but have ruled out forming a coalition and instead opted to remain in opposition.

The Independents and Labour held the balance of power on the council after the Conservatives failed to make the much anticipated advance in the recent local elections and with it the chance to take majority control of the council.

Group Leader Councillor Anthony Hull said “The Liberal Democrats have given our group policy commitments around housing, skills and recycling and promises to listen to different views and we will be pressing them hard on these. However, our group has ruled out a coalition and will instead only support those policies it believes are in the best interests of the people of Maidstone and therefore our votes cannot be taken for granted.”

He went on to say “Labour will be working hard this coming year to press the administration on using powers from government to fill empty properties, providing more affordable housing, increasing the amount of recycling and stopping the proposed alternative weekly collections. We will also be pressing for more to be done to help raise the skills of people in the town and in particular help raise the wages of the lowest earners in Maidstone.”

PRESS RELEASE 14/5/2007

2007-05-13T14:44:00.000+01:00

Further to our last CLP meeting, and our Campaign meeting the following press release has been issued:

PRESS RELEASE 14/5/2007

REFERRAL BY MAIDSTONE WEALD LABOUR PARTY TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH RE: MAIDSTONE HOSPITAL

Maidstone Weald Labour party has today sent a resolution to the Secretary of State for Health as outlined below:

‘Maidstone and the Weald Constituency Labour Party call upon the Secretary of State for Health to support that Maidstone Hospital given its catchment population and population expansion needs a fully functional Accident and Emergency department. This is not sustainable without emergency surgical and orthopaedic cover at Maidstone Hospital which are currently in consultation about being transferred to the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.’

In line with the BMA we agree that complex orthopaedic surgery should be centralised. This though should not be at the expense of the possibility of lives being lost by not providing adequate emergency cover.

We also agree with the Maidstone division of the BMA, of which 95% of respondents to a survey stated that full A+E services should continue to be provided at both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.

Maidstone Weald Labour Party would also take the BMA proposals even further. The BMA stated that ‘no services should be transferred before the Private Finance Initiative has been agreed.’ As outlined in our newsletter we believe no changes should be made until a new hospital is up and running. Why if a new hospital is planned for 2011 should we carry out interim changes now, and face future changes only in a few years time.

Dr Rav Seeruthun, a GP who trained at Maidstone Hospital and worked there as a Casualty doctor, says “ as Dr Debbie Taylor a respected local GP at College Road said at a recent Council meeting all GPs in Maidstone are opposed to the changes. It is my opinion that we should act now, and not have to look in retrospect and count the cost of these changes in lives lost”.

I never thought i'd see the day

2007-04-22T13:57:00.000+01:00

Dr Clare Spencer out delivering our election leaflets today.

Can we rise to the challenge?

2007-04-22T13:47:00.000+01:00

Whatever happened to Maidstone Labour?

All those bright years ago, was it the Likely Lads who used to keep us informed of the latest twist in TV social gossip and haven't we got used to being fed information by those whose comings and goings are of interest to us - serve us right therefore to find that for once there is a gap which many of us could have filled but we haven't got our ears close enough to the channel to know what is or is not going on and whether someone is ready and willing to do the work for us. So this week's KM Newspaper appeared without a contribution from Labour about the coming Local Elections.........and worse, two contributions and a letter alleged that Labour had effectively last year put the Conservatives in power in the Boro by allowing them to use their preponderant numbers as a Majority fraction and to take the leading role - it was further alleged that this was done in order to permit Labour to Chair two Committees. It is true that, so far as I can recall, we have not received any explanation from the players of the events so described, nor can I recall any public or private questioning by party members of those players, and so what information we may have gathered has not, so far as I am aware, been sufficiently tested within the Party. So our candidates for this year's election go into the fray with that history overhanging them.

It is of interest that the Conservative Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Chris Garland, when he took office, set out his Vision for Maidstone last year, and that he is concerned with matters about which Labour might well have been equally promoting - they were :
1) "To raise the average wage in the Borough" (Labour has since 1997 consistently raised the minimum wage but wages in Maidstone remain lower than the SE average so this could equally have been a Labour slogan).
2) "To reduce deprivation" (There are surprisingly pockets of deprivation within the Borough boundaries which require special consideration in the allocation of resources which Labour national policy has only begun to ameliorate).
3) "To Secure high quality jobs/housing in a sustainable fashion." (These are also in Labour's vision for the Country as well as for the Town, and whereas the unemployment rate approximates to the average, though it is increasing, many of the jobs are lowly paid; on the question of housing the Council under its previous administration has not succeeded in housing all those who are in need and the latest figures show that the numbers on the Housing Lists in April has increased considerably to 2,232 from 1,764 and we are nowhere near to achieving the identified the 2005 reported annual shortfall of 961 affordable homes p.a.)
There are two other parts to Cllr Garlands Vision which indicate too that within the Town there is a general realisation of what are the main problems facing those who undertake to carry on the work of "driving Maidstone forward" (Garland's phrase) and perhaps it is that general realisation that has caused the slackening of our efforts to undertake those tasks with the knowledge that it is in seeing them actually performed, as well as in a Vision, that Labour, with the Labour Government behind them, should have been better able to do.

It is not too late for the Labour Group, supported by both Constituencies and the Local Government Committee to issue to the Press a Statement as to Labour's intentions
locally and I hope it can be done to counter the impression which has been made by the KM's Election Special Report. I attach a Draft of a Statement which if agreed immediately could be urgently sent to all local newspapers.

From Leslie Turner

A POSSIBLE DRAFT - STATEMENT

WHAT IS LABOUR STRIVING TO DO IN MAIDSTONE?

Labour recognises that Political divisions in our District are almost balanced between the main protagonists of Conservative, Liberal and Labour persuasion and that a programme to "drive Maidstone forward" and secure social justice needs the goodwill of all who have the Town at heart.

Labour while putting forward its own local vision of higher wages, elimination of deprivation, maximum employment opportunities, and decent housing, recognises that it is with the backing of legislation by and support from a Labour Government that these are best taken forward.

Labour therefore appeals to voters in the Borough local elections to seriously consider Labour's unparalleled record on those particular matters of the last ten years and to vote Labour in order to ensure that there are sufficient Labour Councillors to ensure that the local vision, with the goodwill of all citizens, is made reality.

Our further NHS campaign...

2007-04-17T09:28:00.000+01:00

Patrick Coates has been active in the current NHS changes and asks a question about the National Policy Forum Newsletter February 2007:

To Martin Phillips,
I have just received a copy of the above newsletter, unfortunatley I can not find the website the one I got was dated 2002.
However I should like to make an observation on your article about the workshop you chaired on public services with Health Minister Caroline Flint.
I would like to comment on the last paragrath of the article, that the Commission and Ministers need to do a better job of explaining the health changes.
Since September 2006 i have been on the Patient Reference Panel for Fit for the Future, run by the West Kent PCT, and I have to say, that we are at last getting there, but I think it could have been done a lot quicker.
I say this because the NHS staff given the job were out of their depth, they were either Managers coming up to retirement date or new young staff, neither had any Media qualifications for this work, we had so many changes in personnel/meetings etc, even those staff who put them on could not remember who went to them.
The bad publicity over the local hospitals at Maidstone/ Pembury also shews the same lack of Media awarness in the NHS, this is ment to be a contructive e-mail and I cannot fault the commitment by all the people involved here, but BASIC TRAINING IN HOW TO DEAL WITH THE MEDIA NEEDS TO BE PUT IN PLACE AND SOON THROUGHOUT THE NHS.

Best Wishes
Patrick Coates
Treasurer Maidstone & The Weald CLP

IN REPLY TO THIS...
Dear Patrick,

Thank you for your comments. I have to say that your experience matches that of others across the region and the country. One of the things the Commission is focusing on, at my urging, is how the standard of NHS management can be improved. Media training is important, but so is basic financial competence and an understanding of what service means. As always, there are good and bad managers. What worries me is how many bad managers there are - in a service that is about life-saving and health, it is more important than in any other field.

So you can rest assured that we (including the ministers) recognise the problems.

Martin Phillips
Health Commission

OUR LOCAL ELECTION MANIFESTO 2007

2007-04-13T12:11:00.003+01:00

Here is the manifesto for our Local Elections:

SOCIAL INCLUSION

Access for all to create an inclusive society, development of an anti-poverty strategy for homeless, children and those on benefits. Entitlement to free ESOL courses and help for new workers from the EU.

COMMUNITY SAFETY

Implement the Community Safety Plan, rate of crime, fear of crime and youth offenders.

TRANSPORT

Traffic reduction schemes including car sharing, safe walking and cycling routes, improved public transport.

ENVIRONMENT QUALITY

Promoting awarness of local environmental issues, ensuring adequate public open spaces within new developments.
Monitor and prevent air,water,land and noise pollution, lobby for vehicles powered by cleaner technology.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Improve energy efficiency in all homes, and local renewable sources.
Achieve CO2 reduction targets for Council buildings, towards government climate change targets.

WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING

Encouraging people to buy reusable products, home composting and recycling collection schemes.
Bottle washing facilities to enable bottle re-use.

DEVELOPMENT

Ensuring new housing is built on agricultural land, where possible, and developers follow environmentally friendly guidelines in their designs.
Speed up the planning process, so that more homes can be built, where they are needed.

FOOD

Promote fairly traded produce. Support for rural and local shops. Increase total allotment area.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Establish an ECO-CENTRE for alternative technologies and lifestyles.
Community economic initiatives such as co-operatives, credit unions, home and teleworking via Internet.

WORK AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR

Lifetime learning opportunities for those in and out of work. Find new ways of valuing all work, including unpaid domestic, caring and voluntary work. Encourage ethical employment, flexible and job sharing.

Our Active West Branch Campaign

2007-03-08T10:40:00.000Z

Here is a recent letter to Adscene from two active members of the West branch continuing the important issue of housing.

Dear Editor

Your front page hit the nail on the head; we would agree with your correspondent in that it is 'tough' to achieve a first -time buy ( although in many instances for the average wage-earner it is quite impossible) because prices of family homes are ridiculously high .Regrettably the politicians of all shades appear to have failed to find an answer to the ever upwards price spiral. The County Council put out scaremongering suggestions about 'concreting over Kent' to frighten the electorate into agreeing with their policy of accepting the building the fewest possible new houses , and the Regional Council has set ridiculously low limits for future house building in the Draft Plan now being debated, both of which policies would ensure that the situation continues. The government seems to want to build only affordable houses for sale whereas the low income families desperately need affordable houses to rent. 25 years ago Thatcher began the, still continuing, sale of our Council Houses and since then the building of social housing has remained abysmally low ; last year it was nationally only a few thousand whereas over 200,000 a year are needed to stem the crisis. As Mr James Searle of Allington says in your article we are in danger of losing our 'young buyers'; those of us who are well-housed must be generous enough to accept that : all our children need housing, that our housing is not being taken by asylum seekers and 'interlopers' from outside the area, and that Kent will not be concreted over, or the housing crisis will not improve. The truth is that our population is growing faster than our housing stock and prices will continue to rise until the imbalance is corrected and all politicians at all levels of government and local government must be urged to accept this and to work on the solution as a matter of extreme urgency.

Sid Hollands and Leslie

Green is the colour again!

2007-02-02T19:15:00.000Z

GREEN ISSUES

Given are recent advert in the Downsmail we are re-issuing our most popular blogs, here is one from our enviroment correspondant Patrick Coates.

In his speech to the Labour Party Conference David Milliband said

“- one person half-filling their kettle when they have a cup of tea during the course of a year may not sound like much; but if a million people do, it would be the equivalent of taking 20 000 cars off the road- one family switching three light bulbs to low energy is hardly a revolution; but if a million people did it would be the equivalent of taking 100 000 cars off the road- cavity wall insulation costs about £150; at least that’s what I was quoted last Friday for my own home by the Energy Savings Trust; if a million of us have those walls filled it would be the equivalent of taking nearly 700 000 cars off the road.”

We agree and here is our policy is outlined below.

MAIDSTONE AND THE WEALD'S LABOUR PARTY CLIMATE PLEDGE

We are asking people to take 5 steps to change the world. *

1) DRINK UP : Pledge for a year to only fill up a kettle enough for the drink they are making, we could save almost 55,000 million cups of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

DID YOU KNOW

One million species will be doomed to extinction in our lifetime.

2) BE BRIGHT : If one person replaced one normal light bulb with an energy-efficient one, we would save 88,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

DID YOU KNOW

One hundred million people will suffer from the effects of flooding by the end of the century.

3) SWITCH OFF : Pledge for a year to switch of their TV instead of leaving on standby, we would save 60,000 tonnes of CO2.

DID YOU KNOW
If we can get the Climate Change Bill passed we will save more than 3 Billion tonnes CO2, between now and 2050.

4) COOL IT : Each person who pledges to turn down their thermostat by 1 degree per year, could reduce the UK CO2 emission by 400,000 tonnes.

DID YOU KNOW

Government grants are available, to bring renewable energy, such as solar water heaters, to many consumers.

5) STEP OUT : If each of us could walk or cycle, whenever possible, we could save 760,000 tonnes per year.

DID YOU KNOW

Our 'carbon footprint' is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce

* Based on 2 Million people only.

We are now beginning to realise that it is up to each of us to take responsibility for reducing our impact on the environment as well as putting pressure on the government and business to play their part in making a difference.

Patrick Coates
Environment Correspondent for Maidstone Labour Party

AN NHS BOARD - A BRAVE NEW WORLD?

2007-01-28T11:26:00.000Z

Since it's institution in 1948 the NHS has faced many challenges. Aneurin Bevan the Labour Health Secretary of the time said at the launch of the service that " We shall never have all we need. Expectations will always exceed capacity. The service must always be changing, growing and improving..."

How though can we alter the status quo that I have observed as a doctor having worked both in the community and in the secondary care hospital system?
I would propose that we move from a Government lead model to an NHS board. This would have the aim at looking at a more longer term approach to the NHS than that of trying to win the next election and the obvious pressures on ones jobs that this system delivers. This is really a work in progress and any comments would be much welcomed in a debate about healthcare.

There are two structures that I would propose:

1. A group that consists of the major representatives of those within the NHS structure. This would include (but not exclusively please feel free to suggest others) the heads of the following bodies:

British Medical Association, Unison, A patient advocate, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Chief Executive, the Head of the Accountancy firm, NHS Audit representative, the Secretary of State for Health, a prescribing expert.

A number of questions though would arise from this. A number of these positions are appointed by the Government so it could not be independent. Anyone that has also sat through meetings on committees would also though be aware that decision making could be a difficult process as rightly each group would be fighting the corner of it's members. Could this therefore be a working group, but again a major complaint is that the NHS already has too many levels of bureaucracy. Therefore I would propose a far more radical system.

2. The Supreme Court model - this would follow the model for the NHS that the Supreme Court has followed for judicial matters in many countries . It would consist of one chairperson and eight associates. The appointment of the members would be made initially by the Houses of Commons to be approved by the House of Lords and this would therefore be a cross party decision. The appointments would be made until retirement of the committee members. The Government of the time would then nominate a new member that would need to be approved by both Houses. This would therefore lead to a balanced committee given the vetoing powers of the Houses. Within this structure each position would have a defined expertise similar to those proposed for a working group, e.g. a patient advocate, a nursing expert, a physicians expert. The panel itself would be accountable to both Houses and they would have powers to take further action if needed.

At the Labour Party Conference Bill Clinton said that we needed to be in the "ideas game" and that we are the party of change. In 1946 under a Labour Government we introduced the National Health Service Act and now we should not be scared of it changing, growing and improving.

OUR HEALTH POLICY REVIEW

2007-01-28T11:22:00.000Z

HELP MAIDSTONE HOSPITAL GET BETTER FOR PATIENTS

Given our current advertising of our website we thought it important once again to put our position on the current issues of local healthcare provision.

Maidstone and the Weald Labour Party note with increasing concern the current situation with our local hospitals and its effect on patients.

We welcome the fact that maternity services will not be relocated to the new Pembury site for the next few years. We believe that there should be no significant changes until the new hospital is operational and hospital services should not be downgraded.

We note the vote of local British Medical Association members in which 129 doctors voted in favour of not transferring services from Maidstone to the Kent and Sussex hospital in Tunbridge Wells before the new Pembury hospital is operational.

We do though believe that we should remember that there is a discussion to be had about the changes within the NHS but our priority remains the patients and their healthcare needs.

We do not believe that the downgrading of services at Maidstone Hospital should occur until a new hospital is up and running.

Even at this stage we have grave concerns about the poor rail and road connection between the two sites. We believe that the costs of the journey will be a barrier to people attending out-patients appointments.

We should also note that some of our constituents do live near to the new hospital site, but others far away and we worry that some of the less well off and those that are more at risk will have difficulties with the journey, or the possible expense.

NO PARKING CHARGES FOR PATIENTS.

Given the only option for many will be to drive we would call that there be no parking charges imposed at this site for patients and adequate parking is available.

We will actively campaign on this platform to try and influence those making these important decisions. To that end this press release will be sent to the local press, and the Chief Executive of both the Primary and Secondary care trusts and to the Government.

THIS PRESS RELEASE ALSO COINCIDES WITH THE LAUNCH OF OUR WEBSITE WWW.MAIDSTONELABOUR.CO.UK OR WWW.MLP.ORG.UK AND ALSO OUR BLOG.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JOHN HUGHES – 01622 745250 OR DR RAV SEERUTHUN - 07969192461 OR EMAIL INFO@MAIDSTONELABOUR.CO.UK

New houses for social purposes

2006-12-20T18:17:00.000Z

The West branch continues it's important campaign on social housing.

The Chart shows clearly the ongoing situation of reduced completions and the almost total removal of Local authorities from the production of new houses for social purposes. Leslie Turner continues this theme:

"And the issue today of the 'Independent review of regulation of social housing' at the 'Cavereview@communities.gov.uk/cave review' gives some glimpses of the Government intention in regard to social housing as for instance para. 19 says (inter alia) 'The government seeks to minimise the level of public sector finance provided to housing associations for new supply of social housing, .......' (does that mean 'keep to a low level'? ) And at para 22 : "The purpose of the review is to find the best option for regulation, recognising that it is unlikely ever to be a perfect substitute for an efficiently functioning market..." : that seems to say that even past governments' successes in the supply of social houses failed, but history shows clearly that they did indeed supplant the market in low-cost affordable social houses and it was the failure of the market which did not function for that purpose.

May I, in the hope that you will publish this in the local Labour Blog, draw attention of members to the Early Day Motion No 136 put down on 16 Nov 06 and signed in the House of Commons by over 80 MPs including some 57 Labour entitled /*'Funding Decent Council Housing' ; */which welcomes the decision of the last Labour Party Conference to call on the Government to provide the fourth option of direct investment in council housing as a matttter if growing urgency.....' and goes on for another 18 lines to explain how it can be done '..without major government spending..' This could also form the substance of a part of any new leafletting in the areas where there are council/housing association households as it now looks as if the latest generation of young familied people are often stuck at home, or overcrowded in them, and it might give them some hope next May!"

A toast to Keir Hardie - the West Branch Christmas party

2006-12-20T17:59:00.000Z

Last Wednesday an enjoyable Chistmas party was hosted by Leslie Turner at his home. The evening included a toast to Keir Hardie, as Leslie has a picture of him taken from the original Labour Party building in Maidstone that is now sadly no longer present.

I have edited the history below given the comment from a blogger about Keir Hardie.

James Keir Hardie was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland on 15 August 1856, the illegitimate son of a servant, Mary Keir. His mother later married David Hardie, a carpenter. Keir Hardie was sent to work as a baker's delivery boy aged eight without any schooling, and was the sole wage-earner of the family. By the age of 11, he was a coal miner. By 17 he had taught himself to read and write.
His career in politics began with the establishment of a worker's union at his colliery, and in 1881 he led the first ever strike of Lanarkshire miners. In 1892, Keir Hardie was invited to stand as the Independent Labour Party candidate for West Ham in east London. He won and took his seat in parliament. He marked himself out as a radical both by his dress - he wore a tweed suit when most MPs wore more formal dress - and the subjects he advocated, including women's rights, free schooling and pensions and Indian self-rule. He was heavily criticised for appearing to attack the monarchy, which may have contributed to his defeat in the 1895 election.
Despite this, he continued to rise through the ranks of Scottish union officials and in 1893 he was among the group who formed the Independent Labour Party. At the opening conference, he was elected chairman and leader. 1899 saw the formation of the Labour Representation Committee, which eventually developed into the Labour Party.
After a long battle to win another seat, he was finally elected MP to Merthyr Tydfil in 1900 and was one of only two Labour MPs in Parliament. But by 1906 this number had increased to 26. Keir Hardie was elected leader of the party in the House of Commons, but was not very good at dealing with internal rivalries and he resigned from the post in 1908. From then on he devoted his energy to promoting the Labour Party and championing equality, particularly in the cause of women's suffrage. In 1910, 40 Labour MPs were elected to parliament and Keir Hardie gave up the party leadership to George Barnes.
During the first year of World War One, Keir Hardie was an outspoken pacifist. He died on 26 September 1915 in Glasgow.

A picture says a thousand words!

2006-12-20T17:46:00.000Z

Today four of us braved the fog and cold weather to start the second phase of our leafletting in High Street, Maidstone. Having already completed Fant can I say on behalf of the party a big thank you to all those that have given up their time during a busy run up to Christmas. It seems though that not everyone wants to know!

12 CHRISTMAS WISHES FOR MAIDSTONE

2006-12-15T13:30:00.000Z

1 UNITARY AUTHORITY
2 REGENERATED ALL SAINTS ROAD LINK
3 LEEDS-LANGLEY BYPASS
4 TOWN CENTRE MODERNIZATION
5 BETTER TRAIN- BUS LINKS
6 EAST-WEST TRAIN STATIONS UPDATED
7 TACKLE HOMELESSNESS
8 SOCIAL HOUSING
9 CLEANER, GREENER BOROUGH
10 FAIRTRADE TOWN STATUS
11 FOOTBALL STADIUM
12 CIVIC CENTRE

---------------------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW?

HIGH STREET TURNOUT IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.

1999- 24.5%
2000- 22.1%
2002- 22.9%
2003- 22.0%
2005- 25.0%

ELECTORATE IN 1999 4,542
ELECTORATE IN 2003 5,863.

from Richard Coates LGC Secretary

Leslie Turner's Book Review

2006-12-15T13:23:00.000Z

'LET'S BUILD' by James Heartfield
Published Sept 06 by Audacity Press - £15.0 , 256 pages

Those of us who have been campaigning during the last few years over the issues related to the Housing Crisis and have wanted to ensure that our facts are accurate and our quotes genuine, would have been glad of this book along the way. But as the Crisis is on-going and no nearer to being solved, at least for working people, it will become one of the sources most consulted by those who are intent upon convincing the politicians, nationally and well as locally, that this is a core issue not just for the Labour Party's electoral chances but for the health of our Society.
Its sub-title is 'Why we need five million new homes in the next 10 years”; not only does it discuss the Reasons to answer that, and gives the statistics, but it goes over all the arguments needed to debate the NIMBY trends, the problems associated with the growth of Towns, the Green Belt and other land designations such as SSI and AONB and the effect of them upon land availability; it also discusses the demise of the small farmer, the industrialisation of farming and the agricultural uses the land – and shows how a new look at it would reveal space for people to live in.
In a chapter entitled “The phantom housing boom” the author argues that in the inverted world of housing 'the housing boom is not a housing boom at all, at least it is not a boom in new house production, rather it is a boom in house prices'. Putting it into perspective he argues that houses are in short supply relative to the increasing number of incomes chasing them and that the shortfall is in relation to growing expectations of home ownership (fostered by Tories and Labour alike). In discussing the continued growth of the numbers in Local Authority temporary accommodation he indicates how the low paid suffer from the shortage.
There is good discussion on the history of planning laws and he mentions the origin and reasons why Statutes have replaced the Great Landowners whose landownership ensured that their law controlled building in the villages and the countryside and how that has been replaced since 1947 by the 'contract' with the owners of land to extinguish their right to develop at will and replace it with the present regulatory system.
No Councillor should be without this book.

Leslie Turner Dec 06

The Trident debate - have your say

2006-12-07T15:41:00.000Z

Compass is a left wing think tank and it has launched a consulatation process on the replacement of Trident. As a local party we are keen to get involved in the debate, and hope that you may be as well. Please feel free to leave comments as well at the bottom of this article.

Compass believes it to be absolutely crucial that there is a full and rigorous public debate. As well as the survey we've also sought to set out the arguments, both for and against in a balanced way to inform those taking part in our consultation.Trident is Britain’s only nuclear weapons system and constitutes the UK’s nuclear deterrent. Despite the long life span of the Trident system, the lengthy procurement process for replacing or renewing the system means decisions need to be taken imminently for any replacement system to be ready when Trident’s working life ends in 2024.

The Labour Party manifesto for the May 2005 General Election stated that “we are committed to retaining the independent nuclear deterrent”. Since the election, the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other ministers have reiterated that position, advocating that nuclear weapons remain an important part of the country’s force balance despite the fact that threats to the UK have evolved. The Government will publish a white paper detailing its preferred option and starting off a 3 month consultation period in December. There is expected to be a vote in the House of Commons in early 2007 on whether Britain’s nuclear weapons system should be replaced. We want to know what you think on this important issue!

Click on this link http://www.compassonline.org.uk/news_comments.asp?n=344 for all the information we think you need to make an informed decision.

The consultation survey can be found at this link http://www.compassonline.org.uk/surveys/december_2006.asp it will take you less than 3 minutes to complete.

Once you've filled in the consultation you may also make comments and view other people's comments on this important debate, we encourage you to leave comments.

We'd like to get at least 1000 responses to our survey, the consultation will remain live until Monday 8 January 2007, after which we will publicise the results. The results will help to inform our decision as to whether or not to carry out any further campaigning work around this important issue.

Sid Holland's published KM letter

2006-12-01T14:59:00.000Z

Below is the original letter that was sent to the Kent messenger and published in it's edited form. It furthers the campaign from the West branch on social housing.

"Wallace and Gromit might have said that it's the 'Wrong type of Houses' but that is only partly the problem. The housing crisis, highlighted by your correspondants complaining of mushrooming housing, really started when Thatcher and successive governments since, sold the Council Housing and then did nothing to replace it. The number of Social Housing starts has fallen to an abysmal low and the housing waiting lists rise inexorably. Many cannot afford to buy and have to continue to live with their parents, or parents in law, until their mid-thirties or more, a fate worse than death it seems to me. The long and the short of it is that we desperately need more social hlusing to meet the demand and we cannot turn our backs on our children as your correspondants, one I note a former Labour Councillor, seem to suggest. Gridlock will occur even without the additional housing because the numbers of people using the roads still rises whether they are living with their parents or living alone and if we have to live with the fact that we cannot water our lawns I don't feel that this is too much to bear in the short term. The authorities need to get their act together and build the social housing, roads and water reserves as a matter of urgency. Those who seem to think that Maidstone must stay as it is without change, regrettably are living in cloud cuckoo land."

TORIES SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL ON COUNCIL TAX

2006-12-01T14:52:00.000Z

The current Conservative administration of Kent County Council has opened
its annual ritual of claiming that the Labour Government has failed to give
Kent enough money because what should come to Kent has "gone North".

Mike Eddy, Labour Shadow Leader of Kent County Council, says:

"The Tories in Kent are pulling the usual trick of claiming insufficient funds
from Government so that they can increase council tax as much as they
dare. Tough action in the past by Labour Ministers has meant that Kent
will be very foolish indeed if they put council tax up above 5%."

Kent County Council, like every other council in the land, has benefited
from the security of knowing that this year's grant from Government was
known in advance thanks to Labour's financial forward planning. The Tories
in Kent have no excuses for failing to plan properly.

Mike Eddy adds:

"It is sad that the council tax payers of Kent and the hard-working officers
of the council have to put up with this annual display of shroud waving when they see the waste of resources going on around them. The level of waste ranges from a few £100,000s on trips abroad to millions on the Turner Centre and the highways reorganisation. The myth that money has gone up North
was exposed some time ago. The Tories need to forget the spin and learn
how to govern, both for the whole county as well as the whole nation."

IMPROVING LIFE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND ENCOURAGING US ALL TO REDUCE OUR CAR USAGE.

2006-11-20T12:06:00.000Z

In 2003, a survey was done by the Maidstone Urban Forum, on this subject and as far as I know the results were never made public.
Myself and six other people conducted this survey, two out of the seven are Labour Party members, and as this subject seems to be coming to the political for again, I thought I would share with you how we can all improve things, both pedestrians and car users in Maidstone.
Patrick Coates
Environment Correspondant.

Nine Ideas/Subjects were looked at, and questionnaires received from schools, community organisations and individuals.
I would welcome your input on this subject to see if there is more or a better way to tackle this important subject.

· 1st - with a score of 72 was Home Zones - these are roads/groups of roads with pedestrian and cycle priority with low traffic speeds say 10mph/ road calming
· 2nd with 67 was 20 mph roads.
· 3rd with 56 was Safe Routes to Schools.
· 4th with 37 was Outer ring lorry parks and town centre van delivery only.
· Joint 5th with 26 was Improving signing for pedestrians, cycles and cars and Non petrol vechicles for local organisations.
· 7th with 18 was Car sharing schemes: for journeys to/ from Maidstone and the villages.
· 8th with 15 was Home delivery collection centres.
· 9th with 13 was ‘TravelSmart’ this is individual marketing to change travel.

The Solutions to the above with others will be published only on this Web Site, depending on the reaction, as far as I know no other in-depth survey has been done in Maidstone before or since.

Solutions will be posted here over the coming months to these very important questions for all of us who live and work in Maidstone .