West Midlands Regional Conference

One of the great things about being a Labour Party member is the opportunity to represent the local branch as a delegate to regional and national conferences.  This year, I was fortunate enough to be a delegate to the West Midlands Regional Conference, which took place at Warwick University.  This was a completely new experience for me, and I had no idea what to expect.

On arrival, we were greeted by stalls from unions such as Unison and the GMB and parties such as the Co-operative.  There was opportunity to chat and to network with colleagues from other parts of the region.  The hall was packed, and there was a real buzz about the place; proof, I think, of the angry passion that the ConDem cuts have injected into Party members.

I was very eagerly anticipating Ed Milliband's opening speech; not since I heard John Smith speak in my first year of university have I had the opportunity to hear a party leader speak.  He did not disappoint - he spoke with integrity and passion and all without notes for at least 25 minutes.

Other MPs spoke too - and Tom Watson had a standing ovation before he even arrived, and I was very excited to get the opportunity for a brief chat and a photo with him during one of the breaks.

It  wasn't all photo opportunities and speeches though.  If you are into politics, social policy and like a good debate then conference is a great day out.  I attended two policy forums and put the world to rights (if only it were that simple!) with delegates from across the region in a group facilitated by Jack Dromey MP, shadow minister for Housing.

I left the conference feeling invigorated and inspired, particularly by Labour's 5 point plan for jobs:

 A £2 billion tax on bank bonuses to fund 100,000 jobs for young people

 Bringing forward long-term investment projects

 Reversing January's damaging VAT rise

 A one year cut in VAT to 5% on home improvements,

 A one year national insurance tax break

When I joined the Labour Party I felt like I wanted to make a difference, and at the conference I really felt like I had the opportunity to influence policy and discuss my views with MPs - joining the Labour Party isn't just a paper exercise, but a chance to make your voice heard.

Want to join?  Click here and start making a difference.

Coventry Labour

I love seeing political leaflets from the past, particularly my father's first election campaign leaflet from 1972.  Nice beard, dad.  This however, is truly amazing and could almost be used today, albeit with some minor changes.  We'd have to change the bit that talks about us all being in it together, it all sounds a bit too much like David Cameron.  Still, I think we are the only party that could truly claim that.  

Back then we were fighting social injustice and striving for economic security.  As I said, we could almost use it today, as the coalition cuts deepen and the economic problems worsen.  If you aren't a party member, and are concerned by the cuts and want to help fight against social injustice, join us now!

Thanks to BY from Warwick Labour Students for this picture.  

Is there a need for a Women's Group?

This is the topic up for debate at the first meeting of the Warwick and Leamington Women's Group, which meets for the first time on 17th October 2011 at The Warwick Arms, on Warwick High Street at 7.30pm.

Non-members of The Labour Party will be warmly welcomed, but please not that for the time being at least, our group is open only to women.

We'd like this group to act as a means for challenging and eradicating discrimination and promoting equality, and act as a discussion group on topics of interest to us. Please contact me for more information, or join the Facebook group here.

Cuts to Legal Aid threaten us all

Warwick Branch Labour Party met this evening, where we discussed the proposed changes to the Legal Aid system, following a very informative and interesting speech from Catherine Stephens, a local solicitor.  She outlined how the proposed cuts will go to the heart of a fair and just society, and create a situation where only those with the ability to pay will have access to justice.

The right to legal representation is a fundamental principle of a civilised society and is a cornerstone of our way of life.  Legal Aid was established in 1949 following with progressive legislation around access to health care and education, regardless of means.

If these proposals are implemented, individuals will no longer be able to access legal aid for help in cases relating to debt, employment, housing and clinical negligence, which has a far-reaching impact on the most vulnerable in society.  Legal Aid will be removed from big chunks of family law, such as divorce and private children act applications.  Additionally, eligibility for legal aid will be tightened, meaning that  far fewer people will find themselves eligible.

Disproportionately, women and children will bear the the brunt of these cuts, which is becoming a hallmark of the coalition government.  So why, then, are we not hearing more about these cuts?  Perhaps it is because we don't know how important Legal Aid is until we need it: when we are at our most vulnerable and in need of help and advice.

The Government, as always, expects the Big Society to pick up the pieces, but I cannot see how this woolly concept can provide an effective infrastructure to meet the needs of people seeking resolution to their problems.  Alternative sources of advice, such as the CAB, will be dramatically hit by the cuts and so we can see avenues of help and support disappearing, and individuals left floundering and silenced.

If you don't think this affects you, you are wrong.  It affects us all.  Are you employed?  Many people fight unfair dismissal cases with the support of Legal Aid.  With these cuts, there'll be nothing you can do to challenge unfair dismissal unless you can afford to pay a solicitor, and of course, if you've just lost your job this may well be unlikely.  Are you married?  Got children?  There'll be no more legal aid for family matters like divorce, custody and access.

Everyone should have access to justice.  Legal Aid is an integral part of a fair and just society, which is threatened by these cuts.  What can you do?  Make your voice heard.  Write to your MP, your local paper, tweet and make others aware.  Sound off For Justice have a petition, a blog and more information about this threat.  Locally, we'll be campaigning against these cuts and if you'd like to join us, contact me for more information.

Save the trees

It really has been a while since I've blogged, in fact, my blogging hiatus has lasted just a little longer than the school holidays, and this is no coincidence.  Normal service will now resume.

I should declare an interest here.  I live in a relatively new housing development in Warwick West.  We're lucky in that the development has a few wooded areas, a lake with swans and ducks and a bit of other wildlife.  Just next to the park, there are around 80 trees that must be as old as the estate itself, so around 15-18 years old.  They are mature, nice-looking trees and the local children love running around in them, and here I should add that my 4 year old and his friends run through on the way home from school.  There are squirrels, hedgehogs and all the usual things you find in a wood.

Anyway.  I was at a meeting on Monday night to discuss the funding arrangements for our new community centre, when the Conservative District Councillor Higgins announced that she had good news: the trees are to be felled.  I immediately asked for clarification and she told me that it is what the residents want and it is tough, the trees are to go.

On my way home, I canvassed for opinions and everyone is in favour of keeping the trees, but in the absence of any real information about why, or the number of trees at risk, I felt a real sense of injustice.

The land is currently owned by the developer, who are yet to hand it over to the District Council for ongoing maintenance.  I gather that the Poplar Trees are at risk of being destroyed as the Council will not take on the land while they are there.  I fired off a load of emails to anyone I could think of, and finally established that there are 20 trees to be felled in October.  The developer told me that the trees were grown for wind protection for the other trees, and having served their purpose, they must now go.

Now, I know nothing about trees, but one thing I do know about is managing change from my former career in HR.  First off, if you want to do something deeply unpopular, you need to sell the benefits to stakeholders. WDC and the developer agreed something and failed to consult with the people most affected by this: the local residents, who learned about the decision from someone who did not understand the emotional attachment people have to their environment.

Secondly, and this is perhaps the most galling, it has been presented to us as a fait accompli.  There has been no consultation, or discussion, just a decision.  One of our neighbours had to get planning permission to convert his garage into a room, which requires consultation with neighbours, yet the felling of 20 trees, which has such a significant impact on our community, requires no such process.

Following my increasingly irritated emails to council and to the developer, a letter will now be sent to all local residents in the vicinity, and, to the residents association.  I've also arranged to meet with the officer responsible for woodland management, in the hope of finding out the reasoning behind this decision.

What has been encouraging is that all of the local residents are ready to fight this decision, and I have had emails and facebook messages from people needing to know more.  I think our next step is to listen to the advice from the WDC officer, and consider whether he can present a compelling argument to fell the trees.  If he can't, then it seems like this is one community ready to fight to keep the trees.

News update

It has been a while since I've blogged on what we've been up to as a Labour group, working for the residents of Warwick West.

In the last few weeks, we've had a flurry of complaints from residents about road safety, both within the town centre and in Chase Meadow.  As town councillors, we don't sit on a council that has any control over the roads but what we can do is help residents lobby for road safety measures.

In Chase Meadow, the road in question is the main road through the estate and current parking arrangements mean that residents are having difficulty in crossing the road safely, as parked vehicles are impossible to see through.  In the morning school children compete with the traffic and quite a few people have remarked that double yellow lines and a pedestrian crossing would make this road a lot safer for everyone.  We've contacted the Highways team and have started to lobby hard for this.  I am very glad that the Chase Meadow Residents Association are in agreement with this, and hopefully we will be able to report an update on this soon.

I've also had contact with the District Council about the grass cutting, weeds and other maintenance issues around the Chase Meadow estate.  The officer agreed to talk a walk around with me and we identified quite a few problems that need addressing, including overhanging branches, faulty streetlights and unadopted roads.  He wrote it all down and promised to work with the County Council to resolve these issues.

It doesn't really matter that some of these things are County or District functions.  Personally, I am happy to take up any issue that is concerning residents and find a way through to a resolution, and I know that this view is shared by my Labour Party colleagues in Warwick.

virtual Rhyme Time

Oh, and I thought this deserved a post all of it's own. The report states that people want to access services in their own homes, and that people want to "participate in Rhyme Time in their homes and nurseries."

Thud.

Rhyme Time is great. I've been to loads of them with my children over the years. It is a chance for parents, caters and children to learn new songs, sing them, have a chat with others and get out of the house. It is the kind of service that becomes a lifeline for parents and caters of young children, not to mention the added bonus of getting young children into the library habit at a young age.

WCC don't specify how they will deliver this in homes but if they are thinking that this is the sort of thing that could be done effectively through the Internet they are wrong. Children don't need more screen time, they need less. My optician is always going on about the rising numbers of children with eye problems, which he blames on TV and computers. No. We should be doing all we can to encourage parents and carers of young children get out of the house and into libraries and childrens centres.

Once again, families and young children are the victims of the Tory cuts.