I attended the launch of the Labour Group Manifesto at Leamington Town Hall on Monday. The manifesto itself was the result of several group away days and it outlines what we promise to do as a group if elected.
Speaking at the event was John Barrott, Leader of the Labour Group at Warwick District Council, and James Plaskitt, the former MP for Warwick and Leamington. I was asked to speak as someone new to fighting an election, and so the night before I jotted down the main reasons that led me to stand.
Ultimately, I have the coalition government to thank for that. I, like many people I speak to, feel a sense of disgust that a government without strong mandate is ripping holes in our communities. I see this election as an opportunity for all of us who are suffering as a result of these cuts to send a strong message to Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg.
We didn't vote for women and children to face a disproportionate burden of the cuts by the Tories. As a mother of two young boys, I have noticed already the impact of the squeeze on our school budget, and people like me all over Britain will be worried about the impact of cuts to tax credits and child benefit against the rising cost of living. We didn't vote for that.
In Warwick we stand to lose our fire station, together with a 25% cut to Warwickshire Police. Even our bus services are threatened. We didn't vote for that, and we didn't vote for the closure of libraries, youth services and residential homes for the elderly. Our children, our families, our community, will all suffer when these vital services are slashed.
Only this week I heard on the news that more and more nurses are considering strike action over the cuts and poor morale, and there is fierce opposition to the scale of the NHS reform proposed by the Tories. We didn't vote for that either.
Now, I stand at the schoolgate with the other parents, chat to my friends, to other businesses and find that suddenly nearly everyone has found politics. I know I'm not alone in finding a desire to fight back against the destruction of our services and our communities. Since May last year, over 50,000 new people have joined the Labour Party, fired by a desire to do something against these cuts. With these elections in Warwick District, we have an opportunity to send a strong message to the Tories. If you feel powerless and vulnerable by the scale of the cuts, take this opportunity to vote for the party who will be your voice in these tough times.
I'm standing because I care about Warwick and Warwick District. I care about the services delivered by the local authority, be it County, District or Town Council. I care about the people who work in challenging public sector roles who are worried for their jobs. I worked for a local authority for over 10 years and worked with many people facing redundancy. Almost all of them spoke passionately about the impact job losses would have on the community; without homecarers, social workers, school crossing controls, who would deliver those services? The need for them doesn't disappear when the service is withdrawn.
I care about Warwick because I live here, run a business here, and want my family to grow in a community that is fair to all and where everyone thrives. That is why I am proud to be part of the Labour Party and why I chose to stand for election now.
