Monday 29 June 2009
PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR BETTER BUS SERVICES
HUNDREDS of Derby residents have signed a petition calling for public transport services in the city to be improved.
The petition has been launched by Labour city councillors following the controversy over plans by the Liberal Democrat-led council to axe school bus services in Derby.
Under the Lib Dem plans, children from across Derby will be forced to either use commercial services or find alternative ways of getting to school.
City centre shoppers were given the chance to sign the petition on Friday and Saturday before visitors to the Stockbrook Community Fun Day signed up on Sunday.
It became clear straight away that people feel strongly on this issue. That's why we'll be taking this petition in the neighbourhoods so everyone will have a chance to tell the Lib Dems what they think about their ideas.
Plans to improve public transport in the city were voted down by Lib Dem and Conservative councillors in March, when they decided to push through the Lib Dem budget, include proposals to remove the school buses, instead of an alternative Labour budget.
Rather than cutting school transport services, we should be looking at extending them. The total cost of doing this would be around £1.5m.
The Lib Dems are happy to spend a similar figure rebuilding the scarcely used Gayton Swimming Pool so there really is no excuse for what they're planning.
What I find so incredibly frustrating is that we're not just demanding something without backing it up. Our properly balanced alternative budget showed how our plans would have been affordable, but the Lib Dems refuse to sit down and discuss it with us.
There will be opportunities to sign the petition at various locations across the city in the coming weeks.
Saturday 27 June 2009
NATIONAL SURVEY EXPOSES LIB DEMS FOR FAILING DERBY CONFIDENCE IN DERBY
City Council and the services it provides have plummeted since the Liberal Democrats seized control last May.
That is the verdict of a national survey administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government and carried out last autumn.
The Place Survey shows Derby, which achieved 'Excellent' four-star status under a previous Labour administration, is now underachieving in the eyes of residents.
Just 35 per cent of Derby residents were either very or even fairly satisfied with how the council runs things, compared with more than 45 per cent nationally.
The city also fell below the national average in terms of the perceived value for money of services offered.
Derby's council tax was the lowest in the region throughout the previous Labour administration's time in office, but that record has fallen under the Lib Dems.
The numbers of people who felt they had been able to influence decisions in their local area and who felt the city was a good place to live, were also lower in Derby than nationally.
These results are disappointing but not surprising. The Lib Dems have demonstrated a lack of competence since taking control of the city and it was inevitable that people would become frustrated.
Just look at how the Lib Dems tried to close the city's public toilets and how they are now trying to remove school bus services.
Look at how they scrapped regeneration plans for the Exeter House flats in favour of retaining a decrepit building.
The regeneration proposals on Full Street and the former Debenhams site also appear to have petered out.
They're charging the elderly for home care services that we provided for free, and they've so far failed to back any of our suggestions for helping the city through the recession.
One of the most disappointing findings was that fewer people feel able to influence council decisions. When Labour ran the Council we put a lot of effort into creating neighbourhood forums precisely to give local people more say over local public services.
It's been a shameful first year for the Lib Dems and it appears the Derby public now feels they've seen the Lib Dems' true colours.
That is the verdict of a national survey administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government and carried out last autumn.
The Place Survey shows Derby, which achieved 'Excellent' four-star status under a previous Labour administration, is now underachieving in the eyes of residents.
Just 35 per cent of Derby residents were either very or even fairly satisfied with how the council runs things, compared with more than 45 per cent nationally.
The city also fell below the national average in terms of the perceived value for money of services offered.
Derby's council tax was the lowest in the region throughout the previous Labour administration's time in office, but that record has fallen under the Lib Dems.
The numbers of people who felt they had been able to influence decisions in their local area and who felt the city was a good place to live, were also lower in Derby than nationally.
These results are disappointing but not surprising. The Lib Dems have demonstrated a lack of competence since taking control of the city and it was inevitable that people would become frustrated.
Just look at how the Lib Dems tried to close the city's public toilets and how they are now trying to remove school bus services.
Look at how they scrapped regeneration plans for the Exeter House flats in favour of retaining a decrepit building.
The regeneration proposals on Full Street and the former Debenhams site also appear to have petered out.
They're charging the elderly for home care services that we provided for free, and they've so far failed to back any of our suggestions for helping the city through the recession.
One of the most disappointing findings was that fewer people feel able to influence council decisions. When Labour ran the Council we put a lot of effort into creating neighbourhood forums precisely to give local people more say over local public services.
It's been a shameful first year for the Lib Dems and it appears the Derby public now feels they've seen the Lib Dems' true colours.
Thursday 25 June 2009
Progressives Should Unite Behind Labour to Defeat Fascists
THE recent European and local elections brought the usual mix of excitement, with jubilation in some quarters and dejection in others.
As a Labour councillor, my overall feeling was inevitably one of disappointment, although the European results in Derby itself were actually more encouraging.
Aside from the Tory strongholds of Allestree and Spondon, Labour bucked the national trend topping the poll in other parts of the city.
But whichever way you voted, whatever allegiance you have, there was something unpleasant lurking for everyone to worry about that night.
And the cause for alarm was the BNP.
This far right party secured two European seats, in the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside regions.
The two individuals who were elected that night are part of a movement that says people with minority ethnic backgrounds can never be considered to be British.
As someone who feels passionately about politics at every level, this ideology makes me feel almost physically sick.
Thankfully the BNP were kept at bay in the Derbyshire County Council elections, but the number of votes they garnered in defeat is still cause for concern.
I am really worried that the fragmentation and proliferation of political parties does not secure the outcomes that people desire.
It’s surely no coincidence that Labour’s demise nationally has coincided with the increase in votes for minor parties with very similar agendas.
That’s fair enough, but ultimately it is the segregation of votes that creates openings which parties like the BNP can exploit.
There’s no doubt that there’s a growing tendency for people to vote for minority parties.
Not just extremists like the BNP, but also perfectly respectable alternatives such as the Green Party.
Of course, people have every right to vote whichever way they please, but I can’t help feeling that the mainstream parties still provide a better alternative.
For example, when Labour controlled Derby City Council we put environmental issues at the top of our agenda with plans to cut carbon emissions, generate clean energy and build eco friendly housing.
So could Labour have been a viable alternative for people who voted Green?
The answer is almost certainly yes, but there is an insane irony in that a vote for a minority party can ultimately help a party with entirely opposing policies to win instead.
That’s why I would like to see what I would describe as a “coalition of progressives” coming together in Derby to achive radical reforms in our city.
I’ve voted Labour all my life and it goes without saying that I should declare an interest at this point.
But the reality is to bring about change you need to achieve political power. If we can persuade a “coalition of Derby’s progressives” to rally behind Labour’s banner we can make the radical changes they want to see that will take our city forward..
Electoral systems in some countries work in stages, with the party achieving the lowest tally dropping out at each stage and the votes being redistributed to second, third and sometimes fourth choice alternatives.
The system gradually removes those parties that stand no chance of winning to ensure that nobody’s vote is wasted – or ineffective.
Perhaps if we had that system, the results at the recent local elections might have been quite different.
Gordon Brown’s announcement that the government intends to look at democratic reform is therefore particularly timely.
But until such a change is made, it is our responsibility as politicians to do all we can to ensure people know exactly what we stand for.
And it is every person’s responsibility to make sure their vote counts.
As a Labour councillor, my overall feeling was inevitably one of disappointment, although the European results in Derby itself were actually more encouraging.
Aside from the Tory strongholds of Allestree and Spondon, Labour bucked the national trend topping the poll in other parts of the city.
But whichever way you voted, whatever allegiance you have, there was something unpleasant lurking for everyone to worry about that night.
And the cause for alarm was the BNP.
This far right party secured two European seats, in the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside regions.
The two individuals who were elected that night are part of a movement that says people with minority ethnic backgrounds can never be considered to be British.
As someone who feels passionately about politics at every level, this ideology makes me feel almost physically sick.
Thankfully the BNP were kept at bay in the Derbyshire County Council elections, but the number of votes they garnered in defeat is still cause for concern.
I am really worried that the fragmentation and proliferation of political parties does not secure the outcomes that people desire.
It’s surely no coincidence that Labour’s demise nationally has coincided with the increase in votes for minor parties with very similar agendas.
That’s fair enough, but ultimately it is the segregation of votes that creates openings which parties like the BNP can exploit.
There’s no doubt that there’s a growing tendency for people to vote for minority parties.
Not just extremists like the BNP, but also perfectly respectable alternatives such as the Green Party.
Of course, people have every right to vote whichever way they please, but I can’t help feeling that the mainstream parties still provide a better alternative.
For example, when Labour controlled Derby City Council we put environmental issues at the top of our agenda with plans to cut carbon emissions, generate clean energy and build eco friendly housing.
So could Labour have been a viable alternative for people who voted Green?
The answer is almost certainly yes, but there is an insane irony in that a vote for a minority party can ultimately help a party with entirely opposing policies to win instead.
That’s why I would like to see what I would describe as a “coalition of progressives” coming together in Derby to achive radical reforms in our city.
I’ve voted Labour all my life and it goes without saying that I should declare an interest at this point.
But the reality is to bring about change you need to achieve political power. If we can persuade a “coalition of Derby’s progressives” to rally behind Labour’s banner we can make the radical changes they want to see that will take our city forward..
Electoral systems in some countries work in stages, with the party achieving the lowest tally dropping out at each stage and the votes being redistributed to second, third and sometimes fourth choice alternatives.
The system gradually removes those parties that stand no chance of winning to ensure that nobody’s vote is wasted – or ineffective.
Perhaps if we had that system, the results at the recent local elections might have been quite different.
Gordon Brown’s announcement that the government intends to look at democratic reform is therefore particularly timely.
But until such a change is made, it is our responsibility as politicians to do all we can to ensure people know exactly what we stand for.
And it is every person’s responsibility to make sure their vote counts.
Labour’s agenda for environmental change
CATASTROPHIC climate change is the single biggest challenge facing the world right now. It hangs over all of us like the sword of Damocles.
So what are we to do?
We clearly need innovative and bold measures to address this challenge. But that requires political action and to take political action requires political power.
When Labour ran the City Council, we recognised the need for political action and in 2006 committed the Council to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 per cent within five years.
We also set out a vision to make Derby self sufficient in renewable energy by 2025.
Earlier this year we explained how the Council could provide insulation grants to help local people cut their fuel bills by making their homes more energy efficient
We also outlined proposals for the Council to improve public transport, protect the school bus services and introduce a direct bus link to the City Hospital.
All these measures have either been abandoned or voted down before they got started by the combined voting strength of Derby’s Liberal Democrat and Conservative Councillors, which currently outnumber Labour.
Meanwhile the Labour Government has passed the Climate Change Act, which is a world first. It binds the UK government by law to reduce carbon emissions by a third by 2020 and by 80% by 2050.
Renewable energy has doubled in five years and the government is aiming to generate 15% of the nation’s energy requirements from renewables by 2020.
Just think what we could achieve in Derby if the Council embraced our proposals and worked to complement the environmental measures being taken by the government.
Labour’s local programme for renewable energy, reduced energy costs through improved insulation and better public transport would put Derby in the vanguard of cities taking action to develop a low carbon economy.
That’s why I am calling on local people to get behind Labour’s agenda for environmental change in our city.
So what are we to do?
We clearly need innovative and bold measures to address this challenge. But that requires political action and to take political action requires political power.
When Labour ran the City Council, we recognised the need for political action and in 2006 committed the Council to reduce its carbon emissions by 25 per cent within five years.
We also set out a vision to make Derby self sufficient in renewable energy by 2025.
Earlier this year we explained how the Council could provide insulation grants to help local people cut their fuel bills by making their homes more energy efficient
We also outlined proposals for the Council to improve public transport, protect the school bus services and introduce a direct bus link to the City Hospital.
All these measures have either been abandoned or voted down before they got started by the combined voting strength of Derby’s Liberal Democrat and Conservative Councillors, which currently outnumber Labour.
Meanwhile the Labour Government has passed the Climate Change Act, which is a world first. It binds the UK government by law to reduce carbon emissions by a third by 2020 and by 80% by 2050.
Renewable energy has doubled in five years and the government is aiming to generate 15% of the nation’s energy requirements from renewables by 2020.
Just think what we could achieve in Derby if the Council embraced our proposals and worked to complement the environmental measures being taken by the government.
Labour’s local programme for renewable energy, reduced energy costs through improved insulation and better public transport would put Derby in the vanguard of cities taking action to develop a low carbon economy.
That’s why I am calling on local people to get behind Labour’s agenda for environmental change in our city.
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