DERBY’S Liberal Democrats, who are in charge of Derby City Council, have just reported a massive underspend of £2.2 million in social care services.
In 2005 the Labour Party scrapped the home care charges that were introduced when the Lib Dems last ran the council in partnership with the Tories between 2003 - 2005.
When the Lib Dems seized control last year, one of their first acts was to issue a consultation paper on reintroducing home care charges for vulnerable people.
The only individuals who were exempt from the imposition of these swingeing charges were those who could show they were surviving on meagre incomes.
Despite protestations from hundreds of service users and their carers, a hefty charge was imposed at the beginning of this year.
Unsurprisingly, every single Conservative councillor joined forces with the Lib Dems in ignoring Labour’s evidence, which firmly demonstrated that these charges weren’t necessary.
The Liberal Democrats claimed that £2 million was needed to meet an anticipated increase in demand for services.
This was either deliberate scare mongering to justify the imposition of charging or a truly staggering demonstration of incompetence by this shambolic administration?
It’s cold comfort that Labour’s arguments have been vindicated because vulnerable people are being impoverished by this unnecessary and mean-spirited policy.
I just hope the electorate remember the Lib Dems' shameful record and the complicity of Derby’s Conservative councillors who have backed many of the most controversial policies.
Friday 24 July 2009
Friday 17 July 2009
TORIES DESERVE THEIR TITLE AS THE NASTY PARTY
The future of hunting wild animals for sport could finally be determined by the outcome of the next general election, which must be called within the next 12 months.
Of course Parliament banned hunting five years ago when it passed the Hunting Act thanks to the support of Labour MPs. Most Tory MPs were against the ban
Mahatma Gandhi once said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
So for this nation of so-called animal lovers, the Hunting Act represents a huge leap forward.
Some people say the Hunting Act isn’t working, but I am sure most hunters obey the law.
There have been examples where hunting and chasing animals for sport has still occurred, but the difference now is that it’s a criminal offence.
That is why some bloodsports fanatics are clinging to the hope that the election of a Conservative Government would decriminalise chasing and killing wild animals with a pack of dogs.
Meanwhile, organisations like the League Against Cruel Sports are working hard with the police and prosecutors to clamp down on those who continue to break the law.
And some hunters have been successfully prosecuted after being caught out by hunt monitors who videoed their illegal activities.
The hunting lobby now claims to have more support than ever but the reality is the bloodsports lobby represents a tiny minority of the population.
Hardly anybody supports the ritualised setting of dogs onto animals for sport, apart from bloodsports extremists themselves.
The time for hunting animals for sport has passed, the hunters just don’t accept it yet, but the general public do.
That is why the hunters see this general election as their last chance to turn the political tide in their favour again.
They know that it is only David Cameron’s Conservatives who are taking them seriously. The Liberal Democrats are at best divided on the issue, while Labour is overwhelmingly behind the ban.
It’s hard to understand why politicians in the Conservative Party, from David Cameron down, want to devote parliamentary time to this issue.
Many of those selfsame Conservative politicians said Parliament had more important issues to consider when the Hunting Act was being debated first time around.
Opinion polls reveal most Conservative voters support the hunting ban, yet David Cameron and the Conservative Party remain bedazzled by the hunters.
A YouGov opinion poll published I the Daily Mirror on Friday 17 July 2009, reveals that 59 per cent of voters would be less likely to vote for candidates who favour decriminalising hunting. Given that most Tory parliamentary candidates support hunting, the outcome of the general election could be determined by this issue.
The same poll revealed that 56 per cent of the public link the Tories’ support for hunting with their ‘nasty party’ image, rather than the ‘compassionate conservatism’ image that David Cameron is trying to cultivate.
The Conservative Party’s association with killing wildlife for fun suggests that the term ‘compassionate conservatism’ is in fact an oxymoron.
This issue could be the one that makes people realise that David Cameron’s assertion that the Conservative Party has changed is just a smokescreen. It might encourage people to examine some of the Conservatives’ other policies that are as equally dubious as their support for the ‘killing for fun brigade’.
It was the former chair of the Conservative Party, Theresa May, who told the 2002 Conservative Party conference that the Tories are seen as the ‘nasty party’. Her party’s stance on bloodsports reinforces the view that they still are.
Of course Parliament banned hunting five years ago when it passed the Hunting Act thanks to the support of Labour MPs. Most Tory MPs were against the ban
Mahatma Gandhi once said: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
So for this nation of so-called animal lovers, the Hunting Act represents a huge leap forward.
Some people say the Hunting Act isn’t working, but I am sure most hunters obey the law.
There have been examples where hunting and chasing animals for sport has still occurred, but the difference now is that it’s a criminal offence.
That is why some bloodsports fanatics are clinging to the hope that the election of a Conservative Government would decriminalise chasing and killing wild animals with a pack of dogs.
Meanwhile, organisations like the League Against Cruel Sports are working hard with the police and prosecutors to clamp down on those who continue to break the law.
And some hunters have been successfully prosecuted after being caught out by hunt monitors who videoed their illegal activities.
The hunting lobby now claims to have more support than ever but the reality is the bloodsports lobby represents a tiny minority of the population.
Hardly anybody supports the ritualised setting of dogs onto animals for sport, apart from bloodsports extremists themselves.
The time for hunting animals for sport has passed, the hunters just don’t accept it yet, but the general public do.
That is why the hunters see this general election as their last chance to turn the political tide in their favour again.
They know that it is only David Cameron’s Conservatives who are taking them seriously. The Liberal Democrats are at best divided on the issue, while Labour is overwhelmingly behind the ban.
It’s hard to understand why politicians in the Conservative Party, from David Cameron down, want to devote parliamentary time to this issue.
Many of those selfsame Conservative politicians said Parliament had more important issues to consider when the Hunting Act was being debated first time around.
Opinion polls reveal most Conservative voters support the hunting ban, yet David Cameron and the Conservative Party remain bedazzled by the hunters.
A YouGov opinion poll published I the Daily Mirror on Friday 17 July 2009, reveals that 59 per cent of voters would be less likely to vote for candidates who favour decriminalising hunting. Given that most Tory parliamentary candidates support hunting, the outcome of the general election could be determined by this issue.
The same poll revealed that 56 per cent of the public link the Tories’ support for hunting with their ‘nasty party’ image, rather than the ‘compassionate conservatism’ image that David Cameron is trying to cultivate.
The Conservative Party’s association with killing wildlife for fun suggests that the term ‘compassionate conservatism’ is in fact an oxymoron.
This issue could be the one that makes people realise that David Cameron’s assertion that the Conservative Party has changed is just a smokescreen. It might encourage people to examine some of the Conservatives’ other policies that are as equally dubious as their support for the ‘killing for fun brigade’.
It was the former chair of the Conservative Party, Theresa May, who told the 2002 Conservative Party conference that the Tories are seen as the ‘nasty party’. Her party’s stance on bloodsports reinforces the view that they still are.
Saturday 11 July 2009
MEATLESS MONDAYS TO HELP TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE
The impact of the meat industry on global warming has started to receive some attention in recent years.
Now the Belgian town of Ghent, located in the First World War killing fields of Flanders, is promoting life through its ‘Meatless Thursdays’ campaign.
The Ghent City Council says it is the first town in Europe and probably the western world to try to make the entire place vegetarian for one day every week.
The idea behind the campaign is to reduce Ghent’s impact on the climate.
If everyone in Derby followed suit and didn’t eat meat for one day every week it would make a big impact on CO2 emissions. Ghent is slightly smaller than Derby, but it’s been estimated their campaign could save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road.
This isn’t that surprising when you consider the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2006 report, which revealed that the livestock industry generates 18% of greenhouse gases – more than the entirety of world transportation, which accounts for 16%.
This is because the principle greenhouse gases - methane, carbon dioxide and industrial fumes- are all inextricably linked to the meat industry. The primary sources of methane are due to both the clearance of forests required for cattle grazing and agriculture as well the gases produced by the animals themselves which is released in their excrement.
Carbon dioxide pollution also rests mainly in the hands of meat producers: producing one kilogram of meat releases the equivalent of 3-4 kilograms of carbon dioxide!
It requires huge energy production and consumption for fertilizer production, forest clearance and maintenance of animal facilities. This all puts the meat industry at the top of the climate changing league.
I wonder if people knew the facts about the meat industry's impact on climate change, whether they would support a Ghent-like 'Meatless Mondays' campaign in Derby?
In Ghent every restaurant in the city guarantees a vegetarian dish on the menu, with some going fully vegetarian every Thursday. And from September, Ghent’s schools are to make a meat-free meal the only option every Thursday, although parents can insist on meat for their children. The local hospital also wants to join in too.
It's clear that some some lifestyle changes are needed to tackle the biggest challenge that the human race has ever encountered. Eating less meat is probaby one of the most significant things we can do.
Now the Belgian town of Ghent, located in the First World War killing fields of Flanders, is promoting life through its ‘Meatless Thursdays’ campaign.
The Ghent City Council says it is the first town in Europe and probably the western world to try to make the entire place vegetarian for one day every week.
The idea behind the campaign is to reduce Ghent’s impact on the climate.
If everyone in Derby followed suit and didn’t eat meat for one day every week it would make a big impact on CO2 emissions. Ghent is slightly smaller than Derby, but it’s been estimated their campaign could save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road.
This isn’t that surprising when you consider the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2006 report, which revealed that the livestock industry generates 18% of greenhouse gases – more than the entirety of world transportation, which accounts for 16%.
This is because the principle greenhouse gases - methane, carbon dioxide and industrial fumes- are all inextricably linked to the meat industry. The primary sources of methane are due to both the clearance of forests required for cattle grazing and agriculture as well the gases produced by the animals themselves which is released in their excrement.
Carbon dioxide pollution also rests mainly in the hands of meat producers: producing one kilogram of meat releases the equivalent of 3-4 kilograms of carbon dioxide!
It requires huge energy production and consumption for fertilizer production, forest clearance and maintenance of animal facilities. This all puts the meat industry at the top of the climate changing league.
I wonder if people knew the facts about the meat industry's impact on climate change, whether they would support a Ghent-like 'Meatless Mondays' campaign in Derby?
In Ghent every restaurant in the city guarantees a vegetarian dish on the menu, with some going fully vegetarian every Thursday. And from September, Ghent’s schools are to make a meat-free meal the only option every Thursday, although parents can insist on meat for their children. The local hospital also wants to join in too.
It's clear that some some lifestyle changes are needed to tackle the biggest challenge that the human race has ever encountered. Eating less meat is probaby one of the most significant things we can do.
Friday 10 July 2009
Tories Are a Threat to Employment Rights
The recession that we are currently enduring is the forth in 40 years, but it’s the deepest since the 1930s.
Thankfully the steps taken by this Labour government have minimised its impact on ordinary working people who bore the brunt of previous recessions when the Conservatives were in government.
But unemployment has inevitably risen which is why I have asked the city council to bid for the government’s £1bn ‘Future Jobs Fund’ to create additional employment opportunities in Derby.
In previous recessions, low paid workers in particular were subject to even greater exploitation, but the introduction the National Minimum Wage 10 years ago, and its annual uplift has put a stop to that.
Before Labour came back into office in 1997, unscrupulous employers could hire and fire virtually at will and in a recession, even more people would have lost their jobs. In previous economic downturns, vulnerable workers were often treated with contempt by unscrupulous employers.
But workers nowadays enjoy protection against unfair dismissal after 12 months in a job and compensation of up to £63,000 if they are dismissed unfairly.
It was the Labour government that also gave workers the right to paid leave of 24 days a year, which increased to 28 days last April. Prior to Labour giving workers a statutory entitlement to paid holidays, some employees didn’t receive any holiday pay at all.
These employment rights have been complemented by measures such paid maternity leave, which now stands at 39 weeks, with two weeks paid paternity leave for new fathers as well.
I shudder to think what would have happened to the rights of ordinary working people had David Cameron’s Conservatives been at the helm in this recession.
We’ve already seen a group of Tories trying to bring in legislation giving employers carte blanche to opt out of the minimum wage. Just think of the havoc the Conservatives would wreak if they were in government.
History shows us that with a Conservative government in power during a recession, welfare is cut and unemployment goes up
Make no mistake, if the David Cameron wins the general election, the welfare and employment rights we enjoy today will be bulldozed away and long term mass unemployment will make a comeback.
Thankfully the steps taken by this Labour government have minimised its impact on ordinary working people who bore the brunt of previous recessions when the Conservatives were in government.
But unemployment has inevitably risen which is why I have asked the city council to bid for the government’s £1bn ‘Future Jobs Fund’ to create additional employment opportunities in Derby.
In previous recessions, low paid workers in particular were subject to even greater exploitation, but the introduction the National Minimum Wage 10 years ago, and its annual uplift has put a stop to that.
Before Labour came back into office in 1997, unscrupulous employers could hire and fire virtually at will and in a recession, even more people would have lost their jobs. In previous economic downturns, vulnerable workers were often treated with contempt by unscrupulous employers.
But workers nowadays enjoy protection against unfair dismissal after 12 months in a job and compensation of up to £63,000 if they are dismissed unfairly.
It was the Labour government that also gave workers the right to paid leave of 24 days a year, which increased to 28 days last April. Prior to Labour giving workers a statutory entitlement to paid holidays, some employees didn’t receive any holiday pay at all.
These employment rights have been complemented by measures such paid maternity leave, which now stands at 39 weeks, with two weeks paid paternity leave for new fathers as well.
I shudder to think what would have happened to the rights of ordinary working people had David Cameron’s Conservatives been at the helm in this recession.
We’ve already seen a group of Tories trying to bring in legislation giving employers carte blanche to opt out of the minimum wage. Just think of the havoc the Conservatives would wreak if they were in government.
History shows us that with a Conservative government in power during a recession, welfare is cut and unemployment goes up
Make no mistake, if the David Cameron wins the general election, the welfare and employment rights we enjoy today will be bulldozed away and long term mass unemployment will make a comeback.
Monday 6 July 2009
Copenhagen Could be a Turning Point
This December a summit in Copenhagen, involving environment ministers from 192 nations, will consider how to tackle climate change.
It is not an exaggeration to say their decisions will have a profound effect on the human race.
The impact of climate change isn’t just something affecting far-flung countries on the other side of the globe.
The unusual weather patterns that we’ve witnessed in recent years should be a wake-up call for all of us.
Scientists are already predicting the situation in Britain could get worse.
Summer rainwater could drop by a quarter, winter rains could increase by almost a third and flooding from heavier rainstorms is likely to become more commonplace.
So it’s essential that this summit reaches the right conclusions for the long-term future of our civilisation.
At the end of June the Labour Government published “The Road to Copenhagen”. Labour’s ministers will be pressing for a worldwide agreement to stop the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases in the next decade and to start reducing them.
But it’s imperative that all nations sign up to secure a global deal, with support being given to the poorest countries to enable them to also play their part.
Of course Derby is well placed to secure an economic bonus from taking action to address climate change.
Our High-tech industries could be at the forefront of developing carbon capture technology, low-carbon and renewable energy production and environmentally friendly consumer goods too.
And the depressed construction industry could also benefit from a spending bonanza through a massive investment in the insulation of residential and commercial premises making them more energy efficient.
I would therefore urge everyone to join Labour’s campaign to stand up for the future of our children by calling on governments around the world to act now!
People can pledge their support at http://www.labour.org.uk/copenhagen_pledge
It is not an exaggeration to say their decisions will have a profound effect on the human race.
The impact of climate change isn’t just something affecting far-flung countries on the other side of the globe.
The unusual weather patterns that we’ve witnessed in recent years should be a wake-up call for all of us.
Scientists are already predicting the situation in Britain could get worse.
Summer rainwater could drop by a quarter, winter rains could increase by almost a third and flooding from heavier rainstorms is likely to become more commonplace.
So it’s essential that this summit reaches the right conclusions for the long-term future of our civilisation.
At the end of June the Labour Government published “The Road to Copenhagen”. Labour’s ministers will be pressing for a worldwide agreement to stop the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases in the next decade and to start reducing them.
But it’s imperative that all nations sign up to secure a global deal, with support being given to the poorest countries to enable them to also play their part.
Of course Derby is well placed to secure an economic bonus from taking action to address climate change.
Our High-tech industries could be at the forefront of developing carbon capture technology, low-carbon and renewable energy production and environmentally friendly consumer goods too.
And the depressed construction industry could also benefit from a spending bonanza through a massive investment in the insulation of residential and commercial premises making them more energy efficient.
I would therefore urge everyone to join Labour’s campaign to stand up for the future of our children by calling on governments around the world to act now!
People can pledge their support at http://www.labour.org.uk/copenhagen_pledge
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