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A weapon that comes down as still as snowflakes fall upon the sod; But executes a freeman’s will, As lightening does the will of God; And from its force, nor doors nor locks can shield you; ‘tis the ballot box. John Pierpont One affordable way to help the Labour Party is to donate some of your loose change. Just use an old container and put in a few small coins every
day. Treasurer@pendlelabour.com
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 Wednesday 08 May 2013 Jim Mortimer 1921 - 2013  Jim Mortimer (centre) circa 1982 Pendle Labour Party mourns the loss of Jim Mortimer, a former general secretary of the Labour Party and a leading figure in the Labour Movement for over 60 years. He was a committed socialist and activist in the draughtsman’s union. In 1969, to the surprise of many of his political allies, Jim accepted Barbara Castle's invitation to serve on the National Board for Prices and Incomes. Jim was appointed in the summer of 1974 as the first chairman of the Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). In 1982 Jim became general secretary of the Labour Party. Friday 03 May 2013 Conservatives lose control of Lancashire - BBC  Jennifer Mein, Labour's group leader, said she was "delighted" with the result. The Conservative Party has lost control of Lancashire County Council. The Labour Party made 23 gains but fell four seats short of getting overall control of the county. It now holds the majority with 39 seats. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband had targeted Lancashire as a key battlefield. Among the other results was the British National Party's (BNP) loss of its only county council seat in the country. More>> Thursday 18 April 2013 Job Seekers Allowance  Ian Graham the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central has written to the Colne Times, pointing out failings in the Government’s approach to Job Seekers Allowance: “The Rt Hon Ian Duncan Smith MP used to believe in compassionate Conservatism and the need to act on social justice and poverty in the UK. What we have seen more recently are further symptoms of the Tory Lib Dem Coalition’s failure with the economy and these symptoms illustrate how they react when under pressure. In order to divert blame away from themselves they are directing it at the poor. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 16 April 2013 North ‘hit harder by welfare cuts’ - Lancashire Telegraph  Blackburn with Darwen council leader Kate Hollern has backed an ‘Austerity Audit’ by the Financial Times which claims northern towns will be five times harder hit by government welfare reforms than those in the south. More>> Saturday 13 April 2013 The ‘Bedroom tax’ and other cuts – Ian Graham Labour Candidate Pendle Central  Commenting to Labour Party activists on letters to the Colne Times, Ian Graham said: “I recently wrote to the Colne Times on the subject of the ‘Bedroom tax’ “Tory Councillor Joe Cooney replied with an offer to help me get my facts straight. I have responded and asked him to confirm the following Tory inspired cuts which will affect people in Pendle: Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Thursday 11 April 2013 By Election Coates Ward – Pendle Borough Council  The Labour Party Candidate in the Coates Ward By Election is Christopher John McKimm Following the selection meeting Chris said: " I am very pleased to have been selected to be the Labour Candidate for the Coates by election 2013. I am 35 years old and an ex-Army soldier. Coates is very close to my heart, it is where I was raised as a child. I attended Coates Lane County Primary School and had a very happy childhood in this very close knit community where I still know many residents. "Now I wish to serve the people of Coates and give this ward a Labour voice on Pendle Borough Council. "The Liberal Democrats are becoming a spent force in Pendle politics as they continue to prop up the Tories. I can promise each and every Coates resident who raises an issue with me that I will not just listen, I will act to do my very best to get any issue sorted out with the help of my Labour colleagues." Friday 05 April 2013 Tuesday 02 April 2013
Wednesday 27 March 2013 Bedroom tax: 'A lot of disabled people are very scared'  Wayne Blackburn and his wife live in a small, social housing bungalow in Nelson, Lancashire. Mr Blackburn suffers from conditions which severely limit his mobility and leave him in constant pain. Although their house is classified as a two bedroom property, the second bedroom is principally used to store mobility aids. The Blackburns stand to lose about £12 per week as a result of the benefit changes and Wayne says he fears whether they will be able to make ends meet. View the BBC Video. Pendle Labour Party invites local MP Andrew Stephenson and Pendle Council Leader Joe Cooney to tell us what they are going to do to help Mr & Mrs Blackburn. Tuesday 26 March 2013 Spring Garden and Green Road Mills Ian Graham, the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central has written to the Colne Times in response to a published letter from Conservative Councillor, Paul White. Ian wrote: I would like to respond to Paul White’s letter criticizing my views on the demolition of Spring Garden and Green Road Mills. If Mr. White had taken the trouble to read what I actually said, he would not have concluded that I was simply against the demolition of the Mill and for the site to be redeveloped. I have had a long and interesting meeting with Mr Stephen Wolfenden, the original owner of the buildings who passed the business over to his sons some time ago and they now own the site. He, like many other Colne residents such as Carol England and David Penney who have expressed their views in your letter pages, is against complete demolition. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 15 March 2013 Labour’s Shadow Environment Minister Mary Creagh MP visit to Colne  Mary Creagh MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary with Labour’s 2013 County Candidates (from the left): Azhar Ali (Nelson South); David Johns (West Craven); Ian Graham (Pendle Central) and Mohammed Iqbal (Brierfield & Nelson North). Members of the public from across Pendle were invited to meet Mary Creagh MP at Primet Community at 2.00pm. The meeting was run by North West Regional Labour Party and Chaired by Azhar Ali, Labour’s Candidate for Nelson South 2013. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 15 March 2013 Rough Justice  Azhar Ali, the Labour Candidate for Nelson South speaking on the Conservative/Liberal Democrat proposed cuts to legal Aid, said: “Another penny-pinching scheme to be introduced by this sad Tory/Lib Dem government is going to hit hardest the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 08 March 2013 Bedroom Tax Ian Graham, Labour Candidate Pendle Central Division, has written the following letter to the Colne Times: I wish to highlight further the incompetent, unfair and out of touch policy the Lib Dem Tory Coalition will introduce this April designed to penalise people on benefits who have a spare bedroom. This so-called ‘bedroom tax’ tells you everything you need to know about David Cameron and his Tory-led government. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 08 March 2013 International Women’s Day – 2013  As we join the World in celebrating International Women’s Day It is a good time to also celebrate the life of Pendle’s own suffragist Selina Cooper (1864-1946). Selina Cooper was born in Callington, Cornwall and moved with her parents to Barnoldswick. She later lived in Nelson. An activists for the rights of women, Selina Cooper was a member of the North of England Society for Women’s Suffrage, the Women’s Co-operative Guild, the Independent Labour Party and the Cotton Worker’s Union. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Monday 04 March 2013 Source locally  Mark Porter, Labour Candidate Pendle West Division, challenges Lancashire County Council to source locally for school meals: “While I welcome the comments made by Tesco's chief executive to the National Farmers’ Union conference last week, that in light of the horsemeat scandal his company will now source more meat from UK suppliers, I found such comments a little hard to take Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 01 March 2013 Feeling the squeeze  David Johns the Labour Party Candidate for West Craven Division commenting on the effects of the austerity and taxation measures introduced by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Government said: “Families in Pendle are really feeling the squeeze at the moment. People are working harder, for longer, for less - but at the same time, prices continue to go up and up. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 26 February 2013 Pendle Cllr Ian Tweedie’s unfinished business at the Shackleton Hall, Colne  Labour Cllr Ian Tweedie was contacted by a wheelchair-bound Colne resident about the newly refurbished Shackleton Hall. Because of the gradient of the pavement, entry to Shackleton Hall for wheelchair users was difficult, hazardous and almost impossible. When presented with a step of uneven proportions, wheelchairs tend to mount one side but not the other causing them to skew round and often fall over. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Saturday 23 February 2013 Childcare Commission  Sheena Dunn, Labour Candidate Pendle East Division speaking about Labour’s Childcare Commission said: “As a mother myself and as a Labour Party Pendle Borough Councillor, I know parents in Pendle are facing increased pressure when bringing up their children. “Childcare places in Children’s Centres up and down the country are being lost despite David Cameron’s pre-election promise to parents that he backed Sure Start. Government cuts to the childcare element of the working tax credit mean families are up to £1,500 a year worse off. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 22 February 2013  Download your free copy (PDF 1.3MB) Thursday 21 February 2013 Pendle’s child poverty shame - Pendle Today  Shocking new figures have revealed that almost one in four children in Pendle are still living in poverty. And there are fears that the numbers, which were released by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, will rocket further if local authorities do not make the correct decisions when it comes to budget cuts. The research shows that a staggering 4,863 children in the borough are classed as being below the poverty line. Read more at pendletoday.co.uk Wednesday 13 February 2013 Monday 11 February 2013 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust - review of mortality rates  Pendle Labour would like to say it welcomes the review ordered by the Prime Minister about the high death rates in the East Lancashire hospitals NHS trust including Burnley and Blackburn but sincerely hope and believe that hard working men and women on the front line will not become scapegoats. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 08 February 2013 Extracting natural gas from Lancashire shale beds  Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, Pendle Labour Group Leader & County Councillor for Brierfield & Nelson North responding to enquiries about controversial natural gas extraction said: “A good number of folk have enquired what the Labour Party position is regarding fracking in Lancashire. Fracking is the extraction of natural methane gas from shale beds by drilling down and then using various techniques to free up the gas. Those who have seen the film ‘Gasland’, and the infamous clip of a man turning on a tap to be met with a wall of flames, will appreciate the environmental concerns on the minds of others. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 01 February 2013 Tories selling Pendle's people short Commenting on the outsourcing of the County Welfare Rights Service, Ian Graham the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central Division said: “I have been appalled by the recent decision of the Tories at County Hall to sell off the Welfare Rights Service to ‘One Connect’, the County Council’s business partnership with British Telecom. This move flies in the face of what people entitled to welfare need. At a time when the Government is making major changes to the system, this upheaval will only add to people's legitimate worries and confusion. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 29 January 2013 Cuts to Pendle Council Budget Mark Porter, Labour Party Candidate for Pendle West has written to the local newspaper with the following message: Last week saw the latest GDP figures released and whilst they did not come as a surprise to most it did highlight that as a country we now stand on the precipice of entering the uncharted waters of a triple dip recession. The lack of growth will result in further cuts by central government as they continue to ignore the advice of many leading economists and continue on to steer the ship in to the economic abyss. So what will this mean for the good people of Pendle? Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Monday 21 January 2013 The Palestine twinning debate – David Foat In last week's Nelson Leader/Colne Times series there were several letters complaining about a democratically reached decision of Pendle Council regarding a proposal to ‘twin’ with a town in Palestine. What is surprising is that it was two prominent Conservative councillors, who having lost the democratic debate in the council chamber, felt the need to mount an attack on the leader of the Labour Group via the local newspaper.  Previous Pendle MP Gordon Prentice with women from Beit Lid at Marsden Community School March 2009 David Foat, Secretary of Pendle CLP commenting on the letters said: "It seems to me that quite of few of the arguments in letters to the paper against twinning with Beit Lid could equally well apply to other towns Pendle is twinned with such as Marl in Germany and Creil in France. I understand that Pendle is also currently considering twinning with a town in Morocco." Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 18 January 2013 Let’s make banking work Sheena Dunn, the Labour Party Candidate Pendle East Division shares her thoughts on providing finance to business: While it is convenient for the Lib Dem Tory Coalition to place the blame for all our current woes at the doorstep of the previous Labour Government, sometimes that strategy becomes a little absurd. Recently, I heard one pundit say that the economic problems in Europe were to a large extent all the fault of the British Labour Party for not saving Lehman Brothers Bank. Apparently, had Labour have borrowed £billions more and saved the bank, this would have maintained the integrity of all the problems associated with Lehmans that now have to be dealt with piecemeal. So Labour are damned for borrowing too much and damned for not borrowing enough! Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 11 January 2013 Driving a bus through their pledges – David Johns David Johns, Labour Candidate for West Craven, as written to the local newspapers with the following ovservations: The Lib Dem Tory Coalition goes from bad to worse. At their recent ‘relaunch’ Cameron and Clegg said that their government was like a tin of Ronseal as ‘it does what it says on the tin’. The very next day we hear of a list of 70 things they promised to do but have not done. It may make for good slapstick comedy, but hardly a way to run the country. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 04 January 2013 The Coalition Government is making working families pay for the Coalition’s own failure – Ian Tweedie  Ian Tweedie commenting on the Tory/Lib Dem Government’s cuts in Working Tax Credit said: “Government figures recently released reveal families in Pendle will be hit by George Osborne’s and Danny Alexander’s cuts in Working Tax Credit. This will be in effect a ‘Strivers’ tax.’ “Working families in Pendle will be amazed that the Lib Dem Tory Coalition is asking them to pick up the tab for their failure at the same time as the Coalition gives a £3 billion tax cut to their millionaire chums. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Wednesday 02 January 2013 Council tax benefit to be slashed in Burnley and Pendle - Lancashire Telegraph The following article appeared in the Lancashire Telegraph on 22 December: Council tax benefit is set to be slashed by up to 20 per cent for working-age claimants in Pendle - and eight per cent in neighbouring Burnley. The Pendle scheme has been condemned as a ‘fundamental attack on the poor’, as 4,900 wait to hear the new charges they will face in 2013, which could be around £150 per year. Burnley’s alternative has been tempered by using a transition grant, offered by the government, and income from reforms to council tax payments for empty homes. More>> Saturday 29 December 2012 Congratulations to Steven Burke - MBE  Steve has been awarded a MBE in the New Year's Honours list for services to cycling. We expect this will be great news for Steve and his family and we are pleased to see a young man from Pendle becoming a source of inspiration for the community. Penny Clough of Barrowford, has also been recognised for her efforts with the Justice for Jane Campaign to change the law relating to bail. She also received an MBE. Eileen Bleasdale the Headteacher at Laneshaw Bridge Primary School is awarded an OBE for services to education. Friday 28 December 2012 Deep cuts to local Cancer Network Mark Porter, the Labour Candidate for Pendle West Division, commenting on the revelation of deep cuts to Cancer Networks said: “A survey of all Cancer Networks in England carried out by the Labour Party has revealed deep budget cuts. The budget for Lancashire & South Cumbria Cancer Network has been cut by 43%. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 21th December 2012 Burnley and Pendle hit with savage local government funding cuts - Lancashire Telegraph  " Burnley and Pendle face Whitehall grant cuts next year of almost 10 per cent, the highest in England. And they have been warned there is worse to come if they miss Government targets to increase efficiency. They and Hyndburn will see a reduction in central government support of at least 8.8 per cent – more than £1million – affecting services across the board. If they fail to meet Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles targets in reducing staff and outsourcing “back office” services, Burnley will see that reduction double to £3.5 million - 17.8 per cent. In Pendle’s case the cuts will rise to 14 per cent if they fail the government’s efficiency test." Read the full Lancashire Telegraph article here Friday 21 December 2012 Seasons Greetings Azhar Ali, Labour Candidate, Nelson South Division and President of Pendle Labour Party sends the Seasons Greetings to everyone and said: “I would also like to thank all those Nelson South Labour Party members who recently took part in the selection of a replacement Labour County Council Candidate for 2013. Nelson South County Councillor George Adam is standing down in 2013 and we would all like to say what an excellent councillor George has been for the Labour Party. His will be a hard act to follow but I am pleased to say that Nelson South members have chosen me to contest their division for Labour in 2013. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 18 December 2012 Labour Councillor welcomes Vivary Bridge improvements  Pendle Borough Councillor, Ian Tweedie, is pleased that he has helped secure funding to brighten up Vivary Way and Hyde Park areas of the ward. Ian says: “This part of Colne has become rather neglected of late. With the funding secured we should be able to brighten up this area with some landscaping and flower beds. The shrubbery at Hyde Park has already been cut back and I’m looking forward to seeing the improvements to the gardens on Vivary Way in the spring. There will also be some power cleaning at the bottom of Lancaster Street which was declared a ‘heritage street’ some years ago. ” Ian adds: “The work will be undertaken by Pendle’s Environmental Action Group.” Monday 10 December 2012 Osborne's Autumn budget piles even more austerity agony on women Sheena Dunn, Labour Candidate Pendle East Division, commenting on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement said: “As a result of George Osborne’s failure, the Lib Dem Tory Coalition Government are borrowing £212 billion more than they planned and will miss their debt target. “The first question to ask about the Autumn Statement is ‘what contribution will the banks make?’ The increased national debt’s really as a result of the tax income from banking suddenly drying up since the international credit crisis. Although quite whether people in charge of the banking sector could have foreseen the credit crisis any more than politicians of all political persuasions should have done is also a big question. In 2014/15, the Tory Chancellor is raising an additional £545 million through the bank levy but almost three times more, £1.43bn, is being taken from tax credits and discretionary benefits in the same year. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 07 December 2012 Christian Aid Green Climate Fund David Johns, Labour Candidate, West Craven Division commenting on the Green Climate Fund said: “The Labour Party fully supports the Christian Aid Green Climate Fund (GCF) campaign to increase the money available to developing nations, to help them adapt to climate change. This is why Labour in government allocated £2.9 billion to the Climate Change Fund, to be distributed through the International Climate Fund (ICF). £1.5 billion of that ICF funding is being used as the Fast Start finance pledge, and two-thirds have been allocated so far. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Thursday 06 December 2012 Public apology called for from BNP and Tories  Senior Nelson Councillor Kathleen Shore has been cleared by a Pendle Council investigation that she wrongly abused her position to secure the tenancy of a cottage in Nelson. During the local elections in May 2012, both parties had sent out leaflets across Pendle accusing Cllr Shore of wrong-doing. Cllr Shore said: “I was very angry that both BNP and Conservatives had made out that I was a liar and a cheat. In my decades of service to the people of Pendle, I have never abused my position and never will”. Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal who had called for the investigation said: “I am publicly calling upon the local Conservative Party and British National Party leaders to do the decent thing and apologise to Cllr Shore. It has been proven that she did nothing wrong. They were wrong to print lies and should now apologise to her publicly” Friday 30 November 2012 Coalition’s deep cut for Pendle Commenting on the Conservative/Liberal Democrat cuts to local authority budgets, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, Pendle Labour Group Leader & County Councillor for Brierfield & Nelson North Said: “Not so long ago the Government claimed “we’re all in this together” but with each passing day this seems more and more like a bad joke. In their determination to enforce a reckless cuts programme that goes too far and too fast, the Tories have slashed local council budgets but instead of spreading the load, they have deliberately targeted the communities that can least afford it, and it’s areas like Pendle that are paying the price. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 16 November 2012 Well Done Clive  Pendle Labour Party congratulates Clive Grunshaw on being elected The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Lancashire. The Liberal Democrat candidate Afzal Anwar who stood unsuccessfully in Pendle at the 2010 General Election came fourth in the first round of voting behind the candidate for the single-issue party, UKIP. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Thursday 15 November 2012 European Union Budget Responding to the “Mr Pendle” column in the Colne Times series, Ian Graham, Labour Party candidate for Pendle Central Division said: “As a Labour Party member, I am obliged to heartily agree with Mr Pendle when he says that there still needs to be some substantial reforms done to the European Union.". Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Sunday 11 November 2012 Thousands of nursing jobs cut Commenting on statistics released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre this week, Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Pendle Labour Group Leader & County Councillor for Brierfield & Nelson North said: “David Cameron and his Tory-led coalition government came into power promising to protect frontline NHS jobs but the evidence against that claim is stacking up, not just in the North West but across the country. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 02 November 2012 Mr Stephenson is wrong to be singing the Coalition’s praises. – David Johns David Johns Labour Candidate for West Craven Division, commenting on a recent article in the Barnoldswick and Earby Times series said: “In his column ‘From the House’ in your 19 October edition, Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said how pleased he was with the Lib Dem Tory Coalition’s record on employment: “Since the Coalition Government came to power we have introduced the largest welfare to work programme the UK has seen since the Great Depression, developed a £1billion package to help get our young people into work, and given apprenticeships to 142 young people every day”. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 26 October 2012 Searching for Sid  Mark Porter, Labour Candidate, Pendle West Division sets out a timely message to the energy companies and the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Government. Mark writes: “If you see Sid tell him”, was the advertising slogan used to promote the privatisation of British gas in the mid 1980’s. Well, in the absence of the mythical character I would like to send a message to the energy companies: “enough is enough”. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Monday 22 October 2012 Quiz Time  Who said: He wanted to see a shift in taxation from income being taxed to pollution being taxed. "The result of adopting these spending totals is that under a Conservative government there will be real increases in spending on public services, year after year. "The charge from our opponents that we will cut services becomes transparently false." “Any reduction we offer in one tax will have to be matched by a tax rise elsewhere” Find the answers here Friday 19 October 2012 Stop the badger cull – Sheena Dunn In response to the coalition governments pilot badge cull scheme the Labour Candidate for Pendle East, Sheena Dunn said: “The British government is giving in to pressure from farmers, rather than using the best scientific advice to stop badgers spreading TB to cattle. “The RSPCA and other animal welfare groups have been to Brussels to get support for a ban on British farmers killing badgers, and to press for measures towards an EU approved vaccination. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 16 October 2012 Pendle Labour welcomes revised boundary proposals Pendle Labour Party voted for Pendle to be kept together as far as possible and welcomes the news that the Boundary Commission has revised its original proposals which would have broken the constituency up. However, although the Boundary Commission was obliged to carry on with its work and produce these recommendations, it has been known for some time that the Liberal Democrats will not allow the Boundary changes to be passed into legislation, because the backwoodsmen in the Conservative Parliamentary Party voted down the Lib-Dem proposals for reforming the House of Lords. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Tuesday 16 October 2012 Nelson South County Councillor welcomes St Paul’s School and Walverden School success stories  County Councillor George Adam, who represents Nelson South on the County Council, has welcomed the good outcomes of campaigns against Tory attempts to force local primary schools into taking action against their wishes. Cllr Adam said: “Both St Paul’s CE Primary School and Walverden Primary School are in my patch. One was threatened by the Tory administration at County Hall with being moved into the neighbouring town, Brierfield, if it wanted to expand. The other was under threat of being forced by Secretary of State Michael Gove into becoming an academy, against the wishes of its staff, governors and parents.” Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Friday 12 October 2012 Social Insecurity Ian Graham, Labour Party Candidate for Pendle Central has written the following letter for the Nelson Leader/Colne Times: It’s quite a populist policy to hit out at so-called benefit scroungers or the ‘undeserving poor’ as the Victorians called them. However, this letter is about genuine disabled people and the lack of compassion being exhibited by the Lib Dem Tory Coalition in their reforms to our welfare system of health and social security. Follow this link to the Pendle News Page to read more>> Thursday 11th October 2012 Bishop of Blackburn exposes the North West and South divide - Lancashire Telegraph  The retiring Bishop of Blackburn has expressed concern at a widening funding and employment divide between the North West and South. In his final speech in the House of Lords, the Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, said the government’s infrastructure plan, which includes £30billion of spending, highlighted huge discrepancies in the spend per head. He said: “The National Infrastructure Plan 2011 does not fill me with much hope for a rebalancing of the economy between the regions. “The Institute for Public Policy Research has analysed the proposals contained in the plan and discovered that 11 of the 20 largest projects benefit London and the South East." More>> Archived
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 Click here for the latest national Labour Party news Add the RSS feed to your desktop Friday 17 May 2013 This is a shocking admission from Jeremy Hunt - Reed  Jamie Reed MP, Labour's Shadow Health Minister, responding to Jeremy Hunt's admission today that more A&E staff are needed, said: "This is a shocking admission from Jeremy Hunt - his Government has presided over the loss of 4,500 nurses since the election, and now he says that more A&E staff are needed. With A&Es in crisis and the NHS in chaos following the Tories' £3 billion NHS reorganisation, it's time Ministers accepted responsibility and got a grip. The NHS is just not safe in David Cameron's hands." Thursday 16 May 2013 People will be shocked by evidence Google is going to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying fair share of tax - Ed Miliband  Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking today on the rising cost of living and companies paying their fair share, said: “People will be shocked by the evidence that Google is going to extraordinary lengths to avoid paying their fair share of tax. “It comes on top of other firms apparently engaging in similar practices. “It is evidence of a culture of corporate irresponsibility among certain firms which is totally unacceptable. More>> Wednesday 15 May 2013 Cameron can't lead his MPs on Europe - he's too weak to take action against them - Angela Eagle  Angela Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, commenting on reports today that Nadine Dorries will be holding talks with her constituency association about a joint Tory/UKIP endorsement for the 2015 election, said: “Any Labour candidate who tried to stand on a joint ticket with UKIP would be auto-excluded from the Labour Party - it's as simple as that. “For David Cameron to give the Conservative whip back to Nadine Dorries and then have her publicly considering standing for UKIP just a week later shows just how weak he is. He can't lead his MPs on Europe - but he's too weak to take action against them as well.” . Monday 13 May 2013 Cameron's hidden dementia taxes soar again and hit vulnerable hardest - Burnham  After a fresh round of increases, the average care user is paying £655 more per year for home care than when David Cameron came to power. Social care in England is close to collapse and Ministers are "fiddling while Rome burns", Commons will be told later today. More>> Friday 10 May 2013 Care Bill - bigger and bolder response needed to meet the challenges of our ageing population - Liz Kendall  Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, responding to today’s statement on the Care Bill, said: “Labour set up the review of adult social care legislation which led to this Bill and we will work hard to make sure older and disabled people and their families get the best possible deal as it makes its way through Parliament. More>> Thursday 09 May 2013 Andrew Dilnot yet again warns the Govenment about their misuse of statistics - Byrne  Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to the latest rebuke of the Government by Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, said: "Iain Duncan Smith is living in la la land. His ideas don't work so he's now literally making up stories. More>> Wednesday 08 May 2013 Lesson of the last three years is that people see a country which is not working for them - Angela Eagle Angela Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, speaking ahead of the Queen’s Speech, said: “We will look at measures on immigration. “But the truth is over the last three years they have failed on immigration as they have failed in so many other areas. More>> Wednesday 08 May 2013 Sir Alex Ferguson on Labour and the Tories - Labour List The news agenda for the day was meant to be all about the Queen’s Speech, but the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson – a lifelong Labour supporter – has stolen Cameron’s limelight. So we thought it might be worth reminding people of a couple of quotes from Britain’s greatest ever football manager: More>> Tuesday 07 May 2013 Disappointing to see the UK slipping down the rankings and lagging behind much of Europe when it comes to mothers and babies  Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, commenting on the Save the Children report 'The State of the World's Mothers 2013', said: "It is extremely disappointing to see the UK slipping down the rankings and lagging behind much of Europe when it comes to mothers and babies. This shows how damaging it is for the Government to take so much support away from new mothers. More>> Friday 03 May 2013 Elections 2013: Slap for Cameron as Tories come third in Witney South and Central to Labour and UKIP - Oxford Mail  Labour and Ukip have dealt a massive blow to the Conservatives in the Oxfordshire County Council election today in Prime Minister David Cameron's back yard. Labour's Laura Price won the Witney South and Central division, beating UKIP's James Robetshaw by just 10 votes. She polled 756. Incumbent Conservative councillor David Harvey trailed in third with 697. More>> Thursday 2 May 2013 Underemployment is the untold story of Britain’s jobs crisis - Byrne Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to research by the NIESR showing underemployment has risen from 6.2 per cent of the UK workforce in 2008 to 9.9 per cent in 2012, said: “Underemployment is the untold story of Britain’s jobs crisis. Under David Cameron, one in ten people are now unable to pick up the hours they need to get by - not including the two and half million locked out of work all together. “We can’t go on like this. Britain desperately needs action to get our flatlining economy moving again but all David Cameron has delivered is three years of failure, and that’s holding the whole country back.” Wednesday 01 May 2013 Doctors are abandoning David Cameron and the Tories in droves - Reed Jamie Reed MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, responding to the Pulse poll showing a drop in support by GPs for the Conservatives, said: “This is a damning indictment of David Cameron’s NHS betrayal. GPs repeatedly warned the Prime Minister over his chaotic NHS re-organisation and decision to force GP commissioners to put every contract out to tender, but he ploughed on regardless. Doctors are now abandoning him in droves – showing a complete lack of faith in the Tories’ handling of the NHS. On Cameron’s watch, we are seeing hundreds of thousands more people waiting longer in A&E, 4,500 nurses cut and a £3billion re-organisation he ruled out. It’s becoming ever clearer that the NHS is not safe in his hands.” . Tuesday 30 April 2013 Cooper: More offenders are being let off serious and violent crimes as Government police cuts bite  Yvette Cooper: The police are doing less with less, and justice for serious crimes and vulnerable victims are being put at risk • Police forces are dealing with up to 14% of violent crimes against the person through "community resolutions" as police cuts bite and the number of officers falls. • FOIs show a steep increase in serious offences - including domestic violence and knife crime - being dealt with by community resolutions since cuts started in 2010. More>> Monday 29 April 2013
Saturday 27 April 2013 Finally! Exposed! The Deficit Myth! So, David Cameron When Are You Going to Apologise? - Ramesh Patel, the Huffington Post "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on" - Winston Churchill As a Conservative I have no pleasure in exposing David Cameron's deficit claims. However, as long as the party continues to talk down the economy via the blame game, confidence will not be given an opportunity to return. For it is an undeniable and inescapable economic fact: without confidence and certainty there can be no real growth More>> Friday 26 April 2013 USA has grown more than four times faster than Britain - response from Ed Balls  Ed Balls MP, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, responding to US growth figures for the first quarter of 2013, said: "The USA and Britain have taken different economic approaches over the last three years. While President Obama decided to support jobs and growth with a more balanced plan, David Cameron and George Osborne gambled on deeper spending cuts and tax rises. More>> Thursday 25 April 2013 Lacklustre figures show our economy is only just back to where it was six months ago - Ed Balls Ed Balls MP, Labour’s shadow chancellor, responding to GDP figures for the first quarter of 2013, said: “These lacklustre figures show our economy is only just back to where it was six months ago and continue the picture of flatlining we have seen since the last spending review. David Cameron and George Osborne have now given us the slowest recovery for over 100 years. More>> Wednesday 24 April 2013 Labour urges Lords to halt NHS privatisation juggernaut - Andy Burnham  Labour will today force a crucial vote in the Lords on the Government's NHS competition regulations, amid growing evidence of accelerating NHS privatisation. Last year, during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act, ministers gave repeated assurances that doctors would have final say over whether to open NHS services to the market. However, Royal Colleges have joined Labour in warning that the regulations, brought forward under Section 75 of the Act, mandate market tendering on the medical profession in all but the most exceptional circumstances. More>> Tuesay 23 April 2013 Combination of cuts hits most deprived areas hardest - Byrne New analysis by the Labour Party shows that the most deprived areas of the country are getting a double hit from local government cuts and cuts to tax credits and benefits. The North East of England is the worst hit area, with cuts amounting to £566 per head. Least affected is the South East, where the combined impact of local government and welfare cuts is just over half as great, at £292 per head. More>> Monday 22 April 2013 We need swift integration of care to safeguard the future of our NHS - Miliband  On a visit to Lancashire today, Ed Miliband called for the swift integration of health and care services so that the NHS can be made financially sustainable and provide a better service for the future. He cited figures from the Nuffield Trust which show, unless we improve the way services are delivered, growing care needs will leave a shortfall of up to £29 billion a year by 2020 in NHS funding. More>> Sunday 21 April 2013 Made by the Many Once you have 'clicked' the start button, you can 'click' the bottom right hand button to view full screen Sunday 21 April 2013 IMF's Lipton adds pressure on UK to change economic course - Reuters  A senior IMF economist added pressure on Britain's Chancellor George Osborne on Saturday to slow the pace of his deficit-cutting programme to take into account the country's under-performance on growth. David Lipton, first deputy managing director of the IMF, told Sky News television that the Fund would be raising the issue with the British government. More>> Saturday 20 April 2013 Friday 19 April 2013 Meet the 28-Year-Old Grad Student Who Just Shook the Global Austerity Movement - New York Mag  Most Ph.D. students spend their days reading esoteric books and stressing out about the tenure-track job market. Thomas Herndon, a 28-year-old economics grad student at UMass Amherst, just used part of his spring semester to shake the intellectual foundation of the global austerity movement. More>> Thursday 18 April 2013 Regulator exposes truth behind train company claims on their financial contribution to the industry – Maria Eagle  Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) report on GB rail industry financial information 2011-12, said: “It makes no sense for the Tory-led Government to prioritise privatising the InterCity East Coast service over getting the rest of the industry back on track. More>> Wednesday 17 April 2013 Labour Market Statistics - response from Liam Byrne Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on today’s Labour Market Statistics, said: “Three years on it's now as clear the Government's plan is failing, and failing badly. Not only are more people unemployed than at the election, it’s soaring up. Seventy thousand more people are now on the dole than last month, youth unemployment rose by 20,000 and long term unemployment rose yet again. More>> Tuesday 16 April 2013 Likely rebellion over planning laws shows Government so weak and divided it can't even agree on how to build conservatories - Benn  Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, commenting on reports that Lib Dem and Conservative MPs are likely to rebel against the Government's plans to relax planning laws, said: "This likely rebellion over planning laws shows that the Government is so weak and divided, that it can't even agree on how to build conservatories. More>> Monday 15 April 2013 We need to modernise our defamation laws if we're to strike the right balance - Khan  Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting ahead of tomorrow's crucial debate on the Defamation Bill, said: “We need to modernise our defamation laws if we're to strike the right balance between upholding free speech and protecting against damaged reputations. I urge MPs on all sides to accept the improvements made to the Bill led by Labour peers in the House of Lords. We need to grasp this once in a generation opportunity to update our defamation laws to suit the challenges of the time, and complete the cross-party work begun under Labour in 2009. More>> Friday12 April 2013 It is outrageous that rogue companies have been breaking the law when using unpaid interns to fill paid vacancies - Murray  Ian Murray MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer & Postal Affairs, commenting on HMRC action against companies accused of breaking the law by using interns to fill paid roles, said: “It is outrageous that rogue companies have been breaking the law when using unpaid interns to fill paid vacancies and that is why today’s announcement is welcome. Credit must also be given to Intern Aware who have done much important work to make sure the voice of the unpaid and low paid is heard. More>> Thursday 11 April 2013 We welcome the announcements made today by the G8 foreign ministers and representatives of the UN and civil society - Alexander  Douglas Alexander MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, commenting on the G8 statement today from William Hague on preventing sexual violence in conflict, said: “We welcome the announcements made today by the G8 foreign ministers and representatives of the UN and civil society, including Angelina Jolie and Zainab Bangura. “They are right to say that today’s recognition on this issue by world leaders will help to break the silence on one of history's oldest and least condemned crimes, and I pay tribute to Angelina and Zainab for their tireless campaigning on this issue. “The recent and welcome focus from the UK Foreign Secretary builds on decades of vital and important work done by countless charities, NGOs, political leaders and human rights activists to prevent the use of horrific sexual violence in war zones.” Wednesday 10 April 2013 Today we all have an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement - Coaker  Vernon Coaker MP, Labour's Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, commenting on the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, said: "Today we all have an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, and to renew our commitment to working for peace and prosperity. "The peace process in Northern Ireland was one of Labour's proudest achievements in government. "The Good Friday Agreement showed that it is only by working together that we get things done. That is as true today, for the British and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties, as it was in 1998." . Monday 08 April 2013 Clegg won't pull the wool over anyone's eyes on his tax cut for people earning over £150,000 - Harman
Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in response to Nick Clegg’s speech today, said: Saturday 06 April 2013 Labour launches poster on David Cameron’s tax cut for millionaires  The Labour Party is today launching a poster to highlight David Cameron’s decision to cut the top rate of tax for the richest people in the country, which comes into effect today. Today’s tax cut for millionaires will see 13,000 people earning over £1 million get an average tax cut of £100,000, while families will be an average of £891 worse off this year because of changes introduced since 2010. More>> Friday 05 April 2013 Douglas Alexander response to reported Saudi court 'paralysis' ruling  Douglas Alexander MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, responding to the reported Saudi court sentencing of a man to paralysis, said: “The reported ruling by a court in Saudi Arabia which has sentenced a man to be paralysed should be condemned unequivocally by Britain. “Such punishment is prohibited under international law and would be an appalling act for court authorities to enforce. "I urge the UK Government to make urgent representations to the Saudi Arabian authorities.” Thursday 04 April 2013 Wrong to link Philpott's crimes with the debate about welfare and George Osborne should not be doing so - Timms  Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, responding to comments made by George Osborne on Mick Philpott and welfare, said: “Mick Philpott's crimes were terrible. Everyone should be clear that responsibility for these evil acts rests with him and the others sentenced today. “It is wrong to link those acts with the debate about welfare and George Osborne should not be doing so, even implicitly. More>> Wednesday 03 April 2013 Energy companies must know that if they mistreat their customers there will be a heavy price to pay - Berger  Luciana Berger MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change, commenting on the news that SSE have been fined £10.5m by the regulator Ofgem for mis-selling gas and electricity, said: "Energy companies must know that if they mistreat their customers there will be a heavy price to pay. For too long the energy giants have been allowed to get away with dodgy sales tactics and rip-off bills More>> Tuesday 02 April 2013 Osborne should be straight with British people and admit millions are paying the price for his economic failure - Ed Balls  Ed Balls MP, Labour's Shadow Chancellor, responding to George Osborne's speech, said: “George Osborne should be straight with the British people and admit that millions on middle and low incomes are paying the price for his economic failure, while he gives a huge tax cut to millionaires this week. “Figures from the independent IFS show that the average family will be £891 worse off this year because of tax and benefit changes since 2010. More>> Monday 01 April 2013 Burnham: Labour will repeal Cameron's NHS market  Hundreds of new NHS bodies have not been properly established, leaving NHS at "maximum risk" according to NHS chief. - From Monday, NHS open to full-blown commercialisation - Doctors required to put all contracts out to tender and hospitals able to earn up to 49% of income treating private patients - Doctors not empowered or engaged by changes -New figures from Labour reveal a third of laid-off managers, 2200, have been re-employed in the new structure. More>> Thursday 28 March 2013 British Medical Association warning over new NHS 111 service - response from Jamie Reed Jamie Reed MP, Labour's Shadow Health Minister, responding to the warning letter from the British Medical Association over the new NHS 111 service, said: “Senior doctors don't make these warnings lightly. We are just four days away from David Cameron's NHS re-organisation coming into force but worrying questions over patient care standards persist. More>> Wednesday 27 March 2013 Astonishing Pickles trying to claim success when over 2m people on lowest incomes won't be getting council tax freeze - Benn  Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, responding to Eric Pickles’ comments on council tax, said: “Local councils have of course done their best to freeze council tax where they can, given the squeeze on family incomes. More>> Tuesday 26 March 2013 New mums are paying a heavy price for George Osborne's economic failure - Kate Green  Kate Green MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, commenting on research from moneysupermarket.com which shows that 45 per cent of working mums are set to cut short their maternity leave and return to work early because of their finances, said: “New mums are paying a heavy price for George Osborne's economic failure. Next week the Government will hit millions of working mums with a new mummy tax, on top of existing cuts to support to help care for their babies. But on the same day the Government is giving a tax cut to millionaires worth an average of £100,000. More>> Monday 25 March 2013 This highly critical report shows that practical failings in the immigration system are getting worse- Cooper Commenting on the Home Affairs Select Committee Report, The Work of the UK Border Agency (July-September 2012), Yvette Cooper MP Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary said: “This highly critical report shows that practical failings in the immigration system are getting worse. Instead of increasing the rhetoric on immigration David Cameron and Theresa May need to deal with these serious failings on illegal immigration, enforcement and effectiveness. More>> Sunday 24 March 2013 Surviving the Bedroom tax - what you can do.  Shelter the housing and homeless charity offer some stark advice on surviving the Bedroom tax. You can visit the Shelter web site here. Friday 22 March 2013 Response to the Public Accounts Committee's report on NHS efficiency savings - Reed Jamie Reed MP, Labour's Shadow Health Minister, responding to the Public Accounts Committee's report on NHS efficiency savings, said: “This is the third time this week that the Government has been told by experts that its cuts to the NHS are hitting patients. Ministers cannot go on ignoring these warnings. “The Committee is right to highlight the increasingly numbers of patients now being denied treatment in a short-sighted bid to cut costs. Patients will find this particularly galling in the same week that George Osborne’s budget took £2.2 billion away from the Department of Health. More>> Thursday 21 March 2013 Government’s mortgage scheme will not exclude people buying second homes - Response from Ed Balls Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to revelations that the government’s mortgage scheme will not exclude people buying second homes, said: "Not only is George Osborne pressing ahead with a tax cut for millionaires it now seems that his mortgage scheme will help people, no matter how high their income, to buy a subsidised second home worth up to £600,000. "The Government is basically saying that if you’ve got a spare room in a social home you’ll have to pay the bedroom tax, but if you want a spare home we’ll help you buy one. More>> Wednesday 20 March 2013 Ed Miliband speech in response to Budget Statement Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Opposition, said in the House of Commons in response to the Budget statement: Mr Deputy Speaker. This is the Chancellor’s fourth Budget, but one thing unites them all. Every Budget he comes to this house and things are worse not better for the country. More>> Tuesday 19 March 2013 Test for the Budget is whether it delivers bold action to kickstart our flatlining economy - Chris Leslie  Chris Leslie MP, Labour's Shadow Treasury Minister, responding to government announcements on public spending today, said: "An increase in capital spending of just £2.5 billion compares to deep cuts of £12.8 billion to infrastructure investment in the last three years on the plans George Osborne inherited. More>> Monday 18 March 2013 Government still does not have a growth plan that can meet the scale of the challenge - Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna  Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the Government’s response to Lord Heseltine’s report, said: “Today’s announcement underlines the short-sighted decision to abolish the regional development agencies in 2010, which caused uncertainty, deterred investment and held back regional and local economies. “Local areas should have the powers and resources they need to get growth going and create jobs, but this devolution must not be used as a cover for even deeper cuts. And it is crucial that accountability, proper transparency and good governance are in place if government is to devolve this public money. More>> Friday 15 March 2013 Gove’s first job as Education Secretary is to provide enough school places for children – he is failing in that duty - Brennan  Kevin Brennan MP, Labour’s Shadow Schools Minister, commenting on the National Audit Office report showing the Government must provide an extra 256,000 school places by 2014/15, said: “Michael Gove’s first job as Education Secretary is to provide enough school places for children – he is failing in that duty. “David Cameron’s Government needs to address the crisis in school places they have created. They have cut funding for school buildings by 60%, twice the Whitehall average and wasted £1 billion through mismanaging academies. “They are failing to deliver on new school buildings – 1 in 7 parents can’t get their child into the primary school they want.” Thursday 14 March 2013 David Cameron has not only walked away from the victims, he has walked away from his own words - Ed Miliband  Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said in response to David Cameron walking away from cross-party talks on the Leveson proposals: "David Cameron’s decision to walk away from the talks is an historic mistake. "He has not just walked away from the talks, he has walked away from his own words. More>> Thursday 14 March 2013 'Ready for Ageing' report - response from Liz Kendall Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Care and Older People, responding to the House of Lords report "Ready for Ageing?", said: “1 in 4 babies born today are set to live to 100 years old. “Our ageing population has profound implications for government, public services, businesses and society as a whole. More>> Tuesday12 March 2013 Disturbing Jimmy Savile report highlights some of the missed opportunities the police had to stop criminal abuse - Cooper Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the HMIC review into allegations and intelligence concerning Jimmy Savile, said: “This report is deeply disturbing as it highlights some of the missed opportunities the police had to stop the criminal abuse perpetuated by Jimmy Savile since the mid 1960s. More>> Monday 11 March 2013 Chaos engulfing the Bedroom Tax is deepening by the day - Byrne  Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to yet more government confusion over the Bedroom Tax, said: “The chaos engulfing the Bedroom Tax is deepening by the day. “Last week we learnt that even the Prime Minister doesn’t know how hard the Bedroom Tax will hit disabled children and now Ministers claim they haven’t even published all the rules yet. The whole thing is a total shambles. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of families are in the firing line to get clobbered by this wretched policy. “Ministers have got to get a grip of this mess fast.” Sunday 10 March 2013 Archbishop of Canterbury attacks Government welfare reforms - Sunday Telegraph  The Archbishop of Canterbury is supporting a campaign to derail a key part of the Government’s welfare reforms. In his most significant political intervention since taking office, the Most Rev Justin Welby has warned that “children and families will pay the price” if plans to change the benefits system go ahead in their current form. More>> Saturday 09 March 2013 Mother's Day - 10 March 2013  In April, David Cameron is giving millionaires a tax cut worth an average £100,000, at the same time he is asking mums to pay more. Cuts to real terms maternity pay mean a £180 ‘MUMMY TAX’ which is coming out of mums' pockets, at a time when family budgets are being stretched more than ever. David Cameron promised to lead the most family friendly government ever. Since then he has:
Friday 08 March 2013 International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and to reflect on women’s progress - Cooper  Yvette Cooper MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, speaking on International Women's Day, said: "International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements and to reflect on women’s progress, both in the UK and throughout the world. "Over the years, we have celebrated growing equality for women - more women working in different fields, using their talents, supporting their families and tackling poverty. More>> Thursday 07 March 2013 Speech by Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, to the IPPR  Thank you to IPPR for welcoming us today. For too long immigration has been one of those difficult subjects politicians don’t talk about, and the public worry about. Yet it is too important to our economy, our society and our future not to discuss. Some say for Labour to discuss immigration is to move to the right. Not so. In fact the free market liberal right wing approach has often been to promote wide open borders – in the interests of free markets, trade, and flexible, cheap labour. More>> Wednesday 06 March 2013 Cable may at last be seeing sense but he has consistently supported a failing economic policy - Leslie Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in response to Vince Cable’s essay in the New Statesman, said: “Vince Cable may at last be seeing sense. He is right to admit that there have been economic consequences to deep cuts to capital investment. But he has consistently supported a failing economic policy which has led to stagnation, falling living standards, slashed investment in infrastructure and rising borrowing to pay for the mounting costs of economic failure. More>> Tuesday 05 March 2013 Ministers forced into yet another humiliating NHS retreat - Burnham  Labour today brought Health Ministers to the House of Commons to account for controversial new NHS competition rules that have angered medical professionals and the public. In response, the Government conceded that the regulations will be rewritten. The rules forced almost every NHS contract out to private tender, contrary to assurances given by Ministers last year during the passage of the Health and Social Care Act. More>> Monday 04 March 2013 Statistics on Funding for Lending scheme deeply disappointing - Ed Balls Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to Bank of England statistics on the Funding for Lending scheme, said: “These are deeply disappointing figures. Net lending is actually down since the Funding for Lending scheme started and down by £2.4 billion in the final three months of 2012. And the Bank of England's own figures show that net lending to businesses fell by £4.5 billion in last quarter. More>> Friday 01 March 2013 Government’s Crossrail decision yet another humiliating transport shambles - Maria Eagle Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to the Government’s decision to abandon plans to use private finance to procure rolling stock for Crossrail, said: “This is yet another humiliating transport shambles. Labour has spent two years urging Ministers to learn the lessons from the botched Thameslink contract, which saw trains for London being built in Germany, and instead fund them in a way that secures the best deal for the taxpayer. Ministers must now ensure that this public spending delivers jobs in the UK, just as Labour did for the new generation of Intercity trains which are to be constructed in the North East. More>> |
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