The Feeling Is No Longer Mutual

Yesterday Vince Cable confirmed that he does not support the re-mutualisation of Northern Rock. Despite the clear case made by campaigners that returning the bank to mutual ownership - as it had been for over a century - the ConDem Government has betrayed the mutual movement and its own manifesto promises.

During the General Election we campaigned on this issue in Keighley and it was evident that support for this was strong. In the light of the banking crises and the fiasco with super bonuses there is much more sympathy for a business model that puts people before profits and puts sustainability at the heart of its business operation.

If, as Cameron claims, we are all in this together then mutualisation should be the way forward. Indeed the principle of mutualisation is gathering support in the field of helth care and with football clubs.

For Michael Stephenson, General Secretary of the Co-operative Party, the decision is a huge disappointment. He said:"The ConDem Coalition has failed its first big test on co-operatives after less than 3 months. By reneging on their commitment to re-mutualise Northern Rock, Vince Cable has shown that their devotion to a new approach to the economy is just a sham.Just like David Cameron's Big Society, this is a Big Con. They are dumping all of their promises one by one and showing that they are just like the last Conservative Government which encouraged the de-mutualisation of our building societies. Once again they have betrayed the co-operative movement."

In contrast, Labour had committed itself to re-mutualising Northern Rock in its 2010 General Election Manifesto. The Co-operative Party and Keighley Labour Party will continue its 'Feeling's Mutual' campaign because, unlike those parties, we believe in having a strong mutual sector in our economy."Our campaign continues. Sign up at http://www.thefeelingsmutual.org.uk/

Who are these people ?

Last nights programme Five Days that Changed Britain made interesting viewing. Not only was it a useful insight into the dramatic twists and turns of trying to get an agreement to ensure Cameron would be come PM but it also showed how cleverly the Lib Dems got boxed into a corner.

Since then it is the Lib Dem Ministers who get wheeled out to make the announcements about cuts whilst the Tories continue with their untried and untested policies ( look at the break neck speed of the passage of the Academies Bill). The result is the Lib Dems fall in the polls despite the fact that really we all know these are ideologically driven Tory cuts.

Clegg in particular is in a very difficult position. His own constituency, Sheffield Hallam, has the highest percentage of people working in the public sector per head of population that any other constituency. They are the ones who are going to get hit the hardest. Alongside this the Lib Dem led Sheffield Council has just axed £6.7 million from this years budget, with a further £200million cuts over the next 4 years.

The decision to scrap the loan to Sheffield Forgemasters has not helped Clegg or the Lib Dems. This was an interest bearing loan that would have been matched by private sector support. It has cost Sheffield dear with the opportunity to be a world leader and to create some high skilled jobs walking out the door to another country ( has anyone factored in here the loss of tax revenues as well?).

Cleggs U turn on the cuts has been both spectacular and crass. See the excellent blog by Mehdi Hasan - http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/mehdi-hasan/2010/07/nick-clegg-public-conservative. Clegg has moved swiftly from a position of urging caution to avoid a double-dip recession to the Tory jamboree of slash and burn.

I dont know who the Lib Dems are any more. And the more Clegg jumps and changes his postition the harder it is to identify what they are about. A recent Newsnight poll showed that 4 out of 10 Lib Dem voters would not have voted for the Party if they had known they would go into coalition with the Tories. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but if people had known that on May 5th then the outcome of the General Election would have been very, very different.

Tell Vince Cable to stand up to Murdoch.

Anyone who is concerned about the way the media conducts itself and in particular the way Rupert Murdoch continues to increase his stranglehold on the UK's media needs to be aware of the 38 degrees campaign. Murdoch currently owns 40% of BSkyB and is trying to up that to 100%. This would be a disaster. It would give Murdoch even more political influence and could open the doors to biased, right-wing news reporting, like Fox News in the US. Together we can stop him.

Vince Cable has the power to stop Murdoch's plan. As Business Secretary, he's got 17 working days to call the deal in for a review.

Take 30 seconds to sign "Vince stand up to Murdoch" petition now:
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/murdoch

Murdoch thinks he has this deal sewn up. There are plenty of people in government who owe him big favours after his papers backed them during the election. Add to that the full force of Murdoch's media empire and you can be sure that Vince Cable will be feeling the pressure to cave in.

A cut too far!

The decision by Gove to axe Phase 3 of the Building Schools for the Future programme was predicable but still a shock. Increasingly there appears to be an outbreak of economic vandalism in Yorkshire - first Forgemasters and now £337million of cuts to the schools programme in Bradford. This is alongside the cuts in the police and other front line public sector workers.

Whilst we all recognise the need to impose cuts the severity and speed of these are simply breath taking. And they are coming at a time when the economic recovery is at its most fragile. Indeed as Paul Blanchflower and others have said this is simply not the time to be imposing cuts this deep.

Why? Well the first reason is simply about dampening demand. For every person you lay off you damage local economies (less spending power) and increase the likelihood of pressures on the benfits system. We need people to be spending now not cutting their cloth. As it is business confidence is at its lowest ebb for decades.

The second reason is that every cancelled government project has a huge effect on the private sector. The construction industry for example will suffer enormously in Yorkshire with Goves decision to axe the BSF projects. The idea that the private sector is somehow separate from the public sector is a myth peddled by politicans who actually havent got a clue about how the economy works. The decision to axe the Forgemasters LOAN has cost Sheffield dear, denied us the ability to be a world leader in a highly specialised industry and put a brake on jobs and expansion in the private sector.

Finally it is about time that the ConDems were tackled on their line about Labours economic record. They have very short memories. So a quick recap. We were a few hours short of a total meltdown in the banking system that was an INTERNATIONAL crisis. Gordon Brown bailed out the banks to ensure that people and businesses could still continue to operate. The alternative would have been that millions of people would have lost access to their accounts - some permanently. Of course if you have access to private means that wouldnt bother you - and may explain why Osbornes first reaction was not to intervene. But Brown did because there was no other course of action. The rest as they say is history. We have a record amount of debt for this reason but at least people have kept their homes, their jobs, and could feed their kids. (Well of course until this government starts laying off thousands of people).

The borrowing by Labour to pay for some projects may have been on reflection generous but this is stuff around the margins. The ConDems are going to continue to play the fear card for some time and the damage that it will do could last a lot longer.

Right to call for gender parity in shadow cabinet

Harriet Harman has raised the bar with her calls for gender parity in the shadow Cabinet.

I think Harriet is quite right to do this, tactically if nothing else. The absence of women from key decision-making ( the coalition negotiations) and during the general election campaign ( by all parties) was not only shameful - it hardly inspires women to become politically active and engaged. The absence of role models acts as a brake for the next generation of women who could and should be in the political mix.

Many people feel uncomfortable or have a natural antipathy to positive action or “discrimination”. The problem is that it works. It may be a blunt stick to tackle a complex problem but in the absence of any better measures we need to continue to tackle blatant imbalances and under representation.

This is a government who keeps chanting the mantra of fairness and equality. So where are the women? This is a highly unrepresentative government led by a highly unrepresentative Cabinet. Nearly 60% of Ministers have been privately educated and ALL the Lib Dems in the Cabinet went to Oxbridge.

People keep mentioning the word merit in all this. Merit works when there is equality of opportunity and a level playing field. We are way off this. As it is the look of the current Cabinet is more like something off the set of Brideshead Revisited and a world away from places like Keighley.
__
Read Harriet's full speech to UNITE Conference by clicking here

The Queens Speech and Keighley

Every government promises to bring down the welfare bill, every government promises better value for money, and every government promises reform of public services. In that sense there was nothing new with this Queens Speech.

However there are a few things that could have a direct and immediate impact on Keighley and the surrounding area. The Decentralisation and Localism Bill that was announced promises to devolve greater powers to council and neighbourhoods and give local communities powers control over housing and planning decisions. This should allow the residents in Silsden and Steeton to have the final say on both housing numbers and sites. Indeed in the spirit of this law residents should be allowed a right of review on the contentious planning applications that have already been granted ( but not yet developed).

The Academies Bill throws up more questions than answers. This allows for more schools to become academies including for the first time primary schools. But it also removes the power of local authorities to veto new schools paving the way for Goves Swedish-style "free schools" which may be run by parents, charities or private companies. Whilst this may be some peoples solutions to getting the "school of choice" it is very arbitary and may direct much needed resources from existing schools. It may jeopardise the partnership arrangements of the existing schools who are working hard to mutually support each other across Keighley.

Finally the Police Refom Bill is totally misguided. There is little appetite for directly elected individuals to run the police force. People in Keighley dont want any more politics and politcians - they want more police and a responsive and active local police force that is visible in their community.

UPDATE: See Janes letter in the Ilkley Gazette Here

Thank You!

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all those who helped me personally and the campaign in the last few months. It has been inspiring to be involved with not just Party members but those from the community who just wanted to see this seat stay Labour.

It was great for me to have so many people involved in our campaign, giving up so much time and campaigning for a Labour win.

I am truly sorry that we were not able to keep the seat and to continue the hard work that Ann has done thoughout her time as MP here.

However we enter this next phase with renewed vigour, a great campaign team and lots of opportunities to campaign within the community.

I hope that you will continue to support your local Labour team and urge you to get in touch, and keep in touch with us over the next few important months

With all best wishes

Jane Thomas

On the doorstep so far!

Jane Thomas, Labour’s Prospective MP for Keighley, talks to Labour.org.uk about how she’s finding the reaction on the doorstep so far. Jane has previously worked for Sheffield Newspapers, as a University lecturer, and as a political campaigner before being selected in Keighley.

It’s going very well on the ground here so far. We’re finding that issues people are keen to talk about haven’t shifted massively in the last few months, as the economy and jobs for people in Keighley are a top priority for voters.

We’ve been doorknocking here every week since I was selected, working hard to talk to as many people as possible.

The power of talking to people face-to-face is just fantastic, and we’re now out three times a day.
This is definitely paying off, and people do recognise us as we go around – only yesterday two people ran after me and gave me a hug!

We’re doing all the usual campaigning, from doorknocking and talking to people at school gates, to meeting voters outside factories and sending out targeted mail to address people’s concerns and answer their questions.

In contrast, Kris Hopkins, the Tory PPC, appears to be part of a much more centralised campaign controlled by the Tories nationally as none of his leaflets have any local messages.

Perhaps this lack of localisation is the real Achilles’ heel for a candidate receiving Ashcoft money…

I wanted to stand here in Keighley because I think it’s a fascinating seat and needed a candidate who’d be a campaigning MP.

I’ve come from a campaign route myself, and it would be nice to follow in the footsteps of a feisty female MP, Ann Cryer.

The Conservatives themselves have said to just look at their councils to know what they’d be like in Government, and we’re holding them to that here.

One of the best parts of the campaign so far has been the level of support coming from people, and even those who aren’t Labour Party members.

We’ve had a number of non-members helping us, who are very powerful activists for us as they show, that at this election, Labour is the natural home for people if they want to avoid a Tory Government.

What’s going to win this is turnout and, actually, the Conservative’s billboard posters have proved a turn off to voters here. Their negative, personal slant is keeping Tory supporters at home.

Under scrutiny, the Conservatives just don’t have a good case to put forward to the people of Keighley, and this is what we keep hearing from people on the doorstep.

Harriet Harman visits Keighley

Here are some pictures of Jane with Harriet Harman when she was in Keighley last Friday. Together they visited Keighley Association Women and Children's Centre.

Keighley farmers market is the pick of the crop!

Left to Right: Local Town Councillor Tony Wright, Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Jane Thomas and the Rt Hon Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
at Keighley Farmers Market

Jane invited the Rt Hon Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to visit the Keighley Farmers market on Sunday (11/04/10).

Jane said: “I wanted Hilary to see first hand the efforts being made by the Town Council to bring shoppers back into Keighley town centre.

“Our area boasts some of the best locally produced fresh goods in the country. The Keighley farmers market is fast developing a great reputation for an excellent variety of fresh produce.

“Since everything is grown locally, it doesn’t travel as far to get to your table and so not only tastes amazing but helps reduce the impact on the environment through reduced food-miles”.

Hilary Benn said: "This is just the sort of initiative that helps bring people back into towns and Keighley has a fantastic location for a farmers market. I am particularly pleased to see so much local and Yorkshire produce on sale.”

Labour's Manifesto for a future fair for all

Find out about Labour's vision of a future fair for all and watch the video setting out our policies for the 2010 general election.

It is a choice between building a future that is fair for all, or a change that puts the recovery at risk, threatens public services and makes life tougher for families.

Jane's recent meeting with representatives from the Keighley & District Blind Association

This was an excellent opportunity for me to hear about some of the real issues that affect partially sighted and blind people - and also to learn about minor improvements that could be made at a local level to improve the quality of life for people with sight issues.

One real problem is 'street furniture' such as sandwich boards and chairs outside pubs. Anotherl issue, and one that affects much of the District, is the poor state of the pavements.

In the case of an area in Silsden around the Co-Op shop the pavements are a potential hazard for those who have little or no sight. Becase these roads are unadopted, the Council will not repair them. However both myself and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, Nader Fekri, feel that there is a special case to be made. I shall continue to campaign to make sure the Council take into consideration the need for safe access for those with a disability.

Jane Accompanies Housing Minister, John Healey, on his visit to Keighley

Jane Thomas, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Keighley said:

"I invited the housing Minister John Healey to Keighley so I could speak to him about how Labour can deliver more social and affordable houses for people in future.

Today we went to see one project that is already under way as a result of the Labour government's action - a project that will help to regenerate a part of Keighley that will really benefit from this new housing project.

I will continue to press for more projects like this - to make sure everyone has the decent home they deserve - and that takes the needs of the local community into consideration."

Labour's Housing Minister John Healey MP said:

"It was great that Jane Thomas invited me this morning to see all of the work being done in Keighley to build new
homes.

This work is happening because of Labour's support for housing, both to create the new social and affordable homes that people need and to keep the construction industry at work during the recession.

I would also like to thank Strategic Team Group who gave us the opportunity to get on site, and gave a great briefing on what is happening locally. They show clearly how the public and private sectors are working together to deliver the kind of results people in Keighley deserve.

Our policies on housing are just one of the ways that Labour is committed to a future that is fair for everyone in Britain, while the Tories are only interested in delivering for the privileged few."

Local Parliamentary Candidate Calls for Action on Local Pavements

Press Release - February 15 2010

Prospective parliamentary candidates for the Labour Party and the Lib Dems have joined forces to urge Bradford Council to take action on the state of the roads and pavements in Silsden.

At a meeting last Friday with the Keighley and District Association for the Blind it was made clear that the current state of the pavements in parts of the District are a danger to the elderly, disabled and those with poor sight.
Jane Thomas, prospective parliamentary candidate for Labour said, “I am well aware that there is real problem with Spencer Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue in Silsden. The pavements are in an atrocious state and are a real danger to all, and in particular the elderly or those with mobility and sight problems. There have already been accidents but how long do these residents have to wait for action? “
Cllr Nader Fekri, the PPC for the Lib Dems said, “This situation is getting worse and I believe there is a special case to be made here. It would be a major step forward if the pavements were repaired with or without adoption. The pavements could be repaired without adoption using powers under Section 230(7) of the Highways Act 1980”.

Notes to Editors

Spencer Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue run along the side and back of Silsden's only supermarket, the Co-op. They are also the only access roads for the many residents who live beyond these streets. 

In 2001, it was stated in a Report to Bradford's Executive Committee, that Spencer Avenue was the sole access to significantly more houses in adopted roads than any other unadopted road in the Bradford area. 


For further information contact Jane Thomas on 07957 240826 or Nader Fekri on: 07913533723