Labour wins again in Cornwall after Lib Dems retreat

Cornwall’s Labour Party continues its winning streak with a stunning by election result in Camborne South on 16 June. Robert Webber snatched victory from the Conservatives by 10 votes to fill the vacancy left by Zoe Hall, who resigned from the Town Council earlier this year.

Although Zoe Hall won the seat for the Liberal Democrats in 2007, she left the party soon afterwards and sat as an independent councillor. The Lib Dems did not put up a candidate for the by election, continuing a trend in recent Camborne and Redruth polls.

Robert Webber said: “People in Camborne South want a Labour voice to speak up against damaging coalition policies and the turmoil at County Hall. I thank the people of Camborne for electing me and I believe they agree with me that the only effective voice against the Tory led government is a Labour voice. I will be working hard to represent local people and protect our communities and heritage.”

Anger at rise to youth unemployment in Cornwall

Truro and Falmouth CLP Chair Stuart Roden has reacted with anger to the latest unemployment figures. Youth unemployment in Cornwall has risen by 6% year on year while adults seeking Job Seekers Allowance are up 2.5%.

Chair Stuart Roden said “While there is a little good news with vacancies up the news that another 6% of the young people of Cornwall are cast aside without either employment or training is a national disgrace and a local nightmare.

“This is at the start of a huge round of job cuts in the public sector which will put further pressure on the job market. Employers will seek people with experience and will have a lot of people to choose from. Young people will find themselves ever more excluded.

“People claiming Job Seekers Allowance rose 2% in the county which will mean misery for many families throughout Cornwall. Both in the short and long term these figures are bad news for all of us.”

Cornwall Council must reflect public’s concerns about NHS reforms

Jude Robinson, Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Camborne North, has called on Cornwall Councillors to reflect the concerns local people have about planned reforms to the NHS.

“Cornwall Councillors, meeting informally on May 26 to respond to the government’s ‘listening exercise’ on NHS changes must put party allegiance aside and reflect the very real concerns of people in Cornwall about the Health and Social Care Bill.

“We should have had this debate in public but it will be an informal meeting and I am concerned that there will be attempts to suppress opposition to the Bill.

“There are very real concerns from people in Cornwall and nationally from health professionals, medical organisations and even from a Conservative MP and former GP.

“The changes will allow the government to cut NHS funding and encourage hospitals to make up the difference with private treatment, leading to a two tier system.

“The new structure means the NHS will be accountable to market forces, competition law and company shareholders not the people it serves.

More than 1,000 join TUC march from Cornwall

Hundreds of trade unionists and Labour Party members from across Cornwall attended Saturday’s TUC March in London to campaign for an alternative.

Stuart Roden, speaking for UNISON, said: “we believe more than 1,000 marchers from Cornwall took part in the TUC march. Men, women, children, young and old – we all wanted to make our statement that there is an alternative to the cuts the ConDems are inflicting on both Cornwall and the rest of the country.

“We believe more than 1000 people from the county took part and none of the people I have spoken to witnessed any of the activities of a minority. For everyone of us who took part many more wished to attend.”

Coaches left from all parts of the county with the first one leaving Penzance at 2am on the Saturday morning. Marchers were then faced with the long slow march from the Embankment through to Hyde Park where speeches and entertainment were enjoyed by all. Dotted throughout the march were Cornish flags enabling various groups to meet up and join together.

Truro and Falmouth Labour call for support of anti-cuts TUC demonstration

Truro and Falmouth Labour Party have called on everyone who opposes the Coalition cuts to services and jobs to join the march in London on 26th March.

Many local Labour Party members will be present including Truro and Falmouth Labour Party chair Cllr Stuart Roden and former Labour MP Candy Atherton – chair of Falmouth Branch.

The local party unanimously passed a resolution, proposed by local member Josiah Mortimer, calling on everyone to attend. He said “we encourage everyone to come forward and join this march which looks like being one of the biggest ever. We hope our leader Ed Miliband MP and many other leaders of our party will be present alongside people from across the country”.

Coaches are leaving from across Cornwall and anyone wishing to attend can look at the TUC website for coaches and contacts. A number of trade unions are sponsoring coaches for those wishing to march.

Falmouth Labour Party Branch launched after membership boost

A new Falmouth Labour Party branch has been formed and has held its first successful meeting.

Members decided that campaigning in the town in the run up to both the unitary council and parliamentary elections was the priority.

Newly elected Chair Candy Atherton, and former Falmouth MP, said: “Members were angry at the cuts across Cornwall. Everywhere you look cuts are really hurting.

“In the NHS services are being cut as are doctors and support staff. At Cornwall Council, still a failing council, jobs are to be lost and services massively cut back. Even the homeless will find doors shut as charities across the county have had funding withdrawn.

“Meanwhile hard working local families are hit by rising fuel and food prices, job losses and reducing services. And now we learn that Exeter is to charge students a massive £9,000 to attend their courses at Tremough.

“So much for ‘we are all in this together’! This government knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.”

Labour women in the South West launch virtual woman’s forum

As women across the world celebrate International Women’s Day, Labour women in the South West have launched a ‘virtual’ women’s forum, an idea that came out of Labour’s regional conference in Plymouth on 26 February.

Harriet Harman, Labour’s Deputy leader and a prominent campaigner for equality, spoke to the conference about how coalition policies are hitting women hard and members decided to get together to campaign and highlight the issues.

Of the £8bn net revenue to be raised by financial year 2014-15, nearly £6bn will be from women, in contrast with just over £2bn from men.

Many of the cuts affect those bringing up children but women are still more heavily hit even putting aside all the cuts in support for children. They are more affected by the cuts in things like housing benefit, cuts in upratings to the additional pension, public sector pensions or attendance allowances, and they benefit less than men from the increases in the income tax allowances.

Labour members “sleep out” against cuts to homeless help in Cornwall

Young Labour members from Cornwall will join a sleep out at County Hall this Sunday night to oppose massive cuts that threaten the closure of projects that help homeless and vulnerable people in Cornwall.

Truro College Students Lisa Camps (22) from St Austell and Josiah Mortimer (17) from Truro will join with other campaigners sleeping out overnight to highlight their opposition to these cuts.

A number of projects in Cornwall are facing closure or massive cutbacks in funding threatening some of the most vulnerable in the county.

Joe said: “Thousands of vulnerable people in Cornwall rely on the Supporting People funding – a 40% cut to this vital scheme will have an immoral and detrimental impact upon the elderly and those facing homelessness. In the words of Eric Pickles, ‘every pound spent on Supporting People will probably save five or six down the line’.

“This cowardly and savage attack on those most marginalised in society will push many more onto the streets, putting extra strain on the NHS, mental health support and the already stretched police service, as people turn to crime to afford necessities.

Government peers vote down protecting Cornwall’s boundaries

Labour Peers in the House of Lords unanimously backed Robin Teverson’s amendment to save Cornwall’s political boundary last night but were defeated by government peers.

Labour’s Lord Falconer had also made attempts previously to win support for an amendment protecting Cornwall’s border and the cause was championed by Lord Myners, a Labour peer resident in Cornwall.

Jude Robinson, Chair of Cornwall Labour Party and Unitary Councillor for Camborne North said: “The coalition government is again riding roughshod over the views of local communities. On health, education and political boundaries, they are ignoring everyone in their rampant ideological drive to obliterate what we care most about.”

Cornwall Labour signs up 5,000 in support of the NHS

Cornwall Labour Party’s petition on NHS changes in Cornwall has passed the halfway mark to its goal of 5000 signatures, following a weekend of street stalls by local members.

Jude Robinson, Cornwall Labour Party Chair and Councillor for Camborne North said: “The changes are very significant. Adult health services and community hospitals will be managed outside the NHS and competitive tendering could soon put this in the hands of private companies. People in Cornwall did not vote for this and should have the opportunity to make their voice heard.

“Once we get 5000 signatures, Cornwall Council will have to put this on the agenda for a full debate of all 123 councillors. I look forward to presenting the petition to the council on behalf of the Labour Party and concerned people of all political views.”

The petition is co-ordinated by Graham Webster, who is a campaigner on health issues in West Cornwall.