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 Even the homeless will find doors shut as charities across the county have had funding withdrawn.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.

Cornwall Labour celebrates stunning Camborne North by-election victory

Cornwall Unitary Council has its first Labour and Cooperative Councillor today as Jude Robinson won the Camborne North by-election, held on 13 January to fill the vacancy left by former Conservative Councillor Bill Jenkin.

The results were:

Jude Robinson, Lab & Coop 230
Denise Pascoe, Conservative 205
Anna Pascoe. Lib Dem, 152
Paul Holmes, Liberal 61
Mike Champion, MK 32
Jacqui Merrick, Green 31

Jude said: “This is a brilliant result for Labour in Cornwall and a turning point. The Unitary elections in 2009 were a low point for us and we have worked to win back the trust and support of people in Cornwall.

“It is a real privilege to have been elected to represent the people of Camborne North and I am looking forward to getting on with the work of standing up for and supporting local communities.

“I will be working hard with Labour colleagues to offer our alternative to the coalition cuts and with the Cooperative Party to promote community action and fair trade.”

Truro and Falmouth Labour calls for EMA to be saved from cuts

Local MP Sarah Newton is being called on to help stop planned cuts to Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMA), as student protesters took to the streets in Truro on Tuesday 11 January and lobbied Cornwall Council which manages the EMA.

Government cuts will otherwise leave many students in Cornwall with less money in their pockets. The EMA helps families support the cost of young people over the age of 16 being in education or training at college or school. For families who qualify it is worth £30 a week.

The EMA was introduced by the Labour Government. An independent report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies found that the EMA increased participation in education for 16 year olds from 65 to 69 per cent, and for 17 year olds from 54 to 61 per cent. The study also found that recipients of the EMA on average achieve A level results which are four points higher than those who do not receive it. This shows that the EMA helps students who are able to benefit from staying on at college or school achieve better qualifications and raise their prospects of getting better paid jobs and going on to university.

During the 2010 election the Tories pledged not to abolish the EMA but have now done a U-turn announcing most of its funding is being cut.

Cuts to warm front and independent living fund will hit most vulnerable

As Christmas draws closer, serious concerns are being expressed about the impact of Government cuts on Cornwall’s most vulnerable residents.

This week the Government announced:

* heating grants for low income families, pensioners, and the disabled have been suspended – Labour’s ‘warm front’ scheme enabled families to get grants of up to £6,000 to install new heating and insulate their homes.

* up to £300 a week will be withdrawn from people with care needs by 2015 – Labour’s ‘independent living fund’ supported people to live in their own homes while receiving the care and support they need.

The snow and ice has brought home to everyone the need for Cornish homes to be adequately heated. It is a false economy to cut funding which brings down people’s heating costs in the long term by switching to more modern heating systems and improving insulation.

ConDem Cornwall Council cuts: not what it says on the tin!

This week’s Local Government Settlement for Cornwall is worse than it first appears but changing the presentation will not fool voters who will bear the impact of the cuts, says Cornwall Labour Party.

Jude Robinson, Chair of Cornwall Labour Party said: “The settlement is not what it says on the tin. The new ’spending power’ figures cannot hide the truth that Cornwall’s grant has been slashed and there will be reductions in services for the elderly and disabled.

“Libraries and leisure centres are threatened and the effects on our economy could be very serious indeed. The price will be paid in unemployment, lower wages and more homelessness for ordinary working people, while the well off escape the worst effects.

“This is why Labour supports paying off the deficit more slowly to protect people from the impact of the Tory and Lib Dem ’savage cuts’.

After stripping away the schools block grant, Cornwall has lost £28.35 million or a staggering 11.5% of the budget. Last year’s formula grant of £245.253 million was reduced to £216.895.

Falmouth Labour backing protests against education cuts

The House of Commons vote in favour of raising student fees to up to £9000 a year and cutting university funding for teaching has been criticised by Falmouth Labour Party.

Unless it is overturned by the House of Lords on Tuesday 14 December, the decision – which was supported by Falmouth’s MP Sarah Newton – is likely to go ahead.

A study by the University and College Union found that University College Falmouth is one of 49 universities which will be most severely affected by the Government’s plans. The Universities of Exeter and Plymouth face cuts too, but because they teach more science and other courses as well as arts subjects they face a less steep fall in funding.

Falmouth and Penryn’s shops and businesses, and property owners who let to student tenants, all rely partly on the trade brought to Falmouth by the student population. Therefore if student numbers fall as a result of the Government cut backs to university funding, the local economy in Falmouth and Penryn will suffer as a result.

Wednesday 8 December saw a peaceful and good-natured protest by local students, lecturers, and others against the Government’s plans. About 150 people heard speakers on Falmouth Moor and after walking as a group to Events square.