Join with Labour to Save Our Sure Start

Labour is today joining forces with families across England in a campaign to Save Our Sure Start children’s centres from David Cameron’s plans to cut their funding and prevent access to these valuable services for families on middle and modest incomes.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls launched the campaign today as he welcomed the opening of the 3,500th Sure Start children’s centre for parents and children across England.

Families are invited to show how much they love their Sure Start centre at a new website www.saveoursurestart.com.

The Tories would cut Sure Start from families on middle and modest incomes. Instead of the universal service Labour has created for all families, the Tories have said they would cut £200 million each year from the Sure Start budget – which could see one in five children’s centres being forced to close.

Labour’s campaign is backed by ordinary families, children’s champions and celebrity mums, including Arabella Weir, Jo Brand and actress Michelle Collins. Michelle Collins, celebrity Labour supporter and former EastEnders star said:

“There’s nothing more important than giving all children the best possible start in life.

Tory plans to publish local government pay challenged

Sir Jeremy Beecham challenges LGA Conservatives on Cameron’s proposals to identify individual local government pay packages.

David Cameron has announced a raft of requirements for local councils to follow, including the publication of all individual items of public expenditure over £500, publish every procurement contract they sign and publish online the details of all local government staff pay packages over a threshold of around £60,000.

Responding to the proposals, Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour’s Leader in Local Government, said “These proposals from David Cameron, the self-proclaimed champion of localism, are an unnecessary bureaucratic burden and an infringement of the privacy of thousands of public servants. Is he singling out local government as an easy political target? It’s surprising he’s not suggesting that every public body from schools to hospitals, colleges to universities should do the same, so that the details of every head teacher, GP or senior academic is also online, together with vast numbers of contracts, large and small.

A fresh approach to Cornwall’s waste management

Labour’s prospective MP for Truro and Falmouth, Charlotte MacKenzie, today said that environmental issues are of prime importance to some people in Truro and Falmouth, and called for a fresh approach to Cornwall’s waste management.

Charlotte MacKenzie said: “Many people think Cornwall Council has got it’s waste strategy wrong. In 2005 local elections, my local Party called for more consultation before the Council issued a 30 year contract for Cornwall’s waste services. The incoming Liberal Democrat Council instead ploughed on with plans which included incineration as their preferred option, and contracted with SITA.

“The unitary authority brought together waste collection (previously a District responsibility) and waste disposal (previously a County responsibility). Despite the existing contracts, this should be an opportunity to develop a new waste strategy that works much better for local communities and Cornwall’s environment. Many people are disappointed that instead the Tory-dominated Council decided to continue the existing contract with SITA.

Labour’s five point plan for fairer parking in Westminster

Labour Councillors have unveiled their Five Point Plan for fairer parking in Westminster.

The Five Point Plan will:

* cut the cost of a Residents’ Parking Permit by £10 a year;
* scrap the loss-making motorbike parking charges which have been so controversial and divisive;
* end the practice of parking ticket targets for parking wardens;
* scrap the plans to charge residents to park on single yellow lines in the evening;
* use Westminster’s 100 wi-fi CCTV cameras to catch criminals as the top priority, rather than fine motorists.

The cost of a cutting the cost of Residents’ Parking Permit by £10 a year is £390,000 and Labour say that this will be paid for by using the £430,000 saved by scrapping the loss-making motorbike parking charges.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said: “Westminster residents deserve a better deal on parking. After the next election we will introduce policies to promote Fairer Parking right across Westminster, from Pimlico to Paddington.

Itchen MP shares experiences of Bangladesh

John Denham MP meets with British-Bangladeshis In Southampton following Government visit.

John Denham held a meeting with British-Bangladeshis in Southampton to share his experiences of visiting Bangladesh earlier this year.

Mr Denham visited Bangladesh in January in his role as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. During the visit Mr Denham met with Bangladeshi Government Ministers, visited Dhaka (Bangladesh’s capital city) and Sylhet (where many British-Bangladeshis have roots) and talked to community groups. He also launched a British Government aid package. Topics discussed during the visit included reducing poverty, tackling climate change and questions of identities.

The meeting in Southampton was arranged with the help of the Shah Jalal Mosque and Kuti’s restaurant.

Mr Denham said: “Visiting Bangladesh was a great experience. It’s so important to understand links between Bangladeshi Communities in Britain and their roots in Bangladesh.

5-star dinner as Westminster’s “Dinosaur” Conservatives axe hotlines

Conservatives axe the Community Intelligence Line and the Racial Incidents Hotline as menu for £23k Civic Dinner reveals Council extravagance.

Westminster Conservatives have axed the Community Intelligence Line and the Racial Incidents Hotline to save £13,788, just days after the menu for £23k Civic Dinner has revealed the true extent of the Council’s wasteful extravagance with public money.

The Council report recommending the axing of these phone lines reports a catalogue of bungling over recent years and says:

“Through the Community Intelligence Line residents are able to report anti-social behaviour 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and request a callback if necessary. All information is logged and is easily accessible…

MacKenzie backs children’s charities in Cornwall

Labour’s Charlotte MacKenzie today lent her support to two campaigns to move children’s services to the top of the political agenda.

Charlotte said: “In Cornwall, we know that the investment in new children’s centres – which I warmly welcome – hasn’t always been matched by the effective co-ordination needed to make children’s services fail-safe. I am glad that the Ofsted inspection brought the urgent need for improvement to light before the communication gaps in Cornwall caused a preventable child tragedy. Leadership is vital and following the resignation of Cllr Sally Bain I hope Cornwall Council moves quickly to appoint a new portfolio holder in this area.

“I know how difficult it is for people working in front line children’s services – support for front line staff is vital and the Ofsted report also highlighted staffing needs.

Sport England provides £10m for ‘Active Universities’

Blomfield: New funding for University Sport will improve health and strengthen Sheffield’s reputation as the UK’s City of Sport.

Paul Blomfield, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, today welcomed an announcement by Sport England of £10 million new funding for an ‘Active Universities’ project to get more students playing sport.

Mr Blomfield joined Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who announced the funding at Sheffield Hallam University Sports Union along with top Olympic athlete Heather Fell, Gold Medal Winner in Modern Pentathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Paul Blomfield has a long track record of improving sporting facilities and participation in Sheffield. He was responsible for Sheffield’s major sports facilities as Chair of Sheffield City Trust and is on the Board of Usport, which runs sport at Sheffield University.

Clive Betts MP hits the ground running for Sport Relief

Clive Betts teamed up with a bevy of MPs and Members of the House of Lords to complete a Westminster Mile for Sport Relief on Wednesday 10th March.

More than 30 Parliamentarians, including Minister for Sport Gerry Sutcliffe, swapped their suits for shorts, trainers and Sport Relief Socks to test their sporting prowess in St James’s Park. They were joined by former England Rugby player Kyran Bracken who helped spur them on to the finishing line.

The MPs and Peers put all rivalry aside to call on the rest of the nation to sign up for the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March. People from Sheffield can go the distance at Hillsborough Park.

Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, said: “It’s been a great turn out today and nice to see so many rosy-faced MPs and Peers coming together for Sport Relief!

Stonebridge left in the dark after Lib Dems cut lighting budget

Poor lighting can lead to more street crime.

The Leader of Brent Council’s Labour Opposition, Cllr Ann M John, OBE, who represents Stonebridge Ward has written to the Chief Executive and Director of Environment about the poor quality of street lighting in Stonebridge in general and Sapphire Road in particular. Cllr John has been lobbied by Hillside Housing Association, which has repeatedly contacted the Council about the poor quality of street lighting only to be told that, whilst the Council accepts that the lighting is inadequate there is no money in the budget to upgrade it.

Meanwhile, Cllr John had first-hand experience of the effects of poor street lighting when she tripped on a poorly lit and uneven pavement outside the Hillside Hub on Monday 8 March and broke her wrist. She is now unable to drive and will have her arm in a sling for at least six weeks.