‘Homeland’ actor David Harewood stars in Labour’s final Party Election Broadcast

Acclaimed actor David Harewood, currently appearing in US based drama ‘Homeland’, will present Labour’s final English Local Elections Broadcast today.

In the film, David returns to his home town of Birmingham to urge voters to back Labour in this Thursday’s local elections.

He talks about the difficulties many families are facing with rising prices, the Tory led Government’s decision to give a tax cut to millionaires at the same time as they are hitting hard working families and introducing a ‘granny tax’, and David Cameron’s costly reorganisation of the NHS.

David also sets out how Labour would put 100,000 young people back to work by taxing bankers’ bonuses, stop nurses being laid off, and help millions of pensioners by taking on the energy companies.

The film closes with Labour’s Leader Ed Miliband talking about how the Labour Party would tackle rip off gas and electricity bills, create real jobs for young people, and change the economy so it works for all working people – not just a few millionaires.

Cameron promises one thing, Cities’ Minister another

Labour MP for Sheffield South East, Clive Betts, has accused the Minister for Cities, Greg Clark, of misleading the public about the powers of Mayors.

Clive Betts said that Greg Clark’s statement – that cities with Mayors will be given more powers than those without – is a direct contradiction of a commitment made by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, last month.

Clive Betts said: “At the House of Commons Liaison Committee in March, I specifically asked the Prime Minister to confirm that cities which don’t vote for Mayors will have the same access to additional powers as cities which do vote for a Mayor.

David Cameron responded:
[Although I am strongly supporting the view that cities should have a directly elected Mayor] I can absolutely assure you that the City Deals we are doing… [any additional powers] will apply, whether or not they have a Mayor.”

“I invite anyone interested to watch the Prime minister giving this absolutely categorical assurance.”

Clive Betts asked: “Who are the public meant to believe?

Labour to demand inquiry into Torquay’s Hi-Flyer balloon dispute

Labour Councillor, Darren Cowell, has put down a question for next month’s full council meeting asking Mayor Oliver if he agrees that an inquiry should be held in to the legal dispute over Torquay’s Hi-Flyer balloon.

Cllr Cowell said, “I had hoped that the Overview and Scrutiny Board would have supported my calls for an inquiry, but was disappointed that they split along Party lines with the Tories closing ranks. That suuggests to me they are trying to protect their own – either from the past administration or this one or perhaps some that served in both.

“I have said all along that I fully appreciate the need for the legal process to be dealt with before we can investigate the circumstances which lead to the dispute.

“What concerns me most about this cover up is that it has been kept under wraps for three years and came to light after a Freedom of Information request from a member of the public.

“If the Mayor is sincere in his quest to lead an open and transparent administration I hope he will demand such an inquiry so we can establish the facts. We need to know who knew what and when and why Councillors and the public were not aware of the situation.

Medway Labour leader steps down after thirteen years

Medway Labour Group have announced that Cllr Paul Godwin has taken the decision to step down as Leader of the Labour opposition on Medway Council.

Turning 60 this year, and having led the Labour group for 13 years, Cllr Godwin is now looking forward to taking a step back, though he will continue to serve as a dedicated Chatham Central councillor.

His Labour colleagues from Medway Labour group wish to pay tribute to his tireless service to local politics, and committed leadership over the last 13 years. Cllr Godwin’s leadership has steered the group through a markedly changed political landscape with surety and aplomb, helping secure 5 more Labour councillors for Medway only last May.

Cllr Godwin said; “It has been a great privilege to lead the Medway Labour Group over the last thirteen years, during which time I have worked with a loyal and dedicated set of Councillors in my Group. I have decided to stand down so that I can have more free time to pursue other things but I will continue to be an active Councillor as well as continuing my work on the Kent Police Authority until November and as Deputy Chair of the Kent and Medway NHS Social Care and Partnership Trust.”

Ministerial Code must be enforced, emails and texts released to Parliament

Letters to David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt, Lord O’Donnell.

Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Culture Secretary, has today written to David Cameron, Jeremy Hunt and Lord O’Donnell, who was Cabinet Secretary when the Culture Secretary took on the issue of the BSkyB.

The letters call for the matter to be referred to the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests, the release of texts and emails to Parliament, and ask whether Lord O’Donnell still regards it as appropriate for Jeremy Hunt to have taken on his quasi-judicial role in the BSkyB deal.

Letter to David Cameron

Dear Prime Minister,

On 25 April I wrote to you and asked you to refer to Sir Alex Allan, the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, the conduct of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt MP, in respect of his responsibility for News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB.

Your spokesman has said that you have ‘no plans’ to do so, as you believe the Secretary of State acted ‘properly’ and ‘there is an inquiry ongoing that is looking at some of these issues and we should let that inquiry take its course’.

Ken: I Will develop project of DLR extension to Dagenham Dock

Ken Livingstone today promised to fight for new transport infrastructure in Barking and Dagenham and Newham, that will boost the economy, provide a reliable link to the tube network and reduce reliance on the private car.

Ken is proposing to put pressure on the Tory government to fund an extension of the DLR to Dagenham Dock. The plan was shelved by Tory Mayor Boris Johnson in 2008 as part of his £3 billion transport infrastructure cuts. The DLR extension would cost £750m.

Speaking today about his promise to invest in the future of London’s transport infrastructure, Labour’s candidate for London Mayor Ken Livingstone said;

“Our economy is struggling and under Tory policies we have gone back into recession. More than 1 in 10 Londoners are out of work. As mayor I will do everything within my power to make Londoners better off, including cutting the fares.

“Tory mayor Boris Johnson’s inflation-busting fares increases, and his unwillingness to invest mean there are huge surpluses. I will give the utmost priority to extending the DLR to Dagenham Dock.”

Boris Johnson’s five lies on knife crime exposed

Boris Johnson has lied to Londoners on five separate occasions about his record on knife crime and youth violence, a damning new dossier published today shows.

Following Tuesday night’s ITV debate, where the Tory mayor was confronted by a young anti-knife crime campaigner over his record, it can now be revealed that he has repeatedly made false claims about knife crime falling, when official figures from the Metropolitan Police show that knife crime has in fact risen every year for the last three years. It has risen by 16% or 2,036 additional offences under Boris Johnson.

Boris Johnson’s lies on knife crime:

1. On 27th March 2012, Boris Johnson told the media that, “knife crime…is well down.”

FACT – According to the Metropolitan Police, knife crime has risen every year for the last three years. It has gone up 16% in the last three years.

2. At Mayor’s Questions on the 22nd February 2012, Boris Johnson told the London Assembly that, “to the best of my knowledge, knife crime overall is down.”

FACT – According to the Metropolitan Police, knife crime has risen every year for the last three years. It has gone up 16% in the last three years.

Ken announces plan to appoint Oona King as Young People’s Champion

Ken Livingstone today announced that he will appoint Oona King, his former rival for the Labour mayoral nomination as his Young People’s Champion, if he is elected next week.

Oona will lead on implementing Labour’s manifesto for young Londoners, which includes pledges to:
* Restore the London-wide Education Maintenance Allowance;
* Re-establish a London Child Poverty Commission;
* Create a London Apprenticeship Offer, and piloting a pre-apprentice course;
* Create jobs for young Londoners from the Olympics legacy and across the GLA;
* Work with businesses to promote Saturday jobs;
* Provide safe places for young people who are threatened by gangs and violence.

Oona will join Ken on a visit to Southwark College later this morning, where they will meet students who have been hit by the Tory removal of Education Maintenance Allowance. With just 7 days to polling day, Oona and Ken will be taking the message out to the young people they meet, “Don’t let the Tories get away with it – vote Labour in London on May 3rd.”

“Don’t let the Tories get away with it” says Ken

Following a month which has seen the Conservatives lurch from crisis to crisis, Ken Livingstone has called for Londoners, “not to let the Tories get away with it” in next week’s London Mayoral election.

In the last month under David Cameron, George Osborne and Boris Johnson:

* The UK has gone into recession and millions of Londoners are facing huge pressure on their family budgets thanks to the failure of Tory policies to deliver jobs and growth;

* More than 400,000 London pensioners have lost money through the Tory ‘granny tax’ to pay for a tax cut for the super rich;

* Almost 120,000 London families face losing all of their tax credits because of the Tory tax credit cuts;

* Four London A&E departments have been threatened with closure and the NHS reports have warned the Tory NHS Bill threatens patient safety;

* Revelations at the Leveson inquiry have thrown the government into chaos with mounting evidence of the Tory government’s inappropriate links with News International and the Tory Mayor’s attempt to scale back the resources on offer to Operating Weeting.

Jobs and the economy will be top priority for a Labour Council in Plymouth

Responding to today’s news that the UK economy has slid into a double-dip recession, Cllr Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth’s Labour opposition on the City Council said:

“Today bleak news confirms what many in Plymouth know all too well – that the Government’s economic policies are hurting but they are not working. Sticking to a failing economic plan is not leadership, its foolhardy. What businesses and employers in Plymouth need is an economic policy that makes it easier for them to do business within a growing economy where people feel confident to spend money, make investments and employ others.

“On 3 May voters in Plymouth will have their say on how well this Government is doing and how well the Tory Council has done. To get to the polling station many will cross potholed roads and meet people who are out of work not through any lack of will but through a failure of the Tory’s economic plans. Plymouth deserves better and if Labour wins on 3 May in Plymouth getting people back into work will be our top priority.”

Labour’s Jobs and Growth manifesto published last month for the local elections makes ten pledges:

1. Issue a new plan for jobs, with a specific focus on jobs for young people. Retaining young people and graduates in the city must become a priority.