News from Plymouth Labour

Activists restart Plymstock Party as Labour targets local elections

Labour members in Plymstock have re-established their local party and elected a new chair with a mandate to win seats at the local elections in May 2012.

Retired social worker, Shirley Smith, who doubled the Labour vote when she contested the Plymstock Radford ward in the local elections this year was elected unanimously by local party members.

Shirley said: “Labour is making a come back in Plymstock. We know from our doorstep canvassing that people are struggling to find work locally, that our roads are getting worse and the Council is supporting a lot of inappropriate development in Plymstock.

“Restarting the Plymstock Labour Party is just the start of a new effort by Labour to win in the local elections in May. Over the next few months we will be launching a big membership drive and will be campaigning against local police cuts.”

After many years of decline of local parties the national Labour Party has been encouraging branches to be set up again. Plymstock is the only part of Plymouth not to have a fully functioning Labour party until now.

Luke Pollard, Labour’s last Parliamentary Candidate for the South West Devon constituency that includes Plymstock welcomed Shirley Smith’s election as Chair of Plymstock Labour Party saying: “Labour is making a come back in Plymstock. People angry at the way the Lib Dems have sold out the Tories are joining Labour at the fastest rate since 1997. Shirley doubled the Labour vote in the recent local elections and we have firmly set our sights on winning more support in the crucial 2012 elections where the Tories could be kicked out of the Civic Centre.”

Other news from Plymouth Labour

• Pasty Tax U-turn a victory for the Westcountry against out of touch Tories - 28 May 2012
• Jobs and the economy will be top priority for a Labour Council in Plymouth - 25 April 2012
• Now the Tories choose to hammer the South West - 22 April 2012