News from Plymouth Labour

Letter from Plymouth Labour to the editor of the Plymouth Herald

Dear Sir,

We welcome your excellent coverage on gypsy and traveller sites in Plymouth (Herald Feb 24th) and for highlighting the elements of the debate within Plymouth City Council. Members of the public have however asked us to clarify the Labour Group’s position on this issue which we hope we can do through your newspaper.

On Monday this week Labour Councillors took the unprecedented step of walking out of a Council meeting set up by the Conservative Administration to debate a future site to accommodate gypsies and travellers.

At the heart of our decision is our concern at the eroding of democracy within this city. On Monday it was and remains our contention that the meeting had not been called in accordance with the Constitution of the Council. We also objected to the recording of the resolution (tabled by Labour Members at, and agreed by, an earlier Scrutiny Commission) which formed the basis of the Council debate. That record was incorrectly worded and missed a crucial component, namely that the process of consulting local people about ALL the sites in question had thus far been lacking symmetry and was inequitable in its methodology. The controlling Tory Party decided that their majority provided them with the absolute right to ignore all Local Authority rules and regulations. This is a very dangerous state of affairs and we could not legitimise it by remaining in the Chamber.

Gypsies and Travellers are communities in their own right and many face the prejudice and opposition of stereotypical views and beliefs. The Labour Group is therefore committed to developing facilities for visiting gypsies and travellers which are sympathetic to their needs, recognising that gypsies and travellers are not one-and-the same, and which will allow their inter-action with permanent residents to be lawful, harmonious and respectful. That requires a level of consultation, negotiation and education that goes way beyond what this Council has thus far offered. And that process also needs to be respectful of the views and opinions of those residents who pay their rents, mortgages and taxes to live in their home and location of choice on a permanent basis. Simply thrusting a new community into their midst, willy-nilly, is the perfect recipe for resentment, anger, antagonism and discontent.

When Councillor Kerswell said, “now it is war”, he is quite right. We have now entered the battleground to defend what is right and what is just. On the day of the Conservative’s election victory in May 2007 Mrs. Pengelly said she and her party had “listened to the people of this city”. Well, they aren’t listening now. This contemptible dismissal of the views of local people and the flagrant waiving of the rule-book is ample demonstration of the conceit and arrogance that has become the recent hall-marks of this Tory Council. Until that changes the Labour Party here in Plymouth will continue to stand alongside local people in defence of their rights and to make sure their voice is heard, no matter how unpalatable that may be to Mrs. Pengelly and her stalwarts.

Councillors Chris Pattison, Andy Kerswell and Bill Stevens