Archived Items: Return to previous page Last updated: Monday 24 February, 2014 Tuesday 17 December 2013 The Season’s Greetings from Mark Porter, President of Pendle Labour Party Reflecting on the past year as 2013 draws to a close, I know that for many families across Pendle the last twelve months have been extremely challenging, not least because of the strain on household budgets caused by rising energy costs and food prices, and real term pay cuts as wages have failed to keep pace with inflation. Looking forward to the New Year, 2014 will be just as challenging, but I and the other members of Pendle Labour Party are still committed to trying to secure a better deal for the people of Pendle. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all party members for their hard work throughout the year. I hope they get some well-earned rest and come back refreshed and ready to take up the challenge in 2014 with the Borough and European elections in the spring. I would encourage members to check up on other members and residents they know to see if they are managing and to get in touch if they need extra help this winter? Finally I would like to wish all the people of Pendle a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year - and please take care over this festive period. Sunday 08 December 2013 Wednesday 20 November 2013 Small firms in Pendle would benefit from Labour’s business rate cut - Azhar Ali Commenting on Chuka Umunna’s speech to the Association of Convenience Stores Heart of the Community Conference, County Councillor Azhar Ali, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Pendle said: “Times are tough for small businesses in the Pendle and across the North West. There is a cost of living crisis but this out of touch Government doesn’t seem to care. “David Cameron and George Osborne could make life easier for small business owners by implementing Labour’s commitment to cut and then freeze business rates in 2015 and 2016. That would save small firms in the area £390 over the two years.” Monday 18 November 2013 Silverman Lecture: questions still to come on HS2 - and brickbats for the local railways Colne’s Lesser Municipal Hall was packed on Thursday evening (14 November) for Pendle Labour Party’s 29th Sydney Silverman Memorial Lecture, given by Louise Ellman. A former leader of Lancashire County Council, Louise Ellman is now MP for Liverpool Riverside and Chair of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee. She spoke firstly on the persistence of Sydney Silverman in achieving his aims and went on to talk of the work of her committee, concentrating on the future of the railways. She said far more money was invested in railways in London and the South than in the North, and that it was important for the North to keep up the pressure for improvements over and above the Northern Hub investment. As for HS2, she said her committee were carrying out a further inquiry in the next few weeks. However she made it clear that she thought a decision not to go ahead with this project would not necessarily mean the money saved would be available for investment in other parts of the railway system. In answer to a question as to why HS2 could not have its first sections built in the North and work its way down to London, she said she had been told that the most overcrowded stretch was between London and Birmingham and that this would be the first part of the proposed project. Following the talk, Peter Nowland from Selrap gave a brief outline of how a re-opened Colne to Skipton line would be a key element in cross-country rail traffic, linking the ports of Hull and Liverpool, where enormous investment is going into new port facilities. A number of questioners emphasised the poor state of the local rail system and the time it takes to get by rail to Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. Labour’s prospective Parliamentary candidate for Pendle, Cty Cllr Azhar Ali, also spoke about the consultation on the proposals for the A56 villages bypass. The evening was sponsored by the North West Cooperative Party. Former Cty Cllr Tim Ormrod, in intoducing Louise Ellman, said how pleased he was to be welcoming a Labour and Cooperative Party MP to speak in Colne. Saturday 16 November 2013 Nelson volleyball club welcomes £700 grant Nelson area committee granted Nelson Volleyball Club £700 at their last meeting to help with training facilities for team members. Club Treasurer, Mohammed Suleman said "the club has been in existence for over 30 years and we represent our town at national competitions. We now train 12 months of the year and this help from Nelson committee will help towards the costs of hiring a facility. I would like to especially thank Cllr Julie Henderson who made this possible". Walverden labour councillor Julie Henderson added “I know many people across Nelson who are involved in the club both as players and volunteers. This grant will help the club ensure that Nelson is represented at national competitions”. Friday 25 October 2013 Sydney Silverman Memorial Lecture The annual Sydney Silverman Memorial Lecture will take place on Thursday 14 November at the Lesser Municipal Hall, Colne. The principal speaker will be Louise Ellman MP. She is the Labour/Co-operative MP for Liverpool Riverside & Chair of the Commons Transport Select Committee. Supporting speakers include County Councillor Azhar Ali, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Pendle. This lecture is an open meeting and is scheduled to commence at 7.00 p.m. Saturday 19 October 2013 M65 to Foulridge bypass bid ‘closest it has ever been’ - Pendle Today Lancashire County Council is the closest it has ever been to making the £40m. “Villages Bypass” a reality. Showing his support, County Coun. Azhar Ali said: “I have been campaigning for the bypass for the past 15 years, and this is the nearest we have got. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the people of Pendle, and in particular the people of Colne, cannot afford to miss. More>> Download Vivary Bridge Newsletter (PDF-569KB) Wednesday 02 October 2013 Shadow Education Secretary to Visit Pendle Schools Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Stephen Twigg, will be visiting two Pendle Secondary schools tomorrow, 3 October. At 9.30 he will be meeting staff and pupils at West Craven High Technology College in Barnoldswick, and at 1.00 pm at Fisher More High School, Colne. Monday 30 September 2013 Pendle Labour congratulates Mark Porter on his election to become the President of Pendle Labour Party. Mark has taken over the reins from Azhar Ali who will be concentrating his efforts on contesting the Pendle Parliamentary seat for Labour in 2015. Mark, who is 41 years of age, was born in Burnley and is an avid supporter of Burnley FC. Mark lives in the Borough of Pendle with his family and also works in Pendle’s manufacturing sector. In addition to his manufacturing experience Mark has an extensive knowledge on a range of subjects from pensions to employment law. He also understands the many challenges that the people across Pendle face on a daily basis. Mark said: " I am very pleased and feel honoured to have been elected to the position of President of Pendle Labour Party. “I would like to Thank Azhar Ali for his leadership over the last two years and wish him well with his parliamentary campaign. “I look forward to working with him alongside all the party members, candidates and councillors in the coming months. Our priority is to try to help our community of Pendle. Many people in Pendle are suffering unnecessarily as the result of the unfair cuts in services and the ill thought out policies of the Conservative led coalition both nationally and locally. “I would also like to extend Labour’s hand of friendship to the people of Pendle and say, ‘if you share our values of equality and fairness, if you would like to try and help improve your community and build a society for the many and not the privileged few; then why not get in touch and share your ideas and together let's rebuild our communities and make Britain Great once more’." Monday 16 September 2013 Pendle Labour Party select Azhar Ali as its Prospective Parliamentary Labour Party Candidate for Pendle Former Pendle Council Leader Azhar Ali has been selected as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate by Pendle Constituency Labour Party. County Councillor Ali, currently Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing on Lancashire County Council, won the ballot of members at a packed meeting of the Constituency Labour Party in the Silverman Hall yesterday afternoon (15 Sept). The five shortlisted candidates had each given a presentation and then answered questions about their policies for Pendle, their beliefs and campaigning experience. After the vote was announced Cllr Ali said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to stand as Pendle’s prospective candidate for Labour in the General Election. “Everyone in Pendle who has been affected by the calamitous austerity measures over the last three years and by the unnecessary and costly reorganisation of the NHS – all voted for by the current MP, whatever he says locally – can now join our campaign for a Labour victory in 2015. “I should like to pay tribute to the other candidates in yesterday’s hustings, and also to Liz Savage, the Selection Committee Secretary, for the efficient running of this very demanding process.” Saturday 14 September 2013 Birtwistle Avenue Rat Run Update Vivary Bridge Labour Councillor Ian Tweedie says: "On Friday I met Simon Bucknell of Lancashire County Council at their offices in Burnley with Pendle Labour Party Chairman Azhar Ali". "Our meeting followed public consultations about the Birtwistle Ave rat-run problem including two residents' meetings at the North Valley Community Centre. Various proposals have been made including closing Birtwistle Avenue completely to through traffic at a point between Red Lane and Burrell Avenue with signs saying 'Road Closed to Through Traffic' at the Red Lane and Vivary Way roundabouts. However, at our meeting we decided to proceed in stages. Firstly there will be more Speed Indicator Devices (SPIDS) installed along the rat run, then more speed humps and then more signage. There will be further residents' meetings to review progress." Cllr Tweedie adds: "I'm very pleased to be keeping my 2012 election pledge to take real action about the Birtwistle Ave rat run." Saturday 07 Septemebr 2013 Former Labour Councillor wanted by the Conservative Party Following the news that a suspended Labour councillor has joined the Pendle Conservatives, Labour Group Leader on Pendle Council, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal said: “Cllr Aziz was suspended for an indefinite period a number of months ago for his actions which had brought him into disrepute with the Labour group. "It has also come to my attention in the last few months that Cllr Aziz is a wanted man in another country in relation to an alleged serious criminal matter. “I would challenge him to resign and fight a by-election on his new party’s platform, let the people of Walverden decide if he is worthy to represent them.” You can read Councillor Joe Cooney’s tweet welcoming Cllr Aziz here Monday 12 August 2013 Mike McIlroy, 1958-2013 Alan Newbould recalls Mike’s role in Pendle Labour Party. Mike was born in Northern Ireland in April 1958. Following his university education, Mike arrived in Pendle in the late eighties (he had previously been a member of Milton Keynes CLP). Mike immediately became active in Brierfield branch. He played an active role in the campaign committee which led to the election of Gordon Prentice as Pendle’s MP in 1992. Mike was elected President of Pendle CLP in 1993 and also served as the Election Coordinator. He was never afraid to challenge people in authority and many of us remember the occasion when his voracity facilitated Tony Greaves storming out of a public meeting. Mike also relished the role of being the person to ask the appropriate questions to ensure that Gordon Prentice in his position as the MP was reflecting the best interests of the local party and Pendle’s constituents. When he left the area he regularly returned to Pendle to campaign for Gordon Prentice due to both a loyalty to Pendle and not being too comfortable with the political leaning of his local MP in Chorley. Mike believed that the Blair years were the missed opportunity to build a fair and equitable society. He had letters and articles published in the Guardian and Tribune. Whilst living in Pendle, Mike taught at Bradley Primary School and was appointed the deputy head teacher at Hyndburn Park Primary School in Accrington. He left Pendle to take up a post in the Chorley area and later became the head teacher of a new Burnley school. He later became an HMI and then a Senior HMI working for OFSTED. Mike will be remembered for his intellect, humour and most importantly his sense of comradeship. He was a BIG man in every way. He lived life as a socialist and died a socialist, insisting that the red flag was sung at his funeral. The large number of people attending his funeral (in excess of 100) who knew him from different facets of his life was testament to both the respect and popularity that he earned. Labour Party members in Pendle that knew him, send their heartfelt condolences to all of his family. Mike will live on in the hearts of many of us and especially his wife Gillian, his sons Tom and James, his brother Brian and sister Barbara. Friday 09 August 2013 Saturday 13 July 2013 Birtwistle Avenue Rat Run Vivary Bridge Labour Councillor Ian Tweedie says: "I have been asked to comment on a very nasty accident today (12 July 2013) on the Birtwistle Avenue Rat Run. A resident getting out of his car was hit by a VW camper van travelling at speed. His car door was ripped off and he was dragged for a distance and has been rushed to hospital. I'm sure your reporters will have more information about this terrible incident from the Police involved. "I hope the resident makes a full recovery but the campaign to have Speed Indicator Devices (SPIDS) installed along the route of the rat run continues. Working closely with the Labour County Council I have been asking for the SPIDS and we were delighted to see one installed this week at the end of Birtwistle Avenue approaching the Sacred Heart Primary School. However, this further accident has happened at the Harrison Drive end near the roundabout with Birtwistle Ave. We need SPIDS and better traffic calming all the way along the Rat Run." Labour-run Lancashire County Council this week decided to complete the programme of 20 mph limits in all residential areas in response to the ‘Slower Speeds, Safer Children’ campaign. The former chairman of the Labour Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport, ex-Transport Convenor on Edinburgh City Council and visiting professor in Sustainable Transport at Plymouth University said: “The first responsibility of any politician is the safety of their citizens, particularly children. Cllr Tweedie added: "Accidents can still happen at low speeds and speed cameras and SPIDS are not a panacea. However, the overwhelming evidence shows that where such devices are installed the number of serious accidents drops by a quarter." Friday 12 July 2012 Ill-conceived Taxi Parking idea – Ian Graham Commenting on the proposal for taxi parking on Midgley Street Car Park,Labour Party Member and School Governor, Ian Graham said: “Pendle Council are considering a Planning application for a portable cabin Taxi Office and 5 taxi parking spaces on Midgley Street Car Park in Colne. “With parking spaces for members of the public in Colne already at a premium this is an ill-conceived idea. The car park entrance is exactly opposite to West Street Community Primary School main entrance and parents delivering children to school use this car park to avoid parking dangerously on the road by the school entrance.”. Follow this hyperlink to a letter opposing the application giving reasons for their concerns signed by the Head teacher Mrs Sarah Burtoft and the Chair of Governors Ian Graham. Saturday 08 June 2013 Birtwistle Avenue Rat Run For years people living along Harrison Drive and Birtwistle Avenue have complained about speeding traffic taking a short cut through the estate. Now, Cllr Ian Tweedie is saying that Speed Indicator Devices (SPIDS) will shortly be installed along the route of the rat run. Ian, a Labour Pendle Borough Councillor for Vivary Bridge Ward, says: "Traffic gets particularly bad during rush hour. The traffic on the North Valley grinds to a halt and workers eager to get to work on time in the morning and return home in the evening resort to the estate roads. Normally, it takes longer to get through the estate than it does to take the North Valley, so drivers are tempted to go faster than the speed limit. At times a continuous stream of fast moving traffic develops as flow tends to be in one direction in the morning and reversed in the afternoon. I have been asking the Lancashire County Highways Department to install SPIDS on Birtwistle Avenue and now it appears that they are indeed about to be put in place." Cllr Tweedie adds: "Accidents can still happen at low speeds and speed cameras and SPIDS are not a panacea. However, the overwhelming evidence shows that where such devices are installed the number of serious accidents drops by a quarter." Monday 03 June 2013 Lake Burwain Path Funding Labour Pendle Borough Councillor for Vivary Bridge Ward, Ian Tweedie, is seeking funding for essential repairs to the footpath round Lake Burwain. The footpath is popular with locals and tourists alike as well as anglers. There is a long-standing agreement between Pendle Council and British Waterways for the Council to maintain the footpath as a recreational amenity since its inception, but the Council has failed to provide routine maintenance it seems. As a result of Cllr Tweedie responding to numerous requests from Colne residents for the path to be made usable to a reasonable standard, there is a bid for funding on the Colne Area Committee this Thursday 6 June from Pendle's Countryside Access Officer, Tom Partridge. Once the path is put into order, routine maintenance will be provided for from the countryside access maintenance budget. http://www.pendle.gov.uk/egov_downloads/Item_12_CDC_Capital_Programme_Bid_-_Lake_Burwain_Footpath_Improvements.pdf Cllr Tweedie says: "I was pressed about this issue when I was elected in 2012 as the first Labour Councillor in Colne for some years. We need to ensure that our tourist attractions and recreational amenities are maintained to a decent standard first and foremost." Monday 27 May 2013 Vivary Bridge Labour Councillor Ian Tweedie wins battle of the spray During the recent County election campaign, Ian Graham, the Labour candidate in Pendle Central identified that residents were far from happy with the car wash being operated on the old petrol station site at the bottom of North Street. Spray from the cars being washed by hand with high pressure hoses was drifting into North Valley Road and soaking pedestrians walking along the pavement. Local Labour Councillor Ian Tweedie has spoken with the owners of the car wash and they have promised to erect some screens along the side of the site to protect pedestrians from the worst of the spray. Cllr Ian Tweedie say: "It was especially bad in very cold weather and I am pleased that the owners have responded in a reasonable manner to complaints. Some residents complained that the cleaning agents also caused their eyes to sting, so this really is a required measure." Friday 24 May 2013 Leading MP backs Burnley’s Bank of Dave for Britain - pendletoday.co.uk The Shadow Business Secretary wants to see a Bank of Dave opened in towns across Britain, he announced during a visit to Burnley. Chuka Umunna MP visited the town to see first hand the work of Burnley Savings and Loans in boosting hundreds of businesses and traders in East Lancashire. The rising star of the Labour Party met David Fishwick who has battled against regulators and financial fat cats to open his “tiny bank” which featured in hit Channel 4 show “The Bank of Dave”. More>> Wednesday 08 May 2013 Jim Mortimer 1921 - 2013 Pendle Labour Party mourns the loss of Jim Mortimer, a former general secretary of the Labour Party and a leading figure in the Labour Movement for over 60 years. He was a committed socialist and activist in the draughtsman’s union. In 1969, to the surprise of many of his political allies, Jim accepted Barbara Castle's invitation to serve on the National Board for Prices and Incomes. Jim was appointed in the summer of 1974 as the first chairman of the Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). In 1982 Jim became general secretary of the Labour Party. Friday 03 May 2013 Conservatives lose control of Lancashire - BBC Jennifer Mein, Labour's group leader, said she was "delighted" with the result. The Conservative Party has lost control of Lancashire County Council. The Labour Party made 23 gains but fell four seats short of getting overall control of the county. It now holds the majority with 39 seats. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband had targeted Lancashire as a key battlefield. Among the other results was the British National Party's (BNP) loss of its only county council seat in the country. More>> Thursday 18 April 2013 Job Seekers Allowance Ian Graham the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central has written to the Colne Times, pointing out failings in the Government’s approach to Job Seekers Allowance: “The Rt Hon Ian Duncan Smith MP used to believe in compassionate Conservatism and the need to act on social justice and poverty in the UK. What we have seen more recently are further symptoms of the Tory Lib Dem Coalition’s failure with the economy and these symptoms illustrate how they react when under pressure. In order to divert blame away from themselves they are directing it at the poor. The Secretary of State for Work & Pensions is now claiming that poverty is not directly due to a lack of money but is instead the result of bad parenting, drug and alcohol addiction, laziness, and the breakup of families. “Over the last few weeks we have seen many more people than usual refused their Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) because they have not applied for the required number of jobs per week. The increase is entirely because the Government have moved the goal posts in this respect as all claimants of JSA now have to apply for these jobs ‘online’. “Firstly, most of the claimants have no access to a computer at home and the vast majority of them have no computer skills at all. Staff numbers in Jobcentres up and down the country have been reduced to such an extent that they are no longer able to help claimants online. Staff are also largely occupied dealing with the "fall out" of those who have lost JSA, their only source of income. “Secondly, there are precious few jobs to apply for. Surely employers want to consider serious job applications from appropriately qualified personnel not material hastily sent off by people with their backs to the wall and in a corner as part of a desperate game of mindless high-speed chess? “Thirdly, the Government has decided that JSA will be paid monthly in arrears into a UK bank account. This means that some of the most vulnerable people in our Society that need support and help will be expected to manage for four weeks without any income or support and will only be able to receive their JSA if they have a bank account which many do not. “If any policy of this Tories/Lib Dem Coalition was designed to get people queuing to get Pay Day Loans or to turn to petty crime it must be this. The inevitable consequence of this is to drive people deeper and deeper into poverty and destitution. Talk about kicking someone when they are down! Saturday 13 April 2013
With regard to the Bedroom Tax, or more correctly, a reduction in housing benefit for people living with a spare room to store much needed medical equipment etc., I have pointed out to Councillor Cooney that my previous letter was sent in before the Government announced their series of U-turns trying to make this unworkable legislation workable. Perhaps I should have waited to see what the Coalition’s policy would be this week on the matter! The idea is fundamentally flawed in the same way as the previous ridiculous Tory idea of the Poll Tax”. Thursday 11 April 2013 By Election Coates Ward – Pendle Borough Council The Labour Party Candidate in the Coates Ward By Election is Christopher John McKimm Following the selection meeting Chris said: " I am very pleased to have been selected to be the Labour Candidate for the Coates by election 2013. I am 35 years old and an ex-Army soldier. Coates is very close to my heart, it is where I was raised as a child. I attended Coates Lane County Primary School and had a very happy childhood in this very close knit community where I still know many residents. "Now I wish to serve the people of Coates and give this ward a Labour voice on Pendle Borough Council. "The Liberal Democrats are becoming a spent force in Pendle politics as they continue to prop up the Tories. I can promise each and every Coates resident who raises an issue with me that I will not just listen, I will act to do my very best to get any issue sorted out with the help of my Labour colleagues." Friday 05 April 2013 Balancing the protection of the public against the coalition government’s cuts A message from Clive Grunshaw, Police & Crime Commissioner in Lancashire: "The Police & Crime Commissioner for Lancashire is the people's voice in policing. “Whilst the Coalition Government have slashed the budget for police officers in Lancashire. I have consulted with the public and they have told me consistently that they want me to support PCSOs and neighbourhood policing. To enable me to balance this year's budget and ensure a visible policing presence I took the decision to raise the precept by just 2%. A decision that was supported by the cross-party Police & Crime Panel. “As Labour's Police & Crime Commissioner I will listen to your views and implement them" The Lancashire Police & Crime Plan is available online here Tuesday 02 April 2013 5 things you may not know about welfare
Wednesday 27 March 2013 Bedroom tax: 'A lot of disabled people are very scared' Wayne Blackburn and his wife live in a small, social housing bungalow in Nelson, Lancashire. Mr Blackburn suffers from conditions which severely limit his mobility and leave him in constant pain. Although their house is classified as a two bedroom property, the second bedroom is principally used to store mobility aids. The Blackburns stand to lose about £12 per week as a result of the benefit changes and Wayne says he fears whether they will be able to make ends meet. View the BBC Video. Pendle Labour Party invites local MP Andrew Stephenson and Pendle Council Leader Joe Cooney to tell us what they are going to do to help Mr & Mrs Blackburn. Tuesday 26 March 2013 Spring Garden and Green Road Mills Ian Graham, the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central has written to the Colne Times in response to a published letter from Conservative Councillor, Paul White. Ian wrote: I would like to respond to Paul White’s letter criticizing my views on the demolition of Spring Garden and Green Road Mills. If Mr. White had taken the trouble to read what I actually said, he would not have concluded that I was simply against the demolition of the Mill and for the site to be redeveloped. I have had a long and interesting meeting with Mr Stephen Wolfenden, the original owner of the buildings who passed the business over to his sons some time ago and they now own the site. He, like many other Colne residents such as Carol England and David Penney who have expressed their views in your letter pages, is against complete demolition. Far from being stuck in the dark ages and having no idea how the private sector works, I would like to inform Mr. White that in the 1980`s I built up a very successful Textile Business which I eventually sold to George Davies who was CEO of the Next Group PLC. I worked with him on a year’s contract whilst the company was absorbed into the Group. After this I became a divisional director at Lamont holdings PLC, another Textile company, based in Northern Ireland. Since moving to Colne in 2000 I have run my own Sales and Marketing Company specialising in Textile Distribution. The suggestion that I have no idea how the Private Sector works is not only ridiculous but slightly insulting. In the same letters edition we have Tommy Cooney boasting about how much the Tories have cut and how much public money they have saved. I notice there is no mention of the cuts to front-line Police and Health Services, reductions in Working Tax Credits, Housing Benefits, the Granny Tax, a complete lack of support for the poor, hard working and vulnerable people in our community whilst the Coalition gives a Tax break to Millionaires. Borrowing for 2015/16 is soaring towards £80 billion, and claims that Labour would borrow more are false. I want to see jobs and investment in the economy, which is why I support the Labour Party’s proposed policy on a Mansion Tax with its proceeds funding thousands of jobs and apprenticeships for young people. We should be using public money to support fledgling businesses as has been done with the community co-operative shop Mr Paul White has helped set up in Laneshawbridge. However, in my estimation, I would say that without a lot of goodwill from the community, such small local shops will be a thing of the past. Friday 15 March 2013 Labour’s Shadow Environment Minister Mary Creagh MP visit to Colne Members of the public from across Pendle were invited to meet Mary Creagh MP at Primet Community at 2.00pm. The meeting was run by North West Regional Labour Party and Chaired by Azhar Ali, Labour’s Candidate for Nelson South 2013. Mary also visited the Colne Household Waste Recycling facility that the Lancashire County Labour Party has pledged to reopen should they win back Lancashire County Council in the May elections 2013. At the Primet Centre, Mary talked about Labour’s One Nation strategy for the next General Election and took questions and answers. There was also a group session and members of the public discussed what they would like to see done in their community concerning the environment. Many ideas were put forward and these will all be entered into the Labour Party’s One Nation Website. Amongst other things people wanted to see fly-tipping cleaned up quicker, free solar panels and better insulation available for stone-built terraces. They spoke of wishing to see old houses regenerated and the old mills turned into housing before green fields are taken for development. Mary spoke of her support for bringing back the rail link from Colne to Skipton. After the event, Ian Graham, Labour’s Candidate for Pendle Central 2013, gave Mary a lift over to Skipton Railway station for her to catch a train back to her Wakefield Constituency. Friday 15 March 2013 Rough Justice Azhar Ali, the Labour Candidate for Nelson South speaking on the Conservative/Liberal Democrat proposed cuts to legal Aid, said: “Another penny-pinching scheme to be introduced by this sad Tory/Lib Dem government is going to hit hardest the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. “The President of our Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has warned that the proposed cuts in Legal Aid are a false economy and deny some of our most vulnerable people their right to justice in our Court system. “The already overloaded Court system will become clogged up with cases of people who cannot afford legal representation, representing themselves and putting forward arguments and defences that a Legal Aid or Duty Solicitor would do more efficiently in half the time. “John Fassenfelt, President of the Magistrates Association agrees with Lord Neuberger’s sentiments on this issue and expressed them to the Justice Select Committee on 27th February 2013. Chris Grayling MP Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice was present but seems to have refused to listen. “The English justice system has been the envy of the world but now runs the risk of being biased in favour of those that can afford to buy justice and those that can not. The late Lord Denning may have said that “The Law like the Ritz is open to all” and this will remain so for cases of libel and slander with the failure of the Coalition to implement Leveson – only those who can afford it use these courts. But failing to provide legal aid for those poor people who need it is tantamount to walking past on the other side of the road and not being a Good Samaritan”. Friday 08 March 2013 Bedroom Tax Ian Graham, Labour Candidate Pendle Central Division, has written the following letter to the Colne Times: I wish to highlight further the incompetent, unfair and out of touch policy the Lib Dem Tory Coalition will introduce this April designed to penalise people on benefits who have a spare bedroom. This so-called ‘bedroom tax’ tells you everything you need to know about David Cameron and his Tory-led government. As far as I can see the task of enforcing this ‘bedroom tax’ will be nigh on impossible as there are many spare rooms that are never used as bedrooms as well as cupboards and box rooms that may be used as baby and children’s bedrooms. It’s an absolute insult that families of soldiers serving our country will have to find extra money for their son or daughter’s bedroom. Two thirds of the households hit are home to someone who is disabled. Foster families will be hit – even if they have foster children in their ‘spare room’. Divorced parents and grandparents will be charged more if they want to keep a spare bedroom for when their children or grandchildren come to stay. Elderly married couples may need to sleep in separate bedrooms for various reasons. To add to the chaos, the Department for Work and Pensions has admitted that there are not enough smaller properties for families to move into, yet it seems the ‘bedroom tax’ will still be remorselessly applied to households that don’t have the option to move. This ‘bedroom tax’ policy is totally unfair, and is being introduced at the same time that the Coalition is cutting tax for 13,000 millionaires to the value of £100,000 a year each on average. Never have a Conservative Government appeared more cavalier in their attitude towards the poor than this Coalition. What would be their reaction if this ‘bedroom tax’ were to be imposed on members of our beloved Royal Family of pension age using the same criteria? By how much would the Civil List money be reduced for all those ‘spare’ bedrooms in the Royal residences such as Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Sandringham to name but a few? Friday 08 March 2013 International Women’s Day – 2013 As we join the World in celebrating International Women’s Day It is a good time to also celebrate the life of Pendle’s own suffragist Selina Cooper (1864-1946). Selina Cooper was born in Callington, Cornwall and moved with her parents to Barnoldswick. She later lived in Nelson. An activists for the rights of women, Selina Cooper was a member of the North of England Society for Women’s Suffrage, the Women’s Co-operative Guild, the Independent Labour Party and the Cotton Worker’s Union. In 1901 the Independent Labour Party asked Selina Copper to stand as a candidate for the forthcoming Poor Law Guardian elections. Although women had been allowed to stand as candidates since the passing of the Municipal Franchise Act in 1869, no working-class woman had ever been elected to one of these bodies. Although the local newspapers campaigned against Selina Cooper, she was elected. For more information follow this hyperlink or ask the local library to find you a copy of “The Life and Times of a Respectable Rebel – Selina Cooper, 1864 – 1946”. The Author is Jill Liddington. ISBN 0-86068-418-0. Monday 04 March 2013 Source locally Mark Porter, Labour Candidate Pendle West Division, challenges Lancashire County Council to source locally for school meals: “While I welcome the comments made by Tesco's chief executive to the National Farmers’ Union conference last week, that in light of the horsemeat scandal his company will now source more meat from UK suppliers, I found such comments a little hard to take. Let us not forget it was the big supermarkets’ relentless pursuit of cost reductions under the disguise of globalisation and their drive for increased profits that have resulted in this scandal in the first place. One cannot help but feel this is like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. And to judge by the supermarkets’ track record to date, in all likelihood the costs associated with this change of policy will be immediately passed on to the consumer. “Here in Pendle, following confirmation that Lancashire County Council has supplied horse meat to a number of unsuspecting schools across the borough, it is clear that if the County Council had had such a policy then it would not have got itself in to the mess it has. It is clearly high time that LCC adopts a policy to source school food produce from local suppliers, including meat from local farms. “Before the increased cost argument is advanced, let us just take a look at the possibilities. If LCC were to enter into long term partnerships with local suppliers, giving them certainty of supply and long term security, then perhaps that would allow the suppliers to invest in modern farming methods and new technology helping them to increase their productivity which in turn would keep any cost increases to a minimum. “In addition to improving the quality of produce supplied to our children, such a policy would have the advantage of recycling taxpayers’ money into the local economy, supporting and sustaining local jobs. You never know, it may even help create jobs in what is arguably the most important industry of all.” Friday 01 March 2013 Tuesday 26 February 2013 Pendle Cllr Ian Tweedie’s unfinished business at the Shackleton Hall, Colne Labour Cllr Ian Tweedie was contacted by a wheelchair-bound Colne resident about the newly refurbished Shackleton Hall. Because of the gradient of the pavement, entry to Shackleton Hall for wheelchair users was difficult, hazardous and almost impossible. When presented with a step of uneven proportions, wheelchairs tend to mount one side but not the other causing them to skew round and often fall over. Thanks to Cllr Tweedie the problem has been remedied and the pavement at the upper entrance to the Shackleton Hall levelled to enable safer access for disabled people. Ian says: “It’s easy for us to overlook the problems faced by disabled people, but I was astonished that this prestigious refurbishment project had failed to accommodate them gaining access to the shopping mall.” Saturday 23 February 2013 Childcare Commission Sheena Dunn, Labour Candidate Pendle East Division speaking about Labour’s Childcare Commission said: “As a mother myself and as a Labour Party Pendle Borough Councillor, I know parents in Pendle are facing increased pressure when bringing up their children. “Childcare places in Children’s Centres up and down the country are being lost despite David Cameron’s pre-election promise to parents that he backed Sure Start. Government cuts to the childcare element of the working tax credit mean families are up to £1,500 a year worse off. “These cuts mean we have the makings of a childcare crisis that is causing working mums to question whether or not they are better off leaving their jobs altogether. “The Tory-led government’s priorities are clear by the fact that they are giving their millionaire friends a tax cut from April with no guarantee that they will invest their extra cash in the UK. The UK economy is flat lining because of their policies and the longer this failure continues the longer families and businesses will pay the price. “I know from talking to local parents that the cost of childcare is a serious concern, and for some it can provide a real barrier when making the choice of whether or not to do more hours at work. “Tackling this growing childcare crisis is a priority for Labour, which is why the Party has set up a Childcare Commission to come up with new ideas to help support families who want to stay in work”. For further information and to submit your ideas and experiences to the Labour Party Policy Review, please visit www.labour.org.uk/childcarecommission or write to Labour Childcare Commission C/O Pendle Labour Party 33 Carr Road Nelson BB9 7JS. Wednesday 13 October 2013 Monday 11 February 2013 Friday 08 February 2013
“In August 2012, Tom Greatrex commented on the report on fracking in Lancashire by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society: 'It is welcome that this report reinforces much of what Labour has been pressing for, for several months. Before shale gas extraction can go ahead, important conditions that have been set by this report and by the Labour Party must be established, met and monitored'. Friday 01 February 2013 Tories selling Pendle's people short Commenting on the outsouring of the County Welfare Rights Service, Ian Graham the Labour Candidate for Pendle Central Division said: “I have been appalled by the recent decision of the Tories at County Hall to sell off the Welfare Rights Service to ‘One Connect’, the County Council’s business partnership with British Telecom. This move flies in the face of what people entitled to welfare need. At a time when the Government is making major changes to the system, this upheaval will only add to people's legitimate worries and confusion. “The county council’s Welfare Rights Service has been around for over 20 years and has provided advice to thousands of residents when dealing with the benefits system. It has reduced the North-South wealth divide in the UK by bringing hundreds of thousands of pounds into Lancashire by helping people claim what they are entitled to. Now BT will make profits out of the most disadvantaged people in the County at their time of greatest need. “Despite 1000’s of people signing a petition against the unpopular plan to sell off the Welfare Rights Service, the Tories have gone ahead, turning a blind eye to our concerns. “In Pendle we already know the abject disregard that the Tories at County Hall have for petitioners such as those against the closure of the Colne Household Waste Recycling Centre. In Colne we’ve seen again their contempt for poor people with their closure of the Social Services Office on Market Place on 31st January. With less than 6 months to go to the County Council elections and with the opinion polls leaning heavily towards Labour, I hope your readers will take note that the Tories may be throwing caution to the wind with some of their final acts of social vandalism.”. Tuesday 29 January 2013 Cuts to Pendle Council Budget Mark Porter, Labour Party Candidate for Pendle West has written to the local newspaper with the following message: Last week saw the latest GDP figures released and whilst they did not come as a surprise to most it did highlight that as a country we now stand on the precipice of entering the uncharted waters of a triple dip recession. The lack of growth will result in further cuts by central government as they continue to ignore the advice of many leading economists and continue on to steer the ship in to the economic abyss. So what will this mean for the good people of Pendle? Well last week Lord Greaves highlighted that Pendle council is facing cuts of 17% for 2013 with worse to come in 2014-2016 despite the governments claims that no council would bit hit with cuts higher than 8.5% this year. He explained the budget was £13 million in 2009 and will be reduced to £7 million in 2014 concluding that the system for local council funding is so crazy nobody could make it up. Well as we all know that is simply not true, because it has been dreamt up by the crew manning the Westminster destroyer, which is causing the tidal waves amongst council budgets. The crew is made up of Tories propped up by the Lib Dems in much the same fashion as Pendle council itself. Steering the ship from the galley is none other than the community secretary Eric Pickles himself with fingers firmly in the biscuit barrel demanding more cuts. He wants Council tax frozen, yet expects the good ship Pendle to continue sailing along with no loss of the services that the local people want and deserve. Just how he proposes to do this is beyond me; however, perhaps our Local MP Andrew Stephenson could enlighten the people of Pendle how this will be achieved given that he, along with the Pendle Council Leader, Joe Cooney agreed with the cuts. Mr Stephenson was quoted as saying “this is a good financial settlement for Pendle” his view of the situation appears to be based on his submission that it could have been worse had he and councillor Cooney not lobbied for Pendle to be allowed to bid for an Efficiency Support Grant which could be worth up to £949,000. Whilst it has been a while since I was at school I have still managed to retain basic arithmetic skills provided to me when I sat my GCSE’S, although I must admit you do not need to be a mathematician to work out that £13million minus £7 million plus £949,000 leaves a shortfall of just over £5 million. Finally, although 2012 marked the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, with all its connections to Pendle, I fear that with the current captains at the helm continuing to navigate us both locally and nationally on the proverbial Zambezi heading towards Victoria Falls it is only a matter time before Pendle is once again associated with another sinking ship. Monday 21 January 2013 The Palestine twinning debate – David Foat In last week's Nelson Leader/Colne Times series there were several letters complaining about a democratically reached decision of Pendle Council regarding a proposal to ‘twin’ with a town in Palestine. What is surprising is that it was two prominent Conservative councillors, who having lost the democratic debate in the council chamber, felt the need to mount an attack on the leader of the Labour Group via the local newspaper. David Foat, Secretary of Pendle CLP commenting on the letters said: It seems to me that quite of few of the arguments in letters to the paper against twinning with Beit Lid could equally well apply to other towns Pendle is twinned with such as Marl in Germany and Creil in France. I understand that Pendle is also currently considering twinning with a town in Morocco. A lot of confusion may have arisen because of an earlier article proclaiming that Beit Lid was in Gaza. The town is not in Gaza but to the north of Tel Aviv. Marl is twinned with Hertzliya which is the richest part of Israel with a huge marina and Creil is twinned with Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Beit Lid is somewhere between the two and already has considerable long-standing ties with Pendle. Twinning is to promote cultural and commercial ties. The vast population of non-Jewish residents in Israel live in peace with the Jews and twinning will help maintain the peace. Friday 18 January 2013 Let’s make banking work Sheena Dunn, the Labour Party Candidate Pendle East Division shares her thoughts on providing finance to business: While it is convenient for the Lib Dem Tory Coalition to place the blame for all our current woes at the doorstep of the previous Labour Government, sometimes that strategy becomes a little absurd. Recently, I heard one pundit say that the economic problems in Europe were to a large extent all the fault of the British Labour Party for not saving Lehman Brothers Bank. Apparently, had Labour have borrowed £billions more and saved the bank, this would have maintained the integrity of all the problems associated with Lehmans that now have to be dealt with piecemeal. So Labour are damned for borrowing too much and damned for not borrowing enough! That having been said, we are all, politicians and bankers alike, looking for a way forward with the banking sector, the deficit and the economy. With the Lib Dem Tory ‘Merlin Project’ being an abysmal failure, all the Tories can suggest is ‘cutting red tape’ for the banks. I think this is hardly the answer and we need better regulation of banking rather than less of it. One local success story that has been seized on nationally has been David Fishwick’s ‘Bank of Dave’. I understand that there has even been a presentation by David Fishwick in November 2012 to MPs and Peers in Parliament to explain how he has been able to lend out money while other banks appear struck down with intertia. Seema Malhotra MP, Chair of Labour Party Backbench Business, Innovation and Skills Group says there are no reasons why Dave’s model of banking cannot be emulated more widely. Figures from the Bank of England show that lending to businesses has contracted and fallen by more than £13 billion, while the Ernst & Young ITEM club has predicted that bank lending has fallen to its lowest level since 2006. And, according to Insolvency Service statistics, over 37,000 businesses have gone bust since the 2010 general election. Although ‘Bank of Dave’ is not really a bank but more like a series of interlinked products and services called ‘Burnley Savings and Loans’ that has restricted cash turnover to £25,000 per week, over the last 12 months ‘Bank of Dave’ has overseen £700,000 of loans granted to local small and medium enterprises in the North West. The key distinctive feature appears to be the importance of relationships in his banking model - knowing the entrepreneur and the business as part of the assessment of risk - a much more personalized risk assessment than a centrally driven ‘conservative’ formula. The Labour Party has a vision for our country of a more competitive banking industry, where small businesses know that there is a banking system working for them. What we see with ‘Bank of Dave’ and Metro Bank [in Hounslow] is exactly the change in the relationship between branches and community businesses which Labour is calling for – a streamlined relationship-based access to finance to support local enterprises. We do however need more than just individual entrepreneurs helping businesses in odd parts of Britain: we need action from this Government to encourage and support entrepreneurs across the nation in all communities by providing access to finance. The Labour Party is also developing plans for a proper British Investment Bank, and has commissioned a report that has laid out the case for such a bank, looking at comparisons abroad and how to boost finance to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), such as high growth firms, and to infrastructure too. The UK is alone amongst the G8 countries without such a state investment institution. Friday 11 January 2013 Driving a bus through their pledges – David Johns David Johns, Labour Candidate for West Craven, as written to the local newspapers with the following ovservations: The Lib Dem Tory Coalition goes from bad to worse. At their recent ‘relaunch’ Cameron and Clegg said that their government was like a tin of Ronseal as ‘it does what it says on the tin’. The very next day we hear of a list of 70 things they promised to do but have not done. It may make for good slapstick comedy, but hardly a way to run the country. Coalition Government Ministers promised that cuts in funding would not lead to the loss of local bus services, yet many communities have seen vital services disappear while fares have risen on average by double the rate of inflation. Despite buses delivering two-thirds of all journeys made using public transport in Britain, the Government chose to cut funding for local transport by 28 per cent and direct support for local bus services by a fifth. Local authorities such as Lancashire have consequently not been able to sustain the previous level of support for commercially unviable but socially necessary bus services. Research has shown that one in five council supported bus routes were cut or reduced last year and 41 per cent of local authorities had to axe services. Where services have been protected, bus companies have often increased fares to make up for the revenue lost through cuts to subsidies. Lancashire County Council is currently carrying out a consultation about proposed cuts to bus services. The service 95 is particularly under threat now that they have used up the £550,000 subsidy from Boundary Mill. I also fear for the future of service 280 that supplies important connections between Skipton, Barnoldswick, Clitheroe, and Preston, and which is linked in with the National Express coaching network. Pensioners, who were promised by David Cameron that their bus pass was safe, have found that his promise did not extend to ensuring there was a local bus service on which to use it, risking increased isolation and reduced access to shops and services. Elsewhere, transport authorities who seek to use the legislation passed by Labour when in government to re-regulate bus services, giving them control over fares and routes, have found themselves frustrated by the bus companies and a lack of support from this slapstick coalition Government. It seems eminently sensible that the more profitable routes should subsidise socially necessary bus services and this is what re-regulation would permit. Friday 04 January 2013 The Coalition Government is making working families pay for the Coalition’s own failure – Ian Tweedie Ian Tweedie commenting on the Tory/Lib Dem Government’s cuts in Working Tax Credit said: “Government figures recently released reveal that families in Pendle will be hit by George Osborne’s and Danny Alexander’s cuts in Working Tax Credit. This will be in effect a ‘Strivers’ tax.’ “Working families in Pendle will be amazed that the Lib Dem/Tory Coalition is asking them to pick up the tab for their failure at the same time as the Coalition gives a £3 billion tax cut to their millionaire chums. “The 8,300 working families who receive Working Tax Credits in Pendle are facing this strivers tax because this government has failed on jobs and growth. “Last month the Coalition Government admitted their Work Programme is worse than doing nothing, leaving millions locked out of work and pushing the benefit bill through the roof - an eye-watering £13.6bn higher than expected. “In October 2012 there were 2087 unemployed benefit claimants in Pendle but only 275 vacancies. That’s 7.6 claimants per vacancy. 990 claimants were referred to the Work Programme but only 10 were found jobs. Since 2010, there has been a significant cut in the number of jobs per person in Pendle. “To pay down the price of that failure they are raiding the budget of their own Universal Credit programme which was supposed to make sure you’re always better off in work. Instead the scheme will lock in their Working Tax Credit cuts. “Taking into account everything George Osborne announced in the Autumn Statement, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says that one-earner families with children will on average be £534 a year worse off by 2015. Yet 8,000 millionaires will get an average tax cut of over £107,000 in April.” Wednesday 02 January 2013 Council tax benefit to be slashed in Burnley and Pendle - Lancashire Telegraph The following article appeared in the Lancashire Telegraph on 22 December: Council tax benefit is set to be slashed by up to 20 per cent for working-age claimants in Pendle - and eight per cent in neighbouring Burnley. The Pendle scheme has been condemned as a ‘fundamental attack on the poor’, as 4,900 wait to hear the new charges they will face in 2013, which could be around £150 per year. Burnley’s alternative has been tempered by using a transition grant, offered by the government, and income from reforms to council tax payments for empty homes. More>> Archived Items: 2012 Archive 2011 Archive 2010 Archive 2009 Archive 2008 Archive 2007 Archive Poll Results Photo Gallery 2011 Photo Gallery 2010 Photo Gallery 2009
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