Royal Mail provides a vital public service to our communities, rural and urban alike.  The Liberal Conservative Government intends to bring forward legislation to privatise and break up Royal Mail.  We are convinced that this will lead to widespread closure of Post Offices; jeopardise the uniform tariff and universal service for letters and a deterioration of services provided, particularly for small businesses, domestic customers, vulnerable groups and communities.  

-         The coalition has announced it plans to privatise the Royal Mail and has asked Richard Hooper to update his original report

-         Much has changed since the first Hooper report which recommended partial privatisation to ‘modernise’ the Royal Mail

-         However the modernisation of the industry has been moving forward and a national agreement between Royal Mail and the CWU is now in place called Business Transformation – 2010 and Beyond  - this deals with all of the challenges the Royal Mail is currently facing and will secure a viable future.

-         The historic pensions deficit is being resolved without the need for privatisation by extending the repayment period to ensure long term stability

-         Privatisation will lead to vital resources being taken out of the industry

-         There is no public mandate to privatise the Royal Mail  - only the Lib Dem manifesto carried a commitment for such a plan – the Conservative manifesto made no mention of this plan whatsoever

-         Polling has consistently showed that the privatisation of the Royal Mail is hugely unpopular

-         Rural communities will be particularly hard hit with the potential of the ‘one prices goes anywhere’ 6 days per week universal service being under threat leading to customers either with reduced deliveries or having to pick the mail up from central locations

-         The ‘decline’ in letter volumes is not in line with original forecasts

-         The Royal Mail remains successful and profitable

-         TNT’s profit in 2009 were down by 25.4% and Deutsche Post’s profits reduced by 36.5% – during the same period the Royal Mail’s profit increased

Related posts:

1. Landport Post Office
2. Which jobs, where? Employment and Unemployment in Lewes, whats your future under the Liberal Conservatives?
3. Poll shows Labour gaining fast

To every one that voted for me, I would like to offer my thanks and assure you that I and the Labour Party in Lewes will continue to campaign on the areas that matter and we can always be contacted to fight shoulder to shoulder with you on your concerns. Please contact us here via the contact button at the top of the page or on 01273 474312…regards Jonathan Spencer

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1. Lib-dems Voting to keep the Tories in?
2. Vote Jonathan Spencer – The Opposition Starts Here.
3. Malling Street, Lewes – Labour’s calling for speed restrictions

Next Branch Meeting

7.30pm 28th July 2010 at 3 North street, Lewes.

Please come along. All supporters and members are welcome

Related posts:

1. Next Branch Meeting
2. Next Meeting
3. By-Election in Lewes Bridge – Town Council

As a Party attempting to revive rebuild and reorganise as a campaigning and well organised electoral Party locally, this election could be said to have come to soon for us.

In the end despite running the foundations of a good campaign we came 4th of 4 and have much work to do to really get our message across and make sure democracy works against the Lib-Dem hegemony.

What is more interesting is that even with a low turn out which an organised fully operative political party can turn to its advantage by targetting select voters and getting them out to vote, no political Party made head way against the Liberl Democrat dictatorship.  

We are disappointed with the result but met many people encouraged by our campaigns and who will be considering coming back to Labour. So we will not stop campaigning, for the Labour Partiy's principles and for local people and we will attempt to fullfill all our promises.

In the end the percentage of the turned out vote was very similar to the percentages found in the 2007 Town and district polling nothing much changed.  The poor Green candidate must be very disappointed that despite canvassing 2500 people they could not find the support to win.  Matt got a better result in Priory Last time round. And John Stockdale the man who has looked for power at any cost, lets hope he can make a decent fist of it between now and next May.

For Labour this byelection has re energised our party and brought out many new activists, even bringing supporters in off the street. So we see this as a great foundation to build on.

Related posts:

1. By-Election in Lewes Bridge – Town Council
2. Jonathan Spencer says: Make the difference
3. Your Postal Vote – for Lewes Bridge by election

Isn't it time we were proactive about protecting Land from Development. One of the ways to do this is to seek Village Green status for open spaces. One of the Largest open spaces in Lewes is Malling Brooks and the Old Uckfield line railway cut, commonly called Malling Recreation ground.

To obtain village green status, residents need to prove that the land has been used for impromptu recreational activities for the past 20 years. Isn't it time we started to protect some of our open spaces before we get more terrible development that has been put in place by the Liberal controlled council because they are afraid of the highly expensive and drawn out process of "judicial review". Hey take a look at the "plywood palace" behind the Library.

To understand the village green process see east sussex county council here
 

AND OR the defra site here

or contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour Campaigner

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1. Malling Street, Lewes – Labour’s calling for speed restrictions
2. The LDC Lewes Development Plan – Lib-Dem madness vs. A different kind of Labour Party
3. Lewes Community Land Trust

So they say unemployment is down by some thirty odd thousand and stands at 2.4 million. But what is anyones future under the regime of cuts, decentralisation and denationalisation of the health service, projected privatisation of the Post Office. Who will be made unemployed what jobs will be available. In the next few years there will be thousands of graduates losing their jobs and thousands more with no jobs to go to.

The vast majority have not had to think in 1980s speak for about 15 years, so with short memories we have forgotten. Public service cuts backs have an incredibly wide knock on effect, Imagine the county council HQ with ahlf the staff, half the numbers of people working at the local NHS care trust. This will be a vast reduction in foot fall for shops and businesses in the town, less business means they too will have to make cuts or go under.

It wont just be management jobs that go, because as they are cut all the jobs that relate or feed from the money they spend will go too. Graduates what chance have you got. We know of a graduate who recently got a job in a London hospital as an assistant clinical psychologist, over 650 people applied for this job.

We will all want someone to blame, the Tories will blame us, as will the Liberals, The Greens will say less is more and we will say the only way to stop this is to join with us and make a difference, create a new and different kind of politics under and old flag.

If you are concerned why not contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour campaigner

Related posts:

1. I have never voted Tory before, and wont in the future – come on its The Labour Party!
2. Vote Jonathan Spencer – The Opposition Starts Here.
3. Jonathan Spencer says: Make the difference

Jonathan Spencer is 49, and now lives in the centre of town having been a long time Cliffe resident living in both Morris Road and South Street. He is married and has three children aged 16, 14 and 3. Jonathan works locally helping run the family business that supports and supplies services to the NHS. Jonathan has also worked for The Trades Union Congress, The Quakers, and a Sussex based carers charity. He is an IT expert and a trained counsellor. Jonathan believes Lewes is different and we deserves better, and that any local government is only as good as its opposition. His concern for the environment is focused on the building blocks rather than fanciful ideas: too much litter, bad pavements, introducing cycle lanes and slowing speeding cars are all his concern. He believes we need to see improvements from public transport to road resurfacing and better pavements. Jonathan has asked repeatedly why local councils and councillors are not speaking up for local people and local communities. He believes the other political parties have not served Lewes well.

The issues in Lewes are clear, it is an area much like the maligned London boroughs where for years only one political party ever wins. In Lewes The Liberal Democrats have been in the ascendency for many years and have a large majority at both Town and District council Level and the local MP.  It is the old adage of the possibility of electing a donkey as long as it was wearing an orange rosette.

The winds of change are blowing as the Lib-Dems face the realpolitik of power.  Many people locally have been encouraged to vote Liberal on an anti Tory ticket and now they see the Liberals hand in hand with the Tories. So they have started to doubt whether it is worth voting Lib-Dem at all.  In addition as they wake up to the realisation that Lib_dems are not always who they claim to be ( a party of the centre left )  other things seen as problems or challenges in the Lewes area may be down to them or the fact there is a lack of opposition.

Of course I would say that as I am the Labour Party Candidate in a coming Town Council by-election, where a once Labour member, who went Independent is now standing for the Lib-Dems.  Where the local Green Party, who should also do well from the anti-coalition feeling. is led by ex-members of the Labour Party. 

But I am also someone that cares about Lewes and Lewes people, I live in Lewes, bring up my family in Lewes and run a small business from Lewes. I am standing not just because I think Lewes is different and needs a different sort of council and councillors, or needs someone to give an alternative voice or speak out for hard working people that don't have the time to get involved with this or that committee of the great and good. I am not just standing and being very vocal and visible because I feel many of those we elect become invisible after election time but I do think its important.  Take the test, can you name your councillors at Parish, Town or District level, better still when was the last time you saw them.  (excluded from this test is the wonderful independent local councillor Ruth O'Keefe, who leads by example)  If you can't answer my questions then your councillors and local democracy isn't working.

I am also standing because having talked to people I realise that there are issues that need tackling; speeding traffic in Malling street or Friars walk,  getting village green status for Malling recreation ground, protecting areas from overzealous developers who are given carte blanche by our local councils, trying to get an equitable parking system that benefits residents and local businesses rather than punishing them, being a voice against the coming price rises and massive cuts when community facilities like All Saints centre come into question, and being an advocate for those who don't always have a voice, the silent majority which includes hard working people under attack in the public services, young people and the elderly who often get a bad deal.

 I want to create the start of opposition to the Liberal-Conservatives. I can offer clear principles and loyalty and my allegiance doesn’t change with the wind. So whether you live or work in quiet Mantell Close, busy Malling Street, or in the Cliffe  my aim is to get you the same standard of service from your council. Where that standard can only be thought of as excellent.
I would be a different kind of councillor, one who is accessible, approachable and open to suggestions. One who calls others to account and expects to be called to account by residents.  So we can really say Lewes Town Council and its councillors serve us all.

Join Jonathan Spencer, Support Labour. contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour Campaigner

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We have been persuaded that it is inevitable, that perhaps we are to blame, that we must pay. The Tory ideology is based on servicing the countries debts 80% from public services and 20% taxes an ignorant distortion of the Pareto principle.

So we will get from 10 – 40% less of everything….less police, less teaching staff, less hospital staff, less leisure facilities, less road repair, less environmental care and less community projects. Then we will get  more job losses whilst prices rise.  It won’t hit us yet as VAT will not rise until January (in Greece they have made two VAT rises).  Surely not you say and those in their thirties or less will not remember the last time the Tories began to use their version of balancing the books where the poorest and those least able to speak out are the ones that suffer and cliche after cliche, its big business that profits at the expense of the public sector.

So imagine leisure services from your local council, these days all run by trusts to get them off the books but heavily subsidised…not any more. Imagine anything you like to see done well and done by public bodies like your council, the health service, local schools, the police, fire service all of these will be cut.  But they promised not to cut front line services.  You didn’t believe that did you.  Let me give you an exaggerated scenario to convince you.  I wont cut fireman, but I wont give them any money for uniforms, equipment, new fire engines, fire stations, training and so on, I didn’t cut frontline staff though did I?  Ah I see you voted Liberal and you still want to believe that you didn’t let the dogs out, the dogs of war on public services.  Because you are a left wing liberal, might even be a Labour supporter normally or a labour member perhaps?

And as to one ogf the biggest spends in Governement, safe in their hands? I think not when they are hell bent on restructuring it for the detriment of doctors and the benefit of Virgin, and other private healthcare firms.  No wonder Andy Burnham said it made him feel like weeping.

In all of this who sits by and lets it happen…THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATs.  I will tell you this once here and once more: You CANNOT TRUST A LIBERAL.  Its why the Labour Party was created, because the Liberals did not serve anyone but those Tories who did not wish to vote Conservative.

If you are in your twenties all you will have known is the good times of the Labour Government and a bit of bad near the end.  The Tories will try to say anything bad is Labour’s fault. In your heart you know they (The Liberal Tories) are still the nasty party.  The smooth schmooze of the grinning public school boys ( and I don’t just mean Clegg and Cameron) is not what you should fear, it is the people behind them, the thinkers and tory idealists who hate the public sector and the callous businesses that wish to take advantage.

There is only one way to stop this, make a difference, be an active part of the opposition, don’t just sit at home on the net and take it or think it wont happen.  Men women and children, working or unemployed, employee or small business owner, there is a typhoon coming, a tsunami, and it will wash you away unless you start building the defences now with us.

25% cuts mean you will weep and if they have their way with the NHS there will still be someone to wipe away the tears but it will cost.  With the Tories everything costs and now they are going to be hard to stop as they have their human shield…Liberal-Democrats, so here it is the second time what we all need to remember but forgot, because its been so long: YOU CANT TRUST A LIBERAL.

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1. Can’t Pay Won’t Pay – The Attack on Public Services
2. Don’t be a Tory collaborator
3. The LDC Lewes Development Plan – Lib-Dem madness vs. A different kind of Labour Party

The district Council have been asking for your ideas and input on the development of the area.  What our campaigner Jonathan Spencer finds interesting is the way this kind of thing is advertised and promoted.  Unless you are politically active or part of the group that always turn up at these things you were probably more aware of the fresh food market going on in Lewes Market Tower.  As Jonathan spencer says “most people are more aware of the new food market and more likely to go along and have an opinion than in the deliberately drab excuse for a consultation on some of the most important issues facing our community in 20 years, is it a deliberate ploy by the Lib-Dem council?”

Lewes District Council is preparing the plan that will guide development in the Lewes District Council area for the next 20 years, why not make your views known.  HOW?   We tried searching on the internet for a way to comment but it is not readily apparent so we have addded a form at the bottom of this article so you can email Peter Gardiner the Lib-Dem councillor in charge of this mess.

LDC has already  presented its vision for the district to 2026 at a number of meetings principally, for Lewes, in the Town Hall on Thursday 1st July to an interested audience with many of the usual suspects

The Council’s Vision for the Town of Lewes is something along these lines:

·    they will embrace and achieve National Park and Conservation Area objectives,

·    beef up its role as the County town

·    Essentially they want to make Lewes more desirable (sexy?) and attratcive to people who live here, might want to live here and to the business community.

·   ensure affordable housing is provided along with premises to meet modern businesses’ needs

·    they dont want the public sector to dominate the town, but see it as important along with tourism

·    They want to make more of the towns unique selling points – thats history to you and me, so the the historic areas of the town, including the Castle, the Priory and the historic battlefield, will be highlighted.

So how is all that going to be deliverable in the light of 10-40% cuts being handed out by the Lib-Con government, a government that is going to ensure you and I pay out at the rate of 80:20, thats of the money they think we should be paying to cover the bankers costs, 80% will come from cuts in public services and 20% from increases in taxes.

In addition development in Lewes has gone mad, the South Downs National Park unless it has very long and sharp teeth is not going to stop the destruction of twitten walls, the development of crowded housing in central Lewes (totally out of keeping with its surrounds)…these developments all approved by the Liberals at lewes District Council.  And as LDC have done nothing much to protect the historic fabric of our Town the rest of what they desire sounds like PR fantasy.

Really what affordable housing is available now, in an earlier article Labour again asked questions about housing policy in this town.

The attacks on the public sector from the Lib-Con government on everything from the BBC to education and the police have been outrageous. So for LDC to talk about Public services not dominating the town….by the time this plan comes to fruition ther will have been a decimation in the public services as a whole that would have made Norman Tebbit blanche.

The next big issue with all of this is the way LDC gets on with the Tory County Council…we would say not at all.  So where does that leave roads, and infrastructure needed to bring more tourism or the development of historic buildings.  The County Conservatives are not supportive of Lewes because they no longer have support here, will not introduce 20mph limits in the town, create the second stage of the cycle lane system and they are still threatening to take County Hall to Polegate at great public expense, which also severely effect the Lewes economy.

Anyhow why not tell Peter Gardiner what you think

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Related posts:

1. Protect our land from bad development – Labour wants Village green status for Malling Rec
2. Letter to the Marchers
3. Malling Street, Lewes – Labour’s calling for speed restrictions

Talking to residents of Malling Street, looks like many of them have never seen a councillor , never mind actually get any of them to support them.  As our campaigner Jonathan Spencer and his colleagues talked to people on the doorsteps canvassing for votes in the byelection, the same story gets told:

Traffic speeding at 40 50 and 60 mph in a 30mph zone, at times the road is almost impossible to cross.  One resident said he felt that something would not be done until someone is killed.  Jonathan Spencer is asking for you to join with our campaign and with local residents

Check this part of east sussex county council web site on traffic calming

contact Jonathan Spencer our local Labour Campaigner

Why not fill in and send our campaign email to The County Councillor for Transport. Don't forget to add your name at the end of the email!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Related posts:

1. Vote Jonathan Spencer – The Opposition Starts Here.
2. Jonathan Spencer says: Make the difference
3. Protect our land from bad development – Labour wants Village green status for Malling Rec