Category Archives: Campaigning

TUC launches ‘Future that Works’ campaign on May Day

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TUC campaign plan 2013

 

 

Today more than 80 countries around the world are celebrating International Workers’ Day. Unfortunately in the UK although we have a May Day bank holiday it isn’t on the day and doesn’t officially celebrate workers.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has chosen to mark it by launching its ‘Future that Works’ campaign. ‘A Future That Works’ sets out five key priorities that will drive the work of the TUC over the next two years. The plan has been agreed by the General Council, which represents the TUC’s 53 affiliated unions who between them have almost six million members.

The TUC news release says: “The campaign for jobs, growth and a new economy will mobilise resistance to austerity, with a series of events across the UK this summer, and will also provide a platform for advocates of pro-growth policies and new economic ideas.”

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady explains the Future that Works campaign.

Elmet and Rothwell workers will be hit by abolition of Agricultural Wages Board

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Mary Creagh MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsToday Conservative MPs voted to block a motion in the House of Commons to prevent the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB). The AWB was set-up in 1948 to provide essential protection for agricultural workers and ensure they had fair wages and conditions.

The motion was proposed by Wakefield MP Mary Creagh who is also Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. One of the facts that I find most shocking is that the AWB was one wages board that the last Tory government tried to abolish in the 1980s, but was a cut too far so they couldn’t get away with it. This is a cut that even Mrs Thatcher daren’t go ahead with. So much for Cameron’s ‘caring’ Conservatives!

According to the government’s own estimates the abolition of the AWB will take £260 million out of the rural economy over 10 years in lost sick pay and holiday entitlement. This won’t just hurt the agricultural workers, but will also take money out of villages shops and pubs, hurting many small businesses and their workers. Many small farms will also be burdened with extra bureaucracy and red tape as they will be forced to negotiate pay and conditions themselves, which many farmers aren’t experienced enough or trained to do.

It could also cost hard-working tax payers money as if the incomes of rural workers fall then they could need tax credits, housing benefit and council tax benefit. The Conservative/Liberal Democrat government increasing the size of the welfare benefits bill when we are meant to by trying to save money!

The abolition of the AWB has been opposed by the Labour Party and trade unions. Unite the Union’s national officer for agriculture Julia Long said: “Supermarkets and the growers, who supply them, are behind the Agricultural Wages Board’s abolition proposal as they want to drive down workers’ wages to poverty levels.”

Despite large parts of the Elmet and Rothwell constituency being rural with many farms and agricultural workers our local Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke today failed to speak up or vote for the people he is meant to represent.

If I’d been Elmet and Rothwell’s MP today I’d not only have voted for the motion, but would also have spoken in the debate to defend the rights of hard-working local agricultural workers. I think the government should be helping rural families deal with rising living costs, not driving wages and conditions down.

Stop the bedroom tax rally in Leeds

What better way to spend a glorious spring day than to join Labour Party and trade union colleagues at a rally in Leeds city centre against the bedroom tax? This is an ill-thought out policy that victimises some of the most vulnerable people in the community and will have a devastating effect on many people throughout Elmet and Rothwell.

Karen Bruce walking behind the Unite banner at the Leeds against the bedroom tax rally

Karen Bruce walking behind the Unite banner.

Karen Bruce with the GMB bed at the Leeds against the bedroom tax rally

Karen Bruce with the GMB bed.

Councillor Alex Sobel and Councillor Karen Bruce at the Leeds against the bedroom tax rally

Councillor Alex Sobel and Councillor Karen Bruce.

Karen Bruce and Elmet and Rothwell GMB member Bob Dyson at the Leeds aganist the bedroom tax rally

Karen Bruce and Elmet and Rothwell GMB member Bob Dyson.

Former Leeds councillor and Pudsey Labour Party member John Garvarni unveils the Unite the Union banner.

Former Leeds councillor and Pudsey Labour Party member John Garvarni unveils the Unite the Union banner.

Musical light relief at the Leeds against the bedroom tax rally

Musical light relief at the Leeds against the bedroom tax rally.

Labour’s Made by the Many local election video

In case you missed it this is Labour’s Made by the Many video for the local elections that are happening in many parts of the country. We don’t have any in Elmet and Rothwell as there are no elections to Leeds City Council this year, but neighbouring North Yorkshire does have elections.

Councillor Gerry Harper backs Karen

Councillor Gerry Harper is the latest senior Leeds Labour Party member to back Karen’s bid to be selected as Labour’s candidate for Elmet and Rothwell. Gerry is the Deputy Executive Board Member for Development and Parliamentary Chief of Staff to Fabian Hamilton MP, MP for Leeds North East. Gerry said:

“I just heard that Karen Bruce is seeking selection as the parliamentary candidate to represent Labour at the next General Election. As a working mum and campaigner for our party Karen has a wealth of experience and understanding to offer the people of this constituency. She knows and understands the problems faced by hard working families in our country and I have no hesitation in supporting her nomination as the parliamentary candidate to represent Labour at the next general election.”

Karen Bruce campaigning for Gerry Harper

Karen Bruce and Esme campaigning for Gerry in Hyde Park and Woodhouse by-election.

Karen Bruce seeks selection as Labour candidate in Elmet and Rothwell for 2015 general election

Karen Bruce speaking at Labour Party conferenceI’m humbled and honoured that local Labour Party members and councillors have asked me to stand as Labour’s candidate for Elmet and Rothwell in the 2015 general election and want to let you know that I’ve decided to stand for selection.

We don’t yet know what the timetable will be, but over the next few weeks I want to meet every single local party member to talk about how we win Elmet and Rothwell back for Labour.

As I live in Rothwell, in the constituency, and am a councillor here, I believe that I’m in the strongest position to beat the Conservatives. In fact because of council ward boundary changes I’ve actually been a councillor in three out of the five four council wards that make up the constituency as I used to represent Garforth, Swillington and Methley. I’ve also lived in both Methley and Swillington. This gives me a unique local knowledge and experience.

Elmet and Rothwell is a seat that Labour must win if we are to beat the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition. I know just how hard that fight will be and I’m more than up for the challenge. Since I won the first council seat back off the Liberal Democrats in 2011 we’ve won a second so there is only one left in the constituency. However, we still have a strong base of Conservative councillors that highlight the challenge that we’ve got.

I already use this blog and my Twitter account to take on the Liberal Democrats here in Rothwell and also to challenge Alec Shelbrooke MP our local Tory MP in Elmet and Rothwell. You’ll be seeing even more of that over the next few weeks as we can’t put fighting the Tories and Lib Dems on hold while we decide who Labour’s candidate will be.

I’ve also set up a Karen for Elmet and Rothwell Facebook page that initially I’ll mainly use to have conversations with Labour Party members so that I can build a strong campaign platform to beat Alec Shelbrooke.

I’ll be contacting the local Labour Party members who already know me (and that’s most of you!)  shortly to arrange a good time to meet. But in the meantime don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by texting 07534 822479 or using the contact form.

UPDATE: Quick thanks to Alec Shelbrooke MP for pointing out the typo where it should have said five wards, not four!

UPDATE 2: Added photograph so that the post will display properly in the featured posts list.

HS2 and Transport secretary show contempt for local people

The more I talk about HS2 to local people in Woodlesford the more angry I become. There is a legitimate debate to be had about the pros and cons of HS2. There is a legitimate debate to be had about the exact route it should take. There can be no debate about how the consultation and compensation process has been handled. It is a complete and utter disgrace.

It is more than two weeks since the government announced the proposed route for second phase of HS2 yet local people still haven’t been contacted by HS2 Ltd. Both HS2 Ltd and Tory secretary of state for transport Patrick McLoughlin have shown utter contempt for local people that they can’t even be bothered to send letters to the homes that will be immediately affected. David Nagle and I have already written to every home in the immediate area so we can start to collate a list of peoples’ concerns that we will present to HS2 and the secretary of state.

Last Saturday the three Rothwell councillors and Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke met local residents from the Maltings and Locks estates at two open air meetings attended by more than 100 local people.

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Local MP refuses to speak up on behalf of local people

I’m also dismayed that Alec Shelbrooke doesn’t want to stand up in the House of Commons and ask the prime minister David Cameron and Patrick McLoughlin to answer questions. Local people quite rightly expect more of their MP and it’s not good enough for Alec to glibly dismiss asking questions in Parliament as “just pontificating” as he did on Saturday when I challenged him about this. He’s happy enough to pontificate on taking benefits off working families that need them, but not on behalf of his constituents! As all three political parties support the principle of HS2 I really thought that all local politicians could work together on this.

Alec is the only one of us that can stand up in Parliament and ask those questions. He’s the one we elected to send to Westminster. My colleagues and I would certainly be asking those questions.

The consultation process is so feeble that neither HS2 or the Department of Transport have even bothered to contact local councillors so that we can properly help our constituents. Both residents and ourselves are forced to rely on an inadequate website and residents who’ve emailed HS2 haven’t even had a reply.

The responsibility for this incompetent shambles lies directly Patrick McLoughlin. He might claim the plans for consultation were drawn up under his predecessors Justine Greening and Philip Hammond, but that’s no excuse for not improving them. I’m calling on McLoughlin to start treating local people with some respect and consideration. It is unacceptable that neither HS2 nor his department have yet been in direct contact with local homeowners and local councillors.

The Tory/Lib Dem government has already demonstrated its incompetence in managing transport with the fiasco of the west coast rail franchise so McLoughlin needs to get a grip on his department. I’m calling on him to instigate an immediate review of the consultation and communication for HS2 and to implement a new plan that truly listens to local people and lets them know what is happening.

The route into Leeds through Woodlesford is one of the most important sections of the HS2 line so I’m writing to Patrick McLoughlin to ask him to visit us and see for himself how it is affecting local people.

Save Rothwell fire station

Rothwell fire station has been earmarked for closure under radical plans that will see six fire stations in Leeds close and 200 fire fighter jobs be slashed. The local community in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Outlton and Carlton has reacted angrily to the news and is standing shoulder to shoulder with myself and Councillor David Nagle to fight the proposed closure.

Save Rothwell fire station

Local residents and community groups turned out in force to kick start the campaign to save Rothwell fire station.

Please do your bit by signing our online petition and asking your friends and family to sign it as well. Remember that you sign as an individual so everyone in your house can sign as well. You can also download a paper petition that you can print to get others to sign. Print some copies and take them to your local pub, club, shops, takeaway etc and ask them to put the petition on the counter. We need as many people as possible to sign.

Download the Stop the closure of Rothwell fire station petition PDF.

Backing Rothwell Town Forum in speech at full meeting of Leeds City Council

I’m at the full meeting of Leeds City Council. My new ward colleague David Nagle has just given his maiden speech about our fight to save the allotments in Rothwell.

I spoke on setting up the Rothwell Town Forum and this is gist of what I said:

I was elected last year as a Rothwell councillor and it was obvious to me that the town of Rothwell, like many other areas, is crying out for new life. Some of our shops are struggling and we need more footfall down Commercial Street.  I’m passionate about helping to do this. Which is why I called a public meeting to start a Rothwell Town Forum.

We have a fantastic asset in our town centre with some great individual shops which I totally support, god forbid we should end up with our high streets being full of nothing but identical chain shops replacing our much loved individual local shops and no Olywn Fox providing true local service, but instead only Currys with its know nothing assistants; and no Brew tea rooms, but only Starbucks on every street.

We have to make the most of what we have in Rothwell and not only fight to keep our individuality but help our centre to realise its full potential and draw people here. I want to see us build on the unique character that Rothwell has whilst at the same time bringing it into the 21st century. We need to offer people something which cannot be matched by out of town shopping centres or the internet.

We also have other pockets throughout the district including in Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton with fantastic shops which also have huge potential and also need our support.

There was a huge amount of enthusiasm at the first meeting for the need to do something, despite some of the challenges and setbacks traders have faced in the past. This will only work with the community coming together to help themselves and I’m sure that we can do it.

Some great ideas came out of the meeting like the need for improved signage, a directory and newsletter promoting all local businesses that could be distributed to every house in Rothwell, experimenting with late night opening for one night a week, looking at what could be done to improve the semi-pedestranisation of Commercial Street, how businesses could work together with joint promotions, perhaps creating a ‘Rothwell Pound’ – a special currency that can only be spent in Rothwell, a community notice board and better business support and advice.

And we’ve got our role to play. Keith did a great job chairing the “Commission on the Future of Local Government.” But we’ve got to ensure that it’s more than just words and truly embrace entrepreneurship. Too often our local traders face petty bureaucratic restrictions and as a council we aren’t flexible enough to meet the real needs of people.That has to change. And we here should be that change.

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Philip Gould tribute

My thoughts go out this morning Philip Gould’s wife, Gail Rebuck and daughters, Georgia and Grace. Philip Gould, who was a key strategist and adviser to the Labour Party and former prime minister Tony Blair, has died from cancer. at the age of 61 yesterday.

Blair paid tribute to Lord Gould:

an "indispensable" member of the political team that secured three election victories.

He was Labour to his core, and today, as the Labour party, we mourn for one of our own.

He was rightly known as a path breaking political strategist. His friends will also remember an extraordinary human being: warm, funny, engaging, deeply emotional and loving to all those he knew.

Nowhere was he more extraordinary than in the final years of his life: battling his cancer like a political campaign that could be mastered and won, then accepting death with courage and bravery.

His contribution to Labour politics was enormous. His work and commitment helped change the lives of millions of his fellow citizens for the better.