Category Archives: Leeds

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.

Update on Dolphin Manor care home, Rothwell

Dolphin Manor RothwellThe news that we had saved Dolphin Manor from imminent closure was reported in last month’s edition of Rothwell Record. As a result of local people’s hard work a new proposal was developed to create a new social enterprise company that could become responsible for running Dolphin Manor in the future. This was as a result of me lobbying both the leader of Leeds City Council Cllr Keith Wakefield and Cllr Lucinda Yeadon, Executive Board Member responsible for adult social care to persuade them to back the social enterprise plan and we have gained the support of the council in our bid to be allowed to put together a plan to run the care home locally.

Making sure the momentum is kept up at Leeds City Council level myself and James Normington, the local Labour Party member who is taking a lead the social enterprise plan, went again this month to see Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the executive member for adult social care, to explain how the plan will now develop. It was agreed that enough time should be allowed to enable a full plan to be developed and that this will be more than a year until the practical proposals would be ready to be put into place. A local steering group has now been set up to put the plan together for the council to approve and it is hoped to have it in a position to run in April 2013.

I’m delighted that local people are being given the chance to save Dolphin Manor by setting up the social enterprise. I have every faith that the commitment and hard work of local people can make this plan work. The hard work has already started to create a practical social enterprise that will keep Dolphin Manor open for residents and for future generations in Rothwell.

Rothwell local election campaign gains momentum

Campaigning Karen and John Healey

Another fantastic day on the campaign trail in Rothwell, we’re getting a fantastic response! It’s been a busy week campaigning, including with John Healey. the shadow health minister, door knocking in Rothwell on a beautiful sunny day! The campaign is very positive and upbeat. Time and again people are telling us that they want to send the Lib Dems a message as they feel totally let down by their blatant betrayal of the very people that voted for them. On so many issues from VAT to EMA and tuition fees and of course the NHS and even cutting winter fuel allowance for the older people who need it most. People on the doorsteps of Rothwell are telling us loud and clear that they won’t stand for such double standards.

One example is  a guy who I remember speaking to before in a recent election who had told me in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t voting Labour, but he was voting for the Lib Dems. He is now very angry at the Lib Dems and told me that he thought they were nothing more than ‘opportunist’. He also told me that he has so far been impressed with Ed Miliband and he thought that I would make a great hard working councillor for Rothwell and he would definitely be voting for me on May 5.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has chipped in to help with the campaign so far – I really appreciate it!

Thanks to Leonie Mathers for the great photo of some of the team with John Healey.

Rothwell creche saved from immanent closure

Fantastic news today that Leeds City Council has decided to keep the crèche at Rothwell Leisure Centre open on a trial basis for a further six months from April. I’m sure other parents who use our leisure centre will be delighted at the news. I go swimming with my daughter Esme in the small pool at the centre and we always have great fun along with other families with small children. The centre is great  for local families and the loss of the creche would have taken away from that.

Sadly, the hourly fee will have to increase from its current £2 to £4 to try and reduce the subsidy from the council and bring the charges more into line with what they should be (although the usual discounts for Leeds card extra etc will remain). Improvements will also be made to creche hours to better align them to activities so people can make the most of the creche here.  I think that another problem the creche had was the lack of publicity so it’s good to hear that it will now be properly marketed. Simply putting a banner on the outside of the centre, as well as marketing via children’s centres, health visitors, expectant mums etc could see a lot more parents using the creche. It’s interesting that three organisations have shown interest in providing crèche services and the council is working with them to see if something can be done

All in all good news for all of us in the Rothwell area as the more people who use the centre the better!

Rothwell Labour fighting for local people

I’m very excited to have been chosen by Labour Party members in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton to be their candidate in the May elections and helping to take Rothwell Labour Party into a new era. This is a very serious job for serious times.

These are tough times and there will be tougher times to come -  at the top of my list of priorities will be fighting to protect local people against the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government’s cuts. The most vulnerable in our community must be protected from the savage cuts which will be imposed on to Leeds City Council.I will do everything I can to protect local older people, those with disabilities, our young people and our children – in fact everyone who relies on our essential public services.

I am already fighting to protect our local environment where there are threats to our local area such as the Yorkcourt Properties planning application on Newmarket Lane towards Methley and potential development on Oulton Hall Estates land. Local residents can be assured that Rothwell Labour Party will always fight to protect the greenbelt.

I know from speaking to people locally that many feel that they have been ‘sold out’ by the Liberal Democrats as when they voted for them they weren’t voting for a Conservative government, but that’s what they’ve got along with the most savage cuts ever. Rothwell Labour Party understand how people feel and we are on your side!

Photos imported 16 Nov 2010 168

Leeds loves Andy Burnham

On Monday event with Andy Burnham took place in Leeds. As Andy’s regional director I got to organise and host the event.

Andy Burnham in Leeds

Thanks to @pennyb for the photo.

Great feedback for Andy from Leeds with lots of twitter comments and this great email I thought I’d share:

I really enjoyed Andy Burnham’s presentation and questions last night. I am impressed. He came across as genuine. He has obviously thoroughly thought through his politics. He will definitely be getting my first preference. If only more MPs were like him. He is a breath of fresh air in a climate of career politicians. I will put a donation for his campaign in the post.

@laidbackian: Had a great night with @andyburnhammp in Leeds. He has a passion for the Labour Party unmatched by the other candidates. #andy4leader

@stephenjtowler: Andy Burnham excellent in Leeds tonight. Why would you not vote for him?

@khutchinsondean After event tonight finally getting off the fence and backing @andyburnhammp for leader; most authentic, credible and fresh thinking choice

@laidbackian: Great night with @andyburnhammp in Leeds. He has a passion for the Labour Party unmatched by other candidates. #andy4leader

@Emma_Hoddinott: Saw @andyburnhammp last night in Leeds. Was very impressed with his ideas on Labour Party reform.

@christophe_read: Spoke to @andyburnhammp last night about my Young Labour report -he’d seen it & was v much along same lines. Top bloke.

@LauraPony: Pleased @brianahaha is also putting @andyburnhammp as first preference following event in Leeds last night #andy4leader

@LauraPony: Excellent evening listening to @andyburnhammp then eating lovely Italian food with fantastic family

@MagsNews: Andy Burnham – great guy. Met him in Leeds yesterday evening. V genuine and cares passionately about the party… My second preference!

@KatRRose: Enjoyed meetng @andyburnhammp in Leeds, @ed_miliband‘s better civil liberties 1st pref, but Andy Burnham is cool prob 2nd pref

@alexsobel: RT @KatRRose: Enjoyed meeting @andyburnhammp in Leeds, @ed_miliband 1st pref but Andy Burnham cool prob 2nd pref -prob me too

Andy reconnecting Labour

Andy Burnham meets Labour members in RothwellAll the Labour leadership candidates were invited to speak at the Unison annual meeting yesterday in Leeds and take part in a hustings. I was there with Andy Burnham and was really impressed by the level of support he has with many Unison members. Speaking to members there it was obvious the respect and affection Andy is held in by many in the public sector and particularly in the NHS. Knowing Andy’s commitment first hand, many having worked with him whilst he was Health Secretary, and the fact that Andy has shadowed staff at every level has made a huge impression, that was obvious.

Then it was on to a house meeting I’d arranged for Andy to meet some local members in Rothwell. Discussions included some of Andy’s big ideas, his leadership bid is based on Labour becoming the party of “aspirational socialism”, the members there liked the use of the word socialist which had seemed to become a bit of a ‘dirty word’ of late in the party. Andy talked about his ideas that include the large-scale purchase of private accommodation by councils and for a national care service funded by a fair levy on estates, instead of the unfair ‘dementia tax’ that people are saddled with at the moment, which means working people who are the first in their family to own their own homes are forced into losing everything they have worked for to pay for care in older age.

With Andy we will get a leader of conviction, someone who cares about people , is passionate about the Labour Party and the NHS and someone who can communicate with everyone, which crucially means that members and voters know he can connect with them because he is one of them.

Tory and Lib Dem councillors attack on unions bring bin strike closer

The talks between Leeds City Council and the trade unions (Unite, GMB, Unison) have failed. About what you’d expect when they are the responsibility of a Liberal Democrat leader of a Tory/Lib Dem council.

The trade unions have been trying to have a sensible discussion with Leeds City Council as to how to resolve the proposed pay cuts which the council is trying to impose on bin workers as a result of the court rulings to do with the different pay levels between men and women doing similar jobs. Led by Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Richard Brett, the Tory/Lib Dem council has been obstructive every step of the way.The council is proposing massive£6,000 per year pay cuts for the hard working staff in the refuse and street cleaning departments.

Bill Chard, organiser for the GMB explained: “There seems to be a complete lack of understanding and basic decency on behalf of the leadership of the council and their highly paid managers. I cannot comprehend why they believe such huge cuts of this magnitude would be acceptable to our members. This strike will cause mayhem in Leeds and they must take the blame.

“Our members take this action out of desperation; they know however they juggle their home finances they will not be able to pay their household bills. This situation has been hanging over their families for over 12 months, it is intolerable. I hope that council leader Richard Brett can live with his conscience.”

A bin strike won’t be good for the people of Leeds and is likely to cause us all considerable inconvenience. But the Tories and Lib Dems should remember that Leeds folk are made of strong stuff and they won’t take kindly to a handful of well-paid councillors trying to cut the pay of workers who provide us with essential services.

Promising news for Elmet and Rothwell cyclists

A new bike link between Garforth and Temple Newsam is being proposed to encourage local people to ride their bikes more often as  Garforth Today reports. Leeds Bike Week (from June 13) will see a range of schemes put forward. Let’s hope this means fewer people will use their cars and add to the congestion we see during the school run and people taking advantage of the sunshine this summer to improve their fitness and pumping out less fumes into the air too!