Vote Gareth Derrick – Vote Labour May 5th 2016 Police & Crime Commissioner Election
LABOUR POLICE Commissioner hopeful, Gareth Derrick, urges the public to turn out to vote on May 5th in the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) election as he:
“passionately believes this election is crucial for the people living in the South West.”
At a recent campaign event in Plymouth, Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham MP, stated Devon and Cornwall need a police and crime boss who will “stand up” to the Tory government.
Shadow Home Secretary with Gareth Derrick on the campaign trail
The Labour Party campaigns to protect police numbers and the resources available to policing, against the backdrop of Tory cuts to police services up and down the country.
On the role, Derrick emphasises the PCC: “does not just allocate money to the police. He or she can commission services from many different sources, aimed at crime reduction and improving community safety. This gives the PCC the chance to reform and to innovate, working across the criminal justice system, and with the voluntary sector for example.”
“An effective PCC will be able to toughen up crime prevention measures, by working to reduce re-offending, supporting young adults and ensuring that responses are available where needed, and so much more” he added.
Derrick calls on Labour Members and the community as a whole: “to turn out to vote next Thursday May 5th” and: ‘”send a clear message to Westminster: Stop messing with our Police Force. Stop cutting budgets at Westminster that put our families at risk. Vote for your Labour PCC candidate – Gareth Derrick”.
Local Labour Party Member Slams Devon Tory MP’s Support for Unpopular Government Policy
LETTER recently published in the East Cornwall Times written by a local Party member JE Harris, expresses criticism of Geoffrey Cox, Torridge and West Devon Conservative MP’s support for the Chancellor’s recent budget and the Government’s forced academisation programme.
COX’S CONUNDRUM
I wonder which parallel universe Geoffrey Cox (Torridge and West Devon MP) inhabits when extolling the merits of the latest budget (ECT – 24.3.2016). It would be more accurate to simply say that it was a shambles. Within two days the grossly unfair cuts to disability benefits had to be quickly dumped. Ian Duncan-Smith, hardly a man noted for his left-wing views, called the budget unfair and resigned.
The Office for Budget Responsibility & the Institute for Fiscal Studies both suggest that the shuffled cuts & taxes between one year and another is an anodyne attempt to balance the books and enhance their appearance.
The Capital gains tax relief will award the richest 0.3% a further £30k roughly equating to the amount that the disability benefit cuts would have generated.
The Lifetime ISA is unlikely to be taken up by many under-40’s.The vast majority are too busy worrying how to payback their student loan or pay their rent or mortgage, that is if they are lucky enough to be in that position .
The tax on sugared drinks, which most people would probably agree with, will not however be implemented for two years, presumably while the Tories ‘sweeten’ the very powerful drinks industry.
But the real issue which he squeaked in was full ‘academisation’ of all English schools by 2020.As the realities unfold it is patently obvious that this puerile, political gesture is backfiring big time. The equivalent experiment in the USA-the introduction of charter schools (which receives government funding but operates independently of the established public school system in which it is located) has come in for serious criticism for both its management and finance but particularly for concentrating almost exclusively on SATs scores in order to enhance their profiles. The experience of privately subsidised charter schools in Chile which predates the USA model has spectacularly failed.
Senior Tories with responsibility for schools in Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire & Kent have lambasted the proposals to make all schools academies & to abolish parent governors.
Over the weekend we have seen overwhelming opposition in the response of the teaching unions. Nicky Morgan (why do they insist on such lightweights in such important offices?) patronised the NASUWT conference into wholesale heckling and derision. In one stroke, George Osborne’s budget has eliminated the public’s role in education where we live. Join up this stimulation of teacher’s frustrations with the ongoing disputes over junior doctor’s new conditions and they have seriously alienated two professions that deliver our most precious commodities; education and health. A recent Mori poll has suggested that more than 60% of the electorate are dissatisfied with Osborne. I suspect that a similar percentage within the Tory party feel the same. Perhaps Mr. Cox, when he re-engages with reality, might explain just where this budget ‘has put forward long term solutions to long term problems’
J.E.HARRIS
Date for your Diary: Next Branch Meeting on Tues 3rd May 2016 @ 7pm
This meeting is open to the public. Both members and non-members
with an interest in joining can attend. So if you know anyone keen to find out more about Labour’sin our locality please bring them along or pass on details of the event.
Meeting agenda will be circulated by email.
Meeting location:
Tamar Valley Methodist Church in Albaston, Gunnislake,
Tamar Valley Labour 
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