Labour Party Candidates Pledge

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Given the grim situation regarding MP’s expenses (not all of them) and the public’s justified reaction, the Labour Party has drawn up a “Candidates Pledge” which I have signed and returned by post today.

The Pledge reads, ” The Labour Party is a great movement for change, made up of people determined to serve the public interest and not their own”

As a Labour candidate:

* I seek elected office for the honour of serving the public and our democracy not for personal gain.

* If elected I will subscribe to high standards of integrity, transparency, accountability, and prudence with public money.

* Constituents will always come first and I will comply with the current and any new rules on outside earnings.

* I will publish online my full salary and parliamentary allowances.

* I believe it a duty to hold regular meetings, engagement events and surgeries with my community and constituents and will do so.

* I will communicate regularly with my electorate and will be available through email, telephone and other means to my constituents.

* I will regularly report back to my constituency party as well as to my constituents.

Improvements to The Hollow, Bewdley

Cllr Paul Gittins at The Hollow

Paul Gittins is Labour Spokesperson for Wribbenhall.

I am very pleased to report that the slope at the bottom of the steps in the Hollow leading to Bark Hill have been improved by installing a non slip surface and a new hand rail. The wall under the hand rail has also been repaired. I have been campaigning for these improvements for several years and over these years several people have slipped there and parts of the wall have fallen into the road. However I was disappointed to find that although the wall had been repaired and the non slip material applied the old hand rail which my father had installed when he was a councillor had been removed and we had to wait several weeks for the new hand rail to be fitted. Athough I am pleased that at last this area has now been made safer I am disappointed that it has taken so long.

wfclp June newsletter

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Support for Gordon Brown

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Thursday 4th June was a very bad day for the Labour Party. We lost control of all our Labour held County Councils, twelve seats in Worcestershire (including mine) and now have three from fifty seven.
Let’s just refer to the “London effect” as being responsible for our downfall. The MP’s expenses scandal has cost us virtually everything, and I do accept the voters decision. Labour is at its lowest point. Obviously at the moment, our Government is unpopular. All of our electoral losses are down to that, the same I guess, as when we were very popular between 1993 and 2005 when Labour people got elected to Local Authorities, the Commons, Europe etc.
I am not calling for Brown to go. Polly Toynbee, right wing Labour MP’s are not considering the consequences of ousting Brown. If we had a new Leader, he or she would have to call a General Election shortly afterwards. We would probably lose. Our only chance is for Brown to clean up the Commons and assert the Government’s authority over the Banks and Finance system to ensure the economy is stabilised. We have just under one year left. Brown should take this last opportunity to deliver on jobs, protect Public Services and introduce democracy into the NHS.

Tom Watson Resignation

Former Wyre Forest Labour Chair, Kidderminster born and bred Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich resigns from the Cabinet Office for family reasons.

Read: Tom Watson blog

Vote Labour on Thursday 4th June

Vote Labour on Thursday 4 June 2009.

Every vote will count in the elections on Thursday 4 June. Why? Because Labour stands up for the hard-working British people – not just to help people now but to plan for recovery, renew our society , and reform our government for the future.

Labour is working to win the fight for Britain’s future.

David Cameron’s Conservatives remain firmly rooted to doing nothing. They have set themselves against providing real help now for families and businesses.

The Tories would make Britain weaker not stronger for the future.

The choice is clear. Vote Labour Thursday 4 June

Promoted by Ray Collins, General Secretary, the Labour Party on behalf of the Labour Party, both at 39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HA

Worcestershire Acute NHS Foundation Trust

Nigel Knowles Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest and Worcestershire County Councillor St Barnabas, Kidderminster.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

A meeting was held on 1st June for members of Worcestershire Acute NHS Foundation Trust in Kidderminster Town Hall. About 1700 people have signed up to join as members in Wyre Forest, the highest number in the six district areas in Worcestershire. We were told that the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust now has a total of 5,600 members in the county.

In my opinion, there are one or two problems in the undertaking.

Firstly, it’s not on that the newly elected non-paid Governors ( 3 in Wyre Forest) would not be able to attend all parts of the Director’s Board Trust meetings (with the possible acknowledged occasion regarding personnel or some aspects of absolute confidential business).
Secondly, whilst acknowledging that Government has set the rules and structure, it’s pretty clear that the Governors will play second-fiddle to the Directors. What is on offer is a half-way house at best, and at worst, a members-elected Council of Governors who could be incredibly frustrated by regulation strictures denying them opportunity to home in on particular local issues.
Like any set of rules, some seem in conflict with others. For instance, one would seem to deny the right to particularly advocate that a Radiotherpy Unit beplaced at Kidderminster Hospital. That could be considered “proscribed activity”. However, a later rule states that Governors can represent and advocate community causes and issues. Given that over 10,000 people have signed my Petition for a Radiotherpy Unit for Kidderminster Hospital, surely it could be deemed an appropriate community issue?
Finally, I want directly elected NHS Trust Non-Executive Directors. In 2000/2001, I ran a National Campaign to get that facility. About 70 Districts and other Councils in England and Wales signed up, across all Party Political control.
We can’t have this lack of NHS Democracy. The Labour Government has funded the NHS in a fantastic way since 1997. However, we now need democratic provision and accountability. I believe the public is way ahead of the status quo on this issue.

Kidderminster Bus Station at last there will be light!

Nigel Knowles Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest and Worcestershire County Councillor St Barnabas, Kidderminster.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

In response to my campaign to ensure Kidderminster Bus Station is properly lit and safe to enter at night, I have now been informed that the street lighting in the Bus Station will be working and switched on during late July or early August. There has been no lighting for passengers since the Bus Station was opened several years ago!

Pedestrian Crossing for Wolverley Road, Franche

Nigel Knowles Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest and Worcestershire County Councillor St Barnabas, Kidderminster.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Good news – I have received a letter from the Head of Integrated Transport, Worcestershire County Council stating that the Petition for a Pedestrian Crossing which I presented to full County Council, is likely to be succesful. The request, signed by over 600 people, fits in very well with the Council’s Walking Strategy, and a Crossing will be a great benefit to the public. The average speed along the road near St Barnabas Church is 33mph and between 8am and 4pm, 269 people crossed the road there, on one particular day. The Crossing will be considered for funding in the financial year 2010/2011.

Tories responsible for cuts to parish aid

Paul Gittins is Labour Spokesperson for Wribbenhall.

I found it interesting to read that Councillor Clee, a member of Bewdley Town Council, claimed he was staggered to hear about the Wyre Hill play area and Bewdley bridge proposals and lay the blame on the Health Concern members.

Had he attended more town council meetings or read the minutes of those he missed or left early he would have known that his Conservative colleagues supported all the proposals and that they came from the Finance Working Group of which there are two Conservatives, one Health Concern and one Independent member.

My proposal to fund the play area for a whole year and to consult with the district council for future years was accepted because the district said they had no funding available to run it, although I believe they could have used some of their reserves to run or even improve it.

What was staggering, however, is the district cabinet’s approved proposal to phase out aid to parish councils which would mean that Bewdley Town Council will be over £12,000 short for next year’s funding.

This funding is used not only to maintain the play area but for other projects such as the Christmas lights, war memorial and the town’s flowers. The town council did indeed do a U-turn and I hope the district will do the same with the parish grant and with the funding and improvements to the play area.

PAUL GITTINS Labour Bewdley town councillor