Thanks to the support of thousands of residents across Swindon, Labour took a big step forward in the local elections on May 5th.

PMQs 11 October 2011

The Swindon Labour Party is instigating a “Labour Listens” campaign in which we will hold public meetings around the town, particularly in places which are currently without Labour councillors. The purpose of these meetings will be to allow residents to share their views with the local Labour Party, so that we can attempt to resolve any concerns they might have.

The overall aim of these meetings is to ensure that as a local Labour Party, we are in tune with the people we represent or seek to represent. The Swindon Labour Party’s contact with, and understanding of our residents should always be our first concern. This will also help raise the profile of the local Labour Party in areas we have previously not had much contact with.

I have asked all Swindon Labour Party members, whether they are current councillors, prospective councillors or other local activists, to be able to be involved in this work. It will benefit Labour as a whole in Swindon to help raise our profile; however the main aim of these events will be to ensure that the local Labour Party is in tune with local peoples’ views on how their town should be run.

The first meeting will cover Haydon Wick & Priory Vale wards on the 16th of November. I hope to arrange other such meetings in the run up to the May elections.

Councillor Jim Grant

Swindon Labour Group Leader

What the Tories say they do in Swindon and what they do in Swindon are contradictory.

In South Swindon there are 2,667 job seekers, but only 633 job registered vacancies. We need jobs here as we have been told more than once by the Conservatives Swindon is on the up, but where are the jobs?

As councillor Rod Bluh, Conservative council leader, boasted only a year ago on 14th October 2010

The future is ours to make, the momentum is with us with the college site now underway.  I am told we would be leading the UK out of recession in terms of regeneration.

We would be at the top because no one else is doing anything. If we can’t do it in Swindon they will struggle to do it elsewhere.

Perhaps Rod Bluh can tell us where it is?  The old college site is still standing. Full article here from 2010.

On Wednesday the House of Lords makes a choice. They could wave the government’s dangerous NHS plans through to the next stage. Or they could insist on proper scrutiny and big changes to protect our health service.

It could come down to one or two votes. Together we can help tip the balance. If we show the Lords that the public want them to put Lansley’s plans under the microscope, we can convince wavering Lords to stand up to government pressure and vote the right way.

• These changes weren’t in any manifestos and the public has never had a chance to vote on them.
• These changes weren’t given proper scrutiny in the House of Commons so we need the House of Lords to look at them properly.

An urgent, people-powered petition can show the Lords that huge numbers of us want them to protect the NHS. Please add your name now by clicking here.

Like a new generation today, I grew up under a Tory administration and saw the carnage wrought upon British business by neo-liberal economic dogma. The experience radicalised me but also encouraged me to trust to hard work and to make the most of State education as the means whereby a working-class kid could aspire to achieve better.

I worked hard – probably too hard – and qualified as a chartered accountant and chartered tax adviser in 1993.

Then, in 2004, I established my own accountancy practice which has thrived ever since.

The latter date is important because we were mid-way through a period of economic growth stewarded by the then-Labour Government; a period of growth made possible by Government support. Gordon Brown’s economic policies helped small businesses to start up and to grow with substantial reductions in the small companies’ rate of corporation tax and by very generous tax allowances for capital investment. There were also very many business bodies – which Justin Tomlinson would no doubt dismiss as “quangos” – that were there to provide guidance and support. It was a good period for small businesses and a perfect example of how the State can foster enterprise.

Unfortunately, history operates in circles and 2010 saw the return of laissez-faire economic policies to the detriment of small businesses in general and the country in particular. Tory Finance Acts in 2010 and 2011 have been most damaging to small enterprise which is having to deal with the claw-back of allowances and a ruinous hike in VAT.

This was why, as a Socialist and as a small businessman, I was greatly cheered by Ed Miliband’s speech at Liverpool. It signaled a move forward to better times whereby hard work is properly rewarded. Unfortunately, this message has been intentionally warped by vested interests such as those of Lord Digby Jones and other proponents of feral Capitalism whilst ignoring the welcome accorded by the more representative Federation of Small Business.

Let us be clear here: the Budget deficit will only be closed by economic growth and growth will only come through the fostering of small businesses – not by allowing the robber barons of big business an unfettered hand in looting our economy. And that is why small business should cheer Ed Miliband’s speech as the beginning of something better.

Labour’s the party of Law and Order and that’s what we’ll stay

Wed, 28/09/2011 – Day Four of the Labour Party Conference

Today’s debate on home office issues was given a huge boost by a cracking speech made by the Chairman of the Police Federation, Paul McKeever, who was given a lengthy standing ovation. It was the first time a Labour Conference had heard from the police at Conference, and showed just how far the current Government has alienated the police force.

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Polished and Confident Performance by Ed Miliband

Tue, 27/09/2011 – Day Three of the Labour Party Conference

Ed Miliband’s conference speech after his first year as Labour Leader needed to be assured and confident. I wasn’t looking for a mass of policy details or firm commitments because we’re more than three years away from the next General Election: it would be foolish for any leader to commit himself now as so much could change. However I was looking for an indication of direction and a statement of Ed’s values, as this is what people are looking for.

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Right to Learn

Tue, 27/09/2011

My Policy Idea presented at Monday night’s Pragmatic Radicalism Fringe meeting.

Labour is at its best when it is at its boldest, so my policy idea seeks to potentially transform the lives of all people through creating a Universal Right to Learn so that everyone – whatever their age and qualifications – can continue their learning and education after the statutory school leaving age.

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Ed Balls shows the way forward on the Economy

Mon, 26/09/2011 - Conference Day Two

The big set piece debate on day two of the Labour Party is always the economy, and as this is the first year since Ed Balls was appointed Shadow Chancellor, anticipation was running very high. I had been tweeting about Ed’s excellent performance this morning on BBC radio 4′s Today programme and could tell by the Tory responses to my comments that Ed is indeed feared by the Government.

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Day One of the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool

Sun, 25/09/2011

To the outside world, Party Conferences must appear to be wall-to-wall political speeches and debates, with a smattering of voting and internal rule changes thrown in for good measure. Fortunately they’re much more than this, as even the most dedicated political junkie would grow tired after a couple of days! For me, the Labour Conference is first and foremost an opportunity to renew my commitment to Labour values of social justice and fairness, but it’s also an opportunity to attend receptions and fringe events, and catch up with old friends made during twenty plus years of political activism.

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Young Labour supported by Anne Snelgrove attended the Swindon College Freshers’ Fair on Wednesday 7th September.

It was a fantastic event and we met some amazing students studying everything from Business Studies to Beauty Therapy and Motor Mechanics  to Childcare.

So many students are worried now more than ever about the loss of EMA and it’s effect on their ability to buy materials (especially for vocational courses) and pay for transport.  With part time jobs in Swindon being so scarce most of the students we spoke to are at a loss as to what the Tory-led government expect them to do in order to stay in education.

We also added many names to Labour’s  Britain’s Lost Talent petition and got some wonderful feedback from students about what matters to them!

Don’t forget to follow Swindon Labour on twitter at twitter.com/swindonlabour or Anne Snegrove at twitter.com/annesnelgrove or find us on facebook at facebook.com/swindonlabour.  You can also see some photo’s from the Freshers’ Fair at flickr.com/swindonlabour

Swindon Labour is deeply worried about the impact of the Health and Social Care Bill.  It will be will be voted on next Tuesday, and there is still time to email your local Swindon Conservative MPs, Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland urging them to vote against this profoundly damaging and divisive legislation.

Photo Courtesy of UNISON Read the full story

At a time when property prices are depressed, and there is a surfeit of empty land and commercial properties in Swindon. Eric Pickles Tory Minister and boss of local councils, has prodded Swindon Tories with his unwelcome advice to sell off the the Assets owned by the people of Swindon all bought and paid for over the years by council tax, business rates and borrowing.

The football ground, County ground, Swindon Rugby club, golf courses shops and pubs etc. Now Councillor Rod Bluh the Conservative council leader has quickly stepped in since I blogged about this yesterday and tweeted about it. Rod admits that as the economy picks up he will dispose of properties to pay for regeneration. As the leader of the council he has been in charge of unprecedented borrowing levels to fund Whicelstowe and other ventures. Before Tories started borrowing to Spend, Spend, Spend their way to a Tory Utopia Swindon Council had a a net borrowing of £10million in the bank, the conservatives have as published in Labour’s election campaign in May got through a whopping eye watering amount that is in excess of £63 million. Odd the Tories will not tell us where it has gone, though they admit to £45 million on Whichelstowe. This had to be dragged out of them and people are rightly suspicious that the figure is higher. The council has had to put a note on its accounts to identify its borrowing levels something that should be an embarrassment during austere times.

I think that when Rod Bluh is quoted as saying “I hope no one is suggesting we sell off our assets at rock bottom prices” (Swindon Advertiser  6/8/11) he then asks himself  is this what Eric Pickles is doing? I believe it is exactly that, as has been proved by the Pickles and Shapps inspired fire sale of Swindon’s council houses, at the ridiculously low price of around £6,000 each! The Tories are now falling foul of their own contradictory statements about their performance and their political flip flopping is becoming legendary.

No doubt the asset sale is almost certainly likely to happen, if the housing sale falls through as the tenants can pick their landlord and the Tory Led government has to live with that. If Pickles plan A fails to sell Swindon’s council homes, I am beginning to worry that out of spite and because of the pressing need to pay down the debt they have racked up on Whicelstowe. The Tories will sell off the other assets, such as the football ground. Of course they will be pushed on by prodding from Pickles and his plan B to flog the family silver.