How much longer can this man embarrass our town?

Ipswich Labour are currently in the process of selecting their candidate to fight the next General election in Ipswich, the short list contains 3 strong candidates- all with a strong link with the town and all proven campaigners. Alex Mayer, Elizabeth Hughes and Jack Abbott.

I am supporting Jack, however I know all three would make great MP's for this town - and that is what we need now. Never before has this great town had such an embarrassing Member of Parliament.

Someone who would rather be on GB News ranting about migrants crossing the Channel or on the BBC Politics show embarrassing himself when he seemed confused where exactly Rwanda is rather than dealing with matters that Ipswich residents are concerned about.

Even when Mr Hunt does decide to talk about Ipswich issues he often quickly seems to wish to blame certain communities, to cause division instead of building bridges.

Yesterday he decided to join two East Midlands Tory MP's for a stupid photo stunt - one that has backfired, I think that he chooses to spend time with Lee Anderson, a person who was suspended by the Labour Party, tells you all you need to know about Tom Hunt.

Once we have selected our Labour candidate, we can then get out on the doorstep to pass on our positive message to Ipswich residents - and start the process of getting rid of this embarrassing MP 

This is what Ipswich needs > 

Not this >

Then again , other versions may make you smile, but unfortunately still embarrassing to think he is our MP.

Labour always strong on defence

 

The latest attack on the Labour Party has seen Tory MPs including our own ineffective MP for Ipswich, Tom Hunt attack Lisa Tandy for commenting on a publication by a Labour supporting group on the future of the Armed Forces.

As usual the Tories just focused on a few short snippets from the report- seeming to forget that the most savage cuts in troop numbers to the Armed Forces since the 1930's have taken place under the Tories in the last 10 years. The forces are fully stretched, even before assisting the NHS in this pandemic.

The Tories are not the party of the armed forces, they pretend to be. So thought this would be a good opportunity to remember the former Labour MP, Edith Summerskill who during World War 2, lobbied for women to be allowed to join the Home Guard to help defend our country - a view that did not go down well with many of the Tory backbenchers. 

In December 1941, the Women's Defence Force was formed thanks to Edith, who was not only a Doctor but the MP for Fulham West, it was still unofficial but far more organised. Members were taught weapon training and basic military training. 80 years later and we have our first women soldiers serving as Infantry soldiers

Edith Summerskill - MP 

32 BNP members in Ipswich but 32 too many!

' Not many of these to be seen on the streets of Ipswich'

First of all I will say that BNP members should be angry that their details have been released by a disgruntled member of their party, and the Police should take action against that person.

But even so it is interesting to see how many members of this "Far Right" party are in Suffolk and Ipswich in particular. According to local papers we have just over 100 in Suffolk and 32 either in or close to Ipswich. First of all this is 32 too many. But compared to other towns of our size it is a low total. But we must not get complacent, within the last two weeks the BNP have held street stalls in both Colchester and Harwich and earlier in the year held one in Norwich. There are over 600 BNP members in Essex, though many seem to be in the south of the county, with Loughton a surprising "Far Right" stronghold!

The current financial climate is just the sort of opportunity the BNP will use to recruit more recruits- we must make sure that does not happen and to do that we must (and in Ipswich WILL) continue to campaign all over the town and to continue to offer a good service to our constituents. Maybe if the Tories and Lib Dems also got off their backsides and campaigned as well, there would be even less opportunity for the likes of the BNP or UKIP to get out on the streets of Ipswich and peddle their lies.

As an ex soldier I was not happy to see a number of soldiers on the list, when I served in the Army, I was led to believe that you could not be a member of a political party but it seems now you can be a member but not an activist. I wonder what the Fijian and other Commonwealth soldiers feel about having a member of the BNP in their section or platoon!

Not all bad news! And a big thank you.

Well after 4 years of campaigning, even with the national disaster I managed to win the Rushmere ward seat for Labour,
I have been away since the election and it will take me a few more days to get over the fact that I can now represent the people of this ward with far more effect.
I will blog later in the week with my thoughts on the poor national results, the brilliant results we had in Ipswich (3 gains) and my own victory in Rushmere.
I must thank most of the constituents who voted for me , and the support I have had from all Labour colleagues, especially those from the North East branch- John Mowles, Sandy Martin and Neil McDonald.
I must admit I did have a tear in my eye when I was declared the Ward Councillor for Rushmere, all I could think of was my late mother and father- Peter and Annie Ross - if I can be half as good a Councillor as they were the people of Rushmere will be happy.
Thank you for putting- "A cross for Ross for Rushmere".

Result:
Alasdair Ross- Labour- 1,026 votes
Paul Carter- Conservative- 1,013 votes
Leslie Nicholls- Lib Dem - 294 votes
Turnout- 39.04%
A majority of just 13- but the Tories had a majority of 104 last year!

2008 - a Challenging year for Ipswich and Labour

2008 has started in what should be a challenging year for both Ipswich and the Labour Party.
That is the Labour Party both locally and nationally.
In Ipswich we have to get over the disappointment of not getting Unitary status and continue where we left off in 2007, of campaigning hard all over the town. We have been the only visible party on the doorsteps over the last 12 months but I already can see the Lib Dems and Tories starting to peer out from where they have been hiding, (in the Tories case for the last 8 months and in the Lib Dems case the last 18 months!)
Nationally and locally I believe the Labour Party is up for the challenge and especially in Ipswich are way ahead of both opposition parties in finding out and acting on the views of Ipswich residents.
Concerns for Ipswich residents?
1. The continuation of the Tory policy to keep allowing flats to be built rather than family homes.
2. The Closure of Cranes- another Ipswich manufacturing firm planning to leave the town.
3. The Tory plan to build a waste incinerator in Suffolk
4. Ipswich to get promotion.

Labour are the only choice when it comes to concerns 1 to 3. Ipswich getting promotion? After the Christmas games away from Fortress Portman Road it looked as unlikely as the Tories building houses on the northern fringe but after a fantastic New Years day win over WBA- Who knows?
But like many Town fans, though I welcome the cash injection into the club, I am concerned about the long term interests of our new owner.
So my hopes for 2008?
Labour to regain control of Ipswich - (including the return of a Labour Councilor to the Rushmere Ward)
Family homes to be built rather than more dockside flats.
A new major manufacturer to be found to take over the Crane site on Nacton Road.
The Tories and Lib Dems to return to the rocks they have been hiding under.
And of course promotion for Ipswich Town.
Have a happy 2008.

Will we ever be a Greater Ipswich?

Many of us have been in shock over the last few days as we come to terms with the Government decision not to give Ipswich Unitary status- we may have had a stronger case if the Tories could have got their fellow party members on Suffolk County Council to support the bid.

We may see a Unitary council, but not in 2008 as we hoped for- I actually believe the Government is right in stating Ipswich as a Unitary Authority needs to be larger, I believe it should be all those who live inside the A12. Ipswich in the 21st century is the urban mass surrounded by the A14/A12 box - including Kesgrave, Martlesham Heath, Rushmere and Pinewood.
That does not at first sound good for us in the Labour Party- many would think the inclusion of places like Kesgrave would make it harder for Ipswich to return to the fold of Labour run authorities, but I think we should just take it a challenge, and let us get into places like Kesgrave and Pinewood, because they have the same priorities and concerns as Ipswich residents do.
But whilst we wait for the Boundary Committee to decide on a Greater Ipswich, it is the children of Ipswich who will suffer the most as the school children of Ipswich are seen as the poor relations by the Tories who run Suffolk County Council.

Labour ensure democracy is still alive in Ipswich

Labour wins battle for democracy in Ipswich
Ipswich will go to the polls in 2008, after Government Minister John Healey, backed Labour calls for early elections to the new unitary Ipswich Council. The Tories and Liberals who currently run the Council had called for 2008 elections to be scrapped, and elections only to be held in 2009, after the new council had already been running all Ipswich's services for at least a month.Following John Healey's announcement, all 48 members of the new authority - to take power in April 2009 - will be elected in May 2008 and will initially serve a three-year term until May 2011.After then all-out elections will be held every four years on the same day as other districts and boroughs - there will no longer be an election every year in Ipswich.The Labour Group had called for the elections to be held next May, and group leader David Ellesmere is delighted about the decision.David says: “It's the right decision from a democratic point of view, and its an election we are looking forward to. It was always right that there should be an election next May, and I was always confident that the government would back that view.”

No democracy in Ipswich?

First of all I will start with a confession! I read the Ipswich Lib Dems website, now I would read the Tory one as well but it only gets updated about once a year!
Now I see on the Lib Dem site they are still criticizing Gordon Brown for not calling an election and some bloke who used to work for them (Ming) is not happy about it- well no surprise there. But what double standards- whilst the Lib Dems (and Cameron and his lot) call Brown a coward for not allowing the British Public the chance to vote, in Ipswich the Tory/Lib Dem coalition want to scrap the elections in the town that are due in 2008. Instead they want to keep the existing administration.
How can this be democracy? Councilors will be deciding how the new Unitary Council for Ipswich will be run even though they have not got an electoral mandate to do so.
The Ipswich Labour Group are lobbying hard that the elections for the shadow authority go ahead as planned in May 2008.
Footnote: Good to see the work on the zebra crossings on Rushmere and Woodbridge Road start, no surprise to see the Tories try and take the credit for it!

Yet another old campaign picture!

This week it is back again to the early 70's and my mum (Annie Ross)campaigning with the Ipswich MP - Ken Weetch- looks like it is in Gatacre Road, off Bramford Road- not sure who the others are- maybe the press!

Not John Gummer but his son!!

The Ipswich Conservative Party have followed a number of other Tory constituency Party's by deciding to choose their parliamentary candidate for Ipswich in "American" style "Primary"
Large full page adverts in the two local papers tells us that anyone can register to attend and vote- you don't even need to be a member of the Conservative Party.
Sounds very democratic, though the adverts were only in the papers on Saturday and the Primary is this Thursday.
You have to apply to attend- and I have put my name down- I will not vote.
There are four candidates- two women and two men, the most experienced candidate (a woman) has no local connection, two of the other candidates come from Norfolk and then we have the local boy.
Ben Gummer- son of John (MP for neighbouring Suffolk Coastal) I think it was Ben's sister who was fed the burger by her father to prove there was no such thing as 'Mad Cow's Disease',but from Ben's website we can see he likes to have his picture taken and looks like he will be popular with the media. we will see on Thursday if we like Felixstowe, will be stuck with a Gummer!

Campaign update - Friday 13th

Day started with final deliveries in Woodbridge Rd, on my way home spotted my Tory opponent in my own road - delivering her leaflet - for some reason, I never received one!
This evening saw a large group of us hit Rushmere and St Johns ward. It seemed the best canvass yet with plenty of support for our "save the buses campaign", also highlighted was that we had managed to get our message over about the Zebra Crossing in Woodbridge/Rushmere Rd- the people of Rushmere seem to now know that Mrs Terry our Conservative councillor voted against the crossing.
Finished canvassing with Khartoum Rd, I have been trying to sort out a situation with a fence for the local residents- unbelievable that the housing association have fixed the hole by placing a gate there instead.
The night finished in the Golden Key, where a couple of drinks helped brace us for another weeks campaigning.

Welcome to the new state of Humber Ducy Lane!

Busy day on the campaign trail, started with delivering some more mail in the roads near my house and then moved onto Humber Ducy Lane to deliver a leaflet about the stupid and expensive new street signs in the Bixley part of Humber Ducy Lane.

The leaflet was well received with a number of phone calls from residents who all agreed with me. The Tory council now states that the signs were to make the road have a more 'rural' feel! When I ask will the local fox hunt turn up to jump over them! To see how stupid the signs are just have a look at the picture at the top of this entry.

Whilst i was doing Humber Ducy Lane, John Mowles was delivering a leaflet for me in the Khartoum Road area and other members were also delivering targeted mail in the ward.

This evening it was back over to St Johns with the candidate Neil and Sandy Martin. Whilst knocking on doors a number of residents mentioned that they had seen local police walking around the locality- the first time in years. All due to the move back to local police stations part of a Labour Govt scheme. I have to mention that as today also saw the release of the Tory manifesto on their website (the first time their website has been updated since January). In their manifest they seem to be taking credit for a number of schemes that came about because of a Labour Govt or because they inherited them from a Labour Council!

Reason for the title? the Humber Ducy Lane signs- rather than give a rural feel it seems more like an East European border crossing - pre 1989!

Abolition of the Slave Trade- a reason for Ipswich to be proud.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the passing into law of the Slave Trade Act. This Act abolished the British slave trade, the US passed a similar law the following year.
This has rightfully caused a significant amount of media interest, much has been on whether we should be celebrating this occasion at all. though the act was passed in 1807 it was not until the Abolition of Slavery Act was passed in 1833 that slavery ended in the British Empire. When it ended the government compensated slave owners in the West Indies - the slaves getting nothing! It was also a further 20 odd years before the slave trade finished in the United States. We must also remember that recent reports still put the number of slaves in the world at over 27 million! For further reading on the current slave trade, try this site for starters.

But I feel we should celebrate the passing of this act and more importantly honour the men and women who bought it about.

William Wilberforce is still the key figure we remember when discussing this topic but in Ipswich we should also be proud of local man, Thomas Clarkson. Though born in Wisbech, he had many Suffolk connections, marrying a Bury St Edmunds girl and eventually settling just outside Ipswich in Playford, where he died and is buried at the local parish church.

It was in 1785 that Clarkson penned an essay about the slave trade (the essay included the diagram of the Brookes Slave Ship, and how 600 slaves were fit into the hold.)that led to him devoting his life to the ending of this cruel trade. one of his supporters was an Ipswich Quaker - Richard Dykes Alexander, and it is on land that he owned that you can now find the Ipswich streets, Clarkson , Wilberforce and Bezenet (also involved in the stopping of the slave trade).

There is a call for Tony Blair to make an apology for our involvement in this vile trade but I feel that is of little benefit to anyone. instead we should remember those who helped pass this act and also focus on passing laws in this county that stop events like the drowning of the cockle pickers in Morecombe happening- they were slaves to the gang masters of the modern day.

I do feel angry that Ipswich itself has not made more of our Clarkson connection, a service is being held today in Playford and also in Bury, the Suffolk Record Office is holding a number of lectures but it is all very low key. The local Tories often complain when they are accused of being a racist party but it is simple thing like celebrating Clarkon's life that lead to such accusations, they seem very keen on promoting a link with Jamestown in the USA- I am sure which will involve a number of visits but can not celebrate an event on their own doorstep.

Peter Hain- Deputy in waiting?

Peter Hain arrived in Ipswich last night for an evening with the Ipswich labour Party. It started with a question and answer session with over 100 local members and then we adjourned to a local curry house for a meal and some much needed fund raising. Peter was the second of the deputy hopefuls to reach Ipswich as we have already hosted Harriet Harman- though she turned up with no voice- but her husband helped her through that misfortune.
Peter had no problem and over an hour was spent answering questions from party members. Peter started first with a short speech, which highlighted the way he had found himself in the party- coming from South Africa and through his participation as one on the leading lights in the anti-apartheid movement. He spoke of his time in the Northern Ireland Office and his hope that on Monday he would be able to announce that agreement had been reached between Paisley and Adams. he then spoke on his push for deputy leader and also highlighting on what we should be proud of in what the party has achieved over the last two terms. he kept it short, but oozed confidence and also managed some moments of humour, saying that Northern Ireland Secretary must be the only job where you spend Saturday in Washington celebrating St Patrick's day with George Bush then having the company of Ian Paisley 48 hours later!
The questions - in summary- he answered a question on Trident- stating that though he had once supported CND, whilst the likes of Iran tried to build a nuclear weapon we still needed our own Nuclear arsenal. Faith Schools- did not support them and in his time in N Ireland he had found some success in opening non faith schools- though he wished we never had Faith schools he knew that we could also not just get rid of them. He spoke of the lack of social housing and though it had been right to focus on education and the NHS, we should of and hopefully we will in future spend more on the building of affordable homes and social housing. he answered a question on the Catholic Church and gay adoption, mentioning that there had been less conflict with the Catholic Church in N Ireland on that matter. He was then asked to name his 'Green' credentials-he mentioned the green policies he had implemented in Ulster and that he felt he was the 'most' green of all the deputy hopefuls.
He then answered a number of questions on what he saw as the role of the deputy leader- in short- a link between the PM, cabinet and the grassroots, the person who could have a private word with the PM (who he thought would be Gordon - un -opposed) and tell him some home truths-if needed! He thought the deputy leader had to be part of the cabinet and an MP- but maybe he did not need the burden of a post where he had a considerable financial budget.
He was not sure what the position of the Chairman of the party was - chosen by the PM - as now- elected by the NEC or by party members.
Peter then summarized- he stood for trust and commitment- he believed the party needed to re-new itself. To go forward, his strengths included his thirst for campaigning. He also sated that he had at times been a lone voice in that he thought we should have concentrated on the Lib Dem threat as much as the Tories, we may have then keep such seats as Cambridge- this went down well with Ipswich members as we have seen how the local Lib Dem's have jumped in bed with the Tories. We must re-new as he said you could see the Conservatives have regained that feeling that they have that god given right to govern. They were dangerous and needed to be stopped- they only have one concrete policy and that is to take us back to old Tory values.

Has he my vote? I still would like to know more about the other candidates, I will seek the opinions of others who attended yesterday at our campaign session tomorrow night. But at present he is my choice. One good thing about this election for deputy- it has got the party hierarchy out meeting members and has reinvigorated the political debate within branches. Just hope that when they are the campaign trail for deputy in April that branches use the opportunity to get them out on the doorstep campaigning for local candidates.

Pete- an eight out of ten performance.

Peter Hain in Ipswich

Peter Hain spent the evening of the 20th March with the Ipswich Labour Party. He attended a question and answer session with members followed by a curry at our favourite curry house in the town.
Peter here with myself- more to be posted on the evening later today- and has Peter got my vote for deputy?

Bus leaflets in Ravenswood

I actually enjoy getting out, delivering leaflets, knocking on doors and meeting people. some members of the party do not like it, each to their own. But they are missing out on what is a vital part of local politics and also on what can be a quite enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday morning. I also enjoy working in different wards in the town, many have the same problems as Rushmere. it is often the same faces out each Saturday, but results in St Johns and Bridge Wards in Ipswich last year show that the more work you do the better the result will be.
Today over 10 of us were in Priory Heath, whilst other members also held a surgery in Westgate and Sue Thomas our Rushmere County Councillor was holding her own surgery at the Selkirk Road residents shop.
I was fortunate to be in Ravenswood (a new housing development on the old airport site) with Phil Smart. on top of meeting local people, whilst delivering it also give you the chance to discuss local and national political events. Phil is our "Mr Bus", who has been at the front of our campaign to stop possible cuts to the Ipswich Bus Service. This week the campaign took a nasty turn as the Tories (with Lib Dem support) ousted Phil as chairman of the Ipswich Bus Company. But as an Ipswich Party member told Phil, when it turns nasty and personnel you know you have won the argument.
The people from Ipswich have a great sense of pride in their bus service and it is up to us to get the message over that every Tory and Liberal on the council voted for a budget that will lead to a reduced bus service in the town.
We managed to get most of Ravenswood delivered, as it is a new build it can be slightly more difficult to deliver than the older estates but as well as being a fountain of knowledge on bus routes, Phil also is the ideal man when it comes to sorting out delivery routes, the use of a pincer movement was even thrown in to appeal to my military background.
Another good thing about going to Ravenswood it reminds you of what a Labour run Ipswich council achieved whilst in power, as Ravenswood is a great example of what a go ahead council can achieve with a builder if they get a chance or have the inclination to do so.

10 months since we saw a Lib Dem in Rushmere.

Now it is getting closer to the local elections it should not be long till we see those yellow newsletters arriving through our letterbox. 10 months since we saw the last Lib Dem leaflet in Rushmere. Not that we need a leaflet to know what they are going to say! (Or not say)

How they have saved culture in Ipswich
How they have saved the market (that is the market that now seems to be dying on it's feet)
How they are going to find somewhere for the Age Concern tea room
They will also boast that how with their Tory allies they have kept Council Tax below 5%

What they won't say is:
How Council Tax will be below 5% because they are going to raise the rent for the bus depot, which will mean a reduction in our excellent bus service
they won't explain why it has taken them two years to find a new place for the Age Concern tea room (and probably another two years before it is open- oh and they will fail to mention how they will have to share with about ten other community groups)
they wont explain that the market may seem to take more space up, but there are actually less stalls.

But what there leaflet will say is how they are campaigning for the people of Rushmere! In Lib Dem speak that means they are campaigning for six weeks and then won't be seen till March 2008.

316 days since last Lib Dem leaflet....and counting!

Save our bus service

The title of this item may get you thinking this is just a normal local campaign that only effects the people of Ipswich, true it is just the Ipswich bus service that I am talking about but it highlights many aspects of local politics that people can relate to all over the country.

• Green issues


• Getting people to use Public Transport


• Lib Dem support for Tory councils and policies


• Getting the local paper to support the campaign (without letting them make it seem that it was their idea in the first place)
  

In Ipswich this campaign has really caught the public attention, and the Tories seem to be totally shocked by the public response to the threat of cuts to the public bus service.

A basic explanation of the situation in Ipswich: We have bus service in Ipswich that many town and cities would be proud of. when the Tory Government de- regulated Public Transport, A Labour run Ipswich council set the bus company up as an arms length company and have run it that way since. the Tories now proposes to move the bus depot and then hike up it's rent and also make the bus company pay a dividend to the council from it's profits.

The reason why? So the money from the bus service Will enable the Tories to keep council tax down - their holy grail.

The managing director of the bus company prepared a document to show where cuts would have to be made to pay this new rent and the dividend that the council now required. a number of the less used bus routes will go but also more worryingly at night most bus services will change from two and hour to one an hour. this to me is criminal, especially after the tragic events that occurred in Ipswich before Christmas- we should be looking to increase the number of bus routes at night not cut them - public safety should come before profits.

When Labour and the local paper went public with this it not only came as a shock to the public but also certain Tory Councillor's- even the Mayor! His own ward would see it's bus service cut- it became obvious to many that this administration is run by about 4 people and that they do not even keep their own group informed of policy.

A certain Liberal activist- who has bigger aspirations joined in with the attack on the Tory administration (he is currently a Lib Dem County Councillor) but within two weeks had changed his view to one that the Labour Group were "mischief making". His change in view came around when he found out that the Lib Dem's on the Borough Council - had rubber stamped the Tory plan.

For once we have the local paper on our side, and it has helped us in what we had found a difficult task in informing the people of Ipswich that the council was now Tory run - with support of the Lib Dem's. Up to this point many in Ipswich still thought we were in power. The cuts in the bus service by the Borough and the cuts in Community care by the County Council has at least shown the public of Ipswich and Suffolk that there is still a clear difference between Labor and Conservative- what ever certain papers say.