Lindsey Rawlingson for Rushmere

I am very pleased to be able to introduce the Labour candidate for Rushmere - Lindsey Rawlingson. Lindsey will be a great asset to the ward and it will be brilliant to have another Labour colleague to help me get a fair deal for Rushmere residents.

Lindsey has lived in Ipswich over 22 years and she has worked in retail within the town, she is a keen swimmer and is very concerned in the lack of money and thought that has been put into swimming in Ipswich.
We are fortunate in Ipswich to have locations like the Regent and the Corn Exchange but the Tories have no real plan in how to run them for the benefit of the people of Ipswich. The Corn Exchange to be closed for half the year, Film Theatre shut and now swimmers have to change in make do facilities.
Lindsey is also concerned about the planned Ipswich Buse sell off by the Tories/Lib dems.
Lindsey has already started campaigning for improved road safety measures outside Rushmere Hall school. She also joined me on a visit to Dundee House (along with Chris Mole MP) and is planning to join me to meet as many Rushmere residents over the next few months.
I am sure you will give Lindsey as much support as you have given me over the last two years.

The fight is on!

Ipswich and Colchester unite - the desire to keep the Tories out that brings us together!

Not sure exactly why - but this election there seems to be a real feeling of teamwork and unity - with a desire to work as hard as we can to make sure Ipswich has a Labour MP and the country has a Labour Government.

Today over 20 of us were out with Chris Mole our Labour MP, on the streets of Chantry in Ipswich.
We even had support from our comrades in Colchester - one of whom was out knocking on door's for the first time.
With this attitude we can return Labour in for a historic 4th term - The fight is on!

Ipswich - a Labour hotbed?

Last night saw the Ipswich Labour Group Christmas Dinner, and it was an opportunity to listen to some of my older comrades as they talk about earlier political battles in Ipswich as we are about to again start an election year.
Ipswich has a great Labour tradition often going against the national trend and voting in a Labour MP, and Chris Mole is following in a well trodden path to Westminster, with well liked Labour MP's going before him - Dingle Foot (pictured), Ken Weetch and Jamie Cann.
I am currently reading a short history of the Labour Movement in East Anglia - (Labour in the East, published by Labour Heritage)The chapters on Ipswich and Lowestoft are fascinating and it does make me proud to think that I am part of this great Labour tradition in this town.
The chapter by the late Ipswich Councilor, Ian Grimwood is a 'must' read for all Labour activists in the town. We must remember our roots and try to live up to the values of those who went before us. whilst writing this short post, I tried to find a picture of one of the three leading socialists who led the way in Ipswich- Peter Jackson, Dick Stokes and George Hines- but to no avail. George was one of the very early Labour activists in the town whilst Peter Jackson was our first Labour MP in 1923, whilst Dick Stokes was our MP from 1938 to 1957.
But it is not only the achievement of getting a Labour MP that makes good reading it is the fight to get our first Labour councilors, and I thought it was hard winning Rushmere!
In 1891 Labour won St Margaret's ward and in 1911 came the big breakthrough when Peter Jackson won the Westgate ward seat, it was only with his election that the working class have had a voice in this town and it is now up to us to make sure we continue to speak for the people of Ipswich and give them the council they deserve come next May.

Anyone wanting to purchase a copy of the book can do so via Ipswich Labour Party Office. Email us at: ipswichlabour@gmail.com for more information. £5 per copy plus £2 postage and packing (unless you can pick up from Silent Street, Ipswich)

Plenty to read

Just chilling at the moment before the usual Boxing Day football.


It was our turn to entertain the family this year and my wife did a fantastic job with the cooking and we all had a good time. I received some brilliant presents including a pub quiz and some pickled eggs!


But my favourites as always were my varied selection of books. which I thought I would list and then it will serve as a reminder to make sure I read them all.


Two military books: Andy McNab and is latest offering "Seven Troop", I like his factual books and as with "Immediate Action", it has plenty on his time with my former regiment - The Royal Green Jackets. I also got some pre tour reading with a book about Afghanistan and the recent British Operations - "A Million Bullets" by James Fergusson.

My usual assortment of sports books, and this time the more humorous side of football with two books from the "When Saturday Comes" stable. "Learn to speak Capello" by Tim Bradford and "Scenes from Football History" by Dave Robinson. I also had a football trivia book by James Dart, "The Knowledge" and "Ipswich Town - On This Day" by Dan Botten.


My final book this year was my only fiction with Cris Ryan's "Firefight".


Now I just have to find time to read the as I have also three football games to watch this week and I have to start delivering the Chris Mole calenders to the constituents of Rushmere ward.

Ipswich Labour - the sensible proposals for Unitary Ipswich

As I have already blogged, I find it unbelievable that the Boundary Committee wants to put Ipswich in with Felixstowe, even worse would be a Unitary Suffolk (Yes - that is the same authority who want to pay someone about 19 grand to look after the Chief Executive's diary! Well the Chief Executive is only in the top five of best paid Chief Executives- you can't expect her to look after her own diary!!)

A Unitary Ipswich is the best way forward, a pity that the Tories and Lib Dems have now jumped on the Haven bandwagon- read our response- well written and the way forward.

Ipswich Labour Party's submission to the Boundary Committee has been posted on Ipswich labour Party's website here.
After being denied a vote at Ipswich Borough Council on the options put forward by the Boundary Committee, Labour councillors in Ipswich, supported by Ipswich MP, Chris Mole, and local Labour Party members delivered leaflets about the review to Ipswich residents encouraging them to respond either direct to the Boundary Committee or via the Labour Party Office.
Over 1200 individual residents did respond, with all but a handful opposing both Boundary Committee options. Ipswich residents clearly see the "North Haven" proposal as little better than a unitary Suffolk solution. Labour Group leader, David Ellesmere, also contacted every parish council in the proposed North Haven area and asked for their views on the proposals. No parish council that responded wanted their parish to become part of a North Haven council.

Ipswich Labour Party reviewed all comments received to inform its own submission to the Boundary Committee.

This submission was put in to the Boundary Committee ahead of the consultation deadline along with the views of all 1200 Ipswich residents who had responded to us. Responses received after the deadline have also been sent to the Boundary Committee who have confirmed that they will continue to accept late submissions.

Ipswich Borough Council Labour Group and Ipswich Labour Party support a unitary council covering the urban Ipswich area. Full details of the boundaries we propose are in the attached document "Boundary Committee Proposals - IBC Labour Group Response".

Ipswich Borough Council Labour Leader David Ellesmere said: "One of the key tests the Government sets for new unitary councils is that they command a broad cross-section of support. It is clear from the results of our survey that 'North Haven' and 'One Suffolk' overwhelmingly fail this test. The Boundary Committee must come up with new proposals that are acceptable to the people of Ipswich."

Ipswich show the way in campaigning.

Ipswich Labour Party's efforts recognised by Conference

Ipswich Labour Party was presented with an Award for Best Practice for Community Campaigning at Labour Party Conference. The certificate was presented by Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP and Party General Secretary, Ray Collins. In announcing the award, Conference Chair, Dianne Hayter, paid tribute to the all-year-round campaigning of Ipswich Labour Party, its MP, Chris Mole and of Labour councillors. The community focused work of Ipswich Labour Party had paid off in May, when the Party gained three seats; two from the Tories and one from the Liberals, in the Borough Council elections.

Pictured collecting the award are: Keith and Lindsey Rawlingson, John Cook, Bryony Rudkin and Chris Mole MP.

Fantastic facility for fantastic children.

Alasdair With Chris Mole MP and members of staff from both 'Little Acorns' and the 'Cabin Crew'.

I was fortunate enough yesterday to be invited to the "Grand Opening" of the 'Little Acorn' playschool and the 'Cabin Crew' after school club. Both organisations have just moved in to a joint location at Sidegate Primary School in Ipswich.

This was the culmination of over two years hard work mainly undertaken by the staff of both 'Little Acorns' and the 'Cabin Crew' . They received fantastic assistance and guidance through the whole process from Mr Andrew Waterman, the Head Teacher at Sidegate Primary.

I was joined at the opening by our local MP, Chris Mole.

Labour has come under some criticism for some of it's education policy, but here was a fine example of a policy that is working- the one of extended schools and of the school becoming the hub of the community. We now have the 'Cabin Crew' providing a breakfast club and an after school club, whilst the 'Little Acorns' can now provide a playschool for both morning and afternoon sessions.

This project has received the largest grant in the County yet, but it was still not enough so we were fortunate that members of the local community, Sidegate Primary and fund raising by both organisations has helped reached the final total. My Labour colleague, Clr Sue Thomas was able to allocate some of her locality grant to the centre.

One of this Labour Governments objectives should be to have a centre like this at every Primary school in the town. This is a fine example of what 'extended schools' is all about.

Reselection of Richard Howitt MEP

Last night I attended the Management Committee of the Ipswich Labour Party, we had a a larger than normal attendance as we had the company of members from our neighbouring Labour Parties, Central Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal.

Richard was reselected unanimously- no surprise as he has been an outstanding MEP- I have been fortunate enough to have been campaigning with him in Rushmere and other parts of Ipswich, but it is not just as a campaigner that he shines - he is one of the few MEP's from any party that you hear about in the local and national media- he is passionate about Europe and the benefits it can bring the Eastern Region.

It will be great that at the next European election that we can send Richard back to Europe and manage to get a second or third labour MEP elected to serve with him.

The remainder of the meeting was run as a "Question time" with the panel made up of Chris Mole MP, and the Parliamentary candidates for Central Suffolk and Suffolk Coastal- Bhavna Joshi and David Rowe they were also joined by David Ellesmere the Leader of the Labour Group on the Ipswich Borough Council.

Topics discussed included: Faith schools, Trust schools, NHS, Political funding, Iraq, Police pay and Unitary Ipswich.

It was great to see so many members of the Party participating in a political debate, I was also impressed by the dedication of Labour members who have to live in Tory hot beds like Suffolk coastal but who do not lose their desire to help those in their community.