My week ahead, 15 - 21 June 2015

Monday 15 June, 6pm – Labour Group campaigning

Tuesday 16 June, 5pm – Presentation of teams from the Aviva Women’s Cycling Tour at Bury St Edmunds

Wednesday 17 June, 9am – Start of the Aviva Women’s Tour from Bury St Edmunds
7pm – Televised Labour Leadership Hustings at the Station Hotel

Thursday 18 June, 6pm – Councillor training- safeguarding

I am using this blog post as a reminder to local Rushmere residents about the consultation on the possible move of the Brunswick Road Post Office. Cllr Sandra Gage and myself have passed on to the Post Office a number of concerns of local residents. These concerns include the removal of the cash point machine, the layout of the new shop and the ability to use cheques. Residents are also concerned about what will happen to the current post office bickering and more importantly building when or if it is vacated.

This week I also attended the Central Area Committee meeting, again it showed the lack of regard the Tory run County Council have for Ipswich and its residents. They declined an invite to the meeting to talk about air pollution and also seem intent on going for the cheapest option on a traffic calming method when the junction that requires the measures is an accident hot spot and those accidents have resulted in at least one fatality.

This week we see the televised leadership hustings for the Labour Party, so far the leadership race has seen little bickering between the candidates and in fact what the leadership race has helped with, is a desire to debate the future direction of the Labour Party. Of course the candidates do not agree on everything but they have not resorted to ‘cheap shots’ or stupid arguments, unlike the Tory Party, who may not have a leadership race but are certainly tearing each other apart over Europe. Trouble is when they do that it is the people of Britain who suffer the consequences.

Goodbye Tony (and Hello Gordon)

Tony now traveling the World to say his goodbyes to world leaders whilst Gordon travels the country to meet Labour activists (and the rest of the population).
Tony Blair (and New Labour) were often criticized for spin, forgetting their roots but it may seem strange then that Tony makes his leaving speech from the Labour club in his own constituency and Gordon launches his campaign from some trendy art gallery in London!
I am looking forward to Gordon as leader and I for one do not believe we need a leadership election, I believe the campaign for deputy leader will allow members to give the party (and Gordon) a message about the future direction of the party.
For Tony, he has made mistakes but we must not forget that without him we may never have had 10 years of a Labour Government and I do believe it is time for change and that by doing it now, we have a great possibility of a fourth term in power.
A new leader and the campaign for deputy leader can help reinvigorate the party and with a much more positive effect than Cameron had when he became Tory leader. It also could put the final nail onto the Lib Dem coffin as Simon Jenkins article in the Guardian last week suggested it was time for them to disband. He writes,
What are Liberal Democrats for? They are the flotsam of 20th-century politics drifting on into the 21st, coagulated from ancient clubs, cabals, splits and defections from other parties. Not since the 19th century have they cohered round any great interest. They represent no mass movement, no breaking of the political mould. Ask a Liberal Democrat what he or she is for and you get only a susurration of platitudes.
Go on Gordon and who ever is deputy leader- finish them off!