Campaign Saturday in Rushmere Ward, Ipswich

Panic on Saturday morning - the Party agent, John Cook had dropped off 3,000 leaflets on Friday night and there I was in the Golden Key car park on Saturday morning as the sky got very grey, felt the first spots of rain and just myself and Neil the St Johns candidate (who had another 1,000 leaflets). No need to worry, a fantastic turnout of Labour supporters led by our MP, Chris Mole and joined by County Councilors, Borough Councilors, candidates and activists.
So 18 0f us hit the streets of St Johns and Rushmere.
The high turnout even in bad weather- the reason why? Hard to say but maybe it is the last few weeks that we have really seen the true Tory (and Lib dem) face. Proposed cuts to the Ipswich bus service and the confirmed move of Day Care to the private sector, on top of that a bodged Education policy where the communication to both Schools and parents has been non existent.
It is also encouraging that the people of Ipswich are now realising that there is a great difference between Labour and Tory policy- they also seem to be getting the message that the Lib Dems will support anyone and say anything just for a bit of power.
Whilst out I was able to get a picture of the new street signs in Humber Ducy Lane. This road links Rushmere ward and Bixley (safest Tory seat in town). it is in Bixley that thousands have been spent on traffic calming where nothing has been spent in the Rushmere part of the road. After spending the money on the traffic calming they still had enough left to spend on street signs that are like the 'Welcome to Ipswich' signs on the A12! I am sure the residents of this road would rather have seen the money spent on traffic calming on the northern stretch of Humber Ducy Lane rather than these two -out of place - signs.

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?

Comic relief- doing my bit (as is Tony later!)

Comic relief - Red Nose Day. Just a quick entry as I try and catch the best moments on the box tonight.
At my School today I helped a Year 7 form with their cake stand, raising over £175 and then played in a Staff v Year 11 basketball match- We won, but I now know that cakes and basketball don't mix. Fitness level not as good as it should be, campaigning over the next 6 weeks will sort that out.
Tony Blair will be doing his bit later as he will be part of a Catherine Tate sketch.
Comic Relief and Children in Need show some of the true values that this country should be proud of. sometimes it is easy to just moan and knock this country but tonight is one of those nights we should be proud of ourselves.
Tomorrow I will miss campaigning as I am off to watch Ipswich at Luton- a win is needed or we could still be dragged into a relegation battle. I then miss the group meeting as I have a finance meeting at Sidegate School. It is a pity it clashes as with the election close it is good to hear how others are getting on campaigning. A busy week for meetings as we have a Party Management meeting on Thursday and the highlight of the week is Tuesday. We have a Question and answer session with labour deputy hopeful- Peter Hain, followed by a curry at our favourite Indian restaurant. we have already had a similar session with Harriet Harman.
I have nor decided who I am going to back so i will be very interested in what peter has to say.
After this week of meetings - it will be full steam ahead on door knocking. I want to meet as many people as I can this time in Rushmere.

Rushmere Tories out of hibernation

The Ipswich Conservative website last flickered into life to welcome us into 2007. in some wards it seems the last newsletter went out in 2005 and Ward Surgeries- well you can't expect them to run the town and meet residents- they have a 50M Olympic Pool to build
Well it must be near the election as a Tory leaflet has been seen in Rushmere- and shock, horror they take the credit for everything! The play area in Shetland Close- to be opened soon- I wonder if they will invite our Labour County Councillor- they forgot last time, when they opened the Dumbarton Rec play area- and Sue Thomas (our County Councilor) even put some of her money towards it.
The leaflet also tells us that they (the Ipswich Tories - gave Senior Citizens - free bus fares- and there I was thinking it was Gordon Brown).
Funny no mention of the proposed bus cuts (including possibly Route 22, which runs through Rushmere) no mention of the local Tory voting against the Zebra Crossing for Rushmere Road.

Well as it is only the second leaflet since the last election, we can't complain- they probably found it hard to find many "good news stories" to print.
To be honest, I am glad they have put something out- it has made me more determined to try and beat them and to expose the real (greedy) face of the Tory party, which is still the party of Thatcher, Howard and the rest- what ever Cameron and his new green tree logo would want us to think.

Bring back Alastair Campbell

Just finished reading a superb book- 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen' by Paul Torday. Quite topical as you have a Labour Government looking to find good news stories in the Middle East as Iraq drags on and you even have al-Qaeda involved. I won't ruin anymore of the story only to say the character you grow to hate is the prime Ministers Director of Communications, from Campbell to the latest 'Cash for honours' incumbent the spin doctor had become a figure that the general public seem to detest. The one in the book - Peter Maxwell even comes over a bit like the character in Little Britain who is the PM's personnel errand boy.

But to be honest, I wish we had Alastair Campbell back- I am not sure we would have got into this 'beers for peers' or was it 'cash for honours' - what ever- Campbell maybe could have stopped it in it';s tracks. Not sure if he would have helped in a smooth transition from Blair to Brown but I am sure we all hope he is with us on election day- helping with what he is good at- communication!
Even if he is a Burnley fan.