Are We All In This Together …..?
May 1st, 2012
The government said we were all in it together BUT we now find-
- 1 million young people are unemployed;
- Britain’s economy has stalled;
- Higher rate tax rates down by 5%
- Government borrowing set to increase by £150 billion more.
David Cameron doesn’t understand the difficulties many families are facing with prices rising, the Tory led Government’s decision to give a tax cut to millionaires at the same time as they are hitting hard working families, and introducing a ‘granny tax’.
As a country Labour believes we will have to make sensible cuts in spending to counteract the impact of the global economic crisis. However, the current coalition government cuts are reckless & deeper than required -they have put our economic growth at risk. The cutbacks are increasingly in line with Tory ideology and this is not what the country needs.
Labour would take the following action to protect family budgets:
- Stop the Government’s raid on pensioners and block its £40,000 tax cut to 14,000 millionaires
- End rail rip-offs by capping fares increases on every route
- Force the energy firms to cut gas and electricity bills for 4 million over-75s
- Stop excessive fees charged by banks and low cost airlines
- Defend working families from the raid on their tax credits by reversing the Government’s pension tax break for those earning over £150,000
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21st Century Defence
March 16th, 2012
Labour has recently published ‘21st Century Defence’, a consultation paper, to launch the Labour Party Shadow Defence Review.
Labour will review the threats the UK faces, assessing the Government’s defence policy against recent events and expert opinion and seeking to define a long term vision for UK defence policy.
We very much hope you will take the time to take a look and get involved in the review process, letting us know your thoughts and insights on the areas covered in this consultation paper.
The review consists of three parts, examining first the nature of the security landscape, then the principles which must guide our defence posture and then looking at the implications for force structures.
We are determined that the limited consultation that came to characterise the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review is not repeated.
Jim Murphy MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, in remarks at the launch of the review, said:
“The Arab Spring is the tip of the iceberg of the change we are likely to experience over the next decade.
“Britain needs a defence policy which can keep up. It must be flexible and agile, with new and wide-ranging capabilities. It must prioritise coalition-building, be attuned to the threats and trends of the future and co-ordinate defence with development and diplomacy.
“The Government’s rushed review has been driven by savings not strategy. The Government did not match ends with means, precipitated strategic shrinkage by stealth and has left us with dangerous capability gaps.
“David Cameron has shown an ambivalence towards defence policy which lies in stark contrast to the commitment shown by previous leaders, including Tony Blair or even Margaret Thatcher.
“We need a new defence strategy consistent with financial circumstances but also with strategic context. Labour is committed to being fiscally responsible, true to our own progressive principles and bold on defence reform.”
On coalition-building, he said:
“The US’s strategic reorientation makes their priorities more numerous at a time of more limited resource and the impact on how we work together must be considered. It’s untenable that the US President announces that this is a moment of transition and European nations act as if this is a period of status quo: European nations have to get serious. We must do more together to preserve our reach, and co-operation such as the UK-France agreement must become the norm not the exception.
“Time has come for a conversation on how European NATO nations co-ordinate spending reductions and changes to force structures. We need to explore how a ‘Coalition of Cuts’ can help us end the practice of fighting conflicts together but preparing for them individually”.
On bioterrorism he said:
“While the security environment of the 20th century was dominated by physics the 21st may see biology centre stage. Bioterrorism both exposes significant weaknesses in our security architecture and is a threat which could cause mass suffering”.
On Afghanistan he said:
“We have moved from a conditions-led to calendar driven approach and without a game plan for a long-term, representative political settlement the nation’s fragile fortunes could be reversed.
“Just because the Government don’t talk about this – the nation’s biggest defence priority – the challenge does not become any less pressing. The Government has to work at maintaining the consensus with the public.”
For further details and to get a copy of the consultation visit: http://labourfriendsoftheforces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fafc68394eae586edd8f3fc28&id=2ba18ff67c&e=9d61f1114f
Labour Shadow Defence Team
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Opposition to Current NHS Reform Proposals
February 19th, 2012
One of our local party members, Prof John Gabbay (Emeritus Professor of Public Health at University of Southampton) has written a song and created a YouTube video to highlight the shortcomings of the current NHS reform proposals.
Please see the Youtube video entitled “A song for Lansley and his pals” via the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7onNFNKH6Y
Please see further details about the NHS reform proposals at www.abetternhs.wordpress.com
If you wish to register your disagreement there is a petition on the government website calling for NHS reform plans to be dropped. It’s currently got over 140,000 names on it. The government has said that when a petition reaches 100,000 names it can trigger a proper debate in Parliament.
You can add your name to the petition here:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22670
As Aneurin Bevan said of the NHS “It will last as long as there are folk left with the faith to fight for it”
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Special Membership Offer
November 15th, 2011
The New Forest is your home and we know how passionately you feel about it. We are passionate about the New Forest too.
Labour is a party that relies on the generous support of our members and by joining and becoming a part of our movement you join to become a part of our journey too.
Maybe you already vote Labour at election time?
Maybe you have thought about joining but not actually done it?
Maybe you think you are too young, too old or too busy?
Maybe it’s because nobody has asked you. We’re asking you now.
Join us and help shape the future of our great country.
There is currently a special membership joining offer.
Follow the link to join Labour now: http://labour.org.uk/join/New-Forest-West
