Cambridge Labour Party

Cambridgeshire one of most expensive places for Home Care

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:52:48 +0000

A new survey of local authorities, published by Labour, reveals that Cambridgeshire is one of the most expensive places in the country for home care services, which help frail and vulnerable older and disabled people get up, washed, dressed and fed.

The survey found that in Cambridgeshire, people pay £17.44 an hour, more than the Royal Borough of Windor and Maidenhead, much more than Norfolk (£14.62) and almost twice as much as in Liverpool (£9.70), while in Tower Hamlets home care is free.

Cambridgeshire is also one of a number of councils that have recently ended the ‘cap’ on the weekly costs people are required to pay for home care. This cap varies from £90 a week in Barnsley to £900 a week in Brighton and Hove. Daniel Zeichner, Chair of Cambridge Labour Party describes the charges as “a stealth tax on the most vulnerable people in society.”:

“These services are a lifeline for older and disabled people and crucial to help them stay living independently in their own homes. The Government is out of touch with the growing care crisis.They promised to protect social care services, but more than More

Good night for Labour ….. Thanks for your support

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:46:05 +0000

Labour says that the city LibDems need to end ‘one party’ rule and ensure the Council addresses the priorities of the whole community, after the LibDem vote slumped last night.

The voters last night ended Liberal Democrat control of Cambridge, with the running of the council now hanging on who wins the mayoralty.

In contrast, Labour won eight seats, taking 3 from the LibDems and taking the last Green seat on the council, increasing to 19 Labour City Councillors.

Labour also significantly increased its share of the vote to a record 44%, even better than an equally successful election last year though partly due to the massive fall in LibDem votes. And unlike the LibDems, Labour fought for every seat.

Labour City Council leader Lewis Herbert added ‘No party running Cambridge has suffered such a reversal as last night since the second world war.

‘What is even more extraordinary is that Lib Dem Leader Councillor Reid is saying it is business at usual, when they secured only 24% of the city vote on Thursday, with less than 10% in Abbey, Cherry Hinton and Coleridge, which the LibDems never leaflet, and have increasingly neglected More

Councillor Adam Pogonowski (Abbey Ward) who is Cambridge City Council’s sole Green Councillor has joined the Labour Party

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:33 +0000

Councillor Adam Pogonowski said

‘This is a decision I’ve been thinking about since December. I have joined Labour because they have a strong local team who are standing up against the damage being done by the Tories and Lib Dems both nationally and locally.

‘I will continue to fight for what I have always believed in, and for people in my Abbey ward, but I want to be part of a bigger party that has real power to make a difference for people in Cambridge and nationally. I am a believer in traditional Labour principles and will campaign for these in Cambridge. ‘The Lib Dems have deceived people again and again. They said they would be the “greenest Government ever” which is now a sad joke. They have broken promise after promise, including on abolishing student fees. And they are propping up a nasty, right wing Government that has damaged people’s jobs, fairness and the environment. ‘I opposed tuition fees, and have opposed overseas invasions like Iraq and Afghanistan, and will still campaign on those issues, as well as on sustainable living.’

Councillor Lewis Herbert, Cambridge Labour Group Leader added ‘Adam is a determined campaigner for disadvantaged More

Labour Councillors and Disabled Campaigners set to win the battle for Lion Yard Loos Access

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:00:40 +0000

A report is going to the City Council’s Lion Yard Working Party retaining an L shaped access from the toilets and from Fisher Square into Lion Yard in a two stage redevelopment with a revised shop unit in the current entrance in the second stage . Campaign organiser and East Chesterton Councillor Gerri Bird said:

‘Winning the principle of retaining the access is a great achievement after such a fight to overturn the Council plan to close the toilets.

As the county council also said, routing access via the often blocked up Grand Arcade lift area was never going to work as this is one of the busiest pedestrian routes in Cambridge, including for hundreds of regular disabled users of Lion Yard.’

This is a victory given the Lib Dems total closure plans a year ago. Now it’s a matter of making sure the detail works.

Conservative Leader of the County Council – Why I can’t trust the Lib Dems

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:29:53 +0000

Nick Clarke, Tory Leader of the County Council has said:

‘I have a difference of opinion with Labour on many things but it is increasingly difficult to trust the Lib Dems on anything.’

See: http://nickclarkeconservative.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/lib-dems-not-making-false-claims-again-surely

Review needed of Housing for Multiple Occupancy

admin — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:24:11 +0000

Labour Councillors believe there needs to be a review of the HMO policy in Cambridge, linked also to delivering more housing of all types. There is no evidence that the current LibDem administration wants any review of HMOs. Contrast that with the way they already shape where rental housing goes in major new developments.

As we said at the City Council meeting, any changes need to be decided after an open and thorough Council consultation. We will also ensure that shared housing that clearly doesn’t merit regulation is not affected, and that is why our manifesto wording has that flexibility, ahead of consultation.

Lib Dem Councillors in other cities also agree that national HMO regulations and planning rules are defective, with extra interventions implemented or proposed.

Unlike Cambridge Lib Dems, Labour wants better regulation of HMOs to protect tenants and the wider community from a minority of rogue landlords and end crazy rules like only three-storey houses being regulated.

A minority of rental properties in Cambridge are badly run, leading to substandard housing for too many tenants, and also causing avoidable problems to neighbours.

Labour wants balanced neighbourhoods where most Cambridge streets More

Cambridge has chance to show Government how to do energy efficiency!

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:50:12 +0000

A major conference in Cambridge tomorrow could see Cambridge setting the pace on energy efficiency, and give a lead to the Government, says Cambridge Labour Chair Daniel Zeichner. The Cambridge Retrofit Conference being held at Corpus Christi College on Wednesday April 18th will look at ways in which Cambridge can become a leader in energy efficiency in buildings, mapping out a path to improve 13,000 properties by 2020 with an investment of £300 million. Mr Zeichner says that the ambition shown by the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research stands in marked contrast to the shambles surrounding the Government’s Green Deal: “As the Coalition Government’s Green Deal crumbles, Cambridge Retrofit can be a beacon of hope to those who recognise the pressing need to meet the climate change challenge. In the last eighteen months, the Coalition have dismantled Labour’s Warm Front scheme, which has led to a 90% drop in the number of people getting help to insulate their homes. Investor confidence has been shattered by the feed-in tariffs fiasco. Meanwhile the Green Deal itself looks set to founder because of uncertainty over levels of interest rates to be charged on loans that are made. This More

Labour Tackling Dog Fouling

admin — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:58:20 +0000

Labour Councillor George Owers has highlighted that Cambridge City Council are failing to issue fines for dog fouling.

Watch ITV News Here

Labour will implement a crackdown on dog-fouling, including more enforcement and fund 50 new dog bins, to be placed around the city in dog-fouling hotspots.

Second Former Lib Dem Councillor switches to Labour in Cambridge

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:26:46 +0000

Former Queen Edith’s ward Councillor Richard Stebbings has become the second senior Cambridge LibDem to switch allegiance to Labour in the past six weeks. This follows East Chesterton Lib Dem candidate Clare Blair stepping down at the end of February and joining Labour.

Richard Stebbings was City Councillor for Queen Edith’s from 2000 to 2007, and chaired the Council’s Standards Committee. Richard was born in Mill Road Hospital and is a lifelong city resident and runs a well respected local firm of Funeral Directors.

Richard said today ‘I have joined Cambridge Labour Party because the LibDems are now so out of touch and divided, both locally and nationally. Every week they focus their time more on political point scoring rather than delivering on the concerns of local residents that I care most for. ‘This Coalition isn’t working for anyone’s good. I am totally opposed to the plans backed by Nick Clegg to privatize the NHS, particularly with Addenbrookes being in Queen Edith’s and in constituency as well.

‘My daughter has had her hospital appointment repeatedly postponed since February and like people I talk to I’m fearful of increased waiting lists and falling standards with the end More

Urgent action needed over serious drought in Cambridgeshire

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:28:58 +0000

SWIFT action must be taken to resolve Cambridgeshire’s long-term water shortage before the situation becomes critical, Labour County Councillors have warned.

Areas including Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, March and Wisbech have been classed as being at “significant risk” by the Environment Agency from drought after last winter’s rainfall was 79 per cent lower than average.

But a motion proposed by Councillor Paul Sales (Arbury) for Tuesday’s Full Council meeting revealed that the County Council has no contingency plans in place to deal with the crisis.

“I was amazed to discover that the council hadn’t been proactive in issuing any advice, guidance or instructions,” Cllr Sales said.

“It has 30,000 employees and hundreds of buildings and establishments all over the county, yet it says it is going to leave all the planning to Anglian Water.

“I hope our motion will wake them up and make them realise that they need to take a lead.”

Cllr Sales’ motion says that responsibility for managing the drought does not wholly rest with Anglian Water or the Environment Agency.

In particular he is concerned that plans to build thousands of homes across Cambridgeshire at sites More