Food Banks

Here's Ed Miliband asking David Cameron what he plans to do about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20784426

Keep Our Street Lights on ?

Ashley Wise from Sittingbourne & Sheppey Labour Party has recently started up this campaign regarding street lighting. At the moment, to save money. the KCC are turning off street lighting between midnight and 5 am. On the face of it, that may sound sensible, but it can cause problems. Read what Ashley has to say and if you agree please sign the petition 

ePetition - Keep Kent's streetlights on

» Tory KCC must not turn our street lights off.

The Labour Party in Kent knows, as we develop our manifesto for the Kent County Council elections next May, that spending will have to be reduced for certain services. However I believe that turning of street lights across the county between the hours of midnight and 5am to save money is unacceptable.

The Conservative Cabinet reported that it was ‘pleased’ people who took part in the consultation on the budget proposals (422 people out of 1.2million) saw turning off street lighting was the most acceptable way to save money. The savings would be around £600k – not an insignificant sum but compared to what the council wants to save, it is not a significant amount.

Tory-run KCC wants to turn our street lights off between midnight and 5am

The consultation also revealed strong concerns about the impact turning street lights off would have on community safety and levels of crime. I share these concerns and they should take priority over potential savings.

We all know the effect losing the light from one street light has to our streets when a bulb is awaiting replacement – imagine that for streetlights all across the county at the times when we need it most; walking back from the train station, your local pub or from work. I certainly would not feel anywhere near as safe walking any distance in such levels of darkness and these concerns have come up time and time again when discussing this issue on the doorstep with residents in Swale East – I am sure their concerns will be shared across the county.

Warwickshire County Council took the decision to turn their street lights off between the hours of midnight and 5:30am – after just one week tragically an eighteen year old student was killed after a collision with a taxi whilst crossing the road. Taxi drivers are calling for the council to reverse their decision as they are reporting such instances are due to their peripheral vision being affected by the lack of light.

Kent County Council must not risk the safety of our residents by turning the street lights off; the relatively small savings are far outweighed by the effects turning street lights off would have on community safety.

The e-petition  ePetition - Keep Kent's streetlights on, we would appreciate if you could sign it to put pressure on KCC to no long consider turning our street lighting off. 

 By Ashley Wise, Sittingbourne & Sheppey Labour Party 

Youth Officer and candidate for Swale East. 

Ashley Wise, Sittingbourne & Sheppey Labour Youth Officer & Labour Candidate for Swale East

Police and Crime Commissioner 15th November 2012

http://www.harrietyeo.com/

Harriet's Pledges

My 5 Pledges

No privatisation of Kent Police

This is quite simple, the Tory founder of the police Robert Peel thought that policing was too important to be handed over to private profit driven operations, so do I! I have many years of a proven track record of fighting privatization – ask Tony Blair!

Victims before perpetrators

Yes, criminals need to be rehabilitated but victims need to feel that criminals have been punished for the injury against them. There has to be a way of serving both sides but victims must come first and organisations such as Victim Support must be given the help that they need to support victims of crime.

Support Kent Police

I want to support Kent Police to catch the really bad not the nearly bad. Crime is falling in Kent? Well that depends on how you look at crime. Car crime is falling but according to the forces own statistics released 23rd July 2012 robbery and serious sexual offences have risen by over 10% each. In another report highlighted by the BBC 9th August 2012 cannabis farms are proliferating in Kent. Tory members and the independent chair of the police authority have made the figures look good for their benefit, concentrating on car crime but for people whose lives have been blighted by drugs, and ruined by rape – and Kent has no 24/7 rape suite – maybe the crime figures don’t look or feel so good.

Accountability

I will visit every constituency twice a year to speak to all groups, especially those who could become victims of hate crime, the elderly with their lives shadowed by the fear of crime and young people and act as a facilitator between communities and the officers that serve them.

Transparency

Sometimes policing can feel very distant from the people who are policed and reasons and behaviours of the police need to be understood by the communities served by them. We are all in it together and we need to work together and understand each other.

By the way I am ruthless on drugs, I didn’t include that as a pledge as I believe every credible Police and Crime Commissioner candidate must be 100% dedicated to the war on drugs.

Labours Pledges

Stand up for communities against the Tories’ 20 per cent cuts to policing and the loss of over 16,000 police officers.


Keep police on the beat with neighbourhood policing, not hand it over to private companies or leave it only to PCSOs


Back a strong and swift response to antisocial behaviour. Victims should get a response within 24 hours.


Be tough on crime, and tough on the causes of crime. We will work in partnership with police, local people and councils to tackle and prevent crime.


Protect the police from political interference by respecting the independence of the Chief Constable.

Press Release 6th September 2012

Press Release

We (The Maidstone East and Mid Kent Branch of the Labour Party) have announced our prospective candidates for next May’s KCC elections

They are:

Mick Beckwith, for Maidstone Rural North division,

Jim Grogan, for Maidstone Rural East division,

Geoff Harvey for Maidstone South division,

Malcolm McKay for Maidstone South East division,

and Stephen Taylor Maidstone Rural South division.

We are also supporting the candidacy of Harriet Yeo for the Police and Crime Commissioner this November.

If anyone would like to get involved in campaigning with us for any of these elections get in touch now.  This is an opportunity to have an active and positive role in local politics and in your community. Perhaps you could be even standing as a Councillor yourself in the future.

There is an election in Maidstone every year, and campaigning is a great way to meet like-minded people, get a bit of exercise and be a part of something that can make a difference to your local community.

Come and join the fun.

You can find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MSBLP

and Twitter @MEandMKLabour

To find out more information please contact Jim Grogan on  07724954171

Autumn 2012 leaflet

Labour Party’s candidate for the Police & Crime Commissioner in Kent, Harriet Yeo

The Labour Party’s candidate for the Police & Crime Commissioner in Kent, Harriet Yeo, has released her 5 key pledges as she kicks off her campaign across Kent.
If Harriet wins she pledges:
> No privatisation of Kent Police
> To put victims before perpetrators
> To visit every constituency twice a year to discuss issues with all groups
> To provide greater transparency to increase trust in the police
> To support Kent Police to catch the really bad not the nearly bad.
More about Harriet Yeo’s pledges can be found on her website which you are encouraged to check frequently as it is updated throughout the campaign.
You can also follow and contact Harriet Yeo via twitter – @KentPCC

Core Strategy Public Consultation 17 August - 1 October 2012

Maidstone Borough Council have published their Integrated Transport Strategy Public Consultation 2012 and Core Strategy Strategic Site Allocations: Public Consultation 2012.
The proposed work affects several areas of Maidstone and is likely to cause severe disruption to our everyday lives both whilst it is being done (if it does get done) and afterwards, if the infrastructure is not put in place to cope with both increased population and road traffic in the areas concerned.

If you object to or have any concerns about any of the developments, now is the time to speak up (you have until the 1st of October)
The controversial "junction 8" proposals are included.

The links are
Integrated Transport Strategy Public Consultation 2012
Details here

Core Strategy Strategic Site Allocations: Public Consultation 2012
Details here

The documents can be seen at Maidstone Gateway, King Street, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6JQ. The offices are open Monday to Wednesday 8.30am to 5:30pm, Thursday 8.30am to 7pm, Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. Copies of the documents will also be available at all libraries in the borough during normal opening hours.

Exhibitions staffed by council officers will be held in the following locations:

The Mall Chequers, King Street 30 August 10am - 4pm
Maidstone Gateway, King Street 31 August 10am - 4pm
Heather House, Bicknor Road, Park Wood (Reed Hall) 5 September 11am - 6:45pm
Morrisons, Sutton Road, Park Wood 5 September 12noon - 2pm
Oakwood House, Oakwood Park (Garden Room) 7 September 11am - 8pm
Mercure Hotel, Ashford Road, Hollingbourne (County Suite) 10 September 11am - 8pm
Hilton Hotel, Bearsted Road (Allington Room) 12 September 11am - 8pm

More details here

You can submit your comments online here  You will need to sign in. There is also a document that you can print out and send in the post.

This is your chance to have a say in the future of your town. Please use it.

PCC Latest blog from Harriet Yeo

Keep up to date with Harriet Yeo's campaign to become Kent's police and crime commissioner.
Latest Blog. Sponsored Police cars?

http://harriety.blogspot.co.uk/

Maidstone Borough Council, Council Tax Benefit Consultation survey

Maidstone Borough Council have a Council Tax Benefit Consultation survey.
Have your say.
http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/consultations/current_consultations.aspx
Don't delay, do it today.

Had a meeting last night to work out how we are going to support Harriet Yeo in her fight to become Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner and combine that with raising awareness of the Kent County Council elections next May.  Progress was made and we will meet agian next week.

Real Change

This Video features Ed Miliband speaking about the "Real Change" campaign
The opening is a classic.

Welcome to the blog of the  Maidstone East and Mid Kent Branch Labour Party.
We believe in fairness and a better deal for the people of Maidstone.
Follow our campaign to the local elections in 2012 and beyond.
Follow our work and campaigns in Maidstone as we battle against the unfair cuts and destruction of our public sector and services by the Coaliion Government.
 We cover the following areas of Maidstone and Mid Kent

We are constantly campaigning as we have elections to fight every year. Three out of every four years there are elections for Maidstone Borough Council. On the year when there is no Maidstone election there is the election for Kent County Council. Fitting in alongside these are the General Election for the Westminster parliament and the European Election. There are about sixty thousand electors and approximately twenty five thousand households. Just delivering one leaflet a year to each one involves a lot of work and we would like to do much more than that. Any help you can give us would be very welcome.
Remember walking is great exercise and walking with a purpose is much easier to do. 
Join us as a member or supporter for a better deal for all of Maidstone and Mid Kent You can E Mail our Chairman Jim Grogan on groganjim@hotmail.com 
We look forward to meeting you.