Working hard for Stockton, Thornaby, Ingleby Barwick, Eaglescliffe, Preston and Yarm

Labour Rose
Spring/Summer 2012

Labour With you in tough times

Inside
Exclusive on Tory failures

PENSIONERS AND FAMILIES SEE TAX RISE

Investing in our Green Spaces

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3 BILLION TAX CUT FOR RICHEST 1% OF COUNTRY
Pensioners across Stockton are to be hit with the so-called Granny Tax next April after George Osbornes disasterous budget. The changes will take 83 a year away from over 65s and will mean that when people who are under 65 reach their pension age they will be a huge 323 worse off. At the same time, the Tory-LibDem Government gave a huge 42,000 tax break to Britains millionaires by reducing the 50p tax rate to 45p. This change could cost up to 3 billion. Imagine how many more police could be on our streets, how many more people could be in training or work, how many more nurses we could have in our hospitals with that money. The Chancellor tried to pass off these changes to pensioners as simplification, but theres one phrase he didnt use in the budget Were all in it together. Thats because even the Tories accept that when they are cutting tax for the wealthiest and hitting pensioners with more tax that we arent all in it together. Over the last few months, thousands of families across the borough were informed they would lose their Tax Credit; this money helps part-time workers with children to be able to afford the basics. With more and more people in part-time work because of the lack of full-time jobs, many more people will lose out on this valuable help in order to give a tax break to the richest in Britain.

Investing in our young people

Labour - Fighting for fairness and for you

Headlines
Tory/LibDem plan to stop improvements to your area
Tories and LibDems voted to cut 400,000 from the council budget by voting against the renewal of the Community Participation Budget (CPB). The CPB is one of the most popular schemes with residents, as it gives them a say in how small amounts of money are used in their ward, from flowerbeds and trees to benches and bollards. The Tories and LibDems often fill their leaflets with examples of how they've used the scheme, but now they've voted to scrap it.

Bob Cook, Leader of the Council

Tees Valley Music Services

The Tees Valley will receive more than 3 million over the next three years to ensure all young people have the opportunity to participate in musical activities in school and college settings. Stockton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Ann McCoy, said: 'This is fantastic news for all our young people. We are delighted we have been able to secure opportunities for all our young people to experience musical activity in their schools and colleges.'

Bob Cook, with his deputy Jim Beall, is working to protect your services despite the cuts

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LibDems fail to stand up for elderly

Council Leader Bob Cook called on the Government to ensure that energy companies give the cheapest deal to the nation's pensioners. LibDem councillors abstained on the motion, showing just how little they care for the problems of our pensioners. Fuel bills are a real problem with many having to choose between heating and eating. LibDem councillors failed to stand up for their residents, just like they did when they backed the Tory plan for a 10% rise in Council Tax.

A great first year, but more to do

As the first year of the new Labour led administration is now over Im delighted to look back and reflect on a year full of achievement and significant progress in delivering our ambitious plans for the Borough. There is no doubt that the past year has been challenging as we continue to work in difficult economic conditions. Nevertheless, we have made progress across all areas of our services and to drive forward our ambitions for the Borough. I am particularly pleased to see the significant steps we have made

moving forward with our regeneration plans for our Borough. The progress of our exciting vision for the town centres of Stockton and Billingham, the housing developments at Northshore, Thornaby, Parkfield and across the rest of the Borough. The proudest moment for the Council and myself was to sign a

Community Covenant to support our local armed forces and exservice communities. Whilst we start the new year with major challenges from tough economic climate and significant funding pressures we have confidence and enthusiasm to continue to drive forward with our ambitions for the Borough.

Labour's achievements in our first year

A Cut to Councillors' Allowances. Keeping your libraries open despite huge funding cuts. Providing good value for money according to the Audit Commission. Winning Britain in Bloom thanks to our investment in green spaces. Top for Adopting as rated by OFSTED.

Gambling with your Health

Tories' Record of Failure
After getting the budget so badly wrong and having a leading Tory caught on tape offering to sell access to the Prime Minister, the Tory and LibDem government decided to distract attention by causing a panic at the petrol pumps. They intervened in an industrial dispute and created a problem that resulted in queues at the petrol stations, panic buying of fuel and petrol fires at home. The fiasco over NHS reorganisation, which started, stopped and then started again, the same as it was before, with no safeguards against private companies cherry-picking the most profitable treatments. The LibDems traded their principles for power.

Labour - With you in tough times

Money should be spent on treatment, not on reorganisation. Money is being taken away from areas like Teesside and given to more wealthy areas.

Changes will damage services

The Tories and LibDems are implementing the biggest change in the NHS since its creation. This is when satisfaction with the service is at an all-time high. They are proposing to create a system where multinational companies can make profits out of peoples ill-health. The Government have blocked the publication of a report which highlights the dangers of these untested changes. This is a big gamble with your NHS and your health. Many health professionals and patients are disgusted and disappointed that the Tory and LibDem government went back on its promise at the election of no more top-down NHS reorganisations and is proposing to allow multi-national health companies to determine health priorities in the NHS. Only the Labour Party offers a route back to undo the damage these changes will inevitably make to the NHS.

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Tories - out of touch with you
'Not only are Cameron and Osborne two posh boys who don't know the price of milk but they're two arrogant posh boys who show no remorse, no contrition and no passion to want understand the lives of others, and that is their crime.' Sound like something a Labour MP might say, but that quote is from a Tory MP. Even Tory MPs are starting to realise that David Cameron and George Osborne are out of touch. They and James Wharton don't get how their tax rises and cuts to police, schools and the NHS affect real people.

Reckless cuts to public services, leading to fewer police on our streets, fewer nurses in our hospitals and fewer teachers in our schools. These cuts have caused a double-dip recession, record high unemployment and a lost generation with a million young people on the dole.

Local Tories supporting a 10% rise in council tax, but only after slashing services right now. Tories and LibDems on Stockton Council supported cutting an extra 2.5 million on top of the 26 million we've already had to save. Then they would hike council tax by 10% to undo the damage in a few years time.

Hiking VAT to 20%, which caused huge inflation hitting families in the pocket on everything from petrol, fuel bills and food. The high inflation coupled with little to no wage increase for most workers meant many families felt the pinch. This inflation meant cuts went even deeper last year.

The self-styled 'Mayor' of Yarm, who is meant to chair meetings independently, asked people if they wanted to 'bait' a town councillor who disagreed with the proposed plans to improve parking in Yarm. There should be no place for this kind of behaviour in politics, its just another instance of the Tories wrecking Yarm. There is no place for this in politics, its just another instance of the Tories wrecking Yarm.

Labour - working hard in Stockton to protect your services

Labour Rose

Promoted by Daniel Johnson on behalf of Stockton South Labour Party both at 32 Grange Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 4LT .

Barry Coppinger, Labour's choice for Police Commissioner

Vote Labour to protect police numbers In November, voters across Teesside will go to the polls for the first ever Police & Crime Commissioner for Cleveland Police. We believe we must have a Commissioner with strong Labour values in order to work to prioritise frontline police numbers and community policing. Barry has spent over 20 years as a councillor in Middlesbrough, and has also served as a Cabinet member for Community Protection and on the Police Authority. This experience will mean that Barry can work to protect frontline policing and ensure that Neighbourhood Policing is the key focus of the new Police and Crime Plan. The Tory and LibDem cuts of 20% to police budgets has meant hundreds of police officer being lost in the Cleveland area, Barry will make keeping police on our streets and keeping us safe his top priority. He will be a strong voice for the area and argue for the extra resources necessary to ensure every neighbourhood is a safe one and will argue against these criminal 20% cuts to our local police. Despite voting for the role, it looks like the LibDems will not be fielding a candidate. The choice is clear between a Tory candidate who supports the cuts to police numbers or Barry Coppinger who has years of experience and the leadership necessary to make sure that we can make Cleveland Police the best it can be. Visit www.coppinger4pcc.co.uk for more information, follow Barry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Coppinger4pcc or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Coppinger4pcc

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Promoted by Daniel Johnson on behalf of Stockton South Labour Party both at 32 Grange Avenue, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 4LT .

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