On 5 May 2011 people in every village, town and city in the UK will have the chance to vote in the Local Government Elections.
This is your chance to have your say about what you want from East Riding Council.
Labour candidates are standing for election because we want to give people the choice to vote for a pro-public services, pro-education, pro-NHS, positive alternative to Coalition cuts. Labour agrees with the doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, firemen and many experts who oppose Coalition cuts; we believe the threat posed by Coalition cuts makes this is the most important local government election for decades.
Today no other area of government spending is facing such drastic cuts as local government.
Labour candidates believe in responsible public spending. We understand that local government spending is local investment. It provides Sure Start centres, youth workers, social care for vulnerable people, school buildings, crime prevention, and many other essential elements in our local community. Irresponsible banking caused this economic crisis, not our public services, and yet they are the target of Coalition cuts.
What does this mean for Beverley?
Labour knows that public and private sectors function interdependently. But only public spending can provide services to levels which “the market” cannot. These are services that benefit everyone directly and indirectly.
For example: Labour candidates believe councils should provide funding or incentives for local businesses to recycle. The Tory-led East Riding Council does not provide enough environmental support or planning to dispose of business waste such as packaging and broken glass. Many local businesses cannot afford to pay the extra costs of recycling without passing these costs on to us, the consumers. Public investment provides a platform for community gains; for individuals, for families and for local businesses alike.
Labour also believes more can be achieved through this attitude of careful Council planning, helping local business bring more people into employment and providing more opportunities for young people.
We, your Labour candidates, want to make East Riding Council more accountable. We want more debate, more options discussed and more scrutiny in the spending decisions which affect us all.
Labour Councillor Laurie Cross, a former Dean and lecturer in Economics, proposed a budget to East Riding Council which identified alternative opportunities to make savings in less harmful ways. He offered a choice. The Tories chose to ignore these positive Labour proposals.
Tory politicians tell us “there is no alternative” to their decisions. We say politics is about choices, there is always an alternative.
Make your choice for Labour on 5 May.
This article was written by Stuart Pearce, Margaret Pinder and Jack Falkingham, Labour Party candidates for St. Mary’s Ward, Beverley.