Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign - Kate Green Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston

Archive for the ‘Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign’ Category

Kate celebrates young people’s achievements in Trafford

April 22nd, 2010 |

Author: admin

Kate congratulates Nicole on her awards

Kate was delighted to attend Rathbone’s awards ceremony for young learners in Old Trafford, and to take part in a Q+A session for parliamentary candidates with the young people. Childcare apprentice Nicole received several awards for outstanding achievement.

Last year Rathbone’s 70 UK centres enabled 17,000 young people facing social and economic challenges to progress through personal development and accredited qualifications. 4,000 of these young people joined a Rathbone programme as a result of street based engagement work.

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate backs PM’s call for global banking constitution

April 21st, 2010 |

Author: admin

Kate Green shared the anger shown by the Prime Minister who has called for a special investigation into reports regarding bankers Goldman Sachs and bonus payments. Reports claim that in effect Goldman Sachs were “betting ” on banking collapse, and have profited from the financial crisis. Gordon Brown has called for a new global constitution, and stricter global regimes to monitor and control the interests there.

Gordon Brown said: “Hundreds and millions of pounds have been traded here, and it looks as if people have been misled about what happened.”

Kate Green agrees. “The idea that people have benefited from the misery that the financial crisis brought about is complete moral bankruptcy, and must be exposed. I will be backing this Labour drive for transparency”, she said today.

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Complaint to Commission as Council disenfranchises voters

April 20th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Stretford and Urmston Labour party have today made a formal complaint to Trafford Council and the Electoral Commission after the Council’s decision to declare invalid the nomination papers for Labour’s candidate in Davyhulme West. Local Labour Party members had chosen Alex Howells, a local student and activist to contest the seat at the upcoming Council elections. However, Trafford Council have ruled his nomination papers invalid and despite our protests to the Chief Executive, they are refusing to allow him to stand.

Trafford Council failed to follow Electoral Commission guidance and give informal advice to Davyhulme West Labour Party when nomination papers were submitted last week. The Head of the Elections Office at Trafford Council admitted she did not know the proper procedures. The Labour Party is making a formal complaint to the Electoral Commission following the decision by Trafford Council to uphold their decision following formal complaints to the Council’s Chief Executive.

Mike Cordingley, Parliamentary Agent in Stretford and Urmston said: “The lack of proper advice from the Council has meant there will be no Labour candidate in this ward. The best efforts of people who do this work on a voluntary basis have been blocked by the lack of proper advice when it was asked for. We are extremely disappointed that what should have been a valid nomination has been ruled out on a technicality and we have made formal complaints to the Electoral Commission.”

Kate Green, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Stretford and Urmston said: “I bitterly regret that because of Council inaction, I will not have a local candidate for Davyhulme West alongside me on May 6th. This has disenfranchised the many Labour supporters in Davyhulme West and I hope they will show their disgust at the Tory Council’s actions by coming out to support me for the General Election and making their protest on the local elections ballot paper.”

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate fears Tory emergency budget

April 20th, 2010 |

Author: admin

The Tories have promised that one of the first things they will do if elected is to introduce an emergency budget, slashing £6 million pounds out of public services.

Kate Green is appalled at this prospect: “The effect that this will have on the local economy just defies description. Whole neighbourhoods in Stretford and Urmston would be affected by loss of jobs, of service and of spending power, as these spending cuts would have to be found in our education system.”

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate joins Ed Balls at opening of Wellacre College

April 19th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Bev Hughes, Kate Green and headteacher Ray Howells with Ed Balls at the opening of the college

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families formally opened Wellacre 6th Form College and met teachers and students to hear about their work. The eco-friendly college was built with funding from the Labour government. The first sixth-formers are now coming towards the end of their first year of study at the college and looking forward to settling in the new intake in September.

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Tory candidate prefers quizzing wife to courting voters

April 15th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Labour’s Candidate for Stretford and Urmston Kate Green has questioned the judgement of her Tory opponent Alex Williams who has been caught out live on the BBC planting a question for his wife Susan Williams at hustings event in Bolton. Alex was caught out asking wife Susan, a fellow Altrincham councillor and Tory PPC in Bolton West a question about the deficit at a BBC organised Town Hall debate. Now Alex is trying to blame the BBC for his serious error in judgement. The BBC have responded that Mr Williams’ question was not one of those submitted beforehand and was asked without its prior knowledge.

Labour’s Kate Green said: “Serious questions need to be asked about Alex Williams’ commitment to people here. Not only does he live in Hale and represent Altrincham – he also seems to be spending time in Bolton asking his wife questions at hustings meetings there rather than listening to people in Stretford and Urmston. The budget deficit is a serious issue but why Alex felt the need to ask his wife this in front of an audience will baffle many people. He could have just asked over the kitchen table. This is a real judgement deficit from my Tory opponent and to simply blame the BBC is ridiculous. Residents already suspect that he’s not serious about representing them – now they’ve got further evidence that this commuting candidate would be a commuting MP.”

A North West Labour Party spokesperson said:

“This election is all about big choices and debates like this need to be engaged in an open and fair way.

“The debate was an opportunity to give local people the chance to have their say and it’s very disappointing that the Conservative Party feel the need to drop a candidate’s spouse into the audience to ask a question while passing themselves off as a member of the public.
“In this case, as this person is also standing in another Greater Manchester seat at the General Election, it’s all the more surprising and disappointing.”

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate speaks on the challenges for child poverty campaigners

April 5th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Full text of Kate’s speech to the Save The Children UK conference held at Old Trafford football ground on 23 March:

“It’s great to be part of your conference today and welcome to Old Trafford, probably the most famous location in this constituency, and , as I’m sure you’ve been told already, known as the theatre of dreams – what better place for campaigners to hold your event.

I’m delighted to have been asked to speak to you in the week that we finally expect to see the Child Poverty Bill become law. This is a really groundbreaking piece of legislation, and one that at various times over the past year, as politics hit choppy waters, we wondered would ever see the light of day. But I know how hard and persistently many of you have worked with colleagues across the sector to bring the bill to fruition, and believe me it is an important achievement , one to be very proud of having been a part of.

You’ll hear naysayers, let me tell you – “you can’t legislate your way out of poverty, it’s a sham, it won’t be enforceable in the courts, the government only introduced the bill as a sop to campaigners when they thought they weren’t going to meet their target”. Please do not listen to them. The importance of this legislation can’t be overstated. For decades before 1997, child poverty was completely airbrushed out of politics – the Thatcher and Major governments simply didn’t want to know, denied there was any such thing as poverty, stood by while child poverty doubled over two decades. On returning to power, Labour quickly made a pledge to reverse that situation, with Tony Blair’s famous commitment to end child poverty in a generation in a speech in 1999. And since then, despite disappointments along the way – and with much more to be done – we have seen real effort and real progress, with 500k fewer children in poverty today than 10 years ago.

But we must not forget the lesson of the Tory years, that governments could choose to ignore poverty if they wished. The importance of the Child Poverty Bill, the Child Poverty Act as I look forward to calling it, is that that won’t be possible in future. The framework now exists to ensure that every future government will be held to account for what it’s doing to secure the eradication of child poverty. It’s a legal framework – and make no mistake that does mean it’s legally enforceable, that action can be taken through the courts if government fails to meet its obligations- but importantly it’s a framework for political pressure. The role of parliamentarians and campaigners in keeping action on poverty top of the political agenda will be immeasurably helped by the existence of the legislation, the building blocks it’s put in place, the creation of a child poverty commission, and the requirement on ministers to report on progress to parliament.

So with that framework in place, where should campaigners be turning their sights and priorities now? It’s a difficult time certainly, we know despite progress that the target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 isn’t on track to be met, and we know too that the economic situation and the stretch on the public finances makes finding the additional resources needed very challenging indeed. And we’re living through a period of political uncertainty – at least until the election in a few weeks’ time, and possibly if you believe the pollsters, into the next parliament.

There are some real dangers for campaigners in that situation. Either that you become irrelevant – the demands you make are seen as naive, unrealistic – or you become too quiescent, perhaps try too much to curry favour with a new government, accept and go along with some of their thinking, even if it means settling for too little in the interests of pragmatism, “let’s stay inside the tent, maintain at least some influence, get what little we can”.

Those are perfectly legitimate responses to the political and economic situation we find ourselves in, but they’re not a position for campaigners to take. What’s important for campaigners is to start from a position founded on values and beliefs.

Our vision is of an end to child poverty pure and simple. It’s not an end to poverty for some kids, it’s not an end to poverty by accident, it’s not an end to poverty if we can afford it, it’s something we’re determined to achieve and will press for action to bring about, it’s a radical vision, and it certainly isn’t an unrealistic vision in one of the largest economies in the world. And in campaigning for that vision and particularly in difficult times I’d argue that we need to be especially bold.

Of course there are significant challenges. We know that public spending is under pressure as we manage down the deficit. We know that public opinion’s a challenge – sceptical about the very existence of poverty in the UK, or if it does accept it exists, that it’s people’s own fault, the result of poor decisions, poor behaviour, poor parenting. We know that ending child poverty comes with a price tag, it isn’t a free lunch.

But we also know that the public’s angry at injustice and inequality, anxious for the future , and worried about the public services on which they know their families rely. We know that poverty costs us dear, it wastes potential. So ending poverty ultimately reduces the cost to the exchequer, the business case as well as the moral case for ending child poverty is strong. And research coming out soon will show public sympathy remains even in the current climate for spending on public services that help improve outcomes for the poor – that the public understands the fairness argument, and that this saves money in the long run.

So we have some good raw material to work with – and our vision can be a big one, inclusive, radical and bold.

In that context I want to put two basic concepts on the table that I think must underpin the anti poverty campaign. The first is equality and the second universalism – simple concepts, but too often dismissed as too difficult to achieve. But both are in my views essential building blocks if poverty’s to be eradicated for good.

They’re important at all times, but especially important now. Because I worry that without them we will start trimming our ambitions in the current economic circumstances. I watch this happening already – when we allow a narrative that suggests that income equality isn’t so important, or if in arguing spending must focus on the most disadvantaged, we marginalise and residualise action on poverty, limit it to what we do for the poorest, something that doesn’t affect the rest of us.

Those arguments are a gift to those who want to do and spend less. Conservative plans to cut Sure Start for example have been helped, legitimised even, by those who’ve suggested that it has become a service that’s been “captured” by and for the middle class. Their plans to limit tax credits to families whose incomes would in practice exceed £31k have been helped by those who sought to argue that we can’t afford and don’t need to give financial support for all children. A focus on the very poorest kids, the most excluded, has allowed for a story that somehow the problem’s between the incomes of the poorest and the middle, nothing to do with the richest – which has permitted David Cameron recently to divert attention from the damage that’s being done by the exceptionally high levels of inequality in this country and excessive wealth at the top.

Action on child poverty is not a competition between the more or less deserving, the more or less poor. Poverty damages everyone, damages our society, affects all of us – and we need inclusive, redistributive solutions that will help us rebuild a strong economy and give the best chance for every one of our kids. We must found our campaign on fairness for every family, protecting the frontline services and support that all families rely on if we’re to secure public buy-in.

That takes time and it takes persistence, and it takes courage, but it takes vision most of all. And when times get tough and we seem to be going backwards, I like to remind campaigners of another campaign, an old campaign, that looked surprisingly like this. Look back to the debates about the abolition of slavery – that was seen at the outset as unrealistic, a recipe for economic disaster, dangerous or naive. And it took prolonged and persistent campaigning, over many decades, most famously by William Wilberforce but in fact by a whole array of campaigners, to bring about slavery’s end. Read the history of the anti slavery movement and you’ll see it’s a history of steps forward and setbacks, of times of progress in parliament while the country was hostile, and times when it was the other way round, of clashes between campaigners, different emphases of approach at different times on how best to win the campaign. But although it took decades, took the long way round, the campaigners never ever gave up on their vision – and in the end they were vindicated and slavery was outlawed.

Sound familiar? Were we told a year or so ago in the light of disappointing budget settlements that the campaign to end child poverty in the UK was a waste of time and money, a campaign we could never win? Have there been differences of opinion – to put it politely – between campaigners about how we make the case? Have new players come and old ones gone – have we at times felt like giving up?

But ending child poverty isn’t a negotiable any more than ending slavery. A cause that’s right is a cause we must fight for, whatever the setbacks and challenges, how ever long it takes. Here in the theatre of dreams, I don’t just dream, I know we’re going to win this cause; it’s do-able, sensible and right. I look forward to working with you in the future to ensure that we make sure that we commit ourselves to all we can do to end child poverty for good.”

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate expresses shock as Stretford Mall goes into receivership

March 16th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Kate Green with Cllr Steve Adshead outside Stretford Mall

Kate and Labour councillors expressed shock and concern at the news that Stretford Mall is going into receivership, and promise to campaign to help local business and residents save our Town Centre. Kate said: “Labour councillors Tom Ross, Karina Carter, Steve Adshead and I and Council candidate Dolores O’Sullivan have been very disappointed by the failure of the Tory Council to put money into the Mall or the surrounding area over many years. Promises and plans have been made that have come to nothing.

“We have watched with growing dismay as other town centres have been prioritised whilst Stretford has been almost forgotten. We are especially sad that the Mall went into receivership on the same day the new Tesco store was approved.

“Stretford people and small businesses deserve better. The Tories sold off our Town Centre in the sixties and now sit back to watch as it folds for good. We hope that residents and representatives of Stretford will now be heard and that the Council will give Stretford the priority it deserves.”

Kate and your local Labour councillors are keen to hear from residents and businesses about how the closure of the Mall would affect you. Please contact us.

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

Kate enjoys coffee and a cake with Ena

March 10th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Kate shares a cake and a joke over coffee with Ena

Kate and Bev Hughes MP hosted a coffee morning to mark Fairtrade week.

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »

“We must keep investing to help everyone back into work”, says Labour’s Kate Green

March 10th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Kate Green, Labour candidate, today called on local Tories in Stretford and Urmston to abandon their plans to scrap extra jobs for young people.

Kate said:

“We have got to keep investing in jobs through the recovery. That’s why I am backing the Future Jobs Fund which will bring more jobs to the area, jobs that David Cameron wants to slash.

“In previous recessions unemployed young people were left on the scrapheap. We can’t let this happen again.

“That’s why I support Labour’s guarantees – an education or training place for young people up to 18. And a job or training place for 18-24 year olds out of work for six months.

“But the Tories would scrap the Future Jobs Fund meaning fewer jobs in our area for young people and the hardest hit.”

Posted in Stories from the 2010 General Election Campaign |

No Comments »