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We need campaign to save coastguard
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Written by Keith Henderson Sunday, 21 August 2011 11:25
It is now clear that iconic pictures on the front page of the Gazette did not stop the proposed closure of the Walton coastguard service, will not stop job losses and will not save lives.
Quite clearly the opportunist photo opportunity jumped upon by our Tory MP Douglas Carswell, which showed local coastguard PCS union representative Karen Paradise handing over a 3,000-strong petition against the closure was nothing more than that, a photo opportunity.
While petitions and strongly-worded letters have a role to play, it is now clear that a far more serious approach will have to be adopted if there is any chance to prevent the closure going ahead.
If the coalition Government, which Douglas Carswell is a part of, stays in power, it is clear that the coastguard closure will take place by 2014. Even if the coalition falls and is replaced by a Labour government, it is still possible the closure could go ahead.
That is, unless a grassroots campaign is adopted, which will commit the Labour party to reversing these closures, is put into operation.
Links should immediately be made to contact all other stations facing closure, to start developing a nationwide campaign, to get the closure policy reversed.
Lobbies of party conferences in the autumn, participation in the autumn strike action over pensions, highly visible demonstrations on workers’ memorial day and a strong intervention at the coastguards union conference next year should be organised. This is now what is on the order of the day.
Letters, petitions and appealing to the better nature of those whose Government is responsible for making the cuts clearly hasn’t cut the mustard.
This is the price we are all having to pay for bailing out the bankers and the other tax-avoiding workers in the so-called “finance industry”.
Keith Henderson
Clacton Labour Party Parliamentary Spokesman
I still have great faith in the youth of today, despite riots
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Written by Keith Henderson Sunday, 21 August 2011 11:15
In this country we have a generation of youth who have been abandoned and left adrift, without hope.
There are 1.5 million young people who are not in employment education or training, termed Neets.
As a result of the economic crisis this situation has only worsened, youth unemployment has hit record levels, university fees have been raised to a level by this Government putting university out of reach, the EMA has been scrapped placing further strains on the youth.
Even if a young person finds a job, it is likely to be low paid, without career prospects and temporary or flexible hours.
Unfortunately last week, starting in London and spreading throughout the country, we have witnessed a social explosion of the disaffected youth.
Tragically, many people have lost their homes, and many more their workplace, potentially their job and income too, some even their lives.
There is obviously a criminal element which has jumped on the bandwagon, but let us not make the mistake of thinking this was organised criminality, this was a social explosion from the belly of society.
If it was purely criminality, why not last week or the week before that? The roots of it are in the economic crisis, that, let’s not forget, was caused by the wanton corruption and criminality of the bankers and financiers.
One would search in vain for mass arrests and an increase in police presence and the threat of water cannon to hunt for the real criminals who caused the crisis we are now living through.
This Government has pledged to restore order to our streets and to have enough emergency services to deal with the situations that prevailed. It is the same Government which is savagely cutting our public services, including police and fire service numbers. We say reverse all cuts and protect and develop our public services, so they can be equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
Keith Henderson
Clacton Labour Party Parliamentary Spokesman
The Clacton Labour Party Elected A New Executive Committee.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Written by Keith Henderson Monday, 06 June 2011 13:40
On Thursday 2rd June 2011 the Clacton Labour Party held its AGM and a New Executive Committee was elected.
The Clacton Labour party has elected a new Chairman to lead an all new Executive Committee into the challenges that lie ahead. New Chairman, Popular Jaywick Councillor Dan Casey said, "I am
both grateful to the party members who elected me and excited by the challenges ahead".
He went on to say "the real challenge is to re-connect with the people of Tendring. We have
many good people working for the benefit of local communities and I intend to make sure that the hard work continues and increases so that local people know that they can trust the Clacton Labour party to deliver on their promises".
New Secretary and Re-elected Labour Co-Operative Parliamentary Spokesperson for the Clacton constituency, Keith Henderson, said: " We have a new team of Officers for a new challenge, listening to the people of Tendring and developing new policies based on what the people want from their local Labour Party. We aim to work with all local residents and all community groups. We have already started to work with the Tendring District Trades Union Council and we hope to work with the Tendring Pensioners' Action Group.
Outgoing Chairman, Kevin Coleman expressed his deepest thanks to those members who
had served under his leadership. He said "I am proud of what we have achieved over recent
months, party membership has grown over the past year and we now have 2 extra seats on
Tendring Council, I wish the new team every success as they take us forward to a new era"
FEAR OVER TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL TORY PROPOSALS
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Written by Keith Henderson Monday, 06 June 2011 13:25
Clacton Labour Party is lining up alongside the local trade unions to express its fears at proposals being put to a special meeting of Tendring District Council on Tuesday evening.
The Conservative administration is putting forward proposals that would give the council’s chief executive sweeping powers to axe staff, alter council policy and amend the council’s constitution without scrutiny or agreement by council committees.
Keith Henderson, Labour’s parliamentary spokesman for the Clacton Constituency, says
“These proposals would mean that the Tories would allow the council’s chief executive to make sweeping cuts in staff and services without first proving to elected members that they were necessary or in the best interests of the district. The implications of these Tory plans are truly frightening.”
Because the Conservatives have an overall majority on TDC they are in a position to force through the changes at Tuesday’s meeting but Labour councillors intend to speak out against the proposals during the debate and local trade unionists are being urged to join a lobby of the council meeting by protesting outside the Town Hall at 6.30 PM.
“The Tory cuts will affect everyone in the Tendring District but their proposals will prevent elected councillors from effectively scrutinising them,” continued Keith Henderson. “It is very important that everyone is aware of what the Tories are planning and equally important that they tell the Tories that they will be held to account for their actions.”
Determined To Oppose Cuts
Last Updated on Monday, 13 June 2011 17:57 Written by Keith Henderson Monday, 06 June 2011 13:11
The Tendring Council election result in Clacton has sent the Labour Party mixed messages.
The Tories can celebrate the fact they are now in overall control of Tendring Council, picking up seats from Tendring First and the Lib Dems, and one from Labour, but in reality there has been no change.
The cosy coalition led by the Tories with the Community Representatives on Tendring Council was no different to the bag-handling role the Lib Dems play to the Tories at Government level.
Therefore, there will be very little change, other than the fact the Tory council will implement the cuts with even more enthusiasm.
It is a bit of a disappointment we only picked up two more seats overall, but that does now mean we are the second largest party, even if by the skin of our teeth.
Our job now is to consolidate that position by providing effective opposition and, rest assured, that is what we will do, exposing the damage that coalition cuts, enthusiastically implemented by a Tory council, will mean for the ordinary people of Clacton.
As for the unadulterated nonsense put out by the Tories in the election, trying to blame the last Labour government for the economic crisis caused by the banking and finance industry as a whole, the economic illiteracy is staggering.
Far from the previous Labour government “maxing out on its credit cards”, the question has to be asked: Why was there no money left in the account in the first place?
Clearly, the tax avoidance and the gambling in the City of London and Canary Wharf is what did it for the British economy.
Cutting back on public services and benefits for the most vulnerable in society will do nothing to stimulate the economy as people will have even less money in their pockets to spend.
I call on Tory MP Douglas Carswell to tell his government to change course on the economy. Britain’s economy has flat-lined over the last six months, while countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands have overtaken us and while Germany is powering ahead.
This shows the huge risks George Osborne is taking in Britain by making a political choice to cut further and faster than any other major economy in the world.
Keith Henderson
Parliamentary spokesman
Clacton Labour Party Tendring Council election result in Clacton has sent the Labour Party mixed messages.
The Tories can celebrate the fact they are now in overall control of Tendring Council, picking up seats from Tendring First and the Lib Dems, and one from Labour, but in reality there has been no change.
The cosy coalition led by the Tories with the Community Representatives on Tendring Council was no different to the bag-handling role the Lib Dems play to the Tories at Government level.
Therefore, there will be very little change, other than the fact the Tory council will implement the cuts with even more enthusiasm.
It is a bit of a disappointment we only picked up two more seats overall, but that does now mean we are the second largest party, even if by the skin of our teeth.
Our job now is to consolidate that position by providing effective opposition and, rest assured, that is what we will do, exposing the damage that coalition cuts, enthusiastically implemented by a Tory council, will mean for the ordinary people of Clacton.
As for the unadulterated nonsense put out by the Tories in the election, trying to blame the last Labour government for the economic crisis caused by the banking and finance industry as a whole, the economic illiteracy is staggering.
Far from the previous Labour government “maxing out on its credit cards”, the question has to be asked: Why was there no money left in the account in the first place?
Clearly, the tax avoidance and the gambling in the City of London and Canary Wharf is what did it for the British economy.
Cutting back on public services and benefits for the most vulnerable in society will do nothing to stimulate the economy as people will have even less money in their pockets to spend.
I call on Tory MP Douglas Carswell to tell his government to change course on the economy. Britain’s economy has flat-lined over the last six months, while countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands have overtaken us and while Germany is powering ahead.
This shows the huge risks George Osborne is taking in Britain by making a political choice to cut further and faster than any other major economy in the world.
Keith Henderson
Parliamentary spokesman
Clacton Labour Party
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