October 2009 newsletter
Olivia Bailey, Simon Burgess, Deborah Gardiner, Karen Landles and Martin Phillips
Southeast constituency representatives to the National Policy Forum
CONFERENCE 2009 – AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MANIFESTO
This brief report highlights the announcements made at Conference, which included several ideas campaigned for by NPF reps and which are now being implemented, as well as news on policy-making. Moods were sombre when people arrived at Conference, butthe endmood was much brighter and most delegates returned from Brighton determined and ready for the battles to come between now and the general election.electrifying speech from Mandelson took many by surprise and there was a feeling that the cabinet were ateam by the end. Most delegates returned from Brighton determined and ready for the battles to come between now and the general election.
What should our manifesto say?
At Conference the government published The Choice for Britain, an outline of the policy agenda that needs to be debated in the run up to our general election manifesto. You can read the document here:
http://www.labour.org.uk/uploads/882ef648-a86c-a054-19fa-dd54994f439a.pdf
You should also have received an email from Ed Miliband asking for your views on what should be in the manifesto. You can post your comments directly on the party website here:
http://www.labourspace.com/thechoice?utm_source=taomail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100138+Ed+Miliband+-+Labourspace%2FManifesto&tmtid=698-100138-3-223-1259978
We would welcome your views and any suggestions for the manifesto. You can send comments to npf.southeast@ntlworld.com
Policy-making and the NPF – next steps
There will be an NPF meeting before Christmas to discuss some issues that need updating since the Warwick meeting last year. We are continuing to raise issues through the policy commissions and in discussions with ministers where we feel there is more to be done.
There will also be a review held over the next year of the party’s policy-making process, the NPF and the way Conference works. One change has already happened - after a rule change at Conference this year, elections to the NPF for the constituency section will be in future be held by a one member, one vote postal ballot.
Major Policy Announcements at Conference
Annual Conference saw a number of policy announcements, and we would welcome your views on them.
Health and social care:
- A National Care Service will merge social care with the NHS, to end postcode lotteries over council provision and to end disputes between health and social care over responsibilities.
- People with the greatest needs will be given free personal care in their home
- A parking permit to be given to all hospital in-patients, giving their visitors free parking (NPF reps have lobbied for an end to hospital parking charges and so we welcome this step forward)
- By giving GPs direct access to diagnostic equipment, a new one-week target will be set for getting results on critical tests for patients who may have cancer
- GP practice boundaries will be abolished, to give people the right to choose their own GP
- Over the next 5 years, all remaining GP practices that do not open for extended hours will have to do so
Schools and children:
- Funding to help increase training and recognition of support staff in schools
- Welcome for the pilots of free primary school meals for all in Durham and Newham – another issue campaigned for by NPF members
- Enquiry into school bullying and how to stop it
- The launch of the Behaviour Challenge, with more support for heads and teachers to stop disruptive behaviour
Economy and jobs:
- 10,000 skilled internships to help young people gain work experience and skills
- 10,000 green job placements for young people to learn skills vital for new green industries
- car scrappage scheme to be extended for another 100,000 cars and vans
- Workers at Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover will be supported
- a new Fiscal Responsibility Act to make reduction of the government deficit a legally binding target.
- Crackdown on bonus culture in banks, including an end to automatic bonuses, bonuses to be paid over several years to allow clawback if long-term performance is poor
- Crackdown on tax havens and demanding details of tax-dodging offshore bank accounts (expected to bring £1bn in tax from Liechtenstein alone)
Families and young people:
- By the end of the parliament, 250,000 two-year-olds will be given free childcare
- 16 and 17 year old single mothers will be given accommodation and extra support
- Cold weather payments this winter will be increased to £25 per week from £8.50
Crime and justice:
- ID cards will NOT be compulsory for British citizens
- Domestic Violence Prevention Orders will exclude violent partners from the whole neighbourhood of their victims and not just the home itself, and abused partners will receive support
- A new National Victims Service will provide one-to-one care and supports for victims of crime, working with Victim Support to help, starting with families of people who die in violent crimes
- Family intervention projects will help 50,000 families who cause anti-social behaviour to end these problems
- Local authorities will be given powers to end 24 hour drinking in troublesome areas
- Councils to be given powers to make pubs and clubs clean up their environs
Communities:
- Go ahead for an extra 1,200 council homes to be given before Christmas, plus more money for housebuilding, with 3,000 apprenticeships and local jobs a condition of the funding
- A limit to the pension entitlements of very high paid council executives, and tackle the boomerang executives who walk away with large payoffs into another job
- An extra £500m for equal pay awards
- £14m to establish people to ride bikes to railway stations
Energy and climate change:
- £10m green neighbourhoods programme to allow 20 areas to pioneer new green technologies
- Licence conditions for pre-payment meters will change to end rip-offs on consumers, and social tariffs for the poorest will become compulsory (issues campaigned on by NPF members)
- Social groups, churches, scout and youth groups will be offered water bill concessions
Constitution:
- The manifesto will include a commitment to a referendum in the next parliament on an Alternative Vote system for parliamentary elections
- Where there is proven financial corruption by MPs, but the parliamentary authorities do not take action, constituents will have the power to recall MPs
- £14m to establish people to ride bikes to railway stations
Energy and climate change:
- £10m green neighbourhoods programme to allow 20 areas to pioneer new green technologies
- Licence conditions for pre-payment meters will change to end rip-offs on consumers, and social tariffs for the poorest will become compulsory (issues campaigned on by NPF members)
- Social groups, churches, scout and youth groups will be offered water bill concessions
Constitution:
- The manifesto will include a commitment to a referendum in the next parliament on an Alternative Vote system for parliamentary elections
- Where there is proven financial corruption by MPs, but the parliamentary authorities do not take action, constituents will have the power to recall MPs