The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Regarding the letter from Margaret Wilson – “He knows nothing of local issues” (April 23).
Firstly the local Labour Party are a small campaign group, unlike some, we all have day jobs, and quite rightly have been helping out in key Labour areas such as Peterborough and Lincoln in return for some support within our South Holland and The Deepings team.
Secondly, our Labour Party Parliamentary candidate, Matthew Mahabadi has had many conversations with the local electorate which underpin Matthew’s pledges of which there are five main issues that come to the fore: local healthcare, childcare and younger workers, Lincolnshire living wage, local transport and fairness in the workplace tackling zero hours working.
If there are any risks involved, then yes I agree the stakes could not be higher today (May 7). The votes cast will decide whether we all have an NHS we can count on, whether people will be able to be better off in secure jobs, and I do not mean more zero-hours contracts, or whether our country becomes fairer or more unfair, we all have a choice to make.
Labour offers a new and better course, the scrapping of wasteful tax cuts for millionaires and put the money into the building blocks of a stronger economy and good paying jobs.
The deficit will be reduced responsibly, cutting where we can and investing where we must. No more free rein for the banks, energy companies and landlords, Labour will support and take the side of those who pay the bills by putting a freeze on energy bills until 2017 – and improve energy efficiency of at least five million homes over the next ten years.
There will be no risk in saving our health service, by stopping the wholesale privatisation of the NHS, repeal the disastrous Tories’ Health and Social Care Act and recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more GPs.
The Tories claim unemployment is falling fast, tax receipts have fallen, but you don’t need to be an economist to know the reason why. This so called “job creation” is based on low pay, zero-hours working and bogus self-employment in a precarious jobs market that is the ultimate in “flexible labour”.
We need an economy for all of us – a stronger minimum wage, a ban on exploitative zero hours, create thousands more apprenticeships and ensure justice in the workplace is affordable.
The bedroom yax is so unfair and will be abolished under a Labour government, more houses will be built, 200,000 a year by 2020, prioritise capital investment in affordable housing, stop private landlords and agents ripping us all off.
Tackle crime – protect frontline police numbers and bring in Britain’s first Victims’ Law to put victims at the heart of the justice system.
Extend free childcare to 25 hours for working parents with three and four-year-olds and reinvigorate SureStart.
Devolve regional transport decisions – bringing together trains, buses, ferries and trams into a single network, have a strict cap on annual rail fares and legislate so public sector operator can take on lines.
Reform the European Union – guarantee no powers will be transferred to Brussels without an in/out referendum.
So despite the scaremongering and some totally unfair national character assassinations of Ed Milliband, I will be voting for change, voting for hope and voting for Labour today.
Rodney Sadd
Election agent for Matthew Mahabadi, Labour Party Parliamentary candidate
