West Midlands Young Labour

2006-12-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Campaign Events

Edgbaston Campaign Event
This Saturday December 23rd West Midlands Young Labour will be holding a campaign event in Birmingham Edgbaston. With local elections coming up next May we will be leafleting and speaking to constituents in key wards. We will be joined by local Member of Parliament Gisela Stuart whom will be joining us on the campaign trail! We will be meeting at New Street station at 12pm outside the main front door. Please let us know if you are coming so that we don't leave without you!
At the end of the day we will be going for a meal to reward our efforts and celebrate the up coming holidays.

Beating the BNP
Stoke-on-Trent South Labour Party are organising an Action Weekend against the BNP on 5th, 6th & 7th January 2007 starting at 10.30am, meeting at 2a Stanton Road Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 6DD. Below is a link to the map: http://maps.google.co.uk/aps?f=q&hl=en&q=st3+6dd&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=52.9... Stoke-on-Trent has five BNP Councillors, three in Stoke-on-Trent South, but we have been campaigning hard to stop them taking any further seats and will hopefully unseat a well known BNP Councillor in May 07 in Stoke South. Stoke-on-Trent South Labour Part will be providing food and transport from Stoke train station on all three days. It would be fantastic to see as many of you as possible at either event.

Thank you for your continued support.

Christopher Bloore

2006-12-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

Football Match Success

Last Thursday West Midlands Young Labour entertained a Conservative Future Xl on the all weather pitch at Birmingham University. The match which saw members from Birmingham, Coventry and Worcestershire taking part was a huge success as Labour ran out comfortable 8-0 winners. Although everyone on the Labour side played brilliantly special mention must go to Mike, Dave and Anthony for some great goals.
Of course the main reason for the game was to show our support for the "Make Child Benefit Count Campaign". We managed to get over 500 signatures for the campaign which we will be sending to Gordon Brown.It was great to see both university students, those still at school and some of older members all joining together to play under the Labour banner.

Thank you to all those who came out in the cold and supported the team and helped us collect the signatures!

Thanks for all your support!

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

2006-11-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

Youth Conference is on!

Dear Friends,

Many of you have been getting in contact with me in regards to the arrangements for Labour Youth in February. As many of you know already the Labour Party usually holds Youth conference as party of its National Spring conference. However next year the Labour Party has decided not to have the traditional Spring Conference and have many small meetings up and down the county, bringing the Labour Party back to its members.

However the Labour Party Youth Conference will still be taking place in Glasgow from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th February. This will be taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow.

Further information about ways in which you can attend Youth Conference will be sent to you shortly but I would urge you to put this date in your diary and try and attend the event if you can. If you want information on transport arrangements, accommodation or just want to know more about Young Labour or Labour Students activities then please get in touch on the ways below.

Thank you for your continued support,

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

t: 0121 643 6101
m: 07876721628
e: fbathez@hotmail.com

2006-11-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Big Match returns!

Next month sees the return of the annual football match between West Midlands Young Labour and our Conservative Future equivalents. The match which dates back to 2004 takes place at Birmingham University usually in aid of a charitable cause

In the two previous games Labour has come out victorious 8-0 and 6-1 so we have a lot to live up to! This year’s event will be in support of Labour Students and Young Labours campaign to “Make Child Benefit Count” in partnership with the Child Poverty Action Group. If you want to read more about the “Make Child Benefit Count” campaign then visit http www.cpag.org.uk.

So if you fancy your chances as a footballer then please get in touch with me ASAP and we can arrange a few try out sessions! If you don’t want to play football but be part of the day in helping with collecting signatures etc then please get in touch as well! As ever if you want more information on this event or anything about West Midlands Young Labour then please do get in touch on the details below.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

t: 0121 643 6101
m: 07876721628
e: fbathez@hotmail.com

Check out our blog at www.wmyl.blogspot.com Join the debate on our message boards at http://wmyl.6.forumer.com

2006-11-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

Ladies in Red returns this Friday!

This time last year the first ‘Ladies in Red’ event was hosted by Birmingham University Labour Club. The event was designed to bring women together to talk about the issues in society affecting them. Last years event was a huge success and inspired Labour Clubs up and down the country to hold similar events. So were bringing ‘Ladies in Red’ back to where it started at Birmingham University Guild of students.

The event is being held this Friday the 17th November starting at 7pm in ‘Joes bar’ on the first floor of the Guild of Students. The event is very relaxed and informal - each of the main speakers will say a few words whilst lots and lots of cake and a free drink will be provided courtesy of Labour Students. We have three guest speakers whom are as following:

Sylvia Heal, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

Jacqueline Abbot, Former London Borough Mayor.

Stephanie Peacock, Young Labour Women’s Officer

You do not have to be a member of the Labour Party or Labour Students to attend this event. So if you have any friends whom you would think would like to come to this event then please feel free to bring them along. Please note though, that this is a strictly women’s only event.

As ever if you have any questions or need further information about the event, the concept or the venue then please feel free to get in contact with me.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

t : 0121 643 6101
m : 07876721628
e : fbathez@hotmail.com

2006-10-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

Education Minister Jim Knight MP visits Birmingham

This Tuesday 31st October 2006 Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools will be in the region. He will be speaking at Birmingham University at 7pm in the Post graduate Space, which is under the Spar supermarket. It is pretty easy to find but if you have any difficulties then ask at reception and they will show you there.

Jim will be doing a short talk on the state of education and then taking part in a short question and answer session. Questions will be taken from the floor so you will have the chance to grill him on anything you want!

If you need any directions or want more information on the event the please feel free to email me back on fbathez@hotmail.com or ring me on 07876721628. I hope you can join myself in supporting Birmingham University Labour Club and enjoy what will be an entertaining evening.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

2006-10-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Birmingham University Labour Club online

Birmingham University Labour Club has set up its own Blog. Check it out at http://birminghamlabourclub.blogspot.com/ . If your at Birmingham University and want to hear more about Labour Students then contact John Ritchie at labour@guild.bham.ac.uk .

2006-10-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Labour support at lowest level since Thatcher's last election victory

Julian GloverWednesday October 25, 2006The Guardian

Support for Labour has dropped to its lowest level in almost 20 years with the Conservatives opening up a potentially election-winning 10-point lead, according to a Guardian/ICM poll published today. Labour has the backing of only 29% of voters, equal to its lowest-ever level of support in a Guardian/ICM poll - recorded in May 1987, a month before Margaret Thatcher won a third term. The party's support has fallen 3 points since last month, despite Labour's successful annual conference in Manchester and a lack of public conflict over the succession to Tony Blair. The Conservatives have climbed three points, to 39%, with the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 22%.

Support for minor parties, growing in recent months, has dropped back 1 point to 9%. The Green party and the UK Independence party score 2% each.
The poll, carried out last weekend, follows David Cameron's attack on NHS cuts as well as the publication last week of a party report advocating tax cuts of £21bn.
The results suggest that campaigning on the NHS offers the Tories potential gains, with an overwhelming majority of voters believing that the record sums being spent on health by the government have largely being wasted. Only 14% of voters think the money invested since 1997 has been well spent, against 72% who agree that "a lot" has been used badly. Even 58% of Labour voters think the extra money has been misspent. As a result only 25% of voters think that the NHS has improved since Labour came to power in 1997, against 30% who think it has got worse and 39% who think Labour has made little difference.

On the one hand the NHS remains a cherished institution that voters trust to give them the best possible treatment when they fall sick. On the other, voters think that the service has got worse, not better, during Labour's decade in power and that much of the government's huge extra investment in healthcare has been wasted. Labour has more than doubled health spending since 1997 to almost £90bn a year but seems to be gaining little political credit for its efforts.
However, most people remain proud of Britain's standard of healthcare: 55% still think that the NHS is the envy of the world. People also trust it with their lives, with 60% agreeing that they would get excellent care if they were unwell. Only 30% think they would not. Trust in the NHS is strong among voters of all parties, and especially among the people most likely to need healthcare, older and poorer voters, with 73% of over-65s confident that they will be well looked after. True, voters are worried about catching infections such as MRSA in hospital, for instance, with only 35% sure that they will be safe from it if they have to be admitted. Most people, 51%, think they would be at risk.

But the public's personal experience of using NHS services is none the less overwhelmingly positive: 71% of people say that their family and friends have had a good experience.
But as the government moves ahead with contentious reforms which could see closures of well-loved hospitals, the poll's findings suggest Labour cannot take the NHS for granted as an electoral asset. Meanwhile, most people would choose to opt out of the state system if they could afford it: 67%, say they would pay to go private if they had the money, including 61% of Labour voters. Trust in the private sector is strong, too, when it comes to the NHS itself: 70% of all voters think that private companies should be allowed to care for NHS patients. That suggests there is backing for the government's reform programme, which has seen private organisations invited to compete for NHS work. Labour voters are even keener on this than the overall electorate, with 73% agreeing private firms should have a role in the NHS against only 22% who disagree.

The poll comes after other findings suggesting that Mr Cameron's honeymoon with voters may be over. Data published in the Times on Monday from a small sample of 242 voters, gave Gordon Brown a lead among swing voters. Even if today's Guardian/ICM result were repeated at a general election, the Conservatives would only end up as the largest party in a hung parliament, or hold only a narrow majority, since Labour gains most from the distribution of parliamentary seats across the country. Labour support remains strongest in the north of Britain, where it retains a lead among voters, and weakest among under 34s and middle-class voters, where it is in third place behind the Liberal Democrats.

2006-10-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

West Midlands Young Labour starts May 3rd Countown!

Although Birmingham returns am overwhelming majority of Labour Members to Parliament it is the Tories and Liberal Democrats whom form the coalition that controls Birmingham City Council. As many of you know in recent years the Labour Party have struggled in local elections for numerous reasons. However one of the biggest handicaps we have is that Labour voters are less likely to get out and vote in local elections then the other major parties. This low turnout often means that Labour lose seats in usually safe areas which means we lose control council such as Birmingham City Council.

So to fight this we are going to start regular campaign sessions to get the Labour vote out. This Friday the 27th October between 7-8pm we will be phoning from West Midlands Regional office at Terry Duffy House. We are meeting at 6:30pm outside Snow Hill Station in Birmingham. Please let me know ASAP if you intend to come so that we make sure we don't leave without you!

By giving up only an hour of your time and talking to the voters you can help Labour win those vital local elections in May!

Cheers,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

Get involved on our message boards http://wmyl.6.forumer.com/

2006-10-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Its 5:53am and I cannot sleep, the last thing I did before go to bed was listen to some Tory MP have a go at Labour over the NHS. He described the government as a ‘swine’ of a government.

My mum has worked in the NHS for nearly 30 years, therefore I have been privy to her and her colleague’s opinions on how things are going. Now I’m not going to lie to you, there are sometimes problems with what the government has done in recent year. There are some concerns over ratings and targets. However it is not in the same league of concern her and her colleague’s would have if the Tories came back. The huge investment and more importantly the continued investment of this government in the NHS has and will save more lives plain and simple.

The thousands of people who work in the NHS, whom aren’t all doctors and nurse’s work damn hard for not often high wages. They deserve our praise, not to be used as a political football as the Tories are doing. The NHS was brought to its knees by the Tories, because they do not believe or understand the underlying principle of the NHS. They cannot comprehend the idea of community, compassion and helping those less well off in society.

The NHS is something all British people should be proud of; it shows to the world our commitment to social justice. The NHS is not perfect – but nor is it broke!

If the Tories want to make the next election about the NHS then let them, because every non truth they say, every statistic they massage and every lie they tell will make me get out of bed with a spring in my step to knock on that one more door or deliver that extra leaflet

If they want a fight – they can have one.

We remember what they did to this country….

2006-10-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

West Midlands Young Labour Discussion Boards

Dear Friends,

Giving you the chance to take part in all processes of the Labour Party is something your executive care about passionately. We want to give members more for their membership then simply the chance to deliver leaflets and knock on doors. Although campaigning is vitally important and something we enjoy we want to give you the opportunity to engage in political debate and express your views and opinions.

We want more of you being on the executives of Constituency Labour Parties, being delegates to National Conference and of course being candidates in local and national elections.

Since February we have held policy forums, started our ‘Lets talk road show’ and more recently set up the West Midlands Young Labour blog (www.wmyl.blogspot.com).
I am now pleased to inform you that we now have our own discussion boards. The boards which can be found at http://wmyl.6.forumer.com/ have a range of activities including discussions on the future of the Labour Party, the activities of WMYL and polls on the questions of the day!

To use the boards all you have to do is register and you can start posting straight away!
I hope you will use the boards as they are an excellent opportunity for members to express themselves and to keep in contact.

Have Fun!

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

2006-10-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Womens Reception

Stephanie Peacock our regions young representative on the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum and Young Labour Womens Officer has contacted me about an event for female members of the party.

The event held jointly by Young Labour and Labour Students is a Womens Reception held in the Atlee Suite, House of Commons on Monday 23rd October. The event will start at 6:30pm and run till approximately 8pm. There will be someone at Westminster Tube Station from 6pm to show people into the venue inside Portcullis House. The evening will be hosted by Sylvia Heal MP with guest speakers Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP the Labour Party Chair and Debbie Coulter, Deputy General Secretary of the GMB Union.

If you would like more information or would like to confirm your interest in the event then please reply to this message ASAP. If we receive enough interest we will look at trying to provide some transport for members, however this is completely dependent on how much interest we get.

Cheers,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour

2006-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Let's talk: new politics for new times

The Labour Party is committed to tackling the big policy challenges we face as a country. This process will begin through our partnership in power process with a first-year consultation document to be agreed by annual conference in September.
It's a debate that will demonstrate that Labour not only has confidence and conviction to tackle these challenges, but that only Labour has the values and vision to build a progressive future. Integral to this debate and as part of our program of party renewal is our 'Let's talk' initiative.
So whether it's about Education, Health, Iraq to the price of stamps and you want to say something then please get in touch with us. We are looking to start the West Midlands Young Labour Lets Talk road show in November isiting as man Constituency Labour Parties as we can. If you think your CLP has fellow young members that would like to hold an event near you then give me a call on 0121 643 6101 or email me on fbathez@hotmail.com. As ever I hope you continue to play an active role and continue to add to the well deserved 'excellent' reputation of young Labour Party members in the West Midlands.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Bloore

Chair

West Midlands Young Labour