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National News |
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Here are the top 10 stories from the Labour Party nationally.
 | Gordon Brown unveils fair rules for stronger communities |
Gordon Brown and Labour Cabinet members today announced over 50 measures to strengthen communities and support hardworking people who play by the rules. On the eve of the Queen’s speech, the ‘Fair Rules for Strong Communities’ paper sets out a number of reforms to strengthen communities and contribute to dealing with the global economic downturn. Policy initiatives are outlined for: * welfare reform * crime and policing * children and young people * business rules * immigration * empowerment Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “We believe in providing real help for families and business now, when they need it. “But it also means taking action to ensure our communities are strong. Stronger communities, quite simply, will help our country come through these times faster and stronger. “So as government takes action, we expect people to play their part in return, with clear consequences for those who do not. In a fair society that is what people would expect. “In Britain, we have always believed there can never be one rule for some, and another rule for others. Rules must apply to individuals, communities and businesses alike.” Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: “People want to see fair rules that apply to everyone, and have a fair say in their communities. This is particularly true in tough economic times. We are - and will continue - to support people who really need our help. But, no-one should be in any doubt if you intend to take more out of the system then...
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| Community payback |
David Hanson MP, Labour’s Justice Minister, writes exclusively for labour.org.uk - “When people break the law, they must face the consequences. For the most serious offenders – and the most persistent – that means a prison sentence. For other less serious offenders, community sentences are a very good alternative. Figures show that in terms of cutting re-offending, it is often better to send such offenders on a community punishment rather than a short spell in prison. Labour has done a lot to make these sentences even more effective and tougher as part of an approach which punishes offenders but also gives them the chance of reform. Offenders sentenced to Community Payback will be literally paying back the community for their crimes by clearing up graffiti, renovating community centres and other hard, physical work. But for these sentences to be effective, they must also be visible to the community: people must literally be able to see offenders repaying for their crime. Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. And the community must have confidence in these sentences. That’s why we today are introducing orange jackets for all offenders on Community Payback. The jackets will also have the Community Payback logo on them. The idea is to strengthen the effectiveness of community punishments and improve the public’s confidence in them. Some offenders think when they are given a community punishment they are being let off. And the public can sometimes be forgiven for thinking the same...
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| Continuing the Fight against HIV and AIDS |
On World Aids Day the Labour Government reaffirms its commitment to securing improved services for people living with HIV and AIDS across the globe. There have been great advances in tackling HIV and AIDS. Some 3 million people are on anti-retroviral treatment compared to 100,000 in 2001, the price of first-line AIDS drugs has halved since 2003 and the percentage of adults living with HIV has levelled off. Yet with 33 million people still living with HIV and AIDS worldwide, the Labour Government will continue to act. The Labour Government has a proud history of leadership in this area. The UK is the world’s second largest bilateral donor to the global fight against HIV and AIDS. Through the Presidencies of the G8 and EU in 2005, the Labour Government led the way in galvanising the international commitment, increasing funding, and achieving better results in the global fight against HIV and AIDS. To help continue fighting to reverse the spread of HIV and meet the global goal of universal access to prevention, treatment and care is achieved the Labour Government has launched a new long-term strategy, and has committed £6 billion to strengthen health systems and services over 7 years in addition to the £1 billion already committed to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Douglas Alexander, Labour’s Secretary of State for International Development said: “I am pleased to reiterate our Labour Government’s commitment to global leadership on HIV and AIDS. World...
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| Delivering World Class Youth Facilities. |
The Labour Government has announced £62 million of fast track funding to develop world class facilities for young people across England. This first wave of funding will be awarded to 21 successful bidders across the country and will help drive forward Labour’s commitment to making this the best country in the world for young people to grow up in. This money will help provide exciting safe places for all young people to go to and give them the opportunity to take part in a wide range of positive activities such as sport, dance and music The announcement is part of Labour’s ‘myplace’ programme, a scheme which is transforming the provision of youth facilities across the country. Labour is ensuring that young people are actively involved in developing youth facilities in their neighbourhoods to ensure that the projects reflect what young people want and need. Ed Balls and Jack Straw visited the Lazer Centre in Leeds, which represents the type of facilities myplace hopes to inspire across the country. Speaking from the Lazer Centre, Ed Balls, Children and Young People’s Secretary, said: “The vast majority of young people are good citizens, play by the rules and just want better things to do and places to go after school and at the weekend rather than hanging around in the street or in the local park. They enjoy getting involved in exciting projects such as myplace, so I hope that this scheme will help change the way communities view our young people....
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| Supporting credit card users through tough times |
Labour’s top priority is to help families through the current global economic downturn as fairly as possible. The Government has today met with major credit card companies so that households who are experiencing trouble paying their credit card bills as a result of the economic downturn are treated fairly over the coming months. There has been evidence of card lenders significantly hiking up people's rates, as well as broader concerns about the failure of many companies to pass on cuts in interest rates to borrowers struggling to repay their debts. The Labour Government is asking the companies to: * look at offering people alternative options if they face large rate increases * give them more notice of a change so they have time to shop around for another deal or bring down their outstanding balance. * consider introducing a breathing space to give people time to get back on their feet. * report back to the Government before Christmas with a statement of fair principles Labour's Consumer Affairs Minister, Gareth Thomas, said: "The Government is deeply concerned that borrowers aren't getting a fair deal. That's why we've taken swift action to bring the industry in to look at how costs are being applied to people's existing debts. "We want to work constructively with industry to draw up a set of principles that will enable them to keep lending and will also ensure borrowers are treated fairly and in a way that best helps them pay off their debts"...
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| Labour: On the Side of Vulnerable Victims - Straw |
The Labour Party, today, has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the vulnerable and supporting victims of forced marriages. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act, to protect victims of forced marriage and prevent others from the same fate, comes into force on 25 November 2008. On top of current criminal protection, the Act will provide robust civil protection for vulnerable people threatened with forced marriage and enhance the rights of people from across different communities in the UK who are affected by this problem. The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act comes into force on White Ribbon Day which brings together men and women of many different communities and backgrounds to raise awareness of domestic violence. Jack Straw MP, Labour's Secretary of State for Justice said: "Today we are standing on the side of vulnerable victims, providing hope to what is often a desperate situation. It is fitting the law comes into force on White Ribbon Day - the White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women. "As a Labour Government, we urge everyone to pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. This is why the Forced Marriage Act enables anyone to apply for a Forced Marriage Protection Order on behalf of a victim, as victims may be unable to protect themselves. "We are determined to do everything we can to support victims of forced marriage, provide education to prevent others from becoming victims, and pull...
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| Lansley shameful to say recession is good for us - Purnell |
Andrew Lansley's comments that "on many counts, recession can be good for us" show that when it comes to the economy David Cameron's Conservative Party are not just out of their depth but totally out of touch. The Tory comments come on the day Labour launches new help for people to stay in work rather than taking extended sick leave. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Conservative Party stood by as child poverty doubled, interest rates hit 15 per cent, and unemployment reached 3 million. Even for the party that thought ‘unemployment was a price worth paying', it is shameful to describe the recession as ‘good for us'. Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Leader & Chair of the Labour Party, in response to comments by Andrew Lansley on the benefits of a recession said today: "To say that the recession is good for people, because when people become unemployed they will 'spend more time at home with their families' is outrageous. There is no way a recession is 'good' for anyone. No wonder the Conservatives oppose Labour's plans to help families." James Purnell MP, Labour's Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, responding to Andrew Lansley's comments that the recession can be 'good for us', said: "Now more than ever it's important to help people who are sick to stay in work so that they can support themselves and their families. During the Tory recession people's health suffered as they were abandoned to long term unemployment or thrown onto incapacity benefit....
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| PBR provides help for families, businesses and the economy |
Labour’s Chancellor, Alistair Darling, has announced measures in the Pre Budget Report to offer real help now for families, businesses and the economy. The UK is facing exceptional times and the PBR sets out the exceptional measures needed to put money into the economy and bring the country through the global economic downturn sooner and stronger. The Labour Chancellor announced £20bn worth of measures, including: * action to help businesses and families with a one year cut in VAT of 2.5% - putting £12.4bn into the economy * giving £145 tax cut to 22m basic rate taxpayers * giving every pensioner a £60 payment in January * bringing forward the April increase in child benefit, so that families receive £20 per week from January * increasing child tax credit by £75 a year above indexation in April * providing more loans and deferring tax payments for small businesses * bringing forward £2.5bn of capital projects to provide jobs right now when the economy is under pressure Labour refuses to abandon people in these tough times. While we will act to provide real help now for families and businesses to come through the downturn sooner and stronger, David Cameron would do nothing but sit back and watch as the downturn got deeper and longer. Britain cannot afford David Cameron’s schoolboy errors....
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| Gordon Brown delivers speech to the CBI |
Making a speech to the CBI, Gordon Brown said: The times we’re in make this one of the most important conferences the Confederation of British Industry has convened. So let me first of all thank you for your contribution to british business and the British economy. Your dynamism, your resolution and your resilience - the hallmarks of your success - have never been needed more. Together we can take the British economy through difficult times and equip ourselves for our global future. Let’s just remind ourselves of the scale and speed of what’s been happening. $25 trillion dollars erased from global share values, world oil prices, having peaked at nearly $150 dollars a barrel, sinking by two-thirds, and reflecting big forces at work - the rise of Asia, a global capital market, the global sourcing of goods and services. Quite simply: we are making the transition from the old world of sheltered national economies to the new world of a fully open global economy. And the challenge is for each of us, in the spheres of influence we have, to surmount the risks and insecurities - and manage the teething troubles - of this new global age, while not losing sight of the vastly increased opportunities it brings. Let’s name one of the great challenges: the global financial system. Even if there had been no systemic banking crisis, we have come to a time when the global flows of capital need to be complemented by a global — not just...
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| Real help now from Labour |
During these troubled economic times, British politics has become a clear choice between a Labour government willing to work to offer real help to hard working families and business and a Conservative opposition who have isolated themselves from mainstream world opinion by refusing to act. By paying down debt while the economy was growing, the Labour Government can now ease the pain of the credit crunch for hard-working families, take action to make sure the recession is as short as possible and ensure that the country emerges stronger and sooner from the current troubles. However, while Labour is committed to doing whatever it takes to help people through the downturn, the Conservatives are preparing to abandon them to their own devices. This week the Conservative party’s deputy chairman outlined his party’s position by declaring that “The recession has to take its course”. David Cameron and George Osborne’s approach has been to ignore mainstream world opinion by refusing to take action on behalf of people hit by the downturn while offering an incoherent economic package. From cutting taxes by £120 for 22 million basic-rate taxpayers, to billions spent on helping people with their fuel bills, Labour believes that families expect real leadership and a helping hand during hard times – not policy made on the hoof and a government that gives up on them. The Labour Government is helping bring Britain through the current troubles by: * Delivering a family tax cut of £120 for 22 million basic rate taxpayers *...
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