Beverley and Holderness Labour Party
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Sadly we lost our one Labour seat on the East Riding Council - the Minster and Woodmansey seat - Jim Whitfield losing by only 31 votes. So in spite of getting 21% of the vote in the whole of Beverley and Holderness we got 0% of the seats - surely an argument for Proportional Representation!
On a happier note Labour won 8 of the 14 seats on the Beverley Town Council - Pete Astell, Ken Thorley and Jim Whitfield being previous Town Councillors while Paul Mcgrath, Dave Sweet, Margaret Pinder, Stuart Pearce and Martin Cox were our new successful candidates.
Pete Astell becomes the Town Mayor with his young 15year old son Tom as his consort. Tom is our newest youngest member. Margaret is the Deputy Mayor.
Here are the whole team on the stairs at Beverley Guildhall after the Mayor-Making - from the left Paul, Dave, Martin, Peter, Margaret, Ken and Stuart.
Jim was away at the time.
MORE ON THE AV DEBATE
The debate regarding AV is finally hotting up. Up to the last week I’ve heard very little, either at a local level or in the national media. No-one seemed to be bothered about it, there seemed no firm opinions either way. Was I wrong in that assumption?
Talking to people over the last week it is evident that there are many different opinions about AV. Is it just a stepping stone to PR or Single Transferable Vote? Do we want to take the next step anyway? It does make a change to have a debate about a political issue that is not necessarily based on party lines. I do though think that it would be a mistake to vote for AV purely to agitate the Tory right and undermine the coalition, this is short sighted and can’t be the right motivation to change the system.
I have some difficulty deciding my own opinion. First I listen to one set of reasons for change and think, yes sounds good. Then I listen to another set of reasons and think, no stay as we are. Am I alone in thinking like this? Changing the system should open up politics more, candidates will have to appeal not only to those who they regard as their core voters but to all voters. Is that not a good thing?
SAY YES TO AV
Why AV? Just for my own selfish desire to live in a Labour constituency!
The Beverley and Holderness constituency was formed just before the 1997 general election. In that election and the following two general elections of 2001and 2005 more people voted against the Tory candidate than voted for him.
The Labour /LibDem vote was greater than the Tory vote by 8,478 in 1997, 6,575 in 2001 and 6,998 in 2007.
Only in 2010 was the Tory vote greater than the combined Labour LibDem vote by 1,763 and even then adding on the 4,836 votes of the smaller parties would again make the vote against the Tory greater than the vote for him.
HOW I SEE IT
PAUL MCGRATH
Labour candidate for the Minster and Woodmansey Ward
It is always a surprise to me how apathetic people are when it comes to being involved in matters that directly affect them.
That's true whether it's at a basic level such as keeping the streets clean of dog muck and litter, or something as vital as reforms to the National Health Service.
Why is it that things that can have such a profoundly adverse effect on the way we lead our lives do not motivate us to do something about it?
Are we afraid of possible confrontation and argument or are we all content with our lives and our environment?
We all have the right and the ability to be involved in the democratic process but many of us choose not to.
HURTING BUT NOT WORKING
The Tory-led Government is hitting people across the country hard through their reckless cuts which go too far and too fast. Yet at the same time they have chosen to cut taxes for the banks this year.
Did you realise that:
* The VAT rise will cost families with children £450 this year alone
* Tax credits and child benefit will be frozen from April
* Petrol prices are soaring with the VAT rise adding 3p per litre
* Economic growth has stalled
* Unemployment is rising again – now at a 17 year high
* Nearly 1 million young people are now out of work
But it's not working
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