Accrington Web - View Single Post - Brown asks Voters to give Labour a second look

g jones · 23-02-2010, 15:16

In Hyndburn we need to sort out welfare and employment issues, chronic housing/planning issues. We need to stop pandering to private sector because all it delivers is poorly built little shoe box communities, all on top of each other with no quality of life built in. Recreation, open space, community facilities. We need to promote community and end/reverse the Thatcherite 'there is no such thing as society'.

We need to use taxation to invest in transport, infrastructure and manufacturing/business (as opposed to cutting taxation for the south). The Todmorden curve. Making sure not just passenger network but that we are connected for rail freight.

Promote East Lancs as an industrial/manufacturing region as well as a attractive part of the country to visit or live. Keep investing heavily in education and training but rather than just younger people, we need to target everyone. Thatcher's devastation hasn't gone away and many 40 something pluses feel left behind.

We need to move away from individualism and consumerism.

We need to have a grass roots approach to decision making. As Tower Block of Commons shows, multi-millionaires business people and easy street university graduates, all molly coddled with little or no idea how real people live their lives.

We need a big change that accepts the wishes of local people/communities.

Free NHS. Let's bring back eye and dental care. Free higher education. Cancel Trident and invest the money in counter terrorism. Steady withdrawal from active front line combat. A cautious approach to NATO expansion (unlike Cameron). Stay out of the Euro. Start rebuilding Council Houses with shared equity, owner occupation and rental in proportion. Make private sector builders work with local communities on design and build.

Tough regulation against private sector residential letting (private landlords), delegated to residents/communities bypassing government and local government?

Tougher sentences. National Service as an early intervention within the criminal justice system.

Standards for all developments focusing on energy conservation/efficiency. Look to move from a national grid to local grids, local supplies of electricity/energy.

Promote unions on boards like in Germany and promote business models with collective ownership/co-operative ownership.

Free nursery care as part of work and employment welfare reform - a job for everyone. Early intervention in a child's upbringing where it's progress/health/welfare is compromised. Children come first, not poor parents. Reform welfare to reward and credit work.

Re-nationalisation of the railways (at the end of current leases) and a nationalised bank. Possible re-nationalisation of failing Telecoms. National investment in (as the Libs propose) docks/old skilled areas/green industries.

Make taxation progressive and close the gap between rich and poor. Close loopholes for tax evasion.

An end to irresponsible media, end to libel/claims culture (no win no fee)

Win the argument for government bonds rather than PFI.

The list goes on... I accept this is a costly wish list (and more a sense of direction) and in 1997 we were left with £hundreds of billions of unpaid bills in the bottom drawer (hospitals, schools, police). It will take a long time to reverse the problems caused in the 80's and 90's.

23-02-2010, 15:16	#52
g jones Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,125 Liked: 14 times Rep Power: 731	Re: Brown asks Voters to give Labour a second look In Hyndburn we need to sort out welfare and employment issues, chronic housing/planning issues. We need to stop pandering to private sector because all it delivers is poorly built little shoe box communities, all on top of each other with no quality of life built in. Recreation, open space, community facilities. We need to promote community and end/reverse the Thatcherite 'there is no such thing as society'. We need to use taxation to invest in transport, infrastructure and manufacturing/business (as opposed to cutting taxation for the south). The Todmorden curve. Making sure not just passenger network but that we are connected for rail freight. Promote East Lancs as an industrial/manufacturing region as well as a attractive part of the country to visit or live. Keep investing heavily in education and training but rather than just younger people, we need to target everyone. Thatcher's devastation hasn't gone away and many 40 something pluses feel left behind. We need to move away from individualism and consumerism. We need to have a grass roots approach to decision making. As Tower Block of Commons shows, multi-millionaires business people and easy street university graduates, all molly coddled with little or no idea how real people live their lives. We need a big change that accepts the wishes of local people/communities. Free NHS. Let's bring back eye and dental care. Free higher education. Cancel Trident and invest the money in counter terrorism. Steady withdrawal from active front line combat. A cautious approach to NATO expansion (unlike Cameron). Stay out of the Euro. Start rebuilding Council Houses with shared equity, owner occupation and rental in proportion. Make private sector builders work with local communities on design and build. Tough regulation against private sector residential letting (private landlords), delegated to residents/communities bypassing government and local government? Tougher sentences. National Service as an early intervention within the criminal justice system. Standards for all developments focusing on energy conservation/efficiency. Look to move from a national grid to local grids, local supplies of electricity/energy. Promote unions on boards like in Germany and promote business models with collective ownership/co-operative ownership. Free nursery care as part of work and employment welfare reform - a job for everyone. Early intervention in a child's upbringing where it's progress/health/welfare is compromised. Children come first, not poor parents. Reform welfare to reward and credit work. Re-nationalisation of the railways (at the end of current leases) and a nationalised bank. Possible re-nationalisation of failing Telecoms. National investment in (as the Libs propose) docks/old skilled areas/green industries. Make taxation progressive and close the gap between rich and poor. Close loopholes for tax evasion. An end to irresponsible media, end to libel/claims culture (no win no fee) Win the argument for government bonds rather than PFI. The list goes on... I accept this is a costly wish list (and more a sense of direction) and in 1997 we were left with £hundreds of billions of unpaid bills in the bottom drawer (hospitals, schools, police). It will take a long time to reverse the problems caused in the 80's and 90's.