We would like to thank every member, colleague, friend, activist, supporter and each Candidate for their commitment, hard work and passion in this election.

Our greatest thanks is extended to our many thousands of voters for your continual support, encouragement and belief in our long term success. All of our elected members are here to support and help all voters within the area of Rugby Borough Council.

We welcome two new members to the Labour Groupas a result of the elections, Rob McNally who will represent New Bilton and Howard Avis who topped the poll in Rokeby and Overslade.

We would also like to take the opportunity to thank the three Labour councillors who stood down this year – Don Edwards, Ray Kirby and Brian Whistance. All have served their community for a long time and will be missed.

But if you look at the back of the shops, nothing has changed as this short video shows:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The local Labour candidates for Admirals and Cawston – Steve Birkett, Marie McNally and Alan Webb have been working on this, while the Tories on the Borough Council have relied on empty promises. Here’s Steve, outlining what Labour would do if elected on Thursday.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

If you live in Admirals or care about the state of Blackwood Avenue, it’s time to send the useless Tory councillors a message on May 3rd: Vote them out.

Campaign Chair and Wolston and The Lawfords Candidate Paul Castle said:

“We in Rugby Labour are ‘Backing Rugby’ and that’s why today we endorse Ed Miliband’s 5 priorities for the Queen’s Speech.

“As Ed pointed out today, when Labour were in office two years ago, the economy was recovering strongly. Now thanks to this recession made in Downing Street, it has sunk into a double dip recession.

“Ed is right to point out that David Cameron and George Osborne, who even a Tory MP described as “two arrogant posh boys who show no remorse, no contrition and no passion to want to understand the lives of others”, have helped the bankers and given a tax cut to millionaires whilst imposing tax rises on pensioners, ordinary hard-working people, and even on pasties.

“Today Labour set out five key measures to offer practical ways to help people right now and get our economy moving again. In Rugby, we’re listening to people’s concerns, on the doorstep as we canvass, in the town centre during the last three weekends, through our petition against the closure of Birch Ward, and we have heard the community’s anger and concern about the policies being inflicted on them by the national Tory-led Government and the Tory-run Borough and County Council.

“The Budget and the NHS reforms in particular, have opened the Rugby community’s eyes to the truth about the Conservatives and their new-found bed-fellows the Lib Dems: under Tories and Lib Dems, we are certainly not ‘all in it together’.

“We need a government nationally and local councillors locally who are in touch with the needs of families and the vulnerable in this recession. It requires different choices and different priorities. It requires a Labour party that as Ed Miliband says, is “with you in tough times.”

Details of Ed Miliband’s announcement today can be viewed here:

Five Labour Priorities for the Queen’s Speech are:

Labour members and candidates for the Council elections were in the town centre to listen to voters’ views on the Conservative and Lib Dem Budget delivered by George Osborne on 21 March. An overwhelming 86 per cent thought the Budget wasn’t fair, with only 6 per cent thinking it was fair.

The survey also found that 82 per cent were concerned about police cuts in Rugby and 80 per cent thought that the Government is damaging the future of young people. One man fought back tears explaining to Labour activists that he was concerned about his daughter’s prospects and was terrified about the future his grand-children will inherit. Over three quarters of respondents believe that the Government isn’t being fair to people nearing retirement or pensioners and in a worrying sign for the Conservatives, even some of their voters thought the Budget wasn’t fair and were troubled by cuts in Rugby.

The starkest finding was on threats to local health services. A staggering 96 per cent were concerned about cuts to services at St Cross Hospital. People reported that they appreciated Rugby Labour’s petition and high-profile campaign last winter to oppose the closure of Birch Ward (which collected 1,500 signatures).

Here is a selection of Rugby residents’ comments noted by Labour members in the town centre:

• “The Conservatives Council are ruining Rugby – it is slowly dying”
• “The Government is planning to close St Cross gradually and move it to Coventry”
• “The Conservatives and Lib Dems are damaging the future of families”
• One Lib Dem voter said: “The rich are getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Help give people a sense of self-worth”
• “We need a change”
• “Bus services are being cut after 7.15pm”
• “The Budget is giving £3bn to the rich”
• “The Government is dragging us back into the 18^th Century”
• “Do more for pensioners”
• “We are going backwards instead of forward”

Chair of Campaigns for Rugby Labour, Paul Castle said:

“We expected people to be hostile to a Budget which was so badly executed that even Tory MPs are campaigning against it. But we were moved by the level of people’s upset at the unfairness being inflicted on ordinary people by this Tory and Lib Dem Government.

“The results speak for themselves. This isn’t Labour propaganda – we were listening and this is the community speaking. Local Conservative and Lib Dem council candidates must now explain to the people of Rugby why it is that the wealthiest few have their taxes cut while hard-working families and pensioners suffer from Budget measures.

“Local Tories and Lib Dems cannot pull the wool over people’s eyes any longer. They are the local representatives of a shambolic, out-of-touch Government of millionaires, who aren’t interested and don’t understand the concerns of average earners and the vulnerable.

“Rugby deserves better and only Labour will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the community, as we did over the threat to St Cross Hospital last winter. We’re ready to listen to the concerns of the community and work with them to deliver a fairer, more dynamic future for our borough. That’s why our campaign slogan is “We’re backing Rugby”.

Results of survey. 51 surveys were completed.

1 In general, do you think the Budget was fair?

YES 3 (6%)
NO 44 (86%)
DON’T KNOW 4 (8%)

2 Are you concerned about the police cuts in Rugby?

YES 42 (82%)
NO 5 (10%)
DON’T KNOW 3 (6%)

3 Are you concerned about the cuts to services at St Cross Hospital?

YES 49 (96%)
NO 2 (4%)
DON’T KNOW 0 (0%)

4 Is the Government damaging the future of young people?

YES 40 (80%)
NO 5 (10%)
DON’T KNOW 5 (10%)

5 Is the Government fair to those nearing retirement and pensioners?

YES 10 (20%)
NO 39 (76%)
DON’T KNOW 2 (4%)

Local candidate and chair of Rugby Labour, Alan Webb: 

“This time of year I spend a lot of time talking to voters and it can be an eye-opener as to some of the things they tell me. Particularly those who prefer to be non-voters. That’s a luxury we all have in a free democracy. The freedom not to vote.

Here are some of the things they tell me:

•  All politicians are the same so it makes no difference whoever gets elected
• All politicians are only doing it for their own ends
• All politicians are corrupt
• All politicians tell lies

Please tick any or all of these if you agree, but, before you do can I tell you a few facts?

In local elections, more than half of all voters on the electoral role don’t vote. They may be voters who tick one or more of the above boxes. Indeed a sizeable chunk of potential voters don’t even register to vote. They may even be away from town on polling day and not take advantage of being able to vote by post.

About a quarter of all voters who do vote certainly don’t agree. These voters vote Tory. They vote Tory as it is their duty and regardless of who their candidate is.

The rest of us make a choice between all the candidates.

Is it any wonder then that the Tory party – a party who represent the richest 5% of people in this country is the party in power for 75% of the time?

Is it any wonder then that a market town like Rugby has a council made up of more than 50% Tory councillors who make the decisions on behalf of all voters – even at a time when we have a Tory/Lib Dem coalition government and a county council also with Tory overall control?

Then again it doesn’t matter because it makes no difference. Or does it? I rather think it does.

In the 2012 election, all Rugby councillors will have to justify earning your vote, but not if you don’t use it – they don’t have to justify their actions at all.

It’s time to do something about it. Go out and actually cast your vote against the Tories. That means go out and vote Labour.

But I would say that, wouldn’t I? I’m a politician.”

Alan Webb is Chairman of Rugby Constituency Labour Party

Labour will today launch an ‘NHS pledge’ – a five-point practical attempt to limit the damage of the NHS reorganisation. Labour Councillors will act as patient champions and the last line of defence for Warwickshire’s NHS, calling on local health leaders to:

1. Protect NHS founding values
2. Prevent postcode lotteries
3. Guard against longer waits
4. Promote collaboration over competition
5. Put patients before profits

James Shera Labour’s Rugby Group Leader said:

“Warwickshire’s NHS is coming under sustained attack from David Cameron. I fear for the future of Rugby’s St. Cross Hospital. The Tory-led Government’s NHS re-organisation is already causing real harm to patients and is wasting £31,892,686 in our area. Longer waits for operations and chaos in A&E has returned, operations and treatments restricted as the postcode lottery gets worse and thousands of nursing jobs are axed.

“I will ask our local NHS leaders to adopt five principles to protect the NHS from the worst that David Cameron throws at it. Labour will not sit back and wait for things to go wrong in our NHS – it is far too important for that. By joining forces with health professionals at local level, we can resist the drive towards the rationing of treatment and the encroachment of charges we are starting to see in our NHS.”

Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: 

“May’s local elections give people angry about what’s happening to our NHS a chance to tell David Cameron what they think of his betrayal of NHS patients and staff. Before the election he promised no more top-down NHS re-organisations but brought forward the biggest ever, taking £3.45bn away from the frontline and running unforgivable risks with patient safety. A vote for Labour is a vote for the NHS.”

Labour’s five-point ‘NHS pledge’

1. Protecting an NHS free for all, resisting the encroachment of charges and unwarranted restrictions based on lifestyle choices.

In some areas, some patients are routinely being denied treatment based on their weight or whether they smoke. These things are wrong and we will speak out against them.

2. Preventing a postcode lottery.

The Government’s Health Act has laid the ground for a postcode lottery writ large. Already, patients in some areas are being denied routine treatments, such as for varicose veins, that are available on the NHS elsewhere. We will ask health professionals to work with others to maintain comparable access for all. 

3. Maintaining Labour’s waiting standards for cancer, planned operations and in A&E.

Since the Government relaxed Labour’s targets, there’s been a 25% increase in people who waited longer than 18 weeks for operations. They lowered our A&E target – and have missed it in 13 of the last 14 weeks. 

4. Promoting collaboration over competition; preventing the market destabilising valued NHS hospitals and services.

David Cameron wants hospitals to go into outright competition. Some valued hospitals are already threatened by this competitive free-for-all. Labour will call for a ‘one NHS’ approach in every community.

5. Putting patients before profits.

There are already signs that financial incentives may mean NHS patients get sub-optimal care. Labour will always be vigilant in protecting patient choice and preventing profiteering.

Sir,

A cursory glance at the Rugby Liberal Democrats’ website shows just how out of touch this party has become since it entered its Faustian Pact to form the Coalition Government. The main tag-line on the site is ‘Campaigning for a fresh start’. I couldn’t agree more.

We need a fresh start locally on the policies of the Borough and County Councils run by their Coalition partners, the Tories. We need a fresh start on cuts to our police, which are contributing to the worrying recent increase in crime; a fresh start on cuts to vital services which are penalising the vulnerable members of our community, damaging local services and leaving our streets dirtier. We need a fresh start on the threats to local health services at Hospital of St Cross.

Nationally, we need a fresh start. We need Labour’s plan for growth, rather than the ConDems’ Plan A for austerity, which is driving our economy into the buffers. We also need a fresh start now that we have witnessed the Lib Dem betrayals on tuition fees, the Education Maintenance Allowance and on the NHS (where their votes have helped the Conservatives push through top-down reorganisation opposed by virtually the entire medical profession). We need a fresh start on the Budget, moving away from the granny tax and pasty taxes foisted on ordinary, hard-working people by the out-of-touch, privileged Terrible Trio of Clegg, Cameron and Osborne.

Only Labour offers a fresh start to the people of Rugby. As our campaign slogan says: ‘we’re backing Rugby’, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the entire community, as we did with our petition against the closure of Birch Ward at St Cross, last winter. If elected on May 3, Labour councillors will work to protect vital services from cuts; work with the community and authorities to ensure that anti-social behaviour, including littering and dog-fouling are tackled not ignored; continue to fight to protect vital services at St Cross Hospital, including viable public transport links for vulnerable people; and work with young people to ensure that youth services are maintained.

John Barr who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Rugby said: “We knew there was very little scope for the Chancellor, but this was not a Budget for sole traders and small firms across Rugby who are the backbone of the local community.

“The cut in corporation tax to 24 per cent only applies to firms with profits of over £300,000. The majority of small businesses will have nowhere near that figure, but there is no cut in the 20 per cent rate they pay.”

The headline Corporation Tax cut will not help most companies and businesses in Rugby or in the UK, but they will face a hike in business rates of 5.6%. A nationwide economic recovery will need to come from small to medium sized companies, not just rely on helping the largest companies and richest earners.

Lord Bassam in Rugby town centre

Steve is Labour’s Chief  Whip in the House of Lords, former Home Office Minister, and ex-Leader of Brighton Council so knows the local government scene extremely well.

Lord Bassam said, “It was a great opportunity to meet Rugby residents and talk about the Budget – especially the real shock that at such a difficult time, the government has chosen to fund tax cuts for the rich by taking it away from our pensioners.”

The Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government consistently tell us that cuts (not growth or investment) are essential to dealing with the deficit. As April 2012 approaches many people in Rugby ranging from hard working families to the young and elderly are likely to be hit hard. In contrast, nationally Liberal Democrats and Conservatives are planning to reward the wealthiest through projected tax cuts, cheap credit, banker’s bonuses and corporate tax concessions. Many of the people who got us into this mess are asked to act responsibly with our cash to kick-start the recovery. The assumption is that business always knows best and will act in the right way to provide jobs and opportunity for all.

Even the NHS is not immune from coalition policies primarily designed to reward private business rather than top quality patient care. Both Liberal and Tory national politicians (including our own MP Mark Pawsey) voted to support a Health Bill that may well put increasing pressure on smaller care providers such as St. Cross. In a rampant private market how will our own local hospital fare? Will GP’s continue to commission care at St. Cross when services can be provided cheaper elsewhere and further afield? With this in mind is the recent closure of Birch Ward the first of many future ward closures as trusts seek to trim costs? Local Conservative – Liberal Democrat politicians need to acknowledge that Rugby people must come first ahead of a desire to cut costs and maximise profits.

Unfortunately, what we currently have in Rugby is a Tory led borough council and a Tory MP that meekly accepts cuts no matter how unfair or unjustifiable they appear. These people fail to put Rugby first, do not offer any viable alternative and seem prepared to back NHS reform despite the potential impact this may have on St. Cross. I urge you to consider that in 2011/12 only one party has campaigned consistently against cuts to the NHS, buses, police budgets, youth services and libraries. Locally, Labour has fought hard to represent the people of Rugby, listening to your views and campaigning on your behalf.