It's all to play for...

Those people who have written to the press recently to point out that North East Somerset is a brand new constituency are spot on.

In Dan Norris’ literature he is giving misleading information to residents suggesting that the contest to become our next MP is between himself and the Tory. In fact, I don’t think Dan has mentioned the boundary changes at all publically because statistically he could be the big loser.

North East Somerset is a completely brand new constituency which sees the loss of an area to the north of Keynsham, which has had a Labour MP for 13 years, and the gain of over 10,000 people from the former Bath constituency – which has elected a Liberal Democrat MP, with a huge majority, for almost two decades.

Thanks to the boundary changes, this really now is a three-horse race.

In a modern day democracy people shouldn’t be told who they can and can’t vote for. The Labour Party’s tactic of bullying people into voting for them, because anything else is a ‘wasted’ vote is a complete infringement of our democratic rights.

In all the literature I’ve received from Dan Norris he doesn’t tell me anything he’s done over the last 13 years – his only reason to vote for him is to ‘stop the Tory getting in’. I agree, that’s why I’m voting Liberal Democrat!

I’m voting for Gail Coleshill, not just because as Lib Dems we share the same beliefs and values such as fairness, fighting for the underdog and community empowerment, but because she is the only candidate who actually has a track record of action and getting things done in our area. Last week, 34,000 households received a leaflet from Gail outlining many of her success stories over the last 10 years.

Her campaigns to save post offices, invest in better facilities for young people, protect the greenbelt from mass housing development, save the mobile library from council cuts, to set up a new health park in Keynsham and her part in setting up the successful Farmers’ Market in Midsomer Norton are testament to her belief in building a fairer, more equal society.

On May 6th people must be given the chance to make their own choice. Here in North East Somerset it’s all to play for.

Gail ready for election fight

After 18 months of uncertainty, the Prime Minister has finally called a General Election.
Here in North East Somerset, the Liberal Democrats have re-selected well respected political activist Gail Coleshill to contest the election, which will be fought under brand new parliamentary boundaries.

Gail, who has worked for ten years on community projects and initiatives in the area, said:

“A lot has changed here since the last General Election. Not just do we have new boundaries, but our Labour MP has become even more unpopular and the Conservatives have selected a candidate who has no track record of doing anything in our area.
I’m 100% ready for the election contest and hope the people of North East Somerset will elect me as their new MP.”

The new constituency, previously known as Wansdyke, will be losing the Bitton, Oldland Common area to the north of Keynsham – which has had a Labour MP for the last 13years.
New additions to the constituency include Batheaston, Bathampton, South Stoke and Freshford (a total area of around 7,000 voters) – which have all been served by the Lib Dem MP Don Foster for the last 18 years.

Today, Gail Coleshill has published her four pledges for election to Parliament:

1. Economy: I’ll work with Vince Cable to help working families by raising the individual tax free allowance to £10,000. We’ll cut out tax loopholes for the rich and reduce income tax by taxing pollution.
2. Environment:
· I will continue to campaign to protect the environment, particularly against plans to build thousands of houses on the greenbelt.
· We do need more low cost housing, so I want to bring empty homes back into use for affordable housing and increase the energy efficiency of all houses to save money and keep homes warmer.
· I’ll work with other Lib Dem MPs to push for planning decisions to be taken away from central government and decided locally.
· I would like to make buses and trains affordable and reliable so that people have a real choice on how to travel. Re-open railway lines and stations such as Bathampton, Saltford and Radstock to Bristol.
· I support the local Lib Dems plans’ to give all young people free bus passes so they have better access to services.

3. Education: I plan to give teachers more time in the classroom by cutting administration. Raise standards in every school with a pupil premium for every child. Reduce and eventually eliminate university tuition fees.
4. Democratic Reform: The expenses scandal in parliament has put people off politics. I want to change this by using local groups to bring democracy closer to the people, to give people the freedom to sack their MP, and introduce a fairer voting system where every vote counts.

Gail believes the contest locally is wide open:

“Our canvass results are looking very good, with Labour finishing in third place. Every week I am meeting new people on the doorstep, and they’re telling me they want a change from the old-style politics and break from the two older parties.
As we get closer to polling day, election fever is sure to heat up in North East Somerset.”

To watch Gail’s General Election Campaign video visit http://www.nes-libdems.org.uk/

The people have taken democracy into their own hands

For almost a year now I have been continuously inspired by the hard work of campaigners in Midsomer Norton to create their own Town Council. For years, there has been a growing dislike for Norton Radstock Town Council – an organisation that is increasingly out of touch with residents and has no public mandate to serve the community.

Last Spring, over 900 people in Midsomer Norton demonstrated their growing anger towards the current Town Council by returning a petition card calling for a Local Governance Review to take place. Later in the year, a further 700 people in Westfield signed a petition calling for the same for their area. That’s more than many B&NES Councillors get in their own elections!

These petitions and surveys were carried out by people who are passionate about the place they live in. By people who believe so strongly in local democracy that they’ll do anything to ensure that residents stay at the centre of our democratic system.

Not once, during the last 12 months, has our Labour MP helped or at all showed an interest in this matter, and it’s only recently (with a General Election just 8 weeks away) that he decided to call a public meeting – at 2pm on a Friday afternoon! This was only advertised in one local newspaper a week before the meeting was taking place.

As a local Councillor, I know how difficult it can be at times to encourage people and inspire them to feel passionate about their community. It isn’t something that happens overnight – it takes year of work and relationship building. To push in at the last minute and claim to have done a survey asking for residents views on the future of local democracy in Norton-Radstock is just cheap and tacky. Mr Norris claims in his column in last week's Somerset Guardian newspaper that he has had the lowest response ever to this survey. Did he deliver this survey to every house in Norton-Radstock? Did he put petitions in all the shops and businesses? No! He expected residents to take part in the survey on his website – which gives him the total freedom to decide which results to release to the public and press.

Ideally, as an MP serious about getting elected he should be encouraging residents to take part in the consultation by writing to B&NES. If residents want to keep the status quo, as does Dan Norris, they have every freedom to express that in their submissions to B&NES.

Dan needs to be reminded that a) it was his government that introduced Local Governance Reviews – so people can shape their own democratic future and b) all political parties, including Labour, voted in favour of the review at a B&NES Full Council meeting last year.

I agree that B&NES has dithered over when the consultation papers were to be sent out – but their recent arrival on door steps has nothing to do with any intervention by Dan Norris.

I really struggle to understand why Dan Norris doesn’t support the movement for change in Midsomer Norton, Westfield and Radstock. The only answer I can come up with is that it will finally end the unhealthy, undemocratic hold the Labour Party has on the current Town Council. Dan Norris has had many chances over the last 13 years to address this. He hasn’t, so the people have taken democracy into their own hands.

Tories arn't as 'Christian' as she assumes...

Julie Trollope’s letter in last week’s Bath Chronicle newspaper implies that the Conservatives are promoting and practicing biblical values – the true Christian party of British politics!

Ms Trollope needs to be reminded that there are many things that are also un-Christian about the Tory Party. For instance, their support for the illegal invasion of Iraq, their lack of support for the poorer members of our society and their general disinterest in social reform programmes which foster better communities.

She writes to suggest that the Tory plans to give tax cuts to married families is biblical. I completely disagree! No Bible I’ve ever read says that only children of married parents are loved by God.

These Tory tax proposals are unfair. In a society that truly wants to help those that need help, shouldn’t a tax cut be given first to the single mother, or father, living in a social housing estate with four kids?
What about the individual who is the subject of domestic violence and is abused daily by their spouse? Under a Tory government this person would be better off in a violent marriage than he or she would be if they left.

These plans also indicate how little the Tory Party has come in accepting change in the 21st century. Couples who live together, and love each other, but chose not to marry and gay couples wouldn’t even get a look in.

And finally, Ms Trollope’s attack on the Liberal Democrats as being un-Christian is insulting to many Christians who vote Liberal Democrat, and the many Liberal Democrats who are Christians.

For many, Christian values and principles and a desire to see a more liberal democratic society go hand in hand. Both advocate a fairer society where the less well off have more opportunities and both believe in fighting for and defending the underdog. Jesus himself had a reputation for challenging the establishment and questioned the conservative status-quo of doing things.

Julie has ever right and freedom to support the Conservative Party if she chooses. But she shouldn’t do on the premise that other parties are wholly un-Christian.

Wannabe Tory MP should stop giving false information

Does the Conservative candidate for North East Somerset think we are all idiots in this part of the world?

In a letter to Newton St Loe residents he gives the false impression that the Conservatives are doing all they can to defend the greenbelt and how deeply they’re opposed to the proposal of 2,000 houses being built next to the village.

Mr Rees-Mogg needs to be reminded that it was HIS party that voted in favour of the Core Strategy Spatial Options Consultation document in October. In the document there are two main options. Both of them conclude that building 2,000 houses next to Newton St Loe is favourable to building them anywhere else. If his Conservative Councillors were so opposed to it why did they vote in favour of a consultation that gives no choice to Newton St Loe residents?

At that same meeting, the majority of Liberal Democrats did not take part in the vote because we did not (and still don’t) believe the document was ready to go out for consultation. Some Lib Dems actively voted against!

Mr Rees-Mogg also needs to note that the Lib Dems have run successful campaigns in defending areas such as the Haycombe and Englishcombe Vales from development.

I rarely write letters to the newspaper these days, but when politicians give out completely misleading information, I think it is important that they are corrected.

From what Newton St Loe residents have told me, their wannabe Tory MP has been less than helpful in supporting them and listening to their views.

I don’t intend to score political points, but it’s actually Prospective Lib Dem MP Gail Coleshill who has put the residents first. She’s the one who has met with residents, liaised with the press on their behalf, attending public meetings in the village, presented petitions in Bristol and written on their behalf to the Government Office of the South West.

Don't let the Tories airbrush history!

Click on the TV to watch the video:

Spending almost £1m on a 700yard bus lane IS a waste of money!

In this week's edition of the Radstock Journal Labour Councillor for Paulton, John Bull, claims that spending almost £1m on a 700yard bus lane is a good use of our money!

John needs to be reminded that in 2005 the Conservatives were in charge of transport in B&NES – they have been for the last six years!

It’s a shame that he is such a keen supporter of the new Oddown bus lane, because I have been overwhelmed with emails and phone calls from residents who support my argument that spending almost £1m on a 700yard bus lane really is a waste of money.

To be clear, not in any of my TV or radio interviews have I said that I’m opposed to bus lanes in their entirety. Those that serve a purpose and encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more are great. The new bus lane on the A367 going into Bath does not do either of these.

To date, on the numerous occasions that I have travelled to and from Bath, I have not seen a bus use the lane. Money well spent? I think not! John Bull’s claim that this is not at the local taxpayers’ expense because it’s funded by central government is madness! Don’t people pay their income tax? It does not matter if the money comes from local or central government – it’s still from taxpayers’ hard earned wages.

I would also like to respond to Charles Gerrish’s comments a few weeks ago in The Journal where he claims that the Lib Dems have not come up with any solutions to Bath’s traffic problems. Where has he been for the last four months?

The Lib Dems have said on many occasions (including on national TV) that we would like to provide every single young person with a free bus pass – so their parents don’t have to take and collect them from school. Instead, many can catch the public bus. If you travel into Bath during the school holidays there isn’t any traffic! A clear indication that school traffic cause of congestion in the mornings.

The cost to provide these passes would be just half of the cost of the bus lane. Our proposals are both beneficial with easing congestion and better for the taxpayer.

I would like to invite both John and Charles to come to Peasedown St John one afternoon, and I would be more than happy to introduce them to a lot of people who are fed up with their money being wasted in this way.