Could UKIP run Tories close in Hertford and Stortford next may ?

Whilst I’ve been totally turned off by electoral politics and parties in general I do keep an eye on local politics and the moves and changes in our area. Even if a relatively minor area in terms of political significance our area of East Hertfordshire is one to watch I feel. Our current MP is Mark Prisk of the conservative party. Mark who took a while to getting elected failing twice in 92 and 97 eventually was elected in Hertford and Stortford. He was finally elected as the Conservative MP for the constituency of Hertford and Stortford in 2001. Since gaining his seat at Westminster, he has been marked for ministerial office in a future Tory government. He has been promoted from the backbenches to serve at various points as Shadow Financial Secretary, Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs, an opposition whip and Shadow Minister for Business and Enterprise. He is author of several pamphlets on urban design. Currently Mark Prisk and the Tories hold the seat In East Herts with a big majority of 15,437. I would imagine Mark will regain his seat next year but could be run close if UKIP put up a good campaign on the ground. This is a tory stronghold with tories in power in all of the town councils and county councils even if nearby bigger towns of Stevenage and Harlow both have labour councils they both have marginal seats where labour will be looking to take back in 2015. Looking at wider trends across the country and how UKIP are gaining ground on both labour and Tories in the North and the south but not in London yet interestingly I may cover why in a future post. But UKIP who will be fighting a by election in Rochester and Strood on November 20th due to the defection of Conservative MP Mark Reckless to UKIP may see the UKIP really start uping their game on to a new level. Anyone who thought UKIP would just be a flash in the pan may need to think again. Whilst a lot of UKIP voters will be voting them as a protest vote to kick the other major parties a lot are disaffected tories who feel the tories have gone soft on certain issues such as immigration which is a big policy area for UKIP and often makes up the backbone of their politics which also ties into their Eurosceptism . Recent by elections have seen UKIP run labour and the Tories close and even gaining their first MP in the name of Douglas Carswell in Claction earlier this month returning him as a MP with a big majority of 12,404 . Could UKIP do the same in similar areas in the coming elections ? I do think so. Running labour close in a labour stronghold shocked many who felt UKIP were just a threat to the Tories recent months have shown this isn’t always the case. In the months other by-election, Labour held on to Heywood and Middleton but UKIP slashed its majority to 617. Mr. Farage told BBC Breakfast UKIP could hold the balance of power after next year's general election. A worrying thought if ever there was one. So could UKIP run the Tories close in Hertford and Stortford next year? I dont see why not. Mark Prisk is a well known Tory and well known in the area there is not much you can say against him personally apart from he is a Tory and goes along with their thinking and disregard for the poor. I have emailed him before and always had a reply even if I often disagree with his views. UKIP last time out in 2010 in East Herts gained 1,716 votes which was poor but have seen their vote share rocket in recent by elections in comparison to their showings last time around. The political ground has changed and UKIP are feeling the benefits so far as the country slips further to the right. Any thought that the left would do well out of a downturn in the economy and peoples lives has long since been proved wrong in fact it very much has benifited the right in the UK anyway. As for UKIP in East Herts they seem to be on the ball in terms of tracking down the Tories and aiming fire at the local Tories and their plans for development which is promised to increase our population considerably in the coming decades. I do think there is a base for UKIP to build on in East Herts there has been a history of Eurosceptic parties and thinking in the area we even had a party calling themselves the referendum party who claimed to have 50 thousand members back in 1996 who gained 2,105 votes which for a new party back in 97 isn’t too bad given the norm for newly formed smaller parties. UKIP can do well in East Herts and the threat is very real. Those who detest their form of politics must be aware of them and take them on in a big way. A piece from the Hertfordshire Mercury our local paper talks on UKIP selecting its candidate to take on Mark Prisk next year I quote below http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/UKIP-selects-Hertford-Stortford-parliamentary/story-23035085-detail/story.html " L A teacher who vows to fight for sustainable development and a better life for people on minimum wage has been selected as a candidate for UKIP in next year’s election. Adrian Baker, of Wareside, will fight for the Hertford and Stortford parliamentary seat next May. He said: “I know this is a strong Conservative area, and that we have a fight on our hands, but I welcome that challenge – especially in these exciting times where the old, failing, two-party sy stem is collapsing. “The simple truth is that both the Conservative and Labour parties have let the people of East Herts down. “People are seeing through Cameron's false promises on Europe, and are fed up with his inability to control immigration which is leading to mass development of the Green Belt, no more so than within East Herts where more than 15,000 new homes are proposed to be built.” He praised UKIP’s commitment for everybody on the minimum wage to be lifted out of paying income tax. On local issues he said: On local issues Adrian said, “We have had a massive building programme foisted on East Herts with over 15,000 new houses planned. “Nobody is listening to residents’ concerns or considering the effects on local infrastructure. “Incumbent MP, Mark Prisk, who has recently taken up a second job advising a development company, has been silent whilst bulldozers are poised to dig up our green fields around Hertford, Ware, Sawbridgeworth and Bishop’s Stortford, and our villages and towns are going to lose their rural feel as more and more building takes place. “I'll fight against unsustainable development in our area, but with net migration of 250,000 people into the UK last year alone, the pressure on our Green Belt will remain whilst the Tory government has an open-door border policy. “Until we take back control of our borders, the pressures on housing will never go away.” UKIP’s East Herts District Council Election campaign manager, Jim Boodrie, said: “With his dedication, and knowledge of the area, Adrian is the right candidate not only to lead our parliamentary election campaign, but also to spearhead the election of UKIP members to the East Herts District Council next May”

East Herts. District Council fails to meet social housing target

I live in a town called Ware in East Hertfordshire. A small town with around25 thousand habitants. But there is a growing waiting list for affordable homes and social housing in particular I am just part of a number chasing fewer and fewer homes. I am registered blind having lost my sight 10 years ago I’d love my own place affordable convenient and suitable for my needs. But currently I’m stuck on a dead end waiting list with little to no chance of getting anything from the council never mind privately renting or buying which is both totally out of the question with my low paid job and not huge money behind me. I am passionate about campaigning for new housing. I feel there is a big need for greater numbers of housing and not just for the rich but also for those who are seeing their wages shrink and their savings go no where. I work part time and still live at home with my mum and brother which is ok but not how I want to live for the rest of my life. So I was intrigued to read an article in our local paper online today. In the Hertfordshire Mercury currently the only source of local news online anyhow to local residents of Ware and Hertford ran with the story about social housing today. I will republish below you can read more about this article and further excellent local pieces at: http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Councillor-calls-affordable-homes-East-Herts/story-22864696-detail/story.html “A call has been made for East Herts Council to provide more social housing to tackle the “extensive” waiting list of people in need. Councillor John Wing asked the executive to take further action at its meeting in Wallfields, Hertford, tonight (September 2). He said: “We have an extensive waiting list for social housing in the district. “I would like to see some work being done to identify ways in which we might be able to promote the building of additional social housing in the district to go some way towards addressing the sizeable waiting list we’ve got.” The meeting had earlier heard that the council had failed to deliver its target of 200 affordable homes in the district in the 2013-14 year, with just 76 being built. This was attributed to delays in the construction of private homes, which are sometimes agreed on condition that affordable homes are included as part of the development. It was also noted that there had been delays in building on sites proposed by housing associations to accommodate affordable homes. It was anticipated that those projects with planning permission would be completed in 2014-15. Councillor Mike Carver, the executive member for strategic planning and transport, said developers were usually required to supply up to 40 per cent of social housing with private homes. He said: “The key is ensuring we get in the development the right proportionality for the district. “In the previous government we had a significant push for single dwellings for single persons. “That’s created an excess of stock in certain areas and minimisation in others. “That, we are addressing through the local plan.” Councillor Linda Haysey, the executive member for health, housing and community support, pointed out that council land had been sold to housing associations to build on for just £1. She said: “It’s the cost of the land which makes building so very expensive in this area.””

East Herts see claims for help with rents shoot up

In a fairly decent area of the country where poverty and crime is low relatively compared to other regions east Hertfordshire has seen claims for people struggling to pay rent increase. This is no doubt due to the governments vicious benefit cuts and our local councils unwillingness to fight the cuts. We have a Tory council around here so I wouldn’t expect them to be on the side of the poor but this article below quotes a local Tory councillor who clearly has no idea of the scale of the hardness on ordinary people out there struggling already. SWINGEING benefit cuts have seen almost six times the amount of people asking for help paying their rent than a year ago. Across the board, East Herts Council are being bombarded with calls and enquires from “confused and frustrated” people struggling to make ends meet as Government welfare changes come into force. In April and May this year 146 people in East Herts made requests for discretionary housing payments, up from 25 in the same period last year. A section of the report for the East Herts and Stevenage Council’s joint revenue and benefits committee, which meets tonight (July 1), said: “Customers have been generally confused and frustrated by the welfare reforms and are keen to express this dissatisfaction to officers. “The volume of contacts with customers is very high and often repeated.” The sweeping changes have lead to an increase of 15 per cent in the level of work done by East Herts Council and Stevenage Borough Council’s joint benefits service compared to last year. There has also been 503 more council tax payment reminders sent from May 2012 compared to May 2013, up 17.4 per cent to 3,388 from 2,885. The average value of the reminder is £87.55. Since April, 2,569 people in East Herts who used to get a 100 per cent discount in their council tax are now paying 8.5 per cent. This is after Government reduced spending on council tax support by 10 per cent. East Herts council passed this reduction on; something executive member for finance Cllr Mike Tindale (Con, Little Hadham) called “one of the council’s most difficult decisions” back in February when the budget was set. Speaking on Monday before the meeting (July 1), he said: “It was a very difficult decision about people who were already feeling the squeeze and were asked to pay more. “We were mindful of that and we wanted to spread the burden as wide as possible. “In retrospect, we feel what we did was right but there’s no easy way of making cuts.” Some of these people, which mainly consist of disabled people, the unemployed and those on low income, are paying council tax for the first time. “These customers are resource intensive and are demonstrating patterns of repeat callers,” the report continued. “There appears little understanding of council tax liability and payment requirements.” The report also mentions the benefits cap will hit 42 families in East Herts when it is rolled at intervals nationwide from Monday July 15. With article sourced from http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Hertfordshire/Welfare-cuts-see-rent-help-requests-to-East-Herts-Council-up-584-per-cent-20130701131937.htm So more crocodile tears “difficult decisions” etc etc how about these Tory councillors find out what it is like to live on a limited income always worrying how they will next pay the bills and feed themselves. These Tory councillors don’t know poverty and will never know it from their ivy towers. Whilst East herts on the whole is not fairing too bad from the cuts there are still pockets of poverty hidden away from public more often than not but it is still there. It’s those people who are struggling by I stood for when I stood for TUSC this year in the county council elections. Gaining 59 votes in a hugely true blue Tory area with no previous experience of standing was a decent effort. Shows even in leafy East herts three are people looking for an alternative to cuts and misery even if just a few at this stage. We all know cuts will carry on and we must hold firm our time will come as socialists even in areas we’ve never seen much action in in the past. We live in unprecedented times where anything is possible it would seem.

59 votes for a clear anti cuts candidate in a Tory stronghold

59 was the number of votes I gained this Thursday 2nd of May. In a county council election. Although this doesn’t sound huge and I’m in no way making it out to be I am quite impressed with this myself. Seeing as I only stood last minute as a paper candidate which means you just appear as a name on the ballot paper nothing else no leafleting or stalls or anything is actually pretty good I think. This is more people than I know and shows that even in tory stronghold like Ware North a part rural area to the north a genuine anti cuts message can be heard loud and clear and people will react to this. Up until the election I was saying in my head seeing as I’d done no work for the election due to helping other candidates in neighbouring Harlow in Essex I’d do well to get 20 given the anti party feeling and the poor turnouts. So 59 while still not much more is a decent vote I would say given the lack of media coverage and all the other factors working against an anti cuts voice in the UK. Other notable results were in Harlow West ward we gained 270 (3.5%) Which again looking at the percentage isn’t huge but as a vote is a decent one for us standing in Harlow for the first time. In Doncaster we were standing for mayor and gained just shy of 2000 votes this again is laying down an important marker for future battles and elections to come. We must remember as Marxists that elections and bourgeois elections as they are that are the lowest form of class struggle you can put a lot of work in and get little reward back. But for myself and others just standing and providing that alternative is important to us and is sign things are changing ever so slowly. I will no doubt blog on the incredible rise of the UKIP vote in these elections and what it means to us the working class in time. But for now thank you to all who backed me and TUSC in these elections. It’s a start and if we did not stand who would be providing that anti cuts anti privatisation alternative it certainly wouldn’t be the labour party! You can find out more and follow TUSC results as they come in on www.tusc.org.uk

No to outsourcing in Herts police

Hertfordshire police force are considering out sourcing again after the G4S contract bid was dropped out sourcing has crept back on their agenda. All efforts must be made to prevent these first steps towards privatisation. An existing Herts Police arrangement with Beds and Cambs’ forces is to be dropped while police and crime commissioner David Lloyd searches for savings. In a statement leaked by Herts Police Unision commissioner Lloyd states: “Work [is] underway to seek further collaboration opportunities beyond those already underway with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire (Police) will cease.” He also is quoted as saying: “Clearly there are some things that only warranted officers can and should do. But I want to ensure that all other policing services are considered for outsourcing over the next two years”. It also reveals the police will now “explore the benefits of outsourcing policing functions which do not require warranted powers”. Before the statement was sent out commissioner Lloyd, chief constable Andy Bliss, senior staff and representatives of the Police Federation and Unison met. During yesterday’s (Wednesday) meeting chief constable Bliss is alleged to have said: “If there is a better deal to be had in house, we will very seriously look at that. “However the expectation is very clear from PCC Lloyd that we will be going out looking at market opportunities.” Herts Police Unison want commissioner Lloyd to look “in house” for savings and think costs could be cut internally. A union spokesman said: “All Hertfordshire Police Staff and Officers have worked tirelessly over the last three years to implement savings not only through the collaboration of services with Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire but internally within Hertfordshire Constabulary alone. “We believe there are still more opportunities to make savings internally and we strongly urge PCC Lloyd to give the staff and officers of Hertfordshire Constabulary the chance to do this first before outsourcing services. “In public service we feel morally obliged to do what is right and necessary to help those affected by crime, in private enterprise the only imperative is to service contractual obligations and thereby maximise profit.” The announcement follows a failed outsourcing bid with private All sounds quite concerning what the unison guy says words like collaboration and finding cuts in house rather than out saucing show a sign of a union who is more bout finding compromises than actually standing up for its members. Just shows the urgent need to transform that union to a fighting left union. But we will have to watch this one closely as privatisation in our police seems to be back on the table and being seriously considered.

Policing on the cheap in Hertfordshire

It’s been revealed today that new recruits in Hertfordshire’s police force will be earning 2 thousand pounds less than they used to according to new plans unveiled today. The Tory Police and Crime Commissioner who never miss’s an opportunity to have his voice in the media has been speaking out today. Herts Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd HERTFORDSHIRE’S £75,000-a-year police chief supports the reduction of a constable’s starting salary to £19,000 per annum. Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has backed the national plan to reduce new officer’s salaries, despite his Surrey and Hampshire counterparts going against the proposals and offering a higher amount. New constables joining Herts Police will now be on £2,000 a year less than before the recommendations on reform, made by the Police Arbitration Tribunal, and were accepted by Home Secretary Theresa May in January. Speaking at a meeting of Braughing parish council last Thursday, Mr Lloyd said: “I believe in the market. “You will still have 50 people applying for every job at £19,000. “They get a bloody good job, a great pension at the end and have a great career. “I think it’s a wonderful job and people are quite happy to start on £19,000. “I will look at the market if no one’s applying.” Officers in Hertfordshire will start on £19,000 if they join with no experience, but they will receive an annual regional allowance of £2,000. The package works out to £403 a week, £92 a week less than the average for the East of England. Mr Lloyd’s salary works out as £1,442 a week. Chair of the Hertfordshire Police Federation Neil Alston believes the lower starting salary could lead to narrowing of expertise in new recruits. He said: “I understand Mr Lloyd’s appreciation and worship of the free market principle, but there’s some more complex issues. “There might be lots of applicants, but they might not be the right applicants. “If you are a married person with a family to support you might not feel able to apply to join the police. “The diversity, and I mean that in every sense, may become very limited. “There might be plenty of fish to catch, but they might not be the right fish. “It’s likely to only be young people who probably live with their parents who can live on that sort of money.” Mr Alston acknowledged constables would be able to climb the salary ladder quicker than before, but he could see officers being poached by London’s Met police as it offers a greater package of benefits, including free tube travel. SO it looks like we’re doing policing on the cheap in Hertfordshire What socialists say? Police should have the democratic right to join a trade union and Fight for the right to strike For decent pay linked to average national earnings No to a two tier pay structure causing division To bring the police certainly the rank-and-file closer to the labour movement as they have more in common with workers at the lower end than the ruling c lass at the top.

Why I’m standing for TUSC

I initially wasn’t going to stand this year for elections in the county council but I am glad I have thrown my hat into the ring now. It hasn’t been easy for a blind person to stand in elections there is so many inaccessible forms to fill in and getting nominations is a challenge too I eventually managed this though with the help of my comrades who I thank hugely. I will be standing in the Tory rural strong hold of Ware north in East Hertfordshire. The initial policies I will be standing on are • Oppose all cuts to council jobs, services, pay and conditions - we reject the claim that 'some cuts' are necessary to our services. • Reject increases in council tax, rent and service charges to compensate for government cuts. • Vote against the privatisation of council jobs and services, or the transfer of council services to 'social enterprises' or 'arms-length' management organisations, which are first steps to privatisation. • Use all the legal powers available to councils, including powers to refer local NHS decisions, initiate referenda and organise public commissions and consultations, to oppose both the cuts and government polices which centrally impose the transfer of public services to private bodies. • When faced with government cuts to council funding, councils should refuse to implement the cuts. We will support councils which in the first instance use their reserves and prudential borrowing powers to avoid passing them on - while arguing that the best way to mobilise the mass campaign that is necessary to defeat the cuts is to set a budget that meets the needs of the local community and demands that the government makes up the shortfall. This is the basic TUSC programme it’s designed as a basic outline as candidates can add bits to it for their local campaigns and local issues which affect them in their area. As I’m standing in Ware North I stand also against local cuts handed down by the Tory lead Herts County Council which include cuts to street lighting at night which I’ve previously blogged about, the cuts to lollipop crossing workers putting children’s lives at risk when walking to and from school and cuts to budgets on the roads meaning we have some of the worst kept roads in the county with many pot holes on our counties roads. Its clear labour are no alternative and in Hertfordshire this is no different their record in local councils like Stevenage Borough Council highlights this where they have implemented the cuts passed on to them from the con-dem government. The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition do not accept any cuts are necessary and in fact even more investment is needed in our public services. There is poverty in Ware despite many thinking we are in a relatively well off area no doubt some are doing quite well but how long this will last as the financial crisis deepens by the month. In ware we have a food bank which serves around 200 people a week so anyone pretending Ware is well off is lying as many who use a food bank are actually in low paid work often unsocial hours that are not paid enough to live on. Hertfordshire County Council should look to pay all its employees a liveable wage not just a living wage which his a code for a increased minimum wage but a wage that workers can live on properly without the need for benefits or food banks. I do not expect to gain hugely from standing this may but by me standing it offers the people of Ware and beyond an alternative from the main cuts parties. TUSC will be contesting 125 seats this may up and down the country with a candidate for the Mayor of Doncaster too. If you wish to find out more check out www.tusc.org.uk

Say no to school transport cuts in Hertfordshire

Today in the news we hear our county council boosting about how much money they are saving on cutting back school transport to those who need it most. I find this stomach turning. How can they be proud of making it harder for children to get to school? A council that spent more than £15m on taxis to take pupils to school said it has now made "significant savings". Hertfordshire County Council spent the money in the 2011/2012 school year. It said 80% of the figure was spent on those with Special Educational Needs (SEN) but it now provided transport only where legally obliged to. The council is committed to providing free transport for children with SEN and mainstream pupils who live a certain distance from their school. This is currently if the journey to their nearest, or designated, school is more than two miles for children under eight, or three miles for the over eights. Councilor Terry Douris said: "Since [September 2012] we have started a policy of only providing school transport to those with a statutory entitlement to it and have saved £8m. "We hope to save another £2m in the 2014/15 year." Mr. Douris added that the council had been "quite creative" in the type of vehicle it used and how many children were transported at any one time. "Some will go by taxis and some use minibuses but the vehicle chosen is appropriate to the needs of the area," he said. "We are also looking for the most cost effective means so sometimes, rather than buying taxis we have bought seats on buses so children can go by public transport. "We also sometimes have common pick-up points rather than door-to-door taxi provision." Ben Bardsley, from the Harpenden Parents Group, said: "I feel that the council have been slow off the mark in getting adequate places in schools that are local to where children live and as a result there has been an increase in the number of children who have been allocated schools that are not one of their preferences." To me this doesn’t sound like common sense at all cost cutting and savings to me is code for cuts. Making it easier for children to get to school should be the c council’s priority but instead it appears saving money and making cuts is their priority here. Let your councillors know you disagree with this by registering a vote for TUSC in the upcoming county council elections this may. The Trade union and Socialist Coalition opposes all cuts and will be campaigning for a needs budget if elected. Check out more about TUSC at www.tusc.org.uk With extracts from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-21584505#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

40 new council homes to be built in Stevenage what about the 7k on waiting list?

The labour run Stevenage Borough council was trumpeting its new announcement of 40 new council homes to be built in the Broadwater area of the town. This is clearly welcome news but does labour think for one minute this is a big success story they should be cheering about? Of course as socialists we support new council homes being built but 40? Is that all? Surely we’ve miss read the numbers here there is 7000 on the waiting list for a council house in Stevenage and with a aging population we are told this will only increase in the years to come. So labour please doesn’t go cheering this tiny little dent in the waiting list it’s a drop in the ocean if ever I saw one. Socialists will support any move towards more council housing but only a programme of mass building on a mass scale enabling construction and building workers to go back to work too can have an affect. Across the country there is an estimated 5 million on the waiting list which is growing all the time. So labour if you want to appear radical do not get us excited by 40 new homes about adding some 0’s onto the end of that then we may be getting somewhere . This is just not good enough and for labour to announce this as a big success is a disgrace. Given the fact that this year in their budget proposals the labour council in Stevenage plan to increase social tenants rent by an average of 5% possibly more if they can get away with it. Is this rent increase directed at the most venerable and some of the poorest in the town going to build these new homes? If it is it’s another example of taking from peter to give to Paul robbing from the poor to help other poor people ultimately helps no one. TUSC who will be standing in Stevenage this year in the country council elections will be standing for a mass council house building programme on a mass scale to meet the needs of the people of Hertfordshire not just the property and housing developers who will be making big money out of new housing projects no doubt.

Child poverty rates up in Hertfordshire

Yes you heard that right in leafy Hertfordshire which is largely a Tory stronghold has seen child poverty rates increase in recent times. Up to a third of children living in North herts are reported to be living in child poverty it has been shown. UP TO a third of children in Comet country are living in poverty, with the latest figures showing a large divide between different towns and wards in the Area. The Child Poverty Action Group, which released the figures, says there are “gross levels of inequality” between areas which neighbour each other. One such example is in parts of North Herts, with nearly a quarter of children living in poverty in Hitchin Oughton, compared to less than five per cent In Hitchin Priory. A similar pattern has emerged in Letchworth GC. Letchworth East and Letchworth Wilbury have 24 and 25 per cent of children living in poverty – nearly double The number in Letchworth South West. The worst rates in the county, though, can be found in Stevenage. A third of children living in Bedwell are in poverty, while one in five or more are in Six other wards. The town average is 20 per cent. Overall poverty rates in Comet country are also up on last year, and there are fears things will only get worse. Gary Grindal, who is chairman of Howard Cottage Housing Association as well as a Letchworth Wilbury district councillor, said he was concerned welfare reforms, Coming into effect in April, would increase rates. “Those most likely to suffer under welfare reforms are those already suffering,” he told the Comet. Comet country wards in Central Beds have lower poverty rates than Herts, with 10 per cent of children in Stotfold and Arlesey and Shefford living in poverty. Overall even in the so called better off areas of the country there is still poverty and it’s increasing at an alarming rate due to austerity which is only set to continue. It’s time to expose these lies that the cuts are necessary and there is an alternative and we need it now.

Tell David Lloyd No to commercialisation of the Police In herts

Our beloved Police and Crime Commissioner not happy with coming out with other ridiculous ill thought out ideas before on charging arrested people for their night in a cell whether guilty or not has now come out with another idea straight from the Tory box of money making stupid ideas. Today David Lloyd thinks that sponsoring the police is a good way to go to raise cash for the force while the Tories force through 20% cuts to the police. Police cars, uniforms and equipment could carry sponsors’ logos to raise money for the force under a plan unveiled by Police Crime Commissioner David Lloyd. The idea for businesses to advertise through the force and even have products officially endorsed by Hertfordshire Constabulary was first proposed in Mr. Lloyd’s Police and Crime Plan. In the plan, Mr. Lloyd writes: "The strong commercial brands based in, or operating within Hertfordshire may see business sense in collaborating with me on a range of direct sponsorship and corporate responsibility ventures. "This could include sponsorship of elements of my Drive Safe initiative or sponsoring traffic calming measures outside our schools. "Finding new and innovative ways of securing funding will ensure that the people of Hertfordshire can continue to enjoy exceptional policing as well as low taxes. "I will establish a commercial unit to assess properly and implement a range of proposals to partner better with business." Speaking to the Watford Observer Mr. Lloyd expanded on the idea and said he would welcome contact from businesses interested in sponsoring the force through direct advertising. He said: "From a business point of view anything is possible. What a disgrace. Bringing sponsorship into our publically funded police to allow private business to benefit from this is an idea that we should not entertain. It no doubt is a Tory dream but no way should our police become a marketing tool for a multinational or a local business for that matter. Police although are not class neutral as we well know should not be seen to be endorsing a certain brand, company or a for profit organisation. I’m disgusted to hear of this plan. Were we told of this before David Lloyd was elected with a 14% turnout in Herts ? I’m sure if we’d all know about this he wouldn’t have even got that vote.

Opposing the Tories police cuts in Hertfordshire

Today we hear in our local newspapers that the popular choice for the Hertfordshire PCC who gained a huge mandate when he was elected with 14 % of the turnout last year is set to set to work in attacking our police force and the numbers on the streets. s By Ben Endley More than 130 police officers and staff are set to be cut in Hertfordshire as part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s first budget. Councillor David Lloyd is proposing to freeze the budget precept for 2013/14 while making £6.3 million of spending cuts. The budget anticipates the loss of 60 police officer posts and 76 police staff posts during the next financial year. This would reduce the number of officers working in the county to 1,900 and the number of staff to 1,762. A percentage of these officer posts will be lost from crime investigation roles which is losing £350,000 from its budget, while savings will also be made in intelligence support, in the control room and through collaboration with other forces. The socialist party and TUSC in Hertfordshire condemn these cuts and urge all to add their voices to ours in opposition. As socialists we are against cuts to the police too as crime disproportionably affects working class communities we therefore oppose cuts to the police. We do not take a ultra left position that some on the left do that the police are our mortal enemy we do have serious criticisms of the police and their roles in phone hacking, breaking up picket lines and much much more injustices we do not excuse them for that but when it comes to cuts and how this will affect local communities we will oppose police cuts. When we say we’re against all cuts we have to be clear we are against police cuts too even if they show little solidarity wit anti cuts protesters and students on demonstrations. At the end of the day the polices with the army recruit largely from working class backgrounds the fact they are not allowed full trade union rights and have always up till now been paid fairly well in comparison with other public sector workers was always the ruling class’s attempt to draw them away from the working-class and more importantly the labour movement. But we do oppose these cuts by the Tories a no doubt labourPCC’s around the country will be making cuts too we oppose cuts whoever is making them. The socialist party stands for full democratic trade union rights for the police For the police to have the right to strike For the police to affiliate to the TUC and be able to have a political voice more so than the limp Police Federation which can only mummer opposition to government policies at present. Ensuring the police are democratically accountable to us the working class is a first step to drawing them nearer our position and could one day open up splits in the state but this is something much further down the line. But for now we oppose these dangerous cuts to the police service.

Opposing tory David Lloyd PCC pay for your crime idea

Our undemocratically elected Police and Crime Commissioner in Hertfordshire who received a embarrassing turnout to grant him a lovely annual salary of 80 k plus has come out with a reactionary right wing idea today. Yes this may come as a surprise but I thought it needed a response. If David is willing to debate with a local socialist I’m more than happy to oblige, I very much doubt he will have time though to speak to one of us plebs. Suspects should be charged for being kept overnight in police cells, a police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said. David Lloyd, PCC in Hertfordshire, said the "honest taxpayer" should not be forced to meet the cost. Instead criminals "should be punished in the pocket", Conservative Mr Lloyd said in an open letter laying out policing proposals. Hertfordshire Police said it was "working closely" with Mr Lloyd. Mr Lloyd said he thought "most people" would agree with his plan. Chase payment "Putting people up in cells overnight really is a very expensive part of policing and is almost always the fault of the individual," he said. "I think most people in this country would say [offenders] should pay for it, not the honest taxpayer." What an utterly ridiculous thing to come out with. It’s always the fault of the individual is it David? What about the social factors which can lead to a individual turning to crime be that through desperation addiction to drugs due to pressures of capitalist society or being driven to mental illness through work including depression and can lead to all sorts of difficulties in the community should these also be made to pay for their crimes they commit ? David Lloyd the conservative PCC in Hertfordshire who also wish’s to bring in G4S in Hertfordshire to run our police service seems to have spoken his mind in a hugely right wing reactionary fashion. He claims many people would agree with him I wouldn’t be so sure. He also claims not everyone will pay it will be something we’ll have to look at closely dam right you will it’s a ridiculous idea and something that is unworkable in so many ways. Crime for me is often a class issue like many things in society it is bound up in the class relations in society where many are left on the scrap heap with no future from a system which does not care for them. Much like with the riots in 2011 much of the sentences handed out were political trying to make a statement giving out 4 year sentences to someone who had stolen a bottle of water I ask you, seriously? I do wonder where the labour party is on this issue nationally and locally so far we’ve heard nothing from them. Given how tough they were on crime and civil liberties I wouldn’t be surprised to see them keeping quiet n this one too. Or is that the scent of hypocrisy rising again I can smell. Socialists are not against tackling crime and more often than not it’s the working class affected more so by crime but punishing criminals in the pocket further isn’t going to solve anything. How about properly funding a decent rehabilitation policy with funds for creating a future for people who fall into crime for whatever reason that may be.

Grim picture for private renters in Herts time to cap rents now!

With the ever deepening housing crisis in Britain and with no political party prepared to do anything about the private sector which they bend over backwards to please. There is very little hope for young people today ever owning a property or being able to afford a rent. In Herts and Essex recent figures out are staggering. PRIVATE rents in Herts and Essex are set to see some of the steepest increases nationwide in the next decade, rising faster than property prices according to a new report from the National Housing Federation. The organization says years of not building enough homes will push charges in the East of England up by nearly two thirds (64 per cent) in just 10 years, compared to a 59 per cent rise nationwide. In Herts, this would mean rents rising from £902 per month to £1,478 per month – an extra £577 every month. Meanwhile, house prices in the East will rise 52 per cent, compared to 50 per cent nationwide. The picture is already bleak for the county’s renters: average rents in seven out of 10 districts – including East Herts - rose faster than incomes in 2012. Across the county, average private rents rose by four per cent while incomes actually dropped by two per cent. Three Rivers was hardest hit, with rents rising six per cent while incomes dropped 10 per cent, but in East Herts, rents rose from £839 in January, 2011 to £865 in Jan 2012, up three per cent while incomes dropped an average of six per cent. The NHF predicts monthly rents will hit £1,419 in 2022. In Essex rents are set to rise from £773 per month to £1,267 per month in the next decade. In Uttlesford costs have jumped from £832 in January last year to £834 this year – a hike of 0.3 per cent and monthly charges are estimated to hit £1,368 by 2022. Claire Astbury, East of England lead manager for the National Housing Federation, said it was crunch time for Herts and Essex’s “unsustainable housing market”, She said: “One in 16 East of England families is currently on the waiting list for social housing and it looks like the situation is going to get far worse. “Successive governments have failed to tackle the under-supply of housing. Now time is running out to fix the problem and a whole generation are at risk of being priced out of renting a home, let alone buying one. “Being unable to afford the homes they need can stop people from moving for work. It also prevents young couples from starting families, having a huge impact on people’s aspirations and ultimately affecting the economy. “Even working families are becoming more and more reliant on housing benefit to help pay their private rent. It’s clear that the chronic undersupply of new homes … needs to be tackled now, to ease the financial pressure for families and Government.” With extracts taken from http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Homes-and-Gardens/Property/Rent-rise-gloom-for-Herts-and-Essex-families-19102012.htm According to the National Housing Federation there has been an 86% rise in employed people claiming housing benefit over the last 3 years- 417,830 more since 2009 Its time rent caps were introduced and properly enforced to make sure rents are always affordable to working class people. With a 37% increase in rents over the last 5 years. The Main cause is housing shortage. The case for massive council house building now is overwhelming

Outsourcing police dogs, are there any limits to privatisation?

In Hertfordshire the latest plan to cut spending on police is this new idea to outsource police dogs and limit their use.

Whilst I’m not a huge fan of the police clearly this is significant if the police are feeling angry about cuts and are not being protected by the state. Police should have full trade union rights like other workers and have the ability to withdraw their labour like anyone else.

For a full democratic society police should be accountable to the wider public. Privatising parts of the police and outsourcing areas such as trained police dogs is just one part of this trying to undermine police officers doing their jobs.

SPECIALIST police dogs will be outsourced and handler numbers in Hertfordshire slashed under plans to cut the budget by £1.1m.
Slicing the budget by almost a third would mean police dogs for Herts, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire would be based 48 miles (77km) away from Hertford, and only be available 18 hours per day, according to a report to a police authority meeting on Friday (July 20).
The report read: "To achieve the most operationally effective unit, it is proposed that a model based upon 24 dog handlers will provide resilience, a level of flexibility and peak demand overlap. It will provide savings of approximately £1.1m (32 per cent of current budget).
"A model of 24 constables is considered the optimal number and will provide resilience both within the unit and to LPC [Local Policing Command] areas.
"Based on substantive levels of research and consultation, it is evident that the dogs unit could be reduced effectively by introducing a defined remit based upon four core areas of activity."
One Herts dog handler, who asked not to be identified, told the Mercury: "The resources are already stretched. We can’t provide any decent level of service because of the cuts that have been made. To think that we could cover three counties with 24 constables is stupid because we can’t cover two counties with 24 now.
"We’ve been kept completely in the dark and I don’t feel at all valued. This process absolutely stinks. The figures that have been looked at have been manipulated to suit.
"It’s an absolute nonsense. I hope that the police authority sees through it and sees sense."
East Herts chief inspector Gerry McDonald added: "Police dogs offer me reassurance, an ability to run faster than my officers and track people. They’re often used for drug detection and firearms recovery. It’s daily business for us.
"I’ve got a whole menu of options and police dogs are another opportunity. I don’t know what the impact will be yet but the constabulary’s not going to let me down."


with extracts from the Hertfordshire Mercury

Why i feel we should be building more social housing in the UK

As we all know here in the south east of the United kingdom london and the surrounding areas there is huge housing problems with people finding themselves priced out of the housing market more and more.

Ever since Margret Tatcher allowed people back in the late 80's to start to buy their own councial houses's off the council and actually own them there has never really been a big attempt to refill that gap with more social housing.

With our population rising year on year and a aging population too i think we are going to be pushing our infrustructure to the limit before long.

Under Labour which was meant to be a forward thinking progressive government they failed to address this major issue creating tension in communities. With the levels of homelessness rising sharply too with the cuts to housing benifits this will becomg a greater issue in years to come. Labour had the chance during boom years to invest some of its surplus public money in building new homes - affordable homes for young families just starting out in life with a child or two. We are hearing now more and more young people are deciding to stay at home with their parents for longer now as they simply cannot afford to move out and get their own place.

I feel this is atravesty and we should be actively encouraging young people to get out of the family home and start a life for them. Whilst saying this i feel a lot of young people are being restrained and cant make ends meet to afford a basic rent in london and the south east a lot of the time.

For me when i came to look for a place of my own which i'm still not really progressing on it was an option between council housing list which i was told has a 10 year waiting list in our area or private which rents around Hertfordshire and London are ridiculously expensive. Apart from that there is no other route really. If i was to share a place with friends that might help but this is only really possible when you have a lot of friends say 4 or 5 to help share the rent to make it manageable.

I feel the lack of socail affordable housing has put added pressure on communities and ugly things like racial tensions become more apparent in certain communities also with a lack of aspiration can really affect a area especailly if it also has high unemployment.
Luckily i live in a good area with low unemployment but this is not the case all over the country or all over the south east for example.

Not only could building more houses, affordable ones at that for people to live in it would also provide construction and building firms jobs and work to be doing in these tough years we are currently in now. Overall helping the econemy.

Just a thought really ...