Elisabeth Wilson with local health campaigner Bob Heys
Elisabeth writes: With news breaking that already 225,000 public sector jobs are being axed by councils, the NHS and police forces (see the Sunday Times today), it is time the Labour government came clean.
Although it is reported that management and administrative workers are more likely to go, cuts are also being made in frontline services that Gordon Brown pledged to protect. These include nurses and midwives, social workers, teachers and police officers.
So what is happening locally?
I am a member of the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. On 3 February this year I went to a meeting about maternity services when a senior manager said that they were expecting “to get our budgets completely slashed”. Since then I have heard nothing – no communication, no information, let alone any consultation. So what is my membership worth?
In relation to the police, we know that police numbers dropped by 54 under Labour. I have just looked at the West Yorkshire police website, which is not currently accepting applications for police officers. There are advertisements for civilian jobs only.
Liberal Democrats believe in giving people a say in policing and the NHS. A lot of voters were upset about the wheelie bin contract – but at least you can vote against the current Conservative council. However you don’t get a say in the NHS that could save your life or the police who keep your family safe.
Liberal Democrats will create directly elected health boards and police authorities so these services deliver what you need.
Elisabeth Wilson and Lord William Wallace with students from Calderdale college
On Thursday 15 April Lord William Wallace of Saltaire, deputy Lib Dem leader in the House of Lords, paid a visit to Calderdale College with Elisabeth Wilson, Lib Dem candidate for Halifax. In conversation with Chris Jones, the principal, and Lynne MacKenzie, chair of the governors, William and Elisabeth were impressed about the range of courses offered. Concerns were raised about recent changes in government funds for the college, which has led to a cut of 9% in the college finances.
William Wallace was interested to learn about the college’s success in engaging younger and older people in returning to learning. Elisabeth Wilson welcomed the news that the college is to start its first training in solar panel installation. Elisabeth commented afterwards “Green jobs are a key plank in Lib Dem proposals for tackling unemployment, as they provide work, and help cut fuel bills as well as reducing our carbon footprint.”
Elisabeth Wilson and William Wallace also had the opportunity to talk to a group of students about their current studies and hopes for the future. “They explained how unemployment has had an effect on part time jobs – they just can’t find any” said Elisabeth. “Nevertheless many of them have ambitions to go on to higher education.”
Elisabeth and William explained Lib Dem proposals to abolish student fees over a six year period. As William said to the students, he got his university education free.
Elisabeth Wilson being congratulated by Lord David Shutt
Elisabeth Wilson was adopted as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Halifax at a meeting at North Bridge Leisure Centre on Monday night. Lord David Shutt presided at the meeting.
Elisabeth Wilson attack the Labour government’s mismanagement of the economy, which has led to a £13,000 debt for every man, woman and child in Britain. She pointed to Liberal Democrat plans to reduce the deficit including getting rid of ID cards, refusing to make a like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear missile system, and a £400 cap on public sector pay increases.
She hit out at the arrogance of the banks, especially those part owned by the taxpayer, who refused to lend to businesses. “The Labour government has failed to get this right. Small and medium businesses employ more people than big companies. They are the future engine of growth,” she said.
She pointed out that out of 3000 unemployed there were 900 young people in Halifax not in education, employment and training. “Under Liberal Democrat plans all of them would be offered a job, education, training, or a paid internship.”
Elisabeth Wilson also criticized the local Conservative run Calderdale Council for doing very little to help local employment, particularly among the minority ethnic community.
“The Labour government has presided over a public transport system where popular buses, like the 36 in Skircoat, can be withdrawn overnight. Cuts are being planned in local health services, but we have no direct say in what they are.” Elisabeth Wilson described this as a “democratic deficit”. Only Liberal Democrats are committed to putting all this right, she added, with their commitment to fair and open government.
Bus services were one of the main items at the Skircoat ward forum on 30 March, in particular the withdrawal of the 36 bus service. An officer from Metro, Neil Holt, said that the current bus network was the best they can offer in Calderdale. He claimed that the new service is adequate for the people catching it.
There were a lot of angry comments from members of the public
Pauline Nash
Pauline Nash, candidate for Skircoat ward, referred to the survey undertaken by the Liberal Democrat team. She said that It was quite obvious that there was a roomful of people saying the buses were not adequate. Some people were having to leave for work an hour earlier. There were two main issues with the service now being offered. First not frequent enough, and second does not start soon enough and ends too soon.
Conclusions of the bus survey (download full report below)
Hardship is being caused to older and less able people who do not drive, as well as school and university students. Many people who replied to the survey pointed out they are using their car more, which is environmentally harmful.
The main issues raised are that :-
People would use the bus service more if more frequent services were available
That 20% of those surveyed always considered the buses to run late, with 62% saying that buses ran mostly on time
The overwhelming view was that deterioration in bus services was unacceptable at a time when trying to reduce a carbon footprint.
People’s thoughts on the new services provided were
Too infrequent
Not reliable
Overcrowded.
This was also borne out of feedback from the residents of Copley Village at a meeting of the Copley Residents Association held on 1st March 2010.
Recommendations – What needs to be done
Cllr Stephen Gow with the 36 before it stopped
Cllr Stephen Gow, report author, states: From the responses that the Liberal Democrats have received, there is a customer base in the area to re-introduce a more frequent service during peak times to at least half hourly. This could either be done by
Introducing new services
Diverting existing services from the main Huddersfield-Halifax route
You can read the full report below:
What next?
Skircoat Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for a better bus service for local residents.
Elisabeth Wilson and Hilary Myers at Sowerby Bridge station with a Lib Dem supporter
Elisabeth Wilson, candidate for Halifax, got together with Hilary Myers, candidate for Calder Valley and eager Liberal Democrat campaigners and gave out leaflets to commuters at all the railway stations in Halifax and Calder Valley constituencies, as soon as the general election was announced officially. Travellers on their way home were greeted at Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, and Brighouse stations.
Elisabeth has welcomed the Liberal Democrat announcement on Monday that they plan to switch expenditure from road to rail, and set out radical plans to revitalise the railways by improving and reopening rail lines and stations.
The party will set up a Rail Expansion Fund of nearly £3bn from which councils and transport authorities can bid for money to pay for rail improvement and expansion projects.
Elisabeth said: “Sowerby Bridge Station just isn’t inviting. It would be an obvious station for improvement.”
It would be the biggest expansion since the Victorian age.
Elisabeth on a previous visit to Sowerby Bridge station
In a statement circulated to local media, Elisabeth Wilson, Lib Dem candidate for Halifax, has described the action Alistair Darling proposes in relation to banks as “puny”.
“It has taken till now for the Labour Chancellor to take some action on bank lending to small businesses by the partially nationalised banks. Has he been asleep? As with the bank bonuses given to highly paid people who helped create the banking crisis, the Labour government is out of step with what ordinary people and businesses experience.
“The chancellor’s solution to small and medium companies who are refused credit by the banks – another quango!”
Elisabeth also criticised the Labour Government failure to do something about the problem of bank size, and the mixing up of ‘casino’ and high street banking in the same bank.
“Vince Cable has said frequently that taxpayers should not underwrite high risk casino banking that provides little benefit to the taxpayers” she added. “Smaller regionally based banks would have the interests of local businesses and the local community at heart.”
On Saturday all four of the Warley team went to the clean-up in Warley village: Elisabeth Wilson, Parliamentary candidate, Cllr Jennifer Pearson, Cllr Robert Pearson and Ashley Evans, candidate for Warley ward. About 40 people turned up despite the persistent rain. The aim of the cleanup was to help prepare for the “in Bloom” judges who will come round in early April. We worked on a back lane, clearing weeds and tidying up.
Pauline Nash, Stephen Gow and Elisabeth Wilson at the Godfrey Road busstop.
The Skircoat ward Lib Dem team (Cllr Stephen Gow, Skircoat ward candidate Pauline Nash, and parliamentary candidate Elisabeth Wilson) have been out and about in Skircoat Green with a survey about changes in bus services.
On January the 25th the number of peak time buses through Skircoat Green reduced from 6 to 1.
The 531 service now runs hourly
The 36 became the 31 service and only runs off peak
In order to make representations to Metro to get a better deal for local residents, the Skircoat team have been calling door to door with a survey on bus usage. So far they have had a very good response and hope to collate replies soon.
Elisabeth Wilson with Susan Kramer MP and other Lib Dem activists at "The Wave"
Elisabeth was a founder member and is a continuing supporter of Treesponsibility, which plants trees in the Calderdale area and campaigns against climate change. She has personally planted 100s of trees. Children from Mount Pellon and Beech primary schools in Halifax have been involved in planting trees and forest activities with Treesponsibility.
Elisabeth was delighted when Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems introduced a debate on 21st October 2009 in parliament, demanding government support for the 10:10 campaign. This asks individuals and organizations to commit to reducing their carbon footprint by 10% in 2010.
Elisabeth has signed up to 10:10.
On 5 December 2009 she was one of many 1000s of activists who went to demonstrate in “The Wave” outside Parliament, just before the talks on climate change started in Copenhagen.
So what has Elisabeth done since?
Things that have saved me money or cost nothing
I have turned down my thermostat
I shut the door to one room, and turned off the heating altogether
I use the train or bus as much as possible
I’m eating vegan food three days a week
I take my own bags shopping
Had an “eco” driving lesson to learn how to drive economically
Things that have cost me money – but will save it in the long run
I’ve had my bedroom ceilings lowered and insulated
There’s an extra door on the stairs from my basement kitchen so that the heat doesn’t escape upstairs
I’ve changed my car to one with much lower emissions
I bought thermal curtain linings
I bought a bike
Things that I think are the right thing to do:
My electricity supply from Good Energy is 100% from renewable sources
I use the Phone Coop, which is ethical and green
I put food waste in a wormery [it’s not collected where I live]
I went on holiday to Switzerland by train
I’m on the waiting list for an allotment
I am a member of Friends of the Earth, the Ramblers, and the National Trust
Elisabeth has also been a member of a rail action group for 5 years.
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