This weekend I’ve migrated this website over to a new home at www.karenbruce.co.uk. This site was originally set up very quickly on Stuart’s Typepad account so the domain was never implemented properly (that’s why individual posts don’t have karenbruce.co.uk in them). If you’re already subscribing to the FeedBurner RSS feed then you don’t need to do anything, but if it’s the Typepad URL then you need to visit the new website and subscribe again.
Just an update on the ongoing incinerator issue (the proposed waste treatment plant), the council have four bidders for the plant, three are proposing the use of ‘energy from waste’ whilst the fourth is proposing ‘mechanical biological treatment’. Three of the bidders are intending to use the former wholesale markets site on Pontefract Lane, whilst the fourth is opting for a site in the Aire Valley near the sewerage works.
It is of concern to many residents that not only are we to have the city’s household waste dumped so near to us in Elmet and Rothwell, but also that two of the bidders are also proposing to accept commercial waste with the remaining two even wanting to take third party waste. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat led council might be happy for us to be the dumping ground for Leeds, with all the possible effects on health and environment, but us in the local Labour Party have fought long and hard against these plans.
The four bidders are: Aire Valley Environmental, MVV Umvelt GmbH, United Utilities and Veolia ES Aurora LTD.
The Tory and Liberal Democrat council will cut their bidders to two early next year and then make their final decision on which option they will go for by summer 2010.
We had a good Rothwell Labour Party meeting this week. We had a lively discussion about what we all thought about recent national issues, including the devastating recent Euro election results, the expenses scandal, ID cards and elected mayors. We also talked about the issues local to us such as the incinerator which is to be built near us, that our MP is retiring, the fact that Oulton residents are feeling the effects of having lost their library, are amongst some of the subjects we got around to discussing. Contrary to popular belief, local Labour Party meetings don’t just have to be boring and just talking about ‘the dog muck’. There’s a lot for us Labour Party members to do to restore trust with the electorate and we’ll have to start afresh and not take any vote for granted, as the recent Euro elections have shown and so now is an exciting time for anyone to get involved and be a part of the renewal of our party. I’m looking forward to our Elmet and Rothwell constituency meeting next week where we’ll hear from Colin Burgon MP about all the current issues and where all members will have a chance to get their voices heard.
Today was ‘Open Farm Sunday’ which is great as it gives everyone the opportunity to experience the countryside and connect with the land that feeds us.
We went to a local farm, Swillington Organic Farm, which was taking part, with our little girl Esme. I know Swillington well, having lived there before we moved to neighbouring Carlton, Rothwell, I represented Swillington as a Garforth and Swillington councillor for 6 years so have many friends. We have also gone to the farm shop for its lovely produce several times, as well as getting our Christmas trees there regularly. We were lucky as we bumped into Colin Burgon MP for Elmet and Rothwell who was also enjoying the delights of the farm.
Thanks to the farm for opening up and letting local people come in, giving tours, letting us feed the animals and taste the delicious produce. Esme loved feeding the pigs, stroking the chicks, baaaing at the lambs and sitting on the tractor.
Had a great day with Stuart and Esme in Wetherby, we had a lovely fish and chip lunch from the Wetherby Whaler at the side of the river Wharfe in the shade of a tree as it was so hot! Esme loved watching the ducks playing and had a little paddle. We then attempted to walk off fish and chips and ice cream. We enjoyed looking around at the lovely little shops and bought various things for us all at the craft fair at the Town Hall. We got a hand crafted wooden toy car for Esme, which was much cheaper and nicer than the mass produced toys. For anyone unfamiliar with Wetherby, it’s an attractive market town with a Charter going back to 1240.
A new bike link between Garforth and Temple Newsam is being proposed to encourage local people to ride their bikes more often as Garforth Today reports. Leeds Bike Week (from June 13) will see a range of schemes put forward. Let’s hope this means fewer people will use their cars and add to the congestion we see during the school run and people taking advantage of the sunshine this summer to improve their fitness and pumping out less fumes into the air too!
I’ve been out enjoying the sunshine (and not too much rain) while out on the Euro campaign trail. It’s so important to ensure that we re-elect our Labour MEPs so they can carry on the good work they do for us. Let’s not let them pay for what has been happening in Westminster. The stark reality is that if enough Labour voters stay at home or protest at the Euro elections we could end up with a BNP MEP. After so many brave Britons gave their lives to liberate Europe from fascism it would be a travesty for Yorkshire and the Humber to be represented in Europe by a fascist party. Our Labour MEPs are busy campaigning all across Yorkshire and the Humber and I organised a campaigning session with Richard Corbett MEP in Elmet and Rothwell this week to ensure that our supporters here come out and vote Labour.
Let’s remember that this is a European election (we’re not having local elections this year in Elmet and Rothwell). We should vote for the party which will best represent us in Europe where there are clear policy differences. Let’s not forget that the Tories want to isolate Britain from Europe and have chosen to force their MEPs to sit inside a new European party grouping alongside fringe extremist parties.
It’s a blow that bus company First has axed two Leeds night buses including the 921 Leeds – Swillington, especially as this could compromise public safety. The story is in tonight’s Yorkshire Evening Post. I would have thought that with the recession more people would be in need of public transport. I would be very interested to know how widely the service has been promoted to potential passengers before the axe fell?
When I was a councillor for Garforth and Swillington I always campaigned for improvements to public transport and was pleased to have fought for my constituents best interests for example a Swillington bus re-routed to serve sheltered housing, so older people didn’t have a long walk to get to a bus stop, and getting bus shelters as some of our older folk were being battered by wind, hail and rain.
Many of us feel that Leeds has been getting a raw deal on public transport under the Conservative and Lib Dem Leeds City Council who are not fighting our corner, and this is just another deterioration of our services!
One of the issues closest to my heart is equality and I’m proud that the Labour Party is continuing to do something about inequality. Labour has always stood up for equality which is one of the reasons why I’m in the party, more needed to be done and this will hopefully go some way towards addressing what needs to be done to end the many types of discrimination. It’s unbelievable that nearly 40 years after the equal pay act women are still paid less than men, having campaigned on this issue and organised a ‘no pay day’ event for Fawcett Society in Leeds I’m delighted that measures are being taken to make the difference in men and women’s pay more transparent.
The bill has two main purposes, to bring together current discrimination law and to strengthen the law to support progress on equality.
I have trawled through the bill and am happy that this is a leap forward in terms of equality and takes on many forms of discrimination. Once implemented it will be another good step forward for people in Elmet and Rothwell.
If you want to read the bill you can do so here.
Harriet Harmen’s sent Labour Party members an email with a summary of the main points:
I’m very sorry that our local MP Colin Burgon has decided to stand down and not run at the next general election. As a member of the local party I have received a letter from Colin explaining his decision and expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the local party for the real team effort over many years that saw Colin take the seat for Labour in 1997 and retain it since. There is also an article in tonight’s Yorkshire Evening Post about Colin’s decision to stand down.
Colin has been a hard working MP for local people and one who isn’t afraid to speak his mind. I admire him for both these reasons and thank him for the long service he’s given the local party (26 years) not just his time in office but also including the long hard years leading up to our victory in Elmet. I’ve known and worked with Colin for a lot of years, having lived in Elmet and Rothwell for 17 years and was pleased to be one of the team of local members who have put the work in time and again year in and year out.
I had the privilege to serve as a Leeds City Councillor for the Garforth and Swillington ward for six years from 1998 to 2004 and more recently stood as candidate in the Rothwell ward, and so have worked alongside Colin on many local issues over the years such as fighting opencast mining, campaigning for better road safety and fighting to save two of our police stations from closure.
It‘s just a shame that Colin is going out the way he is. I’m proud that we’ve had a Labour government for the last 12 years and to have helped to be a part of what we have achieved as a party together. Colin’s comments on “New Labour” are unhelpful because it has been our willingness to change and adapt with the times that has allowed us to be able to serve as a party in government. We have an unprecedented third term in office thanks to our modern approach.
Colin is right that the link with the Unions should never be broken and I’m proud of always being a Unison member when I was a local government officer and more recently being a member of the T&G.
I also feel strongly that we should never forget our values. The worldwide economic crisis we face is worrying for us all, and no-one is going to solve this overnight. I’d rather place our current economic problems in the hands of a person with the experience of Gordon Brown than a lightweight like David Cameron any day.
If Labour is to win a fourth term It is essential that we win seats like Elmet and Rothwell. I’ll be working hard campaigning to win whoever the candidate to replace Colin Burgon is.
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