Saturday, December 14, 2019

Discussion Meeting For Labour Party Members


We have a discussion meeting scheduled for this Sunday evening, 15th December  at 8pm in Dronfield Contact Club.

We will be having a round table discussion about the election result. Despite Labour hanging on to seats in Sheffield and Chesterfield, much of the surrounding areas of north Derbyshire and South Yorkshire have been won by Tory candidates in unprecedented results. The Tory majority is an awful result for Labour, for the progressive left and for the most vulnerable people in the UK.

We will discuss the results and how to move forward from here. We must continue to fight for a better, fairer, more equal society.

Apologies for the short notice, I hope some of you can make it.

Best Wishes,
Rosie Smith
Political Education Officer, Dronfield Labour Party

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Labour's Key Policies

The Web-site of Independent Labour Publications is running a really important pro-Labour article in relation to the current General Election.

 

The writer Barry Winter covers Labour's proposals to tackle a range of massively important social problems. These include - (1) Poverty and Low Pay. (2) 200,000 children living in absolute poverty. (3) School and Youth Services being pushed past breaking points. (4) Wide areas where those over 65 are also seriously hit. (5) Many private tenants being trapped in squalid slum houses. (6) An NHS with serious staff shortages. (7) 25,000 annual deaths linked to the effects of pollution.

The article is a must for democratic socialists and also needs to be more widely absorbed. It can be found if you link here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Universal Credit Christmas Carol Concert and then Parliamentary Hustings in Dronfield


The Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Unite Community Branch is staging a Universal Credit Christmas Carol Concert on Saturday 30th November at St Paul's Church, Dronfield at 3.30pm half an hour prior to the Parliamentary hustings taking place at that venue.  Please see example below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyRcx1E9QaA&t=58s

First join the festive sing song at St Paul's Methodist Church 85 Green Lane, Dronfield S18 2LP.  It will be followed by a General Election Hustings at the same venue from 4 PM on Saturday 30th November. Taking part will be the four parliamentary candidates for North East Derbyshire :
Chris Peace Labour
Lee Rowley Conservative
Ross Shipman Liberal Democrat
Frank Adlington-Stringer Green Party

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Today's Guardian on Politics in NE Derbyshire.

For a viewpoint on the current electoral situation in North East Derbyshire see the central section of this article in today's Guardian, starting from just above the followng photo showing Chris Peace the Labour Candidate along with other campaigners. Click here.
     You may need to scrawl up the page.
Chris Peace (left) campaigning in Clay Cross in the North East Derbyshire constituency.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Our support for the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centres

See the link below for access to the current key 2019 Annual Report of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centres. Of particular relevance to those who have connections with Dronfield Blather see (a) the report of the Centres Chair Graham Baxter on page 4, he fully participates in our Discussion Meetings, (b) the report of the bodies coordinator Colin Hampton on page 5, he recently addressed one of our meetings, (c) material on the Centres work in the North East Derbyshire area on pages 22 to 25 and (d) the obituary for the late John Gilbert who worked fully with the Centres and was a regular at our meetings. The report fully explains the financial difficulties facing the Centres key operations due to the recent withdrawal of funding by the recently elected Conservative controlled NE Derbyshire District Council. The support given to the Centres by the former Labour controlled District Council under Graham Baxter's leadership is something we need to fully press to re-establish. Click here for access to the full report.

The three items on this blog below this one are also of relevance to the above matters.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

More On The Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centres

The item below this one is about the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centres who undertake major help on behalf of unemployed people in our area and are in need of our backing following a withdrawal of funding from the now Tory controlled North East Derbyshire District Council. The following links about their operations and their need for replacement financial support are worthy of our examination and support. Link here. And here.

Monday, September 30, 2019

Worthy Of Our Support - The Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres

                       

 Image result for Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centre
  I am deeply concerned that the newly Conservative controlled North East Derbyshire District Council has ended that Council's financial support for the essential work of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres (DUWC).
   The DUWC are first rate organisations who provide telling assistance and help to deprived and depressed unemployed workers.
   When I was the local MP between 1987 and 2005 for the NE Derbyshire Constituency I developed a close relationship with this body and held half of my MP's surgeries in their office which was then situated on Saltergate in Chesterfield. Due to the shape of North East Derbyshire which curls as a C shape around Chesterfield , I felt that the venue was an important central point where constituents could visit me for my own assistance. Of course, I kept Chesterfield MPs informed of my activities within their constituency boundaries. Then I held the rest of my surgeries scattered around the Constituency itself.
   I hope that people will closely examine the value of the work of the DUWC as far as the well-being of this areas most deprived people are concerned. And that you will then press the leaders of the North East Derbyshire Council over the need to restore that bodies former support for the DUWC's essential operations. To help make up the current shortfall arising from the Council withdrawing its financial support for the work of the DUWC, donations can be sent to them by individuals, trade union branches and other progressive bodies. Your help is keenly needed on this.

   For more details about the essential work of the DUWC and how you and the bodies you are associated with can aid its essential operations, click here.

   


Wednesday, September 11, 2019

The Late John Gilbert




https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjlkMjQ0NjctYmJkZS00ZTI0LWEyNTMtYWE1MDlmOWNlOTcxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDYxMTUwNg@@._V1_SY999_CR0,0,728,999_AL_.jpg
The late John Gilbert regularly attended our Discussion Meetings. As a teenager he was a regular on the ITV programme shown above. He is shown on this photo and is probably the second person from our left in the front row.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

September Discussion Meeting

Dronfield Labour Party Discussion Meeting
Topic: Boris, Parliament and Brexit
Speaker: Harry Barnes
Time: 8pm to 9.15pm
Date: Sunday 8th September
Venue: Contact Club, Snape Hill Lane, Dronfield, S18 2GJ.

Harry Barnes takes the speaker's chair next Sunday to address us on 'Boris, Parliament and Brexit'. Harry was the MP for North East Derbyshire from 1987 to 2005. Between 1989 and 1997 he served on the European Legislation Select Committee, and also on a Standing Committee which examined EU measures which would effect the UK. He will be able to provide us with an insight into the current political situation (which may change between the date of this email and the meeting!).

The Commons re-assembles on 3rd September, which is appropriately the 80th Anniversary of our declaring war on Germany. On the assumption that Teresa May's deal is dead in the water, then by 30th October we are due to leave the European Union either with a (very unlikely) new deal or no-deal. Given current divisions on the issue within the Commons and amongst the electorate, what are the feasible options which can be pursued by then? In the event of the current parliamentary disputes over Brexit leading us into an early General Election, what will be its likely result and its impact of the future direction of British Politics? And will parliament then confront other serious issues?

Here is a link to Harry's blog post on this subject where he talks through the parliamentary arithmatic and possible political scenarios:

We hope to see you all there.

Best Wishes,
Rosie Smith

Thursday, August 29, 2019


Brexit : Parliamentary Arithmetic and Constitutional Conundrums

 
                                        Parliamentary Arithmetic on Brexit.
                            Elected MPs                       Those With Normal Voting Rights
Conservatives          311 less a Deputy Speaker................................... = 310
Labour                     247 less 2 Deputy Speakers................................. = 245
SNP                           35........................................................................ =  35   
Independents             15 only one elected as such. Three expelled or
                                        suspended by Labour.................................... =  15
Lib Dems                   14  include a former Labour and Conservative.. =  14
DUP                           10 ....................................................................... = 10
Sinn Fein                     7 refuse to take their seats................................. =  0
Independent Group 
for Change                  5  four ex-Labour one 1 ex-Con. .......................  =  5
Plaid Cymru                4 ......................................................................... =  4
Greens                        1 ......................................................................... =  1
Speaker                      1  only uses a casting vote ................................. =  0
Totals                     650                                                                              639 
 
With the DUP, the Govenment have a maximum of 320 and the opposition 319.
When it comes to having any future votes in the Commons on how to leave the European Union, it is difficult to see how a majority vote can be carried. Other than a possible vote of no-confidence in the Government. For there are blocks of MPs in at least four different camps, which make it almost impossible to cobble together a simple majority on any position.
    1. There are those who wish to leave the European Union without any agreement. Their main numbers are within the Conservative Party as expressed via the European Research Group which at one time was discovered to have at least 55 members. But there are many others who also adopt its approach, at least as a fall-back. Boris Johnson's current tactics aid their stance.
    2. The SNP, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, the Green MP, the Independent Group for Change, Independents and sections of the Labour Party generally favour a fresh referendum. Most hoping that it will then determine that we will remain in the EU. Others claiming that any plan to leave the EU should require such an endorsement via a Referendum.
    3. Then there are those who still look for a departure deal with the EU , even if time for this is running out - unless we can again get them to further postpone the date for our departure. Yet even here the hoped for options differ. There is still the existing EU deal with Teresa May, especially if progress could be made to overcome its problems concerning the Northern Ireland backstop.
    4. Then there is even the claim that a fresh deal could be pursued on say our operating a Customs Union with the EU.
But there is no conceivable majority in parliament for any of these or any related options. Unless, perhaps, a procedure was adopted to engage in an exhaustive ballot to decide which road to pursue. But to give parliament time, that would still require Boris Johnson to get the EU to seek to get an extension for our proposed date of departure. This is now most unlikely.
                                         Constitutional Conundrums
With Boris now arranging to end the parliamentary session and have a fresh Queen's Speech just a few weeks before we are due to embark on the process of leaving the EU, we are driven back to the significance of the very decision which initially set this ball rolling.
After the result of the referendum on 23 June 2016 the Commons first voted on 1st February 2017 to implement the UK's use of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty in order to start the procedure for us leaving the EU. With Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader and with his support, the initial vote on this proposal was carried by 498 to 114. There were 47 Labour MPs who rebelled on the issue. The only Tory rebel (plus five who abstained) being Ken Clarke. The date for our departure from the EU was then invoked by Teresa May on 29 March 2017 in order it provided for our leaving by 12 April 2019. When her proposals for that departure failed to get parliamentary approval, she made arrangements  with the EU to put the final date for our departure back to 31st October, which is just three parliamentary weeks after the coming Queen's Speech. Unless in the limited time available parliament now decides to get the EU again to push back the final date for our departure.
An alternative tactic to that of Boris's on Brexit does not have much breathing space. Will (for instance) Jeremy's cross party talks lead to such a possibility in the short time (and limited parliamentary opportunities) which are available before the end of October ? Time is running out fast for options other than leaving without a deal in just over 2 months time. Then could a fresh general election emerge to lead on to any later change of direction? Or would it just produce a new parliament which merely repeated the current divisions on the issue ? Then what if Boris wins the election comfortably? The latest YouGov Poll with its field work done over the last two days gives Conservatives 34%, Labour 22%, Lib Dem 17%, Brexit Party 13%, Greens 8%.


Click here for a parliamentary link which covers the constitutional complexities.

Monday, May 6, 2019

May Discussion Meeting

Dronfield Labour Party Discussion Meeting
Topic: Local Election Results 2019
Round Table Discussion
Time: 8pm to 9.15pm
Date: Sunday 12th May
Venue: Contact Club, Snape Hill Lane, Dronfield, S18 2GJ.

A round table discussion will be held about local election results in North East Derbyshire, Sheffield, other local areas and the national picture.

On the 2nd May, North East Derbyshire District Council suffered heavy losses to the Conservatives - bucking the national trend of Tory defeats. Bolsover District Council also lost Labour seats and went to No Overall Control for the first time ever. While in High Peak, Labour won back control from the Conservatives for the first time in 16 years. Sheffield City Council lost a small number of seats to the Greens, which has damanged their leading majority. Nationally, the Tories lost over 1300 seats. Labour suffered a net loss of under 80 seats. Minor parties experienced gains.

What does this all mean for Labour and the future of our democracy? Come along on Sunday to discuss.

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Day School on Democracy at Chesterfield

Day School, 10am to 2.30pm on 11th April.
Venue : WEA Chesterfield.
Subject - Philosophy : Democracy (These are turbulent times for British Democracy - but a good time to explore is what "democracy actually means").


Fee : £18.
Course number C234111.  Pre-book via wea.org.uk or phone 0300 303 3464


Tuesday, February 5, 2019

February Discussion Meeting

Please see details below of the next discussion meeting. 

Dronfield Labour Party Discussion Meeting
Topic: What might the Education Policy and Practice of an incoming Labour Government look like?
Speaker: Alan Thomas
Time: 8pm to 9.15pm
Date: Sunday 10th February
Venue: Contact Club, Snape Hill Lane, Dronfield, S18 2GJ.

Alan Thomas has been an active member of the Labour party for most of his adult life and is currently a member of Dronfield Branch. He spent 40 years working in schools and was a successful Headteacher in Sunderland and Durham in former mining communities. He has been an active member of the NUT. He also conducted research on Parental and Pupil Choice and campaigned against Grant Maintained status. Having served for 40 years as a governor in various schools, he is at present Chair of a Dronfield school governors.

He will address us on the topic of education policy and practice of an incoming Labour government. He will begin by giving an overview of education policy since 2010, touching on Academies and Free schools, school funding and the role of local authorities. He will present an analysis of current Labour Party education policy based on the 2017 Manifesto, the outcomes of Labour Conference 2018 and speeches by the Shadow Minister of Education.
He finish by discussing what the discussion group's priorities are for future Labour party policy and how we can help to shape it.


Hope to see you all there!
Rosie Smith
Dronfield Labour Party Political Education Officer

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

January Discussion Meeting

                 Dronfield Labour Party Discussion Meeting

Topic: Changing Labour Party Democracy - Are we now a social movement?
Speaker: Sam Browse
Time: 8pm to 9.15pm
Date: Sunday 13th January
Venue: Contact Club, Snape Hill Lane, Dronfield, S18 2GJ.


Sam Browse is a member of Walkley Branch Labour Party in Sheffield. He is also member of Sheffield Momentum and holds a position on their Executive Committee.

He will address us on the topic of Labour Party democracy. He is interested in the changes in the party brought about by the huge increase in membership since Jeremy Corbyn became leader. With more than half a million members, Sam will discuss how Labour is changing from a traditional political party to become a mass membership social movement.