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

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.

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.

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.

Worthy Of Our Support - The Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres

                       

 
  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.

   

The Late John Gilbert

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.

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:

https://threescoreyearsandten.blogspot.com/2019/08/brexit-parliamentary-arithmetic-and.html 

We hope to see you all there.

Best Wishes,

Rosie Smith