Unbalanced Britain

On 28th June, Independent Labour Publications are holding a one day seminar in Sheffield entitled "Unbalanced Britain".  The programme for the day can be found here.

There is no charge for the event, but pre-registration is required here. The deadline being 20 June.

See you there.

Our Submissions To Labour's Consultative Procedure

17 ideas were submitted at our April meeting. A ballot took place on these at our May meeting. The following received the top votes. I have submitted these via the Labour Party's consultative procedure (see via here) . Each submission starts with the following - 

"This is submitted on behalf of the Discussion Group of the Dronfield Branch of the Labour Party in the North East Derbyshire Constituency. This is a Group which caters for Labour Party Members and others from the area of the Dronfield Branch and from the wider CLP area and beyond."

Re-establishing and extending the NHS

We call for -
(a) An end to any further form of privatisation in the NHS and in Social Care.
(b) The return of the NHS to full public ownership, with an end to all forms of private investment.
(c) Recognition that the above and the repeal of the Health and Social Care Act can only legally be achieved in this country if the NHS is exempted from the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. (Note : John Healy MP has promised to address us on this topic).

Council Houses & Privately Rented Homes

We call for -
(a) An expansion of Council Houses, with affordable rents and tenant involvement in their running.
(b) Rent controls on private rented property as a means of controlling housing benefit total costs.

Lost Generation

As we live in a period of mass unemployment nationally and globally, we need policies in place for young people as they come out of education, so that they have something to look forward to in contributing to the economy of the country.

Renationalise the Railways

The section covering lines 9 to 16 on page 5 of this document should be re-written to provide for the renationalisation of the whole of the railway system, which is essential for the development of an integrated transport system. It is also a matter which has widespread public support.

An Ethical Foreign Policy - Latin America

Labour should appreciate the real opportunities to develop a successful and truly ethical foreign policy opened by the fast changing situation in Latin America. The decline of unhelpful outside intervention coupled with a growing continental autonomy and co-operation provides real opportunities for trade and the export of good practice, offering experience in diplomacy, conflict resolution, education, community building and IT. Labour should work with partners in Europe and the OAS and democratic socialist governments in Latin America, and NGOs at home and abroad to help the resolution of existing conflicts, strengthen civil society and secure Latin America's control over her cultural, mineral, human resources and rights.

June Discussion Meeting

            DRONFIELD LABOUR PARTY DISCUSSION MEETING


TOPIC:            THE WORK OF THE MANOR AND CASTLE DEVELOPMENT TRUST

SPEAKER:      DEBBIE MATHEWS

TIME:              8pm to 9.15pm.

DATE:             SUNDAY 8th JUNE, 2014.

VENUE:         CONTACT CLUB, SNAPE HILL LANE, DRONFIELD.





Debbie is the Chief Execuctive Officer of the Manor and Castle Development Trust, which is
a community based charity working with local people to regenerate the area. Its core work is community development; working to address the issues of concern within its local communities. Their services include training, help to find work, health support for families and activities for children and young people. For more dertails on the work of the Trust, see here.

 
Debbie has extensive experience of working in the voluntary sector, undertaking roles in a variety of areas, such as employment and regeneration, youth work, and health and wellbeing. She has been a representative of the Sheffield Third Sector Assembly at the Sheffield Executive Board for a number of years, and was a local Councillor for four years, taking the role of Deputy Chair of Housing.  She was recently appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Voluntary Action Sheffield, see here.

May Discussion Meeting

                 DRONFIELD LABOUR PARTY DISCUSSION MEETING


TOPIC:                    HOW CAN LABOUR DELIVER BETTER POLITICS?

SPEAKER:              EMMA HODDINOTT

TIME:                      8pm to 9.15pm.

DATE:                     SUNDAY 4th MAY, 2014

VENUE:                  CONTACT CLUB, SNAPE HILL LANE,
                                 DRONFIELD

 



Emma is a member of Labour's National Policy Forum and serves on the Committee which has produced the key Consultative Document "Better Politics". This document can be found here. She will explain the work of her Committee and outline the proposals it is considering. The meeting will offer an opportunity to influence the development of ideas which will come to shape Labour's General Election Manifesto in 2015. A summary of the range of Labour's full list of eight consultative documents can be found here.

Emma is a Labour Councillor on the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough and represents the Wickersley Ward.

April Discussion Meeting

          DRONFIELD LABOUR PARTY DISCUSSION MEETING

TOPIC:                     SHAPING LABOUR'S 2015 ELECTION MANIFESTO

SPEAKER:              MARK GLOVER

TIME:                      8pm to 9.15pm.

DATE:                     SUNDAY, 13th APRIL, 2014

VENUE:                  CONTACT CLUB, SNAPE HILL LANE,
                                 DRONFIELD


Labour has recently published eight consultative documents. When these are finalised they will help to shape its manifesto for the 2015 General Election. These eight consultative documents can be found here.

Each of these documents arises from the work of Labour's National Policy Forum. Up until 13 June, there is an opportunity to submit proposals for alterations or additions to these documents. 



Our speaker Mark Glover (above) is an East Midland's Representative on the National Policy Forum. He will explain  the work of the Committee and give details of the procedures we need to pursue if we wish to see adjustments to the consultative documents. The subsequent discussion will give an opportunity for those attending the meeting to raise what they feel should be key points in Labour's 2015 General Election Manifesto. We can then decide whether to pursue these.

Mark is a Labour Councillor on the Gedling Borough Council and is active in the Labour Animal Welfare Society and in Conservation Trusts.

Another Attack On The NHS

See this Morning Star report for a terrible example of the disregard for both workers rights and the  well-being of patients, in a newly privatised section of the NHS.


Hat tip - Jon Williams (don't miss his article below this one).

Labour Policy on Health and Care, by Jon Williams.

This is an initial response from Jon Williams to the Labour Party's consultative document on "Health and Care". The consultative document can be found here.

Overall this is a good document for Labour to promote and to take forward into their 2015 election manifesto. It covers a lot of the points of concern which we considered at our Discussion Meeting at Dronfield about the Coalition Government's and Health and Social Care Act moving us further to the privatisation of the NHS. ( See the presentation Jon made to that meeting here . HB).

The consultative document also says that it will use Sir John Oldham’s report  "One Person, One Team, One System"  which can be found here .  Additionally it proposes to make use of Andrew Dilnot’s social care report, see here .

The theme of the integration of  “whole person care”  is pursued to meet physical, mental and social needs. This involves removing inefficient fragmentation and competition to free up money, as long term care needs are increasing every year. It promises to repeal the  2012 Health and Social Care Act.  Yet I have doubts whether this is possible due to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the European and United States US trade agreement – which, however, is yet to be finalised. However, I attended a Chesterfield and North Derbyshire "Save Our NHS" meeting recently where Derbyshire County Councillor David Allen who is Chair of the Health and Well Being Board and Dr Sally Ruane the Deputy Director of Health Policy Research Unit De Montford University, discussed many of these issues. It was thought the NHS could be made an exemption to this agreement.

In the consultative document, Labour proposes to put patients before competition and get rid of the market system in the NHS. It talks about empowering people to use NHS organisations. It supports the principle of the NHS as the preferred provider and of using other providers in partnership. It is good to see the NHS is codified – I assume that incorporates the NHS founding principles. It also states that the local authority remit will be increased using Health and Well Being Boards. Power will be taken away from NHS commissioners and given to an independent body, such as Health and Well Being Board – again I agree with this approach. I hope “Monitor” (see here ) the current economic regulator will be abolished as the market system is reduced / removed. For line 40 of the Consultative Document quotes UNISON as saying  “Labour should use integrated care to break down the market, basing integration on NHS principles...”

By using preventive care / education Labour will reduce the demand on Accident and Emergency Services and will enable better access to local GP services. This is a key theme where funding will reduce over time, for money has been wasted with unnecessary re-organisation - an estimated £3 billion!

Social care funding has been cut with tighter eligibility criteria, which will me mean that hundreds of thousands fewer people get help. Labour is looking to implement Andrew Dilnot’s recommendations, e.g. with caps on care costs. It seems more discussion is required before definite policies are agreed. A key theme is that “older people should be treated with dignity as a top priority”. Keeping people at home to remain healthy, will reduce demand at hospitals. Also carers are central to "whole person care", including providing respite care, proper support and training with new rights. It mentions tackling the abuse of zero hour contracts, but does this mean not abolishing them!?

Part of the theme to help people stay healthy is to provide decent housing and better employment policies. It quotes Marmot’s report on a “Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Health Inequalities in England”  i.e. that large differences in health is dependent on circumstances. I fully agree with these sentiments. See here.

Labour's consultative document "Health and Care" is brief,  but it contains the major issues. What It lacks in detail is (a) how the process of integrated care will be applied, (b) where funding will be raised (taxation), (c) the issue of private involvement in the NHS,  (d) whether existing PFI contracts can be cancelled and (e) what role existing private companies have, if any, in the NHS.

Recently Clause 119 allowing hospital closures without consultation was carried in the Commons whilst probation privatisation went through the House of Lords.  Seemingly there is no limit to the privatisation ideology!