Tory Campaign Success! (for Labour)

Heartfelt thanks to Exeter's Tories for their campaigning efforts in Pinhoe recently (no, really.) On Saturday I attended a Labour councillors' coffee morning at the United Reformed Church hall in Old Pinn Lane, where I had the pleasure of meeting some of our new supporters, volunteers and members.

Cllr Saxon Spence, Cllr Moira MacDonald, former Cllr Val Dixon
and I at the United Reformed Church in Old Pinn Lane

It was a particular pleasure to meet Mr & Mrs T who live not too far from me, and were recently called on by local Exeter Tories. They were signed up to a postal vote and spoke to the Tory team for a while...

...They then immediately got in touch with Exeter Labour and asked how they could join us and help our campaign.

So thank you to Exeter's Tory campaigning operation. Whatever it is you are doing, please do keep it up!

What Would Yolonda Do?

"Give me somewhere to stand and I will move the world" - Archimedes

I don't know about you, but I think politicians should stand for something. There should be something driving them - values, or a sense of mission - some passion, some vision, some sense that things can be different, be better. 

Exeter's Tories are BACKING the hugely unpopular
NHS Bill

Readers will know that I have been pressing Exeter's Tories to just come out and say whether they support the deeply unpopular NHS Bill or not. For weeks, I was met with silence. Then finally, Conservative Councillor for Polsloe, James Taghdissian told me, "Exeter Conservatives support Conservative Policy, Simon. Would be bigger news if we didn't. Get real!" So that told me.

(Actually, Exeter Conservatives do not always agree with Conservative policy. You can read how local Tories tried to rally behind the locally popular call for unitary status for Exeter here, when official Tory policy was to withdraw Exeter's bid to run its own affairs.)

Anyhow, we now know that despite massive professional opposition, despite huge public opposition (Labour has an 18 point lead on the NHS as an issue), despite the huge contribution the NHS makes to Exeter's economy and employment market, despite their coalition partners voting to withdraw support for the NHS Bill, and despite the government refusing to comply with a court order to publish the NHS Bill risk register, Exeter's Tories still support Lansley's disastrous course of action. this much we know. 

But what else do they stand for? What is their vision for the city? The Express & Echo this week carried news of Labour's manifesto for the 2012 local elections (more on that later) and next to it an article on the local Tory proposals.

Weekly bin collections have been
championed by Eric Pickles.

However, the extent of their vision is...well... rubbish. Literally. The focus of Exeter Tories' manifesto to date would it appears extend little further than collecting your bin weekly. Genius. 


The public is underwhelmed. In the very first response posted on the Express & Echo comments on the story, "DeeJayTee" wrote:

So, in a mission to find out what exactly the Tories are peddling on the doorsteps of the city, I went to their website. There was a tab, boldly stating "Manifesto 2012". Aha! Here must be the big picture, the grand designs, the bold future set out. Er.... no.

"Coming soon..." Hmmm.

"How odd," I thought. You see, last month Exeter Labour councillors, candidates and activists held a day planning our manifesto. We were very excited to do so. We had people come down and speak to us from the Local Government Association and the Co-operative movement, and we thrashed out our priorities for the city and how they could be achieved. Cllr Paul Bull got very excited (as he does) and tweeted what a great day we'd had. The response from local Tory Jake Donovon on the 14th February was: 

"Exeter Tories manifesto was finalised back in September." Not started. Finalised. Yet here we are 6 months on and the Exeter Conservative website is distinctly lacking in manifesto. I also had a chuckle at the idea of finalising a manifesto before the autumn budget statement and before the local authorities' settlements from central government had been announced! Unless they have staggering powers of clairvoyance they were presumably deciding in the autumn of 2011 how they would spend a budget that was not actually set until last month!

"Exeter Tories manifesto," declared Jake, "offers Exeter city residents the change of direction and leadership she [sic] really needs."

I would say that so far their manifesto offers not so much a change of direction or leadership, but more a change of bin.

So, on to Labour. I have previously written in my blog that under Labour Exeter is thriving. However, we do not want to be complacent or rest on our laurels. This week saw the publication of our manifesto, and you can see it here. 

Major companies are investing in Exeter's economic growth under Labour

Please take the time to read it. We are excited about a Labour-led future for the city, and we think you will be too. We have exciting plans for more affordable housing through a co-operative community model; more environmentally sustainable buildings - both public buildings and homes; more play areas and enhanced open spaces; more support for communities that have ideas on projects in their own areas; economic growth and improved employment - particularly for young people through a new apprenticeship scheme; and an improved and enhanced city centre we can all value and be proud of. 

Cooperative housing is seen as a fairer and more
progressive way to deliver homes in countries like Sweden, above

It is a bold, ambitious and exciting picture we paint. Already the bleating has started from both the Tories and Lib Dems. Maybe they should stick to worrying about bin collections. We have no intention of thinking smaller thoughts for our city, though. As Michaelangelo said:

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

PS: Talking of the Lib Dems, what of their great vision for the city? As of today, there is no manifesto yet on their site. However, they would like you to "Vote Yes to AV" on ...er.... the 5th May last year. Finger on the pulse of modern political dialogue as ever, then...!

The Power of Words, The Power of Action

"A nation that cannot read is easy to deceive", as Ernesto "Che" Guevara once said. Literacy, and the access to books and information, is essential to our democracy, to the development of ideas, to the well-being of our communities.

Yesterday had a distinct "bookish" theme for me. During the working day, I attended a conference: "Culture, Health & Well-Being and Strategic Commissioning". It was a fascinating conference highlighting the role that culture and the arts can play in better health outcomes, improving quality of life, reducing isolation, and saving money for our health service (well, while it is still "ours.") As one GP put it, "We can restore the body, but we cannot restore a patient's appetite for life. Culture can."

Head of Libraries, Ciara Eastell

During the day we were addressed by Ciara Eastell, Head of Library Services at Devon County Council. She described the role libraries can play in promoting better health and well-being. Libraries, despite deep cuts to their services that have meant many job losses across Devon, are trying hard to forge new partnerships and new projects that will make them "community hubs" - sources of information that will enable people to learn more about conditions they may suffer from, and be more involved in their own self-management. This empowers the patient, demystifies the condition (reducing anxiety and fear) and potentially saves the NHS money on unnecessary appointments.

Devon's 50 libraries were used by over 3 million people last year and Exeter Central Library had more visitors last year than any Devon visitor attraction. Exeter clearly has an amazing appetite for reading and information. That is why I was delighted when the news came through that Exeter Central Library is to get a £4.1 million refurbishment. Anyone who has visited the main library will know that while the contents cannot be faulted, the building itself is no longer fit for purpose. Environmentally, it is in poor shape - cold in the winter, warm in the summer - with huge voids that are hard to heat. Access is a problem, particularly for the elderly, or people with disability or a chronic illness. Wheelchair access is currently through what is, in effect, a service lift shaft. 

Exeter Central Library

You will also know that aesthetically it is not exactly the part of the town that is most pleasing on the eye! Deteriorating1960s concrete structures and alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour pretty much sum the area up! It could be so different, and now we have some investment, Exeter City Council is talking to the County Council about how we might improve and redesign the area. The library (like the new Royal Albert Memorial Museum - RAMM) will have an access out onto Rougemont Gardens. The triangulation of the library, the RAMM and the Phoenix Arts Centre will create a "cultural quarter" for the city, adjacent to what are the oldest municipal public gardens in England. This is an exciting development we will all be proud of, I'm sure, and sees the continuing improvement of the city as part of the overall vision for Exeter that the Labour leadership of the city council has. 

Pinhoe Library

Continuing the bookish theme of my day, my evening was spent at the AGM of the Friends of Pinhoe Library. What a dynamic group that is, and a great example of the community and voluntary sector working in partnership with public services. The Friends' secretary, John Thorndyke, reported what a tough year it had been for the service in Pinhoe, with the library staff being reduced to a single librarian, Frances Kearns. Despite these cuts, registered users were up, as were the number of items borrowed. It was a pleasure to speak to John afterwards, and as with the Pinhoe Community Association and Pinhoe Pantomime Society, talk with John about how in my capacity as Business Development Manager at Exeter CVS  I could help ensure that the Friends' have a sustainable future with funding and partnership ideas. Similarly Ciara (who was speaking at our local meeting too) had a chat to me about how CVS and our Volunteer Centre could support the growing role volunteers might play in supporting local libraries. All-in-all a very productive meeting. I even gathered a couple of new "endorsers" - people who want to formally support my candidacy for Pinhoe.

The amusing footnote to all this was a Twitter exchange with yet another local Tory that evening. The Tory "Twitterati" seem a tad upset with me, perhaps because every day for weeks I have asked them to publicly state whether or not they support the NHS Bill. (They still haven't given an answer.) You will see from previous posts that local Tories are not keen on talking issues or the effectiveness of candidates, and would rather make this a personal fight. Their very first leaflet of the campaign was mostly about me, they took their publicity shots outside my home in Rews Park Drive, and last month contacted some of my Conservative friends in Dorset to ask them "if they had any useful information" about me. Classy.


So last night, this local particular Conservative seemed confused about my current position, seemingly believing I was simultaneously a councillor in Dorset and Devon. I patiently explained that I have been a councillor in Weymouth for 8 years. For almost 6 of those years, I have been working in Exeter with my "day job" in community services. For 3 of those 6 years, I commuted daily and then, following my divorce, I moved to Devon - and continued as an effective councillor in Weymouth as it was cheaper for the council than holding a by-election, and there were a number of projects I was committed too, not least (continuing our book theme) saving my ward's library from Tory cuts. I am delighted that campaign was a success, and Littlemoor Library was saved after I set up a campaign website on Facebook Causes, and challenged the County Council over whether they had carried out an Equalities Impact Assessment on the closure. Then we successfully secured £1 million of Big Lottery "Big Community Fund" investment for the ward, which will make a huge difference to what has traditionally been a deprived community. 


In April, as the election period starts, I shall be standing down from Weymouth Council (indeed, I have already had my last Full Council meeting there) and will be solely focused on Exeter - now very much my home city. My would-be adversary felt that somehow I was split. I do not know what is so hard to grasp about having a day job in one place, and a political life in another, and being very effective in both, but she was clearly struggling with it. 

Me... in the office.

"Your residents haven't had an effective councillor as you've been in Exeter," appeared to be the argument. 


Er.... the library is safe, crime and anti-social behaviour is down, £1 million of community investment, new magnet play site, new skate park, new multi-use games area, new park and ride site.... Even last month there have been letters to the local paper thanking me for trying to save the estate's public toilets from closure, and a letter from school children thanking me for the skate park.


"Ah! Then Exeter is losing out."


Er... This year alone I have secured over £500k of investment into Exeter's community sector. In my time working here in all it runs into millions, including securing a £4 million+ contract for drug services for a local partnership of the NHS and a voluntary sector provider. Locally, I am already being contacted by residents with issues, and in the past few weeks have been involved in getting pavements repaired, anti-social behaviour reduced, and working on getting youth services improved. You see, it's all about being effective. You could be resident somewhere for many years, even be the councillor for an area, and never actually do or achieve very much.


I'm an activist, always have been. I have worked my entire career in community work, because seeing communities galvanise to become stronger energises me, and motivates me. If I am elected, Pinhoe will have my unfailing drive, energy and ideas. I know we will achieve things here, because - frankly - that is my track record, whether in my career or in my political life. 

Activists: Cllr Moira MacDonald, Cllr Saxon Spence
& I at the opening of the unique youth shelter in Arena Park 

As I learned from my day of libraries, words have profound power to change lives - and that has value. But sometimes it's all about action too. 


On May 3rd Pinhoe can choose a Labour & Co-op candidate who is not just a resident, nor just a representative. I am an activist, a natural volunteer, and even more than that, my track record shows that I am effective, and I deliver. Working with my Labour colleagues locally - Cllr Moira MacDonald, Cllr Saxon Spence and Ben Bradshaw MP I am excited at how much we can do together for Pinhoe!


Thank you for your support.