Sunday, January 21, 2007

Trident - replace it or not?

The National Policy Forum will be discussing this issue on Saturday 3rd February 2007.Myself and Ellie Reeves are looking for your views as party members. Its not an easy decision:

On the one hand:

- it's hard to see the use of nuclear weapons against non-state threats to security such as Al-Qaeda.

- us keeping nuclear weapons doesn't help with agreements for nuclear disarmament it's an awful lot of money!

On the other hand:

- it’s a dangerous world out there - if nuclear weapons aren't needed why are North Korea and Iran so keen to get them

- such a decision would be long term - we can't predict the security threats of ten year's time

- you can't put a price on national security, the last time we campaigned as a unilateralist party - we got slaughtered!

Anyway - the important thing is that we know the genuine views of the members - so please get in touch and let Ellie and myself know your views - its your party!

Local Elections 2007: Claremont ward

I've been selected as the Labour candidate for Claremont ward. It's one of those wards which was Labour in the '80s and early '90s but went Liberal in 1999 and we've never got it back. The added complication was a BNP candidate who got 400 plus votes last time without doing any work.

This year its vital we concentrate on the ward the first step has been to re-build the branch. We arranged a speaker for the first meeting of the year, myself and Maurice the secretary called on every member and we had our biggest (and best) meeting for ages. I'll do my best to keep you up to date with progress!

Quiz Night - 27 / 1 / 07

Claremont / Weaste Labour Parties.

Saturday January 27th 2007 8.00 p.m.

The Crescent Public House, The Crescent, Salford.

Brain of Salford Fund-raising Quiz.

Fancy testing your wits against Salford's finest? Winning team gets a cup! £2.00 per person. Team size flexible. Refreshments. Celebrity Auction. Late Licence till 1.00 a.m. For more information / to book places ring Peter Wheeler - 07880 790182

Jimmy's Story

Over the Christmas holidays I participated in a scheme they have at Manchester Dogs Home to foster a homeless dog for two weeks. Given that I live in a second storey flat and work peculiar hours it would be difficult to look after a dog full time but I though I’d give it a go over Christmas.

I fostered Jimmy, who’d been found in Ashton-under-Lyme, abandoned and neglected in October. He’d been fostered before and got on really well with the people but one of their children was allergic to dogs so it was back to square one for Jimmy.

He was a brilliant dog who gazed at me with uncritical admiration – something I’ve never come across before – and was really well behaved and good company. I made my mind up to do my best to find him a good home and Phil, from our Labour Party has now adopted him full time and he’s very happily settled and putting on weight and now called Harvey.

It’s a good scheme. It helps the Dogs Home and gives you a chance to see if a dog suits you. Obviously the Dogs Home hope you’ll keep them but they still think you’ve done them a favour if you take them back at the end of two weeks as they find out a lot more about the dog’s personality. I may well do it again next year.

If you’d like to know more about the scheme – just ring the Dogs Home on 0161 205 2874.