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Simon Hughes MPRepresenting Southwark and Bermondsey since 1983 |
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Priorities for the next 90 days - campaigning, campaigning, campaigning - Simon Hughes - January 2008
February 1, 2008 12:00 PM
By Simon Hughes MP, Liberal Democrat Federal Party President
By Simon Hughes MP, Liberal Democrat Federal Party President
The New Year has certainly got off to a busy and exciting political start.
Brian Paddick has made a most impressive beginning to the formal part of his campaign and the London and national press are beginning to take him very seriously indeed. In January 2004, Ken Livingstone said 'I would be disappointed if, by the end of rollout of the entire neighbourhood policing programme - which is going to take four years - we hadn't cut crime by 50 per cent'. Mr Livingstone has self evidently failed in this ambition and all around him the evidence of his very centralist and tight knit cabal of long term and well paid advisors is running into greater and greater difficulty as the evidence or more and more questionable financial dealings come to light. Boris Johnson may be a very entertaining candidate but nobody can believe that he will be a serious and authoritative mayor and it really could do London's reputation considerable harm if he were to be elected. Of the three main candidates, Brian has the greatest experience on the biggest issue that matters. I hope the whole party, not just those of us based in London, will give him all the encouragement and support he needs.
Of course I am not so Londoncentric to think that the only elections that matter are in London. Every council in Wales is up for election and they all now have a justifiable grievance that the financial settlement they have received from the Labour-Plaid Cymru Welsh Assembly government will make it very difficult for them to deliver all the services people expect of them. There will therefore be plenty of justified opportunities for having a go at the administration in Cardiff and not just in the Welsh councils where we are already the leading party. The local government settlement for England looks to be very unhelpful as well in most places, although it is only next week that we expect that Parliament is likely to vote on the final figures. I hope all of our candidates in England point out over and over again how council tax has doubled since Labour came to power 10 years ago and that while national spending on the NHS in England has increased by 90% in the same period, spending on social services - the local government sister service - has only been increased by 15% in real terms. In many places very vulnerable people are likely to receive a less good service next year as a result of the government's financial decisions this February.
My England and Wales local election tour started very well this month in Manchester where our talented team are clearly in good heart. Thank you to them and in advance to all those others who will be helping to organise visits for Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, other colleagues and me in the weeks ahead. We will always try to make sure that there is lots of value added! The unexpected bonus in Withington was to bump into two of the stars from Coronation Street - Kelly Crabtree (Tupele Dorgu) and Sally Webster (Sally Whitaker) - who were very supportive of John Leech's campaign to keep independent retailers and local shops in Chorlton. Never underestimate the extra bonuses of campaigning!
It is really important that those party members and supporters in areas where there are no elections cross boundaries to help those who are defending or seeking to win new seats. Colleagues who run the councils in Cambridge, Eastleigh, Hull, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Pendle, Rochdale St Albans, South Lakeland, Stockport, Three Rivers, Watford and West Lindsey will specifically appreciate your help. As will all those where we are in shared control or hoping to take control on May 1st.
And don't forget March 7-9. There is a really good, topical and campaigning agenda for debate and decision at our Federal Conference - on health, education, housing, legal aid and other issues - as well as Nick Clegg's first Federal Conference speech, the rally and much else besides. Liverpool, under Liberal Democrat leadership, won the chance to be one of Europe's capitals of culture this year. We owe it to them to flood in, celebrate their success and liberal democracy at the same time, and before, during and after conference join their campaign for re-election just two months later on.
Simon Hughes
Federal President
February 1st 2008
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