Our new Labour MP was Sworn into Parliament

Wednesday 10th July: Congratulations to Dave Roberston MP, who was sworn into Parliament on his birthday no less!
Such a wonderful feeling to have a Labour MP in Lichfield, Burntwood and the rural villages. We know that you will serve your constituents well Dave!

A Little Labour Celebration

So many people helped Labour get out its message during the long and memorable election campaign.

Many were able to join a bring and share picnic to celebrate Dave Robertson’s win, and the happy mood was not damped by the English summer weather.

Many thanks to the George and Dragon for allowing us to use their garden (and buy their excellent beers!)

Thank you to all who voted Labour

So many people in Lichfield were motivated to vote Labour that our Constituency recorded one of the highest swings in the country. We are so grateful to the volunteers who distributed leaflets, who went out and door knocked and provided the social media feeds that have given us such a great Labour result.

But the biggest thanks goes to every single person who voted Labour on July 4th. It is a clear mandate for change. Dave Robertson will go as Lichfield’s MP to London ready to face the tough decisions that need to be made. It is up to us to sort out the chaos in our services and the financial mess created over the last 14 years. The process of change starts now.

Labour Wins in Lichfield Constituency

For those of us who support Labour, for those of us that simply wanted a change, we won.

In the early hours of 5th July 2024 Dave Robertson was elected the MP for Lichfield and made his acceptance speech at the Burntwood Sports Centre.

Thank you to all the election officials and counters who brought us such a quick result. Thank you to everyone who voted Labour. A wonderful night for us all!

Dave Robertson our candidate for Lichfield constituency

It is an honour to again be selected as the Labour party candidate for Lichfield constituency. Lichfield has been my home since before I learned to call a place home. I have had the absolute privilege over the last 33 years to learn in our local schools, shop on our local high streets and call many of our neighbours lifelong friends.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful and historic part of our country, with stunning natural environments in places like Chasewater, Admaston, and along the Trent; with amazing architecture in the historic centre of Lichfield and in many of our villages; with the amazing people and communities that call Lichfield, Burntwood and our villages home, and who truly make our constituency all that it is.

Over the last 14 years, though, we have all seen our local area be let down by successive Conservative governments. The closure of local doctors’ surgeries, police stations and community venues; the lack of investment in our schools and our economy; the absence of any action on sewage spills in our waterways; a total failure to respect and support our high streets; and the worst cost of living crisis in living memory.

But it doesn’t have to be this way, we can rebuild and renew the infrastructure we rely on and the bonds between our community. That’s why I’m proud to be standing on a Labour Party platform offering a decade of national renewal, and for a mission led government that will change Britain for the better.

Together, on 4^th July, we can turn a page on the inaction, sleaze and crisis of the last decade and half, we can vote for change which will get the NHS back on its feet, support our high streets and properly value our natural environment. On 4^th July we will all have the power to vote for change and for a brighter, more hopeful future.

Promoted by Colin Ball on behalf of the Labour Party Lichfield constituency, care of 10 Vale Close, Lichfield, WS13 7LJ

Labour Opposition at Lichfield District Council Reviews Its First 100 Days

Labour Opposition at Lichfield District Council Reviews Its First 100 Days – and Plans for Future

Labour Opposition councillors at Lichfield District hailed their recent Away Day a success and a clear signal that Labour is making real changes at the Council. After the 100 Days marker since the elections, Labour now seeks to build on the changes they’ve brought about so far

The session was held at Chasewater Innovation Centre and Labour Group Chair, Cllr Colin Ball, said:

“I came away from our session feeling really buoyed up, not just by the work we have done so far but, given the depth and breadth of the skills and knowledge of our members, the potential we have to make a real difference to the lives of local residents. There was a great deal of enthusiasm in the room and a clear consensus about our strategies in the months ahead. If any of the Conservatives haven’t yet realised that things have changed at the Council, and will continue to change, they need to wake up very quickly.”

Principal Opposition Leader, Cllr Sue Woodward, said:

“I’m certainly proud to lead the Labour Opposition and we have notched up some real successes in our first 100 Days. We have a very capable and committed Shadow Cabinet, which has been recognised by the Council Leadership. Labour members have been active in scrutinising proposals by the Cabinet including volunteering for Task Groups that are able to scrutinise in detail proposals on Pedestrianisation, the new Leisure Centre, Climate Change and the City Centre Masterplan.

We have taken through our Food Insecurity motion with unanimous support and will now be making progress on mapping sources of help and bringing together a partnership of organisations supporting food injustice. Whether it is Full Council meetings, Committee Meetings or briefings and training sessions, Labour members, new and old, are far more engaged than Conservative backbench members and it’s great to be able to lead such an effective team.

There’s a lot more to be done though. The culture of the organisation is changing and we want to work with all parties to achieve a better council but too many still think of Lichfield District Council as it was previously, an almost one-party state. With additional members now, we are certainly making our presence felt.”

Following May’s local elections, Labour now holds 17 seats and the Conservatives hold 23. With the Lib Dems holding 7 seats, the Conservatives are the biggest political Group but no longer have an overall majority.

Call for Equality Training for Lichfield District Councillors “As Soon As Possible”

With the publication of Lichfield District Council’s Equality & Diversity statistics, Our workforce equality, diversity and inclusion data.pdf, the Leader of the Principal Opposition Labour Group has called for greater awareness of equality impacts for Council members.

Cllr Sue Woodward has welcomed the Council’s commitment to addressing Equality and Diversity issues across its workforce but says more needs to be done to ensure members are fully aware of the implications of their decisions.

The report states that in December 2022, the Council employed 315 people, of which 129 were female (41% compared to 51% of residents in
the district) and 186 were male (59% compared to 49% of residents in the district). Just over 3% of our of the Council’s employees were from black and other ethnic backgrounds (compared to 5% of the district) and of those staff who provided the information 2.7% stated they had a disability (compared to 18% of

residents living in the district).

Cllr Woodward said:

“In terms of the Council workforce, progress is being made to ensure that it reflects the Lichfield District communities that it serves and I welcome this but more still needs to be done on the recruitment of women, black and ethnic minority officers and officers with disabilities. We must not allow the needs of these groups to be overlooked.

Of more concern to me is that the membership of the Council, the elected councillors, is far less diverse than our communities. This makes it all the more important for councillors to be aware of impacts on the under-represented groups in our communities and in our workforce when we are making decisions.

I’ve seen far too many examples of inappropriate behaviour and language since the elections. The bias may be unconscious, or not, but it can not be ignored.

I’ve therefore called on the Leader and Chief Executive to ensure that Equality & Diversity training for councillors will be organised as soon as possible, that it should be made compulsory for all members and that direct advice should be given to members who are felt to have crossed certain lines. I’ve had positive responses from the Council Leader and Chief Executive but now want this to happen as soon as possible.”

Back to School Bank

The Mayor of Lichfield is ditching an outdated civic event in favour of supporting a project helping families struggling with the cost of school uniforms and equipment.

Cllr Ann Hughes confirmed she would replace the ‘Mayoress at home’ afternoon tea event. Instead, she will host the Mayor’s School Uniform Bank session at the Guildhall from 2pm to 4pm on 25th August.

The child-friendly session will offer free refreshments and a chance to pick up pre-loved uniform and educational equipment to help those struggling with cost of living challenges ahead of the new year.

Cllr Hughes said:

“This event replaces the very traditional Mayoress at Home tea party, with its echoes of a world long gone. Uniform exchanges offer vital help at a time of severe financial pressure for families. They also contribute to saving the environment by avoiding clothes waste. We all know that children grow faster than clothes wear out, and it’s good to share rather than throw away.”

Further collection events will be held on dates to be confirmed at Life Church and Boley Park Community Centre.

Cllr Hughes said: “The uniform exchange worked well last year and we want it to take place on a larger scale, promoted by myself as Mayor with the support of Lichfield City Council. Clean, good quality items of school uniform, branded items from all city schools as well as generally useful trousers, skirts, jumpers and PE kits etc can be donated at the city council offices in Donegal House, or at Tesco Extra, Morrisons, St Chad’s Church and the Life Church at Netherstowe. We particularly need secondary school blazers and stationery items are also useful.”

City Council Establishes Climate Change and Biodiversity Committee

Lichfield City Council established a Climate Change and Biodiversity Committee at its meeting of 24 July.

The Committee, an initiative of the controlling Labour Group, received cross-party support when discussed at the Council meeting. Councillor Rosemary Harvey-Coggins, the Council’s Deputy Leader, proposed the creation of the Committee and was elected as Chair. The Committee also includes members from the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties.

Cllr Harvey Coggins said:

The continued burning of fossil fuels, intensively farming livestock, and deforestation are major contributing factors to the earth’s temperature rising, adding enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

The effects of this are most devastating to those already marginalised by society. Women constitute 70% of the world’s poor and are more likely to look for income from industries that will be most affected by climate change, for example agriculture. And it is worth noting that in this crisis, forms of inequality work together. Black, migrant, old and disabled people will be disproportionally affected.

But there is hope. We are not at the point of no return. A change can be made by aiming towards net zero carbon emissions, by moving from a reliance on coal, oil and gas to renewable energy, and by increasing biodiversity to protect the landscape.

The establishment of the Committee was seconded by the Leader of the City Council, Councillor Dave Robertson.

“It’s almost four years since the City Council declared a climate emergency but that was followed by very little real action to try and reduce carbon emissions across our city. I’m really proud that, after the change in control in May, the council has set up this committee to bring forward ideas about how we can make a difference on one of the biggest issues facing our community”

When asked about the impact that a parish council committee could have to what is a worldwide problem, Cllr Harvey Coggins said:

The City Council is not too small to make a difference, there are several groups operating locally who are very small, but their impacts are significant. We wish to work with those groups and add to their efforts with our own. In turn, acting locally and including some of those most marginalised, will encourage others to act on their own initiative or contribute to the efforts of this Committee. The greatest threat to our climate is the belief that someone else will solve the crisis.

Notes:

The Committee consists of six councillors, four from the controlling Labour Group (Cllrs R Harvey Coggins (Chair), E Strain (Vice Chair), J Blackman and A Hughes (Mayor). The minority group members are Cllr A Rushton (Liberal Democrat) and A Lax (Conservative).

The committee aims to examine how the council can reduce its own impact on the environment, identify further ways of supporting biodiversity across the City and, working together with other councils and local groups, lead the behavioural changes needed to preserve the environment.

Labour Party Lichfield, Burntwood & The Villages

Category: News

Marching with Pride