Labour have published a draft Bill which will help improve public transport across the country and cut congestion in our towns and cities.The draft Bill sets out proposals to restructure how local transport is delivered within communities and would mean that the travelling public could benefit from local authorities taking local action to meet a communities transport needs. If approved by Parliament the draft Bill would:
* Give local authorities the right mix of powers to improve the quality of local bus services.
* Empower local authorities in our major urban areas to review and propose their own arrangements for local transport organisation.
* Update existing powers so that where local areas wish to develop proposals for local road pricing schemes, they have the freedom and flexibility to do so in a way that best meets the community’s needs.
The draft Bill would give authorities the flexibility and powers to deliver a tailored transport system better suited to the needs of the area. Douglas Alexander MP, Labour’s Transport Secretary said: "Improving public transport is vital if we are going to tackle congestion and climate change. "Two-thirds of public transport journeys are made by bus, so it is only right that this Bill focuses on how we improve bus services.
"The measures we have published today will give local authorities the powers they need to ensure that local bus services meet local needs as part of a broader package which will give them the flexibility they need to tackle congestion." The draft Bill will now face Parliamentary pre-legislative scrutiny by the House of Commons Transport Committee alongside a full public consultation.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
New Labour - Ten Years On
You can listen to a podcast of last week's 'New Labour - Ten Years On' event at the LSE by clicking on the link above.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
BBC on Climate Change - The Impact on the UK
Since coming in to power in May 2006, Ealing Conservatives have introduced policies to encourage greater use of cars on our roads whilst simultaneously degrading public transport by removing bus lanes and cutting car parking charges. The result will be more traffic, more congestion and more pollution for Ealing residents. Every day we, and our families and friends, will be breathing in more Co2, subject to noisier, dirtier streets and will be spending more time stuck in traffic jams!That's just the short-term scenario. For a longer term prognosis of the effects of pollution on our environment the BBC One programme ‘Climate Change - Britain under Threat’, in which Sir David Attenborough, Matt Allwright and Kate Humble explore the impacts of climate change on the UK, gives us an insight into the damage such irresponsible policies will exacerbate.
Experts consider the changes that the UK can expect given the most likely results from the BBC's experiment.
Jay Wynne from the BBC Weather Centre presents reports for typical days in 2020, 2050 and 2080 as predicted by the BBC experiment.
Click on the link on this title to view the videos.
State of London Debate: Labour Mayor creating a climate of change for Londoners
At a conference for Londoners held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster on Saturday 12th May Londoners got the chance to discuss some major issues with leading professionals and experts. Here is a flavour of some of the debates and what London's mayor is doing for Londoners.
Tackling Climate Change:what cities can achieve
Expert Mark Watts informed the audience that the argument over what causes climate change is over. It is now widely acknowledged that human activity is responsible for global warming.
All is not doom and gloom however, as experts maintain that it is perfectly feasible for us to cut our C02 emissions by 60% over the next 20 years. We could move from a society of high energy waste to a more efficient one of low waste. London emits 44 million tonnes of Co2 each year which is not as high as New York but is higher than most cities. 38% of this comes from our homes, 33% from businesses and 20% from ground transport.
The success of the Mayor's central London congestion charge in reducing congestion and pollution is now widely recognised across the world, so much so that New York is about to copy it.
4 out of 5 Londoners are concerned about climate change but few are making the necessary changes to protect the world we live in.
So what could we be doing? A few relatively simple steps could reduce our fuel bills by 1/3 and save us 350 pounds per year.
*Turning our thermostats down by 1% can cut 10% off our heating bills.
*Switching to longer lasting energy saving light bulbs can save us 100 each per light bulb over its lifetime.
*And insulating our lofts adequately - which amazingly, 95% of us have still not done!
The Mayor is offering Londoners advice, financial incentives and a flexible service tailored to your particular needs that can include a personal visit and green plan for your own home.
Londoners can take advantage of a special deal via the Mayor's office which allows them to insulate their loft and cavity walls at half the normal price and gives them 100 pounds cash back too! The Mayor is doing his bit. Now its up to us to do our bit. We don't have to reduce the quality of life but we do need to change the way we live. The 2003 heatwave across Europe, and the 35,000 premature deaths (mostly elderly people living in top floor flats) stand as testimony to this.
Poonan Desai, Director, Co-founder of BioRegional and Sustainability Director, BioRegional Quintain Ltd is adamant that green consumerism plus technical fixes will not be enough on their own to save our planet. He maintains that a comprehensive carbon pricing system must be introduced to dampen the inexorable growth in consumption of resources -particularly in aviation. However Carbon offsetting alone is not the complete answer "We must also be saying 'I don't need that stuff!'" he says. "Carbon offsetting is like cheating on your partner and paying someone else to remain celibate!"
London's Transport Journey
Peter Hendy, Commnissioner, Transport for London, informed the audience that for years London Transort had been run by a regime that prioritised minimising costs because of declining numbers of passengers. As a result it had suffered a serious lack of vital investment. However, the strong lead and extra funding from Labour Mayor, Ken Livinstone, has led to significant achievements in recent years. He has managed to raise public transport usage by 5% - which is unprecedented in a world city the size of London and in a society that is rich enough to own so many cars (even if they can't use them effectively).
The Mayor's congestion charge has seen a huge reduction in congestion in the west end and the western extension is proving successful also. In fact, New York's Mayor Bloomberg is so impressed he has proposed a similar scheme for lower Manhatten.
The Mayor has increased the reliability of London's buses and made them safer with the introduction of CCTV. He has achieved a 40% increase in patronage as a result and has brought in bigger buses to cope with the growth. His introduction of free travel for kids is saving families an average of 350 pounds per child per year - an enormous help to most families - and is helping to reduce congestion on roads at school run times. Contrary to what wannabe Tory MP, Angie Bray has been spouting, records confirm that there has not been an increase in bad behaviour on buses as a result.
2/3 of public transport users now use Oyster smart cards and cash use on London's underground and buses is down to 3% and 2% respectively. Journeys are faster and more efficient as a result.
London Underground, which is being modernised under a PPP, is transporting more people than ever - a massive 1 billion people last year. The DLR transported 60 million passengers last year and the extension to London City Airport has been a huge success.
The Mayor's work with boroughs means it is now easier and safer to walk in London and cycling and walking have increased by over 80%. His instigation of a joined up approach to transport policing with the Met (which did not exist before) has produced positive outcomes and there are now 1,500 police and PCSOs on transport and the proportionate level of crime to passengers remains very small.
Unlike several years years ago, London's population is no longer declining and the expected growth in population over the period 2001-2025 is + 800,000 to a total of 8.3 million people. This poses an enormous challenge for such an aged transport system and the implications for car growth, Co2 emissions and climate change are seriously alarming. The Mayor's transport policies described in his document 'Transport 2025' will be crucial to maintaining a tolerable and sustainable city. His succesful congestion charge and reduction in bus and taxi emissions are already helping to achieve this for Londoners as will his planned introduction of lower emission zones. His unswerving commitment to the common good of all Londoners remains admirable and unique and long may he continue. With his vision and conviction, Ken will continue to push for Crossrail so that Londoners will enjoy the benefits and London's pre-eminence as a world city will continue.
CRIME...GUNS, KNIVES AND GANGS
A panel made up of police, the minister for Police and Security and various voluntary groups discussed the priorities for making London a safer place for all at the State of London debate.
"We must stop gangs forming but it will take years as there is no quick solution." said Steve House, the Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner at the 'State of London' debate. "In the last few years we have seen the emergence of a subculture of violence and a glorification of guns and knives across youth, but especially in the black community.At the same time people have much quicker and more ready access to firearms." he added.
According to the police, although the Met detects 85-90% of homicides in London, the recent killings and stabbings are much harder to detect or prevent because they are usually prompted by surges of rage and are therefore not logical, so the culprits will not normally be deterred by the fear of punishment.
The issue is very high up the Met's list of priorities however, and they say since they have put a large uniform presence on the streets of hot spots, the violence has dampened down. However, they admit that this is not a longterm solution. What they say is needed, is to prevent the young people from becoming involved in gangs in the first place. They have therefore launched a 5 borough project south of the river Thames to find out how to do this and they are working with local authorities and voluntary groups to devise a formula to pull people out of gang activity.
The Assistant Commissioner went on to say that the attacks are due to a breakdown in society, which is not general or widespread, but affects about 5% of youths. "Many are getting involved at far younger ages than we previously thought possible and many feel pressured to be involved. There are some very serious education and parenting issues." he added.
Rev Obunge, Chief Executive, Peace Alliance, who called for resources for communities to invest in youth services which had been axed under Tory prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, said "It takes a village to raise a child. We are that village and let's raise our children."
During a question and answer session with the audience, a 12 year old boy received a large clap when he stood up and asked the panel who he could turn to for protection when walking home from school. He said, that like many other young people, he constantly feared being assaulted and/or mugged by youths from a neighbouring school on his journey home from school each day and he pleaded for somebody to do something about it.
Decima Francis, President, 'From Boyhood to Manhood',( an organisation which provides services to young black men who are failing in education, involved in high risk behaviour and in danger of educational or social exclusion) said, "We must do something about the way young people feel about London. It is a sad fact that young people no longer feel safe when travelling to school or meeting friends and many reduce their activities as a result. More adults on streets are needed. Who can they turn to for protection? If young people act up on streets or on buses adults are often afraid to tackle them for fear of being stabbed."
The Labour Government has created Safer Neighbourhood Teams for every ward, extra PCSOs and safer schools officers to tackle this problem. One benefit of the SNTs is that they are familiar with the local youth, interact with them and patrol hot spots so that their presence is felt and acts as a deterrent. The police are doing all they can by putting more officers on duty at peak offending times between 2-10pm.
But what emerged strongly from the debate was that this is not just a policing issue. Local authorities, schools and communities must work together - it is up to everyone. Azad Ali, Chair, Muslim Safety Forum, expressed the sentiments of the panel well when he said," In the longterm we need to counter years of individualism in order to recapture community and family values."
Expert Mark Watts informed the audience that the argument over what causes climate change is over. It is now widely acknowledged that human activity is responsible for global warming.
All is not doom and gloom however, as experts maintain that it is perfectly feasible for us to cut our C02 emissions by 60% over the next 20 years. We could move from a society of high energy waste to a more efficient one of low waste. London emits 44 million tonnes of Co2 each year which is not as high as New York but is higher than most cities. 38% of this comes from our homes, 33% from businesses and 20% from ground transport.
The success of the Mayor's central London congestion charge in reducing congestion and pollution is now widely recognised across the world, so much so that New York is about to copy it.
4 out of 5 Londoners are concerned about climate change but few are making the necessary changes to protect the world we live in.
So what could we be doing? A few relatively simple steps could reduce our fuel bills by 1/3 and save us 350 pounds per year.
*Turning our thermostats down by 1% can cut 10% off our heating bills.
*Switching to longer lasting energy saving light bulbs can save us 100 each per light bulb over its lifetime.
*And insulating our lofts adequately - which amazingly, 95% of us have still not done!
The Mayor is offering Londoners advice, financial incentives and a flexible service tailored to your particular needs that can include a personal visit and green plan for your own home.
Londoners can take advantage of a special deal via the Mayor's office which allows them to insulate their loft and cavity walls at half the normal price and gives them 100 pounds cash back too! The Mayor is doing his bit. Now its up to us to do our bit. We don't have to reduce the quality of life but we do need to change the way we live. The 2003 heatwave across Europe, and the 35,000 premature deaths (mostly elderly people living in top floor flats) stand as testimony to this.
Poonan Desai, Director, Co-founder of BioRegional and Sustainability Director, BioRegional Quintain Ltd is adamant that green consumerism plus technical fixes will not be enough on their own to save our planet. He maintains that a comprehensive carbon pricing system must be introduced to dampen the inexorable growth in consumption of resources -particularly in aviation. However Carbon offsetting alone is not the complete answer "We must also be saying 'I don't need that stuff!'" he says. "Carbon offsetting is like cheating on your partner and paying someone else to remain celibate!"
London's Transport Journey
Peter Hendy, Commnissioner, Transport for London, informed the audience that for years London Transort had been run by a regime that prioritised minimising costs because of declining numbers of passengers. As a result it had suffered a serious lack of vital investment. However, the strong lead and extra funding from Labour Mayor, Ken Livinstone, has led to significant achievements in recent years. He has managed to raise public transport usage by 5% - which is unprecedented in a world city the size of London and in a society that is rich enough to own so many cars (even if they can't use them effectively).
The Mayor's congestion charge has seen a huge reduction in congestion in the west end and the western extension is proving successful also. In fact, New York's Mayor Bloomberg is so impressed he has proposed a similar scheme for lower Manhatten.
The Mayor has increased the reliability of London's buses and made them safer with the introduction of CCTV. He has achieved a 40% increase in patronage as a result and has brought in bigger buses to cope with the growth. His introduction of free travel for kids is saving families an average of 350 pounds per child per year - an enormous help to most families - and is helping to reduce congestion on roads at school run times. Contrary to what wannabe Tory MP, Angie Bray has been spouting, records confirm that there has not been an increase in bad behaviour on buses as a result.
2/3 of public transport users now use Oyster smart cards and cash use on London's underground and buses is down to 3% and 2% respectively. Journeys are faster and more efficient as a result.
London Underground, which is being modernised under a PPP, is transporting more people than ever - a massive 1 billion people last year. The DLR transported 60 million passengers last year and the extension to London City Airport has been a huge success.
The Mayor's work with boroughs means it is now easier and safer to walk in London and cycling and walking have increased by over 80%. His instigation of a joined up approach to transport policing with the Met (which did not exist before) has produced positive outcomes and there are now 1,500 police and PCSOs on transport and the proportionate level of crime to passengers remains very small.
Unlike several years years ago, London's population is no longer declining and the expected growth in population over the period 2001-2025 is + 800,000 to a total of 8.3 million people. This poses an enormous challenge for such an aged transport system and the implications for car growth, Co2 emissions and climate change are seriously alarming. The Mayor's transport policies described in his document 'Transport 2025' will be crucial to maintaining a tolerable and sustainable city. His succesful congestion charge and reduction in bus and taxi emissions are already helping to achieve this for Londoners as will his planned introduction of lower emission zones. His unswerving commitment to the common good of all Londoners remains admirable and unique and long may he continue. With his vision and conviction, Ken will continue to push for Crossrail so that Londoners will enjoy the benefits and London's pre-eminence as a world city will continue.
CRIME...GUNS, KNIVES AND GANGS
A panel made up of police, the minister for Police and Security and various voluntary groups discussed the priorities for making London a safer place for all at the State of London debate.
"We must stop gangs forming but it will take years as there is no quick solution." said Steve House, the Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner at the 'State of London' debate. "In the last few years we have seen the emergence of a subculture of violence and a glorification of guns and knives across youth, but especially in the black community.At the same time people have much quicker and more ready access to firearms." he added.
According to the police, although the Met detects 85-90% of homicides in London, the recent killings and stabbings are much harder to detect or prevent because they are usually prompted by surges of rage and are therefore not logical, so the culprits will not normally be deterred by the fear of punishment.
The issue is very high up the Met's list of priorities however, and they say since they have put a large uniform presence on the streets of hot spots, the violence has dampened down. However, they admit that this is not a longterm solution. What they say is needed, is to prevent the young people from becoming involved in gangs in the first place. They have therefore launched a 5 borough project south of the river Thames to find out how to do this and they are working with local authorities and voluntary groups to devise a formula to pull people out of gang activity.
The Assistant Commissioner went on to say that the attacks are due to a breakdown in society, which is not general or widespread, but affects about 5% of youths. "Many are getting involved at far younger ages than we previously thought possible and many feel pressured to be involved. There are some very serious education and parenting issues." he added.
Rev Obunge, Chief Executive, Peace Alliance, who called for resources for communities to invest in youth services which had been axed under Tory prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, said "It takes a village to raise a child. We are that village and let's raise our children."
During a question and answer session with the audience, a 12 year old boy received a large clap when he stood up and asked the panel who he could turn to for protection when walking home from school. He said, that like many other young people, he constantly feared being assaulted and/or mugged by youths from a neighbouring school on his journey home from school each day and he pleaded for somebody to do something about it.
Decima Francis, President, 'From Boyhood to Manhood',( an organisation which provides services to young black men who are failing in education, involved in high risk behaviour and in danger of educational or social exclusion) said, "We must do something about the way young people feel about London. It is a sad fact that young people no longer feel safe when travelling to school or meeting friends and many reduce their activities as a result. More adults on streets are needed. Who can they turn to for protection? If young people act up on streets or on buses adults are often afraid to tackle them for fear of being stabbed."
The Labour Government has created Safer Neighbourhood Teams for every ward, extra PCSOs and safer schools officers to tackle this problem. One benefit of the SNTs is that they are familiar with the local youth, interact with them and patrol hot spots so that their presence is felt and acts as a deterrent. The police are doing all they can by putting more officers on duty at peak offending times between 2-10pm.
But what emerged strongly from the debate was that this is not just a policing issue. Local authorities, schools and communities must work together - it is up to everyone. Azad Ali, Chair, Muslim Safety Forum, expressed the sentiments of the panel well when he said," In the longterm we need to counter years of individualism in order to recapture community and family values."
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Lucky escape for youngsters at Hanwell junction crossing
Labour continues to press for a safe crossing of the Uxbridge Rd at its junction with Church Rd,Hanwell, in place of the notoriously unfriendly and dangerous one residents have to cope with now.
Pedestrians wishing to cross these roads must take pot luck darting across the road between constant traffic - often risking their lives while they do so. As they do not have an alloted time to cross the road via a green man they are forced to take refuge on the island in the middle, whilst they await a gap in the traffic which they judge to be a safe moment to cross.
It was sheer good fortune that a group of youngsters had left one of these refuge islands moments before a gas guzzling 4x4 careered through the lights and ploughed into it last Saturday. Surely it is unacceptable that any pedestrians - but particularly children and elderly residents - should be exposed to such dangers at a junction that is so fundamental to so many routine local journeys.
This reinforces our Labour Action Team's commitment to campaign for this crossing to become a 4way green man crossing so that all our residents can cross the road safely. Please help us to make Hanwell a safer place by adding your name to the campaign by clicking the link on the title above.
Pedestrians wishing to cross these roads must take pot luck darting across the road between constant traffic - often risking their lives while they do so. As they do not have an alloted time to cross the road via a green man they are forced to take refuge on the island in the middle, whilst they await a gap in the traffic which they judge to be a safe moment to cross.
It was sheer good fortune that a group of youngsters had left one of these refuge islands moments before a gas guzzling 4x4 careered through the lights and ploughed into it last Saturday. Surely it is unacceptable that any pedestrians - but particularly children and elderly residents - should be exposed to such dangers at a junction that is so fundamental to so many routine local journeys.
This reinforces our Labour Action Team's commitment to campaign for this crossing to become a 4way green man crossing so that all our residents can cross the road safely. Please help us to make Hanwell a safer place by adding your name to the campaign by clicking the link on the title above.
Alan Johnson in the politics show
You can watch one of the main contenders for the deputy leadership, Education Secretary, Alan Johnson's interview on the Politics Show by clicking the above link on the title.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Hammering it home
The Tories’ disastrous record in Hammersmith & Fulham shows David Cameron’s Conservatives haven’t changed. Click on the title above to read what 'Progess' has to say about our Tory neighbours.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Never trust a Tory!
David Cameron likes to portray himself as a 'caring Tory'...but we remember when 'Iron Lady' Maggie Thatcher made similar pseudo-empathetic promises to electors. Click on the arrow above for a reminder.
Sir Geoffrey Howe vs Margaret Thatcher
As Prime Minister, Tony Blair, announces his imminent departure from office we remember the climate surrounding Margaret Thatcher's resignation. Click the title to view.
David Cameron - 'I want to be like 'common people'
Tory leader, David Cameron's latest PR gimmick has been to try to shake off his Tory toff image and to try to live like 'common people'. After spending two days living with a muslim family last week he moved on to find out what it's like to be a classroom assistant in a primary school this week. He didn't make much of an impact on the pupils however as they didn't even know who he or his party were. Wonder who will be next on his 'I want the votes of the common people list'?
Remember the Tory years?
Dave the 'Chameleon/ Hug a Hoodie' Cameron may be trying to shed his party's 'past its sell by' Conservative image by breaking with its traditional support for grammar schools etc...but we are not fooled. We know that given half a chance, the Tories would still be singing the same old tune.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Tory councils given green light to lower taxes through service cuts
A double act - Ealing's and Hammersmith & Fulham's Tory leaders.
The Times reported this week that Conservative councils are promising upfront tax cuts, squeezing spending and cutting back on funding for voluntary groups with the approval of David Cameron's inner circle. Despite the professed concern and rhetoric about social and environmental credentials many Conservative councils, including Ealing, are making cuts to services for the elderly and young people.
Ealing's neighbouring Tory borough, Hammersmith and Fulham, is leading the way with the lion share of the 34m worth of cuts to public services. At the last council meeting there were angry protests from several hundred residents objecting to the axing of funding which had sustained charitable groups that had worked with some of the borough's poorest communities. This year, the Ealing Tories benefited from a very favourable financial inheritance from the outgoing Labour administration's prudence which cushioned their cuts. However, they are likley to follow suit next year.
Clink the title above to read the New Statesman's 'Tories' attacks on public services get more exposure.'
Friday, May 04, 2007
TORY COUNCILLOR MISSING!
We seek him here...we seek him there....?
Has anybody seen Elthorne Conservative Councillor JONATHAN OXLEY? The good people of Hanwell voted him in to represent them last May and are seriously concerned at his continual absence throughout most of the year. Whilst being one of the beneficiaries of the generous rise in allowances that Tory chief, Cllr Stacey, awarded his team weeks after gaining power, Cllr Oxley has attended very few meetings indeed during the past year and cannot be said to have earned it or fulfilled his responsibilities to local people. Perhaps his noticeable absence at Council and Hanwell Area Committee meetings is explainable by the fact that he is alleged to spend much of his time abroad. In that case, Hanwell residents are wondering why he stood to represent them in the first place? Residence overseas is an odd qualification for a Hanwell councillor? We hope he makes the appropriate deductions from his allowance?
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