Labour Vision

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In an interview, John O'Farrell asks Tony Blair questions from party members and supporters on education, health, Iraq, life as Prime Minister, tackling poverty and much more. You can now watch the interview by going to Labour's Youtube channel, Labourvision by clicking on the link above.

Labour and the NHS

This week Labour ministers are campaigning around the country to demonstrate how the NHS is saving more lives, treating more patients, and is quicker than ever before.

Visit the link above to see an inter-active map highlighting where Labour's record investment in health is being spent in your area. You can also receive a personal prescription for a healthier life plus reminders of how the Tories wrecked the NHS.

We want you to tell us why you're proud of the NHS. It could be that you've used the NHS recently and want to thank a staff member that helped you through a tough time or that you've received excellent service. Click here to tell us your story or read other people's stories in our interactive book.

The political battleground

Over the last ten years, our towns and cities have seen a dramatic transformation. Across the country, we have seen our communities regenerated, public services improved and jobs created. Crime is down. Waiting lists and times are down. School results are better than ever. A record number of people are in work.
Investment by Labour in government, working with Labour councils, has helped change the face of many our communities for the better. Labour councils have once again led the way on value for money, delivering lower increases on average than Tory and Lib Dem councils, as well as the lowest average level of council tax. Thanks to Labour’s continued investment, along with our tough stance on excessive and unfair council tax rises, we have seen in 2007 the second lowest average council tax increase in over a decade. The 2007/08 council tax figures show that Labour councils cost local residents on average £262 per year less than Tory controlled councils, and £201 less than LibDem councils.With Labour, councils have received a real terms increase in their central government funding of 39 per cent since 1997. Under the Tories, local government was starved of cash and resources – over their last four years in power they cut the local government grant in real terms by 7 per cent.

Labour:Education and the NHS

Education remains Labour’s top priority. Every young person deserves the best start in life. By investing in every stage of a child’s education we can ensure that each and every child has the opportunity to reach their potential. The Tories refuse to match our investment and their new spending rule would actually cut investment in public services.
Labour’s record investment and reforms in education are transforming learning from early years right through to GCSEs and beyond. The results are clear: young people are achieving some of the best ever results at 11, 14, 16 and 18. We have doubled the amount spent per year for the typical pupil from £2,500 to £5,000 and there are 36,200 more teachers and 154,000 more teaching assistants and support staff than in 1997. Labour’s long term ambition is to raise the level of investment per pupil to today’s private school levels, an aim the Tories have refused to support.Labour remains firmly committed to an NHS that is free at the point of need with equal access for all, irrespective
of wealth. Since 1997, Labour’s investment and reforms to the NHS have transformed our health service - waiting lists are down, more lives have been saved and more patients have choice. The Tories’ promises on the NHS are at odds with their spending rule which would actually means cuts to public services. Investment in the NHS has doubled since 1997 and is set to treble by 2008.
There are now 32,000 more doctors and 85,000 more nurses than in 1997. Reforms to the NHS are creating a modern health service that is closer to the community and easier to access, as well as meeting the challenge of advances in medicine. Fewer people are waiting, and for shorter periods. In 1997 patients were waiting up to 12 hours in A&E, today 98 per cent of people are seen within 4 hours. In 1997 patients were waiting up to 18 months for operations; today patients are seen within 6 months. By 2008 each and every patient will be treated within 18 weeks of their referral. But there is still more to do and that is why the local elections on May 3rd are so important. They offer a clear choice between continued partnership with Labour in government and in power in our town halls, or cuts to public services under the Tories.

Labour: Making communities safer and stronger

Labour is working hard to make our communities safer by cracking down on the yobs and criminals who can make the lives of others a misery, legislating to get tough on serious and persistent offenders and putting more bobbies on the beat. The Tories talk tough and vote soft on crime, while David Cameron makes calls to hug-a-hoodie and show louts more ‘love’.
Latest figures show that, on average, Labour councils issue more ASBOs than Tory councils, and three times more ASBOs than in Lib Dem areas. With Labour there are more police, with over 14,400 more officers than in 1997 plus almost 11,000 Police Community Support Officers to work alongside the police.
Labour is the party of stronger cities, towns and communities. The Tories left our cities in economic decline with fractured communities. Our aim is to build stronger, inclusive communities with affordable homes, good transport links, and thriving commercial and industrial centres. People will never forget the decline that our cities suffered under the Tories, when families fled from urban areas in the face of rising crime and decay. That is why the people who live in Britain’s cities still do not trust the Tories with their future security. The success of our towns and cities is built on a strong economy providing good opportunities for businesses to invest and create jobs - employment is at its highest ever level, interest rates and inflation remain at historic lows, and the OECD expects UK investment to grow faster than in any other G7 economy in both 2007 and 2008.
A good local environment is vital to the wellbeing and quality of life of communities, and that’s why we’ve given priority to improving public spaces and cleaning up our streets. We’ve given councils powers to tackle problems like graffiti, abandoned cars, fly tipping, noise pollution. The Tories, despite their rhetoric, voted against measures for cleaner neighbourhoods and to tackle climate change. Household recycling in England has increased nearly four fold and we are committed to ensuring that by 2010 all households have access to kerbside collection of at least two types of recyclable materials. We are working to eradicate fuel poverty in vulnerable households by 2010 and announced our plans to make all new homes zero-carbon by 2016. We’ve also worked in partnership with councils to improve local transport, with funding more than doubled since 1997.

Labour's Safer Neighbourhood Team's Blitz on Graffiti

Hobbayne Safer Neighbourhood Team leader Sgt Dave Williams organised a day of action across the whole ward on Tuesday. Your Labour Action Team teamed up with police officers, councilllors and residents to have a blitz on all graffiti, rubbish dumping and abandoned cars. All will be promptly removed and real progress made in protecting and improving the local environment. Thanks to the Labour government, Ealing Council can use the new powers given to them to tackle graffiti and abandoned cars - powers which were opposed by the Tories!

Cllr Greenhead on the case of graffiti

Thanks to the intervention of Labour Cllr Phil Greenhead, the graffiti on the Grove Avenue sign was removed this morning!

Sign of the times!

Your Labour Action team photographed this graffiti in Grove Avenue on Saturday March 17th. As almost a week has gone by and nothing has beendone to clear it off, Labour Cllr Phil Greenhead is now on the case. Let's hope this proud Grove Avenue sign will be restored soon. If you see any moreunsightly graffiti please e-mail us at info@hanwell-labour.com. We will then raise it with the Council if nothing is done to remove it within a reasonable length of time.