Michael Edwards for South Derbyshire

Having received front-page coverage for the announcement of the roads mtce. programme in Derbyshire, South Derbyshire Tories then voted down a package of measures including £500,000 for tackling potholes across the county. 
Instead, the Tories pressed on with a budget that included £4 million for moving an existing library in the Tory leader's own ward. 
And despite public pleas for investment in school buildings from their portfolio holder, Tories also voted down the provision of two temporary science classrooms for William Allitt school in Swadlincote.

DERBYSHIRE'S LOST OPPORTUNITY BUDGET

There were angry exchanges in the council chamber at Matlock ... during the meeting to set the County Council's 2010-11 budget.
Tory councillors were accused of complacency towards the effects of the recession and the aftermath of the recent bad weather on the roads.
Proposals by the Labour group to:
- tackle youth unemployment
- help struggling community groups
- repair the roads after the winter ravages
- bring in tourist money to the north east of the County
were rejected outright by the ruling Tory administration, even though they could be easily accommodated within the 1.5% rise in council tax proposed.
At the same time, the Conservatives supported a £4 m pet project in the Leader’s home town of Ashbourne to relocate the library, despite impassioned pleas by their own education chief, Cllr Mike Longden, for more cash to repair and modernise schools.
Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Anne Western (Barlborough and Clowne), argued that £2 million allocated for contingencies could instead could be spent on alleviating the effects of the recession by increasing apprenticeships for young people who were struggling to find work.
She also argued for £500,000 to enable Councillors to support community groups for older people and carers and help tackle health inequalities.
The Tories also had a bumpy ride after opposing a one off payment of £500,000 to Highways in order to mend the damage caused by the bad weather over the winter period, for example, pot holes.
Proposals to support Creswell Crags bid for UNESCO World Heritage status were also knocked back, whereas the Derwent Valley World Heritage site was allocated £150,000 funding.
Deputy Leader of the Labour Group and Shadow Cabinet member for Education, Cllr Alan Charles (Killamarsh), proposed that £6.4 m allocated for Ashbourne library and the Records Office should be postponed for a year and the money diverted to tackle essential works required in Derbyshire schools. (List in notes)
Derbyshire County Council has received the second highest increase in Government funding of any county council for 2010/11and the Conservatives inherited a healthy financial position from the previous Labour administration, thus allowing them to keep the Council Tax increase at a relatively modest level of 1.5%.  
Though all these measures could be accommodated within the proposed budget, and without further burden on the Derbyshire taxpayer, the Conservatives decided instead to add to the County Council's already substantial reserves. 
Leader of the Labour group, Anne Western says: ' There is a balance to be struck between saving for a rainy day tomorrow and helping Derbyshire people with the problems facing them today'

Labour’s Housing Minister John Healey today confirmed a good deal for council tenants after he announced the halving of guideline rent increases for the 2010/11 financial year. In doing so, John Healey emphasised that he remained committed to ensuring rents remain fair and affordable, and that the reduction would not lead to steep increases in future years.
The move means that for the second year running, the Government has taken steps to keep down council tenants’ rents.

The Tories' national spokesperson has been condemned by the national statistics office for misuse of government statistics.
The decision by the Conservatives to keep claiming an increase in violent crime in Britain is deliberate and cited as the main plank of the case for a broken Britain.
Alan Johnson challenged David Cameron on the matter last November and not received a reply. 
Labour changed the way it counted violent crimes offences in 2002, regarding the report of a violent crime as an instance, rather than the previous practice of letting the Police determine whether there had been an offence.
Further, Labour have encouraged people to report domestic violence, so that we might expect more reports, rather necessarily more incidents. 
A more accurate way to track crime trends is the British Crime Survey which has been asking people if they've experienced crime.  This shows a significant fall in the numbers of people experiencing violent crime. 
The British Crime Survey shows violent crime down by 41% since 1997. 
The British Crime Survey is not perfect - until very recently it didn't interview 10-15 year-olds and, obviously, it cannot talk to victims of murder.
It's to be hoped that South Derbyshire Tories won't join David Cameron and their crime spokesperson in the misuse of crime statistics. 

The latest Tory leaflet ties health and dentistry together in its survey and by citing some national figures on the issue.
Now, you might expect that discussion of the NHS would not be tied to one particular aspect.
Nevertheless, the provision of NHS dentistry has been an issue in the past.
However, canvass returns and other feedback suggest concern about the availability of NHS dentists has fallen considerably from 2 years ago. 
This follows the provision of practices in Woodville and Swadlincote Health Centre. 

The Tories have been distributing a leaflet in South Derbyshire. 
It takes the trouble to feature the Tory candidate and to cite the constituency's name. 
It doesn't take the trouble to cite a single South Derbyshire story or fact. 

And I'd taken care to publish a wide range for general use only in December -

http://www.labourblogs.com/public-blog/michaeledwards/26730/ 

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South Derbyshire Labour Party is currently delivering a campaign newspaper, and the pages can be seen in fuller detail at these addresses.

We are currently distributing a newspaper in South Derbyshire, which you can see at –
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4304456553_9e3e8231df_b.jpg 
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4305200064_c024da0dcf_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4305200530_62e095327c_b.jpg 
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4305201318_1b14f07166_b.jpg   

Mark Todd, South Derbyshire's Labour MP, again gave his concern for manufacturing a public profile by asking a question at Prime Minister's Questions last week. 

By coincidence, a report was being published on the importance of manufacturing in planes, trains and automobiles by the local Chamber of Commerce.  It cites hopes that this sector can grow, and provide jobs and better paid jobs for the future. 
Manufacturing has been able to do better with the lower value of the pound. 

Our focus meanwhile remains on the present.
Britain is now out of recession.  Just. 
But it's important for business confidence and should be celebrated in those terms.
Anecdotal evidence from the doorsteps reflects the growing confidence, but we know there's long way to go.
It's why we must minimise the risks to securing economic growth.  

The Tories are still unwilling or unable to set out the most basic and fundamental economic plans. 
George Osborne would put the recovery at risk with plans to cut public services in the summer, after budgets have been agreed. 
But David Cameron, having sought credit for getting the debt down faster, has now contradicted what George Osborne was saying in terms of degree.
But, still, without giving numbers. 

Standards in public life has once again been given national prominence by the latest announcement on MPs' expenses. 
£1.2m in expenses has to be paid back following a report that has cost £1.1m. 
You can choose to see that as ironic; or recognise that it's the cost of trying to return credibility to Parliament. 
On expenses, Labour has introduced interim restrictions on the allowances scheme, with no more claims for furniture, household goods, cleaning, gardening, or stamp duty.  Members can claim a maximum of £1,250 per month for rent, mortgage interest or hotel bills, plus utilities and Council Tax.
I've also signed up to a new series of pledges on conduct in public life, including publishing claims on-line. 
It's not enough to regard allegations about standards in public life as proof of wrongdoing.
However, we've all got to work at demonstrating proper conduct and the article published in the Burton Mail is salutory -
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/displayarticle.asp?id=479869

Gerry Sutcliffe also visited the Etwall Leisure Centre. 

TO BE WRITTEN AND PHOTOS ADDED

Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, visited the equestrian centre in Scropton to hear of the sports' importance to Britain. 
Gerry is particularly impressed with the sport's work in helping the disabled. 

TO BE WRITTEN

Oil and gas are wonderful materials that we can not only burn for heat and energy, but process for plastics and a wide range of materials. 

The concern is that we may already be able to foresee the end of its wide availability.  And that for the sake of our futures, we need to be able to value more than the market allows.

A number of analysts are projection that the peak in our ability to produce oil will be reached this decade.

A point made in a presentation from Transition Derby.  (http://www.transitionderby.co.uk/)

As it happens, a report last Wednesday was published saying cost of energy is going to keep going up. 

It's possible that this report presents too simple a case.  In the last 2 years we've seen oil reach process of 0 dollars a barrell, and then fall to dollars a barrell. 

As it happens, reducing our dependency on oil neds similar policies as reduce the emisson of greenhouse gases.  If we can do more to be energy efficient, to tap the energy of the sun and the weather systems, the warmth of the earth only 30 foot down, and the tides caused by the moon, we can mitigate climate change and make ourselves less dependent on other countries for our energy, as well as conserve oil and gas for much longer. 

TO BE SPELL CHECKED and UPDATED WITH REFERENCE TO THE REPORT

Haven't logged an entry for some time cos of campaigning activtity, so I'll start submitting a series of entries that have been building up for some time. 

South Derbyshire Labour Party is currently delivering a campaign newspaper, and the pages can be seen in fuller detail at these addresses.

We are currently distributing a newspaper in South Derbyshire, which you can see at –
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4304456553_9e3e8231df_b.jpg 
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4305200064_c024da0dcf_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4305200530_62e095327c_b.jpg 
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4305201318_1b14f07166_b.jpg