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TEWKESBURY
CHELTENHAM
GLOUCESTER
CIRENCESTER
MANIFESTO 2017
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
THIS MANIFESTO IS OUR BLUEPRINT It is only through proper co-operation with
FOR HOW A LABOUR-RUN COUNTY all levels of government, from Westminster
COUNCIL WOULD PROVIDE STRONG, to your parish council or neighbourhood
COMPASSIONATE AND EFFECTIVE group, that will we be able to solve the
GOVERNANCE FOR THE PEOPLE OF problems that face our communities. A
GLOUCESTERSHIRE. Labour Council will work directly with local
communities, giving you the control to
We have put equality, opportunity and co- improve your villages, towns and city.
CONTENTS 2
operation at the core of our programme.
We believe that it is with these values that We are very proud of Gloucestershire and,
INTRODUCTION 3
we can bring not only our Local Government as our home, we are invested in making
into the twenty-first century, but the county sure that it is the best that it can be. With
LABOUR ACHIEVEMENTS 2013-17 4
as a whole. your support we can modernise and invest,
make sure that no child is left behind, that
MANIFESTO OVERVIEW 5
For far too long our roads, our schools, no road is left dangerous, and that every
our infrastructure, and our public services adult in need of care receives it.
GOVERNANCE & ETHICS 6
been allowed to degrade through lack of
investment, care and consideration. In this Gloucestershire needs to brought into the
DEVOLUTION 8
manifesto we promise to bring decision- twenty-first century, and we need to make
making back to the people who matter: our sure everyone is involved. When we work
HIGHWAYS GLOUCESTERSHIRE 10
residents. With every pledge, we make sure together, can build a forward-looking, co-
that you, the resident, will have the ability operative county that provides for everyone.
HOMES & COMMUNITIES 12
to shape, direct and scrutinise how your
County Council works.
TRANSPORT & ENVIRONMENT 14
Over the last four years the Labour Group This time we need your support even more AT THE CORE OF THIS MANIFESTO ARE THE VALUES
on the County Council have achieved much so that we can bring Gloucestershire into OF EQUALITY, OPPORTUNITY AND CO-OPERATION.
of what we set out to do. the twenty-first century. For the past eleven WE BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO TACKLE THE
years the Tory-led administration have not FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS BEING IMPOSED BY
We promised to you that we would put our roads, our elderly, or our schools WESTMINSTER IS TO BREAKDOWN TRADITIONAL
encourage and expand access to quality first. As a result, we have some of the BARRIERS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
apprenticeships for young people in worst roads in the South West, we have too
our county. In 2014 we introduced the many underperforming schools that are To achieve this, we will reach out to City, District and
Apprentice Travel Card making getting to not getting the support they need, and the Borough Councils. We will also reach out to neighbourhood
work free for those who needed it most. Council struggles to provide humane and groups, Parish Councils, schools, NHS services, and
effective care for our elderly. community groups. To create a strong, productive County,
We promised that we would introduce we must have a united County. One that prioritises homes,
the Living Wage to all Council employees. Our manifesto provides a strong, highways, transport, care for the young and the old, and
In 2015 we secured this. This meant that compassionate and co-operative approach one that protects and enriches our natural environment.
hundreds of lower-paid employees got the to local government. We want to provide an
pay rise they deserved. administration that values hard work and The policies and approaches in our manifesto have
compassion. Our programme makes sure been tried and tested in counties and cities as diverse
We promised to ensure that no child was that all residents will be put at the heart of as Oldham, Reading, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire and
left behind. In 2016 we secured a record services. It is only by breaking down existing London. Learning from their experiences we can create
3m investment in Gloucestershires barriers to local government that we can a new but tested, strong and effective administration in
social workers, to ensure that every child achieve a system that works for everybody. Gloucestershire.
gets the help they deserve.
This May put your trust in Gloucestershire Our programme ditches the concept that the government
I am very proud of what Labour have Labour and we will deliver a County Council knows best. We will work alongside all stakeholders
achieved for residents in our county. It that puts you and your communities first. in society to ensure that we can provide the means for
is because of your support that we have businesses to thrive, for families to grow, and for older
been able to bring an out-of-touch local people to feel secure in their homes.
government closer to you, to provide the
care and support that you deserve. A modern, effective and efficient County Council is a
reality that we cannot afford to put off any longer. Only a
LESLEY WILLIAMS MBE
Labour-led authority can achieve this. Over the next few
LEADER OF THE LABOUR GROUP
pages we will demonstrate how we plan to do this.
COUNTY COUNCILLOR FOR STONEHOUSE
OUR PLEDGES
Our pledge for Highways is to create a TO CREATE A HIGHWAYS STEERING PANEL MADE UP
truly co-operative Transport Board made OF NEIGHBOURHOOD GROUPS, PARISH, TOWN AND
up of District Council, Parish Council and DISTRICT COUNCILS TO SHAPE HOW WE MANAGE OUR
Neighbourhood groups. This board will help ROADS.
direct and scrutinise the works that take
place on our roads. Labour wants to give
control over our roads and infrastructure RETURN ALL PLANNING CONTROL FOR HIGHWAYS
back to our communities. BACK TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL. POTHOLES ARE OUR
RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE WILL FIX THEM.
To complete works on our roads,
we will use local firms and prioritise INVEST IN MODERN TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE SURE WE
Gloucestershire business. Planning and
ARE FIXING ROADS IN AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE
ongoing maintenance would be delivered,
in partnership, with your local town, parish WAY.
and district council.
THROUGH MORE EFFECTIVE CO-OPERATION AND
For too long residents and businesses PLANNING, WE WILL ELIMINATE, OVER TEN YEARS,
have had to suffer because the current THE 80M HIGHWAYS DEBT ACCRUED BY THE
administration has allowed a private
CURRENT TORY ADMINISTRATION.
corporation to run our road services with
little input from residents. Our programme
would mean that local residents, through USE MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES TO
their communities, would be able to direct CREATE SAFER AND BETTER ROADS FOR CARS, BIKES
and shape what happens to our roads: a AND BUSES.
truly community-led Highways Board.
We will foster a new era of collaboration between GIVE A VOICE TO THOSE WHO CARE FOR FAMILIES
community groups, the NHS, and other services AND FRIENDS BY CREATING THE CARE FORUM.
to make sure that we can cover all bases when it
comes to caring for our loved ones. We will extend RE-EVALUATE HOW WE WORK WITH THE NHS, THE
our care integration to our Mental Health services,
POLICE AND SCHOOLS, TO DELIVER A CO-OPERATIVE
as well as elderly care.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE.
If we do not integrate services such as Gloucester
Police, care providers, the NHS and our Public MAKE SURE THAT PUBLIC HEALTH WORKS RIGHT
Health bodies then we will never get to grips to the ALONGISDE THE NHS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE
issues facing our residents. RECEIVES THE BEST CARE.
We have to do everything we can to make sure that
everyone gets the support they need to live happy,
healthy lives. We have to breakdown the old models
of care that have led to our current social care crisis,
and provide a strong community response that
prioritises people, not profit.
facebook.com/GlosLabour facebook.com/CheltenhamLabourParty
@Glos_Labour @CheltLabour
facebook.com/The-Forest-of- stroudclp@tiscali.co.uk
STEVE LYDON JASMINDER GILL GRAHAM MORGAN Dean-Constituency-Labour-
DURSLEY BARTON & TREDWORTH CINDERFORD Party-1768369146766721 facebook.com/StroudCLP
@FoDLabour @Stroud_Labour
MORE INFORMATION
gloucestershirelabour.org.uk
TRACY MILLARD PAUL MCMAHON STEVE MCHALE
TUFFLEY COLEFORD CONEY HILL & MATSON
facebook.com/GloucestershireLabour
@LabourGlos
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