Published on 10th May, 1995, following Labour winning both City Council seats in Mapperley ward on 4th May. "He's out! She's in!" An excellent front page on Friday's Evening Post proclaimed a great victory.
Tory free zone
The result was -
Emma 1506
Saghir 1393
Bradbury 1274
Rolling 1122
Raymond 387
Campione 374
Spoilt 4
Papers cast 3166
Turnout 40.8%
We defeated a Tory leader (who had claimed to represent the ward for 23 years) with a principled and largely positive campaign.
The City Council
Results of the night were arguably in Wollaton and Abbey which meant the Tories were reduced to one councillor.
Labour 51
Lib. Dem. 2
Conservative 1
Green 1
Gedling & Broxtowe
Gedling & Broxtowe fell to Labour for the first time ever, and the Tories lost control of Rushcliffe.
Already, the majority Broxtowe Labour Group has decided to drop the campaign for unitary status and has voted for status quo.
Swing
In Mapperley, the swing from 1993 was virtually nothing. It was much stronger elsewhere in the city and nationally averaged over 5%.
Even our own canvass returns were optimistic - they predicted a 2% swing.
Swing
from 1993 0.2%
from 1991 7.7%
Share of vote
Labour 47.9%
Tory 39.6%
Lib. Dem. 12.6%
The Lib. Dems. went backwards from 1993 (down 1.1%), despite an aggressive anti-Labour campaign and extra effort by their party workers.
Fighting the Cuts
This years cuts in the County's budget is £23m; next year's is planned to be £40m.
Imagine cuts in education being twice as bad next year!
The Government ought to back down following the pasting they have taken but public pressure still needs to be exerted.
Beechwood
The acting principal is resigning - we need to pay special attention to Beechwood during this transition period.
Kingsthorpe
The City Council is considering a report in June for improvements. This includes -
- closed circuit t.v. monitoring;
- 3 additional surveillance officers.
The residents group needs help to be more effective.
Caunton Avenue
The flats used by the probation service already look derelict.
Woodthorpe Park
The new development has started controversially.
County Council issues
£40m cuts.
The Labour Group has started its annual exercise of preparing for cuts.
First to be discussed has been a drastic cutting back of the policy unit.
Mainstreaming Equal Opportunities
Reports taken at the Equal Opportunities Cttee. have become less relevant. The bulk of equal opportunities work now takes place in service committees.
So the Group is looking at running a new committee focusing on the quality of services provided overall by the County; and at holding quangos to account.
SATs
The Labour Group has decided not to bid for money to meet 60% of the cost of cover for SATs for seven year olds; arguing instead that the 40% we would have to find should be spent on teacher assessment and providing information for parents.
QMC
Planning grounds for opposition are proving difficult to find.
The Environment Cttee. needs lots of people to write in and complain about the plans to have any option of refusing.
VE Day
A street party in Penarth Gardens created a car free zone for a day - what joy!
The significance of 1945 is that a Labour Government was elected to create a new nation, built on the common experience and endeavour of British people from all classes.
Achievements included -
- creation of NHS;
- free education;
- a new social insurance scheme;
- nationalisation;-
- the creation of the new commonwealth;
- the foundation of the Arts Council;
- new homes;
- jobs.
Comments