Originally published @ 10:35 am, Fri 7th May 2010
I'm sorry the news isn't more positive.
But you don't win General Elections on a national share of the vote of 29%.
Turnout in South Derbyshire was up and what positives there are include -
the BNP losing their deposit here after last year's performance and
seeing the number of Lib Dem MPs fall after Nick Clegg had declared the "sky is the limit" and "we have taken Labour's place in UK politics" - Nick Clegg has suffered his David Steel moment.
I was a bit disappointed to be denied a speech at the declaration and I would have liked to have publicly thanked everyone who helped, including Olwyn Emery who took us to another level in the north-west of the constituency and especially Alan Jones, my agent, who not only worked hard, but to great effect in getting things done.
The Burton Mail gave me space for a comment -
“Whatever else is said about the 1997-2010 Labour government, never again will anyone in public life say unemployment is a price worth paying; never again will people say ‘sorry’ because a delay in the operation on your heart meant that you will never be able to work again.
“We have transformed Britain.”
Our focus in South Derbyshire now must be in preparing for the battles of the future -
keeping tenants’ say on the future of local council housing;
developing a better public service response to anti-social behaviour and trespass on public land;
stopping exploitation of foreign workers by local businesses and agencies at the expense of the livelihood of local workers, and the general public who have to pay for the local unemployment and loss of tax revenue;
keeping the Building Schools for the Future programme, keeping the Chellaston school catchment as is and defending our Sure Start children centres.
using all we know and all we have learnt to take the District Council back for Labour next year.
And preparing for the fallout of a national election, the result of which is still not fully known.
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