Students into Politics - Superb!

Max congratulations to the innovative and determined students at South Dartmoor Community College.
As some-one with a schools-based background I experienced the under-investment of the Tories, when they were in power - falling far short of ensuring a decent education for every pupil, every student, in every school and college.
I'm so proud that the results of years of massive Labour Government investment in education were so wonderfully

Eradicating fly-tipping mentality

Spring has brought lambs to the 3-acre field in which I have a quarter-share.
It also brought a heap of fly-tipped rubbish - dumped at our gate and including a large mirror which smashed up leaving glass scattered where dogs

Wholehearted support for Hospiscare

Whether it is the joy of very lively music in a packed church in Cheriton Fitzpaine, or the great fun of joining with a good Labour colleague and hundreds of other women on a midnight walk, the pleasure to be had in raising funds for Hospiscare is doubled by knowing what superb work Hospices do.

So when Exeter, Mid and East Devon Hospiscare wrote asking me to sign up to their manifesto I did so without hesitation. Hospiscare supports family friends and carers before and after a person's death. The support is invaluable.

Credibility Bypass, not Traffic Bypass for Crediton

How patient do the people of Crediton have to be?

We know the patience of the current Conservative administration at County Hall has run out, because they've voted to abandon the best and only logical way of resolving Crediton's intense traffic problems - which is to get on and build the long-promised bypass.

We also know that no-one at County Hall has asked the Devon PCT/NHS Trust about morbidity and mortality data to see any effects of Crediton's citizen's enforced breathing of chronicly high amounts of polluted air.

How many people in Crediton die early because of too long

What About Women?

I've been a Member of the Fawcett Society for several years and admire the scale and quality of their campaigning and lobbying. Last October I went to their AGM and met Fawcett's new Chief Executive, Ceri Goddard.

And I'm fully backing their election campaign designed to ensure women's voices are heard during the General Election.

Fawcett is the lead organisation of a powerful coalition of over 40 organisations, including Gingerbread , Carers UK , End Violence Against Women , the Hansard Society , the Equality Trust ,  and many more, saying we women want political parties to take us more seriously on the major election issues such as the economy, crime, and renewing political trust.

See here the questions they are asking the political parties - What We're Asking
You can add your voice to the campaign in the pledge column on the right hand side of their web-page.

Walking back to happiness again

Spring is in the air. After a hard winter the frogspawn in my pond has appeared two weeks later than last year. Getting around by bicycle or on foot is becoming more enjoyable.

Across Central Devon there are volunteers who work with local councils to make it more attractive for people to get out and about as the weather improves.

In Morchard Bishop footpaths abound and Okehampton's Walk and Talk initiative by Natural England has won 

Red Rose with a Green Stem

Labour is committed to action on climate change and the creation of a new low-carbon economy

Our current first-past-the-post voting system means that Green Party votes have next to no chance of putting a single MP into Parliament, let alone the Green Party into power.
With the Tories being as  Eco-sceptic  as they are Euro-sceptic only Labour will do.

The Green Party Candidate for Central Devon couldn't make the Devon Heartlands Q&A session in Okehampton last Monday but it was pleasant to share the evening with his substitute Catherine Simmons.

NATO, yes, that NATO, celebrates International Women's Day

International Women's Day was celebrated by thousands of equality and women's rights organisations - and millions of women - around the world last Monday

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Though the British media didn't take much notice the Prime Minister and the Labour Government did - such as Getting More Women Into Boardrooms - and Tackling Violence Against Women Worldwide

But finally it seems the potential power of women to influence PEACE worldwide has been recognised by the military.
Check this out this YouTube Women's Day 2010 - NATO

Red Rose among thorns

Full marks to the Post-16 teachers at Okehampton Community College.

But nought out of ten to the local Tory for his "Nasty-Party", unfounded attack on Labour's education record. Find out more...

Tories 'heart' bypass - NOT

For a rural town Crediton has some of the worst inner-city level type of pollution.

Too much traffic in too confined a space.

Not surprisingly Crediton was due to get a bypass. In 1985/6 Devon County Council earmarked funds to get it done, but at the last minute the money got diverted to help draw in large funding to projects elsewhere.

Don't worry, people were assured at the time - we'll have the money next year and do it then.

BUT -  the next year the Tory Government

Get Serious About CO2 Action Day success

Despite threatening looking clouds last Saturday, Members of 2020 Vision Exeter set up stalls outside Boots Chemists in Exeter High Street and immediately had loads of passers-by addressing the 'Get Serious About CO2' postcards to their local councillor and the leader of Exeter City Council.

People visiting from outside Exeter also had the chance to send cards to their own councils.
It was a fab opportunity to speak to people of all ages about climate change, global warming and what can be done about it. I'm proud to be a member of 2020 Vision Exeter and to be able to help get their pro-Planet message across.

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