What will these parents do...?

Sure Start Children’s centres have been one of Labour’s big successes over the last five years, growing rapidly to reach 3,500 across the country.

Here in Central Devon, parents can access services at six centres – serving areas in and around Ashburton / Buckfastleigh; Bovey Tracey / Heathfield; Crediton, Hatherleigh, and Okehampton

What will parents who use these centres discover, if a Tory Government gets in?

The Tories would cut Sure Start from families on middle and modest incomes.

Those same families would suffer a double whammy because the Tories would also cut Child Tax Credits and the Child Trust Fund.
And now we learn that the Tories secret plan is to let nurseries charge top-up fees
The Tory voting record speaks volumes -
Against increasing maternity leave. Against introducing paternity leave. Against flexible working. Against the National minimum wage.

Don't give the Tories the chance to plunge parents and their children back into hardship and poverty.
Vote Labour.

See what Labour will do here....

Visible, vocal, going for votes

Ten weeks since our Central Devon Campaign took off and I'm overwhelmed by the superb welcome and support from local Labour Party members and supporters.

In particular I'm indebted to members who have walked miles delivering newsletters in their area, and to supporters who have put my posters up in their windows, or invited me to have a garden stake in front of their home.

Everywhere I've been, across Central Devon, there are Labour-minded people who greet me and are delighted to see a Labour candidate actively campaigning for votes.

There's an myth the Tory Party promotes that rural seats are 'naturally' theirs.

Not so.

Central Devon is a new constituency voting for the first time in the election. No-one knows how the votes will go.

But it is true that this country's antiquated first-past-the-post electoral system betrays voters up and down the country and often creates 'safe seats'.

That should never be so in any election. It has to be changed. Labour recognise that need and have pledged to do something about it. Everyone should be able to vote postively for who they do want, not negatively against a Party they don't want.

Central Devon has no track record. It is important that voters vote for who they want. If you're Labour, please vote for me - the many other Labour people in Central Devon, who are active in this campaign, would love to see their efforts rewarded.

Student Amnesty

I know Amnesty International has a strong following
amongst university students.

Last night at Queen Elizabeth's Community College we had a big turnout crowd treated to a first rate hustings organised by teaching staff and

the School's Amnesty International group of pupils.

I was delighted to discover that QECC is also a Fairtrade School.

One of my great pleasures in this election is to find young people very engaged with politics - not necessarily party politics, though there's a big revival in the Labour Party, but in the commitment to making our world a better place - caring as much for others as themsleves.

For thirteen years our Labour Government has worked to foster fairer and more socially responsible attitudes. Now we can see the re-connection of young people to decent life-enhancing values, away from the Thatcher's Children generation's selfish obsessions with its conspicuous consumption and the me-me-me heedlessness that bred inequality.

The Sixth Form students at Queen Elizabeth's Community College are axcellent ambassadors for their high acheiving school. It was a pleasure to be part of their event.

Labour fields more women candidates than ever before

There are more Labour women candidates in this election than ever before.

And the last Parliament already had three times the number of Labour women MPs than all the other parties combined.

See more about this great news

With Labour back in Government there would be further progress made on making sure that all this country's legislation is looked at from both a female and male point of view.

Result - much better legislation.

For a Government that reflects everyone's interests - Vote Labour.

It's Legal!

Huge thanks to the dozens of people who
have worked hard on my behalf already.

The crucial step of ensuring I am properly registered as a candidate
was completed today, so all their work has been rewarded.
We can now race on towards polling day - 6th May.

All five candidates in Central Devon have registered and there's been no last minute shock of discovering, as have some of my Labour colleagues, that there's the appalling BNP to contend with.

So far the election contest has seemed fair and decent, without personal rancour as we five meet at the various hustings. I for one intend it to stay that way.