Manifesto 2010: Wolverhampton - Which Way Now? Your Choice!

The Choice has never been clearer

In 2008 the Conservative and Liberal Democrats took control of Wolverhampton City Council. Since then we have seen a record of callousness and incompetence. Your choice this May can take Wolverhampton into a fairer future with Labour or into a downward spiral of service cuts and increased charges with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Your vote on May 6th will also give you the choice to prevent the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats from doing to the country what they have done to our City.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have almost doubled the cost of Meals on Wheels. Charges for services including cremation have risen way beyond inflation. They try to blame the Labour Government but Labour has increased Wolverhampton’s resources year on year – unlike the last Conservative Government.

Yet they continue to waste money on unnecessary traffic and highways schemes, failed to win money for new council housing and have failed to draw down £6m of European grants, money that could have been spend on our City.

They try to claim credit for schemes started by Labour such as the Molineux Hotel, the new Wednesfield Library and the new Bilston Leisure Centre. They try to claim credit for national government initiatives such as Children’s Centres, the Decent Homes programme, the new School building programme and the new interchange project – together some £750m of investment in our City by a Labour Government. Yet they have no vision for our City – there are no new projects in the pipeline.

How much of this investment would be safe under a Tory Government? We can’t get any answer, yet they called a special Council meeting sign off the Building Schools programme before the General Election. What does that tell you?

You have a choice on May 6th – the choice has never been clearer!
Vote Labour for a fairer future – locally and nationally,

Councillor Roger Lawrence
Leader of Wolverhampton Labour Group

A fairer place to live

Where you live in the City can make a huge difference to your life.
The way in which the Council both plans and delivers public services has a huge impact on these life chances.

Labour pledge to:

• Freeze prices for meals on wheels rather than increase charges or replace fresh food with frozen!
• Ensure free bus passes for the elderly are maintained
• Protect community centres and funding for local voluntary groups
• Ensure streets are well-lit, maintain your weekly refuse collection and reopen recycling facilities closed by the Tory/ Lib Dem alliance.
• Rebuild the partnership with the Primary Care Trust to ensure that every adult matters.
• Work with local communities to ensure that all development is sustainable development.
• Protect front line policing and strengthen local communities.

A fairer place to learn and work

Key to the success of Wolverhampton’s future economy is the creation of jobs. The way in which the Council works with the Business sector, the University, Colleges and Schools is central to ensuring that training opportunities are provided to match the skills that the city will need in the future.

Labour pledge to:

• Tackle unemployment and improve skills.
• Make Wolverhampton attractive for new investors.
• Under a Labour Government, continue to improve local Schools through the Building Schools for the Future funding and ensure the new City Academies are completed.
• Help people back into work through the Future Jobs Fund - threatened by the Conservatives nationally.

A fairer place to relax and enjoy life

Wolverhampton has benefited from Government funding to improve play areas and improve community safety.

Despite this big regeneration projects that would transform the city are currently stalled and the centre of Wolverhampton is a “no go” area for many people after the shops close.

Labour pledge to:

• Promote the City again – The Tory/Lib Dem alliance have closed its Visitor Information Centre and plan to charge for parking in the City in the evening
• Revitalise and accelerate retail and commercial plans, including office accommodation, hotels and travel enhancements.
• Tackle congestion and improve public transport.
• Bid for money to start building new Council Housing in the City – why did they Tory/ Lib Dems fail to bid for the first round of Government cash?
• Complete the Decent Homes Programme to all our Council Housing and lobby central government to secure funds to make all private homes energy efficient.

National Conservative Party Chairman, Sir Eric Pickles (2008)

In Wolverhampton your Conservative Council supported by the Lib Dems is:

• Funding a Council tax freeze by cutting vital services and increasing charges that impact on everyone but particularly target the elderly, disabled and vulnerable.
• Using the £240,000 of savings from closing Underhill House to boost Council coffers not improve services for the Elderly, as promised.
• Turning Labour’s healthy financial record that was approved by external auditors (March 2008) on its head with financial crisis after financial crisis, £40 million in Council service cuts and a huge predicted overspend of £1.3million this year on Adult Social Care alone.

By contrast with Labour you can touch the difference …..

Our Government has created new hospitals and schools, renewed Universities and given the under 5s the best start in life through our Child Trust Funds and Sure Start and Children’s Centres.

Locally Labour invested in our City to provide new leisure and health facilities, new primary schools, future jobs and better transport links.

But it is not just about buildings, we have invested in more police, more teachers, in breakfast clubs and after school activities. We have introduced Neighbourhood Wardens and Police Community Support Officers. We have promoted the City and created thriving local community forums.

We have already made a difference …. on May 6th you too can make a difference by voting Labour –
It’s Your Choice!

Download your copy of the manifesto click on the PDF icon below.