David - campaigning for carers

Labour hopeful, David Williams, has welcomed this week's Work and Pensions Select Committee report into support for carers.

As political officer for Usdaw David has been at the forefront of campaigning for new rights and better support for working carers. David said, "There are an army carers across the UK who do a tremendous job looking after their friends and relatives. They are extremely dedicated and often have to operate in difficult circumstances, with very little income or support."

Usdaw has successfully campaigned for the right to request flexible working to be extended to carers, which was delivered by Labour in Government. This has allowed many carers the opportunity to change their hours of work to suit their responsibilities at home"

David continued, "The focus of our campaigning now is to achieve greater financial support for carers by reforming Carers Allowance. We want the Allowance to support those carers who are able to work and encourage others back into employment.

"Working carers save this country billions of pounds every year, it is only right that we offer support to allow them to do perform this crucial role."

Pictured is David with Usdaw's campaign team in the House of Commons.

Click here for further information on Usdaw's Parents and Carers Campaign

Colin Bickerton Backs David

Crewe West member Colin Bickerton said, "I have known David for over 20 years and I think he is the right man for Crewe and Nantwich.

"David was Gwyneth's Agent, supports the local community and is a long-standing Alex fan to boot."

Fight Back Friday 5th September

The next canvassing session we have organised is on Friday 5th September, meeting at 6.30pm.

For this fight Back Friday we don't yet have a venue. So the first person to volunteer to help can also pick the area where we will be knocking on doors and talking to voters. If it happens to be in Crewe we will also be collecting signatures for the Crewe Town Council petition.

Don't forget we also have a Win Back Wednesday arranged for 10th September, meeting at 6.30pm at the LMR Club (please see below for details).

Please e-mail me or telephone me on 07798 696 603 to volunteer to help win back Crewe and Nantwich for Labour.

Cllr Howard and Sheila Curran Back David

Borough Councillor for St Barnabas Howard Curran and Crewe West member Sheila Curran both back David.

They urge local Party members to vote for David to become the next Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich.

They say that the constituency needs a local man who understands local issues and has the experience and ability to sort out the problems of the area. David is that man.

Win Back Wednesday

Following the success of our Fight Back Fridays, I am now launching Win Back Wednesdays.

The first Win back Wednesday will be on 10th September 2008, 6.30pm, meeting at the LMR Club, Goddard Street, Crewe, CW1 3HL.

We will be knocking on doors talking to voters about their issues of concern and about supporting Labour. We will also continue to collect signatures for the petition to get Crewe a town council.

All welcome to help win back Crewe and Nantwich for Labour.

Click here for a map

We need a bus station to be proud of

"Crewe bus station needs a lot more than a lick of paint", said Labour hopeful David Williams.

"I am stunned that there is an article published on Mr Timpson's website describing the painting of the bus station as 'progress'. Frankly the place should have been knocked down and rebuilt over 20 years ago. Despite the paint job, which the article says Mr Timpson 'pushed' for, the bus station is still an embarrassment to the Town."

Pictured is the new paintwork. David continued, "This boarded-up section was the old drivers' room when I worked for Midland Red Buses over 20 years ago. As the shop steward for the bus station I called for improvements to make it safer for passengers and staff, particularly at night. It's much worse now than it was then and I wouldn't want to be waiting for a bus after dark.

"We need real progress, we need a bus station to be proud of and we need a town centre that attracts shoppers and tourists.

"What the people of Crewe want to know is what is the Tory Borough Council, Tory Unitary Authority and Tory MP doing about it?"

Click here to see the article on Mr Timpson's website

Cllr Tony Crawford Backs David

Borough Councillor for Grosvenor Ward and member in Crewe North, Tony Crawford said, "David was my agent when I was first elected and he gave me a great deal of help in running a winning campaign and getting to grips with being a Councillor.

"I have always been impressed with David's commitment to the area and, as a fellow trade unionist, his commitment to improve the lives of working people.

"David shares my passion for the National Health Service. He was at the forefront of the campaigns against Tory cuts at Leighton Hospital, when he worked for Gwyneth. I know that as our candidate and MP he will continue campaiging for more investment and better services."

David backs the Alex to do well this season

Went to our second home game of the season yesterday and was pleased to see the Alex pick up their first points of the season. The team seems to gettng to know each other after another big change in personnel over the summer.

I think the Alex is a real benefit to the Town and the whole area. They consistently punch above their weight, but have struggled over the last few seasons, frankly since Dean Ashton left. Some green shoots of recovery were visible yesterday, but we need to string a few wins together before we can talk about challenging for promotion again.

A mate very kindly took this photo of me and my son Tom. He said I'll need a picture of me at the Alex for my election address! I did comment that there is a small matter of the members deciding who they wanted as their candidate first.

Crewe Alexandra Homepage

Doreen Carless Backs David

Crewe South member Doreen Carless said, "As a long-standing Labour Party member, of 60 years, I am looking for a candidate with local connections and someone with good union credentials.

"David williams fulfils that criteria. David promises to listen to members and voters concerns and act on them. That shows he cares about people, he will give us a strong voice in Parliament."

Fight Back Friday

We were out tonight in Broad Street for the second Fight Back Friday and voters were pleased to see us knocking on doors between elections.

I'm grateful to Cllr Chris Thorley, Cllr Tony Crawford and Steve Pennell (behind the camera) for their support tonight.

As well as talking to voters about local and national issues we were collecting signatures for the official petition for a town council for Crewe. I found that once you explained that everywhere else in the borough is covered by a town or parish council, but Crewe isn't, people were keen to sign. It's a slow process, as people want to chat, so I will be helping out with the campaign whenever possible.

Cllr Mo Grant Backs David

Mo Grant is a Crewe West member and Borough Councillor for Coppenhall, she said, "I have known David Williams for nearly 20 years and worked with him for Labour victories throughout that time.

"David always has the job in hand and uppermost in his mind. A hard task master, but he leads his team from the front, making campaigning rewarding and enjoyable.

"David knows the borough very well and people come first for him in the union work he does now and always did when he worked for Gwyneth."

New Facebook Group Launched

Crewe East member Steve Pennell has created a new Facebook group to support David's campaign to be selected as Labour's Candidate for Crewe & Nantwich.

Titled, Vote Williams, Crewe and Nantwich's next MP, the opening blurb says:

David Williams has put his name forward for selection as Labour's candidate for Crewe and Nantwich at the next General election. This group as been set up for anybody who wishes to show their support for him.

Please click here to join this Facebook group

David Backs A Town Council For Crewe

David says, "Now that Crewe and Nantwich has been swallowed up by the new Cheshire East Unitary Authority, it is more important than ever that we have a Town Council for Crewe. Crewe needs a strong voice to stand up for the town.

"I have campaigned with many parish councils over the years, whilst working for Labour MPs including Gwyneth. They are uniquely placed to deliver local solutions for local problems and do a great job for local residents."

David will be collecting signatures for the petition on Fight Back Friday, along with other Party members. If you are able to spare some time to help out please contact David on 07798 696 603.

Cllr Chris and Margaret Thorley Back David

Chris Thorley has been a Party member for 50 years and a local councillor for 38 years and his wife Margaret has been a Party member for 40 years.

They are supporting David Williams because they feel that the people of Crewe and Nantwich need him at Westminster as thier representative. David has strong local credentials, he's a trade unionist, former agent for Gwytheth Dunwoody and a family man.

David is the man to win Crewe and Nantwich back for Labour.

Fight Back Friday 22 August

The next fight back Friday is on 22 August.

At 6.30pm.

Meet at the Cross Keys public house, 2 Remer Street,Crewe, CW1 4LS.

We are calling on voters to talk about issues and supporting Labour. We will also be collecting petition signatures for the campaign for a town council for Crewe.

Cllr David Newton Backs David

A member in South Cheshire Branch and County Councillor for Crewe West, David Newton said, "David's enthusiasm and commitment would be a real boost to the local Labour Party, after a very difficult year.

He is a proven campaigner on the the national stage, in Parliament and on Labour's National Policy Forum. David knows the constituency well, understands peoples' problems and issues, the great potential for economic and social development, and has always worked hard for Labour victories.

I believe this unique combination of knowledge and ability makes David the best candidate to win back Crewe and Nantwich for Labour."

First Fight Back Friday

I've just come back from the first Fight Back Friday. We were in Lord Street talking to voters about their issues of concern and about supporting Labour. And we received a really good response, people were pleased to see us.

Support for Labour was strong and many commented that they don't think Gordon Brown has had a fair crack of the whip. Repeatedly I was told that the PM is the best person to see us through the current economic difficulties.

Two people also expressed an interest in joining the Labour Party. I am convinced that we can still recruit and build our membership, even when the polls and much of the media have written us off. The fight back started here.

Many thanks to Nantwich Branch Secretary, John O'Mahoney and Crewe East member, Steve Pennell for their support tonight.

Pictured: David talking to voters on Lord Street.

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The battle to be Crewe and Nantwich MP begins again

By Mark Hilditch

THE Labour Party has begun the process of selecting a new candidate to fight for Crewe and Nantwich at the next general election.

Following a trouncing by the Tories at the high profile by-election in May, the group is looking for the right person to snatch back the seat with three candidates in the race so far.

Usdaw’s political officer and former agent to the late Gwyneth Dunwoody, David Williams, will fight it out with borough councillor Steve Conquest and former Congleton constituency hopeful Gary Poole.

Williams was first to enter the fray.
He said: “As an award winning trade union campaigner from the shopfloor of Bentley's, I have the local knowledge and national experience to be a first class representative.”

Mr Williams was shortlisted in the selection for Labour's candidate for the by-election, narrowly losing out when he came second to Gwyneth Dunwoody’s daughter Tamsin.

She has now decided not to seek selection in Crewe and Nantwich and is supporting Mr Williams' bid.
She said: “I have known David for over 20 years, since he first came to help my mother in the 1987 General Election as a young trade union activist from Bentley.

“He went on to be my mothers' agent at the next election and I know she always rated David very highly.

He added: “I know Crewe and Nantwich very well - I was raised and educated just up the road in Middlewich.

“I have spent half my working life in Crewe at Rolls-Royce, Crewe Bus Station and in Gwyneth's Constituency Office.

Gary Poole was born in Nantwich and formerly lived in Crewe's west end, when he worked at the CWS Tea & Coffee Centre on Weston Road before it's closure.

Since that time he has been a member of the Prison Service and has served at HMP Manchester, Risley, Wandsworth and Holloway; he is currently Head of Drug Strategy for the service in London.

Mr Poole said "As a truly local candidate I can bring a unique understanding to the issues facing hard working local families.

“I am someone who was born here, someone who has lived, worked and played here and I have even been unemployed in Crewe, so I have a real understanding of the current anxieties facing working people.

“As someone who has worked in some of Britain's toughest prisons I also have real experience of how crime affects the community and I pledge to be a true champion to all those whose lives are blighted by crime and anti-social behaviour.

“No one can feel more honour at the prospect of representing this constituency in Parliament and because of this I will work tirelessly to show local people that I am on their side".

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Councillor Steve Conquest stressed his local experience in announcing his bid for the role.

"In declaring my candidacy for the selection of Parliamentary candidate for Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party, I offer experience, energy and the commitment of a local candidate who lives in the constituency.

"Knowing what's needed and reconnecting, truly reconnecting, with the people of Crewe and Nantwich will see us return a Labour MP for this constituency.

"I believe that this will only be possible with the commitment that comes from a local candidate who is determined to succeed.

"I intend to run a positive campaign that highlights all the investment in health, education and welfare provision that has come from a Labour government to the constituency of Crewe and Nantwich.

"However I also believe that we can do better, we must do better and we will do better for the people of Crewe and Nantwich and that is why I am standing for this selection. The process to select the party candidate will conclude on Friday October 17 with a meeting of all local members.

Guardian Article

Labour candidate steps forward

If you thought that the local political scene would quieten down now that the by-election and Cheshire East stuff has passed, well, your wrong. The local Labour Party has started the process to select a new candidate to fight Edward Timpson for the Crewe & Nantwich seat at the next general election. David Williams has decided to throw his hat into the ring. “I am committed to winning back Crewe & Nantwich for Labour. As an award winning trade union campaigner from the shop floor of Bentley’s, I have the local knowledge and national experience to be a first class representative for the constituency.”

Shortlisted in the selection to be Labour’s candidate for the recent by-election, Williams narrowly lost out to Tamsin Dunwoody. So you can expect a bit of sniping from the other parties who will suggest that Labour are ready to accept second best with Dunwoody deciding to stand aside this time. However, Dunwoody, who stood against Timpson back in May, is 100% behind Williams' bid. “I have known David for over 20 years, since he first came to help my mother in the 1987 General Election as a young trade union activist. He went on to be my mothers’ agent at the next election and I know she always rated David very highly."

The process to select a candidate will conclude on Friday 17th October 2008. Thoughts on David Williams as the Labour candidate? Is he the right man to take on Edward Timpson?

Crewe Blog Article

Stephen Pennell Backs David

Party member in Crewe East branch Stephen Pennell said, "Having worked with David virtually full-time, when he was Gwyneth's agent, I know he is the candidate with superb organisational skills, and someone who knows how to run a successful campaign to win back Crewe and Nantwich for us.

"With David's union connections as political officer we also have a candidate who knows how the Westminster machine works, and has the contacts to make a real difference.

"He has also shown a real desire to represent us and campaign for a Labour victory. I feel it shows what high regard he is held in when Gwyneth's daughter is endorsing him, thats good enough for me."

Bentley man in bid to win seat for party

The Labour Party has started the process of selecting a candidate to fight for the Crewe and Nantwich seat at the next General Election.

The Union Of Shop, Distributive And Allied Workers political officer and former agent to the late Gwyneth Dunwoody, David Williams, has thrown his hat into the ring.

Mr Williams said: "I am committed to winning back Crewe and Nantwich for Labour.
"As an award-winning trade union campaigner from the shop floor of Bentley Motors, I have the local knowledge and national experience to be a first class representative for the constituency."

Mr Williams was shortlisted in the selection for Labour's candidate for the May by-election. He narrowly lost out, coming second to Tamsin Dunwoody.

Ms Dunwoody has now decided not to seek selection in Crewe and Nantwich and is supporting Mr Williams's bid.

Ms Dunwoody said: "I have known David for more than 20 years, since he first came to help my mother in the 1987 General Election as a young trade union activist from Bentley.

"He went on to be my mothers' agent at the next election and I know she always rated David very highly.

"David worked closely with me during the by-election and provided tremendous support in a difficult campaign.

"We share a commitment to create a better society by tackling crime, poverty and inequality.

"I know that David is the best placed person to win back Crewe and Nantwich at the next general election."

Sentinel Article

Fight Back Fridays

It is crucial that we don't spend the next few months only talking to ourselves. We must engage the wider electorate in a conversation about what we need to do to win the seat back for Labour.

So I will be out every Friday evening, knocking on doors, talking to local voters about backing Labour and rebuilding our support.

If you have any time available on a Friday evening, even if it is only half-an-hour, please call me on 07798 696 603, so we can arrange to meet up and rebuild local support for Labour.

Tamsin Dunwoody Backs David

Tamsin has decided not to seek selection in Crewe and Nantwich and is supporting David Williams’ bid.

Tamsin said, “I have known David for over 20 years, since he first came to help my mother in the 1987 General Election as a young trade union activist from Bentley’s. He went on to be my mothers’ agent at the next election and I know she always rated David very highly.

“David worked closely with me during the by-election and provided tremendous support in a difficult campaign. We share a commitment to create a better society by tackling crime, poverty and inequality.

“I know that David is the best placed person to win back Crewe and Nantwich at the next general election.”

Winning Back Crewe & Nantwich

I have decided to put my name forward for selection as Labour's Parliamentary Candidate to fight Crewe & Nantwich at the next general election.

To say that 2008 has been a bad year for us would be quite an understatement. I think we are all still trying to come to terms with the sudden death of Gwyneth. Further setbacks lay ahead with the break up of local government in Cheshire, the subsequent loss so many good councillors in the elections and the humiliating by-election result. After all that we must do everything possible to rebuild the morale of our members and supporters to win Crewe & Nantwich back from the Tories.

I believe that I have the skills, knowledge and commitment to be a first class candidate and deliver a victorious campaign, ridding the constituency of its first (and hopefully last) Tory MP. I enclose my CV for you to review. In the next few weeks I will be calling to discuss with you my priorities for Labour, both locally and nationally. I am also keen to hear your views on what you want from your next Labour candidate.

Gwyneth’s former agent hopes to win seat

by Marc Waddington, Crewe Chronicle

GWYNETH Dunwoody’s former agent David Williams has announced he hopes to take on Conservative MP Edward Timpson for the Crewe and Nantwich seat at the next general election.

Mr Williams, who was short-listed for the candidacy prior to Labour’s defeat in the May by-election, said he is committed to winning back the seat for Labour.

The former Bentley employee and father-of-three, who lives in Eccles, said: “As an award-winning trade union campaigner from the shop floor at Bentley, I have the local knowledge and national experience to be a first class representative for the constituency.”

Other hopefuls are expected to announce their plans to seek the nomination as parliamentary candidate in the coming days.

Chronicle Article