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Happy Christmas

David Williams, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, said:

"Today is a very special day and I hope everyone enjoys themselves. It is particularly special for children and a chance for families to take a well earned breather from the daily grind.

"My thoughts are with those who have to work on Christmas Day and, particularly our emergency service workers and our armed forces, my thanks go out to them.

"There are of course people across the world who are living in much poorer circumstances than us. It is important that we remember them and direct some of our seasonal generosity towards tackling worldwide poverty. Political solutions are also crucial and it is incumbent upon all politicians to work towards a lasting worldwide settlement on conflict, famine, poverty and other humanitarian issues.

"Please accept my sincere best wishes and season’s greetings."

Make a difference today on world poverty, please visit the War On Want website

DAVID WILLIAMS ADDRESSES THE NANTWICH BRANCH OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

David Williams, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, was invited to address the Nantwich branch of The Royal British Legion at the Conservative Club on Churchyardside, and has signed up to their ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign.

David said, "The Royal British Legion does great work for our Armed Forces family – our serving personnel, veterans and their families. I fully support the Legion’s ‘Do Your Bit’ campaign and have already signed up in support of their campaign.”

The Royal British Legion have drawn up a manifesto for the next General Election and to ensure that the next Government does their bit for the whole Armed Forces family.

David Williams told the Nantwich branch that the Government has already announced a review of the Armed Forces Compensation scheme, with Admiral the Lord Boyce acting as an independent chair of the review. Ensuring that our Armed Forces have better accommodation has also been a priority of this Government in remedying decades of under investment. The Government has committed £3bn to enhancing accommodation over the next ten years. The 2009 pay award of 2.8% meant that for the third year running the Forces pay increase was amongst the highest in the public sector. Welfare support for casualties in hospitals has been much improved.

Last year the Government published the ‘Service Personnel Command Paper’ which the Royal British Legion praised at the time. Amongst the forty commitments in the paper are steps to ensure that:

• Service dependents can retain their place on an NHS waiting list when they move to a new area.

• Injured personnel can now access grants of up to £30,000 to adapt their home, without their compensation payments being means-tested. Seriously injured personnel are entitled to privileged access to affordable housing schemes in England.

• Priority status in affordable housing schemes across Great Britain, including the ability to apply 12 months after discharge.

David concluded, “The Nantwich branch of the Royal British Legion made me very welcome and we had a very useful and fruitful discussion. The branch raised a few issues that I will take back and discuss with the appropriate Government Minister.

DAVID WILLIAMS CONDEMNS RAILWAY STONE THROWERS

David Williams, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, strongly condemned the increase in the number of incidents of people throwing stones at railway trains.

David Williams, addressing a meeting of Labour supporters, said, “I am extremely concerned at the recent announcement by the British Transport Police regarding the increase in the number of incidents of young people throwing stones at passing trains. Fortunately no-one has been injured as yet.”

A recent report by the BT Police shows that the number of such incidents has increased over the past few weeks, and that children as young as ten have been seen throwing stones and other objects at trains in the Crewe area.

David said, “I welcome the moves by BT Police to step up their patrols and efforts to put a stop to this very dangerous practice. If a stone were to break one of the windows on the train then passengers could suffer terrible injuries. If the driver’s window was to be shattered, then a serious accident could result. The BT Police are quite right in treating these incidents as very serious and I support their actions to bring a stop to this dreadful and thoughtless practice.”

DAVID WILLIAMS CONGRATULATES LABOUR MERIT AWARD RECIPIENT

David Williams, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has congratulated Hon Alderman Peter Kent on receiving the prestigious Award of Merit from the Labour Party.

Hon Alderman Peter Kent was presented with the Labour Party’s prestigious ‘Award of Merit’ by David Williams and Stephen Twigg last week. The award recognises a lifetime’s dedication to the Labour Party.

David Williams said, “Peter joined the Labour Party at the age of 15 and has dedicated his life to working for our principles and policies. He has played a very important part in improving the lives of many people over the years and I am pleased that I and the Labour Party in general can show our appreciation of his work through this award.”

Stephen Twigg added, “This Award of Merit’ is usually given to Labour Party members who are nearing the twilight of their activities for the Party. Peter assures me that he has no intention of ‘winding-down’ just yet. His record of service to the Party and to the public in general speaks for itself and this award is a small recognition of that dedication.”

Peter Kent responded, “I have been proud to put my Socialist principles into practice and to help improve the quality of life through those principles. This award means a great deal to me and I am pleased and honoured to accept it. Stephen is quite correct in thinking that I have no intention whatsoever of ‘winding-down’, in fact it is quite the opposite. We have a mission in Crewe and Nantwich which is to get David Williams elected as the next MP. I knew Gwyneth Dunwoody for a long time, not only as an MP but also as a personal friend. I know of no better successor to her than David Williams.”

DAVID WILLIAMS WELCOMES LABOUR’S REDUCTION IN BINGO TAX

David Williams, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has welcomed the reduction in Bingo Tax recently announced in the Pre-Budget Report, but wants it to go further.

David Williams said, "I very much welcome the move to reduce Bingo Tax from 22% to 20%. It shows that the Chancellor is listening and is prepared to act even when we are in the middle of a recession. However, I will continue to campaign for a further reduction to bring the tax in line with other forms of gambling."

At present the rate of tax applied to sport betting, betting exchanges, casino games, internet gambling and football pools is levied at 15 per cent. That also includes internet bingo.

David Williams went on to comment, "I do not understand why there is a separate bingo tax in the first place. It seems bizarre that online bingo has a lower tax levy than playing the same game in real life. I understand why that's infuriating for the bingo industry. Thousands of people in Crewe and Nantwich enjoy a night out at the bingo. I don't see why bingo hall owners are penalised in this way."

TORY TAX CREDIT PLANS WOULD HIT MILLIONS OF FAMILIES

‘DAVID WILLIAMS HITS OUT AS THE TRUE COST OF TORY TAX CREDIT PLANS WOULD HIT MILLIONS OF MODEST INCOME FAMILIES’.

David Williams, the Labour Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has issued a stark warning as the true cost of the Tory Tax Credit plans is revealed.

At the Tory Conference earlier this year, George Osborne outlined the Tories’ plan to get rid of the Child Tex Credit for households on more than £50,000 per year in total. They said that this would raise them £400million.

It emerged at the end of last week however that George Osborne has got his sums wrong and there is a real threat that a couple on as little as £16,000 each, less than the average earning, would be hit by the Tory proposals.

David Williams said, “Cutting Child Tax Credit for families on more than £50,000, far from raising £400 million, would only raise £45 million. If the Tories need to raise £400 million they would have to withdraw Child Tax Credit from millions of families on much more modest incomes. This is at the same time as the Tories are promising to give £200,000 to the riches estates through their inheritance tax cut.”

David continued, “It is not clear to me whether this huge miscalculation is down to George Osborne’s bad judgement, his inexperience, or whether it is something much more sinister. What is clear is that the Treasury figures expose how George Osborne has misled millions of people over the true scale of cuts he would make to their Tax Credits.”

David Williams went on to say, “The Tory proposals would severely hit many thousands of families in Crewe and Nantwich. At a time when we should be helping families I find it unbelievable that the Tories are not being honest and telling the people of Crewe and Nantwich just what their proposals will actually mean to them. I am totally opposed to these moves to remove Child Tax Credits.”

Tax Credits Online

STEPHEN TWIGG AT LABOUR PARTY CURRY NIGHT

The Bombay Restaurant in High Street Crewe was packed to the rafters last Thursday when Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party held a ‘Curry Night’ and listened to Stephen Twigg speak in support of David Williams, the Labour Party’s Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich.

In introducing Stephen Twigg as Guest Speaker, David Williams said, “Stephen will forever be remembered as the man who won the Enfield Southgate constituency from the then Tory Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo in the 1997 General Election. He held the seat with an increased majority at the 2001 election and subsequently served as Parliamentary Secretary to The Leader of the House of Commons Robin Cook and in 2002 became a junior minister in the Department for Education and Skills. In 2004 he was promoted to Minister of State for Schools.”

Stephen Twigg gave an entertaining talk. He spoke in support of David Williams saying, “David is just the person to win back Crewe and Nantwich for Labour. His contacts through his work for USDAW make him an ideal candidate and I am sure that after the General Election we will see David Williams MP.”

David Williams backs World AIDS Day

David Williams today backed World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the plight of the more than 33 million people around the world living with HIV.

Every day, over 6,000 people become infected with HIV and over 5,000 people die from AIDS. An estimated 1.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa last year, bringing to 22.4 million the number of people living with HIV. Around 14 million children have been orphaned due to AIDS.

Douglas Alexander, Labour’s International Development Secretary, said: “We have made tackling this disease a top priority and I am proud that, under Labour, the UK has become the 2nd largest funder tackling HIV/AIDS. We are committed to investing £6 billion to achieving the goal of universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support. We can make a difference, if we show the political will to act.”

David Williams said:“Access to AIDS services across the developing world remains unacceptably low. Most prevention strategies are available to fewer than 1 in 5 people who need them. But we can make a difference. Labour’s continued commitment to overseas aid and support for health services in poor countries is vital to tackling this devastating epidemic.”

Labour is investing:
• £6bn up to 2015 targeted at strengthening sustainable health systems.
• £1bn for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tubercolosis and Malaria to 2015.
• A 50% increase in funding for research and development of AIDS vaccines and microbicides.
• £90 million to UNITAID to increase access to paediatric care.
• Targeting women for access to anti-retrovirals to reduce mother-to-child transmission.

Labour is making progress in the fight against HIV/AIDs:
• more than 4 million people can now access anti-retrovirals, compared to just 100,000people who received treatment back in 2001.
• the rate of new HIV infections has been reduced, with the most progress seen in sub-Saharan Africa
• The percentage of the world’s population living with HIV has levelled off.
• Since 2004, 20 times more people have access to life-saving treatment. Since 2003 the price of first line AIDS drugs has halved.

Message from Ed Miliband

With only a few days to go until the climate change summit in Copenhagen, thousands of people are playing their part in getting a deal.

Eddie Izzard is offering you the chance to win two tickets to his Wembley gig on Saturday if you sign up to my Ed's Pledge climate change campaign by Wednesday.

Click to sign up to support Ed’s Pledge now

Thousands of people will also be attending the Wave march in London on Saturday. The Co-op are arranging buses and Labour Students have been making banners. The more people who attend, the stronger our voice will be. I hope to see you there.

Join the campaign by Wednesday – and be entered into a draw to win Eddie Izzard tickets

In the days before the Copenhagen summit, it’s essential that every Labour voice stands up and says that we must get a deal.

Support my campaign to secure a real climate change deal at Copenhagen

Thank you,

Ed