The constituency of Crewe, Cheshire need a Labour MP

By Paul Routledge: In Crewe, Cheshire, to interview Health Secretary Andy Burnham, I bumped into Labour’s candidate David Williams.

I wish him well next Thursday. This constituency needs a Labour MP once again, after losing the by-election in 2008 to Tory Edward Timpson, heir to the High Street shoe repair shop fortune. Timpot sank without trace at Westminster, as I predicted. David Williams, a former shop steward at the town’s Rolls-Royce plant and on the buses, is a much better bet. He was agent to Gwyneth Dunwoody when she was the MP, and these days he’s political officer for shopworkers’ union Usdaw.

David halted in its tracks the daft idea of moving Crewe station out of the town centre, and secured funding to develop the magnificent Victorian building. It must be the only junction to star in a music hall song “Oh! Mr Porter…

He jokes: “I’ve worn out six pairs of shoes in this campaign – I can’t get them mended because the Tory candidate owns all the repair shops in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency!”

The constituency of Crewe, Cheshire need a Labour MP

DAVID WILLIAMS AND NORTHERN IRELAND MINISTER MEET SHOPPERS IN NANTWICH TOWN CENTRE

David Williams, Labour'S Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, was joined in Nantwich Town Centre yesterday by Rt Hon Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

David and Shaun spent several hours on the square at Nantwich meeting and speaking with shoppers.

David said, “Lots of shoppers were keen to stop and have a chat. Most wanted to talk about the things that matter to them – the bus passes for the elderly, tax credits, winter fuel allowances, the minimum wage and the Health Guarantees were mentioned time and time again. The economy of course underpins all of these.”

The Secretary of State said, “I am really pleased that I have been able to come to Nantwich to support David Williams today. Crewe and Nantwich is a very important seat and I believe that David will be the ideal person to represent Crewe and Nantwich as their MP. He is a local person, who is extremely capable and experienced. I know that he is getting lots of support but it is important that people turn out on 6th May and use their vote ... and use their vote for David Williams.”

The Labour Party balloons and carrier bags were popular again and lots of people wanted to take time out to speak to David.

DAVID WILLIAMS BACKS THE ‘SAVE OUR CHEQUES’ CAMPAIGN DURING HIS VISIT TO COMMUNISIS

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, visited the Communisis print factory in Catherine Street today.

David said, “I was keen to visit Communisis who specialise in security printing as I am aware that recent moves to do away with chequebooks and replace them with plastic credit and debit cards could mean job losses at Communisis. I have backed the ‘Save our Cheques’ campaign.”

He added, “I toured Bentley Motors in the morning and then came on to visit Communisis in the afternoon. Although the two are very different in terms of product and scale, I was struck by the thing that they both have in common - a highly skilled and dedicated workforce. Crewe and Nantwich has a reputation for producing highly skilled workers and I am determined to do everything I can to ensure that we continue to provide jobs in this area for them to go to.”

DAVID WILLIAMS TOURS BENTLEY MOTORS CREWE

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, who was a young apprentice at Rolls Royce and Bentley Motor Cars, went back to tour the Pyms Lane Factory last Wednesday.

David, who was joined in on his tour by members of the trade union Unite, spent some time in the various departments and chatted to the Bentley workers who were keen to show him their skills.

David said, “I spent several years here serving an apprenticeship and emerging as a skilled coach trimmer making seats, so it was extremely interesting for me to return to the factory and find that the highly-skilled crafts and meticulous attention to detail is still very much the rule at Bentley.”

He added, “Bentley Motors has a very well-deserved reputation for building the best cars in the world. After a spell of difficulty, they have emerged stronger than ever and are expanding their operations in Crewe. Much of this is due to the highly skilled work-force which is a credit to the company.”

David Williams with Ed Miliband at the Red Lion

Courtesy of Jules Hornbrook at Crewe Blog

DAVID WILLIAMS AND JOHN PRESCOTT MEET STUDENTS AT SOUTH CHESHIRE COLLEGE

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, and former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited South Cheshire College, Dane Bank Avenue, Crewe last Friday.

The former Deputy Prime Minister arrived at the college in ‘The Prescott Express’. John and David were greeted by spontaneous applause as they entered ‘The Bubble’ where they addressed a packed hall of students in an extended Question and Answer session.

David commented, “The hall was packed full and we had a very good reception. The students raised some very thoughtful and challenging questions. John was very entertaining and yet serious at the same time and he certainly connected with the students who gave him a rousing reception.”

John Prescott said, “It is pleasure to be back in Crewe again supporting David Williams. He will make a very fine MP for Crewe and Nantwich. South Cheshire College is a fine centre of learning, another example of the results of our investment in education. The new building will build on an already excellent record of achievement at the college.”

Out in Crewe Town Centre Today

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, was meeting with shoppers in Crewe Town Centre and with Crewe Alex supporters in Gresty Road on the penultimate Saturday before the election on 6th May.

David Williams and his team are now a common sight in Crewe Town Centre on a Saturday morning. With only two Saturdays left before the election of 6th May, David was once again meeting and chatting with shoppers last Saturday where he received a warm welcome.

David said, “I have been able to meet and chat with lots of people and have found it very useful in finding out what their concerns and hopes are. I am a firm believer in making myself available to chat with people in an informal way, and without the need to make an appointment to see me.”

He added, “A number of shoppers said they had not made their minds up yet and were keen to chat. A couple who vote for the Conservative candidate in the By-election were keen to tell me that they would be voting Labour on 6th May.”

Red balloons and ‘Vote Labour’ carrier bags proved to be very popular. Two young girls (pictured) were happy to pose with their red balloons while their mum quizzed David on what he had to offer to Crewe and Nantwich. The elderly lady (pictured) wanted something done about the uneven pavements in the town centre.

After spending the morning in the town centre, David moved on to Gresty Road where he spent some time talking with Crewe Alex supporters before watching the Alex overturn the defeat at Accrington by winning 5-1.

David commented, “The very successful morning in the town centre, was crowned by an equally successful afternoon in Gresty Road. A number of fans stopped to have a chat, and it was made special for me as I had a chance to chat with Crewe Alex (and Stoke City) Legend Johnny King. To round off the day, The Alex reversed the defeat at Accrington in what could have been a dull end-of-season match but turned out to be a very entertaining game.

Jules from Crewe Blog joined us for a short time and took a few snaps. Click here for the full story.

DAVID WILLIAMS ‘ROCKS THE VOTE’ AT CREWE GIG

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, joined over a hundred young people for a ‘Rock the Vote’ gig at The Box on Nantwich Road Crewe last week.

Over a hundred students and young people attended the ‘Rock the Vote’ gig at The Box on Nantwich Road, Crewe last week. The gig was organised by the South Cheshire Young Labour and Labour Students Group.

Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party’s Youth Officer, Benn Minshall said, “It was a good night. Emma Dyall, a Young Labour member, performed with her group ‘Photo Booth Smile’ and everyone had a good time.”

David Williams said, “Young Labour invited me to join in the party. I was able to chat with many of the young people there and stress the importance of using their votes. I especially enjoyed Emma’s band ‘Photo Booth Smile’ and I had a good night out.”

Sam Colclough, Crewe and Nantwich Labour Party’s Student Officer added, “We had a lot of interest from local students and several joined Young Labour during the evening.”

Andy Burnham with David Williams

Video courtesy of Jules Hornbrook at Crewe Blog

David Williams, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, and Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Health, visited the Eagle Bridge Health and Wellbeing Centre in Dunwoody Way, Crewe yesterday afternoon.

They toured the centre visiting the multitude of facilities and departments, speaking to staff and patients.

David commented, “Eagle Bridge brought together three GP practices under one roof together with a whole host of facilities such as Dentistry, Blood Testing, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, and even a cafe run by ‘Wishing Well’ – a local community group. I was proud to be able to show the Secretary of State a fine example of how Labour’s investment in the NHS has resulted in a first class facility, and this is only one of three such centres in Crewe and Nantwich.”

The Secretary of State said, “The Eagle Bridge Health and Well Being Centre is a great example of Labour investment in the NHS. It is a wonderful state-of-the-art facility for the people of Crewe and Nantwich.”

Following the visit to Eagle Bridge, the Secretary of State went to David’s Campaign Office at Chantry Court to meet and speak with Labour Party members.

Declaration of Interests Form

Name of candidate: David Williams
Constituency: Crewe and Nantwich
Political party: THE LABOUR PARTY
Date of publication: 22/04/2010

(a)Other paid jobs and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected

Full-time National Political Officer for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, earning £41K per year. If elected I will resign from this post immediately, becoming a full-time MP with no second job.

(b) positions of responsibility in some types of organisation, even if unpaid, and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected.

None.

(c)(i)Directorships, and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected.

I hold no directorships.

(c)(ii) Clients, and whether I intend to continue to advise them, if elected.

None.

(c)(iii) Land and property, and whether I intend to continue to hold this, if elected.

I only own a family home with my wife. We will have a family home in Crewe and Nantwich after the election.

(c)(iv)Shareholdings, and whether I intend to continue to hold these, if elected.

I hold no shares.

(d)Tax matters

I pay all my tax in the UK.

(e)Any other interests which I consider relevant.

None.

DAVID WILLIAMS CALLS FOR ACTION TO CLEAN UP LOCAL ‘GROT SPOTS’

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has called on Cheshire East Council to take positive action to clean up local ‘Grot Spots’.

David commented, “In walking around areas of Crewe, meeting and speaking with local residents, many have drawn my attention to areas that have become dumping grounds for all sorts of rubbish. In many cases the residents tell me that they have requested the council to clear the rubbish, but have been told that it is not their responsibility.”

Simon Thomas from Lord Street has approached the council on a number of occasions but they refuse to clear the rubbish saying that it is not on public land.

Helga Armonies in Chamber Street is in a similar situation with rubbish accumulating in the alleyway behind her house.

David said, “Many of these ‘grot spots’ pose a health and safety hazard and as such Cheshire East Council should be taking action rather than trying to pass the responsibility on to someone else. If Crewe had a Town Council, they could have employed a local handyman as many other Town Councils have done. Areas such as these would then have been cleared quite quickly and easily by the ‘man and his van’. As Cheshire East refused to allow Crewe to have its own Town Council, they must also accept that it is their responsibility to do those things that a Town Council would have done.”

DAVID WILLIAMS DEPOSITS HIS NOMINATION PAPERS

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has deposited his nomination papers for the General Election to be held on 6th May.

David commented, “I am proud to be the Labour candidate for Crewe and Nantwich. Now that my nomination papers have been submitted, it marks the start of a very important election campaign”

David’s nomination has been supported by many well-known local people including:

Doug Butterill – former Mayor of Crewe & Nantwich and active member of Nantwich in Bloom.

Jules Hornbrook – local author and creator of the Crewe Blog.

Dorothy Flude – Mayor of Crewe and Leader of the Labour Group on Cheshire East Council.

David Newton – former Chairman of Cheshire County Council.

Peter Nurse – former Cheshire County Council and Chair of the Cheshire Police Authority.

Howard Curran – former Mayor of Crewe & Nantwich and local historian and author.

Connie Jones – well-known Nantwich personality and active member of Nantwich in Bloom.

Peter Kent – former Mayor of Crewe & Nantwich and Leader of the Borough Council for 16 years.

David Williams said, “This election is probably the most important for over sixty years. Several people have said to me that they voted Conservative at the by-election as a protest against the government but in the knowledge that it would not change the government. That is no longer the case. This election is all about who will form the government and the road that the country will travel over the next five years. Labour has already shown that their policies are bringing the country out of the world-recession and it is vitally important to us all that we secure that recovery and not make the same mistakes of the past. We need investment now to ensure that people have jobs and to protect the NHS, Education and the Police. In the recession of the 1980s the Tories said that high unemployment was ‘a price worth paying’. Labour does not accept that.

The first debate

You can airbrush your posters, David Cameron, but you can't airbrush your policies.

In the debate tonight, Gordon Brown spoke for all of us when he demanded to know what the Tories will do to safeguard the economic recovery and protect jobs. No surprise - Cameron refused to offer any guarantees.

Above is my favourite moment from tonight's debate, when Gordon Brown wouldn't take it anymore.

Over the last two years, the Tories have used every trick in the PR handbook in order to duck the difficult questions. As the debate rolled on, Cameron boasted again and again about his plan to cut £6 billion out of the budget - but again and again he couldn't tell us where it would come from.

That's because there are some answers that even David Cameron can't airbrush. The simple truth is that deep cuts like those the Tories propose will mean lost jobs, poorer public services, and a real threat to the fragile recovery.

The Tories may think that's a price worth paying - but you and I know better.

After watching tonight's debate, there is no doubt in my mind: a Tory government would be a disaster for ordinary working people in Britain. Join me and other union members to get the word out.

Labour's Manifesto

The Road Ahead

NEW POWERS FOR PARISH COUNCILS TO BOOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, welcomed the Housing & Planning Minister John Healey MP to Crewe and Nantwich where he announced new powers for Parish Councils to boost affordable rural housing.

David said, “John was with me today visiting residents of Crewe and Nantwich when he made the announcement. Cheshire East Council is delivering only 43% of the affordable homes that the national housing charity ‘Shelter’ believe are necessary. Recent figures show that Cheshire East is one of 216 local councils that are delivering less than half of the number of homes that they have identified as being needed.”

David added, “John’s announcement will give a boost to rural communities with proposals to give a special planning power to Parish Councils to build new affordable homes. The proposals will be consulted on this summer and will allow a limited number of affordable homes to be built in rural villages without the need for individual planning applications, where the parish council has backed the new homes.”

The Housing & Planning Minister wants to extend ‘permitted development’ rights so that a maximum of 10-15 new affordable homes could be built when parish councils have set out clear evidence and design expectations. This means decisions on how many homes are required, what they look like and where they are built would be taken locally by those who are closest to what the local communities need and want.

New guidance on social housing allocations that was published in December has also strengthened the scope for local authorities to ensure that people living and working locally are given greater priority for affordable houses in rural parishes.

John Healey said, “There is a need for more affordable homes in rural communities, where the price of an average home is £40,000 higher than in towns and cities. My concern is to see new homes available at affordable rents, especially for local young people and their families who otherwise have little or no option but to leave the area. A handful of new homes can make huge differences to the life of rural villages and make local schools, pubs and shops more sustainable. My aim is to place more power with Parish Councils to see new homes built.”

He continued, “I propose to establish a permitted development freedom for Parish Councils to initiate the building of a small number of homes in their area without the need to gain planning permission from the local authority. This would help Parish Councils directly and swiftly to meet the need for affordable local homes in rural areas. It will give Parish Council the power to breathe new life into their villages and small towns. This would be a radical reform of the planning system and a significant new power and freedom for our most local elected councils.”

The new permitted development right will be made available to Parish and Town Councils in settlements of less than 3,000 people where the council identifies a registered social landlord as their development partner. Green Belt, Habitat Sites and other important designated protections will be retained.

David Williams commented, “The availability of affordable homes is vital to our local communities and even more so in the rural areas. Cheshire East Council commissioned independent experts to investigate the need for affordable housing. They said that 577 new affordable homes were needed to be built in Cheshire East each year but only 247 were built last year. I welcome the new proposals as they will go some way towards closing the deficit that Cheshire East Council has left. The lack of new homes in rural areas has created huge pressures that are now holding many rural communities back. More affordable homes will help rural towns and villages prosper and provide an essential boost to local businesses. With more opportunity to stay in their own communities, young people will be less likely to leave for cities in search of cheaper houses.”

Pictured, David and John Healey MP in Crewe today.

DAVID WILLIAMS WELCOMES EXTRA GOVERNMENT CASH TO TACKLE POTHOLES

David Williams, Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Crewe and Nantwich, has welcomed the boost from the Labour Government to tackle the pothole problem in Cheshire East.

The Labour Government has injected an extra £900,000 into Cheshire East to repair the potholes caused by the recent severe weather.

David said, “It seems that everywhere you go in Crewe and Nantwich there are big potholes in the road, and they are getting bigger every day. Cheshire East Council has boasted that they have done a good job in repairing the roads, but it does not seem that way around here. This extra cash from the Government – just under an extra million pounds – is very welcome and I hope that Cheshire East will be using it to tackle the pothole problem in Crewe and Nantwich where it is needed most.”

He added, “I am receiving complaints from residents on a daily basis. It has never been as bad as this before. Some repairs have been done, but filling the holes with a shovelful of tarmac is no answer. As soon as a few cars have run over it, the tarmac is gone and the pothole is bigger than before. We need a proper repair job doing. The Government money is very welcome but it is now up to Cheshire East Council to use it wisely.”

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's April Fool posting...

...nicked from the Guardian.

We remember the Tories

What is Labour's greatest achievement

"We've changed the world before, and we are going to change the world again."

Gordon Brown's words are the very essence of what the Labour Party is fighting for. Over the past decade, we've fought and won so many battles for working families - from cutting crime in half to bringing half a million children out of poverty.

We still have so much work to do - so we must remind Britain of our greatest achievements to encourage our future plans and agenda. What have you been most proud of?

Tell us your ideas of Labour's greatest achievement of the decade

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