In the first of a regular column for Rye News, Helena Dollimore, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Hastings and Rye, considers some political options.
I know everyone across Hastings and Rye will be worried about the recent economic crisis. We have watched with horror as Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng have recklessly crashed our economy by handing huge, unfunded tax cuts to the richest, and trashed the UK’s reputation on the global stage. We should be in no doubt – this is a Tory crisis; made in Downing Street and one paid for by working people.
What the Chancellor called a “little financial disturbance” will have a huge impact on many of us. People are concerned about their pensions, their mortgages, and their savings. And this is on top of problems with rising energy bills and higher prices in the shops that have left us all feeling the pinch. The small businesses that keep our high streets and villages thriving are closing their doors in worrying numbers, and with it the jobs they create.
Last week I attended Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, and the contrast with the shambolic Tory government is like day and night. While the Tories gambled with all our futures, Keir Starmer set out an alternative economic plan – one based on fiscal discipline, certainty for families and businesses, and investment in a fairer, greener future. Working people have been left counting the cost of twelve years of Tory government; their failure to grow the economy has resulted in stagnant wages and broken public services. Labour has a serious plan for growth that recognises growth comes from the talents and efforts of teachers, nurses, farmers, and small businesses. In contrast, this Conservative government believes in the failed trickle-down ideology of the past that has locked Britain out of growth and will never deliver.
In Liverpool, it was great to meet former Undertones frontman turned environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey and thank him for his work to expose the sewage dumping scandal. With Feargal’s help, we set out how a Labour government will put an end to this disgraceful practice and clean up our water system. You can read it here.
I know many in our community are concerned about the impact that twelve years of Tory cuts has had for our public services. I was very alarmed to hear from our local firefighters of plans to reduce the number of fire engines and crews at Rye Fire Station and will be working alongside campaigners to fight any reduction in services that makes our community less safe.
Instead of doubling down on the failed policies of the past like austerity and trickle down economics, it is time for a change of course. Times are tough right now, but Labour has a serious plan to fix our broken economy and public services.
The bigger gamble is not change with Labour but continuity with the Conservatives.
Image Credits: Helena Dollimore .
It’s great to see someone with the passion and energy to take on the issues that effect us all. Coastal towns rely on income from tourism, pollution of our seas and waterways are an increasing problem brought about through lack of investment in maintaining the infrastructure, and profits for the shareholder.
Foodbanks cannot cope with demand, and why in 2022 are working people having to rely on them?
NHS waiting times are at a record high, why?
House prices unaffordable for our young people even before the latest hike in inflation…..can’t blame Covid or the war in Ukraine for everything.
I wish Helen luck in helping to bring about a change here in this corner of East Sussex.
So – Ms Dollimore is to be given a ‘regular column’ in Rye News. Very cosy. Perhaps Rye News is joining the BBC and other media organisations in showing the usual Left-wing bias of the urban elite by favouring Labour politics. Do we really need more ‘tax and spend’? Rather than further underlining the paucity of our two-party system, why not, on a revolving basis, give other and all major political groups – Greens, Lib-Dems, Conservatives (yes, they deserve a spot, too) Independents and so on a chance to have their say, week-by-week? If not, it needs to be made clear to readers of Rye News why the paper so favours Ms Dollimore.
The Rye News has feature Ms Hart on numerous occasions! As the BBC being being left, I frequently hear that the BBC are biased towards to the Tories. As for MSM – the Mail, Express, Sun and the Telegraph all support the Tory Party.
Geoff, you can already read Sally-Ann Hart’s regular pieces in Rye News, so this is a welcome balancing column.
I am afraid that this misses the point. I am arguing for a breadth of political view in Rye News, not just the promotion of a Labour politician as a ‘balance’. And while Ms Hart has often been reported in the paper – she has bothered to write material – she has never been given the privilege of her own column; so my original question stands: why such preferential treatment for Ms Dollimore?
Despite of the tories being in meltdown, and they only have themselves to blame, I perish the thought of a labour coalition with the SNP.and before we know it, the country will be in crisis again.
I agree wholeheartedly with Councillor Dollimore about the need for a “change of course”. I am, however, uncomfortable with the smug assumption that the only option for the British people must be the binary choice of Labour or Conservatives.
Implicit in the article is the complacent belief that with Conservative failure comes inevitable Labour success. It may be that Ms Dollimore is indeed a shoe-in in 2024, but does this ‘heads or tails’, default politics really serve the British people? It seems Labour’s membership don’t actually think so…
As Ms Dollimore will know, at Labour’s recent conference, the membership voted in favour of a motion to implement Proportional Representation at General Elections, a move which would accurately reflect the proportion of votes cast by we electors, and apportion representation at Westminster fairly. It would break the ‘elective dictatorship’ which effectively disenfranchises the majority of voters and sees governments elected on as little as 35% of the popular vote (Lab. 2005). But despite what Labour members think, Sir Keir Starmer isn’t in favour of Proportional Representation and it won’t be in the manifesto… I wonder why?
To declare an interest, I’m a member of the Liberal Democrats, because they are the only major party in British politics that pledge to adopt a real “change of course”, not just a change of personnel. The LibDems are committed to implementing Proportional Representation.
Until we fix our electoral system the very basis of British democracy is flawed, bcs it doesn’t give ‘power to the people’, it hands it to political parties, whips, lobbyists, donors and large corporations. We, as ordinary citizens, are presently at the end of a very long queue… First Past the Post exacerbates polarisation and is helping to increase a dangerous disaffection with democracy at a time when it’s imperilled by the encroachment of autocracy, ultra nationalism and simplistic absolutist ideologies.
So, I heartily endorse Councillor Dollimore’s desire for a “change of course”, but it’s up to us to decide whether it’s a change that lasts for five meagre years, or for generations.
I have no political affiliations and read with interest what’s on offer, I take it that Rye News will be giving all political parties air time which would only be fair.
Of course this will take up valuable space on the site, can I suggest a dedicated section for all things political.
Tony Edwards: Rye News is always prepared to accept written comments and articles from all political affiliations, so long as they are reasoned arguments and not personal attacks. The problem is, we can not write the articles for them! They have to put finger to keyboard themselves – and this, they seem totally unprepared to do! We do not have a problem with valuable editorial space – we have a website that copes with any number of pages and any length of article.
Geoff: Sally-Ann Hart has had her own ‘column’ for the last 12 months. We choose to call it her ‘Monthly Comment’ and it appears in the Opinions section. The layout may change in the near future with a proposed re-design of Rye News which we are currently exploring.
Guy Harris: Rye News would welcome any article from the local Lib Dems representative! Please submit one asap! We would be happy to receive your views on the democratic process, or indeed, on Lib Dem policies and how they could be implemented given the opportunity. Or perhaps any views on local issues and how the Lib Dems would improve any of these.
Chris Lawson.
Unfortunately, Rye News only prints posts that suit their narrative. ‘The Moderator’ will ensure this. Try asking John Tolhurst or Cliff Arkley. The cancel culture is alive and well (when it suits).
This is a serious allegation. John Tolhurst’s interesting comments appear in every edition of Rye News. I don’t know about Cliff Arkley. Do you know of comments by either of them that have been “cancelled”? Or “edited”? If so, please let the rest of us know. Personally, I’ve never had a comment refused or altered, but perhaps others have?
Every publication on earth has an editorial agenda. We’re lucky that Rye News gives voice to all sides and manages to purvey a pretty polite and well-informed debate. As far as ‘cancel culture’ is concerned, it’s always hard to prove a negative, but I’ve not noted any absence of John’s views – which are always refreshingly robust!
Well, one thing is for sure: whoever you vote for, the government will get in. Good idea to let every ‘side’ speak up and let every reader call foul or fair. All part of an active and healthy democratic culture, no?
It’s always good to hear a variety of views and comment’s in respect of the political arena, but, more and more social media is taking centre stage. As an Independent now, but having been a Conservative we seem to have forgotten where money comes from and how best used, our failure is the political elite’s inability to agree on how our schools, police, transport, hospitals, and fire services, core services should be run, it’s chop and change at every general election, so no consistency, Local people should have a much greater say on local planning.
When it comes to potential candidates, experience of life is core, e.g. mortgage rates have in the past been 17%. It is not surprising that with covid and the Russian war that we are now in deficit, it’s the price of freedom.