Welcome to the website of Stroud Constituency Labour Party
The Labour Party is a democratic Socialist Party
It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. Where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe. And where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
At our meetings we discuss national and local policy issues, hear reports from our Labour Councillors. We plan our campaigns and other activities. Well over 100 people have joined Stroud Constituency Labour Party since the General Election. We believe the Coalition Government is making the wrong cuts at the wrong time - their actions are likely to plunge us back into recession. The cuts are also impacting more on the most vulnerable. There is an alternative, both locally and nationally. Why not join us and campaign with us for a fairer strategy to tackle our economic problems?
A key campaign over the last 18 months has been the transfer of our local community health services out of the NHS and into a social enterprise called "Gloucestershire Care Services". The first battle on this was won when Gloucestershire NHS settled out of court after a local pensioner challenged the decision. The next battle was to keep these services retained within the NHS - not put out to tender, risking a private company winning the tender. These were the 2 options put forward by NHS Gloucestershire for consultation and 96 per cent of 2,500 people responding to its consultation supported Option 1, setting up an NHS Trust. We are delighted that the NHS Board decided on 15 October to support Option 1 also - a great victory for all groups who had been campaigning for this. Sadly, our Tory MP, Neil Carmichael, seemed to think the privatisation option was better when he spoke at a public meeting last year.
Labour's opposition to the Coalition's handling of the national economy and to the way the Tories have run Stroud District Council received a boost from voters across Stroud District, with 7 wins for Labour in the elections in May - including taking 5 new seats from the Tories. We now have 16 Labour Councillors, the Tories have lost their majority and the Council is now run by a co-operative arrangement between Labour, Green and LibDem Councillors.
Join Stroud Constituency Labour Party for a local £15 rate (£1.25 a month) or £1 if you are aged 14-19 or a student. See
http://labour.org.uk/join/Stroud. See our Young Labour pages if you are under 27 years.
Steve Lydon, Chair of Stroud Constituency Labour Party