MEET THE CANDIDATES : The Labour Party, St Mary’s Ward

On 7 May your three Labour Party candidates for East Riding Council in St Mary’s ward are Ben Cooper, Paul McGrath and David Sweet. We are committed to providing a real alternative to the Conservative dominated Council that fails to listen to the concerns of you, the local people it is supposed to serve.

Housing.

People in St Mary’s are concerned about the number of executive homes being built on the green belt; so are we. We need more housing but the current Conservative-dominated council has got it wrong. They build unaffordable houses in an unsustainable manner. Instead of flooding Beverley with expensive executive houses, which most people can never afford, your council should be building affordable houses across the East Riding creating more sustainable communities in rural areas. That is what Labour Councillors will work for.

We are concerned about the site of Longcroft Lower School being sold off to housing developers. This would entail unnecessary destruction of facilities used by young people. Labour Councillors will campaign against such a move by East Riding Council.

Living Wage.

It is wrong that some employees of East Riding Council still do not earn a wage that they can live on. These people do some of the most important jobs such as cleaning our schools and streets and keeping our children safe. They deserve a living wage. It makes economic sense. Local people on low incomes spend their money in the local economy. The Beverley Labour Party has been campaigning on the matter for a long time, but the Conservative Councillors have always refused to pay a decent wage. A Labour Council would introduce a living wage for every employee.

And we will go further and incentivise businesses to pay the same for their employees. We aim to give council contracts to businesses that pay their employees a living wage, especially in the care service sector.

Fracking and Energy.

Unlike the Conservatives, we believe that fracking is an issue that East Riding Council needs to address in the next term of office. The Labour Party has already introduced legislation to prevent fracking in areas which rely on aquifers for their drinking water such as the East Riding.

A Labour Council will give people in St Mary’s the chance to benefit from the power that is available in the local environment. A Labour Council will use all legal powers to reduce the cost of energy in the East Riding including running a local energy cooperate that would negotiate cheaper energy deals for residents.

Ben Cooper:

“As your local Labour candidate, I will ensure that the views of St Mary’s are no longer ignored in County Hall. The status quo of Conservative domination in Beverley is no longer acceptable. Time has moved on and so should the Conservative Councillors. Only Labour Councillors can provide real change at County Hall.”

Paul McGrath:

“On the budget, on housing development and on vital community services Conservative Councillors have pursued the wrong priorities against the wishes of the community. Labour has a different set of priorities.”

We offer a council that listens to local people, that cares about the things you care about and that works to achieve a better East Riding for everyone – even in these challenging financial times.”