Thank you from Emily and the Hulme Labour Team

Thank you to everyone that voted Labour in yesterdays election. Emily gained the seat from the Green Party by 50 votes. The full result is below.

Emily Lomax (Labour) 961
Green Party 911
Tory 215
LibDem 190

Vote Labour on Thursday

Team hands out energy saving bulbs in Hulme

An environmental team is handing out free energy efficient light bulbs to Hulme residents.

They will be based at the Asda store in Hulme during the afternoon of Friday 11^th April.

The team will also be talking to members of the public as part of the City Council's ongoing consultation into the future of recycling services.

Along with the light bulbs, the team is giving out free electricity saving 'power-down' plugs and a water-saving device that can be placed into toilet cisterns, reducing the amount of water that is released with each flush.

Emily Lomax, Labour candidate for Hulme Ward said: "Energy efficient light bulbs are not only good for the environment, they reduce the cost of your electricity bills, so we're keen to encourage Hulme residents to use them. It is great that low-energy light bulbs are being given to residents who signed pledges saying they would use them to replace their old bulbs "

Free Swiming for the over 60's

Emily Lomax welcomes the news that all over 60s in Manchester will be eligible for free swimming in Manchester's pools.

Manchester is the first city in England to offer such a comprehensive package for the over 60s. The overall aim of the Manchester scheme is to increase the number of people over 60 in the city who swim regularly as part of the Healthy Ageing Strategy.

The scheme will start on 1 June 2008 and run initially for one year and will include access to all Manchester pools including Moss Side Leisure Centre and the Aquatics Centre. A full assessment of the impact of the scheme will be undertaken.

Emily says "This is a great initiative as it will allow over 60s to enjoy socialising and keep fit at the same time."

Residents Parking Scheme for Hulme

Lots of residents have talked to Emily and the Hulme Labour Team about parking problems in Hulme. Emily is very pleased to report that through working closely with Cllr.Neil Swannick and the Labour team in Hulme, your Labour Council has agreed to start work right away on a residents’ parking scheme for Hulme. Cllr Swannick, Executive Member for the Environment said, “Emily made a very strong case for resident parking in Hulme and I agreed.The Council has now allocated funds and I will be meeting with the traffic engineers to discuss details of the new Hulme Residents’Parking Scheme. It is likely to be similar to the recently completed Ardwick scheme which is already proving very popular with residents.The Ardwick scheme allows residents to park FREE at any time, but commuters will be limited to 3-hours waiting or Pay and Display bays.All residents will be consulted before the introduction of the scheme.”
Emily is delighted to be able to deliver one of out top promises to you and hope that it will be first of many. Emily is committed to work with you and make Hulme an even better place for us all.

Cycle Security Events April 11th and 15th

Manchester Crime and Disorder Partnership in association with the Student Neighbourhood Partnership are inviting students and staff in the area to collect free bike locks, property marking kits, lights, on-line registration and security advice. Just come along with your bike to the Police Crime Reduction Van outside the MMU refectory, off Oxford Rd between 10am to 2pm Friday on 11th April 2008. Be warned these type of events are very popular so get there early to be sure to collect your freebies!

Also PCSO's at Piccadilly Station are having a free electronic security tagging day - They will be on the approach to the station April 15^th 07:30 to 10:00 then 14:00 to 16:00 just take your bike and they will fit the tag and help you register your bike on the police national database immobilise.com

Crime Down in Hulme

Emily was pleased to inform local residents that yet again crime figures are down in Hulme.

Figures released by Our Local Police at the last Neighbourhood Partnership Meeting show a decrease in crime of 62.14% across ALL of Hulme.

She expressed her disappointed that leaflets are being spread around Hulme saying that crime is up. It is untrue and undermines the work our Police Officers and PCSO’s are doing in our neighbourhoods.

The Hulme Labour Team supports and congratulates our hardworking and effective Police Officers and PCSO’s in Hulme.

Labour's Extra Winter Bonus Boost for Pensioners

Emily is proud that our Labour Government has given a £250 boost for pensioners over 60 years old and a £400 boost for pensioners over 80 years old. The winter fuel payments increase will be sent out in November 2008. Pensioners will be getting the biggest winter pay payments ever this year. If you got a fuel payment last year you should get this years automatically. Make sure you don’t miss out and claim your cash! For more information ring Manchester Advice on 0161-234 5600. Labour Caring for our Pensioners

Unemployment in Hulme Down

Emily was pleased to see that figures released by our Labour Council show that Unemployment is going down City wide.

More importantly the figures show that in our ward, Hulme, unemployment dropped by 21.1% on last year’s numbers. Emily and the Hulme Labour Team want to work with you, our Council, local businesses and entrepreneurs to make sure that unemployment keeps falling in Hulme.

Easter fun promised at Junk Cart Races

Wannabe Lewis Hamiltons are being invited to turn trash into speed at this year's Junk Cart Races.

The event, held at Chorlton Water Park on Easter Monday, sees competitors bringing along old plastic bottles and other waste items, and transforming them into mini speed machines.

The carts will then be piloted by hard-boiled eggs and will be 'raced' down a path running through the park. The creator of the cart which travels the furthest is declared the winner.

The race is now in its seventh year and has become a popular annual event, with competitors returning in an attempt to claim the title.

This year, to fit in with Wild About Manchester, Manchester City Council's biodiversity campaign, competitors are being asked to give their vehicles a wildlife theme, modelling the carts on some of nature's slickest designs by making them look like anything from wasps to tigers.

Councillor Neil Swannick, Executive Member for the Environment, said: "The City Council is keen to encourage recycling among Manchester residents, and the Junk Cart Races is an excellent way of showing young people that recycling can be fun."

Anyone interested in taking part should meet at the water park's car park from 1-3pm on Monday, March 24

Hulme Labour Listening to you

The Hulme Labour Team would love to hear what you feel are the most important issues facing our area and the country in general. Please take a minute to complete the questionnaire , we do take notice of all your views.
Thanks,

The Hulme Labour Team

Click here for questionnaire

The Post Office - A vital role in the Community

Emily visited Hulme Post Office with Tony Lloyd MP and Cllr. Nigel Murphy to meet with Nasir and Nyla Ahmed. We were all concerned at leaflets put around our area which suggested the Post Office was going to close. This has caused upset to both Nasir and Nyla as well as many of their customers. Nasir said “ we’ve invested heavily in our shop and Post Office and we are here to stay” Tony said “Hulme Post Office plays a vital role in our community, I’m here along with Emily and Nigel to show Nasir and Nyla our support”

Death of Michael Todd

We are all stunned at the tragic news of Michael Todd's death. I'd like to pay my respects and those of The Hulme Labour Team to a man who served us well, transforming Greater Manchester Police since he arrived in 2002 to a force to be reckoned with, delivering neighbourhood policing and reducing crime. He led with energy and enthusiasm and he led by example. He will be sorely missed by his family and his colleagues and my thoughts are with them.

Cllr Nigel Murphy

A Nine-Year Record - Manchester Labour keeps its word

Manchester Labour has kept its promise not to increase council by more than the rate of inflation. For the ninth consecutive year Manchester Labour has out performed other cities in England by keeping our council tax increase as low as possible yet improving services. Manchester council tax bills are ranked by the Times newspaper as the 4th lowest in the country

Bernard Priest – finance spokesperson said, “Manchester Labour manages the finances of the City extremely well. We will continue with our priorities of making Manchester the cleanest, greenest city in the country. We will carry out the biggest school building programme that Manchester has ever seen and will continue to grow the Manchester economy to attract investment and jobs.”

Manchester Labour’s success is in marked contrast to Lib Dem Liverpool where voters are faced with a council that has been officially labelled the “worst managed council in the country.” In Liverpool the city’s finances are spinning out of control and voters face a massive increase in Council Tax to pay for Lib Dem mismanagement.

Lib Dems in Manchester want to bring in the same policies that have nearly bankrupted Liverpool City Council. We simply cannot afford to pay for the Lib Dems in Manchester.

Manchester will once again have one of the lowest council tax increases in Greater Manchester - compare this to Lib Dem Stockport and Tory Trafford.

Council Tax Increase 2008
Tory - Trafford 4.9%
Lib Dem -Stockport 4.5%
Labour - Manchester 2.5%

Out and about, on a street near you.

After the planting in Shawgreen this lunchtime I've spent the last couple of hours out and about in Hulme with a members of the Labour Team from across the City. We were knocking on doors and carrying out a survey of residents views around the New Loreto Estate and Chorlton Road Area. It was great talking to people that have recently moved into Hulme who seemed impressed at how active the Labour Party are in the area. Thanks to everyone that came and helped us. Nigel

Picture L-R (Cllr Nigel Murphy, Cllr Pat Karney, Cllr Rosa Battle, Cllr Paul Fairweather, Emily Lomax, Jerry Sutton and local MP Tony Lloyd)

Happy Mother's Day

Hi everyone, I've just got back from the Shawgreen Estate were I was helping the local residents plant some bulbs. The event was organised by the Shawgreen TARA with the help of the Council. It was great to see some of the local children getting involved. I'm looking forward to seeing the flowers come through. Nigel

Recycling - Give us your views

Manchester's Labour Council is asking residents what we can do to improve recycling across the city.
We are launching a huge consultation for ideas about how the service can be made better - and anyone who calls a special freephone number stands a chance of winning £500.
Around 90% of Mancunians have told us they're keen to recycle and the city has seen massive increases over the last few years. For example, more than 6,000 Mancunians have bought home composting units from the Council, and there has been a 40% increase in the number of Yellow Pages which have been recycled. But more could be done to make it easier for people to recycle their household waste & we want to hear residents' views on how this can be done.
Launching the consultation, Cllr Richard Leese said: "We know Manchester residents want to recycle more and we want to know how we can help them do it. At the end of this consultation, the City Council will act on what residents tell us, so it's really important we get peoples views."
A freephone number has been launched to get residents' views on 0800 995 1911. Anybody who calls the number will be entered into the £500 prize draw. If you want to give us your ideas on improving recycling services you can also log onto the Council's website - http://www.manchester.gov.uk/.

(Photo shows Cllr Nigel Murphy at the ASDA rycycling area that has facilities to recycle glass, liquid and food cartons, plastics, paper, textiles and cans )

Road Safety Improvements on the way…...

Whilst we have been talking to you in the St Mary's area of Hulme, one the issues that was raised is road safety. We are pleased to announce, that following representation from your Hulme Labour Councillors, arrangements have been made for new road markings at the junction of Rook St / Blanchard St, Peregrine St / Rook St and Boston St / Blanchard St. Double yellow lines have also been painted on one side of Southcombe Walk and road name signs have been erected. The whole area will be monitored by the Council’s Traffic Department and any improvements that are required will be undertaken.

An investigation is taking place into who is responsible for the replacement of a bollard at the end of Peregrine Street (near Moss Lane East), as soon as this is established the bollard will be replaced.

New Labour Rose now Available

The latest copy of the Hulme Labour Rose is now being distributed across the whole of Hulme Ward. If you can’t wait for it to drop through your door, don't worry you can download it by clicking the link on the top right of this page. Enjoy.

New Bus Stop for Shawgreen

Thanks to the Labour Team the Bus Stop on City Road has been moved from its temporary space outside Middleton’s to the corner of Shawgreen close and City Road.
Kevin Gallagher Labour Team member, Community Guardian and our local Postman, explains, “Several pensioners from the area contacted me to say not only was the bus stop too far away from both estates for them to walk, it was also too close to the building site entrance on the old Body Positive site. In fact so dangerous was it, that the post holding the bus stop sign was knocked over by a lorry leaving the site” Kevin got to work, contacted G.M.P.T.E and our Local Labour Team Councillors, and within weeks the problem was sorted.

Well done Kevin!

If you have a problem or a worry contact us and we will help you sort it out.
Your Hulme Labour Team Working For You In Shawgreen and St. Georges.

Parktastic in Barracks Park!

Your Labour Council and the Hulme Labour Team have received funding from the Big Lottery Fund to provide play in the park activities called “Parktastic”.

It will run in Barracks Park, St. George's, over 2 days from Easter. ‘Parktastic’ will be run by Manchester Young Lives and will be for children aged 5 to 11 years. It’s FREE and there will be den building, adventure games, arts and crafts, kite making, environmental activities and sports and games. Sounds a lot of fun and the Hulme Labour Team are really looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!
For more information contact: 0161-437-5923 or e-mail: info@manchesteryounglives.org.uk

Picture shows Labour candidate Emily Lomax, with local MEP Arlene McCarthy chatting to park users.

Lib Dems hit by new defection

THE Liberal Democrats in Manchester have been rocked by the loss of a second councillor in two months. Abid Chohan, who represents Longsight, is crossing the floor to join the Labour group.

Cllr Chohan said, "I have been thinking about this for two or three months."The Liberal Democrats are soft on drugs and crime and too busy fighting each other rather than thinking about the local area.