Derbyshire Dales Labour Party

Dales Labour have gained two seats in the elections for Derbyshire County Council.

Polling stations opened on Thursday 2nd May 2013 with results announced the following Friday.

6 seats in the Derbyshire Dales were up for election; Ashbourne, Bakewell, Derwent Valley, Dovedale, Matlock and Wirksworth.

On a day of incredible results all round, Labour’s Irene Ratcliffe took the Wirksworth seat back from the Conservatives and Andy Botham gained the Matlock seat from the County Lib Dem leader, Steve Flitter.  Results in all 6 divisions saw an increase in the Labour Party’s share of the vote with Conservatives suffering from significant reductions in their majorities.

County wide, Labour were returned to overall control of Derbyshire County Council taking 43 seats.  The Conservatives were left trailing on 18 with the Liberal Democrats reduced to just 3 Councillors.

The results by division were as follows:

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Ashbourne – Conservative Hold

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Bakewell – Conservative Hold

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Derwent Valley – Conservative Hold

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dovedale – Conservative Hold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Matlock – Labour gain from Liberal Democrats

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wirksworth – Labour gain from Conservatives

Derbyshire Labour has promised a better and fair deal for our older people, the disabled and vulnerable if elected in May.

Almost a quarter of Derbyshire Dales residents now spend approximately 10% of their income on energy and heating, giving the Dales one of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the country.

With changes to welfare and the introduction of the Bedroom Tax, our older people, the disabled and those on low incomes are set to suffer even further as prices continue to soar.

Dales Labour is committed to helping people through these tough times. We will work to keep the home help service and support carers and their families.

Dales Labour will campaign to maintain free  us travel and winter fuel payments for our older people. We will also support local charities, voluntary groups and community transport services so that they can support our most vulnerable.

Dales Labour will continue to oppose the Bedroom Tax and privatisation of our NHS both locally and nationally.

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With elections due to take place on 2nd May, Derbyshire Dales residents will have the opportunity to vote for their County Councillor for the first time in 4 years.

Launching their election campaign, the Dales Labour Team are making jobs, training and apprenticeships the number one priority for Derbyshire.

District Councillor and Labour Candidate for Wirksworth, Irene Ratcliffe said, ‘Putting jobs first is not just about supporting local businesses and traders, but making sure that local people have the right skills and training to take up work with local employers.

We also want to help people into work with improved access to jobs and careers advice services and encourage the provision of more apprenticeships in the area too’.

District Councillor Colin Swindell, added ‘Residents tell me that one of the biggest barriers to getting into work is the lack of transport and the cost of getting to and from the workplace, particularly in the rural areas.

So, I support the Derbyshire Labour Group’s commitment to investing in roads, public transport and rail to help people get to and from work – benefiting employers and employees’.

Dales Labour will get to work, so you can too!

Four years ago the Tories pledged to fix Derbyshire’s roads. Today, Derbyshire’s roads are some of the worst in the region.

Despite the Conservatives’ promise to fix the county’s roads they remain blighted by potholes, with rural areas left suffering from a serious lack of maintenance.Furthermore, the Conservatives – supported by the Lib Dems – have cut £1 million from the gritting budget and a  further £1.9 million from road  maintenance for the coming year.

Peter Slack, Councillor for Wirksworth Ward said, “Not surprisingly only weeks away from an election, the Tories have suddenly announced an eight week spending spree of £820,000 on road repairs!
Sadly, for Dales residents, it’s simply too  little, too late!”.

Derbyshire Labour is committed to putting Derbyshire on the road to repair by investing an extra £1million  pounds into emergency road repairs if elected in May.