South Leicester NEWS IRAQ - YOU DEMAND the TRUTH £3 Billion the Price of War!
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BACK PAGE EXTRA… TORIES OUT OF THE RACE IN LEICESTER SOUTH BY-ELECTION Iraq: we FREE South Leicester want the truth! Page 2 EWS Back page: Leicester students could miss out on vote N ● Failed Labour Leicester Liberal Democrat Parmjit Singh Gill is fighting to man chosen keep our local post offices open A man rejected by his own — collecting signatures for the Lib constituents at last year’s local Dems Save our Post Offices petition. elections is the controversial choice of Labour as Tony Blair’s man in the South Knighton is one of the latest Leicester South by-election. local post offices under threat as a Many people are furious at the result of government policies. choice of Sir Peter Soulsby — the person most noted for awarding himself fat cat pay rises when he was the top Labour man on Leicester Council and for the massive Council Tax rises he inflicted on local residents. Residents are asking how Labour can expect them to back a man who closed six local schools, closed homes for Leicester’s elderly and shut down St Margaret’s Baths. Many are amazed that they are being asked to vote for a man who was kicked off the Council by Spinney Hills residents last year by a margin of over 1000 votes in favour of the Lib Dems. He even failed in his bid to become Leicester’s Euro-MP, even though he was favourite to get the job. When asked by a high-ranking committee of Parliament whether he had ever been interested in becoming the MP for Leicester South he said “I rather looked on it badly and it was quickly squashed.” Many people are asking how can he be taken seriously after Not signed the petition against that comment. Labour party chiefs are worried post office closures yet? that they will lose the Leicester Sign on page 4 or online at South seat to the popular local www.leicester-libdems.org.uk choice Councillor Parmjit Gill. NEWS FACT: WHEN MICHAEL HOWARD WAS IN THE GOVERNMENT, THE TREASURY TOOK 90% OF POST OFFICE PROFITS. NONE OF THIS MONEY WAS INVESTED TO PROTECT SERVICES. they claim to be campaigning to keep them open, OUTRAGEbut it was the Tory government that closed 4,000 …at Labour and the Tories as massive local post ofÞ ces between 1979 and 1997.” Leicester post office closures announced The Lib Dem “Save our Post OfÞ ces” petition esidents are outraged at the news Boundary Road and East Park Road. Both has been gathering signatures across the area. that a further eighteen post offices in Clarendon Park and South Knighton still have the Parmjit Singh Gill said: “We must make our RLeicestershire are set to close — with the axe hanging over them. voice heard by the Royal Mail and the Labour axe hanging over a further six. The latest savage Local campaigner Parmjit Singh Gill said: “Local Government if we are to stand any chance of cuts under the Labour Government’s closure residents are angry at the Labour Government stopping yet more post ofÞ ce closures in our area 4,000 POST OFFICES programme will hit local communities hard. for these closures, it is Labour’s policies that are — including Clarendon Park and South Knighton. WERE CLOSED BY THE Three post ofÞ ces are set to close in South causing them. “Every local resident should sign the petition Leicester by the end of August: West Knighton, “The Conservatives are no better, In their leaß ets TODAY.” See page 4 TORY GOVERNMENT Page 2 South Leicester NEWS IRAQ - YOU DEMAND THE TRUTH £3 billion The price of war! Figures from HM Treasury revealed to the Liberal Democrats show that Chancellor Gordon Brown set aside £3 billion in his war chest for operations in Iraq. " Tony Blair and George W Bush. Will they tell us What the NHS the real reason why we went to could have got for war with Iraq? Photo: NATO undreds of local residents are have been found. People are now Iraq. The Lib Dems will continue to Hdemanding a full independent demanding answers and so far Tony Þ ght to get answers.” £3 billion inquiry into the facts behind the Blair is refusing to give them. If you support our campaign to get war in Iraq. Local Lib Dem campaigner Parmjit the truth, why not sign and return ● Trained 8,390 nurses to Despite the claims made by the UK Gill said, “Local people deserve the our petition below. Every extra and US governments before the war, truth about why Labour, backed by signature will help us get closer to fill existing vacancies no weapons of mass destruction the Conservatives, took us to war in the truth. AND SIGN ● Built 18 new hospitals - local people PETITION OUR AND ● Provided 50 new cancer IRAQ deserve the truth scanners To: Prime Minister, AND We, the undersigned, call for a full public inquiry to be set up into the accuracy of the information ● Trained 300 new doctors provided by the intelligence services over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the presentation of the information to Parliament and the public. Name Address Email The Liberal Democrats would like to use the information above to contact you from time to time to keep you informed of campaigns we may think of interest to you. Please write to us if you do not wish to be contacted in this way. Help the Lib Dems win in Leicester The local Liberal Democrats campaign all-year-round. If you would like to help your local Lib Dem team, complete and return this form: I will vote Lib Dem in the Leicester South by-election Your name I would like to vote by post A donation of £5 or more entitles you to I can display an election poster membership of Your address the Lib Dems. I can deliver leafl ets in my area Please tick here if you don’t want I enclose a donation to the campaign to be enrolled ❑ ● Charles Kennedy’s Liberal Democrats are made payable to “Liberal Democrats” for £______ calling for more nurses, more doctors and Please return this form to: Parmjit Singh Gill, Liberal Democrats, FREEPOST, NAT4561, Leicester, LE2 7ZD faster NHS treatment in our hospitals. South Leicester NEWS Page 3 Down your way South Leicester Local South News interview ● The Lib Dems In the corridors hold 14 of the 18 of Parliament Leicester News council seats in everyone is saying Leicester South. that Parmjit Singh Gill is the Action for Spinney Hills LIB DEM favourite to overtake Labour and win the ● TRAFFIC Spinney Hills Lib Leicester South Dem councillors Mussa Saleh, Hashim ACTION by-election. Panchbaya and Mustafa Lib Dem councillors Karim have been taking Parmjit Singh Gill, Rob Westminster action to deal with Renold and Hussein Sule- concerns expressed man are asking the Coun- reporter by local residents cil for a review of the traf- Sarah Morris about traffic and Þ c management system in spoke to the highways issues in the the Evington Road area. area. This includes a popular local review of the one-way councillor. system and traffic calming schemes which How long have you lived here in Leicester? deteriorated under the I was born here, and have lived here all of my life. previous Labour council and are damaging cars. Why do you want to be the MP for Leicester South? Leicester South deserves a good local MP who will stick up for our area — just like Jim Marshall did. I think I can do that job. Everyone tells me they don’t want a Labour KKnightonnighton PParkark bbeneeneÞ ttss ffromrom bankbencher who does everything that Tony Blair and the Labour whips tell them to do. LLibib DDemem councilcouncil pplanslans What about the Conservatives? Everybody knows the Conservatives can’t win here. Th ey came a distant third in the most recent local elections Knighton Park is — when the Lib Dems beat Labour here in Leicester. to beneÞ t from the new Lib Dem City Many people say that the top issue in the by-election Council’s priority to is the war in Iraq, do you think that is true? look after Leicester. I think there are several important issues for local Worn out paths are to be resurfaced, people. Iraq is certainly one of them, people feel they new planting is to re- have been lied to by Tony Blair and have lost all trust in place worn out beds, him; whereas Charles Kennedy has been honest and has broken benches are opposed Tony Blair and George W. Bush consistently. to be replaced and But other issues are also important: top up fees, which play equipment is to are unfair — they will make education based on ability be replaced and im- to pay rather than ability to learn, the NHS, Crime, and proved. Post Offi ce closures. EEYRESYRES MONSELLMONSELL CCROSSINGROSSING Haven’t Labour condemned local Post Offi ce closures? Eyres Monsell Lib NNoo RRespectespect Leicester West’s Labour MP Patricia Hewitt is the Dem councillors Minister responsible for Post Offi ce closures. Labour can’t Mark Farmer and have their cake and eat it — the bottom line is Labour’s Dean Ramsdale have successfully policies are closing our Post Offi ces. Th ese closures hit the asked for a elderly in our community particularly hard. pedestrian crossing What experience of yours do you think is the most outside the Liberal Democrat city centre councillor Debbie important in making you a good local MP? Eyres Monsell Almey has reported illegal ß yposting in the area.