Foreword by Gordon Brown
Our starting point is, and always will be, the struggles and the hopes and ambitions of hard-working families.
The priorities of Britain’s families who play by the rules are our priorities – education, the NHS, cutting crime, affordable housing and a strong economy. This Labour Government, in partnership with Labour councils and councillors, is working for a Britain of security and opportunity for all.
Security for all means not just more secure jobs but communities that are safer places to live. We understand that people need to see their policemen and women in their communities to feel safer so this Government has ensured that every community in England will have its own dedicated neighbourhood police team patrolling the streets, contactable by mobile phone, and in touch with local people.
Across the country, Labour councils share people’s concerns about those who make life a misery for others and are using tough powers to combat anti-social behaviour, to tackle flytipping and ensure cleaner neighbourhoods.
And Labour councils are working to provide high quality, efficient local services that offer value for money.
It is because we know that families need the security of consistently low mortgage rates that we continue to take the difficult and long-term decisions to deliver continued economic stability and interest rates as low as possible even though we face uncertain global economic conditions caused by the US housing market’s problems.
We must never return to the 15 per cent interest rates that threatened people’s homes in the early 1990s.
We are also picking up the pace of change in our schools and hospitals. We want to give pupils more one to one tuition – and patients more say in a more responsive NHS.
We will not be deflected from our commitment to cleaner hospitals and to increase the opening hours of GP surgeries. Illness is not a nine to five condition – and the NHS cannot be just a nine to five service.
We are building more homes because we know that first-time buyers and young families struggle to get a foot on the housing ladder in these times of global economic uncertainty.
And because we understand the pressures on parents bringing up their families we have taken steps to help families have a better work-life balance, including longer paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, new rights to request flexible working, more childcare places and increased Child Benefit and child tax credits.
Locally and nationally, Labour will remain firmly on the side of hard-working families. Help us keep Britain moving forward by backing Labour locally.
Vote Labour on 1 May.