Labour2008
Gravesham Constituency Labour Party
Kathryn Smith Labour’s Prospective Patliamentary Candidate in Gravesham
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Labour Achievements

It is easy to forget what Britain was like in 1997 - the NHS on its knees, schools crumbling, crime doubled and millions of families still scarred by unemployment over three million and interest rates still recovering from hitting 15 per cent on Black Wednesday.

And while we know that everything is not perfect now, Britain is, without doubt, a better, more prosperous and fairer place.

Our economy has enjoyed the longest period of growth for 200 years. There are 2.5 million more people in work. Living standards have risen. There are more nurses and doctors in a transformed health service. More teachers in modernised schools. More police on our streets and tougher action against anti-social behaviour.

The result is that crime is down 35 per cent. School standards have never been higher. While once patients routinely waited over 18 months for treatment, no one now waits over six months. Families and pensioners are being given more support. Our towns and cities are being transformed. We’ve introduced the minimum wage and dramatically extended maternity leave and pay.

All the progress we’ve seen is the result of the hard work and commitment of millions of people. But our party in Government and Labour councils have played a huge role in bringing it about.

We’ve shown, too, that Labour is the party of fairness and aspiration - that you don’t have to choose between economic prosperity and social justice. In doing so, we have shifted the ground of politics and caused a serious identity crisis in our opponents. If you’re asking yourself what Labour has done for you; then you’ll be interested in reading the following:

Pensioners:

* Increased benefits have helped poorer pensioners most
* Minimum State pensions up
* For single pensioners up from £62.45 to £82.05
* And for couples from £99.80 to £131.20
* Labour's Pension Credits guarantees
* £109.45 for single pensioners and £167.05 for couples
* 3.3 million people receive the Pension Credit
* 11.5 million the Winter Fuel Allowance
* 6.6 million qualify for free eye tests
* Plus pensioners benefit from
* Free local bus travel
* and from April 2008 national bus travel
* free central heating installation for the poorest
* Free TV Licenses and free passports for Over 75s
* Free flu inoculation for Over 65s
* And VAT on fuel was cut to 5%

Children and Families:

* 2.1 million children out of child poverty
* Free nursery places for every 3 and 4 year old
* Sure Start and Children’s Centres
* 12.8 million children benefit from Child Benefit rise
* Tax credits lift 600,000 children out of poverty
* All UK families on average £1400 pa better off
* Child Trust Funds created
* Parenting Fund to improve early learning
* Raising of Income Tax thresholds
* Doubling of maternity pay
* Parental leave for adoptive parents
* Flexible working for parents of young children
* 500,000 fathers enjoy paternity leave

Education:

* Major rise in spending per pupil
* 10 fold rise in school building investment
* 36,000 more teachers and 86,000 learning assistants
* Extra Direct Grants to schools
* Improvements in GCSE and A level results
* Investment in school sports
* Increased funding for further education
* £2.9 bn more for Higher Education
* Reintroduction of University grants
* Improvements to Primary School results
* Increased support to Adult learners
* More funding for training in work

NHS:

* NHS investment to treble by 2008
* 85,000 extra nurses; 33,000 extra doctors
* More therapists, GPs; Midwives; Consultants
* 132 new hospitals built; 3 new radiology academies
* 127 MRI scanners; 215 CT scanners
* 2,200 more general and acute beds in NHS hospitals
* £900 million spent on GP surgeries
* 38% more cancer consultants
* Cancer deaths fall faster than anywhere else in World
* For breast cancer in women
* And Lung Cancer in men
* Heart disease deaths down by 35% since 1997
* 1000 more NHS dentists
* Waiting times cut
* Nurses pay up

Other Groups:

* First ever minimum wage
* First ever legal minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds
* Pension Protection Fund established
* Signed European Working Time Directive
* 575,000 new businesses set up
* Cut the main rate of Corporation Tax to 30%
* Over 6000 new Community Police Officers
* 34% decrease in violent crime
* And 46% drop in vehicle theft
* And 53% drop in burglaries
* Made racially motivated attacks specified crimes
* Ratified the Kyoto Protocol
* Reduced duty on biodiesel to 20%
* Introduced a £210 VED for most polluting cars
* Drinking water quality improved
* Implemented Countryside Rights of Way Act
* Appointed first ever Minister for Women
* Lone parent mothers helped back into work
* Part time female workers given equal right
* Spending on railways doubled

This website is promoted and published by Ray Parker on behalf of Gravesham CLP
24 Overcliffe Gravesend Kent DA11 0EH 01474 534395 Email: office@graveshamlabour.co.uk
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