Red Pete Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 I know it's fashonable to hammer this government on the Sheffield Forum, but I am sick and tired of hearing the cynics, the Tories & liberals, and the media constantly undermining the success story of the Labour Government’s record over the past 13 years. I am afraid people have very short memories and perhaps it is time to remind ourselves as to the achievements of the government since they came to power in 1997. Here's just 52 Labour Achievements; Employment 1. A rising National Minimum Wage - Annual rise for 1 million people, now £5-80 per hour. Remember the £1-20 per hour when they took power - opposed by the Tories and business 2. In Europe we signed the Social Chapter and introduced measures including: four weeks’ paid holiday; the right to parental leave; extended maternity leave; a new right to request flexible working; and the same protection for part-time workers full-time workers. – opposed by the Tories 3. The New Deal has helped over 2 million people into work – opposed by the Tories 4. A million people are benefiting from real tax cuts to boost their income this year Health 5. Massive investment in new hospitals buildings - The shortest waiting times since NHS records began.- remember the condition of Wards back in 1997 with peeling paint and leaking roofs 6. 3 million more operations carried out each year since 1997, doubling the number of heart operations 7. Over 44,000 more doctors 8. Over 89,000 more nurses 9. Health Centres - Over three quarters of GP practices now offer extended opening hours for at least one evening or weekend session a week. In new a vastly improved facilities and clinics 10. All prescriptions are now free for people being treated for cancer or the effects of cancer, and teenage girls are offered a vaccination against cervical cancer 11. The NHS can now guarantee that you will see a cancer specialist within two weeks if your GP suspects you may have cancer 12. Whatever your condition, you will not have to wait more than 18 weeks from GP referral to the start of hospital treatment – and most waits are much shorter than this. Elderly 13. A million pensioners benefiting from increased Winter Fuel Payments over 60’s £250 if you live alone, £400 over 80 14. 900,000 pensioners lifted out of poverty 15. Free TV licences for over-75s 16. Free bus travel anywhere in England for over-60’s and disabled people – remember the Tories stopping Sheffield’s cheap bus fares with free travel for pensioners 17. Launched the Swimming Challenge Fund to support free swimming for over 60s and under 16s – opposed by Lib/Dems in Sheffield and Hull Children & Families 18. 500,000 children lifted out of relative poverty and measures already in train will lift around a . further 500,000 children out of poverty. £20 per week, 1st child - £13-20 subsequent 19. Over 3 million Child Trust Funds have been started. 20. A free nursery place for every 3 and 4 year old. 21. Nearly 3,000 Sure Start Children’s Centres opened, reaching 2 million children and their families.- Tories promising to end Sure Start 22. Doubled the number of registered childcare places, over 1.5 million, 1 in every 4 children under 8 Education & Schools 23. New Schools - Over 3,700 rebuilt or significantly refurbished schools; including new, improved classrooms, laboratories and kitchens, most with new Sport Facilities – remember the old leaking roofs 24. Over 42,400 more teachers and 123,000 more teaching assistants than in 1997 25. Increased school funding to support the delivery of higher standards. In the last 11 years, total funding per pupil has more than doubled. In real terms, an increase of 110% 26. In 1997 over half of all schools saw less than 30% of pupils gain 5 good GCSEs. This has dramatically improved with a guarantee that no school should fail this mark after 2011 27. A massive investment in University & college buildings, more young people attending university than ever before 28. More than doubled the number of apprenticeships starts, with figures for 2008/9 showing 234,000 started compared to 75,000 in 1997. International 29. Peace in Northern Ireland 30. Cancelled up to 100 per cent of debt for the world’s poorest countries – opposed by the Tories 31. More than doubled Britain’s overseas aid budget. UK aid helps lift 3 million people out of poverty ever year. Led efforts to agree a new international convention banning all cluster munitions. 32. Introduced the first ever British Armed Forces and Veterans Day to honour the achievements of our armed forces – both past and present. 33. In the last 4 years Labour’s work overseas has helped over 7 million people in sub-Saharan Africa access clean water and sanitation 34. Devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. – opposed by the Tories Environment 35. The UK is now smoke free, with no smoking in most enclosed public places.- opposed by the Tories 36. The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are now 21% below 1990 levels, beating our Kyoto target. 37. Britain now has more offshore wind capacity than any country in the world. Wind last year provided enough electricity to power 2 million homes 38. Banned fox hunting – opposed by the Tories who promise to bring it back Housing, Neighbourhoods & Safety 39. Over £20 billion in bringing social housing to decent standards – every council house being modernised 40. Launched the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to speed up the delivery of new affordable housing and embarked on the biggest program of council house building for twenty years - remember the state of our housing sock after years of neglect 41. Rough sleeping has dropped by two thirds and homelessness is at its lowest level since early 1980s 42. Since 1997 overall crime is down 36 per cent; domestic burglary is down 54 per cent; vehicle related crime is down 57% and violent crime is down 41 per cent. 43. A new flexible points-based system to ensure only those economic migrants who have the skills our economy needs can come to work in the UK. 44. Police numbers up 16,000 since 1997, alongside over 16,000 Police Community Support Officers 45. Every community now has its own dedicated neighbourhood police team, easily contactable by the people living in the community and working to agreed local priorities dealing with all concerns. Equal Opportunities 46. Equalised the age of consent and repealed Section 28 – apposed by the Tories 47. The introduction of civil partnerships, Labour has given legal recognition to same-sex partners. Gay couples now have the same inheritance, pension and next-of-kin rights as married couples.- apposed by the Tories Culture Sport & Leisure 48. Free admission to our national museums and galleries. 49. The ‘Right to Roam’ the CROW act opening up acres of moorland for the walkers and families – apposed by the Tories and Land Owners 50. Created a new right of pedestrian access to the English coast, so that every family has the opportunity to enjoy the length and breadth of our coastline– again apposed by Tories and land owners 51. Created 4 new National Parks at Loch Lomond, New Forrest, the Cairngorms and the South Downs 52. Led the campaign to win the 2012 Olympics. Today the programme remains on time and on budget with over 40% of the construction programme completed and all major venues under construction. This government has seen through the largest Public Capital Building programme ever carried out in the history of this country, whether it be in Education, Health, House Modernisation, Culture and Leisure, a magnificent achievement, surely the most successful Labour government ever! Don’t let them destroy it. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to protect this. This election is winnable and if we can get Gordon to combine it with the local elections in May giving us around a 70% turn out we will take back most of the big cities as well. So get out there and fight!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthedog Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Pretty much the same list has been posted on here before and thoroughly shot-down. If I could be bothered, I'd run through a few points. Try searching in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raggy Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 This election is winnable and if we can get Gordon to combine it with the local elections in May giving us around a 70% turn out we will take back most of the big cities as well. So get out there and fight!!! Copied and pasted from an email from Labour HQ by any chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ousetunes Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Copied and pasted from an email from Labour HQ by any chance? ..from someone calling themselves Red Pete. Believe the bull, I'm voting Tory and putting the Veuve Clicquot on ice ready for the Big Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 "This government has seen through the largest Public Capital Building programme ever carried out in the history of this country, whether it be in Education, Health, House Modernisation, Culture and Leisure, a magnificent achievement, surely the most successful Labour government ever!" However as we couldn't and can't afford all this, the achievement is actually that they have been the best at maxing their credit card and not paying it back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titanic99 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 However as we couldn't and can't afford all this, the achievement is actually that they have been the best at maxing their credit card and not paying it back! Out of the list shown which do you believe should never have been implemented because the country couldn't afford it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Out of the list shown which do you believe should never have been implemented because the country couldn't afford it? Things that can't be afforded should not be implemented no matter what they are. If we'd known that Brown was going to make such an unbelievable mess of the country's finances, the answer would have been "every last one of them." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimsid2000 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 The smoking ban and hanging Saddam would be top of my list. But I am still a Conservative. (this should be the manifesto for the next govt.http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=nikki%20sanderson&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llamatron Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Things that can't be afforded should not be implemented no matter what they are. If we'd known that Brown was going to make such an unbelievable mess of the country's finances, the answer would have been "every last one of them." I agree it is a stupid question and it is never that black and white. Personally I wouldn't have bothered starting the ID card scheme. I wouldn't have told lots of schools they could have loads of money to do up their buildings unless I knew where it was coming from (they didn't think that far ahead though). And I would have spent less on each of them-problems don't magically disappear if you throw money at them..... I can hear you say "but what about the children?" and the answer is they have done well in the past without free broadband and digital whiteboards. All you actually need is good teachers, books and respectful children that want to learn. ps and of course easier exams as they all have the right to good grades! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimsid2000 Posted April 12, 2010 Share Posted April 12, 2010 Environment 35. The UK is now smoke free, with no smoking in most enclosed public places.- opposed by the Tories ! Credit where it is due. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/smoking-ban-has-saved-40000-lives-856885.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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