Labour leader in ‘key seat’ of Carlisle

Another party leader but this time it was the Opposition – Labour’s ed Miliband – who was visiting Carlisle to support the party’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) and city councillor Lee Sherriff. The Tory-held constituency was identified as a ket target seat for the party. Unlike Cameron’s visit there was no pre-approval of just a single question and it was a lot more relaxed.

ED MILIBAND has praised the work being carried out by Carlisle City Council’s Labour administration to improve the city.

Earlier this year, Carlisle was identified as a key seat for the 2015 General Election and the Labour leader visited the constituency yesterday in a bid to reconnect with disillusioned voters.

He held a special question-and-answer session at Carlisle Youth Zone, in Victoria Place, in front of a packed audience.

It was arranged to give people a chance to ask questions on issues which affect them, and will focus on how politics can be made more relevant to people.

And the leader particularly wanted to hear from those who had given up voting for mainstream political parties, or those who have never voted.

Speaking ahead of the question and answer session, he told The Cumberland News that what was happening in Carlisle was “exciting” after Labour seized control of the city council following 13 years of Tory rule last year. He said: “What you are doing in Carlisle is exciting.

“We won the council last year based on our new approach and the way we campaigned.”

Mr Miliband also gave his support to Labour ’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Carlisle, city councillor Lee Sherriff.

He said that she was proactive in her community and balanced her political activities with being a carer. “Part of doing politics differently is reaching out to people,” he said.

“We’ve got local people who really understand their area.”

And he added that the way things were being run in Carlisle was a “model” for this new approach.

Earlier this year Carlisle was identified as a key seat which Labour aims to win back from the Conservatives and this was partly the reason why it had been included in the One Nation series of events.

Mr Miliband said: “We want to win back the trust of the people of Carlisle. I think the city council is starting to do that. Lee is a good representative for Labour. We are really reaching out to the community, saying ‘we can make a difference to Carlisle’ but we need a Labour Government.”

Mr Miliband said that the biggest issue facing people today was jobs and added: “That’s a massive issue in Carlisle and all over the country. We can bring jobs back to Carlisle by working with the city council.”

Mr Miliband’s visit is part of a series of events being held throughout the UK. Last year, he chose Carlisle to launch Labour ’s local elections campaign in the north.

From The Cumberland News on Friday, March 29, 2013.

“Politics too important to be left to politicians”

Time to change says Labour’s leader Ed

POLITICS needs to be done differently – and not just left to the politicians – that was one of the messages put forward by the Labour Party leader during his visit to Carlisle.

Ed Miliband’s visit was part of his party’s One Nation series of events which aims to reconnect with disillusioned voters and hear what issues are directly affecting members of the public.

Mr Miliband held a question and answer session at Carlisle Youth Zone. Earlier this year Carlisle was identified as a key seat for the 2015 General Election.

Topics raised at the session included: education, university tuition fees, changes to the benefits system and what politicians can do to get young people more interested in politics.

The Opposition Leader told a packed audience: “Politics is too important to be left to the politicians. You have got to ask ‘how are we going to change things?’ Can anybody rise to the challenge?”

Rachael Davis, who is on benefits and bringing up a disabled teenage daughter while studying part time for a degree, said she disliked being classed as a “scrounger” and would be adversely affected by changes in benefits such as the Bedroom Tax.

Mr Miliband said: “It’s nasty what this Government has done. They’ve tried to divide this country into strivers and skivers. As far as I am concerned you are a striver because you are trying to do your best for your daughter.”

When asked about tuition fees he said that he would prefer them to be lower with a graduate tax imposed. “If you earn more you should pay more back,” he said.

There were a few secondary and sixth form pupils in the audience. Mr Miliband was critical of the Education Secretary.

He said: “I honestly believe that Michael Gove wants us to go back to the 1950s. That whole idea that creative subjects are a waste of time is wrong. We have got to have a broad curriculum.”

Speaking after the event Mr Miliband praised Labour ’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Carlisle, Lee Sherriff, because she is from a “normal” background. “It’s really important to have people from a wide range of backgrounds,” he said.

“She’s a breath of fresh air and she’s not a professional politician.”

Miss Sherriff she was was pleased with the way the session had gone. She added: “It was very varied.”

She said it was good that pupils were given a chance to get involved. “Engaging young people in politics is something I’m really keen to do. It’s important because they are our future.”

From the Carlisle News & Star on Saturday, March 30, 2013