Canvassing in Ruscombe

I have been out in Ruscombe this evening canvassing for the upcoming District Elections. 

I was joined by Stroud District Councillors David Drew and Roger Sanders. 

Sharing my Kitchen Garden with the Wildlife

This weekend I have been preparing my kitchen garden for planting. After digging the plot I have planted 2 rows of potatoes and 2 rows of onions. The onions were kindly donated by my neighbour. 

I had a bit of a surprise when I took some of the weeds to our compost heap, when I lifted the old carpet that covers it I found a nest of about 15 slow worms. They looked a bit startled but I put the carpet back down and left them in peace. 

I usually grow my own tomatoes and cucumbers from seed in the greenhouse, but this year I am going to buy them from our Village Plant Sale that takes place on 11th May at the Village Shop. 

Gloucester Vegan Show

Today I Spent the day at Gloucester Vegan Show at The Guildhall. We were invited there to talk about The Wounded Badger Patrols. 

The event was really great with lots of stalls, food tasting, demonstrations and talks. 

I am a vegan and it was very interesting listening to the talks about the reasons to became vegan, animal welfare, questions on the  farming industry, and advice about food options. The Cooking demonstrations were fantastic and really inspiring. 

The other groups at the event included Sea Shepheard, Vervet Monkey Sanctuary,Dean Farm Trust, Mino Valley Farm Animal Sanctuary, and The Vegetarian Food Studio. 

Hundreds Turn Out For Gloucester's Anti Badger Cull March

My husband and I joined about 500 people at the Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting demonstration in Gloucester city centre on Saturday 19th May. 

Pilot culls in Gloucestershire and Somerset were aimed at limiting the spread of bovine tuberculosis (TB).

Earlier this month Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said the pilots would continue.

Organiser Carol Cook said the number of people who turned out to demonstrate shows "it is not acceptable for an industry to be killing our wildlife".

She said they were "sympathetic" towards farmers, but added that the "industry needs to look at its own practices" and improve "bio-security in the farmyards themselves" to stop the spread of the disease.

"It isn't us against the farmers at all - everyone can work together to stop this awful disease," she said.

Conservationist Ian Redmond said most badgers do not have the disease and culling is a "recipe for disaster, not for curing the disease".

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has stated that it can only support further pilot culls if effectiveness and humaneness improved and if there are independent monitors.

The BVA said it was also concerned that if culling in the pilot areas stops now there could be an increased risk of TB in cattle.

Here are some links to see videos from the March. 

-A film by Dianne Bartlett from the Glos Badger March featuring Stroud's Ian Redmond from The Born Free Foundation. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxKW00MceiRtzrt_5GNPi4g/videos

-Domanic Dyer's speech filmed by Ian Redmond. 

http://stroudcommunity.tv/dominic-dyer-addresses-badger-rally-gloucester/

Dangers To Cyclists And The Need For 20mph.

Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend my husband and I were cycling between Fairford and Lechlade when a van travelling over 50mph hit my husband and knocked him off his bike. 

After being taken to hospital by ambulance his injuries were confirmed as damage to his shoulder, arm, back and hand, so he was very lucky. 

It turns out that the road we were cycling along is notorious for accidents, but we were unaware of this as we were not familiar with the local area. We have been put off cycling on the roads for now, but this really highlights the need for road speed limits to be reduced. 

As a Parish Councillor of Whiteshill and Ruscombe we campaigned with Randwick Parish Council for many years to have the speed limit in the Ward reduced to 20mph, and last year this was introduced. 

I recently wrote a letter to the Stroud Life about this. 

"Dear Editor,
It is so good to see that Stroud may soon be getting a reduction in road speed limits to 20mph. 
As a Parish Councillor of Whiteshill and Ruscombe, ourselves and Randwick Parish Council, finally got a Ward wide 20 mph speed limit across Randwick, Whiteshill, and Ruscombe last year. It was not easy to get this introduced, and involved lots of work with County Council, Glos Highways and the support of local residents.
I noted that recent speed check showed that on average, motorist are driving slower through the ward but we still have a long way to go as people are still not used to what feels like an unnaturally slow speed.
With most residential roads in Stroud soon becoming 20mph this will encourage drivers to change their driving habits and I hope that this will continue as they drive up into our Villages.
Statistics show that lower speed limits reduce your chances of being killed if you are hit by a car, this has to be a good thing to pass on to the next generation and improve the areas we all live in."
 

At the moment, recent speed checks carried out over the last two weeks have shown that vehicles are still travelling too fast through the Village, but I hope that once other areas like Stroud and Cashes Green get 20mph speed limits too, drivers will become accustomed to driving slower everywhere. 

Meeting with Maria Eagle MP and Roberta Blackman-Woods MP

This week I have attended 2 meetings at Stroud Labour constituency Offices in Landsdown.

The guest at these meetings were Maria Eagle MP (Shadow Environment Minister) and Roberta Blackman-Woods MP (Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government). 

Maria Eagle MP met with myself and other individuals representing groups involved with the Anti Badger Cull Campaign. She wanted to hear about our experiences on the ground during the Badger Cull Pilot last year.  She also spoke to Dr Chris Cheeseman about his research and vast knowledge of Bovine TB and Badgers. 

I also met Roberta Blackman-Woods on Thursday to talk about her role as Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government, she listened to Labour Councillors concerns about the Governments planning policy and the threat of losing green fields to housing development. 

We also discussed Neighbourhood Plans and their role within local communities and Parish Councils. This was of particular interest to myself as a Parish Councillor, as Whiteshill and Ruscombe are in the process of doing a neighbourhood plan at the moment, Roberta assured me and others at the meeting that the Labour Party fully support Neighbourhood Plans and see them becoming a vital tool for local Councils and communities in the future. 

http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/11142984.Shadow_environment_secretary_Maria_Eagle_calls_for_stop_to_badger_cull_during_visit_to_Stroud/

Labour Continue To Campaign For Living Wage

As part of the TUC’s Fair Pay Fortnight, former MP and parliamentary candidate David Drew calls on local businesses to follow Stroud District Council’s lead and pay workers the Living Wage. Cllr Drew, who served as Stroud’s MP from 1997 until 2010, was commenting on the findings of the TUC on the proportion of workers paid below the Living Wage, “I was shocked to discover that nearly a fifth of all workers in Stroud are paid below the Living Wage.” The Living Wage is currently set at £7.65 an hour outside London, including Stroud. Cllr Drew continued, “The situation is even worse if you are a part time worker, where over half of all workers receive less than the Living Wage. We are constantly being told by our incumbent MP and Government that the recovery is here, but tell that to people on these poverty wages, as well of those out of jobs like at Listers in Dursley.” 

Cllr Drew went onto to attack his successor as MP, Neil Carmichael, “Last year, Mr. Carmichael refused to rule out voting against a cut in the national minimum wage (Stroud News and Journal, April 2013). I said then and I say now that that position is absolutely disgraceful – I was proud to vote for the National Minimum Wage when in Parliament. Instead, I call on the Government to increase the level of the national minimum age to that of the Living Wage.”

Vanessa Price, Labour’s candidate in Randwick, Whiteshill and Ruscombe, said “It’s vitally important that we continue to press for a Living Wage across Stroud and the whole country. It’s often women who lose out and are paid substantially less compared to their male counterparts. I’m proud to be working with Labour county councillors who are continuing to push for a Living Wage for Gloucestershire County Council school workers paid below the level, 94% of whom are women.”

Cllr Geoff Wheeler (Lab/Coop, Dursley), Leader of Stroud District Council, said “Last year, we made to conscious decision to give council workers a pay rise to the Living Wage level because all the evidence points to the fact that it leads to less sick days, higher worker happiness and efficiency, as well as putting more money in our employee’s pockets that they can spend in and around the Stroud district. I would encourage all local businesses to follow our lead and start paying the Living Wage; at Stroud District Council are really feeling the positive benefits.”