Meet your Labour Party candidates for the local council elections 2nd May 2019.

• David Bishop
• John Lambert
• Jill Shacklock

As Labour councillors we pledge to

Improve air quality by reducing car use and congestion:

• Propose primary school buses to reduce congestion and pollution
• Campaign for safer footpaths and cycle paths
• Campaign for cheaper bus and rail travel for the under 25s
• Campaign for alternative traffic scheme in Hampden Park

Find more ways to reduce waste, improve recycling and share resources:

• End single use plastic products at council outlets and services
• Introduce food waste collection  for Eastbourne

Protect local rail links, services and amenities:

• Campaign to protect Hampden Park station and local rail links to London, Brighton and Hastings
• Lobby for more investment in local community shopping areas
• Tackle anti-social behaviour and restore community policing
• Oppose closure of library, social care and hospital  services in Eastbourne

Protect our unique environment

• Safeguard our Downs, parks and green spaces
• Plant more trees
• Support communities and schools to maintain  green spaces, such as vegetable gardens
• Crack down on fly-tipping and littering

Secure housing

• Use council powers to bring empty properties back into use, tackle rogue landlords and rough sleeping
• Provide accessible council services to rough sleepers to help with addiction
• Provide more outreach teams for rough sleepers and install a local 24 hour helpline for emergencies

Nine years of Tory austerity has led to rising crime, high street decline and the loss of key services. Local government has been hollowed out and the poorest and most vulnerable have been hit hardest.

It’s time for change in Eastbourne. Labour councillors would help to make that change and hold the LibDem and Conservative councillors to account. 

Meet David Bishop

David grew up in Peacehaven and moved to Eastbourne eight years ago. His career has been varied: serving five years in the Royal Marines, working as a teacher and currently running his own business as well as working part-time for St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

David is passionate about the environment and social injustice. If elected, he will focus on reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality and addressing parking issues within the ward.

Safer roads and cleaner air

As we all know, global warming is having a devastating impact on the environment around the world. One of the main causes for this is Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
With this mind, David has been monitoring the traffic congestion around the ward and is particularly concerned by increases around Ratton School, Cavendish School and the DGH.
If I am elected, Labour will have a representative on the council to raise these issues.

Labour’s manifesto states that it will introduce a new Clean Air Act to deal with the Conservative legacy of illegal air quality.

Meet John Lambert

John Lambert has lived in Ratton Ward for the last 27 years and is a longstanding member of the local Labour Party. He has regularly campaigned against the savage council cuts to local services, such as libraries, medical centres and educational provision. Having recently retired as a University lecturer, he now works in professional sport. He believes that there needs to be investment into local communities so that everyone’s quality of life is enhanced rather than the steady decline that we have been seeing in recent years under this council.

Rebuilding our communities

John feels strongly that to halt the decline in local services and to improve the living conditions of ALL our residents, there needs to be radical change in the priorities of local and national government. Investment is needed in our local shopping hubs around the town (eg. the Broadway) and not just the town centre. We need the reinstatement of the police officer and support officer posts, lost in recent years, to keep our streets safe. The ever-increasing queues experienced either side of the Hampden Park crossing are a result of irresponsible local planning.

We need to elect Labour councillors in Eastbourne as they care about the environment in which we all live and will challenge the decisions that are damaging our communities.

Help for the high street: The Labour manifesto pledges to introduce a package of reforms to business rates and to reform local government funding to ensure our councils have sustainable funding for the long run.

Meet Jill Shacklock

Jill has lived with her family in Eastbourne since 1997. She started her career teaching in schools, but has worked for the University of Brighton for over 30 years, providing and supporting IT Services. Her  three daughters all attended Ratton School and Sussex Downs/ East Sussex College, so she is well aware of the problems and pressures currently facing Eastbourne’s students and teachers.

Jill aims to ensure that council tax payers’ money is spent effectively, for the benefit of the many. She will fight against damaging cuts – the short-term savings that lead to permanent loss of vital services – and promote environmental protections such as Plastic Free Eastbourne, clean air campaign, cheaper and better public transport.

Standing up for local services

In January 2018, Conservative controlled East Sussex County Council announced they were closing Milton Grange along with two other brilliant respite and rehabilitation centres: Firwood House and Seaford’s Warwick House.
After public outrage and community campaigns, East Sussex CC spared Milton Grange, but closed the other centres.

Eastbourne Labour knows that cutting services for short term financial savings makes no sense. Centres like Milton Grange save money by reducing the demand on hospital beds and homecare services. More importantly they restore dignity and quality of life to the elderly and vulnerable.

Shortly before Christmas 2017, Pat who was then 93, collapsed and lost the use of her legs. After two weeks in hospital Pat was sent home to make room for winter flu’ victims. Barely mobile, she had to be supported with four visits a day from carers. Despite these visits Pat was unable to cope and was taken back to an already overflowing DGH. After this second visit Pat was discharged into the care of the “marvellous Milton Grange”. With rest, good food and prescribed exercises, Pat was soon on her feet, back home and able to cook and care for herself again. Pat is certain that Milton Grange saved her life and gave back her independence.

Labour councillors will stand up for Eastbourne’s vital resources

Can you help Labour win in Eastbourne?

If you share our vision for a fairer and more equal society and if you want to see greater and more urgent protection for our environment, why not join our team of supporters and volunteers. Your contribution can be anything from displaying a poster in your windows, to delivering leaflets, or canvassing.

Whatever you’d like to offer, tell us how you can help here.

Did you know about: Policies on housing and living standards from the Labour Party manifesto:

• Labour will build a million new homes, including 100,000 genuinely affordable homes to buy and rent a year by the end of the Parliament.
• Labour’s New Deal for renters will deliver a consumer’s rights revolution for renters to improve standards, security and affordability for people who rent their homes from a private landlord
• Labour’s New Deal on homelessness will introduce a new national plan to end rough sleeping, starting by doubling the number of affordable homes reserved for those with a history of sleeping rough.