LABOUR 4 CALDER!

Modern political campaigning requires modern political tools so congratulations to the comrades who have put together the campaign website for Janet Oosthuysen who is standing as candidate for Calder in the forthcoming local elections. Janet is an LRC member fighting a community-based campaign which means lots of slog in the far from unglamorous arena of wheelie bins, dog dirt, and fighting unwanted development in the Calder valley. Janet's also fighting for fair wages and plans to take the campaign on to fight for more council and affordable housing . For IT skills alone, she deserves to win!

NEXT MEETING......

The next meeting of the West Yorkshire LRC is on Saturday February 23 at 3pm at the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge. Chair Linda Riordan MP will be leading off a discussion about campaigning in Calderdale and there will be a report back from the National Committee .The bar is also open.......

HELP JANET'S CAMPAIGN

In May 2008, LRC member Janet Oosthuysen will be standing as candidate for the Calder ward . We ware organising a series of events including leafletting, canvassing and street stalls. If you can help Janet - and help build the LRC -contact secretary Susan Press on SsPre2@aol.com

LRC CANDIDATE FOR CALDERDALE.......

Congratulations.....to my fellow town councillor and friend Janet Oosthuysen who last night was selected as our candidate for the Metropolitan Calderdale council next year. The Calder ward has not been a Labour seat for some years but last year we were within a whisker of winning and , with a political, community-based campaign the our chances are better than ever. We will be knocking on doors, going out to local radical groups and aiming to engage with people on an issue by issue basis. Janet, who is one of three LRC members on the Hebden Royd Town Council, has set up a campaign Committee and we will need HELP in the New Year.

LRC MERSEYSIDE LAUNCH

This Saturday December 8 will see the launch of Merseyside LRC and I have been invited to go along and join in the discussion on the way forward for the left. The mood within the Party has darkened once again in the wake of the dodgy donations scandal - and even more importantly for me - the threat to the trade union link . However, I look forward to a constructive afternoon.LRC Chair John McDonnell MP and Liverpool West Derby MP Bob Wareing are both speaking and I'm sure there will be plenty of time for people to contribute. People from Greater Manchester ( who are in the process of organising their own LRC events in the New Year) are also going and anyone else is welcome. If you're interested the venue is the People's Community Centre near the RC cathedral at 12noon. Merseyside was once the epicentre of the UK left so let's hope this will herald a revival of radical socialist ideas.

CHRISTMAS DRINKS....

Just to prove we're not a bunch of saddoes who can't enjoy ourselves, date for Diary is december 18 @ Victoria pub , Leeds. 7.30pm. A gang of us from Calderdale will hopefully be trekking over to chat and debate witrh Leeds comrades who have been keeping flag flying for years as members of Leeds Campaign Group. All welcome.........

LRC National Committee

Thanks to West Yorkshire LRC for nominating me for National Committee. Next meeting is in London on december 15 and will endeavour to put regional issues on the agenda. We need also to be thinking about local events for the new Year and would be particularly pleased to hear from anyone who would be willing to join a list of speakers willing to speak to local Branches /GCs about the LRC . Also ideas on recruitment....... Please contact me 07989352406 or e-mail me.......The full list of committee members can be found at http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/ Thanks again