Co-operators in the Local elections

Lewes, Eastbourne, Wealden and Rother councils all go to the polls on Thursday 2nd May.

Under a long standing electoral agreement, the Co-operative Party stands its members as joint Labour and Co-operative Candidates, and there are a number standing from our branch in these elections:

In Wealden District:

ANGIE SMITH (Uckfield North)
BEN COX  (Uckfield)

In Lewes District:

ALAN TLUSTY-SHEEN (Seaford East)
PENNY LOWER   (Seaford Central)

In Eastbourne Borough:

DAVE BRINSON (St Anthony's)
JANEE SA  (Meads)

Please visit the appropriate local Labour Party sites for more information on their candidacy.

Good turnout for "Our Girl" Claire!

The East Sussex Branch proudly welcomed General Secretary Claire McCarthy back to her home town at our meeting on 11th February.

Claire spoke to a well-attended meeting about Co-op campaigns, and how we can support these going forward.  There were questions and discussions on a range of issues- including co-operative solutions as part of bringing rail back into public ownership; what the future is for co-operation in schools, and how our relationship should develop with the Co-operative Bank and other mutual businesses.

Claire spoke of the need not just to maintain our strength in Parliament and the devolved governments, but also to build the numbers of Co-operative local councillors in authorities up and down the country.

The Branch is proud to be supporting the prospective candidacies of several co-operators in the forthcoming East Sussex elections.  The branch also endorsed Andrew Pakes for the Co-operative Party NEC and Dave Brinson for the National Disciplinary Committee.

Most members were able to stay for an excellent lunch from Ellie at the RAFA.

Next Meeting: 11th February with Claire McCarthy

We are very pleased to welcome our General Secretary, Claire McCarthy, as guest speaker at the East Sussex branch meeting on 11th February in Eastbourne.

As well as being General Secretary of our Party, Claire is an Eastbourne girl, who once had a far more prestigious role as Secretary of Eastbourne Young Labour.... Claire will talk about the campaigns of our party, and how we can make sure our values are central to Labour's policy making.

Other business will be kept to a minimum, although we will have an opportunity to nominate to the NEC and National Disciplinary Committee elections.

THE MEETING WILL BE at the RAF Association, Wish Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4NX (map) on Saturday 11th February starting at 11.00am (note slightly later start time than usual) The bar will be open after the meeting, and the club also serves excellent lunches! Please note there is a staircase to the meeting room.

We look forward to seeing you there!

AGM Success

Gill Roles- top, our new chair, and

outgoing chair Jean Couture.

The East Sussex Co-operative Party branch held it's AGM today in Eastbourne.  Long standing chair, Jean Couture stood down after many years service, and Gill Roles, a former Parliamentary and European Candidate  for Eastbourne/East Sussex  was elected in her place. A vote of thanks for her service was passed, and Jean will continue as vice chair.

The branch is very healthy in terms of both membership and finances, and a number of campaigns and events were discussed for the year including:

• Party street stalls and stalls at Labour and Fairtrade events to promote our agenda
• A barbecue in Heathfield over the summer break
• A repeat of our Fairtrade Coffee Morning
• Exploring options for Co-operative speakers to come to joint Co-op/Labour Party meetings
• Making sure we field Labour and Co-op Candidates in next year's County Council election

The meeting ended with a moment of silence to remember Jo Cox, and an agreement to add our voice to those tributes to her service to our movement.

Eastbourne Labour selects Co-operator

Congratulations to East Sussex Co-operative Party member Jake Lambert, who has been selected as Labour's prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Eastbourne.

Jake is well known to local Co-op branch members, especially for his active campaigning against payday loan companies (which have relied on the conspicuous support of local Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd).

Jake is Chair of Eastbourne Labour Party.  He is a teacher at a local secondary school, and lives with his partner Louise (also a teacher) and their dog Oscar, in Eastbourne's Old Town.

Find out more about Jake's campaign here.

Next Branch Meeting: Saturday 9th August

There will be a meeting of the East Sussex Branch of the Co-operative Party on Saturday 9th August, 2014 10.30am,  at the Central Methodist Church, Langney Road, Eastbourne.

The Agenda will be:

 

1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes of the last ordinary  meeting  held December 2013, and draft minutes from the May AGM
3. Matters Arising
4. Reports:  a) Membership  b) Treasurer  c) Constituency Labour Parties  d) Sussex Co-operative Party Council  e)  Any other Reports
5. Campaign Planning- especially  (a)  Credit Union for the Forces Campaign (National) and (b) Eastbourne Pier- pushing for co-operative solutions.
6. Any other business, including date of next  meeting.

All Co-operative Party members are encouraged to attend. Tea and Coffee will be provided at the meeting.

 

Next Branch Meeting- Saturday December 7th

There will be a meeting of the East Sussex Branch of the Co-operative Party on Saturday 7th December 2013, 10.30am,  at the Central Methodist Church, Langney Road, Eastbourne.

A G E N D A

1. Apologies for Absence

2. Minutes of the meeting held 10th August 2013

3. Matters Arising

4. Reports:

a) Membership
b) Finance
c) Constituency Labour Parties (including Lewes Bridge by-election)
d) Sussex Co-operative Party Council
e) Any other Reports

5. Campaign Planning, including:
Party Support Mailing; Cost of living/ Loan Shark/ Living Wage campaigns; People's Film Club, Eastbourne

6. Any other business, including date of next meeting

Tea and Coffee will be available at the meeting.

The meeting is open to members of the Co-operative Party only.  For information about joining, and to join online, visit the national website here.

Stop "Legal Loan Sharks"

The Co-operative Party is backing a campaign to regulate companies offering easy credit at exorbitant rates of interest.

Stella Creasy, who is the Labour and Co-operative MP for Walthamstow in East London spoke this week in Brighton at a TUC fringe meeting on this subject, alongside Owen Jones, the bestselling author of Chavs (which looks at the demonisation of the working class  in Britain)

Stella was joined in July by Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party, and by Tom Watson MP, in launching a campaign pack , in association with the Co-operative Party and others.

Stella writes:  "This Government has so far refused to act to tackle the high cost credit companies who are pushing families into crippling debt across Britain. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t take measures to protect them and help make the case for a change in the law to cap the costs of credit. This pack is designed to help with ideas and actions you can take either on your own or together with others to stand up to these companies."

You can download the campaign pack here.

Incidentally, Eastbourne's Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd has opposed any action against these companies. You can click below to watch his speech last year attempting to justify this, here. If you don’t agree, then the campaign pack contains information to help you write to him, or other elected MPs urging action !