SPEAKERS PITCHING THEIR IDEAS INCLUDE:
The railways system to be taken back into to public ownership: This would make the railways a national planned public service once again. Wherever people live in the UK they could travel on the same national transport system thus fostering a sense of national cohesion and national community. This policy would challenge the drift of economic treaties and directives both nationally and at an EU and international level and hence make Labour radical and world pioneering once again. Ben Anthony, NHS Art Psychotherapist
Walkability in urban communities: Walking in communities has been discouraged by excessive car growth, street clutter, poor air condition and general degradation of the public realm. Groups that most significantly lose out include older people, children and people with disabilities. Authorities talk the talk about health, social inclusion and reduced chemical emissions, but they too rarely walk the walk. Ben Barker, Secretary Greater Bedminster Community Partnership.
Keep the Post Public: the importance of publicly owned postal services in the community. Kevin Beazer, CWU South West Regional Secretary
Abolish all National Insurance Contributions: Cllr Mark Brain, Hartcliffe Councillor Bristol City Council @Mark_Brain
Tackling human trafficking and forced labour in our communities: a programme of grass-roots awareness-raising to have a better understanding of the types of forced labour, a summary of governing legislation and means to tackle it effectively and eradicate this modern form of slavery that is human trafficking, bonded labour and forced labour. Razvan Constantinescu, Bristol West Labour Party and Labour Movement for Europe, Vice-chair South West of England
Routes to Better Opportunities: Often the poorest communities are on the outside of towns and the greatest opportunities lie in the centre, and so with a greater range of transport routes to the heart of our cities, especially on buses but also trains and cycle routes, we can begin to give certain chances to people who might not have them at the moment. John Gibby, Labour Party member, Bristol South @ johnfagibby
Getting young people moving: A freedom pass for young people to receive free or discounted public transport around their town or city, means tested against household income and paid for in partnership with transport companies. Unlimited inter-town/city travel and an individual allowance of national travel passes. Darren Jones PPC, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Bristol North West @darrenpjones
Rebuilding Rail Report, Formula For Taking Back the UK Rail Network into Public Ownership: The UK’s privatised railway is failing society, the economy and the environment, whilst draining taxpayers’ money into the pockets of private shareholders. I argue that over one billion pounds of taxpayers’ money could be saved by reuniting the railways under public ownership. Bernard Kennedy, Bristol Branch Secretary ASLEF, the Train Drivers Union.
Replacing the back-to-work programmes: with a central fund for training/paying bus fares for work experience, that could be administered by the Job Centres, insteadf wasting money on programmes that really don’t help people back into work. Also, to get Job Centres to provide advice on things like CVs to help people to get jobs before they end up long-term unemployed. Olly Mead, Bristol West Labour Party
Bristol’s Health and Social Care policy: adopted recently by the Labour Group, this will be included in my pitch. Eileen Means, Labour candidate Henbury ward @Eileen4Henbury
Universal Oyster Card: this wouldallow the public to use the same card (modelled on London) to travel on all buses/metros/trains/trams throughout the UK. Public and private transport bodies to standardise machines. In time, this would become not just a transport card but a smart card which could be used for entry to museums, the cinema, and other attractions. Ben Mitchell, language teacher/deputy editor of the cross-party blog Speaker’s Chair/political blogger on various leftie sites @bmitchellwrites
South Bristol Regeneration Metro: The proposed Greater Bristol Metro is a great idea as far as it goes. The problem is where it doesn’t go. Steve Pearce, Labour candidate St George’s ward @BristolEaSteve
Better Deal on the Buses: Decent, affordable bus services are essential for social mobility, to ease congestion and aid access to services, jobs and leisure activities, but too often now in private hands are too expensive and not efficient enough in routes and regularity. Buses in cities like Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow should be overseen by the local authority, in a similar way to how Transport for London runs the UK capital’s buses where the system works well across the whole city and fares are much lower. Amanda Ramsay – Labour Uncut and former Labour Councillor @AmandaRamsay
Pedestrian countdown: the ramblers guide to inner-city street walking. Mhairi Threlfall, UWE Student Enterprise Advisor and Labour candidate Eastville ward
Community bus services: Bus subsidies should go towards not for profit local routes run
for communities, going where the people need to go. Mike Wheeler, Director South West Transport Development CIC. @SWtransportdevCIC
