Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Standing up for students

Published on February 28, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Hilary Myers at Todmorden High School

Hilary Myers, Liberal Democrat PPC for Calder Valley, today signed a pledge to voters ahead of the forthcoming general election that she will vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has launched the Vote for Students campaign to encourage candidates to pledge to protect student interests by opposing attempts to lift the cap on student top-up fees.

The Vote for Students funding pledge states:

“I pledge to vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament, and will put pressure on the Government to introduce a fairer alternative.”

Hilary Myers said:

“New graduates are being saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt at a time when they already struggling to find a job and make ends meet. The Liberal Democrats believe that a university education should be free and everyone who has the ability should be able to go to university and not be put off by the cost.”

NUS President Wes Streeting said:

“The vast majority of the general public is against higher fees, and although this review has been set up to report after the general election, voters deserve to know where their MP stands on this highly emotive issue.

“I am delighted that Hilary Myers is standing up for students and their families in Calder Valley by signing up to this pledge. She has demonstrated her determination to give every young person in Calder Valley a fair chance to go to university.”

A recent YouGov poll commissioned by NUS revealed that 88% of the public does not think the review should even consider increasing fees, while a majority believes that it should look at alternatives. Last year, research by Opinionpanel showed that a political party’s position on tuition fees would affect how 79% of students would vote in a general election.

We must beat cancer

Published on February 28, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Hilary Myers, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Calder Valley has joined hundreds of candidates across the country in signing up to Cancer Research UK’s Cancer Commitment, aiming to make UK cancer outcomes among the best in Europe in the next ten years.

Hilary, who has been treated for cancer herself in the past, said: “I am delighted to pledge my support for Cancer Research UK’s vital campaign. Cancer remains the public’s number one fear. With a concerted effort from the next Parliament, we can give hope to the millions of people affected by cancer and their friends and family.”

More than one in three people in Calder Valley will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. In the last thirty years, the UK’s 10-year survival rates have doubled but cancer survival rates still lag behind the best performing countries in Europe such as Sweden, Norway and Finland. Cancer Research UK is calling on Parliamentary candidates to commit now that if they are elected, they will help make cancer outcomes for patients in the UK among the best in Europe in a decade.

The Cancer Commitment calls on MPs in the next Parliament to take action in five key areas:

  1. Detecting cancer earlier
  2. Providing world class treatment
  3. Preventing more cancers
  4. Tackling cancer inequalities
  5. Protecting the UK’s research base

Jon Spiers, Head of Public Affairs and Campaigning at Cancer Research UK, said “To consign today’s cancer challenges to tomorrow’s history books, we must act now. Our thousands of scientists and our millions of supporters are hoping to see MPs in the next Parliament step up to the challenge.”

For information on Cancer Research UK’s Commit To Beat Cancer campaign, visit: www.CommitToBeatCancer.org.

Hilary Myers odds on to beat Labour

Published on February 19, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

In their report of the election debate in Lightcliffe on 2 February 2010, reporters from the Brighouse Echo praised Liberal Democrat candidate Hilary Myers:

Hilary Myers, like all good Lib-Dems, talked sense, came over well and praised the invincible Vince Cable.

When it came to predicting the chances of the various candidates, their verdict was as follows:

Echo ante-post betting looks something like this … 6/4 Whittaker, 7/2 Myers, 4/1 Booth, 12/1 O’Connor and Sweeny, 33/1 Burrows, 66/1 A.N. Other.

These odds put Hilary Myers in second place, above Labour candidate Steph Booth. It is becoming increasingly clear that Labour have blown their chance, and that the Liberal Democrats are now the only real alternative to the Conservatives in Calder Valley.

Our enterprising valley

Published on February 9, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Letter from Hilary Myers to the Hebden Bridge Times, 8 February 2010:

As I write this I have just spent the evening at an “Enterprise Conference” in Mytholmroyd which was attended by representatives of our business community from right along the valley from Todmorden to Halifax. We had an overview of our Creative Industries sector from Calderdale Council’s Business and Economy manager, to set the scene. And then we had short presentations from several people who ran their own businesses locally, mostly women as it happened. Their enthusiasm for what they did was, without exception, infectious. They had all started small with the germ of an idea for what they wanted to do but with hard work and persistence had created businesses that are now making a real difference in the community. Clearly there is a lot of talent in the Calder Valley and plenty of support for people who want to have a go at working for themselves. The over-riding message was, don’t be daunted, if you’ve got an idea, go for it!

Hilary Myers

Time Cllr Whittaker resigned

Published on February 9, 2010 in News. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Letter from Hilary Myers to the Halifax Courier, 8 February 2010:

Having read in detail the external report on “Children’s Social Care at Calderdale Borough Council” (Anger at child-safety failings, Halifax Courier, 2nd Feb) I am writing to express my grave concerns for the vulnerable children of this borough under the current administration.

The report highlights “considerable difficulties” and “significant areas of concern”. The main weaknesses lay in the systems and practice standards of the Initial Response Teams and the Family Support and Child Protection Teams. Operationally, these are the responsibility of management. But the management is accountable to our elected representatives, first and foremost in this case the Portfolio Holders for Children’s Services, Cllr Craig Whittaker, who has held the brief for three years, and his immediate predecessors, all Conservatives. It was their job to ensure that children’s services were competently managed and they are ultimately accountable for the failings.

However, the working of the Council has a form of safety net in the shape of the Scrutiny Panel system. But if you look at their track record on the Scrutiny Panel for Children’s Services, chaired by Labour, issues of Education have dominated the agenda and issues of Care have been sidelined.

Both parties have been in positions of control and between them they have let our children down.

I am confident that the Scrutiny Panel, now under the Chairmanship of Cllr Mrs Olwen Jennings, will not make this mistake again. But as for Cllr Whittaker, who has faced much criticism already for his poor performance on education, and has now been found wanting, in this highly critical report, on the vital issue of children’s care, isn’t it time he resigned his portfolio?

Hilary Myers

Liberal Democrats launch General Election plans on policing

Published on February 6, 2010 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Liberal Democrats in Calderdale have today set out their General Election plans to put more police on the beat.

The extra officers for Calderdale will be funded by the savings from scrapping ID cards, and are part of the Liberal Democrats’ Safer Streets – More and Better Police manifesto commitment.

PPC for Calder Valley, Hilary Myers said:

“People in Calderdale are often telling me how they feel unsafe.

“Expensive ID cards aren’t going to change that, but extra officers walking through Halifax town centre or more police in Brighouse, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden on Friday night will.

PPC for Halifax, Elisabeth Wilson agreed:

“The Liberal Democrats are committed to more police, and this is the only way to create safer streets.”

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party that wants to cut crime by putting more police on the street.

“When only one in a hundred crimes ends up with a conviction in court, it is time for things to change.

“Labour and the Conservatives may talk tough but they are unwilling to make the crucial decisions to cut crime.”