International Women's Day 2014

 

Lesley, Meena, Nayab, Rachel, Monica, Rebecca, Pat, Sandi, Joan, Margaret, Chris & Hannah

 

In celebration of International Women's Day on Saturday 8th March, Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch took a group of eleven women to London for a tour of Parliament.

Rebecca said "International Women's Day is a perfect excuse to bring local women together, learn more about our democracy and discuss relevant issues facing women.

Given most people are not aware that they can visit Parliament and have a free tour of the Palace of Westminster, it's important to me that our seemingly inaccessible institutions are made more accessible to local people. 

The first time I took a group of women for IWD I received great feedback and was delighted to repeat the trip with another group of local women.  I was especially pleased that for one woman it was her first visit to London.  Rachael Smith from Batchley commented "Our trip to Parliament is one trip I will remember for a lifetime, it was interesting and insightful".

"After the tour we had a chance to discuss relevant issues facing women, some of which women face disproportionately to our male counterparts" said Rebecca.  "Including the pay gap between men and women, domestic violence which tragically still results in two women a week killed at the hands of their partner or ex partner and the disproportionate effects upon women associated with the rising cost of living.  As well as raising issues affecting women, IWD is a good time to commend women who are very often the people who are holding families and communities together".

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Choice Does Not Extend North of the County

I'm furious to hear that at the same time births are due to be cut from the Alex, Worcester Royal is granted £500,000 from government for a new midwifery led unit.

Last month we learnt that if Redditch mums want a consultant led birth they are expected to travel to Worcester.

This month we learn that mums in the south of the county will not only have the choice of consultant led births at their local hospital, they will soon have an additional £500,000 midwifery led unit thanks to a new government grant.

I want all mums to have these choices, however clearly choice does not extend to the north of the county thanks to Worcestershire Acute Trust and this Government. 

I want to know whether the Acute Trust applied for a midwifery led unit for Redditch as well as for Worcester and if not, why not.  Or did the government refuse Redditch, preferring to fund Worcester?  

This constant inequality for Redditch at the hands of decision makers must be fought against.  Redditch needs an MP willing to fight for our Mums to get a fair deal and real choices. 

 

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Rebecca demands Worcestershire County Council get their heads out of the sand

Rebecca Blake has urged the County Council to face up to the evidence that the Bromsgrove Highway Footbridge continues to be an unnecessary danger instead of denying it and demands they take action before there is another fatality.

Rebecca says "The county council's decision to wait for 12 months to see whether there are more suicides on the Bromsgrove Highway footbridge is unbelievable and the denial that there have been no incidents in the last 12 months is simply untrue. 

Redditch Borough Council have confirmed through a freedom of information request to the police that there have been four incidents where a person has threatened suicide from 1st November 2012 to 31st January 2014. 

This weekend the threat of an individual taking his life from the bridge was so serious the highway had to be closed.  That takes threats at that location since 2006 up to 37 with the addition of 6 tragic fatalities.

Why have the county council ignored four threats of suicide since the last fatalities in 2012.  Will the recent threat now make them take their heads out of the sand & take responsibility.  Or are they still prepared to wait for another loss of life and the repercussions for the potential victims using the highway". 

Arrowvale Success Shared With Labour Shadow Education Minister

Rebecca with Megan, Tristram and Shamm

During last week's visit I was once again delighted to see how far Arrowvale has come.  It was a pleasure to have Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt MP seeing first hand what has been achieved and what is needed from a future Labour government in order to give our young people the best opportunities for their future.

Megan, Head Girl and Shamm, Head Boy were the perfect guides, giving us a tour of the school and pointing out some of the superb facilities including the refurbished sixth form and science block in between sharing their hopes for their future.

A special thanks to the art teacher and class who waited in their lunch break in order that we could see their work.  The students are producing excellent pieces some of which is demonstrated in the schools 2014 calendar below.

It was good to see the school has retained its construction classroom, despite it no longer being on the curriculum.  I want to see schools where academia, vocational skills and creative subjects can be studied and all pupils can fulfil their potential.

Having seen some excellent classroom based teaching and learning, the discussion with a group of pupils from across the year groups gave me a further insight into school life at Arrowvale.  Not only are the young people engaged in their subjects they are involved in student council, committees and after school clubs which extends their learning and experience.  

One of the main things that stood out to me, was the interest in the whole person alongside academic achievement.  All disciplines are seeking to develop their pupils socially, morally, spiritually and culturally.  I am sure this approach will help emotional wellbeing, building the resilience that the young people need for the challenges ahead.

I would like to acknowledge the leadership of the Headteacher Mr Shears who has turned the school around from being at the bottom of schools in Worcestershire to being top and for the best 8 value added reaching the top 2% nationally - all in just three years.  I am sure with the dedicated team at Arrowvale and the close working with Ipsley Middle School, Arrowvale will continue with this upward trajectory.  This kind of collaboration between schools needs to be built upon within and across the school pyramids and only then will we get the best outcomes for all young people across Redditch. 

It is clear to me that the next Labour government should give teachers the tools to do a great job, then get out of the way and let them teach.  Let's inspire the brightest and the best students to become first class teachers and that means standing up for good teachers and showing their profession respect.  While at the same time I want a Labour Government that makes failing schools accountable to parents and pupils and one that will work to eliminate acceptance of sub standard education in our society.  I've said it before, our young people get one shot at school and we must do everything we can to give them the best start.

For more information visit:

Megan's Blog

Redditch Standard
 


Chad's City Scape was even better up close!

Our local hospital is facing a downgrade

Speaking after the publication of the proposals on the future of the Alex Hospital in Redditch, Labour's Parliamentary candidate Rebecca Blake said:

"Despite the warm words, lets be frank this is a bad day for Redditch. Our local hospital is facing a downgrade.

"There are no guarantees whatsoever that children will continue to be born in Redditch and difficult births will certainly take place elsewhere.  A midwifery-led unit where the risks are the same as a home birth is no replacement for the consultant-led maternity department we have now.

"55,000 people signed a petition against any proposal that takes away maternity services. To roll over now would be a betrayal to all those people who stood up to keep services at the Alex.

"2,100 births happen every year at the Alex, because of these proposals only the most straight forward births could continue to take place in Redditch. This simply isn't good enough.

"I have seen no solid proposals that guarantee direct public transport from Redditch to Worcester, to cope with the increased demand brought about by this downgrade.

"Under this Tory-led Government maternity services will be unrecognisable and evening care for children will be limited to say the least."

For more details

CCG

Standard

Why are Redditch passengers facing above average rail fare hikes for second year running?

Today Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson for Redditch will be at the Redditch train station speaking to passengers about this year's rail fare hikes.

Rebecca said "This year Redditch passengers are hit again with above average rail fare increases.  An anytime return ticket now costs £7.10 and I am worried how people will afford to get to work or to study when every year the cost of fares snowball.  Some fares have gone up over 4% and after last year's hikes being above the government's cap, it's particularly unfair that the same passengers are having to fork out again for above average increases. 

With the cost of living crisis, wages are not covering the essentials and people are already struggling to pay their bills.  I want the government to stand up to train companies who are disproportionately piling on the cost of travel for Redditch passengers and I will be writing to the Transport Secretary to let him know we are not happy with this in Redditch.

 

To read more from the Redditch Standard click here

Rebecca at Redditch Railway Station with local Councillors and James.

	2013 ticket prices	2014 ticket prices	Increase
Anytime day return	£6.90	£7.10	2.89%
Anytime single	£5.20	£5.40	4%
Anytime monthly season ticket	£119.50	£124.50	4.18%

 

 

Does Redditch have safe levels of ambulance cover?

 

Cllr Rebecca Blake, Labour's Parliamentary Spokesperson has raised concerns with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) & Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group (RBCCG) about levels of ambulance cover in Redditch. 

"The ambulance service are receiving unprecedented levels of calls and I want to know when Redditch residents need an ambulance it wont be stuck in Worcester or Birmingham instead of being in Redditch, especially when B98 is the busiest area for the ambulance service in the County".

Eighteen months ago Labour Councillors fought against plans to locate all ambulances in Worcester and we were delighted to secure a second ambulance hub in the North of the County, albeit in Bromsgrove rather than Redditch.  At that time Redditch had two twenty four hour double crewed ambulances, a third ambulance giving daytime cover and a paramedic in a car.  Now WMAS are failing to give the same reassurance. 

Unhappy with two written responses received from the Chief Executive, Rebecca has submitted a Freedom of Information request to try and get to the bottom of whether Redditch is receiving reduced levels of ambulance cover.

"After a recent visit to the Bromsgrove Hub I could see what a sterling job paramedics are doing and under significant pressure.  However, to have a situation where ambulances are unavailable more often than they are available while at the same time having to take more and more Redditch patients to hospitals further away is putting patients at unnecessary risk.

For example, if someone had a stroke today, instead of a taking them a few miles up the road to the Alex, paramedics now have a forty mile round trip to Worcester which means the ambulance is not available for longer, but to date no extra provision has been made to deal with this.  I have written to WMAS and the RBCCG to see how they propose to deal with the increase in demand for ambulance services".

 

For more information from the Redditch Standard please click here