Nancy Platts: Labour's parliamentary candidate

I welcome the report about breastfeeding in public by the Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust.
 
I ran the "Booby Prize" campaign to promote breastfeeding in public when I worked as campaign manager for NCT (formerly the National Childbirth Trust) in 2006. I asked mothers to tell me about their experiences, both good and bad, of breastfeeding in public.
 
While there were many positive tales, there were also many horror stories. I heard how breastfeeding mothers had been told to get off buses and trains, thrown out of cafes and shops and asked to move from public spaces, including park benches because staff or security guards thought it inappropriate to breastfeed in public. These experiences were upsetting to both mother and baby. 
 
Therefore, it's hardly surprising that breastfeeding rates in this country are among the lowest in Europe. 

We need a national breastfeeding strategy that incorporates public education, greater investment in midwives and health visitors, and more support for voluntary sector organisations that we rely on heavily to help breastfeeding mothers, such as the breast-feed drop-in at Hanover Community Centre near where I live.
 
Often all mothers need is a positive attitude from people around them, a quiet space, chair and a glass of water. These simple things are easy to provide and will enable breastfeeding mothers to offer their babies nutrients to protect them from a variety of infections and allergies, reducing their risk of diabetes and obesity.
 
Breastfeeding Awareness Week takes place from May 11 to 17 and I hope that shops, services, cafes and coffee bars across Brighton and Hove will take part.

I attended the "Towards Zero Waste" event held by Brighton and Hove Hotels Association yesterday.

Mark Jones, the chair, is offering a well-thought-out opportunity for local hotels to get ahead of the game and organise their recycling before new legislation comes into force.

Because their partner, Magpie, is a cooperative and not just for profit, it is also prepared to take items that other recycling companies won't take, such as Tetrapaks, used napkins, and tin foil.

I hope this proposal will enable all hotels in Brighton to complete the environmental circle and lead the way for the rest of the UK.

For more details, see the Argus article headlined: Hotels launch scheme to turn waste into compost.

Yesterday was a day of contrasts.

This morning I attended a consultation event held by "Talk to Your Baby" campaign, which is part of the National Literacy Trust. It was interesting to hear from Brighton-based professionals involved in speech and language therapy and early years communications, as well as the national campaigners.

I know how important language and communication development are for babies and that's why I've campaigned for investment in maternity care and a Sure Start Children's Centre in every community.

It's vital we support parents so they feel confident about knowing whether their child is developing their language skills at the right rate and if there's a problem; families can access support at an early stage.

Have we got enough resources in Brighton and Hove? Have your say by leaving your comments on this website.

Find out more by clicking on the link: www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby

In the evening, I joined other women at Brighton Women's Centre for a discussion about the worrying growth of lap-dancing clubs in the city.

Lap-dancing clubs exploit women who rarely have any employment rights. They are usually self-employed and pay a fee to dance as well as providing their own outfits. There are often too many women so the only way to make money is to offer "private dances" and from here, lap-dancers can be pressured into offering sex. While clubs claim they are not part of the sex trade, bowls of condoms are often provided in the private dance rooms.

Lap-dance clubs normalise the sexual objectification of women and it's of great concern to me that research among men who might consider strip clubs and brothels distasteful or unacceptable can justify a visit to a lap-dance club as harmless fun.

A perverse effect of the 2003 Licensing Act means that they are licensed in the same way as cafes and pubs. I want them to be licensed as Sex Encounter Establishments so that Brighton and Hove City Council will be able to refuse applications.

I don't want lap-dancing clubs in Brighton. I want Brighton to be fun, not seedy - and certainly not a place where women feel exploited or unsafe.

You can find out more by reading the attached documents or visiting the Amnesty International website: www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11027&ArticleID=2982

Have your say by leaving your comments on this website.

I was delighted to be invited to a celebration at Patcham High School, marking Ofsted’s recognition that it is a school on the way up.

It was clear that staff, students and governors are determined the school should improve even further and faster in the coming months. 
 
I was impressed by the commitment of the teachers and the support of parents.
 
Therefore, I look forward to Brighton and Hove City Council continuing to give the school as much support as it needs – as, indeed, Ofsted inspectors said it should.

After a busy Christmas and New Year, I thought I'd do a quick catch-up on a few of the things I squeezed into December - while also supporting our by-election campaign in Regency. 

Brighton hosts a number of voluntary sector organisations that focus on international development issues. Maternity Worldwide and the International HIV/Aids Alliance recently invited me to meet with them and hear about their work. 

Maternity Worldwide held a reception on Saturday, December 8, to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Safe Motherhood Initiative. The organisation exists to help reduce the number of women dying or injured in childbirth throughout the world and as someone who has campaigned for better maternity care in the UK, this is a subject I feel passionately about.

I learned that every minute of every day, a woman dies needlessly during pregnancy or childbirth, most in the developing world. This equates to 10 million women lost in every generation.

I attended the launch of "Communities for Life" organised by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance on November 29. The alliance is a global partnersip of organisations reaching out to communities most vulnerable to HIV or most affected by it. We saw their amazing exhibition outside the Jubilee Library and heard about their partnership projects to prevent HIV infection, facilitate access to treatment, care and support, and lessen the impact of AIDS.

Over the coming years, I plan to support the efforts of both organisations to achieve their goals.

I had great fun helping out on the cake stall at Balfour Junior School’s fundraising Christmas fayre on Saturday, December 15. I was very  lucky to be in the warm all afternoon,  surrounded by delicious home-made cakes and entertained by the young people on karaoke (what talent!) – it doesn’t get much better than that!

A complete contrast in the evening when I went out on patrol with Sussex Police to see what they have to deal with on a busy Saturday night in Brighton.

It was a privilege to participate in the Remembrance service at Brighton War Memorial in Victoria Gardens this morning.

I met many war veterans and we agreed that it was wonderful to see so many young people in attendance.

In particular, I had a conversation with three young people who were participating in a local Prince's Trust scheme and talked enthusiastically about their plans and hopes for the future.

I met many residents in Regency ward on Saturday. There will be a by-election on December 13, following the resignation of a Green councillor.

Delia Forester was selected as the Labour candidate by local party members and I know that, with her experience and commitment, she will make an excellent councillor.

Among other things, she wants to tackle noisy public houses and clubs, improve parking zones, and include a surgery in the development of the former Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital.

You can contact Delia at deliaforester@hotmail.co.uk

I delivered a speech at the launch of the "Financial Capability in Schools" initiative in the South East organised by The Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Personal Finance Education Group, and local schools.

Financial capability is closely linked to financial inclusion and this project involves chartered accountants working as volunteers with teachers to improve financial literacy in school age children.

Tackling financial exclusion is high on the agendas of both the government and the Financial Services Authority (www.fsa.gov.uk) and I was really pleased when Children's Minister, Ed Balls, launched the new financial capability strategy in January.

Boosting financial literacy in schools is just one strand of this. The government will also be taking forward plans for a national approach to generic financial advice.

I was pleased to join the institute for their 75th anniversary and awards ceremony in the evening.

It was my great pleasure to join staff, trustees and parents at the annual meeting and 10th anniversary of Amaze, a charity that gives information, advice and support to parents of children with special needs in Brighton and Hove. Visit www.amazebrighton.org.uk

There was a novel visioning exercise in which everyone outlined four ideas about how the charity could move forward by adding "layers" to a paper cake and then said what the "icing on the cake" would be.

Inevitably, many discussions focused on funding issues and I remain concerned about funding, especially for smaller, local charities. 

I recently wrote to Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, about the potential closure of Threshold, the women's mental health charity.

There is a need for sustainable funding for small charities that deliver vital services within communities.

They may, however, find it hard to compete with the large national and international charities for contracts with the public sector. There is a need for dedicated support to enable smaller charities to become providers and partners of the public sector through the commissioning process.

It's been a busy couple of weeks...helping to fight for people's rights!

I've taken part in Amnesty International's "Protect the Human" campaign and the joint Fawcett Society and Unison "Women's No Pay Day" (see below for more information and how to join in).

Women's No Pay Day: October 30
 
I am shocked that women in the South East face one of the highest pay gaps in the country (21.6%, compared with 17% nationally).

This means, on an average salary, women earn £4,000 less a year than men. In effect, women stop being paid on October 30 - while men continue to be paid until the end of the year.
 
I am supporting the joint Fawcett and Unison "Women's No Pay Day" campaign; you may have heard an interview with me on Southern FM. I'm urging employers in Brighton to ensure there is transparency of pay in their organisation and I'll be writing to the government calling for pay laws to be simplified.
 
A Labour government brought in the Equal Pay Act 30 years ago. But at the current rate of change, it would take another 80 years to close the full-time pay gap. 
 
We need action now. It's high time women stopped being short-changed.
 
You can support the campaign by visiting www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

See what Unison had to say by visiting www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=3767

Amnesty International and "Protect the Human": October 13-19

I joined local Labour Party members in Withdean to support a letter-writing party as part of Amnesty International's "Protect the Human" campaign.

Members wrote letters campaigning against a range of ongoing human rights abuses: from opposing the continued trade in instruments of torture, to controlling the trade in weapons, to stopping violence against women and honour killings.

Everyone should have the right to live a life free from violence and the fear of violence. Amnesty offers routes for everyone to participate in campaigning activities.

Visit www.amnesty.org.uk and write a letter today.

Labour’s crime strategy is working nationally and delivering in Brighton. 

I attended the Sussex Police Authority public meeting for Brighton and Hove Central District to hear for myself how things were going for in St Peters, North Laine, Hanover, and Regency.

Chief Inspector Dave Miller gave us the statistics shown in the table below and outlined the key policing priorities as:  

• Reducing youth disorder
• Alcohol-related violent crime
• Class A drug misuse  

Total crime: Down by 2,179 offences per year
Burglary: Down by 57 offences per year
Violent crime: Down by 490 less offences per year
Vehicle theft: Down by 181 offences per year 

Since Since Labour came to power in 1997, all crime  - as measured by the British Crime Survey - has fallen by a third.

A recent survey by the Endsleigh Insurance Company showed Brighton and Hove with sixth-lowest burglary rate in the country. 

Across Sussex, there has been a 55% drop in burglaries since 1997.  Sussex Police attribute the decline to Operation Reduction, which targets drug-dealing and aims at getting class-A-drug-users into treatment. 

The Labour Party wants local communities to be part of the drive to cut anti social behaviour.  We are committed to introducing Neighbourhood Policing Teams in every community and these are already active across Brighton and Hove.

For more information, or to get involved, visit www.sussex.police.uk. Or call them on 0845 60 70 999.

Local Friends of the Earth activists made sure that Brighton got involved in the Big Ask by staging a quiz night in the Robin Hood Pub, Norfolk Place tonight.

I went along to represent Brighton Pavilion and led a fantastic team whose combined knowledge of environmental issues secured us third place. My thanks go to Tamara and Brenda for including me in their campaign.
 
Current proposals are for a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions on 1990 levels by 2050 - a target that has already been set, but which will become legally binding under the bill.

On top of this there will be five-year "carbon budgets", set in advance.

It’s argued that this scheme provides certainty, while giving more flexibility than annual targets.
 
The Big Ask is Friends of the Earth’s campaign on climate change. You can find out more by visiting www.thebigask.com.

• They are asking for the bill to be toughened up to:
  reduce emissions every year so the UK reaches a target of at least 80% cuts by 2050;
  
• include annual targets;
  
• include emissions from international aviation and shipping.

What do you think – should the climate change bill should be stronger? – let me know and take part in our online poll.

This morning I met residents in Coldean with David Lepper MP and a team from the local party. I learned how much of any issue heavy traffic on Coldean Lane is for local householders.

David and I dropped off surveys so that people can contact us about any other matters of concern. If the traffic in this street is a problem for you, please let one of us know.

At lunchtime, I was a guest of Mr Xue Xian Bei, Chairman of the UK China Culture Association at the China Garden Restaurant in Brighton.

I'm very keen to build links with the local Chinese community and understand their issues and concerns. I welcome their pro-active approach to engaging with local politicians. At the end of the meal, I was presented with a fabulous finger painting by the world famous artist Jia Tonghui, which will take pride of place in my office.

This evening I met with Richard Wilson, whom many of you will know as Victor Meldrew from One Foot in the Grave, Richard is currently playing in Whipping It Up at the Theatre Royal, Brighton and I'll be going to see the play later this week.

As a guest of the club, I’ve just been to see Brighton and Hove Albion draw 0-0 against Bristol Rovers. It was a great game and the Seagulls came close to scoring several times.

It will be brilliant when they get their new stadium at Falmer, better for the team and a fantastic asset to the whole community.

Party members handed out a Labour leaflet highlighting our support for the Falmer community stadium.

I know the club is pleased that the Labour Party have consistently supported the Falmer proposals and I think the Seagulls are top of the table when it comes to caring for the local community: Brighton and Hove Albion FC provides 10 times more adult educational qualifications than all the rest of the clubs in the country put together and their Football Inclusion programme provides football opportunities for socially-excluded young people in deprived communities across Sussex.

We've got a club to be proud of so let’s look forward to a stadium to be proud of.

After meeting residents in Withdean, I went on to the Sussex Police Authority public meeting at Brighton Racecourse.

There was a good turnout and there was a positive spirit in the meeting. Sussex Police have clearly put a lot of thought into their approach and everyone felt the Local Action Teams initiative was proving a tremendous success.

It was a powerful demonstration of how effective partnerships can help build strong communities and I'd urge everyone to get involved in their Local Action Team.

While I was there, I asked how best residents could report the problem of drug-dealing without fear of retribution. This was raised by several residents on the doorstep in Brighton Pavilion, especially those with young families worried about their children being approached by dealers.

The police said many people were afraid to report crime, but local residents should be reassured that the police spent a period of time building up evidence first and didn't rush in "all sirens blazing" immediately. This means it won't be obvious who reported it.

If you have a problem with drug-dealing in your area, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and give information anonymously.

You can also contact Sussex Police on 0845 60 70 999 or via their website www.sussex.police.uk. If it's an emergency, call 999.

I'll be working hard with local residents and the police to stamp out drug-dealing in Brighton.

I was out with our team of supporters in Hanover, near where I live, and once again the issue of local bus services were coming up when I chatted to people on the doorstep.

Local residents are highly aware of their carbon footprint and want to see greater investment in public transport, more frequent buses and greater incentives to use them. 

Residents feel although the services have improved, there's still room to do much, much more. Lots of local residents said they were fed up with being forced to stand in the rain and they want to see bus shelters at every bus stop. Others were shocked at a single fare going up to £1.70 this month.   

When I was out in St Peter's and North Laine the other day, I heard from people who feel that despite being environmentally-conscious and giving up their cars completely, they're now penalised by receiving an insufficient allocation of parking tickets for relatives and friends to visit. One woman wrote to me later to say: "I really object to my personal life being dictated by parking regulations. That simply isn't right!"

I'll be campaigning on these issues, so let me know if you'd like to join me!

I was fortunate to be invited to The Brighton and Hove Business Awards, which showcased a range of Brighton businesses and local talent. I particularly liked the awards that showed an appreciation of organisations that looked after their staff and took an active role in the community.

The "Healthiest Workplace" award won by Bonett's Estate Agents, "Business in the Community" won by Albion in the Community, and the "Responsible Business Award" won by Brighton House demonstrate that healthy staff, reaching out to young people and understanding the environmental impact of business are what truly turns a city into a community.

For the full results, visit www.bahba.co.uk/winners.php

I know how difficult it is for young people to buy their own homes in Brighton. So, when I saw BBC Radio Four's Money Box was discussing Northern Rock's difficulties and its impact on the housing market, I though I'd have my say.

This is what I wrote on the BBC website: "I'm concerned that the sharp increase in buy-to-let properties, either as a main source of income or as a substitute pension, is squeezing out first-time-buyers. We need fair levels of taxation to reflect the long-term profits made by private landlords owning multiple properties.

"We also need an increase in social housing for those not in a position to buy property or rent in the private market. Finally the new pension policy must encourage everyone to save for their retirement over the long-term, rather than purchasing property to secure financial independence in their old age."

If want to read the other comments, take a look at: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/inside_money/7004234.stm
 
 

This weekend, more than 20 volunteers successfully delivered nearly 5,000 copies of the new Brighton Pavilion City Rose.

The new magazine will be distributed to a total of 30,000 homes across the Brighton Pavilion constituency in the next week or two.

Under Gordon Brown's leadership, the Labour Party in Brighton is going from strength to strength. More members are joining every day. We're definitely ready to fight an election whenever called upon to do so.