SE CAMBRIDGESHIRE Putting Communities First KEY WORKERS’ SPECIAL 3/21 Labour News Reward NHS staff. Claps do not pay bills The news that NHS staff are to be offered a 1% pay rise has been met with anger and disbelief. A 1% pay rise for nurses costs £174 million. The cost of the stamp-duty holiday includes over £500 million for second home owners and buy-to- let landlords. This says a lot about the Government’s priorities. The past decade has seen nurse wages fall by 9% in real terms. There were problems with morale before Covid. Now it’s even worse. Cambridgeshire NHS is suffering a recruitment crisis. Addenbrookes, our largest hospital, used to pay a local weighting to staff but this was scrapped by the Tory/LibDem government in 2010. Government Ministers were keen to show support as they clapped for key workers. Once the doors closed they revert to type, taking back from those who deserve it most. The last year has been an experience of fear, frustration and fatigue for many in the NHS. Let’s not add forgotten to this list. Sign our petition: https://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/give-nhs-heroes-a-pay-rise Our frontline heroes deserve the Real Living Wage The County Council should pay at least the Real Living Wage. Its staff keep our communities going. Labour proposed this at the County budget setting meeting. Sadly, Tories and Lib Dems voted it down. Over 7000 UK businesses pay the Real Living Wage which is based on the cost of living. It's £9.50 an hour. Real Living Wage rates are higher than the minimum wage because they are calculated based on what people need to get by. Locally we can make a difference by supporting the Real Living Wage. A Labour County Council will pay its direct staff the Real Living Wage and apply the same rule to agency staff. Neighbourhood Policing under attack! Huge cuts to Cambridgeshire Police announced. The number of uniformed Police Community Support Officers on Cambridgeshire’s streets will be slashed in half from 80 to 40. And the community safety team will be scrapped. Nicky Massey, Labour’s candidate for Police Commissioner, says: This is bad news for Cambridgeshire. We have already seen a reduction in uniformed officers on the streets, and local communities feel the difference. There has been a steady rise in anti-social behaviour, and open drug taking. I have always been a big supporter of PCSOs who do such valuable and vital work in communities underpinning the police service. I fear this is the death knell for neighbourhood policing. Nicky Massey: Local police I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the Government. Local police forces should not be cut forces should not be forced into making such cuts. The Tories talk about recruiting more police officers but then they slash the numbers of all the staff supporting them. It’s ridiculous. The government need to do better – because the people of Cambridge deserve to be kept safe. Tory house buying measures are empty promises The Tories announced a 95% mortgage guarantee. But who does this help? For example, the cheapest one bed house in Fulbourn on the market is £255000. As well as saving for the 5% deposit of £12750, you need to raise a mortgage for the rest. On four times income that means pay of at least £60000 a year. Well out of the reach of most people. The budget also included an extension to the The Ironworks development by Labour-run Stamp duty holiday. It’s real effect is to keep Cambridge City: half the build is Council pushing up house prices. For example, in Ely CB6 homes for social rent last year the cost of a home jumped by 6%. What was offered in the budget? Putting the dream of a home even more out of reach. Labour says: we need truly affordable homes NOTHING to help clear the debt. And no increase in the Housing Allowance in Universal Credit. Tories: no help for renters But the Government can find money for public 1/2 million private renters are in arrears. 60% of relations consultants and redecorating 10 Downing them were not behind before Covid. Street in an attempt to make the Prime Minister look good. The total of private rent debt is £360m. Promoted by David Jermy on behalf of SE Cambs Labour Party, Alex Wood Hall, Norfolk Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LD
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