Go further to curb big supermarkets, says David Lepper

Labour's David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has urged the Competition Commission to look at ways of protecting local retail businesses from the further expansion of major supermarket chains.

He says that the Commission's proposals, in its report on the grocery trade, to look at planning issues about supermarkets could increase their dominance.

Tories should commit on library, says Nancy

Nancy Platts, Labour's next candidate for Brighton Pavilion MP, has called on Tory councillors to extend the opening hours of Brighton and Hove's award-winning Jubilee Library.

Nancy made the call after the Tory-controlled council refused to commit to a start date for when the library will open on Sundays.

Labour helps to defend victims of hate crime

Nancy Platts, Labour's next candidate as MP for Brighton Pavilion, today welcomed the government's decision to give greater protection against hate and sex crimes.

Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, announced to Parliament the government's decision to make it a crime to incite hatred because of a person's sexual orientation or perceived orientation. It will carry a maximum of sentence of seven years.

MP welcomes “Jane memorial” law on violent Internet pornography

Brighton Pavilion's MP David Lepper has welcomed proposals which will make possession of a range of extreme violent images from the internet illegal.

The proposals are contained in the new Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill and will lead to a possible 2 year prison sentence.

Labour campaigners back tougher regulation on strip clubs

Labour in Brighton and Hove has renewed its call for a Bill to regulate strip clubs.

This comes as the City's licensing committee granted a license for a fifth "nude venue", in Pool Valley, central Brighton.

Tory Judith Symes 'defects' to Labour

The Conservative General Election candidate in Brighton Kemptown at the last election has defected to Labour.

The announcement was made by Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman at the Labour Party Conference.

Operation Crackdown targets anti-social drivers

Sussex people who are fed-up with careless, inconsiderate, rude and thoughtless drivers now have a direct reporting line to the Police.

The Operation Crackdown website, previously used solely for abandoned vehicles, has now been expanded to cover anti-social driving as well.

New Post Office call by city MPs

Pavilion MP David Lepper is asking the Post Office to allow a sub-post office to remain in the Lanes when the Ship Street premises closes to move to Churchill Square.

Government says: 'Release Omar'

Labour's Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary have decided to request the release from Guantanamo Bay and return to Britain of five UK residents, including Omar Deghayes from Saltdean.

The Foreign Secretary made the request in a letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

David Lepper meets big bird by the sea

Why was Brighton Pavilion's MP posing with a giant inflatable Puffin down by the Sea Life Centre?

Read the rest of this story to find out.

Labour at Pride 2007

The city’s Pride parade saw Brighton and Hove Labour Parties marching under their banner and calling for Global Pride.

The party's stand focused on two issues: the need to tackle homophobic bullying, and the rights of LGBT people throughout the world.

Nancy Platts joins campaign to save postal services

Nancy Platts, Labour's new parliamentary candidate in Brighton Pavilion, is supporting the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in their campaign to protect postal services.

She said: "I am supporting the postal workers because I believe it's essential to protect our universal postal service and ...

Peacehaven sewage decision - good and bad news

Labour's local MP Des Turner has welcomed the Government's refusal to allow the proposed Peacehaven sewage treatment works.

Des said: “I am delighted that the current proposals from Southern Water to build a sewage treatment works on Lower Hoddern Farm at north Peacehaven has been refused.

However I am deeply disappointed at the Inspector’s recommendation that Lower Hoddern Farm is an appropriate site for a sewage treatment works.

Labour welcomes 'YES' to Falmer stadium

Labour leaders in Brighton and Hove have welcomed the announcement by Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, that the Albion stadium at Falmer is to go ahead.

Labour's MPs Des Turner, Celia Barlow and David Lepper and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates Simon Burgess (Kemptown) and Nancy Platts (Pavilion) joined forces to make the case for the decision to be announced quickly.

Labour campaigns against full nudity strip clubs

Labour in Brighton and Hove has renewed its campaign against "full-nudity" strip clubs in the city.

Labour group leader Councillor Gill Mitchell said:

"Strip clubs with totally nude female dancers are not welcome in our city. Too often these kind of clubs can involve women who are trafficked from eastern Europe and exploited in the sex trade, and we want to draw a line as to what is acceptable here before these clubs become the norm."

Tory U-turn on council tax

In a second ‘U’ turn in as many months since taking over the administration of Brighton & Hove City Council, the Conservatives have now back-tracked on another key election pledge - to fix council tax rises to the rate of inflation and publish a 4 year financial plan.

This comes just a week after their spectacular ‘U’ turn on the King Alfred development.

Extra funding for city centre road safety

Labour City Councillors are welcoming extra investment from the government to improve road safety in the heart of the city.

The Department for Transport has granted the city an extra £771,000 as part of a 1m road safety programme that will specifically tackle one of the 5 high risk sites across the city.

"No more delays on Falmer" call by Labour's team

No more delays on the Falmer decision. That’s the call from Labour’s Parliamentary Team for Brighton and Hove, in a letter to Secretary of State, Hazel Blears.

Labour's MPs Des Turner, Celia Barlow and David Lepper and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates Simon Burgess (Kemptown) and Nancy Platts (Pavilion) joined forces to make the case for the decision to be announced soon.

"Keep Housing Affordable in Brighton and Hove"

Local people staged a demonstration using a ‘Wendy House’ outside Brighton Town Hall on Thursday 12th July because they want to keep housing affordable in Brighton and Hove.

At the Council meeting, Labour Councillors asked the Conservative administration to uphold Labour's commitment to 40% affordable housing in new developments.

Hove MP joins new Department

Labour's Celia Barlow, MP for Hove and Portslade, has joined the new Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills, headed by Secretary of State John Denham MP.

MPs welcome a Smoke-Free England

Brighton's Labour MPs have welcomed the ban on smoking in enclosed public places, such as pubs, restaurants and workplaces.

The ban came into force on July 1st.

Nancy Platts to contest Pavilion seat

Nancy Platts has been chosen as Labour's Parliamentary Candidate in Brighton Pavilion for the next General Election after a ballot of local Party members.

Nancy currently works in the voluntary sector where she is a social justice campaigner with a track record in tackling disadvantage and social exclusion.

Investing in Rail to help "Sardines"

Labour's David Lepper MP joined campaign group Transport 2000’s Sardine Man and film and TV star Jenny Agutter.

They called on the Government to tackle rail overcrowding and improve and expand services for passengers through its upcoming 30-year rail strategy.

Simon Burgess to contest Kemptown seat

Simon Burgess has been chosen to contest the Brighton Kemptown seat for Labour at the next General Election.

Speaking shortly after the vote, Simon said: "I'm very honoured to have won the support of so many ...

Labour has a new Leader and Deputy Leader

At Labour's leadership conference in Manchester, Gordon Brown was confirmed as Leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister.

And in the deputy leadership election, Harriet Harman won the votes of members of the Party and affiliates.

Tony Blair signs up to deal on Africa

Labour’s Prime Minister Tony Blair has signed up to a host of renewed pledges on Africa at the G8 summit in Germany.

G8 leaders - from the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Russia and Canada have agreed a multibillion-pound package to boost the fight against Aids and provide free schooling for African children.

Celia welcomes green grants

The government announced the next stage of its £12 million microgeneration fund, the Low Carbon Building Programme.

It is aimed to reduce the 40% of our carbon emissions that currently come from the home: the gas and electricity that heat our houses, our water, and run our appliances.

Des gets reassurance from US on Omar

Des Turner MP has returned from a visit to the US in a bid to help secure the release of Omar Deghayes.

On his return from Washington Des said: "The Pentagon were surprisingly forthcoming. I think we have got a fairly clear indication there is no immediate prospect of him being sent to Libya and I think the Americans have understood the reservations about Libya."

David Lepper signs up to world poverty campaign

Brighton MP David Lepper is one of over 200 Members of Parliament who have called on G8 leaders to take urgent action to end global poverty and avert potentially catastrophic climate change.

The G8 Summit, which starts on 6 June in Germany, is key to ensuring that not only do the rich countries deliver on the commitments they made at the Gleneagles Summit in 2005, ...

Labour: No to Tory council cuts

Councillor pledges opposition to Conservative council cuts

Following the local elections where the Conservatives emerged as the largest party on Brighton and Hove City Council, Labour have pledged to challenge any cuts to essential services proposed by the new Tory administration.

Closure of Ship Street Post Office

David Lepper, Brighton Pavilion’s Labour and Co-operative Party MP, has raised concerns about the future of the Post Office with Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling.

“Questioning the Secretary of State in the Commons last Thursday (17 May) I told him the concern of many small businesses ...”

New protection for tenants

Local MP ensures security for tenants' deposits.

Kemptown MP Des Turner has secured a change in the law to ensure landlords cannot withhold deposits without a valid reason.

MP welcomes Hove's new skate park

Celia Barlow praises fresh idea in combatting anti-social behaviour

Celia Barlow MP attended the opening of SkateExpectation's Hove Lagoon Skate Park recently. The event included live music, with Skateboarding and BMX displays.

Hove MP supports cycling campaign

Celia Barlow calls for integrated green transport solutions

Celia Barlow MP is keeping up the pressure on Southern Railway to reverse their ban on bikes at peak times. The company’s decision was slammed by the Local Government Association ...

Labour on the City Council

Newly-elected Labour councillors met for the first time after the local elections to consider the situation on the City council.

Discussions between council group leaders and the Chief Executive will be held to consider the outcome of the elections, and the full Council later in May will choose the new council leadership.

Minister helps launch City manifesto

Government minister Alan Johnson visited the Jubilee Library and helped launch Labour's 2007 Manifesto for the City.

You can read Labour's manifesto, Taking the City Forward online. Click the link below.

Cherie Blair meets Labour council hopefuls

Cherie Blair, on an official visit to Portslade, dropped into South Portslade Community Centre.

She met some of Brighton and Hove's Labour councillors and some of those who will be candidates for the first time in the local elections in May.

Labour's new faces for the City elections

Labour in Brighton and Hove will be fielding a full set of 54 candidates for the City elections this May.

As well as many existing councillors, there are some new faces who hope to join them in the chamber in 2007.

Celia Barlow calls for end to whaling

MP supports IFAW campaign to protect marine mammals

Celia Barlow MP is calling on the Government to take international action to protect whales from the threat of whaling.

Leaseholders' champion calls for fair deal on insurance

David Lepper MP is backing a call in the House of Commons to force landlords of leasehold property to make leaseholders more aware of their rights.

The Brighton Pavilion MP, who was one of the MPs who led the campaign in Parliament for the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 which gave more rights to leaseholders,

Car clubs boost responsible car use across the City

Do you ever wish you could use a car just on odd occasions, without the hassle and cost of owning one, never mind trying to park it?

Car clubs are growing gradually in Brighton and Hove. There are three operators in the City and

Prime Minister hosts Co-op birthday celebration

Brighton Labour and Co-operative MP David Lepper was one of the guests of Tony and Cherie Blair recently at a celebration at 10 Downing Street to mark the start of the 90th birthday celebrations of the founding of the Co-operative Party.

The MP said "There is good evidence that Brighton is the birthplace of the Co-operative movement in the UK.

Cheeky - not seedy

Brighton has long had a reputation for saucy seaside ‘naughtiness’ and being open-minded.

A recent decision at Brighton Magistrates Court risks changing that. A controversial lap dancing club featuring totally naked dancers has been granted a licence by magistrates,

Tackling climate change now !

All parties say they are green these days but locally Labour has ensured that sustainability remains at the top of the agenda.

Labour initiated the local Sustainability Commission which has played a big part in local environmental delivery since it was formed in 2002.

Community Cohesion

Oona King, Chair of the Institute on Community Cohesion, came to Brighton recently to meet local people.

She met representatives of black, ethnic minority and faith communities to discuss what more the city could do to foster better community cohesion.

Hove Cycling route gets green light

A preferred route has been agreed for a new cycle network linking the seafront to the South Downs.

"The route puts the emphasis on encouraging safe cycling in Hove," says cycling Councillor Vince Meegan.

Success in 'Free Cashpoint' Campaign

Relief is on its way to the "cashpoint desert" in Whitehawk and Manor Farm.

Until now anyone unable to get to Kemp Town or the Marina has had to pay a fee to use one of the cash machines in shops

Burglary and car crime in Brighton are at their lowest levels for twenty years

That's according to new independent figures released recently.

And overall, crime is down by a 1000 incidents on the previous year. This doesn't come as a surprise to Kemptown MP Des Turner as he has ...