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In this issue: Celebrating the achievements of disabled people | Countdown to local elections | Anglia TV feature visit to Brussels | Support for rough sleepers | European cash to transport working lives | Watch out for a Euro referendum in 2003 | Ethical trading not just for the good times | European news in brief
The achievements of disabled people take centre stage during the next twelve months, as individuals and groups throughout our region are invited to participate in the 2003 European Year of Disabled People. A strong advocate of the rights of disabled people, Richard was invited to the launch of the European Year in Greece, and to the UK launch in London shortly afterwards. In his position as President of the European Parliament All Party Disablement Group, Richard was a key representative in Greece for disabled people throughout Europe and, in particular, the East of England. During 2003 thousands of events will be held throughout Europe to promote the rights of more than 37 million people with disabilities. Our region contains a wide diversity of projects and organisations that provide support, advice and practical help for disabled people. Last month Richard was in Bury St Edmonds to mark the European Year with the launch of a new partnership between employers in Suffolk and the disabled unemployed, organised by the Suffolk NHS Joint Commissioning Team with European funding. Also last month he hosted an event in Chelmsford put on by the mental health charity, MACA, that aimed to bring together local people with drugs and alcohol problems with other agencies. The Labour Government has earmarked an extra £2.5 million to "promote rights and participation" for disabled people this year and intends to publish a draft disability bill. Richard welcomes hearing directly from anyone
interested in getting more information about the European Year of
Disabled People, or indeed holding an event. He says, "The
designation of 2003 as European Year is a fantastic opportunity
for individuals and local groups to celebrate the considerable achievements
of disabled people. "I hope everyone in the Party will do their
utmost to encourage individuals and groups to participate in the
celebration." Richard will be actively campaigning with
local candidates for Labour victories in the run up to the crucial
local elections in May. At a meeting in Cambridge in January, the
seven new candidates for next year's European elections pledged
their support and are set to play a full part in the coming campaign.
Signing up new postal voters is crucial, both for the local elections
and for 2004. Please make sure that your CLP sends full details
of canvassing schedules and other campaign details to Richard's
office in Witham. Policy form process starts The next round of the
Party's policy consultations was launched in January, when Richard
spoke at a gathering of policy forum facilitators in Cambridge.
He also spoke in Thurrock at the first of the series of regional
policy forums taking place in the first half of the year. As a member
of the Party's national 'Britain in the World' Policy Commission,
he is involved in discussing all last year's submissions before
a revised paper is distributed in March. The latest group of party members to visit the European Parliament found themselves performing in front of camera on their visit to see Richard in action in Brussels. A crew from Anglia TV's Sunday politics programme shadowed Richard and his visitors throughout. The visitors sat in on debates in the chamber and received expert talks on the workings of Europe from specially invited Danish and Dutch MEPs, as well as our own Glenys Kinnock MEP. Top A visit to a shelter for homeless people just before Christmas brought good cheer in that it marked the decision by North Hertfordshire Sanctuary to extend its service beyond the festive period. But breakfast with the staff, volunteers and a number of rough sleepers at the shelter in Hitchin also brought a personal warning from Richard, that "this will be the last Christmas before new legislation comes in to force that will deny housing entitlement to foreign nationals entering Britain, who had previously been able to apply for their rights in-country, but who now risk being left destitute and homeless." Top European
funding which Richard lobbied for is set to transform the lives
of people who can often find themselves disadvantaged in the workplace.
Richard reviewed a new package of courses with Business Links tutors
in St Albans. Amongst those to be helped are women in need of management
training, managers over age 45 who need re-training for new careers
and people with disabilities who want to set up their own businesses
or become self-employed. Brentwood and Ongar CLP invited Richard
to a pro-Euro meeting last month, where he put a strong case for
supporting Britain's entry, when the conditions are right. The Government
will announce their view on entry by June of this year and, if conditions
are judged to be favourable, then there will be a referendum on
Britain joining. The party audience in Brentwood heard Richard say
that a referendum could be won and that we need to get out and campaign
for the Euro. News of a £58,000 European urban grant to fund a brand new Electronic Village Hall at Peterborough's Women's Centre was revealed by Richard at the end of January. Announcing the new grant, he said "Peterborough Women's Centre has a great record of providing safe and supportive learning opportunities for local women using computers, and the idea of an Electronic Village Hall to provide even more flexible learning to women busy with childcare or other caring responsibilities is really tremendous". Top In the very week that retail giant Littlewoods
announced an end to all charitable giving, Richard, in his role
of European Parliament spokesperson on corporate social responsibility,
was asked to address a conference on ethical trading organised by
The Guardian and Observer newspapers. In his speech he renewed the
call for regulation to ensure compliance, whilst making the point
that, as the Littlewoods case illustrated, ethical trading is not
just for the good times. The quality of the air we breathe is set to improve with new regulations on the introduction of ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel.· With 93 per cent of schools across Europe on the internet, a new e-learning website www.elearningeuropa.info/ was launched on 4 February. An extra €102 million (£63 million) in aid to Ethiopia was announced.· New rules to cut pilot's flying hours will ensure safer air travel throughout Europe The sale of virtually all animal-tested cosmetic products is to be banned in Britain and the rest of Europe. After a long battle, British chocolate producers
won the right to sell their product in Italy and Spain. In this issue:
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