I was one of many Labour Party members who spent a sunny day on Portland on Saturday 2nd April. Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn, Deputy Leader Tom Watson and the Shadow Business Secretary Angela Eagle led Labour’s first interactive digital discussion in Portland, Dorset on that day.
Members from Somerset and across the region discussed how to build a strong economy for all, and what makes an effective grassroots campaign, while ‘virtual’ participants sent in their comments.
The lack of a national industrial strategy was highlighted by one of Somerset’s most prominent business leaders as a barrier to longer term investment by businesses. Discussions centred around how government could stimulate investment at local and national level in order to achieve a more equal society and healthy economy and how social solidarity could be built between people through social media.
Keynote speech
In a keynote speech Jeremy Corbyn explained why he was keen to hold the first ever live-streamed event in the South West, highlighting the region’s status as the largest English region, and its poor transport and communications infrastructure. Also high on the list of Labour’s concerns was the housing crisis in the region, and the impact of holiday/second home ownership on the availability and cost of housing for people on low incomes.
Labour’s interactive policy discussions can be joined on the ‘Your Britain’ website, where seven consultation documents on different areas of policy were posted in April. Go to http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2020/commissions
Brenda Weston
Taunton Deane CLP/ South West Representative, Labour National Policy Forum