Geat Horton by-election Result

We had a good night on Thursday 24th November, as people went to the polls in Great Horton after a Labour councillor resigned.

UKIP came a very credible 4th place with 8.6% of the vote, just behind the Lib Dems.

Having never stood here before this was a really good start in the ward, especially as we have identified some very strong pockets of support for UKIP.

The full results are:

Lab 1993 58.3% (-17.1%)
Tory 707 20.6% (+5.2%)
Lib 337 9.8% (+0.6%)
UKIP 294 8.6% (+8.6%) - Candidate Jason Smith
Green 73 2.1% (+2.1%)

Rejected 15

Turnout 3417 (27.19%)

A by-election has been called in Great Horton Ward, Bradford.

Anybody who can come and lend a hand leafleting etc. is most welcome!

Bradford MBC, Great Horton

Election Date: Thursday 24th November 2011

Reason: Labour seat - Resignation

UKIP Candidate: Jason Smith (UKIP Bradford Branch Chairman)

Contact: Jason - jasonsmithukip@virginmedia.com

UKIP on 7%!

The latest polling data from Angus Reid puts UKIP on 7% nationally.

The poll, which puts UKIP on 7%, asked participants which party they would be most likely to support if a General Election was held tomorrow.

Labour scored 39%, Conservatives 33% and the Liberal Democrats 11%. The SNP polled 5% whilst the Green Party and the BNP were level at 2%.

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage said: "These figures show that UKIP is leaving the other smaller parties behind as more and more voters conclude that UKIP is the political party that is speaking their language on a number of important issues.


"I also believe that many are fed up of the same old faces and empty promises when it comes to so-called 'big three' parties and are looking for a credible alternative.

"Increasingly UKIP is becoming their party of choice."

This is great news for UKIP Bradford going in to the local elections next year - we are all set for some more record breaking results!

UKIP Chairman Jason Smith joins locals for Queensbury smelly truck campaign

UKIP Bradford Chairman and local resident Jason Smith has helped to start a campaign to stop the smelly trucks travelling through Queenbury!

All credit (and picture!) to the Halifax Courier:

"CAMPAIGNERS are stepping up their fight against the firm behind the gruesome offal spills and foul stench plaguing Queensbury."

"Swalesmoor Action Group has drawn up a list of demands for animal-waste company Omega Proteins after two major spills from its lorries."

"The group has also joined forces with UKIP activist Jason Smith to examine the European laws governing the company’s operations."

"Mr Smith said: “We have contacted our researchers in Brussels who are scrutinising the legislation and we hope to have a clear view of what the legislation allows and does not allow shortly."

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/village_plagued_by_the_pong_steps_up_fight_against_firm_1_3607654

Bradford Labour want taxpayers to cough up for failed policies

The Labour Council leader appears to not want new tax holding powers for business rates and believes that taxpayers should subsidise their failed policies.

Interesting.

Of course, holding on to business rates would cut a whole swath of bureaucracy and help make national savings (Which we desperately need, lest we end up like Greece) - not to mention simplifying the whole system.

But thanks to successive Labour and Tory councils, our city has been destroyed and businesses driven out.

And who is to blame for that? - Not so much the coalition Mr. Greenwood.

Although UKIP would go further - We support either an enterprise zone for Bradford or giving total control over the setting of business rates, to the council.

The less you tax small business, the more it will either grow or move in to the area, bringing jobs and extra tax revue for public services.

That is one way to create jobs.

Residents protest at developing of Greenfield site and the handling by Bradford Council

As usual Bradford Council is building on Greenfield sites, no one wants it, and they are ignoring the opinions of locals.

Same old stories I'm afraid.

"Campaigners are angry that a major decision on a 400-home development on green fields near Bingley will be made in Bradford rather than the Aire Valley.

Greenhill Action Group (GAG), which is fighting the proposals, said there had been assurances from the Council that the “hugely important” decision would be made at Bingley Arts Centre."

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9103746.Anger_at_venue_for_Bingley_planning_decision/

This is exactly the sort of thing that we at UKIP Bradford have been saying for years. "Consultation" efforts are generally pathetic, and there is very little input allowed from concerned local people.

We would revolutionise the planning application process and put power back into the hands of the people.

UKIP would give local areas a vote on major housing schemes and big developments.

This would then force the Council to actually communicate their ideas to local people in an open and frank way, and not hide like they are doing with Bingley.

A major development, especially on a Greenfield site, would be very open to a referendum petition under a UKIP Council. All a local group (or an individual) would have to do is officially sign up 5% of the electorate in the local area (and have the names and addresses confirmed by the authorities at the Council) and that would trigger a local referendum.

We are sick to death of seeing people ignored with planning decisions, and we in UKIP Bradford want to blow the whole process open.

UKIP 3rd party in the North

Over at the Yorkshire Post, it is reported that UKIP is beating the Lib Dems in the north of England. Good news going for forward for the local elections next year - hopefully we can make more big gains in our target seats in Bradford!

"THE UK Independence Party is now more popular than the Liberal Democrats among voters in the North, according to a stark new opinion poll.

The YouGov poll also gives Labour a commanding 24-point lead over the Conservatives in the North, giving little to cheer for the coalition partners. Nationally, the poll put Labour on 42 points, with the Tories on 37, Lib Dems on eight and UKip on five.
But among Northern voters, Labour is on 53 with the Tories on 29, UKip on eight and the Lib Dems on seven.

The Tories won a string of seats across Yorkshire at the General Election, while the Lib Dems won Bradford East but lost Harrogate and Knaresborough.
However the results of the opinion poll suggest Northern voters are less happy with the coalition than people elsewhere in the country.

Godfrey Bloom, UKip MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This poll means we are now the third Party in the North and it also demonstrates that the UK Independence Party is way ahead of the Greens and other small Parties.”

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/ukip_overtakes_lib_dems_in_north_1_3506419

Fed up with U-turns?

Although welcome, news that the Coalition is shelving its plans to halve sentences for the most serious criminal offenders marks yet another U-turn by the government.

First a hike in VAT provided taxpayers with an unexpected bombshell. Then we find out the Government tried to keep quiet its amnesty for a quarter of a million failed asylum seekers.

On law and order the Government has become a national embarrassment.

Justice Minister Crispin Blunt has bent over backwards to put the rights of prisoners first. Whoever would have thought a Conservative (sic) would dedicate time and resources to organising prisoner parties, IVF treatment for those inside and votes for some of the most dangerous people in the UK?

After only a year, the gulf between what the Conservatives say and what they do has become clear for all to see. No one can safely know where the Conservatives stand on anything these days.

With UKIP you know precisely where we stand, our principles abide by what works best through letting the British people have more money in their pockets, more choice in services and the freedom to live in a safe, democratic society.

For example, UKIP believe in letting families have the choice of sending their children to a grammar school as well as giving communities across the country the option to create new grammar schools. But the assault continues in Tory heartlands to phase out the best tool for social mobility the UK has ever seen, with only UKIP committed to defending the institution.

On law and order, UKIP would unravel New Labour’s Human ‘Rights’ legislation that puts the interests of offenders ahead of those who abide by the law and form the overwhelming majority of our society. UKIP would not let a single foreign court or institution instruct a sovereign parliament on what it should or shouldn’t do.

No prisoner votes. No soft sentences. Not difficult, is it?

Finally there’s the pound in your pocket. Britain is in unsustainable levels of debt. But the Coalition is sending more of your money abroad each year and chasing away job creators by hiking taxes.

Over this parliament, we will have spent more on foreign aid and EU membership than the entire government cuts package. In return, the British people get higher bills and more taxes.

A vote for UKIP is a vote to end wasteful spending and a start to digging Britain out of the trench of debt we find ourselves in.

Fed up of U-turns? Vote UKIP and make a real difference.

UKIP backs call for Bradford "Enterprise Zone"

"Business leaders in Bradford have thrown their support behind the city’s bid for enterprise zone status.
Bradford Chamber of Commerce said an enterprise zone could be the catalyst for major investment, creating jobs and regenerating the city and wider region." - Which can be found in the T&A here and here.

With the farce of regeneration in Bradford and the lack of businesses investing in the city, thanks to the policies of successive Labour and Tory run Councils, Bradford has been left to decay. What we need is to give the local economy a kick start; with so few jobs around we need to make Bradford a place to do business!

According to the reports in the T&A, 5000 jobs would be created and £1 billion could be added to projects in Bradford.

Reducing the costs for business to set up in Bradford will mean new ventures being created and current ones will be able to grow. Both of these result in more jobs.

The Guardian reported that:
"The chancellor also said he would consider enhancing capital allowances for plant and machinery in the zones and announced that, for at least 25 years, all business rates growth within the zone will be retained by local authorities to support their economy."

Of course, this has been UKIP policy for some time as detailed in our local manifesto this year:
"Let councils control their own finances by keeping half of local business rates"
"Replace VAT with a Local Sales Tax, with a proportion going direct to councils"

This proposal would reduce costs for business, simplify planning laws and create jobs across the district. UKIP wholeheartedly supports it.

UKIP Bradford supports Cross Rail Link

UKIP Bradford has come out in support of the Bradford Rail Users Group call for a cross rail link.

"BRUG Chairman James Vasey met with UKIP Candidate Jason Smith in the Urban Garden (Westfield development site) on Friday evening to discuss plans to develop a rail link across the city.

Mr Smith was impressed by the Cross Rail vision which would help revive the city centre as a cultural tourist destination and attract new businesses to the lower Broadway and little Germany quarter of the city."

See the full story here

Click here to see the story covered in the Yorkshire Post last year.

Strong performance in UKIP target seats

Some good results for UKIP in Queensbury and Wibsey ward, saw both candidates beat the Lib Dems and double the vote.

Jason Smith - Queensbury - 412 votes (4th)
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/elections2011/index.asp?w=30

Jamie Illingworth - Wibsey - 363 votes (3rd)
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/elections2011/index.asp?w=26

Other results saw Paul Latham in Ilkely get 375 votes and Philip Bird in Shipley with 219 votes
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/elections2011/index.asp?w=14
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/elections2011/index.asp?w=21

Full results of the local elections across Bradford can be found here:
http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/elections2011/overall.asp