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Michael was selected by the Labour group in South
Derbyshire on June 21 at a meeting in Melbourne |
My interest in politics came from
my dad, who was Chair of the Parish Council and represented the
village on the then Rural District Council – having defeated the
squire of the village for the first time.
In 1979, I went to University - the
first working class lad from the village to do so. Now commonplace and
unremarkable, it’s ironic that I was unemployed for over a year
after I graduated, when all my friends who left school at 16 had
jobs. Just as we hit
upon the bonanza of North Sea oil, the Conservative
Government took the view that it was better to keep millions on the
dole, rather than to invest and to get everybody working and
contributing.
I did find work with British Rail
as a computer programmer at Nottingham in 1983 and there, I met and
became good friends with Bill Lythgoe, a councillor for
Melbourne. I’ve often
visited South Derbyshire to help Bill out, meeting people on the
doorsteps, including at the 2000 Melbourne by-election. I became friendly with Jane
Carroll, the very well known Melbourne councillor.
I’ve also often helped Mark Todd
since 1992– and I’m proud to be following in his footsteps and keen
to pick up on his casework.
It is remarkable how much has
changed since Mark’s election in 1997. We are now more determined that
people should have jobs; that the NHS should continue and treat us
more quickly; that we should invest in our schools and many more of
our children should do well at school.
The country has
changed. And one of
the main roles I want to play as your representative is to look to
the future and to anticipate change.
The global market will mean fewer
jobs for people without skills in the future. People are living longer and
we’ll need to help carers and care workers more. The climate is changing and
we’ll need to do more – both to reduce the emission of greenhouse
gases (particularly through more energy efficient homes) and to
deal with the consequences (such as seeking better flood
protection).
I’ve been a local representative in
Nottingham for 15 years. It’s been rewarding to be part
of the progress we’ve made. And it’s great when people give
you time to chat on the doorstep. I look forward to
hearing your views on the future and on the present, to acting on
your concerns and to making a difference.
Contact
details. tel. 07876203352
http://blogs.labour.org.uk/michaeledwards
http://www.michaeledwards.labour.co.uk
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