Labour promises more jobs and homes in election manifesto

Plymouth Labour Party has released its 2014 City Council election manifesto with the promise to help create "more home and more jobs."

Cllr Tudor Evans, Labour Leader of the City Council said: "It has been 24 months since Labour made 100 pledges in our last manifesto. I am pleased to say that a Labour Council has delivered 99 of those 100 pledges and we still working on the last one. There is a lot of cynicism about politics. The way to tackle cynicism is to do what we promise to do and that’s what we have done.

"The City Council is facing a significantly more challenging climate than we were even two years ago. For one thing the Government has given us even more responsibility, for example over public health, but without giving us the money needed to carry out our duties properly. Meanwhile, the cost of providing services is rising and the demand for those services increases all the time yet the Government continues to cut the funding available to councils. In Plymouth that has led to a yawning gap in finances of £64m between the money we need to spend and the money we have to spend.

"The Tories can only promise more cuts. Labour is offering an alternative vision that helps restore pride in our city and focuses resources on the frontline services the city vitally needs."

The Labour Manifesto includes 50 pledges that Labour would deliver if re-elected in the local elections on 22 May.

Cllr Pete Smith, Deputy Leader of the Labour-run City Council added: "In 2012 we promised to change the way the City Council worked. Under the Tories our roads got worse, services were cut and there was a real appetite for change amongst voters. Two years on, Labour is putting more money into pothole repairs despite massive Tory cuts, is helping launch new schemes to create jobs in Plymouth and is helping to deliver the homes people in Plymouth desperately need. We've achieved a lot despite massive cuts, but there is still so much more to do."