Members of the Cheshire Action Groups were out in force for Stop HS2 at the Lanour Party Conference – here’s what they had to say:
Marion McNaughton from Warburton AG, together with other members of the Group, were outside the Main Entrance on the Sunday from 9.00am, leafletting everyone who went into the Conference Hall. One member of the Group managed to place leaflets on all the tables in the Delegates Cafeteria!!
Outside the Conference we worked with the National Group STOP HS2 and “Ellie” the White Elephant symbol of their campaign. On the Sunday & the following Tuesday, Chris & Lorna Wilson, Chris Triffitt (MCAHS2) together with Gareth & Stefanie Buckley (ABLE) handed out over 3000 Anti HS2 leaflets between them. They found that many delegates were opposed or undecided, which gives us hope that we can persuade Labour delegates to our view.
Questions being asked, answers being given at the Stop HS2 stall.
Inside the Conference Hall, Graham Dellow(MCAHS2) helped STOP HS2 on their stand. Many delegates & MP’s visited the stand. We must put constant pressure on Labour Candidates. Indeed conversations with two prominent MP’s Dennis Skinner & Frank Dobson revealed their opposition to the Vanity Project that is HS2.
Graham Dellow (MCAHS2) also attended several fringe meetings and had a conversation with Mary Creagh – Shadow Transport Secretary.
Nadine Rasheed, from Warburton AG, was extremely active. She managed to get Lord Adonis – who started the whole fiasco off “on the back of a fag packet” – to take a STOP HS2 leaflet! If only he would stop smoking!! She then had similar success with Ed Balls, Yvette Cooper & Margaret Beckett. Nadine then led an ambush of Ed Milliband himself, though it was a liitle difficult to penetrate his ring of Minders.
Party Conferences attract many Action Groups with many Agendas but we believe that we were more visible than most and the Cheshire Groups were there for three days of the Conference. “Ellie” – our Anti HS2 White Elephant was very prominent and attracted a lot of attention.
Between now and next May, we will keep up the pressure on all prospective MP’s & Councillors, making sure that they are aware of the strong public opposition to HS2 as evidenced by all the polls which show in excess of 80% of the public are opposed to HS2.
We are not going to fold our tents and disappear, we are here for the long haul.
Well done to all those who worked so hard at the Labour Party conference .I do hope that the outcome will be rewarding.