Labour's contract with Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove Labour today launched its contract with the people of Brighton and Hove - its statement of what it will deliver in office. 

The Contract was launched by Brighton and Hove Labour Group leader Warren Morgan, accompanied by forty Labour councillors and candidates, including Labour's Preston Park candidates Kevin Allen, Julie Cattell and Neil Schofield (pictured below)

Labour Group Leader Warren Morgan (centre, holding contract) with Preston Park Labour candidates Kevin Allen, Julie Cattell and Neil Schofield at this evening's launch

The contract sets out ten points, encapsulating Labour's goals - better jobs, more homes, excellent schools and decent basic services; and Labour's values - fairness, sustainability and competence.

If you elect Labour councillors at the local elections next May:

• We will make collecting refuse, increasing recycling and cleaning the streets a top council priority. The Leader and senior councillors will directly oversee work to improve the service. 

• We will commit to tackle the city’s housing crisis, aiming to build at least 500 council houses by 2019, and securing 40% affordable homes in new housing developments. 

• We will consult on introducing a register of landlords to protect tenants in the private rented sector, promote secure tenancies and tackle rip-off fees through a Tenant’s’ Charter. 

• We will build a new secondary school to meet the growing need for places across the city, and it will be run by the council under powers restored by a Labour government.

• We will work to ensure all schools are accountable and offer excellent education. 

• We will aim to keep any increases in council tax and parking charges within inflation-level rises, with additional income invested in public services, road safety and transport infrastructure that the city needs and residents want. 

• We will establish a Fairness Commission to tackle the growing poverty and inequality in the city, independently chaired, reporting within a year and funded within existing budgets, to set out an action plan for the Labour Administration and partner organisations to implement. 

• We will work to support a broad, sustainable and prosperous economy that benefits all parts of the city, with secure jobs paying the Living Wage and action to combat zero-hours contracts. There will be innovative proposals in our manifesto to help small and medium sized businesses in the city. 

• We will ensure that major projects that are built in Brighton and Hove offer jobs, homes and new facilities for the city, are affordable, are rigorously scrutinised and are delivered on time with private investment not taxpayer debt. 

• We will seek to eliminate youth unemployment in the city within four years, with real apprenticeships and career opportunities for young people. 

• We will aim to keep public services local and democratically accountable, with power devolved to communities. 

• Sustainability and Co-operative principles will run through the solutions we develop to meet the funding challenges we face.