1:23pm Thursday 29th November 2007
THE Labour Party in Blaenau Gwent is launching a major charm offensive to try to win back voters it lost to the independents.
New council leader elect Hedley McCarthy and his team will embark on a series of public meetings across the borough in something the council's Labour group is calling its "biggest ever listening campaign".
The move comes after the shock departure of former leader John Hopkins earlier this month, claiming he resigned before he was pushed with a vote of no confidence among his Labour colleagues.
There have also been years of bitter division in the area following the split from Labour of the late Peter Law and his supporters in 2005 in the row about an all-women shortlist.
Labour in Blaenau Gwent has lost five Assembly and Westminster elections to Mr Law, his widow Trish and former colleague Dai Davies standing as independents backed by People's Voice.
A number of Mr Law's supporters were expelled from the Labour party after his 2005 defeat of Labour candidate Maggie Jones, and a number of Blaenau Gwent councillors defected to the independents as the rift deepened.
People's Voice is also set to endorse candidates in every Blaenau Gwent ward in the May 2008 council elections and claim the independents can wrest control of the authority from Labour.
One of the key accusations levelled at Labour since 2005 has been that the party had not listened to the people of the area.
Now, the Connect to Blaenau Gwent programme aims to talk to people in "every area of the county".
Meetings are to be arranged with residents and local groups in every ward and will be announced shortly.
Councillor McCarthy, whose leadership of the council was due to be ratified today (THURS) is promising a manifesto for next year's elections which would be the "most representative" of local people's views ever produced by the party.
He said:"This is a fresh start for Blaenau Gwent. My new council team will be an open, listening team.
"This will be an open and honest conversation with the people about their hopes for the future, their concerns and their aspirations.
"I want to know what people think about local services, what their priorities are for their local neighbourhoods."
Independent Councillor for Ebbw Vale North John Rogers: "We're obviously delighted with that initiative - we hope when he hears the views he listens.
"We're dissatisfied with the way things are being run and we are watching with interest to see if that changes."
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