Olwen came to prominence fighting against the council charging local ‘riparian’ owners for repairs to the culverts that flooded the Cornholme Valley in the eighties.  She has been a consistent campaigner for the people of Todmorden during her time as a Todmorden Town Councillor and as a Calderdale Councillor.  Most recently she ensured that local library services were protected in the 2011/12 Calderdale budget. She is a member of the Todmorden Town  Hall Development Group and is very keen to get the plans for the upgrade of the Town Hall successfully resubmitted.  She also wants to work done to the front of the Town Hall so the scaffolding can be removed pronto.

If she is elected in 2012, Olwen will have as her priorities standing up for Todmorden on Calderdale Council and campaigning to get the many eyesores in the town tidied up or put to good use for business, housing or the environment.  She is encouraging local people to come forward to make their views known about the proposed Sainsbury development, when the Public Enquiry takes place later in the year.

The Lib Dem group in the European Parliament holds a crucial 84 votes to ensure that ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) will not make it through the Brussels-based assembly.

The draft law was intended to prevent illegal downloading and copying of films and music but concerns were expressed by free speech campaigners that ACTA could be used by any EU Government to crack down on everyday internet use. European internet users have been lobbying MEPs against the proposed new law that could have affected the way people surf the web.

Lib Dem MEPs have had thousands of emails about ACTA and its potential impact on ordinary internet users. Lib Dem MEP Rebecca Taylor [Yorkshire and the Humber} said “Piracy of copyrighted work is wrong but there are better ways of fighting it than making criminals out of everyone who goes online.

Since being leader of Calderdale Council since 2010 there have been Zero Council tax increases in both years whilst key services were protected. There have been No Library or Sure Start children’s centre clousures

Janet has led moves to transfer key assets, like the Picture House in Hebden Bridge to the Community.

If re-elected in May Janet’s five promises to you are

To work hard for everyone in this large and diverse ward. People can judge me on my record of helping local people over the years. You can always be sure i’ll be there to help local people.

To make Calderdale greener. I’ll make sure the importance of the “green agenda” doesn’t get forgotton whoever is in charge of Calderdale.

To protect vital Services. I’m proud of how i’ve helped protect local services in Calderdale – no libraries or Sure Start centres have been closed in the last two years. I’ll fight to keep it that way.

To bring jobs to the area. We need to ensure that this end of the valley isn’t forgotten when it comes to winning jobs and investment for out area.

To give people a real say over the way their communities are run. By transferring assets like the Town Hall and Picture House to community groups i’ve helped people get real control over the way their town develops.

Cllr Ilyas was supported by a raft of speakers including Rebecca Taylor MEP and Lord Qurban Hussain, one of the new Liberal Democrat members of the House of Lords.

Rebecca Taylor MEP [Lib Dem: Yorkshire and the Humber} explained her role as a European MP and how it split into two parts, one acting as a parliamentarian in Brussels and Strasburg and another dealing with constituents across Yorkshire and the Humber. She told the meeting that European Liberals including UK Liberal Democrats were promoting and supporting policies to help small businesses all over Europe and that its focus was on places like Calderdale, where SMEs play a vital role in the economy and important for economic growth. She said that one of her roles as an MEP was to support businesses, especially in times of economic difficulty.

Rebecca also told the meeting that it was vital to have Liberal Democrats at all levels of government and urged those present to make sure Cllr Ilyas was re-elected.

Lord Qurban Hussain, who left the Labour Party over the Iraq war, was brought up in Rochdale. He  reminded the meeting that the last Labour Government had led the UK to war in Iraq and Afghanistan and introduced a lot of policies that reduced freedom and civil liberties as well as leaving the UK in a desperate economic situation.  He praised the role of Liberal Democrats in reducing income tax for the low paid, increasing taxes for tycoons, putting up pensions and restoring civil liberties. “We have to clear up the economic mess that Labour left us and that’s never going to be popular,” he said. “People are increasingly recognising that hard choices have to be made,” said Lord Hussain. “Liberal Democrats have had the courage to do what is right,” he concluded. He urged those at to meeting to vote for Ilyas Mohammed and to encourage all their communities to do the same.

Nationally the Lib Dems Have

1. Been making the first £10,000 any person earns tax free. This means that households will have a bit more money left over from their pay every month.

2. Taxed banks £2.5Bn extra a year with a permanent bank levy. This is a first step towards making sure banks pay their fair share towards the economic recovery.

3. Secured the future of pensions. We have restored the link between pensions and earnings. This means pensions now grow in line with inflation.

In Calderdale the Lib Dems have.

4. Encouraged community gorups. This includes helping them take ownership of community buildings.

5. Gained access to £2.2m for local schools from the Pupil Premium. Giving all children a fair chance.

6. Cut management costs on Calderdale Council. This has means unlike neighbouring Labour run councils job losses have been kept to a minimum.

Rebecca said :” I went to a Calderdale library as a child and young person, and I’m really pleased to see they are still well supported by the Lib Dem led council and local people.  It was really good to meet some of the Skircoat library supporters.”

Rebecca Taylor was in Halifax for the weekend to support Lib Dem candidates for the Calderdale council elections.

Rebecca dropped in to the Methodist Church coffee morning where she met her first school teacher Mrs Betty Crabtree who taught her at Robinwood School from 1979-1982 (Picture attached).  She also met her former careers teacher Cllr David O’Neill and his wife Susan.

Rebecca also popped in to the Age UK celebration and coffee morning, where she met Town Mayor Cllr Richard White (photo attached) and her English teacher Dorothy Jordan.  Rebecca used to do research work for Age UK in a previous job.

In the afternoon Rebecca met residents in the Burnley Road area of Todmorden near Todmorden High school in support of Liberal Democrat candidate Olwen Jennings.

Commenting, Rebecca Taylor MEP said, “It was great to come back to Todmorden and meet so many old friends and acquaintances.  I am really looking forward to helping people in Todmorden in my new role as MEP.”

Labour have now accepted the economic reality and have stated they would keep every cut the government has made if they were in power.  It is however too little too late. Getting our debt under control should not have been ignored by Labour for so long.

Despite finding savings we have managed protected front line services.

• Every Sure Start Centre is protected and still running.
• £300,000 has been put towards an Economic Fighting Fund to develop our local economy.
• Children in council care services have received £2.5 Million in additional funding.
• An extra £500K has been made available for vulnerable adult services.

The Lib Dems in Calderdale have cut bureaucracy and management costs to save money whilst keeping vital services.

Cllr Battye commented that Town halls have now secured a series of commitments from Ministers on tackling empty shops, introducing new ‘Business Improvement Districts’ and holding a consultation on reforming planning ‘use classes’, all policies which the LGA has pressed for. The Government has also accepted that local decisions need to be taken over high streets, including over issues such as parking policy. “This is good news for Calderdale and will provide much needed cash – up to £100,000 – to help us boost our local high streets,” said Cllr Battye

Importantly, there is also recognition in the recent planning reforms that developers will have to use a ‘town centre first’ approach when considering new shopping centres. Such a move will help protect high streets against the growth of out-of-town shopping centres, which have taken business away.

Cllr Battye also said:

“Calderdale Council is keen to move on from the Mary Portas report and start tackling the major issues which are affecting local high streets from Brighouse to Todmorden.

“Recent polling shows that over three quarters of local residents want councils to have more powers to improve their local high streets – including the ability to determine the makeup of the shops and services on offer. That’s just what local people in Calderdale want

“I am very pleased  that the Government response to Mary Portas has accepted many of the views raised by town halls – including greater involvement from local businesses and a funding boost for areas with high numbers of empty shops.

“Calderdale Council now need a sustained focus on improving local high streets in the years to come, particularly because more and more shoppers are using the internet instead.

“Our local high streets here in Calderdale have trouble keeping afloat and Calderdale Council is keen to work alongside government to deliver the help needed.”

Working through the Local Government Association, Calderdale Council supported the submission to government of a five point plan to revitalise local high streets, which included: giving councils the means to takeover empty shops; greater local control over transport and apprenticeship schemes; improved night time safety; less unnecessary red tape; and a greater role for business, for instance by introducing more Business Improvement Districts, giving them a genuine stake in their local area.

Cllr Battye concluded that it is now clear that retail shops alone won’t be enough to make our high streets sustainable. Instead, councils have emphasised the need to make high streets more of a cultural hub for the community, which can help ensure their longevity. Such proposals might include a new sports centre or library as the centrepiece.