A challenge to Dave: Get your councillors to help Joe Townsend NOW
Derek Draper
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by Derek Draper
You may have read about Joe Townsend, the marine who lost both legs serving in Afghanistan. His parents are trying to build him a bungalow next to theirs in Wealden but the local council has turned down the planning proposal. Gordon Brown has called on the council to think again and Noel Edmonds has taken up the case. On his show on Sky One, “Noel’s HQ”, he said David Cameron had sent a message of support. BUT Cameron can do more than support this. He can call, now, on the 33 Tory councillors in Wealden to reverse their decision.
I hope he does, as a safe, comfortable home for Joe Townsend is something that all political parties should try and make a reality. Yes, its singling out one individual but if we can’t, as a society, act to help a case like this, what hope have we got of achieving anything else? Come on, Dave, pitch in and join Gordon Brown in calling for a change of heart. Show some leadership to your councillors. Let’s put politics to one side and build Joe his bungalow.
Also, remember all the others and visit Help for Heroes to help support the servicemen and women injured in the current conflicts.
Derek Draper
Derek Draper was the founder and first editor of LabourList.<br />
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In his political career, Derek worked for Peter Mandelson for four years during the mid-1990s, and founded Progress Magazine in 1996, which was instrumental in the development of New Labour and which is still going strong today. In 1997, he published the book Blair's First 100 Days.<br />
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Derek is also a writer and psychotherapist. He was a former regular on ITV1's Kyle's Academy and featured on an ITV Tonight Special on phobias in November 2008. In 2007, he was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Mental Health Charity MIND, and wrote the chapter on mental health in the 2006 book _The Future of the NHS_ which you can download here. His new book, Life Support: A Survival Guide For The Modern Soul, was published in April 2009 by Hay House.<br />
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Derek is married to Kate Garraway, the GMTV presenter, and has a wonderful 3-year-old daughter, Darcey and new son Billy.
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