1.LABOUR SELECTS EAST ENDER FOR BRENTWOOD AND ONGAR

Brentwood and Ongar Constituency Labour Party has selected Diana Johnson as its Parliamentary Spokesperson for the seat at the next General Election, following a One Member, One Vote ballot of Labour Party members in the constituency.

A barrister by profession, Diana Johnson, 34, lives in Poplar in the East London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where she has been a councillor since 1994. Diana’s main political interests are health, education and rights in the workplace. She serves as a non-executive director at Newham Healthcare Trust and has been Chair of Social Services in Tower Hamlets for the last three years.

 Diana Johnson said: “It’s a privilege to be selected by Brentwood and Ongar Labour Party and I look forward to campaigning on the issues that matter to local people."

“Although it’s always been an uphill struggle for Labour in this constituency, I know that today’s modern Labour Party appeals to people from all backgrounds. While the local Tories fight each other and the high-tax Lib Dems make themselves ever-more irrelevant, Labour is best placed to fight for the interests of people in Brentwood and Ongar.”

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Release immediate: 19^th January 2001

2. LABOUR'S PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN TEAM VISIT BRENTWOOD AND ONGAR LABOUR PARTY

Diana Johnson, Parliamentary spokesperson for Brentwood and Ongar Constituency Labour Party welcomed the visit by Angela Smith M.P. of the parliamentary campaign team to Brentwood and Ongar.

The Tour, "Building for a Second Term", is the joint initiative of Tony Blair the Leader of the Labour Party and John Prescott, the Party's Deputy Leader.

Over the course of the next six months, all of Labours local parties have been invited to host a meeting to which a Labour politician will visit to discuss the progress of the government in delivering the Party's manifesto and to discuss preparations for the campaign for a second term.

Diana Johnson said: "This is a great opportunity for local Labour Party Members to meet someone who is closely involved in the work the Government is doing to make a fairer society for everyone.New Labour has already achieved a tremendous amount here in Brentwood and Ongar, we know we have a lot more to do and are keen to get to work on winning a second term".

The meeting in Brentwood and Ongar was held on Thursday 18^th January at the Old House in Brentwood.

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release immediate: 19^th January 2001

3. LABOUR'S PARLIAMENTARY SPOKESPERSON ADDS SUPPORT TO ONGAR PARENTS FOR SAFE SCHOOL TRANSPORT CAMPAIGN.

Diana Johnson, Parliamentary spokesperson for Brentwood and Ongar Constituency Labour Party attended the public meeting organised by Ongar Parents for Safe School Transport at Chipping Ongar Primary School, Greensted Road, Ongar on Wednesday 17^th January 2001.

The campaign by local parents seeks safe transport for local children travelling to school on busses provided by Essex County Council. Currently old double decker busses are used which have no seat belts and children are unsupervised on the buses except for the driver. Ongar lost its secondary school some years ago and all secondary pupils have to make journeys on winding country roads to school.

Diana Johnson called on Essex County Council to make an urgent decision to use only coaches rather than old double decker buses to take young people from Ongar to local schools.

Diana Johnson said:"The Conservative controlled Education Authority must quickly put the health and safety of young people in Ongar at the top of the agenda. Labour controlled Local Education Authorities have decided that they will only use coaches, which have seat belts for safety reasons. Essex should now do the same. Our young people need safe and modern transport with adequate supervision to get them to and from school".

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Release immediate: 5^th February 2001

4. LABOUR'S PARLIAMENTARY SPOKESPERSON SPEAKS TO SIXTH FORMERS AT ST.MARTIN'S SCHOOL, BRENTWOOD.

Diana Johnson, Parliamentary spokesperson for Brentwood and Ongar Constituency Labour Party recently spoke to year 13 students at St Martin's School, Hanging Hill Lane, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex. Ms Johnson was the first speaker from the main political parties to address the first time voters for the next general election.

Diana Johnson spoke to the young people for one hour, which included a question and answer session on Labour's record to date and plans for the future. Topics covered included transport, education and the economy.

Diana Johnson said: "I was delighted to be asked to speak to these young people at St Martin's. I was very impressed by their grasp of the political issues in Brentwood and Ongar. It was also good to visit a school which has been given money from the government for new building projects, to improve facilities for its pupil".

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