May 1999Councils £30,000 election campaign flops (May 22, 1999)
City players victory parade (May 10, 1999)
Kosova aid truck sets off (May 6, 1999)
May Day scorcher! (May 1, 1999)
May 22, 1999
![[Use your vote - campaign ad]](vote.jpg)
Bradford Councils £30,000 advertising campaign to encourage voters in the local elections made no impact at all.
Turnout in the elections on May 6th was 30% - identical to last year. This was despite a concerted advertising campaign which included:
Labour lost 10 seats, including key wards at University and Bradford Moor. Council leader Ian Greenwood hung on to his Little Horton seat with a much reduced majority and a turnout of only 21%.
Meanwhile former Labour councillor Shaukat Ahmed has launched a personal campaign to highlight Labours failure to deal honestly with Asian voters. In a remarkably honest and open address to local trade unionists, he said that the Labour leadership had "surrounded themselves by a small clique of cronies, boosting each others egos by mutual admiration."
"It is also true that the Asian politicians inside the Labour party have been a serious let down for the community. We have not treated our supporters with respect and dignity. I must be brave enough to share this failure with my other colleagues. This is a failure of immense significance."
Why the Labour vote is dropping in Bradford - full transcript of Shaukat Ahmed's speech.
May 10, 1999
![[City players pass through Saltaire]](city.jpg)
The biggest downpour of the year couldn't deter the thousands who turned out to cheer on the Bradford City team as they toured the district to celebrate their promotion to the premier division.
City beat Wolves 3-2 yesterday to win promotion for the first time in 77 years. After driving through Keighley, Bingley, Saltaire and Shipley, the open topped coach finished in a packed Centenary Square.
Check out City Gent fanzine
May 6, 1999
![[Karl Robson, Mandy Farrar and Geoff Robinson]](kosova2.jpg)
A truck load of aid for Kosova set off from Bradford last night, packed with food and other essentials donated from local people in the past few weeks.
Originally destined to leave on May day, aid volunteers Karl Robson, Mandy Farrar and Geoff Robinson (shown above) were delayed by the mountains of paper work that needs to be perfect if they expect to get through.
Bradford Aid for Kosova have received massive amounts from local schools, trade unions and businesses. Traders like newsagent Sajid Shah raised hundreds of pounds. Medical equipment was donated from St Lukes and Airedale hospitals. Pace Electronics provided free mobile telephone communications for the trip.
Aid volunteer Lucy told KDIS:
"We're planning to go to North Albania first, to meet up with the Kosovan Education Union who we're in contact with there. We hope then to find a direct route into Kosova, as no aid at all is getting to the refugees who are still trapped in there.
"In the meantime we're continuing to save towards a container for all the stuff we couldn't send today. There's also a national Education Aid convoy leaving in July as the camps are desperate for education aid."
See also Kosova campaign
See also Kosova: the war debate
May 1, 1999
![[May Day 1999]](mayday99.jpg)
The sun defied the weather forecasters to beat down on the 3rd Bradford Reclaim May Day march today. Hundreds joined the noisy procession into the city centre for a lazy afternoon of discs and stalls.
Anxieties were naturally raised following last nights nazi bomb outrage in London, but most people were determined not to let this wreck the day. Centenary Square fell silent for a minute in remembrance of those maimed and killed.
This year the street band Red Herrings led the procession, with the famed red and black drummers bringing up the rear. Marchers joined from Manchester and Sheffield.
A weekend of May Day events includes theatre, football, music and meetings at various venues around the city
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