To help resolve the Sheffield trees crisis, an online petition has been started today. Tagged “ SHEFFIELD LABOUR: LET YOUR MEMBERS VOTE”, the petition calls for the Sheffield District Labour Party (DLP) to organise a secret ballot vote of ordinary Labour Party members in the most affected constituencies (Sheffield Central, Hallam and Heeley). Two simple questions for the ballot: 1) Should the current pause in felling be continued until a strategy for the sustainable management of street trees is agreed? 2) Do you support an immediate mediated settlement to the trees crisis? The petition will be delivered to the Sheffield DLP at its May meeting. As it says on the petition, “The Sheffield tree crisis has produced a clear and significant disconnect between Sheffield Labour Party members and the Labour group on Sheffield City Council (SCC). With 5,500+ street trees felled to date and another 12,000 facing the chainsaw… Ordinary Labour Party members need to have their say.” This petition was developed by the campaigning group NO STUMP CITY and is endorsed by the steering group of the Sheffield Tree Action Groups (STAG). The petition campaign will be officially launched this evening (27 April) at 7:00 p.m. at a brief live-streamed event outside the entrance to the ballroom of Sheffield City Hall. At that time, at least 500 people will be queuing to attend a political/entertainment show put on by former Labour leader and Doncaster MP Ed Miliband and a media mate Geoff Lloyd. Miliband’s event, which is part of the Sheffield Festival of Debate (https://www.festivalofdebate.com/april-2018 ) is called “REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL”. No Stump City’s small and fun counter-event is called “REASONS TO BE GRUMPY…with Sheffield City Council.” Those queuing (many of whom are expected to be Labour Party supporters) will be handed a copy of NO STUMP’s ‘Snakes and Ladders’ brochure. To date, about 3500 copies of the popular brochure have been distributed across the city in the run-up to the 3 May local elections. (A total of 5,000 copies were printed from funds raised during a recent successful Crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/no-stump-city-top-up ) [ NOTE: We already have enough leafleters for tonight’s event.] End of release. +++++++++++++++ No Stump City – no.stump.city@gmail.com