i). One is that the EU say they can give no more. They have been here before and have already accepted one large write down of Greek state debt owned by banks and other private sector individuals, companies and funds. They could take the perfectly sensible view that allowing another lapse in conditions of the loan would simply lead to other countries demanding the same treatment. It would undermine the discipline the zone needs, and would send a signal to all that there is no need to meet solemn requirements entered into. Either Greece has to back down and try to do implement the agreement, or they need to move quickly to arrange an exit from the Euro on this option.
ii). We could have another temporary fix. Maybe more debt could be written off. Maybe the timetable for meeting the requirements for reform and budget deficit cuts could be extended. Maybe the ECB might issue yet more money to other worried banking systems to support other states in trouble. Just enough cash would be released for Greece to pay the basic bills and stave off full bankruptcy. Maybe this time Greece would do the right thing and pay its bills and live within its means.
Maybe we would not be back in the same position in 6 months time or less.
iii). The third option is that the Euro area moves more swiftly to fiscal union, with the richer areas accepting their responsibility to send much more money by way of transfer payments to the poorer parts like Greece. It is difficult to believe Germany would be willing to do this. Mrs Merkel has just suffered a bad regional election defeat and is unlikely to want to have to tell her electors in the run up to the German General Election next year that they are going to have to pay a lot more tax to subsidise the weak parts of the Euro zone.
Maybe Merkel and Hollande will make up and bring fiscal union of the Eurozone. But Hollande is thinking only of France right now, which means that this last scenario will not happen. And there is no appetite in Germany for vassal states, particularly one as dysfunctional as Greece.
Maybe.... Maybe
Whilst the Euro politicians squabble a two speed Eurozone seems inevitable. Noone in Europe wants Greece to leave the Euro but as its capital flees from its beleagured banks they will be forced to leave. The time for a negotiated exit has long gone. This will not be a simple death but a bloody one I fear.
Maybe this will not affect us here in the United Kingdom, but I am afraid it will. When many of your customers go bust your own business suffers. That is what will happen here.
Finally the world is getting tired of giving yet more gifts to the Greeks. But then again Maybe ....
Ed Miliband has written an important article in today’s FT, reproduced below:
Britain is in recession. More than half of young Spaniards are out of work. The Greek people are turning away from the political mainstream. But over the past two years, the leaders of Europe’s largest countries have been telling the world there is no alternative. Every day that this denial has continued, faith in the ability of any politician to bring real change has ebbed away.
The divide in politics now is between those who think the lesson of the past two years is to offer more of the same and those of us who know now is the time for a different course. It is a divide between those who face the global economic storm having run out of ideas and those with a plan for putting right what has gone so disastrously wrong.
As this crisis has deepened, David Cameron has spent his energy engaging in political positioning, on show again in his speech to the Institute of Directors this week. His response to every downturn is to lecture the eurozone and to argue that nothing is his fault. But the reality is that his economic failure has let Britain down. His intellectual failure is central to the inaction that is holding back the European and global economy. It is costing jobs in Britain and across the world, as well as destroying faith in our democracy to meet the challenges we face.
At the end of August last year I wrote an article in these pages that called for concerted action to address the stalling global recovery. I said: “We face global economic threats that can only be addressed by global economic leadership. There is no time to lose.” Nine months on, that leadership is still to emerge. And people are payi ng the price.
They have been let down by leaders across Europe who have forgotten the first lesson of globalisation: that its legitimacy depends on whether we succeed or fail together. It is a lesson that should underpin firm, co-ordinated, action at this weekend’s G8 summit. And that should lead to the rejection of the Cameron-Merkel-Sarkozy approach and progress towards a lasting solution in Europe.
Mr Cameron cannot help solve this crisis because he is such a central part of the problem. About Britain, he claims “we are moving in the right direction”. Really? Recovery turning to recession, no growth for almost two years, a million young people out of work, and borrowing forecast to be £150bn higher than planned as a result. We have come to expect such crass arrogance but it does make you wonder on what planet the prime minister is living.
Everything about his approach shows him to be a desperately out-of-touch politician keener to avoid responsibility than assume it. Italy aside, Mr Cameron is the only leader at the G8 who has led his country into a double-dip recession.
It is true that we are in the midst of a global crisis, but that is precisely why his decision to reject a balanced approach two years ago was so reckless. It has meant Britain was hit earlier and harder than others. And the mutually reinforcing complacency of “Camerkozy” economics has meant this error has been replicated across our continent.
It did not have to be like this. On the other side of the divide is President Barack Obama, whose balanced deficit plan has led the US to at least return to growth. He has now been joined by President François Hollande, who shares his focus on growth and jobs.
It is this battle of ideas that needs to be resolved in favour of those who know it doesn’t have to be this way – that something can be done.
First, the G8 should start with the recognition that demand matters. Just as in the 1930s, when “beggar thy neighbour” protectionism helped produce collective depression, so today all countries’ pursuit of collective austerity is once more failing us all. Every big economy cutting demand simultaneously, irrespective of their relative positions, closes export-led routes to growth for those countries that must take urgent action on their deficits.
Last November, in the communiqué of the G20 in Cannes, world leaders in a number of countries, including Germany, promised to boost domestic demand if “global economic conditions materially worsen”. Many asked at the time how bad things had to get.
But they have now unquestionably worsened. Action is long overdue. This is the time for countries that enjoy historically low interest rates, such as Germany, to recognise they must collectively support demand.
Second, there needs to be a sustainable solution for the eurozone. Exposed countries need to tackle their deficits. But, instead of ever more unrealistic demands being made of countries already struggling to cope, there need to be shared solutions for a shared problem threatening to engulf them all.
The collapse of Lehman Brothers teaches us there is no such thing as an orderly default of an organisation the size and complexity of a global bank. The same applies to a European state. So within the eurozone the European Central Bank should be stepping up to its role as lender of last resort, while there should also be greater fiscal integration and a firewall sufficient to stand behind the Spanish and Italian economies.
Third, uncertainty around the world’s banks needs to be resolved. Widespread belief that banks, especially in the eurozone, have losses on their books that threaten their capital positions will not go away simply with wishful thinking. The lesson from Britain is that action on a massive scale is needed to draw a line under concerns about the viability of major banks if confidence is to return.
The focus of world leaders at Camp David this weekend and in Europe in the days ahead should be to agree on a programme of collective action, a shared agenda for growth and the abandonment of outdated mantras that nothing can be done – a final rejection of the Cameron-Merkel-Sarkozy approach. Only that will put the recovery back on track and start to restore the reputation of our politics.
What a really nice thing to happen! Ben and Jerry sent an ice cream tub to my constituency (in matching box with a personal message) with my photo on it – and the flavour named as ‘Lynne Honeycomb’. You can see it here. I hasten to add – no actual ice cream was in the tub – which as it came through the post is a very good thing.
The government consultation on equal marriage will close on June 14 – so do visit the Home Office website where you can access the consultation to make sure you get your view on the record.
Let us assume Mrs Merkel is telling us the truth. She probably did say on her Geek phone call that the Greek General Election was in effect a referendum on the Euro, not that she wanted them to have a referendum on the Euro as well as a General Election.
It is still quite a change from her position last year, when she with France helped push a Greek Prime Minister out of office for daring to propose a referendum on European matters. These advocates of greater European integration have usually been against referenda, or have demanded re-runs when they get the “wrong” result.
The change of stance is presumably to try to force the Greek people to vote for a pro Euro pro EU loan package government. Mrs Merkel thinks the Greek people will do the right thing and vote the way she wishes if they understand that to do otherwise would mean their early exit from the Euro.
She might find meddling in other people’s elections from afar has unforeseen consequences. Greece may be wrong to think they can vote for the Euro and against ther loan package to sustain it. If they persist in this anti Merkel stance, there will have to be a face down between a new Greek government and an old German government over this very point. It is by no means clear who will win. Germany has in the past always backed down over more money and laxer rules.
It is almost incredible that faced with the very real likelihood of a slide into world slump, as Obama is now warning, Merkel continues to parrot the reactionary monetarist mantra that “there can be no growth through borrowing”. There can certainly be no growth through prolonged austerity, though she didn’t admit that. But leaving that aside, she totally fails to recognise that there is all the difference in the world between on the one hand borrowing to increase consumption, which is unwise at the best of times and utterly reprobate at the worst of times, and on the other hand borrowing to generate public investment which will create jobs and sustainable growth. That is what private business does all the time, borrowing on the basis that the investment is soundly based and will create jobs and growth.
But what the reactionary monetarists don’t understand, or refuse to recognise, is that there can be public investment to create jobs and growth without borrowing. According to the Sunday Times Rich List published last month, the richest 1,000 persons in Britain, just 0.003% of the population, increased their wealth over the last 3 years of austerity by no less than £155bn, a sum considerably greater than the entire UK budget deficit. If those gains were taxed at the current capital gains tax rate of 28%, it would raise £43bn for the Exchequer. That would be more than enough to generate the public investment needed, primarily in house-building and infrastructure, to create 1.5 million jobs in the next 1-2 years. That would unquestionably turnaround the economy and begin the virtuous growth spiral. And with no public borrowing at all.
All ways round that is a vastly more sensible strategy for cutting the deficit. At present it costs £7bn to keep a million people on the dole, when with the same money we could create 400,000 jobs. How much better, instead of paying them to remain idle on the dole, to employ them building the houses that Britain desperately needs (with 1.8 million households on Council waiting lists) together with repairing and improving Britain’s degraded infrastructure including major new energy and IT developments. And a million more persons in work would hugely increase tax receipts (income tax, national insurance, and VAT) which is the quickest way to cut the deficit.
Today SS Great Britain was floated in neon-green jelly and Facebook Floated at a really silly sum of money.
Now I must admit I think Google with their operating system etc is a really strong business model, but the above two seem absurd.
In spite of Cameron's pre-election denunciation of the dangers of lobbying, he has done nothing for two years. Public trust politicians less than they did in 2010. The BBC reported on yesterday's select committee meeting.
Lobbying register 'to be introduced by 2015'
The government would close a "gap in the level of transparency" over lobbying, Mr Harper pledgedThe government is "determined" to introduce a register of lobbyists before 2015, constitutional reform minister Mark Harper has said.
At a Commons committee hearing, Mr Harper pledged to publish a draft bill during this parliamentary session.
Labour criticised the coalition for failing to include legislation on lobbying in the Queen's Speech.
But the minister told MPs that any suggestion that the reforms had been abandoned was "misleading".
At the Commons political and constitutional reform committee, Mr Harper defended the proposals as MPs described them as "shoddy" and "weak".
Labour backbencher and committee member Paul Flynn listed a string of recent lobbying scandals to have hit the government, despite Prime Minister David Cameron's 2010 prediction that lobbying was "next big scandal waiting to happen".
The Labour MP argued there was a "gulf" between the "splendid rhetoric" of ministers' announcements on lobbying reforms and the reality of the current proposals under consideration.
'Transparency'
He demanded to know why had the government "retreated" from publishing a code of conduct for lobbyists.
The government has held a public consultation on plans to create a register of lobbyists acting on behalf of third parties.
Under the plans, when meetings are held between such lobbyists and ministers or other parliamentarians the names of the organisations they are representing will be made public.
A summary of responses to the consultation will be published before Parliament's summer recess, Mr Harper revealed.
Draft legislation would enable detailed scrutiny of the plans to begin during this session of Parliament, he added. The session is expected to last until April next year.
But Mr Flynn said the reforms would not constitute "worthwhile transparency" unless the content of discussions with lobbyists was also divulged.
Mr Harper said that the level of detail to be revealed about meetings would be "meaningful", arguing that his plans would strike the right balance between transparency and burdensome regulation.
Quentin Letts in the Mail has his own view.
What a tidy operator Mark Harper is. Safe. Neat. Buzz-cut hair. Clean fingernails. If he turned up on your doorstep you might expect him to hand you a leaflet about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Mr Harper, 42, who represents the Gloucestershire seat of the Forest of Dean, is a cabinet office minister. That is an uninformative title for a fascinating perch, for Mr Harper’s chief duty in life is to be Nick Clegg’s Tory outrider. He is the Deputy Prime Minister’s Conservative junior. The man with the shovel behind the baby elephant.
When Cleggy had that bright idea about changing the electoral system, it fell to Mr Harper to present the arguments in the Commons. He managed to do so with impeccable dispassion, a quite proper level of enthusiasm – that is to say, he advocated the change without visibly hungering for it.
When Cleggy’s cunning plan went down the khazi, Mr Harper was able to contain his disappointment but at the same time did not yelp with glee.
In the privacy of his own lavatory cubicle he may well, for all we know, have laughed like a drain, whooping with pleasure at the Cleggster’s pratfall. In front of Mr Clegg and other Lib Dems, however, Mr Harper kept a smile off his chops. He has done the same while explaining the Coalition’s official plans (unlikely ever to succeed) to reform the Lords.
Such sobriety or composure – call it blandness if you must – takes skill. I suspect that Mr Harper, a sometime auditor, would make a good bridge player. He once worked in the computer industry. Perhaps that was where he acquired his robotic air. Yesterday he presented himself for examination by the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee.
Subject: the murky world of lobbying. In Opposition David Cameron promised to stop cosiness between lobbyists and lawmakers. Since then there have been indications – a set of underwhelming proposals, rumours of delay – that Mr Cameron’s devotion to the cause was waning.
Mr Harper began by asserting, with what was, for him, unusual emphasis, that the Government was pushing ahead with the matter and would publish a White Paper in this session of Parliament.
He sat at the witness table in a spotless, ironed, white shirt. He was so clean-faced you could almost smell the shaving foam.
He did not move his limbs sharply. His voice, brushed by a small West Country burr, remained perfectly modulated at all times. He must be a favourite with BBC sound engineers. ‘White Paper … draft legislation … consultative responses … pre-legislative scrutiny … policy intentions … ministerial code … naturally listen to what your committee has to say …’
On he burbled. He expressed respect for the committee’s members without ever overdoing it to the point of jolly self-mockery – as, say, a Michael Gove or Jack Straw would have done.
He ran through the processes and procedures of Whitehall with probity, professionalism, patience, almost as if he suspected that the committee and its elders had never heard of such things before.
They had no option but to sit there, listening to his fluent, maddening spiel. Paul Flynn (Lab, Newport) was given the bowling. Mr Flynn normally gobbles young ministers for elevenses.
There are few more ingenious troublemakers. Yet in front of Mr Harper, the Welsh wizard seemed powerless.
Mr Flynn tried to get him on various scandalettes of the Coalition years, from the Fox/Werrity affair to that time Eric Pickles went to dinner with lobbyists and replied that it was none of our business because he had been ‘eating in a private capacity’.
Most ministers, quizzed about that, would have looked uneasy, perhaps even laughed in embarrassment. Mr Harper? Not a bit of it. Composed. Barely reacted. Silent. Let Mr Flynn speak and speak. He then produced words rather as an indefatigable tailor might unroll yards of cloth for the benefit of a potential customer.
We learned almost nothing. That was just the way Mr Harper intended it to be. Expect him to be promoted, soon.
Referendum on the EU? Something just feels wrong about the People's Pledge.
Following Thurrock's referendum on the EU I find myself further distracted from the issue itself and more towards the reactionary prevarications and conflicting logic of the agitators.
Taking Thurrock - a place where there has been a Eu in/out referendum organised by the People's Pledge. The loaded wording on the
I agreed with every word of Fraser Nelson's excellent column in today's Daily Telegraph. Entitled, "Turn off your iPad, Mr Cameron, and start dealing with our debt", looks at the government's disappointing record on borrowing and points out, rather alarmingly, that it is "... borrowing more over five years than Labour did over 13". With our deficit growing, we need radical Conservatism (common sense) like never before. And by radicalism, I mean slashing state expenditure and tax much, much further. Recently, I made a comment during a radio interview along the lines of: "Austerity. What austerity?" An aggrieved constituent wrote to the local paper, accusing me of "living behind my stag," or words to that effect, as if I did not understand what effect the dire state of our economy was having on people. Can I say that I do understand, and all too well. In addition to running a business myself, I have spent most of life out and about and, now, as an MP, much of my time is spent in the constituency seeing things very much at first hand. I do see the difficulties and sympathise with the plight of many of my constituents. However, all I can say is that we have been heading to the abyss for years, living beyond our means, both publicly and privately, and hoping we'd never be called to account. The chickens have come to roost, regrettably simultaneously. I hope we learn from these harsh lessons being imposed on us, that you cannot spend more than your earn, and you certainly can't borrow your way out of trouble. You must cut your cloth accordingly and I can only suggest we start 'slashing' pretty quickly.
Two years ago George Osborne set out his economic mission to “deal with our debts, set our country on a brighter economic course and show that we are all in this together”.
How things have changed. It’s now clear that on all these three counts the government’s economic strategy has failed.
First, on securing a brighter economic [...]
Robert Buckland, Local MP for South Swindon has backed a new campaign by the UK’s leading children’s heart charity, The Children’s Heart Federation, which seeks to increase early diagnosis of heart conditions for children.
The Think HEART campaign aims to empower and inform parents giving them [...]
Shareholder power at companies like Aviva, Barclays and Trinity Mirror has been grabbing the headlines, but many people don't realise that, if they have a pension or stocks-and-shares ISA, it is their money being invested in these high paying companies.
The responsible investment charity FairPensions have launched a new campaign to raise awareness and to encourage pension and ISA savers to contact their providers urging them to vote against excessively generous remuneration packages.
This week I sponsored a new Early Day Motion about the campaign, as a way to put pressure on the Coalition Government about the need to curb excessive pay and on companies who pay their executives over the odds.
FTSE bosses have seen average pay rise by 11% whilst share prices have dropped by 7% in the last year - so I am joining savers across the country to demand an end to rewards for failure.
The current administration's approach to the economy is part of "a failed Brownite consensus", writes Fraser Nelson in today's Telegraph. Ministers will be "borrowing more over five years than Labour did over 13". Link to follow.
The Treasury, he continues, is "locked in the old way of thinking", which is still "hard-wired with assumptions" from when Gordon Brown was in charge.
The radicalism has been blunted. The steady-as-she-sinks mandarinate have been given free rein. Bold ideas vetoed.
Regular readers will recognise that these are points this blog has been making for sometime.
Perhaps, Fraser goes on, ""you have to go through Heath to get to Thatcher". That is to say, tinkering has to be tried, and failed, before the Conservative Party reaches for radicalism".
I fear it may take a Winter of Discontent-type shock to the system to shake the political elite from their cozy assumptions.
We need radical change to lift our country off her knees. It is not just the constraints of Coalition holding us back.
Once again there is a gathering storm over the Euro. Greece is losing money from its own bank accounts and quite clearly Greece cannot form a government. New elections will lead to more extreme parties seeking ever more demands from the ECB to solve their problems. The Greeks do not want to leave the Euro - why would they? The Eurozone keeps bailing them out.
There are only a few outcomes in the months ahead:
There are only a few outcomes in the months ahead:
Late blogging about this story, but still worth a mention. The Bristol Evening Post ran a feature a few days ago about the “Booze Shame List”. Bristol, you will no doubt be relieved to know, doesn’t have as many shameful boozing hussies as other cities. We only have four.
“Booze shame girls list revealed – JUST four girls in the Avon and Somerset area were fined for being drunk in a public place last year, new figures reveal. A league table, published yesterday in the Sun newspaper, found only the City of London force area to have had fewer women aged under 21 fined. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Booze-shame-girls-list-revealed/story-16021025-detail/story.html“
I am awaiting with great anticipation the booze shame boys list, which I assume is on its way?
A little while back I made another visit to All Saints in Edmonton - a fabulous church steeped in history, but sadly in need of restoration and without the large amounts of money to get it done.
All Saints is in the capable hands of Reverend Stuart Owen who is as passionate as I am - or maybe even more so - about getting the funding needed to restore the church, so he was more than happy to show me and a representative from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the English Heritage around in the hopes that some sort of plan for the future of the church may be reached.
We are still working on it but we have far from given up so watch this space...
In other Edmonton heritage news, I was recently emailed about an intriguing opportunity for a way of preserving the Edmonton Girls' Charity School - another piece of our history that I am working on finding a financially viable future for. It is too early to say any more about that right now but I will just add that it sounds like a very positive development indeed.
In the meantime, take a look around you this weekend and you may be surprised at some of the weird and wonderful old buildings that are tucked away. Edmonton is steeped in history.
Tomorrow (Friday 18th May) South West London Law Centres, in partnership with Eversheds LLP, are hosting a ‘Know your rights day’ for Wandsworth residents at Balham Library.
The event will run from 10am-4:30pm, and there’ll be advice on debt, housing law (including landlord and tenant disputes) and employment law, with a range of interactive presentations throughout the day.
You can download the full programme here, call 020 8767 2777 or email knowyourrights@swllc.org for more information.
The Eurozone crisis has shown up the very different economies which operate in certain parts of Europe. For a large country such as Germany, centrally located with a very skilled workforce, plenty of capital and modern efficient industries, the low exchange rate for the Euro gives huge trading advantages, the product of which we are seeing in Germany’s growth. However a moment’s thought shows that if the Deutschemark were still the German currency, its exchange rate would be sky high, making life difficult for German business.
For smaller countries such as Greece, life is not so easy. Normally a currency union succeeds where there are capital transfers from the wealthier parts to more disadvantaged areas, labour mobility follows and a united fiscal policy would exist. Looking at it on a micro scale, within the UK taxes are taken from Herts and spent in less fortunate parts of the country, people move to find jobs and all parts of the union have the same fiscal policy. However this is not true of the Eurozone and these structural issues need to be addressed. It is only when a sensible package is hammered out, that this Eurozone crisis will be resolved.
I have been campaigning for targeted sanctions on the henchment of despots and dictators, in light of the tragic Russian case of murdered lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. I blogged on the issue here.
A short film, linked here, gives an overview of the various initiatives across the world seeking justice and accountability, including the House of Commons debate I initiated in March.
A short film, linked here, gives an overview of the various initiatives across the world seeking justice and accountability, including the House of Commons debate I initiated in March.
Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris has welcomed reforms proposed by the Government to change the way that support is provided for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).
The changes announced this week will replace the current long and complex SEN statementing process and Learning Difficulty Assessments with a single simpler assessment process and education plan.
Parents of children with these education plans will be given more control over how money is spent to support their child, to ensure that they receive the right help for them. read more »
The Church of England has welcomed today’s agreement with the Government over the future funding of alterations and repairs to its 12,500 listed buildings, which will provide £30 million a year extra money. This is on top of the £12 million already in the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS).
The Bishop of London described this as an acknowledgment from Government of the unique heritage value to the nation of cathedrals and churches and the way in which these alterations are enabling them to serve their local communities in a range of ways alongside being centres of worship.
Despite not persuading the Government that maintaining zero rated VAT for alterations is the best way forward, church leaders today said that the £30 million a year extra money that the Chancellor has committed to the LPWGS will enable the equivalent to the VAT bill to be paid out on all alterations and repairs to listed church buildings. The Scheme pays out to those denominations and faiths with listed buildings
The LPWGS will in future be ring fenced and no longer vulnerable to cuts in departmental budgets and it is planned to re-introduce monthly pay outs from October. The scheme will be guaranteed for the duration of this Parliament. Parishes have shown they need a much greater degree of certainty in the funding they receive and this will now be met by ironing out some of the more unhelpful characteristics of the current LPWGS.
The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres who chairs the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division and who led the discussions with the Treasury said “We owe a debt of gratitude to the Second Church Estates Commissioner Tony Baldry, for his role in brokering this agreement, and to Anne Sloman, and Janet Gough who have worked tirelessly in a very short window of opportunity but the Chancellor made it very clear that he was moving to ease the impact on the churches in recognition of the massive contribution made by congregations up and down the land to the life of their communities”.
Anne Sloman, Chair of the Church Buildings Council said, “the fact that the Treasury offer went from £5million to £30million is a recognition of the tremendous value for money to the nation as a whole that our buildings represent. We are grateful to parishes up and down the land who have lobbied so hard since the Budget to bring this point home to the government, and even more grateful for the massive contribution volunteers make by their efforts, week in and week out, to keep our beautiful churches in good repair for worship and adapted to serve the community in so many creative ways.”
To read a copy of the full briefing note issued by the Church of England, please click on the link here: VAT on Listed Buildings briefing note.
Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North, will on Saturday 19th May be volunteering at the Samaritans Charity Shop on the Aylsham Road. Chloe will be donating items and volunteering with...
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[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
National headlines about the crisis in the eurozone paint a gloomy picture about the prospects for the economy but, locally, while things are undoubtedly hard, we are putting in place the building blocks for the future.
As you drive through our towns, you see a lot of important work underway. The regeneration of Hayle harbour is progressing well and will transform the town’s prospects over the next two years. The old Holmans site around the train station in Camborne has finally been rebuilt after years of dereliction but many of the original features and buildings have been retained. The first phase of regenerating the other Holmans site opposite Tesco is also complete. Last month the Heartlands project opened in Pool and Cornwall College are about to start the next phase of the face lift for their campus having already transformed the look of the new Tamar tower.
Last week the regeneration of the Tuckingmill and South Crofty areas of Camborne also came a step closer as Camborne Town Council finally removed their objection to the new East-West road link. I think this project has an important role to play in creating new industry and jobs in our area and, for the first eighteen months after I was elected, securing government funding for the project was my number one priority.
The junction at the top of East Hill actually became more difficult to navigate after they introduced the new dual carriageway to join the A30. There is a reason for this. The new road layout will only work properly once the scheme is complete. The East-West link road will offer a faster route to get to the A30 from Pengegon and Troon, reducing congestion in both the town and at East Hill junction.
I have always argued that, when it comes to new housing developments, we should build on brownfield sites before greenfield sites. The new road will provide the infrastructure that makes it possible to build new housing at the proposed Tuckingmill Urban Village. It will also mean that derelict land which was previously not viable to re-develop suddenly becomes attractive on which to build new industrial units. And it has allowed a land swap deal to go ahead so that South Crofty can build a modern, state-of-the-art mine at the bottom of the valley which could create up to 400 jobs over the next few years.
While a lot has been done, there remains much to do. In particular, my main focus is to try to get things moving on some of the derelict sites in Redruth, including the old brewery site, Avers roundabout and the bottom of Penryn Street. In all three cases, there must be a way forward if everyone turned their minds to it.
George Eustice can be contacted on george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or at 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
As you drive through our towns, you see a lot of important work underway. The regeneration of Hayle harbour is progressing well and will transform the town’s prospects over the next two years. The old Holmans site around the train station in Camborne has finally been rebuilt after years of dereliction but many of the original features and buildings have been retained. The first phase of regenerating the other Holmans site opposite Tesco is also complete. Last month the Heartlands project opened in Pool and Cornwall College are about to start the next phase of the face lift for their campus having already transformed the look of the new Tamar tower.
Last week the regeneration of the Tuckingmill and South Crofty areas of Camborne also came a step closer as Camborne Town Council finally removed their objection to the new East-West road link. I think this project has an important role to play in creating new industry and jobs in our area and, for the first eighteen months after I was elected, securing government funding for the project was my number one priority.
The junction at the top of East Hill actually became more difficult to navigate after they introduced the new dual carriageway to join the A30. There is a reason for this. The new road layout will only work properly once the scheme is complete. The East-West link road will offer a faster route to get to the A30 from Pengegon and Troon, reducing congestion in both the town and at East Hill junction.
I have always argued that, when it comes to new housing developments, we should build on brownfield sites before greenfield sites. The new road will provide the infrastructure that makes it possible to build new housing at the proposed Tuckingmill Urban Village. It will also mean that derelict land which was previously not viable to re-develop suddenly becomes attractive on which to build new industrial units. And it has allowed a land swap deal to go ahead so that South Crofty can build a modern, state-of-the-art mine at the bottom of the valley which could create up to 400 jobs over the next few years.
While a lot has been done, there remains much to do. In particular, my main focus is to try to get things moving on some of the derelict sites in Redruth, including the old brewery site, Avers roundabout and the bottom of Penryn Street. In all three cases, there must be a way forward if everyone turned their minds to it.
George Eustice can be contacted on george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk or at 1 Trevenson Street, Camborne, Cornwall, TR14 8JD or by telephone on 020 72197032.
Today, I was re-elected to the Executive of the Conservative 1922 Committee. I was pleased to get support from my colleagues for a second term, having first been elected in 2010. I was proposed by Vice Chairman Charles Walker (neighbouring MP for Broxbourne) and seconded by Damian Hinds MP. Why does this Committee matter? Well, the 1922 represents Conservative Backbenchers. A kind of Conservative Parliamentary Trade Union.
The 1922 has meetings with senior Cabinet Ministers - and is there to express views from the Parliamentary Party on both politics and direction of policy. It is important that it is used as a conduit, in which MPs can privately express all kinds of views, without there being repercussions.
I do believe that the 1922 should also have an important role in campaigning and supporting MPs in tough marginal seats. For this reason in my first two years of the 1922, I set up a sub-committee on campaigning - which has met regularly to look at best practice in local campaigning, to analyse polling and examine how best to use social media in terms of political communication.
The 1922 has had a refresh with the election of new members - and I am looking forward to working with them. The newer colleagues are balanced by some experienced hands who are senior officers on the Committee, and will ensure that the balance of the Party as a whole is fully reflected.
P.S. The pictures shows me with members of the previous 1922 Committee (2010 to 2012), in a meeting with the PM at Number Ten.
promoted by Cllr Andrew Johnson on behalf of Harlow Conservatives.
I have always been committed to promoting equality for all; whether I’m signing a Parliamentary motion on human rights abuses in a foreign country, campaigning for Show Racism the Red Card by getting my footy boots on or fighting for … Continue reading 
Last week was the State opening in Westminster, one of the great spectacles of the Parliamentary calendar. As always there were some proposals to welcome and those to be concerned about.
Since 2004 Plaid Cymru have campaigned for a supermarket Ombudsman to ensure a more level playing field for producers, such as our dairy farmers who often find themselves hostage to unfair pricing practices. Therefore we welcome the proposed legislation, but we will be campaigning to make sure the Grocery ombudsman as it is to be called will have as much teeth as possible.
We welcome the indication that measures will be introduced to reform banking services. The Vickers commission provide clear guidance on the need to create buffers between retail banking and casino operations. My personal view is that there needs to be a complete separation under the terms of the Glass Steagall provisions of the 1930s in response to the great depression of the 1920s if we are to avoid a repeat of 2008. This is when ordinary working people were expected to bail out the financial elite for their mistakes on speculative investments and are now paying for it in job losses, reduced living standards, loss of services and reduced pension entitlements. The financial media were speculating that any reforms won’t be implemented until 2019, which would be ten years after the crash and leave seven years for the all powerful financial services lobby down here to dumb down the current proposals.
Of huge concern was the intention to legislate to reform public sector pensions. Coupled with localised pay, this would have a huge impact on the spending power in an economy such as ours.
We are also very concerned about the proposals to legislate to introduce a snoopers charter. Labour firstly planned these intrusive measures, which just goes to show that no matter the colour of the government in Westminster the policy agenda stays the same. I can’t see how you can defend a democratic society by undermining civil liberties. It’s a complete contradiction.
On BBC News 24 I described the Queens Speech as a damp squib just like the London weather. The reality is there was nothing in the speech to alleviate peoples concerns over jobs and their squeezed standards of living. The economic focus seems to be based on addressing supply side problems in the economy, whilst it seems obvious to me that the real issue is a lack of demand. What we need is investment in the economy, and it was disappointing that the HS2 England project for England was put on the back burner because I was looking forward to making the case for Wales’ due Barnett consequential of £1.9bn.
Returning to Carmarthenshire politics it seems that Labour and the Independents (or closet Tories in the words of Peter Hain) have turned down my party’s offer of a unity administration for the county. This unholy alliance has no political mandate, no policies and no vision for our county. Worrying times indeed.
A recent Telegraph article reported that the NHS is paying “extortionate” prices for basic computer equipment and services. It showed that the NHS buys computer equipment at an average 28% more than wholesale prices. This is a shocking misuse of tax payers’ money and shows that the state is often unable to purchase even the
Glasgow South MP Tom Harris has been appointed to Labour’s front bench in the Commons after a three-and-a-half year absence.
Ed Miliband made the appointment today in a mini reshuffle prompted by the resignation of Welsh Secretary Peter Hain. Tom replaces East Lothian MP Fiona O’Donnell as a Shadow Minister for DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Tom said: “It’s a huge honour to have been asked by Ed to serve on the front bench. I can’t wait to get started in the great team led by Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh.”
Ed Miliband made the appointment today in a mini reshuffle prompted by the resignation of Welsh Secretary Peter Hain. Tom replaces East Lothian MP Fiona O’Donnell as a Shadow Minister for DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).
Tom said: “It’s a huge honour to have been asked by Ed to serve on the front bench. I can’t wait to get started in the great team led by Shadow Environment Secretary Mary Creagh.”
Today I noticed a Labour politician, whom I like, tweet his condemnation of Joey Barton’s on-pitch lashing out at the weekend. The tweet was a high-minded, moral thing about how.....
Redditch MP Karen Lumley made time to enjoy a brew at the Redditch-based Cavell Nurses’ Trust coffee morning to celebrate International Nurses Day.
International Nurses Day, organised by the International Council of Nurses, is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth.
The event attracted plenty of local interest meaning the organisation, which is the UK’s leading charity for nurses, raised over £100 from the morning along with raising awareness of the vital work carried out by nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants across the world.
Mrs Lumley said: “I was delighted to attend this charity coffee morning and meet with the team to discuss the fine work they do throughout the year. Cavell Nurses Trust is a Redditch based charity that operates on a national level and does excellent work helping hundreds of nurses who face extreme difficulties in various situations across the board. The services they provide can make a huge positive difference to their lives.”
Simon Knighton, Chairman of Cavell Nurses’ Trust, said: “Nurses are the unsung heroes of healthcare – undervalued, yet still show dedication, commitment, care and compassion to their patients. Their efforts should be recognised and Cavell Nurses’ Trust exists to support UK nurses throughout their career and their lives, when faced with financial difficulties.”
If you would like to know more or make a donation please visit www.justgiving.com/cavellnursestrust.
Karen is pictured with Simon Knighton, Chairman of Cavell Nurses’ Trust and Kate Tompkins, Acting Chief Executive.
Today I started in Yarm, visiting Yarm Preparatory School to speak to year six pupils. After that I went along to the Debating Society at Ian Ramsey School in Stockton and then, after a number of appointment surgeries at the office, I held an open surgery at Tesco in Ingleby Barwick.
Most men, if they’re honest, have wanted to drive a train at some point in their life. Others want to whizz round in a racing car or score a goal for England or a try for Wales. Anyone who’s seen me try to kick a ball (and I avoided this as much as possible in school) will know that the latter is unlikely. While visiting engineering apprentices I have actually sat in a racing car (it’s a tight squeeze) but the engine was turned off. But this evening I did get to at least sit with the train driver while we hurtled from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads at 125mph. So that’s one boyhood interest finally ticked off.
As an MP I meet with Bristol’s train company First Great Western on a frequent basis. Big changes are being made over the next few years to the mainline to London. Reading station is being expanded, freeing up a bottleneck that often delays trains. The Coalition Government has given the go ahead for electrification of the line. This will bring new trains and faster services to Bristol within five years. My journey home today was an opportunity to get a front row seat to discuss these changes and see things from the driver’s perspective.
So here – for friends and constituents who may be train enthusiasts, or even spotters, here’s an account of what the journey looks like from the front of the train.
I travelled on the 4pm train out of Paddington. I was sat in engine 43152, which unlike many trains, doesn’t have a name. Our driver was Nigel, who has been a train driver for over 25 years. For the first mile or so the train travels at just 50mph, as far as Kensal Green. Up to Acton it’s allowed to double the speed and from then onwards it really does travel at 125mph. Curiously, it doesn’t really feel that fast up front and the train even curves around bends in the track at that high speed.
The trains that run between London, Bristol and South Wales are some of the oldest on Britain’s rail network. As a boy in the 1970s I remember seeing an “Inter-City 125″ train for the first time at Cardiff station. The cab design is remarkably simple, with not much of a hint of 21st century technology and gizmos. A bit like an automatic car, there are just 4 gear settings, “FOR” (forward), “ENG ONLY” (ie neutral), “REV” (reverse) and “OFF”. Speed is selected by a sliding black knob to the right of the driver, pulling it from “OFF” through 1, 2, 3 and 4 to MAX and you’re at 125mph. The brake is similar, operated by the driver’s left hand. Speed from 0 to 140mph is marked by a simple traditional clock face speedometer, with no confusing kilometres.
None of this has changed since the trains entered service. What has changed is the safety features and some guidance on fuel consumption. These heavy beasts get through huge amounts of diesel. There’s certainly no sat nav in the cab. But the train does communicate with track side sensors and a small screen gives information on the ETA at the next station. Every minute or so Nigel has to touch a pedal, responding to a loud beep that’s testing he’s alert. Like all drivers he has thorough health checks (eyesight, hearing, blood pressure and an ECG) every 5 years. Different beeps alert him to oncoming signals – though you can see Red, 1 Yellow, double Yellow and Green quite easily from a long distance.
Once the train is travelling at 125mph the small screen with station destination times occasionally says “COAST” and Nigel moves the speed knob to OFF and the train happily coasts at about 120mph, such is the momentum of a heavy train. I learned that Brunel’s “billiard table” flat route is a myth as the train goes up and down gradients. And from Swindon to Bristol it’s downhill much of the way, coasting at over 100mph.
From the cab you get to see the huge variety of bridges over the line. These are going to be one of the main challenges for electrification. They are too low to carry the cables over the train. But instead of rebuilding the bridges (many of which are of attractive red brick construction) the lines will have to be sunk.
After leaving Chippenham station at 17.13 we coast downhill towards Box tunnel. The tunnel is dead straight, so that over-used political cliche of “light at the end of the tunnel” is immediately apparent. We travel through at 90mph in pitch darkness, punctuated by circles of light from the three ventilation shafts.
The approach to Bath, through the cuttings and many bridges of Sydney Gardens, will be another challenge for the engineers attempting to hook up the electric cables. From Bath we coast at 95mph gradually down hill to Bristol Temple Meads. It’s rained virtually all the way but as we pull into platform 13 the rain stops. I’m sure the journey is prettier in May sunshine but it was great fun all the same.
As a new parent do you sometimes feel that you are at the end of your tether? I have been there, and I know how difficult the first few months can be with a new baby. Thankfully, help is at hand. The Northamptonshire Parent Infant Partnership (NorPIP) was founded last year with the express aim of supporting parents in the first two years of their baby's life.
Compared to most animals, human babies are born around two years premature! When a baby is born, not only is he unable to do anything for himself, but also his brain is barely developed; at birth babies have only the survival instinct, and rely on a caring adult to meet their needs. It is between the ages of six and 18 months old that the frontal cortex—the social part of the brain—starts to develop and puts on a huge growth spurt. That growth is literally stimulated by a loving relationship between baby and carer, and where a baby is neglected or abused, that brain development can be dramatically impaired, with lifelong consequences for the child, and later adult. Many of the social problems in Britain – bullying, anti-social behaviour, divorce, mental illness, crime and violence – have their roots in poor early attachment. Intervening early won't just give us a happier society, it will also save a fortune in the costs of taking children into care, policing our streets and dealing with the health problems that result from deep unhappiness.
NorPIP provides psychotherapeutic support for families—working normally with mum and baby together, but it can also include dad or other carers. The therapist will help mum come to terms with her own feelings about parenting and, most importantly, help her to gain a secure attachment to her baby. NorPIP therapists are quite literally there to help the parent to love their baby – it sounds so obvious, but the results are astonishing.
I am hosting a conference on Friday May 18 in Northamptonshire to highlight the vital importance of infant mental health, particularly to people who work with families. The conference is entitled 'The Social Consequences of Poor Infant Attachment – Two is Too Late'. It is being sponsored by The University of Northampton and is already a sell out, with delegates attending from across the UK as well as from overseas.
The keynote address will be given by Rt hon Iain Duncan Smith MP (who is also one of NORPIP's Patrons), and the speakers include the neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield on the development of the infant brain, the founder of Kids Company Camila Batmanghelidjh on the practical issues of what happens to children when it all goes wrong, and the psychologist Dr Michael Galbraith on Infant mental health and the financial cost to society of poor infant attachment.
Five Labour Priorities for the Queen’s Speech:
• A Fair Deal on Tax. Alongside implementing Labour’s five point plan for jobs and growth, Labour’s Finance Bill would reverse tax cuts for people earning over £150,000 a year. We would use that money to help pensioners on fixed incomes hit by the “granny tax” and we would restore cuts in tax credits which have hit families.
• A Fair Deal on Energy. Labour’s Energy Bill would break up the dominance of the Big Six power companies and require them by law to offer 4 million elderly people the lowest rate available.
• A Fair Deal on Transport. Labour’s Transport Bill would stop train operators raising fares by more than one per cent above inflation, stop them exploiting commuters with unadvertised rates and give local authorities more control over bus firms.
• A Fair Deal for Consumers. Labour’s Consumer Bill would give new powers to the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority to stop rip-off surcharges by banks, low-cost airlines and pension firms.
• A Fair Deal on Jobs. Labour’s Jobs Bill would ensure some of the money raised from a tax on bank bonuses is used to provide real jobs, with real wages and responsibilities, to more than 100,000 young people aged 18-24.
• A Fair Deal on Tax. Alongside implementing Labour’s five point plan for jobs and growth, Labour’s Finance Bill would reverse tax cuts for people earning over £150,000 a year. We would use that money to help pensioners on fixed incomes hit by the “granny tax” and we would restore cuts in tax credits which have hit families.
• A Fair Deal on Energy. Labour’s Energy Bill would break up the dominance of the Big Six power companies and require them by law to offer 4 million elderly people the lowest rate available.
• A Fair Deal on Transport. Labour’s Transport Bill would stop train operators raising fares by more than one per cent above inflation, stop them exploiting commuters with unadvertised rates and give local authorities more control over bus firms.
• A Fair Deal for Consumers. Labour’s Consumer Bill would give new powers to the Financial Conduct Authority and Competition and Markets Authority to stop rip-off surcharges by banks, low-cost airlines and pension firms.
• A Fair Deal on Jobs. Labour’s Jobs Bill would ensure some of the money raised from a tax on bank bonuses is used to provide real jobs, with real wages and responsibilities, to more than 100,000 young people aged 18-24.
Now that a new council has been elected to serve the people of Conwy, I look forward very much to seeing who will be appointed as cabinet member with responsibility for handling the issue of Colwyn Bay pier.
I also look forward to meeting him/her as soon as possible.
Filed under: Colwyn Bay pier, Council elections Tagged: Colwyn Bay pier, Conwy County Borough Council
I've concluded that I must be an 'out of touch' Tory MP. Not been in the least bit concerned by all the negative media coverage of the Coalition Gov't over the last two weeks - because I think its mostly b******ks. OK, so I'm a serial contrarian, but I've thought it rather a good two weeks for the Gov't. Was almost ashamed to say so, until Simon Jenkins wrote about the excellent two weeks for the Gov't in the Guardian (of all places). I accept that Simon is feeling rather chippa about the Gov't because of a welcome rethink about planning policy, but still... Lets have a quick run through all these supposed 'Gov't gaffes/failures'.
Firstly there was the appalling donor issue - and it was appalling. That was not the way the Conservative Party does business. The Prime Minister sacked the person responsible in short order. Bad things happen. Whats important is that they are sorted quickly. That's what happened. Rightly, the story was short-lived. I just hope its not used as an excuse to force the taxpayer to fund political parties - which is what would have happened if the PM had not acted quickly.
Secondly there was the 'Granny Tax'. Like many other Conservatives, I was very uneasy at first. But before I made any knee-jerk comment, I thought it through. And you know what. Much as I didn't like it, I concluded that it was the right step to take. Its not just the Lib Dems who want to lift people out of the tax system altogether. Most Conservatives I talk to would like to see the personal tax allowance rising to the same level as the age-related allowance as soon as poss.. My constituents who are suffering most are young people on low wages with families. They should not be paying tax.
Thirdly there's the 50p tax rate. I was not in favour of raising the top rate from 40p. Nor was the previous Labour Gov't until Gordon Brown thought it was a clever political wheeze to undermine the Conservative Gov't he expected to win in 2010. After all the fuss Labour made (feeding the media's insatiable appetite) they did not oppose its reduction to 45p. All the talk is about it being a 'political' error - not an economic error. Spin rules. But not for all of us.
Fourthly there was 'Pasty-gate'. I actually agree with this VAT change. In fact I had raised this issue a year ago myself. Why on earth should we be discriminating against fish and chip shops - in favour of supermarkets for goodness sake. Now I don't know much about Greggs (in fact I'd never heard of them) and I don't like pasties anyway (unless Mrs D cooks them), but I did note that they made over £50 million profit last year. The fish and chip shops in Montgomeryshire make a lot less than that. And I might add that no-one has ever accused this son of the soil of being 'posh'. The sight of Miliband/Balls/Reeves stuffing 8 Greggs sausage rolls down for the benefit of a prepared media circus reduced the body politic to playgroup level. They should hang heads in shame.
Fifthly, there was the utterly ridiculous row about gerry cans. It seems to me that the Gov't was absolutely right to advise motorists to fill their tanks, and while I'm sure the word gerrycans (which is somehow amusing) would have been better not used, the overreaction of the public was just that - an over reaction. Unite were contemplating a tanker driver's strike, and its the responsibility of Gov't to prepare for it. Just imagine the media response if there had been a strike, and Gov't had just sat back like a rabbit in headlights - afraid to move in case...
Perhaps the least accurate reporting amongst this anti-Coaltion extravaganza has been the assertion that the Coalition is in difficulties. I sat through the budget, and left the Chamber thinking that the Coalition has never been stronger. Of course there are Conservatives and Lib Dems who do not much like the Coalition. They never did. Can't get their heads around the fact that we did not win the General election. So many media reports refer to 'anonymous' MPs briefing. In my experience anonymous briefing should be treated as just that. If you can't stand behind your words, you are not worth listening to. Thankfully we have a Prime Minister who seems level headed enough not to be buffeted by all these noises off. We have a Coalition which has come together to repair the damage the last lot did to our public finances - and as far as I can see that is what it's doing. I hope it carries on doing just that.
Firstly there was the appalling donor issue - and it was appalling. That was not the way the Conservative Party does business. The Prime Minister sacked the person responsible in short order. Bad things happen. Whats important is that they are sorted quickly. That's what happened. Rightly, the story was short-lived. I just hope its not used as an excuse to force the taxpayer to fund political parties - which is what would have happened if the PM had not acted quickly.
Secondly there was the 'Granny Tax'. Like many other Conservatives, I was very uneasy at first. But before I made any knee-jerk comment, I thought it through. And you know what. Much as I didn't like it, I concluded that it was the right step to take. Its not just the Lib Dems who want to lift people out of the tax system altogether. Most Conservatives I talk to would like to see the personal tax allowance rising to the same level as the age-related allowance as soon as poss.. My constituents who are suffering most are young people on low wages with families. They should not be paying tax.
Thirdly there's the 50p tax rate. I was not in favour of raising the top rate from 40p. Nor was the previous Labour Gov't until Gordon Brown thought it was a clever political wheeze to undermine the Conservative Gov't he expected to win in 2010. After all the fuss Labour made (feeding the media's insatiable appetite) they did not oppose its reduction to 45p. All the talk is about it being a 'political' error - not an economic error. Spin rules. But not for all of us.
Fourthly there was 'Pasty-gate'. I actually agree with this VAT change. In fact I had raised this issue a year ago myself. Why on earth should we be discriminating against fish and chip shops - in favour of supermarkets for goodness sake. Now I don't know much about Greggs (in fact I'd never heard of them) and I don't like pasties anyway (unless Mrs D cooks them), but I did note that they made over £50 million profit last year. The fish and chip shops in Montgomeryshire make a lot less than that. And I might add that no-one has ever accused this son of the soil of being 'posh'. The sight of Miliband/Balls/Reeves stuffing 8 Greggs sausage rolls down for the benefit of a prepared media circus reduced the body politic to playgroup level. They should hang heads in shame.
Fifthly, there was the utterly ridiculous row about gerry cans. It seems to me that the Gov't was absolutely right to advise motorists to fill their tanks, and while I'm sure the word gerrycans (which is somehow amusing) would have been better not used, the overreaction of the public was just that - an over reaction. Unite were contemplating a tanker driver's strike, and its the responsibility of Gov't to prepare for it. Just imagine the media response if there had been a strike, and Gov't had just sat back like a rabbit in headlights - afraid to move in case...
Perhaps the least accurate reporting amongst this anti-Coaltion extravaganza has been the assertion that the Coalition is in difficulties. I sat through the budget, and left the Chamber thinking that the Coalition has never been stronger. Of course there are Conservatives and Lib Dems who do not much like the Coalition. They never did. Can't get their heads around the fact that we did not win the General election. So many media reports refer to 'anonymous' MPs briefing. In my experience anonymous briefing should be treated as just that. If you can't stand behind your words, you are not worth listening to. Thankfully we have a Prime Minister who seems level headed enough not to be buffeted by all these noises off. We have a Coalition which has come together to repair the damage the last lot did to our public finances - and as far as I can see that is what it's doing. I hope it carries on doing just that.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister launched the Government’s Challenge on Dementia – a new initiative to tackle one of Britain’s most serious health concerns. As Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, I believe that our approach to dementia care in Britain is unsustainable, with the figure of 800,000 people who currently live in the UK projected to rise to 1 million within a decade and 1.7 million by 2051.
Aside from the obvious human tragedy of the condition, which affects one in three people over the age of 65, there are serious financial consequences of dementia. Through increased healthcare costs and other expenses, the condition costs the economy £23bn, compared to £12bn for cancer and £8bn for heart disease which, per patient, means that a single dementia patient will cost the economy £27,000 – four times higher than a cancer patient and five times higher than someone with heart disease.
Despite this, research into the condition receives significantly less funding than research into other diseases. The Government’s announcement that it will double dementia research funding to £66m by 2015 is therefore extremely welcome and represents not only a fantastic opportunity for greater research into the cause, cure, care and prevention of dementia, but a greater recognition from Government that this is an issue that must be addressed.
The Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday was timely as APPG is investigating how to improve the rate of dementia diagnosis. The Group has heard from a range of people involved in the condition, including clinicians, social workers, those with the condition and those working to support them. The Government’s additional commitment to funding an additional £54m to help increase early diagnoses of the condition represents a fundamental appreciation of the importance that early identification of the disease plays in transforming dementia care.
There are important benefits to diagnosing dementia as early as possible and early diagnosis is key to living well with the condition. It means that GPs can work together with patients from an early stage to help plan their care and start treatment to slow down the progression of the disease. This can help to lower the risk of dementia-related accidents and complications, reducing both the probability that a patient will need to go into residential care as well as the overall cost of dementia to the health service.
Despite this, only between thirty and forty percent of those with dementia are diagnosed, with huge variations in diagnosis rates not just across the UK but within counties themselves. In Medway, for example, 44% of those with dementia are diagnosed compared to just 38% in West Kent. Additionally, only five to ten percent of diagnoses are made at an early stage of dementia, meaning that many of the benefits of its early identification are lost.
Some of the evidence that the Group heard suggests that a huge barrier to people coming forward for assessment is that stigma associated with dementia and it is essential that the media plays a role in helping to change the perception of those with the condition. The image of people with dementia on television is one of invalidity and ineptitude while it is often the case that a patient diagnosed early enough can live independently and with a high quality of life for many years. As with many medical conditions in the past, changing the image of dementia in the media to show it in a more realistic light is essential in getting people to visit their GP if they have concerns.
It is also therefore essential that clinicians are appropriately trained in recognising the symptoms of dementia and knowing which services are available to refer patients to. Amazingly, a quarter of GPs say that they do not receive enough training on dementia and it is therefore unsurprising that so many people with dementia slip through the net and get misdiagnosed with other conditions such as depression.
However, we cannot just rely on patients going to see the GP to get diagnosed because they are concerned about symptoms; professionals across a range of fields must work to actively recognise symptoms of dementia when interacting with older people. One of the doctors giving evidence to the Group pointed out that if a patient went into a hospital for an unrelated medical condition, it would be inconceivable for health care professional to notice potential symptoms of cancer and not follow it up, but that is not the case if they spot some early symptoms of dementia. It is only through this kind of proactive approach that we will significantly increase the rate of diagnosis.
While I look forward to the Group’s publication of the report in the summer, it is clear that we must take action to raise awareness about how important early diagnosis is and remove the stigma that stops people going for assessments while ensuring that all our healthcare professionals are properly trained to spot the early signs of dementia. The Prime Minister’s challenge to tackle dementia and improve both diagnoses and care for the condition is extremely welcome and, I hope, represents the turning point in the fight to end the unsustainable dementia status quo.
There are many groups and charities in Kent which can provide support for those with dementia and their carers. For more information, contact my office on 020 7219 2828.
I popped in to Godalming Museum last night to officially open the new exhibition on Jack Phillips, a Godalming man who was the Chief Wireless Operator on the Titanic. Whilst the ship was sinking he continued to send distress messages despite being told it was ‘every man for himself’. Jack’s last message was cut off as the ship’s power failed, minutes before the Titanic sank. Jack was an ordinary man who did something extraordinary and Godalming should be extremely proud of his heroic efforts. The exhibition is fascinating and has opened in time to mark the centenary of the tragic sinking of the famous ship. I would urge you all to visit Godalming’s excellent museum and find out more about this very brave young man.
Yesterday I also hosted a meeting with heads and PE teachers from local schools in South West Surrey to promote my School Games initiative. Farnham’s very own Paralympic gold medal winning hand cyclist Rachel Morris was on hand to lend her support and we hopefully persuaded the teaching staff what an excellent idea the School Games are. I want to ensure there is a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics and what better way to do this than by encouraging youth participation in sport.
Information about events happening at the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace to mark the Diamond Jubilee.
This week I had a PMQ ( Prime Minister's Question) about the effect of the European Working Time Directive on the NHS. It may sound a bit techie, but it's absolutely crucial.
Growing up with my dad as a surgeon in the NHS ( He worked at Southmead Hospital and the BRI for 30 years, and may well be responsible for any hip replacements or hand surgery of constituents reading this...) has given me a special regard for the professionals working in our NHS, and a particular perspective on the importance of what goes on at the coal-face of our public services.
One of the things that Doctors tell me about again and again is the devastating effect that the 48hour European Working Time Directive has both on doctor training ( the Royal College of Surgeons estimates that because of the Directive 400,000 surgical hours are lost PER MONTH) and also on patient care. ( all the 'clock-on, clock off' handovers mean that important bits on patient notes can get missed, and the poor patient is subjected to a conveyor belt of different doctors, instead of a few familiar faces of the doctors responsible for them.)
The directive limits doctors to working up to 48 hours per week, and takes away crucial flexiblity. No one wants to return to a situation where junior doctors are working silly hours and are too exhausted to practice safely. But there is a middle-way. The Royal College of Surgeons suggests that up to 65-hours a week is suitable, but with flexibilty to meet the unpredictable realities of hospital care.
And guess what: there are no special provisions in the directive for exceptional circumstances like a 'flu pandemic - so it is hard to see how in this scenario, the NHS will have the flexiblity to cope. (More on this in a recent article I wrote for The Times on 20th Jan.)
I presented a bill to Parliament to try to tackle it,
have written in the national papers on the issue, and am working hard to try and untangle this mess of an EU Directive which is putting our NHS, and patient care at such risk. Government is supportive, but it must act quickly. Because whatever the structural reforms, the future of our NHS and the patients it cares for depends on the medical professionals who work there.
Growing up with my dad as a surgeon in the NHS ( He worked at Southmead Hospital and the BRI for 30 years, and may well be responsible for any hip replacements or hand surgery of constituents reading this...) has given me a special regard for the professionals working in our NHS, and a particular perspective on the importance of what goes on at the coal-face of our public services.
One of the things that Doctors tell me about again and again is the devastating effect that the 48hour European Working Time Directive has both on doctor training ( the Royal College of Surgeons estimates that because of the Directive 400,000 surgical hours are lost PER MONTH) and also on patient care. ( all the 'clock-on, clock off' handovers mean that important bits on patient notes can get missed, and the poor patient is subjected to a conveyor belt of different doctors, instead of a few familiar faces of the doctors responsible for them.)The directive limits doctors to working up to 48 hours per week, and takes away crucial flexiblity. No one wants to return to a situation where junior doctors are working silly hours and are too exhausted to practice safely. But there is a middle-way. The Royal College of Surgeons suggests that up to 65-hours a week is suitable, but with flexibilty to meet the unpredictable realities of hospital care.
And guess what: there are no special provisions in the directive for exceptional circumstances like a 'flu pandemic - so it is hard to see how in this scenario, the NHS will have the flexiblity to cope. (More on this in a recent article I wrote for The Times on 20th Jan.)
I presented a bill to Parliament to try to tackle it,
have written in the national papers on the issue, and am working hard to try and untangle this mess of an EU Directive which is putting our NHS, and patient care at such risk. Government is supportive, but it must act quickly. Because whatever the structural reforms, the future of our NHS and the patients it cares for depends on the medical professionals who work there.
Yesterday I raised with Ministers at the Home Office the growing problem of metal theft, which is an issue I hear about more and more in my constituency post-bag.
Churches across the country have long been aware of the problems caused by thieves st...
Today (21st July) IPSA have published figures for the 'expenses' claims of all MPs for 2010/11. I very much welcome the new transparency and openness about the new system. I thought it might be useful if I reported back my own claims and how taxpayers' money enabled me to do my job.
My total figure for 2010/11 was £142,671. The main elements of this were:
- £105,508 for staffing; this is the cost of employing staff in the constituency office and at Westminster, including employer NI contributions and contributions to staff pensions; in 2010/11 one member of staff went on maternity leave and so I incurred additional costs in paying for maternity cover; for this reason my staffing figure is higher than average, though I have queried with IPSA whether these costs have been correctly recorded;
- £15,968 for staying in London overnight around 3 nights per week; I still have a one-bed flat in Westminster where I stay; when the flat is sold, any gain in value will go to the taxpayer;
- £9244 for 'office costs'; this is mainly the cost of lease and service charge for the office at Pooole Court;
- £7151 for general admin costs; this is things like phone bills, toner cartridges for printers, broadband bills, additional IT above the basic amount provided by parliament etc.;
- £4798 for travel; this is standard class rail journies (generally once a week) from Bristol Parkway to Westminster and parking at Bristol Parkway; where possible I buy advance rail tickets but as a minister it can be hard to predict my return rail journey home on a Thursday so I generally buy an open ticket which is more expensive.
In terms of things that I don't claim, I made no claims in 2010/11 for mileage/petrol and no claims for food.
I hope that this is helpful information for local residents.
My total figure for 2010/11 was £142,671. The main elements of this were:
- £105,508 for staffing; this is the cost of employing staff in the constituency office and at Westminster, including employer NI contributions and contributions to staff pensions; in 2010/11 one member of staff went on maternity leave and so I incurred additional costs in paying for maternity cover; for this reason my staffing figure is higher than average, though I have queried with IPSA whether these costs have been correctly recorded;
- £15,968 for staying in London overnight around 3 nights per week; I still have a one-bed flat in Westminster where I stay; when the flat is sold, any gain in value will go to the taxpayer;
- £9244 for 'office costs'; this is mainly the cost of lease and service charge for the office at Pooole Court;
- £7151 for general admin costs; this is things like phone bills, toner cartridges for printers, broadband bills, additional IT above the basic amount provided by parliament etc.;
- £4798 for travel; this is standard class rail journies (generally once a week) from Bristol Parkway to Westminster and parking at Bristol Parkway; where possible I buy advance rail tickets but as a minister it can be hard to predict my return rail journey home on a Thursday so I generally buy an open ticket which is more expensive.
In terms of things that I don't claim, I made no claims in 2010/11 for mileage/petrol and no claims for food.
I hope that this is helpful information for local residents.
I recently organised a meeting with a number of local residents about the upkeep and maintenance of Kew Bridge Railway Station. I met with representatives from Strand on the Green Association, St George's, Kew Green, The Kew Bridge Society, Express Tavern, West Thames River Group, a disability interest group, Friends of Stile Hall Gardens, Brentford Community Council and Network Rail.
Prior to the meeting, I had already been in touch with Network Rail, to strongly urge them to deal with some of the key issues around the station. Network Rail confirmed at the meeting that, as a result of my request, they had immediate plans in place now to paint the station, address the rodent problem, board up unused windows and clear graffiti They had also requested additional litter bins from Hounslow Council. At the meeting, St George's highlighted the work they had been doing too to clear up graffiti in the local area.
I am very pleased that Network Rail responded so well and are giving Kew Bridge Station a 'facelift,' which will help local residents. It will make the station seem cleaner and safer and I welcome their efforts to improve it for passengers. As a group, we are also in discussion regarding the future of the station building at Kew Bridge. As it is a Listed Building, it is obviously of architectural importance. It would be excellent if it could be restored to its former glory and put to good use.
The group is going to meet again within the next month to review progress and discuss next steps.
Prior to the meeting, I had already been in touch with Network Rail, to strongly urge them to deal with some of the key issues around the station. Network Rail confirmed at the meeting that, as a result of my request, they had immediate plans in place now to paint the station, address the rodent problem, board up unused windows and clear graffiti They had also requested additional litter bins from Hounslow Council. At the meeting, St George's highlighted the work they had been doing too to clear up graffiti in the local area.
I am very pleased that Network Rail responded so well and are giving Kew Bridge Station a 'facelift,' which will help local residents. It will make the station seem cleaner and safer and I welcome their efforts to improve it for passengers. As a group, we are also in discussion regarding the future of the station building at Kew Bridge. As it is a Listed Building, it is obviously of architectural importance. It would be excellent if it could be restored to its former glory and put to good use.
The group is going to meet again within the next month to review progress and discuss next steps.
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Thank you,
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I offered my friend and former colleague Bill Le Breton, who knows a thing or two about winning elections, blog space to publicise his latest thoughts on the political scene. The former head of the A...
I have been made the Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries. This is a long title, possibly one of the longest in Government. It also includes in effect two jobs. One is to cover the arts, libraries, broadcasting and the creative industries over at the Department for Culture Media and Sport (known as DCMS). The other is to cover broadband roll out, telecoms, and illegal filesharing over at the Department of Business (known as BIS). Phew.
As a local MP, it is interesting to consider how these responsibilities affect people in the constituency. The first and most obvious is broadband rollout. About ten per cent of all homes do not have broadband at all, and about one in 3 have very poor broadband, mainly in rural areas. There are some parts of the constituency that remain affected. Our aim is to get everyone to have a basic broadband service by the end of 2012, and to roll out high speed broadband over the next few years. If you have any issues with broadband do let me know.
I also cover what is known as illegal filesharing. This is a new law which would allow internet companies to temporarily disconnect people if it could be proved that they have been copying music or films without proper authorisation. This is something we have to act on, as every piece of music that is copied illegally takes money away from artists and creators, who provide a lot of money for the economy. We're looking to introduce the new measures next year, but no one will be cut off (and then only temporarily) without plenty of warning and a chance to change their behaviour.
Another issue that is likely to be prominent is libraries, which I also cover. Libraries are very important to local communities, but as money becomes tighter, they may suffer. I will use my position to try and ensure that we can make responsible savings so that libraries continue to provide important services for local people - not just book borrowing, but also education and access to broadband and other local and national services.
One local issue has already cropped up which affects my ministerial responsibilities directly. The local television transmitter burnt down, and cannot be replaced until September (they have to build a new one from scratch). Many people have had their TV coverage affected and are understandably looking for a speedy solution and I am looking into this.
I continue to focus on other local issues as normal. I met with those campaigning against the reservoir, ahead of the public enquiry. I am continuing to campaign for a new station at Grove. And I was delighted that the new Government threw out the housing targets which have led to plans for huge housing developments across the constituency. It may not affect those where planning permission has already been granted but it could lead to a rethink where no decision has yet been made.
Recent constituency engagements include a spot of metal detecting (I also cover archaeology!) and as a judge for Didcot's Got Talent, a great night for pupils aged 6-11 to show off their talents. I tried not to be too Simon Cowell-ish!
I can still be contacted at the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, 020 7219 6350 vaizeye@parliament.uk
Next surgeries are 9 July: Grove, Old Mill Hall and 23 July: Didcot, King Alfred Drive Community Centre both at 530pm
I joined the picket lines again today to support the Unite Cabin Crew members, who are on strike. For the second weekend running I spoke at a rally of the pickets in their temporary headquarters at Bedfont FC. I have many Cabin Crew staff in my constituency and they need all the support we can give them. Many of them are in no doubt now that Willie Walsh, BA's Chief Executive, is aiming to break the union and many consider that he is willing to destroy the company to achieve this. Despite all the provocations from the company and denunciations from politicians the Cabin Crew are holding solid and are maintaining a dignified willingness to negotiate a settlement that is in the long term interests of both the staff and the company. I filmed Len McLuskey's speech to the Unite Cabin Crew members at the rally.
Starting with a Bang
The long parliamentary recess has started - weeks without time being spent in the weekly grindingly boring train ride to London and back. Mind you its a hectic pace back at Southport but you can control your agenda better.
Yesterday I found a little time for light exercise the odd game of table tennis and a workout with heavy weights.
I've done the latter all my adult life and it has a slight addictive quality. If you don't do it for a while you actually feel muscle cramps only relieved by putting the old system under pressure.
Constraints of time often mean I forego all the warm ups and warm downs etc. So there I was on Tuesday doing a few front squats in excess of 300lb. I finished, replacing the barbell on the shoulder-high squat stand or so I thought. The stand was not aligned right .It tilted sideways as I released the weight and as the weight crashed to the floor the stand was pulled rapidly down by it pausing on its way to hit the stooping me on the head and catching me on the hand.
If you wanted to dramatise it , it might be compared to being hit on the head by a 20 stone man with an iron bar from a short distance. I thought I'd better take a break. We've had enough by- elections recently
When the family saw me with a lump as though a tennis ball had been buried in my scalp I was advised to pop into A&E. So clutching a plastic bag filled with ice cubes to my temple and bleeding from my finger I was run there and tested by some very nice jolly staff who established so far as we could tell that there was no skull or brain damage.At any rate I could still recall who the Prime Minister and reigning monarch was. I left a wiser man with a determination to avoid photo opportunities for a few days.
The long parliamentary recess has started - weeks without time being spent in the weekly grindingly boring train ride to London and back. Mind you its a hectic pace back at Southport but you can control your agenda better.
Yesterday I found a little time for light exercise the odd game of table tennis and a workout with heavy weights.
I've done the latter all my adult life and it has a slight addictive quality. If you don't do it for a while you actually feel muscle cramps only relieved by putting the old system under pressure.
Constraints of time often mean I forego all the warm ups and warm downs etc. So there I was on Tuesday doing a few front squats in excess of 300lb. I finished, replacing the barbell on the shoulder-high squat stand or so I thought. The stand was not aligned right .It tilted sideways as I released the weight and as the weight crashed to the floor the stand was pulled rapidly down by it pausing on its way to hit the stooping me on the head and catching me on the hand.
If you wanted to dramatise it , it might be compared to being hit on the head by a 20 stone man with an iron bar from a short distance. I thought I'd better take a break. We've had enough by- elections recently
When the family saw me with a lump as though a tennis ball had been buried in my scalp I was advised to pop into A&E. So clutching a plastic bag filled with ice cubes to my temple and bleeding from my finger I was run there and tested by some very nice jolly staff who established so far as we could tell that there was no skull or brain damage.At any rate I could still recall who the Prime Minister and reigning monarch was. I left a wiser man with a determination to avoid photo opportunities for a few days.
Desperate to prove they are doing something about the rising toll of deaths from guns and knives the government have resorted to the old idea of an "amnesty." This will enable a few aging war veterans who collected a "souvenir" and some farmers who forgot to renew their shotgun licenses to hand over guns that would never have been used for any kind of crime. Some of the younger "wannabe" gansters may also find that their weapons, usually replicas, are handed in by angry mothers.
This will be enough for the amnesty to achieve its real objective - photos of a smiling Minister in front of an impressive looking array of guns claiming that the government have "taken action".
But make no mistake the serious criminals will continue to roam the streets without any fear of being stopped and searched, (human rights) and knowing that even if by some chance they are found in poossession of a gun or knife the sentence will be minimal.
The toll of death will continue to rise.
This will be enough for the amnesty to achieve its real objective - photos of a smiling Minister in front of an impressive looking array of guns claiming that the government have "taken action".
But make no mistake the serious criminals will continue to roam the streets without any fear of being stopped and searched, (human rights) and knowing that even if by some chance they are found in poossession of a gun or knife the sentence will be minimal.
The toll of death will continue to rise.
The announcement today that Vauxhalls Ellesmere Port is to build the new generation Astra is absolutely tremendous and is reward for the commitment shown by the employers who work at the site. I know that many of the employees live in my constituency, and it’s not only good news for them it is good news for [...]
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