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« Older EntriesGrahame Morris makes Maiden Speech in House of Commons
Blog / June 4, 2010 / 2 Comments
Grahame M. Morris (Easington) (Lab): I am grateful for the honour and the opportunity to make my first contribution to this House and I congratulate other hon. Members who have done so today. If I may be forgiven for being partisan, I especially enjoyed the contribution from my hon. Friends the Members for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell), for Sunderland Central (Julie Elliott), for Wirral South (Alison McGovern) and for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood). I also wish to compliment the hon. Members for Hove (Mike Weatherley), for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen), for York Outer (Julian Sturdy) and for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby).
As several of my colleagues have said, to represent the people of your home constituency-in my case, Easington-is a great privilege. It is all the more special for me as I represent the constituency in which I was born and where I have lived, brought up my family and worked all my life. As hon. Members may be aware-or perhaps not-Easington has an illustrious list of former Members of Parliament and a proud tradition of trade union and Labour party representation. The area that I now represent has returned Labour Members of Parliament since 1921, when the great socialist Sidney Webb was first elected. He was a leading member of the Fabian Society, one of the founders of the London School of Economics, and author of the Labour party’s original clause IV.
Labour’s Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald was one of my predecessors. The House would do well to take note of his experience of peacetime coalition Government. When he split with the Labour party, his 1931 coalition leading the Tory and Liberal Democrat-sorry, I mean Tory and Liberal-parties, with an agenda of severe cuts in public spending, was opposed by the Labour Party. At that time the Labour Opposition developed a progressive socialist alternative and opposed the cuts that were to hurt ordinary working people and the unemployed. The following election saw Labour gain 102 seats, and the election after that was a Labour landslide.
The eminent Manny Shinwell served the people of Easington for more than 35 years. As Minister for fuel and power he achieved the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947. It is recorded in Hansard that following angry exchanges in this House, Shinwell crossed the Floor, not in the usual fashion, but instead to strike a blow at the face of a Conservative MP. More recently, the popular Jack Dormond represented his local seat of Easington and served as chairman of the parliamentary Labour party for several years.
However, it is my direct predecessor John Cummings about whom I can talk without reference to history books or the parliamentary archives. Like me, John was born in Murton, a small village in Easington, and he worked in the coalmines from the age of 15. He was a political activist in the Durham Colliery Mechanics Association and the Labour party. He was later elected to the Easington district council and became its leader. In 1987, he was elected to this House and he has served the people of Easington with passion and diligence for 23 years. Indeed, I had the privilege of working for John and witnessing his extraordinary commitment on behalf of the people of Easington during his 23 years of public service. The whole House can be proud to serve in a democracy where a boy who went down the pit aged 15 could rise up to serve as a distinguished Member of this House. John is a friend who has been an inspiration to me, and I wish him well in his retirement.
Easington consists of a series of small villages and the larger towns of Peterlee and Seaham. It has natural beauty in abundance. Our east Durham heritage coast is an undiscovered masterpiece which enticed Lord Byron and Lewis Carroll to the area two centuries ago. The communities of Easington are former coal mining communities. The House should understand the importance of this proud history but also the lasting legacy of coal mining. Easington’s pits produced the nation’s wealth, its communities were created and built around a life in coal mining. Areas like Easington were a microcosm of the welfare state before any national Government had the foresight to implement it. Part of Easington’s proud tradition was its self-reliance and its widespread socialised community provision, which included socialised medicine, health care, pensioner housing and even funeral arrangements.
The lasting legacy of coal mining in Easington, however, is tarnished by the joblessness and economic activity that followed the reckless actions of previous Tory Administrations. Easington has prospered and seen significant improvements over the past decade, but more recently it has been at the forefront of job losses and economic decline, due to the global financial crisis and recession, which is why the successes of Caterpillar in Peterlee and the automotive industry-directly related to the success of Nissan in Sunderland-are so important.
The achievements of the last Labour Government are exemplified by the physical regeneration of large parts of Easington and the laying of the foundations for economic revival. Our new restaurants, cafes and retail outlets, such as Dalton Park-the biggest outlet shopping centre in the north-east-have brought jobs and a new dynamism to east Durham, its surrounding areas and the whole of the north-east. We have new Sure Start centres, new primary schools, such as Trinity primary school in Seaham, and new secondary school buildings, such as Shotton Hall community school. They have given hope, optimism and a sense of purpose to the people of Easington, especially young people.
Most of all, the last Labour Government protected the elderly people of Easington. The winter fuel allowance and cold weather payments stopped pensioners having to choose between heating and eating; a rising state pension, the pensioner guarantee and help with paying council tax gave them financial security; and the free bus pass gave them their independence. Easington, in its transition from its coal mining legacy, was always going to need the support of the Government to assist in building a new economic infrastructure. It is a shame that the people of Easington had to wait until 1997 for that support to come, when a generation had already been lost to unemployment and ill health. However, significant progress has been made and the face of Easington is changing.
I have been elected to serve the people of Easington at a time when the coalition Government have committed to cut spending, to cut the support to business through the regional development agencies, to cut support for jobs through the future jobs fund and to cut support for education by jeopardising the flagship Building Schools for the Future programme and through unidentified cuts to the education budget. The work of the RDA, One NorthEast, which was highlighted by my hon. Friends the Members for Newcastle upon Tyne North and for Sunderland Central, has been pivotal in encouraging new businesses and jobs, not only in Sunderland and Newcastle but in areas such as Easington.
The House has only to look at GT Group in Peterlee, in my constituency-a cutting-edge manufacturing company specialising in environmental engineering-which, with the support of One NorthEast, has safeguarded 200 jobs and guaranteed 200 new jobs. That is not just my perception. In the words of GT Group managing director, Geoff Turnbull, “The major investment programme” in GT Group
- “would have been very difficult without the assistance of One North East and Durham County Council, both of which have shown a real commitment to ensuring our business has the support it requires to be a pioneer in this important technology.”
I hope this coalition Government will consider seriously the policies of the previous Labour Government, which harnessed the resources of the state to encourage the creation of new businesses and the expansion of businesses such as GT Group.
The European consensus on renewables, green technology and combating climate change, which was referred to by my right hon. Friend the Member for South Shields (David Miliband), the shadow Foreign Secretary, is a prime example of the need for co-ordinated Government policies that cultivate a positive response from private business in these sectors. One NorthEast was created by the previous Government and was funded to deliver its ambitious plans for regeneration. We now understand that it faces cuts of up to 40%, which will effectively cut the legs from beneath it. We have also lost our north-east Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East (Mr Brown), who provided leadership and a coherent strategy across a range of issues in our region, not least in his support for the Centre for Creative Excellence south of Seaham.
I am most grateful to you for permitting me to make my maiden speech, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I am most thankful to the House for its courtesy and attention. I look forward to more robust exchanges in future and to many more opportunities to represent the views and interests of my constituents in this Chamber.”
Easington Election Result
Blog / May 7, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris, Labour, 20,579
Tara Saville, Liberal Democrat, 5,597
Richard Harrison, Conservative, 4,790
Cheryl Dunn, BNP, 2,317
Martyn Aiken, UKIP, 1631
Turnout 34,914
Grahame Morris Speech: Seaham Leisure Centre, Friday 23rd April 2010.
Blog / April 26, 2010 / Comment now
Here in Seaham, the achievements of the last decade can be clearly seen. From the huge investment in our coastline, designated a heritage coast in 2001, to the new restaurants and cafes, Surestart centres and the new Trinity Primary School, Seaham shows how with significant investment and the hard work of local agencies, councillors and residents we can regenerate our communities and build a vibrant local economy to create new jobs and improve our people’s quality of life. Anyone with eyes to see can appreciate what we – with Labour in government – have been able to achieve in Seaham.
Through the significant public investment of the last decade we have seen Seaham beach entirely restored with the Turning the Tide project winning the Outstanding Achievement in Regeneration award in 2002 at the annual Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Seaham Hall is now a five-star luxury hotel and spa and we have a new shopping centre in Byron Place. We also have a growing artists’ community based on the Seafront – a great organisation called the East Durham Artists Network.
It has even been written by one journalist – in last weekend’s Independent on Sunday – after visiting Seaham and having a smoothie in Lickety Splits that “There’s nowt grim about taking a break up north”. Londoners flocking to Seaham may be an unexpected outcome of our regeneration, but a growing tourism market is something we should embrace as a driver for employment and new business. Through our regeneration projects the charms of our surroundings are being rediscovered and we’re not going to be able to keep them secret for very long. We can be proud of Seaham’s history and the natural beauty which enticed Lord Byron and Lewis Carroll here two centuries ago.
The regeneration of Seaham has allowed us to meet the challenges of the global economic recession and as we move forward we are well placed – with new housing developments, a strong infrastructure for business and new jobs and public services in the community to provide for our residents. During my lifetime I’ve seen our coastline change dramatically and when I drive along the seafront it’s impossible not be impressed by the natural beauty and the new cafes and restaurants. I think we could give any seaside town on the south coast a run for its money and I expect to reading about Seaham in many more travel brochures in the years to come – something that would have been unimaginable only a decade ago.
Across Easington we can also take pride in work that is already underway in our health services and educational institutions. Because providing a better standard of living for our residents must remain a key priority here. The new state of the art acute hospital at Wynyard will provide single room accommodation giving people access to the highest possible standards of health care, previously only available to a privileged few. Construction work is well advanced on the new Shotton Hall Community School – a prestigious new twenty million pound development – which is the first of six secondary schools in Easington being rebuilt through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative.
Those of you who know me will know that I am fiercely proud of the communities where I’ve lived all of my life. I could not be prouder than having the opportunity to fight this General Election in Easington and – with the support of local people – to fight for the needs of ordinary people in Parliament. Therefore, I hope you will forgive me if – just for a moment – I am mildly political.
As we move out of recession we require policies that are ambitious but affordable. I am fighting this election on Labour’s manifesto that will secure the economic recovery, renew our society through improved public services and restore trust in politics through greater transparency and accountability.
What this means is important:
- New industries and good jobs in the North East supported by government in the low carbon and renewable technology sectors
- Further improving hospitals and schools as like those in Easington I mentioned a minute ago
- And elected representatives that work transparently and that can be held to account by the public
On the economy – Labour’s £1 billion Future Jobs Fund is providing funding and practical support to encourage business, the public sector and charities to create new and meaningful job opportunities. Durham County Council has recently announced 50 new job opportunities through this scheme – improving their services to the community and giving paid work to young people. Labour has guaranteed young people between 18 and 25 a job, training or work experience after 6 months unemployed.
On public Services – Labour has invested significantly over the past 13 years. Our NHS budget has tripled and people working in the public sector have seen wage rises above anything that could be imagined under the Tories. Of course, the media and Labour’s political opponents will try to tell people that nothing has improved in the last decade.
And on reforming politics – it is Labour that has been the most constitutionally radical government in our history and I personally would ensure that my costs are transparent and that I am accountable to local people.
I want to see Seaham continue to thrive. The return of the Seaham lifeboat George Elmy has restored a part of history to this town. The links between our history and our future must always be appreciated. Just last night lifeboats were sent out after a man was missing following kayaking in Seaham harbor. Unfortunately there has been no good news as of yet. But we all feel something when events like this happen and hope for the best. We also remember and reflect on absent friends who have joined us in past years.
The work that the East Durham Heritage Group has done in bringing the George Elmy home must be congratulated. Projects like this remind us of our history, a proud history, but also how dramatically things have changed. The camaraderie and closeness of our communities is one thing I remember growing up in Easington, and we must draw on these strengths in order to build a better future for us all. Seaham really is a great example of how working together with the support of government we change things for the better.
Cameron Calls for Cuts in the North East
Blog / April 24, 2010 / Comment now
David Cameron has finally let his mask slip on how he would deal with the economic downturn and has pinpointed the North East for cuts in public spending. Those who remember the last 18 years of Tory government will not be surprised that we in the North East are the last thing on the mind of the Tory leader. According to David Cameron public spending in the North East is too high and a Tory administration would squeeze the public sector because he believes “the size of the state has got too big” in some regions.
Over the last 13 years there has been significant investment across East Durham. The Tory leader does not seem to understand that much of the investment here has been focused on encouraging new trade and business in order to create jobs and ensure a more vibrant local economy. The North East Regional Development Agency, One North East, would have an uncertain future if the Tories were elected. One North East has been central to creating the right conditions for new businesses that are looking to move into the region such as the new Film Production Facility south of Seaham and the expansion of the GT Group in Peterlee, which is creating 200 new jobs over the next few years. Without government support over the last decade many new industries would not have considered the North East as a base. Just like the 1980s the Tories would be happier to see terminal decline in the regions outside of London and would do nothing to support ordinary people.
Labour’s Liam Byrne, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“Alarmingly for regions outside London [David Cameron] claimed investment in the regions like the North- East was unsustainable, while at the same time saying that tax cuts for millionaires were sustainable.
Employment figures published earlier this week show just how vital it is to keep up support for jobs and the economy this year until the recovery is secure. To withdraw this support would threaten the recovery and put jobs, especially in the North East, at risk. It is vital that we continue to support the economy now. To follow the Tory plan and withdraw support would threaten the recovery and put the economy and jobs at risk. The most recent unemployment figures show a rise of 43,000 in the ILO measure of overall unemployment in the quarter to February, after falls in previous months, confirming Labour’s argument that it is too soon to cut support for jobs and the economy. The March figures for the numbers on unemployment benefit fell by 33,000 – the third consecutive drop – and the claimant count is now 84,000 lower than the peak in October last year.
The youth claimant count for March fell by 12,200 – the fifth consecutive month in a row, and the number of young people unemployed more than 6 months also fell – showing that Labour’s youth guarantee is making a difference. Whereas in the past a generation was lost to unemployment without any support from government, Labour is committed to giving young people skills, work experience and paid employment opportunities during the difficult economic times to ensure they best placed to find good jobs in the future.
Labour Giving Protections To First Time Buyers
Blog / April 19, 2010 / Comment now
The decision to introduce Home Information Packs (HIPs) was at the time criticised by a number of vested interests and there was a concerted effort in the media to portray HIPs as needless red-tape and bureaucracy. However, now that the initial glitches and the problems that would be expected with the implementation of any new ambitious scheme have been overcome, Labour can rightly claim that it has given greater safeguards to first-time buyers and it has simplified the process of buying and selling homes – as we promised to do in our 1997 manifesto.
There remain some notable critics of Home Information Packs who, even when faced with the evidence, have refused to change their positions and support these new protections. It is not surprising that the Tories have remained staunch in their opposition. Together with the right-wing reactionary tabloid press, they have ignored the professional advice of industry experts about the benefits and protections that HIPs offer to both the buyer and the seller.
The far more ludicrous claim that HIPs are a burdensome cost is simply beggars belief. The cost of having a HIP carried out has continually fallen as suppliers have adapted to demand and the process has been streamlined and made more efficient. Home Information Packs will normally cost the seller between £200 and £300 and actually provide the buyer with essential information about a property before the need to commit to a sale. Furthermore, the HIP is made up of a collection of the legal documents required at the conveyancing stage of buying a home. The provision of these documents through the mechanism of the HIP, rather than having lawyers ordering the documents and charging clients for their time, has reduced the cost by 40%.
EPCs are provided as part of the HIP and have served to inform consumers about the energy efficiency of their properties, and what they can do to improve it. Recent research from the National Energy Services has shown that 68% of buyers have acted on recommendations contained in the HIP to improve the energy efficiency of their property, enabling them to reduce their bills as well as carbon emissions. The Conservatives say that they would keep the EPC, because they recognise its effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions. In reality, it would be impossible to deliver the EPC effectively without the HIP.
Although the Tory arguments against the HIP are deeply flawed they often resonate with those who have not been through the process of selling their home or buying a new property. One Tory claim is that the HIP is restricting the supply of properties to the market. This ludicrous claim suggests that someone seriously intending to sell their home would be put off by the £200-£300 cost of a HIP. In fact there are a range of no-sale, no-fee or deferred payment schemes available. Another Tory claim is that the HIP is pointless, as lawyers commission their own searches. In fact, recent research conducted by the Property Codes Compliance Board has proven that the searches in the HIP are identical to those ordered by lawyers, and so re-ordering is completely unnecessary. Therefore the HIP often actually allows the completion of property transactions seven days faster, with every extra day saving buyers and sellers money.
To ensure that Labour’s safeguards and protections for property buyers remain in place it is important that the misleading claims that are being peddled by the Tory opposition are exposed. Scrapping HIPs would be a step backwards and would leave buyers and sellers in the dark during the biggest financial commitment of their lives. The populist Tory promise to scrap the HIP would take several months to implement and would certainly stifle the market at a particularly fragile time.
LABOUR’S MANIFESTO TO PROTECT LOCAL PUBS
Blog / April 16, 2010 / Comment now
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent consumer group which campaigns to protect community pubs and small brewers across the UK and Europe. I’m proud to be backing CAMRA’s Charter at this General Election as Labour PPC for Easington and currently I am the only candidate in Easington to do so. You can read the charter here.
The current market situation in the pub and brewing industry is one that sees the four largest global brewers controlling over 80% of the market. This market dominance allows large pub companies to operate a “beer tie” that forces pubs to buy from a limited range of beer at prices inflated by up to 40%. Although the closure of pubs in the UK is often blamed on government and the taxation of alcohol it is clear that the industry itself could do a lot more to make the pub trade fairer for licensees and consumers and give pubs a better chance of survival during difficult economic times.
However, CAMRA’s Charter does also set out how government can make the system fairer for responsible community pubs. I would like to see a tax system that differentiated between the community pubs that promote responsible drinking such as those in Easington and the so called ‘super-pubs’ often a feature of town or city centres that offer cheap booze and encourage binge drinking. Furthermore, I want to see an end to supermarkets selling alcohol as a ‘loss-leader’ to encourage shoppers through the door, where the supermarket actually sells alcohol at a loss. Such practices leave little chance for fair competition between the pub trade and shops.
The Labour Party Manifesto contains a number of pledges in relation to protecting the pub trade. CAMRA has recognised that Labour’s commitments have the potential to create a freer UK pub market with a competitive environment which would benefit consumers. The government needs to take action to improve the range of beer and quality pubs in our communities through fairer competition rules. Action on this front will assist the industry in creating a fairer market place and lower prices for consumers.
I was born and raised in this constituency and have lived here all of my life. I understand that good quality pubs and social clubs play an important role at the heart of our communities. Responsible pubs allow people of all ages to socialise, enjoy good quality low alcoholic drinks responsibly and are often a place for vulnerable and older residents to relax and meet friends. It is clear to me from talking to constituents like those in Old Shotton, who are concerned about the impact of the closure of the George on the outskirts of Peterlee, that many pubs are a social hub especially for smaller more isolated communities.
The Labour Party has recognised that too many pubs owned by pub holding companies have closed that could have been sustained by local people. Therefore in our manifesto we have set out plans to support pubs to stay open through community ownership in 2010-11 and by promoting the use of community shares that support investment in pubs. Labour is committed to protecting “the places where people come together” through practical solutions such as making it much more difficult to demolish pubs or change their use. There are further commitments to stop pub companies placing restrictions on property sales. The next Labour government would also make it easier for pubs to provide related services such as music and entertainment without the need for separate licenses.
Labour has also pledged to change the beer-tie practice, mentioned above, which is commonly used by the large pub companies to extort from hardworking licensees. Labour is committed to act if the industry fails to make progress on this issue. Labour’s recent appointment of a Pubs Minister John Healey illustrates how saving the local pub has moved up the political agenda.
Grahame Morris with Terry Jones, Vice Chair of Peterlee PubWatch
It is also important that our local pubs and clubs are safe places where people can have confidence that they can enjoy an evening without fear of violence or inappropriate drunken or anti-social behaviour. I am a keen supporter of our local PubWatch and have attended a number of local meetings in Peterlee. The system operates in practice in East Durham where landlords can come together on a regular basis with the police and local authority. These meetings allow landlords to exchange information between one another and local agencies and where troublemakers can be identified, the Watch can vote to exclude them from all the pubs in the area for a time limited period or indefinitely.
Reversing the number of pub closures will require a range of measures at the international, national and local level and as Labour has recognised we need action to be taken by government, by the brewing and pub industry itself and by individuals and communities at a local level. Only by working together can the multitude of difficulties facing pubs be overcome. As a staunch defender of the community spirit and social life that is exemplified by all our quality pubs in East Durham and around the country I am pleased to be standing on Labour’s manifesto that will give real support to the pub trade.
LABOUR’S 2010 MANIFESTO LAUNCH
Blog / April 12, 2010 / Comment now
Today Labour launched our manifesto which attempts to address the serious challenges that our country faces in the coming years. As we move out of recession we require policies that are ambitious but affordable. That is why our manifesto sets out plans to address the future challenges we face in our economy, our society and our politics. Values of fairness, respect, decency and openness are at the heart of Labour’s agenda for a future fair for all in Britain and in Easington.
Having campaigned throughout the Easington constituency over the last few weeks and months I know that voters realise the magnitude of the task facing the next government. Labour has made clear the need to ensure that our fragile economic recovery is not put at risk. Therefore, this manifesto is not one of free give-aways but it is a fair and responsible manifesto that will secure the economic recovery, renew our society through improved public services and restore trust in politics through greater transparency and accountability. What this means for voters is important: greater employment opportunities across East Durham; further improving hospitals and schools (such as the new hospital at Wynyard and new school buildings throughout the constituency) and elected representatives that work transparently and that can be held to account by the public.
Our key commitments include backing businesses to create one million more skilled jobs and grow our economy through advanced technology, exports and business investment. Our manifesto sets out a plan to equip more people for the jobs of the future with up to 70,000 advanced apprenticeships and new Skills Accounts. It also sets out our plan to modernise Britain’s infrastructure with High Speed Rail, a Green Investment Bank and broadband access for all. For the people of Easington such promises may seem far away from their daily lives and their own experiences of the jobs market. However, it is through such government intervention and forward planning that we can ensure better opportunities for people in areas just like Easington. Already we have successful companies in our area such as the GT Group in Peterlee that specialise in new technologies and are world leaders in their trade bringing new employment opportunities.
In terms of public services, it should always be remembered that Labour used the last 13 years to bring significant new investment into our public services. Our NHS budget has tripled and people working in the public sector have seen wage rises above anything that could be imagined under the Tories. Of course, the media and our opponents will try to tell people that nothing has improved in the last decade. However, independent analysis such as that by the Kings Fund last week into Labour’s record on healthcare shows that when we were faced with the challenges of 1997 – such as 18 month waiting lists, too few doctors and nurses, and hospitals that were decades out of date – we responded with the necessary investment and structural reorganisation to sort those problems out. Now the electorate has to decide whether to put the NHS back into the hands of the Tories or allow Labour to respond positively the new challenges and keep improving healthcare in Britain.
We believe that personalised public services and strong communities are fundamental to British society. Our manifesto sets out our plan to ensure that excellence is spread across all our public services - with a thousand schools becoming part of high standard accredited schools groups, every hospital a Foundation Trust and underperforming police forces replaced or taken over. Our manifesto also sets out a plan to revitalise communities by protecting the institutions people care about such as the local pub and post office and improving care for the elderly with a new National Care Service. Labour is also committed to giving new powers to PCSOs to deal with anti-social behaviour.
Restoring trust in politics will be perhaps the greatest challenge following a year that has seen many elected representatives discredited by the expenses debacle. We know that the political system has let people down and there can be no return to business as usual at Westminster. Our manifesto sets out plans to give people a right to recall MPs who let them down, a referendum on moving to the Alternative Vote for the House of Commons and a referendum on a democratic Second Chamber. There will also be a free vote in Parliament on reducing the voting age to 16. With your support I hope to represent Easington in Parliament as a Labour MP and I know that the trust local people put in me must be repaid. Therefore I would ensure that all my political activities in Westminster are easily accessible to local people and that my expenses are published for all to see.
Labour’s manifesto – to secure the economic recovery, renew our society through improved public services and restore trust in politics – is what our country needs for a fairer future. I hope that voters will not be conned by a Tory Party which has not changed and remains concerned with self-interest. The only policy David Cameron has set in stone in one that benefits the 3000 wealthiest estates with a tax give-away, so don’t believe they have your interest at heart.
Labour’s Approach to Crime Prevention Means Safeguarding Sure Start Programmes
Blog / April 1, 2010 / Comment now
EARLY INTERVENTION WITH AT-RISK CHILDREN KEY TO CRIME PREVENTION, SAYS COMMITTEE
In a report released this week, the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee says early intervention is key to reducing criminality and the ability to identify those most at risk is an important tool in crime prevention.
The report points out that a young person in the criminal justice system costs the taxpayer on average a staggering £200,000 by the age of 16, while one given support to stay out costs less than £50,000. Yet only 7% of Youth Justice Board funding is specifically dedicated to prevention.
The Committee says a more effective long-term prevention strategy must focus on early intervention with at-risk young children and their parents. Children exposed to the most acute combination of risk factors – which include family neglect, poverty, school under-achievement and a lack of positive role models – are between five and twenty times more likely to offend than those who are not. The Labour Government has made a good start in this area, particularly through the Sure Start initiative, but needs to go further, ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable and is available throughout the childhood years, including at the point of transition from primary to secondary school.
Sure Start Centres like those in Haswell, Horden, Peterlee and Seaham as well as related child poverty reduction programmes are at risk if we wake up to a Cameron led Tory government bent on slashing public services and social programmes.
Being at-risk does not inevitably lead to offending and certainly crime is committed by people from all walks of life. A more sophisticated crime data analysis would enable Government to spot and tackle emerging crime trends sooner. Such information would better encourage and enable businesses to make offending harder or less appealing to criminals by “designing-out” crime, something which they may not see a benefit in doing otherwise.
Chair of the Commons Committee Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP said:
“The fact is that when it comes to preventing crime, value for money comes from investing in communities, in social programmes, in activities and mentoring for young people, in health, in technology – rather than spending on the criminal justice system. This Government has been tough on crime but not tough enough on the causes of crime. It is clear that prison, and especially short custodial sentences, do little or nothing to prevent offending or aid rehabilitation.”
“Programmes such as Sure Start are particularly valuable and this type of programme should be extended to provide support further into the childhood years. We are also far from maximising the valuable possibilities offered by technologies that can “design out” crime. It took some pressure on the car industry but innovations that design out opportunities for crime have contributed to a 65% reduction in vehicle theft since 1995. Investing in removing the opportunity for committing a crime is so much more effective, so much better value, than dealing with the financial and social costs of a crime once it has been committed.”
Labour’s new Mad Men: Design Your Own Labour Election Poster
Blog / March 30, 2010 / Comment now
Labour’s election boffins have come up with an interesting take on people power learning some valuable lessons from recent disasters in the political ads market. To avoid the potential humiliation of getting the billboards message hacked or at least tampered with in situ, Labour HQ are going for a pre emptive strike by asking people to design Labour’s next political advert.
As a bit of political knock about I quite liked the example on the Labour Party website with a photo of Gordon Brown looking like he had been rough hewn from a piece of solid granite alongside the slogan “Building A Foundation” and beneath a contrasting airbrushed image of “call me Dave” Cameron alongside the slogan “Wearing It.”
The idea is to design a poster that can highlight in a hard hitting way Labour’s pledge to protect frontline investment in key services and at the same time put the spotlight on David Cameron’s lack of substance.
If you are going to have a go at designing Labour’s election poster bear in mind that people should take away from your poster a simple message that Labour in government will protect frontline investment in policing, schools, childcare and the NHS, with a new guarantee of cancer test results within a week.
Labour has always valued the public services on which ordinary people and families rely. In 1997, when the British people entrusted Labour with the job of protecting our public services the task facing us was clear – to rebuild and restore them after decades of neglect. Thanks to Labour’s investment, standards have risen and now we need to give guarantees of high standards to everyone – not just the lucky few – at the same time as delivering value for taxpayers’ money and services which are tailored to individual personal needs.
The new state of the art acute hospital at Wynyard for example announced just last week by Health Secretary Andy Burnham will provide single room accommodation giving our people in the south of Easington access to the highest possible standards of health care, previously only available to a privileged few.
We also need to let people know about David Cameron’s lack of substance. He’s boasted about being a good salesman but he’s not the conviction politician we need for these tougher times. The message for our poster should be a straight forward one that running the country is a serious matter and David Cameron doesn’t have the substance to take on that job. As Gordon Brown said when his leadership was questioned by the media and some in our own ranks at Labour Conference “This is no time for a novice”.
All of David Cameron’s focus has been on portraying a change of image including airbrushing posters, sledging at the North poll or being photographed cycling. He is trying to distract the British people from realising that it is the same old divisive Tory Party on offer. If we have the skill we must use our own posters to get over to the message to the electorate that David Cameron seems to think that it’s easy to get away with the same old Tory policies – telling people he’s for fairness when promising a tax giveaway for the wealthiest and cutting Child Trust Funds and Child Tax Credits when families need them the most.
Instead of taking on the old fashioned, hard-line Tories in his Party, he has appeased them by giving in on the issues they are obsessed about like foxhunting, grammar schools and Europe. It is an interesting challenge to take on the ad men at their own game but for those of us who care about the future direction of our country and the prosperity of the many not the few, there is rather more at stake than an expensive advertising contract.
