Press Releases
« Older EntriesGrahame Morris tells Gove to Look Again at Seaham School
Press Releases / July 13, 2010 (3 weeks ago) / Comment now
Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, has today written to the Education Secretary to ask him to reconsider his Department’s “arbitrary decision” to cancel funding for the proposed new building that was to replace the dilapidated building currently used by the Seaham School of Technology.
In his letter to Michael Gove, Grahame Morris said that Seaham School was “in the worst physical condition of any school in my constituency and this is having a significant negative impact on the educational environment in which teachers and pupils are expected to work”.
He went on to say:
“Your Department’s decision is a devastating setback for pupils, teachers, parents and all of those who have worked so hard to improve education in Seaham and its surrounding areas. I implore you to look again at this decision which can only have a detrimental impact on education and learning.”
On the 9th June 2010 Grahame Morris tabled a Written Parliamentary Question to the Education Secretary seeking assurances that the planned funding for Seaham School, under the Building Schools for the Future programme, would be maintained. However the Department replied that this funding was under review at the time.
Michael Gove first announced cuts to the Building Schools for the Future Budget on Monday 5th June 2010. Since then there have been five published lists from his Department detailing school rebuilding projects that have been cancelled. He has faced heavy criticism from Labour opposition MPs due to the numerous and systematic mistakes in his Department’s published lists.
Grahame Morris said:
“Mr. Gove has cancelled essential school rebuilding programmes without consultation and without consideration for local needs.
“Parents, pupils and teachers can have no faith in an Education Secretary who is so cavalier that he cannot even produce an accurate list of which school projects face the axe and which are safe.
“Parents and children in Seaham need a new school that can provide a modern educational environment in which teachers and pupils can fulfil their potential and that is why I have written to the Education Secretary to ask him to look again at this devastating decision.”
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Grahame Morris supports Dalton Park Phase 2
Press Releases / June 4, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, is leading calls for the application of Phase 2 of Dalton Park to be given the go-ahead by the local planning authority. Dalton Park is based in Murton, in the Easington constituency, and has been a huge success as the largest outlet shopping centre in the North East.
Phase 2 would include a range of leisure facilities at Dalton Park including a five screen cinema and associated restaurants and food outlets. ING will invest a further £25 million in Dalton Park which would be a significant boost to the local and regional economy.
Grahame Morris was part of the team that helped to galvanise support from the community for the original phase 1. He assisted in collecting signatures, organising a demonstration at County Hall, lobbying Ministers in Westminster and was part of a delegation that handed in a petition at 10 Downing Street
In his letter to the planning officer of 3rd June 2010, in support of Phase 2, Grahame said:
“The original Dalton Park always envisaged the future provision of leisure facilities in a second phase of development and this was part of the permission that was granted in 2000. At that time it would not have been possible to predict the economic climate in which Phase 2 would have come into development. However, the prospect of a further £25 million private investment during these challenging economic times would be positive news for the residents of Easington.
“This second phase will not only provide fantastic facilities for the local community, including a cinema and a supermarket, but it will also provide around 550 jobs.
“I fully support ING’s investment in Dalton Park and the development of Phase 2. I strongly urge you to approve this application, and sincerely hope there is no need for another long drawn out campaign to secure this vital investment in our community.”
Grahame said:
“This £25 million private investment will bring exciting new opportunities to Easington and will be a boost for further regeneration. This development will bring new jobs and will further develop our local and regional economy at a time when we really need it.”
Easington’s Labour Candidate takes RNIB quiz and says “It’s time we all took more care of our eyes”
Press Releases / April 26, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris today took part in a quiz from RNIB to raise awareness amongst election candidates of the leading causes of sight loss. Questions also ask who can get free eye tests and how many of us are already living with sight problems.
Six million older people at risk of blindness
There are around 1.8 million people in the UK already living with sight loss, with around 2,700 in Easington. RNIB’s quiz revealed that pensioners are most at risk of losing their sight, in fact two-thirds of partially sighted people are aged 75 or over. Yet, six million older people in the UK (47 per cent) are needlessly risking their sight by not having their eyes tested regularly, despite being eligible for free eye tests.
Saving sight
Grahame Morris was also shocked to learn that nearly 50 per cent of all sight loss is avoidable. This includes people with refractive error – that is people in need of a correct prescription for glasses or contact lenses – and people who have lost sight through conditions that could have been treated if detected early enough, such as glaucoma.
Grahame Morris said, “Sight is the sense we most fear losing, so why are so many of us are potentially putting it at risk through not having regular sight tests? There needs to be a greater public understanding that a sight test isn’t just about whether you need glasses, it can also detect signs of eye disease. It’s time we all took eye health and sight loss seriously.”
RNIB recommends that everyone should get their eyes tested every two years, or more frequently if recommended by an optometrist.
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Notes to editors
- For further information please contact Grahame Morris, Labour Campaign Office, Durham Place, Murton, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 9BX – 0191 526 2828.
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is the UK’s leading charity offering information, support and advice to around two million people with sight loss. Visit www.rnib.org.uk or call 0303 123 9999.
- The production of the quiz has been supported a by third-party agency provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd.
Easington’s Grahame Morris Welcomes Labour’s North East Manifesto
Press Releases / April 20, 2010 / Comment now
Easington CLP with Labour Candidate Grahame Morris
Yesterday, Labour made clear its commitment to the communities of the North East by launching its North East Manifesto. Minister for the North East, Nick Brown, along with General Election Manifesto Co-ordinator and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, is touring the region setting out Labour’s vision and focusing on the need to secure the economic recovery.
Labour’s vision for the North East centres on low carbon and renewable technology. Labour will tackle the challenge of climate change through creating opportunities for new industry and good jobs in the region. The financial services, tourism and science and innovation also feature highly in the economic plans set out by Labour for the North East.
In contrast to the Tories, Labour has committed to protect and develop the role of the Regional Development Agency, One North East, which has played an important role in attracting new industries to the area and investing to create jobs across the region. Labour will also introduce new regional growth funds to support economic development in the region. As part of Labour’s commitment to new technology fast broadband access will be installed in every household in the North East. A Green Investment Bank to support low-carbon infrastructure projects will also be established and over the next two years £164m is to be invested in more affordable housing in the region.
Grahame Morris said
“Labour has a proven track record in the North East having invested in our communities to improve public services, promote business and good jobs and support the vulnerable and elderly with better pensions, Winter Fuel Payments, increased Cold Weather Payments and initiatives such as free bus passes. In Easington, every school is being rebuilt through Labour’s flagship Building Schools for the Future Programme. There are also opportunities to encourage job creation locally in emerging sectors such as the digital economy like the Film Production facility and associated Centre of Creative Excellence in East Durham. This project would not have been possible without the support of Durham County Council, Nick Brown and One North East.
“Labour’s Manifesto for the North East sets out how Labour will continue the progress that has been made over the last 13 years. Anything other than a Labour Government would put our economy’s recovery locally and nationally at risk.”
Labour’s Regional Minister for the North East, Nick Brown said;
“My priority as Regional Minister has been to drive the prosperity of the North East. I’ve engaged with public and private sector organisations to broaden and deepen the employment base of the region.
“We had the fastest growth rates of any region just before the economic downturn. I believe that our approach is the right one, and with the Government’s help we can get back on the road to prosperity. This will take a government that will stand by us, invest in us, support and encourage us. Only the Labour Party is promising to do that. The dramatic “savage cuts” promised by the Tories and the Lib Dems would be ruinous for our region.”
Future Jobs Fund Helping Young People in Easington
Press Releases / April 16, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris supports Future Jobs Fund in Easington
Durham County Council this week announced it is providing 50 new job opportunities to young people as part of Labour’s £1 billion Future Jobs Fund. Hundreds of young people have already benefited through Phase One of the scheme, with more benefiting now under phase two.
The Future Jobs Fund is providing funding and practical support to encourage business, the public sector and charities to create job opportunities for the young unemployed. The Future Jobs Fund includes Labour’s ‘Backing Young Britain’ campaign to ensure that all young people aged between 18 and 25 have the opportunity of a job, training or work experience after 6 months unemployed.
In Easington the Future Jobs Fund is supporting a further 50 jobs recruited through the East Durham Partnership in conjunction with Durham County Council to ‘clean up the environment’. These teams will carry out a range of tasks including work in the local community to clear away rubbish and any household items that are disposed of through illegal fly-tipping.
Currently thirty young people are gaining employment opportunities with training to learn the skills necessary to recondition old furniture and household appliances at the East Durham Partnership premises at Kilburn Road on the Sea View Industrial Estate. Myself and Horden Labour Councillor Dennis Maddison are proud to be associated with this social enterprise based in Horden as Trustees.
Grahame Morris, Labour PPC for Easington, said “In the recessions of the 80s and 90s hundreds of thousands of unemployed young people were abandoned to the dole queues without support. Under the Tories the communities of Easington lost a generation to unemployment with no help or training provided by government.”
“With the support of a Labour Government, Durham County Council and other partner organisations have been able to fulfil a local need to improve services while at the same time providing employment and training opportunities for young unemployed people from this area.”
“An issue raised on the doorstep and by local residents associations has been the increase in fly tipping including disguarded furniture and household appliances dumped in back streets or in the back yards of empty properties in Horden, and Easington Colliery. I am sure this initiative will also be welcomed by local residents. It is however only a start. Providing the infrastructure for cleaner streets to combat fly tipping requires the active suppport and participation of local residents to restore pride in their neighbourhood. ”
Initially one team has become operational just this week. It is planned that as more young people are recruited and trained, five or six teams will be available with staff able to safely handle collect and remove these unsightly waste goods. The service which can be access through Durham County Council will operate on a rapid response basis. It will have the capacity to act quickly to remove waste and unwanted goods before they become a magnet for other fly tipping or a potential health hazard.
East Durham Partnership is a community social enterprise find out more here.
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Local disabled people still “Polls Apart” when it comes to voting
Press Releases / April 7, 2010 / Comment now
Voting is a right that many of us probably take for granted – but for thousands of disabled people that is not the case and they are denied the opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
Disabled people still face discrimination when it comes to voting because of a number of different access barriers. These can include polling stations without ramps for wheelchair users or voting information which is not available in alternative formats such as Braille.
That’s why local Labour Parliamentary Candidate Grahame Morris is supporting disability charity Scope’s Polls Apart campaign in the run-up to the General Election.
Polls Apart is a campaign to ensure that disabled people have the same access to voting as everyone else.
Grahame Morris is calling on Durham County Council to ensure that all local polling stations are fully accessible to disabled people. This could include changes such as installing temporary ramps or ensuring that polling station staff have disability equality training.
He will also be taking part in a survey of local polling stations produced by Scope on polling day looking at access.
Horden Labour Councillor Dennis Maddison, who’s wife is disabled, said
“Polling stations can be completely inaccessible to the disabled.
“Voting is our democratic right. I hope that others will join our Parliamentary Candidate in completing this survey to change things for the better and open up voting to more disabled people.”
Grahame Morris said:
“In a modern democracy it is simply not acceptable that so many disabled people are still denied the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote. I believe that over ninety percent of our polling stations are wheelchair accessible and we have a considerable number of postal voters.
“Notwithstanding, I hope as many people as possible will take part in this survey to raise awareness about this issue. Disabled people must be treated equally and fairly when it comes to voting.”
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Notes to Editor:
- To learn more about the Polls Apart campaign and also download a copy of the survey go to www.pollsapart.org.uk
Grahame Morris backs banking services coming to Post Offices in Easington
Press Releases / March 29, 2010 / Comment now
Easington PPC Grahame Morris has welcomed Labour’s moves to back a secure future for the Post Office. There will be more banking services for local people following an overwhelmingly positive response to the Government’s consultation on the future of the Post Office.
The Labour Government is to provide £180 million of new funding for the Post Office. There will be a major expansion of the financial services offered by the Post Office, in a drive to put banking back into the heart of communities and making the Post Office network of 11,500 branches more sustainable.
Grahame Morris said:
“This is great news for our Post Offices. People have made their views clear and Labour has listened. We will get more services provided by the Post Office.
“This will open up a range of good value, simple financial products for everyone. Today marks a major step towards making the Post Office a sustainable neighbourhood banking service.”
Banking services will be available in Easington's local Post Offices like this one in Murton.
Lord Peter Mandelson said:
“Since the global banking crisis we have set about reinventing the financial services industry piece-by-piece, building a system that is fairer, trusted and more responsible.
“Today is the next step in that process. The Post Office is a well-loved community institution and this move will bring more banking services back to the heart of those communities.”
These new measures build on recent announcements in the Budget. They show that the Government will continue to work to improve the supply of affordable credit for low-income households, including by supporting third sector lenders.
The Labour Government has also announced an intention to consult on making sure banks make an appropriate contribution to community lenders, proposing using a new community levy to be funded by retail banks that will support a link between credit unions and Post Offices.
Notes to editors
1. The Post Office is one of the UK’s fastest growing financial services providers, and the country’s number one foreign currency provider. Today’s announcement is the next step towards turning the Post Office into a leading player in financial services.
2. At the Budget, the Government also announced that all retail banks will be placed under an obligation to provide a universal service, with a legal requirement to offer a basic bank account to everyone who needs one, and has a valid address. Other measures already announced include new rules requiring responsible lending, affordability checks and cooling off periods for consumers; and a clampdown on credit card lending practices, expected to save consumers £300million a year.
3. On 29 September 2009 the Prime Minister announced that he wanted a much bigger role for Post Office in providing financial services, to increase the accessibility of reliable financial products for consumers and small businesses.
- With over 11,500 branches nationwide, the Post Office is the largest retail and financial services chain in the UK. Its network is larger than all of the banks in the UK combined.
- All new funding for the Post Office is subject to state aid approval.
- Over 99 per cent of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office branch and over 20 million customers visit every week.
- The Post Office already offers a range of financial services, including savings, insurance, lending, and foreign currency products.
- The measures reinforce the Government’s commitment to a secure and sustainable future for the Post Office and follow:
- the decision in November 2008 to award the network a new contract for the Post Office card account;
- Lord Mandelson’s announcement last year that the Government would not support a further programme of Post Office closures;
- the five year contract signed between Post Office Limited and the DVLA in March 2009 that will allow drivers to renew their photocard driving licences at Post Offices using new, world-class technology and
- Working with the UK Border Agency the Post Office is trialling biometric enrolment technology at seventeen Post Office branches nationwide giving foreign nationals more accessible venues to apply for an ID card.
4. The consultation response is available from: www.bis.gov.uk/postofficebanking
Grahame Morris pledges support for NSPCC General Election campaign to protect children
Press Releases / March 29, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris, prospective parliamentary candidate for Easington, has pledged to support the NSPCC’s ‘I stand for children’ campaign which aims to make child protection a priority for the next Parliament.
Grahame Morris said:
“As Labour’s candidate in Easington I’m supporting the NSPCC’s new campaign to ensure protecting children is a political priority: I Stand for Children. I am concerned about the serious incidences of abuse and of the lack of effective protection offered by social networking sites such as Facebook to potential child victims. ”
The NSPCC’s campaign is calling on candidates to commit to a range of child protection measures including:
- Making the internet safer for children
- Continued funding of helpline services for children and for adults concerned about the safety or welfare of a child
- Tackling domestic violence from a child’s point of view
- Ensuring that vital child protection reforms are fully implemented and resourced, following the death of Baby Peter and other child deaths since
- Provision of resources for vital therapeutic services for children who have experienced abuse
- Strengthening the role of the children’s commissioner in England to act as a genuinely independent voice for children.
The charity’s Diana Sutton, head of the public affairs and campaigns unit at the NSPCC, said:
“We need to make sure that the next elected Government keeps child protection high on its list of priorities. By signing up to our campaign, candidates in this next general election can help. The public can play their role by letting the politicians know what they want done.”
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Easington’s Labour PPC Pledges Support For Nature
Press Releases / March 5, 2010 / Comment now
Grahame Morris Supports Major RSPB Campaign
Grahame Morris, Labour’s PPC for Easington has joined a campaign to protect our natural world by signing the Letter to the Future, a major new campaign run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
The letter calls for better investment in nature by politicians, urging them to consider our natural as well as our financial future when making decisions about how to tackle the country’s pressing economic problems.
The RSPB aims to gain tens of thousands of signatures to the letter before the next general election, showing the government that people care about nature as well as the economy and want to see it protected fro the benefit of future generations.
A whole host of famous faces have already put pen to paper including Germaine Greer, Imelda Staunton, Alison Steadman, Philippa Forrester, Bill Bryson, John Thompson, Zoe Wanamaker. Grahame Morris has joined them, signing the letter to show his support.
Commenting on this Grahame Morris said:
“We’ve just gone through a grave financial crisis but in tackling it we must not ignore the equally serious crisis facing our natural world. Precious habitats are being lost; many species face extinction and the threat of climate change is looming large.”
“The government had to spend billions of pounds in order to rescue our economy. We owe it to future generations to ensure that this massive investment addresses not just our needs today but also of those tomorrow by creating a health economy and a healthy environment.”
“I value the East Durham Heritage Coast, the bird life in Hawthorn Dene and Castle Eden Dene.”
“I am supporting the RSPB’s campaign because I want our children and grandchildren to be able to grow up in a world where they can appreciate tigers and sparrows, tropical rainforests and bluebell woods, a world worth living in.”
The RSPB’s Head of Sustainable Development, Martin Harper also commented. “The government faces tough economic decisions but these mustn’t be taken at the expense of the environment. We are calling on the government to recognise this and ensure future generations will be able to appreciate the natural world as we do. It’s vital that politicians support us in this campaign and we are very grateful to Grahame Morris for lending his support.”
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Editor’s notes:
- The letter to the future campaign asks politicians to do six things that are at the heart of the RSPB’s work:
- Create a countryside fit for wildlife: Farmers who look after their land in ways that help wildlife should be rewarded for doing so. With your signature, we’ll ask governments across the UK to fund more work that restores and protects habitats that this threatened wildlife depends on.
- Safeguard our sealife: Half of the UK’s wildlife lives in or depend on the sea, but this habitat is overfished, overtrafficked and over-developed. We’ve been fighting to get this habitat the legal protection it deserves, and we’re close. Your signature will help create marine nature reserves that basking sharks, seahorses and puffins need to survive.
- Stop extinction: The fate of so many species hangs in the balance right now. In our UK Overseas Territories, 32 of the species that we have responsibility for are in danger of being lost forever. Your signature will ensure the UK Government takes this responsibility seriously.
- Save tropical forests: We’ll make sure the UK Government does its bit in Copenhagen later this year to secure (and take its fair share of funding) a global climate change agreement which must include keeping tropical forests intact – a great step towards saving some of the richest, and most threatened, places for wildlife in the world.
- Stop climate chaos: Money must be invested in renewable sources of energy sited in the right places – your signature will say no to new coal power stations that pollute, and yes to sustainable energy production in harmony with nature.
- Inspire children through nature: If you experience wildlife first-hand, you’re more likely to love it, and if you love it, you’ll protect it. Sign our letter and encourage politicians to create more opportunities for young people to enjoy nature. If we fail to act now, the wonderful moments with nature that enrich our lives today may become impossible for our children.
- For more information or to sign the letter visit www.rspb.org.uk/lettertothefuture
- The RSPB speaks our for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing – help us keep it that way. Click here to join today www.rspb.org.uk/join
- “The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654
Cash for crackdown on empty homes and anti-social behaviour in Easington.
Press Releases / February 11, 2010 / 1 Comment
Housing Minister John Healey today announced extra support for councils to step up efforts to get empty homes back in use and reduce anti-social behaviour, including cash for an intensive crackdown in 17 local authority areas with known problems.
Empty homes, particularly those in disrepair in areas like the Wembley area of Easington Colliery, can be a magnet for vandalism, drug-taking, gangs or other forms of anti-social behaviour. Councils already have tough legal powers to force private landlords to sort out their properties and can even take over properties if necessary, but tenants and landlords often don’t know about these powers, reducing their effectiveness.
That’s why Mr Healey is today announcing a £1 million boost to council efforts to train key staff on how best to get empty homes back in use, with cash for 17 councils where anti-social behaviour focused around empty homes is a real concern and residents want to see more effective local action.
The main response for councils will be through frontline workers and specialist teams with the expertise to lead the crackdown. This will include action to renovate derelict houses for letting out as social homes, and the use of private funding to turn empty homes into properties that allow local people the chance to take a more affordable step onto the housing ladder.
Today’s announcement is part of the new drive to tackle anti-social behaviour announced in November. The drive will equip up to 10,000 front line workers and community champions, including 1,000 local tenants, with the skills to use tough powers to solve problems in their area.
Local campaigner Grahame Morris said.
“It is clear from recent meetings and multi-agency visits to the Canada and Wembley areas of Easington Colliery that efforts are being made to get to grips with the problems being experienced by local residents.
“Local people should be aware that their concerns have been taken straight to the Housing Minister and I am delighted that the concerns of local people have been listened to and actions put in place.
“While some councils like Durham County Council, registered social landlords and some responsible private landlords are already working with the Police to tackle anti-social behaviour, I am determined to respond positively to local concerns and see more effective co-operation to give the public greater confidence that effective action is being taken.”
Housing Minister John Healey said:
“Empty houses are both a blight on communities and a waste of much needed homes. Councils already have strong legal powers to force the owners of empty properties to act and if necessary take over homes, but these powers are often neither used or understood properly. I want Councils using every tool available so that people can see action being taken against anti-social behaviour in their area.
“That’s why I’m backing a number of councils in areas where empty homes have been a magnet for vandalism, threatening behaviour or other types of anti-social activities. They will get training for frontline workers and tenants so they understand how they can use their legal powers. And they will get the cash they need to renovate and re-let empty homes back, reviving run-down areas of their communities.”
Home Office Minister David Hanson said:
“Tackling anti-social behaviour is not just about using tough tools and powers to prevent people intimidating their neighbours and running down their communities. It is also about creating safe and confident communities where there is no room for this type of behaviour.
“We know derelict homes can often be a catalyst for crime and anti-social behaviour – this extra funding will help address that problem, making a real and visible difference to these communities.”
County Durham is one of 17 local authority areas that will receive funding to develop a wider strategy and implement it with greater staff resource.
Notes
1. £84k each to Liverpool/Stoke/Bolton and Doncaster (those LAs on the list with greater than 3,000 EHs (figures include both long term and less than 6 months).
2. Each of the remaining councils will each receive £53,000 funding with the exception of the Northamptonshire Districts: Corby/East Northamptonshire /South Northamptonshire have been grouped together as the proposal here is for one officer to work across the authorities
3. The Homes & Communities Agency Academy will receive £80,000 to build capacity in each of these local authorities and develop innovative practice which can be tested in one location and rolled out more widely.
4. The Empty Homes Agency and the Chartered Institute of Housing will work with the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on a programme of targeted consultancy to help develop skills and expertise in the 17 local authorities involved to help them successfully obtain the greatest benefit from CLG’s investment. The aim is that good practice can be rolled out more widely and be made available through the HCA Academy to other local authorities.
5. The 17 authorities were selected from the 60 local authorities with the highest level of empty homes and then the following criteria have been applied:
Identified as in need of improvement through the red flag CAA assessment process.
Willingness to do something
Ability to provide matched resources
