MP calls for Government action against legal loan sharking as new data shows 3.5 Million at risk
Press Releases / December 8, 2011 / Comment now
Strikes were no ‘damp squib’ – Strikers show government they won’t pay for the failure of others
Blog / December 6, 2011 / Comment now
George Osborne’s first eighteen months as Chancellor has been a failure for the economy. The worsening economic situation is predominantly being faced by women, young people, those in the poorer English regions predominantly in the north, the low paid and public sector workers. Child poverty is set to soar; changes to tax and spend policies will hit women far harder than men and the cull of public sector jobs will again see a greater proportion of women out of work.
Politics is about making choices and yet the rhetoric of the Chancellor has been that he has none: ‘the deficit demands these swinging cuts’. However this line is now wearing thin in the face of increasing evidence that his policies have failed not just the poor and vulnerable in society, but the British economy. His cuts have reduced growth and actually increased borrowing. The Chancellor will fail to meet his borrowing targets for 2015-16 and his forecast of eliminating the structural deficit over the life of this parliament has slipped back three years in just eight months. Even with the austerity measures, public spending cuts and tax hikes, borrowing is set to increase dramatically by £158 billion over the next five years. His plan is certainly hurting, but it isn’t working.
This unfairness is certainly felt first and worst in the public sector. Those workers who gave up a day’s pay to go out on strike were adding their voice to the chorus of people who recognise the unfairness of Coalition policies. Public sector workers that do demanding and valued jobs caring for the sick, elderly, cleaning our streets & teaching our children have reacted against an assault by this government on their pensions. The government used a standard tactic of first offering an entirely unpalatable proposal for reform, only to offer a new tweaked proposal which was just as unpalatable.
The truth is that it is the behaviour of Ministers which led to the collapse in negotiations, with David Cameron allegedly bragging that the unions had walked straight into his trap. The Coalition’s latest proposal would see public sector workers lose more pay in the guise of pension contributions only for that money to go straight to the Treasury to reduce the deficit. It is nothing more than an unfair tax on public sector employees to pay for an economic crisis they had nothing to do with. It is also in direct contrast to the failure of the Chancellor to take any meaningful action against the banks which should have seen bankers contribute far more to pay off a deficit of their own making. The unfairness of the 3.2 percentage points increase is that is has nothing to do with the sustainability of public sector pensions which are set to fall from around 2% of GDP to 1.4% of GDP over the next forty years.
Most reasonable people agree that there are genuine grievances felt by those working in the public sector and yet some still believe that strike action on 30th November was wrong. Indeed some in the Labour Party establishment refused to offer support to striking public sector workers. Over fifty trade unions balloted for strike action, with seven not affiliated to the TUC and the majority not being affiliated to the Labour Party. This is clear evidence, if it is needed, that these strikes were not political and were certainly not party political – a situation which should have made it easier for the Labour leadership to offer its support to these workers.
The vast majority of those voting to strike would have done so for the first time in their lives. Indeed, this was the biggest day of action in a generation and for that reason alone it required the support of people that until recently would have found the concept of striking alien. That is also why the accusations levelled by government Ministers that the two million who had withdrawn their labour were inconveniencing parents and frustrating working people were so duplicitous, because it was exactly those parents and ordinary workers that were taking action.
One of the most disturbing aspects of this Coalition’s behaviour has been its willingness to create a divide in this country between workers in the public sector and the private sector, propagating a myth that wealth created in the private sector is simply squandered in the public sector. Nothing could be further from the truth when the facts show the public sector taking the pain for a crash created by the private sector. We should value our wealth creators and small medium sized businesses but recognise that without the people who teach our children, care for us in old age, provide our healthcare and clean our streets wealth would mean little for the majority of us. Quite simply good quality properly resourced public services are what make a civilised society for ordinary people.
It is the behaviour of this Coalition government and its reckless austerity policies that have already added £46 billion to borrowing, which made strike action unavoidable. At the same time Ministers said that negotiations were ongoing they also said that they had made their final offer. Such a negotiating position does the British people a dis-service. The strikes were never intended to ‘bring Britain to a halt’ and they were certainly not a ‘damp squib’ – a comment the PM has since backtracked on. Instead they showed the willingness of ordinary people to take strike action. In doing so strikers showed their resolve and no doubt will do again should government not negotiate a fair outcome for the future of public sector pensions.
Politics is about making choices. As the old saying goes: Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. The rest lies in the hands of the Chancellor.
Local MP Grahame Morris takes part in charity bet
Press Releases / November 29, 2011 / Comment now
Grahame Morris MP last week visited his local William Hill on Woods Terrace, Murton to take part in a charity bet. During his visit, he met with representatives of William Hill and the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) to find out more about the betting industry and the contribution it makes to Ashington.
The MP met with local members of staff Kimberley Foster, Jane Murphy and Stuart Anderson and was shown the variety of betting and gaming activities available. He was also informed about the responsible gambling procedures which William Hill adhere to.
At the end of his tour, he was offered a £50 charity bet, betting on a dog Blue Artisan to win at Nottingham in the 827 race at 9-4 . The dog unfortunately came fifth but William Hill and ABB will still donate total of £100 to the Retired Greyhound Trust.
Grahame Morris with Dirk Vennix - placing a charity bet at William Hill bookmakers on Woods Terrace, Murton.
Grahame Morris MP, said:
“It was great to visit my local betting shop again but not as a dog racing punter this time. I was interested to find out more about the range of service and activities provided and to see for myself which responsible procedures are in place to tackle under-age and problem gambling. I am particularly grateful to William Hill and ABB for their generous donation of £100 to the Retired Greyhound Trust.”
Keith Inkster, William Hill Operations Manager, said:
“I was pleased to welcome Grahame to the shop. It was great to highlight the positive contribution we make to the local community here in Murton. We offer a fun and safe leisure activity which is enjoyed responsibly by the majority. We are proud of the jobs we support and the economic contribution we make.”
Dirk Vennix, Chief Executive of the ABB, added,
“Betting shops are part of the fabric of British life with 8 million customers enjoying the services they provide every year. As with other retail industries, these are challenging times but we remain a valuable part of the local community and the recovering UK economy.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. William Hill
William Hill have 2,300 shops and x staff in the UK.
2. Facts and figures about the bookmaking industry
• Betting shops are under increasing pressure as a result of misconceptions about problem gambling, the number of betting shops in the UK and the threat of further regulation.
• The industry pays as much in tax to the exchequer as it makes in profit (£700 million).
• Over 40,000 people are employed directly and around 60,000 indirectly through the industry.
• Betting shop numbers have remained stable at 8,500 for the past ten years.
• The latest British Gambling Prevalence Survey showed that only 0.6% – 0.9% of those who gamble in UK are problem gamblers and that 56% of adults gambled at some point in 2010, excluding the National Lottery.
Grahame Morris MP backs Warm Homes Campaign 2011
Press Releases / November 25, 2011 / Comment now
Easington MP, Grahame Morris, has pledged to help eradicate fuel poverty from his constituency by ensuring vulnerable households know where to turn to for help and support if they are struggling to heat their homes.
Grahame Morris MP visited the National Energy Action Warm Homes Campaign 2011 East Durham launch organised by County Durham Residents Association and supported by Durham County Council and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. The Heat or Eat event took place at the Hazelwell Centre, Haswell on Friday 25th November offering practical advice to local residents on energy efficiency, help them with benefit entitlement checks and directing them to support to ensure their homes are affordably warm this winter.
Mr Morris is backing National Energy Action’s Warm Homes Campaign 2011, which is supported by E. ON, and is stressing that community engagement is vital in combating rising levels of fuel poverty in East Durham.
The Warm Homes Campaign is a national campaign run by the UK’s leading fuel poverty charity National Energy Action to raise awareness of fuel poverty and the issues surrounding living in a cold home.
This year has seen energy prices rise to record levels and the number of fuel poor households in the UK is now over 6.6 million. 375,000 households in the North East, over 33%, are struggling to heat their homes.
Grahame Morris MP said: “No-one should be dying of the cold in this country. In my constituency 20 more people die during the winter than the non-winter. I have pledged my support to work with groups and individuals within my constituency to help them access the support available to insulate homes and reduce energy bills.
“The Warm Homes Campaign highlights that there are still millions of people who are simply struggling to keep their homes warm and protect their families from the ill effects of the cold. Fuel-poor households experience a number of detrimental health impacts and reductions in general wellbeing as a result of cold, damp living conditions. Whilst this is unacceptable, the campaign also demonstrates how help is available. It also underlines how important it is that future government schemes are able to target support for the most vulnerable households effectively.
“The most important message this year is that there is help out there for vulnerable households. I urge everyone to contact the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to get help and advice on staying warm in their home this winter without the fear of fuel debt and ill health.”
NEA chief executive Jenny Saunders said: “For 30 years NEA has been building awareness and tackling the causes and symptoms of this national problem. In our experience, the most rational and sustainable solution is locally based schemes that improve heating and insulation, income maximisation and lower tariffs. These are the real tools to tackle the problem within local communities. We are currently working hard with the Government and our supporters to help design and implement policies and programmes that deliver that help at a neighbourhood level”.
E.ON’s Community Relations Manager, Suzanne Doxey, said:
“We know that our customers are increasingly concerned about affordability, which is why we have a range of initiatives in place that can help customers to control their bills. We also understand that it is often hard for customers to know how to get this support. That’s why we work with local community groups to provide them with practical advice and information, so that they can pass it on to the people that they talk to on a daily basis.
“The Warm Homes Campaign plays a vital role in helping get information out to those who can make a real difference to vulnerable people this winter”.
ENDS
Editors notes:
NEA is the UK’s leading fuel poverty charity campaigning for affordable warmth in the homes of vulnerable people. For further details visit http://www.nea.org.uk
The Many Faces of Fuel Poverty – A real-life perspective on the causes and effects of fuel poverty and how this can be tackled is available at: http://www.nea.org.uk/warm-homes-campagin-2011-the-many-faces-of-fuel-poverty/
NEA has also made available today its response to Professor Hill’s interim report and consultation which has been commissioned by Government on its fuel poverty strategy.
This year NEA marks a 30 year milestone in campaigning for warm homes. Since its inception in 1981 NEA has championed energy efficiency as the most sustainable means of tackling fuel poverty.
The NEA and Warm Homes Campaign 2011 press pack is available on the NEA Website. http://www.nea.org.uk/warm-homes-campaign/
Warm Homes Campaign is a national campaign organised by fuel poverty charities National Energy Action (NEA) and is sponsored in 2011 by E.ON.
The campaign will run from 24th November to the 9th December.
Warm Homes Campaign is a national initiative that aims to highlight the issue of fuel poverty among decision-makers, point to good work being done to tackle the problem at a community level and direct those in or at risk of Fuel Poverty by highlighting where they can get help and advice.
The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 introduced a duty on the Secretary of State to publish and implement a strategy to end fuel poverty within a specified date and not later than 2016.
The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy defines a fuel-poor household as one needing to spend more than 10% of household income to achieve a satisfactory and healthy heating regime
Fuel poverty results from a combination of factors: low household income; unaffordable energy prices; and inadequate heating and insulation standards. The consequences of fuel poverty range from psychological distress, social isolation and physical discomfort to causing or exacerbating serious illness and, in the most extreme cases, to premature death.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in June 2011, put the total number of households living in fuel poverty in the UK at 5.5 million in 2009. This represented an increase of 1 million households over the estimates for 2008 and comprises approximately 21% of all UK households. Energy price increases this summer have had a dramatic effect on the number of households living in fuel poverty, increasing the numbers of households by over 1.2 million. NEA now estimates that over 6.6 million UK households now suffer the misery of living in fuel poverty.
E.ON is one of the UK’s leading power and gas companies – generating electricity, and retailing power and gas – and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas companies. E.ON employs around 12,000 people in the UK and more than 79,000 worldwide.
In the UK, E.ON supplies power and gas to over five million domestic, small and medium-sized enterprise and industrial customers. E.ON also offers innovative energy services and technologies tailored to meet its customers’ needs, and is helping customers become energy fit by encouraging them to insulate their homes, moderate their energy usage and even generate their own power
For details on the Warm Homes Campaign and MPs’ activities around the country, contact Lesley Tudor-Snodin, NEA Press Officer, on 0191 261 5677 or LTS@nea.org.uk
Economic effects on the North East economy of cuts to incapacity benefits
Press Releases / November 23, 2011 / Comment now
Labour MP Grahame Morris today called on Government to stop its reforms of Incapacity Benefit damaging the North East economy and sending it further into a regional recession.
In a 30 minute adjournment debate in Parliament he argued that unemployment in the North East was accelerating to levels not seen since the mid-90s and that public spending cuts were driving the weak North East economy into a regional recession.
The North East has lost over 32,000 public sector jobs, at the same time as 8,000 public sector jobs have been created in London and 24,000 in the South East. In the North East, the number of private sector jobs has actually declined.
35,000 people are to be taken off incapacity benefit altogether in the North East which would effectively cut over £170 million each year to the North East economy.
Grahame Morris said:
“This is money that would be spent in local communities and taking it away will damage our regional economy further.
“There is a clear economic argument that unemployment would increase if benefits were cut in the region, due to a reverse multiplier effect of credit withdrawal. Simply, there would be less money being spent in the economy.”
Mr. Morris used the debate to call on government to reinvest any cuts to welfare back into communities where it is lost to support business and create jobs and growth.
He called for a guaranteed job, paid at the minimum wage or above, for anyone that has been unemployed and claiming JSA for more than 12 consecutive months.
The guarantee would be matched by an obligation to take up the offer or to find an alternative that does not involve claiming JSA. This is a proposal backed by IPPR North.
The Minister Steve Webb replied: “We are not writing people off and leaving them on IB; we want to talk to them, identify those who could be active participants in the labour market with the right support, and have a Work programme that supports them into a job.”
A Funding Opportunity for Sports Clubs in East Durham
Blog / November 21, 2011 / Comment now
I have recently met with representatives of the Big Lottery and the various funding partners including Sport England in London.
Clubs in East Durham may wish to note that Sport England’s funding programme, Inspired Facilities, is investing £50 million of National Lottery funding in up to 1000 community sports projects. It is part of Sport England’s, Places, People, Play funding programme to deliver a London 2012 legacy of increasing mass participation in sport.
Inspired Facilities is focused on making it easier for local community and volunteer groups to improve and refurbish sports clubs or transform non-sporting venues into modern grassroots sport facilities.
To qualify applicants will need to;
- Show how your project will keep and, ideally, attract more people to sport
- Demonstrate that it is needed and wanted by the local community
- Explain how it will cover its running costs and remain open for sporting use for years to come
In particular, Sport England is looking for projects and organisations that will offer local opportunities to people who do not currently participate in sport and those who have not received an individual sports lottery grant worth more than £10,000.
Funding is available to community and voluntary organisations and Parish and Town Councils who can apply for grants worth between £20,000 and £50,000. At least 70% of the funding available is set aside for these groups.
Local authorities, statutory organisations, and education establishments such as schools can apply for grants between £20,000 and £150,000
Applications for Inspired Facilities funding grants re-open on 1st February 2012 until 2nd April 2012, and I would encourage all those organisations in the Easington Constituency to grasp the opportunity to improve our local sporting facilities.
In the last sixteen years Sport England has supported 30 projects in the Easington Constituency which have received in total just over £3 million, including Peterlee Pumas ARLFC, Horden Rugby Football Club and Lee House Bowls Club.
Inspired Facilities is just one of Sport England’s funding programmes, there are four fund programmes currently open, more information can be found at http://www.sportengland.org/funding.aspx
Those interested in the Inspired Facilities programme can find more information at
http://inspiredfacilities.sportengland.org/about/what-is-inspired-facilities
I hope this blog is of practical use to community based sporting organisations and I would welcome any feedback you may have.
Labour in rallying cry to save County Durham NHS from Government attack
Press Releases / November 17, 2011 / Comment now
Labour is today launching a major national drive to unite the country in a call on the Government to drop its unwanted Health and Social Care Bill.
The ‘Drop the Bill’ campaign, at www.dropthebill.com, aims to show the full scale of opposition to the Government’s plans. It will unite patients, NHS professionals and the public in a final rallying cry.
Labour’s Shadow Health team will be visiting every English region over the coming months, work-shadowing healthcare professionals and mobilising support for the campaign across the country.
Grahame Morris MP said:
“In County Durham we have already seen waiting-times increase by twenty-five percent since David Cameron came to power. Yet his plans encourage local hospitals to treat more private patients while NHS patients are left waiting longer.
“They create a postcode lottery in the NHS, where patients are refused treatments in one area that their friends can get in another. It amounts to a £2-3 billion waste of money, which would be better spent on medicines, equipment and staff.
“The people of Easington did not vote for it and our doctors, nurses and patients have already expressed huge concerns at the plans. Yet Cameron is ploughing on with his Health Bill, ignoring public and professional opinion.
“Before the election David Cameron ruled out top-down NHS re-organisations. But only weeks after entering Number 10, Cameron ripped up his own words and ordered the biggest and most dangerous upheaval of the NHS since it began.
“In these tough times, the NHS is facing the biggest financial challenge in its history. But instead of focusing all of its energy on dealing with this challenge, the NHS is being distracted by a dangerous upheaval that has no democratic legitimacy.
“The ’Drop the Bill’ campaign is the final push and the Government must listen before it’s too late. They must put the NHS first.
ENDS
Note to Editors
1. The Royal College of General Practitioners survey on the Health and Social Care Bill, published 10th October, showed that almost three quarters of GPs support Labour’s call for the Tory-led Government to drop this Bill. http://www.rcgp.org.uk/news/press_releases_and_statements/rcgp_survey_on_health_bill.aspx
2. Labour’s top five reasons for opposing the Bill:
1. The Bill will break up the NHS and create an unfair postcode lottery. With no national standards, there will be widespread variation in the treatments available on the NHS. In some areas, people may have to go private to get services available for free elsewhere.
2. The Bill risks rises in waiting times and a two-tier NHS. It scraps the cap on hospitals treating private patients at the same time as watering down guarantees on NHS waiting times. This means local hospitals will be free to treat more private patients and make NHS patients wait longer.
3. The Bill turns the NHS into a full-blown commercial market, putting competition before patient care. It allows private companies to cherry-pick quick profits, potentially forcing local hospitals to go bust. Hospitals could even be fined for working together.
4. The Bill undermines the bond of trust between doctors and patients. It creates conflicts of interest where financial incentives could interfere with medical decisions. GPs could even get a bonus for rationing your care.
5. This Bill is wasting money and creating bureaucracy. It is unforgivable to spend £2 billion on a reckless re-organisation when the NHS needs every penny it can get for patient care. Nearly £1 billion is being wasted on pay-offs for managers, only for many of them to be re-employed as consultants.
How the Coalition eased health reforms through the Commons.
Blog / November 16, 2011 / Comment now
Last week the Information Commissioner ruled that the Department of Health twice broke the law by its refusal to publish the risk registers concerning its major NHS reorganisation. The Department unlawfully refused to publish information requested by the then Shadow Secretary of State for Health, John Healey, and the London Evening Standard, as they claimed it would have interfered with their policymaking agenda.
It is a fact of life in the British Democratic system that Parliament can sometimes get in the way of the policymaking agenda of governments, in fact it is the strength of our democracy and the single biggest protection we have against despotism. It therefore beggars belief that the Department of Health should withhold information from Parliament regarding the risks associated with its controversial health reforms.
The ruling by Christopher Graham is welcome. However, releasing these documents over one year after they were requested and after the House of Commons has scrutinised the Health and Social Care Bill is simply too little too late. The Department of Health should not only be considered to have acted unlawfully but as this information was also requested through Written Parliamentary Questions it may stand accused of being in contempt in Parliament.
The unscrupulous behaviour of Andrew Lansley, his Ministers and the Department’s civil servants indicates just how far all were willing to go to prevent the genuine scrutiny of their unprecedented shake-up of the NHS. It is worth remembering that even without the Commons knowing all of the risks posed by the Health and Social Care Bill it still went on to make over 1000 amendments and force the Government pause the passage of the Bill.
This week I raised a Point of Order in the House of Commons Chamber asking whether the Department of Health should be considered to be in contempt of Parliament. Since then, I have written to the Procedures Committee – a powerful Commons’ Committee which has the power to investigate government Departments – to request their verdict on this murky affair.
As well as attempting to cover up the true risks of their NHS shake-up, Coalition Ministers have been found to be rather misleading with their arguments for reform. Andrew Lansley has for a long time now tried to do-down the NHS for its record on cancer treatment, arguing that our NHS lagged behind other countries in survival league tables which only his reforms could put right. However, a recent study in the British Journal of Cancer by Professor Colin Pritchard and Dr Tamas Hickish has shown the NHS to be a world leader in cancer treatment relative to spend.
The research found that the NHS was the most efficient of 10 countries when considering GDP spent on healthcare across different countries. One of the report’s authors Prof. Colin Pritchard, a health academic at Bournemouth University, has said: “It challenges the government’s assertion that the NHS is inefficient and ineffective at treating cancer – an argument for reforming the NHS”. This is a clear argument for investment over reckless reform.
North East Economy to lose £170 million from Welfare Changes
Press Releases / November 14, 2011 / Comment now
New research shows that the North East economy is set to lose over £170 million each year from changes to be introduced on Welfare Reform.
The Tory-led government is forcing through changes to Incapacity Benefit which will see 60,000 people in the North East moved off incapacity benefits.
Research by Sheffield Hallam University shows that of these, 35,000 will be pushed out of the benefits system altogether and over 20,000 will be added to unemployment figures. East Durham will be the hardest hit area.
The authors of the report, Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill, are also damning of the reforms, saying there is little reason to suppose changes will lead to significant increases in employment.
Older industrial areas like the North East will be most affected by the reforms whilst the impact will be minimal for the most prosperous parts in the South of England.
The report also shows that as claimants of Incapacity Benefit are usually concentrated in the same disadvantaged communities with weak local economies they have little chance of finding work.
Easington in East Durham currently has the highest rate of adults of working age claiming incapacity benefits in England and as such will be hardest hit by the reforms. In Easington, 4,200 face losing their incapacity benefit, and of those, 2,000 will lose their benefits altogether.
Easington MP Grahame Morris said:
“These changes are yet to be felt by the people I represent in Easington or in the North East as a whole.
“It is staggering that as the North East looks to be heading into a regional recession, the government is set to cut another £170 million from our regional economy. The effects of these changes won’t hurt the affluent South, but will be a body-blow to the poorest areas in the North East.
“The legacy of heavy industry and the collapse of coalmining under Thatcher left whole communities powerless and that legacy still exists with many people suffering from long-term industrial disease and ill-health.
“At the same time as the government is retrenching any support for jobs and growth in the North East it is quick to pull the carpet from underneath the sick, disabled and worse-off in society.
“This Tory-led attack is not about benefit-scroungers, it’s about welfare cuts and the private companies operating the checks clearly have a perverse incentive to bump people off incapacity benefits.
“Why doesn’t the government start at the top with the individuals and multi-nationals who are evading paying billions of pounds in tax each year?”
