ConDems condemned for cutting university places

Paul Blomfield MP congratulates A-level students and attacks Government cuts in university places.

Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, has congratulated A-level students for achieving record exam results. He also criticised the Tory-Lib Dem government for cutting 10,000 extra university places this year and for failing to respond to the unprecedented demand for university places.

Paul Blomfield MP said: “I would like to congratulate all A-level students who got their results today. The record results show that young people are working harder than ever to go to university.

“However, the unprecedented demand for university places means not everyone will get onto their course. So the Tory-Lib Dem government’s decision to cut 10,000 extra university places, just at the moment when they are needed most, is madness. They have completely failed to respond to the demand.

Paul Blomfield MP visits new Solar Energy company

Sheffield based solar energy installers TDFM Solar have met with Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, to discuss the recent launch of their new solar energy company.

After the last Government introduced energy Feed-in Tariffs, TDFM Solar directors Daniel Fenlon and Thomas Morley decided to enter the green energy. New government Feed-in Tariffs– already hugely successful in mainland Europe – mean that owners of zero-carbon energy generators like solar panels will now get paid for each kilowatt of electricity they produce.

The new Feed-in-Tariffs will significantly boost the solar energy market and enable solar energy to become a powerful form of financial investment as well as an environmentally friendly way of producing electricity.

Thomas Morley, Director of TDFM Solar said: “In Sheffield, a well situated average sized solar electrical generator would be expected to generate over £20,000 profit in twenty-five years, and will pay for itself in under ten.

The Sheffield Forgemasters saga takes new twist

In today’s episode of the Forgemasters’ saga:

* Nick Clegg (Deputy Prime Minister) answered more questions in the House of Commons.

Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South East) described the Written Ministerial Statement as a clear admission that “all the previous Government explanations had been simply wrong or grossly misleading.”

Clive Betts said: “So far, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary and Ministers of State for Business, Innovation and Skills have given a range of reasons for reneging on the agreed loan to Forgemasters. Not one of those reasons holds up to scrutiny.

They’ve said ‘The loan was a bouncing cheque’ – now confirmed to be untrue.

They’ve blamed Forgemasters’ shareholders for scuppering a deal because they ‘didn’t want to dilute the value of their shares’ – simply and demonstrably untrue.

They’ve said ‘If it’s such a good investment, there’d be no problem with getting a commercial loan’ – just demonstrating an ignorance of commercial reality.

It’s been alleged that ‘the loan is illegal under EU rules’. It isn’t.

They’ve said ‘It’s a grant we can’t afford’, when they know that what was offered was a loan, repayable with interest, which would have made a profit for the government.

They’ve said ‘It was a politically-influenced assessment’. They know that is untrue.

End of Sheffield Forgemaster talks “a shameful breach of trust”

Paul Blomfield MP has responded to today’s joint press release by Sheffield Forgemasters and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The statement announces that talks between Forgemasters and BIS which aimed to replace the £80 million loan axed by the Tory–Lib Dem Government ended without private sector investment being brought in. Mr Blomfield said that the end of talks was a ’shameful breach of trust’.

Paul Blomfield MP said: “After the Tory-Lib Dem government scrapped the £80 million loan to Forgemasters, Nick Clegg said he would work with the company to find a different way forward. He then failed to meet them as promised. Today’s announcement that talks between the Business Department and Forgemasters have ended after one brief meeting, confirms that Clegg’s words were just empty rhetoric and hot air. This a shameful breach of trust with Forgemasters and the people of Sheffield, who have lost out on new manufacturing jobs and investment.”

Labour MP honoured for animal welfare stand

Angela Smith MP has been honoured for her commitment to tackling cruelty to animals. The Protecting Animals in Democracy (PAD) project has presented Angela with a Certificate in recognition of her full support for their VOTE4ANIMALS 2010 manifesto in the run-up to the May General Election.

The manifesto included policies such as support for the hunting ban, the abolition of battery cages and reducing the number of animals that suffer in experiments.

Angela Smith said: “I am very pleased to be awarded the Protecting Animals in Democracy Certificate. Cruelty to animals is a shame on our society and our political system needs to do more to protect animals from abuse. I am dedicated to representing the many constituents who write to me about animal welfare problems. Many animals suffer because of political decisions, so I believe it is vital to speak up for these voiceless victims.”

Cable’s graduate tax proposal hiding deep university cuts

Paul Blomfield MP has reacted to today’s announcement by Vince Cable that the coalition government will explore the option of a graduate tax to reform higher education funding. Mr Blomfield has long been a supporter of a graduate tax to replace tuition fees. But commenting on whether Vince Cable’s proposals would create a fairer university funding system, Mr Blomfield said that the devil will be in the details of the proposals.

Paul Blomfield said: “I have consistently argued for graduate tax because it offers a fairer funding system, but really the devil is going to be in the detail in what the government are proposing. For me there are three tests for any new funding system. Will it enable all students who can benefit to go to university? Will students be able to choose their university on the basis of ability, not cost? Will it provide our universities with the funding that they need to maintain the quality of teaching and research, and to compete internationally?

“Behind the graduate tax headlines, there are worrying signs of the Government’s real intentions. They are targeting universities for some of the deepest cuts, they are reducing places when demand is growing, and they are encouraging the development of private universities.

Labour MPs oppose police cuts in South Yorkshire

Angela Smith MP has today voted against cuts of £125 million which will impact on policing in South Yorkshire.

Today MPs debated Tory Lib Dem proposals to cut £125 million of the Government’s core police funding. These cuts were proposed despite both the Tories and the Lib Dems supporting the current police grant, which was passed without a vote back in February.

In South Yorkshire it means South Yorkshire Police will see their budget cut from £110.2 million to £107.4 million, a £2.8 million cut, equivalent to a 4.5% cut in police officer numbers.

Commenting Angela, said: “At the last election we were committed to giving the police the resources to maintain front line police numbers. This Government has made no such commitment, and in opposition the Lib Dems called for 3,000 more police officers.

Unfortunately, one of the first acts of the new coalition is to slash the police budget for this year. This was a budget which they supported in the run up to the General Election.

Pensioners hit hard by VAT hike and Budget’s “small print” policies

Angela Smith has condemned the Liberal Democrats and Tories for voting against a plan to protect local pensioners from the VAT hike.

The Commons’ vote came as new research showed Britain’s pensioners will be stung by an £8 billion VAT bill over the course of this Parliament.

There are many thousands of pensioners in Barnsley and Sheffield, all of whom will be affected by the rise in VAT from January 2011.

Worse still, figures hidden in the Budget show that local pensioners will be hit every year by changes that hit them in the pocket:

* From January, pensioners will face a £400 million VAT tax bill which they will have to start paying months before any increase in the Basic State Pension. Pensioners face paying nearly £8 billion in VAT over the parliament.

* In 2011, weekly pension increases fall behind VAT-fuelled price rises.

* In 2012, pension rises fall behind price rises again, after the Treasury quietly changed the way the so-called ‘triple lock’ up-rates pensions in practice.

Betts launches full public consultation on Tesco Halfway plans

Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South East) today announced that, together with local Labour Councillors Isobel Bowler and David Barker, he has launched a full public consultation with local people on TESCO’s application to build a new store at Halfway.

Clive Betts said: “As local elected representatives, we were surprised when Tesco announced their planning application to build a superstore at Halfway. We are determined to ensure that local people have the maximum opportunity to have their views heard.

We have already met Tesco’s representatives and, separately, met senior Sheffield City Council planners. There are many complex issues raised by the proposal.”

Local Labour MP backs all Abbeydale Grange’s young politicians

Paul Blomfield MP paid a visit to Abbeydale Grange School to meet the school’s budding student politicians who were candidates in their Mock Election. Abbeydale Grange’s mock election coincided with the General Election on 7 May. Five students contested the election and stood for the Labour Party, the Green Party, the Conservative Party, Respect and the Pirate Party.

Dahood Gaffar who stood for Labour was the successful candidate. As a winning prize Paul Blomfield has invited Dahood to cut the ribbon at the official opening of his new constituency office on Friday 16th July.

Paul Blomfield MP said: “Having a school mock election is a great way of making politics exciting and creating interest. Politics isn’t just what happens in Westminster, it’s about working together to make a difference. But first you need people to come forward and stand for election. These students did and so I wanted to come here and congratulate them. It’s brilliant that they’re so interested in politics. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll see them in the Town Hall or the House of Commons!”