Labour pushes back against tax cut criticism

Stephen Timms MP, Labour’s Financial Secretary to the Treasury, today pushed back against George Osborne’s criticism of the temporary VAT cut and claims of “bankrupting Britain”, saying:

“Alongside countries around the world, we have injected a £20bn fiscal stimulus to help the economy. We are providing real help by cutting income tax, providing extra money for pensioners and children, helping businesses, cutting VAT and supporting people worried about repossession.

“In contrast to the Do Nothing Tory Party who are still opposing any real help”.

The war of words echoes the gulf between Labour and the Conservatives over the economic downturn which is widely seen to be the main reason the Conservatives have recently lost a 20-point lead in the opinion polls.

Stephen Timms is correct to say that Britain is not acting alone, other countries with a fiscal stimulus include the US; France; Germany; Italy; Japan; China; Spain; Australia; New Zealand; Sweden; South Korea; Portugal, and Mexico. The European Union has also acted…

A Christmas cracker for Southampton: New year cash boost for 42,260 local people

John Denham, Labour MP for Southampton Itchen has welcomed a new cash boost for 42,260 Southampton local people as part of the Labour Government’s financial help.

Following the coldest start to winter in thirty years, the Government this week formally ordered a special one-off payment of £60 to pensioners, carers, disabled people and those in receipt of bereavement benefits.

John Denham said:
“This is Christmas cracker for everyone in Southampton. I’m pleased that the Government has realised that our most vulnerable need help and it’s right that they’ve invested this extra cash. The Christmas bonus will be a real winter warmer for all who get it.”

David Lammy MP visits Sheffield, discusses widening participation in higher education

David Lammy MP, the Minister of State for Higher Education, visited Sheffield last week. Together with Paul Blomfield, Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, Mr. Lammy visited both of the city’s universities to discuss the work that the Labour government is doing to widen participation in higher education and the role of universities in supporting business during the economic downturn.

Paul Blomfield said:

“Labour is opening up higher education to everyone. In response to the aspirations of young people, we’ve set a target to get 50% of young people studying in the nation’s universities. There are 287,000 more students now than in 1997 which is a measure of how much Labour has opened up higher education to people who previously wouldn’t have had the opportunity.”

Sheffield’s Paul Blomfield welcomes new bobbies on the beat

Paul Blomfield, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Sheffield Central, has welcomed South Yorkshire Police’s announcement that it is recruiting 48 new police officers, saying that the announcement would have a big impact in tackling crime and making people feel safer.

In July 2008 Paul Blomfield discovered that South Yorkshire Police Authority had a budget underspend of £11.3 million and called for the money to be used to support the Police’s work by putting more bobbies on the beat.

Blomfield urges the Treasury to support the British car industry and protect local jobs

Paul Blomfield, Labour’s PPC for Sheffield Central, has called for the Treasury to provide help to support Jaguar and the struggling British car industry.

British car firms are struggling due to a lack of liquidity in the financial system. Paul Blomfield has called for the Treasury to provide short-term loans, repayable with interest, which would instantly put liquidity back into the system. Paul Blomfield said the knock-on effect to our manufacturing supply chain would be huge if firms like Jaguar failed.

Paul spoke after visiting the Hatfields Jaguar dealership…

AM urges UK government to back EU scheme to protect Welsh businesses

A Member of the Welsh Assembly is urging the UK Government support a decision by the European Parliament which aims to offer increased protection of bank deposits of Welsh companies and councils. Under the proposal, from 2010 onwards, bank deposit guarantees across Europe, would rise from the current level of €20,000 to €100,000 (or £18,690 to £93,450 in Sterling).

Wrexham AM, Lesley Griffiths made her call following a decision reached last week by the European Parliament that could mean that 90% of deposits by European small and medium enterprises, local authorities as well as to individual savers, will be protected against the failure of financial institutions in the future.

Westminster children to benefit from £1 million Labour government funding

Westminster City Council has just been awarded a grant of £1m from the Department of Children, Schools and Families. This money will be used to upgrade existing playgrounds and to develop new ones. This is a tremendous boost for families who often find their children’s play areas are badly maintained. Many areas in Westminster have no local play facilities at all.

Another snub for Efford residents’ views on travellers sites

Labour Councillors in Plymouth are furious after the Council avoided discussing the fate of a potential Travellers site in their area.

Councillor Peter Brookshaw failed to turn up to a meeting of the Safer Stronger Communities Scrutiny Panel today, and in so doing avoided answering any questions on the new policy he has been formulating to meet the Council’s obligations to provide more pitches for travellers and gypsies.

Cllr Andy Kerswell, who sits on the Panel and gathered a petition on the subject in May 2007 – which has still not been presented to any council committee - was very upset at Cllr Brookshaw’s no-show.

AM reveals: Lord Coe did not want unified GB football team for London 2012 Olympics

A Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly has revealed that the organisation set-up to prepare the bid for the London 2012 Olympics - headed by Sebastian Coe - did not envisage a unified GB football team playing at the Games.

The revelation has been made public by Wrexham’s Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths, who has discovered a copy of a press release published by Lord Coe’s London 2012 bid team, dated May 2004, which reveals his organisation did not anticipate nor plan for a unified Team GB side contesting for medals at London 2012.

Westminster Conservatives force up Church Street shop rents by 25%

Council refuses to freeze rents for hard-pressed shopkeepers despite claiming to have an ‘economic recovery plan’.

Labour’s Church Street Councillors Barbara Grahame and Aziz Toki have condemned Conservative-controlled Westminster City Council for increasing shop rents by 25% at a time of tough economic conditions. The Council has rejected a petition from Church Street traders to freeze rents, handed to the Council in July by Councillor Toki and will now only help those tenants who can prove they are suffering hardship by producing accounts and other financial evidence.