News from Surrey Labour

Why are Surrey based Ministers the focus of extreme policies?

“It has been suggested that Labour ask South East Water for a test of Surrey’s water supply to discover the reason why so many of its MPs are promoting dangerous reactionary, off the wall, ideas,” Murray Rowlands, the Chair of Labour in Surrey says.

“If we examine what they are saying the result is rather scary,” Mr Rowlands adds.

Runnymede and Chertsy – Philip Hammond MP. Transport Minister
Millionaire City businessman Hammond has withdrawn the Government grant for speed cameras. With severe cuts in local government spending many councils will be unable to pay for them in their area. Only petrol heads and Jeremy Clarkson are likely to benefit as dangerous speeding goes unchecked putting us all at risk.

Hammond is about to announce cuts in the Government’s support for rail travel meaning that fares are likely to rise by more than 8 percent.

Epsom and Ewell – Chris Grayling MP. Welfare Minister
Chris Grayling has just announced a regime of spying on people in receipt of benefits. On the other hand conspicuously absent is any attempt by the Con/Lib Government to trace serial tax avoiders. The Future Jobs Fund designed to assist the growing number of young people here out of work into training has been cut. So has a planned extension of a scheme to get every young person between 18 and 24 out of work for more than six months into training.

Guildford- Ann Milton MP – Secretary of State for Public Health
In an effort to live up to milk snatcher Thatcher Ann Milton announced moves to cut free milk to children’s nurseries. Fortunately conscious of the public relations consequences of “milk snatching” at the last minute the Government changed its mind.

Surrey Heath – Michael Gove MP- Education Minister
Moving hundreds of state schools from local authority control to academies based on similar moves in Sweden, the US and Canada was to have been the highlight of the Con/Lib Government’s policies. Unfortunately Gove’s Bill rushed through Parliament, which denies communities any say in what happens to their schools has gone down like a lead balloon. Schools and Colleges in Surrey about to begin building programmes through Labour’s Schools for the Future programme will continue to use decaying buildings. Gove’s cuts in the children’s playground scheme will see schemes often partially funded through community projects whither and die.

South West Surrey – Jeremy Hunt MP – Culture Minister
The Film Council that has brought millions of pounds into the country through the promotion of films like “Bright Star” and Bend it Like Beckham has been closed by Hunt. His statements about the future of the BBC usually contain an implicit threat to its future.

Mole Valley – Sir Paul Beresford MP
Sir Paul has just been appointed to the influential Parliamentary Committee determining MP’s expenses. But according to The Daily Telegraph Sir Paul continues to work as a dentist and uses his surgery waiting room as his constituency office.

Labour’s Day in Woking Saturday 11th September
Labour members and supporters from Surrey’s 11 constituencies will attend a meeting to consider all these cuts and those in the forthcoming Spending Review working people now face. This will take place at 2pm at Owen House.

RT Hon Ed Balls MP will speak at 5pm as part of his campaign for leadership of Labour.

Other news from Surrey Labour

• Newly appointed Chief Constable set to speak to Surrey Labour Parties - 20 February 2012
• Surrey Heath Tories forced into climb down on community meals - 12 January 2012
• Concern grows about pressure on schools to become Academies by "ideological" Gove - 8 January 2012