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Regressive budget - butchery to come

(25 June 2010)The

The LibDemCon government tried to soften us up for their butchery by claiming that things were worse than they expected. But their new quango, the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), told them that they were, in fact, better.

The LibDemCon government also tell us that the debt is unmanageable. Yet it was set to peak at 75% of GDP under Labour proposals - "better than most of Europe and where it was in the 1960s," according to Sean O'Grady, economics editor of the Independent. It was 262% of GDP after the Second World War when the NHS was created and a vast house building programme was undertaken.

The LibDemCon government call their budget progressive, by which they mean that the wealthier pay more. But most of the progressive measures, like the 50% tax rate above £150,000 a year, were part of the Labour budget and not theirs. The rise in the tax threshold is less than the LibDems promised before the election and is offset by the regressive VAT increase, which the LibDems vigorously campaigned against in the General election and which the Tories "had no plans for".

On the BBC Today programme on 24 June 2010, Nick Clegg, the LibDem deputy prime minister, had the effrontery to claim that one factor making this necessary was that the government inherited plans from Labour for £44 bn of cuts in Government expenditure over the next four years. This apparently is why they have to make increased cuts (25% instead of Labour's 20%) in expenditure on top of the £13 bn each year from the VAT increase. No, we don't understand the logic either!

He also said that Labour had somehow been remiss in not saying where these cuts would come. But George Osborne will not tell us where his cuts will come either - until his autumn spending review. All that is clear is that they will be more savage.

As Vince Cable, the LibDem Business Secretary, used to say, cutting too much too soon risks a double dip recession. And the government's OBR has confirmed that growth will be lower under George Osborne's budget than it would have been if we had stayed with the Labour budget. Many predict that unemployment will rise to 10%.

Tories set to cause recession

(14 June 2010)

Don't take out word for it. Read what David Blanchflower, a former member of of the Bank of England's policy committee, told Sky News on Sunday, 13 June 2010:

"... if these plans (the proposed spending cuts) are implemented, it is almost certain that we are going to have a double dip recession .... we need a plan for growth: we shouldn't be cutting now."

Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate economist, who warned back in February that Cameron's policy was "really dangerous" (read more here), wrote on 15 June 2010 that "there is a risk that the European economy will go into double-dip recession". By contrast, he points out that Larry Summers, President Obama's economic adviser, and Tim Geithner, the Treasury Secretary, are keen on maintaining support for the recovery.

Outrageous statements from Osborne and Clegg

(1 June 2010)

George Osborne, the Chancellor, says that the economic situation is "worse than we thought" and accuses Labour of "fiddling the figures". Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, says that "our problems are more serious than we realised".

Unfortunately for them, Sir Alan Budd's Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), just set up by the Chancellor, says that Government borrowing will be £30 bn lower than expected and are likely to continue to be lower over the next few years than Alistair Darling predicted.

The structural budget deficit, according to the OBR, will be only 2.8% of GDP in five years' time, only marginally higher than the 2.5% that Alistair Darling was predicting

The OBR does say growth will be lower than Alistair Darling predicted. Of course it will, since the Government is withdrawing support for the recovery. But interestingly it cites another reason - the fall in the size of the workforce - and this is in spite of the fact that OBR assumes net immigration at a level higher than David Cameron has promised.

So much for the Tories' vaunted parent power

(31 May 2010)

Schools will be able to become academies without consulting parents (or teachers), under the Tory proposals. The head and governors can decide.

And if they become academies they will be controlled locally by a governing body appointed mainly by the sponsor - whoever that might be. Not much role for parents there, unless they themselves set up a new school. So much for parent power.

And so much for decentralisation, since ultimate oversight will be by central Government. This will also reduce the local authority's budget, so that it will have less to provide services for those with special educational needs. The fragmentation will end any consistency in admission systems or co-operation between existing specialist schools.

As for parents setting up their own schools, on the so-called "Swedish model", this will probably attract extreme religious groups and it certainly will take money away from the Building Schools for the Future programme, which has been steadily improving the facilities of existing schools. What's more,the chief inspector of Sweden's schools has said that the Swedish experiment does not improve educational standards.

Read what Fiona Millar, who is an experienced governor, had to say about this.

Don't put your country at risk

(1 May 2010)

The recovery is just beginning. The Tory response: "Let's take an extra £6 bn out of the economy."

There are 1,600 people killed at work each year. The Tory response: "Let's dismantle the Health and Safety Executive."

There are 3,500 people killed on the roads each year. The Tory response: "Let's not fund any more speed cameras."

Money is tight for the Government. The Tory response: "Let's give away £200,000 to each of the 3,000 wealthiest estates."

School results have improved enormously in the last 13 years. The Tory response:  "Let's take some money away from them and give it to parents or faith groups to set up additional schools."

The Tories - worse than you remember

Hospital waiting list down from 31,535 under Tories to 9 now

(1 May 2010)

In 1997, after  18 years of Tory rule, 31,535 people in the Eastern region had been waiting for more than six months to go into hospital. Now, under Labour, there are only nine. In many regions there are none.

And the Tories have pledged to abolish the target that cancer patients should be seen within two weeks.

Under Labour, there are 100 new hospitals, 40,000 more doctors and 83,000 more nurses. Don't put this huge improvement at risk.

David Kirkman's pledges to you

(21 April 2010)

David Kirkman's election address set out five pledges.

He said: "Labour will invest in increasing Sure Start children's centres, whereas the Tories would cut the number of centres (although they talk about "improving" the centres by having more health visitors).

"We will create a National Social Care Service to help elderly people stay in their own homes and continue to provide winter fuel allowance, bus passes and the minimum pension guarantee.

"We will help families through family allowance, tax credits and a decent minimum wage, whether or not the parents are married.

"We will expand the supply of affordable housing and give help to first time buyers. You can read Labour's housing manifesto here.

"And we will protect the environment by meeting carbon emission targets and fighting worldwide for a legally binding treaty. Read more on Labour's Green Manifesto here."

These were David's personal pledges. They are the matters about which he feels strongly. He also subscribes to the Labour pledges shown below.

If you did not seen David's election address you can view it here.

The Tories' nasty friends

(20 April 2010)

In the European Parliament the Tories left the main right-wing group and helped set up a new group, led by Michal Kaminski. A new book by Rafal Pankowski exposes Kaminski and his Law and Justice party for what it is. He says that they have called for the re-criminalisation of homosexuality and the death penalty. Whilst briefly in power, they "purified Polish culture" by withdrawing Goethe and Doestoevsky from school reading lists and taught in science lessons that Darwinism is "a literary fiction".

Richard Howitt, the Labour MEP for the Eastern Region, reviews the book in the New Statesman. Read his review here.

You can tell a man by the company he keeps - or so they say. One senior Tory did get up and walk away: read more on this.

Labour's Green Manifesto

(15 April 2010)

Labour's Green Manifesto sets out a ten point plan to meet the challenge of climate change. At its launch Ed Milliband said: 

"The first-time voters of today will be the ones who will live with the consequences of all of our decisions for years to come. Tackling climate change isn't just about avoiding disaster but also ensuring we have a prosperous future and a fair one. That's why I am proud of Labour's Green manifesto. It embodies our values, creating jobs for young people, protecting the vulnerable, standing up for the many and enshrining our commitment to fairness now and in the future."

By contrast, the Tories keep quiet about climate change, because only 5% of their candidates think that it is important (see below).

In the European Parliament, 22 of the 48 Tory MEPs either voted against or abstained from the Parliament's support for the Copenhagen summit!

You can read Labour's Green Manifesto here.

Thumbs up for SureStart children's centres from Hertfordshire parents

(15 April 2010)

99% of parents are satisfied or very satisfied with SureStart in Hertfordshire. "Children's centres play a vital role in their local communities," says the head of Hertfordshire's childhood support services.

Yet this is a service where Tory cuts could shut one in five of the centres, especially in wealthy areas like Hertfordshire. Read the Mercury report here.

Don't risk a Tory Government

(10 April 2010)

"The Labour Party is the party of recovery. The Conservative plans pose great risk," says David Kirkman in a statement to the Hertfordshire Mercury.

He says that taking money out of the economy before the recovery is firm, as the Tories plan, is just too great a risk.

He also points to the huge advances that have been made since 1997 by the Labour Government - in health, education, care of the elderly, law and order, and sport and culture.

He outlines Labour's plans for the future, supporting businesses and families - with SureStart centres, a two-week guarantee on cancer referrals, police spending more time on the beat and the immigration points system.

Read his full statement here.

General Election on May 6th

(6 April 2010)

David Kirkman, Labour's parliamentary candidate, welcomed the news that the General Election would be on 6 May.   "This gives Labour the chance to get a clear mandate to bring Britain out of the global recession," he says. "The Tories consistently opposed all the measures to revitalise the economy - and now they want to start making cuts before the recovery is established."

"This is why Labour's first pledge to you is to secure the recovery."

"In North East Hertfordshire, on the evidence of the last three elections, only Labour can beat the Tory. So even if you are disillusioned with politicians, don't waste your vote on other parties. I am a newcomer to national politics. My motivation is solely to make this country a better place for everyone."

Securing the recovery

(26 March 2010)

"In the budget, I took steps to provide the support for new jobs, businesses, families and the economy," says Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer. "We took the choice to look after people, not leave them to fend for themselves as the Tories did in the 80s and 90s."

Alastair Darling presented the Budget on 24 March 2010

The budget supports the economy until recovery is secured. It helps families with £4 a week extra child tax credits for one and two-year olds. It supports older people with an extension of the higher winter fuel allowance and state pensions rise by 2.5% in April. It extends help for mortgage holders and gives most first time buyers a stamp duty holiday for the next two years.

The extra money from the tax on bankers' bonuses will be used to boost new industries and future jobs. A Green Investment Bank will further promote the Government's programme to reduce Britain's carbon footprint.

No one under 24 will need to be unemployed for longer than six months before being offered work or training. There will be more apprenticeships and more university places.

"It is very clear that those on low incomes gain, especially if they have young children. Only those on very high incomes pay more," says David Kirkman, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for North East Hertfordshire. "The brunt of the recession has fallen on those who have lost their jobs, so help to get young people into work and to support small businesses, which provide many of the jobs in our economy, is very welcome."

"By contrast, the Tories would cut child tax credits and child trust funds for those on modest and middle incomes, and cut back on Sure Start children's centres, like the one just being enlarged in Buntingford. They would give away £200,000 to those who inherit the 3,000 richest estates, whilst we think it is right to freeze the inheritance tax threshold. So, those with the biggest inheritances would help us to pay for the care of older people."

Read more ....

Tories are trying to buy the Election

(20 March 2010)

"Michael Ashcroft is funding Tory parties in many constituencies with the money that he has not paid in tax," says David Kirkman. "Paid deliverers are going from door to door with glossy leaflets and battle buses have appeared in Labour-held constituencies like Great Yarmouth."

"In North East Herts we have no money to fund our campaign from external sources," he adds. "We get a proportion of our members' subscriptions; we raise funds through putting on events and raffles; and we get some local donations. Just about enough to run a campaign if we watch the pennies. We rely on local members to print and deliver leaflets."

When Michael Ashcroft became a peer, he gave an undertaking to become resident in Britain. It is clear that William Hague, who led the Conservative Party at that time, thought that he was undertaking to become domiciled in this country for tax purposes. Why else did he say that he would be paying "millions of pounds" in tax? Baronness Dean, who was on the committee that accepted Michael Ashcroft's undertaking, has made clear that her understanding was that he was going to pay tax fully.

"He may have observed the letter of his undertaking, but not the spirit of it," says David Kirkman. "So, I am delighted that the Chancellor has announced that one of the new tax information exchange agreements will be with Belize. Lord Ashcroft is set to be a minister if the Tories win power. Do you want a man like this in a position of power in this country?"

It's no time to change
our Government

(2 March 2010)

"But it is time to change our MP," says David Kirkman, Labour's parliamentary candidate for North East Hertfordshire.

He says that Labour takes an optimistic view of the future, believing that even in tough times we can achieve great things. By contrast, the Tories take a pessimistic view. They would "leave the recession to take its course and leave people to sink or swim." 

In the newsletter going out in parts of Letchworth Garden City, he contrasts Labour's achievements and plans with Tory past votes and future plans. For example, Labour helped people through the recession with measures such as an above-average increase in Child Tax Credit worth up to £2,235 p.a. The Tories opposed the measures to stimulate the economy in the downturn and propose cutting tax credits and the Child Trust Fund.

Read more about this in the newsletter.

Tory MEP expelled for standing against "antisemitic, racist homophobe"

(20 February 2010)

A leaked letter from Edward McMillan-Scott, a Vice-President of the European Parliament, to Conservative MPs shows just how divided the Conservative Party is. Mr McMillan Scott was summarily expelled from the Conservative Party because he stood for re-election as Vice-President against Michal Kaminski, on the grounds that the Polish MEP had "recent ... racist, homophobic and anti-semitic links". He felt that it was a point of principle that such a person should not take over from him as Vice-President for human rights and democracy.

He points out that the nomination of Michal Kaminski had not been endorsed through the procedures of the Tory MEP group. Having failed to become Vice-President, Mr Kaminski now leads the right-wing group to which the Tory MEPs belong.

Edward McMillan Scott has been a Tory MEP since 1984 and used to be leader of the Tory group. He has been cast aside by David Cameron for an extreme right-wing politician. You can read what he says on the website of our own Labour MEP, Richard Howitt.

Cameron's policy called "really dangerous" by Nobel Laureate

(10 February 2010)

Nobel laureate economist, Joseph Stiglitz has called the policy of beginning now to pay off Government debt "fiscal fetishism" and says that it is "really dangerous".   Joseph Stiglitz, who was chief economist at the World Bank and chaired President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, advises that "cutting back means the economy goes into downturn and the market will lose even more confidence, as it will trigger another recession ..."

Interviewed in The Independent on 9 February 2010, he said the idea that the markets could be appeased by a modest cut in the deficit, as David Cameron has suggested, was anthropomorphic stupidity. Instead, he urged Gordon Brown to hold his nerve, defy the markets and ignore those who want him to start reducing the budget deficit.

He added that it was "unconsionable" that the Government was being held to ransom by the very credit agencies which fouled up so badly over sub-prime mortages.

You can read the full interview here.

Council tax election bribe

(5 February 2010)

"After years of complaining that the Labour Government was not giving them enough money, the Tories at County Hall have suddenly decided that they do have enough and will not be putting up the Council tax," says David Kirkman, Labour's parliamentary candidate for North East Hertfordshire (pictured right).

"This could not have anything to do with the forthcoming General Election, could it? Surely they would not be putting services to the people of Hertfordshire at risk for electoral advantage. So, it must be that they have come to realise that their grant from the Labour Government - protected as it is by the mechanism which protects Hertfordshire from a sudden reduction to the level of other councils - is a very generous one."

Click here to read David's letter in the Letchworth and Baldock Comet.

Have you heard what David Cameron thinks of the Copenhagen Accord?

(22 January 2010)

No, neither have we.....

This is the most important issue facing the world, but the Tories are so divided on it that their leader is frightened to say anything at all. 

And here is why. A survey published on 20 January 2010 showed that, of 141 Tory candidates questioned, only 8 gave "reducing Britain's carbon footprint" a rating of 5 (most important) on a scale of 1 to 5. Not nearly as important, apparently, as reducing welfare bills (59) or cutting red tape (73). The top priority was reducing the budget deficit (112). The survey was conducted by the ConservativeHome website.

So, now we know. David Cameron may be sincere when he says that the issue of climate change is of the highest importance, but, if he were to be elected, he would be backed by a party which does not. Our children and grand-children deserve better than this.

Read more about the Copenhagen conference.

See what Labour has done for
the National Health Service

(5 January 2010)

Go and look at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage and see all the building work that is going on. Go and look at the County Hospital in Hertford - completely rebuilt and with a new Urgent Care Centre, so that you do not have to go to A&E if you cut yourself or need an X-ray. At Addenbrooke's in Cambridge a brand new eye unit opened last March. Remember that there are 40,000 more doctors than there were under the Tories and 83,000 more nurses.

Is this money wasted, as people say? Do you want to go back to waiting 18 months to go into hospital? The average now is 18 weeks and waiting more than 6 months has almost been  eliminated!

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