Chuka Umunna MP

To watch Chuka’s appearance on Question Time on BBC iPlayer, was was broadcast on Thursday evening, follow this link

Chuka will be appearing on Question Time this evening at 10.35pm on BBC One.

Also on the panel are: Edwina Currie, Chris Huhne MP, Kate Hopkins and Will Self.

A cross-party campaign has been launched calling for the remutualisation of Northern Rock, which was nationalised three years ago following its collapse as a retail bank.

Northern Rock was formed in 1965 by the merger of two smaller mutuals: England Northern Counties Permanent Building Society and the Rock Building Society, formed in 1850 and 1865 respectively. It continued to grow and operated as a traditional building society until it demutualised and floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1997. It was listed on the FTSE 100 for the first time in 2000.

Having been highly exposed to subprime lending in the US, it emerged that Northern Rock had received emergency financial support from the Bank of England and a bank run on its branches followed in September 2007. After its collapse, Northern Rock was nationalised by the then government in February 2008. Northern Rock PLC is now managed by UK Financial Investments, the company established by the government to manage the taxpayer stakes in part or wholly state-owned banks including Northern Rock PLC, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.

On January 17, UKFI issued an invitation for expressions of interest from corporate financial advisers to work with UKFI and Northern Rock in the evaluation of strategic options for the company’s future. However, the government is yet to outline a position on what form the future of Northern Rock will take. In May 2010, the coalition agreement promised to “bring forward detailed proposals to foster diversity in financial services, promote mutuals and create a more competitive banking industry”.

The remutualisation campaign launched today, which is being spearheaded by Labour Treasury Select Committee member Chuka Umunna MP, has the support of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs including former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell and Jonathan Evans, who served as a minister under John Major. Influential Labour backbencher Jon Cruddas and leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas are also signatories.

Organisations including the Building Societies Association and the trade union Unite are also backing the call for remutualisation.

Mr Umunna has tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the government to carry out a feasibility study into remutualising Northern Rock PLC and to seek further advice on this option. The EDM notes the consolidation which has occurred in the financial services sector since the financial crash of 2008 and financial mutuals strong record for customer satisfaction and links with the communities which they serve.

Additionally, mutuals’ democratic structures – which make them accountable to their customers rather than shareholders – provide a model for democratising financial services and empowering customers. Mutuals’ traditional business model excludes the kinds of risky investment which characterise many other firms in the sector.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said:

“The government has made clear its support for mutuals and diversifying the financial services sector in the Coalition Agreement. We are calling for ministers to honour this commitment and ensure a feasibility study is carried out into remutualising Northern Rock.

“If we are serious about changing the way the sector operates and its attitude, what better way to start than by remutualising Northern Rock PLC and giving life to the mutual sector.”

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has been updated on the latest progress with a major redevelopment in Streatham Hill after meeting with senior executives of developer Redefine International which is leading the project.

Redefine International confirmed to Mr Umunna that discussions are currently underway with a number of major retailers to secure the development’s anchor store, with confirmation of which store has reached a final agreement due by the end of March.

Mr Umunna was informed that work is set to begin early next year on the development, with the initial retail offering opening in 2013. The entire complex, including new homes, is due for completion in 2015.

Wentworth House on Sternhold Avenue, which was formerly occupied by a JobCentre office and has lain dormant for a number of years, is due to be demolished as part of the scheme. Mr Umunna has learned from Redefine International that Lambeth has now signed off permission for the building’s demolition, which will proceed shortly.

The developer hopes to convert the Wentworth House site into a temporary short-stay car park providing much-needed parking spaces for those using local shops, pending completion of the overall scheme. The change of use to a temporary short-stay car park is subject to council approval.

The entire development, with a site encompassing the former Caesar’s nightclub, Megabowl and adjacent properties, represents £75 million of inward investment in Streatham.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said:

“I am pleased that this redevelopment is moving forward and am pushing for it to be delivered as quickly as possible with the minimum of disruption to local residents.

“Everyone is agreed on the importance of regenerating this stretch of Streatham Hill and our High Road and the need to attract businesses to the area. I believe this project has the potential to deliver on both of these counts and improve our main shopping street.”

Chuka Umunna MP has spoken against the UK’s system of air passenger duty which adversely impacts on those travelling to the Caribbean.

Mr Umunna joined Diane Abbott MP, who secured yesterday’s adjournment debate, in highlighting the lack of fairness in the current system of air passenger duty (APD).

APD is calculated according to the location of the capital city of a destination country, which means that those travelling to the Caribbean pay more than if they were flying to Hawaii, thousands of miles further from the UK.

Although the government has said it is reviewing the system by which APD is calculated, having announced this in its June Budget, Treasury Minister Justine Greening, responding in the adjournment debate, was unable to clarify when the review will conclude when asked by Mr Umunna, and did not outline any further details.

However, she did confirm that any changes would be subject to a further consultation.

As well as the Caribbean, APD impacts on flights to all other continents.

Speaking in yesterday’s debate, Mr Umunna said:

“I represent one of the constituencies with the biggest Caribbean diaspora populations in the country. It covers Brixton, for example, and this is a huge issue in my community.

“How can it be fair to charge a greater level of tax to fly to Jamaica – there are many Jamaican families in my constituency – than to fly the whole way to Hawaii? I would appreciate an answer on that.”
Commenting after the debate, Mr Umunna said:

“The way APD is currently worked out is grossly unfair on those visiting relatives in the Caribbean and is also potentially very damaging to tourism in the region.

“I urge the government to act quickly on this issue and put in place a new, fairer system of calculating APD as soon as possible.”

Chuka Umunna MP this week intervened in a debate on the abolition of education maintenance allowance (EMA) in Parliament and voted against the government’s decision to axe the grant.

This week, the Labour opposition forced a vote in the House of Commons on EMA abolition. Last month, Mr Umunna visited Lambeth College, where 60 per cent of students receive EMA, along with shadow education secretary Andy Burnham.

During their visit, they spoke with students who said EMA meant the difference between having to walk to college or being able to use public transport, being able to eat lunch at college, and enabled them to buy books and study materials relating to their course.

At Lambeth College, which is situated in the fifth most deprived borough in London, 90% of students receiving EMA completed their course compared with 75% of non-recipients and attainment levels were higher among those who received EMA, and of those who stayed on 94% received qualifications compared with 81% for non recipients.

Commenting after the debate, Mr Umunna said: “When I spoke with students who benefit from EMA at Lambeth College, they told me they would do whatever it takes, moving heaven and earth to stay in education and finish their course.

“My fear is that without EMA, many will struggle to continue studying and others will be put off from further education. The Conservative-led government’s decision to scrap EMA is an attack on the opportunities of local young people.

“Alongside the high levels of youth unemployment announced this week, the abolition of the Future Jobs Fund and the raising of student fees to £9,000 a year, this is nothing less than an attack on a generation of young people.

This week, Parliament voted on a motion on the abolition of EMA – Chuka spoke in support of retaining the student support, which more than 3,836 young people in Lambeth benefitted from last year.

In the video above, Chuka and Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham discuss EMA during their visit to Lambeth College last month where they spoke with students there about the difference the support had made to their lives.

I was very pleased to visit the Nehemiah Project recently – a supported housing programme, which works primarily with addicts leaving prison, helping them to break free from addiction, crime and violence.

The Nehemiah Project operates in my constituency and does amazing work helping some of my most vulnerable constituents to turn their lives around by finding new jobs, apprenticeships or training , re-establishing themselves in the community and rekindling their relationships with their families. During my visit I was able to meet some of its residents and listen to their success stories, which I found truly inspiring.

I am truly grateful to The Nehemiah Project, its brilliant Chief Executive, Ms Kay Hunter Johnston, and all of her staff for their dedication and hard work. They do a wonderful job and have made a tremendously positive contribution to the lives of some of my most disadvantaged constituents. I hope they will be able to keep up the good work!

Chuka Umunna MP has hosted a reception in Parliament for volunteers and representatives from organisations who serve the local community.

House of Commons’ Speaker John Bercow, who served as a Streatham councillor in the 1980s, addressed the guests. Speaker Bercow spoke fondly of the time he spent living and working in the constituency and commented on the great community spirit and initiative present in the area.

Invitees included school chairs of governors and headteachers, block champions, members of Safer Neighbourhood Team panels and representatives of tenants and residents associations, local charities, voluntary and community organisations and faith groups.

Val Shawcross, London Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark and Ken Livingstone’s running mate for the 2012 Mayoral elections was also present to meet members of the community and addressed the event.

The event, which took place in Parliament, was held to thank and recognise the contribution made by the groups and people working to make the Streatham parliamentary constituency a better place.

Commenting on the event, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“I held this reception because I wanted to recognise and applaud the work of people locally who give something back to the community.

“There are so many people who give their time for the good of others and the community at large and it is only right that we recognise the massive contribution they make.”

Local MP Chuka Umunna recently met with Chris Burchell, Chief Executive of Southern which operates trains from Streatham Hill, Streatham, and Streatham Common stations, who was able to update Mr Umunna on timetable improvements.

More frequent services are being provided on Friday and Saturday evenings, with a new 0018 service from London Bridge to Streatham, an hour later than when the last train previously departed, and additional trains to Streatham Hill from London Victoria at 0007, 0022 and 0037 where before the last train was at 2337.

Trains will run more regularly, every 15 minutes, to Streatham Common during late Friday and Saturday evenings.

In his meeting with Mr Burchell, Mr Umunna raised the concerns of local residents about the operating company’s sheds at Streatham Hill sidings, backing on to Sternhold Avenue. Southern has pledged to implement improvements to the structures, removing one of the sheds and providing soundproofing to affected homes.

In November, the government gave the £6bn Thameslink investment programme the go-ahead but with a two-year delay. Under the plans put, Wimbledon Loop services which currently link Streatham and Tulse Hill stations with Bedford, Luton and St Pancras would have to terminate at Blackfriars.

However, through a series of parliamentary questions and discussions with Network Rail, Mr Umunna has learned that any timetable changes will have to be consulted and decided upon by the government two years before being implemented. Whether trains terminate at Blackfriars is thus a decision for the Department for Transport rather than Network Rail – operationally, it would still be possible for Wimbledon Loop trains to go directly to St Pancras and beyond

Mr Umunna will continue to campaign to keep Streatham’s direct train services beyond Blackfriars.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said: “I was pleased to learn from Southern that there are going to be more regular and later train services on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“Clearly there are outstanding obligations which have yet to be implemented in relation to the sidings and my position is clear – Southern need to get on and do what they have agreed to do for the sake of my constituents who live next to them.”