Chuka Umunna MP

A strike is a sign of failure which results in huge disruption and great inconvenience for all of our constituents which we could not condone. So the government and the trade unions must do all they can to thrash out a deal – this will involve compromise on both sides.

However, we cannot condemn those who faithfully serve our communities for taking industrial action. To do so would be to ignore the fact that the decision to go on strike is not one any of our constituents who work in the public sector take lightly – they feel they have been left with no other option by a government which has imposed a 3% surcharge on thousands of workers and instead of engaging in constructive dialogue, has indulged in irresponsible brinkmanship with minsters taking to the airwaves, ramping up rhetoric and refusing to negotiate.

Ministers are, in effect, imposing a 3% tax rise on thousands of public sector workers who are approaching retirement, including many who work part time such as dinner ladies and nursing assistants – the monies raised by the 3% extra contribution demanded of them are not going into the various public sector pension funds but are going straight to the Treasury. This has nothing to do with the long-term sustainability of public sector pensions.

Public sector pensions need to be reformed which is why, in government, Labour negotiated a deal under which the cost of public sector pensions was not allowed to become unsustainable. But this government acts as though it is happy to see a disruptive strike, rather than working flat out and leaving no stone unturned to reach an agreement.

Kate Hoey MP
Tessa Jowell MP
Chuka Umunna MP

For Londoners today’s Autumn Statement means

• Rising travelcard costs and no end in sight for farepayers. Only Ken will cut fares and set a course that ensures a fairer deal for Londoners.

• Tory Mayor Boris Johnson has failed to get a decent settlement for London out of the Autumn Statement. He has been awarded 4 out of 40 projects for the Infrastructure Fund lower than almost every other English region. Of the 4 projects that have been announced, only two are actually funded.

• George Osborne’s remarks about a Silvertown river crossing and a Northern line extension are little more than warm words. There is little or no detail on how the projects would be delivered or funded.

• The Government should take up Labour’s five point plan for growth and jobs – which will give up to 334,000 London firms a tax break to take on more workers, create 11,500 jobs for young Londoners and build 5,000 new homes.

More Tory fare rises

Today’s fares announcement by the Tory Mayor and Tory Chancellor means rising travelcard costs and no end in sight for farepayers:

• This is the fourth consecutive year of inflation-busting fares under the Tory mayor

• Fares in London have risen faster than anywhere else in the country during tough

economic times. Boris Johnson should use the £729 million of surplus money in his TfL budget to keep fares low.

• If Ken is elected Mayor in May 2012, in October 2012 he will cut fares, then freeze them the whole of the following year and ensure that they rise by no more than inflation in the following two years.

London’s economy in worse state

The London economy is in a worse state than it has been for more than 15 years

• 410,000 people are now unemployed in London, almost one in ten of the population. Unemployment in London is now higher than it has been at any other point since 1994. According to the latest estimates from ONS, more than one in four young people in London is unemployed.

• Only 56 affordable homes were built in London in the last 6 months, and the number of housing starts in the last quarter went down by more than 50% on the previous year.

• Between January and September, the number of 18-24 year olds on the dole for more than 6 months has doubled in more than half of London’s boroughs.

• A survey by Travelex yesterday showed that 59% of small and medium sized businesses in London expect to go into a double dip recession.

Infrastructure projects cut

The government is cutting not investing in infrastructure.

• Only 4 out of the 40 infrastructure projects outlined today are in London, less than the 10 in Yorkshire and the Humber, and less than the West Midlands, the North West, the South East and the East of England. This is despite the fact that unemployment is higher in London than anywhere else apart from the North East.

• The Tory-led Government got rid of the London Development Agency as well as agencies to promote tourism and inward investment in London

• And even these 4 are beginning to unravel once the detail emerges:

I. The Northern Line extension is a wish not a commitment. London will get no money from the Government for the Northern Line extension, and no guarantee that it will be allowed to borrow. At the earliest, this project will only begin in mid 2013.(In the Autumn Statement it says “Subject to commitment by April 2013 from a developer to develop the site and make agreed contributions, the Government will consider allowing the Mayor of London and partner authorities to borrow against the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to support this scheme.”)

II. If London receives the same as the other super-connected cities – it will get only £2 million of funding next year – 26p for every citizen

III. There are no commitments on where or when new river crossings will be built or how they will be funded. (In the Autumn Statement it says “the Government will work with the Mayor of London and Transport for London to explore options for proposed additional river crossings, for example at Silvertown.”

Child tax credits cut

As a result of George Osborne’s cuts to tax credits:

• 561,900 families in London will lose out as a result of the changes to the child element of the child tax credit

• 323,600 families in London will lose out as a result of the freeze on the couple and lone parent element of the working tax credit.

In 2008 Boris Johnson axed the childcare affordability programme which had delivered affordable childcare for thousands of London children.

Pay freezes

As a result of George Osborne’s further reductions in public sector pay

• 719,000 public sector workers will experience just 1% pay increases in the two years after a pay freeze ending in 2013. This will impoverish well over a million households in London, who will experience falling real pay every year for the lifetime of the Tory-led government

Labour’s 5 point plan in London would:

1. Create up to 11,500 jobs for young people and build 5,000 homes

2. Bring forward investment projects like new school buildings

3. Temporarily reverse the Tory-led Government’s VAT rise – a £450 boost for families with children

4. Cut VAT on home improvements to 5% for a year

5. Give up to 334,000 small firms a tax break to take on extra workers

Chuka Umunna MP has spoken out about the problem of metal theft which he says is blighting the lives and livelihoods of many people locally.  

The rising levels of metal theft have seen Church roofs stolen and even instances of war memorials being vandalized so that plaques could be sold for scrap. Metal theft has also delayed local commuters, harming the ability of people to get to work and of business to operate; a huge burden in tough economic times.

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has criticized the Government for failing to stop spiralling metal thefts and has joined with other Labour MPs to press for an immediate plan of action. The Labour plan, which has been supported by the British Transport Police, the Association of Chief Police Officers and by Neighborhood Watch is designed to stop metal theft damaging the economy, to ensure people can get to work and to better bring people to justice.

The Labour plan is to transform legislation concerning scrap metal dealers by replacing the current requirement to register with a Local Authority and replace it with a licensing system; to examine the case for banning cash transactions, especially for large scale scrap metal transactions; and to require anyone selling scrap metal to provide proof of identity, recorded at the point of sale. The Labour MPs also want tougher Police powers so that rouge traders can be closed down

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“The actions of a few are blighting our community; making it difficult for people to get to work; difficult for people to go into their own churches to pray and, horrifically, even desecrating the memory of those we have lost in war. The Conservative-led Government talked tough on crime now I would like it to prove to a doubting public that they are capable of more than merely empty words.”

“I and other Labour MPs have given the Government a plan. It is one that is good for my constituents, good for our economy and essential to enforce the rules of a decent society. I call on the Government to start paying attention to one of the many serious pressing concerns that ordinary hard-working people have and of which this Government is proving too aloof to take notice.”

“We have given the Conservative-led Government a plan. They have no excuse not to act”

This Friday 25th November 2011, Chuka is hosting a coffee afternoon between 2:00pm and 4:00pm at St Matthew’s Tenants Hall (10 St Matthew’s Road, London, SW2 1NH).

Feel free to pop by at some point during the afternoon, and to invite friends, local business owners or anyone who you think might like to raise an issue, make a suggestion, or just have a chat. Please note if you have a personal casework issue you’d like to raise, it is best to contact the constituency office directly to set up a private surgery appointment.

Shock statistics released today show just how much employment prospects in the Streatham constituency have deteriorated in the last year. Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has blamed the complacent attitude of the Conservative-led Government for failing to boost jobs and growth in the local area.

Figures released today show there are 4,310 JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) Claimants in the Streatham constituency but at the last count there were just 219 vacancies advertised at Job Centre Plus when the survey was taken in October 2011. 22% of JSA claimants, more than 1 in 5, have been out of work and claiming benefits for over a year. Over 10,000 people in the Streatham constituency are claiming one of the key out-of-work benefits.

Particularly badly hit have been women and the young. Over the last year the percentage of adult women claiming JSA locally has risen from 3.8% to 4.7%. At the same time the rate of male JSA claimants locally has risen less slowly, from 6.3% to 6.8%. Nationally, there are now over one million young people unemployed. The office of national statistics said the figure was the highest since records began. 

Chuka Umunna MP has called on the Conservative-led Government to take strong action to reverse the decline in employment prospects that has occurred since they came to power. He placed the blame firmly on the Conservative-led Government’s failing economic policy and called for them to end their complacent attitude to those struggling to find work. The Conservative Employment Minister said the youth unemployment figure was ‘a bit of a distraction’.

The Labour Party wants the Government to adopt a five-point plan for Jobs and Growth that would include a £2 billion tax on bank bonuses used to create 11,500 jobs in the capital; bringing forward long-term investment projects; reversing the Governments damaging VAT rise; and a one year cut in VAT on home improvements and a one year national insurance tax break for every small firm which takes on extra workers. 

Commenting, Mr Umunna said:

“I was saddened to read the number of people now unemployed. Unemployment is a personal tragedy for those affected and as the MP for Streatham I will not stand idly by on the sidelines while unemployment soars, as the Conservative-led Government has been doing for over a year.”

“The government’s absurd deficit reduction program, which means fewer people in jobs and more claiming benefits, is hitting consumer confidence, hitting business confidence and hitting people in Streatham hard. The figures just released demonstrate just how much of a negative effect this Conservative-led Government has had on our local community.”

“I am calling on the Government to stop its complacent attitude to our economy and towards jobs and business growth in my South London constituency. It is finally time for them to listen to the concerns ordinary people have and change course to prevent unemployment rising further”.

Chuka Umunna MP has written to Mary Portas ahead of her Independent Review into the health of Britain’s High Streets.

Chuka, who as MP for the Streatham constituency represents the longest High Street in Europe, along the A23, including Streatham High Road, regularly meets with local business so as to bring their concerns to Parliament.

To find out more click here.

Chuka Umunna MP has written to Mary Portas ahead of her report into the health of Britain’s High Streets and is due to meet with her along with other MPs to advance the case for local business.

Mary Portas, who has showcased her years of retail business experience in hit Channel 4 shows such as ‘Mary Queen of Shops’ and ‘Secret Shopper’ was asked by the government to provide an independent report on what can be done to aid Britain’s High Streets following criticism that enough was being done to foster confidence and support growth.

It is a particularly challenging time for local High Streets which are grappling with the Government’s VAT rise and low consumer spending and confidence. As MP for the Streatham constituency Chuka Umunna represents an area that includes the longest section of High Street in Europe, along the A23, including Streatham High Road.

Chuka Umunna, who is the Shadow Business Secretary, has written, along with fellow Labour MP’s Harriet Harman, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Hilary Benn, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in order to ensure that concerns about the future of Britain’s High Streets are taken into account.

The MPs are calling for the Government to enact Labour’s four-point to give local retailers the boost they need given the difficult economic situation nationally. They are calling on the Government to introduce a temporary VAT cut from 20% to 17.5%, putting £450 into every family’s pocket; to amend the the Localism Bill to give communities power to develop a strategy for retail growth in their own area; to give Councils the funds to reinvigorate high-streets blighted by empty shops; and to ensure that small business can compete fairly with big business by putting a fair competition test into the planning system.

In their letter the MPs raised their concern that chain betting shops are putting negative pressures on local high streets and exploiting vulnerable people. Gambling machines which can take up to £18,000 an hour are currently in use on London’s High Streets and there are serious concerns that deprived areas and vulnerable people are most at risk from gambling addiction and resultant hardship.

In the next few weeks Chuka Umunna MP will be continuing his regular walkabouts with local businesses and will continue to work hard to transform their concerns into positive action in Parliament.

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“I have written to Mary Portas to make the case for High Streets in my constituency and up and down the country. The Conservative-led Government, through actions such as the ill-advised VAT rise, has created a dangerous lack of confidence that is making life incredibly difficult for hard working local retailers.”

“Our Constituency has so many vibrant local Shops and it is essential that we do all we can to support them. I will be fighting the case for local businesses both in Parliament and on the ground in my constituency”

Chuka Umunna MP has visited the site where work is due to start this month on building the UK’s first National Black Heritage Centre.

The Black Cultural Archives have begun work to transform the derelict Raleigh Hall on Brixton’s Windrush Square into a purpose built National Black Heritage Centre.

Streatham constituent Dawn Hill, along with Black Cultural Archive CEO Paul Reid and Project Director Vivkek Malhorta. To find out more click here.

Chuka Umunna MP this week visited the site where work will start this month on building the UK’s first National Black Heritage Centre. The site in Brixton will become Britain’s first national institution dedicated to commemorating and celebrating the experiences of people of African and African-Caribbean descent in Britain.

The Black Cultural Archives have begun work to transform the derelict Raleigh Hall on Brixton’s Windrush Square into a purpose built National Black Heritage Centre. Work on the historic building is due to finish in 2012 and the site was visited on Friday by Chuka Umunna MP was given a hardhat tour of the site by his constituent, Dawn Hill, Cultural Archives CEO Paul Reid, Project Director Vivek Malhorta.

The Black Cultural Archives was founded in 1981 to collect, preserve and celebrate the contributions Black people have made to the culture, society and heritage of the UK but the Archives have never had a permanent, publically accessible home. The growing archive collection includes rare documents, photographs, oral history testimonies and unique centuries-old artifacts.

The National Black Heritage Centre will open in 2012 and will become the new home of the Black Cultural Archives. The project is a major development for both the UK and the local area and will enable people from all over South London, the UK and the world to celebrate and commemorate the experiences of people in Britain of African and African-Caribbean descent.

As the MP for Streatham, an area which includes parts of Brixton, Tulse Hill, Balham and Clapham, Chuka Umunna represents one of the most multicultural constituencies in the country where 22.6% of population is of African and/or Caribbean descent.

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said:

“I am delighted that the Black Cultural Archives has chosen Brixton as the perfect place for people to explore the history and culture of Black people living in the UK and look forward very much to a successful opening in 2012.”

“It is fantastic that Brixton will soon be home to the first national institution dedicated to celebrating and commemorating Black UK history.”

Chuka has received the following update on Thameslink services from the Managing Director of First Capital Connect (who operate the service), Neal Lawson.  Thameslink trains run out of Streatham and Tulse Hill rail stations which serve Chuka’s constituents.  Further updates will be posted as and when we receive them – Chuka is pressing the rail company to resolve the problems as soon as possible.  

I can confirm we are running a significantly reduced service this evening peak.

We are running to the booked timetable but there are a large number of cancellations. We are advising customers to check our live departure boards on the First Capital Connect website for the latest information.

Ticket acceptance on other routes and with other operators has not changed since my last email to you.

There is the potential for some disruption tomorrow morning but our strong desire is to avoid this by returning all our trains to their correct start points north and south of London before the route across central London is closed tonight for engineering work.

Our advice to customers is to check the live departures board on our website tomorrow morning, www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk.

Yours sincerely

Neal Lawson
Managing Director, First Capital Connect