Chuka Umunna MP

Last month, Chuka attended the launch of Lambeth College’s London Programme, of which he is a patron, and presented graduation awards to its initial participants.

The innovative programme gives young people the opportunity to develop their skills and demonstrate their employability and is delivered in partnership with businesses.

Further details on the programme are here

Chuka and his fellow Lambeth and Southwark Labour MPs issued this statement, which is in the current edition of the South London Press, in response to the recent shootings taking place in their respective constituencies.

Over the last few months local people will have digested various reports of shootings of young people in our communities with a mixture of shock, disbelief and, at times, weary resignation.

99% of London’s youth are not involved in serious youth violence but we have a problem in London. We have had for some years now. Our young people know this because too many of them are living with the fear that it will affect them, nevermind the other innocent bystanders who unwittingly find themselves caught in the middle of conflict.

The numbers of fatalities are not what they were in the watershed year of 2007 but one life lost to violence on our streets is one too many – it blights our community.

The last government introduced a range of measures designed to tackle these problems by, for example, introducing Safer Neighbourhood Teams in every ward and implementing a national Youth Crime Action Plan including street based teams of youth workers and ex-gang members working with young people. And, of course, each of us works hard with our constituents to reduce this aggressive behaviour in each of our constituencies.

The causes are complex and varied and the violence will not be solved over night: gangs becoming surrogate families for too many young people, family breakdown, adults working so many hours but deprived of time to spend with their children, the need for more youth provision and the easy circulation of firearms in the community are all contributing factors.

But let there be no doubt – people in Lambeth & Southwark are saying with one voice that this violence is unacceptable, we will not stand by and let it happen. The solutions for the future will be found in the partnership between the communities of Lambeth and Southwark, the Police and elected representatives. We pledge to work to that end.

Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP (Lab, Camberwell & Peckham)
Kate Hoey MP (Lab, Vauxhall)
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP (Lab, Dulwich & West Norwood)
Chuka Umunna MP (Lab, Streatham)

Last week, Chuka attended and spoke at the announcement of Lambeth’s youth election results. He also presented a Democracy Award to Elmgreen School, which had the highest turnout in the elections, which are open to young people aged between 11 and 19.

Congratulations to all candidates who took part, and in particular to David Oyedele who was elected Youth Mayor and Naomi Mwakamowo who was elected Lambeth’s Youth Parliament member, Jeremiah Emmanuel, elected Deputy MYP and Jacqueline Gomes, elected as Deputy Mayor.

During Apprenticeship Week, Chuka was invited to speak at an event at Brixton Music Bar to promote and celebrate apprenticeships.

Ixion CG, an organisation which places young people into apprenticeships, held the event to highlight the benefits apprenticeships offer both to the young people they work with, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and to employers.

Commenting, Chuka said:

“I was honoured to speak at the event and especially enjoyed meeting some of the inspiring young people who have had a chance to embark on a new career route as a result of an apprenticeship placement.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for local businesses to support our community’s young people by giving them the practical work experience that can help them achieve their ambitions, so I hope that more businesses are able to follow in the footsteps of Brixton Music Bar and take on apprentices.”

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 morning, Labour launched the Speak Out For Your Generation campaign, with a Christmas invitation for young people to join the party for just 1p until May.

The campaign brings together issues affecting children and young people including Sure Start, the government’s decision to increase student fees and scrap EMA – there will be a vote in Parliament on EMA in the New Year. To find out more, follow this link.

Luke Lawar, formerly a student at Lambeth College in Clapham, became the first person to join the Labour Party for 1p this morning and spoke on the difference which receiving EMA has made in enabling him to pursue his ambitions.

Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham today visited Lambeth College in Clapham with local MP Chuka Umunna and shadow minister for further education Gordon Marsden to speak to students affected by the government’s withdrawal of education maintenance allowance (EMA).

The trio spoke with students currently studying at the college who said the removal of EMA would mean they would not be able to afford textbooks or would have to go without eating during their days studying.

At Lambeth College, which is situated in the fifth most deprived borough in London, 60% of students receive EMA and of these, 85 per cent receive the full amount of £30 per week. In academic year 2009/10, 90% of students receiving EMA completed their course compared with 75% of non-recipients.

Lambeth College Principal Richard Chambers and Chair of Governors Dame Lorna Boreland-Kelly have written to Mr Umunna to voice opposition to the government’s decision to abolish EMA. In their letter, they say: “We believe that the Department of Education has made the wrong decision and that disadvantaged young people in Lambeth and adjoining boroughs will suffer as a result of the decision.”
Commenting, Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham said:

“For young people from less well-off backgrounds, EMA provides a helping hand to succeed. By scrapping EMAs and trebling tuition fees, the Government is pulling up the drawbridge and kicking away the ladder. They seem intent on creating a segregated and elitist education system where success is possible for the few, not for everyone. The risk is a lost generation of students, who have the talent but not the financial means to stay in post-16 education.”

Local MP Chuka Umunna said:

“More than 60% of students at Lambeth College receive EMA and it makes a real difference – those getting the support are more likely to achieve a qualification and less likely to drop out of their course as a result.

“The number of young people from Lambeth going to university went up by more than 80% between 1997 and 2009. The government’s withdrawal of EMA threatens to undo this good work and prevent talented young people from staying on in education.”

Chuka visited Lambeth College this morning with shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham and shadow minister for further education Gordon Marsden to talk with students affected by the government’s abolition of education maintenance allowance.

Lambeth College is located in the fifth most deprived borough of London and 60% of students receive EMA, of these 85% receive the full amount of £30 per week. In the academic year 2009/10, 90% of students receiving EMA completed their course compared with 75% of non-recipients.

Commenting on the cut, Chuka said

“More than 60% of students at Lambeth College receive EMA and it makes a real difference – those getting the support are more likely to achieve a qualification and less likely to drop out of their course as a result.

“The number of young people from Lambeth going to university went up by more than 80% between 1997 and 2009. The government’s withdrawal of EMA threatens to undo this good work and prevent talented young people from staying on in education.”

Luke, a former student from the college, then took part in a roundtable discussion chaired by Andy Burnham to a in Westminster, where he spoke about the positive impact of EMA and how it enabled him to pursue his ambition of going to university.

This afternoon, Chuka spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on the future of support for further education students to defend EMA and pass on comments made by students at Lambeth College this morning.

Chuka has demonstrated his support for Labour Students’ Stand up for Students campaign against the government’s increase in tuition fees by signing a letter to Vince Cable calling for a fairer funding system for higher education.

Not only will many students be deterred from applying to university because of the higher fees, but, as the letter points out, the £9,000 fees will not lead to an increase in funding for universities with higher fees being introduced to plug a funding gap caused by the decision to cut higher education funding.

As well as voting against the increase in fees, Chuka spoke in the House of Commons debate on the matter citing the correspondence he has received on the issue and the effect it will have on the young people in Streatham.

Between 1997 and 2009, there was an 81% increase in the number of young people going to university in the area; however, as a constituency in the fifth most deprived borough in London, the increase in fees, in addition to the cut of Education Maintenance Allowance, will almost certainly be affect the number of young people applying to university.

The Stand up for Students’ letter is online, and you can show your support by signing it.

The government’s announcement today of the abolition of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has cast doubts over the future of local youth offending teams dedicated to preventing crime among young people.

In an adjournment debate held in Parliament last month and initiated by Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham, the important role which youth offending teams play in preventing re-offending among young people was highlighted.

The teams, which work in the community and are assigned to each local authority area, have been funded by the Youth Justice Board. They work across different agencies, providing help and expertise with rehabilitation and supervision.

Home Office Minister James Brokenshire, who wrote to Mr Umunna following the debate, said in his letter: “The YJB has the important aim of preventing youth offending…the Government intends to do everything possible to ensure the best outcomes for young people, their families and communities.”

So far this year, over 1,200 teenagers in London have been victims of knife crime , 145 have been victims of gun crime, and 15 teenagers have been murdered in London.

In July, Zac Olumegbon, a constituent of Mr Umunna, was stabbed and killed outside Park Campus in West Norwood. Mr Umunna raised this with the Prime Minister on 7 July.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said: “The abolition of the Youth Justice Board is deeply concerning given the problems we have had with youth gun and knife crime this year.
“Youth Offending Teams play a hugely important role, working in the community to prevent young people offending and re-offending. For me, this decision reflects a failure to grasp the urgency of this issue on the part of the government.”