December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

6 Exclusive interview: CONTENTS Vince Cable discusses with Marcus Papadopoulos the 10th anniversary of the 2008 Financial Crisis 10 CORRIDORS:

Theresa May on taking the UK forward, in a post- Brexit world

Andrea Jenkyns considers what 2019 has in store for Britain

Layla Moran calls for a fresh approach to the education debate

Edward Argar sets out the Victims Strategy

Kerry McCarthy discusses slavery in supermarket supply chains

Mohammad Yasin assesses the state of the UK’s penal system 20 SPOTLIGHT: STRENGTHENING THE UK HOSPITALITY SECTOR FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UK ECONOMY

Nigel Evans, Angela Smith, Owen Paterson, Helen Goodman, Grahame Morris and Lord Christopher Holmes 34 DIARY PAGE:

Nigel Nelson

Publisher & Editor: Design and Production Consultant: Published by: The views expressed in Politics First Marcus Papadopoulos Jonathan Allinson First Publishing Limited are not necessarily those of First c/o Knowledge Exchange Group Publishing Limited and its directors. Editorial Advisor: Website Manager: 1 Northumberland Avenue Keith Richmond Kris Apro Trafalgar Square London Editorial Board: Finance Director: WC2N 5BW Senel Govind Lionel Zetter editor@firstpublishing.org Paul Routledge Editorial and Subscriptions: www.politicsfirst.org.uk John Bretherton Tel: 0797 237 4529 © First Publishing Limited Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company Terry Ashton ISSN 2046-4258 using only paper from FSC/PEFC suppliers Michael Pownall Company number: 7965752 www.magprint.co.uk ADVERTORIAL December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk WELCOME

With 31st March, 2019, looming - the date upon which Britain is set to leave the European Union - the UK economy is poised to enter uncharted waters. Will the British Government be able to secure new trade deals and, if so, how beneficial will they be to the UK? The concern of some economists is that, contrary to the proclamation of the Brexit camp, countries will not be “queuing up” to sign trade agreements with Britain, after it leaves the European bloc. There is, however, one component of the UK economy which, undoubtedly, is able to be capitalised on even more, to the benefit of Britain – and this is the hospitality sector. According to the Office for National Statistics, the total turnover of UK hospitality businesses in 2017 was £98 billion, which was up from £92 billion in 2016. And it is approximated that UK hospitality employs 2.5 million people. Alas, it is abundantly evident as to why that sector could become all the more significant for the British economy in a post-Brexit world. It follows, therefore, that the Spotlight of this edition of Politics First is UK hospitality, with Nigel Evans, Angela Smith, Owen Paterson, Helen Goodman, Grahame Morris and Dr Marcus Papadopoulos, Christopher Holmes discussing the current status of the sector, how it can be enhanced and Publisher and Editor of Politics First the challenges which it faces. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2008 Financial Crash, which was the most devastating to strike Britain since the Wall Street Crash, in 1929. To discuss the tumultuous events of 2008 and their aftermath, Vince Cable, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, gives Politics First an exclusive interview. In the Corridors section, Prime Minister Theresa May sets out her vision for taking Britain forward, Edward Argar explains the Victims Strategy, and Kerry McCarthy highlights slavery in supermarket supply chains. Andrea Jenkyns considers what 2019 has in store for the UK, while Layla Moran contends that the education debate needs to be reset and reframed. That just leaves me to wish Politics First’s readers a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I look forward to working with you in 2019.

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05 politics first | Exclusive Interview December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

The financial crisis which struck the world in 2008 was the most devastating since the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and the effect of this profound shock was the deepest recession Vince experienced in the UK - and many other countries in the West - since the Second World War. Cable For the British public, the most painful legacy of the financial crash is the deficit reduction measures, imposed by the Coalition REFLECTING ON THE Government in 2010, following Alistair th Darling’s commitment to eliminate the vast 10 ANNIVERSARY OF post-crisis deficit. THE FINANCIAL CRISIS As for the UK economy, some economists contend that the legacy of 2008 is that GDP, Vince Cable today, is £300 billion, or 16 per cent, smaller , Leader of the Liberal Democrats, than what it should be had the crash not speaks with Marcus Papadopoulos about his occurred, based on growth forecasts in 2007. memories of the 2008 Financial Crisis and Ten years on, the memories of the crash what has been learnt in Britain since then continue to haunt British society as a whole. However, lessons have been learnt since 2008, and the banking system in the UK has experienced substantial reforms. To discuss the legacy and lessons of the tumultuous events of ten years ago, is Vince Cable, the leader of the Liberal Democrats. As Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills throughout the duration of the Coalition Government, together with being a recognised and highly respected authority on economics, Vince Cable is perfectly placed to look back on 2008 and consider how far the banking system has come since then. In this exclusive interview, Vince shares his memories not only from ten years ago but also from 2007, discusses whether he saw the financial crash coming, considers the causes and costs to the UK economy of what happened, opines on the reforms that the banking system has gone through, and whether a crash of the same magnitude, as in 2008, could occur again. 06 07 politics first | Exclusive Interview

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis Vince Cable

Q. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 2008 Financial full momentum before impacting on the rest of the world. So while I Crisis. What are your memories from that time? did know that the banks were getting out of their depth, I never quite foresaw the scale of the banking crisis which eventually emerged with Born on 9 May, A. My most vivid memory is actually of the year before, in 2007, when I devastating impact. was climbing in the Lake District and a telephone call came through to 1943, in York; me from the Daily Mail, asking for a comment on the problems which Q. How would you define the causes and costs of what happened were being experienced by a bank called Northern Rock. So I gave in 2008 to the UK economy? Attended Nunthorpe Grammar School; some suitably critical comments which made the front cover of the A. There were several inter-related, underlying causes for the crash. Daily Mail the next day, and thereafter I became the come-to-person Reckless bank lending and securitisation was connected with the studied Economics for the media on the baking crisis. Alas, throughout 2007 and 2008, way in which international banking had become much more inter- at Fitzwilliam I was perpetually commenting on the crisis in the banking system, connected, which, in turn, made bankers feel completely safe. College, University of especially on both Northern Rock and the Lehman Brothers. I have Bankers had an implicit guarantee that banks were deemed too big to Cambridge; and then evocative memories of the week after Lehman when the whole system fail so they felt assured to lend recklessly with limited capital. Now, in was in meltdown and I was trying to comprehend the sheer scale and terms of the UK, the argument that the crisis was all the fault of Gordon received a PhD in seriousness of what had befallen the banking system, while trying to Brown was - and remains - wrong, in my view. The problem was that Economics from the give a responsible and intelligent commentary on the matter. the British banking sector was so big, relative to our economy, that University of Glasgow; Q. Was that a crisis you suspected was coming? any banking crisis was going to affect the UK more seriously than elsewhere – and it did. That was an indictment of successive UK From 1966 to 1968, A. Well, not of that magnitude, no. I had been concerned, for some governments having allowed the banking sector to dominate the UK Q. How far has banking reform come since 2008? served as a Treasury years, of what I considered to be reckless mortgage lending which economy far too much. Finally, turning to costs, the 2008 crisis was Finance Officer to the was pushing up houses prices to unsustainable levels and heavily the most damaging financial crisis to engulf Britain since the inter-war A. Well, reform has come a long way since then. The main reform which I was involved in, when involving the banks in mortgages which went far beyond prudent period. It was the first time that banks had collapsed since the middle I was Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, during the time of the Coalition Kenyan Government; levels. However, what I had not fully understood, at the time, was the of the nineteenth-century. And the result of that was a substantial loss Government, was the Vickers Commission, which led to the splitting of the investment banks From the early 1970s extent to which that was supported by securitisation and the extent to of income and wealth, though this could have been far worse had the and the retail banks. That reform has, undoubtedly, made the banks much safer, coupled with the which this was not just a British problem but also an American one crisis not been properly dealt with, and I credit Gordon Brown and to the mid-1970s, fact that banks are now required to hold significantly more capital. However, the problem today because it was in the United States where the crisis developed its Alistair Darling for their initial actions to shore up the system. served as First is not with the major banks themselves but with the shadow banks which are operating without Secretary in the Latin the same level of supervision. Furthermore, there are some major problems in the emerging markets, like the Chinese, which could potentially be transmitted to the UK. But, in short, the big American Department banks are safer today than they were before. of the Foreign and Commonwealth Q. Could, what happened 10 years, reoccur, and, if so, how can it be prevented? Office; A. The metaphor which I would use is that lightning is unlikely to strike twice in the same place but we have not abolished lightning. There will always be lightning and there will always be financial Elected as the Liberal crises. The most important thing to make sure of is that the banking institutions are as safe as Democrat MP for possible, which they are today, though the same cannot be said of the financial system as a Twickenham between whole. One of my worries is that some of the mechanisms which we would normally use to fight 1997 and 2015, and a crisis, such as letting government debt rise, would not be so easily available to fight another then from 2017 to the crisis today because we spent a lot of our money fighting the consequences of the 2008 crisis. present; Served as the

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010

The problem today is to 2015; not with the major banks Since 2017, has been “ the Leader of the “themselves but with the Liberal Democrats. shadow banks

08 09 politics first | Corridors December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

A GLOBAL BRITAIN THAT IS UNITED, fantastic examination results by delivering a revolution in technical FAIR AND OUTWARD-LOOKING education, so that every child has the skills they need to get on in life. We are making sure that we leave the environment in a better state for our children with our 25 Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Year Environment Plan. And we and Leader of the Conservative Party are restoring the dream of home ownership through helping as many We have, within our reach, a Brexit for the people – that people as possible to get a foot on the housing ladder – building more delivers on the referendum result and protects jobs, security homes, boosting Help to Buy and and the precious Union between the four nations of the UK. scrapping stamp duty for most first- time buyers. Our country is faced with a moment of opportunity which This summer, we learnt that, for we can – and must – grasp in order to build a better life for the first time ever, 100 per cent of ordinary working people. large employers in the UK published

their gender pay data, following the introduction of mandatory reporting by a Conservative Government. By making that information public,

organisations no longer have anywhere to hide, helping us to close the gender pay gap for good. And in October of last year, the “ Government published the first ever Race Disparity Audit to shine We must make our economy a light on how people from ethnic minorities are treated by public services, so that we can make sure truly work for everyone everyone is treated fairly. We will show how we can even further realise our country’s great potential after Brexit by building a stronger, fairer country. A country Realising our country’s great potential after 30 million workers, taking four million of where, if you work hard and do “ Brexit starts with taking action here at home. We the lowest paid workers out of income tax the right thing, you will have the must make our economy truly work for everyone altogether. Our modern Industrial Strategy is opportunity of getting on in life and and heal the divisions caused by Brexit and the delivering better jobs for families across the being rewarded for your hard work. Scottish independence referendum. country, building on the work we have done A country that is a great place to to help businesses cut unemployment to its When I became Prime Minister, over live and to raise a family in, where lowest level since the 1970s. two years ago, I vowed to build a country you can have access to high-quality that works for everyone – delivering on the We are investing more in our public public services whenever you need British people’s instruction to leave the services, announcing a historic five-year them, and can succeed whatever European Union, continuing the work of a budget settlement for our NHS. Our long-term your background is. A Global Britain reforming Conservative Government, while plan will increase its budget by £394 million a that is united, fair and outward- tackling the burning injustices that hold too week and ensure all money goes to the frontline, looking. many people back. cementing its position as the best healthcare Through building on the progress system in the world. Over two years on, we have made real which we have already made, and progress. We are continuing our mission to get the through grasping this moment of Our balanced approach to the economy best education for every child – with 1.9 million great opportunity, we can realise our has seen debt fall for the first time in a more children now in good or outstanding country’s great potential and build a generation. We have cut income tax for schools. And we will build on this year’s Britain fit for the future. 10 11 politics first | Corridors

The need to reset and reframe the education debate

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education and MP for Oxford West and Abingdon The year 2019 looks set to be dominated by Brexit. Like many, I have learned not to make predictions about politics, but whatever happens over the coming weeks and months, there can be no doubt that the fallout from Brexit will dominate politics in 2019.

Now, I am an optimist hence I am education system to look like and - crucially We must start thinking about how we can expecting Parliament to see sense for a - why. equip young people to thrive in a world where People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal and We need to prepare our children and their the future is inherently uncertain; a system then to fight for the UK to reject the deal and children for the world that they will work in. which enables the best ideas to flourish; that remain in the European Union. The future economy demands a workforce enables every child to reach their potential; Yet, whether or not that happens, I am clear that is flexible, emotive, creative. But the and in which teachers are respected, valued that in 2019 we must re-set the domestic Government is focused on rote-learning. and supported. agenda that has been so devastatingly I am determined that we reset and reframe We must also remember that educational ignored by Brexit. the education debate. To do so, we must start opportunity does not start and end with a Brexit has swallowed up all of the not with the present but with the future. What ding of a school bell. We cannot forget out Government’s people power and political would a perfect vision of a future education of school provision, when we develop those capital. Yet, trans people are crying out for system look like, and how do we get there proposals. Youth services are crumbling, and overdue reform of the Gender Recognition from where we are now? the system for special educational needs and Act. The desperately needed social care disabilities for young people desperately green paper has been delayed time and time That is why I am bringing together educational professionals, academics, and needs to be improved. Those ‘wrap-around’ again. And the people of Northern Ireland services are vital to social mobility and desperately need the Government to get talks union and business representatives - their backgrounds are from all parties and none. building the type of society which we want up and running so that devolved government to live in. can be restored. Those issues, and so And whilst I am convening that, I will not sit many more, have been drowned out by the on it. It will be independently chaired and it It is clear to remainers, leavers and those unrelenting focus of Government, Parliament, is independent of the Liberal Democrats, too. who do not care either way that the focus for the civil service and political journalists on What I am doing has to have scope beyond 2019 must be on healing the divides in the all things exiting the EU. any one vision or political party. We need to country. And there is no better place to start Now for me, nothing is more important stop using education as a political football. than making sure we are not failing the next than education. As a former teacher, And to do that, we need to start playing generation with a school system designed education is my whole reason for having together. for the twentieth-century. Schools are the entered politics. In the 18 months that I have I want to move the political debate onto foundation of our liberal democracy, where been an MP, it feels like the country is moving how we create an exciting vision for education children learn how to get on together and further and further away from a world-class which transcends party political lines; and work together, and constitutes one of the few education for all. how we can offer a radical but credible vision spaces where they can mix with others from That is why I am launching a pan-political of how education should work in the future. different backgrounds. commission on the future of education. For Crucially, we must have evidence-based Next year must be the year in which we too long, debate around our education system policy, instead of the political whims of the demand better for our education system and has tinkered around the edges; instead, what current occupants of the Department for for our country, no matter what happens with we need is bold thinking on what we want our Education. Brexit. 12 politics first | Corridors

What lies in store for the UK in 2019?

Andrea Jenkyns, Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood

Prime Minister Harold Wilson once said that “a week is a long time in politics”. However, it was not until I became elected in 2015 that those words hit home. If a week is a long time, then a year can seem like a lifetime.

Who would have thought at the end of that will likely happen sometime between captured the attention of the 17.4 million 2017 that in the coming year we would January and March 2019; however, this vote people who voted to leave at the 2016 EU see so much happen? Cabinet reshuffles, has to occur by 14th March 2019. referendum. In 2019 and 2020, we will need microbeads and ivory sales being banned, March 21st, 2019, will be the last European to start laying the groundwork for creating a the Chequers plan, the hottest summer on Council meeting that Britain will attend. That bold vision for Brexit that the whole country record, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s has been dubbed the “goodbye meeting” and can get behind and support. wedding, and the England football team’s all of the EU leaders will be in attendance. Brexit provides the UK with a fantastic fantastic performance at the World Cup in th opportunity to take advantage of the exciting Russia, to name but a few of the events of Now time for the exciting stuff! On 29 place that the twenty-first century is going 2018. March, 2019, Britain will finally have officially left the EU. Barring an extension - which I to be. We need to look beyond the borders What lies in store for Britain in 2019? I will strongly object to - Britain will officially of Europe and seek new trade deals with the am not one for making predictions, but no leave the EU two years after the Prime economic powerhouses of tomorrow. Brexit doubt Brexit will continue to dominate much Minister triggered Article 50. Currently, Big will provide us with the opportunity to sign of the political agenda in 2019. I, therefore, Ben is undergoing some much-needed free trade deals with countries which were thought I would take this opportunity to talk maintenance works; however, on Brexit Day, you through a few of the critical dates and previously closed to us and this will help us Big Ben will bong Britain into Brexit. I have votes on that important subject in 2019. forge closer ties with the rest of the world. also started preparing plans for a small I said at the beginning of this article that Depending on the final deal, the vote could gathering to celebrate that historic day. cause problems for the Prime Minister as I do not like to make predictions; however, she could face rebellions by the Democratic So that is it for Brexit and 2019, but while I firmly believe that Britain’s best days lie Unionist Party and some of my backbench I have your attention, I thought I would finish ahead outside of the EU. In 2019, we will colleagues. Only time will tell. the Brexit story as we are not quite there yet, need to start coming together and finally unfortunately. The 21st January, 2019, is the no deal deliver on the promises made to the British legal cut-off date. That is the very last cut-off It will not be until the end of next year, people at the referendum. st date for a deal to be presented to Parliament 31 December, 2020, that that transition under UK law. If no withdrawal agreement is period ends. The Prime Minister negotiated presented to MPs by that date, MPs will get a a 21-month Brexit transition period under vote on what should happen next. A second which the UK will continue to follow EU rules referendum? An extension? I certainly hope as if nothing has changed. Therefore, it will that those prospects do not transpire so this not be until the end of 2020 that Britain will will be a very important date in my diary. be free of all the interference from the EU’s But it is not only the UK Parliament which red tape. has a vote on the exit deal - the European So, therefore, it will not be until 2021 that Parliament also has to vote the deal through. Britain can start being the Global Britain that Depending on the progress of the final deal, excites so many of my Brexit colleagues and 14 politics first | Corridors December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

Explaining the benefits of state Explaining the Victims Strategy ownership of the railways

Andy McDonald, Shadow Transport Secretary Edward Argar, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice and Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Conservative MP for Charnwood “A fully integrated railway in public ownership” is Jeremy For most people in this country, the criminal justice system Corbyn’s succinct summary of what the railway should be. may be something of a mystery. Many will never come into Crucially, Jeremy’s statement focuses on the fact that contact with it. For those who do, often it will be because public ownership, under the next Labour Government, they themselves have been the victim of a crime. All too will enable us to put our railway back together again. often, they are left picking up the pieces after their ordeal – physically, emotionally, and financially.

When the Conservative Government an example, one official report found over 300 mind function and ensure that day-to-day Since being appointed to my role as Minister We have also reaffirmed our commitment its way through the justice system. We are privatised the railway in 1993, it broke it into lots people are employed full time on the railway to operation and future development of the tracks for Victims, I have made it a priority to get out and to a Victims’ Law. We will consult on how best listening to victims and will continue to of bite-size pieces for investors to buy. Twenty- argue about which company is responsible for and the trains are properly coordinated with talk to those affected. Their message is clear: to enshrine victims’ entitlements in the law, do so, including explaining implications five years later, after continuous attempts to delays (“delay attribution”). one another. they want to be treated with dignity, humanity, the details of legislation, and explore how at each stage for them and for offenders, fill the cracks, the re-timetabling disaster has For rail users, fragmentation means a On top of the fragmentation damage, there and compassion; they want clear, timely, and we can increase the power of the Victims’ decisions not to prosecute, and the right to highlighted, once again, how the private system confusing mess of ticketing arrangements is the problem of money haemorrhaging to accurate information about what is happening Commissioner to better hold the system review police and Crown Prosecution Service of running the railway is still broken. instead of ease-of-use and simplicity, with shareholders, rather than being invested in with their cases from day one; and they want the to account. The strategy also sets out extra decisions. We will also review and consider The cost exacted on rail travellers by the different rules about things like off-peak fares rail. A minimum estimate is that over £700 opportunity and support to make their voices funding for specialist support to meet the further extension of the Unduly Lenient disrupted, fragmented railway is huge, both in on different parts of the railway. Passenger million per year flows out of the railway into heard throughout the process. Someone who needs of victims of particularly pernicious Sentence scheme so that a wider range of financial and personal terms. There is now the information is often wrong or absent due to the the pockets of shareholders. is a victim of crime should not then become a crimes which are on the rise, such as violent sentences can be challenged if victims or the widest consensus since privatisation that the breaks in the system. Trains that could easily be Profit leakage from the privatised railway victim of the process that follows. assaults and sexual and domestic abuse. public think the punishment does not match railway cannot continue in its present form, held to connect with slightly late services rarely occurs in many places. In addition to the train This first-ever cross-government Victims The reality is that the nature of crime the severity of the crime. with overwhelming public support (including wait because they are run by mutually hostile operating companies taking their profit, there Strategy reflects our clear commitment to is changing and we must ensure that the voters for all political parties) for the railway private train companies. No part of the railway And in the aftermath of a trial, timely are many tiers of private subcontractors to victims. It is about supporting victims to speak support which victims receive, including to be brought back into public ownership and takes a responsibility to get people to their final communication that takes account of the Network Rail, with each tier taking its profit. up by giving them the certainty that they will compensation, evolves to reflect this. We operated as a coherent whole. destination. Then to add insult to injury, when sensitivities behind each crime and case is On top of that, privatisation established an be understood, protected, and supported will be reviewing the Criminal Injuries passengers seek redress, different parts of the crucial. We recognise that that is especially Both the public and rail professionals absurd system of perpetually renting trains, throughout their journey, regardless of their Compensation Scheme, with a particular railway blame one another. true during the parole process. understand that a railway system works best with exorbitant rents in a captive market circumstances or background. It will by no focus on how we treat the victims of child as a unified network. Even those clinging to A survey of 2,600 rail users found one fifth delivering double-digit profits to the train hire means be a quick fix. However, the measures sexual abuse and terrorism. We will also Alongside our review of parole, we privatisation, despite all the accumulated had not been allowed to transfer their train tickets companies, in one case reaching 60 per cent. contained within it will make a real difference abolish the arbitrary and unfair ‘same will also allow more victims to deliver evidence of its failure, know it but will not admit to another train company, even when services For an indication of what that £700 million for victims. roof rule’ so that victims can receive the their Victim Personal Statements at parole it. The continuing problem for implementation of had been disrupted. Two-thirds complained of of annual profit leakage could do to improve First, we want to strengthen the Victims’ compensation they are rightly due. hearings and are rolling out revised training their privatisation dogma is that it could never the time they had to spend trying to work out services, just consider that the whole of for Victim Liaison Officers, so that they are be publicly or politically acceptable to hand the an economical way to make a journey involving Code and make it fit for the future. Current Recent history has seen too many public subsidy for stricken Northern Rail’s better equipped and prepared to support whole railway to a single private operator. more than one train company. figures demonstrate that fewer than 20 per cent failures to properly support those affected creaking services was £284 million in the victims during this time. Despite multiple official reports repeatedly But perhaps worst of all, this fragmented last reported year. of victims are aware of the Code and those who by disasters. That is why we have already are often find it too lengthy and too confusing, launched a consultation on the establishment This is an ambitious strategy, but it is also highlighting the problems caused by rail railway is out of control. Official studies have Britain has lost sight of what the railway is for. with too many agencies involved. of an Independent Public Advocate for a necessary strategy. It is the first time that fragmentation, “private-is-better” dogma has repeatedly concluded that the railway lacks a The railway delivers workers to their employers. It bereaved families, so that those failures we have looked in such detail and in such a blocked the obvious solution – public ownership “guiding mind”. Cutting the railway into pieces stops our cities choking themselves with vehicle So, we are revising the Code, making it cannot be repeated and we can properly to defragment the railway. for privatisation means nobody is strategically pollution and strangling their economies with more user friendly, reducing contact points, joined-up way at how we support victims in Fragmentation has added costs from managing the whole railway to make it all work vehicle congestion. It takes people to facilities, strengthening entitlements in key areas such support victims and their families from the wake of crime. We are determined to build inefficiencies where all the bits of the privatised together and plan its development to be the best friends, relatives and on holiday. It should be as the Victim Personal Statement, and giving the beginning of a disaster throughout the on the significant progress that has already railway interact. It also makes the service possible public service. governed as the vital public service it is, not as a support for victims of offenders whose mental investigatory process and beyond, to ensure been made in recent years in the support disjointed and harder to use for passengers. A Labour’s plan for the railway will create a vehicle for companies to profit from the captive illness contributed to their crime. Our intention that their voices are heard. offered to victims of crime, and this strategy minimum estimate is that fragmentation costs unified railway company that will enable rail market of commuters and other travellers who is to test the proposed changes in a public We know that good communication is key and the measures it contains reflects another the railway around £300 million per year. As professionals to exert the necessary guiding rely on the train. consultation next year. to supporting people as their case makes significant step forward on that journey. 18 19 politics first | Corridors December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

Tackling slavery and exploitation THE STATE OF THE UK’S in supermarket supply chains PENAL SYSTEM

Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East Mohammad Yasin, Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston

This October included both World Food Day and World This September, the Chief Inspector of Prisons raised Anti-Slavery Day. To mark both occasions, I led a debate an Urgent Notification on HMP Bedford, which is in my in Parliament to highlight some of the worst instances constituency. That mechanism alerts the Justice Secretary of modern slavery and exploitation in our food supply to urgent and significant concerns about a prison – and chains, and to urge the Government to take more gives them 28 days to publish a plan of action. decisive action.

Slavery and the exploitation of labour are The tomato industry is also rife with the risks of modern slavery occurring in their HMP Bedford joined Exeter, Nottingham I have visited the dingy, squalid and cramped prisoners being transferred to other prisons, issues which are often considered no longer exploitation: 60 per cent of the UK’s tinned supply chain. Companies named and shamed Liverpool and Birmingham as the fourth jail in a jail. It is overcrowded, dirty and the stench of the prison still remains overcrowded by the relevant, but the truth is that more people live tomatoes come from southern Italy, where the for providing little to no information on their year to be placed in those dire measures. drugs is everywhere. Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) as slaves now than ever before. Thirteen million supply of agricultural labour is dominated by Bedford is a Category B prison mainly holding Bedford jail is not fit for purpose in its current standard - the prison service’s own measure efforts include: Evraz, Paddy Power Betfair, of how many prisoners can be held in decent people were captured and sold as slaves during illegal gangmasters with links to organised prisoners on short-sentences or waiting to be state. It is not even fit for human habitation crime. In contrast, conditions for tomato growers Melrose Industries, Rightmove, Ferguson and and safe accommodation. And that transfer the historical period when the practice was transferred. It is the largest category of prisons in according to the latest IMB report, which said legal, but the Global Slavery Index estimates in Florida were transformed when workers began GVC Holdings. that the segregation unit, which it described had more to do with the fact that there had the country so what is happening in Bedford is a that, worldwide, more than 40 million people to organise into the coalition of Immokalee I join the Business & Human Rights as “a dungeon”, should be closed down. been another riot at the prison this September, good indicator of what is happening elsewhere. The report found prisoners were not treated which damaged a whole wing and resulted in currently live as slaves. And employers in the Workers. Resource Centre in calling on the Government food processing, fishing and agriculture sectors The picture is grim and points to a broken humanely – that there were regular shortages five prison officers being seriously injured. It is an unavoidable fact that the products of to strengthen the law around modern slavery, remain some of the worst exploiters of workers. those practices continue to make their way into prison system. of basic items, that pigeons fly round inside Passing failure on to other prisons is not a by legally requiring companies to identify and the jail and there is rubbish and infestations of Modern slavery takes many forms - from the supply chains stocking our supermarket Problems at HMP Bedford go back a long sustainable solution, especially when at least cockroaches and rats everywhere. delayed or withheld wages to harassment to shelves. So, for instance, the UK continues to mitigate the risks of slavery in their supply way, but it has been in serious decline since half of prisons, including many private prisons, abuse and even to torture. The Environmental import millions of pounds worth of seafood chains through proper human rights due 2010. How can we expect to rehabilitate serial are overcrowded. offenders if we cannot provide them with Justice Foundation investigated Thailand’s products from Thailand every year - and the diligence. That should be introduced alongside In the past, when individual prisons have The riot in November 2016, which led to even basic facilities and dignity? The fishing sector, and returned with some horrific opacity of international supply chains means come to a point of crisis and been flagged the existing requirements to monitor and enforce two wings being “totally trashed”, was the consequences of not getting things right are examples: workers being kept at sea for months we have no way of knowing if these products as being of urgent concern, we have seen compliance with the Modern Slavery Act. first sign of how far standards had dropped. far reaching for society. at a time, some force-fed methamphetamines to originated from abusive practices. resources diverted from elsewhere to sort it I am also supporting the Modern Slavery The prison watchdog, the Independent The people who live around Bedford prison make them work longer, and the bodies of dead Theresa May, when she became Prime out. Inevitably, when you shift resources around Monitoring Board (IMB), found it was fuelled are affected, and our emergency services are co-workers being thrown overboard. Trafficked Minister, singled out modern slavery as “the (Victim Support) Bill, which will place the in this way, you create a gap elsewhere, and by frustration over “disgraceful conditions” frequently tied up on long call-outs. Reoffending problems arise in the prison those officers leave Rohingya refugees were found amongst those great human rights issue of our time” - and it rights to support for victims of modern slavery - prisoners being locked up for 23 hours a levels are high. Prison officers fear for their lives behind. Now, the system is so overburdened detained, and 59 per cent of workers reported is true that the 2015 Modern Slavery Act, which on a statutory footing, and will ensure that all day and failure to provide basic items such at work and are leaving the profession in droves. and under-resourced that it cannot even plug that they had witnessed the murder of a fellow Mrs May brought in as Home Secretary, was confirmed victims are given a residence permit as soap, cleaning materials and toilet paper. The Prison Minister’s latest response to put in those gaps. worker. world leading. We also have the Gangmasters new managers is a sticking plaster and does for 12 months - with ongoing support during That should have marked a turning-point. The Prisons Minister has promised to Closer to home, the Irish fisherman permit and Labour Abuse Authority, created after 23 nothing to solve the recruitment and retention this time to help them recover. I hope that MPs Since then, improvement reforms resign unless there is significant improvement scheme has seen numerous individuals illegal migrant workers drowned picking cockles crisis among frontline prison officers, or the fact in all parties - and the Government - will support have been introduced, including reducing in 10 hand-picked failing jails but there can trafficked onto boats. Once there, they are forced in Morecambe Bay in 2004. But much more can that a big part of the problem in Bedford prison overcrowding, but they have failed, and the be no improvement without significant funds to routinely work 20 hours a day doing manual - and should - be done. the Bill. is that some 77 per cent of prison officers have decline in standards has continued. from the Treasury to replace the thousands of labour, and are legally bound to their employer less than a year’s service. To emphasise the progress which is still There is a long way to go to ensure that slavery prison officers who they disposed of. There or risk being deported. There was also the case required, the Business & Human Rights is eradicated from our food supply chains. I think Since the beginning of 2016, at least six The Prison Officers Association are quite prisoners have lost their lives through suicide, was nothing in the Budget. in Cornwall where over 200 migrant workers Resource Centre has just released its third report it is time that we all become more vigilant, and right to fear that that it is only a matter of time were being exploited - forced to work double on “The FTSE 100 & the UK Modern Slavery and the latest report from the Chief Inspector before a prison officer loses their life at work. It The Government’s desperate strategy is to ask more questions about where our food comes shifts with no breaks and having their pay heavily Act: From Disclosure to Action”. The report of Prisons demonstrates that the prison has is shocking that anybody is expected to go to give more public money to the private sector to skimmed. And in Kent, 16 Lithuanian farm stated that only a handful of (consistently high from, how it is produced, and whether workers the second worst level of violence in the work in those conditions. run our prisons for profit. As we know from bitter workers were being forced to work under threats achieving) companies demonstrate a genuine were exploited during the process – and in this country and the worst rate of violence against The Government’s response to that experience, that is a solution likely to make a of violence and kept in squalid living conditions. effort to identify vulnerable workers and mitigate way, help stamp out slavery. staff in the country. continues to be underwhelming. Despite very bad situation even worse. 20 21 politics first | Corridors

Why I will be voting against the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal

Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for South Shields

The Brexit obsession has brought out the worst in too many Tory MPs - lies, backstabbing, scurrilous briefings and perpetual goading have become the norm. Politicians who should know better have succumbed to the worst kind of tribalism, slicing across parties at a visceral level.

Today, we are presented with the outline of a People whom I have met on the doorstep There is a depressing inevitability. The deal which appears to have the support of few in South Shields tell me they find the idea meaningful vote, so begrudged by the outside of the Prime Minister’s office and which patronising. And here is the crux of the executive and so couched in deceitful words, has pulled off the remarkable trick of being matter: I do not subscribe to the mantra that as it will undoubtedly be, could have been rejected by people at every point on the Remain those people who voted to leave did so from a final opportunity to present Parliament as or Leave spectra. Let me make it clear: I will ignorance, or racism, or some primordial a dignified, serious place where powerful be voting against the Brexit deal. It does not desire to kick the political classes where it argument is given fair hearing. Instead, give back the sole power to make all of our own hurts. It was not like that in my constituency. with the Tories at the helm, Parliament will laws and it does not meet my party’s six tests. People wanted to leave. They did not want to be subject to underhand, procedural and Furthermore, the deal is not what the people leave because they do not like foreigners, or legalistic manoeuvres to minimise any impact who sent me to Parliament voted for hence posh people or garlic. They weighed the pros that MPs can have on the outcome. The to support it would be to betray the promises and cons, as put to them, and made a fully- spectacle will be deeply unedifying, and the which I made to them. What kind of MP would I formed, intelligent decision. And from what public will, once again, turn their collective be if I signed up to a manifesto which promised I can see, they have not changed their minds faces away from us in disgust. to respect the referendum result and then one tiny bit, and I understand precisely why. And this is the most important argument worked to frustrate it? In a representative democracy, it is my job against the People’s Vote. Whatever the Cards on the table, I voted to remain in the to do what I think is best for the people who numbers, the result will be even greater European Union. I did so in good conscience, elected me, unless they have already made division than we currently face. The nation is believing it to be in the best interests of my their opinion on the subject perfectly plain. just too fragile to withstand a further gaping constituents and my country. The point, They have, and now it is up to me to see that rent to its soul. What little trust remains in however, is that neither agreed with me. they get what they want. I trust the people politics and politicians will evaporate. We During the referendum campaign, I went door- who voted to send me to Parliament. I believe have to try and sort the mess out in Parliament they know what they are doing. It is my job to-door and meeting-to-meeting every single to salvage what we can of our public standing to thrash these things out in Parliament and I day. Today, many of those who campaigned and the nation’s faith in our democracy. cannot just pass the buck back to them when with me are calling for a People’s Vote. I Failing to do so could have consequences far things get a bit tricky. understand their thinking but find it hard to see greater than the worst Brexit predictions. how I could support it. It is a strange concept; There was considerable sound and fury an apparently democratic way of overturning a surrounding the latest YouGov polls on the previous, also democratic decision which, in People’s Vote. They tell me my constituents turn, supplanted the democratic decision taken have changed their minds. I do not know forty years earlier. It is a chimera, a promise of who they have been talking to but I spend a democracy concealing the wrongheaded notion lot of my time on doorsteps and at surgeries that people made a mistake two years ago and other local meetings and I see no and will be so much happier once they have evidence, whatsoever, that people have voted the right way. shifted their position. 22 politics first | Spotlight

STRENGTHENING THE UK HOSPITALITY SECTOR STABILITY IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE UK ECONOMY FOR THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR

As the year comes to a close, and we look ahead to the next twelve months, we inevitably say that the next year will be a crucial one for hospitality. Yet, every year is vital for the sector. However, as 2018 turns to 2019, the upcoming year, and the 21 months following 29th March, feel particularly seismic. The decision to leave the European Union, and the way in which the UK will leave, will have a profound effect on businesses, and the hospitality sector will be no exception. That is one of the most significant political decisions in recent memory and, whatever the consequences are, we are likely to be feeling them well beyond 2019. The chief ask for the hospitality sector in the coming twelve months has to be a minimising of the disruption caused by leaving the EU. At the time of writing this piece, we are looking ahead, with some trepidation, to see if Parliament decides to approve the Government’s withdrawal agreement. Whatever the positives or negatives of the proposed agreement, we simply cannot Nigel Evans have a ‘no deal’ scenario. To leave the EU without an agreement would cause huge problems for our sector. Our businesses, like any other sector, thrive on stability, clarity and certainty; factors that will be in short supply if there is no deal. A chaotic Brexit will present a massive problem for Conservative MP for Ribble Valley our members, and order needs to be maintained as much as humanly possible. Even a relatively orderly Brexit will have a considerable impact on businesses well beyond the transition period. Hospitality businesses are fantastic employers in every region of the UK, and Celebrating an industry at the heart of the UK economy we are rightly very proud of the great work which they do in providing opportunity and training around the UK. Our businesses also need to augment their home-grown workforces with non-UK employees. That means we need to have access to workers from beyond our borders when we It was as I was finishing my recent visit to Santiago, Chile, that I reflected The quality of the offering ranges from Michelin-starred Northcote, settle into life as a nation outside of the EU. At present, it looks as if the Government favours a on the importance of the hospitality industry to the economic vitality of with its famous food festival “obsession”, attracting incredible chefs from future immigration system skewed towards higher-skilled technical workers at the expense of economics in general. The industry is taken for granted, and people do all over the world, to the famous Inn at Whitewell, way out in the sticks to others. Stifling the hospitality sector’s access to talent from overseas will also present serious not fully understand that this absolute showcase of talent at the heart of Gibbon Bridge with its incredible manicured garden. Waddington boasts problems, particularly as the country is currently close to full employment. We are looking for a UK plc is a jewel in our crown and has created over 2.5 million jobs, while two great restaurants and a great real ale pub, whilst Puddleducks, in future immigration policy that appreciates the vital role that hospitality employees play and the ploughing £98 billion into the economy. Dunsop Bridge, has great homemade cakes, and the old post office in contribution they make to the country’s economy. Businesses need new employees, if they are Bolton-By-Bowland has fantastic homemade scones. And just up the The resultant tax take for the exchequer is about £38 billion, so to invest and keep pace with growth. Strangling the supply of young workers from abroad will road, one entrepreneur has invested more than a million pounds in the Philip Hammond has much to thank this vibrant sector for as it injects only present employees with a considerable stumbling block. much needed funds into his coffers. Coach and Horse. In fact, the future of the hospitality workforce is a major issue for UK Hospitality and one on I live opposite to the House of Commons, when I am working in London, I simply cannot mention all of the great places in the Valley but I which we want to make serious progress with. In 2018, we undertook a lengthy and thorough and I only have to jostle with thousands of tourists as I amble to work to cannot fail to mention that all of these places employ local labour and know the scale of the industry. It is not just the millions of foreign tourists inject huge funds into our local economy. investigation of the challenges and opportunities which businesses face when looking to who are attracted to the UK, but the staycation crowd which feeds demand. employ. The resulting report, the Hospitality Workforce Commission 2030, made three principal We take this industry for granted at our peril. Many are struggling with recommendations of the Government to support jobs in the sector: Maybe it is the 48,000 pubs with the amazing choice of local business rate increases which the Chancellor has started to address. beers, but, increasingly, the plethora of gins that acts like a magnet Many are finding it difficult to recruit staff - and this is before we leave t Support for a cross-industry campaign to tackle negative perceptions of a career in in drawing the crowds. the European Union. The Home Office has to recognise that flexibility in hospitality; The hotel scene could not be more dynamic. A friend of mine who any new immigration scheme has to be sufficiently flexible to address t Help to provide better quality information about opportunities in the sector; and works in a London hotel pointed out to me the incredible investment the labour shortage and growing demand in the hospitality sector. One in old and new hotels in London, alone. Claridges are having a five- area that could fix the shortages is if foreign students in the UK were t Collaboration with businesses to improve engagement between businesses and students. storey basement installed, increasing capacity of the hotel by another allowed to work here for a couple of years after finishing their degrees. We will be using the findings of our report in our discussions with Parliamentarians to 40 rooms, but also providing more space for a new spa and laundry. Training has to be enhanced to ensure standards are more than KATE NICHOLLS promote a job in hospitality, and we hope the Government will acknowledge the opportunities That new injection is costing hundreds of millions of pounds and it will maintained in this hugely competitive business. The tax regime must which we provide and act to help us provide more. be the UK’s biggest mega-basement. Chief Executive Officer, UK Hospitality be monitored closely to ensure that we do not over drain the industry of Ever-increasing property costs have been a severe burden for the sector for too long, The amazing confidence in the industry means that not only will more money that might, otherwise, be reinvested to grow the sector. An overly jobs be created when new projects come to fruition, but also the need burdensome regulatory regime will only add cost which will not reflect and crippling rates bills have closed, or at least hastened the closure, of many outlets. The for architects, plumbers, builders, electricians and interior designers, for in an improved offering to the customer. Chancellor announced some concessions at the 2018 Budget, but we still desperately need example, will create another massive boost to jobs and, of course, create action to ease the unfair burden on hospitality. A good first step would be to use the funds greater capacity for more stays in the capital city. Finally, we must listen to the voices of the risk takers, who are raised through the new digital services tax to alleviate the pressure on high streets. That would investing huge sums and creating jobs and wealth, as to what they need help, but it needs to be the vanguard of a thorough overhaul of a business tax system that If what is happening in London is eye-watering, then think of what is to further enhance the sector. Those people have a choice as to if and is woefully out of date and unfairly punishes pubs, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and hotels. happening in the rest of the UK and how important this industry is to all where they invest their profits back into the sector. They need to know of our major cities. In rural areas, the industry is truly a Godsend as job that they are valued and not seen as cash cows. Their success is our The next 12 months will present us with opportunities and challenges, but they will also creation here can be more difficult than elsewhere. success, and many feel themselves constantly up against it on a number determine the scale of the challenges which we will face over the next two, five and ten Take my own constituency of the Ribble Valley. I cannot overestimate of fronts at various levels of Government. It is time to let them soar, years. There are many ongoing uncertainties in our political and economic landscape, but the how vital the industry is to my constituency. I have some of the best hotels, enjoy their success and celebrate one of the UK’s most important of Government can provide a very valuable measure of stability and assuage some of them if it bistros, restaurants and pubs anywhere in the country. industries. listens to, and works closely with, us. 24 politics first | Spotlight

What does 2019 hold for the brewing and pub sector?

As we approach the end of 2018, we can reflect on some positive times for brewing, pubs and hospitality. A long summer, a successful England team at the World Cup, a good Budget with a freeze in beer duty, help for any small business with a rateable value of less than £51,000, an increase in investment allowance, capital allowances for new builds, and a review of the Small Brewer Relief Scheme. But, as we approach 2019, we are still struggling with uncertainty as we leave the European Union. There is fragile consumer confidence, while many of our teams in pubs and the wider Angela Smith hospitality sector are finding that their European colleagues are returning home. On top of that, there could be a migration policy which is likely to restrict the latter further. Businesses thrive on certainty and so a deal struck now will at least allow us to plan the next two years of Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge transition. It is hard to predict, as I write, how that will turn out, though. It is therefore more important than ever for our industry to pull together when it comes to the campaign to reduce the tax burden on pubs. That is where the launch of the Long Live the Local campaign, earlier this year, spearheaded by Britain’s Beer Alliance, with active support from ourselves at the BBPA and other industry bodies, has made a real difference to How Penistone and Stocksbridge contributes our sector. to the UK hospitality sector The Long Live the Local campaign celebrates the important social, economic and cultural role that pubs play in our communities, but also highlights the jeopardy that local pubs face from a range of tax pressures. The campaign created a groundswell of public support that When it comes to hospitality or tourism, I would not be surprised and, indeed, last year the race finished in the town of Stocksbridge. heaped pressure on politicians. Over 115,000 people signed the petition to cut beer tax in the to find that most people do not give even a second thought to On that occasion, we saw some 3,000 amateur riders from all over Budget, with a further 48,000 writing to their local MP to show their support for the campaign. exploring for themselves the delights offered by my constituency. the country take to the road in the annual sportive event, with Long Live the Local will continue next year, but let us hope that we do not face a no-deal After all, how could an area once renowned for steel and coal thousands lining the route, turning the streets yellow. . Brexit requiring a Spring Budget to raise funds. Pubs are over taxed; we pay almost the mining be part of the hospitality business? Well, my advice would highest beer duty in Europe and 2.8 per cent of the UK’s business rates bill, which, in relation It is estimated that, as a result of those events, accommodation be to look again because the beautiful countryside offered by this to turnover, is almost double of any other sector which pays business rates. We need a root small corner of the Pennines has emerged from the shadow of the spend in Yorkshire has increased by 6.5 per cent year-on-year, while and branch review of business rates, but I cannot see this being a priority until after the next industries which once dominated the area. non-accommodation items, such as food and drink, souvenirs and general election, whenever this may be. transport, are up by some 9 per cent. Far from being a smoke stacked, archetypal part of the north, Skills are key to pubs and the hospitality sector as a whole. Pubs are third on the list of Penistone and Stocksbridge is characterised by green rolling That is, however, only part of the story because the exposure things to do for visitors to the UK and very important to our domestic tourist market, too. We hills, with around a third of it sitting in the Peak District National that those cycling events have brought to the area is helping to therefore need good, well-motivated and well-trained staff to attract tourists to visit pubs. Park, making the area an ideal base for walking and cycling, with transform hospitality, bringing visitors from far and wide to see I think there is a chance that the Government will offer a sector deal for tourism under their the former building on the reputation of Sheffield as the walking other attractions throughout the year. BRIGID SIMMONDS Industrial Strategy, which offers us, as an industry, to work together on a proper recruitment capital of Britain. Chief Executive, British Beer & Pub and retention campaign. When 24 per cent of your workforce is from overseas and even more So, for instance, the ancestral home of the Earl of Wharncliffe, To the surprise of many in 2014, the Tour De France decided Association (BBPA) in many metropolitan areas, we need to work together to find solutions. The semi-skilled its grand depart would start in Leeds and finish in Sheffield. Well, ironically, in typical south Yorkshire fashion, is now owned by the definition of migration under “Tier 2” may be relaxed further, but unless the minimum salary it was a surprise to all those who do not know South Yorkshire. trade unions and offers weddings and weekend stays in an idyllic limit of £30,000 is relaxed, few opportunities will exist for hospitality to take on overseas staff, Those who do, realised just how special our contribution to the country house setting. Cannon Hall, nestling in the heart of the so our work must be to recruit from the UK. race would be. The Tour de France left both an economic and constituency and once the home of the Spencer-Stanhopes, sits Brexit still presents many opportunities for our sector – not least to adjust the duty regime a sporting legacy for my constituency. It is estimated that the alongside Cannon Hall Farm and, together, they help Barnsley in ways which would help beer and pubs. Under EU law, it is not currently possible for the event brought in some £100 million to Yorkshire, with many small attract an impressive 1.2 million visitors a year. The Farm, which Government to charge a lower rate of duty on beer sold in pubs or on low strength beers up to businesses reporting an increase in sales. That was especially so in 3.5 per cent ABV, something we would like the Government to examine as we gear up for the the hospitality sector, which saw accommodation quickly booked sits in the grounds of the stately home, is going from strength-to- last phase of the Brexit process. Likewise, there are opportunities around VAT for the wider, up, while pubs and restaurants enjoyed increases in business as strength and is now an awarding winning venture and the focus of but more closely defined, hospitality sector. tens of thousands descended on the small town and villages in Channel 5’s “Springtime on the Farm”. the area to be part of the race. My constituency was a grateful Our high streets should benefit from the £600 million pot identified in the Budget and a All in all, north Sheffield and western Barnsley is doing its bit to beneficiary from this boost to the local economy. greater understanding of the benefits of local partnerships and local leadership. As ever in build its hospitality sector and, in so doing, extend its contribution so much of what we do in the hospitality sector, the key thing is people. People standing up What was priceless was the wall-to-wall television coverage that to the UK economy. We still make things in our area, but we know for their local communities, and people prepared to work at a local level to increase footfall brought the area to the attention of a worldwide audience. While that our newly discovered potential for leisure and tourism is a and attract customers. locals laughed at commentators desperately trying to pronounce “Oughtibridge” as riders climbed yet another hill, we were, source of future economic strength for us. With the right support The year 2019 is very difficult to predict. However, if we can sign a deal with the EU, start nevertheless, aware that television coverage of the race put the from Government, we could do much more and, in doing so, not working on policies which help our exports, raise our expectations of the quality of those who village on the map and the world discovered our great countryside. just build on our economic contribution to the country, but also our work in our industry, and convince the Government that no further regulations are necessary, Since then, the annual Tour De Yorkshire has twice visited the area contribution to the country’s health and well-being. then I am sure that we can make the year a success for our sector and hospitality, as a whole. 26 politics first | Spotlight

Owen Paterson

Conservative MP for North Shropshire

Derwen College and Premier Inn: An innovative contribution to the hospitality sector

Since I was first elected as an MP, in 1997, I have had an association thus saving employers money on recruitment. Employers report that with Derwen College in my constituency. Derwen is a national, staff team morale increases as a result of working with colleagues residential college which educates students with a range of physical with a learning disability. People with a learning disability often feel and learning disabilities, as well as with challenging behaviours. I excluded from accessing work, and are very keen to perform well. believe it to be a unique and transformative place which is making a Their enthusiasm can be infectious, with team dynamics and overall massive difference to the lives of young people. I am proud to have performance often improving as a result of employing someone with worked with them over many years. a learning disability. All children and young people with Special Educational Needs Earlier this year, I met with Clare Howard, Chief Executive of and Disabilities should be able to access quality education and NatSpec, the membership association for organisations which offer training which supports their individual aspirations and enables them to lead happy and fulfilled lives. I am delighted, therefore, that specialist further education and training for students with learning Derwen College, Premier Inn and Novus Property Solutions have difficulties and/or disabilities. She told me that the savings to the been working together, since 2013, to give students from the college taxpayer in health, social care and enabling the parents and carers access to local Premier Inn hotels for work experience opportunities of those young people to re-join the workforce, can be up to £1 in the hospitality industry. million per person over a lifetime. The Social Market Foundation More importantly, they have built a training centre on site at the has estimated that by increasing the number of people with learning college, the first of its kind in the country, consisting of a reception disabilities entering the workforce, there could be a boost to the UK area, three en-suite bedrooms and a linen room creating a real-life economy of at least £13 million. work setting for students to learn housekeeping skills. It looks like In 2013, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, launched any other Premier Inn and gives students a perfect setting to train Disability Confident. Through Disability Confident, the Government is for a career. working with employers to challenge attitudes, increase understanding The facility enables increased numbers of students to access of disability, remove barriers, and ensure that disabled people have the industry standard training in hospitality and, ultimately, to improve opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. their chances of gaining employment after college. Training such as that offers a great way to break down barriers, help develop transferable The Government is committed to halving the disability employment skills and instil confidence in the young people learning at Derwen. gap. Employers have a crucial role to play in that, and Premier Inn are The ambition of the college is for the training centre to expand and leading the way. There are great benefits to employing and retaining become a functioning hotel with paying customers. disabled people. I would encourage the hospitality industry, as a whole, According to research by Mencap, there are only seven percent of to embrace the benefits of employing people with disabilities and people with learning disabilities currently in paid employment. That is adapt their working environments to help support and accommodate despite 65 per cent of people with disabilities expressing a desire to potential employees. By working with colleges like Derwen, more work. People with a learning disability can be invaluable employees; people will be trained to fill roles which lead to fulfilling careers and in they have lower sickness levels and stay in entry level jobs longer, which lives can be transformed. 28 politics first | Spotlight ADVERTORIAL

Apprenticeships: It is time for reform

For the past 18 months, the spotlight has been firmly on Brexit, with conversations and headlines dominated by a deal or no deal. In the same 18 months, the Apprenticeship Levy has been introduced for all businesses with an annual pay bill of over £3 million, reflecting, arguably, the biggest overhaul of the apprenticeship system in a generation. To say that the impact of those two initiatives has been significant for the hospitality industry, would be an understatement. While the Apprenticeship Levy has brought about a number of benefits – such as a greater focus on apprenticeships in general and an increase in the up-take of higher-level management Helen Goodman apprenticeships – there are some fundamental challenges which need to be addressed. In the days before the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced, SMEs were, by and large, the employers of the majority of England’s apprentices. Yet, since the levy came into play, Labour MP for Bishop Auckland apprentice numbers in SMEs have fallen off a cliff because they cannot afford the 10 per cent contribution that they currently have to pay towards the training. However, there is good news on the horizon following the Chancellor’s 2018 budget announcement that apprenticeship fees will be halved for small businesses. Under the new policy, the cost of apprenticeships for non-levy paying employers will be five percent, with the government contributing the remaining 95 per cent. That means, for example, With the correct investment, Bishop Auckland that the cost to an independent restaurant of training a commis chef reduces from £900 to £450, can shine as a holiday destination and for a team leader from £450 to £225. When you consider that there is £1.28 billion pot of unspent levy, and the number of new apprenticeships in the UK fell 28 per cent to 341,700 in the year to June, it is clear to see that To be known as a hospitality hotspot, an area must claim wild and carriages and wagons. Locomotion is a key partner in Historic those vital changes to the system are needed. untainted landscapes, produce outstanding local cuisine, provide England’s Stockton & Darlington Railway Heritage Action Zone, which In the current economic climate, any additional costs to businesses are tough, but the value entertainment for all of the family, and exhibit world-class art and aims to rejuvenate the 26 mile stretch of historic railway and help that a hospitality establishment can get from well-trained employees delivers in so many ways culture, or curate a rich and engaging heritage. You may expect an area realise its potential to become a major visitor destination, in the build – reduced staff turnover, increased productivity, less waste and improved job efficiency. At HIT which combines those assets to be on everyone’s travel bucket-list, up to its 2025 bicentenary celebrations. Training, we hope that the reduced costs will mean many SMEs, in the hospitality industry, will and yet Bishop Auckland constituency is often not the first destination come back to apprenticeships as an effective and beneficial way to train their staff and improve that springs to mind. At the other end of my constituency, we have Teesdale, part of their businesses. My constituency includes Shildon, the birthplace of the railway; the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and UNESCO Currently, levy paying employers can transfer 10 per cent of their levy pot to SMEs or Bishop Auckland, the historic seat of the Prince Bishops of Durham; Global Geopark – one of only seven in the UK. Here, the primary focus charities in their supply chain or sector – but this is something which is relatively unknown, and Teesdale, part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural is our natural history, which is utilised to support sustainable economic an opportunity largely underutilised. Furthermore, 10 per cent does not go far enough. Beauty; and Barnard Castle, a picturesque market town with an arts development through responsible tourism. Located next to Low and museum that punches above its weight. It is with all that in mind, that Phillip Hammond’s new plans to increase the amount available High Force waterfalls, the Bowlees Visitor Centre is an excellent place for businesses to transfer to 25 per cent, have been welcomed. As an area, Bishop Auckland constituency has started a journey to begin exploring the stunning woodland and unspoiled moors of That is a move which can only be seen as a positive. Not only has it put the transfer of to economic regeneration through tourism, building on our region’s Teesdale. The land here supports excellent biodiversity and is home to JILL WHITTAKER heritage to produce a truly unique visitor experience. funds firmly on businesses radar but raising the value will help to improve work-based training, seventeen Sites of Special Scientific Interest. By day, watch and wait Managing Director, HIT Training provide increased career opportunities and build transferrable skills which will, ultimately, help From 2011, the town of Bishop Auckland has been the focus of for a glimpse of curlew, lapwing, snipe, or black grouse, and by night the wider UK economy. philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, who purchased Auckland Castle and the dark skies and clear air make for perfect stargazing conditions. its collection of Zurbaran paintings from the Church Commissioners. Currently for SMEs, the cost of apprenticeships is proving prohibitive and, as a result, Mr Ruffer went on to set up the Auckland Castle Trust, which has since Once nestled within a cosy holiday cottage in Teesdale with a steady hospitality businesses are being forced to limit their training investment to focus just on the skills needed in their business today, rather than considering both what is needed now and in developed into The Auckland Project – a name reflecting far broader supply of locally produced sheep’s cheese, it may seem unlikely that ambitions for the £150 million project. the future. For restaurants, which are working to increasingly tight budgets, this has the potential you are a stone’s throw from the finest collection of European paintings to dramatically affect the future of the sector as a whole, as employees will not have the skills to Although centred around the 900-year-old castle, the scope of between London and Edinburgh – but this is not a cheese dream. The innovate and adapt to changing consumer demands and expectations. Ultimately, that will see The Auckland Project spills out into the town’s marketplace and will Bowes Museum, near Barnard Castle, holds an enchanting collection, employees losing their enthusiasm and leaving the industry. For the hospitality sector, which is include a Mining Art Gallery, a Spanish Gallery (which will link to including works by El Greco, Goya, and van Dyck; it also boasts a tackling a chronic skills shortage, the situation is only going to get worse once the UK leaves the the Prado in Madrid), a Faith Museum (celebrating faith of all kinds), European Union hence it is essential that businesses which are not using their levy, or are not seventeenth-century silver swan automaton and a fashion and textile a viewing tower, and a restored walled garden and restaurant. Those able to, look to transfer it to those in the sector who can. venues will be opened in stages over the next few years, creating 60 gallery which combines historic collections with contemporary design apprenticeships in the process. Once the destination is fully open for and innovative curation methods. Ofqual’s latest research revealed that 91 per cent of employers value vocational and business, The Auckland Project hopes to draw in 250,000 visitors per technical qualifications such as apprenticeships – and yet only 8 per cent of Apprenticeship Those distinguished attractions - coupled with quality year and breathe new life into the town’s retail and hospitality sectors. Levy funds have been used. Furthermore, the survey also showed that eight in ten employers accommodation offerings such The Rose and Crown at Romaldkirk, think qualifications like apprenticeships equip learners with relevant skills, while 78 per cent A ten-minute trip down the road propels you from sixteenth- Headlam Hall, and the Morritt Hotel - deliver all of the components consider them essential when recruiting for skilled and supervisory roles. It strikes me that if we century splendour to the steam and steel of the 1800s in Shildon, are all agreed that vocational training is vital, then we need to make sure this dedicated funding of a major tourism hub. With the right investment and marketing, my the starting point for the first passenger railway. Locomotion is named is unlocked, maximised and shared to help protect our vibrant sector now and in the future by constituency has all the potential to shine as a holiday destination. So, after Stephenson’s Locomotion No.1 and is a sister site to York’s For more information on HIT Training, creating positions for the younger generation. If we know that there is a pot of funding available National Railway Museum, attracting around 200,000 visitors a year, if you are planning to take the road less travelled, why not make it the in the sector that can only be used to train and upskill employees, then we would be foolish not and housing an impressive collection of nearly 70 iconic locomotives, A688 for a truly unique visitor experience? please visit: https://hittraining.co.uk/ to use this and to use it well. 30 politics first | Spotlight December 2018 | www.politicsfirst.org.uk

Grahame Morris Lord Christopher Holmes

Labour MP for Easington A Conservative Peer

Countering exploitative practices in the Embrace technology, coupled with an enthusiastic hospitality sector welcome, to ensure the growth of UK hospitality

Brexit uncertainty has not stood in the way of a growing hospitality sector. For an industry already plagued by low wages and poor employment Welcome. Come on in. the ultimate postcard to the world. Post-games research found that However, the industry’s benefit to the economy should be judged by wages practices, we must be watchful that Brexit does not open the door to a new following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, perceptions of and employment standards. race to the bottom with a right-wing Tory government shredding basic That is UK hospitality, and there is quite a lot of it. In, fact around 10 per cent of our GDP is stumped up by that sector. The leisure and Britain’s strengths in terms of both heritage and culture had improved, The tourism and hospitality sector is walking a Brexit tightrope. A weak employment rights. hospitality industry plays a significant role in the UK economy and - as and that there was an index change of 120 per cent in those likely to pound has led to the UK welcoming nearly 40 million foreign visitors last A good economy is not determined by shareholder profits, rising th visit in the next three years. year, spending more than £24.5 billion. The latest figures from the ONS executive pay, or higher GDP figures founded on exploitative employment, a sector - is the 4 largest employer in the UK. The figures speak for have seen the hospitality industry turnover break the £100 billion ceiling low wages and insecure work. themselves: 300,000 new jobs in the last five years and £117 billion in Inclusion in terms of hospitality means offering a truly universal revenue terms. for the first time. The importance of increasing the UK hospitality sector cannot be welcome. Another significant lesson from the 2012 London games judged on increasing turnover, but on how the profits generated improve However, the good news is tapered by Brexit warnings. Tourism Minister It is big business and - happily- it is growing. In 2016, spending was the value of ensuring accessible infrastructure: hotel rooms, Michael Ellis cautions that the industry faces the most acute workforce the health and wellbeing of their employee base and wider society. on leisure services grew by 7.8 per cent, according to the most transportation, venues, public realm, websites and so on. When challenge of any sector, with staff surveys finding that 330,000 employees Labour, together with the trade union movement, is setting the agenda recent Family Expenditure Survey. In fact, the average UK family on employment rights. accessibility and inclusion are prioritised, the boost in revenues for the working in catering, bars, hotels and restaurants are considering their future commits 22 per cent of its weekly budget to leisure spending. And in the UK post-Brexit. sector will be more than material. The Tories fell in line behind Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to stop rogue that is not to mention the overseas visitors flooding in on the back A hostile environment in the aftermath of the referendum has left one in employers taking a cut of employee’s tips, meaning staff will keep 100 per When it comes to European Union tourists, we must maintain that cent of their tips. of an adjusted sterling. two hospitality workers feeling that the UK is a less welcoming place to live principle of inclusion and retain freedom of movement. Just as it would and work in. Whilst Tories on the extreme right believe in watering down the minimum However, how do we increase the sector for the benefit of us all? wage, and we have a Prime Minister who opposed its introduction, it is be madness for the EU to reintroduce tourist visas for Britons, so it would Brexit is not the only challenge for an industry that has a reputation for I propose a focus on technology, marketing and inclusion but, above low pay, long hours and the exploitation of workers. Labour who is committed to a real Living Wage of £10 per hour. A Labour be for us to do that to our friends from the EU. Living Wage would make nearly nine million workers at least £1,300 better all, a commitment to, and a focus on, people. We must be brave about Dispatches investigation, Undercover in Premier Inn, showed a glimpse off per year - a pay increase for the 75 per cent of hospitality workers paid the future, proud of our past and determined to extend a meaningful, Similarly, when it comes to people power, we need a clear, coherent into the world of contract cleaning at the UK’s biggest hotel chain. Working under £10 per hour. A real living wage and improving living standards has genuine and universal welcome. and consistent immigration policy across all categories of employment. without pay, going without breaks and unreasonable targets, create a been shown to benefit business, reducing staff turnover by two thirds and I make as wholehearted a welcome to the barista as the barrister. It is pressurised environment that leads to compromised standards. Low wages, Technology is transforming the leisure and hospitality industry as absenteeism by a quarter. simply about need. If we have the positions, then we need and should alongside unpaid hours and few rights, can leave staff working below the it is so many others. The various technologies of the Fourth Industrial Labour will tackle the casualisation of work, banning zero-hour contracts, want people from Europe and beyond to come and be part of the British National Living Wage. ending insecurity with guaranteed minimum hours, and allowing workers to Revolution - robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and internet of hospitality opportunity. The documentary came just a few months after Whitbread, the owner of pay their bills and plan their lives. things - will continue to revolutionise the way that we interact with the Premier Inn, quit the Ethical Trading Initiative, a partnership of companies, I fully endorse Unite’s Fair Hospitality Charter calling for new rights on world. Indeed, how the hospitality industry adapts to the opportunities, Overall, the outlook is largely positive. The sector is forecast to trade unions and NGOs that promotes worker’s rights, challenges breaks, employee late night travel safety, and the right to be consulted on as well as to the challenges, will be key to future economic success. It grow to £257 billion by 2025, which is a particularly positive figure exploitation and discrimination, and seeks to improve working conditions. is hard now to imagine travelling without Google maps, flight booking rota changes and trade union access. in the light of economic issues and political uncertainty. Spending The decision to withdraw from the initiative was a response to the trade platforms, review blogs and networked hospitality businesses such as I believe the economy is a partnership between the consumers, on leisure services is forecast to continue expanding by four percent union, Unite, questioning employment practices and efforts to gain access business and workers, not a conflict between two opposing sides. However, Airbnb. The UK must embrace the opportunities of the revolution, and to workers. when there is a breakdown in this partnership, Government should stand up innovate and adapt. every year to 2021. A ruthless focus on driving down costs to the detriment of workers to power, and the current power imbalance in the sector, skewed against So to politicians and policy-makers, promotors and PR people, event workers, is a sign of an economic failure. Hospitality is not just for Visit Britain and the Home Nation undermines the UK economy, compromising a person’s health, family organisers and entrepreneurs: we must continue to push the places and finances. Those workplaces are untenable, and the sector are leaving The hospitality and tourism sectors are vital to the UK economy’s partners, though they do admirable work as does the British Hospitality themselves open to industrial injuries and health compensation claims, future health after Brexit, but this cannot mean turning a blind eye Association. It is beholden upon all of us to be ambassadors for and make a fuss about the festivals, but we must also be clever about when figures show that 8 out of 10 room attendants suffer musculoskeletal to exploitative practices or facilitating rapidly increased profits at the Britain and our specific part of it. Look at what London 2012 did for technology, expansive in our marketing and ensure that people are firmly problems. expense of worker’s rights. our reputation abroad, not least the extraordinary opening ceremony, at the heart of our hospitality, with an enthusiastic welcome for all. 32 33 politics first | Diary Page Nigel Nelson Nelson’s Column

Keeping an eye on The People

Sophie Jarvis, of the Adam Smith Institute, to tweet: “I wish some of my ex-boyfriends Brexit: The had been as courteous when they made a big mistake.” turn of the But if you’re looking for Brexit enlightenment, look no further than simples? someone with “unique expertise, comprehensive knowledge and insight across the whole Brexit process.” That Theresa May stitched together a Brexit deal shrinking violet also boasted on linkedin. which includes a UK-wide customs union com of giving “top level strategic advice as the only realistic solution to keeping the on policy development” to ministers and Irish border open. But it became clear that, No.10. Wow! Who is this superman? Step as things stand, the deal has no realistic forward Stewart Jackson, Tory ex-MP, and chance of getting through Parliament. former chief of staff to David Davis as Brexit Brexiteer Tories went into a frenzy of Secretary. trying to topple the Prime Minister and their Brexit, though, is rough on Gibraltar. rhetoric became more frenetic. Resigning More than eight in ten voters turned out Transport minister Jo Johnson compared for the 2016 EU referendum and 96 per May’s predicament to the Suez crisis, while cent backed remain, with the Rock’s Tory MP Mark Francois compared it to 24,000 votes counted in the UK total. But surrendering Singapore to the Japanese in that didn’t help its citizens who now face World War Two. having no representation in the European But she has a problem. The world rallied Yet European Union infighting does not Parliament. And when the Commons gets round Britain after Vladimir Putin poisoned stop unforeseen events elsewhere from its meaningful vote on a final Brexit deal, wrong footing the prime minister. Theresa Salisbury seven months ago. More than the Rock that Spain stubs its toe on won’t May can be thankful that they do not 100 Russian spies were expelled from 20 have a say in that, either. receive the coverage they might otherwise countries in a show of solidarity. Having if Brexit was not happening. The murder of climbed to the peak of the moral high So when I bumped into Gibraltar’s Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, ground, Mrs May could hardly do nothing Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, I suggested 60, in Turkey, put our relationship with the in the face of similar state sponsored to him that Gibraltar should have its own desert kingdom under a fresh spotlight, terrorism by the Saudis. But, aside from MP. He didn’t gush with enthusiasm - I and raised new questions over whether we joining America in calls for a ceasefire and suspect because it might dilute his own should be supplying it with Tornado GR4s, sending Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to power. He told me that: “We’d like some Eurofighter Typhoons and an assortment of Riyadh to try to broker one, nothing is what representation to strengthen our link with she did. Brimstone and Storm Shadow missiles to Britain but our own MP would be devilishly attack Yemen with. Phil Hammond’s Budget did not contain difficult.” Picardo thought an MP for Since Saudi entered this nasty little war much unforeseen; everyone foresaw it overseas territories might work, instead. three years ago, 10,000 have been killed, would be dull and there was little in it My turn to be doubtful. The only thing the 2.5 million made homeless, and 400,000 than the threat of a more vicious one after Falklands and Gibraltar have in common children left close to starvation. In that time, Brexit. But Tracey Crouch quit as Sports is Spanish-speakers wanting to take them the UK has sold Saudi Arabia £4.7 billion minister, anyway, after the Chancellor over. worth of arms. Morally reprehensible, delayed reducing maximum bets on high- perhaps; politically expedient, certainly. stakes gaming machines from £100 to Finally, a revelation which should make More than 130,000 jobs rely on the arms £2. It was one of the most principled Jacob Rees-Mogg wake up in a cold sweat trade, and Saudi makes up 40 per cent walkouts in recent British politics. Talking in his pin-striped pyjamas. Number 10 of this market. With a General Election of taxation, the news that HM Revenue & staffers now refer to the most extreme possible at any time, Mrs May could do Customs spent £10,000 sending flowers Brexiteers in his European Research Group without tens of thousands of job losses. to taxpayers whom it had upset, prompted as, “the simples”. 34