Constituency Labour Party Parliamentary Report David Clelland MP www.david-clelland.org.uk October 2009

Mr Speaker Visits Kingsmeadow I was absolutely delighted to be able to welcome Commons Speaker John Bercow to Kingsmeadow School on his first visit as Speaker to a school outside London. As well as addressing Year 10 students and enjoying a spirited Question and Answer session, he had detailed discussions with members of the School Council over lunch and later said how impressed he was with the state of the art building and facilities, recognising the huge investment ploughed in through the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme Left with Mr Speaker and Head Teacher Barbara Rouse

North East Grand Committee Minister’s Visit to Eaga The first ever meeting of the North East Grand Com- mittee took The Warm Front scheme has to be one of the govern- place in ment’s greatest success sto- M i d d l e s - ries. More than two million b r o u g h vulnerable households have Town Hall been assisted since its start on 25th in 2000, keeping people September. healthy and warm as well This initia- as lowering fuel bills. The tive by the benefit entitlement checks government and domestic energy ad- to get MPs vice has also had a positive out of Parliament and engaging in debates in the re- impact upon vulnerable gions saw 14 of the region’s MPs debating the re- homes and families and a gional economy and questioning the regional minister. central factor driving the While no substitute for regional government it never- scheme’s valuable work theless provides a useful forum for local people to at- forwards has been the focus and commitment of Eaga in tend. The full text of my own contribution is on my Gateshead as lead contractor. Above, with Department of En- ergy and Climate Change Minister David Kidney listening to an website and the Parliamentary website will carry a Eaga employee discussing energy saving options with a caller verbatim report of the whole of the proceedings. Above, addressing the Grand Committee

Easibathe Visit We all want to live as long as possible - let’s face it its better than the alternative! But whilst longevity is undoubtedly one of the benefits of modern life, it also of- ten means mobility difficulties. Easibathe is a Dunston-based company that has grown dramatically in the last 5 years and specialises in providing modifications to bathrooms to maintain user freedom, dignity and independence. Whilst they supply mainly to the local authority and care home market, they also offer advice and help to individuals with a range of equipment from simple bath seats and hoists to a complete bathroom that can be erected in any room in a house in 5 hours! Right with MD Martin Cook inspecting some of the equipment Easibathe supplies October 2009 future’ programme, ‘Sure Start’, designed to offer a forum for open Comment free bus travel and TV licences for debate by MPs in their own regions Pity the poor Lib Dems - already the elderly just a few of the with the regional ministers in struggling to stay alive never mind measures they recommend should attendance to answer questions. I surging forward, knocked off last go. was able to pick up on many of the year’s front pages by the collapse of I write this report the day comments made to me by members Lehman Brothers, and knocked off following ’s speech at the ward meetings - the region’s this year’s by the UN Climate to the Labour Party Conference poor transport links both in terms Change conference in New York in Brighton. Gordon too spoke of of road and rail, the need for more and Gordon Brown’s announcement the need for restraint. However, he investment in housing - although about the future Trident programme. also spelled out the further work members generally welcomed the Even the closure of the camp at Labour would do in a fourth term. announcement of new build, they Sangatte was obviously still more Free home-care for the elderly, felt that the housing waiting lists, interesting to the press than the Lib bolstering the post office network both locally and nationally, Dem conference! by making it a ‘People’s Bank’, 10 warranted more intervention and By contrast, there was an intense hours free nursery time for the members also suggested that a scrutiny of Gordon Brown and the poorest 2year olds, continued rises focus on housing could be a central Labour Party conference, with the in the minimum wage, linking platform in an election manifesto. press apparently determined to pensions to earnings. All policies Jobs and the economy were also undermine and weaken the that challenge the Tories and spell themes raised at ward party government. And if any member out Labour’s values. meetings. thinks I’m paranoid about the He spoke with confidence and with Other issues were raised too - and, media, let me cite the stories that ran conviction and in sharp contrast to as always, I’d welcome members’ as conference started about how David Cameron made it quite clear thoughts. For instance, I outlined President Obama had ‘snubbed’ the where he wants to take our country the campaigns I’d been involved in Prime Minister by refusing to meet and how we can get there. - of particular interest to me with him. The story was vehemently personally has been my denied, not only by Downing Street Parliament involvement with the campaign to but also by the White House, but did review and improve the carers’ that stop the media running with it? Parliament is in recess. allowance. We also discussed No, the truth simply didn’t make a concerns about new proposals for good story. welfare reform and I have raised Clearly, the party conference season these fears with the Minister. has heralded the start of the general Of course, we discussed the fall- election campaign. The massive out from the MP’s expenses issue, debt that we have accrued in and the impact that it had upon the common with every western local and European elections but economy as a result of the economic we also remembered what will be down-turn and the banking Constituency at stake in a general election - the catastrophe has forced all the major Members will know that I have Tories have not yet fleshed out political parties to re-think their always made a practice of trying to their policies but even so, we know policies. The need to re-pay that attend as many ward party from their friends in the Institute of debt will shape government policies meetings as possible. Obviously, Directors and Taxpayers’ Alliance for very many years to come. All with the House of Commons just how severe Tory cuts might parties agree that the debt must, and sitting each week, that’s only be. can, be repaid but the differences lie possible in September. This last I’ve always believed Jane and Joe in how each party meets the month, I was able to attend 6 Public to be a sensible folk and our challenge. Nick Clegg, who branch meetings but I thought it job is to remind them what they revealed at his conference that he might be useful for members who stand to lose by putting their cross wants to be Prime Minister when he weren't able to attend the meetings in the wrong box, as well as what grows up, talked of ‘savage cuts’ in to know what has been discussed. more Labour can do. A focus on public expenditure. While the Tories The meetings that I have attended housing, and the role of local say little, but their friends in the also provided extremely useful councils for instance, should be a Institute of Directors and Tax material for my contribution at the central platform in our election Payers’ Alliance revealed much. North East Regional Grand manifesto. They would cut deep and hard with Committee in Middlesbrough. The fight to win starts now and Labour’s ‘Building Schools for the This is a newly-created committee, win we can.