HearFromYourMP

Messages for this constituency

Andrew Miller MP - Ellesmere Port & Neston

Posted by Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, at 09:00, Wed 6 June 2012:

Thank you for signing up to HearFromYour MP – I hope to give you some idea about how I’m working for you and what I do, both in the House of Commons and in the constituency.

I have always had an office in Ellesmere Port – open 51 weeks a year – so that local people can easily get in touch. When the Houses of Parliament are not sitting, I work from there. I hold surgeries in the constituency for residents to come along and discuss the issues that concern them most.

Here are just a few things I have been involved in over the past month.........

Ellesmere Port & Neston Constituency

Vauxhall Motors

This is great news.... I welcomed the announcement that new investment and new jobs will come to Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant despite persistent rumours of the demise of the factory.

“This has resulted from intensive discussions involving management, Unite the Union and key players in the political world. A lot of credit goes to Tony Woodley who recently stepped down as General Secretary of Unite and HR Director of Vauxhall, Phil Millward. These two, with their strong Ellesmere Port backgrounds, have found common ground between the interests of GM and the interests of the local community. The skill, efficiency and commitment of local workers made a real difference. This resulted in an agreement which will bring about significant investment, many new jobs and stability for the plant”

“Like virtually every success story in our community this decision reflects the fact that nothing comes to us by standing back and not facing up to problems and that with the right partnerships we can change our community for the better. I look forward to driving the next generation cars coming from the Ellesmere Port plant!”

Meeting Residents

Visits throughout the constituency continue all-year-round. Just this month I have had many opportunities to see how amazing the residents and organisations of Ellesmere Port & Neston really are, including • Burton Manor Walled Garden • Whetstone Hey Care Home • Army Cadets Presentation evening • West Cheshire College

Parliament

Queen’s Speech

No change, no hope. That is the message of this Queen’s Speech. • For a young person looking for work, this speech offers no hope. • For a family whose living standards are being squeezed, this speech offers no hope. • For a small business which can’t get money from the bank, this speech offers no hope.

This is the speech that was supposed to be the Government’s answer to the clear message from the electorate at the local elections.

But on today’s evidence, they still don’t get it.

The Queen’s Speech should have included measures that would help families immediately by addressing the cost of living crisis, tackling rip-off prices and creating real jobs for young people. But it has not helped families feeling the squeeze – because it is too close to the rich and powerful and out of touch with everyone else. Millions in the middle are being forced to pay more in tax; pensioners are being forced to pay more in tax and there is even a new tax that will hurt charities.

Families are losing their working tax credits, making some of them better off on benefits. Cuts that go too far and too fast in services mean there are fewer police, our NHS is suffering and we now have more than 1 million young people out of work.

Sadly there was no mention of how to achieve the growth in the economy that we so badly need, I was particularly disappointed not to hear about the exploitation of our science, technology and engineering base as a means to drive forward our economy enabling us to compete in the modern world.

Day-to-day

New Bills are now starting to make their way through Parliament and I continue to use the time available in the interests of the people I represent. I meet and discuss issues with many organisations such as the League Against Cruel Sports, energy companies and local employers. I also delivered a speech to the Institute of Employment Rights.

Science & Technology Select Committee

Since 2010 I have been Chair of the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee.

This is the Committee that scrutinises the Government Office for Science (GO-Science), which is a “semi-autonomous organisation” based within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The Committee has a broad remit and can examine the activities of departments where they have implications for, or made use of, science, engineering, technology and research. This is an important committee and does work that underpins and puts under the microscope many of the decisions taken by Government. It meets on a Wednesday and you can watch the proceedings via the internet. Thank you for your interest. I’ll let you know, through HearFromYourMP, about what is going on in Ellesmere Port and Westminster in the months ahead.

Andrew