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My latest newsletter

Posted by Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, at 12:22, Sat 22 December 2012:

The weather may be a bit milder (if wetter!) this Christmas, but the harsh realities of government policy are now becoming more and more obvious here in Edinburgh North and Leith. I spoke in a recent debate in Parliament on unemployment in Scotland and highlighted the dramatic growth in long term youth unemployment we’ve seen locally. You can find what I said at http://bit.ly/V3nAKc

In this area the number of young people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more has more than doubled over the past year. We’ve also seen a big increase in‘underemployment’ – people who’ve been forced to drop hours, not because they want to work part-time, but because they have no alternative.

Meanwhile, the government’s answers to unemployment aren’t doing the job. Figures just out show that of local people placed on the Government’s new Work programme, only 3% of those under 25 and 4% of those over that age have found work for 6 months or more as a result. That chimes with the situation across the rest of the UK. The Chancellor, George Osborne, had an opportunity in his recent ‘mini-budget’ to change course this week by announcing some real help for businesses and households struggling in the current climate. But he didn’t, even though it’s clear his strategy isn’t working.

The Tory/LibDem government is having to borrow more and more money, because the economy is doing worse than it predicted. And it’s people on moderate and low incomes who are most losing out from their policies. What we need are policies to invest in infrastructure and the future – housing, transport, energy efficiency, and the growing green economy. We need real action from both the UK and Scottish Governments to create new jobs and return the economy to growth.

Don’t hit the most vulnerable

I’ve spoken up frequently in Parliament this year about how government policies are going to hurt some of the most vulnerable in our community. Cuts in housing benefit could force many people on low income to give up houses they have lived in for decades. More young people in particular will be running the risk of homelessness. Meanwhile, a lot of local organisations and charities are losing out because of cuts in council spending imposed by the Scottish government.

I’m particularly worried about the situation which could face many people with disabilities. More and more disabled people are facing cuts in their income, and the new welfare reforms could make this worse. There is more information on the cuts elsewhere on this website at http://bit.ly/ZEqqsz

Of course, it’s right to take action against anybody who abuses the welfare system. But most of the government cuts in benefits and tax credits are hitting people in work. One example of how they’re making it harder for people is the closure of Remploy factories, including one in Edinburgh, which employ people with disabilities. Government figures have shown that hardly any of the Remploy workers who have lost their jobs have found a new job. You can find more on this at http://bit.ly/PtjnQg

Putting passengers first on the railways

We’ve seen this year the farce over the botched award of the West Coast Main Line railway tender. This includes important services from Edinburgh to the North and Midlands of England. I’ve argued a number of times in Parliament that the experience with the West Coast main line, together with franchise failures on the East Coast Main Line, shows the failings with the whole privatised railway system. In fact, since the private operator gave up the East Coast Main Line, the publicly owned company which took over the running has been making profits and paying money back to the taxpayer.

So I’ve argued that instead of the government’s present plans to hand the East Coast Main Line back to a private operator, it should decide to let the current public operator run the line for the long term. You can find my submission making this case to a public consultation on the future of the East Coast Line at http://bit.ly/Xn30Fd

Allowing the line to remain publicly operated would provide continuity for passengers and staff alike, and allow sensible long-term planning for the future of the line. After all, the recent West Coast main line franchise fiasco is likely to cost the public more than £100 million. That would have been better spent on trains and track!

Another transport issue affecting Edinburgh which I’ve taken up in Parliament has been the future of air services to London following the takeover of bmi by British Airways. This had implications both for staff and for passenger choice. I’m glad that the European Commission made British Airways hand over some of the routes to make sure there was real competition. I have contacted the new competitor to urge them to invest in jobs and passenger facilities in Edinburgh. For more on this see http://bit.ly/T4ataZ

Scotland’s future –Better Together

One of the big issues in Westminster over the last year has been the plan by the Scottish Government to hold a referendum to make Scotland an independent country, separate from the rest of the UK. I want to see Scotland which has a strong Scottish Parliament, but remaining in the UK.

I’ve spoken in a number of the debates in Parliament on this such as those dealing with the economic consequences of independence – http://bit.ly/XzPYBK- and EU membership and an independent Scotland - http://bit.ly/UYfRJg I have also been out on the streets and in the communities here in Edinburgh North and Leith to argue the case. There are lots of reasons why Scotland and the rest of the UK are BetterTogether. Here are just some: • Scotland exports twice as much to England, Wales or Northern Ireland as to the rest of the world • One in five workers in Scotland have jobs with English, Welsh or Northern Irish firms • 31,000 workers in Scotland are employed by the UK Government • 800,000 Scots live and work in England and Wales • Pensions of people in Scotland are guaranteed by the UK welfare system • At times of crisis, we can draw upon the resources of the entire UK. Most recently, when the financial crisis struck, Scottish banks, savings and jobs were saved by the action of the UK Government • Scotland’s growing renewable energy industry benefits from sales and financial support from customers throughout Britain

A safer and fairer world

It’s easy at difficult times like the present just to look at the immediate problems. But we have to look to the future as well, and a lot of my work at Parliament has been continued to be focussed on helping to achieve a fairer, safer, and more sustainable world. I am a member of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee which scrutinises Government policy in this area and also undertakes inquiries into key issues. This year we have published major reports on wildlife crime, the green economy, sustainable food and protecting the Arctic. The last produced startling evidence of the extent to the ice is thinning much more quickly than expected, with all sorts of implications. You can find that and all our recent reports at http://bit.ly/T2HkvO

And although there’s been much progress in helping the developing countries in the world to become more prosperous, issues like malnutrition, lack of education, poor health still affect hundreds of millions of people in the world. I’ve spoken in debates on these issues at Westminster on a number of occasions this year including one on the future agenda for development after the Millennium Development Goals come to an end in 2015. The speech I made in that debate is at http://bit.ly/12vSw88

In fact, rising food prices are becoming a major problem not just in poorer countries but here in the UK also. I’ve supported a number of food banks here in Edinburgh, collecting and distributing food for people who don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. You can find more on this at http://bit.ly/RY3JYG Local people have responded generously to these appeals – but it’s a sad reflection on our society today that thousands just in our own community have to rely on these efforts.

Round and about in Edinburgh North and Leith

An important part of my work as an MP, of course, is getting round the community here in Edinburgh North and Leith. That means I am in touch with local issues and organisations, and can take up their issues of concern in Parliament. And although government policies here at home, and the failure of the world community to take effective measures on economic growth and out of crisis, have hit most people here at home to some extent, there has been some progress. For example, Edinburgh Council’s Edinburgh Guarantee is providing real jobs, apprenticeships and training places for young people, in the Council itself and with businesses and the voluntary sector. You can find out more about this at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/edinburghguarantee

In Parliament, I’ve been supporting the ‘Living Wage’ campaign, and I’m glad that Edinburgh Council has agreed to sign up for this campaign. I hope that many other employers in Edinburgh will do the same. And I was pleased to see that the campaign which I helped launch to bring the UK Green Investment Bank to Edinburgh HQ was successful. It’s started later than we wanted, and with less money – but it’s here now, and I want to see Edinburgh making the best of the chance this gives to create jobs and new businesses in a way which will also help secure a sustainable future for our community and our children. There is more on this at http://bit.ly/TWlkRJ

You can find more information about my work both in Parliament and the local community elsewhere my website www.marklazarowicz.org.uk. It gives details of some of the local organisations and issues with which I’ve been in touch. Do get in touch if you would like me to visit any local organisation with which you are involved. And with sufficient notice, my office can also arrange tickets and tours of the UK Parliament in Westminster.

Last, but not least, best wishes for Christmas and the New Year!