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We will continue to put pressure on the government to reverse damaging education cuts

Posted by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, at 13:13, Fri 31 January 2014:

Last Friday in the constituency was busy. I had two meetings at the town hall, a meeting with Stretford High School to talk about their plans for the World War One commemorations, met the chair of Trafford Housing Trust, held a surgery, met one of the disability campaigners behind the WOW petition, which demanded a cumulative assessment of the impact of government policies on disabled people. In the evening, I went to a very enjoyable fundraiser in the next door constituency of Withington, where I was guest speaker.

On Saturday morning I was off to London, where I was speaking at the annual conference of the Fabian Society. This was a big event, at which Ed Balls made his important speech committing to the reintroduction of the 50 per cent tax rate for top earners, and that Labour would balance the books in the next parliament (something the present government is a long way short of doing).

Monday kicked off with a meeting with Church Action on Poverty, who are keen to research the use of foodbanks. The government commissioned a report last year on why people are going to foodbanks and why there has been such a sharp rise in their use. Many of us believe it’s the direct result of government policies that mean that wages and benefits simply aren’t keeping pace with the rise in the cost of living, but although the government received the report it had asked for last summer, it still hasn’t published the findings.

You have to ask what they have to hide. Church Action on Poverty are now trying to raise money to commission their own report, and we discussed ways they could do that.

I then went in to Home Office questions to ask why the department isn’t accredited as a living wage employer –a number of other government departments are. A group of MPs are trying to ask every single department about this over the coming weeks. We hope it will put pressure on all of government to sign up to the living wage.

I attended an event organised by Citizens Advice on their campaign to advise people on switching to the best energy deal. Then a meeting with Andy Burnham and our health team to discuss health and social care. With all the changes going on in Trafford, this is a subject of great interest to me. First thing Tuesday, I was in Westminster Hall to open a debate on funding for 18 year olds in FE and sixth form colleges. The government has announced a 17.5 per cent cut from the next academic year, which will have a very damaging effect on colleges like Trafford, where over 500 students will be affected.

MPs from all parties and right across the country joined the debate to express concerns. Despite our pointing out the adverse effect this cut will have on some of the most disadvantaged students, including those who struggled at school but thrive in college where they can begin to study vocational subjects that lead to good careers, we were very disappointed that the government minister refused to rethink. We will be keeping up the pressure, it’s unusual to get such strong cross-party support, and MPs are determined to carry on working together to try to persuade the government to halt – or at least delay – this damaging cut.

I then went to meet representatives of the FA to see a demonstration of “blind football” by members of the England Blind team Lewis Skyers and Dan English. I was offered the chance to participate in a penalty shootout – I declined (it was muddy, and I was wearing heels), but watched my colleague Steve Rotherham MP, who’s a very keen footballer, give it a go!

Then into the chamber for questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer – I wanted to ask about some dodgy stats the Treasury had put out suggesting working people are better off –which totally ignored things like the rise in VAT and the cuts to working tax credit – but lots of MPs wanted to ask questions and I wasn’t called by the speaker. Better luck next time!

In the afternoon, I met representatives of the Transplant2013 team. I’ve been taking a close interest in organ transplant and donation since I began to work with my constituent Natalie McCusker (who’s had a double lung transplant) and surgeons at Wythenshawe last year. Transplant2013 want to see more organs used for transplant, but in the North West just 55 per cent of potential donor families give their consent for their loved one to become an organ donor after their death. With over 7,200 people currently waiting for a transplant, and the waiting list continuing to grow, there is an urgent need to increase the consent rate, and I want to do all I can to continue to encourage that.

In the evening, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Race and Community, of which I’m a member, held a very interesting session with experts from the higher education sector to discuss the experience of BAME students in universities. Although participation in HE is high among BAME students, overall they are less likely to graduate with a 1st class or 2:1 degree than their white counterparts, and experience higher unemployment rates after graduating. We’re trying to uncover the reasons for this, which include approaches to teaching, the courses they select, the lack of black role models in academia, and some gender differences too. We will be holding a further session to discuss some of these issues in more detail.

I was really pleased the chair of my local constituency party, Michael Melia, came into parliament to meet me for a drink on Tuesday evening, while he was staying in London. It’s always nice to welcome my own party members and to show them round!

I started Wednesday at a launch event for a new report on the experiences of refugee women in detention. Representatives of the fabulous Manchester organisation, Women Asylum Seekers Together, were present, and the event was very busy. The report is quite shocking – it describes women suffering sexual harassment while in detention, pregnant women being held in detention, and women being held indefinitely. We really need strong cross party support if we are to change the way these women are treated, and so I was pleased the launch was attended by MPs from all the main parties.

At lunchtime, the Home Secretary made a statement to MPs regarding the government's decision to accept some of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees, who may have suffered violence, including sexual violence, or have serious medical needs. Labour has been pressing since Christmas for the government to accept Syrian refugees in the UK, as many other countries have done, and we are pleased the government has at last agreed we should play our part – though it would be preferable if the government would participate in the UN scheme rather than setting up its own separate approach.

I then went to Westminster Hall to take part in a debate on compensation for mesothelioma victims. I’ve spent the past few weeks working on the Mesothelioma Bill, which enables those who’ve contracted this terrible cancer as a result of exposure to asbestos at work but who can’t trace their former employer or employer’s insurer to get compensation. The debate this week was a bit different: it dealt with people who can locate their employer, and so are able to sue for compensation in court. But the government wants to cut the amount of compensation they can receive, by forcing them to pay a success fee to their lawyers, instead of the losing defendant having to pay. Again, concerns were raised by both Conservative and Labour MPs. Again, the government Minister refused to back down.

I went back into the chamber to listen to a debate on the need for teachers to be professionally qualified – something I feel very strongly about. We had some votes on that at 7 pm, and then I left for Euston to take the train to Manchester, so that I can spend some time helping out in the by-election campaign in Wythenshawe. It was a late night home, but better than getting up at 5 am to catch the train in the morning!