Update from Linda Gilroy MP week ending Friday 12 June 2009
Posted by Linda Gilroy, MP for Plymouth, Sutton, at 08:26, Fri 12 June 2009:
Thought for the Week
No doubt many of you will have been reading in the news about some of the issues surrounding the Labour leadership. The Cabinet reshuffle has been completed and it is time to focus on what really matters. This country - and the world - currently faces three great challenges: the economic downturn, climate change and international security. I strongly believe this Government - and this Prime Minister - has been leading international efforts to address them and that we have the policies necessary to make a difference. The fact that Lloyds bank is now set to pay back to the taxpayer some of the money used to bail it out shows that these policies are working - of course, the media were less inclined to cover this story.
Whatever the turmoil that has been occurring from time to time in Westminster, rest assured that my own concentration is solely given to Plymouth. My priorities remain affordable housing, fairer water bills, supporting small businesses, safer communities and the other issues people bring up with me on the doorstep and in my postbag.
I was delighted by the news today that the MOD will be leasing parts of the South Yard in Devonport to Princess Yachts. Much of this land has remained vacant for decades and I have been pressing Ministers to release it for the use of local businesses. Princess Yachts are currently based at Stonehouse Pool but have been looking for a new site in which to expand for sometime. If a site hadn't been forthcoming in Plymouth then they could have looked elsewhere - possibly abroad. This is a real boost for the Plymouth - Princess Yachts is a major employer and a brand name that puts us on the map. The average salary at the firm is well above of Plymouth's average which reflects the expertise and the skill of their workforce. Our marine sector is one of the key hubs around which Plymouth's growth is based so this is excellent news for our wider economy. It is one of the 'green shoots' we have been waiting to see - and hopefully it will enable us to be on the front foot for the economic recovery. The fact they have done so in a timely manner demonstrates the Government is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Plymouth through these difficult times.
My week at a glance
Digital Switchover
On Monday I asked a Parliamentary question to the new Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport - Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw - about the progress of digital switchover in the South West. Plymouth's two analogue TV transmitters will be switched off on August 12th and September 9th and it is vital that we ensure everyone is aware of and ready for digital TV. Help is available for certain vulnerable groups and individuals and you can find details on the Digital-UK and Switchover Help Scheme websites.
RAF & Allied Air Forces
Plymouth Hoe is home to the first and possibly only national memorial to commemorate both the RAF and the Allied airmen of the Second World War. On Sunday 28 June the memorial will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a service that will be attended by representatives of allied countries. To mark this important occasion I delivered a speech in Parliament on Wednesday that recalled the remarkable story of how the memorial came about, how it came to be in Plymouth and why it is so important we remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who gave their today for our tomorrow. I do encourage you to have a read - the memorial only exists because of the dogged determination and hard work of volunteers from Plymouth who overcame a combination of apathy and resistance to make it happen.
Cooperative Visit
Thursday saw the annual visit to Parliament by members of the Plymouth branch of the Cooperative Party. These are the people who help make our demoracy work by giving up their time to stuff envelopes, knock on doors, raise money and develop policies. The Cooperative Party is part of the cooperative movement, which includes the well known high street supermarkets, banks and funeral directors but also things like Supporters Direct football groups and Community Land Trust housing associations.
Looking ahead
Next week I will be meeting with a delegation of MPs from Helmand Province in Afghanistan, I'll be meeting marine conservation volunteers from Wembury and I'll be attending a hustings to hear the candidates for the position of Speaker. I'll be listening very closely to what they have to say about how we can reform our democracy so that it reconnects with the public. I'm also really looking forward to the opening of the Peninsula Dental School. This is the first new dental school in the country for 50 years and joins the Peninsula Medical School as a cornerstone of our medical science sector which is a key part of the City's economic development strategy.
Linda Gilroy MP
Comments
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Posted by Liam Brennan, 10:25, Fri 12 June 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
This Government and in particular the prats Blair & Brown have never considered the occupants of this country or listened to anyone least of all the taxpayers. They were only interested in gaining international acclaim and trying to become a world leader, these two no hopers are the main reason we are in this mess Cherie would have gone to the opening of an envelope for a free drink and sausage roll and the idiot husband couildn't run a bath never mind the country, and surprise surprise the replacements are no better. Why is it that every member of parliament including the lords seem to be ALMOST RETARDED no skill level and a self important opinion is all they have, just treat the rest of us like an ATM the sooner you are all gone the better. Here's a thought, President Mugabe is probably more honest than you lot.
Posted by Peter Edwards, 12:20, Fri 12 June 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
My view is that in spite of Mr Brown's faults we need an experienced and knowledgable person in charge at this time - the co-ordination of international efforts to cope with the financial meltdown must be continued until we are clear of the remaining danger and no-one is as well placed as Brown to do that. The failure of our political, business and press leaders as a group to foresee the financial crisis (and to understand the equally significant problem of arrogant/sloppy/greedy behavioiur by MPs) is a major fault which must not be forgiven; the Tories and Liberals are just as guiltly here. No, what I am interested in is the redevelopment of Plymouth of which the regeneration of Devonport is just a part. Our MPs should be chewing lumps out of the Government until we get more investment in much improved transport links - air and rail, investment in rebuilding the key west end and sorting out the dreadful Laira Bridge problem. If we continue to build housing in the city at the current rate, we will see gridlock and increasing unemployment unless the infrastructure is dramatically improved. The Mackay vision was a start - what are our MPs doing to get the money to move it on? Cash will be short for the next 20 years or until the banks give us our money back (!) so we will have to fight for every penny - what is being done to get us this much needed investment?
Posted by dean rossington, 21:28, Fri 12 June 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
like a cabinet reshuffle is gonna address the serious issues facing the working people of this city or the nation. it is new labours addiction to the failed neo liberal capitalist experiment that has caused this recession, allowed political parties to become the vehicle for greedy career politicians and a tool of international capitalism and international capitalist companies. a pox on them all. time for a new workers party, despite the best efforts of genuine labour party members trying to represent the communities they live and work in, new labour serves no one but itself, political power and parliamentary salaries are the only interest of the plp, "labour party" mps standing alongside the capitalists that are sacking the workers those mps are supposed to represent telling us how we should sacrifice our jobs and homes, whilst they continue to collect their fat salaries. how much more bull do they think we are prepared to accept? new labour are gonna get smashed at the next general election, no doubt about it, who will profit the conservative neo liberals, that's who. change of face, same old policies, make the workers pay for the capitalists greed and stupidity. time to get off the wheel, time to get off your knees, join the campaign for a new workers party, join the socialist party, join socialist appeal, join any workers controlled organisation, fight the careerists in your political party, fight the careerists in your trade union and community, organise for yourselves and put ourselves interests first.
Posted by Liam Brennan, 05:31, Sat 13 June 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
For Peter Edwards, Sorry to burst your bubble but socialism didn't work in Russia China Cuba South America and its not working in North Korea, Just Dictator ship by another name once in they run everything and hand pick the people who will oversee the next election, as for MP's they are expert at nothing, They wre great talkers which is why they were elected nothing more once in charge of somthing they hire experts to tell them what to say and do and guess who pays for the experts?? Going back to social;ism I can remenber the 50s & 60s when they said everyone was equal obviously some were more equal because no one could leave the country except party leaders they wer comming to London to get Shotguns hand made for themselves the wore well made clothes and ate in nice restaurants had the best looking whores and the best apprtments and transport and foreign holidays so how was that equal to the other 200 million that lived in pverty, lived in slums had no access to a hand made shotgun a decent holiday, reliable transportation, I could go on all day, wake up yuo tosser and get a life. What we have to make sur of is the people we put in power are accoountable. and we can get rid of them and they do not get anything for messing up what we want, we pay the money and just like any job you can get sacked by the boss thats us, and you walk away with siod all no big house no pension except the basic on, and no other job offers remenber these people are offered other jobs because they are MPs, if they wern't the would be on the dole. Dumb as dirt. but plausable thats there secrect and as long as they can keep us thinking they know it all the longer they can stay in power.
Posted by dean rossington, 20:31, Sun 14 June 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
socialism is working in cuba, not democratic socialism, but a form of socialism. as for the ussr and china, both were backward peasant economies, the planned economy rose the ussr to the worlds second great power before its fall at the hands of the same beurocrats that betrayed the russian revolution and now china is the second greatest power, it will also fall for similar reasons. the fall of the ussr is not a failure of socialism but a result of the corrupted ideology that ran the ussr, much like the failure of new labour, the careerists and capitalists seized control denying the success of the socialists in winning over the working class to our ideas, denyng how we had encouraged our class to act and think for themselves. the new labour party like stalins russia and maos china is a denial of the very basis of socialist thought and they have fallen and not before time.