Mesothelioma vote highlights lack of local concern

A lot of eyes were on the vote on Tuesday night for the Legal Aid, Setentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, dubbed LASPO by those in Westminster.

This was an important vote, not because it impacts everyone in Medway, but because Medway is currently a hotspot for mesothelioma. Not only is their a moral question therefore to the vote but also one which reflects whether our MPs are custodians for the local electorate, or simply concentrating on other issues.

The Lords had tabled several amendments to the bill which would allow mesothelioma sufferers to have greater legal entitlement and less exploitation by unscrupulous 'no-win, no-fee' legal firms who have been raking in huge fees off the back of peoples suffering. 

Sadly two of our MPs Rehman Chisthi and Mark Reckless failed to support amendment 30, relating specifically to respiratory disease cases, which the Coalition government won by 292 votes to 256, and the more general vote on industrial disease by 297 to 252.

Medway Labour is absolutely right to be dismayed that two Medway Conservative MPs failed to stand up for vulnerable mesothelioma sufferers across Medway. The asbestos death rate is 6.5 per 100,000 people whereas the national average is 2.5. Between 2006 – 2010 106 people from Medway died of mesothelioma, making it a national hotspot for asbestos deaths. Many people were employed at Chatham Dockyard where asbestos was widely used for ship repairs and building. There was also the British Uralite Factory in Higham, Medway where a number of asbestos-based products such as chimney pots and pipes were made from raw asbestos.

Not only does the Dockyard sit in the constituency of Mark Reckless, whose residents have been leading the calls locally for better representation, but Mark is himself a lawyer who should know full well the implications of the amendments. Once again, we have a serious case of him talking about issues which do not directly impact the constituency, whilst talking 'Westminster' centric issues like a referendum on the EU and the nuances of the ECHR. It is totally out of touch with the reality on the ground; people talking about rampant immigration under his government, an economy stagnating, the omnishambles that is the Conservative administration in Gun Wharf, the performance of local schools and the cuts to our armed forces. 

The complete mess that the Conservative Government made over Abu Qatada is alas a Conservative Party mess. The government is, as most voters now know, a clustershambles of Toffs who are simply out of touch. I congratulate Mark for highlighting this 'Olympic-standard screw up' but he has dropped the local ball once again.

Rehman is however a worse offender because at least Mark attended; given hundreds if not thousands of his constituents worked directly at the Chatham Docks, which the Conservative Party closed down in the early 1980s, leaving our towns bereft of blue-collar employment since. He should have been in Parliament at least making an argument either way. I understand he is out of the country at present; but that in itself when Parliament gets a huge holiday entitlement is questionable; I would argue it is not good enough for those in Gillingham & Rainham who did not vote for a part time MP. 

Of course there could be personal reasons to absent yourself from the vote, but none of the other Medway MPs made any apologies or cited a reason for his absence, and nor indeed has he done so on any public forum that I am aware of. It is almost a callous disregard for local issues which is becoming symptomatic of an MP who, if boundary changes are to be believed, needs to seriously up his game. I know huge numbers of Tory colleagues cant even bring themselves to mention his name, but there really isnt any excuse for not attending and speaking up for local residents.

It is interesting to see the local Liberal Democrats on this cause as well; there own colleagues in Westminster shamefully, and that is part of the reason why UKIP has now overtaken them as the third party, rejected the amendments as well. Dont let them pretend otherwise

This vote was symbolic of whether our local MPs would stand up for local voters. Two out of three of them are simply out of touch with the community they purport to represent. 

Tightlipped it would seem...

Still nothing has been said yet... clock is ticking...

You guessed it right. Despite a week having passed and the RSPB and other lobbying online and beyond our MP still has no position on the bulldozing of greenland at Lodgehill in our constituency for 4,500 - 5,000 homes.

Particularly concerned to note the RSPB have been ignored; given they will be leading any campaign to oppose the Peninsula airport it is not acceptable to just ignore the plight of bird species elsewhere.

Some might say its just a tad hypocritical to be complaining about birds on the North Kent marshes but conveniently ignore those on the Lodge Hill development.

Our MPs in Medway are getting wise about direct democracy online now.

Despite pledging to be open and transparent they are now trying to 'play for time' on issues which should be a simple yes and no for voters. CCHQ media training has finally sunk in...

Either way residents do need to know where the MP stands on this development and simply ignoring this will look bad...

Will keep a watching eye from any opinion of our MP on the building for 4,500 properties on green land in his constituency.

After all is only a massive local issue...

Medway MPs on Care home cuts?

Just returned from a packed hall of 60-70 people on the cuts to Medway care homes which was organised at short notice last week.

We will hopefully get videos up shortly highlighting how our MPs - Mark Reckless and Tracey Crouch - can not just sit on the fence and pretend this issue does not concern them.

Care home and adult social care is arguably the most important local issue facing residents at the present time and will vex the Council for future months.

I have tonight asked both Mark and Tracey on twitter what they think of the cuts.

I hope they will perhaps have opinions on local issues which matter to thousands of residents, vulnerable adults, staff and families

Any delay would show that they are either unclear or are intending to oppose the campaign to safeguard these services from £1m of Medway Council cuts.

Mark Reckless on Lodge Hill? You tell me!?

Too busy talking about Europe? Where does our MP stand?

Despite looking for an hour today I could not find a statement from our Member of Parliament on whether he agrees with the construction of Lodge Hill; over forests and green space on the Peninsula.

Plenty of moaning about the Eurozone which seems to be a bit of a hobby horse...

It is almost as if, perish the thought, he does not want to talk about it.

So what is Lodge Hill?

In May 2008, Land Securities was selected as Land Sale Delivery Partner by Defence Infrastucture Organisation and tasked with realising the site's redevelopment potential; to bring forward a new mixed-use development north of the A228. The Lodge Hill site has the potential to create in the region of 4,500 - 5,000 new homes, together with community facilities and new employment opportunities over the next 15 - 20 years.

Medway Conservatives are backing the destruction of our Green spaces and to bulldoze over landscape on Chattenden.

Medway Conservatives are supporting the destruction of green land for housing. Does our MP?

It is time Tories told us where they stood. Do they reject it or do they, like they have voted in the Council, support the destruction of local heritage?

Victory for the Community

Positive news today from NHS Medway that the blood clinics that had been threatened with closure have been saved after a welcome u-turn.

It was clear that there was widespread and public opposition to the closure from residents, independent petitions, Conservative MPs (Mark Reckless) and Councillor Ted Baker and the Labour opposition locally including Councillors Teresa Murray and Nick Bowler who have been working hard door-to-door to get a mass petition signed.

Maximum pressure has been applied with open letters and public calls for appropriate consultation. A concerted effort has been made using all the mediums at local residents disposal to register our discontent and someone sat up and listended.

All credit where its due to local residents who signed petitions in pharmacies, on doorsteps and online.

We await to see the small print, but on the face of it a welcome development

Services for elderly people must be maintained in Rochester. There are many people close to retirement who use these services and who do not want to have to travel miles for basic care.

Healthcare is a right not a privilege.

Rochester Clinic Cut Concerns

There is much concern tonight that we are on the cusp of cuts to our local NHS services as a result of forced cuts being imposed on the Medway Primary Care Trust.

Labour councillors in Rochester East ward and colleagues across Medway will be launching a petition against the closure of blood testing facilities at Rochester Healthy Living Centre in Delce Road

The Conservative MP has remained totally silent, which is quite frankly a major concern, given this is a key service to local Rochester residents, and indeed he remains the serving Councillor for Rochester West.

We need all our local and national politicians to be 100% engaged in the saving of the facility. Leaving it to a few local Councillors and getting a few friendly pharmacists to do the leg work is lazy politics.

Labour and the former Parliamentary candidate are ready to fight these cuts. Where is Cllr Mark Reckless?

The petition will be launched at the surgery of Cllr Teresa Murray and Cllr Nick Bowler and will be held at 10.30 to 12 noon on Saturday 12th March at St Peter’s parish centre in Delce Road

Cllr Murray said

“I have written to the chief executives of NHS Medway and the Medway Maritime Trust to complain about this disgraceful cut in local services which affects people across the whole of Rochester. To date I have received no reply. It’s part of a hidden Tory agenda of NHS cuts and there has been no public consultation. The healthy living centre in the Delce is very popular with excellent new facilities and people have been able to get blood tests done there on demand for years.”

Cllr Nick Bowler said

” People in our ward are being disadvantaged, they will now be much more restricted when they want a blood test and will have to travel further and wait longer causing extra expense and inconvenience.”

Are you taking the piste, Mark?

Astounding revelations today from the News of the World that Rochester & Strood MP, Mark Reckless was skiing on a Parliamentary Ski trip whilst also campaigning on the South Eastern fair rises which have increased by 9% in Medway.

Mark Reckless MP accompanied other MPs including Prisons Minister, Quentin Blunt and Tory, Tim Loughton in an exclusive Parliamentary Ski Group trip to Switzerland. This group hired out an exclusive venue on the Davos slopes and dined and 'frolicked' in the £1,100-a-night Hotel Fluela for over 5 days.

Despite Mark being an avid Eurosceptic he was seemingly happy to sing German songs and socialise with our European partners in close quarters.

The skiing trip started last Sunday and ended on Friday apparently showed that Mark was not in the towns whilst apparently tweeting on fare rises.

The vacation came during the same week that he was able to articulate the views of hard-pressed commuters on the 4th January on twitter accusing South Eastern trains of being not 'fit for purpose.'

The Medway Conservatives are now open to the charge of being tasteless given the cuts agenda which is being foisted upon the public.

It raises serious questions about how much interaction Mark actually had with commuters at the time, given he was singing 'Ziggy Zaggy, Hoi Hoi Hoi' on the slopes of Switzerland.

Mark has been office less then a year but it now becoming very apparent that he has taken to the good life rather too much.

This blog is not suggesting that MPs are not entitled to a break, but given the sensitivites of huge increase in costs to residents across Medway, it could be considered tasteless for our representative to be living the high-life with fellow chums in Switzerland.

Update - 11/01/2011

This blog has been in contact with the MPs office who has clarified that Mark was actually in the UK whilst posting on the Train Fares and that he flew out to Davos at a later point.

I was not aware of this significant point, as was not disclosed in the News of the World Pirce, which has led me to change the above article to try and be fair to this point. Due to the legacy and damage of web-based blogs I have totally removed any area which could be considered unfair.

The News of the World article also did not disclose that the room prices were the maximum at the venue and may not indeed have the been the cost of the room that was paid by the MP.

In the interests of fairness this blog is happy to clarify this position. This change has been made in good faith.

All that remains to be said is that you should never trust the Murdoch Press and should treat articles from a such papers with a pinch of salt.

Medway Labour Group calls on local MP's to vote against

Student Fees Increases

Today sees Parliament vote on the issue of Student Fees.

The Medway Labour Group has consistently spoken out against the proposals, supporting Universities of Medway Student Union (UMSA) in participating in the recent national demonstration, raising questions and a moving a motion on the issue at full council. In contiuing this position, Medway Labour Group are urging the three Medway MP's to vote against the proposed increases in tuition fees.

Cllr Vince Maple, Labour Spokesperson for Children and Young People's Services, said

"The Tories and Lib Dems seem hell bent on attacking young people, whether it is the scrapping of Child Trust Funds, the abolishing of Educational Maintenance Allowance, the axe coming to school sports partnerships funding, the negative impacts on youth employment by stopping the Future Jobs Fund or the trebling of tuition fees whilst seeing an 80% cut in funding.

The Medway Labour Group are calling on the local MP's to listen to the views of the community and vote against fees increases to allow the talent we have here in Medway to florish and not be halted because of financial pressures."

Steve Topazio, UMSA Representation co-ordinator, added

"The UMSA Student executive recently delivered a petition of 500 Students to Mark Reckless MP calling on him to support students and vote against a rise in tuition fees. Students also call on the other local Medway MP's to consider the impact a trebling of fees will have on their constituents and students alike and urge them to vote against the proposals in the Commons vote"

Press Notes

For Interview or Further Comment please contact Vince Maple on 07981 661 451

I-PSA getting on top of things...

The towns' three newbie Tory MPs claimed a combined total of more than £11,000 in their first round of expenses.

This blog raised the matter of expenses last week and highlighted it to local residents, but has since received a few interesting remarks from people who seem unhappy the issue has been raised.

Given this blogger was not an MP in the last parliament, nor did it makes excuses for those that exploited the previous system, surely readers can allow a mere member of the public to pass comment on the expenses of public representatives who 'toil' at the public behest without a charge of hypocrisy.

Chatham and Aylesford representative Tracey Crouch led the way with £6,319.27, with Gillingham and Rainham's Rehman Chishti receiving £4,758.05.

The figure would almost certainly have been higher had Mark Reckless MP submitted his claims as well. Though by how much, we will not know quite yet, because he has been 'getting on top' of constituency work. As opposed to enjoying the delights and discounts of the Palace of Westminster of course...

Mr Reckless said of his £0 expenses:

"They (sic) are zero for the period because I thought getting on top of constituency work was more important than learning how to navigate a rather complex expenses system."

So by implication, anyone who has submitted for expenses, which includes most of his Conservative MP colleagues incidentally, have not been getting able to get on top of constituency work as well as considering it important to um, well pay for staff, stationary, office costs and associated logistics.

For a full and quite comprehensive list of those MPs who were and are able to get their head around the 'rather complex' expenses system please take a look at the Guardian List.

Interesting on Michael Crick's blog this evening

'There was a sudden eruption of outrage at a meeting of the Conservative 1922 committee this afternoon over the new MPs body, Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

The subject wasn't even on the agenda, but MPs started expressing their anger almost spontaneously.

Their fire was directed at the leader of the House Sir George Young, from MPs complaining that they are losing thousands of pounds, many of them from the 2010 intake.'

Among the two dozen or so who voiced their anger were Adam Afriyie and Nadine Dorries.'

Oh dear... the public will be pleased...

Looks like IPSA is working then.

MPs Expenses Revealed - 2010/2011

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority today published the expenses for all MPs from May-August 2010 as part of a drive by Parliament to make our representatives more accountable to their constituents. It was established after the expenses scandal which undermined Parliament in 2009.

IPSA is an independent body which oversee the system and salaries for Members of Parliament. It is accountable to Parliament but is independently monitored.

The full report on each of the Medway MPs can be accessed at the MP Expenses website

From May 2010 - November 2010 the expenses of our MPs are as follows:

Chatham & Aylesford - Tracey Crouch MP - £6,319

Gillingham & Rainham - Rehman Chisthi - £4,758

Rochester & Strood - Mark Reckless MP - £0

It is surprising to see that Mark Reckless MP is one of a very small number of MPs who have not claimed for any expenses. It raises the question about how he is funding his office, given the fact that he has not submitted any receipt for stationary, staffing or office space.

Tracey Crouch MP on the other hand seems to be more expensive than the average Conservative MP, who claimed £6,074. Her largest expense was noted on shared staffing. Would be interesting to note if this was contracted out staffing or whether these are permanent employee costs.

Overall, MPs claimed £3.1m in expenses in the first four months after the general election, including £172,709 on hotels

The highest claimer overall was Keith Simpson, the Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, who was reimbursed £20,752, followed by Craig Whittaker, the Tory MP for Calder Valley (£18,297.71), and Andrew Bingham, the Conservative MP for High Peak in Derbyshire (£17,348.24)

The smallest individual claim lodged was by Pete Wishart, the SNP MP for Perth & North Perthshire, who claimed 14p mileage, while the biggest single claim published today was made by Labour MP and former government whip Siobhain McDonagh, who spent £9,003 on "bought in office management".

Today's published expenses also show David Cameron claimed £2,408.75 for research services, Bob Russell claimed £82.13 for toilet paper for his constituency office, and the Labour MP Gloria De Piero, an ex-GMTV presenter, claimed £1 for some cleaning gloves from Netto.

Today's figures show the bill for MPs to run constituency and Westminster offices, and for many to run second homes, appears to have shrunk significantly compared with the previous system. A welcome development.

The £3.1m cost for the first four months, which includes the summer break and excludes the biggest bill covering staff salaries, compares with a £96m bill for the whole of last year. It is clear that despite the moans from MPs, the system is cutting costs, and at a time of austerity you will not see any members of the public complaining.

Train fares and Dartford Toll

Medway commuters face season ticket rises of up to £1,200 over the next four years according to the Department of Transport response to the Comprehensive Spending Review

£1,200 which is a tax on middle class commuters who will now have to pay an increase in fare's that will impact family budgets, holiday plans and shopping bills.

Instead of fares going up by one per cent more than the rate of inflation — the formula since British Rail's privatisation in 1995 — they will rise by three per cent over the cost of living from 2012 in every region across the UK.

It means that an annual season ticket from Milton Keynes will rise by £1,194 to £5,026 by 2014.

A Gillingham commuter will have to pay £4,995, a rise of £1,187.

In an attempt to mitigate the potential charges of hypocrisy Medway and Kent Conservatives led a pre-emptive strike by tabling an Early Day Motion 838 in Parliament which was dutifully picked up by the YourMedway paper.

The motion states

"Southeastern's franchise agreement with the Department of Transport has allowed increases on regulated fares of RPI + three per cent. as opposed to RPI + one per cent. for other rail franchises which has resulted in a recently proposed fare rise of seven per cent. from January 2011; understands that franchise agreements with train operating companies are to be considered as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and calls on the Government to apply a cap on fare rises for Southeastern that is henceforth no greater than for other franchise"

The EDM, which conveniently fits straight into the coalition narrative, is nothing but a diversionary tactic which gives no help to the average Medway commuter.

The Department of Transport response to the CSR makes clear that all train companies will now raise fares by RPI + 3% from 2012. In reality the EDM means nothing to the average Medway commuter, who will not get any mitigation for current fare increases which already stand at that level.

The justification for that fare premium during the Labour period in office was increased investment in the railways. However the government increase is to mitigate government subsidy. This is a major difference because money on fares will not be invested in stock or safer stations. It will go to the government.

YourMedway did not mention that Kent and Medway Conservatives have shown brazen hypocrisy in relation to train fares.

Over the last two years Tories have been actively campaigning for a reduction in the +3% RPI increase in train fares.

The Kent Conservatives ran a 'Fare's Fair' campaign, still fully visible on their website stating that

'The Government has imposed upon South Eastern Trains a condition to run a subsidy-free network by 2014, resulting in an average increase of 3% above the rate of inflation. The Government’s imposition of year-on-year extortionate increases in rail fares for Kent’s commuters threatens to damage the Kent economy, deterring visitors and businesses from coming here. This will do nothing to get people out of their cars and onto public transport.'

Kent Conservatives campaigned in 2009, during the recession, claiming that a 3% + RPI increase was a disgrace and would damage the economy. Yet now they remain silent.

Hundreds of commuters voted Conservative in May 2010 to keep train fares low. Organisations across Kent were backed by Conservatives to channel commuter anger and potentially harvest key anti-fare votes for the election this year.

Mark Reckless MP campaigned in March 2009, with the 'independent' Medway Fares Fair champion to reduce standard fares. The independent champion for Medway commuters, who is also an announced candidate for the Rochester & Strood Conservatives for election in 2011, refuted any bias at the time stating that the campaign had sought 'cross-party support.'

The organisation which was backed by Mark Reckless MP and Tracey Crouch MP stated in its objectives statement that:

'We are calling for Southeastern Trains to suspend their planned increases with immediate effect and bring them more into line with the current RPI, although even that will be on the high side for many. The +3% should be dropped immediately as we think it is discriminatory and unfair.'

The campaign championed the cause of a small increase in train fares on the 6th January 2009. Both Tracey and Mark backed the campaign wholeheartedly. The campaign even congratulated the two PPCs for having 'an excellent track record in campaigning on local issues for Medway residents'

Yet it now appears that the campaign remains dormant and the position of the Conservative MPs is silent. It is noted however that since the election of a Conservative Government the 'independent' group has made no public statement, including today, on the most important statement for a decade on the next 5 years of fare increases.

Another case which raises commuter eyebrows is the campaign by Tracey Crouch MP from the 27th March 2009 and 18th December 2008 on the scrapping of 'my campaign to scrap the stealth tax' Dartford Toll.

On the 15th December 2009 she announced on her blog that

'I am today announcing my support for the campaign to scrap the Dartford Crossing charges. Local residents who use the Crossing for work have been in touch and are fed up, not least because the charges were supposed to be scrapped once the Crossing had been paid for - which happened five years ago!!'

The Conservative Government has now not only kept the toll but it has been hit by a rise in the Dartford Crossing charge, which will go up from £1.50 to £2.50 by 2012

Kent Conservatives have also shown rank duplicty. Kent County Council Keith Ferrin said in 2006, that drivers are already being penalised with little benefit for Kent, and to ramp up the daily charge by 50 per cent to £1.50 would “just add insult to injury”.

Mr Ferrin said: “We will fight these increased charges. In effect, they are an additional tax on Kent motorists. It’s a bit like sticking the knife in where it already hurts."

Perhaps Kent Conservatives can clarify why they have quietly changed their minds. It is dishonest.

The double-standards of Tories will now be highlighted by Medway Labour. We all believe that elected Members of Parliament should stand by their promises before being elected and held to account.

This Kent Fare's Fair campaign, its independent sister group in Medway, and the Dartford Toll campaign are three campaigns which independent voters can link to online. Make your own judgement

We all accept that government has to make tough decisions in government as opposed to opposition. People would however give more credibility to honesty and when candidates have to undertake a u-turn for them to explain the reasons.

Commuters have been let down by Tories who are now back-tracking on campaign promises across Medway and Kent.