Motorists left to pick up tab for failed Government policies
STEPHEN Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock has backed Conservatives in Parliament in their attempt to force Gordon Brown into a u-turn over Government plans to backdate taxes for high-emission cars to 2001.
Conservatives have tabled an amendment for the final stage of the Finance Bill to be debated this week, that will try and force the Government to drop plans to backdate the tax to 2001.
The Government is to change the way that Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) is calculated to raise an extra £2,500,000,000 for Gordon Brown’s coffers. Family cars face higher VED as well as a ‘showroom tax’ for new cars. The VED tax will be retrospective – so any car bought after 2001 will be hit by the higher tax rates. This will lead in turn to a plummeting re-sale price for second-hand cars. This will make it more difficult for people to replace their car and upgrade to a new or better one.
For example, the tax bill for a typical Ford Mondeo will rise from £210 to £310 a year, with a new £500 showroom tax on top. Yet, even the Government’s own estimates show that carbon dioxide emissions from motoring will hardly be cut at all.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “With the abolition of the 10p Tax Rate, fuel prices rocketing, energy prices rising, mortgage cost growing in the wake of the credit crunch, food prices spiraling and higher Council Tax bills - everyone is feeling the effects of the soaring cost of living.
And now the cost of driving a car will soon be even higher – the Government should scrap its plans for a big increase in road tax on family cars. This is yet another slap in the face from Labour. Along with everything else this is really hitting hard-working families across Basildon & Thurrock.”
“Conservatives have consistently opposed these measures. The Government must execute a sharp U-turn. Any change in road tax should focus only on the most polluting vehicles, and be offset by equivalent reductions in family taxes. All Gordon Brown is interested in is finding new ways to push up his notorious stealth taxes even further.”
Monday 30 June 2008
Wednesday 18 June 2008
Post Office Closure Programme Steams Ahead
Following yesterday’s publication by the Post Office of its plans for the future of the Post Office network across South Essex, Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, has welcomed the fact that no Post Office closures are proposed in the South Basildon & East Thurrock Constituency.
Stephen said: “Post Offices form a vital part of our local community, and I am delighted that the network in South Basildon & East Thurrock will remain in tact. However, I do feel for those communities in Thurrock, Southend and Castle Point that will be affected by these proposals. The cuts will hit the most vulnerable and the elderly the hardest. Labour Ministers need to recognise that if the local Post Office closes, often other vital services are also lost.”
He continued: “I believe the time has now come for the Government to step in and preserve what is left of the network. At present, we have the absurd spectacle of Labour Ministers and Members of Parliament campaigning up and down the country in their own constituencies to keep their local Post Offices open while voting in favour of the closures in Parliament.”
“Everyone can see through this hypocrisy; let’s have some honesty from this tired and discredited Government. If they, like me, believe Post Offices are an important part of our community then someone should tell the Prime Minister it’s time for action not more dithering and indecision. Come on Mr Brown: Save Our Post Offices!”
Stephen said: “Post Offices form a vital part of our local community, and I am delighted that the network in South Basildon & East Thurrock will remain in tact. However, I do feel for those communities in Thurrock, Southend and Castle Point that will be affected by these proposals. The cuts will hit the most vulnerable and the elderly the hardest. Labour Ministers need to recognise that if the local Post Office closes, often other vital services are also lost.”
He continued: “I believe the time has now come for the Government to step in and preserve what is left of the network. At present, we have the absurd spectacle of Labour Ministers and Members of Parliament campaigning up and down the country in their own constituencies to keep their local Post Offices open while voting in favour of the closures in Parliament.”
“Everyone can see through this hypocrisy; let’s have some honesty from this tired and discredited Government. If they, like me, believe Post Offices are an important part of our community then someone should tell the Prime Minister it’s time for action not more dithering and indecision. Come on Mr Brown: Save Our Post Offices!”
Tuesday 17 June 2008
Mental Health Unit leads the way!
Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock today met with Anne Milton MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health, Dr Patrick Geoghegan, chief executive of the South Essex Partnership NHS Trust (Sept), and Eunan MacIntyre, Director of Inpatient & Emergency Services and Mrs Lorraine Cabel, Chairman of South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to tour the recently opened facilities at the Basildon Hospital Mental Health Unit.
Anne Milton MP, a former nurse who has a background in caring for those with mental illness was impressed by the facilities and talked at length with Dr Geoghegan and Dr MacIntyre. The changes in procedure and treatment have enabled the centre to deliver better care, more quickly while reducing the need for patients to spend extended periods with the unit.
Dr Geoghegan has stated: “Mental illness is now the number one reason that people are off work - through anxiety, stress and depression where it used to be back pain. Yet the investment is not going into helping these people and supporting them."
He believes the recently opened facilities in Basildon and Rochford, and the imaginative approach adopted by the unit has seen real improvements in the way patients are cared for and has gone someway to compensate for that lack of investment.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I too was very impressed with what has been achieved here in Basildon, the rapid response to patient needs and the desire to help those with mental illness back in to the community as quickly as appropriate has to be welcomed. There is a stigma surrounding mental illness and anything that can be done to break down that prejudice and help them back into the wider community is excellent.”
He continued: “This is often an area of healthcare that is overlooked, but can have devastating consequences on peoples lives. The approach adopted here allows for treatment at the same time as helping patients maintain connections with the wider community, it really has paid dividends. Working with patients as opposed to just for them has help people return home more quickly and often keep them in employment which can have so many positive benefits – long may their excellent work continue.”
Anne Milton MP, a former nurse who has a background in caring for those with mental illness was impressed by the facilities and talked at length with Dr Geoghegan and Dr MacIntyre. The changes in procedure and treatment have enabled the centre to deliver better care, more quickly while reducing the need for patients to spend extended periods with the unit.
Dr Geoghegan has stated: “Mental illness is now the number one reason that people are off work - through anxiety, stress and depression where it used to be back pain. Yet the investment is not going into helping these people and supporting them."
He believes the recently opened facilities in Basildon and Rochford, and the imaginative approach adopted by the unit has seen real improvements in the way patients are cared for and has gone someway to compensate for that lack of investment.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I too was very impressed with what has been achieved here in Basildon, the rapid response to patient needs and the desire to help those with mental illness back in to the community as quickly as appropriate has to be welcomed. There is a stigma surrounding mental illness and anything that can be done to break down that prejudice and help them back into the wider community is excellent.”
He continued: “This is often an area of healthcare that is overlooked, but can have devastating consequences on peoples lives. The approach adopted here allows for treatment at the same time as helping patients maintain connections with the wider community, it really has paid dividends. Working with patients as opposed to just for them has help people return home more quickly and often keep them in employment which can have so many positive benefits – long may their excellent work continue.”
Wednesday 4 June 2008
Stephen Metcalfe Welcomes William Hague's Support in Basildon
Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock and William Hague MP, senior member of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet yesterday visited the South Anglia Housing and Essex Police Neighbourhood Office in Pitseaville Grove.
Both William and Stephen heard first hand how the partnership between the Housing Association and the Police was working and the benefits it has brought for the local community.
They toured the offices, chatted with staff about the new arrangements, met with local Police Officers and also heard about the recent successes with operation Leopard.
Operation Leopard saw Police target youths and known offenders responsible for anti-social behaviour. Those identified were warned that their actions would not be tolerated the Police then photographed them and their associates as they wandered around an estate for the next few days.
The results were spectacular! Crime across the whole area fell to almost nothing and whilst there has been a small increase since the operation finished, now that funding has been secured the operation can continue for at least another year.
William Hague was impressed with the results and said that he would certainly be talking to his shadow cabinet colleagues about the successes here in Basildon and would encourage David Davis, Shadow Home Secretary, to look closely at the Partnership, the operation and its results.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I have been immensely impressed by the success of Operation Leopard. As is often the case, it is simplest ideas that are the best, such as the idea of coming out of the police station, targeting persistent offenders and photographing them. Their activities seem to have paid real dividends and has made a real difference to the lives of the 2,500 local residents who have been affected by the actions of a small minority.”
He continued: “I know that there are a number of other Police Forces who are looking at the results here in Basildon and want to try similar operations in their own areas. I would recommend it to them and would like to see this kind of Policing adopted not only across the whole of Basildon and Thurrock, but also seen as best practice across the whole country."
Both William and Stephen heard first hand how the partnership between the Housing Association and the Police was working and the benefits it has brought for the local community.
They toured the offices, chatted with staff about the new arrangements, met with local Police Officers and also heard about the recent successes with operation Leopard.
Operation Leopard saw Police target youths and known offenders responsible for anti-social behaviour. Those identified were warned that their actions would not be tolerated the Police then photographed them and their associates as they wandered around an estate for the next few days.
The results were spectacular! Crime across the whole area fell to almost nothing and whilst there has been a small increase since the operation finished, now that funding has been secured the operation can continue for at least another year.
William Hague was impressed with the results and said that he would certainly be talking to his shadow cabinet colleagues about the successes here in Basildon and would encourage David Davis, Shadow Home Secretary, to look closely at the Partnership, the operation and its results.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I have been immensely impressed by the success of Operation Leopard. As is often the case, it is simplest ideas that are the best, such as the idea of coming out of the police station, targeting persistent offenders and photographing them. Their activities seem to have paid real dividends and has made a real difference to the lives of the 2,500 local residents who have been affected by the actions of a small minority.”
He continued: “I know that there are a number of other Police Forces who are looking at the results here in Basildon and want to try similar operations in their own areas. I would recommend it to them and would like to see this kind of Policing adopted not only across the whole of Basildon and Thurrock, but also seen as best practice across the whole country."
Monday 2 June 2008
The Government has failed in its attempt to combat youth offending
Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Conservative Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock has this week echoed the concerns highlighted in an independent audit of the Government’s youth justice reforms.
The report published by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London reveals that that the Government’s wide ranging youth justice reforms have had no measurable impact on levels of self-reported youth offending. The report also highlights that far more children have been criminalised and imprisoned and that youth offending teams have struggled to meet the multiple social needs behind their offending.
Stephen said: “The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has exposed this Government’s failure on combating youth-offending.
“Since 2000 spending on youth justice by the Youth Justice Board, and other agencies, has increased by 45percent in real terms. With the exception of probation, youth justice has received the largest increase of all the major criminal justice agencies.
“Despite this investment the Government has missed its own targets. In the words of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: ‘all the expenditure and activity to reduce youth crime has had no measurable impact’.”
The full report can be read online at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/youthjusticeaudit.html
The report published by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London reveals that that the Government’s wide ranging youth justice reforms have had no measurable impact on levels of self-reported youth offending. The report also highlights that far more children have been criminalised and imprisoned and that youth offending teams have struggled to meet the multiple social needs behind their offending.
Stephen said: “The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies has exposed this Government’s failure on combating youth-offending.
“Since 2000 spending on youth justice by the Youth Justice Board, and other agencies, has increased by 45percent in real terms. With the exception of probation, youth justice has received the largest increase of all the major criminal justice agencies.
“Despite this investment the Government has missed its own targets. In the words of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies: ‘all the expenditure and activity to reduce youth crime has had no measurable impact’.”
The full report can be read online at: http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/youthjusticeaudit.html
Green Business Exhibition a real eye opener...
Stephen Metcalfe, Prospective Member of Parliament for South Basildon & East Thurrock was delighted to be invited to attend the “Basildon Green Business Forum’s Art Challenge 2008” at the Eastgate Centre on Friday evening (30/5/08).
The Art Challenge, titled “Basildon is a Green Place To Be”, is being organised to promote the Basildon Green Business Forum, an initiative of Basildon District Council, which provides environmental help and support to local businesses. This free service helps businesses reduce their impact on the environment, which includes energy, water and waste reduction and increased recycling.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “Through a combination of pictures, sculptures, photographs and collages people and business across Basildon have demonstrated what a great place Basildon is to live. We often forget how much green space there is around us and how many beautiful places there are across the district.”
“I would encourage everyone to make the effort to visit the Eastgate Centre and see for themselves all the great pieces of art on show, I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised.”
“Each piece is being exhibited by a local business that wants to communicate their commitment to making Basildon a greener place, and from what I saw they are certainly achieving that aim.”
The exhibition is on display until Thursday 7th June 2008 in the Eastgate Centre. For more detail see: www.basildonartchallenge.co.uk.
The Art Challenge, titled “Basildon is a Green Place To Be”, is being organised to promote the Basildon Green Business Forum, an initiative of Basildon District Council, which provides environmental help and support to local businesses. This free service helps businesses reduce their impact on the environment, which includes energy, water and waste reduction and increased recycling.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “Through a combination of pictures, sculptures, photographs and collages people and business across Basildon have demonstrated what a great place Basildon is to live. We often forget how much green space there is around us and how many beautiful places there are across the district.”
“I would encourage everyone to make the effort to visit the Eastgate Centre and see for themselves all the great pieces of art on show, I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised.”
“Each piece is being exhibited by a local business that wants to communicate their commitment to making Basildon a greener place, and from what I saw they are certainly achieving that aim.”
The exhibition is on display until Thursday 7th June 2008 in the Eastgate Centre. For more detail see: www.basildonartchallenge.co.uk.
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