Rail fare increases - Commuters lose out at PMQs

I was pleased that I was able to sit and watch PMQs at work last Wednesday, even more pleased as the lead topic brought up by Ed Miliband was rail fare rises.

Regular readers will no that I, as a suffering commuter am opposed to such hefty rises and I fear a time when the poor hard working commuter will be priced off the networks altogether. I honestly think that cross party cooperation is needed for this and hoped to see some serious debate happen and some head way.

My hopes were soon dashed... as I should have probably feared.

We entered a tit for tat round of who was to blame for the current rise in fares.

The Process of the rise was put in by the last Labour Government.


The rise was too hefty for commuters.


Autumn Statement cut the rise from RPI +3 to RPI +1.

We cut the rise - You reinstated it.

You only did it for one year - election year.

No we did it permanently.

No you didn't...

No answers were reached.

Right before I go on lets get the "Blame" out the way.

The Conservatives privatised the railways and made a bit of a hash of it.
Labour brought in RPI +3 formula with a variation of 5% on that so long as the average increase was a rise of 8% across the network and all the current Rail companies have that in their contracts with the Government and the Coalition is tied to this variance ruling.
Labour did bring in a change for 2010 and unfortunately for Ed Miliband a memo from Lord Adonis was found verifying that it was a one year kybosh as a sweetener for the electorate and unfortunately the Coalition had to abandon that.
The Coalition however has not done much to fight it. MPs have talked about it, the Autumn Statement has held it down to RPI+1 as a respite but the future has does not look as rosey as we might hope.

Two further points:

The Southeastern region has been on RPI+3 because we were paying towards the High Speed 1 rail route where as a lot of the rest of the nation kept RPI+1 and Sir Roger Gale MP mentioned in PMQs that his Constituents (Thanet) have paid up to 11% for a few years under Labour Government.

This battle of Political one-upmanship is never going to benefit the commuter. It is one of the very easy vote winners, lowering taxes and cutting prices will always catch someones attention as will casting blame and bringing up unfortunate truths from another party's past but ultimately it solves nothing - Prices will continue to rise.

I'm not even going to say that voting Liberal Democrat will change that, yes we want change and fairness but I can't promise you that we won't do the same thing because all parties are caught in the simple truth that David Cameron brought up on Wednesday;
It either has to come from the Taxpayer or from the traveller.
I can hear hundreds of thousands saying- I don't travel by rail, why should my money go into helping all those people travel by train up London? Surely they get paid enough? Aren't some of them bankers?

 It is a fair question - one that there is not a fair answer to.

Ultimately if you use a service you should pay for it.

However these rises in Train fares are not only damaging for the Consumer, but also they could eventually be detrimental to the economy as low paid workers are forced off the railways and maybe out of a job because they simply cannot afford the travel.

This all boils down to responsible Capitalism, which I'll be writing about later in the week, and Government control of the pricing - I know not very Liberal but - so that any rise is affordable by the users. Other solutions are being bandied around and I know Labour have set up a task force for it but I sincerely believe that a Cross party group needs to get together and lay all this history at the door as this childish squabbling is not achieving anything.

Lib Dems lose support with the electorate

Future looks bleak.

Well it was bound to have happened. The Liberal Democrats are proving what political theorists have said for many years. If you're in Government you lose popularity, indeed tough decisions lead to losing votes - leave sprouting populist nonsense to the opposition parties who can promise the world and not have to deliver a thing. 

But the loss of 75% of support is a big knock. Three out of Four people who voted Libdem in 2010 would now vote elsewhere. ( 25% Labour 25% other 25% Don't know) That is a huge dent in party support. Also things look bleak for other reasons. Only 1% of voters who normally vote for the big Two had turned to the Lib Dems in 2010 and our protest vote status has fallen as 10% of protest voters have said they would still vote Lib Dem. If we were to hold a General Election now the party could, on paper, die in Parliament. Has Clegg led us to ruin? Have the Tories finally defeated their "Old Enemy" with Coalition? 

I would argue No, and that there is nothing to fear.

Firstly the Yougov poll only surveyed 4300 Libdem voters, from the entire nation, it is hardly representative of all the party's support from 2010. There are still large areas who are supportive of the party or atleast their MPs like Julian Huppert or Greg Mulholland where as supporters in Sheffield Hallam may be a little more lukewarm. The good thing about not having a PR vote is that it doesn't matter what opinion of Gillingham's citizens is when it comes to Greg Mulholland's election just the people of Leeds and as he and the afore mentioned Julian Huppert are doing good jobs for their constituency I'm sure that their party affiliation can be overlooked.

There is yet more good news in the form of a poll on Libdemvoice saw 564 Lib dems return the view that Nick Clegg is doing a good job and his personal standing had increased since the "Tuition" fiasco. This is backed up by another survey that shows his net satisfaction is up to +32 %! 

Our critics would say that there these party members are "Hard line Cleggites" but usually such surveys bring out the ney-sayers.
If "Hard line Cleggites" is the term then count me into that merry band. I still agree with Nick, and I think that, mostly, he is doing the right thing. 

Are we deluded?

I don't think so.

In 1781 Lord Cornwallis won a victory over the American Colonial armies at Guildford Court house with a pyric victory that cost his army dear. Taking the decission to march south to Virginnia and with the Colonial army of Green shadowing him Cornwallis burned the waggons of supplies so as to speed up the march and ordered the men to live off the land and forage as they marched. Cornwallis was loved by his men, he was a genius that was a soldiers soldier and who protected his men in battle to minimise losses.

Support for Nick is the same. Liberal Democrats know that the Coalition is not going to be easy. These are tough times politically, socially and economically. Tough decisions need to be made and have to be made and Nick is making those with you in mind at the expense of the Party's standing. How many other Politicians would do that or be willing to do that?

I know the Coalition isn't making all the right decisions -  which government ever does?

But Nick Clegg and the party did the right thing in 2010 and by working with the Conservatives they are doing good work. After all how much of the manifesto has been put into action? How much of a Liberal or Liberal Democrat manifesto has ever been put into action between now and 1914?  Have we not got in the Pupil Premium? Lifted people out of income tax? Fought for human rights? Done a lot of the things we promised to do?

A Lib dem Source was quoted in the I and sums it all up;

We always knew that, by going into Coalition with the Conservatives, we would lose some people who voted for us to keep them out. It is a long haul, but we think we can win people back by delivering in Government.

It is a long way to 2015, and as Ed Miliband said today, the current polls mean nothing and he's right. Although only 9% of surveyed Labour members think Ed is doing a good job at the moment and 87% think he is doing a bad job but show them a victory or a great speech followed up by substance, or capitalising on a slip by Cameron and members will flood back to him. It is the way of Human nature.

Of course I do believe we do need to look at ways of improving the Party's image on a National level, locally Councillors will continue to work hard and show their wards what they can do and prove they were a good choice. We cannot become to complacent as a party and it is up to us - the activists- to continue pushing the work we are doing and being a part of Tough liberalism.

Polls are only a snippet of opinion and cannot necessarily be taken as the view of the whole country. Only time will tell how we do in 2015 or whether Nick will stay at the helm. I'm not worried.

Lib Dems have lost three quarters of supporters, I, Andrew Grice, 6th-1-12

Clegg pushes for greater Social Mobility

Whilst many parties and media pundits are happy to concentrate on battles that We have lost in Coalition and even on joining the Tories in the first place, today I am going to trumpet a genuine Liberal Democrat triumph (doing my bit for Tough Liberalism) - and one brought about by Nick Clegg.

Today he announced that Several banks and legal firms have signed a "Business Compact" to allow greater Social Mobility.

So what does that mean?

Well...

• The Internship program will be as transparent as possible and remove barriers for those from a poorer background. 
• Advertise Internships - including Work experience and general recruitment places fairly.
• Support local Schools with mentoring and reading programs to encourage pupils of all ages and backgrounds to show them that they can shoot above their means.

A lot of this sounds straight forward like it should already exist but it is a sad truth that even in these modern times that someone who goes to a State school and studies at an old Poly university cannot go on to be head of a multi national bank despite grades and ambition just because their parents cannot afford to send them to Oxbridge.

On the other hand someone who's father went to Eaton with the Chief Exec can get the job or internship without a problem whether they're qualified or not. This is the life Nick had, he managed to get a good internship and work because of his background and it is a life he has fought to overturn for future generations. It isn't fair and should no longer be tolerated in a modern society. He has suffered criticism, which I wrote about  here for having this background but lets be honest, we don't chose our backgrounds or where we've come from but we can change where we're going and the world we want for tomorrow and that is what Nick has done and he should be commended.

This is an important step towards a society where it's what you know, not who you know, that counts,

Working with the Coalition, the biggest hitters in the City of London are helping lead the way to a fairer, more open society.
By opening their doors to young people from all walks of life, this marks the start of a culture shift at the heart of British Business, driven by the belief that ability and drive should trump connections and privilege.

HSBC, Barclays, Credit Suisse, RBS, Allen and Overy, Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst - Baker and McKenzie, CMS Cameron McKenna, Hogan Lovells, Norton Rose, Simmons & Simmons, Irwin Mitchell to list but a few have signed up to the Compact.

Social Mobility is an ideal that is at the very heart of the Liberal Democrat party and the belief in people and this accomplishment is one that should be trumpeted. Hopefully this is the opening of a fairer society and gives kids from a poorer background the opportunity to achieve more and reach above the old idea of "Social position." and let those who can attain to actually do.

Clegg campagin sees City Firms open their doors to less well-off, Nicholas Cecil, The Evening Standard, 11-1-12

Rebellious MP Mark Reckless

Mark Reckless MP for Rochester and Strood was the third most rebellious Conservative MP in England. He has defied the Government line 20 times - mostly over Europe but also over Tuition fees.

Tracey Crouch has "rebelled" twice and was absent/abstained for the Tuition fees vote and Rehman Chishti has not rebelled once.

When asked about this dubious honour he said;

The Conservative Whips in action.

In the short term it probably is a trade off [Against a Ministerial job]  but in the long term its important to stand up for what you believe in and what your constituency want.

This is what Parliamentary MPs should do. This was one of the reasons a PR style government was not chosen for the electoral reform referendum as everyone likes a point of contact and it keeps MPs responsible to someone. After all is your loyalty primarily to the Prime Minister? The party? The Government or your Constituency? I'd say the latter.

Every MP is different as is every constituency and the difference could be that one constituency is more Pro Europe than another.

The other thing that some politico's and commentators forget is that Political parties are not all one voice.
If you join the Liberal Democrats you instantly agree with Nick...

I can assure you that is certainly not the case.

The same is true with national Politics and "Rebel MPs" should be congratulated for having the balls to stand up for what they believe in. (In fact Anyone who stands firm and true to their personal beliefs should be commended for it.) Members don't agree with everything their leader says or even everything that is in their manifesto, even if they do they don't necessarily agree with their leader's application of it or even a Government's answers to national problems. There is also the issue of personal honour and pledges. MPs like Greg Mulholland and Julian Huppert voted "No" on tuition - not just because it was a bad idea but because they had pledged to vote No and run promising to vote No.

John Stuart Mill wrote in "On Liberty" that one should not be dominated by the will of the majority and nor should they.

A rebel MP is not a problem and as long as they are representing their constituents then they are indeed doing what they are meant to - likewise an MP that follows the party line and is following the wishes of their constituents or prove that they are working in their best interests are also doing their job.

MPs and Social Networking Nationally and Locally.

In the news this week Dianne Abbott and Ed Miliband caused a stir with ill thought out tweets and a typo.

Dianne Abbott and Ed Miliband

Dianne Abbott, in a conversation with a Journalist stated words to the effect that White people like to Divide and rule. I can't comment on the context or say what I think she may have been trying to say or whether or not I thought she made a racist remark or not.
All I can say with certainty is there were grounds for offence and offence was taken whether real, false or hype. She claims the tweet was taken out of context and that she was talking about Colonialist attitudes to race in the 18th and 19th century.

Fair enough. However it wasn't clear and someone has blown a 142 character tweet out of all proportion and there were even attempts to get her to resign! 142 characters did all of that.

Ed Miliband then dropped a clanger the following day when he was talking about the passing of Bob Holness and he accidentally typed Blackbuster instead of blockbuster. This in the wake of Abbottgate led to another burst of furor. I am struggling to see why though as it was clearly a typo but yet again demonstrates the dangers of using such a tool and one should be used very carefully.

Tracey Crouch MP

Twitter gives the constituents access to their MPs in a way that could never have been dreamt of a decade ago and is used with quite some success by MPs such as Tim Farron to talk about constituency work and to interact with his party members in his role as Party President. Other MPs such as Mark Reckless post links to news stories on his blog and short comments. Tracey Crouch is a bit more engaging but lies between Tim Farron and Mark Reckless in chattiness but that is not a bad thing. There is nothing wrong with being guarded about things especially in todays digital age.

However Tracey Crouch has been slated for not stating her position on the selling off and out sourcing of four elderly Care homes (something I have written about here and here)

As Nelson Court lies in her Constituency it was decided by the Save Nelson Court Campaign group run bu former Lib Dem Councillor Maureen Ruparel (whose husband uses Nelson Court) and her son to write to to Miss Crouch.

The Campaign is not a Liberal Democrat run campaign but apolitical as it was feared that it would be come a politicised struggle and detract from the actual plight and concerns of residents and the welfare of patients. The campaign is, however, supported by the Lib Dems, Labour, trade Union groups and Welfare groups.

As I understand it, Tracey wrote back to Maureen's first communication saying she was looking into the Council's proposals very carefully. Since then Maureen's mentioned there has been further communication between the Campaign group and Miss Crouch. Unfortunately due to a pressing family commitment, Christmas, my involvement in a pressing and purely Liberal Democrat project has led me to neglect my involvement in the campaign and I have not been as involved as maybe I should have. My knowledge of the campaign at the moment comes only from the local press. However I do intend to catch up as soon as possible.

I should quickly state what my role in the local party is so as not to garner any further confusion. I have been a member for under three years, an active member for exactly one year, group secretary for exactly one week. I've no involvement with what our Councillors do in Chambers at this moment nor can I dictate Where the party stands. At best I am nought more than a citizen of Gillingham with political interests who writes opinions on stories and issues.

Right back to topic.

Local Labour Councillor for Luton and Wayfield Tristan Osborne tweeted Tracey Crouch and Mark Reckless (MP for Rochester and Strood) for their stance as the story broke in the press in December. (blogged here)
Tracey's response was straight forward. She wouldn't comment on issues on a Social Networking site. All correspondences should be directed to her office or email address and she would respond that way.
She has then come under fire for refusing to state her position openly. ( blogged here) There has also been mounting pressure on Twitter by Medway Labour and Cllr Osborne for her to publicise her stand point.
Has a letter or email be sent to her by the Labour group?

To a degree I agree that in an ideal world it would be super for all MPs to publicise their opinions on everything but it is sadly very impractical!

In today's modern age anything said or written can come back to haunt you at a later time, also with the fluidic nature of politics etc information would need to be updated regularly to avoid mistakes or old opinions being quoted as current opinion. Also MPs would be under constant criticism for U-turning on previous positions by opposition parties - you can shake your heads but you know you would. A good past quote can be dug up and;

MP for Marden and Staplehurst Chris Sams once said that the Marden bypass would be wholly damaging to the local environment when just six months ago he was right behind it. Lib Dem U turn!!!!

May be I'm just a traditionalist but I can't imagine Asquith, Churchill or Wilson releasing their opinions regularly. If anything I could see Churchill quoting the Duke of Wellington;

If I thought my hair knew what my brain was thinking - I'd shave it off and wear a wig.

The key point is that Tracey is in consultation with the Campaign and is undoubtedly paying interest to the situation especially as her stated Parliamentary interests are:

Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dementia as well as Age UK and signing up to the winter pledge 

If anything these facts alone would show that she would take the Nelson Court issue very seriously and may not want to jeopardise the campaign by making rash statements or worse further politicise it detracting it even further from what it is actually about - the plight of the patients and their families.

Yes the public should be let know but at the moment the Council is still going through the Consultation stage and nothing has been decided (although Cllr Osborne told me yesterday the Council has pre-budgeted for their closure) so at the moment Tracey's dealings with the Council are not a concrete outcome UNTIL a final position has been stated by the council. Hopefully, as I've warned before, the Council haven't gone into the consultations with an outcome already in mind.

Also as a relatively new MP she is right to be cautious with her words and tweets, something that Dianne Abbott and other MPs should take note of the perils of Twitter and heed the words that discretion is the better part of valour and one day you may say something casual and a month, a year later it bites you on the bottom.

Even in this case, I've read the drafts of this blog very carefully several times to make sure that it isn't worded badly or could be misconstrued as anything but observations.

Medway to be home of a University Technical College.

I should admit that this is something I don't say very often but... Medway Council have done a good job.

I know, I surprised myself... I had to have a little lie down after I said it!

It seems that plans for a new University Technical College in the Brompton area are set to go through with support from the Baker Dearing trust. It will have 600 places and open to 14-19 year old students with specialities in Engineering and Construction, which makes sense bearing in mind the Engineering pedigree in Brompton.

Whilst offering traditional subjects like Maths, Science etc... and GCSE's the College will also provide proper vocational training in Engineering and Construction with some of the teachers being professionals from industry as well as traditional teachers. Post 16 they can either continue studies or be offered apprenticeship placements to continue their trades! This sort of education would be invaluable to youngsters especially as there is a growing shortage of Plumbers, electricians and Carpenters in the building trade and a tradesman can get quite a good wage.

Further to that the college would not set homework but instead pupils would have to be there 8.30 - 17.00 to simulate working hours and get them ready for actual working times.

Former education minister Lord Baker, who is a strong advocate of this sort of college and who coordinates the Baker-Dearing trust and who puts forward bids to the Ministry of Education, has visited Medway and met Cllr Les Wicks (portfolio holder for education) and said that a UTC in Medway would get "Strong support" for its proposal. This all sounds amazing and at the time of writing I can think of no draw backs to this project. It would give teenagers a trade and skills that will actually get them into a real job at the end of it and useful tools for later life and I think the Council should be fully supported in its endeavour as this is could be a really good thing for the teenagers in our education system and for a better Britain if the scheme catches on.

One of the ways to beat the recession is by construction and industry. Britain was once a global hub of construction of Cars, Aeroplanes and Ships and it could be again but the only way this can be done is with trained and engaged young folk who want to use skills to do so.

On a Local level, Medway is in serious need of regeneration. Everywhere you look the towns show signs of aging, decay and residents cannot afford house repairs as the small amount of sparks, chippies and plumbers can set their own prices as there is little competition.
A fresh infusion of young engineers and apprentices with the Coalition's tax breaks and encouragement for startup businesses will encourage more new businesses and skilled workers and therefore more competition driving prices down and perhaps the people of Medway can improve their homes and the civic facilities.

Another upcoming opportunity is IF Lodge hill and even Boris Island are constructed they're going to need skilled workers and artisans. If there is a large group of locals able to fill that gap and with local construction companies able to bid for contracts it can only mean greater prosperity for the Towns.


University can be a real waste of time and money. You can be better off not going.

There I've said it.

A lot of people will try to lead you to believe that University is the be all and end all of education and that if you go to University you are set for life.

A lot of Vocational degrees like Law, Medicine, Chemistry etc will indeed open doors and can be a building block for the future.

BUT if you're doing an arts degree you can forget it.

I've got a good solid 2.1 History degree and a post graduate in Social history specialising in German Military engagements 1939-45 with specific reference to the Luftwaffe (air force) its' structure, operations etc - For some reason I'm not Dan Snow.

I've work colleagues who have Oxbridge degrees that mean nothing too.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but employers are more picky about who they employ and degree holders are ten a penny and you should be aware that a degree does not guarantee an amazing future. The only thing University guarantees is debt.

Two quick disclaimers though;

1. University was an awesome experience and I had a lot of fun, met some really great people and friends (including my wife). I do think people should go.
2. Also - I know that critics of the Liberal Democrats and Coalition will say that the debt level has gone up because of our policies and I'd say - Yeah, you're right. I'd also point out that had I signed the pledge I would not have broken it and that now debt repayment is ALOT easier thanks to us.

New school would prepare pupils for the workplace, Jenni Horn,  Medway Messenger, 6-1-11

Care for the elderly in Crisis - Medway Council to take note?

On 16th December Councillor Alan Jarrett the deputy leader of Medway Council and Portfolio holder for finance wrote in "Party People" (in the Medway Messenger) about proposals concerning Medway's care homes; Balfour Centre, Robert Bean Lodge, Platters Farm and Nelson Court.

Councillor Jarrett stresses that the council is trying to create value for money and;

Ensure that Medway Tax payers get even better value.

Ok. I get that. As a tax payer I expect the local authorities to make periodic reviews, after all you don't want a Wasteful council that rashly spends the tax payer's money on white elephants...

However the more I read Cllr Jarrett's piece, which I'm sure was supposed to reassure the people that nothing was a "done deal", it read like it had been written rather uncaringly.

It means the Balfour centre is no longer financially viable.

Even though numbers using the facility have only fallen to 1071 visits P.A from 1618 PA which is hardly a conclusive drop.

The three residential Care homes are increasingly uneconomic.
One would hope that as much "In house" efficiency saving has been carried out.
Councillor Jarrett then goes on to suggest that more "Modern Provisions" can be achieved by an "Out-sourced model"
I hope that the consultation process is done openly and fairly without pre-conclusions and that everyone's point of view is taken into account especially with the Council's budget coming soon.

Last week's Guardian ran a story about social care for the elderly being in "Absolute Crisis"

 Michelle Mitchell of Age UK, citing the King's fund research said;

"Care is in crisis and it is getting worse. We have evidence to show that local authorities have cut care for older people by 4.5% this year, and this at a time when social care is chronically underfunded anyway."

Age UK also shows that 1.8 Million pensioners are beneath the poverty line and 1 million in severe poverty. This is an awful state of affairs that we find ourselves in nationally!

This is the last remnants of the generation that fought to keep us democratic and free of NSDAP Germany and others who helped build this country through the 50's and 60's and we're letting them suffer like this! With the cost of living and privatised care rising and pension's values staying stable or decreasing how can people be expected to survive?

Paul Burstow MP, Care services minister said that:

The evidence is clear: the most innovative councils are protecting access to elderly care services and getting better outcomes. They are doing it by listening to carers and service users to develop new ways of working.

He has also indicated that an extra £7.2 billion over four years is being provided to local Authorities to help protect vulnerable people's services and a further £300000 has been invested in a Local Government scheme to improve their productivity.

My Grandfather, a very wise man, once said that he only supported three charities,
Salvation army because I saw the good they did during the War and as a Policeman, Demelza House care home and Help the aged... you never know what will happen and one day I could be in need of their help.
The point being that if there is anything where a loss can be accepted it is definitely elderly care, with a growing elderly population the costs are going to go up and it is worth the investment, as Granddad said - you never know it might be you needing a care home one day.

I feel that if the council doesn't fully explore all the options and does just rush into out-sourcing the care homes they will leave people suffering or with a lack of care. I'm not trying to scare monger or cause a panic at this time merely stating what could be a very real possibility and would urge all those with an interest to watch the consultation's very carefully. As Councillor Jarrett has said Medway has an excellent record but it could quickly fall away and be on par with Ms Mitchell's statistics with the rest of the country if it isn't done right.

Finally, after 4280 elderly people died in Kent in last year's winter snows, the highest figure in for a region nationwide, Age UK has started the Winter Pledge that will raise awareness of the plight of the elderly.
This pledge is backed by local MP Tracey Crouch;
By raising awareness and making sure that older people are prepared, we can end this completely avoidable tragedy.

The Coalition Government has protected the Winter fuel allowance and Warm home discount scheme as well as schemes to help insulate homes and double glazing should all help even with the increase in fuel bills and the Fuel poverty that seems to be increasing.

But this pledge is definitely a good thing and should be supported and more can be read here.

Sources:

http://gingerliberal.blogspot.com/2011/11/medway-council-to-make-elderly-suffer.html

Party People, Medway Messenger, 16th December

MP pledges her support to raise awareness over winter deaths, Medway Messenger, 2nd Janaury 2012

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/28/care-elderly-crisis-charity-warns