Nick slams Southeastern’s inflation-busting fares increase

Liberal Democrats in Hastings & Rye have demanded that Southeastern abandons its plans to impose an 8% increase in the price of regulated fares, season tickets and saver tickets. This is the highest rise in the country.

Amazingly, the increase in ticket prices that are not regulated by the government is to be less than this, at 6%.

The announcement of the inflation-busting fares hike on 21st November was met with an angry response by Nick Perry, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye.

“Train passengers living in our constituency are being hit hard by Southeastern,” said Nick.

“At a time when people are struggling with the recession, this train company is adding to people’s difficulties and is stinging passengers for more cash.

“These rises could make the recession bite harder in Hastings & Rye and could lead to more congestion and pollution as people abandon public transport for their car instead.

“I am calling on the government to step in and use the power they have over regulated fares to impose a freeze on ticket prices for a year. This could be paid for from within the Government’s road-widening budget.

“Just as the Government stepped in to freeze fuel duty for motorists because of the recession, they should change their mind and stop these price increases going ahead.

“Rail passengers will rightly feel that they are being taken for a ride by Southeastern. They have every right to feel angry with this price hike and with the Labour Government for letting it happen.”

The Government has agreed that the ticket price increases can come into effect on 2nd January 2009.

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Tax cuts must be lasting

Nick campaigning with Vince Cable MP on rising food prices

Liberal Democrats in Hastings & Rye have called for Income Tax cuts to help struggling families weather the recession.

Speaking over the weekend, Nick Perry, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, said that local people have endured a year of rocketing fuel, transport and food prices and many are still out of pocket following the Government’s decision to double the starting rate of Income Tax.

“On Monday 24th November, the Chancellor presents his Prebudget Report to Parliament,” said Nick.

“Liberal Democrats will be pressing for permanent tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes. We will be looking for radical changes in the tax system which lock in lower rates of Income Tax for good.

“To make these tax cuts lasting, they have to be funded. That means shifting the tax burden onto pollution and ending the tax perks and loopholes enjoyed by the highest earners.

“We are worried that the Government will simply introduce temporary tax cuts, paid for by borrowing, which will disappear once we start to come out of recession.

“Now is the time for a genuine and radical change to the tax system. Liberal Democrats will be pressing for that and, having spoken to many residents over the last weeks, I know it is what people want here.

“We believe, however, that an area where borrowing should be allowed, is investment in new buildings and facilities that are needed. I am very keen to see people’s homes properly insulated, and more affordable homes built for people who need them.

“As well as boosting jobs and the economy, it will help to save money in the future.”

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The Christmas lights go on in Priory Meadow

We took our daughter down to Priory Meadow for her first Christmas Lights this evening.

There was a pleasingly large crowd to see the Peter Pan cast (the light turner-onners) from the White Rock panto, and the fireworks.

We’ve even got the Christmas decorations up at work.

Only 35 days to go!

Nick spends time at The Parchment Trust

On Monday, my daughter and I spent a really wonderful couple of hours at the Parchment Trust in Nelson Road, Hastings. 

The Trust also has a horticultural project up on The Ridge, which I hope to visit early in the new year.

The Nelson Road HQ provides the opportunity for people across a broad spectrum of learning and physical disabilities to meet together, form connections and work towards their goals.

This is a link to their website – and a very moving statement of values.

I had the chance to speak with Andrew Phillips the General Manager – who has been at the Trust since it first started out some 14 years ago.

We had a very valuable conversation about the kind of creativity needed to enable the people that use The Parchment Trust to be contributing to society in a way that feels meaningful to them.

Do go and see for yourself if you get the opportunity.  It’s a very special place.

Free parking at the Conquest anyone?

Some weeks more than others I am reminded of how politics can be a difficult balancing act between different and competing interests.

For example, on Thursday last week, I went to the fantastic ‘Let’s do business’ event organised by 1066 Enterprise.

‘Let’s do business’ was a welcome shot of confidence in the arm of the local economy. There was a great buzz at the Hastings Centre. Of the 131 local businesses represented, many of whom I spoke to, people were doing well for work and, whilst they were being careful due to the economic situation, were hopeful of being able to survive.

I spoke to a local design business getting a good portion of its work from the new contracts coming out of the Government’s drive to establish Academy schools.

East Sussex County Council is consulting at the moment on whether or not to replace the three Hastings secondary schools with two new academies.

Local Lib Dems are in favour of the continuation of the super-head model and against the Academies. Our main concern is the lack of accountability of the Academies model (if you want more detail, please contact me direct).

My conversation brought me face to face with the potential effects of policy decisions on the ground.

And then there was the news this week that there is a huge overspend at the Conquest. East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust expect to have overspent by £12.4 million by the end of the financial year.

In the local press the overspend is attributed to a mixture of high energy bills, staff pay awards, and the ‘cost of bringing in a new contract for speciality doctors and associate specialists.’

This is at the same time as I received a letter from the Chair of ESHT, informing me that there would be no acceptance of our proposal for an initial two hour period of free parking at the hospital, prior to charging people on a pay-as-you-leave basis. The excuse given was that monies would have to be switched around in the budget to cover the costs of such a move.

Margaret Williams (the Lib Dem campaigner in Conquest ward) and I had challenged the Trust to follow the lead of Scotland and Wales who, this year, have abolished hospital parking charges and have committed to absorbing the costs.

We had also pointed out that (as again reported in the local press) one of their senior doctors, humiliated by the PCT maternity fiasco, was recently in receipt of hundreds of thousands of pounds in backpay. We could see that monies could be used more effectively…

[Please feel free to sign the petition above]

So here also is a political choice. Do we confront a medical profession whose overpaid senior doctors are beyond accountability as long as they are not dangerous, and in the form that many other professionals are held by their employer?

Do we invest in ’specialist doctors’, or do we encourage a public health agenda by not charging people to come to hospital? The NHS in its original form – free at the point of delivery.

As someone who works with doctors day in day out, this is a subject close to my heart. And these are the conundrums of which politics is made.

The only way through the maze is to stick to your political principles.

That is why the Lib Dems under Nick Clegg and Vince Cable are sticking to our plans for kickstarting the economy – tax cuts for low and middle income families, paid for by increased green taxes and the closing of tax loopholes for the very rich.

It’s a tough political call, but it’s the fair thing to do.

The Nicks meet over dinner in Eastbourne

Nick Perry, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, met up with his party leader, Nick Clegg, in Eastbourne last week.

 

Mr Clegg was in town, amongst other things, to teach a Spanish lesson to local children.

 

Lib Dem parliamentary candidates across East Sussex were able to meet with the Lib Dem Leader and elections guru Lord Rennard over a fundraising dinner in the evening.

 

Nick Perry said,

 

“This was the first time I have met Nick Clegg in person and I was really impressed with his down-to-earth, informal style.

 

“He and Vince Cable are doing a great job for our party at a national level.

 

“This was a real boon of a visit for local parliamentary candidates, and it was good to update the leadership on how the land lies in our respective areas.”

‘Let’s do business’ is great for 1066 Country

I was delighted to be able to attend the ‘Let’s do business’ event at the Hastings Centre on Thursday which was put together together by 1066 Enterprise and had a number of local sponsors.

Given the doom and gloom that hits you when you switch on the news, it was really refreshing to experience the buzz at the Hastings Centre.

Speaking to most of the 131 local businesses represented there, I was encouraged that, whilst people are obviously being careful because of the economic climate, they are still getting business coming their way.

Long may it continue!

We will remember them

On Sunday I attended the Remembrance Day service in Alexandra Park, Hastings.

[Here are the photos from the Hastings & St Leonards Observer]

It was the first Remembrance Sunday since the death of my own grandfather last December, so it felt especially important for me to be there.

My grandfather was in the Royal Corps of Signals and served in North Africa, Sicily and the invasion of Italy during the Second World War.

He was a man of few words. The War had been highly formative for him. He would often tell me stories when I was younger about what had happened to him: to the point that my grandmother and my mum would sigh when he recounted an old story once again to me.

It did not seem significant at the time that, despite running his own small, successful business, and being a well-known church member and sportsman in St Helens (his, and my home town) he spoke so persistently about the War.

Now, as a mental health social worker, I wonder if what he was experiencing was some sort of post-traumatic stress response.

During the last couple of years before his health and his mental faculties declined, he told me a new story of having been by the side of his best friend when he was shot in the head and killed by a sniper, whilst the men were out trying to restore communications lines.

We all know that war scars and maims – and not just physically. That it affects civilians as well as military personnel. And it is these personal stories that make people’s bravery and suffering real to those of us that have never experienced at first hand the horrors of war.

A few British soldiers remain who served in the First World War. What terrible things they must have seen. What terrible things they may never have spoken about.

It was instructive for me that my grandfather passionately disagreed with the war in Iraq. He used to say of Tony Blair that he would not have acted the way he did if he had experienced war himself…

I was pleased to see that there were many people – young and old, black and white, rich and poor – gathered together in Alexandra Park. I took my daughter along and, inevitably, she started squawking during the two minute silence!

We will each have had our own reasons for attending and paying our respects.

As the preacher said: in remembering, we are keeping the bravery of our war dead and their comrades vivid, and part of our own lives more fully.

So, Colour Sergeant Brown, I thank you and your best friend Reg for your courage and self-sacrifice.

For all those local people who have lost loved ones, or whose loved ones are currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, my thoughts are with you.

‘At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.’

MP is off the pace on how to help the economy

Following a public meeting organised by Michael Foster at the White Rock Hotel, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, Nick Perry, has accused the Labour MP of being off the pace on the economy.

Nick says,

“On Saturday our MP was quick to criticise the redistribution of tax from low and middle income families to high earners that the Lib Dems have proposed as a key means of kickstarting the economy.

“He must now eat his words as the Prime Minister indicates Labour may well opt to give ordinary people more of their own money back to keep the economy moving.

“Since 2003 Lib Dem Treasury Spokesman Vince Cable MP has been making all the right calls on the economy. On Saturday, I asked our MP whether, when it came to the crunch, Labour would be humble enough to give credit to people like Vince, and listen to their ideas.

Nick says,

“We are in this together at a local and national level. We must work together to get the best ideas so that our economy recovers and so that our local communities are protected.”

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Nick challenges MP over bus time claims

Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, Nick Perry, has written to the Labour MP requesting corrections to a letter that the MP sent in early September. The letter was sent to signatories of the Hastings & St Leonards Seniors Forum petition on the reinstatement of the 9am start for concessionary bus fares.

Nick wrote to Mr Foster,

“I read with disbelief your comment towards the end of the letter that, ‘Earlier in the year Labour Councillors proposed the 9am start but the Conservative majority on the Council refused.’

“Whilst it is true that Conservatives made a significant error of judgement on this, it is definitely not the case that Labour Councillors did all that they could to protect the 9am start.

“As I understand it, in January of this year, the Hastings Borough Council Cabinet was required to vote on the issue. Only Liberal Democrat Councillor Richard Stevens voted against the move to 9.30am – all the Labour Councillors present abstained.

“Your letter is therefore highly misleading.”

Nick has requested that the MP sends another letter to signatories of the petition to give a more accurate picture of events. The MP has agreed to investigate.

Nick told the MP,

“The point is that if your colleagues had not abstained at the relevant Cabinet meeting, then the 9am start time would have been secured.

He adds,

“A cynic might say that Labour abstained at this crucial point to set up a political bunfight – a bunfight which found its way into the pages of the Labour manifesto for the May elections. In the intervening period, many of our older citizens were inconvenienced and disadvantaged.”