Thursday, November 8th, 2012
Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, spoke up for local pubs in the beer duty escalator debate in the House of Commons last week.
The debate led by Andrew Griffiths, MP for neighbouring Burton upon Trent, called for a cut in the amount of tax consumers pay on beer. In 2008, the Labour government introduced an automatic annual “escalator” which increases the price of a pint by 2% above inflation each years. This has seen the tax on beer increase by 42% in four year. As a result, sales of beer have declined (by 5.6% between July and September alone). The government’s own estimate suggests a fall in revenue for the Treasury if tax on beer continues to rise.
Mr Pincher said, “The number of pubs that have gone to the wall and are going to the wall is increasing. As a result, revenue to the Exchequer is falling. Does he (Mr Griffiths) agree that the beer duty escalator is not simply raising money? It is losing money for the Exchequer.”
Mr Griffiths responded, “My hon. Friend has put his finger on the nub of the problem. I want to remind the House that when the then Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Mr Darling), introduced the beer duty escalator he said that, “as incomes have risen, alcohol has become increasingly more affordable”…In order to ensure that alcohol duties keep pace with rising incomes, alcohol duty rates will increase by 2 per cent above the rate of inflation”.
Mr Pincher later commented, “The British pub is not only an iconic British symbol but is integral to the social lives of many of the hard working people. The pub industry adds £21 billion into the British economy and supports thousands of jobs.
“With more pubs closing each week and the amount we pay for a pint increasing we should act to save jobs, keep these social hubs alive and keep our British icons. A freeze in the beer duty in the 2013 Budget would save over 5000 jobs and 16,000 over the next three years whilst increasing venue for the Treasury.”
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
Mr Paul Bryant with Cllr Tina Clements and the new SID in Tamar Road, Wilnecote
Traffic calming measures have been installed in Wilnecote following the involvement of local Conservative Party councillor and Mayor of Tamworth Cllr Tina Clements.
Cllr Clements said, “I was contacted last year by a resident of Tamar Road after an accident left a car embedded into his garden. He was both upset and relieved that nobody was seriously injured by the crash and he asked if some sort of traffic calming could be installed on Tamar Road.
“I immediately contacted Staffordshire County Council to ask action to be taken slow the traffic down and after months of discussion and investigation by the County Council it is pleasing to see a SID (Speed Indication Display) has been put in place. Hopefully this see as reduction in the speed of vehicles but I will continue to monitor the traffic in this area and, if necessary, press both Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police for further action.”
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
At last week’s State of the Borough debate, Conservative Party controlled Tamworth Borough Council announced its intention to investigate holding a centenary event to mark the outbreak of WW1 in 2014.
The event will be planned to take place on August 4th 1914, the date Great Britain declared war on Germany and its allies, which lead to World War 1.
Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of the Council, said, “Many of Tamworth’s men signed up and marched off to fight for King and Country and the Borough Council want to remember all who fought in the Great War.
“4 August 2014 will no doubt see events across Britain and the world and Tamworth’s Conservative councillors want to see this town playing a part in the commemorations.”
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
With the new second exit at Ventura / Sainsbury’s close to completion, Cllr Danny Cook, the Leader of Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council, has said he will write and thank all those involved in creating the exit to help address a major traffic problem in Tamworth.
Cllr Danny Cook announced his intention to thank all involved in the project at last weeks State of the Borough debate. He said, “After months of discussion between Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council work is now well under way on the much needed second exit on the Jolly Sailor retail park and this council want to say a big thank you to everybody for seeing this important development through to completion.”
The new exit will be completed in November and it is hoped that it will ease traffic congestion both at Sainsbury’s and across Ventura Park.
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, hosted Tamworth’s first Jobs fair last Friday at South Staffordshire Collage.
The fair attracted over 400 job hunters from the local area along with 35 local and national employers, all of which either had jobs or apprenticeships to offer. Exhibitor included John Lewis, National Express, Drayton Manor and local electronics firm Invotec.
The event was aimed at bringing employers with job vacancies together with local people seeking work. Local and national businesses with job vacancies had the opportunity to meet with potential new staff, while job seekers were able to talk to potential employers face to face about available opportunities.
In addition to employment seekers job roles for jobseekers including help with CV and interview preparation, training and apprenticeship opportunities, local volunteering and other job related advice.
Mr Pincher said, “The event was a great success and it was really pleasing to see such a range of employers offing jobs and apprenticeships in Tamworth. It is also encouraging to see so many keen and active people searching for a job. However it is a competitive market and job hunters need to ensure they have a good CV and are well prepared at the interview to give themselves the best possible chance of securing employment.”
The event attracted a range of people from new job seekers leaving school, university graduates researching career options and experienced and skilled workers who were either looking for a career change or to get back into work.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
Remembrance Sunday 2011
One of the youngest, if not the youngest, Mayor’s in the UK will lead Fazeley in remembering those who gave their lives in all wars and conflicts on Sunday morning.
22-year-old Cllr Rebecca James will lay a wreath at the town’s war memorial before leading a parade to St Paul’s Church for the service of remembrance where she will give a reading during the service.
Cllr James said, “It will be an honour to lay the wreath on behalf of everybody in Fazeley and it is also very sobering to think that many of those who gave their lives were the same as I am today.”
Cllr James will be joined by other local Conservative politicians including her father, Cllr Andrew James a former Mayor of Fazeley and the current Leader of Fazeley Town Council.
The wreath laying service will take place in Fazeley’s Memorial Square, next to the Town Hall, and will start at 10:30am.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
The Mayor of Tamworth will be leading town’s service of Remembrance on Sunday as Tamworth remembers the fallen of all wars and conflicts since WW1 on Sunday.
Cllr Tina Clements will lay a wreath at Tamworth’s war memorial before joining both current and former servicemen and women, residents and local politicians at the service of remembrance in St Editha’s church.
Cllr Clements said, “As a former soldier, it will be a very sombre moment for me when I lay the wreath on Sunday. Remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives to help make this county what it is today is important for all.”
Conservative Party Cllr Allan Lunn, who fought in the first Gulf war, will also lay a wreath at Sunday’s service.
Cllr Lunn said, “It is a great honour for me to be able to lay a wreath on behalf of everybody in Tamworth.”
The Mayor of Tamworth will lead the parade from the Town Hall in Market Street to Church Square for the laying of the wreaths, followed by the service of remembrance.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2012
Conservative councillors with Headteacher Tim Bassett at Rawlett School in 2011
Local Conservative politicians will be meeting students at Rawlett School in Tamworth on Thursday 8th and 15th November.
For the third year in a row, local councillors from across the political divide have been invited to question time with Year 7 pupils.
Rawlett teacher and Tamworth Borough Councillors Richard Kingstone said, “Rawlett Schools believes it is important for our students to meet with local politicians to try to understand more about the subject and to see that those making the decisions are no different to their family, friends and neighbours.”
The current Mayor of Tamworth, Cllr Tina Clements, and Fazeley, Cllr Rebecca James, both from the Conservative Party are amongst the list of councillors who will be meeting the students.
Cllr Clements said, “I attended this event last year and I am again looking forward to being questioned by the voters of the future.”
22-year-old Cllr James said, “This will be the third time I have met the students at Rawlett and, as a young councillor, I am able to show them that people of all age are actively involved in politics.”
Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
Alan Keast and Ben Adams
Local Conservative County Councillor and Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council, Ben Adams, attended the recent opening of Tamworth Amateur Boxing Club’s new venue and heaped praise on both the club and the new premises.
Cllr Adams said, “It was a real pleasure to join local and national supporters of Tamworth Amateur Boxing Club at the opening of their new club, education centre and gym at the CornerPost Education Centre in Orchard Street on Friday. Olympic hero Luke Campbell opened the new centre. Luke was great, it is hard to believe that someone so young, modest and polite has beaten the world’s best bantam weights to win gold.
“This club has been recognised as one of the best in the country at producing skilled boxers for some years and now has superb facilities to match their national reputation. I feel sure that the new town centre location and fantastic spaces are sure to increase membership and help the club to continue to grow.
“As a County Councillor I have a Local Community Fund which can be used to support events, clubs, charities and community groups. I like to help organisations that bring people of all ages together and provide opportunities for individuals to improve their skills, education or health whilst adding something to the community. The Tamworth Amateur Boxing Club has always come top of my list because they meet all these criteria with hundreds of men and women, juniors and seniors, coming together every week to train, keep fit and have a good time.
“Many people don’t realise that Alan Keast and his committed team also provide accredited education courses, work experience and training for young people and they are constantly looking for ways that they can work with the local authorities and voluntary sector to help Tamworth. I’d like to wish Alan and everyone involved at Tamworth Amateur Boxing Club all the best in their new premises and to say thank you for the fantastic contribution they have made to Tamworth.”
The CornerPost Education Centre is located in the former St John’s Club in Orchard Street, Tamworth.
Friday, November 2nd, 2012
I am delighted to present our October discussion brief on ‘Immigration’ (Number 8/2012). The return date for this paper is 30 November 2012 and so we need to discuss this on Monday 19th November at the RAF Club in Tamworth (The Flarepath Club 22 Lichfield Street, B79 9QD).
As with our paper on ‘Justice’ this paper has been produced in conjunction with our Justice and Home Affairs Sectoral Group, who have examined a range of issues in our immigration system. The brief, a short summary sheet, and response form are all available to download from the link on our website (CPF page).
As this is a major issue and could shape the way our Campaign goes in 2015 could I ask you to come and support this meeting and get your views across, together we can make a difference. I have included the summary sheet but please go on the site for a copy of the more indepth detail, also included are the questions that will be asked.
Overview. Net migration into the UK increased from around 50,000 per year in 1996 to just under 200,000 in 2009, reaching heights of nearly 250,000 in 2004.
Education. Study is the most common reason for moving to the UK, but student visas were used as a backdoor route into Britain under Labour. 62 per cent of all non-EU migrants entered the UK for study reasons in 2011. According to a report by the department of Business, Innovation and Skills the combined total contribution of EU and non-EU residents to Higher Education in 2008/09 was £2,292 million, or 34 per cent of the overall tuition fees contribution.
Work. Work is the second most common reason for immigration to the UK. On average, 16 per cent of all non-EU migrants come for work purposes. In order to decide who gets a visa, the Home Office categorises applications by skill level. Points are gained for criteria such as qualifications and previous experience, or through sponsorship by an employer or educational institution.
Family. In the year ending March 2012, family visas were awarded to 44,565 people or 8 per cent of the total visas awarded. The largest single group of family migrants currently originates from Asia. In 2012 non-immediate family members make up fewer than 10 per cent of all family immigration: most were children or spouses.
Asylum. In 2011 19,804 asylum applications were made to the UK. This is down from the highest point of 84,132 in 2002. Most asylum claims are rejected each year with only 5,648 asylum grants given in 2011. Asylum seekers are entitled to housing and financial support if they cannot provide it for themselves. However, housing will only be provided in areas where demand is low, and the individual will have no choice over where they live. Benefit payments are made at well below the level given to British citizens.
Global Asylum. The UK was the 8th destination worldwide for new asylum seekers in 2011. Britain is 13th worldwide in terms of total number of resident refugees, behind France, Yemen, USA, Ethiopia, China, Chad, Jordan, Kenya, Germany, Syria, Iran and Pakistan. The UK has 193,510 resident refugees and 15,170 pending cases. In 2011, developing countries hosted four fifths of the world’s refugees and the 48 least developed countries provided asylum for 2.3 million refugees.
Border Control. The budget of the UK Border Agency was £813.9 million in 2011-12. They spend around £1.5 to £2 billion each year but some of this is offset against revenues such as visa fees and fines.
Question 1
Do immigration statistics matter? Is the Government right to aim to reduce net immigration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands? Please explain your reasoning.
Question 2
If immigrants make a net fiscal contribution to the economy is it still important to limit their numbers?
Question 3
What are the key contributions (positive and negative) that immigration has made to your community?
Question 4
What are the key contributions (positive and negative) that immigration has made to your workplace?
Question 5
What kinds of immigrants do we want and who should we definitely keep out?
Question 6
How should we encourage new and existing immigrants to integrate into British society?
Question 7
How can we ensure that our immigration policy maximizes any potential economic input of migrants?
Question 8
How can the Government help public services plan for immigration?
Cllr Allan Lunn – Conservative Policy Forums Officer
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Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, spoke up for local pubs in the beer duty escalator debate in the House of Commons last week.
