We Must Create More Apprenticeships

Our economy urgently needs the creation of more real apprenticeships. And by real apprenticeship, I don't mean (as this Government does) just renaming an existing College course an apprenticeship. What I mean is genuine, work-based training, with an apprentice spending most of their time in the workplace -developing experience in a day to day working environment. This is the kind of apprenticeship that was so effective for most of the post war years and gets a lot of support on the doorstep.

Using the Government's own figures, the number of apprentices have fallen by more than a third in one year. That is simply not good enough. Particularly when we need a highly skilled workforce to ensure that we can compete in a skills based global economy. It is absolutely not good enough when we have a record number of young people not in employment, education or training.

That is why I am calling for the creation of 100,000 new work-based apprenticeships and training places to help young people. We also need to make it much easier for businesses to run apprenticeship schemes. Having a highly skilled workforce is central to the future economic prosperity of our area.

Support Floods In For Durham As 'City Of Culture'

I'm delighted to see that Durham's bid to be the UK's City of Culture is attracting so much support. Over 10,000 people have backed the bid so far. If you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to visit www.durhamcityofculture.co.uk

I blogged when the bid was first announced that I'm a massive supporter of the bid. As I said in July, Durham is one of the most culturally exciting places in the country, with art, theatre, poetry, comedy and photography all flourishing in our area.

Only this year, our area has played host to some outstanding cultural events and festivals. And there are even more to come next year. Our area's cultural vibrancy and stunning backdrop mean that we are perfectly placed to become the city of culture. Let's keep up the momentum and make sure that our area gets the recognition it deserves.

Celebrating Our Region's Beers... And Standing Up For The Local Pub

After a good morning’s canvassing around Chester-le-Street, we headed for the welcoming environs of the Chester-le-Street Beer Festival in the Cricket Club, as the heavens began to open outside. It was a brilliantly organised event and an excellent showcase for beer brewed in North Durham (Beamish) and around the region (Consett and Wylam to name but two of the breweries represented. Hats off to the organisers – the room was packed with a wide variety of people (including somebody who seemed genuinely surprised that I had read and appreciated ‘In Place Of Fear’ by Nye Bevan). All in all, a great success and one that will hopefully be repeated next year.

However, there was a more serious sub-text to the occasion that needs to be addressed. Firstly, there was the shadow that one of the region’s most famous drinks is under threat of having its beer production moved from our region. I have said before, and I will say again, for the sake of jobs, the heritage of the drink, and the future credibility and success of the ‘dog’, Newcastle Brown Ale MUST continue to be brewed in the North East, where it belongs.

The second shadow hanging over the event was the continuing difficulties being faced by pubs in our area and nationwide. 40 pubs are closing every week, including all too many in the North Durham area, with hugely damaging consequences for the communities that they serve. Around a third of every pint we buy now goes to the Government in tax and the ‘beer tie’ continues to bind the hands of pubs and landlords around the area. The Government has repeatedly raised beer tax, punishing hard working people who enjoy a pint, and, only last Friday, turned down the idea even of an independent inquiry into the beer tie.

Sadly, the Government is driven by a stern faced Puritanism, which is damaging pubs and Working Men’s Clubs throughout the area. We need to fight to safeguard the future of our region’s brewing tradition, local pubs and Working Man’s Club movement. It is quite clear that Labour are not going to stand up for the working man who liked the odd tipple after work. I most certainly will be standing up for local pubs, local brewing, local Working Men’s Clubs and the continuance of Newcastle Brown Ale in the North East.

A New Report Says That Our Area has Been Hardest Hit By The Recession

There are so many examples in North Durham of how we have been particularly badly hit by the recession created in Downing Street. I have spoken to many, many people who are out of work and not getting anywhere near enough help from this Government to get back to work. Indeed, unemployment is up by around 70% in the past year. The effect of the recession is painfully obvious on the streets of Chester-le-Street and Stanley. The number of shops that have closed on Chester-le-Street's high street in the last year alone is devastating.

Now we know that this recession is the longest since records began. A number of reports have shown that our area has been hit hardest by the recession - coming on top of the fact that since 1997, our area has trailed other regions using almost every economic metric. A report released today confirmed what many of us have feared - that the Chester-le-Street area is amongst the hardest hit in the country by the recession. Indeed, the report from Experian suggests that Chester-le-Street will suffer the most from the recession.

I have said so many times before that this Government is not doing anywhere near enough to deal with the recession. Local Labour politicians seem completely devoid of answers or solutions. Local people are rightly demanding action. All they are getting from the Labour party is hot air.

We need urgent action to create jobs; help people to find work; help business to recover; and provide apprenticeship and training places. It is time for the Labour Party, which has taken us for granted for too long and left our area exposed to the worst of the recession, to step aside and make way for people such as me who believe in our area and want to take urgent action to help create jobs. It is time for the Labour Party, which has let our area down for too long, make way for people like me who believe in our region, are prepared to stand up for our region and have a vision for a glorious economic future for our region.

Labour Should Be Ashamed About The Rise In Fuel Poverty

Labour should be ashamed of their record on fuel poverty. A The Northern Echo reported today, the number of North Eastern households suffering from fuel poverty has increased from 73,100 to 177,021. In Chester-le-Street alone it has more than doubled in three years – from 1,500 to 3,360. In Derwentside, fuel poverty showed a shocking increase from 2,500 to 6,783. According to the Fuel Poverty Action Group, these figures understate the scale of the problem – with up to 5.5 million households nationwide suffering from fuel poverty.

When I was brought up in Consett, I was told that this was the kind of thing that a Labour Government would not allow to happen. But a Labour Government has allowed it to happen and it is a disgrace.

As Age Concern have said, “the human cost of fuel poverty is great, particularly among vulnerable older people.” Age Concern have called on the Government to “en the misery” over fuel poverty. They are quite right that urgent action needs to be taken about this distressing problem. Once again, the Government has not done nearly enough to help the most vulnerable in society.

That is why I am calling for a series of reforms to directly tackle the human tragedy of fuel poverty. I would like to see:

- Tough measures on the energy companies, including rules to ensure that energy and utility companies give customers a fair deal and, in particular, make it illegal for these companies to charge price premiums on repayment meters. Energy companies must make it clear to all customers what the cheapest available tariff is;
- Energy companies being forced to offer preferential tariffs and affordable payment plans to vulnerable households;
- Real action to refit the houses of people suffering from fuel poverty. Every home that requires should be refitted in an energy efficient way, to be repaid through fuel bills over a 25 year period. This would result in immediate reductions in the cost of energy;
- People without a bank account enabled to pay energy bills using direct debit style payments through their Post Office, cutting energy bills for millions of people without bank accounts in fuel poverty.

We need to ensure that this action is taken urgently – before so many households in our area suffer the devastation of a winter with limited access to heat. I’m sick and tired of this Government not standing up for or helping the people who need their help the most. Now is the time for action – not rhetoric. We must consign fuel poverty to history.

It Is About Time That we Had North Eastern MPs Who Are Prepared To Stand Up For The North East

The Government kicked the North East in the guts twice in a day on Monday.

Firstly, Lord Adonis, the Transport Minister said that campaigners against the hike in Air Passenger Duty, which will disproportionately affect the North East, had no right to complain.

Secondly, a group of transport experts have made a first class case for a high speed rail link to include the North East. As I have said before, our area's future economic competitiveness depends on it. And where were the region's MPs as the case for jobs and business in the area was being made? Nowhere. It seems that the Government has already made the decision to ignore the North East yet again.

It is about time that we had a Government who didn't treat our region in this way. It is about time that we had MPs prepared to stand up for the North East. If elected as MP for North Durham, I will ensure that I am a proud North Eastern voice making the case for our area in Westminster.

Newcastle Brown Ale Must Not Be Brewed Outside Of The North East

Newcastle Brown Ale is one of the great symbols of the North East. It is a great symbol of our region that is recognised worldwide. As somebody who enjoys a fairly regular drop of the brown stuff or 'the dog' as it is known, I'm particularly proud of the heritage and regional pride that comes with the Blue Star.

I was very sad to hear that Scottish and Newcastle have decided to shift production of that great North Eastern symbol to move production away from the North East. Clearly, this is devastating news for the workforce in the North East and our first thoughts must be with those whose jobs and livelihoods are at risk because of this decision. Up to 63 jobs could be at risk from this decision.

This decision shows that we must do more to support the pub trade, which has been hit by rise after rise in beer duty - so much so that one third of every pint now goes in tax and 6 pubs are closing every day of the week.

We must all appeal to Scottish and Newcastle to reverse this decision. Newcastle Brown Ale is special because it is brewed in the North East. It will lose its distinctiveness and, to some extent, lose its credibility as a brand if it is brewed away from our region. It is, frankly, an insult that a brand, which has made so much of the distinctiveness of our area to strengthen the beer's appeal, is considering dealing a blow to our area.