Tom Blenkinsop, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has today (4^th May 2012) welcomed the public’s decision to reject David Cameron’s “cabinet of mayors” in yesterday’s elections.

Voters turned up in cities like Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham and Coventry to send a message to Cameron that they do not want a ‘Boris in their city’.

Tom said:
“Frankly, Cameron’s cabinet of mayors experiment has failed. The results show that communities want local, identifiable councillors dealing with issues that matter to them and not Boris-style mayors who only want the prestige and publicity such a position provides.

“I welcome the results so far. It’s a clear statement from voters that they do not want an additional unnecessary and expensive layer of bureaucracy, which will have no benefit on their day-to-day lives.

“David Cameron now needs to re-think his priorities in other areas too. For example, the introduction of costly Police Commissioners is another folly that nobody wants – especially when frontline services are facing massive cuts and the crime rates are going up.”

Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Tom Blenkinsop, will be holding his weekly advice surgery on Friday 27^th April from 4:30pm at Easterside Resource Centre, Broughton Avenue, Middlesbrough and is encouraging constituents to come along.

Tom said:

“My weekly advice surgeries are a great opportunity to meet constituents and discuss any issues or concerns they may have.

“Lately, many of my constituents have raised concerns over the changes to Working Tax Credits that happened at the beginning of April and I expect that issue will be raised again and again. However, issues vary widely so I’d encourage constituents to come along and see if I can help in any way.”

Any constituent in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland may attend and are seen on a first-come-first-served basis. No appointment is needed but it may be useful for certain cases to contact Tom’s office in advance on 01287 610878

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP, Tom Blenkinsop, today (4th April 2012) said: “The government must call a halt to the possibility of employment finding group A4e landing a lucrative state contract while concerns over their behaviour in areas like Teesside remain uninvestigated.”

He said this after press revelations today that the Home Office is lining up A4e for another major government contract, despite the jobs agency being at the centre of fraud allegations. Ministers have made the firm – owned by David Cameron’s fallen “family champion” Emma Harrison – the preferred bidder to take over the helpline to advise people of their rights in discrimination cases via the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

The privatisation of the Commission’s helpline was sought by the Home Office and the Government Equalities Office. It costs £2.1m a year to run, employs 85 staff in Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow, and handles 50,000 calls and 15,000 emails every year. Staff are trained to provide detailed advice on sensitive discrimination issues covering disability, gender, race and sexuality, and advise on mediation services.

Tom said “this is frightening news after more allegations have been made across the country – including here on Teesside – about the practices of this firm in the job placement industry, via contracts they had landed with the Department of Work and Pensions.”

“These included admissions by A4e that they had to withdraw from part of a £900,000 project with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council after an A4e employee forged signatures on official forms.”

“This new contract – if it is to be awarded – will put the company into one of the most sensitive areas of public life and public service. The thought of this company being awarded this multi-million pound contract after a BBC investigation revealed ‘a systemic pattern of duplicity at A4e across the country, including staff claiming for putting people into jobs which did not exist, jobs which did not qualify for payment and fabricating paperwork” and with no investigation staggers me. ”

“The Home Secretary, Theresa May, must act on this matter before Easter.”

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland’s Labour Member of Parliament, Tom Blenkinsop, today urged his constituents to take part in the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Jubilee Time Capsule project, which aims to give Her Majesty a “digital Diamond Jubilee gift”.

Tom said “I think this project launched by the Royal Commonwealth Society is a fantastic way to celebrate Her Majesty’s reign and Headship of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Members of the public are being asked to choose a memorable day in their lives between 6 February 1952, when Her Majesty became our Queen, and 6 June 2012, Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. After choosing this, they are invited to submit videos, photos and text to explain its importance to them. The very best entries, chosen by a panel of judges, will be presented to Her Majesty later in 2012.

To learn more about this project, people should visit www.jubileetimecapsule.org .

I am looking forward to joining Diamond Jubilee celebrations throughout the coming months. Her Majesty’s amazing contribution to British, the Commonwealth and international life over the past 60 years warrants recognition.”

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP, Tom Blenkinsop, will today (March 12th 2012) be asking government ministers if new ‘right to buy’ powers to be announced today will lead to cash being siphoned off from areas like Teesside to wealthy areas like the South East.

Tom said “In the new right to buy announcement today Housing Minister, Grant Shapps is saying he expects 100,000 extra families to buy their socially rented homes with the promise of ‘one to one’ replacement of new social homes from the cash raised by these sales.

However no one has asked whether these will be in the area where the right to buy is exercised and he has not made it explicit that this is not the case. If this new rule is not ring-fenced then we could see homes on Teesside being taken out of the rented market locally, only to be replaced by new social homes in – say – London and the South East. We could end up with a even more choked off housing market, less rented homes for local young families who need these homes, and with the double whammy of already very wealthy areas benefiting from all this. I intend to pose this question directly to Ministers today if I am called in debate.”

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP, Tom Blenkinsop, today (5th March 2012) is backing a lobby and rally at the House of Commons calling for a better deal in social care and against possible changes to social care if the Health Bill is, in fact, passed. The rally is being organised by the national charity for the elderly, Age UK.

The charity has launched a Care in Crisis petition calling on the Government to reform the care system for older and disabled people so that everyone gets the care they need to live with respect and dignity. The petition calls on the Government to take urgent action to ensure that:

· Everyone who needs care receives it and is treated with the respect they deserve
· No-one is forced to sell their home or sacrifice all their savings to pay for the care they need
· People are able to plan and prepare for care in advance

Tom said “These are simple aims and arguments and are basic rights for all elderly people, their families and carers.

This coalition Government came to power talking about reforming care but the issue has been repeatedly shelved. With the recent budget cuts and a growing older population the system is increasingly confusing, unfair and unsustainable.

All the recent cuts to care and support services have created huge pressures in the care system which hurt some of the most vulnerable in our society. The quality of care is often poor, funding is hugely unfair and care packages are frequently inadequate meaning people are left to struggle on without the help and support they need to lead independent lives. The proposals in the Government’s Health Bill will not give this. Instead all we are likely to see if it gets onto the statute books will be more out-sourcing of elderly care to the private sector – the sector that gave us Southern Cross.

It is clear to me that urgent reform of the social care system is needed now as elderly people cannot hold off any longer. Too many people rely on the care system on a daily basis for it to be sidelined as too ‘difficult’ or ‘costly’ to fix. Many of those who need help and support are being badly let down by a system that is at breaking point, while others find themselves forced to sell their homes in order to pay for support they need.

In the longer run, I have argued consistently that a future Labour Government should commit itself to a National Care Service to both partner and augment the NHS. This is an issue which will not go away.”

Local Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop needs a Research Assistant to work in the Constituency Office in Guisborough based in Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland.

Central task is to support policy casework and parliamentary tasks such as parliamentary questions, early day motions, speeches etc to link in with priorities of constituency based issues.

Excellent interpersonal, customer, organisational and computer skills required.

£18,000 per annum – 4 days per week (30 hours)

Closing date for applications is 24 February 2012, with interviews on 2nd March.

Apply in writing with a full CV and two references to joe@tomblenkinsop.com or Tom Blenkinsop MP, 8 Wilson Street, Guisborough, TS14 6NA.

For a job description, please contact Joe Keenan on 01287 610878 or email joe@tomblenkinsop.com.

Tom Blenkinsop, the Labour Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, has today (27 January 2012) marked Holocaust Memorial Day, joining calls that we must all “speak up and speak out” to prevent the atrocities of the Holocaust and other genocides ever being repeated.

Tom said “We all have a duty to stand up and speak out against all forms of inequality and intolerance, and to remember the millions of lives that were destroyed in the Holocaust and other genocides.

Today, I delivered an assembly at Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough educating students about the Holocaust, ensuring that we never forget what the terrible consequences of hatred can be. Pupils there were asked to read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Pastor Martin Niemoller’s famous “First they came…” poem.”

Tom also signed the Holocaust Memorial Day Book of Commitment in the House of Commons on Wednesday, whilst his constituency office has held a Holocaust Memorial Day display open to members of the public for the last three weeks.

On Sunday, Tom will be joining fellow Teesside residents in attending the Holocaust Memorial Service at St. Barnabas Church in Linthorpe at 1pm.