Have your Say!

Welfare

2.7 million people in the UK are too ill too work and get incapacity benefit. Many of them are genuine and deserve our support, some of them are taking us for a ride and decisive action to solve this problem is long overdue. The current cost of over £7 billion could be better spent on sending our armed forces into battle properly resourced or pay for more doctors. I may be getting grumpier as I get older, but I have had enough.

Trouble is how do you decide who is genuinely in need and who is not? We know that there are irresponsible people out there or there would be no crime. And what sort of illnesses should we accept – for example the 2,000 people too fat to work who cost us £4.7 million per year, is that OK? Many illnesses like depression and dizziness, real in themselves, are nonetheless very hard to assess objectively.

The number of people claiming incapacity benefit has trebled since 1979. Does that ring true, at a time when healthcare has got better? People over retirement age are not entitled to it, so the figures only relate to people of working age and the alarming rise cannot be explained by the fact that we are living longer. It may have something to do with the fact that you are paid less on job seeker’s allowance and are increasingly pressured to find work. If more Brits found work, we would need fewer economic migrants to take up the slack.

I see plenty of people in my surgeries and try and exercise my own judgement about the voracity of the claim, but how can I judge a medical condition? What I try and weigh up is whether someone is trying their absolute hardest. I no longer have much time for those whose attitude is: the state owes me a living.

Our individual responsibility is to stand on our own two feet if we can. The state’s job is to support those who genuinely cannot.

What we need is a far better system for telling the difference. The current assessment is shallow and arbitrary. As the storm clouds gather over public spending in the next few years, I believe that the vast majority of tax payers do require action on this. Once again I stress – genuine claimants: we are sorry for what you suffer and are happy to support you.

What do you think?

Yours,
Gary

posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Tuesday, November 27, 2007

0 comments  | links to this post

Healthy competition

How many people do you think Tesco employ at Lee Mill? 100? 300? Wrong – over 700, making them one of the largest local employers in just this one store. Years ago, I sat next to their then Chief Executive at a dinner and asked him to explain the secret of their astonishing rise to dominance from humble beginnings. His answer has lived with me: simple, we asked our customers what they wanted and then we gave it to them.

They, and others, are successful because they offer shoppers what they want, and we flock there in droves. But it does not come without a price. What about the impact on nearby town centres whose shops struggle to compete? Competition is a good thing of course; it keeps us all on our toes. But unfair competition, abuse of market dominance, is unhealthy and illegal. The Office of Fair Trading has recently investigated alleged anti-competitive practices by the big supermarkets. Their market dominance gives these multiples huge leverage over suppliers, which is why prices paid to farmers for many agricultural products has been too low.

I like to listen to people talking about the small local shops of yesteryear, the high quality butchers, grocers and bakers that many of our village and town centres used to have. But times change: we became so much more mobile, working and shopping further afield. The giant out of town supermarkets began to offer a wider range of products for a lower price all under one roof, and the rest was history. There is no turning back.

This all seems gloomy, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The supermarkets now are very alive to customer and stakeholder criticism. They are starting to source more and more of their products locally, trying to put something back into their community. They are beginning to pay a fairer price to farmers. They are aware of their impact on town high streets and are looking to be more supportive.

This has come about because of pressure from the public and media.
We cannot blame supermarkets for giving us what we want. But we can keep them on their toes, both nationally and locally, to make sure their shadow does not cause all the other plants in the garden to die. Let your chosen supermarket know your views on these issues and see if they respond positively. If they don’t, shop somewhere else.

Let me know what you think.

Yours,
Gary

posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Tuesday, November 27, 2007

0 comments  | links to this post

New Plymouth New Plan

Three years into the Mackey Plan, the landscape of Plymouth is changing. Regeneration and new builds are everywhere and the skyline is trading in the boring 1950’s flat roof monotone profile for a thrusting optimistic race to the clouds, high rise, dramatic and modern.

I think it's great- a new dawn for the city and with plans ahead for substantial growth, the creation of new jobs and business opportunities, the future is exciting and bright.

But hang on a second- there's another side to all this that isn't quite so positive. There are daily reports of assaults, drug-induced crime, communities setting fire to schools, binge drinking, and anti-social behaviour. Six of our secondary schools are failing. Old Plymouth limps on, seemingly unaware that the new day is dawning.

It would appear that while we are tacking the physical and structural aspects of Plymouth, we're neglecting the social and community sides. Perhaps we need a second plan- one to tackle to roots of our social issues, our social and spiritual fabric. We could involve the council, government agencies, the private sector, the faith communities and voluntary sector and politicians but most importantly it needs to be locally owned- for the people by the people.

Do you think this is a good idea? What are the most important factors in turning around our social problems and making the city strong in more ways than its appearance?

Yours,
Gary

posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Saturday, November 10, 2007

0 comments  | links to this post