Letter from Parliament

Jim Dobbin MP

Last weekend was filled with events and proved to be quite hectic. I spent Friday in the constituency office on casework and in the evening joined David Crausby MP for Bolton North East at a fundraising dinner with Dennis Skinner MP as the guest speaker. Dennis always was a rebel but passionate about Labour and praised this government for much good socialist legislation it has introduced from the minimum wage to its massive investment in health and education.

On Saturday I visited the Middleton Scouts’ celebrations on St Peter’s School playing fields in Middleton. I then joined a fundraiser organised by Heywood Rotarians held at St John’s Hopwood. The Rotarians do deserve support because of all they do for local charities.

At 3.30 I arrived at the home of Helen and Hermann Jungmayr for a charity event in support of the Rochdale and District Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was well attended for a really good cause.

Sunday of course was the Labour Party conference at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester where Gordon Brown was installed as Labour Leader and Harriet Harman as Deputy Leader. The whole process has been described as a seamless, elegant transition.  It happened on the same day that Brown created a huge lead over David Cameron in an Observer poll on who would make the best Prime Minister. I look forward to the Brown Cabinet later this week. We are in for a different style of leadership. I do feel optimistic for the Labour Party and the country.

Last week I judged the shop windows in the Norden Carnival. The theme was “all things great and small”. Each display was worthy of a prize. However I congratulate the winner for a first class display and congratulations to the committee and volunteers for a first class carnival.

I sponsored the Heywood cricket against Middleton on Sunday. This is my third cricket sponsorship this year and on each occasion the weather was fine and everyone enjoyed the games.

The big event of last week was the National Prayer Breakfast in Parliament. I have been chairman of this for the last 18 months and it culminated with a service in St Margaret’s Church led by the speaker’s chaplain, Canon Robert Wright at which I welcomed everyone. The Speaker then hosted a reception in the Speaker’s House where invited guests were enthralled by Pastor Les Izaacs, a street pastor in London who works with families and young people. The following morning, over 300 people from the commons and the Lords joined with Christians from across the UK. We listened and sang with a fantastic gospel Choir who created an amazing atmosphere in Westminster Hall (the oldest part of the Palace that dates back to around 1066.)

I had the privilege of introducing the Speaker of the Commons, the Right Honourable Michael Martin who welcomed everyone.  The principal speaker was Friar Timothy Radcliffe OP a cousin of the late Cardinal Hume and a former Master of the Order of Preachers, who gave an inspirational address on family, my chosen theme for the entire programme. After the Breakfast there were a number of seminars around the same theme. The whole event was a great success and I was delighted to lead it although it was a relief when it was over.

On Thursday I had the pleasure of a visit from Janet Reading and her daughter for a tour of the Palace, question time and lunch. Janet is the PAS to PCT Chairman John Pierce and to PCT representative Dr Nick Dawes and is always a great help to me in my constituency work.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Home Secretary John Reid unveiled a range of tough measures to enhance the protection of children from sex offenders. Another piece of good news was 6 million workers in the UK have been promised up to eight extra days annual holiday entitlement with the first four coming in October this year. Labour have published new regulations to boost the minimum holiday entitlement from 20 days to 24 days this October and 28 days from April 2009. 3.5 million women and 2.5 million men including part time workers will benefit pro-rata. The extra time off will make a real difference to the lives of hard working people, a rest from work and more family time.

What is clear to me is that Labour Welfare reforms combined with a strong economy are helping more people to come off benefits and look for work. Since 1997 the numbers on Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefits and Lone Parents Benefits have fallen by over 900,000 and they continue to fall.

Tomorrow [Wednesday 27 June] Tony Blair will stand down as Prime Minister. Some people may be relieved but I can tell you and few will deny it that Britain now has a more stable economy, stronger public services, lower levels of crime, reduced waiting lists for hospital treatment, better educated children because of long term investment in school buildings and the curriculum, better off families because of the minimum wage and other benefits and Britain is now a fairer place to live.  That is the perception the world over and that is what I have seen in my constituency. Yes we have much more to do but Blair can take credit for many of these improvements. Only the most cynical would deny that this is a fact. I am confident that built on these solid foundations, Gordon Brown, who has helped mastermind these changes, will continue what Tony Blair has started.