Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

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Jim Dobbin MP

2011 was welcomed in with a rise in VAT to 20 per cent and David Cameron has finally admitted that poorer families on low pay would be hit hardest. The Council Budget to be announced in April will certainly add to our woes.

Twelve months ago I used to write articles of a more optimistic nature as the then Government invested in schools, hospitals, leisure centres and the police. That sadly ended with the change of Government. The new Tory/Lib Dem coalition is fond of saying that there is no alternative to their austerity measures in the public services, attacks on our welfare state and , yes, the unfair VAT rise. They say it is unavoidable yet many economists disagree. The country has had deficits in the past, greater than the present deficit. The 1945 Labour government took over when the economy was in a far worse state and went on to create the NHS, build 1000s of council houses and new schools and by stimulating the economy they turned it round and created growth.

This Tory- led Government programme of austerity will create rising unemployment and damage the economic chances of the country. They are the only major economy taking such an extreme and reckless gamble with growth and jobs. Their plans, built on pure ideological opposition to the public sector can only result in a divided society, the survival of the wealthiest to the detriment of the poorest. The real solution is to focus on jobs and growth and keep a balanced approach to the deficit by thinking again on VAT and the £20billion spending cuts, helping small businesses to access capital, keeping the Future Jobs Fund and investing in transport and housing. Can this be done?

Yes, by making banks pay their share instead of handing out obscene bonuses and golden handshakes and by investigating the tax havens of the super rich. It was irresponsible bankers who caused the credit crunch and deficits around the world. The plan for growth should be undertaken in co-operation with other countries to agree a comm0on plan for the common good.

Just a word about the Big Society! I have always been aware of the contribution made by our volunteers who provide support for young, old and disabled in our community centre network across the borough. All of them do fantastic work. They are the real Big Society and have been around for many years. The Big Society is not new. The Churches have been making a similar contribution for centuries. It is significant that Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, Archbishop Sentamu of York, Graham Sparks of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Simon Loveitt of the United Reform Church and the Archbishop of Westminster have all expressed concerns about the road the government is taking. They are all advocating the need to stand up for fairness for those who are vulnerable. The Trade Unions, the Voluntary Sector and the Churches need to work together in this economic crisis.

I write this in advance of the Oldham By-election. The result will be important for all political parties. I wish I could foretell the future.

The Postal Services Bill and the Privatization of the Royal Mail took place on Wednesday and of course I voted against it. The Lib Dems have intended to privatise the Royal Mail for years and Vince Cable in his position as Secretary of State for Business has led on this. I have stopped being shocked by anything Lib Dems do. Control orders are their next target against the advice of Lord Carlile QC, a Lib Dem expert on this topic. They continue to put your safety at risk. Whatever next?