Letter from Parliament - Jim Dobbin MP

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Jim Dobbin MP

As I move around the constituency, I witness more and more examples of the coalition government’s mishandling of the British economy. My case work is increasing as constituents’ standard of living is reduced. Even middle income families are affected as food prices rise, energy costs increase and salaries stand still.

I was having a meeting in the House of Commons with Alison Granham, Chief Executive of the Child Action Poverty Group, when I had a call on my mobile from a journalist asking for a comment on the recently published child poverty statistics across Heywood and Middleton. The timing of the call was purely coincidental. I was able to tell him that child poverty had reduced by 1 million across the UK under Gordon Brown but had gone up by 1 million under David Cameron. This is a terrible measure of the damage the Coalition creates for families in the constituency and across the country.

As the economy stagnates, senior members of the Government are finally admitting that they got it wrong, except of course the Chancellor, George Osborne, he seems oblivious to the situation.

The UK is facing an unprecedented triple dip recession. All this at a time when 13, 000 millionaires are to receive a tax cut worth £100,000 each and working families will be £534 worse off. Even Lord Ashcroft, who is a major fund holder for the Tories, has announced he is to withdraw his financial support.

We now find out that a clause in the Health Bill will enable the NHS to be put out to tender. If that happens, the NHS will most certainly go private.

Education policy is impacting on children and young people. Sure Starts are closing by the hundreds. Ring fencing of funding for special needs will disappear and thousands of children could lose essential support.

Between 2000 and 2010, the numbers of teachers increased by over 32,000. Since 2010, the cuts have reduced teacher numbers by over 10,000. Academies and Free Schools are not required to appoint only qualified teachers. We have also had the student tuition fee debacle and it goes on and on.

The Budget on 25 March will provide an opportunity to highlight all of these cuts.

I had a short spell in Rochdale Infirmary last weekend due to a sudden illness, I have fully recovered but would like to reassure everyone that the help and support I had was second to none and want to thank the doctors, nurses and other medical staff for doing their job efficiently and caringly.