This month we have seen the Government dragged into a crisis of integrity yet again. The Chairman of the Conservative Party, Nadhim Zahawi, has been found guilty of mismanaging his tax accounts whilst chancellor, having to pay back millions of pounds. Boris Johnson, once again, is found wanting after the BBC Chairman allegedly helped to fix a loan for the former PM and Rishi Sunak has become the only Prime Minister to receive two fixed penalty notices. This time for not wearing his seatbelt.
The Tories have shown that they lack the good character and integrity required for Government. Labour will Govern with honesty and respect the ministerial code.
Whilst the Conservatives are preoccupied with their own internal chaos, the Labour Party is a government in waiting, outlining positive policies and ideas that will build a fairer, greener Britain.
Activities in Parliament
This month in Parliament, it was a pleasure to take part in the Westminster Hall debate on improving driver safety and to raise the brilliant work of charities like Brake, based in Huddersfield. As President of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, this is an issue of deep importance to me. You can watch my remarks here.
I also led a Westminster Hall debate on air pollution. It is estimated that up to 36,000 people die prematurely each year from the effects of air pollution in our country. The total cost to the NHS and social care will be £1.5bn by 2025 and £5.1bn by 2035. The cost of inaction is fatal. This is why I’m calling for the introduction of particulate matter testing in the MOT test. Particulate matter are tiny invisible solids and liquids that can permeate through our bodies. They have a harmful impact on human health and mainly come from vehicles, plant equipment and industry. Increased particulate matter testing during the MOT would ensure we identify faulty DPFs that are not picked up by the current testing regime. I’m pleased to see the Government is wanting to adopt Particulate Number Testing in its open consultation on the MOT, that was published last week.
You can watch my debate here.
I also attended several Parliamentary events, run by Client Earth, the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality, Road Peace and Action Vison Zero and Open Doors.
Cost of Living Crisis
In Parliament, the Labour Party has been consistently raising the cost-of-living crisis facing families and individuals up and down the country. We have raised the forced installation of pre-payment meters with the Secretary of State. It is shameful that forced installation of prepayment meters is cutting off people’s heat and power, including some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We need immediate action to halt this scourge of blackouts by the back door. Labour is calling for a moratorium to stop even greater misery this winter, while the government, regulator and energy companies get a grip on this problem, to tackle the hardship millions are facing.
With our long-term plan, Labour will get us to Clean Power by 2030 and bring in a nationwide home insulation programme, retrofitting 19 million homes – keeping bills low, creating good jobs, and growing the economy. Right now, Labour would be bringing in a proper one-off windfall tax on energy giants – something which the government still fail to do – and spending that on a package of support for energy bills.
Ongoing Industrial Action
The Government’s failed approach has led to the worst strikes in decades. At every stage they’ve sought to collapse talks and thrown in last minute spanners. Now with this new Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) or ‘sacking nurses’ Bill, they’ve gone from clapping nurses to sacking them.
This shoddy Bill is unworkable and impractical – the Transport Secretary admits it won’t work, the Education Secretary doesn’t want it, and it will put intolerable burdens on employers. This isn’t about public safety – the Bill doesn’t mention safety once. We all want minimum standards of service and staffing in the NHS and on our railways, but Ministers are failing to provide it at all. This is about Rishi Sunak playing politics with yet another sticking plaster, distracting from the Conservative’s economic mess and NHS staffing shortages. You can’t legislate your way out of 13 years of failure. Labour strongly opposes this fundamental attack on working people’s freedoms on the principle – and we’ll repeal. In power, we’ll end the Tories’ strikes chaos with a new partnership of cooperation between trade unions, employers, and Government – meaning issues are resolved before strikes.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day takes place annually on 27 January. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, which took place on 27 January 1945. In addition to Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January also marks the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The resolution also called on United Nations member states to develop educational programmes “to instil the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again”.
It was a privilege to sign the Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment in Parliament.
As always, please provide me with your thoughts, views and concerns. You can reach me at barry.sheerman.mp@parliament.uk.