From: Greg Hands MP
[email protected] Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP #461 Date: 22 May 2016 at 15:37 To:
[email protected] Issue 461 - Sunday 22nd May 2016 In this edition: Since the last edition, Greg: Greg Hands MP’s Diary Website of the Week: "Stronger In" Attended the Parliamentary debate on the Queen’s Speech. For more on these One Nation proposals for the next year in Government, see below. Attended Cabinet at Number 10, Downing Street, as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Appeared on BBC’s Sunday Politics London responding to the London Mayoral and London Assembly elections. For more, see below. Campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain in Europe, including by writing a piece in the Daily Telegraph on why we should remain in the Single Market. Attended the Prime Minister’s speech at the British Museum on the United Kingdom being “Stronger, safer, better off” in the European Union. Supported Lady Margaret School, Fulham’s campaign to build a Centenary Garden. For more, see below. Attended a dinner in aid of the charity Burmadent which provides dental care to children in Burma, and acted as auctioneer, raising significant sums for the charity. As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, held a meeting with Romania’s Minister of Public Finance, Anca Dragu, and welcomed the family of his predecessor, Lord Barnett, to HM Treasury. Welcomed the family of the late Lord (Joel) Barnett to H.M. Treasury to talk to them about the work of the late Lord Barnett. Barnett was perhaps the most famous Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and served in the office as Greg’s predecessor, 19741979. Attended and addressed the Great Yarmouth Conservatives in support of local MP, Brandon Lewis. Held his regular constituency surgery at Fulham Library. To make an appointment for one of Greg’s advice surgeries, please send an email to
[email protected] or call 020 7219 5448. Greg Hands MP: Queen's Speech continues delivery of our commitments for greater security and opportunity Photo news: London Mayoral Polling Day 2016 Greg Hands welcomes Crossrail 2 Commitment Photo news: Barnett family visit Greg at the Treasury Greg Hands welcomes TfL plans to abandon curtailment of the 424 bus route Photo news: Greg welcomes Romanian Finance Minister to the Treasury Greg Hands calls for Support for Lady Margaret School's Centenary Garden Hands in the papers: Why would we swap free trade for new barriers by voting for a Brexit? Photo news: Hands campaigns for Britain to remain in the European Union 7 ways to contact Greg Hands Website of the Week: www.strongerin.co.uk The website of “Stronger In”, the campaign to keep Britain in Europe. Sign up to the national campaign, or email Greg to get involved. Greg will be voting to Remain in the EU on 23rd June. Greg Hands MP: Queen’s Speech continues delivery of our commitments for greater security and opportunity Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, has welcomed the Queen’s Speech as the next step in delivering security for working people, increasing life chances for the most disadvantaged, and strengthening our national security. It is a One Nation Queen’s Speech that will improve lives across the country, and contains measures that will continue progress in delivering the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitments. Since 2010 we have seen: 31 million people given a tax cut; 31.58 million people in work, up 2.5 million since 2010; Over 2.6 million new apprenticeships started across England; 2.9 million workers directly benefiting from the introduction of the National Living Wage; Over 753,000 new homes provided. The Queen’s Speech uses the opportunity of a strengthening economy to go further. The Speech includes measures that will: Give every household a legal right to a fast broadband connection if they request it; Reform and speed up the planning process to help build more homes; Introduce a Lifetime ISA to help young people save for their future; Speed up adoptions and give children in care more support; Make prisons places of education, work and purposeful activity – so we reduce re-offending, cut crime and improve public safety; Prevent radicalisation, tackle extremism in all its forms, and promote community integration. Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, said: “Over the past year, we have got on with delivering our manifesto commitments to give people security and opportunity at every stage of their life. “We’ve seen people’s taxes cut, wages boosted, more homes built, and jobs and apprenticeships created. But I know there’s much more to do. This One Nation Queen’s Speech continues that work. New Bills will help people save money, buy a home, get fast broadband access – as well tackle some of the deepest social problems in our country, and strengthen our national security. “All of this will mean a better and brighter future for Chelsea & Fulham.” Photo news: London Mayoral Polling Day 2016 Greg Hands MP with activists from Conservative Way Forward in Fulham on polling day, 5th May. Greg Hands welcomes Crossrail 2 Commitment Greg Hands welcomes Transport for London’s most recent statement on Crossrail 2. Transport for London’s most recent public consultation on Crossrail 2, which ran from 27 October 2015 to 8 January 2016, received nearly 21,000 formal responses and a further 90,000 individual comments. Crossrail 2 published its initial findings in its Consultation Report, which can be found here, on 16 March. The Consultation Report contained some very important initial results for Chelsea & Fulham. Indeed, the report showed that Question 20, which invited comments on the proposals for a Crossrail 2 station on the King’s Road in Chelsea, received the largest number of responses – 4,183 more than Balham in second place. In total, the consultation received 14,716 comments on the station proposed for the King’s Road, with 12,637 respondents (86 per cent) expressing concerns and raising issues, compared with the 1,601 (11 per cent) who support the proposals. The Consultation Report’s diagram below shows the strength of the response received from Chelsea & Fulham: Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, has welcomed Crossrail 2’s reiterated commitment to responding to the issues raised in the consultation by the end of June, as well as to holding a further consultation on the project in the autumn. Speaking in response to Crossrail 2’s most recent statement, Greg said: “I am pleased that Crossrail 2 has now committed to publishing its findings in June, as this issue continues causing a great deal of concern for my constituents in Chelsea & Fulham, as reflected in the number of responses to the consultation, as well as in the hundreds of letters, emails, and phone calls that I have received on the proposals.” For more details on Crossrail 2 and the forthcoming autumn consultation, please visit their website here. Photo news: Barnett family visit Greg at the Treasury Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, welcoming the family (daughter and granddaughter) of the late Lord Joel Barnett to the Treasury last week. Greg Hands welcomes TfL plans to abandon curtailment of the 424 bus route Greg Hands, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, welcomes the news that the Buses Directorate at Transport for London (TfL) has signaled its intention to abandon plans to curtail the 424 bus route. TfL’s proposals would have meant that the 424 bus would no longer go through the heart of Fulham – where it currently provides a vital service to many local residents, especially the elderly and those in sheltered housing, being the only direct bus service in Sands End. Instead, the route would have gone just over Wandsworth Bridge rather than to Putney High Street. The three Conservative Hammersmith & Fulham councillors for Sands End – Robert Largan, Jane Law, and Steve Hamilton – launched a campaign to save the 424 bus route. The councillors’ petition received more than a thousand signatures from concerned local residents, and was delivered to the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, by Greg Hands last year. However, due to the ‘very negative response to the consultation’ in January this year – and, no doubt, to the impact of the Conservative councillors’ petition – the Buses Directorate has now indicated that it will recommend that Transport for London abandon the proposed curtailment of the 424 bus route. Commenting on the news, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, said: “It’s great news that TfL is planning to drop its proposed curtailment of the 424 bus route, and it’s a direct result of the hard work carried out by the three Conservative Sands End ward councillors who fought hard to save the 424 route for local residents. “I’d like to join the Sands End councillors in thanking the several thousand local residents who supported their campaign, and in particular the group who presented their petition to me at my constituency surgery last year.” “While the decision to abandon the proposed curtailment of the 424 bus route still needs to be agreed at the highest level, I shall continue to campaign with the local councillors to defend the route.” Photo news: Greg welcomes Romanian Finance Minister to the Treasury Greg Hands MP welcoming Romanian Finance Minister, Anca Dragu, to the Treasury last week for talks. Greg Hands calls for Support for Lady Margaret School’s Centenary Garden Lady Margaret School in Parsons Green, Fulham, is due to celebrate its centenary in 2017, and the local MP, Greg Hands, is calling on local people to support its fundraising campaign. Lady Margaret School hopes to turn a patch of grass that is currently unused for most of the year into a beautiful environment for the School and the local community to enjoy, throughout the year and for years to come. The School – a state academy for girls, with an excellent academic record – believes that the learning environment can have a positive effect on students’ attitudes and their achievements. Moreover, in addition to enjoying the garden and benefitting from it academically, students will also be able to share the responsibility for its maintenance. The School also hopes that this project will enrich the lives of the local community. The School’s facilities are currently used by the community – with children attending Saturday and holiday music and drama classes – who will be able to enjoy this new space. The Centenary Garden will also be used to host community music, drama, and arts events. Speaking in support of the School’s Centenary Garden campaign, Member of Parliament for Chelsea & Fulham, Greg Hands, said: “In September 2017, Lady Margaret School will celebrate its centenary. It hopes to open this new Centenary Garden as a fitting celebration of the past hundred years, as well as a legacy for pupils, friends, family, and members of the local community to enjoy. “I wish the School well with its fundraising, and I thank them for the important academic and cultural impact that they have on their pupils and the wider community.” For more details on Lady Margaret School’s Centenary Garden, and to view the School’s plans and make a donation, please visit their campaign website here. Hands in the papers: Why would we swap free trade for new barriers by voting for a Brexit? By Greg Hands MP, The Daily Telegraph Tuesday 3rd May 2016 As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I know that free trade is central to our national prosperity, ensuring we have strong, well-funded schools, hospitals and other vital public services. Less trade means less money for our NHS. Vote Leave know this too, which is why their economic case for Brexit is based on two key arguments about trade. First, they claim that outside, Britain will be able to forge global trade deals the EU cannot. This was shattered by President Obama as he made clear that Britain would be at the "back of the queue". Second, they argue Britain can leave without hindering our trade with Europe; that exit from the single market is "not important". They suggest there is a single free trade framework which all countries "from Iceland to Turkey" enjoy. This is a fantasy. In reality there is a patchwork of agreements, with different rights and obligations, each of which would have a profound impact on the UK economy if they were to replace our current full single market access. Any arrangement between nations designed to spur free trade should seek to eliminate tariffs and remove non-tariff barriers. The single market offers precisely this, with zero tariffs, with each member given equal voice in harmonising regulations for goods and services and trade agreements with over 50 other countries. Leave it, and the benefits are lost. The European continent has the EU's single market at its beating heart with an outer ring of countries which have varying degrees of partial access to it while still being bound by EU rules. Our choice is whether to remain at the centre, with full access and influence, or join those on the outside with their inferior arrangements. Outside, without full service market access, global trade deals or any ability to set regulations that benefit our industries, Britain will have handed our continental competitors an advantage and swapped free trade for new barriers which put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk. Treasury analysis shows that a freetrade agreement would cost the UK economy equivalent to £4,300 for each household and £36 billion in lost revenue. Frontier Economics has calculated that being outside the single market in services would cost £100 billion in trade. PwC has demonstrated that losing the financial passport would cost 100,000 jobs. Leaving the EU would mean fewer jobs, higher prices in our shops and less money for our public services like our NHS. That is why we should vote to remain in the EU on June 23. Photo news: Hands campaigns for Britain to remain in the European Union Greg Hands MP joining Chelsea & Fulham "Conservatives In" activists, campaigning for Britain to remain in Europe, on North End Road, Fulham. Greg Hands MP joins Chelsea & Fulham "Stronger In" activists on Duke of York Square, Chelsea, campaigning for Britain to remain in Europe on 23rd June. 7 ways to contact Greg Hands MP: By Phone: By email: By post: In person: 020 7219 5448
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