WARNING: The Dangers of Loan-Sharks

Loan-sharks can be a real problem. Thankfully, in Harlow we have some dedicated campaigners like Gary Roberts, Trading Standards, and Jenny Smith of Harlowsave Credit Union, who are helping to highlight the problems. They have sent me the leaflet that you can see above. It is a warning to us all.

by Robert Halfon MP - Working Hard for Harlow.

The Choice in Politics: Spendacola or Debt-A-Selzer

The Picture is thanks to Conservative Home.  The website states:



"Instead of proposing a credible set of their own cuts, they oppose almost every saving put forward by the Coalition, and loosely promise to reverse anything they particularly dislike. But then, when under pressure, they admit that they cannot in fact do anything differently.

Miliband said: “"I can make no commitment to do anything differently”.  Balls went further: “Ed Miliband and I are clear on this; no commitments to reverse these changes, they would be irresponsible”. So, hold on. With all these cuts, all this noise, all these headlines, all these policy launches, Labour can “make no commitment to do anything differently.” Why, then, should we listen to a word that any Labour frontbencher says? After all, they can make no commitment to do anything differently.

The path Labour chose yesterday is the path of empty opposition, not the path of the credible alternative."

You can read more HERE.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Labour and cuts

It is so easy for the Labour Party at present. Difficult decisions made by the Coalition Government - on welfare, higher education, local government and policing - can be opposed as 'wicked cuts' detrimental to public services. Much simpler to express outrage against Coalition plans to cut the deficit. Much harder for the Government to explain why paying £120 million a day in debt interest alone is unsustainable in the long term. Not least because all this debt repayment could otherwise be spent on public services.

Whereas cuts are immediate and real, dealing with debt - even if the economy is almost bankrupt - is much more abstract.

Yet, Labour's easy short term political gain might not be so clever in the long term. If after months and years of undergoing the political pain of cuts, the economy improves, with the debt and deficit reduced, the Labour Party could significantly suffer in the polls. By 2014, if the Coalition can announce lower taxes as well as more money for reformed public services, they will reap the electoral dividend.

To be fair, not all senior Labour politicians are so short-sighted. Douglas Alexander MP (one of Gordon Brown's top Lieutenants), has argued that Labour lost the election because they simply denied that cuts were necessary. Through their language and rhetoric, they came over to the public as 'deficit-deniers' rather than economic realists. In a recent speech he stated:

"As I argued within government at the time and as I still believe today, the repeated refusal by some to use the word "cuts" for many months after the global financial crisis and the repetition of phrases like 'Mr 10%' gravely damaged voters' confidence that we got it,".

Mr Alexander's honesty is refreshing. He needs to pass his message on to his colleagues on the Labour benches, if his party is to regain economic credibility.

P.S. You can read more HERE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/nov/30/labour-gordon-brown-cuts-douglas-alexander?
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Preparing for the Budget

As we all await the Budget on Tuesday, most are bracing themselves for some very tough spending rounds.

I thought it might be useful setting out a few home truths, as the Opposition get ready to battle over 'cuts':

• In 2010, the Government will spend £701 billion, £155 billion more than it can raise by taxes;
• Public Sector debt is £900 billion;
• Public Spending as a proportion to GDP is at 48%;
• The UK has the highest deficit in Europe other than Greece.
  
  
  

It is worth stating that any cuts, are in fact Labour cuts, caused by their mis-management of the economy. We often forget that it is not 'Government' money that is being spent, but 'taxpayers'. All taxpayers have the right to know that the Government spends their money wisely - and does not spend more than it can afford. Taxpayer's money is not a bottomless pit: every spending decision means that somewhere else, taxpayer money is not being spent. The last Government - over thirteen long years - spent our money, as if it was an ever increasing pot, and often did not spend it well. Tuesday, will mark a return to good housekeeping and common sense with the nation's finances.

P.S. There is a good article in the Sunday Times well worth reading. Click HERE.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Great Speech makers at St Marks

To the Jack Petchey Young Speaker awards this evening to help judge a young speaker's tournament. Some of the best student speech makers in West Essex were assembled in St Marks school giving speeches that electrified those present.

The standard was high and there were exceptional speeches from students from St Marks and Passmores. A young girl from a school in Romford - who won on the night - spoke movingly about 'fear'.

I have never been a judge before and felt really involved with the contest. It was particularly enjoyable, as this was my very first engagement as MP for Harlow. I have promised to take the winner to tea in the House of Commons. She thoroughly deserved it.

Apart from this event, it was an active day in Harlow. I went to see a debt counselling service in the morning (based in Old Harlow), which helps hundreds of people with financial difficulties. Later, I had an important and constructive meeting with Harlow Fire Officers to discuss the Berecroft fire. This was in advance of my surgery at Berecroft tomorrow evening.

After the Budget dust settles, we learn that Labour's cuts will be more savage than the Thatcher years (in their own words)

After months and months of attacking the Conservatives for planning huge cuts - and promoting fear amongst the electorate -Chancellor Alistair Darling, said today on the BBC, that a Labour Government would make more savage cuts that occurred under Prime Minister Thatcher during the 1980s.

As always, this was a Budget full of smoke and mirrors. Hidden tax hikes, hidden cuts and re-announced measures. It was a Budget, which attempted to get the Government out of a deep hole of its own making and it failed.

Unfortunately, it will hit hard working families in Harlow hard:

• 3p more tax on each litre of petrol;
• 15p more tax on each pack of cigarettes;
• 2p more on each pint of beer, and 10p more on each bottle of wine;
• Higher National Insurance for Harlow's 40,000 workers - an extra tax on jobs, for anyone who earns over £20,000;
• A stealth hike in Income Tax, because the tax bands were frozen instead of rising in line with inflation. At the 20 per cent basic rate, this means that a Harlow taxpayer will lose an extra £48 in income tax this year, while a two-earner couple will be clobbered for an extra £96;

If this were not bad enough, The Budget red book shows that the national debt will soon be £1.4 TRILLION, or £23,114 per head. We will paying back Gordon Brown's debts for generations to come.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com

More debt, more taxes: Everybody suffers under Labour

Today's Pre-Budget Report marked the end of the Labour Party's claim to be the party of aspiration. Every child born will be saddled with a debt of £23,000. Every employee earning over £20,000 will face an increase of 1 pence on their National Insurance Tax. Every home owner will continue to have to pay huge stamp duty - an added burden of HIPs if they sell their house. Every motorist will face ever rising petrol taxes.

The result is that every family across the country will face an increase in taxes of around £370 a year.

A bankrupt Government, bereft of ideas, is on the verge of bankrupting the country. It is time for change.


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Budget Nightmare continued

I said I would provide you more details about the Government Budget nightmare. Well, the Conservative Treasury Team have put out the below statement, and it makes grim reading.

"Yesterday, we had a dishonest Budget. The Chancellor described the worst recession, the fastest rising unemployment, and the worst public finances that this country has had since the Second World War. But he could not describe a credible solution. In fact, he based all his forecasts on optimistic growth forecasts that the IMF discredited just over an hour later.

Even on his figures, thanks to Labour's economic incompetence, our national debt is going to double again to £1.4 trillion, and every child born will come into this world with a debt of £22,500.

Whatever the spin about taxing the rich, Labour's tax rises are for the many and not just the few. They are planning to raise taxes on fuel and on average earners. And the result will be a £1,000 tax rise on every family over the next two years.

Public spending

Not for the first time, it will take a Conservative government to get us out of Labour's mess. We understand that we need spending restraint to tackle Labour's debt crisis and avoid crippling tax rises in the recovery. Spending restraint that needs to start now, rather than in two years' time.

50p top rate of tax

We do not believe this new tax rate is the right thing to do. We don't support it, but we're not going to get dragged into playing Labour's games. There are a number of new tax rises we don't agree with, but this one will have to take its place in the queue. The Conservative priority is that of all of Gordon Brown's tax rises, the most important one to avoid is the National Insurance increase for millions of people earning £19,000 or more.

Fuel duty increase

Family budgets are being squeezed yet further as a result of the measures set out in the Budget. We are consulting on plans for a fair fuel stabiliser to replace the current fuel tax regime, so that tax falls when the price rises, and rises when prices fall. This would protect the public finances from fluctuations in the international oil price, and help families cope with rapid changes in the cost of living. "

In summary, this means: taxes up, debts up and unemployment up. No wonder, a number of people in Broadwalk yesterday told me how furious they were with Gordon Brown. They know a con when they see one.

P.S: The latest opinion polls, post-Budget, show Labour support slipping to 27% and the Conservatives up to 45%. It seems like the Government have been rumbled.

P.P.S: The highly respected independent Institute of Fiscal Studies has put out a statement saying:

"The government must close a £90bn hole to bring the budget into balance . That would cost every UK family £2,840 per year by 2017-18 in higher taxes or public spending cuts."

Budget Nightmare

It will take a few hours to digest today's Budget, but there are a few horrific figures, enough to keep us all awake at night.

One of the most worrying is the fact that the Government has drowned us in debt. By 2013-14, debt will reach 79% of Gross Domestic Product. This is a historic high for debt to reach such levels.

With unemployment now at 2.1 million and government borrowing now hitting a record £90 billion, we will be paying for the Government's mishandling of the economy for decades to come.

On tax, the news is also bad, with yet more steep rises in fuel and alcohol duties.

More Later.

Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com