Member of Parliament for South Shields
Shields Gazette
Investing In A Generation
People in South Shields well remember how a generation of young people was cruelly left behind in the 80s and 90s, scarring families and communities.
We must never again repeat the failed policies of the past. Back then the Tories failed to support young people and they would repeat their mistakes now as they oppose Labour's help to get people back into work quickly.
The Tories are sometimes accused of abandoning a generation. The truth is they abandoned several generations.
I support the Government's £5 billion extra investment to help people get back into work quickly. This money is paying for more jobcentreplus staff and more opportunities for people of every age. It is real help now, right when people need it.
I'll Pay Back Any Wrong Claims
If you are like me, you will have found the political crisis over MPs' expenses in turn appalling, depressing and infuriating. I take my share of responsibility as an MP for failing to give sufficient priority to sorting out the system. Equally, I know that not just my colleagues in the Labour Party but MPs' from other parties are motivated by what they can put into public service not what they can get out.
Working Hard For The People
Last week Alistair Darling delivered his budget, a budget which was designed to help hard working families and to take our country through these difficult times due to the global recession.
At the weekend, the Conservative leader talked about “an age of austerity”, but I would ask austerity for whom? David Cameron won’t commit to spending a single penny more on helping the unemployed but will commit to spending billions on those in jobs earning over £150,000 through tax cuts. Many families in South Shields benefited from the £145 cut for basic rate taxpayers, David Cameron opposed this but he supports a tax giveaway to the wealthiest 3,000 estates. That’s not austere – it’s just unfair.