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SUMMER 2012

DEALING WITH THE DEFICIT

GETTING THEECONOMY GROWING AGAIN

REGENERATINGCROYDON

ENDING THESOMETHING-FOR-NOTHING CULTURE

RESTORING FAITH IN POLITICS

FIXING OUR BROKEN SOCIETY: WHAT’SCHANGED 12 MONTHS ON FROM THE RIOTS?

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CONTENTS Page

Letter from Gavin 3

Dealing with the deficit 4-5

Getting the economy growing again 6-7

Regenerating Croydon 8-9

Ending the something-for-nothing culture 10-11

Fixing our broken society 12-13

Restoring faith in politics 14-15

Survey 16

This magazine was paid for by Croydon Conservative Federation and delivered by volunteers at no cost to Council Taxpayers

I can help with community projects like litter picksI can deliver 50 or so leaflets in my area three or four times a yearI can display a poster at election timeI would like to join Croydon Conservatives

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It’s just over two years since the last General Election when you elected

me as your Member of Parliament.

The vast majority of the people I spoke to during that election wanted

change - not just a change of Government, but fundamental changes to the direction in

which our country was headed.

They knew we had to deal with the deficit to get the economy growing again.

But they also wanted a government that was on the side of people who work hard and

play by the rules, one that would put a stop to the something-for-nothing culture.

They wanted a government that would stand up for traditional values and fix our broken

society.

And they wanted changes to politics itself - MPs who were in politics for the right

reasons; who would say what they believed, not what they thought people wanted to

hear; and keep their promises.

Although most people wanted a change from Labour, we failed to convince enough

of them that they wanted a Conservative Government. As a result, although the

Conservatives ended up with the most seats in Parliament, we didn’t have an overall

majority and had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

That Coalition hasn’t covered itself in glory in the last few weeks but over its first

two years it has done a lot to try to deliver the changes people were looking for. This

magazine summarises its record.

It also sets out what I’ve done as your local MP to try to restore a little faith in politics.

In my job, you are never going to please all of the people all of the time - those who

support other parties are sometimes going to disagree with what I do. But whatever

your politics, I hope you believe that I care about our town and am doing the job you

have given me to the very best of my ability.

Gavin Barwell

Member of Parliament for Croydon Central

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Cuts to local services. A two-year pay freeze in the public sector. Changes to the retirement age. No Child Benefit for higher earners. The tough decisions this Government has made to deal with the deficit affect almost everyone in Croydon.

There’s no easy way out of the mess. The harsh truth is that there’s no easy, painless way out of the mess the banks and the last Government got us in. It would be great if we could make the banks foot the entire bill. Unlike Labour, the Coalition has introduced a permanent tax on the banks but squeeze too hard and they will simply move elsewhere and thousands of people will lose their jobs. We all have to make a contribution.

How big is the mess? When the Coalition came to power, our debt was increasing faster than any other major economy in the world. The deficit - the amount Labour had to borrow in their last year, not our overall debt - was £155,000,000,000. It’s difficult to get your head around a number that big. Put simply, for every £3 Labour raised in taxes, they were spending £4. Imagine what would happen if you ran your finances that way.

We can’t carry on borrowing at that rate. It isn’t fair to our children to keep on living

way beyond our means and expect them to pick up the tab. I’ve got three young boys and they’re going to find it hard enough to afford a place of their own in Croydon in a few years’ time as it is, without us burdening them with our debts.

The Government has by a quarter

DEALINGDEFICIT

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It would be an economic disaster too. You only have to look at what’s happening in countries like Greece to see that the longer you leave it before you start living within your means, the more painful it eventually is. And it wouldn’t just mean bigger cuts in the end - it would also be terrible news for anyone with a mortgage. Our interest rates are at record low levels because , as a result of the action the Government has taken, lenders have confidence we’ll repay our debts. In countries like Greece, interest rates are much higher. Just a 1 per cent increase in our rates would mean about £1,000 on the average annual mortgage bill.

Too far, too fast? Some people say they understand the need to make some cuts but the Government is going too far, too fast. They want us to borrow more so that we can spend more, but that’s what got us into this mess in the first place. You can’t borrow your way out of a debt crisis - it’s like taking out a loan to pay off the debt on your credit card. Even with all the tough decisions the

Government has taken, it’s going to take until 2016 to get rid of the deficit and actually start reducing our overall debt. Is that really too fast?

What the Government is doing is painful but in our hearts most of us know that as a country we have to start living within our means. And we are making progress - in its first two years, the Government has reduced the deficit by a quarter. We need to stick with it, not pass the burden on to our children.

The NHS and overseas aid. The Government is cutting its spending by about 1 per cent a year. That may not sound a lot but with spending on some areas, like the NHS and overseas aid, still increasing, some other budgets are really feeling the squeeze.

Quite a few Croydon residents have contacted me to say we shouldn’t be increasing the aid budget when we’re having to make painful cuts at home. They have a strong case, but on the other hand the money we spend on overseas aid literally saves the lives of some of the poorest children on the planet. I certainly think the Government was right to protect the NHS budget - and it’s good to see waiting times coming down as a result.

WITH THE

reduced the deficit

Times are tough at the moment. Our town is struggling, just like most other parts of the country (see pages 8-9).

There’s only so much the Government can do - we’re not immune from what’s happening on the continent in our largest export markets.

The starting point is to deal with the deficit - if we don’t do that, interest rates will rise sharply and that will kill off any hope of a recovery. But because lenders have confidence that the Government is doing that, it is in a position to do other things to boost growth.

A more balanced economy. Under Labour, the economy was based on financial services, debt and immigration - manufacturing almost halved. The Coalition wants to build a more balanced economy, where financial services are strong but they are not the only string to our bow.

We need to be a manufacturing nation too, making use of our strength in science and technology to build things that we can export. That’s why, despite the need to deal with the deficit, the Government has protected the science budget and is setting up a network of technology and innovation centres to try to translate research at world-leading British universities into commercial opportunities. And when it comes to manufacturing, there are some encouraging signs - for the first time in nearly 40 years, we are exporting more cars than we are importing.

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Making sure small businesses have access to finance. Recovery is going to be driven by small businesses and they will only grow and create jobs if they can borrow money.

The Government has set up a National Loan Guarantee Scheme to help but this is an area where it needs to do more - I am still getting Croydon businesses approaching me saying they can’t access finance on reasonable terms.

A competitive tax system. The Government has cut the rate of Corporation Tax from 28% to 24% to encourage businesses to locate here. And it has stopped Labour’s planned increase in the National Insurance contributions employers pay, which would have made it more expensive to employ people - a crazy thing to do when thousands of people in Croydon are unemployed.

GETTING THE ECONO

‘For the first time in nearly 40 years, the UK is exporting more cars than we are importing’

Helping people back to work. Unemployment is falling but there are still far too many people who can’t find work.

The Government is doing everything it can to help. Its new Work Programme provides tailored support to each job seeker - I spent some time at Croydon JobCentre Plus a few months ago seeing the new approach in action. The companies and charities delivering the programme get paid based on their success in getting people back to work.

And the new Enterprise Allowance provides help - both mentoring and financial support - to unemployed people who want to start their own business.

Making sure young people have the skills employers need. In the long term, the best way to ensure more companies locate here is to have the

most highly-skilled workforce in the world. That’s why the Coalition is putting so much effort into reforming our education system - giving teachers back the power to impose discipline in the classroom; sacking headteachers of schools that repeatedly fail to meet minimum standards; bringing back rigour to the curriculum and exam system; encouraging more of an emphasis on subjects that employers value like maths, English, sciences and modern languages; opening 24 University Technical Colleges with an emphasis on cutting-edge vocational training; and nearly doubling the number of people starting an apprenticeship.

Reforming the banks. Finally, as well as getting the economy growing again we need to make it less vulnerable to another banking crash. The Government is implementing the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking to make the banks hold extra equity and introduce a ring fence, separating their investment banking from more traditional personal and business lending, so that in a crisis the Government can save our accounts without bailing out the investment banks.

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MY GROWING AGAIN‘Interest rates are at record low levels’

Allders

The news that Allders has gone into administration, putting at risk over 850 jobs, is the latest of a series of blows to strike our town over the last 12 months.

Both the Leader of the Council and I were contacted by the Chief Executive of Allders a few days before the announcement to alert us to the fact that the business was in trouble. We did everything we could to help - the Council offered to defer the company’s business rates, we persuaded Allders’ landlord to waive their rent payments and we contacted Mark Prisk, the Minister for Business & Enterprise, and met with his officials, but with creditors turning up at the store to remove their stock while we were meeting it was clear that the

game was up. If Allders had contacted us before they were in such a deep hole, we would have had more time to put together a rescue package but it is no good dwelling on what ifs - we need to focus on finding a buyer for the store and getting new investment into our town.

Redeveloping the Whitgift Centre

The medium-term prospects for retail in Croydon are potentially very bright. Two of the biggest retail developers in the world - Westfield, who own two shopping centres in London at Shepherds Bush and Stratford; and Hammersons, who own Brent Cross - are interested in investing hundreds of millions of pounds in Croydon to redevelop the Whitgift Centre. That’s what’s needed to reverse the decline of our shopping district and bring top brands like John Lewis, Apple and Gap to the town, which will in turn support more independent shops.

At the moment, though, we have stalemate. Westfield have signed an exclusivity agreement with the Whitgift Foundation, who own the freehold of the Centre; Hammersons are the preferred partner of Royal London Asset Management and the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, who between them own 75% of the leasehold interest.

Regenerating

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£23M INVESTMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND

THE LONDON MAYOR

UNEMPLOYMENT IN CROYDON CENTRAL IS DOWN BY OVER 5 PER CENT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.

We urgently need to find a way to break this stalemate. We can’t afford to wait two or three years for Westfield and Hammersons to battle it out in the courts while our shopping district continues to decline. And major investment in our shopping district is the catalyst we need to secure other investment in our town - there are a number of major residential schemes with planning consent that are not financially viable in the current housing market, but that would become viable once it was clear that Westfield/Hammersons was definitely going ahead. I am meeting with the Mayor of London shortly to ask him to intervene to break the deadlock.

Making the town a more attractive place for businesses to locateWe have had some positive news in recent months.

The Government and the Mayor have provided £23 million to support the long-term recovery of the town in the wake of the riots. The Council is using this money to set up something akin to an Enterprise Zone in the area between Wellesley Road and the railway with reductions in rates to encourage businesses to locate there.

It is also using this money to improve the public realm in the town centre - for example by introducing pedestrian crossings across Wellesley Road so people don’t have to use unpleasant subways.

Network Rail and the Council are currently building a second ticket hall at the other end of East Croydon station and a pedestrian bridge over the railway to tackle overcrowding in the current ticket hall and provide a much better connection between the station and the shopping district.

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Croydon

A UNIVERSITY-BACKED INNOVATION CENTRE WILL HELP BRING NEW JOBS TO OUR TOWN

People who contribute little or nothing to our country seem to get a better deal than those who work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules. Ending this something-for-nothing culture is the single most popular thing the Coalition could do. And on this front it has made a good start.

A cap on what you can earn on benefits.

The Government has capped the total amount of benefits an out-of-work household can claim - no matter how many children you have, you can’t earn more on benefits than the average family gets by working. Remarkably, Labour MPs opposed this; personally, I would have liked to see the limit set a little lower.

The Government has also capped Housing Benefit to prevent those on benefits living in million pound houses that the hard-working families who foot the bill could only dream of. It is cracking down on fraud, checking whether people are really unfit for work and not allowing people to keep turning down jobs and still keep their benefits. And it is reforming our welfare system so that it always pays more to work than to sit at home doing nothing.

Controlling immigration

Under Labour, net migration (the number of people coming to this country legally minus the number of people leaving) was over 2.2 million, more than twice the population of Birmingham - and that doesn’t include the people who came here illegally.

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Immigration can be a good thing - think of all the people from migrant backgrounds who have contributed to our town by setting up businesses, working in our public services, volunteering for local charities or enriching our culture - but it has to be controlled and we need to make sure the people who settle here are highly skilled so they create wealth rather than low skilled people who end up competing with our unemployed for work.

The Coalition is reducing net migration from the hundreds of thousands a year to the tens of thousands a year by

‘We’ve put a cap on what an out-of-work family can earn on benefits.’

‘This year’s pension increase is the biggest ever’

ENDING THE ‘SOMETHING

clamping down on all but the highest skilled economic migrants, closing bogus colleges and stopping sham marriages.

It is also changing the law to try to stop foreign nationals who commit crimes from using human rights legislation to avoid deportation - the rights of the law-abiding majority are more important. And I have ensured that Croydon Council is properly compensated for the cost of caring for a

significant number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children as a result of the large UK Border Agency presence in the town.

Helping hard-working families with the cost of living

Despite the need to deal with the deficit, the Government is doing what it can to help hard-pressed families:

it has cut income tax for 24 million people, with those in low paid or part time work gaining most. Two million people on the lowest incomes will be taken out of paying income tax altogether and people working full time on the minimum wage will have their income tax bill cut in half. The Chancellor spent 35 times as much on this tax cut as on cutting the top rate of tax - his priority is helping working families on low and middle incomes, not the rich;

it has helped my colleagues at the Town Hall freeze Council Tax bills for the last two years;

it has cut fuel duty by 10p per litre compared with what Labour were planning;

in April, it increased the state pension by £5.30 per week, the biggest cash rise ever. The Coalition has promised that each year the state pension will be increased in line with earnings, prices or by 2.5 per cent - whichever is highest; and

it is putting pressure on energy companies to keep bills down and to make it easier for customers to see - and easily switch to - the lowest possible tariff.

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‘The Budget cut income tax for 24 million people’

-FOR-NOTHING’ CULTURE

Last August, we learnt that hundreds of our fellow Croydonians have no respect for other people’s property or traditional values. The riots were a dramatic illustration that there is too much coarseness, incivility and a general lack of responsibility in modern Britain. Government can’t turn that round on its own, but it can give a lead.

Properly punishing people who break the law...

After the riots, I argued that the courts needed to impose tough sentences on those responsible to send a clear message. I got a lot of stick from some quarters for saying that, but it was good to see that the sentences imposed did reflect public opinion.

I’d like to see the Government increase the sentences for many crimes, but sadly my Liberal Democrat colleagues don’t agree. Last month, I discovered that someone had stolen the plaque from my Dad’s grave in Beckenham Cemetery. The police think they have caught the scrap metal dealer who bought my Dad’s plaque (and thousands more). If he is found guilty, he’ll probably serve a few months in prison at the most. What message does that send?

…and helping them address their problems.

Around half of all crime is committed by people who have already been convicted of previous offences. Some say this shows prison doesn’t work. They point to the fact that many prisoners have mental health problems, a drug and/or alcohol addiction and/or few if any educational qualifications and suggest we should be helping them address these problems, not locking them up. There are two flaws with this argument. First, prison does work in the narrow sense that while people are in jail they are not out committing crime. Second, it’s a false choice - why can’t we remove people from the communities they have terrorised and while we are doing that help them address their problems? The Government is starting to pay the people who run our prisons on the basis of how successful they are at stopping prisoners re-offending once they are released, rather than simply the number of prisoners they look after, which should make a difference.

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Fixing our broken

Visiting the scene of the riots with GLA Member Steve O’Connell and Council Deputy Leader Tim Pollard

Responsibilities, not rights.

One of the problems with modern society is there’s too much emphasis on people’s rights and not enough on their responsibilities. I’m not against human rights - things like the right to free speech and the right to freedom of religion are fundamental to a free society - but we have somehow got ourselves into a position where the rights of a suspected terrorist like Abu Qatada trump the rights of the rest of us and where decisions are made by a court in Strasbourg rather than by our courts or Parliament. Sadly, this is another area where we can’t convince our Liberal Democrat colleagues of the need for change.

Lillian’s Law

Last year, the family of Lillian Groves, a 14 year-old constituent of mine who was killed outside her home in New Addington by a driver under the influence of drugs, came to see me at one of my surgeries. The driver was sentenced to just eight months in jail and served just four months because of a flaw in the law and the lack of an equivalent to the breathalyser that would have allowed the police to test the level of drugs in his system at the roadside.

To their great credit, Lillian’s family wanted something positive to come from her death and asked if I could help change the law so that other families don’t have to go through what they have suffered.

I raised the issue with the Prime Minister and he invited me to bring the Groves family to 10 Downing Street to meet him. They obviously made an impression because he has included a Bill to change the law in this year’s Queen’s Speech. It’s nice to have had a hand in changing the law but the real credit must go to Lillian’s family and to The Croydon Advertiser who supported them. To those who have lost faith in our political system, their story shows that if you have a good cause and a bit of help along the way, you can change things.

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society...

Most of the people I spoke to in the run-up to the last Election were understandably pretty cynical about politics - the expenses scandal had killed off what little faith they previously had. Since I got elected, I have tried to do what I can to restore a little faith:

Representing my home town Unlike many MPs, I represent the place where I grew up. Croydon isn’t just my constituency, it’s my home.

In it for the right reasons I was happy to take a pay cut to become an MP. I view it as public service, not an opportunity to make money. I don’t have a second home and I don’t employ any family members. You can view my expense claims and the supporting receipts on my website to check for yourself that I’m not claiming for anything inappropriate.

Interested in your views all year round, not just at election time Getting feedback from constituents helps me to do a better job. Most weekends, I spend time knocking on doors to ask people about their concerns. I regularly distribute literature like this magazine with a feedback form. I have a website (www.gavinbarwell.com), I’m on Twitter (@gavinbarwellmp) and I send email bulletins to those who have given me their email address (email me at gavin.barwell.mp@parliament.uk). I have regular meetings with all the Residents’ Association Chairmen in the constituency and regular public meetings (recent issues include immigration, cuts and same sex marriage). Last summer, I sent out a survey to every property in the constituency asking people how they thought I was doing. Thousands replied and I’m still in the process of sending an individual response to everyone who did.

Here to help Many MPs base their staff at Westminster but I’ve opened up a constituency office at 133 Wickham Road. If you need help, you can talk to my staff 9am-5pm Monday to Friday either in person or by calling 020 8663 8741.

Staying in touch When Parliament isn’t sitting, I spend time working in local public services and businesses to see for myself how government policies are working. So far, I’ve spent time at Croydon University Hospital; Benson’s Primary School; Marks & Spencer’s; Croydon JobCentre Plus; Redgates School for children with severe learning difficulties; and Croydon police.

Making a difference locally MPs should do more than just lobby the Government and the local council - they should do things on the ground to make their area a better place to live. So far, I’ve set up a Job Club on Monks Hill, recruited a group of volunteers to help keep our parks and open spaces clean and got together ‘Project Change ‘, a group of nearly 300 teenagers to try to change perceptions of young people in our town.

Not just toeing the party line Although I’m a Conservative, I don’t just toe the party line. Where I think the Government or our local Council have got something wrong - on Afghanistan, on proposed changes to parking controls, on library closures and on the Menta planning application - I’ve been prepared to say so.

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Restoring faith

05/07/2012 10:54

The web site of Gavin Barwell - MP for Croydon Central - Home Page

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http://www.gavinbarwell.com/

Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central

Home BlogNews

Biography Croydon Central Contact me

This site is paid for by

Croydon Conservatives,

not my Parliamentaryexpenses

Changing Croydon for the better

Welcome to my website.

I was elected as the new MP for Croydon Central on 6th May 2010. It’s a huge

privilege to represent my home town in Parliament. I’ve lived in Croydon virtually

all my life, first in Shirley then in Monks Hill and now in South Croydon. As well as

being the MP for Croydon Central, I’m a Governor of the Whitgift Foundation and

Chairman of the Governors at my old school, Trinity. I also help to run a number of

volunteer projects, including a team who help keep our parks and open spaces

clean and a Job Club to help people get back into work.

This website tells you more about who I am, how I am trying to change Croydon

Central and our country for the better and how you can keep an eye on what I’m

doing, get in touch and maybe even help out. I work for you so if you have views

on how I am doing - good or bad - let me know.

Latest from my Blog

02/07/2012

What can we do to get boys reading again? Read Story

01/07/2012

Only a referendum will ultimately settle the European question Read Story

26/06/2012

Prime Minister's speech on welfare Read Story

22/06/2012

Reforming GCSEs - a fascinating debate on Twitter Read Story

15/06/2012

Trying to save Allders Read Story

Click here for more from my Blog

Latest News

03/07/2012Croydon MP backs campaign to challenge negative perception of British

youth Read Story

02/07/2012

Croydon MP leads fight to improve boys’ reading Read Story

29/06/2012Gavin Barwell visits NSPCC in Croydon and hears about the new services for

local children and families Read Story

20/06/2012

Croydon sees welcome reduction in claims for Job Seekers Allowance Read

Story

20/06/2012

Croydon MP wins national road safety award for drug driving campaign Read

Story

Click here for more news

03/07/2012

Consultation on compulsory recycling Read Story

26/06/2012

Council meets with Allders' concessions to offer support Read Story

26/06/2012

Croydon offers support to military heroes Read Story

25/06/2012

More trams more often for Croydon Read Story

25/06/2012

Health finances - Croydon calls for review Read Story

More News from Croydon's Conservative Councillors

Contact Me

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you feel I can be of assistance or if

there is anything you would like to

discuss with me.

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you can unsubscribe at any time.

Reporting back

See my latest Consitituency Report in

PDF format here.

Diary

Before the Election, I promised that I

would publish my diary so that

constituents could see what I was

doing all year round, not just when

Parliament is sitting.

If you want to check how I’m

spending my time, click here.

Expenses

Another promise I made before the

Election was that I would publish my

expense claims and the supporting

receipts so that constituents could see

exactly what I was claiming. Click

here for details.

Follow me

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Gavin Barwell, 133 Wickham Road, CR0 8TE, Tel 020 8663 8741 © Gavin Barwell 2012 Promoted by Ian Parker on behalf of Gavin Barwell, both at 36 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 2LG 15

in politics“Politicians who speak their mind are a rare

commodity…So it was refreshing to hear

Gavin Barwell speak with such honesty when

he suffered a devastating personal setback this

week. The Croydon Central MP was shocked

to discover sick metal thieves had stolen a

memorial plaque from the gravestone of his

dad David, who died in 2005. The dad-of-three

didn’t pull his punches when he spoke about

the incident because he’d one eye on his career.

He branded the thief a ‘scumbag’ and warned:

‘If I ever find out who you are, you are going

to regret it.’ It was a very natural, very human

response to an appalling crime. Mr Barwell had

already impressed many in Westminster with

his response to the devastating impact of last

summer’s riots on Croydon. At a time of crisis,

he spoke out eloquently on behalf of the silent

majority of law-abiding people in his town. We

could do with a few more MPs like Mr Barwell

in Westminster” (The Sun, 25th May 2012)

“Thank you so much Gavin, that is fantastic news! You are the most effective MP that I have ever encountered” (R Woolterton)

“I am very pleased to see someone like you is looking after people in Croydon” (P Chatterjee)

“I just wanted to say a huge thank-you for your efforts on my behalf. You and your team have restored my faith that our elected officials do care and work for us. I appreciated the prompt and personally tailored replies from real people, having expected automated standard responses.”(L Brennan)

“Thank you so much for your concern and all the effort you are putting in to ensure Croydon is a safe place to live, and more importantly acting on the email I sent you in distress.” (A Micah)

“I congratulate Gavin Barwell on securing the debate, and on his speech, which demonstrated a thoughtful, serious and insightful analysis, almost all of which I agree with—I hope that that does not embarrass him.”Nick Raynsford MP (Greenwich and Woolwich, Labour).

Above: Gavin and his team

Right: Project Change volunteers helped clean up West Croydon

Promoted by Ian Parker on behalf of Croydon Conservative Federation, both at 36 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 2LG. Printed by TCA Print Limited, 6 The Heath, Caterham Surrey CR3 5DG

Getting feedback from constituents helps me to do a better job. Please take a couple of minutes to answer the questions below and send this page to 133 Wickham Road, Croydon CR0 8TE. Many thanks.

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