Last week, I was delighted to be "Hero of the Week" in The Sun, for my campaign for cheaper petrol and diesel.
You can see the full article HERE.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
Monday, November 7, 2011
Hero of the Week in The Sun
Last week, I was delighted to be "Hero of the Week" in The Sun, for my campaign for cheaper petrol and diesel.
You can see the full article HERE.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
Debating Libya
Last week, there was a Commons debate on Libya. I spoke about the lessons to be learnt from the appeasement of Gadaffi and the need to ensure compensation for those Jews and Italians, who had their homes and businesses 'appropriated' by the Gadaffi regime.
You can read the full debate HERE.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Atlas Shrugged Part 1 (Full Movie)
Another You Tube video (hat-tip Simone Webb), this time of a whole film 'Atlas Shrugged'. I love the books of the Author Ayn Rand, read her stuff voraciously and have a picture of her in my office in the House of Commons.
Rand was a Jewish-Russian emigre (also an atheist), who went to the United States and became one of the foremost writers on individualism, and capitalism in the twentieth century. Some of her books are said to have sold more copies than the bible.
Her most famous are We the Living (about the failures of communism), The Fountainhead (about an architect who refuses to accept mushy consensus), and Atlas Shrugged, about industrialists who refuse to accept socialism and build their own capitalist utopia.
The Explosion of Parliament
I saw this very freaky film on Saturday night on BBC2, called V for Vendetta, in which Parliament is destroyed by a resistance to a totalitarian government, organised by 'V' who is only seen wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. It is quite a sinister, dark watch - albeit with some tremendous special effects. Sort of 1984 meets a serious version of The Three Musketeers - or even Zorro without the humour.
Well worth seeing.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Why the Government should bring a new apprentice school to Harlow
During a special Commons debate last night I underlined the case for Harlow to have a university Technical College.
Although university technology colleges have not yet received the same media attention as free schools and the huge expansion of the academy programme, they are an equally profound reform of our school system.
Already 18 UTCs have received Government support . They are being supported by some 130 companies. Government funding has been allocated for 24 UTCs.
I hope that a Harlow bid will be successful in the next wave.
Harlow is a new town. It was built after the Second World War with a vision to change people’s lives and create jobs and growth, but its potential is still unfulfilled.
School results have risen sharply over the past ten years. Most secondary schools now perform around the national average and this year two secondary schools became academies.
Harlow College is now widely recognised as one of the best further education colleges in the country, with pass rates exceeding 99.5 per cent.
Anglia Ruskin university opened in the town this term a campus, which now has approximately 200 students studying for degrees.
Wherever I go in Harlow parents are delighted with the idea of a new apprentice school which is exactly what it is, and they have no ideological objections.
Harlow’s bid for a UTC is not opposed by the local state schools and both Harlow Council and Essex County Council have said they support UTCs, and would like to see a UTC in Harlow.
A Harlow bid for a UTC will now feature the enterprise zone status which has been given to the town.
Anglia Ruskin is broadening its university courses to meet the needs of the emerging ‘MedTech’ enterprise zone with firms like Bupa Home Healthcare. Harlow Council is delivering the proposed ‘MedTech’ campus - a specialised industrial estate, which will employ the highly skilled technicians that a UTC provides.
Harlow already has several biotech and pharmaceutical firms, such as GlaxoSmithKline, and is in the London-Cambridge science corridor.
We have several strong local hospitals - primarily Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Rivers private hospital in Sawbridgeworth.
The Health Protection Agency is considering a move to Harlow, partly because of its own financial position, and partly because of the enterprise zone. I hope that in due course it too will have a need for medical technicians and engineers.
In the second wave of UTC applications we hope to include medical technology as one of the Harlow specialisms, and to submit an even stronger bid.
Although university technology colleges have not yet received the same media attention as free schools and the huge expansion of the academy programme, they are an equally profound reform of our school system.
Already 18 UTCs have received Government support . They are being supported by some 130 companies. Government funding has been allocated for 24 UTCs.
I hope that a Harlow bid will be successful in the next wave.
Harlow is a new town. It was built after the Second World War with a vision to change people’s lives and create jobs and growth, but its potential is still unfulfilled.
School results have risen sharply over the past ten years. Most secondary schools now perform around the national average and this year two secondary schools became academies.
Harlow College is now widely recognised as one of the best further education colleges in the country, with pass rates exceeding 99.5 per cent.
Anglia Ruskin university opened in the town this term a campus, which now has approximately 200 students studying for degrees.
Wherever I go in Harlow parents are delighted with the idea of a new apprentice school which is exactly what it is, and they have no ideological objections.
Harlow’s bid for a UTC is not opposed by the local state schools and both Harlow Council and Essex County Council have said they support UTCs, and would like to see a UTC in Harlow.
A Harlow bid for a UTC will now feature the enterprise zone status which has been given to the town.
Anglia Ruskin is broadening its university courses to meet the needs of the emerging ‘MedTech’ enterprise zone with firms like Bupa Home Healthcare. Harlow Council is delivering the proposed ‘MedTech’ campus - a specialised industrial estate, which will employ the highly skilled technicians that a UTC provides.
Harlow already has several biotech and pharmaceutical firms, such as GlaxoSmithKline, and is in the London-Cambridge science corridor.
We have several strong local hospitals - primarily Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Rivers private hospital in Sawbridgeworth.
The Health Protection Agency is considering a move to Harlow, partly because of its own financial position, and partly because of the enterprise zone. I hope that in due course it too will have a need for medical technicians and engineers.
In the second wave of UTC applications we hope to include medical technology as one of the Harlow specialisms, and to submit an even stronger bid.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tower Magazine helps charity for War Veterans
A new Harlow paper - Tower magazine - is helping to raise funds for veterans from the Falklands War, along with charity "Nothing and Everything", and local man Pete Beatty, on an epic walk and swim from the UK to Gibraltar.
Find out the details on their latest news edition HERE.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
MPs to debate fuel prices 'misery'
Close to eighty MPs from all parties have also signed my Backbench Motion in support of lower petrol/diesel prices.
This debate has been a long time coming and will hopefully put pressure on the Government and the oil companies to do something about the cost of fuel at the pumps.
High petrol/diesel prices damages families, disrupts businesses and pushes up the cost of public transport. It also creates a poverty trap as it makes it unaffordable to travel to work. Unemployment has risen and businesses have closed - all because of the unsustainable price of petrol.
You can read further details here:
105,000 thank yous - now date is set for fuel debate
After a long battle - and the support of 105,000 peopel who signed my e-petition - a date has been set for the parliamentary debate into fuel tax.
I have campaigned for months with the FairFuelUK campaign in a bid to get Parliament to look into the high cost of fuel.
Now after the campaigning and three visits to the backbench committee to argue for a debate the go-ahead has finally been given from the authorities for a three-hour debate in the main chamber of the House of Commons.
The debate is expected to be scheduled for a half day (afternoon) on Tuesday, November 15.
The e-petition, was one of the first to attract over 100,000 signatures.
The rising cost of fuel is a major issue which affects everyone. I am delighted that the petition received such marvellous support and achieved the 100,000 names required to trigger a parliamentary debate in such a short time.
During the campaign I addressed parliament, asked a question at Prime Minister’s Question Time and took part in a protest along Whitehall to Downing Street.
We are facing a silent crisis as the cost of living is rocketing. Steadily, month by month, energy and petrol bills are crippling our economy.
Figures from the Royal Automobile Club show that the average motorist in Harlow is getting fleeced for £1,700 a year just to fill up the family car. This is one tenth of the average local salary.
The Government defines “fuel poverty” as spending a tenth of your income heating your home, but what about spending a tenth of your income just driving to work?
The case for cheaper petrol is not just popular; it is good economics, too. Experts at the LSE have published research showing that our soaring petrol prices are contributing to UK unemployment.
Added to that, the high price is creating a poverty trap, as people can't afford the costs of getting to work. In fact, petrol is now so hugely expensive, that it is costing the Government money. This is because fewer people can afford to drive, leading to lower tax revenues.
Figures from the AA show that the Treasury received £1 billion less in revenue from petrol taxes in the last six months, compared to 2008. If this is true, it is disastrous.
We urgently need a study of petrol taxes, by the Treasury, to see whether high fuel taxes are actually making it harder to close the deficit.
Rip-off petrol prices are one of people’s top concerns, according to Populus. To his credit, George Osborne has taken major steps to help, including a 1p cut in fuel duty and abolishing Labour’s ‘tax escalator’.
But we urgently need to do more. We need no new fuel taxes in this Parliament.
The 4p duty rises that are planned for January and August 2012 must be scrapped, and the Government needs to pressure the oil companies to keep prices down.
I have campaigned for months with the FairFuelUK campaign in a bid to get Parliament to look into the high cost of fuel.
Now after the campaigning and three visits to the backbench committee to argue for a debate the go-ahead has finally been given from the authorities for a three-hour debate in the main chamber of the House of Commons.
The debate is expected to be scheduled for a half day (afternoon) on Tuesday, November 15.
The e-petition, was one of the first to attract over 100,000 signatures.
The rising cost of fuel is a major issue which affects everyone. I am delighted that the petition received such marvellous support and achieved the 100,000 names required to trigger a parliamentary debate in such a short time.
During the campaign I addressed parliament, asked a question at Prime Minister’s Question Time and took part in a protest along Whitehall to Downing Street.
We are facing a silent crisis as the cost of living is rocketing. Steadily, month by month, energy and petrol bills are crippling our economy.
Figures from the Royal Automobile Club show that the average motorist in Harlow is getting fleeced for £1,700 a year just to fill up the family car. This is one tenth of the average local salary.
The Government defines “fuel poverty” as spending a tenth of your income heating your home, but what about spending a tenth of your income just driving to work?
The case for cheaper petrol is not just popular; it is good economics, too. Experts at the LSE have published research showing that our soaring petrol prices are contributing to UK unemployment.
Added to that, the high price is creating a poverty trap, as people can't afford the costs of getting to work. In fact, petrol is now so hugely expensive, that it is costing the Government money. This is because fewer people can afford to drive, leading to lower tax revenues.
Figures from the AA show that the Treasury received £1 billion less in revenue from petrol taxes in the last six months, compared to 2008. If this is true, it is disastrous.
We urgently need a study of petrol taxes, by the Treasury, to see whether high fuel taxes are actually making it harder to close the deficit.
Rip-off petrol prices are one of people’s top concerns, according to Populus. To his credit, George Osborne has taken major steps to help, including a 1p cut in fuel duty and abolishing Labour’s ‘tax escalator’.
But we urgently need to do more. We need no new fuel taxes in this Parliament.
The 4p duty rises that are planned for January and August 2012 must be scrapped, and the Government needs to pressure the oil companies to keep prices down.
VIDEO: Why we need cheaper petrol
I thought that you might be interested in this video from Anglia News, about how high petrol prices are causing a poverty trap, and driving people out of work.
Regular readers will know that I am pressing for a full debate in Parliament on this issue. I hope to have more news later today.
by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com
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