Liverpool’s Cruise Liner Terminal

I welcome the news that the Department for Transport has withdrawn its objection to turnaround cruise operations at the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

This is a momentous decision which paves the way for Liverpool to have a turnaround cruise facility which will herald the return of major cruise liners to the city. This is a major breakthrough for Liverpool’s economy, bringing jobs and investment.

Praise must be given to Mayor Joe Anderson for his initiative and Shipping Minister Mike Penning for supporting the city.

This is an excellent example of the partnership between the city council and its MPs. We have lobbied Shipping Minister Mike Penning on this issue and I am delighted with this great result for Liverpool.

The statement from the Department for Transport can be found here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/statements/penning-20120522b/

Olympics Security and Continuity

Today I hosted a City Security and Resilience Networks (CSARN) briefing in Parliament on the issue of Olympics Security and Continuity.

The Olympics is the largest sporting event to come to the UK in our history. 14,700 athletes from 205 countries across the world will come to the UK to take part in the games. 11 million Olympic tickets are due to be sold and more than 20,000 members of the press will be present.

With such a high profile spectacle taking place and the increased number of people visiting the UK during the games, there will be an added emphasis on security. Transport security and the threats to transport infrastructure are a key part of this.

The discussion focused on current security threats, securing the Olympic infrastructure and technology and transport security.

I am pictured holding the Paralympic torch.

The Mayoral and Local Elections 2012

The successes at this year’s local and mayoral elections were a sign of growing Labour support, combined with a signal to the Tory/Lib Dem government that their policies are badly affecting many people in Liverpool.

Congratulations to Joe Anderson who won the historic election to become Liverpool’s first directly elected Mayor. I know that Joe will continue to promote Liverpool on the local, national and international stages.

The mayoral results were as follows:

Councillor Joe Anderson Lab 58448 59.33%

Liam Fogarty Ind 8292 8.42%

Councillor Richard Kemp, CBE Lib Dem 6238 6.33%

Councillor John Coyne Green Party 5175 5.25%

Tony Mulhearn TUSC 4792 4.86%

Councillor Steve Radford Lib 4442 4.51%

Tony Caldeira Con 4425 4.49%

Adam Heatherington UKIP 2352 2.39%

Paul Duane Rimmer Eng Dem 1400 1.42%

Jeffrey Berman Ind 1362 1.38%

Mike Whitby BNP 1015 1.03%

Peter Tierney Nat Front 566 0.57%

The local ward elections also provided a resounding victory for Labour where Labour successfully retained all of its current seats as well as taking ten seats from the Lib Dems, including their leader. In fact, the Lib Dems only held onto one of their seats they were defending in the city.

Within the Riverside constituency, I congratulate Cllrs Steve Munby (Riverside); Tim Moore (Princes Park); Chris Banks (Central); Joe Hanson (Kirkdale) and to newly elected members: Emily Spurrell (Mossley Hill); James Roberts (Greenbank). Commiserations to Trish O’Brien who fought hard in St Michael’s.

All election results can be found on the Council’s website: www.liverpool.gov.uk

Ground-breaking work at Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre

On Friday I met with Cancer Research UK scientists at the University of Liverpool to learn about the charity’s world class research and witnessed the ground-breaking scientific research being carried out by the scientists and doctors at the centre.

The vital research work they undertake could make a significant difference to the 37,000 people who are diagnosed with cancer in the North West every year.

The Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre brings together scientists, doctors and nurses in the area. They are using the latest research advances to improve treatment for cancer patients in Merseyside, Cheshire and across the UK.

The Centre is a partnership between Cancer Research UK, the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS trust, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council and the Merseyside and Cheshire Cancer Network.

Liverpool is host to many world-class researchers, who are working to understand cancer and find new ways to treat the disease. This includes research to improve and refine surgery and develop new treatments.

An important focus of the Centre is tackling cancer in low income communities. The Centre’s staff work with local people to raise awareness of symptoms and highlight ways they can reduce their risk of the disease.

Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last forty years and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, the charity was able to spend more than £24 million in the North West last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

Sunday Politics Show – 15 April

On Sunday I was a panellist on the BBC’s Sunday Politics in the North West.

The discussion concentrated on the forthcoming Mayoral election in Liverpool.

You can view the programme over the next few days at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01fm8m3/?t=30m28s

Visit to Holyrood Nursery at Princes Dock

This afternoon, I visited Holyrood Nursery at Princes Dock to celebrate their achievement in being recognised “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

I met with staff, parents and of course the children and took a tour of their impressive facilities.

 

I am pictured with Paula Williams, Manager of the nursery.

www.holyrood-nursery-princesdock.co.uk

Joe Anderson – Mayoral Launch

This morning Joe Anderson officially launched his mayoral campaign, introduced by Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP, at the impressive Liverpool Community College Annexe in Roscoe Street.

Speaking in front of a wide range of people from industry, education, health and business, Joe set out his exciting vision for Liverpool if elected to this very important position.

I strongly support Joe Anderson as the first ever directly elected Mayor for Liverpool.

Joe’s manifesto can be read at www.joeforliverpool.com

The Government’s Policies are Leading to a Decline in Living Standards

I spoke in Parliament recently on the issue of living standards and I oppose the Government’s policy to cut child benefit and families tax credits.

The Government plans to change the rules surrounding working tax credits.  From April, couples with children earning less than £17,700 will need to increase the number of hours they work from a minimum of 16 to 24 hours per week or they will lose all their working tax credit of £3,870 per year.

This is alarming at a time when 1.35 million people are working in part-time jobs as they cannot find full-time work.

As a result of these changes a couple on minimum wage with children working 16 hours a week will be £728 per year better off out of work. This is unacceptable.

It is also unfair that a two-earner family each earning £42,000, a total of £84,000 would keep all their child benefit, yet a single earner family on £43,000 would lose all theirs.

I raised this issue in Parliament in reference to Liverpool:

“It is appalling that in Liverpool Riverside alone, more than 520 children from families who are working, but in low-paid jobs, will suffer as a direct result of that measure.”

The Government’s changes are unfair and will punish low and middle income families.

Social justice must be delivered.

Keep HMS Liverpool on the Mersey

HMS Liverpool, which has been retired after 30 years of service, made a visit to the city last week– though hopefully not for the last time.

I have started a campaign to keep the destroyer, which was built in Birkenhead, on the banks of the Mersey for people across the city to enjoy.

In a letter to the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond I urged him to preserve HMS Liverpool at a permanent mooring in the City of Liverpool.

The ship is a source of great pride for the people of Liverpool and it belongs in our great city. It would be a tremendous draw for tourists and visitors and would fit in magnificently with the regenerated waterfront.

Peter Luff, the Minister for Defence Equipment, responded to my letter saying that the ship would first be put up for a:

“Government-to-Government sale for further use as a warship by a foreign navy”.

He went on to say:

“If no interest is received from other Governments, the Disposal Services Authority will then examine other options, including bids from the commercial market”.

The ship has a long and honoured history, having served in the Iraq War, guarded the Falklands and enforced a no fly zone over Libya.

I will continue to fight for HMS Liverpool to return to her namesake city.

Questioning the PM on the North-South divide in infrastructure spending

In a Liaison Committee evidence session on Tuesday I grilled the Prime Minister on the North/South divide and private sector funding for transport infrastructure.

I pointed out the huge discrepancy in infrastructure spending between the North and the South East and challenged David Cameron to explain how he will address this imbalance.

I asked the PM:

“How will we be able to tell if private sector funding is going to increase the already major disparities between spending on, and investment in, transport between the north and London and the South-East”.

He agreed that there is an imbalance in the UK economy and that tackling it should be a priority. However, while he claimed that the Government is taking action it is clear that the South attracts far more investment, both public and private, than the North.

A December IPPR report showed that of the recent infrastructure projects announced, 341 times as much was spent per head in London as the North West. Private sector involvement also accentuates this imbalance, as private investment favours short term gains in areas of high population and high average wages – such as London – over long term gains in areas with lower levels of existing infrastructure, such as the North.