Coalition Government

Well what a couple of weeks it has been in politics! I have to admit I was a little frustrated with all the Hung Parliament business as it seemed to take an age to sort although in truth it was only five days. Many seemed to agree with me as over 58% of the electorate were disgruntled with the situation we faced but we only had ourselves to blame – after all we were the ones voting.

So what now for the UK Parliament.........

Our new Prime Minister, David Cameron has set out his government which has included Nick Clegg as the new deputy prime minister and several other Lib Dems. Whilst I appreciate that no party gained a majority, it does seem somewhat weird to have the leader of the party that came third and his ministers in such key positions. Of course, this coalition is the first time there has been a Conservatives and Liberal Democrats power-share at Westminster and the first coalition in the UK since the Second World War so we will all have to wait and see how it works in practice.

As I listened to Gordon Brown’s resignation speech last week, I have to say I did feel a little compassionate for him. It seems to me that for once we had a leader that actually told it how it was without the spin but his downfall was somewhat governed by global events and his prickly personality. It was quite nice to observe him as he spoke about his family – he seemed totally relaxed and far more approachable than I had ever seen him. I wish him the very best for the future and hope that he does not disappear completely into obscurity – after all there are many areas in which he can still excel in - maybe a role within the International Monetary Fund beckons.

As we move forward into our new Parliament we can only hope that in-party squabbles are kept to a minimum and that the Coalition Government can offer our country some stability and solid foundations to move firmly out of recession. No-one can deny that the priority of the new Coalition Government must be to cut our national debt but any cuts must go hand-in-hand with measures and incentives that will boost growth and confidence within our businesses.

We must all play our part and heed the words of our new Prime Minister when he said “If we pull together, we can do it.”

Economic Plans

UK GDP only grew by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2010, lagging behind the predicted 0.4% growth rate widely expected by many. This minute growth shows that we are far from being out of woods where economic growth is concerned. This country now needs strong economic strategies to increase the growth and to prevent a further dip back into recession.

At present, the country’s deficit is some £167 billion this year. In 1997 when Labour came to power our national debt stood at £350 billion – today it has more than doubled and stands at £776 billion with interest rising at a rate of £5,000 per second. Frightening figures to say the least!

As we enter the last days before the General Election on 6th May, we need to be considering the main issues that any future Government must address:-

• This country currently has a high unproductive public sector with high finance leaks and little accountability;

• This country currently has a small wealth-generating private sector which constantly has its hands tied by taxation;

• This country has an aging population, which will only increase, who are struggling to survive on low pensions forcing many onto the poverty line;

• This country has a million unemployed youngsters who feel despondent about their futures and are empathic to the political arena as politicians fail to engage with them.

The future of this country is very much dictated by implementing the correct economic policies that will not only see us through the current economic climate but also steer us into a brighter and more stable growth pattern.

Our political parties now need to define clearly their strategies and plans for this future growth to ensure that the voters can make an informed decision when casting their votes.

Labour have failed to give a clear and workable recovery plan to date – it would appear that their policy is more of the same which has clearly not worked.

Conservatives sprout figures convincingly but do seem to be relying on huge cuts in public spending – let’s hope this does not mean poorer service levels across the board. They have also failed to see the advantages of tax increases and closing of tax loopholes that only benefit the wealthy within our country.

Liberal Democrats seem determined to trash the pound and join the Euro. As Greece tips over into bankruptcy their economic situation can only have a negative effect on the Euro. Timing for the Liberal Democrats could not be worse as entering the Euro at the present time can only spell disaster for our fragile economy.

Let’s stop the chat and the bickering and see some strong and workable economic policies that will nurture our economy and see the national debt decrease and confidence increase.

Labour's Shocking Insensitivity!

Many things incense me and few things surprise me! Both these comments can apply to the information sent to me recently by a friend relating to a poster posted on The Labour Party website. She was so shocked that she rang her local Labour Party to complain and then contacted me.

Such was my rage that I needed several minutes to calm down from a raging storm to a heavy shower!

Over the years there have been many distasteful and ridiculous advertising misdemeanors but this one from The Labour Party must surely jump to the top of the list. Over the past months, the Labour Party has displayed pretty poor judgment but allowing such a poster to appear within their election campaign advertising is a disgrace. You cannot tell me that no-one within their marketing department raised the issue of just how offensive this poster would be to wheelchair users.

Following a number of complaints, The Labour Party has now removed it from their website but surely the question must be who in their right mind allowed it to be there in the first place?

As I deliberate who to vote for on May 6th, I will consider the attitudes of all the political parties towards disability issues and I must say that this certainly does not give me the impression that The Labour Party understands and comprehends the issues disabled people face on a day-to-day basis.

My blood is still boiling over at the insensitivity they have shown.

Election Fever & Voting

Election fever has hit us – well the politicians at least. For most there is a sense of empathy hanging in the air and I feel this is probably because most of us cannot make head nor tail of the real actual policies of the different parties. I have now assumed that where the main three political parties are concerned, they do not want us to know their policies as, in truth, they haven’t actually developed them!

I felt certain that the live television debates would give the general public a clear idea of what each party stood for but alas the only subject that seems to make the headlines are the popularity polls. Unfortunately being popular because you wore a nice tie or you talked into a camera does not necessarily mean you are fit to be Prime Minister and that you can deliver the strategies your party feel are best for the country.

For most, visiting the polling booths on 6th May will involve remembering where you put that damn voters card that was sent to you weeks ago in the post, going to your correct polling station and putting your cross in your chosen box. However, disabled voters need to be more aware of the assistance that is in place to help them cast their vote. Below is a brief overview for you if you are not fully aware of the arrangements.

Polling stations and local information

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), service providers are legally obliged to make any 'reasonable' physical adjustments to their premises to make them accessible to disabled people. This legislation covers polling stations.

Local councils should provide information about polling stations, including details about physical access - disabled parking spaces and entrance ramps; low-level polling booths and equipment such as magnifying glasses for voters with a visual impairment.

If you need help on polling day, you can apply to the presiding officer asking them to mark your ballot paper for you. Alternatively, they should allow you to vote with a companion's help.

Visually Impaired Voters

All polling stations must provide a tactile voting device and at least one large print display version of the ballot paper. This makes it easier to vote without another person's help if you're blind or visually impaired. You can also ask polling station staff to read the list of candidates and their details to you.

Ways to vote

If you find it difficult to get to your polling station, you can vote in a different way.

Postal voting
Postal voting is open to everyone and you don't have to give a reason to vote by post. You must apply to vote by post well in advance of the election.

Voting by proxy

If you can't vote in person, you can apply to vote by proxy. This means that you appoint someone else to act as proxy to vote on your behalf. Contact your electoral registration office at your local council for an application form.

With all this information to hand, I urge you to make your vote count on 6th May – that is, of course, if you can make out the differences between the political parties!

Happy Voting.........

National Care Service could mean Disability Cuts!

The National Care Service being proposed by the Labour Government caused even more controversy with the publication of a white paper that revealed a possible £100m annual cut to disability benefits. Page 132 of the white paper contained an admission by the health department that spending on disability benefits will be cut in order to help pay for the free care pledge.

The Government, of course, have denied that they will effectively be waving a machete to the disability benefits to fund their proposed social care plans.

Andy Burnham, Health Secretary published the Government’s social care proposals yesterday and indicated that Labour aims to have the social care proposals in place by 2015 but investigations seem to point towards £100m being cut from the Attendance Allowance for disabled people in order to help pay for this policy.

Underhandedly, it should be noted that a draft of the white paper issued on Tuesday had the content of page 132 missing with a statement merely saying that “wording to be agreed by the treasury, No.10 and special advisers later today”.

The revelations of page 132 seems to negate the assurances given by the Labour Government that benefits would not be cut and their actions can only be viewed as sneaky and beyond belief.

Conservative Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley MP said that “Labour's health plans seemed to have fallen apart in disarray”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb, has said "Labour promised to protect disability benefits from any future cuts, but it looks like they're going to have to raid budgets to pay for their free care plans.”

It seems to me that not only were there huge potholes in the Budget figures recently but we are now seeing further evidence that financial planning by the Labour Government is awash with enormous black holes. Time after time they have failed to set out strategies that shows how their policies will be funded in the future and yet again disabled people are being seen as the easy targets. Shame on you Labour!

Gordon Brown says the national care service will be founded on labour's enduring belief in fairness and responsibility yet their actions do not demonstrate this ethos. Cutting budgets from those that are in desperate need of them is not fair and does not show a responsible attitude to their plight.

Care services minister Phil Hope pledged the creation of a national care service was "to provide care for people free, when they need it - and that includes adults with disabilities as well as older people”. He strongly denied that the government planned to change any of the rules affecting attendance allowance but their own white paper seems to indicate otherwise.

Call that a Budget?

As you are aware yesterday was Budget Day for the UK and probably one of the most important days of the last thirteen years for the Labour Government. Yes – it truly was a make or break day and I am sorry to say everything broke for them.

In light of the current economic situation, the vast debts Britain currently has and the prediction that by 2015 the country will be in the red to the tune of £1.4trillion, I for one, was hoping for a show of strength, for Alistair Darling to finally show us the plans the Labour Government have for steering us out of the recession and into more stability. Unfortunately what they gave us was a Budget with more potholes than our roads!

No surprise that Alistair Darling hit the usual money-grabbers such fuel, alcohol and cigarettes (luckily I don’t drive, smoke or drink Cider) as you can always depend on them to be at the forefront of any Government’s stealth tax plans but the real shocker was how badly the figures seemed to add up.

One example of this is the plans to abolish Stamp Duty for first-time buyers up to purchases of £250,000 and the respective introduction of a new 5% tax for homes sold for £1million. On the face of it this can only be good news can’t it? – surely it’s going to kick-start the property market? No – when you look a little deeper the expected figures are miles apart with the expected Stamp Duty break costing £550million by 2012 and the expected income from the “Mansion Tax” only generating some £390million – leaving us with a colossal shortfall.

For the small business owner like myself the figures are still as frightening and I can still see no long term strategy in place to assist me in keeping my business up and running. Yes, the Chancellor did announce a £2.5billion package and around 500,000 companies may benefit from a one year reduction in business rates but the increase in Employers’ National Insurance rates in 2011 will costs companies around £10billion.

Tax for the hardworking ordinary people also took an indirect hit. Whilst there was no tax increase, and for small things we have to be grateful, Darling did freeze the threshold levels. In real terms when this is related to the current rate of inflation of 3.7%, the Government will still manage to raise some £2.2 billion from us.

As I sit here pondering over the finer details of yesterday’s Budget, I shake my head in dismay. There are no positives here, there are no long term solutions here and there is no light shining at the end of the tunnel here. Darling and Brown have tried to temporarily fix the pot-holes and tried to keep the staunch Labour voters on board for the election but this budget had more water leaks than many of the London roads. Labour may well have hammered the final nail into the coffin – we will have to wait until May to see the real reaction from the voters.

The Jobs Assistant

From my own personal experiences, I know just how difficult it can be for disabled people to secure meaningful employment. Unfortunately there is a long held myth that disabled people cannot or do not wish to work. In truth it is the exact opposite – many disabled people can and do wish to work. Unfortunately finding meaningful employment within mainstream society can prove extremely frustrating.

I see two main barriers for employment opportunities:- know-how and attitude. Let me explain......

Know-how – Many disabled people do not know where to source employment opportunities and many of the traditional methods such as Job Centres and Employment Agencies do not have the know-how to support them fully in their quest for employment. Now don’t get me wrong, I am sure these organisations do try to help but they do not understand how to provide the correct support and in many cases disabled people are merely encouraged to contact one of the many disability organisations for assistance. In turn, these organisations are inundated with potential candidates and their resources are stretched to the limits.

Attitude – As I have already stated, there is a long held myth concerning disabled people and employment and this misguided myth is, to this day, the main barrier for disabled people seeking employment. In addition, many potential employers are misguided in their attitudes as to what is involved in employing disabled people. Many see a disabled applicant and their first thoughts run along the lines of “we are going to have to make changes – how much is that going to cost the company” or “that person has a disability, so will probably need a lot of time off for sickness”. There is a need within the UK to re-educate employers. Whilst some changes may be necessary, it does not mean that there is a financial implication – it may just mean adapting the work patterns i.e. allowing flexible working hours etc and if there are financial implications, there may well be grants available that can assist with this. As for sickness, there is strong evidence to show that disabled people tend to take less sickness than non-disabled colleagues!

My company employs a number of disabled professionals and it was with this in mind that I began to consider what real opportunities there were for others seeking employment. Unfortunately, with all the best will in the world I cannot employ everyone! After careful consideration an idea formulated in my mind - why not set up an employment agency for disabled people. The idea took on a life of its own and in a very short timescale, I was able to set up a social enterprise called The Jobs Assistant which had a very successful launch in January 2010.

Since its launch The Jobs Assistant team have been busy putting in place the mechanisms that, I hope, will ensure its success. Contacts have been made with both applicants, partners and potential employers and we are still working steadily through these. The team are now entering the second phase of its launch – creating a strong presence in the marketplace.

To this end, I am delighted that The Jobs Assistant will be taking part in the Routes to Work event taking place on Tuesday 23rd March 2010 at the Europa Gallery, Sutton Central Library, St. Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1EA.

This event will provide an opportunity for The Jobs Assistant to strengthen its presence in the marketplace, publicise our services and generally meet valuable contacts.

The Jobs Assistant team would welcome the opportunity to meet with you if you are planning to attend this event.