Wednesday 23 May 2012

Roger Votes for Credit Caps on Pay Day Loans

Roger Godsiff MP vows to continue to support credit caps as Government scuppers opportunity to protect public from legal loan sharks.
The MP for Birmingham Hall Green today expressed his disappointment as yet again the Government rejected Labour attempts to protect consumers from the problems caused by payday lending.
In Westminster on Tuesday 22 May 2012, Roger Godsiff MP voted to support a cross party amendment to the Financial Services Bill which would have allowed the regulator to cap the cost of credit if a financial product was judged to cause ‘consumer detriment’. Despite the support of several Conservative MPs, the Government whipped its MPs to reject the amendment.
The Government’s rejection of this reform came on the same day as new research was published which showed that 98% of MPs and 93% of the public believe there is a problem with payday lending. 66% of MPs and 65% of the public also support a cap on the total cost of credit.
Roger Godsiff said:
‘Residents of Birmingham are suffering in our current economic climate as the cost of living rises, wage freezes and unemployment hit their household incomes. I know from talking to them how they are turning to credit from these companies to make ends meet. They lend money at extortionate rates of interest that can cause a cycle of debt for many, with one in three payday loans being taken out to pay off other payday loans. This amendment to the Financial Services Bill would have sent a message to the industry that their worst excesses would no longer be tolerated.
Despite saying they support action, too many Government MPs didn’t have the guts to stand up for the people they represent. By voting against this proposal, this Government has shown just how out of touch it is with the rest of the country. The research is clear – across Britain everyone else overwhelmingly backs our proposals to take action to tackle the debts that payday lending can cause and to give UK consumers the same protection others round the world enjoy. We will now take the fight for this proposal to the House of Lords as this isn’t over – residents in Birmingham should know that whilst the Government may sit on its hands, we will continue to campaign for an end to legal loan sharking in Britain.’

1. ROGER GODSIFF MP voted in favour of Amendment 40 to the Financial Services Bill. The outcome of this vote was 225 to 266 with over twenty Government MPs choosing to abstain on the matter or vote for it.
2. Amendment 40 stated: ‘The FCA [Financial Conduct Authority – the new regulator] may make rules or apply a sanction to authorised persons who offer credit on terms that the FCA judge to cause consumer detriment. This may include rules that determine a minimum total cost for consumers of a product and determine the minimum duration of a supply of a product or service to an individual

Roger opposes 3p increase in Fuel Duty

I am opposed to the increase Fuel Duty on petrol and diesel from the 1st August which will push up the price of petrol and diesel by approximately 16p a gallon.

I have signed the Amendment to the Finance Act which would stop this rise going ahead because I believe, particularly at this moment in time, the placing yet another burden on hard-pressed families and small businesses cannot be justified.

The Coalition Government is seeking to raise extra revenue to reduce the financial deficit and an increase in Fuel Duty is going to impact severely on many businesses and will lead to less economic activity while also taking more money out of the pockets of consumers.  This will depress even more the desperate need for growth in the economy and will merely increase Government borrowing because there will be more people out of work and therefore less tax being paid while unemployment expenditure will increase.

Monday 14 May 2012

Roger Godsiff welcomes £5000 Crimestoppers reward for Emma Winnall attack

Roger has welcomed the £5,000 reward offered by the crime fighting charity Crimestoppers for information regarding the attack on the 94 year old, Emma Winnall who lives in Pensby Close, Moseley. 

Roger said: “The attack on this defenceless elderly lady while she was asleep in her home was absolutely outrageous and the individual, or individuals, involved must be tracked down and brought before the Courts.

The senseless attack was without any purpose whatsoever because nothing appears to have been stolen and in view of the fact that there appears to have been no forced entry into the property it would appear that the intruder may have had access to the property before.

The ferocity of the attack and the senseless nature of it is beyond belief and could only have been carried out by an individual, or individuals, who cannot be described as normal human beings.

I would urge anybody who has suspicions about who could have carried out the attack to share their information with the local Police or Crimestoppers as soon as possible.”

Roger Godsiff MP on the outcome of the Mayoral Referendum in Birmingham

 
I was one of the co-Chairs of the All Party ‘No campaign’ which was campaigning against the Referendum on whether Birmingham should have an ‘elected Mayor’.  The Referendum was imposed by the Coalition Government on the people of Birmingham.

I welcome the fact that the people of Birmingham voted overwhelmingly (58% to 42%) against the proposal for an elected Mayor.  As I said on numerous occasions at various meetings during the campaign the concept of concentrating power in the hands of one individual was dangerous. 

The No campaign set out the ten clear reasons why we asked the people of Birmingham to vote against the proposal whereas the ‘Yes campaign’ – supported by elements within the Chamber of Commerce; the Birmingham Post and Mail; Lord Heseltine and Lord Adonis; and assorted individuals who wanted to be Mayor – took it for granted that there would be a ‘Yes’ majority and hardly bothered to advance any coherent reasons why the people of Birmingham should support such a proposal.

The Coalition Government were very keen to get a ‘Yes’ vote and the Electoral Commission, to their shame, devised a ballot paper which did not ask a simple question of ‘Do you want to change the current system to have an elected Mayor in Birmingham – please vote yes or no’ but instead devised two bland options which caused considerable confusion for many people.  Over 5,000 ballot papers were rejected (2.5% of votes cast).  However those ballot papers that had ‘yes’ written on it were counted as being in favour of having an elected Mayor but those ballot papers that had ‘No’ written on it were disallowed.  This was flagrantly biased but, thankfully, made no difference to the massive rejection of the proposal. 

I very much welcome the 20 Labour gains made throughout Birmingham and the change of control in Birmingham.  The Council has many challenges and difficult tasks facing it but the new intake of Councillors, including Barry Bowles, Lisa Trickett and Mohammed Azim from the Hall Green constituency will, I hope, assist with bringing changes to the way that Council is run and I wish them all well for their period of office.

Godsiff calls for tougher action after sex grooming trial

In a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, Birmingham Hall Green MP, Roger Godsiff has sought assurances that any of the convicted who were not born in the UK will deported on completing their sentences.

Mr Godsiff said: “I have received a number of representations from members of the Muslim community living in my constituency who are disgusted and appalled by what these men did to vulnerable young girls and a number of them are strongly of the view that these individuals have no right to be part of British society.

He went on to say: “While I understand that those individuals who were born in this country have a legal entitlement to remain here I note that the ring leader is 59yrs old and may not have been born here”.

Mr Godsiff concluded: “ I have sought assurances that those members of the gang who were not born in the UK but who have been allowed to come here, settle, and may have become British citizens will have their entitlement to be here and any citizenship rights removed and that they will be deported at the end of their sentences”.

In other press coverage of the trial proceedings it has been suggested that at least two of the convicted will be deported at the conclusion of their sentences.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Roger Godsiff Opposes Internet Snooping

In my opinion a balance has to be struck between the rights of ordinary people to be able to communicate without ‘big brother’ watching them and also the need for vigilance in tracking internet usage involved in terrorism or potential terrorist activities and also criminality and money laundering. 

As you know proposals were floated towards the end of the last Government for greater surveillance of various forms of internet traffic but I was not convinced then, neither am I now, that there needs to be blanket legislation brought in.  It is much better, in my opinion, if the security services seek the permission of the Home Secretary if they feel there is a need to monitor the internet traffic of certain individuals as is the case now when permission has to be sought from the Home Secretary for phones to be tapped.

Neither I nor the Leadership of the Labour Party have any control over what the Coalition Government intend to bring forward in the forthcoming Queens Speech but if there are proposals to greatly widen the scope of the existing legislation then I will almost certainly be opposing them and I very much hope that other colleagues in the Labour Party, including the leadership of the Parliamentary Party, also oppose them.

Tuesday 1 May 2012

Winterbourne View - Birmingham MP says that we have a duty of care and cannot fail again.

Birmingham Hall Green MP, Roger Godsiff, has written to the Secretary of State, Andrew Lansley MP, in advance of the soon-to-be published review of Winterbourne View in an attempt to persuade him that the only effective way to prevent abuse in the future is to bring care closer to home.
Roger Godsiff said:  “The only way to prevent the abuse of those with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges is an urgent change to assessment and treatment practice and the closure of isolated large centres and a move towards more community based provision which enables families to offer greater support and monitor the quality of care”.
He went on to say: “I think that it has been proved time and again if in different areas of NHS care that what people appreciate most is receiving treatment in surroundings that are most familiar with close family and friends nearby.  Treatment such as this has also proved, when organised effectively, to be the most cost-effective in delivering good quality care and the best way to prevent future abuse to already vulnerable individuals."