Roger condemns “mandatory reconsideration” of ESA claim appeals

Roger is concerned about the effects the Coalition’s introduction of “mandatory reconsideration” for Employment and Support Allowance claims will have on his constituents. Under new rules, ill or disabled people who are told that they can no longer claim ESA will have to undergo a mandatory reconsideration of their claim before they are permitted to appeal. However, no time limit has been set for how long the reconsideration process will take, and people will not be able to receive the allowance while it takes place.

Roger said: “I am extremely worried that vulnerable people, who may be seriously ill or disabled, will have the ESA to which they are perfectly entitled, and on which they depend in order to survive, stopped for a length of time to which no limits have been set. This seems to me to be grotesquely unfair, and I am concerned that it is nothing more than a penny-pinching exercise by the Department for Work and Pensions.”

Previously, ESA claimants could continue to receive the allowance while their appeal was being considered, but they will now have to either claim Jobseeker’s Allowance or try to survive without any income. However, as JSA is only available for people who are well enough to work, ESA claimants may not be eligible for it or they may be vulnerable to sanctions if their condition worsens and they are unable to search for jobs.

Roger has written to Birmingham City Council to set out his opposition to severely unwell or disabled people’s only source of income being cut off for an indeterminate time period. He commented: “I am worried that some of my constituents might fall between the two benefits, and be told that they are not ill enough to receive ESA but not well enough to receive JSA, with the result that sick and disabled people are left with no income at all.”

“I am also concerned that, if people who were claiming ESA are forced to claim JSA to keep from starving or becoming homeless, despite not actually being well enough to work, the fact that they have claimed JSA may be used as evidence against them when their ESA appeal is heard.”

Roger has called on the Government to provide more clarity about how people in this situation are expected to survive. He has tabled Parliamentary Questions asking whether people on ESA will be able to apply for any benefit other than JSA during the mandatory reconsideration period, whether the outcome of someone’s appeal will be affected if they apply for ESA, and whether the Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions will consider introducing a maximum time limit for the mandatory reconsideration process.

Roger said: “I will keep up pressure on the Government to provide full clarity about what people’s options are if they are forced to undergo mandatory reconsideration. I will also continue to challenge the Coalition’s vindictive, unnecessary and counter-productive attacks on people who are not well enough to work.”

Roger finds that surveillance drones are not being used over Birmingham Hall Green

Roger took action to investigate whether unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, have ever been used for surveillance in the skies over Birmingham Hall Green.

He tabled Parliamentary Questions asking the Government for more information about the regulatory framework for the civil use of drones, and about whether the surveillance camera code of practice applies to the use of drones by public authorities. He has also written to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, asking for clarification on whether the police force have used, or are using, drones for surveillance in Birmingham.

Roger says: “I believe that the people of Birmingham have the right to know whether surveillance drones are being used by police in their city. While no one objects to the police gathering the information they need to keep people safe, it is important that public authorities are accountable to the citizens they serve. If surveillance equipment such as drones is being used in Birmingham, people have the right to know about it. I therefore wrote to West Midlands Police to ask whether drones have been used over Birmingham.”

The Chief Inspector responded with the reassurance that the police force has never owned or deployed any drones or unmanned aerial vehicles. Roger says: “I am pleased to be able to reassure my constituents that there is no ‘eye in the sky’ watching over Birmingham Hall Green.”

The BBC Board of Governors is no longer fit for purpose, says Roger

Speaking to a group of trainee journalists and students hoping to have careers in the media industry at a gathering in his constituency of Birmingham Hall Green, Roger said that, “sadly”, the Trust which oversees the BBC had been found wanting and was no longer fit for purpose.

Roger said: “The BBC is one of the most important strands of the cultural life of our country, but the controversy which has erupted over massive pay-offs to senior BBC executives, including over £1 million to the former Director General Mark Byford, could not be justified under any circumstances. This is particularly the case as these people were only doing their jobs, for which they were already extremely well paid compared with the majority of workers in other jobs.

“The sickening and unedifying squabble and buck-passing which occurred when Lord Patten, Sir Michael Lyons, Mark Thompson and other senior executives appeared before the recent Public Accounts Committee was shameful. Anybody watching the proceedings was given the very clear impression of a bunch of privileged people helping themselves to whatever they could get out of the licence-fee pot, in much the same way that those at the top of the banking industry behaved in the run-up to the financial crash in 2008.”

Roger continued: “The BBC has an outstanding worldwide reputation. These people, through their greedy, money-grabbing behaviour, have devalued the reputation of the institution, while the BBC Trust seemed incapable of providing the overall control, on behalf of the public, which their Charter obligations place on them. There have to be changes, and the sooner they happen the better.”

Roger supports decision by Co-operative stores to remove lads’ mags from sale

Roger has welcomed the decision by the Co-operative chain of supermarkets to remove “lads’ mags” from sale in their stores after publishers refused to put them on sale in sealed bags. Roger feels that it is inappropriate for such sexualised images to be on the shelves in high-street stores where they can be seen by children. Roger says: “I support the Co-operative’s removal of magazines and newspapers which contain graphic images which objectify women, and I hope that other retailers will take a similar stand. Such content has no place being on display in supermarkets.” The decision by the Co-op will see the removal of magazines Front, Zoo and Nuts, as well as the removal of newspapers Midweek and Sunday Sport. Loaded will remain on sale, after its publishers agreed for it to go on sale in a bag.

Roger calls for Government action to protect workers on zero-hours contracts

Roger has signed two Early Day Motions calling on the Government to take action to prevent the exploitation of workers on zero-hours contracts. The motions call on the Government to protect workers’ rights and avoid a race to the bottom on pay and conditions, and encourage employers to invest in a stable, long-term workforce. Roger says: “I am concerned that the increase in zero-hours contracts is having a detrimental effect on working conditions, pushing pay downwards and increasing employment instability. I believe that employees are an asset which businesses should invest in, not just another expense to be cut to the bone to increase shareholder profit.” Roger is worried that long-term, stable jobs are being replaced by zero-hours contracts, with pressure on employees to do the same work in return for poorer pay and less security. Early Day Motion 461 expresses support for workers at Hovis (Premier Foods) in Wigan, who rejected the employment of agency labour on zero-hours contracts after permanent employees were made redundant. Roger believes that this decision by Hovis sets a damaging precedent for the treatment of employees, undermines hard-won pay and conditions, and could lead to the creation of a two-tier workforce. Roger says: “At times when the economy is running below capacity and unemployment is high, it is particularly important to protect workers’ rights and prevent exploitation. My constituents who are on zero-hours contracts have contacted me to tell me that they feel that they have no rights. One told me that he has never been treated as badly as he was on a zero-hours contract, but felt that he had no choice but to accept this treatment as otherwise he would not be offered any more work. This is an exploitative and unacceptable situation for hard-working people to be forced into, and I urge the Government to take action to prevent future abuses.”

Roger opposes military intervention in Syria

Roger Godsiff MP has spoken out against military intervention in Syria. Speaking from the House of Commons today, Roger said: “I am opposed to Britain participating in military action against Syria, and I will be voting against it at the Parliamentary debate tomorrow. I am concerned that strikes against Syria will only cause the conflict to escalate, possibly to the wider region, and yet more lives will be lost.” Roger continued: “I welcome the opportunity to debate the issue and put it to a vote. However, I am concerned that the decision to involve the UK in military action in Syria has already been made by the Government, and MPs will be faced with a done deal tomorrow. I do not understand why the UK Parliament is voting on whether to support military intervention in Syria before the UN weapons inspectors have finished their site visits and analysis. The inspectors were given four days to complete this work, and the debate and vote tomorrow will take place on the third day. Why are MPs being asked to vote before all the necessary facts are in?” Roger compared the rush to take military action against Syria to the run-up to the Iraq war, which lead to hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties. He said: “There is now talk about missile strikes beginning before the end of this week. Have we learned nothing from the Iraq war, when the UK rushed into military action without waiting for a UN mandate? If the UK is to take any action it must follow the proper steps before doing so, and wait for a mandate from the UN Security Council.” UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has called for more time to be allowed for peaceful and diplomatic methods, while the Arab League has opposed retaliatory strikes on Syria. There have already been reports of an increased flow of refugees leaving Syria, while Israel has started calling up reserve troops. Roger is concerned that missile strikes will worsen the humanitarian crisis in Syria and threaten regional stability, and will fail to prevent further atrocities being committed against the people of Syria. Roger said: “The priority must be to prevent further loss of life and protect the human rights of the people of Syria. I do not believe that the best way to do this is to launch missile attacks against a population which is already suffering the casualties and horrors of war.”

Roger backs the ‘baby boomer generation’ to get the economy moving

Speaking to a group of retired people in his constituency today Roger Godsiff paid tribute to the contribution that over 50s were making to the UK economy. In particular he praised the over 50s, the ‘baby boomer generation’, for the contribution that they have made since the financial crises took hold in 2007 and the fact that the spending power of the 50s now account for almost half of UK household income and expenditure. Without this the UK economy would most certainly be in recession. “While the over 50s have, like everybody else, been hit by the financial crisis, their role in the economy is growing with them accounting for almost half of all UK household income and expenditure in 2012. Without the ‘silver pound’ spending power of the over 50s, which accounts for over half of UK household expenditure on food, health and recreation and culture the economy would, most definitely, be back in recession so we should recognise the massive contribution that this group are making to keep the economy afloat during this extremely difficult time.”