Due the dissolution of Parliament, Bruce George is no longer the MP for the Walsall South Constituency.

In conjunction with Parliamentary Protocol this site must carry the following statement:

“This Website was established while I was Member of Parliament. As Parliament has been dissolved there are no Members of Parliament until after the election on 06/05/2010″.

This website will remain in place as an archive of Bruce’s work as the former Member of Parliament for Walsall South for the foreseeable future.

I’ve been writing this column since the Advertiser first appeared on Walsall’s streets around 30 years ago. I must admit that my columns haven’t always been riveting and exciting and occasionally if I haven’t proofread what I’ve dictated, the odd spelling and grammatical errors have crept in. But I’ve enormously enjoyed and appreciated this regular opportunity for communicating directly with my constituents and others on any topics of my choice. I have striven hard not to use it as a political forum.

You may have heard that after 36 years as MP for Walsall South, I am stepping down at the General Election. I don’t want to repeat what I have said in this paper and other media as to the reasons, but in short, my wife and I feel it is about time that I make way for a much younger person. However, we shall still maintain our home here and keep paying our Council Tax to Walsall.

When I first announced my possible retirement during my victory speech in 2001, as we left the room both my wife and my agent told me I was a complete idiot. I soon agreed and regretted having said it. Wind on four years, same venue, same time, I said this would “definitely” be my last election. But then, months after Gordon Brown took over and it looked like there would be a snap election, I volunteered to stand again as there would be no time to find a replacement. Once it became clear that there wouldn’t be a snap election, I had to make a decision about my future and decided to have one more go.

The last couple of years have been difficult and unpleasant ones, not for me personally, but for MPs collectively. People will understandably take the view that MPs have brought this on themselves, and whilst this is largely true, unfortunately, too many MPs who have not been playing the system have been tarred by the same brush of public contempt. Had I indicated earlier that I was stepping down as was my original intention, many would have said, what has he got to hide? I had nothing to hide, but decided to wait until this was a matter of public record with all claims published on-line and the Legg audit into MPs’ expenses completed with the quaint phrase, “Mr George has no issues”. Whilst other factors led me to my decision to stand down, this played a crucial part in the timing of my announcement.

To leave voluntarily a vocation I have loved virtually every second of will be an enormous wrench, but I hope not to give up work. I am writing two books, which I regret will not push JK Rowling from the top of the bestseller list as they are aimed more at academics and practitioners. The first is on elections and integrity, the second is the history of non-state policing and security. These will keep me occupied as I adjust to my new existence. Whilst I shall be leaving Parliament, I remain very active physically and enthusiastic, so I will find other things to keep me busy. This will be in one of the areas in which I have built up a long experience over the years.

My wife and I have been enormously touched and gratified by the outpouring of affection and good wishes my announcement has generated. I truly cannot adequately express how much we have enjoyed our life in Walsall nor the depth of our gratitude that I was elected by you on nine occasions (though sometimes by the skin of my teeth!).

I’m not remotely suggesting that everybody either shares my views or even particularly likes me. Although Walsall people are known to express their views in a forthright manner, there are precious few occasions when anyone has been aggressive or threatening to me. There are, however, a few memorable exceptions. Within three months of being elected, I had my shared Westminster office blown up by the IRA. On another occasion when I was largely responsible for the cancellation of a fascist rally in Walsall, my wife Lisa took a phone message in which the caller said they would be lobbing a petrol bomb through our window that night. This led her and her late mother to make a very swift exit from the house. As they were leaving, my wife noticed a suspicious vehicle parked out front. She duly noted the registration number and passed it on to the police. Unfortunately, in her somewhat panicked state, she took the wrong number and Special Branch made a swoop on an innocent guy, a respectable engineer from Leicester!

For quite some time, I had an anonymous letter writer who exuded venom and hatred of me. The one time I have successfully managed to stick to a diet and lose a lot of weight, my correspondent saw me on tv and wrote, “I see you’ve lost weight. You look ill. Cancer, I hope.” I marvelled through this column at a new technology that enabled the police to detect an individual’s DNA through the back of a licked stamp. My correspondent ceased writing immediately, so he was obviously an avid reader of this column! I think that’s pretty good for 36 years. I really hope this doesn’t start a spate of people trying to remedy this record in the five or six weeks I have left as your Member of Parliament. I doubt it.

On a more serious note, ultimately, it is for you, not me, to judge my record. I have tried my very hardest at all times and I hope that even those who have not always agreed with my positions on various issues will at least recognise that I always fought for what I passionately believed in and for what I believed was in the best interests of the people of this wonderful town. Once again and possibly for the last time, may my wife and I say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I am today announcing to the Walsall South Constituency Labour Party that I am standing down as its candidate at the forthcoming General Election, though I shall remain an active MP until the dissolution of the House. It is a decision that I have agonised over for the last several months and that I have reached with the very greatest of reluctance and with an extremely heavy heart. However, I feel it is the right decision: the right decision for me, for my wife and above all for the Walsall South electorate and Labour Party. I know some of you have heard this from me at previous elections, but this time it is my final decision and I have communicated it to the Regional Labour Party.

There is no one single reason for my decision, but rather a combination of reasons. I will be 68 in June and I have experienced a few health problems of late. Whilst I am generally very healthy and am still as active as when I first entered Parliament, and still maintain my busy and punishing schedule, I know that my health would be better served by a more regular and less pressurised existence.

My wife Lisa has loyally stood by my side throughout our time together over the last thirty years, sharing my life in Walsall and in London, and providing me with incalculable support in all manner of ways. It is a life she has enjoyed enormously but which has at times been both stressful and lonely for her. She has recently returned to full-time work for a charity. When she took on this demanding post, I promised her that it would be her time at last and that I would endeavour to give her the kind of support that she has selflessly given to me over the years.

Another person who has provided me with unstinting loyalty and support is my outstanding Constituency Assistant, Rose Burley. Rose plans to retire as my assistant in May. I think we, with the support of others, have made an excellent team locally and Rose’s imminent retirement has given added impetus to my feeling that this is a natural break point for me. Whilst Rose is retiring from her Parliamentary employment, I am delighted that she is standing again for Walsall Council and my wife and I will be campaigning our very hardest for her election in the Bentley-Darlaston North ward. I have also been immensely fortunate in the excellence of my London staff who have assisted me in my Parliamentary duties and my international work and have been a link between Westminster and the constituency. My senior researcher, Simon Kimber, deserves special mention for his exceptionally hard work, patience and loyalty.

Although my fondest wish would be to carry on working for the people of Walsall at Westminster until I take my last breath if they so desired, this would be entirely selfish and I am realistic. I feel that I owe it to both the Walsall South constituency and my Party to make way for a new face and a much younger individual to fight this seat at the next election and to hopefully represent Walsall South in the new Parliament.

It is not simply a function of age as I am still very energetic, but more a function of change of generation. Although I of course recognise the benefits to Parliamentary democracy of all the ways in which one can now digitally connect with their constituents - email, blogging, texting, tweeting and the rest - for me personally, none of these technologies are adequate substitutes for meeting the people I represent at my surgeries, in my offices, in home visits, in visits to schools, hospitals, religious institutions, businesses and factories, at my home, and often just meeting people in the street. Whilst I bow to the inevitability of the growing use of these forms of communication, and grudgingly admit to the many advantages they offer, I readily and proudly concede my preference for a more old-fashioned, more personalised approach. I believe I was one of the earliest MPs to be firmly rooted to the district they represented; living in the constituency, holding regular surgeries and generally having a visible presence. It is much more common now, though not universal. When I was first a Member of Parliament, I shared a secretary and an old typewriter with the MP for Aldridge-Brownhills. So much has changed in the use of technology and the size of staff in my time.

In ten days time I shall be entering my thirty seventh uninterrupted year as your Member of Parliament. Despite Walsall South being for most of that period a marginal constituency, I am the 14th longest serving Member of Parliament and the longest serving MP for Walsall since the democratic era began in the mid-nineteenth century. I am very proud of that record.

I understand that some people may be disappointed that I am standing down and that I have waited so long to announce this decision. However, since the furore over MPs’ expenses broke last May, I felt it was only right and proper to let all the enquiries take place before I made my decision to retire. The results of the Legg audit have now been published. I had “no issues” as Sir Thomas Legg so quaintly expressed it. A Member of Parliament’s integrity is his strongest asset and whilst others may have lost theirs, I am proud that I have not been asked to repay any money and that I can look my constituents in the eye knowing that my claims were honest, principled and consistently in the lowest quartile. I am deeply saddened at the damage this whole sorry saga has done to the reputation of Parliament, but the expenses issue has no bearing whatsoever on my decision to stand down and the public record confirms this.

Some may think that I am retiring because I don’t believe we can win the next election, but this is far from true. I have faced much tougher elections before, the 1983 election. Furthermore I wholeheartedly believe that this election is winnable for Labour and that Walsall South can remain a Labour seat. Indeed most recent polls have suggested that despite the Conservative lead nationally, this doesn’t translate to a Tory win in Walsall.

To say that it has been the most enormous privilege, honour and pleasure to have represented the Walsall South Constituency at Westminster for the last 36 years is an understatement of almost epic proportion. I have loved almost every minute of it and I have sought to do it to the very best of my ability at all times. I hope that those who have not always agreed with my positions on various issues will recognise that I have always fought for what I passionately believed in and most of all, for what I believed was in the best interests of the town and all of my constituents regardless of their political orientation, social class, ethnicity or gender.

I feel a tremendous sense of sadness at bowing out, but I will do everything within my power to secure the election of my successor as the Labour Parliamentary candidate for Walsall South, and I hope its MP. I have sought on so many occasions to put the interests of the town above party politics. There were so many occasions when I believed government policy was in the interests of the town and should not be seen as party political. However, in Walsall, an intensely party political town, this has frequently been impossible and it has often been necessary to endorse and seek to implement what the democratically-elected government wishes to do. An enormous amount of money has been directed towards this town and I have worked hard to bring additional resources to my constituents. I am enormously happy when I walk around Walsall to see the progress that has been made in recent years. There is improvement in the health service, especially with the imminent opening of what is in essence a new hospital, increased investment in the police and a significant reduction in crime. The Government has recently announced a massive new school building programme, which will benefit the whole town, entitled, “Building Schools for the Future”, and I recently visited for the sixth time the fabulous new College that the Government contributed so heavily towards. The work being done by the Walsall Regeneration Company has seen remarkable progress throughout the town.

It is not just through local actions that the government has improved the lives of the people of Walsall. Since 1997 this government has introduced the national minimum wage (against strong opposition), extended maternity leave for parents, signed the Human Rights Act and introduced the Disability Rights Act, cut by 2.4 million the number of people living in poverty, created 2,900 Sure Start centres, doubled health spending in real terms, leading the way in tackling climate change, spent £23 billion in social housing, overseen a 73% increased in arts funding, and more than tripled overseas aid to £7.5 billion. This is just a sample of what we have achieved and it is a record I am extremely proud of.

All of these improvements tell me that this is not the broken society that the opposition claims it to be. We have so much going for us and must not be excessively despondent about the current economic and financial difficulties. We must continue to work hard to improve the lives of all members of society no matter what their social class, their economic background or their gender and ethnicity.

I have no intention of quietly fading away from the town I have spent most of my adult life in. I have too many friends here, so many memories and frankly I love the town. So you’ll be seeing a lot of me over the coming years though not as your representative. That honour will soon be bestowed by you on another fortunate individual.

Neither is it my intention to give up work entirely, quite the reverse. I have spent the last three and a half decades building up an enormous amount of experience and pursuing a number of interests such as violence in the family, defence, security and policing, democracy and human rights to name just a few. In no way am I going to jettison what I have built up over the last forty odd years as a student, academic and politician. I plan to continue pursuing these matters, but outside the Parliamentary arena.

In closing, may I express my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to both Walsall and the party for the trust you have consistently placed in me and for the opportunities you have given to me. I hope that I have upheld the trust that was conferred upon me by so many people that I have represented over the last thirty six years, very many of whom have now passed away.

With every best wish,

Bruce George

Bruce George MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin yesterday announced his support for Julie Morgan MP’s Private Members Bill on Sunbed use. The bill aims to prevent under-18s from using sunbeds and is sponsored by a cross party group of MPs.

Bruce, as chairman of the APPG on Skin, has for a number of years been campaigning for mandatory regulation of the sunbed industry and in 2008 a major report of the APPG Skin called for the government to ban under-18s using sunbeds. Bruce is therefore very happy to see a Private Members Bill introduced aiming to achieve this goal.

Speaking today Bruce said:

“I am pleased to announce my support for Julie Morgan’s bill. As Chairman of the All Party Group on Skin I have been campaigning on issues surrounding skin for quite a few years and in the last few years I have become quite concerned about the unregulated nature of sunbeds. In 2008 a report of our All Party Group called for government regulation of the industry to include a legally binding minimum age for sunbeds and I am pleased that Julie Morgan’s bill will seek to make this change.

Sunbeds can be extremely dangerous to children’s health and yet many under 18s seem to be using them on a regular basis. We must act to prevent young people having access to sunbeds. And I will be giving my full support to this Bill.”

Research commissioned by Cancer Research UK in 2008/09 found that more than a quarter of a million children have used sunbeds in the UK. Indeed the research found that in some areas (including Liverpool and Sunderland) sunbed usage was as high as 50 per cent among 15-17 year old girls. We have clear evidence that sunbed use increases the risk of developing skin cancer. In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has re-classified sunbeds into its highest cancer risk category, putting it alongside tobacco.

First of all let me offer my best wishes to you all for the New Year, I hope 2010 is a prosperous year for Walsall and its people. Despite many people being away over the Christmas break I continued to work during the recess and had quite a busy time. Over the break I paid visits to the different emergency services to thank the men and women for their service over the last year and their continuing commitment to the people of Walsall. On Christmas Eve I visited Walsall Police station and on Christmas Day I visited Walsall Hospital and the local Fire station. At all three I was immensely impressed by the hardworking staff who continued to work while we all enjoyed the break.

I was particularly pleased to visit the police as it gave me the opportunity to talk with them about the new policing structures recently put in place in Walsall. I have long believed that the two police operating units in the town should be merged as it would be more effective and beneficial for the people of Walsall. So I was delighted to hear that the new Chief Constable of West Midlands Police was planning to realign local policing to reflect council areas. In effect this means that instead of the two Operational Command Units that used to cover Walsall we now have one combined Local Policing Unit. The aim of this move is to improve local policing and the service that the West Midlands Police provides to our communities. I’m very pleased to hear that there will be a renewed focus in the region on neighbourhood policing.

This week in Parliament perhaps the most important bill that we are considering is the Children, Schools and Families Bill which had its second reading in Parliament on Monday. The bill includes plans for guaranteed catch-up support and one-to-one tuition for children falling behind in the 3Rs and stronger discipline through tough home-school agreements.

These new guarantees which are aimed at both parents and pupils include catch-up support in the 3Rs for pupils falling behind in English and maths, including one-to-one tuition; online information for parents on their child’s behaviour, progress and attainment; the right to learn triple sciences at GCSE; and the opportunity for every primary pupil to learn a musical instrument.

In Walsall we have already seen the impact of the guarantee regarding one-to-one tuition for those falling behind in literacy and numeracy with the government providing an extra £1,506,070 of funding this year for schools across the Borough. Education has improved significantly in Walsall over recent years, especially since education provision was taken away from the Council and placed with the company Serco. But we cannot be complacent, we need to continue our efforts to ensure our children and future generations receive a world-class education and that is why I was pleased to support and vote for the current bill making its way through Parliament.

Bruce George, MP for Walsall, has hailed a further rise in GCSE results for local schools in Walsall following the publication of secondary school results today.

However, schools across Walsall have seen big improvements in results, according to today’s figures. Over the last year (2009 compared to 2008) there has been:

A 5.6% percentage points rise (from 59.4% to 65%) in the number of pupils getting five or more GCSEs at A*-C grade. This is a big increase of 30.4 percentage points from just 34.6 % in 1998.

A 3.4% percentage points rise (from 40.6% to 44%) in the number of pupils getting five or more GCSEs at A*-C grade, including in the vital subjects of English and maths. This is a big increase of 18.2 percentage points from just 25.8% in 1998.

Bruce George MP said:

“This year’s GCSE results show a great increase over the last year and a real transformation in school standards across Walsall since 1997. Improvements to the local system in Walsall have been particularly noteworthy since education was taken out of the Council’s hands and given to Serco. I have been visiting the local schools in Walsall for over 30 years and I can see the positive changes that are taking place. I would like to congratulate the local teachers and pupils on the success they’ve had this year.

Thanks to extra investment and the hard work of teachers and pupils, there has been a revolution in our local schools. There are 230 more teachers and 670 more teaching assistants across Walsall. Exam results are up, school buildings and facilities are being transformed, and more young people are staying on in education or doing an apprenticeship at 16.”

Bruce George MP today welcomed the government’s announcement of a new ambitious strategy aimed at tackling violence against women and girls. The new ‘Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy’ marks a greater focus by the government to prevent such violence from happening. As part of the strategy schools will include in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons on preventing violence in relationships. This will be accompanied by a high profile marketing campaign.

Speaking today Bruce said:

“I am glad to see that the government is taking a more joined up approach to this vitally important issue. It is extremely important that all the relevant bodies, whether local councils, the NHS, the police and government departments work together to see that violence is prevented as much as possible, and that where it does occur there are sufficient specialist services in place to help and support the victims.

As part of this new strategy the government will be encouraging local authorities to appoint a Violence Against Women and Girls champion at Director level, and I would encourage Walsall Council to follow government advice and appoint someone as soon as possible to better ensure Walsall can provide excellent services in this area.”

Bruce added:

“The Council’s record on domestic violence isn’t very good. For the last few years the resources allocated to Walsall Domestic Forum have been significantly reduced, forcing cuts in services. I suppose the Council are currently considering next year’s budget for the Forum and will be thinking about cutting it again – it was halved last year! If you look at the statistics it is pretty obvious that during the current economic crisis the number of cases of violence within the family has been on the increase and the Christmas and New Year holiday will also see an increase in cases if previous years are any indicator. So now is not the time to be considering cutting funding. I just hope the Council will protect the very many vulnerable members of our town by enabling this excellent service to survive.”

Bruce George MP is calling on members of Walsall Council’s Development Control Committee to throw out the proposal to get rid of most of George Rose Park in Herberts Park Road, Darlaston to make way for the proposed new build for the Grace Academy, Darlaston.

Bruce George said:

“This is the only major public open space in this locality and to take it away from the local community is an absolute disgrace. Young people in the immediate vicinity of George Rose Park complain about the lack of facilities in the area for them to use. Getting rid of most of this open space is a recipe for more anti-social behaviour and general nuisance to local residents ny young people roaming the streets.

I hote also that the Environment Agency has concerns about the lack of a Flood Risk Assessment. These concerns should not ne ignored.

I urge the elected members of Walsall Council’s Development Control Committee to reject the recommendation to grant permission to the change of use. This public open space is a facility that belongs, in my view, to the local community and Walsall Council has no right to dispose of it in this way. I am sure there are other sites that could be considered. Indeed Walsall Council should be encouraging more use of our open spaces and not getting rid of them.”

Bruce George, former Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee, today welcomed the government’s decision to reinstate the funding for training in the Territorial Army. Bruce, who is currently co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Reserve Forces, had earlier this week tabled an Early Day Motion calling on the government to reconsider its initial decision to cut the funding by £20 million and suspend training for six months.

Furthermore on Monday, when the Armed Forces Minister raised the issue in the House, Bruce was one of a number of Labour backbenchers to urge the Government to rethink. In the debate he said:

“I am not known to be hostile to the Government on defence, but I am very concerned about the Territorial Army, knowing its importance. Three Honourable Members signed an Early Day motion that is very modest in its aspirations, not over-the-top.

What I would ask, despite having heard the explanation, is whether, even at this stage, such a small amount of money, which must be minuscule compared with the overall defence budget, can be looked at seriously again. Does this not send the wrong message? Are we not talking about the most effective element of our entire defence budget? Surely some other area could be plundered if necessary in the short term, instead of sending that erroneous, potentially damaging message.”

Bruce was therefore delighted to see the government had a change of heart today and announced that it had decided to maintain the TA training regime at its current levels through this financial year and that the funding for this would be ring fenced.

Bruce George, who has long campaigned on behalf of indigenous people throughout the world, is supporting a campaign by Survival International calling on the Government to ratify the ILO Convention 169. The Convention recognises their rights to remain in possession of their lands, and to be consulted about projects which would affect them.

By today signing EDM 1299 Bruce has joined with Survive in accepting that to ensure the survival of tribal and indigenous people their land rights must be recognised and protected.

Today’s act is just the latest example of Bruce’s past campaigning on behalf of indigenous and tribal peoples. Indeed Bruce has the distinction of having a debate in the Canadian House of Commons in the early 1980s to have him thrown out of Canada for his campaigning on behalf of the native people of Canada, the Inuit’s (formerly referred to as Eskimo’s).

Speaking about the debate Bruce said today:

“Fortunately I was already back in London by the time of the debate, but I told the journalist who informed me of the short debate that I would happily return to Canada so they could throw me out!”

Bruce is seen here with Pleck Labour Councillors Dennis Anson and Harbans Sarohi at the opening of the Walsall Manor Hospital Police Base which is situated at 28 Wilbraham Road on the hospital grounds. Regular police surgeries will be held at this venue which will enable local residents to raise any concerns or issues that they have.

Bruce said “I am delighted with the opening of this police base which will be immensely reassuring not only for local residents but for staff and users’ at the hospital. This base is very much in line with the Government’s neighbourhood policing policy.”

The national media are having a field day, as they do every year, in encouraging people to believe that the twelve week parliamentary recess is little more than an incredibly extended holiday. I’ll tell you how I’m using this period. I’m not really into holidays, and when I do go it’s normally somewhere I can further my research. My wife is incredibly tolerant! By the time you read this I’ll be preparing for the “holiday” of a lifetime leading a Parliamentary delegation to Rwanda in central Africa. Fifteen years ago Rwanda witnessed the wholesale butchery of an estimated one million people in what was one of the largest genocides of the twentieth century. The country is recovering and Britain is assisting in that recovery by being the single largest donor. I’m leading another similar delegation in September to Senegal in West Africa. In between these two visits I will continue to do what I normally do during the recess, spending Monday to Thursday in my London office working with my staff on my parliamentary duties. Then, accompanied by my wife Lisa, I come back to Walsall to continue my constituency work, going to meetings and helping constituents.

The death occurred earlier in the week of the incredibly famous journalist Walter Cronkite, aged 92. He was regularly voted the most trustworthy man in the USA. What is much less known is that in 1983 he came to Darlaston as part of a programme he was presenting on our Parliamentary election. I was originally going to be interviewed by him, but then my bit was cut out. However I was asked if I wanted to meet the great man, I jumped at the opportunity needing no encouragement from my American research assistant and his wife who were even more excited than I was. He and his camera crew arrived late and I was in conversation with some constituents who were deeply impressed by this man coming to Rugh Hay Working Mens Club (now demolished). However despite this pride, they asked me to make sure “he doesn’t interfere with the f***ing bingo!” Cronkite laughed uncontrollably when I told him and he didn’t interfere!

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death in Afghanistan of Corporal Jonathan Horne a former constituent. I have the deepest admiration for our armed forces, present and past. I say at the outset that I support what is being done in Afghanistan and it is in out national interests that religious and violent extremism is defeated. It is in our interests, the Afghan people’s interests and the neighbouring country of Pakistan. As former Chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee I visited virtually every British contingent that was fighting in many parts of the world. I can assure you it was, and remains, deeply distressing at the loss of any soldier, and my heart goes out to the family and friends of a fallen member of our armed forces. It is much much worse when that soldier is local. I’m sure the town will honour Corporal Horne at his funeral at a date yet to be determined. My deepest sympathy is extended to his wife and their children, and to his parents during this difficult time.

I have been visiting schools in Walsall South on a regular basis ever since I became a Member of Parliament. In the last four months I have been to fifteen schools, though for obvious reasons I won’t be visiting any over the next few weeks. I must say how impressed I have been by what I have seen and heard. A lot more money has been pumped in to the education system by central government and it is clearly working. Last Friday I visited a small maintained nursery school in Alumwell. I have rarely visited such a happy atmosphere and I must compliment the staff, governors, parents and Education Walsall. Getting children into this kind of environment when they are so very young is not an option in my view, it is absolutely essential. Reforms, however, are being contemplated but I am working hard to ensure it is to improve the early learning experience of those kids, particularly from disadvantaged areas.

This leads to a proposal by the Cabinet of Walsall Council to support a “Young Peoples Centre” on a former bakery site at the junction of Paddock Lane and Holtshill Lane in Chuckery. I very much support the improvement of youth facilities in the area, but in my view there has to be a more significant search for an appropriate site which will be a difficult task. I want to see all the options and all of the arguments. However, on a related issue this building is a danger to anyone walking or living near it. I saw mothers with prams actually crossing a potentially dangerous road rather than walk near a wall that is in my view about to fall down. I visited residents next door on the other side where parts of the wall have already fallen down and damaged their car. I urge the Council and/or the owner of the building to ensure that urgent remedial work is undertaken and not to use the excuse that the building will be knocked down. The building poses a danger now and cannot be left unaddressed.

Bruce George MP today welcomed the publication of a report by the Joint Committee on the Draft Bribery Bill, a committee which he was a member of. In its report published today, Tuesday 28 July 2009, Bruce and the other Committee members strongly welcomed the draft Bill as an important step forward in tackling corruption and fulfilling the United Kingdom’s international obligations in this area. This follows years of criticism being levelled against the current law of bribery by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, among others. The proposals replace the draft Corruption Bill that was published by the Government in 2003 but which failed to win support.

Speaking about the Bill, Bruce said:

“Bribery is a serious problem around the world, with the World Bank estimating that around a trillion dollars’ worth of bribes are paid each year. There is no room for bribery, which distorts free competition, undermines society and the rule of law, and worsens the living conditions of the poorest in society.

“The draft Bill that we have considered will not solve all the challenges we face in terms of corruption, either in the UK or internationally, but as a Committee we are convinced that the Draft Bill will, with some amendments that we have recommended in our report, be an important step forward that will help the Government and the business community to build upon international efforts to confront the problem of bribery.”

The Committee particularly welcomes the new offence that targets companies and partnerships that fail to prevent bribes being paid on their behalf, saying that “the current law has proven wholly ineffective and in need of reform.” However, the Committee remains concerned about the draft Bill’s focus on whether a “responsible person” was negligent, rather than on the collective failure of the company to ensure that adequate anti-bribery procedures were in place, fearing that this would introduce a narrow and complex solution to a pressing problem. The Committee recommends stiffening the offence by making a company or partnership “strictly liable” for any bribe paid by a person performing services on its behalf, except where the organisation proves that adequate anti-bribery procedures were in place. The Committee says this would not be unfair on the organisation, given that it is well placed to demonstrate the adequacy of its anti-bribery procedures. This would also bring the criminal law into line with other leading jurisdictions where, to date, a tougher approach has been taken on corporate criminal liability.

Subject to a number of amendments being made, the Committee endorses the main criminal offences that are proposed by the draft Bill, including a discrete offence for the bribery of foreign public officials. The Committee also endorses the substantial penalties that are available under the Bill, including the power to impose unlimited fines on companies and a maximum ten year sentence of imprisonment for individuals, saying the Bill “must have teeth to be effective”. It calls on the Government, however, to address the injustice that is risked by debarring companies from entering public contracts on an automatic and perpetual basis, which it says undermines the effectiveness of the draft Bill.

On parliamentary privilege, the Committee says that this complex issue should not be addressed “piecemeal” through different Bills, such as the Draft Bribery Bill and the Parliamentary Standards Bill (now the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009). The Committee recommends that clause 15 of the Draft Bribery Bill, which deals with this issue, should be deleted, as the analogous provisions were from Parliamentary Standards Bill. This issue should only be addressed in future as part of a comprehensive Bill specifically on Parliamentary Privilege.

The Committee also considers that clauses 13 and 14, which would “extend the security services’ powers to contravene the criminal law” should be deleted, saying the Bill is not the appropriate place for such a measure. The Committee heard “no persuasive evidence that the domestic intelligence agencies needed an authorisation to bribe”, and also questions whether such proposals would anyway be compliant with the UK’s international obligations.

The Joint Committee, including members of both Houses of Parliament, was set up specifically to scrutinise the Draft Bill. The Committee’s report – published after five weeks of oral evidence – includes recommendations on how the Government should amend the Bill before it is introduced into Parliament.

Since my last column the House of Commons has elected a new Speaker of the House. In the end there were ten candidates including my Walsall colleague Richard Shepherd. This was the first time that a Speaker of the House has been elected by secret ballot and the procedure took a bit of getting used to. To be successfully elected a candidate had to achieve more than 50% of the vote. Because of the large number of candidates with this election it took three rounds before we had a winner. It was a lengthy process with each round taking anywhere up to two hours. Conservative MP John Bercow was eventually elected the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons, winning 322 of the 593 votes cast. It is my hope that the new Speaker, combined with the range of changes made to the expenses system, will help to restore the public’s trust in Parliament that has been so damaged of late.

In Britain we are rightly proud of our history and the heritage that goes with it. Unfortunately much of our rich heritage, both nationally and locally, has disappeared through the neglect of previous governments. However this generation is equally to blame. According to recent figures 1 in 7 listed buildings are at risk through neglect and decay. In Walsall, Great Barr Hall has been allowed to progressively deteriorate over the years and it is now in such poor condition that English Heritage has included it in their annual Heritage at Risk Register. Whilst English Heritage has been able to invest over £65m in the last 10 years to tackle this situation we still need to do more to save our shared history and heritage. Some might say a recession is not the time to tackle such a problem, but it’s been ignored for too long and action needs to be taken before it’s too late.

I’ve just got back from Albania where I have been observing their parliamentary elections with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Over the years I have developed an enormous interest in helping to establish and sustain democratic governments throughout the world. Last week my wife, knowing my keen interest in democracy, elections and good governance, booked tickets for us to go and see a new play at the National Theatre called, you guessed it, “The Observer.” Ironically I was unable to see the play because I would be undertaking election observation work for real! It took some time before she forgave me, but she took a friend in my place.

Bruce George MP is today backing Carers Week (8-14 June) in support of all of Walsall’s carers, who are among the six million people in the UK who provide unpaid care to a loved one who is ill, frail or disabled.

Bruce George joined calls today for carers to receive greater support and recognition. Speaking today he said:

“There are thousands of people in Walsall South who have sacrificed their time and often their health, finances, work and social life, in order to care for a loved one. They deserve to be recognised for the excellent contribution they make to our local community and to society as a whole.”

Bruce’s support comes as new research has revealed that 74% of carers say they have reached breaking point due to the pressures of their role as carer. This study shows clearly how hard it can be for these carers who work with extreme levels of stress and often depression.

The survey also revealed that the vast majority of carers feel that their role is often ignored by professionals, family and friends with more than half also saying it had left them worse off financially.

As virtually everyone in the UK and tens of millions abroad know, the last few weeks of seemingly incessant media stories, revelations, denials, apologies and resignations relating to MPs’ expenses have been deeply damaging to the reputation of both individual Members of Parliament and to the institution as a whole.

Clearly some MPs have trespassed well beyond what the rules laid down in the now famous or infamous “Green Book” and undoubtedly will suffer the consequences possibly in the form of prosecution. There are those who have been, to put it politely, “creative” in their claims then they too having been exposed will face the wrath of the public. However, there are those who have operated completely within the rules and the spirit of the rules but such is public opinion that all the different categories of claimants have been lumped into one - the guilty with the not guilty. I hope you will feel that I fall into this latter category and that I have acted at all times totally within both the rules and the spirit of the rules. These rules may be read on the House of Commons website under the heading, Department of Finance and Administration. The latest edition of the Green Book, published in March 2009, has already been rendered obsolete as a result of the current crisis and new rules are currently the subject of urgent and intense consideration. My claims for the last four years must be set against the respective Green Books that were in use for each of those years.

The claims made by Members of Parliament were acquired by the Daily Telegraph and have been published on a daily basis eagerly followed by the rest of the media who did not pay for the privilege of this leaked document. The rest of the media and, you, the members of the public will be able to access all MPs’ claims in the next few weeks. As I have always wished to be transparent, I invited the Walsall Advertiser and the Express and Star to visit my home and view all the claims I have submitted in the last fours years. This was an attempt to show I have nothing to hide. The journalists were able to question me over a long period if they had any queries.

For your information, I am attaching my detailed expenses and you will note that I am regularly in the low end of claims. My overall ranking for 2007/8 was 532nd out of 645 MPs; for 2006/07 I was 498th out of 645 MPs; and for 2004/05 I was 468th out of 659 MPs. (No rankings were done for 2005/06 since an election took place in 2005).

I accept full responsibility for the claims I have made. Because of the way the system works, my claim-related bills, as all other MPs’, are paid initially out of our personal accounts and then we seek reimbursement from the Fees Office. Regular large items of expenditure, such as my constituency office rent, are paid directly from the Fees Office. The leasing arrangements and the rent paid for my constituency office have been officially validated. Staff salaries are also paid directly from the Fees Office. Some newspapers when they publish MPs’ salaries add our staff salaries on top. This is grossly erroneous.

I have an accountant, as permissible in the rules, who helps to complete my annual tax return. I use him because he has specialist knowledge of Parliamentary allowances and expenses with regard to taxation. There has been a furore over certain members not paying tax on these charges. I wish to confirm that these accountancy charges are included in my tax returns as a “benefit-in-kind” and I pay the higher rate of tax on them.

In making my claims, I have at all times sought to be absolutely ethical. I believe a Member of Parliament should be full-time; I am certainly that - working 70+hours per week. I have no outside paid employment as many other Members of Parliament have. I employ no member of my family either in Walsall, London or anywhere else.

In making my claims, I apply the following principles:-

1. Is the entitlement laid down in the Green Book?
2. If allowable, is the claim fair and reasonable?
3. Having established that a claim is allowable, I also ask myself if it is ethical and right to make a claim.
4. If all of the above criteria have been met, though the cost nevertheless seems high, I pay what I consider to be the excess out of my own pocket. I have consistently claimed far less than the maximum permissible amounts as is evident from the attached document.

As you will note from the attached document, claims fall under a variety of headings.

Incidental Expenses Provision (IEP) - these are for the costs of running and servicing my constituency office in Bridge Street and my House of Commons office. These claims cover my constituency office rent (again paid direct from the House of Commons), constituency office telephone, fax and Internet connection, office supplies for both that office and my House of Commons office, my mobile phone and associated costs. I have not claimed for anything that could be construed in any way as superfluous or personal or for any of the items that have been highlighted in the press, such as digital cameras, office television sets, white goods and so forth. I have looked with amazement and some anger at what some of my colleagues have claimed but it should be remembered that some, but not all, of the worst excesses were rejected by the Fees Office.

In terms of the much derided Additional Costs or Second Home Allowance (ACA), I would make the following points. I have a second home in London, which in light of the 120 mile distance between Walsall and London, is absolutely essential. I paid for roughly two thirds of this house myself. My endowment mortgage matured in November 2007 and when I cleared the mortgage, I ceased to make any mortgage interest claims against my ACA. I would stress that far from seeking to maximise my mortgage interest claims, I sought to reduce them whenever possible. I have never “flipped”, i.e. changed the designation of my main and second homes, nor sought to move up the property ladder in London in order to maximise my claims.

My ACA claims will show that I have claimed for the running costs of my second home, mortgage interest up to November 2007, council tax, utilities, cleaning, insurance, telephone, security, service, maintenance and repairs, some carpets and food. I have considered that maintenance costs were the most necessary and ethical costs of all. Some of these maintenance costs have been expensive. For example, pipe work and radiator costs following a major leak, boiler and some redecoration. These types of costs are considerably higher in London than in Walsall or elsewhere in the country. I have always sought advice from the Fees Office in making these claims. When my second home was redecorated in 2007, I took the view that I should only claim for the cost of the space of a one bedroom flat on the basis that this is all the space an MP needs in London. This is evidenced on the invoice for this work. I only claimed for a portion of the wallpaper, paying the majority of it myself, even though I could have claimed for all of it and I paid personally for the associated costs of this decoration, such as new blinds. I did claim for an office chair, costing £97, which I use to do Parliamentary and constituency work. It will be noted that I have not claimed for furniture, televisions or appliances. I have also not claimed for anything that I feel could be construed as an “improvement” to our home. For instance, when we had a wooden floor installed some years ago, I paid for it personally. I do not have a gardener in London.

Other allowances are less in the spotlight in this current furore but they are nevertheless important to highlight since they, like all other allowances, are being paid for out of the public purse. One such allowance is the “Communications Allowance” which most Members use to produce a glossy leaflet advertising the work that they do. Frankly, I feel that my record and work can be expressed through the usual media and other channels, such as talking to people around town, in my weekly surgeries and through regular communication with my constituents. Therefore, the only use I make of this allowance is a small amount spent on advertising my weekly surgeries and contact details in certain local newspapers such as the Walsall Advertiser, the Express and Star, the Chronicle and the Great Barr Observer. I am not criticising other Members of Parliament for using this allowance to the full. Each MP has her/his method of working.

Another allowance is the travel allowance between Walsall and London and journeys around Walsall. My main home has always been in the constituency I am proud to represent and I travel home almost every week except when I am abroad on official Parliamentary business. My wife also travels almost every week between Walsall and London. She is allowed 15 return journeys each year when she travels separately from me, but she probably makes more like 45 return journeys. We therefore claim for her 15 allowable journeys and we pay personally for the other 30 or so. There is also an allowance for a Member of Parliament to make up to three visits per year to other European Parliaments, Governments and institutions if it is consistent with the Member’s parliamentary work and I normally make one such journey each year. However, most years I have not utilised this provision.

I am more than prepared to discuss these or other issues with any constituent who seeks further elaboration. I hope you do not think I am being overly defensive, but I despair of having my full defence against any accusations being subject to how certain media outlets seek to portray them, especially in this current near-frenzied atmosphere of hostility to Members of Parliament. Some MPs clearly deserve the hugely negative publicity they are receiving which has led to many announcing their premature retirements. Some may well end up in court. However, I hope that I have shown to the press and written here will assure my constituents that I have at all times behaved honourably, ethically and acted not only within the rules but also within the full spirit of the rules.

This public outcry cannot go on indefinitely. I am not aware of the measures that either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat parties are undertaking to independently reform the system but my own party has already embarked on reforms to help restore faith in the body politic. Set out below is a brief summary of some of the measures the Labour Party and the Government has taken and implemented to help restore public confidence. I hope there can be cross Party agreement and that the public will accept that wrongs are being righted. If we are not successful in this I fear for the future of our Parliamentary democracy which, with all its faults, remains one of the best in the world but reform there will be and it will go far beyond simply resolving the problem of MPs’ expenses.

The Labour Party has established an internal party committee to investigate any Labour MP where serious allegations have been made. I must point out however, that although the public is demanding heads, punishment has to follow “due process” by which I mean people having the right to defend their actions even though evidence appears that they may have no defence whatsoever. This committee has already announced that four sitting Labour MPs’ will be barred from standing at the next election. To rebuild public trust we need to reassure the electorate that we are acting properly in the present and renewal of people’s faith in politics for the future.

To rebuild public trust in Parliament and MPs the allowance system has to be thoroughly reformed. The Government has asked Parliament to stop claims for furniture and fittings and has banned outer London MPs from claiming the second home allowance. For the future, we need more fundamental change. This is why the Government has asked the Committee for Standards in Public Life to conduct an inquiry into Parliamentary Expenses and to suggest a programme of substantial reform. The Government has moved quickly to reform the system immediately and the committee will consider a sustainable long term solution that the public can have trust in.

The following article was published regarding my expenses by the Walsall Advertiser and with their kind permission it is reproduced below. (click image to enlarge)

Bruce today met with the Prime Minister of Georgia Nikoloz Gilauri. Bruce, who is chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Georgia, discussed with the Prime Minister recent events in Georgia including the conflict with Russia and their ongoing program of political reform.

Bruce has been very supportive of Georgia in recent years having participated in a number of election observation missions to the country. Since the Rose Revolution he has been active in supporting good governance programs within the country.

Bruce George MP today backed Government plans to introduce compulsory licensing to deal with rogue wheel clamping companies in Walsall. Bruce, who was principally responsible for the introduction of the legislation that regulated the Private Security Industry in 2001 (the Private Security Act), welcomes the proposed changes.

Bruce George MP welcomed the announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith that a consultation would be published shortly on proposals for a compulsory licensing scheme for wheel clamping companies.

This consultation will look at introducing compulsory licensing and industry-wide standards for:

signage, including size and visibility;
maximum penalties charged and payment methods;
minimum time between immobilisation and removal;
providing evidence that a parking infringement has taken place;
security and location of pound where vehicles are impounded; and
complaints and appeals policy.

The measures aim to tackle the limited number of wheel clamping companies whose dodgy practices include excessive penalties for releasing clamped cars, clamping emergency vehicles and those belonging to disabled drivers, impounding cars unreasonably quickly after being clamped, hidden or missing signs warning drivers that clamping takes place, and a lack of any appeals process for drivers.

Bruce George MP said:

“The licensing of individual wheel clampers has gone a long way to reducing criminality and improving standards in the industry. I do not oppose legitimate wheel clamping companies clamping or removing vehicles when they are illegally parked, but there are too many rogue companies at the moment.”

“But I know that people in Walsall want further action against the small minority of clamping companies who indulge in sharp practices, including unclear signage and excessive fees.

“The Government is looking at introducing a scheme for compulsory licensing of clamping companies, with clear industry standards that they have to meet. I will be writing to the Home Secretary in support of these measures and urging their introduction as soon as possible.”

“Rogue wheel clampers shouldn’t be able to get away with unacceptable practices in Walsall and I’ll be working with the Government to clamp down on dodgy clampers.”

Bruce George MP today welcomed the progress made at this week’s London G20 summit and praised the achievements reached. The Leaders at the G20 agreed to:

Restore confidence, growth, and jobs: They committed to make available an additional $1.1 trillion programme of support to help the world economy through the crisis and to restore credit, growth and jobs.

Strengthen financial supervision and regulation: Leaders agreed to strengthen the financial system by putting in place a better and more credible system of surveillance and regulation

Fund and reform our international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones: Leaders agreed to make an additional $850 billion in resources available through international financial institutions like the IMF,

Promote global trade and investment and reject protectionism to underpin prosperity: Leaders committed not to resort to protectionism

Build an inclusive, green, and sustainable recovery: Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and to delivering on development aid pledges

Bruce George MP said:

“I have been raising the need for tough regulation of the financial markets for some time, so I am very happy at the G20 outcome. On the 27th January I spoke in a committee debate on Credit Rating Agencies where I called for the need for much greater global regulation of financial markets, especially these agencies. I am therefore particularly pleased to learn that the G20 yesterday to extend regulatory oversight to credit rating agencies.

We face a global financial crisis on a scale that we have never really seen before. At the end of the day to get British economy back on track we have to help get the world economy back on track too. To protect jobs and businesses in Walsall we needed to get the world leaders working together to restore confidence, growth and jobs.

“So I welcome the successes the Government has secured this week. The London Summit brought together leaders of the world’s major economies and key international institutions. They have agreed collective action necessary to stabilise the world economy and secure recovery and jobs.”

Bruce is seen here at the formal presentation of a donation to the Manor Hospital as bequeathed by the late John Samuel Leslie Bevan. The money is going to spent as follows. £22k to purchase a scan machine for the Foetal Assessment Unit; £11k will go to the Stroke unit and £16k to the Ophthalmology Fund towards the purchase of an OCT Imaging Machine.

Mrs Kath Hawker who was Mr Bevan’s niece is seen here in the photo with Chief Executive Sue James, Bruce George MP and Miles Astbury-Crimes from Hadens solicitors.

Bruce George MP today joined British Olympic swimmer Mark Foster to welcome the launch of free swimming today. As a result of government funding Walsall Council will open up its swimming pools for free for people aged 60 and over and [16 and under as well.

Four out of every five local councils in England – almost 300 - have signed up to provide free swimming for over 60s, with more than 200 councils offering it too for young people.

The £140 million Government initiative was announced last June, – delivering on a Government promise to help get two million people more active by the time London hosts the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.

Bruce George MP said,

“It is great to see the national launch of Free Swimming today. I am happy to see that Walsall Council has backed the scheme to offer free swimming to people over 60 and under 16. This scheme will provide a fun and now accessible means of keeping fit and active.”

Sectretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said:

“Today is the official launch of free swimming and a landmark moment as we look to build a healthier and more active nation. The take-up of this scheme has exceeded all expectations with over 81% of councils taking part. Thanks to this Government’s £140m investment millions of people in the UK will be able to swim for free which will be a boon for older people, children – and of course their mums and dads. It will also ensure that local pools are given a new lease of life in the heart of their communities. It is our hope that this is just the beginning and that in time free swimming becomes the norm across the country.”

Bruce George MP visited Barr Beacon Language College on Friday 27th March 2009. He discussed developments at the school and highlighted the improvements.

He also met Spiros Georgiou who was successful in becoming one of two MYP (Member of Youth Parliament) representatives for Walsall.

Bruce George invited Spiros down to London for a couple of days to see the work of Members of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament.

Bruce George MP invited local constituent Madeleine Holland who has worked tirelessly in the Caldmore community to visit 10 Downing Street with him. Madeleine got to experience being at the centre of British politics during her trip.

Madeleine said: “I feelt highly honoured to be invited to number 10, the home of our Prime minister Gordon Brown. Bruce works tirelessly for the community and I believe he is the most industrious MP. He always make you feel comfortable in his company.”

One of the key tools Members of Parliament have to raise issues in the House of Commons are what we call Early Day Motions (or EDMs). These are short motions that Members propose and which other members can sign in agreement. In effect they are petitions that allow MPs to have their opinion of a particular issue put on record in Parliament and can on occasion influence public policy. Over the last week or so, I have been involved in a number of EDM’s, three of which I have written and tabled, a number of others I have signed. The three I have tabled include one welcoming a petition by the Royal British Legion which calls for more assistance to the ex-service community over 65, a third of whom currently live below the poverty line. Another that I have worked on celebrates the 60th Anniversary of NATO, which takes place in a few weeks. The third EDM I have tabled calls on the energy watchdog, Ofcom, to focus more of its attention on working to lower energy costs and protect consumers.

Over recent weeks I have visited a number of the local schools in Walsall South and I have been very impressed with what I’ve seen. Clearly a lot of money has been pumped into local schools over recent years and it is obviously having a positive impact. I was also very impressed with the new campus at Walsall College. One issue relating to these local schools that I have been disappointed with, however, is the Council’s decision to charge local schools a surcharge fee of somewhere between £10-20,000 This comes after the schools annual budgets have been written and agreed upon. By demanding this payment it will result in schools having to make cut backs and in some cases could lead to staff being laid off.

We’ve recently celebrated National Apprenticeship Week, so last week I questioned the government on the number of apprenticeships it is funding, both nationally and in Walsall South. Apprenticeships are vital for our economy as we need a UK workforce which has a greater skill-set so we can survive and compete when we come out of the recession. I was told by the Minister that in 2007-08 we saw a record high of 225,000 young people start on an apprenticeship, a rise of over 150,000 from 1996-97. In Walsall South last year 420 people started on an apprenticeship scheme, the highest number in five years.

The government has just produced a consultation paper on Violence Against Women and Girls. I fear in the current economic environment, relationships will suffer because of the additional pressures on families and this will undoubtedly in an increasing number of cases lead to physical violence. We are at a period when budgets are being discussed; I hope that the spending on deterring violence and dealing with the consequences as undertaken by the truly excellent Walsall Domestic Violence Forum will not be subject to a further attack, this time on its 2009/10 budget.

I was sad to hear that the Editor Natalie Missenden and reporters George Makin and Craig Winyard are leaving the Walsall Advertiser. I would like to thank them all for their professionalism, dedication, courtesy, and political fairness. They are all a credit to their profession.

Bruce George MP, leader of the UK Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, today tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament welcoming the 60th Anniversary of NATO on the 4th April. Bruce George, who is also Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly was joined in the EDM by a further ten members of the NATO PA.

Speaking today Bruce George said “NATO is probably the most enduring alliance in history. It survives as it is needed in this increasingly dangerous and volatile world. It’s evolved into being much more than just a defence organisation.”

The EDMs text read –

“That this House recognises and commemorates the 60th anniversary of NATO on 4 April 2009; pays tribute to NATO’s historic role in safeguarding the security and freedom of its members and, with the end of the Cold War, in promoting and extending stability and security to its new members; acknowledges the UK’s role in establishing NATO and its continued commitment to the Alliance; welcomes the close co-operation between NATO and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and acknowledges the important role of Parliamentarians; stresses the importance of a co-operative relationship between NATO and the Russian Federation based on their common strategic interests; welcomes the accession of new member states to the Alliance and supports the Bucharest Summit Declaration which kept NATO’s door open for future enlargement with European democracies which are willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership; underlines NATO’s crucial role in assisting Afghanistan to establish a secure environment for political and economic development; calls for a more equitable distribution of responsibilities across NATO’s member states; highlights NATO’s engagement around the world to build security and foster stability, from the Balkans to Darfur and to relief support following the Pakistan earthquake; and acknowledges the important role NATO plays in strengthening the Allies’ common values of democracy, human rights, individual liberty and the rule of law and reaffirms NATO’s irreplaceable role as the guarantor of its members’ security and an indispensable promoter of stability throughout the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond.”

Bruce George met local resident Linda Cooper, a tenant of White Hart and members of the Landscaping Team who have restored the gardens to how they may have looked almost 400 years ago.

White Hart was originally the family home to the Hawe family and constructed sometime during the 17th century. It has also been documented that Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, stayed there during the English Civil War.

Linda Cooper said: “The tenants of White Hart would like to take this opportunity to thank Caldmore, especially the Gardening Team for doing such a brilliant job in renovating the front gardens of the White Hart. We appreciate being asked our opinions at how best to design a colourful frontage that will enable not only visitors to the area but also our local community to appreciate the splendour of the building and the history it represents.”

Last week you may have seen a story in the media about a fourteen girl who was very seriously burnt after spending just 19 minutes on a sunbed. She received first degree burns to 70% of her body. This story highlights the dangers of sun beds and demonstrates the desperate need for a legal code of conduct for such companies.

In Parliament I chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin in which members of both Houses of Parliament meet regularly with doctors, nurses, pharmacists, pressure groups etc, to discuss issues affecting those with skin complaints. We produce, very much like a select committee, detailed reports based on the acquisition of a great deal of evidence. I then lead a small delegation of the group to meet the Minister to discuss our recommendations and what action the Department of Health intends to take. Just a few weeks ago we published our latest report “Skin Cancer – Improving Treatment and Care”, this is the eleventh report that the group has produced. In that report we raised a number of serious concerns about the use of sunbeds and the increased risk of cancer to those that use sunbeds. A study conducted by the International Agency for Research into Cancer concluded that those who begin to use sunbeds before they turn 35 increase their risk of malignant melanoma by 75 per cent.

However equally concerning is the emergence of stronger and more powerful sunbeds. Since 1998, there have been technological advances which have resulted in new, more powerful ‘fast tan’ units. These have become very popular in the UK, along with the emergence of unsupervised sun parlours. It is these unsupervised sun parlours which are the greatest concern. The Health and Safety Executive has issued guidance that recommends, amongst other things, that sunbeds should not be used by anyone under 16, those with fair skin, or those who have previously been burned. However as last weeks story highlighted while this guidance remains voluntary people will ignore these rules.

The All-Party Group therefore recommended that the Health and Safety Executive’s advice should be made mandatory for all sunning parlours, and should include a ban on use of sunbeds by those under 18. We also recommended that the un-staffed, coin operated sunbeds such as the one the young girl used last week, should be banned unless they can provide clear proof of compliance with the HSE’s advice. Further more, better, and more visible point-of-sale information should be mandatory where sunbeds are available, advising people, in detail, of the health risks associated with sunbed use.

I visited one parlour in the West Midlands that had very limited supervision. It had warning notices all around on what to do and not to do, but I suspect many don’t bother to read. This 14 year old broke many of the rules and was therefore complicit in her own sad experience. Despite this I am emboldened in my desire for supervised premises and mandatory guidance. I would distinguish the reputable sector of the market that seeks to minimise the risk of abuse and error.

Bruce George MP today welcomed figures showing an 18.1 % rise in the number of young people from Walsall South going to university in the last ten years. The government has worked hard to expand opportunities for young people to get a degree, and these figures show that young people from Walsall are benefiting.

Over recent years we have seen a number of initiatives introduced to widen participation in higher education. These have included:
Student grants so that over two thirds of students get a full or partial grant of up to £2,835
The Aimhigher scheme as well as the Aimhigher mentoring scheme to raise young peoples’ aspirations, encourage them that to believe that university could be for them, and help them get there
Expansion of the gifted and talented programme to help pupils reach their potential
Encouraged universities to form deep, long term structural links with schools, such as sponsoring an academy or trust school, to help raise aspirations, drive up standards, and help young people apply to university.
Increased attainment at GCSE and A-level so that more young people have the necessary qualifications to go to university
Required all universities to publish their admissions policies and procedures, and show they are being fairly implemented
Increased investment in higher education by over 23% since 1997, so that more young people than ever before have the opportunity to get a degree.

Speaking today, Bruce George MP said:

“I very much welcome the rise in young people going to university from Walsall South. Ten years ago, some young people round here thought that university wasn’t for them. But we’ve worked hard to raise aspirations and help them get the qualifications they need, and all the hard work is paying off.

But there is still much more that can be done. Far too few young people from Walsall go on to Higher Education. Everyone involved in education must redouble their efforts to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of the excellent higher education establishments that we have in the UK.

I’m glad the government transferred the responsibility for education in Walsall away from the Council to SERCO. Since that decision good progress has been made in improving education in Walsall, but know is not the time to be complacent, we must continue the effort to improve education in the city.”

Walsall South MP Bruce George has visited Trojan Diecasting to meet local business representatives to discuss the government’s help and support for small businesses.

As well as meeting Terry Moore, commercial director at the Premier Business Park-based firm, the MP also heard from Black Country Chamber policy director Charlotte Ritchie, Tony Brierley of Crane UK, and John Higginbottom from Prestwood Engineering.

Among the topics up for discussion were spiraling energy costs, with some businesses reporting a 100 per cent increase in three years; providing easier access to small business loans; and suspending corporation tax to help SMEs.

Pictured are: (l-r) David Jones, Terry Moore, Bruce George MP, Charlotte Ritchie, Tony Brierley, John Higginbottom.

As we start 2009 the economy is still in deep trouble, although there are some hopeful signs. I’m pleased the government is establishing a system that will help to train redundant workers for the job market. I welcome the announcement to help graduates gain valuable work experience before hopefully entering employment when hopefully the British and World economies will have recovered. I was also pleased to hear Gordon Brown’s announcement that employers would be given up to £2,500 for every person they trained who had been unemployed for more than six months. Hopefully this will help some people who have been out of employment for a while back into work.

The government has put significant amounts of money into the UK banking sector yet many of the banks hold on to the money steadfastly and refuse to increase lending to individuals and UK businesses. At least a number of those in high finance who helped contribute to the accelerated economic decline a few months ago, aren’t getting their fat bonuses which have been a travesty. I’m hopeful shareholders will ensure this won’t happen again. I hope as a result of all these actions the economy starts to perk up.

A few months a ago I sent off a number of letters to local businesses, the local authority, local banks etc, to ask them what they would be doing to help people cope with the consequences of the economic decline. Those that responded listed a number of positive developments and I met with the local Citizens Advice Bureau to see what advice they were providing. The Chamber of Commerce have developed a good programme of advice for the local business community and some of the local banks are clearly aware of where they can help their customers. Letters were sent nearly two months ago but there are still some who haven’t yet had the courtesy to respond. I will be writing a stiff reminder.

I spent ten days or so over Christmas visiting my in-laws in Chicago and Missouri and was able to have about a dozen meetings with election officials in both states and a number of cities and counties on American election standards. My visit to Chicago Illinois coincided with the arrest of now internationally infamous Governor of Illinois, Rob Blagojevich, who it is alleged to have tried to sell Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder. I couldn’t avoid talking about this on my visit with various Illinois Boards of Elections.

I know people criticise the rail network in the UK, but its worse in America. During my visit I was determined to travel by train, having held a romantic vision of American trains largely based on watching endless railway movies. My love affair with the American train however came to an abrupt halt after just two journeys where my complaints included our train being sent up the wrong line and being forced to reverse; that same train slowing down to just five miles an hour due a previous storm leaving debris on the line that had not been removed forcing the driver to look for possible hazards.

The final insult was the announcement on our return journey that every toilet on the train was blocked up and this was a six hour journey! When people alighted from the train upon arrival you’ve never seen such a sight as two hundred people racing along the platform, wheeling their luggage, desperate to reach the “restrooms”.

I just repeat what I wrote in the New Year offering my best wishes for 2009. I hope this year is better for you and your family, and your place of work than the last quarter of 2008.

On Friday 12th December, Bruce George MP met with the Principal and Chief Executive of Walsall College, Amarjit Basi, to discuss progress relating to the College’s new Wisemore Campus and future plans. Bruce also had the opportunity to take a tour of the new College site, based on Littleton Street.

Bruce George, Member of Parliament for Walsall South said, “Walsall College has an excellent reputation for providing students with first class tuition. It enables students to secure excellent qualifications that broaden their opportunities and raises their confidence to gain employment.

“I was delighted to hear that the new College is on target, to budget and on schedule, due to officially open in September 2009. During my visit to the new College site I was immensely impressed with what I saw and the amazing facilities that will be available. It was also pleasing to learn that much of the work in building the new College is being done through local firms.

“Central Government (through the Learning and Skills Council) has contributed £37 million towards the new College with additional funding coming from Advantage West Midlands and Tesco’s who have bought the site of the current College, with a brand new store set to open in 2010. Walsall College’s new Wisemore Campus will provide a wonderful learning environment for students and will undoubtedly inspire them to great success.”

Principal and Chief Executive of Walsall College, Amarjit Basi added, “We were delighted to welcome Bruce George MP to Walsall College to discuss our brand new Wisemore Campus and our exciting vision for the future.

“Walsall is undergoing significant changes at the moment and we are thrilled to be a central part of the regeneration that will bring new opportunities and prospects to local people”.

Bruce today expressed bitter disappointment at the decision of Post Office Ltd to go ahead with the closures of two local Post Offices - Delves and Stafford Street.

Speaking today Bruce said “Despite numerous representations from myself and the local community regrettably the Post Office has decided to go ahead and close these two important local braches. I am deeply disappointed by their decision as I believe both Post Offices provided vital services to the local community, especially for the elderly and disabled.”

Bruce George yesterday hosted a reception in Parliament for the Staffordshire Regiment, the Worcester and Foresters Regiment and the Cheshire Regiment, which combined form the recently created Mercian Regiment.

Staffordshire soldiers have been praised for their dedication and commitment to the Armed Forces at a special parliamentary reception hosted by the Walsall South MP.

Bruce was joined by a number of other MPs who welcomed a small party of officers, soldiers and their wives of the new Mercian Regiment to Westminster last night. The regiment was officially launched amid some controversy in September of last year. Its creation followed the amalgamation of The Staffordshire Regiment, The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment, The 22nd Cheshire Regiment and TA Battalions from across the area.

Mr George told the party many MPs fought the merger tooth-and-nail. But he continued: “We have to face reality and soldiers know how to make the best of the situation presented to them. I am sure the merger is functioning properly.

He commended the soldiers’ sacrifices, adding: “We are exceedingly fortunate to have the men and women who are in the British forces. They are a very dedicated group of people and it’s an honour to welcome the Regiment to the House of Commons.”

“For a long, long time we have held a reception for The Staffordshire Regiment, we will continue to do this with the Mercian Regiment as long as I am able to maintain this tradition.”

Brigadier Andrew Sharpe, Deputy Colonel of The Mercian Regiment, said: “It is extremely important for us that the people who represent our families and our soldiers stay in touch.”

The Rt. Hon Bruce George MP and the Henry Jackson Society yesterday welcomed Ron Silver, one of America’s leading actors, highly acclaimed for playing the role of Bruno Gianelli in the award winning US series The West Wing, to the House of Commons. He discussed his role in the West Wing, his views on the Presidential US elections and the importance of the America’s special relationship with Britain. He also addressed the critical and challenging foreign policy issues that the new President will face during his first term in office.

Bruce George said “I was delighted to welcome to the House of Commons Ron Silver. He is very impressive not just as an actor, but his CV reveals his strong credentials as an analyst of international relations and domestic US politics. He was able to give us unique insights into both US politics and the West Wing. I found it especially interesting to hear that the two actors in the West Wing treated their fictional election as reality, lobbying the writers for their character to win the election. They treated it like a year long campaign! ”

It seems that in real life, the US Presidential elections are reflecting the plot of the US drama series the West Wing. The sixth and seventh seasons featured a Presidential election between a young and charismatic but inexperienced Latino Senator and a Washington veteran with a maverick streak. The similarities with the 2008 U.S. presidential candidates are striking. Indeed West Wing writer and producer Eli Attie openly admits that Senator Barack Obama provided the inspiration for the character Matthew Santos. Current trends, however, suggest that reality may not stick to the script. Ron Silver will discuss the fascinating parallels and differences between the West Wing and real-life presidential elections.

Ron Silver said, “I am delighted to be speaking in Parliament thanks to Bruce George and the Henry Jackson Society to discuss the importance of the US Presidential Elections and the special relationship between the U.S and Britain. We share a common history and values and we need to strengthen the bond between our two great nations to meet the global challenges that we face from the current economic crisis, a resurgent Russia, proliferation of nuclear weapons and the ever present threat of terrorism. Only by our great nations standing together can we meet these global challenges that lay in wait for the next President.”

Ron Silver is a member of Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Program Committee of the Wilson Council at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Silver, who was a Democrat for many years, has recently been a supporter of the US “War Against Terror” after the 9/11 attacks. On October 7, 2005, Silver was nominated by President Bush to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Mr. Silver attended law school and holds a Master’s degree in Chinese History.

Pupils at Chuckery Primary School were delighted to share lunch with local MP Bruce George today and advise him on healthy eating.

Bruce was keen to congratulate the school on significantly improving the food since taking over the catering service in April. The number of pupils now eating lunch at the school has increased by around 20% and Bruce wanted to see these dramatic improvements first hand.

Having sampled the food Bruce commented, ‘I am really pleased to see a school in Walsall that is taking nutritional issues so seriously. Not only is there a great choice of delicious food, but it is all healthy.’Pupils shared their thoughts about healthy eating with Bruce, who left having been advised what to include in a healthy diet.

Head Teacher, Margaret Lever said, ‘We are really proud of the menus we offer, well nourished children are better learners and behave better. The children talk about their food and how it helps them to learn and are always keen to speak about this to everyone.’

Bruce also spoke with pupils about how they are able to share breakfast with their parents every day. Parent Governor, Sue Ebbans, who helps out in the ‘Healthy Hut’ at lunchtimes commented that, ‘I bring my son every day, its brilliant to meet with other parents to chat over a satisfying breakfast.’

It has been said many times that life often imitates art. With the current Presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain many commentators are highlighting the similarities between the current election and that in the extremely popular American TV show The West Wing. In The West Wing the election was fought between Matt Santos, a young Democratic outsider from an ethnic minority and Arnold Vinnick an older Republican who was known for going against his own party.

In real life the Democratic candidate Barack Obama is also a relatively young politician with only a few years in national politics, and John McCain is similarily a Republican with many years in the Senate and who is known as being a maverick. It remains to be seen whether the West Wing’s election result, of a Democratic win, and the first ever Latino President will be mirrored in real life with the first ever Black President. This week I will be hosting an event in Parliament with one of the West Wing actors (Ron Silver) who will talk to politicians about the similarities between the two elections and the relationship between the UK and the USA. It promises to be a fascinating discussion.

Readers will be aware of my very long-standing commitment to minimising domestic violence. This has led to me to give enormous support to the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum. I recently said through the columns of this newspaper that the organisation had suffered a reduction of £50,000 (in fact £53,000) in its funding in the 2007-08 financial year.

Councillor Garry Perry, the responsible Cabinet member strongly dissented from those figures. I repeat and stand by what I said. Cllr Perry stated that the original sum of £188,000 (originally all funding was cut) was cut to £165,000 due to what the Council called “a period of reduced activity” by the Forum. I have since found out that during this so-called period of “reduced activity” the Forum received 588 referrals to its three support services (Stepping Stones, SAYA and Crisis Intervention Service), worked with over 160 children and trained over 470 people. I don’t know about you, but this does not sound like “reduced activity” to me.

To maintain the quality of their excellent services many of the dedicated staff had to make personal financial sacrifices. Their finances were further impeded when they were not allowed to claim £14,000 of their allocated budget because of the rigidity of the Council’s budgetary process. Combating domestic violence is a major government priority. Unfortunately the money is not ring-fenced as it should be, leaving too much discretion in the hands of the local authority. With adequate government funding the Council should redouble its efforts to substantially reduce this growing curse.

I would also like to raise the issue of Darlaston Community Science College and the proposed Academy. Over the last week there have been just two opportunities for parents and the local community to take part in the consultation, where they have vocally expressed their grave concerns about the proposed academy, partly due to a lack of clarity and meaningful consultation. I think there should now be an independent vote of the parents to determine what they want to see happen to the school. It is my belief that there are preferable options to academy status, but if the parents choose to move forward with an academy then they should be given all the options including the choice of sponsors and their suitability to meet the needs of the local community.

Bruce George MP who has been campaigning for more funding to be made available by Walsall Council for the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF) responded angrily to press reports that the Council had not cut funding to this vital Borough wide organisation by the sum of £50,000.

Bruce George said “I have made enquiries regarding this issue from publicly available sources and reached the conclusion that the Council spokesperson has got the figures all wrong.

Walsall Domestic Violence Forum had originally been informed that they had been allocated £188,000. This was followed by a letter from the Safer Walsall Borough partnership rescinding this amount of money and stated that in actual fact there was to be no funding. After a great deal of protest they were awarded £165,000, though ultimately they were only allowed to claim £152,000.

Last year they were initially allocated £188,000 and this year this figure was reduced to £135,000. In my calculation, therefore, this represents a cut of £50,000 from what was originally going to be allocated.

I must stress that this is central government money allocated specifically for the use in combating domestic violence.
I also want to know where the £50,000 has actually gone, who else has got it? I think the District Auditor should investigate where the money that should have been allocated to the WDVF has been spent instead. I am embarrased to say but I fear the Walsall Safer Borough partnership is a dysfnunctional organisation.

Once again Walsall council is short-changing organisations that deserve much needed funds to carry out crucial, supportive work in the Borough.

I am so incensed that I shall be once again referring the matter to the Minister, Vernon Coaker, and the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz who recently visited the Forum having recently published a report on domestic violence.

If there is a dispute over the funding and the amounts allocated Walsall Council should ask the Home Office to send down a civil servant from London to observe how Government money is being spent on domestic violence, to interview all the relevant individuals and to determine whether the figures given by Vaz, George and Winnick of a £50,000 cut is right or wrong. I would like this person or persons to evaluate how well both the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum, the Cabinet and Safer Walsall Borough Partnership are discharging their financial and other responsibilities.”

Bruce George MP who has been most critical about the way in which Walsall Council have misused public money on programmes to deal with poverty, firing loyal staff who then took them to an Employment Tribunal which the Council lost. This cost the Walsall Council tax payer a great deal of money.

Bruce George said “The Council use every effort to prevent their failures from becoming public knowledge by hauling up the white flag of surrender just a few hours before a hearing at an Employment Tribunal.

I am not discussing the merits of the latest case of a former employee namely Mr Carl Teesdale. However, after each failed case the Council promised that they would learn their lesson on how to more sensitively deal with employees grievances. Regrettably, the same mistakes appear to recur indicating that lessons have not been learnt and the assurances given have not been met.

A number of different and separate Tribunal cases have been launched in response to Mr Teesdale’s allegations on grounds of disability discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistle blowing and non payment of holiday pay.

These cases promise to be lengthy and very costly to all concerned. I politely suggest to them that should they fail to win yet a further case in which enormous sums of public funding may have to be paid then I shall request an enquiry by suitably qualified and absolutely independent legal specialist to examine the decisions made by Walsall Council in challenging cases of David Parish, Peter Francis, Mark Kemp, Liz McDonald and now Carl Teesdale. There may well be more.

The Council appears to me to need to seek advice from other local authorities on how they respond to employees grievances.

Walsall Council must get its act together and stop wasting council tax payers money in this way and exposing itself to public ridicule.”

Bruce George MP is urging parents and members of the wider Darlaston community to attend the consultation that is taking place on Thursday 25 September 2008 at Darlaston Community Science College from 7.00 p.m. until 8.30 pm. The purpose of this consultation is to hear the proposals relating to the closure of Darlaston Community Science College from 31 August 2009 and to consider the proposal from Walsall Council to open an Academy to replace Darlaston Community Science College as from 1 September 2009.

Bruce George MP said “This is all being rushed through with inadequate consultation. I am not totally opposed to Academies. However, this should be as a last resort. There are many options the Council and SERCO could and should consider to improve standards at the school. In this consultation, I hope, but do not expect, those who are opposed to the Council’s proposals to be given equal time to the alternatives. I for oe would certainly be prepared to attend if invited.

The Government have awarded Walsall a vast amount of money to knock down old schools and rebuild. Darlaston should be on that list. There is no need to go begging to a wealthy businessman with such pronounced political and religious views. If the Government absolutely insist on Academy status they should look for other potential sponsors and give the school a choice.

I resent the accusations being made blaming the school Governors for the poor results. That’s total nonsense and an attempt to pin the blame where it doesn’t belong.”

Why should we worry about Georgia when, lets be frank, many people have very little knowledge or interest of its location, politics or aspirations? They do now! We should have a great interest in Georgia. I have many friends living there who have phoned me over the last few days expressing their fear for the future and fearing the Russians will further bomb the capitol Tbilisi and reoccupy the country.

Located in the troubled region of the Caucasus, little Georgia (4.5 million pop.) broke away from Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has become very western oriented in the last few years, expressing a wish to join the EU and NATO and showing its commitment by sending around 10% of their armed forces to Iraq in support of the UN resolution. The country is also moving along the path of democratisation and needs support to help consolidate its democracy.

Russia has been very difficult towards Georgia since its independence; it has helped militarily to establish, fund and protect two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They have at different times cut off energy supplies, expelled thousands of Georgians, installed a trade embargo on Georgian exports, and sent spies into the country. The list of provocative actions is extremely long.

Russia knows that Georgian President Saakashvili can be occasionally impetuous and they deliberately provoked another clash with the Georgians. The Georgian government responded by entering the breakaway province of South Ossetia. The famous “Fog of War” prevents anyone being absolutely certain of the sequence of events – but it was bloody.

On cue the Russians, in the form of the 58th Army, mercenaries and other assorted guys up for a fight, headed quickly for the conflict zone with a pre-arranged plan. They had already reinforced Abkhazia and Russian forces clearly supported the Abkhaz military who it supplied, to attack the small part of Abkhazia, the Kodori Gorge, which Georgia held. Russians launched attacks deep into Georgia, from South Ossetia and Abkhazia. After a fierce period of fighting the Georgian’s withdrew and declared a ceasefire. This was very much a David and Goliath fight, the Georgian armed forces combined have little over 20,000 men, while the Russian army has well over 1,000,000; in the adjacent area alone they have 90,000 soldiers. Russia’s sizeable air force also overwhelmingly out numbers Georgia’s small force of just 8 ageing combat aircraft with little air defence. It also has virtually no navy, just a handful of small boats.

Russia has used its Black Sea Fleet to establish a blockade and has sunk a Georgian vessel. Russia’s campaign went far beyond the South Ossetian border and targeted and destroyed military infrastructure obviously to remove any capabilities for the Georgians to cont8inue t o fight in Georgia itself. I use itself because South Ossetia and Abkhazia are recognised in international law as being part of Georgia. Innocent civilian targets have also been bombed with a high number of deaths and a vast number of refugees fleeing the violence. Some of my many friends have been forced to evacuate because of the violence. There has even been a failed attempt to bomb the oil and gas pipeline which is 30% owned by BP, and is a vital supply of oil and gas to Europe.

It now appears that the Russian President has called a halt to Russia’s military actions, but at what cost? President Medvedev’s offer of a ceasefire does not come without strings. Numerous figures in the Russian government have made it quite clear they want to see the removal of President Saakashvili as they do not trust him because he’s an outspoken critic and is non-compliant with their wishes.

It appeared a day ago (13th August) that the Russians were going to, in the words of the famous American Civil War song, “March through Georgia”. The triumphalist march by General Sherman that broke the Confederacy in the American Civil War led to the song Marching Through Georgia. It appeared the Russians domination of Georgia would be inevitable. They had already subdued Gori (Stalin’s birth place) and much of the rest of the country. It appears that international pressure and the Russian realisation of the damage it had done to its reputation possibly led to the five point ceasefire agreement, negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who currently holds the rotating EU Presidency. The French President had a weak hand to play and the agreement will see no more use of force, an end to all military actions, free access to humanitarian aid, Georgian troops to return to their permanent place of deployment, and Russian forces to return to their pre-conflict positions.

At time of writing it is uncertain whether that agreement is going to be honoured by the Russians. Yesterday there were numerous stories of continued Russian military advances into Georgia, and the anxious telephone messages I have been receiving from friends in Georgia were later confirmed. It was widely reported that South Ossetian and irregular Russian forces were looting and pillaging as an act of revenge on innocent Georgian citizens.

I do not know if the Russians have a plan B or plan C to hang around in Georgian territory playing mind games as well as threatening militarily. The rhetoric from Washington has stepped up in the last few days and the US has already committed military aircraft to deliver humanitarian assistance. Naval vessels are also Georgia-bound to deliver supplies to help the tens of thousands of refugees with little food and water, many of whom have fled the violence to Tbilisi. In addition to delivering aid, I believe the Americans are sending a strong signal to Russia by placing non-combat military personnel in Georgia which will add to the potential consequences should Russia decide to go for broke and capture Tbilisi and impose its plan B or plan C on the Georgian people.

So can the international community do anything else? Not much I’m afraid, but I’m sure they’re searching for their limited range of options. In the last few days Bush and others made stronger statements warning Russia of the consequences should they break the ceasefire. The UK has also announced it will give £500,000 to the aid effort. Military support is not an option so we have to hope international pressure from the UN, EU and OSCE will convince Russia to withdraw its forces immediately without delay. It will not be before it has achieved its objectives. If this conflict reignites, Russia will pay a high price; the Georgians will pay even more. If, however, Russia attacks the Georgian capital then we can expect a much stronger reaction from the international community.

The ceasefire is very fragile and no-one knows what might emerge in the difficult days ahead.

Bruce George MP, is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Georgia and headed Election Observation Missions to Georgia during the 2004 Rose Revolution

Bruce George MP is ecstatic with the decision announced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families that Walsall is to be fast-tracked to join the Building Schools for the Future programme this summer.

This means that Education Walsall (SERCO) in conjunction with Walsall Council can now start developing projects to rebuild and refurbish the five secondary schools in Walsall Borough in most need of investment.

Bruce George said “This is excellent news for Walsall. I am absolutely elated. The neglect over the years by Walsall Council of school buildings is now being seriously addressed. I have frequently highlighted the need for a new build for Joseph Leckie and Darlaston Community Science College and I am, therefore, convinced that they should be number 1 and 2 on the list. Although Blue Coat was only built 40 years ago I do believe that it should also be included in the priority list.

Joseph Leckie Schools has already had some funding to carry out major refurbishment and this announcement will, in my view, mean that the new build will now become a reality.

The process must be transparent with those schools in the most need being the beneficiaries.

These schools have worked hard to deliver a good standard of education in very difficult surroundings and conditions that are not conducive to learning.

This announcement by the government is a clear indication of the commitment that we have to transform the shape of education in our communities and will enable future generations to reap the rewards of these fantastic new learning environments and facilities.

Walsall have already been thinking and planning carefully for their Building Schools for the Future project and have shown they are ready to hit the ground running. Their bid was based on being able to demonstrate that they were ready to start projects from this summer. They must now put their words into action.

Now, more than ever, is the time to demonstrate our commitment to ensure a first class environment for the welfare and education of Walsall children.

My special thanks to the Government for including Walsall in the Building Schools for the Future programme from this summer.”

Bruce George, MP for Walsall South, last week organised a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Private Security which considered the growing problem of Cash and Valuables in Transit crime. CVIT attacks in the UK account for 76 per cent of all CVIT crime in Europe. Between £1.4 and £2bn is moved around the country on a daily basis, and during 2007, over £18m was lost due to criminal activity. The level of violence used in these attacks has increased dramatically, with weapon-related incidents rising sharply.

The meeting, held in the House of Commons, and attended by MPs and industry representatives, was addressed by Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker MP, Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Moore from Merseyside Police Headquarters, Professor Gloria Laycock from the Jill Dando Institute for Crime Science (University College London), and David Dickinson from the British Security Industry Association.

Bruce George commented “As someone with a long term interest in the private security industry, I recognise the serious nature of cash-in-transit attacks. It is vital that Members of Parliament understand the issues and the difference they can make in working with local authorities and other organisations in their constituencies to highlight the risks faced by cash-in-transit couriers. This meeting sparked a healthy debate on the issues which I hope will be of benefit in raising awareness about the problem.”

Speaking after the event Vernon Coaker said “The Government, police, security industry, retailers and finance industry are working very hard to prevent and tackle Cash and Valuables in Transit crime. This is not victimless crime; it has a big impact on people’s lives, their livelihood, and their families.”

After the event Bruce also took the opportunity to discuss with Vernon Coaker ongoing concerns surrounding Domestic Violence and in particular the problems faced by the Walsall Domestic Violence forum, in particular relation to funding.

Bruce George, MP for Walsall South today met with pupils and staff from Joseph Leckie Community Technology College to congratulate them on winning a House of Lords Competition run by the Lord Speaker. The What a Waste! Competition , organised by the Lord Speaker in conjunction with the Hansard Society, asked school groups to come up with innovative ideas to reduce the amount of waste produced in the UK. The winners got the opportunity to present their idea to the House of Lords Sub-Committee on Waste Management. The competition was open to all children between the ages of 11-18 with three ages categories; 11-14 (Key Stage 3), 14-16 (Key Stage 4) and 16-18 (Key Stage 5).

The team from Joseph Leckie, made up of pupils Mark Malik, Alice Jones, Daniel Beech, Sultana Akhtar and Matthew Jones, with the support of teacher Joe Greaves, were the winners of the 16-18 year old group. They set themselves the test of coming up with an inventive solution to the waste reduction problem: a reusable shopping bag scheme. By using recycled materials and a community-centred approach, this social enterprise looks set to rid their community of plastic carrier bags.

Bruce George, who met the students when they visited Parliament to meet with the Lord Speaker, said today “Joseph Leckie has an amazing record in winning competitions organised by the Houses of Parliament. It’s fantastic to see local school pupils succeeding in this national competition. Their idea was excellent and they have a great opportunity to present their idea to members of the House of Lords. It was a great pleasure to meet with them today and I’d like to wish them and the school continued success in the future.”

Parliament was in recess last week. I had the difficult task of juggling my many constituency commitments with observing the elections in Georgia (Caucasus) and jousting with the Russians at the Spring Meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly as leader of the British Delegation.

During the past week I met with a number of organisations who provide key services to the people of Walsall. Firstly I met with the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police and his Deputy. I have regular meetings with the two Walsall Chief Superintendents to discuss policing in the Borough and their future plans.

I then had the tremendous honour of opening a new garden at Sure Start in Darlaston. This wonderful initiative which was the birth child of Gordon Brown is most definitely a good news story for a number of areas in Walsall who benefit from these centres. I would like to congratulate them all on the excellent work and support they provide to local families.

I also went to Walsall Housing Group to discuss a number of issues with them including their housing allocation system. We talked about their regeneration plans they are currently involved in Moxley and Pleck. Additionally they have informed me of their progress in refurbishing Council housing stock which they inherited. Many tenants have now had new kitchens, bathrooms and windows fitted which is very welcome news.

I also went to visit the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF) where I got an update on their evolving programmes and their funding. They undertake these activities on behalf of Walsall people who have been beaten or abused by their partners. My interest goes back nearly 30 years to when I was a member of the Select Committee on Violence in the Family. As part of that interest I have recently made a study of such organisations. I believe the WDVF is one of the best such organisations in the country, but like many lives a hand to mouth existence, working hard to maintain their necessary services. It is vital that such services receive all the support they need from both local council and central government.

I was delighted to hear recently that a lot of extra funding is coming from the government to the Primary Care Trust to help improve services. This follows on from the Government’s announcement of substantial additional funding for employment of 15 more GPs in the town. When people are worrying about tax, they sometimes forget that’s its largely through taxation that funding is available to improve our schools, hospitals, police and other vital services.

I had no surgery last Saturday; however as many of you will know I have held weekly surgeries for almost 35 years. I only have a Saturday off when the sequencing of surgeries is thrown out of kilter with five Saturdays in a month (although this only happens about five times a year). I feel so guilty that I’m not immediately available; however people continue to contact me or come to my house seeking my help!

Like many people, I often watch programmes such as The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and the Andrew Lloyd Webber singing competitions on BBC. As you may remember from one of my previous columns I raised questions about the voting in an earlier series of The X-Factor. The voting in these types of programmes has appeared a bit suspect in the past as Ant and Dec have found to their misfortune. After the last series of The X-Factor I wrote to Ofcom to raise a number of concerns that had been voiced. After a very lengthy investigation I finally received a response from Ofcom this week. Despite appearances to the contrary Ofcom have concluded that no breach of its Code of Conduct occurred in the voting for The X-Factor.

Bruce George MP addressed a large meeting of members of his Walsall South Constituency Labour Party on Friday Evening.

Bruce George told members present “I was, of course, very disappointed with the election results and, indeed, the outcome of the London Mayoral elections. However, I was delighted that in Walsall the Labour Party retained the seats we were defending and I congratulate the Labour Party candidates on their victory.”

He continued by explaining fully the 10p tax foul up which cost Labour dearly but he and others inside and outside Parliament were pressing for a full explanation as to the Government’s proposals to remedy their mistake which they have accepted an roundly apologised for.

Bruce George said “It is imperative for the Government to now fully outline how those adversely affected by this decision are going to be compensated and by which date they can expect to have this rectified.”

Bruce continued by saying that the Labour Government has much to be proud of and has achieved a great deal since its election in 1997. He mentioned the massive new hospital project, more doctors, more medical centres, shorter waiting times for hospital appointments, the minimum wage and better pensions for our elderly citizens. He urged all senior citizens and disabled to apply for their free bus pas enabling them to travel anywhere in Englan.

He argued that much of the wonderful regeneration that is taking place in Walsall was Government funded. The statistics on crime were, in most categories, showing a downward trend.

This Government is going to be in office at least until 2010 and there is still much more to be done. Bruce said “I am confident that the Government will continue to work in order to achieve a better Britain.”

Bruce George MP has congratulated Park Hall Residents who attended a special meeting at Park Hall Junior School on Monday 12th 2008 to discuss the future of the former Three Crowns Special School site for the stance they have taken.

The meeting were informed by an Officer form Walsall Council that an application to the Department for Children, Schools and Families has still to be made as the Council has yet to make a final decision on how it intends to spend any capital receipts generated by the disposal of the playing field elements of the school site.

Furthermore, the Council has yet to make a final decision on the type of development they propose for the site.

There were strongly held views expressed by those in attendance that the Council should make this very important decision quickly. This will indicate to residents living in the vicinity of the site how this would affect them and, indeed, signal the Council’s position on the issue of the Green Belt.

There were many who stated that as the site has a green belt status then perhaps the Council should set an example and let it remain as such. They should also take into consideration the wildlife that exists although an assurance was given that the woodland would be retained.

A non-State school in the area is keen to enter into negotiations with the Council so that the site could, once again, he utilised as an education establishment.

Bruce George said “Clearly there is a strong swell of opinion, which I share, that this site which is on th Green Belt should be protected. I fear that developers may have already made their interests known to both Officers and possibly some members of the council. Clearly the Cabinet now need to make th key decision as to the type of development they propose for the site.

The issue of the Daisy Bank annexe was also raised and I have already written to the Chief Executive of Walsall Primary Care Trust to ascertain what is planned for this site following closure. I am awaiting his response. I will be watching the process very carefully to ensure the high ethical standards required under planning regulations are strictly adhered to.”

When I wrote three weeks ago about the problems the government was facing, things appeared to be pretty difficult. There was the hope, to use a well know phrase, that “things can only get better.” But as of now that has not been the case. Things, in fact, have gotten worse.

Labour supporters are however eternal optimists. On the positive side we didn’t lose any seats in the Walsall council elections. But it would be an act of self-delusion to see things bottoming out. Yet having been in politics for forty years I have seen the highs and lows before. So to those hopeful replacements my advice would be don’t give up the day job. There will be many who will read this who will hope for a revival of the public bickering by senior party members which helped to destroy credibility of the Conservatives in the mid-1990s. People should learn the lessons.

Politics is about making tough decisions. Governments do no one any favours by shirking them. Indeed it usually makes it worse in the long run; eventually that delayed decision will have to be made.

I was invited, but not able to attend, a meeting on the future of the site of the former Three Crowns School, which has stood empty for three years. Property developers have cast their eyes on this green belt site. Had I attended (there was a big vote in Parliament preventing me ) I would have informed those there that the site is within the green belt and is therefore protected; secondly I have seen a document which guarantees it will not be built on.

Thirdly there is a strong organisation set up to oppose any further building on the green belt. Finally I know of a local Christian school who are considering bidding to occupy the disused school. I earnestly hope that Councillors will throw out the proposed plan by the property developers. In the meantime I have written to the Department for Children, Schools and Family who have a role in this process urging them to turn down the application when it is submitted.

As a Welshman people expect me to be a good singer. Wrong! But I love choral singing and I give great support to the Shelfield Male Voice Choir. They perform every year in Walsall Town Hall and I was delighted to be there last week. I go every year, but this year was extra special. The Choir was brilliant as usual, but this year accompanying them was not a brass band or another choir but a pop group that I vividly recall from my younger days. The audience is always dominated by the middle aged or those in retirement. This was the exact audience to remember the Tremeloes from their late teens/early twenties. The audience were waving their arms, many standing up, sticks thrown away and enthusiastically joining in the wonderful choruses of such memorable songs as Silence is Golden and Even the Bad Times are Good. What a wonderful evening. Next year perhaps they will invite some other pop heroes from the mid-60s.

I’m off for a few days next week to Georgia, not the Georgia with its capital Atlanta, but Tbilisi in the South Caucasus. I shall be observing the forthcoming parliamentary elections. I am resolutely committed to helping to build capacity in democratising legislatures and in promoting democratic institutions. I headed the election observation by the international community four years ago which played a major role in exposing corrupt elections. Rumours have been circulating that there was a bit of ballot rigging in our own local elections last week and I suspect, indeed I hope, if evidence is provided there will be a full inquiry.

Bruce was at Walsall FC this weekend to present Walsall Football Club’s Community Programme with a cheque for £283,000 from the Football Foundation. The money will be used by the Community Programme for a three-year health and fitness programme. The “Walsall Winners” programme is supported by Walsall Football Club, local schools and the Primary Care Trust.

The presentation took place during the half-time interval of Walsall’s League One fixture against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, 5th April. Supporters witnessed the substantial cheque presentation, which was presented to Mick Kearns, Manager of the Walsall Football Club Community Programme.

The Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising the grass roots of the game. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and Government, the Football Foundation is the nation’s largest sports charity with a £45 million budget going straight into the heart of football.

Mr. Bruce George (Walsall, South) (Lab): Thank you, Mr. Caton. I am sorry that I arrived late. I have only heard three and a half speeches and, frankly, I am delighted that I arrived as late as did. I would have preferred it if, with your permission, I could have spoken without having listened. I find what has been said quite incredible in many respects.

I say with no disrespect to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) that, if the Labour party was in bed with an authoritarian party in a European institution, I would wonder whether I wished to remain in it. I wonder why the Council of Europe was in Russia anyway, observing what were obviously going to be fraudulent elections on an epic scale. Although the hon. Gentleman did not find any fraud in Vladivostok—I am not sure, because I have not been there—there could very well have been fraud at 92,000 other polling stations, because there was fraud on a systemic, epic basis.

People do not cheat at elections on election day if they have fixed the results beforehand, because the odd election observer will be running around and because they will, of course, know how many observers are on aircraft heading for Vladivostok or anywhere else. Therefore, in the five or six polling stations that anyone could visit we could be certain that were fraud going to be committed it would not be done in front of even a sympathetic ear and eye.

I headed a short-term observation mission to Russia four years ago at the Duma elections and said in my speech, which irritated the Russians, that those elections fell well short of international standards. I will not bore hon. Members with the details of why we reached our conclusions. When I was asked, as president of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, whether I would observe the following presidential elections, I said, “No, I’m not going to waste British taxpayers’ money, nor will the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, in attending not an election but a coronation.”

Mr. Wilshire: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

Mr. George: No, I have too little time in which to speak. I can speak to the hon. Gentleman afterwards.

It was obvious that the elections were going to be fraudulent. It offends me that an organisation for which I had the deepest respect—the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights—has been subject to a persistent and lengthy campaign of abuse in an attempt to diminish its competence and to eliminate it. I have chronicled this campaign in enormous detail, fortunately, in part, with the collusion of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

There was a systematic attempt to prevent proper election observation. Those responsible unilaterally deconstructed ODIHR’s methodology: they would not provide visas until a few days before the election and they would only allow 70 people to turn up. I said that there were 92,000 polling stations and, quite rightly, ODIHR refused to go under those conditions. But, of course, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, followed by or alongside the Council of Europe, went out and observed what were obviously going to be appalling elections.

When it came to the presidential elections, ODIHR was again prevented from observing. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly wisely and belatedly refused to dignify fraudulent elections with their attendance, but the Council of Europe went along on its own, with I do not know how many people. If all the people were as friendly towards the electoral process as the hon. Gentleman who has just spoken, I am surprised that they produced a critical report.

I am not anti-Russian. I went through the cold war. I tried my best after the cold war to engage with the Russians. Yes, it was a corrupt society and, yes, Yeltsin was a flawed character, but his regime was followed by another. That regime is proceeding in such a way that alarm bells are starting to ring for me if not for others. Not only are its elections fraudulent but it is almost a single-party state.

Legitimate candidates were barred from standing. One was barred because he did not have enough signatures: 3 million signatures were whittled down to below the minimum. Legitimate candidates, including Garry Kasparov, were prevented from attending. Zhirinovsky’s party, which is not an opposition party, was also there. One other guy stood—he was very much in the Putin camp—and even the other parties are well in the pocket of the Administration. I cannot see why we should be so nice, when Russia is doing something like that on that one front alone.

The Council of Europe has about 3,000 non-governmental organisations accredited to it. What has happened to Russian NGOs? They have been deliberately targeted for destruction. What about international NGOs? Their leaders and characters working with them have been beaten up. What about the BBC World Service and the British Council? What about the overflying or near overflying of British airspace by Russian aircraft? What about all the things that Russia is doing?

Hon. Members may say, “Fine. This is an independent state. They have had one hell of a history.” We can smile and say, “We’ll help you. If democracy comes in 300 years, we’ll be around to help you over that period.” I take a rather different view. If the Russians are playing as they are, we should not go back into a cold war on our side, but we should not be supine. Some countries are being supine, first, because they are natural apologists for anybody and, secondly, because they do not like a fight and prefer the Americans and the British, largely, to do it for them, if necessary.

I am sympathetic towards Georgia and its aspirations. Hon. Members have said that we should not mess in Russia’s backyard. Does that mean that if a sovereign nation was once part of the Soviet Union and wants to get the hell out of it, we can do nothing to assist it because it is in Russia’s backyard? Ukraine may have been the origin of Russia, but it wishes to leave Russia’s orbit.

I headed the short-term observation missions to the rose and orange revolutions three or four years ago. Putin worked hard to support Yanukovych, who was a pro-Russian candidate against the democratic candidates and the party led by Yushchenko and Tymoshenko. If Ukraine wants to join NATO, despite the fact that it is adjacent to Russia, and most Ukrainians do not want to be part of Russia, that is its sovereign right. Why consider the Russian position, but not the Ukrainian position? Why consider Russian self-interest, but not Georgian self-interest?

The Georgians make the third largest contribution of soldiers to NATO’s operations, and more than many countries that are part of NATO. They have overcome their problems of authoritarianism, and they are a consolidating democracy, not a consolidated democracy. Exports to Russia have been barred, travel has been greatly restricted, and two areas that are juridically part of Georgia—South Ossetia and Abkhazia—are in essence under Russian control. Do we say to the Russians, “Ah, as this was part of your empire, we will allow you to stop other countries that want to get away from you, and to make them play by your rules in perpetuity.”? The Russians are trying to destroy Georgia, and I could spend ages telling the Chamber how the Georgians are becoming more democratic, but they are not yet there. I observed the elections, which were not as good as I had hoped, but to compare the Georgian elections to the Russian elections, and to compare some bad municipal elections in Birmingham and perhaps half a dozen other cities—we know who did the cheating—to elections elsewhere, as though that indicates that as our elections are fraudulent we should close our eyes to massive fraud in Russian elections, is disingenuous. That is as polite as I can be.

I am glad that I shall finish speaking soon, because I am becoming madder and madder about what I have heard. We must try to engage with the Russians, but not on our knees. The argument by the hon. Member for Orpington (Mr. Horam) was like jumping into Dr. Who’s telephone kiosk and going back 25 years to listen to the Tribune-reading, left-wing John Horam trashing America and supporting Russia. If I had to make a decision on our security and where it lies in the next 10, 20 or 30 years, after Bush has gone, I would much prefer to have Europe closer to the United States than toadying up to the Russians.

I thank you for your indulgence, Mr. Caton. It is difficult for a Welshman to make a short speech. I should have congratulated the Committee on its excellent report. We must not become paranoid, but we know who our allies are. Putin is going along to see his mates in NATO. He knows who they are, and he knows who they put pressure on to be nice to Russia, and to keep Georgia out. We can all name those names. No doubt he will be given a warm welcome, and will be thanked for doing a wonderful job before going back.

The main beneficiary of the summit in Bucharest will be Russia, because it will have proven that the west has no bottle whatever and that it is prepared to lie down and to take any humiliation that is heaped upon it. Russia will find its allies all over the place and in many legislatures, and will have succeeded, with our collusion, in keeping Georgia out of NATO. That will be a good day’s work for the Russians, and a bad day’s work for those who acquiesce in that objective in foreign policy.
We must not be supine. We must work with our allies and defend our national interests, even if the Russians are doing us or our allies down. We must robustly defend our position. We must hope that the Russians will not substitute the red army for Gazprom and switch off oil and gas to our NATO and European allies. If I were asked whether they would do that, I would say, as a left-wing Labour Member of Parliament once said, “Why look into a crystal ball if the future can be read in a book?” Russia has done it. It has shut off oil and gas to Georgia and Ukraine, and even to its closest ally, Belarus. When will it be our turn?

I am not a cold warrior. I do not want the cold war to return, but nor do I want an attitude of indifference—or, rather, cravenness—to the Russians because they have a bad history. What about the bad Russian history that impinged on eastern and central Europe and other parts of the world? We must consider countries other than Russia, hope that they will become democratic, and help them as far as we can. But if they seek to damage our interests, I hope that this Government and any other Government will have the bottle to stand up for our interests and those of Europe and NATO.

We all love a good conspiracy theory. Most of them, however, turn out to be pure nonsense, nothing more than a rumour in circulation, or a theory given a big boost by the media or by someone constantly banging on about it. The obvious contender for the most prolific spreader of a dodgy story is Mohammed Al-Fayed and his theory about the death of his son and Princess Diana.

Hopefully, his constant and vocal re-telling of his version of how his beloved son and Princess Diana died will end with the inquest jury’s verdict, but I very much doubt it. Urban myths and conspiracies are as old as history. Some of the more notorious examples include the “faked” American landing on the Moon, the ridiculous claim that 9/11 was a US (or Israeli) government conspiracy, the endless theories surrounding the assassination of JFK, the claim that Paul McCartney died in 1966 has was replaced by an impersonator and of course the arrival of aliens in Roswell, New Mexico.

The problem with many of these myths and conspiracies is that they do very occasionally turn out to be true, or at least an element of them turns out to be true. John F. Kennedy had literally hundreds of lovers, one of whom was alleged to be Marilyn Monroe. This turned out to be absolutely true and this led many to believe, not unreasonably, that some of the conspiracies about his assassination were also true.

Like the Coroner, I am absolutely convinced that neither Prince Phillip, the Police, MI5 or MI6, or any other government agency, were in any way responsible for the tragic deaths of Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed. In order to satisfy Mohammed Al Fayed’s desire for vengeance (egged on by the media), the inquest has cost the taxpayer £10 million and that doesn’t include the cost of previous inquiries.

The inquest has heard from more than 250 witnesses. Before this inquest there had been a number of major inquiries, the largest, led by Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, concluded shortly before the inquest began. The Coroner’s inquiry has left few people in doubt about what he thinks about the claims. Speaking at the start of this week, he directed the jury to dismiss the conspiracy theories of Price Phillip ordering the Princess’ murder or that MI6 orchestrated the car crash. It is now for the jury to decide the final verdict. Having listened to the endless innuendo and accusations for over a decade, I’m sick of this bandwagon rolling on and on.

My view is quite conventional; their driver had a few drinks, he was driving too quickly through a Paris tunnel to escape the paparazzi (who the judge denounced as liars too) which was followed by an inevitable crash. We can all recall when and where we heard the tragic news. It is time to let Princess Diana, who had a number of connections with Walsall charities to rest in peace. This is most of all important for her beloved sons for whom it must be agonising to have even the most personal details of her life endlessly raked over, but it is also important for all the people everywhere who admired her. Mr Al-Fayed has promised to accept the verdict. I’ll believe it when it happens.

Bruce George MP, former President of the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly today welcomed the decision of the OSCE to reject an invitation to observe the upcoming Russian Presidential Election.

Speaking today he said “As a former President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and as someone who has headed 18 Short Term Observation Missions including the Russian Duma Elections in 2003 I have been following events in Russia very closely.

I am saddened that Russia is continuing its policy of preventing long term professional observation of their elections. This follows their obstructionism prior to the Duma Elections last year. ODIHR is the very highly respected election observation arm of the OSCE (of which Russia is a member) but the conditions Russia imposed made it impossible for any self respecting election observation mission to accept. ODIHR tried very hard to persuade the Russian Electoral Commission (in reality the Russian President) to allow them to do their professional job, but in the end were forced to withdraw. I am delighted too that unlike the Parliamentary elections in 2007 the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has declined to attend.

Every man and his dog knows how far short the Russian parliamentary elections fell below international standards. The so-called Presidential “elections” have been fixed well in advance. What will pass for an election will in effect be more of a coronation and a squalid one at that.”

I’ve campaigned over the years to protect the Green Belt; it goes without saying that urban areas like ours need open space. Developers have their own agenda and no doubt some have already cast their eyes over the site of Three Crowns School. I urge residents of Walsall to protest strongly should the Council give permission to build on the site. I would prefer the existing buildings to be used by a school, but certainly not violating the green belt.

Those Walsall residents who were in the “Land Army” in the Second World War will be pleased to have heard the government is to honour them and acknowledge their contribution during the Second World War with a badge of recognition. Those Walsall residents who believe they are eligible for the award can either apply via the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/working/wla/index.htm or if they would like assistance in applying they can contact my office.

I attended a poignant ceremony in the Art Gallery last Saturday to mark Holocaust Day. History is filled with barbaric acts of mass brutality and killing, cities and towns laid waste and their populations butchered. The twentieth century was filled with examples. The deliberate murder of millions by Stalin; the Nazi mass-murdering of Jews; Rwanda, Congo, and now Darfur. We live in supposedly more civilised times. Could it happen again? Of course it could, and the international community has to do more than wring its hands, send a few hundred peacekeepers or have people write to the Guardian. We have to do better.

We have to do better to raise educational standards too. The recent OFSTED report on Darlaston Community Science College was horrendous. It’s difficult to change in a couple of years the neglect of decades. Everyone concerned with the school should carry around on their person a copy of that report to remind them what needs to be done. When OFSTED come back in six months they will expect to see progress and again six months later. That’s the real crunch point, with severe consequences for failure. I personally will give both Education Walsall and Darlaston Community Science College all the support I can. One possible solution for the school is academy status. I’m very wary until I know more about where the money would be coming from and who’s giving it. I’d be reluctant for the local authority to wash its hands of the school by letting somebody else pick up the pieces. There has to be a very wide debate where local views are solicited. I’m in the same dilemma on fairly similar moves to change the status of local hospitals where they become foundation trusts.

Bruce George MP celebrates achievements of young people in Walsall South who have received an award in the Help Yourselves scheme at special awards ceremony in Westminster.

Bruce said, “I am delighted that the Walsall Street Teams’ Jigsaw Project have been recognised for their work. They ran a successful series of workshops to engage group of vulnerable young women most of whom are now back in education or work. The success of this pilot led to Walsall Street Team making it a permanent piece of their work.

“It is a great example of how young people can make a difference in their local community. Other young people should think about what they can do in their community and apply for an award through the Save the Children and British Gas Help Yourselves scheme. It’s a great opportunity to make a difference.”

Bruce has also added his name to an Early Day Motion expressing concern about the plight of young people in deprived areas; welcoming the awards scheme and calling on the Government to do more to support young people living in deprived areas. He will also be visiting the scheme in his constituency later this month.

Save the Children and British Gas teamed up to create ‘Help Yourselves’ – a small grants scheme aimed at empowering and engaging children and young people who actively wanted to make a difference to their lives and the lives of their community. Help Yourselves was launched in 2005 and since then over 180 grants of £1,000 or £3,000 have been given to groups of vulnerable children and young people to do something proactive to make their lives and communities better.

‘Help Yourselves’ was created especially for young people. It provides the opportunities and advice they need to change and improve their quality of life by being actively involved in making changes to the communities in which they live.

Roxane Brown, Manager of Help Yourselves at Save the Children said, “Save the Children is very excited about celebrating the outstanding achievements of young people at this awards ceremony. We hope it will also encourage more people to get involved with the scheme as it goes from strength to strength in 2008. The Help Yourselves grants encourage children living in deprived areas to actively participate in making changes within their communities and to their lives. Save the Children particularly welcomes applications from groups who may face discrimination and disadvantage in society because of issues relating to, for example, geography, gender, ethnicity or disability. ”

The awards ceremony also marks the start of the next stage of Help Yourselves - where bigger grants are going to be given out during 2008. The new phase will include 40 awards of £1000, 8 awards of £5000 and 3 awards of £10,000 - all of which will help children themselves set up lasting projects in their communities and really have a say in what goes on in their lives.

The Prime Minister took time out of his schedule this week to meet Bruce George MP. The meeting was called by the PM to discuss his forthcoming trip to China and India. Gordon Brown wanted to hear the views of Bruce George and a small group of Members of Parliament on the issues to be raised during the trip.

The PM outlined the objectives for the visit including making the UK the European partner of choice for Indian and Chinese trade investment; to work with India and China on the big global challenges from poverty to climate change; to promote new English language initiatives in both countries; to build sporting and cultural links and to discuss reform of the global institutions from the UN to the World Bank.

Gordon Brown said afterwards “I had an extremely useful discussion with Bruce George MP. He emphasised to me the importance of our relations with India and China and the many links between families in his constituency and family members in both countries. We discussed the importance of trade and investment links with both India and China, and development in India. We also spoke about the power of education to transform women’s lives, and therefore the lives of families and communities. I will take forward a number of issues he raised with me and report back on my return.”

Bruce George said today “It was a very useful meeting and I raised a number of issues which I hope will be helpful. I hope the Prime Minister will visit other countries in the sub-continent in the not-too distant future, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Indian sub-continent is becoming more and more important, and there are a large number of people in Walsall South who follow events there very closely. I very much hope that elections will proceed in Pakistan and that democracy will develop in the region.”

I’ve had a Parliamentary recess of contrasts. Most people will think it has been holiday time; quite the reverse. I’ve had a very busy programme. Before Christmas I visited Alumwell Junior School to attend a farewell ceremony for an immensely popular teacher John Oaker. It was a very moving ceremony, there were a number of speeches eulogising him. John has only ever taught in one school, Alumwell, and has done so for 40 years. It was his first and only job. He brought pupils down to Parliament, usually 90 in a week, for 35 years introducing young people to Westminster and London. When people criticise education they must always remember the enormous contribution being made by the likes of John.

On the theme of education during the recess I also visited Walsall College. I’ve been going to the College periodically for 35 years. The building is typical of the late 1950s, it’s clapped out and it’s about to be demolished. What will replace it will be a magnificent and well worthy of our town. Nearby there is being built an amazing complex for very high tech companies and the college should supply the computer specialists for this 21st century industry. Walsall is often associated with traditional industries, but the way for the future is to retain what we do well, but simultaneously move to a new dimension.

Elections have been very much on my mind. We are witnessing the chaos and bloodshed in Kenya, with possibly up to 1,000 killed. You may recall that I have headed a number of election observation missions. At the time of writing I am returning from Georgia, in the Caucasus having monitored the recent Presidential elections. They took place two days before the Georgian Orthodox Christmas. It was a very contentious election and two days after there is still some doubt over the winner. I’m glad our elections are not as controversial and very hotly fought, in every sense of the word.

May I wish my constituents in Walsall South and the people of wider Walsall the very best wishes for 2008 – and well beyond. I know it may seem slightly absurd but I would like to express similar sentiments to the town.

Many good things are just about to happen in Walsall – a much enlarged hospital, a new Walsall College, premises for High Tech companies, substantial town centre redevelopments and many other regeneration projects will change the face of our town for the better.

Over the last year or so there have also been substantial improvements in the local governance, particularly in the field of education and housing, which have largely been taken away from the Council’s responsibility.

Walsall has been a bit of a backwater, totally overshadowed by Birmingham and even by some of our smaller neighbours. The signs however are very positive and I would like to thank all of those in government, both locally and nationally, the public and private sectors, and many other groups who are helping to make Walsall a town for the Twenty First Century.

Bruce George MP has for many years been fighting the cause of constituents who experience difficulties in selling their properties due to the proximity of mineshafts.

Bruce has had a number of meetings with the Coal Authority and recently launched a further campaign, nationally and locally, in order to ascertain from local estate agents, valuers and mortgage lenders what their policy was in relation to this matter.

Bruce George said “The response to date has been poor - regrettably a number of building societies and banks whom I have written to have not responded. There appears to be a difference of opinion amongst valuers, some feel that mineshafts do not have appreciable affect on value of properties whilst others think that their presence makes the property unmortgagable. Prospective buyers also have difficulty in securing insurance, therefore, no insurance results in no mortgage! However, in September 2003 the Coal Authority introduced interpretive mining reports and an insurance scheme. It is my view that Building Societies, Banks, Valuers should accept the Coal Authority’s assurances as they actually under-write any insurance that is needed when properties blighted by mineshafts are being sold.

I have written again to a number of Building Societies and Banks in order to question their policy on this very important issues that is affecting a number of my constituents particularly those who live in the Darlaston and Moxley areas. However the problem is geographically greater than these two areas.”

Bruce George MP visited the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum and again was extremely impressed with the excellent service they are providing.

Regrettably domestic abuse affects 1 in 4 of all women. This indicates that there may be many Walsall women may currently be suffering abuse from a “loved on”. Walsall Domestic Violence Forum provides victims of domestic abuse with the support and practical assistance they need in order to ensure the safety of themselves and their children.

Bruce George said “I applaud the work that the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum is doing. They provide a first class service. However, I am well aware that this service has been funded through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund via the Safer Walsall Borough Partnership but this funding ceases in March 2008. It is crucial, therefore, that Walsall Council and Walsall Safer Borough Partnership provide the necessary funding so that this vital service continues. They must decide now that the Walsall Domestic Violence Forum has priority for funding as through their efforts and the agencies they work with they can reduce domestic abuse in Walsall, reduce the number of repeat incidents and increase the number of offenders brought to justice. I urge them not to leave it to the last minute to make a decision.

The Council appear to be saying the priority will be on prevention of violence which could leave the forum with no role as it as if focuses its work on the consequences of violence and assisting the victims.”

Bruce George MP has written to Walsall Council on behalf of constituents who are wheelchair users’, and Taxi Drivers regarding hackney vehicles located on Bridge Street.

Walsall Council has allocated the right hand side of Bridge Street, facing Sister Dora for the black cabs but users’ and drivers are firmly of the view that this has numerous risks for both passengers and vehicles.

Bruce George said “The major problem arises when the drivers have to pick from, or drop off, at Bridge Street. Most black cabs have been manufactured in such a way that the wheelchair facilities are located on the left hand side of the vehicle. The ramps have to be use and, therefore, this creates an immediate danger and safety hazard as the left side door is the one which opens on to the on-coming traffic.

Bridge Street is very busy and is a main route for buses and vans delivering in this vicinity. The danger posed to the passenger and the driver, who is pushing the wheelchair from off the main street on to the ramp and then into the cab, is enormous. Businesses located on the right hand side of Bridge Street have also complained about the emissions from the cabs. I am at a loss to understand how the Council decided that the right hand side of Bridge Street was the appropriate area to locate the black cabs. Did they consult the taxi drivers? Did they take into account the needs of wheelchair users’ when they used the black cabs? It would make more sense to locate the taxi rank on the left hand side of Bridge Street thus causing no danger or difficulties to drivers and more importantly wheelchair users’.

This will be my last column before Christmas, I shall be spending most of it at home in Walsall. I am certain my telephone will ring with people requesting information or assistance and I shall be making visits throughout the constituency. I always pay tribute to those many Walsall people who will be spending much of the Christmas and New Year period at work. I’m thinking in particular of the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services, those working in the Health Service, the Entertainment and Sporting Industry, transport and many others. To them I want to say thank you very much for what you are about to do.

The government published last week a very important report on Cancer Services. Despite considerable improvement in prevention and treatment, which is reflected in much better statistics in terms of those surviving, the situation is simply not good enough. The new strategy will place greater emphasis on prevention and as such the Government will look at how to make progress in helping people to quit smoking.

I have a particular interest in Skin complaints. I chair the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin. It used to be thought that Skin cancer was mainly a problem of Australians enjoying the plentiful sun, but the number of cases in the UK is worryingly high. Particularly concerning are the high incidences of malignant melanoma, the number of cases continues to rise so much so that it is now one of the UK’s fastest growing types of cancer. The government and the group I chair are particularly worried about the existence of unlicensed and in some cases lethal tanning salons. While I believe in everything in moderation, there are many cases where people are using these facilities too often. There are too many cases of people roasting themselves under the sun either on the beach or by working outside without shirts. All of this increases your risk of getting cancer.

The Big Lottery Fund has been running a competition to give away £50 Million of lottery money to one of four projects around the country. One of these projects is in our region – the ‘Black Country as an Urban Park’ project. The Urban Park project seeks to integrate natural and urban environments and will utilise the potential of the area’s natural, built and historic assets. The voting lasted for a week; I voted for the fund and I hope many of you voted as well. We will now have to wait to see whether the region has won this massive investment.