From: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.com Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P.

#401 Date: 2 May 2014 13:38 To: news@greghands.com

In this edition:
Greg Hands M.P.s Diary Website of the Week: www.hfconservatives.com Greg Hands accuses Tube strikers of economic sabotage Economy on the Mend: Local MP, Greg Hands, Welcomes UK Growth rate passing 3% Five reasons to re-elect a Conservative Council in H&F Make Sure Youre Registered to Vote this year Appeal for Support from the British Taekwondo National Champion Hands in the papers: This is a wake-up call to the RMT: Union bosses dont have the clout they think says senior Tory as London Underground strike action fails to grind city to a halt with 90% of Oyster users able to travel How to contact Greg Hands M.P.

Issue 401 -Friday 2nd May 2014

Since the last edition, Greg:

Met senior management of the Royal Marsden Hospital about their quest to expand their facilities at or around their site in Chelsea. Voted to proceed with the new North-South railway, HS2, in the House of Commons. Carried out his duties as the Conservative Party and Governments Deputy Chief Whip. Held a regular, weekly, advice surgery for local Chelsea and Fulham residents, at Fulham Library, on Fulham Road, close to Parsons Green tube. Gregs surgeries are generally weekly, on Monday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones, Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, email mail@greghands.com or telephone 020 7219 5448.

Website of the Week:

www.hfconservatives.com
The website of the Hammersmith & Fulham Conservatives campaign to win the Council and European elections on Thursday, 22nd May. With less than three weeks to Polling Day, its time to get involved and keep Hammersmith & Fulham Conservative!

Greg Hands accuses Tube strikers of economic sabotage

Following London facing two days of disruption on the Underground network, Chelsea and Fulham MP, Greg Hands, has come out in support of fellow commuters, and accused the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union of 'holding Londoners to ransom' with their strike. Hammersmith & Fulham, according to the most recent census, has more Tube users than any other Borough in Britain, so the strike was bound to be disruptive to Gregs constituents. During the union led walk out nearly all lines on the Underground system were affected, including local District Line services, where the Richmond branch was closed, as well as Sloane Square station, and Fulham Broadway was closed on Tuesday. Greg Hands said: This is economic sabotage from militant trade unionists holding my constituents and Londoners in general to ransom. And all, it seems, in an effort to prove their leftist credentials in advance of a leadership election. Greg was able to get to the House of Commons from his home in Fulham on the days, using either the bus or the Tube, and was impressed with the resolve shown by thousands of his constituents determined to beat the strike. Hard working Londoners and commuters faced similar disruption in February this year, when RMT workers again went on strike in opposition to plans by London Underground (LU) and the Mayor to modernise the Tube network. The Mayor of London and LU set out plans for the future of the Tube at the end of last year. They hope this will include a 24 hours service at weekends, move station staff away from ticket offices to help customers on platforms and ticket halls, and improve customers experience and safety. The RMT are opposed to London Underground plans to close 260 ticket offices with the possible loss of 950 jobs. The union and London Underground have met more than 40 times through the arbitration service Acas since the last 48-hour strike in February, but talks broke down on Monday. Greg praised travellers for their patience and perseverance during the disruption as well as all TfL and London Underground workers who help keep the network running. He said via Twitter on Tuesday: Well done to the large number of Tube and bus workers at work today, keeping London's economy moving!, and added on Wednesday Another day of Tube strikes. My constituents are defiant against the RMT wreckers selfishly jostling for position to succeed Bob Crow...Am told that almost 90% of Oyster cards were used yesterday, showing the strike is being defied! Well done to all Tube staff working today! Transport for London said 50% of services were running compared to about 40% during the February walkout. London Underground has said it plans to run as many services as possible, supplemented extra bus and river services TfL said about 87% of Oyster cards that would usually be seen on the network were used on Tuesday, and there were almost 8,000 buses on the roads - the most ever operated in London - after an extra 266 were put into service. These included 40 vintage buses including the green Regent Mark III built in the 1950s. It also said there has been a 70% increase in Barclays cycle hires.

Economy on the Mend: Local MP, Greg Hands, Welcomes UK Growth rate passing 3%
Chelsea and Fulham MP, Greg Hands, has welcomed the UKs improving economic performance as new figures show annual growth in the country exceeding 3%. The figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, show that this is the fifth consecutive period of growth for the UK economy, something which has not been achieved since 2007, before Labour's Great Recession. Growth in the final quarter of last year was 0.7%, so not only is the economy growing, but at 0.8% this quarter the rate of growth is also increasing. Greg Hands said: These numbers are a boost for the economic security of hardworking people. This is great news for families my constituency and for those in work or trying to get in to work, as it will lead to further job creation. A growing economy means businesses are creating jobs, helping more people benefit from the security and stability of a regular pay cheque. Detailed analysis of the figures also reveals good news from the UKs key sectors. Output increased in three of the four main industrial groupings within the economy in Q1 2014, compared with Q4 2013. Output increased by 0.9% in services, 0.8% in manufacturing and 0.3% in construction. Only output in agriculture decreased, by 0.7%, which is a normally expected feature of the winter months. The services sector grew 2.7 per cent in the year to February 2014. The Index of Services increased by 2.7 per cent from February 2013 to 2014, up 0.2 per cent from January 2013. There was growth in all the four main components of the services industries, with the largest contribution made by business services and finance. However whilst the economic figures have been welcomed by the Conservative-led Government, the Labour Party have sought to overlook the figures, and deny that the recovery is working. During Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, just one day after the figures were published, neither Ed Miliband nor any of his backbench MPs asked a question on the GDP numbers. Greg Added: The stronger the economy is under this Government, the less Labour want to talk about it. For the first time in a decade all three main sectors of the economy - manufacturing, services and construction - have grown by at least three per cent in the last year. These figures show that Britain is coming back - but we cant take that for granted. We have to carry on working through our long term economic plan. Labour are seeking to do down the economy and ignore this good news, but they can hide from the fact that they created this economic mess that the Coalition are now fixing.

Make Sure Youre Registered to Vote this year

Residents are being reminded they need to make sure they are on the register of electors by May 6 in order to vote in the upcoming elections. You can apply to be added to the register or have your details amended at any time but you must do so before the deadline. The next elections scheduled to take place in Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) and Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) are the combined Council and European Parliamentary elections on Thursday May 22, 2014. All councillors are facing the public vote on May 22 with each of the two boroughs wards electing up to three councillors in the poll. To be included on the register of electors you need to fill in a voter registration form paying your council tax, or being signed up for other council services, doesnt automatically mean that your name is included. Registering to vote is easier than you may think, all you have to do is complete the registration form and send it back to us. If you do not register, you can't vote and have your say on important issues that affect you. says H&F Returning Officer Jane West. I would encourage anyone who wants to make their voice heard to check the details we have sent and get back to us as soon as possible. If you know that you are eligible and you haven't yet registered, you can download a voter registration form for H&F here and for RBKC here. If in doubt call the electoral registration hotline on 020 8753 4466 or email electoral.services@lbhf.gov.uk. H&F has one of the most transient populations in Britain with around 30,000 people moving into the borough and another 30,000 moving out every year. Despite this, H&F has traditionally registered a very high percentage of people onto the electoral roll normally well over 90%.

Appeal for Support from the British Taekwondo National Champion

Julia Wrigglesworth is the current British Taekwondo National Champion in the -53 kilogram category. Julia lives and works full time in London, and trains at the Taekwondo Tigers club in our constituency. Julias recent success at the National Championships means that she is now eligible to fulfil her dreams of competing at the European and World Championships, and ultimately the Olympic Games. To support herself, Julia works full time, but unfortunately this is not enough to cover the expenses of training and competing. Julia says, I am fully dedicated, and there is now nothing left for me to be able to sacrifice and so I need some help. I am at the stage where I need a leg up to help me get to the next level and reach my full potential and ambition. Julia is looking for sponsorship to help cover the cost of equipment, additional training, and nutrition and competition costs. Working full time means that Julia often has to forego sleep in order to make time for training something which is far from ideal for an elite athlete, and so any support which would allow her to reduce her working hours would also be greatly appreciated. Julias media profile has risen significantly since winning the British National Championships, which could provide excellent exposure for any potential sponsor, but this also represents a real opportunity to provide support and opportunity for a talented young person and a tangible way to shore up the 2012 Olympic legacy. Anyone wishing to sponsor Julia or wanting to find out more can contact her directly on 07716 258494 or at julia.wrigglesworth@hotmail.co.uk.

Hands in the papers:

This is a wake-up call to the RMT: Union bosses dont have the clout they think says senior Tory as London Underground strike action fails to grind city to a halt with 90% of Oyster users able to travel
Daily Mail Wednesday 30th April 2014 Londoners have defied the RMT's 'farcical and pointless attempt to hold the city to ransom' with a tube strike, by instead taking buses, cycling and driving to and from work today. Conservative vice-party chairman Bob Neill told MailOnline that the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union 'doesn't have the clout it used to have' after nearly 90 per cent of the usual number of Oyster cards were used in London today. And tonight as travellers on their way home queued for overcrowded buses, London Underground said it had still managed to run half of all Tube services, and two thirds of Tube stations were open. Services were expected to finish earlier tonight, with trains not due to run beyond 11pm, and some lines grinding to a halt even earlier with the last trains leaving central London as early as 9.30pm. A similar level of service was expected to be in place tomorrow as the walkout entered its second day. Mr Neill added: 'The RMT, who have been used to trying to hold London to ransom for a long time, dont have the clout they used to think they have. Londoners have voted with their feet and their Oysters cards and thats a big wake-up call for the RMT.' With more commuters walking or cycling to work, the first day of the RMT's 48-hour strike - described as 'economic sabotage' by politicians - forced many to change their travel plans but did little to bring the city to a halt. Only one Tube line was suspended entirely, and the Northern Line, the DLR and London Overground trains ran as usual, while a restricted service was operating on the others. The RMT began their 48-hour walkout at 9pm yesterday as a protest at plans to close Tube ticket offices, and another three-day strike is planned for next week. A TfL spokesman told MailOnline that the strike is expected to be 'broadly the same' tomorrow, with some lines and stations open. Senior Tories said the strike was economic sabotage, and called on Labour leader Ed Miliband to stand up to the unions. Deputy chief whip Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, told MailOnline: This is economic sabotage from militant trade unionists holding my constituents and Londoners in general to ransom. 'And all, it seems, in an effort to prove their leftist credentials in advance of a leadership election. Meanwhile the Prime Minister took to Twitter to condemn the strike, saying: 'It is unacceptable that millions of people are having their lives disrupted by today's Tube strike in London.' Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, added: These strikes are threatening growth in the powerhouse of the capital and Ed Milibands reaction to them has been weak. 'Its high time he stood up to trade union barons and put hardworking commuters above politics, in the interests of the economic security. 'Eds too weak to stand up to the unions, which means hell never be able to stand up for the country. London Underground said it was running services on nine lines despite the 'pointless strike'. LU managing director Mike Brown said: 'Thousands of staff and volunteers are working hard this morning to keep London working and our customers informed in the face of this pointless strike. 'More London Underground staff have come to work this morning than during the strike back in February, and a record number of London buses are operating.' There were more than 8,000 buses on the roads - the most ever operated in London - after an extra 266 were put into service. Large queues built up as early rush-hour passengers waited until 7am for the first Tube trains to run. At Euston station in north London, customers crowded around the entrance to the Underground, waiting for the gates to open, while on the Victoria line, where trains normally run every two minutes, there was only a 10-minute service once trains began running. At Victoria station in central London, passengers pouring off mainline trains were confronted with a wall of people waiting for Tube services. Business groups joined the Tories in warning the strikes will cost the capital's economy millions of pounds as productivity is crippled by workers arriving late or unable to get to work at all. But the union defended its action, saying the planned closure of ticket offices will cost hundreds of job losses and threaten safety. London Underground, however, maintains that staff would be better employed on station concourses as only 3 per cent of tickets are bought at ticket offices. The company, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, attacked the strike, which will cause huge disruption for commuters and other travellers. The Mayor said: 'The idea that this is a solidly-supported strike is farcical. This action is the result of a minority of just one union, the RMT, who are refusing to see the logic of what we are trying to achieve. 'We have got more staff out on the network than we did before, more services running and two thirds of stations open and I am very grateful to London Underground workers who have come out to keep the capital moving.' He added: 'There are no compulsory redundancies, no-one who wants to play a part in the future of the Tube will lose their job as a result of our plans. 'I urge the RMT leadership to do the right thing - get back around the table, not the wrong thing - muscle flexing in the race for the RMT leadership. 'Start thinking about hard working Londoners and small businesses across the capital and call off this pointless strike.' Transport for London ran 7,961 buses today, 266 more than usual, with around 40 vintage buses among them. The green AEC (Associated Equipment Company) Regent Mark III was brought back to help ferry people across the capital, alongside some Routemasters. Built in the 1950s, the Regent Mark III was the forerunner of the red jump-on, jump-off, driver-and-conductor Routemasters, which became a symbol of London in the last half of the 20th century. In a separate row over jobs, pay and cuts, the RMT also launched a 48-hour strike from 3am today on the Heathrow Express. A spokesman for Heathrow Express said: 'Despite the strike reducing the company's available workforce from 450 to 150, our trains between Paddington and Heathrow are running as scheduled today, thanks to the hard work and commitment of our reservist staff.' 'Despite the spin from LU, nothing that they are proposing is about "modernisation". The current plans, closing every ticket office and axing nearly 1,000 safety-critical jobs, is solely about massive austerity cuts driven centrally by David Cameron and his Government and implemented by Mayor Boris Johnson. 'RMT could have recommended the suspension of this strike action if LU had responded positively to our proposal to halt the implementation of these savage cuts, stopping the dire impact they would have the length and breadth of London Underground.' Mr Johnson said: 'I urge the RMT to call off this pointless strike and get back round the table with London Underground and the three other unions who've chosen not to strike. 'It seems the RMT leadership is set against modernisation and has no fresh ideas of its own. 'More than 600 people have asked for voluntary redundancy and yet, without consulting any of their own members the RMT is suddenly insisting that London Underground halt this process. 'Despite dozens of meetings over several months the RMT chose only on Friday to make fresh demands. It seems they are more interested in fighting over the leadership of the RMT than the interests of their members. 'Commuters and businesses will suffer because a few narrow minded union barons are currently flexing their muscles in a fight for the leadership of a union where just 30% of members support a strike.' Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, said: 'The RMT leadership appear to remain implacably opposed to the modernisation of the Tube that will radically improve customer service and help us keep fares down. 'For example, at our busiest stations, there will be nearly a third more staff visible and available to provide, on a permanent basis, the faceto-face customer service we offered during the London 2012 Games. 'Visitors to London and people with disabilities will be better looked after than ever before. 'Safety and security will never be compromised. Safety is not controlled from ticket offices but by station supervisors and dedicated control rooms. This will continue. 'Fairness to our staff is also guaranteed. There will be no compulsory redundancies, there is a job for all staff wanting to remain with us and no one will lose pay as a result of change. 'We have also made significant changes to our original proposals after listening to staff and unions in over 40 meetings, including agreeing that supervisors will not need to "reapply for their jobs". 'However, the RMT leadership continues to say "no" to everything, and they also appear in the context of these changes to be opposed to giving our staff the option of voluntary redundancy. 'Only the RMT leadership know the real motivations behind their actions, but it is infuriating that London's commuters and businesses are the ones who are being forced to pay the price with five days of utterly pointless and disruptive strikes. 'We have asked all the trade unions to continue talking to us this week and we hope that they continue to do so.' Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group, said: 'This is a totally unnecessary strike which will have devastating impact for London's economy and create the greatest disruption for ordinary Londoners, such as teachers and nurses. 'The cause of this strike is a dubious mix of poor leadership by London Underground management and a leadership battle within the RMT positioning for strike action.' The strikes are being held ahead of a May Day rally in London on Thursday in memory of RMT leader Bob Crow, who died in March. Heathrow Express said its trains will run every 30 minutes from 6.10am until after 10pm today and tomorrow despite the strike reducing the company's available workforce from 450 to 150. Keith Greenfield, managing director of Heathrow Express, said: 'Despite the RMT executive pressing ahead with an ill-advised strike that potentially reduces our available workforce from 450 to 150, we will maintain a good service for our customers for as long as industrial action lasts. 'A strike is not the answer. It will increase costs when we are trying to reduce them, taking us further away from what we need to do to secure our business for the future. 'The RMT's decision to strike ignores the changes Heathrow Express has already made to its proposals, including a revised pay offer for frontline employees extending three years ahead. 'We told the RMT executive that this revised offer will be withdrawn if a strike goes ahead, but they chose to press ahead despite a worse outcome for their members.'

5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:

By Phone: By email: By post: In person: 020 7219 5448 mail@greghands.com Greg Hands M.P. House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Click here for details of how to book an appointment at Greg Hands M.P.s weekly surgery

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