What's happening this week

The coming week is a busy one:

• 14 FEB - East and West branch meetings - check with your branch secretaries
• 15 FEB - Housing Interest Group - message from Peter Woodrow: "We are reviving the Housing Interest Group. The first meeting will be held on Tuesday 15th February at 7pm in Room 7 at the Town Hall. Marie Pye, our Cabinet Portfolio Holder, will give an update on the housing situation in Waltham Forest. We will then discuss how the Council should react and what can be done to minimise the harm to our residents."
• 16 FEB - LGC meeting, 23 Orford Road 8pm, delegates have voting rights
• 17 FEB - CLP AGM, 23 Orford Road 8pm, new list of delegates have voting rights

 

and next month don't forget:

26 MAR - TUC 'march for the alternative' in london - watch out for news soon of our CLP plans to march with the banner!

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week

• Monday 14 February asking about the impact of housing benefit reforms in Department of Work and Pension questions and then attending the first meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education, which I vice-chair. The group was launched last month and its aims are closely linked to the campaign to end legal loan sharking.
• Tuesday 15 February attending the Public Accounts Committee to examine the BBC’s digital media initiative.
• Wednesday 16 February participating in the Public Accounts Committee’s discussion of banking support.
• Thursday 17 February participating in the question time for Business, Innovation and Skills to ask ministers why they are delaying action on tackling legal loan sharking.

 

BSF Judicial Review update

More from Waltham Forest council leader Chris Robbins: "Judicial Review: Unfortunately I am unable to give you any additional information as we still await the judges decision. Last week was taken up with the presentation of the case by all 6 boroughs and on the Friday the government were given an opportunity to respond. Hopefully we will get an announcement next week."

Tackling Legal Loan sharking Debate - Update from Stella Creasy

Following the work that we have been doing on this issue in Walthamstow for some months, this week I brought before parliament a motion to secure action to cap the costs of credit and so tackle the problems caused by legal loan sharking. Against a well funded high cost credit industry campaign against these proposals, we had the support of a wide range of organisations including the Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Focus, the Church Poverty Action Group, Compass, the GMB, Unison, The Co-operative movement and the Better Banking Coalition. Within parliament we also secured widespread support from MPs across parliament including within the Conservative and Liberal Democrat backbenches for these proposals.You can find some of the press coverage – including the discussions I took part in on BBC breakfast news and on the Today programme – as well as an article I wrote about the politics of this proposal here.

Despite the matter being brought as a backbench issue, the Government threatened to vote down the idea by using its majority. Consequently, an amendment was tabled by them which watered down these ideas, seeking only that Government be asked to consider caps rather than introduce them. The Government also today used parliamentary procedure to prevent the second reading of the bill I have drafted with these proposals. It will come back before parliament for consideration again on the 14 October 2011.  

Despite the actions of the ministers yesterday, I believe we are making progress in pushing for action to tackle legal loan sharking. Yesterday the vast majority of speakers in the debate from all parties set out their agreement with this proposal and called on the Government to support them even if they were being made to vote against them. I will continue to work with colleagues from across parliament and all those who are supporting these plans to increase the pressure on the Government to act. You can find the full transcript of the debate including my speech where I raised what these companies do to our community and pledged that we would not forgive or forget if Ministers fail to act to protect the poorest consumers here. Having committed to Walthamstow residents when I was elected that I would seek to act on the causes of poverty and debt in our society I want to reassure residents that I will not give up in seeking progress on this matter. I also want to thank all of you who have helped so far in this campaign. 

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week

• Monday 7 February participating in questions to the Secretary of State for Education
• Tuesday 8 February participating in the Public Accounts Committee discussion on banking support, then the second reading of the Education Bill and chairing the All Party Group on Youth Affairs discussion on the National Citizens Service
• Wednesday 9 February participating in the Public Accounts Committee discussion on the Thames Gateway
• Thursday 10 February meeting with representatives of the Waltham Forest Hazara community and then addressing the London Young Labour forum along with Ken Livingstone and Sadiq Khan MP
• Friday 11 February appearing on the Daily Politics show and then hosting an expert advice session for Walthamstow community groups on asset management followed by an appointment only advice surgery for local residents. To book an appointment please call 020 8521 1223.
• Sunday 13 February attending the Lea Bridge Road Mosque celebration of the prophet’s birthday and dropping into the Over 60s afternoon tea in the stow event at St Michael’s Church Hall. Details below.

Stella Creasy MP - her attempt to regulate loan sharks in Parliament - storify.com

Stella Creasy MP - her attempt to regulate loan sharks in Parliament - storify.com

BSF Judicial Review update

More from Waltham Forest council leader Chris Robbins: "We are now [Friday] into the fifth day of the case. The first day was referred to as reading day which set out all of the paper work and since Tuesday all of the six boroughs have been presenting evidence to the judge. It is expected that the Government's case will be completed today but it is unlikely that a decision will be made until late next week or the week after. This of course is subject to the usual health warning that the judge could present at any time he wishes. . . . .  we are now in unknown territory where we will just keep our fingers crossed and hope for a fair result. 

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week

 

• Monday 31 January attending the launch of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Youth, which I am vice-chairing.
• Tuesday 1 February going to the Public Accounts Committee to investigate how the Department for Work and Pensions deals with customer error.
• Wednesday 2 February attending the Public Accounts Committee to look at the Treasury’s asset protection procedures, and participating in a House of Commons debate to try to change the Government’s decision to sell off our national forests.
• Thursday 3 February leading a debate in the House of Commons on capping the amount that legal loan sharks can charge for credit (see below for more details of the loan shark campaign), and also attending a debate on the Government’s policy to cut legal aid.
• Friday 4 February hopefully having the second reading of my Consumer Credit (Regulation and Advice) Bill in the House of Commons, if parliamentary procedure allows it and attending the Walking Proud in East London exhibition at Vestry House Museum (details below).

Coming up this week

Monday 24 January


BSF Judicial Review (- from Leader Chris Robbins' weekly report):

". . . the BSF judicial review . . .is due to take place from Monday 24 January. The key points of this review are:

1/ The government withdrew in excess of £25M
2/ 19 schools have been affected, 17 secondary and 2 primary
3/ The government took no steps to speak to Waltham Forest to find out what the effect of the withdrawal of BSF money would have
4/ No alternative proposals have been put to our borough to replace the BSF programme
5/ Waltham Forest needs to find 500 extra places in secondary places in schools by 2015 and BSF was going to answer that problem
6/ We had already spent £17M on land acquisition, preparing design work and holding public consultation which we can ill afford to spend

We have strong support from the schools community and from our residents to pursue this review as it is the only option open to us. 5 other boroughs are also taking the same action."


Thursday 27th - Walthamstow CLP General Committee meeting - more details on the calendar page