Do the decent thing, break these pointless strikes, and turn up to work
Posted by GLA Conservatives in Letters
Brace yourselves Londoners, the unions are once again threatening Tube strikes from Tuesday, this time lasting for eight days. In the 21st century it is ridiculous that we have a system that encourages militant trade union bosses to behave in this way – despite their members getting decent pay, generous pensions and free travel for flatmates. We urgently need to replace public transport strikes with independent judge-led mediation to protect commuters from this ongoing misery. If you're a power worker on the London Underground, I urge you to do the decent thing, break these pointless strikes, and turn up to work as usual.
You can sign my Government e-Petition on protecting workers by reforming public transport strike laws here.
Have your say on common sense measures to help flexi workers
Like it or not, employers are going to have to offer more flexibility if they want to hire the best. It’s good news that every employee now has the right to ask for flexible working hours, but the Government should go further and implement common-sense measures to help people in their day-to-day working lives. In the Capital, the Mayor is listening and progress is being made. Thanks to my persistent campaigning, the City will see flexible ticketing introduced in 2015. I’m specifically pushing him to include a system of rebates for commuters, so someone living in London could receive a refund of up to £310 upon expiry of their annual Travelcard, if they choose to work from home – or walk or cycle – just one day a week. We’re now listening to commuter views through a 90-day public consultation. The Government should commit to rolling this out across the country. It would put cash back into home, flexi and part time workers' pockets and free up public transport capacity.
There is still time to take part in the 90-day consultation for Londoners. I urge everyone living or working in the Capital to have your say.
London’s drunks costing ambulances and A&Es £60m a year
‘Double drunk fines to £180 and hit those who repeatedly abuse our NHS’
Binge drinkers are costing emergency response services over £60m every year.
New FOI figures reveal London’s Ambulance Service is spending £16m a year on responding to and treating drunks.
In addition, the Capital is spending at least £45m on binge drinkers needing emergency hospital admissions².
Admissions relating to alcohol in London’s hospitals have tripled in the last decade – from 56k in 2002 to 156k in 2011³ – burdening the Capital’s doctors and nurses.
A new report, On The Wagon is calling for Parliament to double drunk fines to £180 and target those who repeatedly abuse our public services.
Londoners trialling third Heathrow runway noise a ‘possibility’
“Hiring and flying empty planes over London will give residents experience of nightmare night flight noise”
Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Airports Commission, says it could be possible to trial a third runway at Heathrow – by hiring and flying empty aircraft so residents can experience the noise for themselves.
This was in response to questioning by Conservative London Assembly Member, Kit Malthouse.
Courts burdened with hundreds of thousands of offenders with at least ten previous convictions
‘Sharp shock’: Tougher sentences, training and rehabilitation will scare first-timers out of a life of criminality
Courts in England and Wales are having to deal with hundreds of thousands of offenders who already have numerous previous convictions.
FOI figures show 338,592 offenders – with more than 10 previous convictions – were yet again brought before our courts in the last two years¹.
Almost half a million offenders (482,141) – with at least six previous convictions – returned back to our courts during the same period.
GLA Conservative London Assembly Member, Tony Arbour, uncovered the figures and is calling for harsher sentences combined with training and effective rehabilitation to serve as a ‘sharp shock’ for first-time convicted offenders.
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