Jobcentres to be hit in 48-hour walk-out

More than a quarter of a million civil servants are to take strike for a forty-eight hour period over redundancy pay, in what will be the biggest unrest by the sector in more than two decades.

Courts, ports, job and tax centres and emergency police call centres will be hit by the walkout by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union.

Services at Jobcentres across Lincolnshire and other government offices will grind to a halt today.

The walk-out today and continuing into Tuesday will affect courts and tax offices, while driving tests may well be postponed. Strike action looks likely to hit civil and public services every week of this month after the union ballot showed 63.4% of members who voted backing strike action and 81.4% supporting an overtime ban.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union are angry about government moves to cut redundancy terms, which can currently lead to pay-outs of up to six-and-a-half years' worth of salary.

Analysts say the average severance payment is three years of pay – much more generous than most public sector schemes. However, union members say any plan to reduce that would hit staff hard at a time when the recession is hitting people in the pocket.

Mr. Graham Peck, Public and Commercial Services Union, Lincolnshire Branch Secretary, representing workers at the Department for Work and Pensions, has been reported in the Lincolnshire Echo as saying that any plans to reduce protection for members would lead to more people being compulsorily made redundant or having their jobs privatised.

"The strike action will affect Jobcentres across the county as well as the Jobcentre and Jobcentre call centre in Lincoln and the courts and other government departments," he said.

"We have 470-odd members in the county, including 250 in Lincoln, and we know that a lot of them are walking out, along with a lot of non-members.

"Our members face losing a great deal of money.

"The Government is arguing that the public knows why we are going on strike but we don't believe they do."

Cabinet Office minister, Tessa Jowell MP, is reported by BBC News as saying that the decision to strike was 'very disappointing', particularly as 'less than one in five' of PCS members voted in favour of the action, representing 'only around 10% of the total civil service workforce'.


She said:

"The changes to the civil service compensation scheme were agreed with five of the six civil service unions after 18 months of negotiation and consultation. These unions all agree with us that the resulting deal is fair for staff and taxpayers.

"During the negotiating process, we responded to union concerns by ensuring additional protection for lower paid staff.

"Those earning £30,000 or less - 80% of all staff - will still get up to between two and three years salary, while civil servants earning over £30,000 will have redundancy pay capped at two times salary.

"This package brings the civil service more into line with the rest of the public sector and still offers more generous terms than much of the private sector."

Video Blog #10: Rand Group Asset Sale Begins

The remains of a once successful Lincolnshire company is set to be picked over by online auction-goers The Lincolnshire Echo reports. The Rand Group, and its subsidiaries UCS Plant and UCS Civils, called in the receivers in November last year – with the loss of two hundred jobs.

Starting today bidders can bid for the former company's assets, with a week long ‘eBay-style’ sale through Eddisons auction website. But county business leaders say that while it is sad to see the firm fail, it could offer opportunities for other local firms.

Mr. Simon Beardsley, chairman of the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, commented to the Lincolnshire Echo that the auction would elicit a variety of emotions.

"On one hand the creditors who were owed money at the time the company ceased trading will be hoping that the sale will gain the maximum return in order for them to receive a contribution towards the amounts they are still owed."

"There are likely to be tinges of sadness and regret from former staff and owners of the company.

"But, there will also be those who will see this as an opportunity to use their entrepreneurial spirit to bring pieces of equipment back into economic use."

Eddisons director, Mr. Jason Pinder, said they have already seen a great deal of interest from companies far and wide.

"It was a really good company and it's such a shame to see it go down."

"But there has been a high demand for catalogues.

"There are 800 to 900 lots, and the market for them could be worldwide."

Bidding starts this today at http://www.eddisons.com/.

Surgical Scalpel not Chainsaw Massacre.

Today the Prime Minister Gordon Brown is going to address the Trades’ Union Congress in Liverpool. If reports that are leaking out are to be believed he is going to start talking about cuts to public services.

Shadow Chancellor, George Osbourne has been on Sky News this morning and said: “Let's remember for months after months I've come into this studio and had a good vigorous debate about why we need to cut spending.

“We have made the argument that the national debt is a huge problem, and this is the huge issue in the recovery - how do we get the debt under control and protect our front line services so we can get the economy growing again.

“It's been a hard fought battle but I think today after months of fighting Gordon Brown's about to give in.”

Labour are desperate to paint a Cameron-led Conservative government as a group who will slash and burn their way through Whitehall. Yesterday Lord Mandelson began to soften the ground for the Prime Minister’s Policy u-turn and lay out the new electoral battleground that Labour must believe they can win on. In an address yesterday to leading left-wing think tank Progress Mandelson said: “The Tories and their friends are yearning for people to think that because there is a need for public spending constraint in the future we face an era of deep, savage, indiscriminate across-the-board spending cuts whoever is in power. The Tories contemplate this with thinly disguised zeal because as a matter of principle they want to create a ‘small state’. We, in contrast, will continue to work hard to create the economic conditions that will enable us to maintain frontline service delivery.”

What a load of rubbish. I spoke to the Rt. Hon. Ken Clarke, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on Saturday afternoon and he affirmed that the Conservative Party would be surgical in their approach of bringing the public purse back under control, that the pledge to increase spending on the NHS, in real terms, by point two percent remained firm and necessary with an aging population. We discussed a number of other issues and I was very impressed at his grasp of what needs to happen, his understanding of the dangers presented by a ‘double-whammy’ of spending cuts from the Treasury and reversal of quantitative easing (printing money) by the Bank of England.

In the final analysis I trust the Conservative who delivered a tremendous economic legacy squandered by Labour in the last twelve years.

More help needed for Lincolnshire’s small firms during the recession

Call to make business rate relief automatic for small firms

Giles McNeill today welcomed Conservative plans to cut taxes and paperwork for small shops and small firms. In a new initiative, small business rate relief would be given automatically to firms across England, rather than making businesses claim it and complete time-consuming forms. Giles McNeill was speaking as Parliament discusses a Conservative Private Members’ Bill to change the law in this way.

Small business rate relief was introduced in 2005, allowing small firms to claim up to 50 per cent off their business rate bills. However, firms have to fill out paperwork to claim the rate relief, despite the fact that Whitehall’s tax inspectors know precisely which firms are eligible.

• According to the most recent figures, 736 firms claimed small business rate relief in West Lindsey.
• The Local Government Association has estimated that some 870,000 firms are eligible for the rebate but less than half have claimed. The take-up rate is estimated to be 48% in the Midlands.
• By contrast, in Wales, small business rate relief has been automatic since 2007.

After rent and staff, business rates are typically the next biggest cost to local firms. Business experts have warned that 32,300 businesses will fail in 2009. Firms face a hammering this April from the Government thanks to soaring business rates:
• Business rates are to rise by 5.0 per cent in April 2009, despite RPI inflation forecast to be negative this year. This is because of a statistical quirk in the way business rate rises are calculated.
• Transitional relief from the 2005 business rates revaluation has expired, pushing bills up further for many firms in April 2009.
• The Government has slashed back rate relief on empty properties. As the recession bites, firms are unable to rent out vacant property, and have to pay rates in full without any income from rent.

Giles said:

“Small shops and businesses across Lincolnshire are facing tough times in Labour’s recession. These firms, from our corner shops to local pubs, are the lifeblood of our local community. A responsible government would do more to help them.

“Yet Gordon Brown is making it difficult for small firms to claim the tax relief to which they are entitled. He is adding to their misery by finding new ways to drive up business rates by stealth.

“Conservatives would ensure that small firms automatically receive rate relief, cutting their paperwork and tax bills, giving many of them a fighting chance to stay afloat.”

Sarkozy Slams Brown's VAT Cut & Economic "Mistakes"

Nicolas Sarkozy has become the latest world leader to condemn Gordon Brown’s decision to reduce VAT in an attempt to tackle the recession. The French President said Brown’s VAT cut had “absolutely not worked” and stressed he would not repeat Britain’s economic “mistakes”.

M. Sarkozy joins a host of high-profile figures who have condemned Brown’s economic policy, including the Chief Economist of the IMF, the Finance Minister of Germany, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and the CEOs of Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencers.

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, stressed,

“We said at the time that Brown’s flagship VAT cut would only make things worse and would be an expensive failure. That view is now echoed not just by British retailers, but by foreign governments, including France, Germany and Holland.

“Gordon Brown claims to have saved the world. It would appear that world leaders increasingly disagree.”

Keeping Britain Working

We face a very difficult time in 2009. Unemployment is rising, people are struggling to pay the bills, repossessions are going up, businesses can't get hold of credit. The situation is critical, so it is vital that any political decisions made now meet two vital tests.

First, we need to be sure that what we're doing is really related to what is wrong with our economy. The Conservative Party's biggest proposal - the National Loan Guarantee Scheme - is absolutely related to the core problem of this recession; the drying up of credit that is denying businesses cash flow. By making sure money can flow from banks to businesses again, our scheme directly addresses that.

The second test for politicians is that any action taken must be right for the future as well as for right now. What Labour have done is both short-term foolish and long-term foolish. The pointless VAT cut hasn't offered immediate help - in fact it's been condemned by both Next and M&S - and worse, it will add an eye-watering £12.5billion to our national debt.

Giles McNeill meets Shadow Cabinet member Andrew Mitchell MP at an event launching our new economic package.

Contrast that with our plan to abolish income tax on savings for everyone on the basic rate of tax. It's short-term wise - helping the forgotten victims of Labour's recession now - and long-term wise because it sends out the much-needed signal that saving is good. That's exactly the sort of practical, lasting help this country needs right now.

Giles McNeill
Prospective Conservative County Council Candidate for the Nettleham & Saxilby Division

Lincolnshire’s pubs being ripped off in tax inspectors’ cover-up

Government hides admission that pubs are paying too much in rates

Local pubs in Lincolnshire are being denied business rate cuts by the Government, Giles McNeill, Prospective Conservative Candidate for Lincolnshire County Council in the Nettleham & Saxilby Division, warned today. Pub landords could be paying thousands of pounds over the odds in tax, but are being kept in the dark by Government tax inspectors who want to avoid paying out tax refunds.

This follows a revelation earlier this year that tax inspectors were hiding the fact that hundreds of thousands of homes could be paying too much council tax. The tax officials kept quiet about the information to save money and save face.

• Five pubs closing every day: The British Beer & Pub Association has estimated that pubs are now closing at the rate of 36 a week - five a day. They are paying a heavy price for smoking ban, fragile consumer confidence, ruthless competition from supermarkets and – not least – higher beer taxes imposed by Gordon Brown.

• Government guidance on taxing pubs: Parliamentary Questions have brought to light unpublished internal guidance by the Valuation Office Agency (an arm of HM Revenue & Customs) on how local firms should be charged business rates. It admits that they have been giving out the wrong advice to firms on the effect of the smoking ban. Until recently, tax inspectors refused to give any business rate reduction for the loss of custom due to the ban. Their latest guidance now admits – thanks to advice from top lawyers – that the smoking ban represents a ‘material change’. Pubs can use this to make a claim for a lower ‘rateable value’ and so cut their yearly rates bill. For example, a £5,000 reduction in rateable value would save publicans £2,300 a year in tax.

• Local firms kept in the dark: Pubs can only apply for this tax cut if they make an appeal and fill out complex paperwork. The Government has made no announcement about potential refunds to local pubs across England and Wales. The Government is happy to hike tax bills, but it will not tell people when their bills could fall. Business rates are the third biggest cost to local firms after rent and staff costs.

Giles said:

“Local pubs in the villages that comprise the Nettleham & Saxilby Division are a vital part of our social fabric and community life. Whilst big pub chains may be making money out of Labour’s new drinking laws, small everyday pubs are suffering from the combined onslaught of higher beer taxes, a weakening economy, supermarkets selling alcohol below cost price and the smoking ban.

“Whatever people’s views on the smoking ban, it has had a major impact on many pubs. The Government’s own tax inspectors have now admitted that pubs may be eligible for refunds on their business rates, but local pub owners are being intentionally kept in the dark about this U-turn. This is yet another tax cover-up from the same inspectors who have conspired to hide council tax errors.

“Ministers are only interested in changing the tax system when it raises extra money for Gordon Brown’s coffers. Thanks to Whitehall secrecy and this stealth pub tax, local firms are going to the wall and everyday pub-goers are being hit in the wallet.”

Tax cuts needed to keep Lincolnshire working says Giles McNeill

Action required to boost the economy and reduce unemployment

Ahead of the publication of the Government’s draft Budget - the so-called Pre-Budget Report on 24 November, Giles McNeill, Prospective Conservative Candidate for Lincolnshire County Council in the Nettleham & Saxilby Division, has called for tax cuts to help Lincolnshire’s economy and reduce unemployment. The latest official Government figures show the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in the Gainsborough constituency is now 1,200 a rise of 202 from this time last year.

Conservatives are calling on the Government to introduce tax cuts to create new jobs, under an innovative scheme which will help firms take on extra employees, boost the economy and reduce the damaging social costs associated with unemployment.

Private sector firms who hire someone who has been claiming unemployment benefits for more than three months and who has not previously worked for that company in the previous year, would receive a credit against employers’ National Insurance bills.

This would be funded by using money that would otherwise be spent on welfare payments to give tax cuts worth £2,500 per head over a year. It is estimated that the plan could create around 350,000 new jobs across the country over the next year. Simple safeguards would prevent abuse by ensuring that only genuinely new jobs would be eligible.

On top of this, Conservatives have already proposed:
• A two-year council tax freeze, paid for by cutting back on government advertising and consultancy fees.
• Taking family homes out of inheritance tax and nine out of ten first-time buyers out of stamp duty, funded by introducing a levy on non-domiciles.
• Allowing small businesses to delay their VAT payments by six months.
• Cutting payroll taxes for the smallest companies.

Giles said:

“I am very concerned about the state of the economy. Jobs, businesses and livelihoods across the Nettleham & Saxilby Division are at risk, and it is clear that we cannot rely on Gordon Brown to produce the positive policies that will help us cope with recession. Change is desperately needed.

“Cutting taxes for local firms who create new jobs is one of the ways that we can support our local economy, in a fiscally responsible way.”

Action needed to protect families from unscrupulous lenders and bailiffs

Giles McNeill warns that new Government laws will put family homes at threat

Homes across Lincolnshire are at threat of seizure by unscrupulous lenders or invasion by aggressive bailiffs, Giles McNeill, prospective conservative candidate for Lincolnshire County Council, Nettleham & Saxilby Division, warned today. At a time when families are struggling to manage their debts, the Government is weakening the rules which protect family homes.

• New powers for bailiffs break into your home: Labour Ministers are changing the law to allow bailiffs the legal right to break into family homes to collect civil debts. These new provisions will permit bailiffs to use ‘reasonable force’ to enter homes, such as knocking down a door or smashing a window, to collect debts such as missed credit card bills, an unpaid parking fine or TV licence fee. Conservatives have pledged to reverse these new laws, which undo common law rights and liberties dating back centuries.

• Family homes at risk from unscrupulous lenders: Conservatives are also pledging to stop the small print of another Labour law. The Government is making it easier for lenders to get a ‘charging order’ against a borrower’s home. A charging order gives lenders a legal stake in the borrower’s home, even if the missed payments are an unsecured debt.

• Need for more protection against forced sales: Conservatives are calling for new rules to prevent families from losing their homes as a result of missing credit card bills or other unsecured loans: We do not believe families should be forced to sell their homes to repay relatively small debts. That is why we are proposing new rules to prevent anyone from being forced to sell their home to repay unsecured debts of less than £25,000.

Giles said:

“Borrowers must be responsible for their debts, but I am alarmed that the Government is to allow unscrupulous lenders to force families to out of their homes for small sums, such as missing credit card payments.

“It is even worse that Ministers are to give bailiffs new powers literally to break down the door of family homes to collect debts, such as an unpaid parking ticket or TV licence.

“At a time when so many families are suffering from a soaring cost of living and an economy built on debt, it would be wrong in principle and in practice to impose these new state powers. We must protect Lincolnshire’s families in these difficult economic times, and we need a greater sense of social responsibility from the Government and lenders towards those who are struggling to make ends meet.”