News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP 408
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From: Greg Hands M.P. [email protected] Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #408 Date: 30 June 2014 10:41 To: [email protected] In this edition: Greg Hands M.P.’s Diary Website of the Week: The Hammersmith & Fulham Forum Photo news: St John's Walham Green Summer Fair Ed Balls and Labour repeat desire to bring in a new Homes Tax (or “Mansion Tax”), costing thousands of pounds on local people’s homes Photo news: Reichstag visit Labour Council dropping the slogan “The Low Tax Borough” bodes badly for Hammersmith & Fulham Greg Hands and K&C Council urge responses to TfL consultation on Crossrail Two Final Call for Ask Nick How to contact Greg Hands MP Issue 408 - Monday 30th June 2014 Since the last edition, Greg: Attended the summer fair of the St John’s Walham Green primary school summer fair in Fulham. For more, see photo below. Welcomed fellow trustees of the Brunswick Club for Young People to the House of Commons, to discuss the finances and management of the Club. Greg has been a trustee of the Club on Haldane Road, SW6, since 2003. For more about the Club, see www.thebrunswickclub.org.uk . Spent a day in Berlin, including the Bundestag, the Federal Finance Ministry and the CDU headquarters, with leading German politicians from the Conservatives’ sister party, the CDU. See photo below. Carried out his duties as the Conservative Party and Government’s 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. Greg’s surgeries are generally weekly, on Monday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones, Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, email [email protected] or telephone 020 7219 5448. Website of the Week: www.hammersmithfulhamforum.com The Hammersmith & Fulham Forum - a site celebrating life in the wonderful borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, offering a residents a forum to express their views and holding the council to account. It is edited by Harry Phibbs, a journalist and a Conservative councillor for Ravenscourt Park Ward. Photo news: St John's Walham Green Summer Fair Greg Hands at the summer fair of St John's Walham Green Primary School, running the "Lego Challenge" stall with young participants. Ed Balls and Labour repeat desire to bring in a new Homes Tax (or “Mansion Tax”), costing thousands of pounds on local people’s homes Greg Hands MP has warned that a Labour Council and any future Labour or Lib-Lab Government could team up to implement a so called ‘mansion tax’ should Labour win the General Election 2015. The Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, confirmed this week, in an interview with the Evening Standard (23 rd June) that Labour would introduce new taxes on properties above £2m. Labour have refused to put a value on the likely level of such a tax, but according to the Evening Standard it is ‘expected to cost tens of thousands of pounds’ per year. The policy announcement brings Labour’s position in line with that of the Liberal Democrats who, in April, promised to introduce a Homes Tax on properties above £2m. Therefore any coalition between Labour and the Lib Dems would also be likely to herald the introduction of the new tax. However, the Conservatives have raised concerns that such a tax could be unfair and unaffordable. First, many homeowners who may be asset-rich, but cash-poor, could not afford to pay an additional tens of thousands of pounds in tax a year. Secondly, the fast rising values of properties in Britain and particularly London means that far from being a mansion tax, it would hit ordinary families in modest homes. Warning about the proposals, Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham said: “These Labour proposals are worrying, un-workable, and unfair. They would be particularly damaging in my constituency, which has some of the highest property prices in the country. “This would be introduced as a ‘mansion’ tax, but this is really a ‘homes tax’. Once in place people might suddenly find that their modest home has been classified as a ‘mansion’. Many properties in Chelsea and Fulham which cost £2m, far from being a mansions, are in fact a flats or small houses. Any new housing taxes would invariably spread to more and more ordinary homes. Such a tax would hit ordinary families who have saved and worked hard. The Conservatives do not think that people who have worked hard and saved up to buy a house should then face the prospect of a tax on their home, and neither do I.” At the 2012 Conservative Party conference the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, confirmed that the Government will not be introducing a mansion tax. In contrast, this Government is keeping council tax down for hardworking people, with bills having been cut by 11 per cent in real terms since 2010. Photo news: Reichstag visit Greg Hands in Berlin last week, meeting Dr Guenther Krings MdB, German Interior Minister, in the Reichstag. The graffiti in the background is from Soviet soldiers in 1945. Labour Council dropping the slogan “The Low Tax Borough” bodes badly for Hammersmith & Fulham One of the first actions from the new Labour controlled administration at Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been to change the Council’s logo in two ways. The first, rather childishly, has been to change the colour of the letters “H” and “F” from blue to red. The second move is more ominous, with the dropping of the now-famous strap line “The Low Tax Borough”. The Council adopted the tag-line “The low tax borough” in January 2013 in recognition of the fact that the administration cut tax for the sixth year out of seven. Since 2006, the Conservative led Hammersmith & Fulham reduced council tax by 20%, saving the average family £849. Prior to last month’s elections, H&F had the third lowest council tax in the whole of the UK. However, local Conservatives and the MP Greg Hands, are now concerned that the dropping of the ‘Low Tax’ slogan could indicate an intention to return to tax rises. It remains to be seen what plans the new Labour Council leadership has for council tax, not least as the current tax year has only recently started, and it is unlikely that Labour would re-bill residents for the year 2014-15. But Labour’s record on the area is clear. The previous Labour administration increased council tax by around 10% every single year, making life harder for hard working families in the borough. MP for Chelsea and Fulham Greg Hands said “It is worrying that this change of tone from the new council could spell a return to the bad old days of Labour. This could be a return to taxing more, borrowing more and wasting more. For instance, is spending time and money changing the colour of two letters of the council logo really necessary, or an urgent priority for residents? “The economy is starting to grow, but the recovery is in its early stages. Hardworking families in the area can ill-afford a potential rise in council tax in these still challenging times. The council should be focused on delivering high quality services, with greater efficiency, and allowing their residents to keep more of their earnings.” Greg Hands and K&C Council urge responses to TfL consultation on Crossrail Two As TfL launches the last phase of its consultation on the route for Crossrail 2, the Council is urging local residents to help make sure the line stops at Chelsea. Over the next six weeks, TfL will be consulting on three options: one with a station at Dovehouse Street, another with a station further west at Cremorne, and one that bypasses the borough altogether. Chelsea MP Greg Hands said: "I would be grateful if all residents could respond to this consultation, and copy me in on their responses. I am very interested in seeing what local people have to say about each of the three options." "After so many years of campaigning for Crossrail 2 it would be a disaster if we were to fall at the final hurdle," said Cllr Tim Coleridge, Cabinet Member for Transport. "West Chelsea is poorly served by public transport. Our streets are congested and our air quality is poor. A Crossrail station would make a massive difference so it's worrying at this late stage to see an option there that bypasses Chelsea altogether. We urge as many residents as possible to get involved in the consultation and demand our station." The Council has long supported the idea of a new rail line connecting south-west and north-east London and last year it checked to make sure that the people of Chelsea agreed. About 3,000 Chelsea residents and businesses replied to the Council's survey, with around 70 per cent expressing support for the new line and a station in Chelsea. There was more support than opposition right across the survey area, although support was particularly high to the west. And while there was strong support for a station at the Chelsea Fire Station site on Dovehouse Street, opinion was divided almost equally between those who felt this was the best location and those who thought it might be better placed further west. The Council itself accepts that more residents would benefit if the western option were chosen but believes either of the King's Road options would bring very significant benefits. Crossrail 2 would relieve pressure on major London stations such as Euston, Victoria and Clapham Junction and ease congestion on very busy Tube lines. In some cases, journey times could be more than halved. The line would pass deep under Chelsea and a station on the King's Road would, among other things, link residents to Clapham Junction, the West End and four of London's busiest mainline stations. The idea for Crossrail 2 - formerly called the Chelsea- Hackney Line - has been around for many decades, with the Chelsea Fire Station having long been earmarked as a potential site for the station. Parts of Chelsea remain poorly served by public transport and the Council believes the line would: · dramatically improve local transport options · relieve local and city-wide congestion · ease pressure on the transport network · improve air quality · dramatically improve journey times · help the hard-pressed retail sector As part of the consultation TfL will be running the following drop-in sessions: Chelsea Theatre Studio 2, 7 World's End Place, King's Road, London, SW10 0DR Friday 20 June, 10am to 4pm Friday 27 June, 2pm to 8pm Chelsea Old Town Hall Small Hall, King's Road, London, SW3 5EE Friday 11 July, 2pm to 8pm Saturday 12 July, 10am to 4pm Residents can also participate online at www.crossrail2.co.uk . Final Call for Ask Nick Residents are reminded that Monday, 30 June, is the first time since the local elections to have a chance to meet the Leader of K&C Council, Councillor Nick Paget-Brown who is holding his fourth open meeting to hear residents' issues first hand. The event is at Kensington Close Hotel, Wrights Lane, Kensington W8 5SP and begins at 6pm with light refreshments and then at 6.30pm, Councillor Paget-Brown will give a short introduction followed by a question and answer session. Places are limited and booking is essential, call 020 7598 4633 or go to www.rbkc.gov.uk/asknick . 5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.: By Phone: 020 7219 5448 By email: [email protected] By post: Greg Hands M.P. House of Commons London SW1A 0AA In person: Click here for details of how to book an appointment at Greg Hands M.P.’s weekly surgery www.greghands.com More news from Greg Hands M.P., coming soon… Please forward this email on to anyone you think may be interested. If you have had this email forwarded to you and would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an email to: [email protected] with “JOIN” in the subject heading. To unsubscribe from this list, please return an e-mail to [email protected] with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject heading. Greg Hands M.P. – a strong voice for Chelsea & Fulham Published & Promoted by Jonathan Fraser-Howells on behalf of Greg Hands M.P., both of 1a Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3 5RP
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News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP 408
Transcript of News Bulletin from Greg Hands MP 408
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From: Greg Hands M.P. [email protected]: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #408
Date: 30 June 2014 10:41To: [email protected]
In this edition: Greg Hands M.P.s Diary Website of the Week:The Hammersmith &Fulham Forum Photo news:St John's Walham GreenSummer Fair Ed Balls and Labour repeatdesire to bring in a newHomes Tax (or MansionTax), costing thousands ofpounds on local peopleshomes Photo news:Reichstag visit Labour Council droppingthe slogan The Low TaxBorough bodes badly forHammersmith & Fulham Greg Hands and K&CCouncil urge responses toTfL consultation onCrossrail Two Final Call for Ask Nick How to contact Greg Hands MP!
Issue 408 - Monday 30th June 2014
Since the last edition, Greg:
Attended the summer fair of the St Johns Walham Greenprimary school summer fair in Fulham. For more, see photobelow.Welcomed fellow trustees of the Brunswick Club for YoungPeople to the House of Commons, to discuss the finances andmanagement of the Club. Greg has been a trustee of the Clubon Haldane Road, SW6, since 2003. For more about the Club,see www.thebrunswickclub.org.uk.Spent a day in Berlin, including the Bundestag, the FederalFinance Ministry and the CDU headquarters, with leadingGerman politicians from the Conservatives sister party, theCDU. See photo below.Carried out his duties as the Conservative Party andGovernments Deputy Chief Whip.Held a regular, weekly, advice surgery for local Chelsea andFulham residents, at Fulham Library, on Fulham Road, close toParsons Green tube. Gregs surgeries are generally weekly, onMonday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones,Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, [email protected] or telephone 020 7219 5448.
!
Website of the Week:www.hammersmithfulhamforum.com The Hammersmith & Fulham Forum - a site celebrating life in thewonderful borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, offering aresidents a forum to express their views and holding the councilto account. It is edited by Harry Phibbs, a journalist and aConservative councillor for Ravenscourt Park Ward.
Photo news:St John's Walham Green Summer Fair
Greg Hands at the summer fair of St John's Walham Green
Primary School, running the "Lego Challenge" stall with youngparticipants.
!Ed Balls and Labour repeat desire to bringin a new Homes Tax (or Mansion Tax),costing thousands of pounds on localpeoples homes Greg Hands MP has warned that a Labour Council and any futureLabour or Lib-Lab Government could team up to implement a socalled mansion tax should Labour win the General Election 2015. The Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, confirmed this week, in aninterview with the Evening Standard (23rd June) that Labour wouldintroduce new taxes on properties above 2m. Labour have refused toput a value on the likely level of such a tax, but according to theEvening Standard it is expected to cost tens of thousands of poundsper year. The policy announcement brings Labours position in line with that ofthe Liberal Democrats who, in April, promised to introduce a HomesTax on properties above 2m. Therefore any coalition between Labourand the Lib Dems would also be likely to herald the introduction of thenew tax. However, the Conservatives have raised concerns that such a taxcould be unfair and unaffordable. First, many homeowners who maybe asset-rich, but cash-poor, could not afford to pay an additional tensof thousands of pounds in tax a year. Secondly, the fast rising valuesof properties in Britain and particularly London means that far frombeing a mansion tax, it would hit ordinary families in modest homes. Warning about the proposals, Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea andFulham said: These Labour proposals are worrying, un-workable, andunfair. They would be particularly damaging in my constituency, whichhas some of the highest property prices in the country.
This would be introduced as a mansion tax, but this is really ahomes tax. Once in place people might suddenly find that theirmodest home has been classified as a mansion. Many properties inChelsea and Fulham which cost 2m, far from being a mansions, arein fact a flats or small houses. Any new housing taxes would invariablyspread to more and more ordinary homes. Such a tax would hit ordinary families who have saved and workedhard. The Conservatives do not think that people who have workedhard and saved up to buy a house should then face the prospect of atax on their home, and neither do I.
At the 2012 Conservative Party conference the Chancellor of theExchequer, George Osborne, confirmed that the Government will notbe introducing a mansion tax. In contrast, this Government is keepingcouncil tax down for hardworking people, with bills having been cut by11 per cent in real terms since 2010.
Photo news:Reichstag visit
Greg Hands in Berlin last week, meeting Dr Guenther Krings
MdB, German Interior Minister, in the Reichstag. The graffiti inthe background is from Soviet soldiers in 1945.
Labour Council dropping the slogan The Low Tax Borough bodes badly forHammersmith & Fulham
One of the first actions from the new Labour controlled administrationat Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been to change the Councilslogo in two ways. The first, rather childishly, has been to change thecolour of the letters H and F from blue to red. The second move ismore ominous, with the dropping of the now-famous strap line TheLow Tax Borough. The Council adopted the tag-line The low tax borough in January2013 in recognition of the fact that the administration cut tax for thesixth year out of seven. Since 2006, the Conservative ledHammersmith & Fulham reduced council tax by 20%, saving theaverage family 849. Prior to last months elections, H&F had the thirdlowest council tax in the whole of the UK. However, local Conservatives and the MP Greg Hands, are nowconcerned that the dropping of the Low Tax slogan could indicate anintention to return to tax rises. It remains to be seen what plans thenew Labour Council leadership has for council tax, not least as thecurrent tax year has only recently started, and it is unlikely that Labourwould re-bill residents for the year 2014-15. But Labours record onthe area is clear. The previous Labour administration increasedcouncil tax by around 10% every single year, making life harder forhard working families in the borough. MP for Chelsea and Fulham Greg Hands said It is worrying that thischange of tone from the new council could spell a return to the bad olddays of Labour. This could be a return to taxing more, borrowing moreand wasting more. For instance, is spending time and moneychanging the colour of two letters of the council logo really necessary,or an urgent priority for residents? The economy is starting to grow, but the recovery is in its earlystages. Hardworking families in the area can ill-afford a potential risein council tax in these still challenging times. The council should befocused on delivering high quality services, with greater efficiency, andallowing their residents to keep more of their earnings.
Greg Hands and K&C Council urgeresponses to TfL consultation on CrossrailTwo As TfL launches the last phase of its consultation on the route forCrossrail 2, the Council is urging local residents to help make sure theline stops at Chelsea. Over the next six weeks, TfL will be consulting on three options: onewith a station at Dovehouse Street, another with a station further westat Cremorne, and one that bypasses the borough altogether. Chelsea MP Greg Hands said: "I would be grateful if all residentscould respond to this consultation, and copy me in on their responses.I am very interested in seeing what local people have to say abouteach of the three options." "After so many years of campaigning for Crossrail 2 it would be adisaster if we were to fall at the final hurdle," said Cllr Tim Coleridge,Cabinet Member for Transport. "West Chelsea is poorly served by public transport. Our streets arecongested and our air quality is poor. A Crossrail station would makea massive difference so it's worrying at this late stage to see an optionthere that bypasses Chelsea altogether. We urge as many residentsas possible to get involved in the consultation and demand ourstation." The Council has long supported the idea of a new rail line connectingsouth-west and north-east London and last year it checked to makesure that the people of Chelsea agreed. About 3,000 Chelsea residents and businesses replied to theCouncil's survey, with around 70 per cent expressing support for thenew line and a station in Chelsea. There was more support than opposition right across the survey area,although support was particularly high to the west. And while therewas strong support for a station at the Chelsea Fire Station site onDovehouse Street, opinion was divided almost equally between thosewho felt this was the best location and those who thought it might bebetter placed further west. The Council itself accepts that more residents would benefit if thewestern option were chosen but believes either of the King's Roadoptions would bring very significant benefits. Crossrail 2 would relieve pressure on major London stations such asEuston, Victoria and Clapham Junction and ease congestion on verybusy Tube lines. In some cases, journey times could be more thanhalved. The line would pass deep under Chelsea and a station on the King'sRoad would, among other things, link residents to Clapham Junction,the West End and four of London's busiest mainline stations. The idea for Crossrail 2 - formerly called the Chelsea- Hackney Line -has been around for many decades, with the Chelsea Fire Stationhaving long been earmarked as a potential site for the station. Parts of Chelsea remain poorly served by public transport and theCouncil believes the line would:
dramatically improve local transport options relieve local and city-wide congestion ease pressure on the transport network improve air quality dramatically improve journey times help the hard-pressed retail sector
As part of the consultation TfL will be running the following drop-insessions: Chelsea Theatre Studio 2, 7 World's End Place, King's Road,London, SW10 0DRFriday 20 June, 10am to 4pmFriday 27 June, 2pm to 8pm Chelsea Old Town Hall Small Hall, King's Road, London, SW35EEFriday 11 July, 2pm to 8pmSaturday 12 July, 10am to 4pm Residents can also participate online at www.crossrail2.co.uk.
Final Call for Ask Nick Residents are reminded that Monday, 30 June, is the first time sincethe local elections to have a chance to meet the Leader of K&CCouncil, Councillor Nick Paget-Brown who is holding his fourth openmeeting to hear residents' issues first hand. The event is at Kensington Close Hotel, Wrights Lane, Kensington W85SP and begins at 6pm with light refreshments and then at 6.30pm,Councillor Paget-Brown will give a short introduction followed by aquestion and answer session. Places are limited and booking is essential, call 020 7598 4633 or goto www.rbkc.gov.uk/asknick.
5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:
By Phone: 020 7219 5448By email: [email protected] post: Greg Hands M.P.
House of CommonsLondon SW1A 0AA
In person: Click here for details of howto book an appointment atGreg Hands M.P.s weeklysurgery
www.greghands.com
More news from Greg Hands M.P., coming soon Please forward this email on to anyone you think may be interested. Ifyou have had this email forwarded to you and would like to be addedto the mailing list, please send an email to: [email protected] with JOIN in the subject heading. To unsubscribe from this list, please return an e-mail [email protected] with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject heading.
Greg Hands M.P. a strong voice for Chelsea & Fulham
Published & Promoted by Jonathan Fraser-Howells on behalf of Greg Hands M.P.,
both of 1a Chelsea Manor Street, London SW3 5RP
