Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

Consistency is a virtue

David Blunkett has reacted to Ken Clarke's speech today, in which the Justice Secretary called for fewer offenders to be sent to prison.

David recalled making a speech not long after he became Home Secretary in 2001, in which he called for tough sentences for serious and violent offenders, and a programme of rehabilitation and community justice for those who would normally be given short sentences, to help reduce re-offending.

Reflecting on the mixed messages coming from the coalition, David said: "It would be nice to get some consistency from the coalition about what exactly their sentencing policy entails. The Prime Minister, when in opposition, frequently condemned the Labour Government for what he saw as lax sentencing and demanded tougher measures. Now we hear from Ken Clarke that he wants fewer offenders to go to prison."

He added: "The first priority of Government is to protect its citizens. Those who would do us harm and who would deprive the most vulnerable of the freedom to live their lives without fear should always face the strongest sanction.

“The electorate will not forgive politicians who abandon that duty for the sake of a quick soundbite on morning radio, or as a justification for a massive cutback in spending on justice.”

Read David's full press release here.

Blunkett warns of the consequences of unfettered cuts

David Blunkett has made a speech in the House of Commons in which he has warned of the consequences of the massive cuts due to hit local government.

Speaking during a Labour-initiated debate on the money available to local authorities, David said: "We are in a dangerous situation. We might find that, having cut expenditure and services, resentment and bitterness arise in a way that will lead to the kind of disturbances and lack of social cohesion experienced in the early 1980s."

Although he expressed the belief that the cuts that are coming would not lead to disruption, he said that Tory and Lib Dem ministers' belief that "everything will be fine" is "either duplicity or complete naivety. In the four years ahead, we cannot afford for ordinary people to have their services destroyed because Ministers and Treasury officials do not understand the consequences of their actions."

Read the full speech here.

How cuts can impact on your health

David Blunkett has questioned the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on the impact of harsh budget cuts on the public's health.

During the PM's statement reporting back on the G20 summit, David raised the case of Walkerton, Ontario. In 2000, because of savage budget cuts implemented by the Canadian Government to its environment ministry, E. coli bacteria infected the local water supply, killing seven people and causing more than 2,500 people to fall ill.

Mr Blunkett said: "Could I ask the Prime Minister whether in his discussions with the Canadian Prime Minister, they discussed the consequences for ordinary men and women of too rapid deficit reduction and in particular, that in Canada in the late 1990s, when in Ontario, environmental services was cut by CA$200m and the town of Walkerton experienced the most enormous impact of disease and regettably death from E. coli? Would he agree that it's not grandiose announcements but the consequences of cuts for people's own lives that we need to be concerned with?"

Speaking after the statement, Mr Blunkett said: "The Canadian experience is instructive. A rush to austerity and to massive departmental budget cuts in the UK could have a seriously detrimental impact on people's well-being."

A report in the Guardian last week raised the possibility that the measures implemented in George Osborne's Budget could lead to an increase in heart disease and alcohol-related illness.

Fighting for Forgemasters

 

Sheffield's Labour MPs have joined forces and launched a petition to Nick Clegg, demanding that the Government reverse its decision to scrap the £80 million loan to Forgemasters.

David Blunkett, Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield, Sheffield South-East MP Clive Betts and Sheffield Heeley MP Meg Munn met at the Town Hall to launch the petition, which received 1,300 signatures in the space of three hours on Saturday.

There will be further opportunities to sign the petition — called "Invest for Jobs, for Manufacturing, for Sheffield" — at the Town Hall every day this week.

What is the point of Nick Clegg?

 

David Blunkett has responded with dismay to the announcement by the Lib Dem/Tory coalition of the cancellation of the £80 million government loan to Sheffield Forgemasters.

Further cuts included the suspension of £12 million to regenerate Sheffield's Retail Quarter and £13 million through the Regional Development Agency to steel company Outokumpo.

Mr Blunkett said: "Today is a massive kick in the teeth for Sheffield. The coalition's decisions will deny the city jobs and the whole country trade and investment.

"With Lib Dem Secretaries of State at the Business and Energy Departments and with a Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I believe it is clear that the Lib Dems' prejudice against nuclear energy has led to this decision. They have put their own ideology before the interests of Britain."

Mr Blunkett added that Sheffield Hallam MP Nick Clegg has some explaining to do to the city.

"Nick Clegg now has to ask himself what on Earth he is doing in this coalition — and what continuing worth he has as an MP for the city of Sheffield.

"A member of the Cabinet and Deputy Prime Minister that can see what is happening to the area that he has represented since first coming to the city in 2005 has to answer the simple question, 'What are you there for?' "

The poor are in the coalition's sights

David has written an article for today's Daily Mirror, highlighting how the poorest stand to suffer the most under the Lib Dem/Tory coalition.

Reflecting on the fact that the Office of Budget Responsibility has not given the coalition the cover they wanted to make painfully deep cuts, David says: "We're in danger of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"The OBR warns that growth won't be as good as we hoped. This gives the coalition cover to make deep cuts — and that in turn leads to lower growth. So the coalition makes more cuts — biting ever deeper into essential public services.

"Lower borrowing, but bigger cuts. How does that add up?"

Read the full article here.

Growth forecasts "are a self-fulfilling prophecy", says Blunkett

David Blunkett has reacted to the first growth forecasts from the new Office for Budget Responsibility, which now has responsibility for projecting how the UK economy will do in the future.

The OBR has revised downwards Alastair Darling's estimate of between 3 and 3.25% growth in the economy for 2011 — to 2.6%.

But it has also announced that borrowing and the public debt will be less than originally estimated in last year's Budget.

Mr Blunkett said: "The OBR is involved in a self-fulfilling prophecy: the lower the predicted growth, the greater the justification for the coalition Government’s cuts; the greater the cuts, the lower the likely growth."

Warning of the risk of the UK slipping back into recession, he said: "This Government must not play fast and loose with the economic recovery – or the most vulnerable, already at risk from cuts aimed at services for the most disadvantaged, will pay an even higher price.”

Read David's full press release here.

Protecting you should be the Government's top priority

David has an article in Monday's Yorkshire Post, warning the Lib Dem/Tory coalition government not to put their own prejudices before the safety of the British people.

As the House of Commons continues the debate on the Queen's Speech, David writes about Nick Clegg's "obsession" with removing CCTV cameras and scrapping the DNA database, both of which are essential tools in the protection of citizens and the fight against crime.

This is "astonishing behaviour" in particular on the part of the Conservative Party, he says, "which, after all, was once known as the 'law and order' party".

He reflects: "Goodness knows how long those who used to write to me when I was Home Secretary, demanding even tougher action, are going to put up with this lot."

Read the full article here.

More coalition cuts — this time to our police services

David Blunkett has slammed the Lib Dem/Tory coalition government for cutting the budget for South Yorkshire Police by almost £3 million — and has challenged Sheffield Lib Dems to condemn the cuts.

The new Police Minister, the Conservative MP Nick Herbert, has written to all chief constables announcing that he will be cutting the policing budget across England and Wales by £125 million in this financial year — and slashing the counter-terrorism budget by £10 million.

South Yorkshire Police will see a £2.8 million cut in its Home Office police grant, as well as a reduction in its capital grant from £3.3 million to £3.1 million.

David said: "The Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council bemoaned, in the resolution which they recently put through the Council, what they said was the shortfall in funding for the police allocated by the previous Labour Government.

“I now expect them to condemn outright the actions of the coalition — of which Nick Clegg is the deputy leader — and the impact their cuts will have on the safety and well-being of people in Sheffield and the whole of South Yorkshire."

Read the full press release here.

Still no answer on Forgemasters

David Blunkett has been continuing to pursue the Lib Dem/Tory coalition government for a decision on whether it will honour the last Labour Government's commitment to an £80 million to Sheffield Forgemasters.

David has received a perfunctory letter from the new Business Secretary, the Lib Dems' Vince Cable, simply restating the position — that there is a review underway of all agreed Government spending since 1 January. Download Vince Cable's letter to David here.

David said: "Three weeks have now elapsed since I first wrote to Vince Cable — and we still don't have a response.

"We simply cannot carry on like this. While the new coalition fiddles, there is a danger that our future will burn.

"I will be pursuing this with continued vigour — and I expect the MP for Sheffield Hallam to be using his new-found influence, in a way that it was possible for me to use mine when I was a member of the last Government.

" 'Sheffield First' should be our continuing slogan."