Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

Blunkett: The coalition's priority should be the safety of the British people

David Blunkett has commented to the Sun on the news that the Lib Dem/Tory coalition is planning to scrap control orders - the restrictions which allow us to stop terrorist suspects from moving freely around the country and communicating via mobile phone and the internet.

Nick Clegg has said that he wants to scrap the orders - and appears to be winning the argument in government.

David said: "At the moment we are seeing an unseemly scramble by the Liberal Democrats to show that they have made the policy on control orders, when their priority should be the safety of the British people.

"People will not forget if they put public safety second to the political interests of Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems.

"I have told the Home Secretary, Theresa May, that she has my full support in defending the security of the nation.

"We must remember that we are not dealing with burglars or car thieves. We are dealing with people who are ready to take their own lives to murder as many innocent people as possible. You cannot prosecute a dead suicide bomber and you cannot provide justice for people blown up in their attacks.

"Therefore, we have to concentrate on preventing attacks, which is why control orders are so important. To get rid of these orders would not be naivete - it would be treachery."

Sadie approaches retirement age

David has written an article in today's Daily Mail about the most famous member of his staff - Sadie, his faithful guide dog.

"You, dear readers, will be the first to know that a very close friend of mine — a very, very close friend — is soon to retire," the former Work and Pensions Secretary writes.

"Sadie has been a remarkable guide dog. She has been through thick and thin with me, in government and outside."

Read the full article here.

So much for fairness, says Blunkett, in response to higher education funding review

Former Education Secretary David Blunkett has responded to Lord Browne's review of higher education, which proposes a lifting of the cap on student tuition fees.

Mr Blunkett blasted the Liberal Democrats, saying: "This is a complete betrayal by the Liberal Democrats of everything that they have ever said on higher education and of the platform they stood on at the General Election."

Warning that the reforms would lead to an unfettered market in higher education, Mr Blunkett added: “So much for fairness, social mobility and equality of opportunity. I fear that, coupled with the draconian cuts in this country’s investment in the knowledge economy to be announced by George Osborne next week, we are burning the seed corn of Britain’s future."

Read the full response here.

I'm voting for Andy Burnham and giving my second preference to David Miliband

UPDATE Tues 7/9: Read David's interview with the Guardian

David writes on the Labour leadership contest and why Andy Burnham's supporters should give their second preferences to David Miliband.

As Labour Party members begin to fill in their ballot papers and choose their new leader, it is time for us to face up to the questions that really matter.

Who can lead the fight against the coalition’s cuts agenda from day one? Who can regain power for Labour – not in ten years, not in 18, but as soon as the next election comes? Who has got the vision for the future of the country – and the capacity to appeal to the whole nation?

You would expect me to endorse and to support someone whose background, connections and political perspective mirror my own – not least when he happens to have been my Parliamentary Private Secretary and a Minister in my team when in government.

That’s why I’ve placed my first preference with Andy Burnham.

I believe that being genuinely in touch with the day-to-day concerns and heartfelt hopes of individual men and women across the country is a critical pre-requisite to Labour’s re-election to government and to its future success.

It is that connection that led Andy to understand the imperative of creating a National Care Service and taking on the challenge of an ageing population. His efforts in this regard have not had the recognition that they deserve – doubly so when you consider the irony that those who would stand most to benefit from such a Service are the ones most likely to vote ... but that they were more likely to vote for the Conservatives at the last election than Labour!

This just goes to emphasise the importance of speaking to every section of our society – and to having a vision of an enabling government, which puts power and opportunity in the hands of the citizen.

Andy has understood this – and so, in spades, has David Miliband, which is why I will be giving him my second preference.

No 'coalition job' for David Blunkett

David Blunkett has responded to a story in the Mail on Sunday suggesting that he may take a role at the behest of the coalition Government, advising on welfare reform.

Mr Blunkett said: "Now that Iain Duncan Smith is the Work and Pensions Secretary and has obviously severed his links with the Centre for Social Justice, the CSJ is seeking a greater degree of independence and has approached me to see if I would be prepared to act as an advisor.

"I have asked the CSJ to come back with a proposition for a role for me, on an unpaid, informal basis. There is no question of paid work being involved.

"The notion that I will 'advise' David Cameron, Nick Clegg or anyone in the Government is false. I have not sought, nor will I seek, to take up a coalition role.

"I am happy to work with think tanks and provide my lifetime's worth of experience in the field of welfare reform, as I have done in producing a range of policy pamphlets over the last five years."

'Twas a dark and stormy night ...

 

For any readers planning to go camping over the course of the summer ... you might want to take a look at David's experience in Derwentwater, as related to the Daily Mail today!

"People either love or hate camping. I'm afraid I fall into the second category," David writes.

Read the full article here at the Mail website.

The Government is right to scrap the compulsory retirement age

David Blunkett has welcomed the announcement by the Government that it will move to scrap the compulsory retirement age.

David, a former Work and Pensions Secretary, began the debate around this issue when in office in 2005. He has previously argued that people should aspire to "meaningful activity," be it work or voluntary activity, until our capacities overtake us — not least so that we can fight off dementia in older age.

David said: "This is one example of where the Labour Government might have acted to take a popular and necessary move, alongside raising the retirement age and addressing the major issue of ageing – which I did manage to successfully argue back in 2005.”

His full remarks are here.

An out-of-touch Home Secretary threatens the well-being of our community

David Blunkett has reacted to Home Secretary Theresa May's speech this afternoon, in which she has announced that she will review the anti-social behaviour powers available to the police.

As Home Secretary, David put in place many of the powers — such as ASBOs, curfew orders and dispersal orders — which the police and, most importantly, put-upon communities, can use to stop people making their life hell.

David said: "As soon as I heard the Home Secretary talk about ‘criminalising’ young people – when an initial ASBO is a civil order – I knew that, sadly, the Secretary of State does not know what she is talking about.

“This may spring from the fact that anti-social behaviour in Maidenhead and Windsor is somewhat less of a problem than it is in major urban and inner-city communities, such as the one I represent.”

Read David's full response here.

The police, judges with "no answers" and Lib Dem cuts

It's been a big news day on several fronts, from the way in which the police account to the public, to Sheffield Council's Lib Dem Cabinet debating whether to press ahead with draconian cuts to the local authority's budget.

David has responded to the Government's policing White Paper.

He's called on the Lib Dems on Sheffield Council to have a "complete re-think" as they debate daunting cuts to local services.

And he's said that judges have "no answers" on immigration after they struck down policy to remove from the country foreign nationals who have exhausted their leave to remain in the UK.

Blunkett responds to HMRC winding-up order for Sheffield Wednesday

David Blunkett has issued a response to the winding-up order issued this morning by HM Revenue and Customs to Sheffield Wednesday FC.

Mr Blunkett's constituency of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough includes the club.

Mr Blunkett said: "I will be in immediate touch with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, as I would for any other enterprise in my constituency, to offer every possible assistance — including intervention with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

"I share the club’s concern about pre-emptive moves — particularly where, with the Co-operative Bank, constructive discussions were in progress. Action of this kind can only cause both deep distress to the fans and the club’s management, and undermine the club’s efforts to obtain substantial funding for future development.

"Quite simply, this move is deeply unhelpful in every respect and I hope that HMRC will move immediately to allay fears and to find a sensible solution. In the meantime, I am making preliminary contact with the HMRC Chief Executive, Lesley Strathie, in order to facilitate the necessary behind the scenes work to get this matter resolved."

Mr Blunkett will also be meeting the chairman of fans' group Wednesdayite at lunchtime on Friday to review the situation.