Imagine a government so incompetent that it designed a tax that hit soldiers but not prisoners; or a Department so useless it punished foster parents for the crime of giving a home to a child in need. Imagine ministers so out of touch they had to be told by others their plans hurt tens of thousands of pensioners – because they didn’t know.

Welcome to today’s Department for Work and Pensions. From the crack team that gave us a Work Programme that is officially worse than doing nothing, we now have a Bedroom Tax that we suspect may cost more than it saves.

Labour supports sensible welfare reform but the bedroom tax is crazy. Ministers claim they are trying to solve under-occupancy but David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith have been forced to admit that it is impossible for their plans to work because there aren’t enough smaller homes for families to move to.

It is in black and white in their own impact assessment – they know this policy won’t work. So all the Bedroom Tax will achieve is making some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society event poorer. Two thirds of these families, by the way, are home to someone with a disability and the National Housing Federation say 200,000 are receiving Disability Living Allowance.

From the Guardian to the Sun, everyone is warning the government that this policy is a mess, but Ministers are burying their heads in the sand.

In fact the department is in such a shambles that DWP press officers were forced to slap down their own Secretary of State after he told the six o’clock news he was looking at making changes. The whole thing is descending into farce.

The scheme is now so chaotic it could actually end up costing more than it saves in many parts of the country. If families are made homeless or pushed into expensive private rented accommodation the tax payer could actually be left with a higher bill – and still the problem of under occupancy will not be solved.

In Scotland 33% of people living in council or housing association homes who receive housing benefit will be hit. This means 80,000 people will be worse off by £624 a year when the bedroom tax comes into force.

The tragedy is this government’s plans won’t even succeed on their own terms. Everyone agrees the welfare bill needs to come down, but this government is now expected to spend £13bn more than planned because of they are totally failing to get Britain moving again.

The best way to bring down the benefits bill is to get people into jobs. That’s why Labour is calling for a tough but fair compulsory jobs guarantee. We would offer anyone who has been out of work for more than two years a real job – one that they would be required to take, no ifs and no buts.

Britain needs real welfare reform that is tough, fair and that works, not more chaos and confusion from this government.

The Bedroom Tax is now in total disarray. Ministers must now admit they have got this horribly wrong and think again – before it’s too late.

Filed under: recentnews | 2 Comments »

Energy companies that make “excessive profit” should be taxed by the energy regulator, say a group of Labour MPs.

The MPs want the Government’s Energy Bill to include the proposal, and they are calling for support on their amendment. The announcement comes just days after British Gas, which raised prices by 6% late last year, reported profits of £606 million. John Robertson and Jim Sheridan want to see Ofgem given full access to company accounts and then permission to fine any companies that are seen to be making excessive profits at the expense of the consumer.

Mr Robertson, who sits on the Energy select committee, hopes it will put a stop to cases like that of Iberdrola, the parent company of Scottish Power, which transferred £800m to the US, while raising prices in this country. He said: “The energy companies hold us to ransom and it is about time they started giving us a fair deal. I am convinced they hide their accounts in different pots so it looks as though they only make small profits. If there was a real threat that this sort of behaviour had a consequence, I don’t think we would see the sort of price rises we have been seeing over the last few years.”

Mr Sheridan spoke about how they would use the money to tackle fuel poverty. He said: “40% of the population is in fuel poverty or struggling to pay bills and this is due to Big Six greed. If they were seen to be exploiting their customers, then the fine should be used to help those who are suffering the most. It is about time they took responsibility for their decisions.”

The amendment can be found here.

Filed under: press, recentnews | No Comments »

This week: Energy select committee in Anniesland, Home Office question, Meeting with Mexican parliamentarians, Fair Tax on Flying Campaign & How to watch a debate or tour parliament

Filed under: media | No Comments »

John Robertson (Glasgow North West) (Lab): How many people are subject to a terrorism prevention and investigation measure.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (James Brokenshire): In the last quarterly report on the exercise of powers in the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011, for the reporting period 1 September to 30 November 2012, 10 people were subject to a TPIM notice during that time.

John Robertson: It is nearly 50 days since Ibrahim Magag went missing and the now famous absconding black cab shows that the Home Secretary made a mistake with TPIMs. Will the Minister say whether Ibrahim Magag was under surveillance at that time—nothing technical, a yes or no will do?

James Brokenshire: The operation to locate Ibrahim Magag is ongoing and the police are doing everything in their power to locate and indentify that individual. The hon. Gentleman would perhaps agree that the best place for a terrorist is in prison, and that is why the Government have committed additional resources to supplement the TPIM regime and ensure a balance of preventive measures as well as ensuring that people are brought to justice.

Filed under: recentnews, speeches | No Comments »

The figures revealed today have prompted calls for the banning of “predatory and infuriating” company cold calling.

John Robertson MP has been looking into the issue after having received a number of cold calls himself. He said: “Companies have been calling me up with their sales pitch – but when they find out I’m an MP they quickly backtrack. It would be funny if it wasn’t such predatory behaviour.”

Mr Robertson, who sits on the Energy and Climate Change committee, is particularly worried about vulnerable people being pushed into changing energy tariffs, for example, without having all the information in front of them. He said: “Many offers from companies are hard enough to understand as it is, without a hardlined salesperson pushing you to take it over the phone. Sadly, I think the most vulnerable people will find it difficult to deal with these types of people and may even end up paying more, thanks to these infuriating calls.”

“We also have no idea of the extent of this sales tactic – I find that very worrying.”

Over half of all landline numbers in the UK are currently registered with the Telephone Preference Service Ltd (TPSL), a service which allows customers to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales calls. With so many people opting out of the practice, the Labour MP for Glasgow North West is calling for it to be banned completely.

Filed under: press, recentnews | No Comments »

Yesterday, I spoke in a debate called by my colleague, John McDonnell MP, regarding the resources and capacities of HMRC, following further job losses. The text of my speech is below. I wanted to draw attention to the fact that, while thousands of people are losing their jobs, three new board members have been appointed at £20,000 a year. This included Volker Beckers, the former RWE Npower Chief Executive, an appointment I have already been critical of – see here.

Speech

John Robertson (Glasgow North West) (Lab): I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) on getting the debate, which is important. I do not intend to go over the same ground as other colleagues, but some points need to be re-emphasised. I am looking forward to the Minister’s reply, and if he gets time, I hope that he will answer a few of my questions, although I am happy to get a response in writing.

Other than the 40,000 jobs that will be lost by 2015—over the past eight and future two years—which is bad enough, what we have is an HMRC that has just employed three new non-executive board members. Volker Beckers, previously chief executive of RWE npower, is now the chair of the scrutiny committee and has a job worth £20,000 a year. That might not be an awful lot to Mr Beckers, but it would be to people who were about to lose their jobs. Why does that man have a job at £20,000 a year, which will not mean a lot to him? He also comes from the electricity companies, which have been ripping off customers left, right and centre, although the Minister might consider the case to be one of poacher turned gamekeeper. That might be right, but I would still like to know the reasons.

Norman Pickavance was previously director of human resources and communications at Morrisons. He left Morrisons just before it announced a third year of no profits. Will he be asked to bail out of HMRC if it is not successful? He is on a retainer of £15,000 a year, and I would like to know what he does for that £15,000 a year.

John Whiting, previously of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, perhaps has a job that is connected with HMRC, but he is working for it only part time, and he will receive £20,000 a year. How much time will he spend earning that money, and what will he be expected to do in return?

On 1 February, the Daily Mirror reported that a group called the Cup Trust had been banking millions of pounds and giving out millions of pounds in gifts to people, yet only 8% of its money seems to go to charity. Two days later, the same newspaper revealed that it had not given £80,000 to charity, although its books said that it had. That is not tax avoidance; it is ripping of charity people. On many occasions, I have asked what happens to the extra money that is put aside for proper charities, and we are told that the Treasury takes it back and will not give it to charities that do the right thing. The Daily Mirror’s headline stated:

“Charity tax avoiders: Scam bosses could trouser £7.7 MILLION while good causes received just £135,000”.

If the Daily Mirror can find that information, and we hear about it only through the paper, what have the Treasury and HMRC been doing?

The problem with HMRC is not the people at the bottom—the 40,000 people who will lose their jobs or have already lost them—who do a good job and work hard, but those who run it and are in charge of those people. That, Minister, is you.

Filed under: Parliament, speeches | No Comments »

• Are you struggling with energy bill costs?
• Do you need information on how to reduce your bills and make your homes more energy efficient?

Filed under: press | No Comments »

This week: EU Referendum announcement, Volker Beckers appointment at HMRC, Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chairing of the whole House.

Filed under: media | No Comments »

This week John Robertson MP signed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, in doing so pledging hiscommitment to Holocaust Memorial Day and honouring those who died during the Holocaust.

Sunday January 27th will mark the 68th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration and extermination camp which is the site of the largest mass murder in history. In the weeks running up to the day, the Holocaust Educational Trust placed a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons, giving MPs the chance to honour those who were persecuted and killed during the Holocaust and encouraging constituents to work together to combat prejudice and racism today.

In signing the Book of Commitment, Mr Robertson paid tribute to those who perished during the Holocaust and honoured the extraordinary Holocaust survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people about what they endured, through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Outreach programme.

In the weeks leading up to and after Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. This year, people will also be encouraged to honour those communities that have been destroyed by genocide and reflect on the importance of coming together to oppose prejudice and hatred.

John Robertson MP said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity to remember the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. I encourage all constituents to mark the day and to join members of community in the fight against prejudice and intolerance.”

Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“We are proud that John Robertson is supporting Holocaust Memorial Day this year. It is vitally important that we both remember and learn from the appalling events of the Holocaust – as well as ensuring that we continue to challenge all forms of hatred and bigotry.”

About the Holocaust Educational Trust

• Founded by Lord Janner of Braunstone and the late Lord Merlyn Rees, the Holocaust Educational Trust was formed in 1988 as a result of renewed interest and need for knowledge about the Holocaust during the passage of the War Crimes Act. Our aim is to raise awareness and understanding in schools and amongst the wider public of the Holocaust and its relevance today. We believe the Holocaust must have a permanent place in our nation’s collective memory.

• One of the Trust’s first achievements was to ensure that the Holocaust was included in the National Curriculum for England in 1991 – for Key Stage 3 students (11-14 year olds). We also successfully campaigned to have the assets of Holocaust victims and survivors released and returned to their rightful owners.

• Since 1999 the Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project has given thousands of post-16 students and teachers the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of a four-part educational programme. The Project is now in its fourteenth year and has taken more than 18,000 students and teachers from across the UK to Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as many MPs and other guests. We recently marked our 100^th project visit.

• Having played a crucial role in the establishment of Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK in 2001, the Trust continues to play a key role in the delivery of this national commemorative day.

• We work in schools, colleges and higher education institutions, providing teacher training workshops and lectures, as well as teaching aids and resource materials.

• Every year in the days leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day, HET places a Book of Commitment in the House of Commons for MPs to sign and pledge to remember the Holocaust and act on its contemporary lessons.

• The Holocaust Educational Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee,registered in England and Wales (1092892) and in Scotland (SC042996). We rely on individual donations to produce our resources and deliver our educational programmes, with the exception of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, which is supported by a Government grant. If you would like information on how to donate to HET and support our work, please call us on 020 7222 6822, visit our website www.het.org.uk, and follow us on Twitter: @HolocaustUK and Facebook: Holocaust Educational Trust (UK).

Filed under: recentnews | No Comments »

Here is an article I wrote following my Westminster Hall debate on ‘Trends in donations to charities’, which was published here.

Response to Debate on ‘Trends in donations to charities’: John Robertson MP

Posted: January 21, 2013 

John Robertson, the Member of Parliament for Glasgow North West, called a Westminster Hall Debate on the 8th January on the nominated topic of ‘Trends in donations to charities’. Here he blogs for the Back Britain’s Charities campaign on the problems with giving as he sees them…

Towards the end of last year, worrying reports from the Charities Aid Foundation and NCVO showed that there has been a 20% drop in donations and that one in six charities are facing closure this year. We need to address this issue seriously and urgently.

We rely heavily on charities to provide vital support for some of Britain’s  most vulnerable people. Thousands of volunteers and donors know this – and give both their time and money to support them. But the Government knows this too. In fact, in its ‘Big Society’ plan, charities are the central pillar providing community support. This is why it needs to address this issue before it is too late.

In the Westminster Hall debate on the 8th January I raised a number of possible solutions. I was shocked to learn that £750 million worth of Gift Aid goes unclaimed each year. The ‘Back Britain’s Charities’ campaign says that Gift Aid needs modernising. This is absolutely correct. I called for a central database where ‘Gift Aiders’ could register their details, making it easier for charities to claim it every time.

Both my colleague Jim Sheridan MP and I also called for unclaimed Gift Aid to be given to charities. I have recently tabled a parliamentary question asking that it is put to a tendering process at the end of each financial year. We will see what the answer is, but Chloe Smith, the Cabinet Office Minister, did not seem enthusiastic about the idea. I was disappointed that she chose to make, as she said, “a political point”, rather than address this serious issue.

Payroll giving is also massively underutilised. Only 3% of people donate in this way, and yet it could cost a donor as little as £5 to donate £10. We need an awareness campaign around this system and, like Gift Aid, the system needs to be modernised to make it easier for charities and donors to use.

Donating systems are stuck in the past. Alongside the cumbersome Gift Aid and Payroll giving systems, Apple still does not let people donate directly through Apps. Amazon is also taking away significant donations from charity shops through selling ebooks and digital media, and I think it is about time they give something back to society and create an online charity marketplace for second hand media.

I was dissapointed that the Minister was unable to respond more positively to some of the ideas that I put forward – ideas that have been endorsed by many key representatives from the third sector. Many charities are suffering, and it is the most vulnerable in society who are feeling the effects. I believe that the Government needs to act urgently to make donating to charities easier and to ensure that the charitable sector has a sustainable, vibrant future.

Filed under: recentnews | No Comments »