News Releases
If you would like to be kept up to date with the latest news from Alan Whitehead's office, please email
news@alan-whitehead.org.uk
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2009
July 1st: Strong Schools Plan for Southampton
Alan has welcomed the new rights for children, parents and teachers set out in the Schools White Paper. The new measures include a right to one-to-one tuition for all who need it. More information.
June 22nd: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for June is now online. It includes information on his many questions in Parliament, meeting with the head of Southampton PCT over health services in the city; and his new Private Members Bill on Fuel Poverty.
June 22nd: The week ahead
On Monday Alan will meet Department for Energy and Climate Change Minister, David Kidney, to discuss Alan’s Private Member’s Bill on fuel poverty. Alan will then attend the the Speaker of the House vote and a National Grid Young Offender Programme reception in the evening. See the rest of Alan's week.
June 18th: Alan secures commitment on green spending
Yesterday Alan pressed the Prime Minister to reaffirm his commitment to maintain and enhance spending on combating climate change... and also asked what the consequences would be if spending on these measures were to be cut by 10%
June 16th: Alan joins Redbridge school students on Uni taster day
Alan today joined Redbridge Community School students on a visit to the University of Southampton, as part of an art taster day designed to encourage more young people to think about going to university.
June 15th: May Activity Report now online
Alan's May Activity Report is now online. Apologies for the delay in getting this posted to the website- this was down to the webmaster being on leave!
Alan's May report covers national issues including MPs' expenses, the budget and smart meters, and local work including speaking to the Royal Mail workers,trades unionists and local residents. Read the report
June 12th: We can protect Britain's security without building Trident
In his latest article, Alan lays out how we could replace Britain's aging nuclear weapons system with something much more appropriate for the post-cold war world, and at a third of the cost of replacing Trident. Read the article.
June 1st: Speech on the Local Democracy Bill
Alan spoke on the second reading of the Local Democracy Bill today. You can read his full speech here.
"It is fair to say that regardless of Government, for many years we in this country have made a real pig's ear of working out where in sub-national government things should be dealt with. The truth of the matter is that local government, as we call it, is not just a number of local authorities, the boundaries of which have been determined by the local government boundary committee or, in the case of county councils, largely by the Plantagenets."
May 27th: Obama's fuel efficiency targets may be historic, but are they groundbreaking?
In his latest article for Progress, Alan argues that President Obama's proposals on fuel efficiency, while historic, still leave the US with much to do to catch up with Europe and meet their obligations on climate change. Read Alan's article.
May 18th: Alan's speech opposing Royal Mail privatisation
You can now watch Alan's speech to Royal Mail workers opposing the proposed part-privatisation of the Royal Mail. More information.
Part 1:
Part 2:
May 14th: Speaking at Royal Mail rally in Southampton this Saturday
Alan will be speaking this Saturday in Southampton at a rally opposing the potential part-privatisation of the Royal Mail.
May 13th: All Alan's expense receipts published early
Alan Whitehead has published early all his MP expense receipts since the last election. View all of Alan's receipts, and a summary of what Alan has claimed.
May 13th: Dump Test Lane Depot plan, Whitehead tells Council
Alan Whitehead has written to the City Council Environment & Transport Cabinet Member calling on him to scrap plans for moving the Town Depot Waste Services to Test Lane. More information
Foyes Corner Festival on 17th May
Alan will be at the Foyes Corner Festival on Sunday the 17th May- for details of the event, click on the poster to the left.
May 11: A smart energy meter in every home by 2020
Alan has welcomed today's government announcement that every home in the country will be equipped with a smart energy meter by 2020. More information
May 1st: The Darwin Initiative (and spidermonkeys)
Alan spoke last night on the little-known DEFRA project, the Darwin Initiative, and its particularly important achievements in protecting and promoting biodiversty.
It is possible that, every day, we exterminate a number of species that we will never, ever know about because we have not discovered them yet, and so have not even decided whether they should be protected, placed on the endangered list, or made the subject of other measures that are used in relation to known species.
April 28th: CHP tax break will cut carbon by 3.2 million tonnes
A less-reported, but very significant element of the budget, was the announcement of tax breaks for Combined Heat and Power generation, which Alan has been pushing for for some time. More information.
April 22nd: Alan welcomes budget focus on child & fuel poverty
Alan has welcomed measures announced in the 2009, particularly the continued focus on addressing both child poverty, fuel poverty and reducing our carbon emissions. Read Alan's statement and some key information on the budget.
April 22nd: Environmental campaigners thank Alan
The Sustainable Energy Partnership has thanked Alan for his support for green energy measures currently being debated in Parliament. More information.
April 21st: Alan welcomes Council suspension of Care UK
Alan has welcomed the Council's decision to suspend new care placements with domiciliary care provider Care UK. More information
April 20: Alan backs Tearfund sanitation campaign
Alan was recently contacted by a local church member about an important Tearfund campaign to help the 2.6 billion people in the world without access to proper sanitation facilities. More information
April 21st: Care UK Suspended
Alan has welcomed the Council's decision to suspend new care placements with domiciliary care provider Care UK. More information
April 19th: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for April is now online. Read it here.
April 8th: Tougher regulations for wheel clamping companies
Alan has backed plans to crack down on rogue wheel clamping companies, who charge over the odds and impound cars unreasonably quickly. More information
April 7th: Support for Saints
Alan today made a joint call along with John Denham and Southampton's Labour Councillors for the City Council to take a leadership role in saving Southampton Football Club. More information
April 7th: What Alan would do as a dictator
In early Spring Alan did a long sit-down interview with the Wessex Chronicle. The interview covered the recession, regionalism, the bank bailout, housing, immigration, the EU, and what Alan would do if he were a dictator! Read the interview here.
April 6th: Why we need a green stimulus package
Alan has written a new article for the Progress website on why this year's Budget should stimulate the economy through investment in green measures. Read the article.
April 3rd: Alan will be at St Mary's this Saturday
Alan has made this statement about support for Saints at their game tomorrow:
"The club really is essential to the city. I have just had a knee operation after playing football for too many years, but I will be at St Mary's on Saturday no matter what it takes.
Even if they have to carry me in on a stretcher I will be there to show my support and hope everyone who can get there will do the same."
April 3rd: New cash for mums-to-be
From this month mums-to-be will get a new £190 grant from the government to help with the costs of setting up your home for a child. More information.
April 2nd: The Minimum Wage, 10 years on
Alan's latest In My View is now available on the website. In it Alan says:
"The minimum wage has not cost jobs- in fact over 2 million jobs were created after the minimum wage was introduced. And as we all now know, what has caused lasting damage to the world’s economy most recently was not fair pay for people at the bottom, but excessive and unregulated bonuses for people at the top."
April 1: Happy Birthday to the minimum wage
On Saturday Alan was out in Portswood, listening to residents and celebrating the 10th anniversary of the minimum wage. Portswood.Info has a short piece on the day- read it here.
March 30: Meeting with Transport Minister about port taxes
Alan has secured a meeting with Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick regarding the government's consultation on 'light dues'- the dues payed by ships entering the UK to help pay for the upkeep of our lighthouses. More information
March 28: 11th Annual Report published
Alan's 11th Annual report has now been published and is currently being delivered to all constituents in Southampton Test. This report covers Alan's work in Parliarment and in Southampton over the last 12 months, including his work to reduce energy bills in Southampton, his work on private rented housing, his work supporting Saints Football club, and more. You can now download Alan's report (warning- this is a large file, and requires a pdf viewer).
March 26: Shortest NHS waiting times ever for South Central
The South Central Strategic Health Authority, of which Southampton is part, reports NHS waiting times are at their lowest at any point in the NHS's history. More information.
March 20: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly Activity Report for March is now online. Read it here.
March 19: Flexible GP Opening Hours
More GPs in Southampton offer flexible working hours than the national average, thanks to a deal done between doctors and the Labour Government.
March 18: Redundancy Pay Private Members Bill
On Friday Alan was in the Commons to vote to for a Private Members Bill to improve statutory redundancy pay.
March 17: Southampton HMO Roundtable with Housing Minister
Yesterday Alan delivered a roundtable discussion between key community groups in Southampton Test, and housing minister Iain Wright,
March 4: Policing Pledge for Southampton
Alan is today helping spread the word about the new Policing Pledge for Southampton, which sets out clearly what communities can expect from their local police. More information.
March 3: £2 million brought forward for Southampton schools
Southampton will get an extra £2 million this year in school refurbishment funding as part of the government's economic stimulus package. More information
March 2: HMO legislation- slow progress?
Read Alan's latest update on progress on increasing regulation on HMOs, originally published in the Highfield Residents' Association Newsletter.
March 1: Council tax reform- an impossible challenge?
How to reform funding for local government has been an issue that has plagued successive governments ever since the disastrous Poll Tax. In this article for Public Finance Magazine, Alan lays out a plan for reform. Read the proposals..
February 26: Why have a Renewable Content Obligation?
Alan today writes for epolitix about how to support the British recycling industry. Read the article.
February 25: Protecting British industry by recycling
Alan today put forward a Bill in Parliament to increase the amount of recycled materials in mass-produced products- and highlighted the economic benefits such a change would bring.
February 24: Energy workshop a big hit
Southampton's first energy saving workshop held last week served around 100 people throughout the day.
Due to high public interest in the event, more workshops will be organised in the run-up to next winter.
Feb 23rd: Southampton is 'leading Britain' in green energy, say Cabinet
Alan today showcased Southampton's pioneering geothermal power plant to Cabinet Ministers, as a blue-print for how Britain can move towards low-cost and low carbon energy.
February 22nd: Monthly Activity Report
Alan's monthly activity report for February 2009 is now online. It covers his position on the recent third runway vote, freedom of information for MPs' expenses, speaking at the launch of a Compass Southampton series of events, and more.
Read previous monthly activity reports
Feb 18: "Care in the Crunch" Report
Alan's latest MP's report is currently being distributed to constituents in Southampton Test. If you haven't already received yours, you should get it in a few weeks.
This report focuses on help for Southampton in getting through the credit crunch, and on our city's care services.
Download the report (large file, requires pdf viewer)
Feb 16: Congratulations to Southampton schools
Alan has written to two Southampton schools to congratulate them for being amongst the best in the country for raising standards. More information
Feb 14: Alan defends the minimum wage
Alan has slammed a proposal put forward by former Southampton Conservative MP Christopher Chope to abolish the minimum wage. More information.
February 9: Political appointees to the Electoral Commission
In the debate on appointees to the Electoral Commission, Alan today emphasised that even 'political' appointees from political parties must not seek to fight their own party's corner. Read Alan's speech.
February 5th: Energy Saving Workshop
Alan has set up the first ever Energy Saving Workshop for Southampton on Wednesday 18th February. All of Alan's constituents from Southampton Test are welcome to attend.
More information about the workshop (and download the poster)
February 4th: News for social housing tenants
A new powerful regulator is currently being set up to promote the rights of social housing tenants. You can submit your views on what it should cover here.
January 29: Bonus for 30,000 Southampton pensioners
Pensioners in Southampton are this month receiving a £60 cash bonus, in addition to increases in the state pension and Winter Fuel Payments. What does it all add up to?
January 28: The Southampton Test Energy Saver Handbook
Alan has today launched a new Energy Saver Handbook for constituents in Southampton Test, which gives comprehensive advice on the help available to reduce your fuel bills.
January 23rd: Freedom of Information for MPs' offices
Alan yesterday welcomed the announcement that the Freedom of Information Act would apply to MPs' offices, and called for a clear system of declarations for all MPs.
January 22: Free school meals for all city kids?
Southampton has the chance to offer school meals free to all children in the city as part of a government pilot scheme.
Should the Council take up the offer?
January 21: Monthly activity report
Alan's activity report for the Christmas period and January is now online, including Alan's statement on Gaza, meeting with Royal Mail workers and Pakistani representatives, and the last information on the help available to those who lose their jobs because of the credit crunch. Read the report.
January 20: A late Christmas gift!
Alan is working with the Woodland Trust to encourage more people in Southampton to recycle their christmas cards. Find out how here.
January 19: Alan nominated for new powerful committee on energy and climate change
Alan was today nominated to be a member of the new powerful select committee which will scrutinise the work of the Department for Energy and Climate Change. More information.
January 14: Supporting Ford is an 'investment in the future'
Alan spoke on South Today last night about the future of the Ford Plant. More information
January 12: The reality of Tory cuts- police
Alan Whitehead and John Denham lay out what Tory proposals to cut spending on law & order would mean for Southampton. More information
January 9: Renewable energy: 'The Problems of Success' speech
Late last year Alan spoke to the Renewable Energy Association about the future of renewable energy in the UK, speaking on the importance of renewables and what challenges still had to be overcome.
January 8: Free theatre tickets for young people
The Nuffield theatre has been awarded £30,000 by the government to enable it to offer free tickets to young people. More information
January 5: Stop the slaughter in Gaza
Alan has signed a joint statement calling for an immediate cessation of violence in Gaza. Read the statement in full
Press releases, articles and reports written by Alan are all reproduced on this page.