A Voice You Can Still Trust

Since the last time that I wrote to you as a candidate in 2005 we have all been rocked both by the global economic recession and by the shocking revelations of misuse of expenses by many MPs in Parliament. I can understand why many people are deeply cynical and mistrustful of politics and politicians, but I want to let you know why I still have confidence for the future.

First of all, thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your MP for the past 21 years. Vauxhall has changed a lot in that time, but we still have that wonderful sense of community and enough energy to convince me that nothing is out of reach for our area; it is unquestionably the finest constituency in the country.

As an inner-city MP I was appalled by some MPs “flipping”, avoiding tax payments or claiming for phantom mortgages. I was especially furious that so many of the ‘homes’ were in our area and could have housed so many overcrowded or homeless families. I have fully displayed my
expenses on my website and have nothing to hide. I have always called and voted for full transparency as the only way to restore public confidence, and it was my questions about this that led to the historic removal of Speaker Michael Martin.

I pledge to do my utmost to restore confidence in our Parliament.

We have all felt the impact of the near-collapse of the banking system and the consequent recession. This was due to reckless financial speculation across the world and regulations that were far too lax. We need to re-regulate to ensure that nothing like this can happen again, but meanwhile we have been left with a huge deficit as action has been taken to restore stability and to preserve jobs. I continue to support Trade Unions in representing working people and improving conditions—I hope that the agency workers legislation will make a difference.

Of course the deficit must be tackled but I pledge that I will work to make any cuts fair and protect the poorest, who were blameless for causing this situation.

I voted against the renewal of Trident as I believe that nuclear weapons are yesterday’s solution to Cold War-era problems, and the money that we could save is a powerful additional reason that I believe it ought to be scrapped. Similarly, I have continued to oppose ID Cards, and hope that the next Government will finally give up on the scheme.

I pledge that I will continue to oppose infringements to our civil liberties.

There have been real improvements in our area as a result of Government investment, but also the tremendous hard work of committed individuals who help strengthen our communities.

Record investment in the health service has meant that waiting times for operations have been reduced from two years to just three months now, and people who suspect they may have cancer are guaranteed to see a specialist in two weeks. More money for schools has meant replacing crumbling buildings, new equipment and resources, smaller class sizes, and record results. We now have more police on our streets than ever before, and although each crime is one too many, they are down by a third. We have introduced new equalities laws so that all citizens have their rights protected, young and old, black and white, man and woman, straight and gay.

I pledge to continue to press for increases in police numbers, and for them to be ever more visible and available on our streets.

Internationally, we still face threats of terrorism and climate change, and our troops risk danger in Afghanistan. We need to keep this under review, and make sure that we have clear objectives. I do not believe that the best way to protect our country from terrorism is to have our troops in Afghanistan. We need a just resolution in Palestine.

I pledge to urge a timetable be set for our withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Climate change is a huge challenge for how we lead our lives, and we must all play our part. However, our solutions must not punish working people for their lifestyles whilst allowing the wealthy to continue to enjoy their luxuries. I opposed the unfair tax on flights to the Caribbean.

I would like to thank all of the groups that have worked with me, and I look forward to continuing this in the future.

I will not let you down on any of the promises that I make. I am optimistic for the future, despite the challenges ahead. I am therefore asking for your vote on Thursday 6th May.”