Peter with carol and Frank from the WDM

Millions left malnourished by bankers betting on food prices

Big investment banks are betting on the price of staple foods like wheat, maize and soya. This is causing food prices to rise and making people go hungry.

After a meeting with members of the Horsham group of the World Development Movement Sussex Euro MP Peter Skinner is supporting their campaign for tighter European regulation of food markets.

Banks and hedge funds are earning huge profits from betting on food prices in unregulated financial markets. This causes drastic price swings in staple foods such as wheat, maize and soy, making poor families around the world go hungry and Read the rest of this article »

A shrinking economy means growing dole queues

The UK economy shrank by 0.2% in the last three months of 2011 according to official figures.

Euro MP Peter Skinner reacted to the latest bleak news by renewing his call for a growth focused economic plan.

The new figures followed hot on the heels of the collapse of major chains Past Times and Peacocks and news that unemployment was at a 17 year high of 2.7million including 284,000 across the South East.

The MEP is backing Labour’s call for a cut in VAT, a national insurance holiday for 330,000 small businesses in the South East and Read the rest of this article »

Euro MP Peter Skinner is backing Labour’s call for a five point economic growth plan as UK unemployment hits record levels and continues to rise in the South East.

Unemployment in Britain is rising and at 2.685million stands at its highest level for 17 years. Female unemployment was at its highest for 23 years and the shockingly jobless total for young people hit a record of 1.043 million, taking the unemployment rate in the 16-24 year-old age group to 22.3%.

The latest figures for the South East show an increase of 27,000 on the last quarter with 284,000 now unemployed. Read the rest of this article »

Peacocks employs 10,000 people

Euro MP Peter Skinner reacted to news that the chains had gone into administration by calling for a new growth focused economic plan.

The two chains, with stores across the South East, have seen falling revenues as the economy stagnates and failed to restructure their debts.

The MEP is backing Labour’s call for a cut in VAT, a national insurance holiday for 330,000 small businesses in the South East and investment in jobs for young people.
Read the rest of this article »