Speaking with bikers from across the South East

Peter Skinner is backing motorcyclists in their bid to challenge new EU rules.

Bikers angered by new laws proposed in Brussels were given the chance to tell the MEP about their concerns. New EU rules could see expensive ABS (Anti-lock Braking Systems) made compulsory and bike modifications threatened.

The event on 14^th January was held at P&H Motorcycles in Crawley and bikers from across the region 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 »

Shocking new statistics show one in five children live in poverty.

A major new study published by the Campaign to End Child Poverty on 10 January provides a child poverty map of the whole of the UK. This follows an earlier think tank report which showed the average family will be £1,250 a year worse off by 2015 due to the impact of the Tory-led Government’s tax and benefit reforms.

The study shows 4 million children living in poverty across the UK, including hundreds of thousands in the South East. There are also big variations between different areas in our region from 28% in Southampton Itchen to just 7% in the Prime Minister’s Witney constituency.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has previously warned that Tory-led Government cuts and changes to benefits will cause child poverty across the UK to rise by 400,000 children by 2015 unless the Government takes a more progressive approach to tackling the deficit. Read the rest of this article »