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ROBERT HALFON MPWORKING HARD FOR HARLOW

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Spring 2014
ROB HALFON MP: A CHAMPION
OF THE PEOPLE HE REPRESENTS
ENERGY BILLS PRE-APPRENTICE
SCHOOL
C
hancellor George
Osborne hailed
Harlow MP Robert
Halfon a champion of the
people he represents,
following his announcement
that fuel duty would be
frozen until the end of this
Parliament.

Since being elected as Harlows
MP in 2010, Robert Halfon has
led a major campaign in
Parliament to halt rising fuel
prices. The Chancellor listened,
and all of the fuel duty rises,
planned by the previous Labour
Government, have been
scrapped. Fuel duty was even cut
by 1p in 2011.

This means that from next year,
fuel will be 20p a litre cheaper
than it would have been under
Labours plans, saving the
average Harlow motorist 680.

FUEL 20p LOWER THAN
UNDER LABOURS PLANS

Throughout his time in the
House of Commons, Robert
Halfon has fought hard for the
people of Harlow to keep the cost
of fuel low.


The cost of fuel doesn't just affect
drivers, high fuel costs also adds to
the price of public transport and
even food. Robert Halfon has also
stood up against greedy oil
companies by calling for a full
investigation by the Office of Fair
Trading into the allegations of oil
price fixing.

The Conservative-led Coalitions
achievements on fuel duty (saving
the average motorist 11 each time
they fill up their tank) is in stark
contrast to the Labour Party, who
increased fuel duty 12 times during
their 13 years in power.
Robert has pledged to continue
his campaign for lower fuel duty,
and recently handed a petition into
Downing Street with FairFuel UK
calling for a further 3p cut.



Robert Halfon hands a petition into 10 Downing Street
calling for cheaper fuel duty
Robert Halfon meets
Eric Pickles to discuss saving
Harlows youth services
YOUTH
SERVICES
PROTECTED
A clipping from
The Sun newspaper
HALFON WINS BACKING
OF PM IN CAMPAIGN
AGAINST RIP OFF
CHARGES
HARLOW RECEIVES
10 MILLION FOR NEW
SCHOOL OPENING
Page 3
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F
ollowing a recent
consultation into the
future of Harlows youth
services by Essex County
Council, it has been announced
that they will continue to offer
the same level of provision as
before.

All the youth centres will
remain open and Essex County
Council have announced an
additional 1 million of
funding.

This follows a campaign by
Harlow MP Rob Halfon which
involved meetings with Essex
County Council, Harlow youth
groups, and Eric Pickles, Secretary
of State for Communities and Local
Government. Robert has paid
tribute to the many young people
and supporters in Harlow who
campaigned alongside him.
Promoted by Simon Carter on behalf of Harlow Conservatives, all of Kao Hockham House, Edinburgh Way, Harlow CM20 2NQ Printed by Mortons Media Group Ltd, of Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR
Page 4
Harlow
2 | Harlow Sun
Community News
RENT IS FOR
HOMES, NOT
LABOUR
HEADLINES
C
ouncil tenants will now be expected
to pay for council newsletters to
every home in Harlow, it has emerged
following the release of this years
council budget.

The announcement, which means funds
received through rent will now be used to pay
for a Council magazine, is opposed by the
Harlow Conservatives.
Jane Steer, Mark Hall council candidate
and leading tenant representative said, The
laws on the use of rent money are very strict -
council rents can only be spent on council
houses.
There is more than enough work that needs
doing to our homes without the council stealing
our money. If the Council want to save money,
they can send information to tenants with
their rent statements.
Conservatives fought hard to keep our rents in
Harlow spent on our homes. Now Labour want
LABOUR LETDOWN ON WARD IMPROVEMENTS
T
wo years ago, the
Conservatives
proposed a major
investment of 20,000
in every ward for
residents to improve
their neighbourhoods.
So now its time we
asked: where is it?

In the months after Labour
took power, very little was
heard of this proposal, until
a decision was finally made
to consult residents on the
idea.

Since then, however, very
little else has been said.

Church Langley Cllr
Tony Hall says, Two years
on and we are still
waiting. Is it any wonder
why people are disillusioned
with the council?

We found the money, we
put forward the initiative -
but Labour didnt want to do
it.


They have no ideas of their
own and clearly dont want to
use anyone elses.

Conservatives councils
cost you less - we froze
Council Tax for three years
and proposed freezes when
Labour put it up every year.
We expect to see something
in return.

You can always rely on
Labour to do nothing except
increase taxes."

A PROBLEM THAT KEEPS ON GROWING
R
ecently, Harlow residents may have noticed a new issue getting in their way
quite literally. Under the Conservatives, Harlow Council launched a two
year programme of cutting back shrubs and grass, made possible by extra
savings made elsewhere.

Now that Labour has increased our Council Tax, Sumners and Kingsmoor Cllr Nick
Churchill asks why this hasnt continued, In the years that we were in control the town was
starting to look clean and tidy. Since Labour have taken control, whats gone wrong? Sumners
and Kingsmoor is looking a mess again.

So we can rightly ask: is the grass really greener under Labour or is it simply overgrown?
C
onservative
councillors in Old
Harlow are leading the
opposition to a
proposed M11 link along
Gilden Way.

Cllr Mike Garnett said,
You would need to be
wearing rose-tinted
spectacles if you believe this
will solve traffic congestion.




Increasing traffic flow from
13,000 vehicles a day to
30,000 does not speak to
me of easing traffic
congestion - quite the
opposite. It will cut off Old
Harlow from Churchgate
Street.
The councillors urged
residents to complete the




consultation on the county
council website and respond
to Robert Halfon MPs
survey cards.
Joel Charles, Old
Harlow council
candidate added, I am yet
to be convinced that the
proposed options for the
new link to the M11 will
improve journey times for
local road users or the
business community.
All the proposals would
result in is increased
congestion at the Mark Hall
roundabouts."
OLD HARLOW CONSERVATIVES
OPPOSE GILDEN WAY M11 LINK
CONSERVATIVE
COUNCILS COST
YOU LESS
C
onservatives on Harlow Council
proposed freezing Council Tax
and protecting local services again
this year - but were defeated by
Labour.

Joel Charles, Old Harlow candidate
said, My colleagues on the council put for-
ward a fully costed amendment to Labours
budget to protect hard working taxpayers.

Their response was to create their own
cost of living crisis by doing what they know
best - increasing taxes, increasing spending
and increasing borrowing.

Clive Souter, Great Parndon council
candidate noted that, Conservatives at
Essex County Council froze their share of
the Council Tax again this year - and theirs
is the biggest share.

Conservative group leader Cllr Andrew
Johnson said at the meeting, When it is a
choice between propaganda sheets and tax
hikes or scrapping a magazine that often
gets dumped and freezing Council Tax, then
I know which one I am voting for.
(Left to Right) Cllr Mike Garnett, Old Harlow candidate
Joel Charles. Cllr Sue Livings, Cllr Muriel Jolles
Overgrown shrubs on
Harlows roads
GIVE THE PEOPLE AN
IN-OUT REFERENDUM
SAYS VICKY FORD MEP
Harlow Sun | 3 ..
I
n the past year, the
Conservative-led Coalition
invested hugely in Harlow NHS
services.

Nearly 6 million has gone to
Princess Alexandra Hospital, with
over 1 million for a new Kidney
Dialysis Unit and 250,000 for
maternity services.

Plus, St Clares Hospice received
472,000 as part of the
Governments 5.5 million
investment into hospices across the
country.

This funding has enabled the
hospital to build a state of the art
new Short Stay A&E Ward, which
opened just a few weeks ago.

Overall, the Government is
increasing spending on the NHS in
real terms. In West Essex alone,
Government spending on the NHS
has increased by 23% since 2008.
Nationally, this extra investment is
paying off, and delivering better
outcomes for patients.
Overall, there are an extra 8,500
clinical staff, and 5,700 extra
doctors. MRSA rates have also been
halved, and waiting times are lower.
Robert Halfon (centre) with Frank Bruno at the
Second Harlow Jobs Fair
T
he economy
is growing.
Unemployment is
now lower in
Harlow than it
was when Labour
left office.

This is reflected
across the UK,
where 1.6 million
new private
sector jobs have
been created.

There are now
more adults in work
than ever before -
giving 30 million
people a pay packet
every week, and the
chance to give
themselves and
their families a
better future.
94% of the jobs
created in the last
year were full time.

For the second
year in a row,
Robert Halfon MP
organised a jobs fair
in Harlow.
Hundreds of jobs
were on offer, and
over two thousand
Harlow residents
attended.

Also, in the year to
February 2014, the
number of Harlow
residents claiming
Job Seekers
Allowance fell by
536 people.

The Conservative-
led Government is
helping to create
jobs by scrapping
employers National
Insurance
contributions on
employees who are
under 21, and
cutting all
businesses NI bills
by up to 2000.

This means that
450,000 small
businesses in
Britain wont have to
pay any NI
contributions at all -
and these savings
will help businesses
hire more people.
ROBERT HALFON TAKES
ON ENERGY COMPANIES
R
obert Halfon has
launched a campaign
against energy companies
who rip people off when they
choose not to pay their
energy bills by direct debit,
and has even secured the
backing of the Prime
Minister.

Harlows MP began his
campaign after hearing that a
pensioner in Harlow would have
to pay an extra 63 every year
unless she started paying her
energy bills by direct debit.

Robert got in touch with her
energy company, but was
surprised to hear that 63 was
actually lower than what most
companies charged.

Upon looking into these fees, he
found that some companies
charged nothing at all, whilst
others billed customers up to
390 more.

Robert said,Residents should
be able to pay how they want, and
should not be penalised if they
choose to pay by post or other non
-direct methods.
HARLOW SEES FALL
IN UNEMPLOYMENT
This kind of charge hits pen-
sioners and the most vulnerable.
It is worth remembering that 45%
of people do not pay their electric-
ity bills by direct debit, and 1 mil-
lion people do not have bank ac-
counts.

After meeting with many of the
energy companies, as well as
Ofgem and EnergyUK, Robert
secured a parliamentary debate on
the issue, which was the most
supported Backbench debate in
history.

He has also introduced a Bill in
the House of Commons, calling
for a limit on the amount energy
companies can charge customers
who do not pay by direct debit.

Since Roberts campaign started,
the Prime Minister has asked the
Energy Secretary to investigate
these charges and First Utility,
Britains seventh biggest
energy company has dropped
their charges from 96 per
year, to a more reasonable
24 per year.

The Government is also doing all
it can to help people with energy
bills, including rolling back
Labours costly green levies,
saving families an average of 50.
Plus, the Governments Warm
Home Discount Scheme will pro-
vide over 2 million households,
including over 600,000 vulner-
able pensioners, with a 135 dis-
count on their electricity bills.
CONSERVATIVES INVESTING
IN HARLOW HEALTH
Robert Halfon with PAH
staff on Christmas Day, 2013
Robert Halfon (centre) at the PAH
Emergency Department
It has been nearly 40 years since the British people last had their say on
Europe. In that time, so much has changed - the countries involved, the
powers devolved and the benefits and costs of membership.

People feel that the EU is heading in a direction that they never signed
up for. It is right to negotiate a fresh settlement in the EU - one that is
better for Britain - and then put the result to the British people in an in-
out referendum.
Robert Halfon (left) with the
Home Heat Helpline
4 | Harlow Sun
E
ducation in Harlow
will be getting a major
boost in September when a
new pre-apprentice school,
the Sir Charles Kao
University Technical
College [UTC], opens its
doors for the first time.

This comes after Harlow
College and Anglia Ruskin
University joined together
and received 10 million of
Government funding.

The school will offer free, first
class, vocational training to
young people from Harlow aged
14-19. Students will be able to
study new technologies in
science, computing and
medicine, as well as gain
valuable work experience. They
will follow GCSE and A-level
courses alongside technical
qualifications in Smart
Environments or Medical
Technology.

Harlows MP Robert Halfon
campaigned strongly for the
new facility. He argued that it
will equip young Harlows
young people with the skills that
they will need for a life-time of
employment.

The Harlow UTC shows that
the Government has a clear
commitment to apprenticeships.
Evidence shows that Higher
Apprentices are 25% more
employable than university
graduates, and apprentices
earn, over 100,000 more
throughout their lifetime than
other employees.

Already, this Government has
created a record 1.5 million
apprenticeships, with a 82%
increase in Harlow alone.

The Harlow UTC is now
accepting applications, contact
enquiries@sircharleskaoutc.co
m if you would like any more
information.
NEW TAX CUT PUTS
MORE MONEY IN
HARLOW POCKETS
R
obert Halfon has welcomed an extra
500 of tax free pay announced by
Chancellor George Osborne in the 2014
Budget last month, reducing the tax bills
of 39,000 Harlow residents.
FAIR IMMIGRATION,
FAIR FOR TAXPAYERS
W
hen the Labour Party was in power,
immigration in to UK was out of
control, with net immigration peaking at 2.2
million people in 2010.
The Conservative-led
Coalition began taking
action to bring
migration numbers
down as soon as it
took office.

So far, it has capped
economic migration,
reformed family visas
and cut out the
widespread abuse of
the student route into
the country.

It is also ensuring
that immigrants enter
the country for the
right reasons and pay
their way, toughening
up the benefits system
and cracking down on
illegal working and
abuse of the NHS.

Overall, this
Government has seen
net immigration fall by
a third.
www.RightToBuyHarlow.com
A free service provided by Robert Halfon MP
- Sign up for details about how to
buy your council house or flat

- Up to a 60% discount on a council
HOUSE

- Up to a 70% discount for a council
FLAT

- New top discount of 75,000
available!
www.RightToBuyHarlow.com
Robert Halfon (far left) at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new
University Technical College in Harlow
BRAND NEW PRE-APPRENTICE
SCHOOL OPENING IN HARLOW
FULL HOUSE!
UNFAIR BINGO TAX IS SLASHED
T
he Chancellor of the
Exchequer has
protected the future of
bingo by slashing bingo
tax by 50% during the
2014 Budget. This will
mean new investment in
Harlow Bingo and better
prizes.

All 54,000 of Harlows bingo
players have been left
delighted following the
Chancellors announcement.
He said that he would cut the
tax on bingo from 20% to 10%,
allowing for bigger prizes, in-
vestment in clubs and a boost
in jobs.

Robert Halfons campaign
attracted the support of over
50 MPs, and members of Har-
low Mecca Bingo joined
Robert Halfon as he
handed in a petition, signed by
over 330,000 people, to
Downing Street.

During the announcement,
Chancellor George Osborne said,
now that fuel duty has been fro-
zen my Hon. Friend Robert Hal-
fon has turned his energy and
talent into a vigorous campaign
to cut bingo duty.
They want the rate cut to
15%. I can go further. Bingo
duty will be halved to 10% to
protect jobs and to protect
communities.

Responding to the announce-
ment, Robert said I have been
campaigning hard on this
issue. Harlow Mecca Bingo are
one of the best, if not the best,
bingo club in the
country. The staff
are incredible, the
members are
unbelievable and I
am over the moon
about the cut.

Given that we
have around
54,000 members,
its great news.



Promoted by Simon Carter on behalf of Harlow Conservatives, all of Kao Hockham House, Edinburgh Way, Harlow CM20 2NQ.
Printed by Mortons Media Group Ltd, of Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR
From April 2015 the
personal allowance
will rise to 10,500,
cutting taxes for 25
million people and
take another 290,000
people out of paying
income tax altogether.

Rises in the personal
allowance since 2010
mean that by April
2015 a typical basic
rate taxpayer will
be paying 805
less in tax than
under Labour.

This latest increase
will mean that an-
other 400 lower earn-
ers in Harlow will be
taken out of income
tax completely.

Speaking after the an-
nouncement, Robert
Halfon said: This is a
workers budget from
the workers party. It
will leave Harlow
residents with more
of their own money to
spend and will reduce
the tax bill of 39,000
Harlow residents.

This Government has
a relentless focus on
helping working peo-
ple and those on a low
income and these new
measures mean that
families will be better
off.

The increase in
personal allowance
will mean that people
can choose how to
spend their own
money