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CONFERENCE SPECIAL

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Newspaper for
local residents at
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Conference 2014

APPRENTICESHIPS
UP 83% AS NEW
SCHOOL OPENS

GP SURGERIES TO
OPEN 7-DAYS
A WEEK

Page 3

Page 3

FREE

n a move to help
hard-pressed Harlow

taxpayers, David
Cameron has announced that
under a Conservative
government, he will increase
the personal allowance and
raise the level at which people
start paying a higher rate of
income tax.
Residents wont have to pay tax on
the first 12,500 that they earn, up
from 10,000. This will take an
extra one million people out of tax
altogether (on top of the three
million people already taken out
since 2010) and will leave the
average worker 500-a-year better
off.
This follows steps the Conservative
-led Government has already taken
to help those on low incomes, such
as increasing the personal
allowance from Labours 6475, to
10,000.
A majority Conservative
Government will also increase the
earnings that people start paying
the 40p rate of tax on, from
41,900 to 50,000.
This will help millions of people
who have been sucked into paying
a higher rate of tax, such as
teachers, nurses and firefighters.
One in four full time workers in
Harlow will benefit.
Commenting on the

arlow MP Robert
Halfon is continuing
his fight against the
illegal traveller sites in Harlow,
as thousands of local residents
continue to be affected.

Robert Halfon MP meeting hardworking staff

at Luna Logistics, a successful Harlow business
announcement, David Cameron
said, Once you have a job, I want
you to take home more of your
own money.
If you put in, then you should also
get out not hand so much of it to
the taxman. Thats why over these
past four years, despite
everything, Ive made sure we
provide some relief to taxpayers in
our country especially the
poorest. Our commitment to you
for the next five years is: we want
to cut more of your taxes.
David Cameron also used his
Conference speech to announce
that exclusive zero hour contracts
which prevent employees looking
for work elsewhere would be

scrapped, stopping unfairness and

allowing workers to provide
security for their families.
Harlow MP, Robert Halfon,
welcomed the announcement
saying, Lower taxes for lower
earners is something I have been
campaigning on for a long time,
alongside lower fuel duty and
cheaper energy bills. These tax
cuts will help thousands of Harlow
residents make ends meet.

For almost a year now, illegal

encampments have been set up
across Harlow on both public and
private land, resulting in a 41,000
clean-up bill for Harlow Council.
Robert has started an online petition
for people to show their concerns
and has held crisis meetings with
local council and police officials.
Robert has also raised the issue in
Parliament and brought a
Government Minister to the town
Robert said Although I have no
direct power to move the occupants
on, I am in regular contact with
Essex Police, Harlow Council and...
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2...

Halfon is a man who has

consistently spelled out and
fought for the concerns of
hard working Brits...

Promoted by Simon Carter on behalf of Harlow Conservatives, all of Kao Hockham House, Edinburgh Way, Harlow CM20 2NQ

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2 | Harlow Sun

Community News
MP DEMANDS
ZERO TOLERANCE
ON ILLEGAL
ENCAMPMENTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
...the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner
Nick Alston. I am not against travellers in any
way but I, alongside the hundreds of Harlow
residents who have contacted me, believe that
those individuals who break the law and
commit anti-social behaviour should be
prevented from doing so.
Robert Halfons petition, which secured 1400
signatures in its first week, is calling for more
action from Essex Police and Harlow Council,
and asks that local councillors condemn the
illegal sites.

CAMPAIGNING AGAINST
SUMNERS WEST DEVELOPMENT

live Souter, the Harlow

Conservative
caseworker in Sumners,
has vowed to keep fighting
against the West Sumners
housing development.
Commenting on the issue, Clive
said, I am delighted to have
been selected as the Council
candidate for the Sumners and
Kingsmoor ward, and I look
forward to working with local
Councillors Nick Churchill and
Russell Perrin.

Although things have gone

quiet about the development,
we cannot afford to drop our
guard.

roads.
We all welcome new housing in the right place - but what
people are telling me on the
doorstep is that we should not
allow any extra traffic or
pressure on our public services.

Epping Forest District Council

are currently preparing their
local plan and that is when it
will be decided whether or not
the Sumners West development To make things worse, none of
goes ahead.
these new homes will make any
difference to our housing lists.
If it does, there are concerns
All of the social housing will go
that traffic from Epping Forest to Epping Forest.
will spill over into Harlows

SIGN THE PETITION BY VISITING

www.roberthalfonblog.com/2014/09/17/
update-and-petition-on-illegal-travellerencampments

ark Hall Conservative caseworker

Jane Steer is celebrating the
success of two of her local campaigns.

As always, I am hugely grateful to Harlows

Anti-Social Behaviour Team for their work on
this issue. I also thank the hardworking
Conservative councillors, such as David Carter
in Great Parndon, who are doing everything
they can to support their local area.

Over the past few years, Jane has led the

campaign amongst local residents to bring an
Aldi store to the former Kennings site by The
Stow.

Meanwhile, the Conservative group at Harlow

Council have spoken out against the Labour
Councillors who have welcomed the sites, and
are continuing their campaign to persuade the
ruling Labour authority to demand
compensation from those responsible for any
damage caused.

After the opening of the store back in June,

Jane said, It was easy to gather support for
my campaign because so many people in my
area wanted a different supermarket on their
doorstep. Seeing how busy it is now, it seems
they were right all of those years ago.

I lobbied Essex Highways on a regular basis

and was relieved when this road was one of
the first to be repaired under the new
programme.

It was frustrating having to wait all of this

time, but Im delighted to have played my part
in improving the facilities in Mark Hall.
Jane was also successful in lobbying Essex
County Council to resurface the roads around
The Stow.

Cllr David Carter with the blockades he

requested from Harlow Council, to
prevent illegal sites in Great Parndon

On her second victory Jane commented, It

seemed such a shame after getting a brand
new pedestrian crossing, that the road surface
had become so dangerous.

Mark Hall candidate Jane Steer at the

site of the new Aldi supermarket

fter a long-fought campaign, Staple

Tye caseworker Stephanie Souter has
managed to secure the building site behind
the Essex County Council Library, after
concerns were raised about public safety.

the abandoned area.

Stephanie explained, The long delay in

agreeing the future of this site meant that the
fencing had become very dangerous, and
children and animals were able to make it into

I am pleased that it has now been fixed and

properly secured, but you have to ask why it
was allowed to get into such a state in the first
place.

After numerous complaints, I took up the case

and began to lobby the Council, asking them to
take some action and make the area safe.

ssex Police are warning everyone,

particularly the vulnerable, to take
care of their payment cards and PINs.

he Essex County Councillor responsible for Highways came to Harlow this

month to take part in a public meeting organised by Old Harlow Councillor Joel
Charles, to discuss plans to build a new junction into Harlow from the M11 (7a).

The warning comes after fraudsters tricked

several elderly people in the local area into
handing over their cards and details after
receiving bogus telephone calls.

Although Cllr Bass stated that a northern bypass route, linking the M11 and A414, will be needed in
the future, he also explained that Junction 7a would still be required to tackle Harlows short-term
traffic problem. He continued by reassuring the public that the Council would do everything
possible to safeguard the historic nature of the old town.

Banks and the Police will never ask for

confidential information, such as a PIN, so
make sure you do not disclose it to anyone.

A lively question and answer session followed, chaired by Cllr Charles. After the meeting, he said
that he would continue to campaign for a northern bypass because, ...it is the only way to solve
Harlow's long-term road infrastructure problems.

Harlow Sun | 3 ..

Robert Halfon in Harlow Town Centre on St Georges Day

ast month, the people of

Scotland voted to remain
part of the United Kingdom
and Harlow MP Robert Halfon
was quick to speak out in
favour of greater devolution
for England.
Shortly after the result was
announced, Robert said, Im
delighted that Scotland has chosen
to keep Great Britain intact.

Robert, cannot vote on devolved

matters, as the other nations have
their own Parliaments.
A crucial part of our national
discussion, missing for a long time,
is England. We have heard the
voice of Scotland and now the
voices of England must not be
ignored.

Although I have no problem with

the Scottish Parliament getting
more taxing and spending powers,
I believe that devolution should be
shared equally all round.

This is why Im very pleased that

the Government is looking to
introduce English Votes for English
Laws. This will help provide a
balanced settlement for every part
of the UK and ensure a fair deal for
people in England.

Under the current arrangements,

MPs from Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland are able to vote on
matters primarily relating to
England but English MPs, such as

Simply put, this is a fantastic

opportunity for us to improve the
way Britain is governed and ensure
that the UK is fair to all of its
nations.

obert Halfon, the MP for

Harlow, has welcomed
the news that the next
Conservative Government
would give everyone sevenday access to a GP.

discounted on-site parking.

Under Labour, 90% of GPs

stopped seeing patients at
evenings and weekends, named
GPs were abolished, and the
number of family doctors were cut
by almost 800 in their last year in
officedamaging patient care.

In total, NHS funding has

increased by 12.7 billion since
2010 and 19,000 managerial posts
were cut to fund 3,300 new nurses
and 7,000 new doctors.

Prime Minister David Cameron

has vowed to change this by
extending opening hours at GP
surgeries, so that they are
convenient to patients, and giving
everyone a named GP.
The Government has also
responded to Robert Halfons
campaign to scrap excessive
hospital car parking charges.
These extortionate charges, which
were forcing some patients to pay
over 500 a week to park their
car, often had insufficient and
confusing discounts for those who
had to visit the hospital regularly.
NHS workers were also hit, as
many had little choice but to drive
to work due to shift patterns.
Roberts campaign attracted the
support of over 100 MPs. In
response to this the Government
set out new guidelines, saying that
charges should be fair and that
frequent visitors, the disabled and
NHS staff should receive heavily

This decision followed David

Camerons pledge to protect the
NHS budget in the next
Parliament.

As part of this funding boost, a

new 200 million cancer drugs
fund was established, which has
already provided world-class
medication for 55,000 patients. It
is due to receive another 160
million boost by 2015.
Robert Halfon commented,
Residents in Harlow are directly
benefiting from this extra
investment. We have a brand new
Short Stay Assessment Centre
and Kidney Dialysis Unit at
Princess Alexandra, and St Clare
Hospice received a 427,000
Government grant.

Robert Halfon with NHS staff at

the new Kidney Dialysis Unit

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HELPING

ROBERT HALFON?

GET IN TOUCH!
EMAIL: halfon4harlow@roberthalfon.com
TEL:
01279 312 195

COME AND JOIN ROBERT AND OTHER

HARLOW RESIDENTS AS THEY
CAMPAIGN ON IMPORTANT
LOCAL ISSUES!

arlow MP, Robert

Halfon has visited the
brand-new University
Technical College in Harlow
after it opened it doors last
month.

and seeing the students has made

it all worthwhile. The UTC will
provide them with invaluable
skills and opportunities and
represents a new era for education
in Harlow.

This comes at the end of a lengthy

campaign by Robert to secure the
10 million of Government funding
that was needed to build the Sir
Charles Kao UTC.

He also praised the Prime Minister,

David Cameron for announcing a
further 3 million apprenticeships
by 2020, in an effort to tackle
youth unemployment.

The new school, based at the

Harlow College site, offers first
class vocational education in
science, computing and medicine,
alongside traditional academic
subjects for students aged 14-19.

Since 2010, the Government have

created 1.8 million new
apprenticeships, with an 83% rise
in Harlow alone.

After the visit Robert said,

Securing the pre-apprentice
school took an enormous amount
of work, but coming here today

This has coincided with a

significant fall in youth
unemployment in the town, with
levels now lower than when Labour
left office in 2010.

We are successful in bid to bring a University Technical College to Harlow.

BIG thanks to @halfon4harlowMP for support

4 | Harlow Sun

nder Labour, immigration was out of

control, with 2.5 million more people
coming into the country than those
leaving it.

Over the past five

years, the Conservative
-led Government has
taken a number of
steps to cap
immigration levels and
make sure that people
come to Britain for the
right reasons.
So far, 750 bogus
colleges have been shut
down and immigration
is at its lowest level in a
decade, having been
cut by one-third.

The Conservatives have

also made sure that no
one can arrive in
Britain and
immediately claim outof-work benefits.
In Harlow, for
example, you now need
to have had a
connection with the
area for five years or
more, in order to be
put on the housing
waiting list.

Robert Halfon with local IT training business, Robust IT, at their Christmas
prize draw last year.

n 2012, the BBC found

that Harlow had the
highest business growth in
the whole of England, and
its not hard to see why.

he Prime Minister has announced

plans to scrap Labours controversial
Human Rights Act and replace it with a
British Bill of Rights.
The European Human Rights Act has been highly
criticised since it was introduced by Labour. It
has been used to block the deportation of
terrorist suspects and allowed prisoners to
demand the right to vote.
David Cameron said, We do not require
instruction on this from judges in Strasbourg. So
with a Conservative Government after the
election, this country will have a new British Bill
of Rights, passed in our Parliament and rooted
in our values. And as for Labours Human Rights
Act? We will scrap it, once and for all.

These awards give residents

the opportunity to recommend
their favourite business and I
really look forward to seeing
who gets nominated.

Our town has a thriving

Rob Halfons Business Awards
network of small businesses,
has five separate categories:
independent retailers, shops,
bars and restaurants, all run by
Best Retailer / Shop
hard-working local residents.
Best Caf / Restaurant
Best Hairdresser / Salon
To help celebrate this, Robert
Best Pub / Bar
Halfon is holding a competition
Best Other
to find the best small
businesses that Harlow has to
The winner in each category
offer.
will receive a custom-made
trophy and anyone who
This is all about thanking
nominates a business will be
local business owners and
entered into a prize draw, with
helping them promote
the chance to win a 50
themselves to new customers shopping voucher or a
Robert has said.
collectable wristwatch.
@halfon4harlowMP thank you so much for
supporting @HarlowFalconry, its great to know that
a politician actually cares about local business

If you would like to nominate a

business for one of the
categories, please email Rob at
halfon4harlow@roberthalfon
.com. Alternatively, you can call
him on 0207 219 7223.
Please provide the name of the
business, its address, the
category and the reason for the
nomination, as well as your
own name and address. Your
details are required to ensure a
fair nomination process, which
closes on the 6th November.
Robert says, You can
nominate any business you
want, so long as its based in
Harlow and locally run. If you
have any questions about the
competition, please get in
touch.

Thanks @halfon4harlowMP for supporting

Lea Valley Growers in Parliament today
#buybritish #freshproduce

A British Bill of Rights will stop the European

Courts forcing the UK to change its laws and
ensure that British courts are always superior.
Commenting on the planned changes, Robert
Halfon said, This country has stood up for
human rights time and time again, but Labours
Act has led to judgements that are against the
British peoples sense of justice and fair play.
This is on top of our commitment to hold an In/
Out EU referendum, if we win that needed
majority at the next election.

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
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ts official - Britain is
now the fastest growing
major economy in the
world.
This is good news for Harlow,
as unemployment is down
significantly since Labour left
office in 2010. The number of
people claiming Job Seekers
Allowance fell from 2,634 to
1,499, in August 2014.
Nationally, there are now 1.8
million more people in work
and 94% of the jobs created in
the last year were full time.
But there is still more to do and
MP Robert Halfon recently
hosted his third Harlow Jobs
Fair.

On the 12th September, over 90

companies attended the Fair,
offering employment and
training opportunities and
almost 2,000 local residents
came along, either looking for
work or wanting to move jobs.
Robert said the feedback so far
had been overwhelmingly
positive, with many companies
saying that they will be actively
hiring people they met on the
day.

several people since the event,

who have managed to find a
job.
This is great news for
Harlow, and hopefully I will be
granted the opportunity to
organise another one next
year, if I am re-elected as
Harlows MP.

In difficult economic times, I

know it can be tough for local
residents to find employment.
However, I was very pleased
to have been contacted by

Im 10 months into a job I got at @halfon4harlowMPs

Jobs Fair! Hope other people are as lucky too!
- @ereedtac, local resident

Robert Halfon with local

marketing company, DCSR

Went to @halfon4harlowMPs Jobs Fair - It was great, gave

out a few CVs & hopefully a job will come out of this!
- @Nishall95, local resident

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