Blomfield Annual Report

AnnualReport2012

Paul Blomfield MPMember of Parliament for Sheffield Central

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Community Consultation Week – 5-13 OCTOBER

Welcome to my Annual Report

I know Parliament can seem a long way away from Sheffield.So since I was elected as your MP in 2010 I’ve tried to showthat by working with you politics can make a difference. I’veused the trust you put in me to speak out in Parliament onthe big issues that affect our constituency, the individualconcerns people raise with me, and to stand up for Sheffield.

In my Annual Report you can find out about the differenttypes of work I do, and I’ve set out what my priorities are. But I also want to know your views on my work, what yourpriorities are, and what you think are the main issues for ourarea. There’s a survey on the back page.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has worked withme over the last two years. Your support helps me torepresent you effectively in Parliament.

Paul Blomfield MPMember of Parliament for Sheffield Central

www.paulblomfield.co.uk • facebook.com/paulblomfieldmp • @paulblomfieldmp

1. Seeing building progress at Manor Oaks Farm

2. Meeting residents in Manor Park

3. At an International Women’s Day Festival inSharrow

4. Talking to people at a Meet Your MP coffeemorning

5. Continuing the campaign to maintain accessthrough the station

6. Helping Heritage Park Community School pupils tidy up war graves at Walkley Cemetery

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https://www.facebook.com/paulblomfieldmp

https://twitter.com/PaulBlomfieldMP

I see opportunities being taken away fromyoung people, charities closing because ofcuts, families struggling, and help andsupport being withdrawn from thevulnerable people who need it most.Austerity without investment hasn’tworked. The Government is getting it sowrong. They’re privatising our publicservices to the lowest bidders, wanted tosell off our forests and playing fields, andhave started to break-up our NHS. Anddespite all their talk they’re failing to giveenough support to our businesses, nor doenough to get the banks lending. It feelslike they know the price of everything,but the value of nothing.

Every week my team and I help people withproblems that are affecting them, and inParliament I’ve challenged Ministers on theissues affecting us in Sheffield. But it’s beenhard. I can help on some issues, but tacklingthe bigger problems will require a change ofgovernment, and a new approach.


I want a fairer, more equalcity and country. I wanteveryone to be able to reachtheir potential, and beproud of their work andcommunity.

These are my aims, but thepolicies of the Tory/Lib DemGovernment are making itdifficult. They’re having avery damaging impact onlots of people in our city.

FORGINGOUR CITY’SFUTURE – my prioritiesas your MP

Meeting candidates for the Sheffield Youth Parliament

Your experiences enableme to do this job andrepresent you. Tell mewhat issues matter to youand what problems youthink we need to sort out.


With the economy back in recession it’s timeto invest in giving people new skills andopportunities to get more people working. It’stime to help businesses and support them tocreate jobs and apprenticeships; it’s time forbanking reform; for better elderly care andpensions, and to defend and support ourpublic services. And it’s time that Sheffieldgot a fair deal from Government.

We need an economy that works for allpeople, not just a few at the top. This city isfull of talent and, with the right support, Iknow we can improve people’s skills and usethat talent to get the economy moving.

I recently visited the new Critical Care Unit at the Hallamshire Hospital to meet staff and see the facilities.

Over the comingyear I’ll continue tobe your champion inParliament, andlisten and work withyou to help forgeour city’s future.



It’s a privilege to work inParliament and I try toshare it with people fromSheffield. My office helpsarrange tours of Parliamentfor constituents and I’mdelighted that so far in2012 we’ve helped 264people visit Westminsterand learn more about howit works. If you would liketo visit Parliament pleaseget in touch.

VISIT!


IN PARLIAMENT

My week is split between Sheffield andWestminster. I represent you inParliament each week from Monday toThursday, where I regularly speak indebates to challenge the Governmentand to raise issues that affect ourconstituency and wider issues I feelstrongly about. I always try to use thereal experiences of people in Sheffield inmy speeches so Ministers and MPs knowwhat is happening here, and so yourvoices are heard in Parliament.

Parliamentary questions giveMPs the chance to hold theGovernment to account. I asked111 last year. They were oftenabout issues that constituentsraised with me, including thepoor performance of theGovernment’s Work Programme;A4E; the closing of DVLAoffices, unemployment, pubcompanies, and the costs ofNHS reorganisation and more.

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Challenging David Cameron at Prime Ministers Questions


Alongside my general work as your MP, 3 other roles take up a lot of my time inParliament. 1. Business, Innovation and SkillsSelect Committee member: The workof the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills is vital for Sheffieldas it covers manufacturing andbusiness, universities, apprenticeships,bank lending, further education andmore. My job as a Select Committeemember is to hold the Department toaccount and examine areas of workthey’re responsible for. Over the lastyear I’ve led the Committee to holdinquiries looking into debt managementand student visas. I was also proud toarrange for the Select Committee tohold our first hearing outside ofWestminster in this Parliament. It tookplace in February at the University ofSheffield’s Advanced ManufacturingResearch Centre on apprenticeships.

2.Labour’s Communities and LocalGovernment team: I am ParliamentaryPrivate Secretary to Hilary Benn,Labour’s Shadow Communities andLocal Government Secretary. Thismeans I work with Hilary and our teamto challenge the Government and todevelop Labour’s policies on housing,community cohesion, planning, localgovernment and the fire service.

3.Universities: I’m also Secretary of theAll Party Parliamentary Group onUniversities. I work with universities andstudents and have led campaignsagainst the expansion of ‘for-profit’companies in higher education and toexpose the Government’s costlychanges to international student visas. I spend a lot of time working on highereducation because Sheffield is a majorstudent city; both of our greatuniversities are based in ourconstituency and 31,800 of theirstudents live in Sheffield Central.

In the last year I’ve spokenin 41 debates in Parliamenton subjects as wide-rangingas calling for improvementsto the Midland Mainlinerailway; more support forapprenticeships; opposingthe NHS Bill and reductionsin NHS funding, and forLeeds Children’s HeartSurgery Unit to be keptopen. I challenged Ministersto do more to tackle metaltheft and highlighted thedamage that legal aid cutswill do. I opposed cuts toBBC local radio and spokeabout the need to changeassisted suicide legislation.

41In the last year I’vechallenged David Cameronat Prime MinistersQuestions on a number ofdifferent issues. Myquestions were on whyhe’s failing to do anythingabout the massive interestrates that payday lenderscharge, why college coursefees for adult learners arebeing hiked up, what he’sdoing to support UKmanufacturing, and howhis cuts to Disability LivingAllowance will underminethe Paralympic Legacy.

Last December I organised aspecial debate in the House ofCommons about maintainingvital pedestrian access throughSheffield Station. In the debateTransport Ministers accepted thatthe pedestrian route must stayopen. Together with localresidents and the Council I’mworking on a solution to makesure our city isn’t cut in half.




Linking Sheffield to Parliament, and Parliament to Sheffield: A lot of my work in Parliament results fromwhat happens in Sheffield. So, forexample, when Museums Sheffield hadtheir funding cut I met with the ArtsCouncil to try and restore it, and whenconstituents raised their concerns aboutthe NHS reforms I pressed them withMinisters in Parliament.

Likewise, I try and link Parliament toSheffield. So when my Select Committeewas looking at how to boostapprenticeships, I got Sheffield’s bigemployers and training providers togetherto listen to their views on how Sheffieldemployers could offer apprenticeships foryoung people and find out what they need.I also met with local debt advisers to findout about personal and household debtwhich meant I was able to voice theirconcerns and experiences in Parliamentwhen my Select Committee quizzed thetop bosses of payday loan companies.

You’re the experts and my role is tolisten to you and encourage those inpower to do the same.

This city became world famousfor the things we made. TodaySheffielders are makingincredible things happen,despite tough times.

From the cutting edge researchand innovation at ouruniversities; charities workingto support people; inspirationalteachers educating ourchildren; small businessesdoing all they can to grow andcreate jobs, to the countlessamount of people whovolunteer each week toimprove our communities.

My role is to champion youramazing work and help itdevelop.

SHEFFIELDCENTRALCONSTITUENCY – the heart of Sheffield

Our local businesses and manufacturers need better support to helpthem grow


Making Politics AccessibleFor people to have confidence in politics,politicians like me need to consistentlyreach out to talk to people, and makeourselves available. This is why my office isat the heart of our constituency, and toreach out I’ve held ‘Meet Your MP’ events,from coffee mornings to street surgeries,and each month I hold two surgeries soconstituents can meet me face to face.These events are to help explain my work,show that politics is relevant, but mostimportantly so I can meet and hear fromyou. Other events I’ve held include a talk atthe Broomhill Festival on my work as anMP and a discussion event at a local Cafeon ‘What Makes a Good Society?’. I’malways looking for new ways to engagewith people and do politics differently soget in touch if you have any ideas.

Keeping in touch I send out a monthly e-bulletin forconstituents and this year I’ve started atwitter account – @paulblomfieldmp – andlaunched a ‘Start the Week’ blog on mywebsite every Monday.

Good CausesOne of the great things about being anMP is the opportunity it provides to helpand support good causes – local, national,and international. I try and do this indifferent ways.

• I’m a patron of Sheffield CarersCentre and help to raise awarenessabout Carers Week.

• I recently walked part of the PennineWay and raised over £1000 forHeadway Sheffield, a local charity whosupport people affected by brain injuries.

• I took part in St Lukes Starlight Walktogether with a team of walkers tosupport their fantastic work, and weraised £1,700.

• To mark International Women’s Day I arranged a free film screening of‘The Help’, together with Unite theUnion and the University of SheffieldStudents Union. It was attended by400 people and we raised £1,100 forWaterAid and ‘Practical Action – HittingHunger Hard’ which sets up Women’sCo-operative farms in Sudan. If youwould like to know more about nextyear’s event please get in touch.

In the last year I’ve taken up concerns for 3185constituents who contacted me. My office isopen five days a week and, with my team, I helplocal people, businesses and groups with allkinds of problems – from pensions to planningand benefits to visas. One of the most rewardingthings about the job is being able to make adifference and, for example, this year I securedmeetings with Ministers to keep Sheffield StationBridge open and stopped an unfair deportation.

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Our team of walkers raised £1,700 for St Lukes




Whether you can come to one of thesemeetings or not I want to hear from you.To be your voice in Parliament I need toknow what matters to you. You can helpmy work by sending me your answersto the following questions. Or you cancomplete the online survey atwww.paulblomfield.co.uk

Between October 5th-13th I’m holding a CommunityConsultation Week. It’ll be aweek of events, meetings,visits and conversations so Ican report back to you on mywork and listen to your viewsand priorities. But also soyou can hold me to account.I’ll be meeting communitygroups, businesses, studentsand more, and I’m alsoholding a Q&A session onTwitter. All of the detailsabout the week are atwww.paulblomfield.co.uk

And as part of the week I’mholding 6 open meetingswhere anyone can come alongand talk to me. You can letme know you’re coming viamy website or by sendingback the opposite page.

TELL ME WHATYOU THINK!– CommunityConsultation Week,5-13 October

EVENTSFriday 5th October2.30–3.30pmFulwood Room, Broomhill Methodist (Beacon) Church,Fulwood Road, S10 3BD

Monday 8th October12.30–1.30pmCommunity Hall, ZEST, Upperthorpe Library Building, 18 Upperthorpe, S6 3NA

Tuesday 9th October7.00–8.30pmSheffield Central Quaker MeetingHouse, 10 St James Street, S1 2EW

Wednesday 10th October12.30–1.30pmSharrow Community Forum, The Old Junior School, South View Road, S7 1DB

Wednesday 10th October6.45–7.45pmEveryone Centre, Broadfield Road, S8 0XQ

Saturday 13th October11.00am–12.30pmVictoria Centre, Victoria MethodistChurch, Stafford Road, S2 2SE

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Please send this back to me at: Paul Blomfield MP, Unit 4 Edmund Road Business Centre,135 Edmund Road, Sheffield, S2 4ED.

In this annual report I toldyou what my priorities asyour MP are. Do you thinkI’ve got them right?

What do you think are themain issues affectingSheffield?

What are the main issues inthe country that you thinkwe need to sort out?

If you were Prime Ministerfor a day what would be theone thing you would do?



Contact me:Paul Blomfield MP,Unit 4 Edmund Road Business Centre, 135 Edmund Road, Sheffield, S2 4ED

Phone: 0114 272 2882Email: [email protected]: @paulblomfieldmpFacebook: facebook.com/paulblomfieldmpWeb: www.paulblomfield.co.uk

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