From: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.comSubject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #401

Date: 2 May 2014 13:38To: news@greghands.com

In this edition: Greg Hands M.P.s Diary Website of the Week:www.hfconservatives.com Greg Hands accuses Tubestrikers of economicsabotage Economy on the Mend:Local MP, Greg Hands,Welcomes UK Growth ratepassing 3% Five reasons to re-elect aConservative Council inH&F Make Sure YoureRegistered to Vote this year Appeal for Support from theBritish Taekwondo NationalChampion Hands in the papers:This is a wake-up call tothe RMT: Union bossesdont have the clout theythink says senior Tory asLondon Underground strikeaction fails to grind city to ahalt with 90% of Oysterusers able to travel How to contact Greg Hands M.P.!

Issue 401 -Friday 2nd May 2014

Since the last edition, Greg:

Met senior management of the Royal Marsden Hospital abouttheir quest to expand their facilities at or around their site inChelsea.Voted to proceed with the new North-South railway, HS2, in theHouse of Commons.Carried out his duties as the Conservative Party andGovernments Deputy Chief Whip.Held a regular, weekly, advice surgery for local Chelsea andFulham residents, at Fulham Library, on Fulham Road, close toParsons Green tube. Gregs surgeries are generally weekly, onMonday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones,Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, emailmail@greghands.com or telephone 020 7219 5448.

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Website of the Week:www.hfconservatives.com The website of the Hammersmith & Fulham Conservativescampaign to win the Council and European elections onThursday, 22nd May. With less than three weeks to Polling Day,its time to get involved and keep Hammersmith & FulhamConservative!

Greg Hands accuses Tube strikers ofeconomic sabotage Following London facing two days of disruption on the Undergroundnetwork, Chelsea and Fulham MP, Greg Hands, has come out insupport of fellow commuters, and accused the Rail, Maritime andTransport (RMT) Union of 'holding Londoners to ransom' with theirstrike. Hammersmith & Fulham, according to the most recent census, hasmore Tube users than any other Borough in Britain, so the strike wasbound to be disruptive to Gregs constituents. During the union ledwalk out nearly all lines on the Underground system were affected,including local District Line services, where the Richmond branch wasclosed, as well as Sloane Square station, and Fulham Broadway wasclosed on Tuesday. Greg Hands said: This is economic sabotage from militant tradeunionists holding my constituents and Londoners in general toransom. And all, it seems, in an effort to prove their leftist credentialsin advance of a leadership election. Greg was able to get to the House of Commons from his home inFulham on the days, using either the bus or the Tube, and wasimpressed with the resolve shown by thousands of his constituentsdetermined to beat the strike. Hard working Londoners and commuters faced similar disruption inFebruary this year, when RMT workers again went on strike inopposition to plans by London Underground (LU) and the Mayor tomodernise the Tube network. The Mayor of London and LU set out plans for the future of the Tubeat the end of last year. They hope this will include a 24 hours serviceat weekends, move station staff away from ticket offices to helpcustomers on platforms and ticket halls, and improve customersexperience and safety. The RMT are opposed to London Undergroundplans to close 260 ticket offices with the possible loss of 950 jobs. The union and London Underground have met more than 40 timesthrough the arbitration service Acas since the last 48-hour strike inFebruary, but talks broke down on Monday. Greg praised travellers for their patience and perseverance during thedisruption as well as all TfL and London Underground workers whohelp keep the network running. He said via Twitter on Tuesday: Welldone to the large number of Tube and bus workers at work today,keeping London's economy moving!, and added on WednesdayAnother day of Tube strikes. My constituents are defiant against theRMT wreckers selfishly jostling for position to succeed BobCrow...Am told that almost 90% of Oyster cards were used yesterday,showing the strike is being defied! Well done to all Tube staff workingtoday! Transport for London said 50% of services were running compared toabout 40% during the February walkout. London Underground hassaid it plans to run as many services as possible, supplemented extrabus and river services TfL said about 87% of Oyster cards that wouldusually be seen on the network were used on Tuesday, and therewere almost 8,000 buses on the roads - the most ever operated inLondon - after an extra 266 were put into service. These included 40vintage buses including the green Regent Mark III built in the 1950s. Italso said there has been a 70% increase in Barclays cycle hires.

Economy on the Mend: Local MP, Greg Hands, Welcomes UKGrowth rate passing 3% Chelsea and Fulham MP, Greg Hands, has welcomed the UKsimproving economic performance as new figures show annual growthin the country exceeding 3%. The figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, show thatthis is the fifth consecutive period of growth for the UK economy,something which has not been achieved since 2007, before Labour'sGreat Recession. Growth in the final quarter of last year was 0.7%, sonot only is the economy growing, but at 0.8% this quarter the rate ofgrowth is also increasing. Greg Hands said: These numbers are a boost for the economicsecurity of hardworking people. This is great news for families myconstituency and for those in work or trying to get in to work, as it willlead to further job creation. A growing economy means businessesare creating jobs, helping more people benefit from the security andstability of a regular pay cheque. Detailed analysis of the figures also reveals good news from the UKskey sectors. Output increased in three of the four main industrialgroupings within the economy in Q1 2014, compared with Q4 2013.Output increased by 0.9% in services, 0.8% in manufacturing and0.3% in construction. Only output in agriculture decreased, by 0.7%,which is a normally expected feature of the winter months. The services sector grew 2.7 per cent in the year to February 2014.The Index of Services increased by 2.7 per cent from February 2013to 2014, up 0.2 per cent from January 2013. There was growth in allthe four main components of the services industries, with the largestcontribution made by business services and finance. However whilst the economic figures have been welcomed by theConservative-led Government, the Labour Party have sought tooverlook the figures, and deny that the recovery is working. DuringPrime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, just one day after thefigures were published, neither Ed Miliband nor any of his backbenchMPs asked a question on the GDP numbers. Greg Added: The stronger the economy is under this Government,the less Labour want to talk about it. For the first time in a decade allthree main sectors of the economy - manufacturing, services andconstruction - have grown by at least three per cent in the last year.These figures show that Britain is coming back - but we cant take thatfor granted. We have to carry on working through our long termeconomic plan. Labour are seeking to do down the economy andignore this good news, but they can hide from the fact that theycreated this economic mess that the Coalition are now fixing.

Make Sure Youre Registered to Vote thisyear Residents are being reminded they need to make sure they are on theregister of electors by May 6 in order to vote in the upcomingelections. You can apply to be added to the register or have your detailsamended at any time but you must do so before the deadline. The next elections scheduled to take place in Hammersmith & Fulham(H&F) and Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) are the combined Counciland European Parliamentary elections on Thursday May 22, 2014. All councillors are facing the public vote on May 22 with each of thetwo boroughs wards electing up to three councillors in the poll. To be included on the register of electors you need to fill in a voterregistration form paying your council tax, or being signed up forother council services, doesnt automatically mean that your name isincluded. Registering to vote is easier than you may think, all you have to do iscomplete the registration form and send it back to us. If you do notregister, you can't vote and have your say on important issues thataffect you. says H&F Returning Officer Jane West. I wouldencourage anyone who wants to make their voice heard to check thedetails we have sent and get back to us as soon as possible. If you know that you are eligible and you haven't yet registered, youcan download a voter registration form for H&F here and for RBKChere. If in doubt call the electoral registration hotline on 020 8753 4466 oremail electoral.services@lbhf.gov.uk. H&F has one of the most transient populations in Britain with around30,000 people moving into the borough and another 30,000 movingout every year. Despite this, H&F has traditionally registered a veryhigh percentage of people onto the electoral roll normally well over90%.

!Appeal for Support from the BritishTaekwondo National Champion Julia Wrigglesworth is the current British Taekwondo NationalChampion in the -53 kilogram category. Julia lives and works full timein London, and trains at the Taekwondo Tigers club in ourconstituency. Julias recent success at the National Championships means that sheis now eligible to fulfil her dreams of competing at the European andWorld Championships, and ultimately the Olympic Games. To supportherself, Julia works full time, but unfortunately this is not enough tocover the expenses of training and competing. Julia says, I am fullydedicated, and there is now nothing left for me to be able to sacrificeand so I need some help. I am at the stage where I need a leg up tohelp me get to the next level and reach my full potential and ambition. Julia is looking for sponsorship to help cover the cost of equipment,additional training, and nutrition and competition costs. Working fulltime means that Julia often has to forego sleep in order to make timefor training something which is far from ideal for an elite athlete, andso any support which would allow her to reduce her working hourswould also be greatly appreciated. Julias media profile has risen significantly since winning the BritishNational Championships, which could provide excellent exposure forany potential sponsor, but this also represents a real opportunity toprovide support and opportunity for a talented young person and atangible way to shore up the 2012 Olympic legacy. Anyone wishing to sponsor Julia or wanting to find out more cancontact her directly on 07716 258494 or atjulia.wrigglesworth@hotmail.co.uk.

Hands in the papers:This is a wake-up call to the RMT: Unionbosses dont have the clout they thinksays senior Tory as London Undergroundstrike action fails to grind city to a haltwith 90% of Oyster users able to travel Daily MailWednesday 30th April 2014 Londoners have defied the RMT's 'farcical and pointless attempt tohold the city to ransom' with a tube strike, by instead taking buses,cycling and driving to and from work today. Conservative vice-party chairman Bob Neill told MailOnline that theRail, Maritime and Transport Union 'doesn't have the clout it used tohave' after nearly 90 per cent of the usual number of Oyster cardswere used in London today. And tonight as travellers on their way home queued for overcrowdedbuses, London Underground said it had still managed to run half of allTube services, and two thirds of Tube stations were open. Services were expected to finish earlier tonight, with trains not due torun beyond 11pm, and some lines grinding to a halt even earlier withthe last trains leaving central London as early as 9.30pm. A similar level of service was expected to be in place tomorrow as thewalkout entered its second day. Mr Neill added: 'The RMT, who have been used to trying to holdLondon to ransom for a long time, dont have the clout they used tothink they have. Londoners have voted with their feet and their Oysters cards andthats a big wake-up call for the RMT.' With more commuters walking or cycling to work, the first day of theRMT's 48-hour strike - described as 'economic sabotage' by politicians- forced many to change their travel plans but did little to bring the cityto a halt. Only one Tube line was suspended entirely, and the Northern Line,the DLR and London Overground trains ran as usual, while arestricted service was operating on the others. The RMT began their 48-hour walkout at 9pm yesterday as a protestat plans to close Tube ticket offices, and another three-day strike isplanned for next week. A TfL spokesman told MailOnline that thestrike is expected to be 'broadly the same' tomorrow, with some linesand stations open. Senior Tories said the strike was economic sabotage, and called onLabour leader Ed Miliband to stand up to the unions. Deputy chief whip Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea andFulham, told MailOnline: This is economic sabotage from militanttrade unionists holding my constituents and Londoners in general toransom. 'And all, it seems, in an effort to prove their leftist credentials inadvance of a leadership election. Meanwhile the Prime Minister took to Twitter to condemn the strike,saying: 'It is unacceptable that millions of people are having their livesdisrupted by today's Tube strike in London.' Bob Neill, MP for Bromley and Chislehurst, added: These strikes arethreatening growth in the powerhouse of the capital and EdMilibands reaction to them has been weak. 'Its high time he stood up to trade union barons and put hardworkingcommuters above politics, in the interests of the economic security. 'Eds too weak to stand up to the unions, which means hell never beable to stand up for the country. London Underground said it was running services on nine linesdespite the 'pointless strike'. LU managing director Mike Brown said: 'Thousands of staff andvolunteers are working hard this morning to keep London working andour customers informed in the face of this pointless strike. 'More London Underground staff have come to work this morning thanduring the strike back in February, and a record number of Londonbuses are operating.' There were more than 8,000 buses on the roads - the most everoperated in London - after an extra 266 were put into service. Large queues built up as early rush-hour passengers waited until 7amfor the first Tube trains to run. At Euston station in north London, customers crowded around theentrance to the Underground, waiting for the gates to open, while onthe Victoria line, where trains normally run every two minutes, therewas only a 10-minute service once trains began running. At Victoria station in central London, passengers pouring off mainlinetrains were confronted with a wall of people waiting for Tube services. Business groups joined the Tories in warning the strikes will cost thecapital's economy millions of pounds as productivity is crippled byworkers arriving late or unable to get to work at all. But the union defended its action, saying the planned closure of ticketoffices will cost hundreds of job losses and threaten safety. London Underground, however, maintains that staff would be betteremployed on station concourses as only 3 per cent of tickets arebought at ticket offices. The company, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, attacked the strike,which will cause huge disruption for commuters and other travellers. The Mayor said: 'The idea that this is a solidly-supported strike isfarcical. This action is the result of a minority of just one union, theRMT, who are refusing to see the logic of what we are trying toachieve. 'We have got more staff out on the network than we did before, moreservices running and two thirds of stations open and I am very gratefulto London Underground workers who have come out to keep thecapital moving.' He added: 'There are no compulsory redundancies, no-one who wantsto play a part in the future of the Tube will lose their job as a result ofour plans. 'I urge the RMT leadership to do the right thing - get back around thetable, not the wrong thing - muscle flexing in the race for the RMTleadership. 'Start thinking about hard working Londoners and small businessesacross the capital and call off this pointless strike.' Transport for London ran 7,961 buses today, 266 more than usual,with around 40 vintage buses among them. The green AEC (Associated Equipment Company) Regent Mark IIIwas brought back to help ferry people across the capital, alongsidesome Routemasters. Built in the 1950s, the Regent Mark III was the forerunner of the redjump-on, jump-off, driver-and-conductor Routemasters, which becamea symbol of London in the last half of the 20th century. In a separate row over jobs, pay and cuts, the RMT also launched a48-hour strike from 3am today on the Heathrow Express. A spokesman for Heathrow Express said: 'Despite the strike reducingthe company's available workforce from 450 to 150, our trainsbetween Paddington and Heathrow are running as scheduled today,thanks to the hard work and commitment of our reservist staff.' 'Despite the spin from LU, nothing that they are proposing is about"modernisation". The current plans, closing every ticket office andaxing nearly 1,000 safety-critical jobs, is solely about massiveausterity cuts driven centrally by David Cameron and his Governmentand implemented by Mayor Boris Johnson. 'RMT could have recommended the suspension of this strike action ifLU had responded positively to our proposal to halt theimplementation of these savage cuts, stopping the dire impact theywould have the length and breadth of London Underground.' Mr Johnson said: 'I urge the RMT to call off this pointless strike andget back round the table with London Underground and the threeother unions who've chosen not to strike.'It seems the RMT leadership is set against modernisation and has nofresh ideas of its own. 'More than 600 people have asked for voluntary redundancy and yet,without consulting any of their own members the RMT is suddenlyinsisting that London Underground halt this process. 'Despite dozens of meetings over several months the RMT chose onlyon Friday to make fresh demands. It seems they are more interestedin fighting over the leadership of the RMT than the interests of theirmembers. 'Commuters and businesses will suffer because a few narrow mindedunion barons are currently flexing their muscles in a fight for theleadership of a union where just 30% of members support a strike.' Mike Brown, Managing Director of London Underground, said: 'TheRMT leadership appear to remain implacably opposed to themodernisation of the Tube that will radically improve customer serviceand help us keep fares down. 'For example, at our busiest stations, there will be nearly a third morestaff visible and available to provide, on a permanent basis, the face-to-face customer service we offered during the London 2012 Games. 'Visitors to London and people with disabilities will be better lookedafter than ever before. 'Safety and security will never be compromised. Safety is notcontrolled from ticket offices but by station supervisors and dedicatedcontrol rooms. This will continue. 'Fairness to our staff is also guaranteed. There will be no compulsoryredundancies, there is a job for all staff wanting to remain with us andno one will lose pay as a result of change. 'We have also made significant changes to our original proposals afterlistening to staff and unions in over 40 meetings, including agreeingthat supervisors will not need to "reapply for their jobs". 'However, the RMT leadership continues to say "no" to everything,and they also appear in the context of these changes to be opposedto giving our staff the option of voluntary redundancy. 'Only the RMT leadership know the real motivations behind theiractions, but it is infuriating that London's commuters and businessesare the ones who are being forced to pay the price with five days ofutterly pointless and disruptive strikes. 'We have asked all the trade unions to continue talking to us this weekand we hope that they continue to do so.' Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the Liberal Democrat London AssemblyGroup, said: 'This is a totally unnecessary strike which will havedevastating impact for London's economy and create the greatestdisruption for ordinary Londoners, such as teachers and nurses. 'The cause of this strike is a dubious mix of poor leadership by LondonUnderground management and a leadership battle within the RMTpositioning for strike action.' The strikes are being held ahead of a May Day rally in London onThursday in memory of RMT leader Bob Crow, who died in March. Heathrow Express said its trains will run every 30 minutes from6.10am until after 10pm today and tomorrow despite the strikereducing the company's available workforce from 450 to 150. Keith Greenfield, managing director of Heathrow Express, said:'Despite the RMT executive pressing ahead with an ill-advised strikethat potentially reduces our available workforce from 450 to 150, wewill maintain a good service for our customers for as long as industrialaction lasts. 'A strike is not the answer. It will increase costs when we are trying toreduce them, taking us further away from what we need to do tosecure our business for the future. 'The RMT's decision to strike ignores the changes Heathrow Expresshas already made to its proposals, including a revised pay offer forfrontline employees extending three years ahead. 'We told the RMT executive that this revised offer will be withdrawn if astrike goes ahead, but they chose to press ahead despite a worseoutcome for their members.'

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