229. On the basis of the facts and evidence before the Committee, we conclude that, if at all relevant times Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone-hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited wilful blindness [Q269] to what was . . . → Read More: That final paragraph and where you may have heard Wilful Blindness first!]]> News International and Phone Hacking Report 1 May 2012

229. On the basis of the facts and evidence before the Committee, we conclude that, if at all relevant times Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone-hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited wilful blindness [Q269] to what was going on in his companies and publications. This culture, we consider, permeated from the top throughout the organisation and speaks volumes about the lack of effective corporate governance at News Corporation and News International. We conclude, therefore, that Rupert Murdoch is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company.

Transcript evidence session 19 July 2011

Q269 Mr Sanders: Finally, are you familiar with the term “wilful blindness”?
James Murdoch: Mr Sanders, would you care to elaborate?
Q270 Mr Sanders: It is a term that came up in the Enron scandal. Wilful blindness is a legal term. It states that if there is knowledge that you could have had and should have had, but chose not to have, you are still responsible.
James Murdoch: Mr Sanders, do you have a question? Respectfully, I just do not know what you would like me to say.
Q271 Mr Sanders: The question was whether you were aware-
James Murdoch: I am not aware of that particular phrase.
Q272 Mr Sanders: But now you are familiar with the term, because I have explained it to you.

The downs are the policies a Liberal Democrat majority Government would not have introduced or prioritised.

The ups are taking over . . . → Read More: Herald Express Article 26th April 2012]]> As we approach the two year mark of a five year Parliament I can best describe the past 24 months in Coalition Government as a roller-coaster ride – full of ups and downs.

The downs are the policies a Liberal Democrat majority Government would not have introduced or prioritised.

The ups are taking over two million people out of income tax altogether – over 2,000 working people in Torbay, introducing the pupil premium to give every child a fair start in education – worth just under £3 million to Torbay’s schools this year, and the triple lock pension guarantee ensuring the state pension rises either above inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent, whichever is the highest.

Add to that the broadband money to give Torbay and Devon an advantage over other areas with the fastest connection speeds, the South West Water discount to bring bills closer to the national average rather than 40 per cent higher, and of course the £76 million go-ahead for the Kingskerswell by-pass and even the most vociferous opponents of the Coalition have to admit it’s not all doom and gloom as more has been achieved in a couple of years for South Devon than in the previous 20 under single party Governments.

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One of the issues that people keep raising with me is the cost of living, especially energy bills. Rising energy prices and a boom in the number of tariffs have left people confused and paying more than they should.

To help people make the right choices the Government has announced a landmark deal with the major energy suppliers so they let people know every year what the cheapest deal is.

Making sure people on low incomes are not hurt by rising energy bills is one of the priorities for the Liberal Democrats in this Coalition Government.  Reducing energy use by having better insulated homes is one of the most cost effective ways of achieving this.

I know this is only the first step. Our reliance on dwindling supplies of oil and gas, mostly from volatile regions, is bad for consumers and bad for our energy security. That is why we’re ensuring energy companies insulate millions of homes and businesses at no extra cost to the owners

Already over 3,700 homes in Torbay have received help since the Coalition came into office and the Liberal Democrat ‘Green Deal’ will increase this number rapidly, starting this autumn.

With the Green Deal people are able to help the environment, household budgets and the economy.  This investment should lead to thousands of new green jobs as well as reducing energy bills for everyone.

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It’s hardly fair competition when a national supermarket chain can sell hot food over the counter VAT free while my local fish & chip shop has to add 20% to the price of its takeaway food.   The Government agrees but has made a pigs ear of going about it with the so called ‘Pasty Tax’.

I think there’s a way round this if every business in Devon & Cornwall stopped selling hot pasties.  Once the customer has paid for their cold pasty they hand it back to the shop and ask if they wouldn’t mind putting it in the oven or if in a hurry the microwave.  The key is for the shop not to advertise such a service and for us – the pasty eating customers – to ensure we are all in on the secret.

The result is we get our pasties at the same price we currently pay, the small businesses of the South West don’t lose any sales, and the supermarkets end up having to levy VAT that was the Government’s aim in the first place.

There must be a flaw to my idea but to date no one’s come up with it.

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Over two million people in the UK are at risk of avoidable sight loss.  Regular eye examinations are the simplest way to reduce the high numbers of people needlessly losing their sight from treatable eye conditions.

Preventing vision loss also reduces the financial burden of providing rehabilitation and support to those with serious visual impairment.

Anyone aged 60 and over, children under 16 (under 19 in full-time education), most benefit claimants, people with diabetes and numerous sight conditions and those on low incomes are entitled to a free NHS sight test.

Some people might not even have to leave their house to have a sight test. Only around a third of those eligible for an NHS sight test at home received one last year yet those unable to leave their home unaccompanied due a physical or mental disability and people living in care or residential homes who are unable to leave unaccompanied may be entitled to a home visit from an optometrist.

For more information contact your GP practice, local opticians or care home staff if in a home to see if you qualify for a free test.

The main budget provision was the move to make the first £9,205 you earn tax free. This means that 21 million basic rate taxpayers will get an extra £220 cut in their income tax and a further . . . → Read More: Monthly Update – April 2012]]> Budget 2012

Adrian has welcomed the 2012 budget as a budget for the millions, not the millionaires.

The main budget provision was the move to make the first £9,205 you earn tax free. This means that 21 million basic rate taxpayers will get an extra £220 cut in their income tax and a further 840,000 will be taken out of paying income tax altogether.

There was also a tax cut in the 50p rate to 45p, but this will be made up for by rises in other taxes that will raise 5 times as much from the wealthy as the 50p tax rate. In addition, the Government is also introducing a cap on tax breaks the wealthy can use to cut their tax bills, ensuring that the wealthy pay their fair share. Yet again the Liberal Democrats’ contribution to Government means a fairer budget for all.

And there is especially good news for pensioners – a pension increase of £5.30 a week, which is the highest increase ever.

Commenting, Adrian said:

“I greatly welcome this month’s budget. It is a budget aimed at the many, rather than the few. I am especially pleased that we have taken another step towards our manifesto promise of making the first £10,000 you earn tax free. This is a budget that will encourage growth whilst still ensuring that we sort out the public finances to prevent soaring interest rates and a crash in confidence. Interestingly Labour voted against the Liberal Democrat additional allowance for the low paid and when it came to a vote on reducing the top rate of tax they abstained!” 

Social Care Lobby

Adrian was honoured to attend the Social Care Lobby held in Westminster Hall on 6^th March. The lobby was attended by more than 1000 people, who came to tell the Government that the social care system in the UK is in crisis and to offer up their ideas on how to solve this vital issue. It was organised by the Care and Support Alliance, which is made up of 50 organisations representing older and disabled people.  Many of those attending had a learning or physical disability, older people and those who represent and support them.

Adrian met with many constituents, including the group Spot (Speaking Out in Torbay), a group which is run for disabled people by disabled people. They told him about their worries over a £1million cut to funding for people with learning disabilities in Torbay at a time when the Council is keeping nearly £30 million in reserves for a rainy day.

Adrian commented:

“It was a privilege to come here today to meet with my constituents on this key issue of social care and to hear all their ideas and solutions to the problems we face. I share their concerns about the £1 million cut to funding.  If this period of austerity we are all facing isn’t a rainy day for using reserves I don’t when is, and I would urge the Mayor to think again about the level of reserves needed when vital services are being cut.”

Bay Bus Funding

Adrian has heralded the awarding of £514,700 to Torbay as part of the “Better Bus Area Fund” organized by the Department of Transport. Torbay is one of 24 areas receiving the money from the fund. The fund will go towards improving bus travel in Torbay and seek to integrate services. It will mean real-time information on bus arrivals will now be available and key traffic junctions and bus stations will see improvements. This will mean better and more efficient services for customers.

Adrian commented:

“I am very happy that Torbay has been awarded this grant. It will go a long way to improve our public transport system. The Coalition’s decision to award Torbay this funding is yet another sign that the Coalition is investing in local communities and I am looking forward to seeing the end result!”    

The Liberal Democrat Youth Contract

Adrian supports the Liberal Democrat Youth Contract, which promises over £11million to get young people in the South West who are not in employment, education or training learning or earning again. The campaign targets funding to 16 and 17-year-olds with no GCSEs at A* – C who are at the highest risk of long term disillusionment and disengagement through a payment by results system. This is an effective way to get the young people back into work and to help our economy get back on track.

Adrian “Stands Shoulder to Shoulder with All who Serve”

Adrian was recently thanked by the Royal British Legion for taking the time to learn about all the work it does for the Armed Forces and their families. The Royal British Legion offer practical advice, care and support for serving and former armed forces personnel, as well as campaigning on behalf of their members for funding and support from the Government. Adrian attended an event at the House of Commons which emphasised all this important work and much more. He also learnt about the work of the Royal British Legion on a more local level.

John Pentreath, the Legion’s County Manager for Devon, said,

“It was great to see Mr Sanders at this event; we really appreciated his taking the time to drop in. Many people don’t realise that we spend nearly £1.4 million a week on helping both the Serving and the ex-Service communities, including their families, so we were delighted to remind him about the range of services we provide. We help everyone from a child of a Serving family needing an adventure break, to a young entrepreneur needing advice and assistance to be his own boss.”

Enterprise Task Force Launched

Adrian was the only South Devon MP to attend the first meeting of a cross-border enterprise task force set up to look at ways to boost job prospects across Teignbridge, Torbay, central Devon and the South Hams. Torbay’s elected Mayor invited MPs, council leaders, local businessmen and employment specialists to listen to his views on how everyone should work together to boost employment.

Adrian praised the Mayor for the idea and suggested that Devon County Council should be invited to future meetings as the authority with responsibility for economic development beyond Torbay’s boundaries.  He also suggested that if such a task force was going to be more than a talking shop it needed to have an independent chair who was not a politician, or directly connected to any one local council.

When British Airways cabin crews went on strike it massively inconvenienced the travelling public . . . → Read More: Herald Express Article 14th April 2012]]> I strongly believe it is a fundamental right of employees to withdraw their labour after all other attempts at reaching an agreement with employers – including independent arbitration – have failed.  But whatever action is taken it must be proportionate.

When British Airways cabin crews went on strike it massively inconvenienced the travelling public although those whose businesses, health or jobs depended on being able to fly were able to find alternative carriers.  BAs shareholders were hit hardest by the staff’s industrial action and a compromise was eventually agreed.

When a small number of tanker drivers held a ballot to strike and voted in favour of industrial action even the threat was disproportionate as anyone witnessing the queues at petrol stations will have seen.

The Government reacted badly, and if some were looking for some kind of party political advantage that’s unforgivable.  Nevertheless without the strike ballot there would have been no comment and no panic at the pumps.

While the oil company bosses watched the news of the threatened strike by their drivers other businesses suffered, not least the tourism industry where bookings were cancelled, and  people missed their appointments or were late for work all because they  couldn’t, or feared they wouldn’t, access fuel.

In the event of a full-blown strike jobs will be lost, people’s health will be affected and our fragile economy will be seriously damaged.  It is simply disproportionate for a small handful of drivers whatever their reasons for action to hold an entire country to ransom.  They need to find a way where their action impacts on the profits of the oil companies without jeopardising the UK economy.

Interestingly the drivers union is one of the Labour Party’s main paymasters.  It’s head, Len McCluskey has had more dinners with Ed Miliband than any of the identified  ‘Premier League’ donors to the Tory Party have had with the Prime Minister.  If there was ever a case for long overdue party finance reform these examples are surely it.

Given the relationship between the Labour Party and the Union behind the threatened strike one word from the Labour Leader could stop it in its tracks.  One word that could transform Ed Miliband from hostage to Senior Statesman who put his country’s economy first.

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I spent nearly a year on the dole in Torbay in the mid 1980’s so I know how hard it is to find work in our local economy.  I had to move away to secure a full-time job which is why I believe we need to focus our efforts today on those who need a helping hand the most.

In Torbay 1,135 18 to 24-year olds are claiming Job Seekers Allowance (unemployment benefit under a silly new title) and they need our support.

It is very clear that youth unemployment is an economic waste and a slow-burn social disaster.  Research shows that if young people are out of work, the consequences of that will be felt for a long-time afterwards.

As we rebuild the economy from the mess the Coalition Government inherited, we can’t lose the skills and talent of our young people – right when we need them most. We need the next generation and they need us.

That is why as a Liberal Democrat, I am proud of our contribution to the Coalition Government with the launching the Youth Contract that will give every young person the opportunity to earn or learn.

The Youth Contract will help them through advice, support, training and by giving young people in Torbay the experience necessary to be successful in the work place.

With the coming of the by-pass and the opportunities in its wake, local businesses are acutely aware of the need to engage with the schemes the Government is promoting to help people into work.  I hope they can engage positively with this one too.

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Now the dust has settled after the knee jerk reactions, and it has to be admitted Government spin, the true impact of the recent budget is beginning to become clearer.

Most local taxpayers will be £45 a month better off than they were under Labour and in Torbay nearly 3,000 low paid workers will no longer pay any income tax at all.

In a time of rising food and fuel prices these are really important measures designed to mitigate someway against the inflationary forces at work in the global economy.

On the other side tough new taxes on the wealthy will raise five times as much for public services as the temporary 50p rate with new taxes targeted at people who live in homes worth more than £2 million.

Even the minority of pensioners in Torbay actually affected by the future freeze in personal allowances will not lose in cash terms, unlike when the same allowances were frozen in the last Parliament with no corresponding inflation busting increase in the state pension.

Dear Editor,

Liberal Democrats have a proud history of defending civil liberties, both in opposition and more recently in a Coalition Government. We successfully opposed the Labour government’s undermining of data privacy in 2009 and since taking office in 2010 we have turned . . . → Read More: Lib Dem MPs’ letter to newspapers on data privacy]]> The following letter has been published in today’s Independent and Guardian

Dear Editor,

Liberal Democrats have a proud history of defending civil liberties, both in opposition and more recently in a Coalition Government. We successfully opposed the Labour government’s undermining of data privacy in 2009 and since taking office in 2010 we have turned back the tide of Labour’s erosion of these liberties. So far we have destroyed the ID cards database, halted the indefinite retention of innocent peoples’ DNA, turned off the ContactPoint database, stopped the mass fingerprinting of children without permission from their parents, and ended child detention for immigration purposes.

Just a few months ago at our Spring Conference in Gateshead, we reaffirmed our commitment to ‘undo the damage done by Labour’s assault on basic freedoms’.  We called for stronger safeguards on existing surveillance measures to guarantee that the balance of power is firmly in favour of ordinary citizens.  We asserted the Liberal Democrats’ longstanding tradition of protecting human rights, and agreed that it is ‘our duty to safeguard basic freedoms against the encroachment of state power’. Liberal Democrats all over the country have sought to reverse the substantial erosion of individual freedoms, as the government committed to do in the Coalition agreement in 2010.

Following worrying reports of possible government proposals to collect real time information on people’s activity online, including from social media sites, we are pleased to hear yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister making clear his commitment to civil liberties and protecting privacy, and confirming that the Government will publish draft legislation with sufficient time for consultation and pre-legislative scrutiny. It is absolutely vital that the public get a chance to see and debate the details of any proposals to extend state surveillance,  not just being presented with a Home Office fait accompli. It is also essential that the initial plans include adequate safeguards – which should be stronger than the current weak controls.

Liberal Democrats in Government will not follow the last Labour Government by sounding the retreat on the protection of civil liberties in the United Kingdom. It continues to be essential that our civil liberties are safeguarded, and that the state is not given the powers to snoop on its citizens at will.

Adrian Sanders MP
Julian Huppert MP
Annette Brooke MP
Malcolm Bruce MP
Mike Crockart MP
Andrew George MP
Mike Hancock MP
John Hemming MP
John Leech MP
Greg Mulholland MP
John Pugh MP
Alan Reid MP
Ian Swales MP
David Ward MP
Mark Williams MP
Roger Williams MP

I’ve long suggested we should do something . . . → Read More: Herald Express Article – Thursday 29th March]]> I met a remarkable woman the other day at an event organised by Cornish MPs to highlight life and activities in the Duchy.  These ranged from samples of Cornish produced food and drink to information about organisations that support and help people both sides of the Tamar.

I’ve long suggested we should do something similar across Torbay and South Devon and allow local businesses to show-case their wares in Parliament as a backdrop to some serious lobbying on behalf of the area.  I’ve planted this seed previously with the powers that be and offered to make the arrangements in London if they think it would be worth it.

Back to the women I met.  Pauline Giles is the CEO of Bosom Buddies an organisation she formed following breast cancer to in her words “improve the general well-being of both men and women of all ages, through education and information on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.”

She is trying to find two volunteers in every county across the country to join her organisation and expand the support they can give to others.  She has two in Cornwall but so far only one in Devon and she was keen for me to put out an appeal for anyone who might be interested, or just wanted to know what the organisation can do for them.  Pauline can be contacted at www.bosombudiesuk.org

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As the Herald reported I was the co-sponsor of an amendment to drop the NHS Bill and return to the health policy proposed in the Coalition programme for Government that was defeated by 314 votes to 260.

Unfortunately space cut short my quoted explanation that: “The only really strong argument I have heard in favour of the Bill is it will encourage the integration of health and social care so there’s no divide.”

I added that this is what we have had in Torbay since 2003 and our adult care trust has attracted praise from across the political spectrum and been held up as the model for the kind of health service the Bill will encourage.

The question no one in Government can answer is why we need this Bill to bring about what we already have here in Torbay.

There’s a great deal of nonsense spouted about the Bill by opponents who haven’t actually followed the changes my party have largely managed to secure.

Competition has been drastically watered down to a debate around quality.  GPs will have to work in wider consortia which will effectively prevent their domination of the commissioning process, and the Secretary of State will remain accountable for the NHS and not be able to buck-pass when challenged by Parliament on the performance of the NHS.

Nevertheless it is a great pity that the Torbay model couldn’t have just been rolled out across the NHS without the massive top down reorganisation no party was proposing at the last election.

The task now is to ensure the uncertainties the Bill has created across the health service do not affect patient care.  We had a model to be proud of in Torbay that has had to be deconstructed in order to be recreated.  I hope we can get it right again, only this time even better than before.  That will have little to do with the Bill and everything to do with the talented, hard-working NHS professionals we are lucky to have working for us across South Devon.

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From April this year the Budget will have lifted nearly 3,000 working people in Torbay out of income tax altogether.

We are well on the way to our target of allowing people to keep the first £10,000 they earn before having to pay income tax.

It’s a policy aimed at helping millions, not millionaires.

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Parliament threw out a proposal to charge visitors £15 to tour the Clock Tower.

Unlike the rest of Parliament, which is open to any visitor, Clock Tower tours are restricted to UK residents. It would have been wrong to charge the people whose taxes pay for its upkeep to see Big Ben close up, while overseas visitors get to see the rest of Parliament for free.

It is your Parliament and tours can be arranged so long as you give your MP plenty of advance notice.  Even more so for Clock Tower tours as space is very limited and early booking is strongly recommended.

The rules simplify thousands of pages of regulation to a 50 page booklet for local authorities to follow.  Adrian has welcomed the . . . → Read More: Adrian welcomes Changes to Planning Laws]]> Liberal Democrat amendments make rules fairer for local communities

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has welcomed the new National Planning Policy Framework, published today, which sets out how councils should judge planning applications.

The rules simplify thousands of pages of regulation to a 50 page booklet for local authorities to follow.  Adrian has welcomed the changes made to the new regulations since the Government published a draft version in July last year.

He lobbied for more say to be given to local residents, for development to prioritise brownfield sites and better rules allowing councils to protect high streets from out of town retail parks.  All of these have been delivered in the new rules, which maintain a focus on delivering sustainable development.

Adrian said:

“The new rules show how Coalition Government can work.  When the draft was published there was a clear risk that the framework could be used by developers to simply ignore local people’s wishes.  The arguments we have made in light of these concerns have resulted in a much better policy coming forward that will allow communities a real say in what development they see in their local areas.”

The fund will be used to improve bus travel in Torbay and seek to integrate services.  Real-time information on bus . . . → Read More: Adrian Welcomes Bay Bus Funding]]> £500,000 investment in Torbay public transport

Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has welcomed the award of £514,700 to the local area as part of the Better Bus Area Fund, organised by the Department for Transport.

The fund will be used to improve bus travel in Torbay and seek to integrate services.  Real-time information on bus arrivals will now be available and key traffic junctions and bus stations will see improvements.

Adrian Sanders said:

“This is great news for public transport in Torbay and another sign of the Coalition Government delivering sensible investment to help local communities.  The Government has awarded Torbay’s bid in full and I look forward to seeing the improvement in services in the very near future.”

Detailed information of Torbay’s bid can be found at: http://www.brixhamtowncouncil.gov.uk/bbaapplication.pdf