Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has made a speech in an adjournment debate in Parliament to make the case for local school building projects to go ahead.

In his speech, Mr Umunna defended the previous government’s school building programme, citing the transformation of Elm Court School under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

He said:

“There are examples in my constituency of the BSF programme being very effective and highly successful. They undermine and contradict the overall view put forward by the Government and the Secretary of State. One example is Elm Court School, a special school in the Brixton area. An old Victorian building was transformed into a modern learning space, with fantastic new facilities including a theatre, a drama space and multi-use games and sports areas. The young people love it.

Mr Umunna called into question the evidential basis for the government’s decision to stop BSF projects:

“The lack of evidence calls into question the coalition’s motives for the announcement that they have made. They have said that the money being taken from the programme is not being diverted into free schools, but do they not accept that it adds insult to injury when the parents and teachers in my constituency, whose schools are affected by the cuts, see all that money being ploughed into the Secretary of State’s pet project, the free school model? [Jessica Lee MP] mentioned the structural deficit, which tends to come up every time we talk about anything relating to resource. Okay, I accept that, but one of the ways of dealing with the deficit is to bring about growth. That is ultimately the best way to eradicate the deficit, in many respects. Why take investment away from the people to whom we are looking for the growth of the economy in the future? It does not make sense to me.

“The hon. Member for Banbury put a premium on what school principals say about the project, and I would not disagree with taking note of what school heads and principals say about it. PricewaterhouseCoopers published an evaluation of BSF in February in which more than four fifths of head teachers agreed that the programme would contribute to educational transformation in their schools; three quarters agreed that it had more potential to deliver educational transformation than previous capital investment programmes; and all the head teachers surveyed agreed that it delivered a more stimulating environment and tackled fundamental design issues in schools. That is the overall evidence.”

Speaking of the urgent need for investment in new buildings at La Retraite school and the shortage of school places in Lambeth, he said:

“Just before coming to the debate, I received a copy of a letter that Susan Powell, the head teacher at La Retraite school, has just sent to the Secretary of State about the significance of the scrapping of the BSF project at her school. She explains how, in anticipation of receiving the BSF moneys, her school took on site three mobile classrooms: “The reason for these mobile classrooms was that, two years ago, we agreed with the local authority to take on extra pupils and to extend the intake to 5 forms of entry. We agreed to do this as part of the arrangements for BSF; it was part of our bid. We believe that we have a moral right to new buildings to house the extra pupils, which we only took on in return for this promise. You may not know that pupil places are at a premium in Lambeth which is, as an authority, extremely short of places.”

“Many hours, weeks and months of planning have gone into projects in my community that have been scrapped. I appeal to the Minister not only to approve the project at Dunraven school, which is in the balance, but to reverse the decision on the La Retraite and Bishop Thomas Grant schools. We are talking about our children’s future, and the coalition needs to wake up and come to its senses.”

Mr Umunna has set up an online petition against the Liberal Democrat – Conservative government’s cuts to local school building projects which can be signed at: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/save-streathams-school-building-projects.html, as well as tabling an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on the government to reverse its decision to stop projects in their tracks.

An Early Day Motion (EDM) has been tabled in Parliament to oppose axing essential Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects across London as the campaign against the cuts gathers momentum.

Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, tabled the EDM which condemns the government’s decision to cancel 171 BSF projects across London and notes the “dashed hopes and efforts of the pupils, parents, teachers and governors of these schools”.

The EDM has been tabled ahead of a mass lobby of Parliament against the cuts by teachers, governors and pupils on Monday organised by teaching union NASUWT.

It also raises the continuing uncertainty facing eleven ‘sample’ schools across London where building projects are under review. The government has not yet clarified when a final decision will be made on these projects.
In Mr Umunna’s Streatham constituency, two BSF projects at Bishop Thomas Grant and La Retraite schools have been cancelled, and a third ‘sample’ project at Dunraven School has been put on hold pending a review.
The EDM has already been signed by 21 MPs.

David Boyle, Principal of Dunraven School, commented:

“The condition of many of the school buildings is poor and has deteriorated still further recently, as much-needed work has been postponed with the promise of the BSF funding.

“The BSF programme of rebuilding and refurbishment offers us real value for money which could not be achieved through simply ‘patching’ existing buildings. If the programme is postponed, we will have to find £50,000 for essential repairs in the Autumn term alone to keep the buildings sound and safe.

“The students and staff deserve a school building that will enhance their experience of teaching and learning and which will enable the school to go from strength to strength in the future.”

Mr Umunna said: “Students, governors, parents and teachers across London were bitterly disappointed by the government’s decision to cut school buildings.

“I have tabled this EDM to reflect this depth of feeling and put pressure on the coalition for answers on projects which remain under review.”

In full, the EDM reads:

That this house condemns the Government’s decision to cancel the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme for 171 secondary schools in Greater London; notes that this dashes the hopes and efforts of the pupils, parents, teachers and governors of those schools; condemns the ongoing uncertainty facing eleven London ‘sample schools’ where the status of planned building work remains under review, regrets the negative effect that the government’s decision will have on growth and jobs in London’s construction industry; further notes that thousands of London school pupils and teachers have benefited from BSF projects that have already been completed; asserts that a modern, purpose-built and comfortable learning environment is essential to the education of children in London and elsewhere; and in the strongest possible terms urges the government to reconsider its decision and proceed with the projects previously planned.

Two out of three school building projects in Streatham agreed under the last government have been axed with another put at risk by the Liberal Democrat – Conservative coalition, Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced.

Crucial school building projects at La Retraite and Bishop Thomas Grant schools will no longer go ahead, despite years of planning and preparation.

Dunraven School was listed as one of a handful of “sample projects” which are being reviewed by the government and may still be cancelled.

Since the formation of the coalition government there has been uncertainty about the future of the previous administration’s school building programme, which was the most ambitious undertaken since the Victorian era.
Mr Umunna has pressed ministers for answers on BSF since his election in May. Having asked education ministers to clarify its plans for projects at local schools in a written question on the matter, he received an evasive answer from Schools Minister Nick Gibb, who said: “I will reply as soon as possible”.

Commenting on Tory plans for schools last year, Mr Gibb said: “some of the best new schools in Sweden are set up in office blocks”.

In his maiden speech last month, Mr Umunna highlighted the importance of the BSF programme to local schools and urged the new government to go ahead with the developments.

After Mr Gove made his statement to the House, Mr Umunna rose and asked the Secretary of State to clarify what the implications were for the three BSF projects in his constituency, to which Mr Gove replied:

“Dunraven school is a sample school, and therefore falls within the group of local authority schools that we will look at. Elm Court, a special school in his constituency, has already opened under BSF. I believe that two other schools have not reached financial close, and I will confirm that in my letter to him.”

In his speech, Mr Gove also criticised the design and delivery of BSF projects. However, the innovative new sports hall at Dunraven School which was funded through BSF was a finalist in the Better Public Building awards and was praised by judges as:“an extremely cheap new facility built with remarkable speed – and it looks good.”

In the recent by-election in the Tulse Hill ward in the Streatham parliamentary constituency, Liberal Democrat literature promised “more money for schools, and the Liberal Democrat manifesto said: “We will provide a fair start for all children by giving schools the extra money they need to cut class sizes. We will invest additional money in the schools system to allow schools to cut class sizes.”

Commenting, Chuka Umunna MP said: “I am bitterly disappointed that these projects have been cancelled and I feel that local students, teachers and school governors have been betrayed by the coalition government.

“Our young people deserve the very best, and the BSF school building programme meant an education in twenty first century surroundings for all. I am concerned that because of the government’s decision this week, our children are being sold sort.”

Chuka Umunna MP has today submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Treasury to obtain a memo outlining the true impact of last week’s Budget on unemployment.

Today, The Guardian reported a leaked Treasury memo predicting 1.3 million job losses over the next five years, specifying “100-120,000 public sector jobs and 120-140,000 private sector jobs assumed to be lost per annum for five years through cuts”.

In Prime Minister’s Questions today, David Cameron was asked about precise details of this prediction by the Leader of the Opposition, but failed to provide answers.

The leaked memo also claims that 2.5 million private sector jobs can be created over the next five years, The Guardian reports. However, according to the Office of National Statistics, just 1.5 million such jobs were created over the ten years of growth between 1997 and 2007.

Chancellor George Osborne, in his Budget statement last week said:

“I am not going to hide hard choices from the British people or bury them in the small print of the Budget documents. You’re going to hear them straight from me, here in this speech.”

“The unemployment rate is forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility to peak this year at 8.1 per cent and then fall for each of the next four years, to reach 6.1 per cent in 2015.”

However, reports of the leaked memo have thrown doubt over this assessment.

Last week, Mr Umunna was elected by his colleagues to serve on the Treasury Select Committee, and since his election has challenged government ministers on the abolition of the Future Jobs Fund in the House of Commons.

Commenting on his Freedom has of Information request, Mr Umunna said: “It is essential that the government comes clean about the true extent of job losses resulting from last week’s Budget.

“This memo is deeply worrying, suggesting that the true picture is very different from the one painted by the Chancellor in his Budget statement last week. The Government must explain why this information has not been made public.

“Many people will not just be shocked by the scale of the unemployment that will be caused by last week’s budget. They will also be angry and disappointed that, just weeks in, the new government is attempting to hide this from the public when the Chancellor claimed he would disclose all details only a week before.”

Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has warned of the impact the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Budget will have on the poorest and most vulnerable in society and in his own constituency.

Making a speech in the Budget debate in the House of Commons, Mr Umunna compared last week’s Budget with those of the Thatcher administration’s early years in which large cuts to public sector spending were made.

The 1981 Budget, which made sickness and unemployment benefits taxable was followed by the Brixton Riots in the north of Mr Umunna’s Streatham constituency.

Following the public inquiry into the riots conducted by Lord Scarman, social and economic factors, particularly high unemployment, were cited alongside police racism as a root cause of the disorder.

In his report, Lord Scarman stated that unemployment “was a major factor in the complex pattern of conditions which lies at the root of the disorders in Brixton and elsewhere. In a materialistic society, the relative deprivation it entails is keenly felt, and idleness gives time for resentment and envy to grow.”

While between 1981 and 1984 the Thatcher government made cuts to government spending of 4%, in last week’s Budget the Conservative-Liberal Democrat administration announced spending cuts of 25% across government departments.

In his speech, Mr Umunna accused the government of ignoring President Obama’s letter the Prime Minister and other G20 leaders imploring them not to withdraw economic stimulus or make cuts too quickly.

He also pressed the government for answers on the issue of youth unemployment. Last month, the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition announced the abolition of the Future Jobs Fund, brought in by the last government to create jobs for young people out of work for six months or more.

Having met with Jobcentre Plus officials, Mr Umunna learned that statistics on the success of the scheme are not yet available and has called for a full debate on why the fund has been axed before it can be properly evaluated.

Youth unemployment in the Streatham constituency, which is demographically one of the youngest areas in the UK, has increased by 6.5% over the past year. In contrast, youth unemployment fell by 27.3% in Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency.

The independent body set up by the new government to review economic policy, the Office of Budget Responsibility, responded to the Budget by revising up its unemployment predictions by 100,000.

The rise in VAT announced by the Chancellor from 17.5% to 20% will disproportionately affect those on low incomes. According to the Office of National Statistics, the richest 10% pay just one in every £25 of their income in VAT while the poorest 10% pay one in every £7.

Chancellor George Osborne also announced a cut in child benefit in real terms, restrictions and cuts to housing benefit and the abolition of both the Health in Pregnancy Grant for new mothers and Child Tax Credits set aside to parents of new-born babies.

Mr Umunna said: “What were the effects of the approach adopted by Geoffrey Howe in the 1980s? I can describe what they were in my constituency, in which I am proud to say that I have lived all my life.

“In April 1981 my mother was out shopping with my sister and me in the middle of Brixton when the riots broke out. I was too young-just two and half-to be able to remember what happened, but my mother remembers it well, and it was terrifying.

“The real question that I want answered is: what comfort can he give to the people who live in places such as the Tulse Hill Estate in my constituency that they will not have to pay the price? What measures will he take to help them to get back into work?”

Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has been elected by his colleagues to serve on the Treasury Select Committee.

For the first time, Select Committee members have been chosen by election rather than appointment following reforms to the system. Mr Umunna, who is the youngest Member of Parliament in London, was selected by colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party to fill one of its allocation of five places on the committee.

Before his election to Parliament last month, Mr Umunna practiced as an employment lawyer and has worked extensively in the City acting both for and against investment banks. Later in his career Mr Umunna switched to acting for employees fighting unfair dismissal and discrimination.

Last week, Mr Umunna criticised the Lib Dem Tory coalition in the House for abolishing the Future Jobs Fund before it has been properly evaluated, and asked Chancellor George Osborne what arrangements he is making to reform credit rating agencies.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said: “I am delighted to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve on the Treasury Select Committee.

“Much of the blame for the global economic downturn can be placed at the door of the financial services sector. The financial catastrophe led to the bail out and a situation where hard-working people were left to pick up the tab for a crisis that was not of their making.

“My primary aim on the Treasury Select Committee will be to ensure that this never happens again and that the government’s economic policies are subject to intense and forensic cross-examination.”

Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has slammed the Liberal Democrat – Conservative government’s Budget for hitting public sector workers and local families hardest, failing to address the issue of youth unemployment and failing to guarantee the future of vital local school building projects.

The measures announced by Chancellor George Osborne included a cut in child benefit in real terms, the abolition of the Health in Pregnancy Grant for new mums and Child Tax Credits set aside for parents of new-born babies.

According to HMRC statistics, last year 25,160 childen from 14,735 families in Streatham claimed child benefit and will now lose out as a result of its payments being frozen.

During the recession in the early 1990s, unemployment in Streatham was 56% higher than when Britain emerged from recession under Labour earlier this year. It is feared that the new government’s approach, in line with that adopted by the Conservatives in the 1980s and 1990s, could lead to higher unemployment.

The independent body set up by the new government to review economic policy, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), has responded to the plans in the Budget by revising down its employment predictions by 100,000 and downgrading its growth forecast for next year from 2.6% to 2.3%.

Because public sector employment is disproportionately high locally, our area will suffer more heavily than others from the public sector pay freeze announced in the Budget. In Lambeth, public sector employment accounts for 36% compared to 23% in London as a whole.

In his Budget speech, the Chancellor failed to outline any measures to tackle Youth unemployment to replace the Future Jobs Fund which the Liberal Democrat Conservative government has axed.

Last week, Mr Umunna asked Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP why the Future Jobs Fund had been abolished before its effectiveness had been evaluated and called for a fuller debate on the project once the information is available.

Youth unemployment in the Streatham constituency, which is demographically one of the youngest areas in the UK, has increased by 6.5% over the past year. In contrast, youth unemployment fell by 27.3% in Prime Minister David Cameron’s Witney constituency.

The Chancellor did not disclose whether local school building projects would still be going ahead, but announced that the Department for education would see its budget cut by 25%.

School building projects at three local schools, La Retraite, Dunraven, and Bishop Thomas Grant, which were planned under the former government have been thrown into doubt by the Liberal Democrat Conservative coalition which is yet to clarify its intentions.

The Budget was also silent on whether funds to improve local housing will be forthcoming.

The rise in VAT announced by the Chancellor from 17.5% to 20% will disproportionately affect those on low incomes.

Only weeks ago during the general election, Liberal Democrats campaigned against what they described as a ‘Tory VAT bombshell’ and in favour of “fairer taxes”.

However, VAT is a regressive form of taxation: according to the Office of National Statistics the richest 10% pay one in every 25 pounds of their income in VAT, whilst the poorest 10% pay one in every seven, so the VAT rise will hit the poorest much harder than the wealthy.

As Lambeth is the nineteenth most deprived local authority in England, the VAT increase will be felt disproportionately in areas like ours.

Chuka Umunna MP said: “This Budget places the bulk of the government’s deficit reduction programme on the shoulders of the poorest and most vulnerable in society. Cutting Housing and Child Benefit will disproportionately affect areas like ours.

“I am also deeply concerned about the impact of today’s Budget on local jobs. The government has adopted the same approach as the Conservatives in the 1980s and 1990s which led to such terrible unemployment and deprivation here.

“I find it shocking that the Liberal Democrats, whose leader visited my own constituency recently claiming to stand for fairness, have sold out on their beliefs in supporting this Budget and sanctioning the devastating affect that it will have on our area.”

“There is real danger of a double-dip recession and ¬by cutting too fast the coalition will hit growth. President Obama’s letter to the G20 last week urged governments to keep in place spending measures to help economies recover from the recession, but the Lib Dem Tory coalition has ignored this advice.”

On the Building Schools for the Future Programme, Mr Umunna said:

“The fact the Chancellor did not explain what the government’s plans are for vital Building Schools for the Future projects at the same time as imposing a 25% cut in the education budget will only serve to increase uncertainly among local parents, students and teachers.”

“I will continue to put pressure on the Liberal Democrat – Conservative government, demanding answers and making the case for these crucial projects going ahead as the previous Labour government planned.”

The charity Save the Children said:

“A 20% VAT rate means that the poorest parents will see their VAT bill rise to at least £1,600 a year – affecting already overstretched budgets – and driving some into the arms of loan sharks”.

Chuka Umunna, Member of Parliament for Streatham, has challenged ministers from the Liberal Democrat-Conservative government over their announcement of severe cuts to funding for tackling youth unemployment.

In the House of Commons chamber, Mr Umunna asked the Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander MP why the Future Jobs Fund jobs programme is being cut when data on the effectiveness of the scheme is not yet available.

Posing a question to Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young, he also called for a full debate on the Future Jobs Fund so that its impact can be properly assessed.

This week, Mr Umunna met with local Jobcentre Plus representatives to discuss the impact of the Future Jobs Fund in the Streatham constituency and learned that full data is not yet available.

Last month the Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government announced that the Future Jobs Fund would be axed as part of £6 billion of spending cuts.

The Future Jobs Fund, an investment programme launched by the previous Labour government to tackle unemployment among young people, provided funding to create 110,000 new jobs for 18 to 24 year olds unemployed for six months or more.

Any organisation in the private, public or third sector was able to apply for funding for new jobs through the scheme.

This week, as part of £2 billion of additional cuts the Liberal Democrat-Conservative government announced the axing of the ‘young person’s guarantee’ introduced by the last government which meant that young people out of work for six months were guaranteed a place in a job or training.

In the chamber, Mr Umunna said: “When I visited my constituency’s district Jobcentre Plus office on Monday, I was told that it was far too early to judge the effectiveness of the scheme, because no data are yet available.

“May I suggest that we have a debate on the scheme, so that we can work out whether what we are being told about the DWP’s view of the matter is a reflection of what is happening on the ground?”

Mr Umunna added: “In their manifesto the Liberal Democrats promised to begin their term in office with an economic stimulus and job creation package and are reneging on that by axing this very important scheme with their Conservative coalition partners.”

Writing in the New Statesman, leading economist and former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee Professor David Blanchflower said: “Youngsters without skills or qualifications are especially at risk. The danger is that they lose self-esteem and do not make a successful trans¬ition from school to work, potentially scarring them forever. That is bad for them: it means more unemployment, lower wages, less happiness and worse health later in life.

“It is also bad for the rest of us, not just because of the lost output, but because of the social costs. Crime rates in general and property crime in particular tend to rise in these circumstances. Above all, these are our children and it’s our problem. Unemployment makes everyone unhappy.”

School building projects at four local schools could face the axe if the Conservatives win power, it has emerged this week.

Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb has admitted that under a Conservative government, only school building schemes at the ‘financial close’ stage of development would be guaranteed funding.

This would mean that over 750 school building projects across the country could be scrapped, which would include planned developments at St Martin in the Fields, Dunraven, La Retraite and Bishop Thomas Grant schools.

Lambeth has benefitted from more than £280 million in educational funding through the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The money is being used to expand school places, provide new state of the art classrooms and learning environments and facilities for students.

Last year, an innovative and environmentally-sustainable new sports hall at Dunraven School built with former shipping containers and funded through the BSF programme was opened.

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham said: “The Conservatives refuse to guarantee our programme of improving school buildings in this constituency which is deeply concerning.

“Schools in our area have been transformed since I went to school here myself in the 1980s and our excellent new school buildings and facilities have played a major part in this. If we are to provide the best education for our children, this investment must continue.”

Ed Balls said: “This revelation means hundreds of new school buildings right across the country face the axe if the Tories win the election.

“It’s particularly shocking that even building projects which are already a long way down the track could be cancelled by the Conservatives in just a matter of weeks.”

Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham, is challenging Conservative candidate Rahoul Bhansali to match Labour’s commitment to Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams, after Tory Mayor Boris Johnson’s failure to support their future.

Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs), which were introduced by Labour, are dedicated teams of local police officers for each ward, working in the community to tackle and prevent crime and antisocial behaviour and provide a visible presence on the streets.

Local residents have a real say in how the teams operate and what their priorities should be through community safer neighbourhood panels.

The Streatham constituency has eight SNTs with representative panels overseeing their work. Every ward in London has an SNT comprising of a minimum of one sergeant, two police constables and three PCSOs to patrol local streets.

Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to guarantee the future of SNTs, and has described them as a “pointless piece of top-downery”.

Although police numbers have risen by almost 17,000 since 1997, alongside more than 16,000 Police Community Support Officers, under Boris Johnson police numbers in London are being cut by a total of 455 officers. Over his four budgets Boris Johnson will oversee a decline in the total number of police officers for London.

Commenting, Mr Umunna said: “Safer Neighbourhood Teams have made a real difference in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. To continue this work, they need to be maintained at their current strength.

“I am deeply concerned by Boris Johnson’s failure to guarantee the future of neighbourhood policing, and I challenge Conservatives in Streatham to stand up for our dedicated local police teams.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “Labour will ensure that frontline policing is protected but the Conservatives won’t match this guarantee.

“The Conservative threat to frontline services is shown here in London where the future of local police teams is at risk from the Conservative mayor Boris Johnson.”