As a result of Chuka Umunna and Tessa Jowell MP’s meeting with First Capital Connect bosses, the train operator will be holding a Meet the Managers event at Tulse Hill Station on Tuesday February 2nd between 7.30am and 9.30 am.

Neal Lawson, Managing Director of First Capital Connect, who met with Chuka and Tessa last week, will be one of the managers on hand at the event.

A further Meet the Managers event is taking place at St Pancras station on Thursday January 28th between 4pm and 7pm.

Chuka Umunna said: “Passengers deserve to be properly informed of what is happening with their service, which is why Tessa and I asked for management to be on hand at Tulse Hill station to address people’s concerns directly in the coming days. We are pleased that they have agreed to do this.”

Tessa Jowell, Labour MP for Dulwich & West Norwood, and Chuka Umunna, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Streatham have secured commitments from First Capital Connect (FCC) to improve services after their meeting with company bosses.

Passengers of Thameslink, operated by FCC, have experienced severe disruption since November including many delays and cancellations, following an industrial dispute over staff pay and technical problems arising from the recent snowfall.

Other passenger complaints have included poor and/or non-existent communication at stations and shortened and overcrowded trains.

This week, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told FCC that the disruption experienced by passengers is unacceptable, and warned the operator that it could lose its franchise if the situation continues. Ms Jowell and Mr Umunna have been in regular contact with the Transport Secretary on the issue.

Ms Jowell and Mr Umunna met with Neal Lawson, Managing Director of First Capital Connect and Mary Grant, Managing Director of First Group’s rail division, to go through in detail all the complaints they have received about the service and demand changes to ensure an improved service.

Ms Jowell and Mr Umunna secured the following commitments at their meeting with FCC bosses:

• FCC will take steps to improve communication with passengers, both electronically and through assistance offered by station staff.
• FCC will look into setting up a daily email service to inform commuters of any problems or delays before they leave home for work.
• In the meeting, FCC acknowledged that its business model had failed to provide acceptable levels of reliability. They told Ms Jowell and Mr Umunna that they are currently in the process of overhauling their business model so they are less reliant on staff working overtime and are currently recruiting and training more drivers.
• New rolling stock is coming on stream, which will not suffer from the same problems as older units during cold weather and will allow for greater punctuality, FCC said.
• There will be better and more detailed information made available to commuters regarding compensation for the disruption to date.

Ms Jowell and Mr Umunna will keep in daily contact with Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to ensure that FCC keeps to all its promises. If the operator fails to do so, they will press government to take appropriate action.

Ms Jowell said:

“Thousands of people that I represent rely on FCC to get to work regularly and on time. They have been subjected to completely unacceptable unreliability through cancellations, delays and shorter trains – a collapsing service.

“Having met management today we have sought clear assurances that improvements will have an immediate impact for constituents. We will judge this according to performance, reliability, communication and modern trains.”

Mr Umunna said:

“We are in daily contact with Lord Adonis, the Transport Secretary, on this issue, and are keeping a close eye on FCC. We will not let up until a decent service is provided.”

Many older people and younger people with disabilities want to maintain their ability to live at home as long as possible, so Labour is proposing to extend free personal care at home to 280,000 people with the highest needs.

The Personal Care at Home Bill will invest £670 million to enable them to stay in their homes, adjusting living conditions with new technology and adaptations whilst also protecting the free care already provided.

Under the proposals 130,000 people will be able to gain new skills that help them to maintain their independence. Additionally, 111,000 people who in the past have had to fund their own home care will receive it for free.

In the long run this will save both social care services and the NHS money, and will form the first step towards a new National Care Service.

Chuka Umunna said : “Labour’s Personal Care at Home Bill will make personal care simple, fair and accessible, giving hundreds of thousands of people new dignity and independence.”

“Many elderly people and younger disabled people need help with everyday tasks such as getting in and out of bed, washing and dressing. Too many still have to fund the support they need out of
their own pocket – or do without.”

“And what’s more, many have to give up living at home in order to receive that support. This bill will help put an end to this.”

The Conservatives, who oppose a National Care Service, instead want a private insurance scheme which will require people to pay £8,000 for residential care, without support to stay in their own home. Not only does this underestimate the cost of such care, but it would also exclude those unable to pay and create a perverse incentive for people to leave their homes even where this is unnecessary or inappropriate.

The Conservative policy, which also does nothing for younger disabled people, has been criticised by social care experts.

Chuka continued: “In 1945 it was Labour that created a National Health Service, free at the point of use, improving life in the UK beyond measure. And now we are setting out to create a new National Care Service in the same spirit of dignity and wellbeing for all.”

David Miliband MP, the Foreign Secretary, introduces this video celebrating the Nigerian community’s contribution to British life.  The video was produced for a joint event between the Foreign Office and the Nigerian High Commission in London today.  The event is designed to celebrate the contribution to UK society of the significant Nigerian diaspora community in the UK, many of whom live in the Lambeth area.  If Chuka is elected at the General Election he would become the first male politican of Nigerian descent to sit in the House of Commons.

For months Thameslink passengers have been let down by cancellations and delays. The government has now stepped in to warn train operator First Capital Connect (FCC) that it could lose its franchise if the service does not improve.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has told the operator that the current problems experienced by Thameslink passengers are unacceptable and that improvements are expected if FCC wants to continue running the franchise.

Chuka and Tessa Jowell, MP for the neighbouring constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood, which has also been affected by the Thameslink problems, are now seeking to meet FCC bosses to make clear that a full timetable must be restored.

Chuka said today:

“The delays and cancellations which Thameslink passengers are currently experiencing are frankly unacceptable – the government is leaving FCC in no doubt of this.

“Having relayed residents concerns about the service to ministers, myself and neighbouring MP Tessa Jowell are now seeking a meeting with FCC bosses immediately to demand answers.”

Chuka has continually fought to defend Streatham’s transport links, campaigning against proposals by Network Rail to terminate all northbound trains from Streatham at Blackfriars and will continue to spearhead the effort to bring the Tube to Streatham.

Secretary of State for Transport Lord Adonis has made it clear that the current service disruption is unacceptable.

He said: “I am only too well aware of the substandard service that has been offered by First Capital Connect in recent months.

“This is a matter of acute concern to me and my department.”

Previously, the government has intervened to withdraw the franchise of failing train operators – in 2003 Connex South Eastern’s contract was terminated early.

The Labour government has announced over £1.7 billion of investment for manufacturing research and new industries such as the digital sector and biotechnologies.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated: “Growth is not only the key to prosperity and jobs, but also rebuilding the revenues for safeguarding the public services on which we rely.

“The growth strategy shows how we will support and unleash the entrepreneurial, innovative and dynamic talents we know we have in Britain.”

The focus is on long-term sustainable growth strategies in the UK. The Business Secretary, Peter Mandelson noted that much could be learnt from public companies such as John Lewis. According to evidence the company, which shares its rewards with employees, is successful in pursuing long term growth.

The government’s new strategy features £1 billion of investment in the upgrading of the country’s digital infrastructure, £70 million of new funding for manufacturing research projects and the creation of 35,000 advanced technical apprenticeships over the next two years. £38.5 million has also been assigned to 260 new research low carbon technologies projects.

Commenting on the announced investment Chuka said: “This funding, particularly for research into low-carbon technologies, clearly demonstrates Labour’s commitment to fighting climate change, alongside investment in new jobs and in a strategic long-term restructuring of the economy.”

With the recent cold snap, many Streatham families felt that they faced a bitter choice: pay expensive heating bills or stay in the cold.

But today Chuka urged vulnerable local families not to worry about keeping warm as the government pays out millions in Cold Weather Payments.

Chuka said: “As the cold weather continues, I don’t want vulnerable people in Streatham left in the cold. I especially want the elderly to know that extra help is on the way.

“There are two ways we are helping this winter – with Winter Fuel payments of £250 or £400 for the over 80s, and thousands of people in our area getting the increased Cold Weather Payments of £25.

“The payments are automatic so everyone entitled will get them and should not have to worry about being able to keep warm.”

Around £200 million has been paid out so far this winter, with just over £70 million over the cold New Year weekend. The government spends around £2.7bn a year helping pensioners meet their fuel bills – compared to the £60m a year spent by the Tories in 1997.

Cold Weather Payments are paid out automatically to help people pay for heating during cold snaps. You may be eligible for the Cold Weather Payments if you are a pensioner or are receiving Income
Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

The Labour Government has launched the new Boiler Scrappage Scheme – a national initiative to help families save money on fuel bills and cut their carbon emissions.

Around 125,000 households in England will be entitled to £400 towards the price of a new A-rated boiler or renewable heating system to replace their older, less environmentally-friendly boilers.

Hundreds of Streatham families with outdated boiler systems are expected to be eligible for the welcome boost, especially in the freezing weather.

The move is also designed to help sustain work in the heating industry, a major British employer.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the Scheme “will slash household energy bills and carbon emissions while providing an important boost for the British heating industry.

“The government’s new scrappage scheme will help to secure 250,000 jobs across the tens of thousands of small and medium businesses involved in boiler manufacture, sales and installation that form a vital component of Britain’s low carbon economy.”

Labour’s Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, said: “The Boiler Scrappage Scheme will save around £200 off heating bills per year for families that are replacing their old boilers, and in total will save the same amount of carbon equivalent to taking around 45,000 cars off the road.

“The scheme will add to the existing package of government measures to help householders be smarter about the energy they use, leading to permanently reduced fuel bills and cutting emissions.”

The Boiler Scrappage Scheme is based on the same principles as the hugely successful Car Scrappage Scheme – a burst of decisive government investment designed to help both people and businesses while reducing the UK’s carbon footprint.

The Car Scrappage Scheme, introduced in May last year and extended in September, gives drivers £2,000 towards a new car if they trade in an old one.

As of December 2009, 282,898 new cars had been ordered under the Scheme, 19,150 of which were in London.