Anne [Begg] supports Minimum Wage change

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Last week Laudrup posted an e-mail from Anne Begg the MP for Aberdeen South concerning leafleting today. I managed to crawl out of bed in the early hours (9 a.m.) and somehow made my way down to the meeting point without falling and breaking my neck on the nigh-invisble black ice on the roads. After having spent an hour and a half trying not fall on my arse (Whilst intermittently putting leaflets through people's doors) we made our way back to Anne's house for a very nice lunch which she very kindly put on for us.

During the leafleting I was able to enter into negotiations with a member of her staff about posting local news provided by her Constituency office to this blog. Well to cut a long story short (well actually to cut a short story even shorter) after a brief bidding war between myself and Rupert Murdoch (The BBC dropped out at £50 million) I was able to obtain media broadcast rights (i.e. I'll get an e-mail every Friday.) to what Anne Begg has been doing for her constituents each week. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what's going on in the Aberdeen area and also what a Labour MP does for their constituents.

To finish off, here's a post from Anne Begg's website concerning her stance on the minimum wage change. I think her position is correct, I don't see how it could be justified for an employee to earn less than minimum wage on the grounds that they might make it up in tips.

For those who don't remember the minimum wage was instituted by this Labour government against vociferous opposition from the tories, who opposed this amendment as well.

That's because the tories don't care about ordinary working people, they only care about business men with yearly incomes in six figures.

There's an episode of the Simpsons in which Mr Burns is at a millionaire's club. At the door there's a sign; it reads "you must have at least $1,000,000 to enter". There probably should be a sign at the tories' central office saying the same thing.

On 20th November, Anne welcomed the news that the government intends to change the current minimum wage rules on tipping so that in the future tips will not be used to top up the Minimum Wage. A government consultation started on 19th November to listen to people’s views about exactly how these new proposals would work in practice.

Anne said, "This is a matter of common sense. When you go to a restaurant or to have a hair cut and leave a tip, you expect it to go to the staff on top of their pay, not to be put through the payroll to make up the Minimum Wage.”

“I believe that the government’s announcement will benefit workers throughout Aberdeen South; people we all rely on, but who sometimes don’t have the strongest voice.”

"Rogue employers need to be exposed if they are flouting the system. Therefore, I would encourage anyone that thinks a rogue employer is not paying up to either get in touch with my office on 01224 252 704, or call the national minimum wage helpline on 0845 6000 678.”

As part of the government’s crackdown on those who try to exploit workers, tough new penalties for employers who underpay their staff have been made law under the Employment Act. This will mean that tough new penalties come into force in April, including unlimited fines for the most serious cases rather than the current maximum limit of £5,000. It will also mean a fairer way of dealing with national minimum wage arrears, calculated so workers do not lose out.
It's estimated that 1 million people in the UK currently benefit from the national minimum wage, introduced by the government in 1998. In October this year the minimum wage rates were increased to £5.73 for people aged 22 and over, £4.77 for 18- 21 year olds and £3.53 for 16-17 year olds.

A bit of good news from the Council for a change

From the BBC comes the news that a factory that employs blind and disabled people is to be saved from closing by the council. [I should point out that the reason it was in danger in the first place was because the council cut its funding.]

"The troubled Glencraft furniture factory for disabled workers in Aberdeen has had its future secured, according to city council.

The council has agreed to buy the factory and lease it back to the firm.
Glencraft had its funding from the local authority cut as part of an earlier budget settlement.

Negotiations have been taking place since. About 60 staff are employed at the site which could now become home to other social enterprises."

Isn't amazing though how the council which had to slash its budget can somehow manage to balance the books and pay for things when they're really pushed to. Why not do this for other services in Aberdeen.

And a final note to the story would be to point out who it was that was campaigning to save this great place:

Union leaders plan factory fight

Union leaders representing staff at an Aberdeen workshop for the blind and disabled hope to legally challenge the council's decision to cut its subsidy.

If the £650,000 subsidy goes, the Glencraft factory which employs 60 people will have to close, possibly as early as April.

Aberdeen Council said it would try to help those who could not find work.

National officials from the Community union are meeting workers to discuss how to save the factory.

Great work from the Unions as always.

Peter's going to have a flash new neighbour.

Trump to site home at golf resort

Maybe they can go to the pub together or take their dogs for a walk through the (unfortunately crap strewn, not really :P)local parks. Or not...

US tycoon Donald Trump has announced he is to make his Scottish family home at his controversial £1bn Aberdeenshire golf resort.

The property tycoon is to convert Menie House on the Menie Estate near Balmedie into a personal residence.

I think the important phrase there is Scottish family home, maybe some will disagree but I don't consider one house of however many dozens he has to be his home. Your home is where you live, what's the betting that Trump will spend at most a couple of weeks there every year if that. This isn't a home it's a very exclusive hotel room that he'll use whenever he wants to play a round at the golf course or he needs to promote the houses he's going to have to sell.

Oh and a note to Peter, having looked on google maps I realise there's a distance between Balmeide and where you live but I liked this story so I'm not going to edit it.:P



Having said all that I'm now going to point out a positive:

He has hired a number of local companies to renovate and restore the 14th Century building.

There two pluses for me there, firstly the fact that he's going to give his business to local workers and secondly (presuming of course the restoration is done properly) the fact that a 14th century building is going to be restored. I think it's important to preserve some of the beautiful old buildings we have in this country and it's nice to see it being done even if I'm not exactly hot on his development plans.


Laudrup has mentioned issues related to this story before.

A Fine Public Servant from Aberdeenshire

The BBC reports on the recognition of the fantastic and devoted service given by a Special Constable from Aberdeenshire. Bob Ballantyne has faithfully served the community for 28 years, including over 200 weekends in a row, and for this he has been awarded the Queen's medal. He is the first volunteer officer to win the award.

He said: "It's a great honour and I am very flattered. It was quite a surprise.

"However, policing is about team work and this award is as much a testament to the hard work of those I have served with in Grampian Police over the last 28 years as it is to me.

"I would highly recommend the specials to anyone who wants to give something back to the local community." "

Our Club Secretary will be pleased to see that the Special in question is from Ellon.

Children in care 'at more risk'

This is a disturbing article from the BBC. It seems that the City Council's inability to balance its budget is starting to hit the most vulnerable members of society. It is dismaying to see a breakdown in the duty of care that any government has to children in its custody, especially when the Council is continuously slashing the budget. Childcare and child protection should never be compromised.

One of Scotland's leading children's charities has expressed major concerns about the risks to children in the care of Aberdeen City Council.

Who Cares? Scotland said it was worried that low funding means it now could not be involved in meaningful consultations with children and young people.

It comes as the local authority is seeking to make £24m worth of cuts.
Aberdeen City Council said it had answered the letter but would not make further comment.

Who Cares? Scotland provides a voice for children and young people in care north of the border.

It runs advocacy services, looking after children's interests and rights.

'Limited service'

But BBC Scotland has learned that a letter written by the director of the charity, Heather Gray, indicates that those interests and rights are at risk.

Her letter was written in September to Aberdeen City Council's interim chief execeutive Robert Coomber.

Ms Gray expresses concern at low funding levels, claiming there had been a reduction in her service.

She said this was a "dangerously low level of independent advocacy" and that it was "not possible to deliver anything other than a very limited service".

Ms Gray concludes that this will result in an "increased risk for looked-after children".

News from Anne Begg MP

Dear Friend,

Are you fed up of Christmas shopping?
Do you want an excuse to get out of the library and also help the Labour Party in the process?
Then I have the perfect opportunity for you!

I will be conducting a leafleting session to deliver my Council Cuts Survey on Saturday 6th December, with a free lunch provided afterwards.

Everyone will be assembling at the Unison Office on Victoria Street (west end of Union Street) at 10am with the leafleting session concentrating on the Ferryhill, Rosemount, Peterculter and Queens Cross areas of the constituency.

While I realise that you will already be very busy with your studies at this time of year, all donations of time will be gratefully received.

Anne Begg MP