Frank's Westminster Blog

I have been getting an increased number of reports in recent weeks of anti-social behaviour. This behaviour is making people’s lives a misery and we need to put a stop to it. Local housing associations aim to provide decent homes that are both safe and comfortable. They have built and refurbished some wonderful new homes in Birkenhead and spent a lot of money improving their existing stock. But an increasing number of local residents writing to me still do not feel safe in their

Help! Public funding for childcare and early education is going to be one of the crunch issues in next year’s General Election.The most recent pledge made by the Coalition Government was to provide councils with an extra £200million to pay for additional free childcare for the poorest two year olds. This is on top of the £525million invested last year.  Labour has itself pledged to extend free nursery provision to 25 hours a week for three and four year-olds whose

Wirral Metropolitan College hosted a great meeting that Phil Davies, leader of the council and I asked to be staged last Friday on the issue of preventing our youngsters from becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) once they leave school. The snapshot data presented at the meeting showed that the work being done by the council, schools and colleges with local employers is making a real difference. A record number of young people in Wirral are continuing with their studies

Almost one in every four workers here in Wirral isn’t paid enough to live on.Wirral Council is taking action to put this right. Last week it took a huge step in securing a commitment from employers, unions and local authorities to push for a living wage for North West workers. I recently wrote in this column about the launching by Councillor Phil Davies and I of a North West Living Wage network. We met for the second time last Friday to agree some concrete steps that would deliver...

Wirral is being ripped off. Our poorest residents in particular are held to ransom by companies that levy unfair charges on basic goods and services to subsidise lower prices for those with deeper pockets. The poorest fifth of households in our region are paying a premium of up to £140 a year on their energy bills because they rely on prepayment meters. They are shut out of the top fixed deals and have to pay up to £60 if they want a new meter. Likewise poorer people in...