Frank's Westminster Blog

Two important victories were registered for Birkenhead residents last week. First, Merseytravel has indicated that the longer term future of the Woodside Ferry Terminal is safe. Since it was made aware of the strength of residents’ opposition to the closure of Woodside – following Councillor Jean Stapleton’s terrific campaign – Merseytravel’s response has been first class. That it is fully committed to maintaining the Terminal in the longer term, and...

We now know that almost half a million workers cannot afford to feed themselves and their families from week to week. Based on what working households in Birkenhead have reported to me, there are four key areas that need to be addressed. First, we need a review of the regulations on zero-hours contracts. I’ve written to the business minister asking him to consider encouraging or, if necessary, requiring employers to offer their workers fixed-hours contracts. As things stand,

Council Tax emerged from last week’s Feeding Birkenhead meeting as a most pressing issue. It was reported at the meeting that some residents on low incomes are struggling either to keep up with their monthly payments, or to access sources of help that might prevent arrears spiralling out of control. Although rent and utilities often take priority over food, food itself tends to be prioritised over Council Tax bills. The end result, all too typically, is a visit from the...