Andrew Percy MP has welcomed new figures which show that disadvantaged children in Brigg & Goole are set to receive an extra £530,000 this year under the Coalition government’s new ‘pupil premium’.

The pupil premium is a new policy promised by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats before the general election last year. It is an extra lump sum of cash which follows every disadvantaged child and is received by schools, allowing them to provide additional support such as one-to-one tuition and extra pastoral care.

The Government has announced that in the year from April 2011, the pupil premium will be worth £430 for every pupil on Free School Meals, £430 for every looked-after child, and £200 for every child who has a parent in the armed services. This means that in Brigg & Goole this year:

• 1,250 children overall will benefit from an extra £532,000.
• 14 children of members of the armed services will benefit from an extra £2,800.

Andrew Percy MP said:

“This is fantastic news for children in our area. The gap between the academic performance of children from deprived backgrounds and their peers is far too big and has been ignored for too long.

‘The pupil premium will tackle this disparity head on, providing targeted funding for those who need it most. This could mean extra one-to-one tuition or more pastoral support.

‘The Coalition government didn’t create these problems but, even in these tough times, it is delivering a massive boost to the education of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

Service children also face unique stresses and challenges, whether in being separated from a parent who is fighting on the frontline or having to move school on multiple occasions. The pupil premium will provide schools with dedicated funding to help meet their needs.'

It would appear that Labour have really struggled to get candidates to stand in the Brigg and Goole constituency this May. They seem to have had to ship most of their candidates in from other areas. A quick glance tells me -

• Axholme South Ward - Neither Labour candidate lives on the Ward. Both shipped in from Scunthorpe
• Axholme Central Ward - Neither Labour candidate lives in the Ward. Both shipped in from Scunthorpe
• Acholme North Ward - One Labour candidate just a few years ago was trying to get elected to Wakefield Council before appearing in our area!
• Broughton and Appleby Ward - One Labour candidate shipped in from Scunthorpe.
• Brigg and Wolds Ward - All 3 Labour candidates live in the Scunthorpe constituency, not one of them lives in Brigg.

And then over in the East Riding part of the seat, in the Snaith Airmyn and Rawcliffe Ward, one of the Labour candidates doesn't live in the ward!

I think I am right in saying that of our 19 candidates standing for election in the Brigg and Goole constituency 18 of them live in their wards with the other one living just a stones throw outside. If I have done my maths right, of Labour, in our North Lincs wards they have managed just 7 candidates who actually live in the wards they are standing in!!

Just goes to show what a state Labour are in in Brigg and Goole. They never communicate with people except at election time and when they do they treat people as fools. No wonder we are getting such a good response on the doorsteps.

I had a great time Saturday morning at Goole Boat Club which is located near our famous, and unique, coal hoist down at the docks. The club were really friendly and I got the opportunity to drive one or two of the boats myself, without incident I hasten to add!

The club appear to be going from strength to strength and the really take care of the area they operate from. What better for a boat club than to be located next to a dock with its full size boats! They also take good care of the coal hoist and tom puddings, as much as they can, and the lighthouse from Trent Falls which is also on the club's grounds.

I look forward to visiting again soon.

Photo courtesy of Goole Times

Local MP Andrew Percy is to hold online surgeries for constituents to increase ease of access for people who find travelling to his local surgeries difficult or inconvenient.

Mr Percy arranges surgeries around the constituency but will be trialing the new online surgery in order to keep in touch with people in even the most remote areas of Brigg & Goole.  Anybody wanting to arrange an online surgery over Skype can contact Andrew Percy’s constituency office on 01405 767969.

The MP already does fixed surgeries in a number of locations including, Goole, Brigg and Epworth and also undertakes mobile surgeries in a specially converted bus that has visited Airmyn, Gowdall, Snaith, Rawcliffe, Pollington, the Marshland villages and the North Axholme area in recent months.

Andrew Percy MP says, “I made clear at the election that I would to make myself as available to my constituents as possible. Brigg & Goole is such a large area that it’s difficult to see some constituents quickly without people needing to travel large distances.

I have tried to make it easier for people in smaller communities by running my bus surgeries but it struck me that an on-line surgery was another way of engaging with local people.

People with a broadband connection and Skype account will be able to arrange to have a video conversation with me regarding their particular issue. This will be useful for people who are too busy or too far away to get to my regular surgeries but who still require some face to face contact. It also means I can do these online surgeries from my home, constituency office and more importantly from the office in Westminster where I have to be much of the week.

Lots of people use Skype so it seems sensible that I make myself available through it. I urge anyone who wishes to book an appointment to contact my office on 01405 767969.”

Surgeries can also be undertaken via Gmail video too.

I have backed Early Day Motion 1253 welcoming the Coalition’s commitment to introduce a power of recall for constituents to recall their MP but calls on the Government to go further by introducing a trigger mechanism to recall an MP if the majority of constituents have lost confidence in them.

I believe the power of recall for constituents is important. It is an important aspect of restoring trust between politicians and their constituents.

Just before I was elected there was an expenses scandal that rocked British politics. Individual MPs took their constituents for granted and I believe that people should have the power to demand an election if a majority of voters lose confidence in them. It would make politicians more accountable and force them to take responsibility for their actions.

If we are doing our jobs properly and standing up for our constituents by putting their needs before partisan interests then none of us have anything to fear from the power of recall.

Brigg and Goole MP, Andrew Percy, teamed up with Hull East Labour MP, Karl Turner, last Friday at a No2AV event, held at Hull University. The event was hosted jointly by members of the University Conservative Future and Labour Club.

The two MPs are both urging residents in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire to vote No in the referendum on the Alternative Vote that will be held on May 5th.

Andrew Percy says, "The Alternative Vote is not a proportional representation system and as such can actually result in election results that are less proportional than under our current First Past the Post system. In fact, many of those campaigning for AV have in the past dismissed the electoral system themselves.

My own view is that moving to the Alternative Vote would be incredibly expensive, cause confusion and risk leaving us with weak Governments and constant Coalitions. Worse than that, it results in some people's votes being counted twice with the result that the votes of extremist parties could end up determining who wins in a particular constituency.

Our current electoral system is easy to understand and has served our country well. It generally produces strong Government and it makes it easy to kick out a particular party or MP at an election. Systems such as the Alternative Vote mean that back room deals on second preference votes can result in the person who is second or third in the first count, actually winning when the votes of some are counted a second time.

There is nothing wrong with the current system, it means the person with the most votes in a constituentcy ends up winning. What on earth is wrong with that? We wouldn't accept someone who finishes 2nd in the 100m being awarded the Gold medal would we?

Here in Brigg and Goole, the election result at the last election would have more than likely been the same under AV so there is no self-interest at work here thats for sure!"