Welcome to my e-news bulletin for the month of April
Here is my monthly update for the last month which will give you an idea of what I've been up to last month, both in the constituency and in Westminster. Please feel free to forward this email to your friends and family, who can sign up themselves by clicking onto my website.
I look forward to receiving your feedback!
Jenny Willott MP
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Casework
A large part of the time I spend in the constituency is dedicated to helping constituents with problems and offering advice. This month, I dealt with queries from constituents from across the 6 wards in the constituency about a wide range of issues, with benefits/tax and immigration being the biggest issues.
Some of the wide ranging issues I have dealt with this month include:
Remember, if there is anything I can help you with, please do contact me on the details listed at the bottom of the email or come along to one of my advice surgeries - no appointment is needed.
Out and about in the constituency
I have been busy visiting organisations and attending events across the constituency again this month. Here are a few of the things I have done:
Visited Asda Pontprennau with Vince Cable
Visited Cardiff Institute for the Blind and RNIB with Vince Cable
Attended a Clothes Party at Hope Court with Cathays Councillor Elizabeth Clark
Attended a Thanksgiving Service at Llandaff Cathedral with the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee
Attended the Cardiff Business Club Lunch when Nick Clegg was the speaker
Held my regular advice surgeries on Friday afternoons
Joined local Lib Dem councillors and candidates out knocking on doors and speaking to residents across Cardiff
In Parliament
This month sees the start of the new Parliamentary session and a new Queen's Speech. The pomp and circumstance surrounding the Queen's regular visits really is something to see and one of my favourite parts is hearing the military band outside Parliament playing for the crowds gathered to see the Queen such military classics as the Doctor Who theme and Star Wars.
The Speech laid out the Government's legislative programme for the coming year. Particularly welcome is legislation to split up the banks so that those providing high street banking services can't gamble their customers' money on high risk investments in the way that we've seen in the past.
I'm also delighted to see the Pensions Bill, which will introduce a £140 flat rate pension for all new pensioners, getting rid of the complex system of means testing which has, for many on lower incomes, made saving for retirement futile. This will particularly benefit women, who on average have a pension of £40 less a week than men. The new system is based on the Citizens' Pension that Lib Dems have proposed for a number of years. After introducing the Triple Lock, which in April meant that the Basic State Pension increased by £5.30, the highest cash increase ever, this is another sign that Lib Dems in Government are making a difference in the living standards of pensioners.
Finally, the Speech contained reference to reforming the House of Lords. Efforts to reform the Lords have been going on for 100 years, so I don't think it will be quick or easy to do, and whilst it is certainly not the most important item in the Queen's Speech, I do believe that it is absolutely right that this issue is finally tackled.
However, not everything can be tackled by legislation. You can't legislate to get the economy moving or pass a law demanding businesses create new jobs, so the Government also needs to create the right environment for businesses to succeed and for confidence in the economy to grow.
The Government's plans for growth are central to getting the deficit under control and moves such as cutting red tape, setting up a Green Investment Bank to invest in jobs in the sector, and working with pension firms to invest money into long term, sustainable projects are critical to helping the economy get back on its feet.
April also saw the launch of the new Youth Contract, investing £1 billion in helping young people get the training and support they need to find work, andan increase in the personal income tax threshold, as promised in the Lib Dem Manifesto. As a result, 138,000 low and middle income workers in Cardiff received an average tax cut of £130 in April and, 5,700 people were lifted out of paying income tax altogether. People will see a further income tax cut next April and in future years until we reach the £10,000 threshold we promised at the last election.
There is of course much more work to be done, and getting the economy moving will not be easy, but there is a real commitment in Westminster to make sure that this is exactly what happens.
Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, Jenny Willott, has commented on the news that the Vulcan Hotel in Adamsdown has closed and is moving to St Fagan's Museum. Responding to news that the official notification of plans to relocate the Vulcan Hotel to St Fagans has now been submitted to Cardiff Council, Jenny said:
The votes have been counted and the result declared for Gabalfa ward in this year's local election - and the Gabalfa Lib Dem Focus Team wanted to let everyone know the result as soon as possible. The votes cast were as follows:
Cardiff Central's Lib Dem MP, Jenny Willott, was on hand on Saturday to help kick off the Olympic mascots' tour of the UK.
The Games' mascot, Wenlock, who will be joined on his tour by the other mascot, Mandeville, started his 3 month UK tour at the McDonald's in Queen Street, alongside former Olympic Decathlete Dean Macey and some young athletes from Cardiff AAC.
The Gabalfa Lib Dem Focus Team are drawing residents' attention to two new planning applications in the area.
Whitchurch Road
The All Nations Churchhave put forward plans (ref: 12/493/DCI) for the former plumbing supplies shop at242 Whitchurch Road.
The application would see some outbuildings at the site demolished and then the unit extended at front and back (up to three storeys). The end result would be a cafe unit, meeting room and function room on the ground floor and three apartments on the floors above.
The Gabalfa & Mynachdy Focus Team have reacted with anger and disappointment to news that controversial plans for 249 student flats on land behind Mynachdy Road have been approved.
The application had been considered in March, and Cardiff Council's Planning Committee had indicated that it would be rejected. The issue had been deferred for a month to allow the case for refusal to be set out, and it had been expected that the refusal of permission would be ratified on Wednesday.
Continue to keep council tax rises low, building on our record of delivering the lowest average rise of any local authority inWalesover the last eight years.
Bring new jobs to the city by taking forward plans for the new Central Business District and Conference Centre, and delivering the new Central Bus Station.
Invest £44 million in resurfacing roads and renewing pavements across the city over the next five years.
Establish a "man-in-a-van" scheme in every neighbourhood to improve action to deal with issues such as dumped litter, graffiti and the co-ordination of repairs.
Help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour by delivering more alley gating schemes.
Drive up educational standards in schools and continue to ensure our schools are amongst the best funded in Wales.
Keeping Cardiff on the up - Cardiff Lib Dems launch manifesto for quality-of-life capital that's cleaner, greener and safer
Cardiff Lib Dems are putting forward an ambitious programme to keep UP investment in key services across the city while keeping council tax rises DOWN at next month's elections.
The Lib Dems - who have been runningCardiffsince 2004 - are prioritising bringing more jobs to the city, investment in education and extra support for communities in their manifesto launched today.
Recognising the tough challenges faced by many across the city, the Lib Dems' top pledges are to build on their record of delivering the lowest average rise of any local authority inWalesas they seek to attract more jobs to the city.
As well as taking forward plans for the Central Business District asWales's leading location for the financial services sector, the Lib Dems want to explore the feasibility of developing a Green Business District.
And at the same time the Lib Dems are offering new ideas they hope will tackle anti-social behaviour and ensure no community gets left behind.
New ideas unveiled today include:
- establishing a 'man-in-a-van' scheme in every neighbourhood to improve action to deal with issues such as dumped litter, graffiti and co-ordinating repairs
- abolishing the charges for the first resident's parking permit per household
Commitments that the Lib Dems would maintain include:
- delivering the new Central Bus Station so that double the number of local bus services can use it, it can remain open on major event days and buses will no longer have to be re-routed through the city centre on Friday and Saturday evenings
- continue to ensureCardiff's schools are amongst the best funded inWalestogether with an emphasis on driving up standards
- building 1000 new affordable homes while developing a city region approach with neighbouring local authorities so that housing need is met on a regional basis, protecting green spaces in the city from over-development
Rodney Berman, leader of the 34-strong Lib Dem group, said: "Since becoming the largest party on the council in 2004, the Lib Dems have been determined to put the needs of local people first.
"We are proud of our record - spending on our schools is up dramatically, levels of recycling are up to over three times what they were under Labour, and investment in local community regeneration schemes is up. And at the same time council tax rises have been dramatically reduced - from the average rise of 11 per cent a year under Labour to the lowest average rise of any Welsh council over the last eight years.
"We don't want to go back to the bad old days under Labour when our social services were condemned as the worst inEnglandand Wales, our streets were ranked as the dirtiest of any city inEnglandand Wales, our schools were under funded and yet Cardiff Labour bosses paid themselves more than any other councillors inBritain. If we're to keepCardiffon the up, we need to continue with the same efficiency-driven approach that puts investment in front-line service first and foremost."
"We have a strong team of candidates, who have shown communities across the city what a difference having a Lib Dem councillor can make to their area. With continued support we are determined to keep all our communities on the up."
Cardiff Central's Liberal Democrat MP, Jenny Willott, has welcomed the rise in the income tax personal allowance which comes into force today [6th April] that will put £130 back in the pocket of 138,000 low and middle income workers in Cardiff.
The rise will also mean that 5,700 of the lowest paid people in the city are lifted out of paying income tax altogether. This comes on top of the previous increase last year which saw 3,900 people lifted out of tax.
