HARLOW MP Robert Halfon has conducted a report that shows how customers are being ripped off by sometimes hundreds of pounds if they do not pay their energy bills by direct debit, with one company charging an extra £390.
TOP LABOUR MP, Ivan Lewis joined Labour candidate for Harlow, Suzy Stride and her ever-growing team as they covered a considerable part of Harlow in a campaign coined “The Cost of Cameron”. This is an interesting tactic by Labour. In the General Election of 2010, it was all about Gordon Brown and so maybe, Labour feel that a focus on David Cameron may have some mileage.
POLICE in Essex have had to take patients to hospital when ambulances fail to show up more than 180 times in the past year, it has emerged. When BBC News revealed police concerns about ambulance delays a year ago, police and the ambulance service said they did not record such incidents.
SENIOR Coroner for Essex Mrs Caroline Beasley–Murray said: “We are committed to ensuring we provide the best possible service to those who attend inquests. This new facility will help us provide further support to people at what is an extremely difficult time.”
HARLOW RESIDENTS and businesses are being urged to have their say on the proposed M11 junction 7A before the exhibition ends on Friday January 31. Visitors to exhibitions can learn more about the proposed new junction and comment on the proposals by using cards at the Harlow Civic Centre and Epping Library until the end of the month.
IF you think you’ve got what it takes visit the Specials Recruitment stand at the Harvey Centre, Harlow, on Saturday, January 18, for information. Special Constables have full police powers, uniforms and equipment but sacrifice their free time on a voluntary basis, organising their busy personal lives, day jobs and other commitments around police duties.
HARLOW Foodbank will be supporting six local schools “Breakfast Clubs” from January 2014. They will be providing cereals, fruit juices and spreads like jam, marmalade, honey, peanut butter, marmite etc. It is hoped that this will be extended to more schools later in the year.
GROWING up in Harlow, I knew that there were a lot of things about the town I would love to change, so as soon as I was given the opportunity I became very involved in local politics. In 2006 I stood as a member of the Young Essex Assembly and was elected to represent all of Harlow’s young people on a countywide scale. I participated in projects to help reduce the cost and increase the standard of travel, which cumulated in Essex County Council piloting a scheme in Colchester to extend the BITE identity card to a discount travel card.
HARLOW MP, Robert Halfon appeared on BBC’s Newsnight on Wednesday night to back calls for an increase in the minimum wage. Mr Halfon said: “Last night, I appeared on BBC Newsnight with Jeremy Paxman to talk about the National Minimum Wage and the merits of potentially increasing it, to help hardworking families across the UK who are struggling with the cost of living. I was joined by fellow Conservative MP, Mark Reckless.
DOES my hon. Friend agree that university technical colleges will make a huge difference to apprenticeships? May we have a commitment from the Government that we will have one in every town after the next election?
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “We will not tolerate a situation where Greater Anglia choose to ignore and abuse agreed procedures in an effort to bulldoze through changes that have serious implications for our members and, potentially, the quality of service offered to the travelling public.
THE FOLLOWING committees will be held over the next two weeks in Essex County Council. Wednesday 8 Jan, from 10am, Committee Room 1 Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
SUZY Stride, Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Harlow, has backed Labour’s plan to give councils the power to take decisions on the spread of betting shops and Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). Ed Miliband’s announcement recognises that betting shops are not a problem in all areas; Labour’s plans
will empower local people and local authorities to take local decisions in their area.
SINCE Right to Buy was extended, 13,400 social housing tenants have now become homeowners. It is a policy that has social justice embedded in its’ core – ensuring that those on lower incomes have an opportunity to own their homes and that social housing is maintained.
LABOUR activists in Harlow went down to Harlow Town railway station on Monday morning to leaflet and speak to commuters about recent prices hikes.
It seems that a day does not go by without commuters venting their frustration about the level of service on the Harlow to Liverpool Street line.
HARLOW residents are still invited to put across their opinions on plans for a new free school in Harlow. Aspire Academy is an Alternative Provision established under the Free School route for children and young people aged 4-16 for whom mainstream education for a range of reasons is not possible or is not working well.
LAST year Councillor Beckett raised £1,000 by having his head shaved. Not wanting to be too predictable, this year he has opted, at the end of March, to have his legs waxed – Ouch!
HARLOW MP Robert Halfon came face to face with two apprentices with the same name when he visited Harlow-based O-I Glass Factory. Accompanying Mr Halfon was his parliamentary apprentice Aaron Farrell who won the joint Apprentice of the Year award in the Harlow Star business awards.
THE striking of Big Ben to herald the New Year will see a further blow to the hopes of Essex unemployed youngsters, according to the Harlow’s Euro MP. Labour’s Richard Howitt MEP says that Britain is the only country in Europe still to submit a plan to access a £5 billion EU fund to help guarantee a job or training to young people out of work, the deadline for which expired on 31 December.
TOGETHER, we have gone through the best of times, and the worst of times. The tragic deaths of the Shakoor family, and the recent deaths of the Ducusin family in the Philippines, being examples of real pain in our community. However during both times, Harlow came together, and the outpouring of kindness and generosity from so many in response to such terrible events shows why Harlow is a very special place, and a town that I am proud to represent as MP.
ONE member of the family, said: “I was overwhelmed with excitement when I received the news that my bid had been successful, two weeks ago. Two days before Christmas I collected my keys from Harlow Council and I took my little boy to see his new house. His face lit up when I opened the front door, and he saw that he had an upstairs, a down stairs and a garden to play in. Our house is our dream come true and to have been given the property so close to Christmas has made this Christmas an amazing one – I feel like I have won the lottery.”
HARLOW MP Robert Halfon visited Princess Alexandra Hospital and The Chocolate Run charity to thank staff and volunteers who work over the Christmas holiday. Mr Halfon said: “Every year on Christmas Day I visit a number of wards in Princess Alexandra Hospital with Harlow Hospital Radio.
FIRE Brigade Union members are attempting to scupper ECFRS’ resilience arrangements on New Year’s Eve with an eleventh hour demand ordering retained crews to extend their action. This below the belt tactic is designed to undermine Essex’ well-oiled back up plans for strike cover which have proven success in past periods of industrial action.
U3A is a self-help learning organisation for the active retired. U3A offers enhancing and life changing opportunities to those who are retired and semi-retired in Harlow. It gives the opportunity to come and learn together, not for qualifications but for its own reward: the sheer joy of discovery! Harlow U3A was formed in January 2008 and now has around 800 members all over 50 years old.