Passport from Pimlico

Jobs magnet

I had an invitation to drop in for a chat with the strikers at the Passport Office this morning.

It was a good chance to update them on the view from Westminster of their problems and fears. There is no strike pay for the three days lost. It’s a formidable sacrifice and proof of the strong feelings of the staff that so many of them have joined the strike.

I told them of my conviction that fears of a closure of the Newport Office are unfounded.  A new Newport passport office was recently opened in the city to deal with the face-to-face interviews with new applicants.

Newport has benefited with thousands of jobs from recent reorganizations. The civil service unions have usually opposed any changes – including those that have brought jobs to Newport. Sadly the unions were a voice in the London-centric outcry against the move of Office for National Statistics jobs from London to Newport. Many should have been grateful to be offered a Passport from the ONS in Pimlico. That’s a battle that Newport won. But, at one time, it looked to be in the balance.

I hope that the strikers remember the very strong case that Newport has both for winning new jobs and retaining existing ones.

Recess steps

Ever wonder what MPs do in the recess? It’s mostly catching up with constituency visits that we could not manage while parliament was in session.

Today I visited the Newport centre of the charity Llamau. The word is an ancient Welsh one for ‘steps.’ Ostensibly their work is with ‘homeless’ people. Newport is well stocked with similar charities and Llamau are concentrating on youngsters whose school lives have fallen apart.

It was good to talk to half a dozen of their clients.
The task is building self-esteem and, where appropriate, getting youngsters back into education or other appropriate activities. They have a commendable record of success.

The staff were very impressive. Many had abandoned safe jobs in the civil service or local authorities to take up the demanding task of dealing with young people with difficult backgrounds.

The work look like fun, including ‘going ape’ by traipsing high above the trees in the Wye Valley, yomping across the Gwent tundra, speed boating and filmmaking. All great ways of getting young people on the  ‘Llamau’ back into fulfilling lives.

Finally right

 The topic of the power of rumour and threats of closure came up this morning at the Passport Office.

I vividly remember a selection conference for Labour Council candidates held in Maesglas in 1971. A rumour of closure was launched that night. There were 13 candidates. We were all  offering our wares, including two future Council leaders Lloyd Turnbull and Bob Bright plus a future MP.

Lloyd won the nomination but the most memorable speech of the evening was from a trade unionist who said that “Llanwern Steelworks will close next year.” He gave the same warning at regular intervals fsince then. A few years ago he was proved half-right as half the plant, the heavy end, closed.

The comfort of rumourmongers is that if closure does not happen, they can claim credit for averting it. If it does happen they seek congratulation on their Cassandra foresight.

When the heavy closed at Llanwern, the originator of the tale said to me, ‘I told you this was going to happen’. True, he did, thirty years ago.

Free Insurance

The answer I had from Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks on why taxpayers are carrying the risk of coughing up for any nuclear accidents caused in the nuclear clean-up was interesting.

He says the indemnity would be very high. So high that’s it’s impossible to put a financial value on it.  That's the reason why there is ‘no commercially available insurance and the reason a taxpayers' indemnity is needed.”

Nice for the American companies, who won the possibly £20billion contract, to know that the taxpayers will pay their insurance cover because it is too high to calculate.

Comments

[Huw O'Sullivan]

Nuclear free profits.
What a wonderful wheeze.
If people cannot afford car insurance, they may not drive.
If people cannot afford house insurance, they are screwed if anything happens.
If companies cannot afford to insure against the risk of something going wrong with nuclear waste that they are making millions or billions from, then they can carry on and make their profits and the eejits who are paying them to deal with the waste will cover the disasters.

[paulflynn]

You have got in one, Huw.

[paulflynn]

OK, Surrender, Glasgow East was a catastrophe. No quibble.

[Will S]

What next Mr Flynn? Plotting the overthrow of the Nu-Lab gang on the frontbench? Good luck to you if you are. :)

The bottom line is this: I'd never vote Labour. But I'd respect your party infinitely more if it went back its roots and once again became the party of the weak and disenfranchised in this country.