Responding to the Government voting down Labour’s motion in the House of Commons to extend free school meals during holidays for children in need, Stephen Morgan MP has called for Tory MPs to ‘reflect again’ after they voted against the measure to support the most vulnerable in society, unlike the city MP who voted in support of the plan.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“For me, politics is about making sure people have a roof over their head, families have food on the table and that they know support for their children is there when they need it.
Yesterday, those who voted with the government, denied families and their children of that. Here in Portsmouth, that’s over seven thousand children, and rising.
I will continue to hold the government to account on this, but I really urge other MPs in our region who voted otherwise to seriously reflect again on what the most vulnerable in our communities need”.
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/357E68B3-C2ED-4AC2-978D-E76DD4D5A779.jpeg15502341Stephen Morganhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngStephen Morgan2020-10-23 23:03:062020-10-23 23:11:34Stephen Morgan votes to end holiday hunger whilst neighbouring MPs vote against
This week Stephen Morgan MP argued for a new MoD duty to support forces personnel who are subject to investigations or litigation after overseas operations.
The Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South and Shadow Armed Forces Minister argued for the change in parliament this week, who wants to secure this change in the Overseas Operations Bill, to make the legislation better following widespread criticism.
Mr Morgan, commented,
“I’m proud to have led the opposition’s Bill committee team through this stage of the Overseas Operations Bill, and I am glad we have been able to raise this important issue at this stage.
“I believe it is vital that the MoD face up to its proper duty of care to our Armed Forces personnel and their families, and provide the support and guidance that they require when it is needed.
“Labour is working to build a constructive consensus on the changes needed so this Bill does more to protect British service personnel and less to protect the MoD.”
The Shadow Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, also added,
“Personnel tied up in long-running investigations or legal action have told me they felt cast adrift by the MoD. I want to make the MoD face up to its proper duty of care to our Armed Forces personnel and their families”.
Expert witnesses giving evidence to the Commons committee on the Bill last week confirmed that troops and veterans who are accused of misconduct are given next to no legal or welfare support from the MoD throughout the investigations, which in some cases have taken years.
Hilary Meredith [Director of Hilary Meredith Solicitors, a legal firm that represents the forces] told MPs:
“Parliament had an inquiry into what support they were given. Basically, there was none.”
Others also criticised the Bill for doing more to protect the MoD than service personnel, by placing a hard six-year block on civil claims from troops against the Ministry if they are injured overseas.
Royal British Legion Director General Charles Byrne confirmed his view of the Bill to MPs:
“I think it is protecting the MOD, rather than the service personnel”
Labour proposed today at committee a new ‘duty of care’ clause in the Bill which forces the MoD to set a new standard for legal and wellbeing support given to personnel and veterans under investigation or litigation. The clause requires the Defence Secretary to publish, every year, any failures to meet this standard and the action required to improve shortcomings.
Stephen Morgan MP has consistently committed to protecting and improving the welfare of service personnel, and has pledged to continue to do so through the final stages of the Bill and beyond.
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/OOB-Bill-Committee.jpg20161512Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-22 18:24:162020-10-22 18:25:29City MP calls for new MoD duty to support forces personnel
Stephen Morgan MP has joined calls including by the Royal British Legion for a doorstep two-minute silence, giving people a new way to honour our fallen heroes on Remembrance Sunday 2020.
Remembrance Sunday will look very different this year, as social distancing means many parades and memorials have been called off.
At 11am on Remembrance Sunday (which is 8 November this year), people around the country will be encouraged to stand on their doorstep for a two-minute silence.
The aim of the initiative will allow people to honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, while ensuring that everybody stays safe.
The Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South and Shadow Armed Forces Minister, said:
“This year we will not be able to come together on Remembrance Sunday in the same way we would usually, to stand together to remember the millions of people from across the United Kingdom, and from across the world, who sacrificed so much to keep us safe.
I’m delighted to support this campaign, backed by the Royal British Legion, that will ensure that we can together honour those who have paid the price for our security, whilst also ensuring we can do so safely.
I urge all the people of Portsmouth to step forward and remember those who have served or made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Mr Morgan has continued to encourage the city council to do all it can to allow people to safely mark Remembrance in the city. He has been pushing the government to issue guidance to local bodies for Remembrance Sunday 2020.
The leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer MP, has also joined the Royal British Legion and others in backing the initiative.
Stephen Morgan MP has called on the government to extend free school meals in the school holidays, including the upcoming October half term and Christmas, as part of a Labour campaign to ensure that no child goes hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.
Labour had previously given Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak 72 hours to change their position and provide this support. With the deadline expired, the Party is forcing a Commons vote on the issue.
In Portsmouth alone over 6,500 children are at risk of going hungry over the holidays as the government withdraws support for the provision of free school meals.
The October half term comes as millions of families face a furlough cliff-edge that could see jobs across the country at risk, at the same time as millions of families face tighter restrictions.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Millions of families face the prospect of losing their livelihoods because the government has lost control of the virus.
It’s sink-or-swim plans for support could leave more than one million children at risk of going hungry over the school holidays, including many here in Portsmouth.
Now is the time to act. I have taken a range of actions on this and will continue to hold the government to account on this issue.”
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/photo-1588075592405-d3d4f0846961.jpg333500Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-21 11:29:572020-10-21 11:29:57City MP calls on the Government to fund free school meals throughout the holiday
Following action taken earlier this year by the Portsmouth South representative, Stephen Morgan MP has today urged the government again to include Black History in the school curriculum all year round.
As part of efforts to mark Black History Month in the House of Commons, Members from across the House highlighted issues of racism and discrimination and called on the government to do more during a backbench debate.
A debate in recognition of Black History Month has not taken place in the House of Commons for five years. Over the past few months issues of race and discrimination have been at the forefront of public opinion following multiple Black Lives Matter demonstrations which took place in every region in England throughout June and July.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Much more needs to be done to tackle racism and discrimination in society, and I am committed to actively working with others to end injustice and inequality affecting communities in Portsmouth.
This year we have seen Black, Asian and minority ethnic people disproportionately affected by Covid-19 death rates and the economic crisis.
Teaching Black British history in schools would be an important step towards ending the structural racism that holds people back and creating a society where everyone’s contributions are recognised and celebrated. I made that point to the Minister earlier this year and regrettably Government has not taken this issue seriously.
Whilst I welcome the backbench debate today on tackling racism and discrimination, it is high time Ministers hear our concerns and take action”.
Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, Marsha De Cordova MP added:
“In the context of a growing Black Lives Matter movement that is highlighting racial injustices across the globe, Black history must be taught all year round, as part of a truly diverse school curriculum that includes and inspires all young people from all backgrounds.
Black history is British history and it’s a disgrace that the Government won’t even review the curriculum to get this right.”
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/bhm-debate-2-002.jpg10801920Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-20 17:41:562020-10-20 17:41:56Black History Month: Portsmouth South MP calls for Black History to be added to the curriculum all year round
New analysis by Labour has revealed that the Government’s disastrous Test & Trace system has failed to trace almost 250,000 close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England.
The analysis, verified by the House of Commons Library, reveals a deeply flawed contact tracing system unable to handle the increase in Covid-19 cases as the country enters a second wave. It shows that last week alone, almost 80,000 close contacts of people who tested positive were not reached and notified.
A contact is defined as someone who has come into close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus. Reaching 80% of close contacts is considered one of the key means of slowing transmission of Covid-19.
Yet Labour’s analysis shows that the Government’s contact tracing is going backwards across England, with just over half of close contacts (57.7%) reached last week. For the first time since the weekly Test & Trace figures were published, Labour found that the 80% target was missed in every single local authority and English region.
In the worst-affected regions, the failures of the system mean tens of thousands of people who were in close contact with someone who tested positive were not reached and told to self-isolate last week. In the North West, over 26,000 people were not contacted, with over 14,000 people in Yorkshire and the Humber.
On 9th September, the Prime Minister announced ‘Operation Moonshot’, promising a Test and Trace system which would “allow people to lead more normal lives, without the need for social distancing.” Labour’s figures show that in the four weeks since that statement, over three quarters of local authorities saw their contact tracing rates decline.
The revelations raise further questions about the UK’s tracing system, already under scrutiny due to the Conservative government’s choice of designing a centralised, privatised system contracted out to Serco and Sitel. SAGE minutes from 21st September and published this week highlight how the billions put into the Test and Trace system has only had a “marginal” impact on slowing infection rates.
With some local councils reaching almost 100% of contacts, Labour has called for contact tracing to be handed over to them as part of a two-to-three week circuit break – designed to reverse the trend of infections and hospital admissions and “to rectify some of the mistakes the Government has made.”
Portsmouth South’s Stephen Morgan MP said:
“The Government must get a grip of the failings of the test and trace system and that means the Prime Minister must act now to reverse the trends we are now seeing.
That is why Labour is calling for a short, sharp circuit break to fix testing, protect the NHS and save lives.”
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, Rachel Reeves MP added:
“We are at a decisive moment in our efforts to tackle coronavirus, and these figures are a new low for a Test and Trace system on the verge of collapse.
Tests are taking too long, leaving NHS and key workers vulnerable. And the abysmal contact tracing system has failed to reach a quarter of a million close contacts of people with the virus. The government is wasting hundreds of millions on a system that doesn’t seem to function or even use basic common sense.
We’re are beyond the tipping point with the Test & Trace system. Without our local councils working day in day out to pick up the pieces, contact tracing would all have but collapsed”.
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/photo-1601020049429-1005abfc13a7.jpg500500Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-19 15:58:502020-10-19 15:58:50Failing Test and Trace system has left a quarter of a million Covid-19 contacts untraced
A small number of constituents have got in touch with me over recent days about the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill currently being debated in Parliament.
As this Bill has received some media attention, I thought it would be helpful for all Portsmouth people to have some information about this and Labour’s views on the matters this legislation attempts to deal with.
This Bill is about “covert human intelligence sources” – undercover agents – who are working to disrupt some of the vilest crimes imaginable, including terrorism, violent drug gangs, serious and organised crime and child sexual exploitation.
It’s vital that our security services are able to disrupt this activity, prevent further crime and bring people to justice. Since March 2017, MI5 and Counter Terror Police have together thwarted 27 terror attacks.
It cannot be right, though, that this has been happening in the shadows and without being subject to a clear legal framework or robust accountability. I believe this activity should be in law, with strong safeguards.
The CHIS Bill is not perfect, but it is an improvement on the status quo. Without it, undercover sources would either not be able to operate – therefore removing a vital tool for the security services to prevent very serious crimes – or would continue to operate in the shadows, away from the legal oversight.
Crucial to these safeguards is the fact that the Human Rights Act is on the face of the Bill. This means that no criminal authorisation can go beyond its limits, in effect this prohibits murder, torture and sexual violence. As the Bill continues to progress through Parliament, next in the House of Lords, Labour will also argue for even stronger protections.
As this Bill does not have retrospective power, it does not impact upon the search for justice for the wrongs of the past. The Bill does not impact on the legitimate work of trade unions. The 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, contains significant safeguards that prevents interference with legitimate trade union activity: the Labour Party secured changes to the Bill including Section 20, which is a clear protection for Trade Unions.
The last Labour Government banned the practice of blacklisting and a future Labour Government will build upon that and stand beside those campaigning for justice. The next Labour Government will ensure the release of papers for both Shrewsbury 24 and the Cammell Laird shipyard workers. The next Labour Government will also order a full public inquiry into the events at Orgreave in 1984 and its aftermath. We stand with the victims of the terrible, disgraceful ‘spy cops’ scandal. Labour is committed to implementing the recommendations of the Mitting Inquiry.
I will continue to work with others to press the Government on vital safeguards, we will put the public’s safety first as part of our commitment to Labour’s role in keeping individuals, families and our country safe.
Stephen Morgan MP has today urged the government to hand over control of contact tracing to councils and local public health teams, following revelations that the national – largely privatised – system is only making a marginal difference to addressing rapidly rising rates of Covid-19 infection.
The Portsmouth South representative said:
“For months, Labour has been asking this government to put contact tracing into the hands of councils and local public health teams who know their own communities better than anyone.
In the face of all the evidence, the Tories are continuing with a system that rewards failure by handing enormous sums of money to big companies such as Serco and Sitel.
The government should look at the science, follow our call to bring in a circuit break and transfer control of contact tracing to local authorities, so that we can better protect people’s lives and livelihoods.”
Even when the evidence mounts from Peterborough, Cumbria and throughout Wales that local tracing is more effective, the Tory government seems adamant to keep plodding on with a model that puts people’s lives and livelihoods at risk.
Stephen Morgan MP added:
“Transferring this control on a local level to Portsmouth is crucial if we are to see the Government get a grip on this crisis and save people’s lives.”
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/test.jpg500750Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-14 19:07:352020-10-14 19:18:37City MP Calls on Government to hand control of contact tracing to local authorities
Welcoming news today that local organisations from the Kings Theatre to Portsmouth Guildhall Trust, Wedgewood Rooms to Mary Rose Museum, will receive culture recovery money, Stephen Morgan MP has said Portsmouth expects the government ‘to go further’.
The Portsmouth South representative said:
“I am delighted that a number of Portsmouth’s arts, music and theatre venues and museums have secured much needed money from the culture recovery fund as announced today, and pleased to have played a part in making this happen.
Arts and culture form part of the soul of our city. Yet coronavirus and the economic crisis risks thousands of redundancies across the country unless the Government introduces sector-specific support.
This sector represents around a fifth of the economy, driving so much growth, yet account for less than one per cent of government spending. It is clear the scale of the challenge is such that help to date just doesn’t go far enough.
I will continue to stand up for culture in our city, lobbying for Portsmouth until Ministers step up and act with tailored support.
Portsmouth expects the Government to go further. If they don’t soon, we risk well-loved assets going under as a result of the coronavirus crisis”.
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Final-Theatres.jpg12241632Jonah Munnhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngJonah Munn2020-10-12 14:11:552020-10-12 14:12:33City MP welcomes new funding for culture in Portsmouth but calls for further action
Labour is pushing the Government to adopt a legal guarantee that British animal welfare and environmental standards won’t be undercut in post-Brexit trade deals
PM challenged to back a Labour amendment to safeguard high UK food standards in the Government’s new farming Bill
Concerns that chlorine-washed chicken, hormone-treated beef and food produced to lower animal welfare and environmental standards could be sold in the UK after Brexit undercutting British farmers
Portsmouth South’s Stephen Morgan MP is demanding the Government back British farmers and protect high UK animal welfare, environment and public health standards in food.
In a crunch day for British food standards, MPs will vote on Monday whether to accept a Labour amendment made to the Government’s Agriculture Bill which would stop post-Brexit trade deals from allowing in imports of lower standard food to the UK like chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef.
The Government has said it won’t weaken food standards as part of a trade deal with the US or other countries with lower standards, but has made no legal commitment to guarantee this. Farming, environmental and consumer groups have been pressing Tory MPs for months to try and secure a guarantee, fearful that lower standard imports will undercut British farmers and standards.
The Government is expected to effectively vote out their own manifesto commitment from the Bill on Monday, after promising in 2019 that they wouldn’t compromise on high British standards in trade deals.
Commenting on the crunch vote, Stephen Morgan MP said:
“I know from my post bag people across Portsmouth are passionate about animal welfare, and they’re rightly worried about what might end up in our supermarkets and on our plates if the Government doesn’t make good on its promise to protect our high food standards. Nobody wants to see Trumps’ chlorinated chicken or hormone-treated beef in our city’s shops and restaurants.
I won’t back down from the fight to protect our high British food standards and farmers, and will be pressing the Government on Monday to back Labour’s amendment to safeguard our high animal welfare, environmental and public health standards in UK food.”
Luke Pollard MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary added:
“The Government have said they back our British standards and farmers – it’s time to put their money where their mouth is. Ministers keep promising they’ll maintain high animal welfare and environmental standards after Brexit, but there’s still a serious threat that they will drop that promise to get the trade deals they’re so desperate to secure with Donald Trump and others.
“If the Government are serious about maintaining our high UK standards post-Brexit they should get a guarantee in law, and support Labour’s amendment on Monday to safeguard our standards and back British farmers.
To vote out their own manifesto commitment to protect food standards from their flagship food and agriculture Bill is absurd.”
https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/3A78E1DF-A7BB-419E-A1E1-DDA18C6DBD98.jpeg6631000Stephen Morganhttps://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SM-Logo-680.pngStephen Morgan2020-10-10 08:50:442020-10-10 08:50:44Crunch Day for Food Standards as City MP demands Government back British Farmers
