From: Greg Hands M.P. news@greghands.

com
Subject: News Bulletin from Greg Hands M.P. #408
Date: 30 June 2014 10:41
To: news@greghands.com



In this edition:



Greg Hands M.P.s Diary

Website of the Week:
The Hammersmith &
Fulham Forum

Photo news:
St John's Walham Green
Summer Fair

Ed Balls and Labour repeat
desire to bring in a new
Homes Tax (or Mansion
Tax), costing thousands of
pounds on local peoples
homes

Photo news:
Reichstag visit

Labour Council dropping
the slogan The Low Tax
Borough bodes badly for
Hammersmith & Fulham

Greg Hands and K&C
Council urge responses to
TfL consultation on
Crossrail Two

Final Call for Ask Nick

How to contact
Greg Hands MP




Issue 408 - Monday 30th June 2014


Since the last edition, Greg:
Attended the summer fair of the St Johns Walham Green
primary school summer fair in Fulham. For more, see photo
below.
Welcomed fellow trustees of the Brunswick Club for Young
People to the House of Commons, to discuss the finances and
management of the Club. Greg has been a trustee of the Club
on Haldane Road, SW6, since 2003. For more about the Club,
see www.thebrunswickclub.org.uk.
Spent a day in Berlin, including the Bundestag, the Federal
Finance Ministry and the CDU headquarters, with leading
German politicians from the Conservatives sister party, the
CDU. See photo below.
Carried out his duties as the Conservative Party and
Governments Deputy Chief Whip.
Held a regular, weekly, advice surgery for local Chelsea and
Fulham residents, at Fulham Library, on Fulham Road, close to
Parsons Green tube. Gregs surgeries are generally weekly, on
Monday mornings, at either Fulham Library, or Peter Jones,
Sloane Square, Chelsea. To make an appointment, email
mail@greghands.com or telephone 020 7219 5448.


Website of the Week:
www.hammersmithfulhamforum.com
The Hammersmith & Fulham Forum - a site celebrating life in the
wonderful borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, offering a
residents a forum to express their views and holding the council
to account. It is edited by Harry Phibbs, a journalist and a
Conservative councillor for Ravenscourt Park Ward.


Photo news:
St John's Walham Green Summer Fair


Greg Hands at the summer fair of St John's Walham Green
Primary School, running the "Lego Challenge" stall with young
participants.


Ed Balls and Labour repeat desire to bring
in a new Homes Tax (or Mansion Tax),
costing thousands of pounds on local
peoples homes

Greg Hands MP has warned that a Labour Council and any future
Labour or Lib-Lab Government could team up to implement a so
called mansion tax should Labour win the General Election 2015.

The Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, confirmed this week, in an
interview with the Evening Standard (23
rd
June) that Labour would
introduce new taxes on properties above 2m. Labour have refused to
put a value on the likely level of such a tax, but according to the
Evening Standard it is expected to cost tens of thousands of pounds
per year.

The policy announcement brings Labours position in line with that of
the Liberal Democrats who, in April, promised to introduce a Homes
Tax on properties above 2m. Therefore any coalition between Labour
and the Lib Dems would also be likely to herald the introduction of the
new tax.

However, the Conservatives have raised concerns that such a tax
could be unfair and unaffordable. First, many homeowners who may
be asset-rich, but cash-poor, could not afford to pay an additional tens
of thousands of pounds in tax a year. Secondly, the fast rising values
of properties in Britain and particularly London means that far from
being a mansion tax, it would hit ordinary families in modest homes.

Warning about the proposals, Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea and
Fulham said: These Labour proposals are worrying, un-workable, and
unfair. They would be particularly damaging in my constituency, which
has some of the highest property prices in the country.
This would be introduced as a mansion tax, but this is really a
homes tax. Once in place people might suddenly find that their
modest home has been classified as a mansion. Many properties in
Chelsea and Fulham which cost 2m, far from being a mansions, are
in fact a flats or small houses. Any new housing taxes would invariably
spread to more and more ordinary homes.

Such a tax would hit ordinary families who have saved and worked
hard. The Conservatives do not think that people who have worked
hard and saved up to buy a house should then face the prospect of a
tax on their home, and neither do I.
At the 2012 Conservative Party conference the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, George Osborne, confirmed that the Government will not
be introducing a mansion tax. In contrast, this Government is keeping
council tax down for hardworking people, with bills having been cut by
11 per cent in real terms since 2010.


Photo news:
Reichstag visit


Greg Hands in Berlin last week, meeting Dr Guenther Krings
MdB, German Interior Minister, in the Reichstag. The graffiti in
the background is from Soviet soldiers in 1945.


Labour Council dropping the slogan
The Low Tax Borough bodes badly for
Hammersmith & Fulham

One of the first actions from the new Labour controlled administration
at Hammersmith & Fulham Council has been to change the Councils
logo in two ways. The first, rather childishly, has been to change the
colour of the letters H and F from blue to red. The second move is
more ominous, with the dropping of the now-famous strap line The
Low Tax Borough.

The Council adopted the tag-line The low tax borough in January
2013 in recognition of the fact that the administration cut tax for the
sixth year out of seven. Since 2006, the Conservative led
Hammersmith & Fulham reduced council tax by 20%, saving the
average family 849. Prior to last months elections, H&F had the third
lowest council tax in the whole of the UK.

However, local Conservatives and the MP Greg Hands, are now
concerned that the dropping of the Low Tax slogan could indicate an
intention to return to tax rises. It remains to be seen what plans the
new Labour Council leadership has for council tax, not least as the
current tax year has only recently started, and it is unlikely that Labour
would re-bill residents for the year 2014-15. But Labours record on
the area is clear. The previous Labour administration increased
council tax by around 10% every single year, making life harder for
hard working families in the borough.

MP for Chelsea and Fulham Greg Hands said It is worrying that this
change of tone from the new council could spell a return to the bad old
days of Labour. This could be a return to taxing more, borrowing more
and wasting more. For instance, is spending time and money
changing the colour of two letters of the council logo really necessary,
or an urgent priority for residents?

The economy is starting to grow, but the recovery is in its early
stages. Hardworking families in the area can ill-afford a potential rise
in council tax in these still challenging times. The council should be
focused on delivering high quality services, with greater efficiency, and
allowing their residents to keep more of their earnings.


Greg Hands and K&C Council urge
responses to TfL consultation on Crossrail
Two

As TfL launches the last phase of its consultation on the route for
Crossrail 2, the Council is urging local residents to help make sure the
line stops at Chelsea.

Over the next six weeks, TfL will be consulting on three options: one
with a station at Dovehouse Street, another with a station further west
at Cremorne, and one that bypasses the borough altogether.

Chelsea MP Greg Hands said: "I would be grateful if all residents
could respond to this consultation, and copy me in on their responses.
I am very interested in seeing what local people have to say about
each of the three options."

"After so many years of campaigning for Crossrail 2 it would be a
disaster if we were to fall at the final hurdle," said Cllr Tim Coleridge,
Cabinet Member for Transport.

"West Chelsea is poorly served by public transport. Our streets are
congested and our air quality is poor. A Crossrail station would make
a massive difference so it's worrying at this late stage to see an option
there that bypasses Chelsea altogether. We urge as many residents
as possible to get involved in the consultation and demand our
station."

The Council has long supported the idea of a new rail line connecting
south-west and north-east London and last year it checked to make
sure that the people of Chelsea agreed.

About 3,000 Chelsea residents and businesses replied to the
Council's survey, with around 70 per cent expressing support for the
new line and a station in Chelsea.

There was more support than opposition right across the survey area,
although support was particularly high to the west. And while there
was strong support for a station at the Chelsea Fire Station site on
Dovehouse Street, opinion was divided almost equally between those
who felt this was the best location and those who thought it might be
better placed further west.

The Council itself accepts that more residents would benefit if the
western option were chosen but believes either of the King's Road
options would bring very significant benefits.

Crossrail 2 would relieve pressure on major London stations such as
Euston, Victoria and Clapham Junction and ease congestion on very
busy Tube lines. In some cases, journey times could be more than
halved.

The line would pass deep under Chelsea and a station on the King's
Road would, among other things, link residents to Clapham Junction,
the West End and four of London's busiest mainline stations.

The idea for Crossrail 2 - formerly called the Chelsea- Hackney Line -
has been around for many decades, with the Chelsea Fire Station
having long been earmarked as a potential site for the station.

Parts of Chelsea remain poorly served by public transport and the
Council believes the line would:

! dramatically improve local transport options
! relieve local and city-wide congestion
! ease pressure on the transport network
! improve air quality
! dramatically improve journey times
! help the hard-pressed retail sector

As part of the consultation TfL will be running the following drop-in
sessions:

Chelsea Theatre Studio 2, 7 World's End Place, King's Road,
London, SW10 0DR
Friday 20 June, 10am to 4pm
Friday 27 June, 2pm to 8pm

Chelsea Old Town Hall Small Hall, King's Road, London, SW3
5EE
Friday 11 July, 2pm to 8pm
Saturday 12 July, 10am to 4pm

Residents can also participate online at www.crossrail2.co.uk.


Final Call for Ask Nick

Residents are reminded that Monday, 30 June, is the first time since
the local elections to have a chance to meet the Leader of K&C
Council, Councillor Nick Paget-Brown who is holding his fourth open
meeting to hear residents' issues first hand.

The event is at Kensington Close Hotel, Wrights Lane, Kensington W8
5SP and begins at 6pm with light refreshments and then at 6.30pm,
Councillor Paget-Brown will give a short introduction followed by a
question and answer session.

Places are limited and booking is essential, call 020 7598 4633 or go
to www.rbkc.gov.uk/asknick.


5 ways to contact Greg Hands M.P.:

By Phone: 020 7219 5448
By email: mail@greghands.com
By post: Greg Hands M.P.
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
In person: Click here for details of how
to book an appointment at
Greg Hands M.P.s weekly
surgery

www.greghands.com



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