Monday, 4 November 2013
Westminster this week
Boris Johnson and others were at the London Living Wage event I went to at Great Ormond Street Hospital this morning - but I am back in the House of Commons now. I have a Home Office statement at 3.30 and meetings with the Chancellor this afternoon, plus the National Insurance Contribtions Bill this evening until 10. Tomorrow and Thursday are Immigration Bill Committee days, and Wednesday features the Local Banking conference. In the evenings I have a Women To Win session, and meeting also with Countryside Alliance and welcoming several constituents to Westminster. Friday I am here for Private Members Bills before heading north on the late train to Northumberland.
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Proud to support ISOS Housing development - Grand Designs in action
In a week when we have successfully opposed the wrong sort of housing project [Birney Hill Green Belt] I wanted to write about a local housing project I was delighted to back.
If you go to Trinity Court in Corbridge you will see this beautiful building, built on a brown field site, providing everyhtoing that local people could possibly want. I opened it 3 weeks ago and the full report is here: http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/corbridge-trinity-court-is-a-grand-design-for-the-elderly-says-mp-1.1093029
It cost £2.1million and the three-storey scheme has 16 flats, with 10 for rent and six available to buy on a shared equity basis.I said at the ime and I will make the point again: the design was superb. Indeed I expected Kevin McCloud, of Grand Designs, to pop out at any moment.
The new building has been specifically designed to keep residents’ living costs down. I spoke to many of the residents and it is a special building, sensitively done, by good local architects.
Everyone involved should feel very proud, and I have made the point to ISOS that we want to see more of such projects locally.
If you go to Trinity Court in Corbridge you will see this beautiful building, built on a brown field site, providing everyhtoing that local people could possibly want. I opened it 3 weeks ago and the full report is here: http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/corbridge-trinity-court-is-a-grand-design-for-the-elderly-says-mp-1.1093029
It cost £2.1million and the three-storey scheme has 16 flats, with 10 for rent and six available to buy on a shared equity basis.I said at the ime and I will make the point again: the design was superb. Indeed I expected Kevin McCloud, of Grand Designs, to pop out at any moment.
The new building has been specifically designed to keep residents’ living costs down. I spoke to many of the residents and it is a special building, sensitively done, by good local architects.
Everyone involved should feel very proud, and I have made the point to ISOS that we want to see more of such projects locally.
Saturday, 2 November 2013
The future for regional banks event 6/11 with Sajid Javid
Very excited that we have now sorted the agenda for our second regional banking event
The Future for Regional Banks event takes place next Wednesday at
Sixty One Whitehall London SW1A 2ET Over 150 people are coming, including over 15 media organisations. We are keeping speeches short so that we can get as many questions in.
There is still time to come along. There is still time to set up your local bank!
Agenda
09.00-09.40 Registration
09.40-09.45 Welcome
Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, event chairman
09.45-10.00 Introduction
Anthony Thomson, Founder & Former Chairman of Metro Bank & Chairman of the Financial Services Forum & the National Skills Academy for Financial Services
10.00-10.15 Speech - Sajid Javid, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Bromsgrove
10.15-10.30 1st Panel Discussion
Jeff Prestridge, Editor, Mail on Sunday (7-8 minutes)
Sam Woods, Prudential Regulatory Authority (7-8 minutes)
Sajid Javid, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Bromsgrove
Anthony Thomson
11.00-11.30 Coffee Break
11.30-12.00 2nd Panel Discussion
Nicola Wildman, Manager, Banking Authorities, The Financial Conduct Authority (10 minutes)
Thomas Keidel, Director of Financial Market Relations, German Savings Banks Association (10 minutes)
Lakshman Chandrasekera, Chief Executive, London Mutual Credit Union (10 minutes)
12.30-13.30 Buffet Lunch
UPDATE: Jeff Prestridges short article on the conference from Sunday's Mail on Sunday
Fierce competition – supported by easy switching – is key to ensuring consumers are better served by the financial services industry. It’s an argument leading business academics such as David Llewellyn, Professor of Money and Banking at Loughborough University, have been banging on about for ages.
Llewellyn is a big believer in a diverse marketplace populated by vibrant building societies, credit unions and friendly societies as well as shareholder-owned banks and financial firms. And it’s a theme that will be taken up this Wednesday when a mix of bankers, regulators and politicians meet to explore the appetite for the creation of numerous regional banks that could challenge the status quo.
The one-day conference is being spearheaded by Anthony Thomson, former chairman of challenger bank Metro. He is adamant more banks are needed so better financial products are offered, customer service improves and mis-selling is brought to an end.
Thomson wants more banks that are community focused and alive to the financial needs of growing local businesses – the bedrock of our economy. Such a model is one Handelsbanken already adopts here with great success.
With the regulators making it slightly easier for new banking entrants to be authorised, he is confident 15 new banks could open in the UK in the next five years. Let’s hope he is right.
The Future for Regional Banks event takes place next Wednesday at
Sixty One Whitehall London SW1A 2ET Over 150 people are coming, including over 15 media organisations. We are keeping speeches short so that we can get as many questions in.
There is still time to come along. There is still time to set up your local bank!
Agenda
09.00-09.40 Registration
09.40-09.45 Welcome
Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, event chairman
09.45-10.00 Introduction
Anthony Thomson, Founder & Former Chairman of Metro Bank & Chairman of the Financial Services Forum & the National Skills Academy for Financial Services
10.00-10.15 Speech - Sajid Javid, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Bromsgrove
10.15-10.30 1st Panel Discussion
Jeff Prestridge, Editor, Mail on Sunday (7-8 minutes)
Sam Woods, Prudential Regulatory Authority (7-8 minutes)
Sajid Javid, Financial Secretary to the Treasury and MP for Bromsgrove
Anthony Thomson
11.00-11.30 Coffee Break
11.30-12.00 2nd Panel Discussion
Nicola Wildman, Manager, Banking Authorities, The Financial Conduct Authority (10 minutes)
Thomas Keidel, Director of Financial Market Relations, German Savings Banks Association (10 minutes)
Lakshman Chandrasekera, Chief Executive, London Mutual Credit Union (10 minutes)
12.30-13.30 Buffet Lunch
UPDATE: Jeff Prestridges short article on the conference from Sunday's Mail on Sunday
Fierce competition – supported by easy switching – is key to ensuring consumers are better served by the financial services industry. It’s an argument leading business academics such as David Llewellyn, Professor of Money and Banking at Loughborough University, have been banging on about for ages.
Llewellyn is a big believer in a diverse marketplace populated by vibrant building societies, credit unions and friendly societies as well as shareholder-owned banks and financial firms. And it’s a theme that will be taken up this Wednesday when a mix of bankers, regulators and politicians meet to explore the appetite for the creation of numerous regional banks that could challenge the status quo.
The one-day conference is being spearheaded by Anthony Thomson, former chairman of challenger bank Metro. He is adamant more banks are needed so better financial products are offered, customer service improves and mis-selling is brought to an end.
Thomson wants more banks that are community focused and alive to the financial needs of growing local businesses – the bedrock of our economy. Such a model is one Handelsbanken already adopts here with great success.
With the regulators making it slightly easier for new banking entrants to be authorised, he is confident 15 new banks could open in the UK in the next five years. Let’s hope he is right.
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