Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

The Government is right to scrap the compulsory retirement age

David Blunkett has welcomed the announcement by the Government that it will move to scrap the compulsory retirement age.

David, a former Work and Pensions Secretary, began the debate around this issue when in office in 2005. He has previously argued that people should aspire to "meaningful activity," be it work or voluntary activity, until our capacities overtake us — not least so that we can fight off dementia in older age.

David said: "This is one example of where the Labour Government might have acted to take a popular and necessary move, alongside raising the retirement age and addressing the major issue of ageing – which I did manage to successfully argue back in 2005.”

His full remarks are here.

An out-of-touch Home Secretary threatens the well-being of our community

David Blunkett has reacted to Home Secretary Theresa May's speech this afternoon, in which she has announced that she will review the anti-social behaviour powers available to the police.

As Home Secretary, David put in place many of the powers — such as ASBOs, curfew orders and dispersal orders — which the police and, most importantly, put-upon communities, can use to stop people making their life hell.

David said: "As soon as I heard the Home Secretary talk about ‘criminalising’ young people – when an initial ASBO is a civil order – I knew that, sadly, the Secretary of State does not know what she is talking about.

“This may spring from the fact that anti-social behaviour in Maidenhead and Windsor is somewhat less of a problem than it is in major urban and inner-city communities, such as the one I represent.”

Read David's full response here.

The police, judges with "no answers" and Lib Dem cuts

It's been a big news day on several fronts, from the way in which the police account to the public, to Sheffield Council's Lib Dem Cabinet debating whether to press ahead with draconian cuts to the local authority's budget.

David has responded to the Government's policing White Paper.

He's called on the Lib Dems on Sheffield Council to have a "complete re-think" as they debate daunting cuts to local services.

And he's said that judges have "no answers" on immigration after they struck down policy to remove from the country foreign nationals who have exhausted their leave to remain in the UK.

Blunkett responds to HMRC winding-up order for Sheffield Wednesday

David Blunkett has issued a response to the winding-up order issued this morning by HM Revenue and Customs to Sheffield Wednesday FC.

Mr Blunkett's constituency of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough includes the club.

Mr Blunkett said: "I will be in immediate touch with Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, as I would for any other enterprise in my constituency, to offer every possible assistance — including intervention with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

"I share the club’s concern about pre-emptive moves — particularly where, with the Co-operative Bank, constructive discussions were in progress. Action of this kind can only cause both deep distress to the fans and the club’s management, and undermine the club’s efforts to obtain substantial funding for future development.

"Quite simply, this move is deeply unhelpful in every respect and I hope that HMRC will move immediately to allay fears and to find a sensible solution. In the meantime, I am making preliminary contact with the HMRC Chief Executive, Lesley Strathie, in order to facilitate the necessary behind the scenes work to get this matter resolved."

Mr Blunkett will also be meeting the chairman of fans' group Wednesdayite at lunchtime on Friday to review the situation.

Blunkett to meet Council official over "appalling" budget cuts

David Blunkett has announced that he will be meeting with Sonia Sharp, the executive director of Sheffield City Council's children's services division, on Friday to discuss the proposed cuts in the unit's budget.

The Lib Dem-controlled council has proposed a £3 million cut in children's services this year, and a £70 million cut over the next four years.

Mr Blunkett said: "I hope to discuss with Sonia the extent of the catastrophic consequences of these proposed cuts on provision for early years right through to child protection.

“Even at this late stage, I hope that we can persuade the City Council to abandon their policy of targeting cuts at the most disadvantaged communities.”

Read the full press notice here.

Forgemasters update: Nick Clegg gets deeper into the mire

David Blunkett has called for Nick Clegg to set the record straight after the Financial Times broke the story that the directors of Sheffield Forgemasters had, in fact, offered to dilute their shares in the company to help secure the £80 million Government loan.

Both Nick Clegg and David Cameron have denied in the House of Commons that this was the case.

David said: "This latest revelation drives a coach and horses through the mealy-mouthed twisting and turning of Nick Clegg over the denial of investment to Forgemasters – and the statements made by himself and his leader, David Cameron."

Read David's full comments — and see what Mssrs Clegg and Cameron said in the Commons — here.

A disappointing result — but we're proud of Sheffield

David Blunkett has reacted to the news that Sheffield has been unsuccessful in its bid for the title of 2013 UK City of Culture.

David said: "I am sorry that Sheffield has once again lost out. No doubt Londonderry put together a great bid, but you can't help but wonder whether the emotional pull has been the main driver.

"The size of that city and the undoubted maintenance of public investment, compared with what faces Sheffield, would at least on economic regeneration and promotional grounds have more than justified Sheffield's cause."

Sheffield's five Labour MPs have congratulated the bid team and called on the City Council not to allow their hard work to go to waste. Paul Blomfield, the Sheffield Central MP, said: "The message to take away from this is that Sheffield is alive with culture, creativity and talent. What goes on in our studios, practice rooms, workshops, schools and homes and all around us is inspirational. I'm very proud of our city."

Falling crime must not be put at risk by cuts, says Blunkett

David Blunkett has welcomed the statistics from the British Crime Survey which show that crime is at its lowest level since the Survey began in 1981.

Mr Blunkett said: "This very welcome fall in the crime figures is a tribute first and foremost to the hard work of the police service, whose efforts we should applaud.

“It was said at the start of the global economic meltdown that recession would lead, as night follows day, to a rise in crime. The fact that that has not happened is a testament to the strategy which the Labour Government put in place – of neighbourhood policing teams at the heart of every community.

“It is a strategy which must not fall victim to either the coalition’s refusal to protect front-line spending on the police, or their widely-criticised plan for elected local police commissioners.”

Later, Mr Blunkett responded to an interview with Police Minister Nick Herbert gave to BBC Radio 4, in which he suggested that the Labour Government was responsible for changing the way in which crime stats are collated, making it impossible to compare crime levels now with years ago. In fact, the change was brought in by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

“I do think it is important than ministers firstly understand the history that they are dealing with and secondly, as a direct corollary, tell the truth," David said.

See his full comments in the Media Centre section of the website.

Where is the voice of the ordinary citizen in Theresa May's terror law review?

Former Home Secretary David Blunkett has reacted to the Government's announcement that it intends to review the current counter-terrorism legislation, including the 28-day limit for detaining terrorism suspects without charge.

Mr Blunkett was himself responsible for the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001, passed in the days following the horrific events of 11 September.

Mr Blunkett highlighted the fact that several nominees for the Government's review panel are already well-known opponents of the anti-terror laws currently in place.

"The voice of the worried, the insecure and the fearful; that of the honest, decent, law-abiding citizen, is woefully absent from Theresa May’s review," he said.

He added: "Political posturing is no substitute for leadership and for demonstrating a grasp of the enormity of the terrorist and organised criminal threat which, when allowed free rein, devastates the lives of the innocent."

Read David's full comments here.

Celebrating VQ Day

David has written an article for the Times' Public Sector supplement reflecting on Vocational Qualifications (VQ) Day, which fell on 23 June.

You can find about more about VQ Day here at its dedicated website.

David, who has several vocational qualifications, including a teaching certificate, writes: "I suppose I'm living proof of how to integrate vocational and academic education, work-based and classroom-based learning, and self-help with mutual help."

Read David's full article here.