12 years of achievement

Andrew George is one of the most successful MPs in Parliament. Always a team player, he gets things done…

• LED the campaign in Parliament to remove the Council Tax discount for second home owners.??
  
• SUCCESS – won the Parliamentary campaign to cut the Tax Discount for second homes. He told Ministers, “It is no longer acceptable that hundreds of millions of £s of tax payers’ money is spent subsidising the wealthy to have second homes when there are thousands of local families without their first.”??
  
• SUCCESS – secured the future of the overnight rail sleeper service between Paddington and Penzance.
  
• SUCCESS – won the battle for fair funding for Cornwall’s Health Services – 2009 The formula was set in the early 90s. The present Government acknowledges that Cornwall has been receiving £56 million per annum less than we deserve.??
  
• SUCCESS – protected acute and emergency services at West Cornwall Hospital.
  
• SECURED the agreement of health officials for a new build West Cornwall Hospital.??
  
• OPPOSED new plans to “downgrade” West Cornwall Hospital.
  
• SUCCESS – campaigned to restore services at St Michael’s Hospital.?
• SUCCESS – battled for improvements to the out-of-hours Doctor service (Serco) after many complaints from constituents.
  
• SUCCESS – secured future of Search and Rescue Service at RNAS Culdrose.  2008  Now with plans for new helicopters in 2012.??
  
• LEADING – chairs national Grocery Market Action Group (inc. NFU, Friends of the Earth, British Brands Group, Action Aid, Association of Convenience Stores and many others) which has successfully campaigned to control the power of the supermarkets.??
  
• SUCCESS – led the campaign to introduce a Supermarket Ombudsman – as now proposed by the Competition Commission.
  
• SUCCESS – opposed the planned closure of Helston Job Centre – now open full time once more.
• SUCCESS – campaign victory to protect dispensing GP surgeries.
• LED the successful Parliamentary campaign against the planned scrapping of the Sea Fisheries Committees of both Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
• LED the Parliamentary debate to introduce (in 2010) new Inshore Fisheries Authorities for both Cornwall and Scilly.??
  
• SUCCESS – campaigned against the planned closure of Hayle Royal Mail Sorting Office.
• SUCCESS – led the Parliamentary campaign to fight the proposed closure of the Remploy factory in Longrock – 1999 & 2008. Now the only Remploy factory in Cornwall.??
• LED the successful Parliamentary campaign for official recognition of the Cornish language.
• HELPED secure funding for an improvement to the Isles of Scilly ferry link.
• SECURED agreement for a re-think of controversial plans for the passenger/freight facility in Penzance Harbour for the Isles of Scilly Ferry.
• SUCCESS – campaigned vigorously to retain the Post Office Card Account (2008) which the Government planned to scrap next year.
• SUCCESS – secured agreement from First Bus for passengers to reclaim taxi costs if their bus doesn’t turn up.
• SUCCESS – secured agreement from South West Water that those who live in sheltered/shared homes should be automatically set the lower ‘assessed’ water charges.
• SUCCESS – campaigned for Cornwall to secure European Regional Status and then Objective One funding (1998) and match funding (1999)??
  
• SUCCESS – campaigned for Cornwall and Scilly to receive EU Convergence Funding  2004?? SUCCESS – secured the Cornish Number Plate (WK = “West Kernow”)
• FORCED Government Ministers to back down from plans to give tax advantages for second home purchasers (under the Self Invested Personal Pension scheme – SIPPs)
• SECURED the future of High Speed Rail Link to Penzance.
• SUCCESS – campaigned to strengthen the law to protect vulnerable women from violent former partners and for other protections in cases of violence against women.
• CAMPAIGNED against injustices in the way victims have been treated in many cases.??
  
• SECURED the rights of victims (and families) to make an impact statement in Court.
• SUCCESS – campaigned to protect dolphins (and other cetateans) from being killed by fishing and other practices.
• SUCCESS – led campaign for his Party in Parliament for new marine conservation laws.
• CAMPAIGNED to highlight the unfairness in treatment of farmers, growers and other supermarket suppliers and often unsustainable farm gate prices.
• SUCCESS – campaigned for the common sense treatment of raw milk producers.
• SUCCESS – campaigned to secure funding for essential research for a better understanding of the decline of the honey bee.
• SUCCESS – helped to ensure that multi-national bio-tech companies accept their responsibility for liability and co-existence of GM Crops before they are sown in the UK.
• SUCCESS – campaigned against deregulation of Community Pharmacies.
• SUCCESS – leading Parliamentary role in campaign to introduce Gangmaster Licensing Law.
• SUCCESS – secured extra support from the Education Minister to help Cornish schools out of funding crisis.
• SUCCESS – secured concessions from First Bus for problems of unreliability and passenger complaints.
  
• SUCCESS – secured re-routing and review of bus timetables.
• SECURED Ministers agreement to review EU regulations for Bus Drivers.
• SECURED a new funding package for post 16 education on the Isles of Scilly.
• SECURED agreement from Minister to apply ‘special measures’ to First Great Western railway when it became ‘worst service’ in the UK.
• CHALLENGED high street banks on charges to their poorer customers and pressed for an OFT review.
• CHAMPIONED carers’ rights including the recent and successful campaign for a Higher Rate Mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance for those with severe sight loss.
• SUCCESS – new sewerage scheme in Helford
• SUCCESS – rethink originally controversial plans for Sennen and Porthcurno sewerage scheme.
• CAMPAIGNED for major investment to alleviate flood risk in St Ives.
• PRESSED the Environment Agency for a full investigation into the apparent failure of its recently launched £10 million flood alleviation scheme in St Ives.
• SUCCESS – campaigned for measures to improve safety within the fishing industry.??
  
• FORCED Government Ministers to admit that the US had used the British island of Diego Garcia for extraordinary rendition.
• CAMPAIGNED for Government rethink of regulations which have reduced cycle racing on highway competitions.
• WON concessions from Warm Front Scheme (offering vulnerable households help with heating and energy conservation) for a better deal for local families.
• SUCCESS – won campaign to maintain the “co-responder” role of the Fire Brigade in the Helston/Lizard area, who support the Ambulance Service.
• SUCCESS – campaigned for a CT Scanner at West Cornwall Hospital.
• LED and won campaign to introduce life-changing drug (anti-TNF) for those suffering chronic inflammatory conditions.
• LED the campaign in Parliament to take fisheries management away from landlocked Brussels and to hand more power to fishermen and other stakeholders in the coastal fishing regions.??
• PERSUADED Government to adopt above policy. Others rejected it, whilst claiming it was possible to withdraw from the Common Fisheries Policy and remain in Europe. Mr George’s campaign has gained ground as the devolved regional policy has gathered more support across Europe.
• STUCK to his previous promise to his constituents, defied the Party Whips and voted for the proposed referendum on the European Treaty. He also supported his Party’s proposed alternative referendum on Britain’s future relationship with Europe.??
• WON concessions from ITV bosses to protect local news broadcasting for Cornwall separate from a merged South West region.
• CAMPAIGNED against changes to air tax rules which threatened air links to the Isles of Scilly.
• SECURED commitment from Government to stop energy companies exploiting customers who rely on prepayment meters.
• HELPED thousands of constituents with individual queries, concerns or casework.?? And much more