Ann McKechin MP is encouraging shoppers in Glasgow to buy Fairtrade products during this Fairtrade Fortnight (22rd February – 7th March).
 
Ann welcomed the Labour’s plan to boost funding for the Fairtrade labelling system and urged local shoppers to look for the Fairtrade Mark on food, gifts and other products in the shops.
 
Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the Fairtrade Mark and there are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers in developing countries. Labour’s latest investment will bring another 1 million producers into the scheme and enable 7 million more people in poor countries to benefit from a better deal offered by Fairtrade.
 
Ann McKechin said:
 

“Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the world’s poorest people. By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.
 
“When consumers and retailers act together to promote and buy goods from developing countries, we can make a real difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.”
 

 
“Ann has been a passionate campaigner on fair trade. I hope shoppers across Glasgow will join Ann during Fairtrade fortnight and take the chance to swap their usual shopping for Fairtrade products.“

“Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the world’s poorest people. By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help grow their economies and reduce poverty.
 
“When consumers and retailers act together to promote and buy goods from developing countries, we can make a real difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.”
 

Local MP thanks staff for dedication and commitment to jobseekers through recession 

Ann McKechin MP has visited Maryhill Jobcentre Plus to celebrate 100 years since the first Labour Exchange – the precursor to today’s Jobcentres. 

The first Labour Exchanges were opened by Winston Churchill on 1 February 1910. In those days, Labour Exchanges had separate entrances for men, women, children and employers, and advertised for ‘girl confectioner packers’ and ‘piano regulators’.  

Since then, the service has transformed. When Labour came into office, job seeking and benefits support were brought together in one place: Jobcentre Plus. There are now 750 offices across the country, helping customers into the right job from 10,000 new vacancies received every day. No more Full Monty-type screens and queues - but an integrated, personalised service that provides one-to-one advice, training and financial support to help people back into work.  

Ann thanked the Maryhill Jobcentre Plus team for their dedication through this recession.  Despite the recession, Jobcentre Plus continues to help more than half of new claimants off JSA within 3 months and around 70% within 6.  

She also praised the hard work of the team in light of the statistics showing that unemployment in the area is significantly lower than in the 1990s recession. In Glasgow, unemployment figures in the 1990s reached around 50,000 people (or 12.7 per cent of the population). Recent figures show that this time round it has been held down to 23,500 – or 6%.  

Speaking after the event, Ann McKechin MP said:  

“I am paying tribute to Jobcentre Plus staff on the centenary for their determination and hard work during this recession and during the recent difficult weather. The staffs of Maryhill Jobcentre Plus and across Glasgow are dedicated to helping people secure their entitlements and get back on their feet.  

“It is essential that Governments take policy decisions which keep unemployment down during a recession. Extra investment by the Labour Government has helped keep unemployment rate in Glasgow down to 6 per cent, half what it was in the Tory recessions of the 1990s.  

“People here remember that back then the Tory Government simply walked away, saying that 50,000 unemployed was the price our city had to pay.   

“And they have proven would do so again – by refusing to back our £5 billion investment in getting people back into work and by making cuts that would risk the recovery and double unemployment.  

“The lesson from previous recessions under the Tories is that we’ve got to support jobs and encourage growth during the recovery and provide out Jobcentres with the resources to help people. That’s why I am backing Labour's investment more youth jobs and why I am challenging the Tories to back the Future Jobs Fund, which is creating 170,000 new jobs nationwide which David Cameron wants to slash.”  

On Friday 12 February 2010 Ann McKechin MP visited Maryhill Jobcentre Plus for the centenary and to meet the staff helping local people and discuss their strategy for helping local people back into work.  

The Tories have directly voted against and would scrap:

• Labour’s investment in the Jobcentre Plus service which brought 6 thousand more staff into job centres nationwide.
• New jobs for young people being created under the £1bn Future Jobs Fund. 50,000 new jobs are being created for people in areas of high unemployment also under the Government’s £1bn Future Jobs Fund. Unlike the 80s and 90s these new jobs are all paid at least at the Minimum Wage and, if it becomes necessary, the Government will work with delivery partners to determine how participation in these options could be made compulsory as part of our next stages of welfare reform.
• The New Deal which has helped over 2m people into work.
• Labour's Young Persons Guarantee of a job, training or work placement for young people.

GLASGOW North MP Ann McKechin has officially opened the new post office branch in Maryhill.

Post Office Ltd and Tesco relocated the post office branch on Maryhill Road to allow customers to continue to receive a service while redevelopment work is completed at the Maryhill shopping centre. 

The new, modern branch has now been set up at 1401 Maryhill Road to allow customers to continue to use a wide range of post office services and continue to collect their pensions and benefits locally. 

Post Office Ltd and Tesco have worked hard to relocate the branch in a short timescale when the shopping centre and store closed on January 3. 

Ann McKechin MP, said: 

“I’m pleased that the Post Office has committed to moving in to the redeveloped Maryhill Shopping Centre when it is completed. I’m also pleased that I was able to help in ensuring that there will be this important continuing local service while the shopping centre is being rebuilt.” 

Customers will still be able to access the same range of products and services throughout the same opening times as the old post office, which was run by Tesco within the shopping centre.  Once development work is completed and Tesco returns to the shopping centre, the post office branch will also transfer back.

Sally Buchanan, network development Manager for Scotland, said: 

“Post Office services are extremely important for the community and this branch is a vital asset to the local area. 

“We are pleased we have been able to provide a similar sized branch within the new premises for our customers.  We are also grateful to Ann McKechin for the support in helping us to find alternative premises.  We hope that our customers continue to use the branch as they did while it was in shopping centre.”

The branch will be managed by the franchise partner Tesco run by the same staff in the new premises.

Jennifer Duncan, Corporate Affairs Manager from Tesco, said:

“We recognise the important service that the Post Office offers people in Maryhill and are proud of the work done to ensure this key service is available while the new store is underway.  We are grateful for the community’s patience while work takes places and hope they will be pleased to see some familiar faces when visiting the Post Office in the meantime.”

The Maryhill Tesco store and post office branch is expected to re-open in the shopping centre in late 2010. A free bus service is being providing to the Tesco St Rollox store in Springburn while the Maryhill store is closed.

Around 200 new full and part time jobs will be created by Tesco on top of those we already employ at the Maryhill store.

Ann McKechin MP has been a vociferous campaigner on provision and access to local postal services in Glasgow North. In 2008 she collected over 4,000 signatures from local people for her petition which kept both Hyndland and Kelvindale post offices open following the company's network change programme.  

Glasgow North MP Ann McKechin has joined with Doctor Who actor David Tennant and a host of others, writers and musicians for the latest meeting of the Performers Alliance reception.  

The Performers Alliance meets with MPs to discuss matters of particular concern to performers and writers and to engage with relevant bodies such as government and the Arts Councils.

Ann said:

"It was excellent to meet with many of the key players in the culture and broadcast sector and stakeholders in the work of the Arts councils from right across the UK.

"The culture sector is big deal for the local economy here in Glasgow.  Many local people are employed directly in the performance arts and through the media, as well as the ancillary and technical services which make it work day in day out.  That's why I am keen to work with the representatives who have come together in the Performers Alliance to discuss how the Government can best support the sector." 

The issues on the agenda included arts funding, the cultural aspects of the 2012 Olympics and spin off benefits for the nations and regions, Performers' rights and copyright matters which the Labour Government is currently addressing in the Digital Economy Bill amongst others.