News Category - Justin Tomlinson

Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 2nd August 2013

Aug 12, 2013

'Politics' means different things to different people. Some will think of our local town, bin collections, our excellent local schools and our lovely parks. Others will think of the global forces that govern world trade, emerging economies like China and Brazil and world conflicts. Yet the two need not be so far apart. Take Taiwan for example. Its economy is growing fast, it is already half the size of the UK's, and it is a key strategic gateway to the lucrative Chinese market with $118.6 bi...

Time Banks Come to Penhill and Taw Hill

Aug 05, 2013

Residents in Penhill and Taw Hill will now be able to turn their spare time into shared time following the launch of Swindon's first Time Banks. Good at gardening but need help to shorten some curtains? Through your local Time Bank you can swap your gardening skills for someone else's sewing skills and maybe make some new friends along the way. Like any other bank, the Time Banks take deposits and allow withdrawals, but unlike ordinary banks, the currency is time not money. Bank members dep...

Justin Proudly Presents Medal to Arctic Convoy Veteran

Aug 05, 2013

Local MP, Justin Tomlinson, has spoken of his pride and admiration for our armed forces, after he presented a Second World War veteran with a campaign medal, almost seventy years after combat operations ceased in the conflict. Brave Ron Weller, a veteran of the Arctic Convoys, was proudly presented with his medal by his locals MPs, Cllr. David Renard and Mayor of Swindon, Cllr. Nick Martin. Veterans of the perilous Convoys, a number of whom were from Wiltshire, kept troops and vital supplies mov...

Justin Calls On Local Groups To Help Find North Swindon's "Digital Hero"

Jul 31, 2013

Justin Tomlinson MP is calling for local groups to enter the TalkTalk Digital Heroes Awards 2013, a unique competition that recognises and rewards people who are using technology to help their communities. The awards, now in their sixth year, have provided funding and support to 62 organisations across Britain, including various charities which have used technology to help children and youth, the homeless and people with disabilities. The awards, run in partnership with the Daily Mirror and char...

Local MP Backs New Top Tips For Online Business Security

Jul 29, 2013

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has urged businesses to think about cyber security and follow the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) top tips to stay safe online. The Federation of Small Businesses recently published a report, Cyber security and fraud: the impact on small businesses, which shows that cyber crime costs its members around £785 million per year as they fall victim to fraud and online crime. The report shows that 41 per cent of FSB members have been a victim of cyber crime in th...

Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 26th July 2013

Jul 27, 2013

Are YOU brave enough to explore The Awful Upstairs, The Gruesome Ground Floor and The Spine-tingling Cellar? Dare you discover the secrets of Creepy House and meet some of the hair-raising residents?Looking at the enthralling tales behind Creepy House, the visually stunning artwork and the fun poster that form this year's Summer Reading Challenge, I have to say that my answer to Swindon Libraries' sales pitch was yes, yes and where do I sign up! National library usage figures are falling, but la...

Chancellor Hails Swindon As Success Story

Jul 26, 2013

North Swindon MP, Justin Tomlinson, welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP, to Swindon to meet local hardworking people who are helping to rebuild the economy. The pair were joined by South Swindon MP, Robert Buckland, as they visited the site of track re-doubling on the Swindon-Kemble line, as well as key local employer MAN, who are developing the latest military vehicles that will soon be handed over troops on the frontline in Afghanistan. The re-doubling of the Swindon-Kemb...

How To Protect Vulnerable People Who Turn To Payday Lenders

Jul 26, 2013

We have all watched TV when the adverts come on. Quick cash quid in your pocket now, just text, call, go online, money in minutes. 5853 per cent APR representative pops up in the small print at the end. Most baulk at the high APR, yet in the 2011/12 an estimated £8 million payday loans were taken out in the UK. Recent debate has painted these borrowers as financially excluded vulnerable people, lured into borrowing money that they cannot afford to pay back.It is important to put payday lending...

Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 19th July 2013

Jul 23, 2013

Yesterday, the division bell that rings across Parliament to signal a parliamentary vote fell silent for Summer Recess. For the next six weeks it will not ring, there will be no scrum at the escalator as hundreds of MPs race to get to the division lobbies within the eight minute deadline. The week before Summer Recess is always the same. Monday and Tuesday are about the busiest you will ever be, making sure that what needs to be done in London is done and that the office is prepared to work wi...

Minister Praises SEQOL Enterprise Works During Visit

Jul 23, 2013

The Minister for Disabled People, Esther McVey, has visited the SEQOL Enterprise Works with North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson and praised the work being done by the organisation. SEQOL Enterprise Works, which produces timber panels, signs and packaging, helps unemployed people with a variety of disabilities to gain the skills and confidence to enter the job market and remain there. The enterprise is run as a real business, offering people an opportunity to learn a variety of skills, from driving...