"Shocking" Hackney highlighted in employment report

Last year Diane Abbott responded to criticism that Hackney North had 92 job seekers per job available. The issue has been raised again, this time by the TUC in Dole claimants outnumber vacancies by five to one.

In the research the TUC said: "London is the worst hit area with nearly eight JSA claimants for every job vacancy. Seven of the top ten unemployment blackspots are in the Capital, including Hackney where claimants outnumber vacancies by a shocking 24 to 1."

This looks tame compared to the 92 jobs per claimant figure from October 2009, referred to here by Darren Caplan (Conservative candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in May) - details should be in here Regional Monthly Data - October 2009 somewhere.

At the time Caplan criticised Diane Abbott for not mentioning unemployment problems: "Hackney North & Stoke Newngton has by far the worst situation for job seekers than any other area in the country, nine times the national average. Yet we haven’t heard Diane Abott’s views on this, despite her regularly being all over the airwaves talking about national and international issues."

A few days later Diane wrote a piece in the Hackney Gazette saying: "Recently figures were published which revealed that Hackney North and Stoke Newington had a very high ratio of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance compared to the number of jobs available at the local Job Centre Plus. This is a misleading figure. It does not relate to the overall rate of unemployment in Hackney."

She said: "This is because many Hackney North and Stoke Newington residents find work outside of the constituency: on the Olympic Park or in the City for example. And the figure is based on jobs available at the local Job Centre. But many employers do not advertise at the Job Centre. So the actual number of jobs available to people in Hackney is much higher than those advertised at the Job Centre."

She then made the claim that: "This year Hackney North and Stoke Newington has seen one of the lowest rises in unemployment in the entire country."

Blood and Property asked her where she found this happy news - it wasn't obvious from the ONS figures. Discussed here: Meg Hillier Vs Diane Abbott on unemployment

Last month Abbott's constituency saw an increase in the number of unemployed people due to a boundary change which appears to have shifted the bulk of the borough's unemployment problem into her constituency.

Meanwhile she has warned that public sector spending cuts could have dire consequences for Hackney (like a pit village after the mine has closed)

Hackney South Conservative responds to conflict of interest claim

Blood and Property received this email from Simon Nayyar - Hackney South and Shoreditch candidate for the Conservative Party - in response to this article: Darren Caplan and Simon Nayyar... is this criticism fair? (Link to Darren Caplan's response is here.)

Simon Nayyar wrote: "I should be happy if you would post the following response on your blog so that readers can know exactly where I stand on this issue:

1. I am totally and unambiguously committed to supporting small businesses in Hackney South & Shoreditch. Because of Labour's disastrous management of the economy and lack of empathy with their needs, small businesses in Hackney have really suffered over the past few years. They deserve the support of all of us: for it is small businesses that will power Hackney out of recession and generate the jobs that Hackney desperately needs.

2. I support the role that larger companies can play to generate wealth, create jobs and, through the corporation tax that they pay, help reduce Britain's national debt which, thanks to Labour's reckless spending, is now at record levels. A diverse economy needs a diverse range of businesses to provide consumers with the choice they want and have a right to expect. I do not see supermarkets posing a threat to small businesses. On the contrary, supermarkets and small businesses alike can play an important part in generating jobs in Hackney South & Shoreditch which, because of Labour's policies locally, has one of the highest levels of joblessness in London.

3. I do not personally advise ASDA or any other supermarket chain.

4. It is a matter of record that I work for a public affairs business. I have never made any attempt to hide the fact. On the contrary, my website specifically says that this is the kind of work that I do: http://www.simonnayyar.com/index/aboutsimon.

5. The business I work for seeks to be entirely transparent about the clients that it advises and, as such, voluntarily subscribes to the Code of Conduct and Register of the Association of Professional Political Consultants: www.appc.org.uk

6. I believe that public service is a privilege. Unlike the Labour MP, Meg Hillier, I have already publicly stated that, if I am elected on 6 May, I do not intend to claim for parliamentary expenses. Also, unlike Meg Hillier, I will make immediate arrangements to move to live in the constituency.

Simon Nayyar
Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Hackney South & Shoreditch
020 8144 4458

www.simonnayyar.com

Darren Caplan: open letter to Blood and Property

Open letter to 'Blood and Property' readers (In response to this)

1. I believe in supporting local businesses. I would like corporation tax and red tape cut, and Labour's planned National Insurance jobs tax prevented, so that local businesses can grow and create more local jobs.

2. I would like large businesses such as Tesco to see their business taxes similarly reduced, so they can continue being a successful part of UK plc, and employ more people. This, in my opinion, does not threaten local businesses - the economy needs to grow for everyone, and the government should try neither to pick nor prevent winners.

3. I am the Director of B2L Public Affairs, the public affairs practice of Brands2Life, a full-service communications agency. Tesco is not, nor has ever been, a B2L Public Affairs client. For a list of clients, see the B2L Public Affairs listing in the Association of Professional Political Consultants register, which is publicly available for anyone to see at any time - http://www.appc.org.uk/appc/filemanager/root/site_assets/pdfs/appc_register_entry_for_1_december_2009_to_28_february_2010.pdf.

4. My background is included on my website profile, and includes professional public affairs experience - see www.darrencaplan.com/profile/. I refer readers in particular to the following section:

"Since 2001 I have been working in communications on integrated public relations and public affairs projects to raise the profile of client campaigns. It’s said by some that this means I do not live in the real world, but the kind of campaigns I work on - whether helping to secure political and community support for hospitals such as the nearby Royal London, promoting advanced ‘Building Schools for the Future’ technology or widening telecoms and digital access for all - benefit many people, most of whom one can safely say ‘live in the real world’! Part of the work that I do means that I know how Westminster works, and so can use this knowledge to the benefit of people living in Hackney."

5. I would like to point out that B2L Public Affairs is a member of the Association of Professional Political Consultants, the self-regulatory body for UK public affairs professionals in the consultancy sector - see www.appc.org.uk. To be accepted, APPC members need to demonstrate that they are open and transparent about who their clients and staff are, and that they adhere to a Code of Conduct, ensuring high standards. Furthermore, APPC member staff are not allowed to hold parliamentary passes to carry out their work, and so have no more access to the political world than any other member of the public, including parliamentary candidates.

6. 'Blood and 'Property' is right to infer that the voters of Hackney North & Stoke Newington are entitled to know whether I would be a good Member of Parliament for them. The answer is to judge me on my track record as your MP. I have made it clear that as the MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington, I would focus on three areas which I believe are currently the priorities in the constituency - more jobs, better schools and cutting knife and gun crime, which is tragically costing lives. If I fail to deliver on these, voters should vote me out at the next available election.

In summary, if elected as your MP, I would look forward to using my professional experience to help get local businesses supported and creating as many jobs as possible. If readers would like to know more please do get in touch - I would be delighted to hear from you.

Yours sincerely

Darren Caplan
Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hackney North & Stoke Newington
07956 820145 (m)
darren@hackneyconservatives.com
www.darrencaplan.com

Darren Caplan - the corrections...and dinner

Darren Caplan has pointed out an error in an earlier story: Darren Caplan on women's bodies (the corrections have been made and he has left a full comment after the post.)

He also telephoned to say he'd replied in the comments section. During the conversation he said that he may respond to the other story: Darren Caplan, Simon Nayyar...are these criticism's fair?

The story repeats claims from this story:Move over MPs expenses, there's a new scandal in town. (Incidently the same excerpts from the same article were published in the comments section of Luke's Blog on April 2.)

The criticism is that both Darren Caplan and Simon Nayyar work for lobbying firms that represent supermarkets Tesco and Asda respectively, but claim to support local businesses in their campaigns.

Caplan told Blood and Property that he did not work on the Tescos account and added that a number of prospective MPs come from this profession including Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.

Blood and Property hopes he'll be able to answer a few more questions about what the job entails - whether standing in an election is just a good thing for a Lobbyist to have on his CV, or whether Hackney could benefit from an MP trained in the dark arts?

And while you wait, here's a 40 minute video debate with Darren Caplan: Question Dine in which he deals with questions on voting at 16 and immigration, all in a dinner party setting. I enjoyed the 15 minutes I watched.

Darren Caplan, Simon Nayyar - is this criticism fair?

This story was posted on 1st April (it doesn't look like an April fool) on Yahoo News: Move over MPs expenses, there's a new scandal in town

It says: "Hackney South and Shoreditch Conservative candidate Simon Nayyar is campaigning on a ‘save our local shops' ticket. Meanwhile, the company for which he is head lobbyist, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, represents Asda, owned by US giant Walmart - aka the company that killed off local shops in America." To check Spinprofiles

"Darren Caplan is standing in neighbouring Hackney North and Stoke Newington and, like Nayyar, he is spearheading a "support local businesses" campaign, "so those out of work have more opportunities to find new jobs." Also in common with Nayyar, he heads up lobbying for the PR firm Brands2Life, whose clients include Tesco, the friend of local business!" and B2L seems to confirm this

On this website Caplan says: "The B2L Public Affairs practice is headed by me, Darren Caplan. I have extensive political and influencer campaigning experience in Westminster and local/regional politics." Probably a very normal lobbyists CV, but what influencing has he been doing in "local/regional politics"?

Corrected: Darren Caplan on Women's bodies

Darren Caplan pops up in this debate: "Politics: Women and body image"

According to Annie Loves he said: "“I accept that having projections of the ‘body beautiful’ everywhere doesn’t help in getting positive messages across. But we should be seeking to make stronger citizens, not doctor the environment in which they grow up.”


(The original incorrect version: According to Annie Loves he said: "All these pictures around us bombard us with the message that unless you’re young, white, thin and beautiful – in inverted commas – then you’re really not worth very much.” In fact this comment was made by Janice Williams, the director of Object. Darren has provided his full statement in the comments)

Hackney police chief's odd reassurances

Hackney's borough commander attempted to reassure people after the death of Agnes Sina-Inakoju. Steve Bending told the Hackney Gazette it was "an extraordinarily rare incident".

But was it?

Feb 17 - Seven shots fired into a Hackney Chinese takeaway on Chatsworth Road. No one was hurt.

March 5 - Three shots fired at teenagers leaving fried chicken shop on Well Street. One shot in the arm. (Page 2 Hackney Gazette March 11 - couldn't find it online)

April 14 - One shot fired into chicken and pizza shop in Hoxton. Agnes Sina-Inakoju dies.

(Very late UPDATE :
22nd May Bystander seriously injured in London Fields shooting incident.)

I'm not sure how the last one qualifies as "an extraordinarily rare incident".

The Feb 17 incident was only made public after a statement was asked for. Have there been other takeaway shootings that have not been made public by the police?

Steve Bending's statement also included this: "To get it into proportion, the number of firearms arrests is actually very small." Is that reassuring?

May be he feels compelled to provide an antidote to comments like these: "The increase in gangland violence is a threat to everyone - and every parent is now worried their child will get caught up in a shooting or knife incident." (Darren Caplan (Con) speaking to Stokenewington People)

All sides set for spinning

PR Week reports on the activities of Hackney's two Conservative parliamentary candidates, Darren Caplan and Simon Nayyar (may still be contesting). Both PR men. B2L Public Affairs director and Citigate Dewe Rogerson Public Policy MD respectively. Both joined another PR man, David Cameron, as he delivered his keynote speech in Brighton.

They are up against former press officers Meg Hillier and Diane Abbott. And then there's Jules Pipe, former sub editor. Does this impressive media/communications headcount mean lots of spinning can be expected?