The full text of Catherine’s speech is as follows:

It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Newton Abbot (Anne Marie Morris), who made a thoughtful and considered speech. However, I must say that I disagreed with pretty much all of it.

The disappointment following Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech was tangible and widespread—“Is that it?” crossed most people’s minds. We are in a double-dip recession—the deepest since the 1930s—our living standards are declining with every day that passes, and there is little hope of growth and no confidence that things will get better any time soon, and the Government’s solution is to make it easier to sack people. It is quite astonishing, even from this Government. There was also a claim that the Government would “strive to improve the lives of children and families.”

I consider that to be a worthy but dubious commitment, when we consider how out of touch this Government seem to be with the impact that their economic policies are having on households, and particularly on women and children up and down the country.

Let us put the Government’s proposals in context. There has been zero economic growth over the last year, and the economy is now smaller than it was in 2010. Living standards are being squeezed to breaking point. Families are being forced to choose between petrol and new school shoes, or between a pack of ham for their children’s sandwiches and making do, for another week, with cheese spread—and those are the fortunate ones. Mums—and, I appreciate, some dads, but let us be honest: it is mostly mums—who were just managing to juggle work and child care, with the help of much needed child tax credits, are now having to give up work, as they are unable to secure an additional eight hours a week, at a time when most employers simply are not recruiting. Consumer spending is inevitably held back, with families deciding to forgo their summer holiday or make their child do with last year’s raincoat—no one will notice the three-quarter-length sleeves. All this is compounding the downward economic spiral. Young people reaching school leaving age are choosing not to go on to university, and that goes even for those with straight As. They see a lifetime of debt and a very uncertain job market. That is what some of the brightest young people in my constituency have been saying to me. We are facing an historic loss of confidence in Britain’s economic future, and young people are not living in a bubble. They fear for the future as much as we do.

Where are the solutions? I do not agree that making it easier to sack people will get our economy growing. Before being elected to this House I practised as an employment lawyer. I advised claimants and employers, individuals and businesses, and I assisted in the running of a small business with my husband. I am therefore in a better position than many to comment on the trials and tribulations of employment legislation. Yes, it can be complicated; and, yes, it is sometimes tricky to navigate. However, it is there to ensure fairness and protect against exploitation. I was horrified by the Government’s recent decision to increase the qualifying period for claiming unfair dismissal from 12 months to two years. Why would a Government support—or worse, encourage—employers to sack people unfairly? The clue is in the title. It is not difficult to terminate a person’s employment where the reason falls into one of the categories for a fair dismissal. Why should employers be encouraged to circumvent the basic principles of fairness? It is simply an excuse for poor management. Before the banking crisis we had one of the lowest rates of unemployment in decades. The 12-month qualifying period proved no obstacle to major economic growth in the last 13 years. How can it be used as an excuse for failing growth figures now?

I accept that managing a work force is one of the biggest challenges that any employer will face. I also know that the majority of businesses want to get it right and do the right thing. The success of any business is only as secure as the people employed in it. Economic growth cannot be built on greater uncertainty in the work force. Making it easier to sack people and harder to seek redress for unfair treatment will only make people feel more insecure. The answer has to be ensuring that businesses get the support they need to manage their work forces fairly and well. Employment legislation is focused on just that: ensuring that businesses and employees use procedures that are fair. Instead of focusing on making it easier to sack people, this Government should focus on enabling businesses to get the help, support and advice they need. Yet all we see are business advice support services disappearing from view.

There is, in any event, no economic justification for the assertion that employment protection rights form any barrier to growth. According to the World Bank’s “Doing business” ratings, the UK ranks seventh in the world for ease of operating out of 183 countries. The OECD’s employment protection index provides a measure of the procedures and costs involved in dismissing and hiring employees. On this index the UK ranks third out of the 21 major economies, behind only Canada and the US. To claim that our inability to sack people on a whim is holding our economy back is a poor excuse for this Government’s economic failure and an even poorer solution. Creating uncertainty and fear among an already financially stretched and insecure work force will only compound our economic problems by exacerbating the lack of consumer confidence.

Businesses are crying out for funding and investment. The Federation of Small Businesses cites the lack of consumer demand as the biggest barrier to growth, with access to finance just behind it. No business is going to say, “No thank you,” to an offer to make it easier to sack people, but it is not the priority that businesses are looking for. “Work hard and stop complaining,” the Government say. I say, “Start listening.”

“Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs you can do, so any help is welcome. My concern with these vouchers is that they will only reach a small number of parents, and they will be those who are proactive enough to go out and hunt them down.  I will be interested to see how the government ensures these vouchers get to the people that really need them.

“That is why Labour’s Sure Start was such an excellent innovation – the centres are strategically based in communities most likely to benefit from the support and advice offered.  It is difficult to understand the logic behind cutting Sure Start funding and introducing this voucher scheme.

“Parents are facing the biggest squeeze on living standards in decades. The best help that the government could give them right now is to ease the intense financial pressure by promoting jobs and growth, and continue to support the local Sure Start Centres that are already reaching out to thousands of families.”

Farne Primary School received a special visit from their local MP Catherine McKinnell, who donated an Asda Kwik Cricket set to the pupils.

Catherine McKinnell MP made this donation to encourage more youngsters to take part in the Asda Kwik Cricket Competition – the largest grassroots initiative for any sport in the UK and a great game to get kids healthy and active.  Farne Primary School was nominated by their local County Cricket Board to receive an Asda Kwik Cricket set so pupils could begin participating in the competition.

Asda has been the title sponsor of the national Kwik Cricket Competition for the past seven years. Working closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board and County Cricket Boards, Asda continues to promote Kwik Cricket across the UK and win new fans for this fantastic game.

Commenting on the Asda Kwik Cricket Competition, Catherine McKinnell MP said: ‘Kwik Cricket is a great way for both girls and boys to get active and have fun.  It’s a really inclusive game, everyone can get involved and it’s very easy to play.  I’m sure that the pupils of Farne Primary School will make great use of this kit. The Asda Kwik Cricket Competition already involves more than 12,000 primary schools, so it is fantastic to see local schools participating in the competition and comparing their Kwik Cricket skills with children from across the UK’.

Paul Kelly, Director of External Affairs and Corporate Responsibility at Asda, commented: ‘Asda has been working in partnership with the ECB for seven years now and we remain committed to getting more and more primary schools involved in this great competition.  Kwik cricket is a fantastic way for kids to have fun and get active, and we’re pleased that Catherine McKinnell MP has been able to support this year’s competition.  In the run up this summer’s Olympics, there’s never been a better time to encourage kids to get involved in sport.’

“The Labour government modernised the care system and saw an increase in the number of children placed in permanent homes, therefore it is right that this work is being built on and continued.

“However, this government’s proposals need to offer more to the vast majority of children within the looked after system for whom adoption is not the answer. All children deserve a stable, permanent and loving home, however that might be achieved.

“As well as taking action to reduce delays in family courts – which should be immediate – the Government needs to focus on finding permanency for all children, improving referrals to the National Adoption Register and providing better post-adoption support; anything less will simply fail to address the most pressing issues.”

NEWCASTLE North MP Catherine McKinnell slammed the government’s failure to respond to the crisis hitting hard-pressed families across the North East.

The shadow children and families minister said that the Queen’s Speech outlining the Tory-led coalition’s law-making agenda showed how out of touch ministers are with the realities of a double-dip recession which is hitting the needy while feather-bedding the rich.

She pointed out that there were few concrete measures to help families cope following the axing of children’s services and unemployment heading back towards the three million mark.

“What we needed was a Queen’s speech showing that the government was on the side of ordinary people and families with policies for fairness, jobs and growth,” she said.

“This agenda offers more of the same – squeezed living standards and negative growth.

“The few measures that are aimed at ordinary people, like changes to parental leave, are all well and good but how will this benefit the millions of people already out of work?

“This coalition government is strapped to the mast of its austerity plans and they just don’t get it that it might be hurting but it’s just not working.”

Newcastle North MP and Shadow Minister for Children and Families speaking ahead of Foster Care Fortnight and the launch of Fostering Network’s new campaign, 22 Minutes, said:

“We’re in a tough economic climate, with local authorities seeing their budgets slashed, yet those that are facing the deepest cuts are also seeing the highest increase in the number of children being taken into care.”

“I know that in the North East, local authorities are reporting that their budgets were under enormous strain from the austerity measures and children’s services are working flat out to cope with the rising numbers of children being taken into care.  This means that foster carers are in demand and more are needed on a daily basis.”

“Foster carers do a difficult and emotionally challenging job, twenty four hours a day seven days a week.  They need to be encouraged to come forward in the first place, and then supported in their role so that they can get on with looking after our most vulnerable children.”

“The government needs to heed the warning signs and make sure that vulnerable children do not lose out on much needed placements.”

Ms McKinnell said:

“As Chair of the All-Party-Parliamentary-Group on MS and a campaigner for better treatment and support for the condition, I’m really pleased to be able to take part in MS Week.”

“This has been a wonderful gathering of local people affected by MS, coming together to share their experiences and enjoy some quality time.  A wonderful array of delicious cakes, baked and donated by volunteers, is being sold this afternoon to fund further meetings of the group.

“A recent poll has shown that nearly three quarters of adults feel that they don’t know much about MS and its effects.  What’s troubling about this is that poor general awareness and understanding of the condition often results in a failure by the government to act, and that’s why MS Week and raising awareness are so important.”

“It’s great to come back to the Law School and celebrate the fact that Northumbria has been offering this innovative course for twenty years and was the first to do so.

“Northumbria’s Law Exempting Degree means students can learn about law in practice while studying it as an academic subject.  It’s practical and economical, which is just what students need.”

Ms McKinnell, who takes a keen interest in international development, explained her reasons for taking part:

“The idea behind Live Below the Line is to get an insight into poverty first-hand.  Sadly, those people who really are living in abject poverty often don’t have as much as £1 to spend on food each day.  They often have to find shelter, travel to work and provide for others all on this meagre amount.

“I’m sure the challenge itself is going to be tough as, in Britain, we often eat even when we’re not hungry and we also have the benefit of readily available clean drinking water.”

“I would encourage anyone thinking of taking the challenge to go for it, even for one day.  If we fail, then the real challenge of life below the poverty line will become even more clear.”

As well as raising awareness, Catherine hopes to raise at least £150 which will be donated to Christian Aid to support their work in combating extreme poverty. 

To visit Catherine’s profile on the Live Below the Line website and make a donation, please go to https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/catherinemckinnellmp

To read the full article published in the Journal on Tuesday 1 May 2012, please open the pdf by clicking on the image below.