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                           <title><![CDATA[A Real chance of Double Dip Recession]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[One month on and you could argue the dust has begun to settle after the elections. The thank you parties are over and I along with other MPs have been sworn back into Parliament; the Queen&rsquo;s speech has been delivered and newly elected members are now queuing up to give their maiden speeches in the time honoured fashion.  On the other hand you could argue that the election and its aftermath have been so significant that it represents a volcanic explosion in British politics and the &lsquo;ash cloud&rsquo; is still hanging in the air and casting a dark cloud...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:34:02</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Virendra Sharma MP: Horror of the Con Dem axe]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[VIRENDRA SHARMA MP Horror of the Con Dem axe   If anybody was in any doubt about the damage to local frontline services of the Con Dem coalition&rsquo;s cuts, then this week&rsquo;s announcement to scrap Ealing&rsquo;s &ldquo;Building Schools for the future&rdquo; (BSF) programme has revealed the true horror of the Con Dem axe. All their duplicity about cutting out waste has been laid bare for all to see. These cuts are deep and they will have a real impact on frontline delivery of education services to our children. It is also important to be clear that these cuts were...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:52:58</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Local Tories collude with Tory Mayor to approve Southall Gasworks development ]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Gazette Article &ndash; Virendra Sharma MP   Local Tories collude with Tory Mayor to approve Southall Gasworks development    On a wet Thursday evening in late March Tory Mayor Boris Johnson from the warmth and comfort of City Hall with a stroke of his pen dashed the hopes of the residents of Southall by approving the enormous development proposed for the Southall Gasworks site. Up to 3,750 residential units were approved by the Tory Mayor along with significant retail and leisure use despite the original application being refused by the democratically elected planning committees of both the...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:08:35</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Conference Matters]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article – August 2007
 
 Conference
Matters
 
After a busy
week in Bournemouth at the Labour Party conference I thought it
would be interesting to let you know how my first conference as an
MP went and what I was able to do there on your behalf. You may
also be interested to know the answer to the question that was on
everyone’s lips. Will the Prime Minister call an election or won’t
he?
 
For those who
have never been to a political conference, you should know that
they can be very enjoyable, but also a lot of hard work and very
long hours. Bournemouth 2007 certainly did not...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[A milestone for independence]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times Article-September
2007

A milestone for
independence CELEBRATIONS of India's
independence this year are taking place throughout the year due to
the fact that India has now reached the grand old age of 60
years. Many
celebrations focussed around August 15 when in 1947, at midnight,
Prime Minister Nehru, along with an expectant nation, welcomed the
birth of the modern state of India. As a
UK Member of Parliament of Indian origin I have and will yet attend
many celebratory functions and have reflected on this significant
milestone. Various TV documentaries, newly published books and
newspaper features have all done the same. So what can be said of
India's progress during the last...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Virendra Sharma’s Maiden Speech]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article –November 2007
 
Virendra
Sharma’s Maiden Speech
 
When Parliament
returned after the summer recess in early October I decided to take
the plunge and give my maiden speech on what was only my fifth day
in the House of Commons. It was a nerve racking experience but one
that I did genuinely enjoy.
 
Maiden speeches
by tradition follow a particular format, firstly paying tribute to
your predecessor and then introducing your constituency to the
House. They are always heard in polite silence without the usual
combative party political interventions.
 
I
had chosen to speak in the debate on the Criminal Justice and
Immigration Bill and had initially been told that...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Supporting Skills Training]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article – December 2007
 
Supporting
Skills Training
 
One of the more
pleasant duties of being a Member of Parliament is to get away from
Parliament into the real world and meet dedicated people tirelessly
working to improve our local community. I met one such group of
people when I recently visited the Ealing, Hammersmith &amp; West
London College (EHWLC) for the launch of the West London Student
Trust.
 
Ealing,
Hammersmith &amp; West London College is a great local success
story. It is one of the largest further education (FE) Colleges in
the UK, with over 22,000 students and nearly 1,000 staff across
four sites in West London (Acton, Ealing, Hammersmith...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
January
2008
 
 
Wishing you a
happy and healthy New Year!
 
New Year
resolutions can have a very short shelf life but hopefully for
those of you determined to make a change in 2008 you are still
fighting hard after nearly two weeks of the New Year and making
progress.
 
Health related
resolutions seem to be the most numerous as many of us try to shed
some of the weight gained over the holiday period by starting an
exercise programme, signing up for the gym or getting a personal
trainer. Apparently January has the most gym visits of any month in
the year! Maybe 2008 is the year to stop...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Stop Heathrow Expansion]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
February
2008
 
Stop Heathrow
Expansion
 
The time for
local people to make their views known to the government about
proposals to expand Heathrow Airport with a third runway and sixth
terminal is running out. The consultation ends on 27th
February 2008. I am opposing these proposals and encourage as many
of you to tell the government you are also against them through the
consultation.
 
The plans will
cost as much as £9bn, increase flights from 480,000 to over 700,000
a year, create 4.5 million extra tube journeys, an extra 4 million
train passengers, and 25 million extra car trips to Heathrow making
our part of West London even more congested and...]]></description>
                           <link><![CDATA[937784bf-f161-dd54-35d0-52f2d7165496]]></link>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Post Office Closures]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
March
2008
 
Post Office
Closures
 
The Post
Office’s proposals to close 8 branches in the Borough and 169
across London has prompted fierce opposition from local people and
publicly elected representatives including myself and other local
MPs, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone and local councillors.
Two branches are earmarked for closure in my constituency – Park
Parade, 6 Park Parade, Gunnersbury Avenue, W3 and Norwood Green,
175 Norwood Road, Southall UB2.
 
No one is
suggesting that there should be no closures at all, as the Post
Office seeks to modernise and get on to a sustainable footing,
but the Post Office
need to think very carefully about the impacts of certain...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Tackling Domestic Violence]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
May
2008
 
Tackling
Domestic Violence
 
Conservative
Ealing Council are pressing ahead with a grants commissioning
process that will halt Council funding to Southall Black Sisters
(SBS). This is a serious mistake by the Council, as by its own
admission it will have an adverse impact on the services provided
to black and minority ethnic women in the Borough suffering from
domestic violence. It could also lead to the closure of this
internationally renowned organisation that has been at the
forefront of helping some of the most marginalised women take
control of their lives when they have been blighted by domestic
violence.
 
So how have the
Council got into this mess and could...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Labour for London]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
April
2008
 
Labour for London
 
Your vote for
London on May 1st is important as these elections will affect every
single one of us in Ealing Southall, which is part of the Ealing
&amp; Hillingdon London Assembly division.
 
Ken Livingstone
has worked hard for London. He was born and brought up in London,
he knows London and he knows the hopes and concerns of ordinary
people. He has delivered neighbourhood policing, the biggest level
of investment in public transport since the Second World War, and
has made affordable homes to rent or buy a priority. Ken knows that
we all want to be sure that our money is spent...]]></description>
                           <link><![CDATA[49c91b62-d280-a744-053d-0ec014047705]]></link>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Knife Crime]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
July
2008
 
Knife
Crime
 
Knife crime
especially amongst young people is at the top of the country’s
political agenda and sadly it has blighted our own local area. Only
this week a 16 year old was in court for possession of a knife in
Greenford and during the past year there have been tragic deaths of
two young men in West Ealing and Windmill Park. Suggestions as to
how we tackle this problem are coming thick and fast and talk shows
and the tabloids are in overdrive.
 
People are
rightly concerned about this terrible problem but I would suggest
that a cool head and dispassionate assessment of the facts and
possible...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Southall Black Sisters High Court Victory]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
August
2008
 
Southall Black
Sisters High Court Victory
 
Last month Southall Black Sisters
(SBS) won a dramatic victory in the High Court when after two days
of proceedings Ealing Council withdrew from the case. The case followed Ealing
Council's attempt to introduce a generic borough-wide service for
all victims of domestic violence, a move that threatened the future
of SBS' service for black and minority ethnic (BME) women in
Ealing. The Judge, Lord Justice Moses reiterated what Government
Minister Vera Baird MP had already said in my adjournment debate in
the House of Commons, that 'There is no dichotomy between funding
specialist services and cohesion; equality is necessary for
cohesion to...]]></description>
                           <link><![CDATA[8208379d-91b6-da04-39df-b2acf03a7d99]]></link>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Housing and Energy Bill Help]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
September
2008
 
Housing and
Energy Bill Help
 
The current
economic climate is challenging to say the least but it is
certainly not as bad as the economic slumps under the Tories in the
80s and 90s. Three million unemployed, failing businesses, hundreds
of thousands of home repossessions and high interest rates were all
hallmarks of that dark period.
 
What is more
this Labour government is prepared to act to help ordinary hard
working people through these difficult times unlike the Tories who
abandoned the home owner and the unemployed saying at the time,
repossessions were “market corrections” and “unemployment was a
price worth paying.”
 
The
international economic forces that have created...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Diwali &amp; the Credit Crunch]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times
Article
October
2008
 
Diwali &amp; the
Credit Crunch
 
Since I last
wrote this column the financial crisis has certainly got worse,
with HBOS taken over by LloydsTSB and Bradford &amp; Bingley
nationalised and large fluctuations on the world’s stock-markets
almost a daily occurrence. The US bailout of financial
institutions, crippled by the toxic sub-prime mortgage debt
problems has also again underlined the US origins of this now
worldwide financial crisis. The announcement this week of a
government rescue package for the British banking system has
underlined the unprecedented nature of this crisis and illustrates
the desperately serious times we are going through.
 
As the Prime
Minister said at the Labour Party Conference...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Contrasting reactions to disaster]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Times Article June
2008
 

Contrasting reactions to
disaster During the past month the world has
witnessed two terrible natural disasters, the earthquake in Sichuan
Province, China, and Cyclone Nargis in Burma. The response of the
two affected countries' governments has been a marked
contrast. The
Chinese government has done all that it could to help its people,
welcoming international relief efforts and pouring resources into
the affected regions. The Burmese junta, on the other hand, has
acted with callous disregard for the welfare of its own people,
blocking international aid efforts and caring more about its own
political control of the country than the plight of its
people. I
have watched with growing...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov -0001 12:00:00</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Boris Johnson’s massive bus and tube fare hike]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Ealing Gazette Website Article   Boris Johnson&rsquo;s massive bus and tube fare hike   This week as people go back to work after the Christmas and New Year break they will receive a significant financial jolt when they board the bus or tube. Fares have gone up by as much as 20 per cent from the 2nd January thanks to Tory Mayor Boris Johnson. Despite inflation being near zero these are inflation busting rises and illustrate the priorities of a Tory Mayor and the realities of a Tory government if one were to be elected in 2010....]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:42:15</pubDate>
                           
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                           <title><![CDATA[Constituency Matters: High Speed Rail Network means 3rd Runway should be looked at again]]></title>
                           <description><![CDATA[Constituency Matters: High Speed Rail Network means 3rd Runway should be looked at again   Over the summer the Transport Minister Lord Adonis announced a new 250 mph high-speed rail network initially linking London, Heathrow Airport and Birmingham followed by Manchester and Scotland. More than this he explicitly stated that this new twenty first century rail infrastructure was being developed to replace short-haul flights in an effort to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions.    He said switching 46 million domestic air passengers a year to a multibillion-pound north-south rail line was "manifestly in the public...]]></description>
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                           <pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:39:23</pubDate>
                           
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