Past News Items
News
9th August 2010
Formosa wants ‘work not welfare’ culture
Call to stop benefits stopping people working
The Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, has been told by Taunton Deane Conservative Campaigner Mark Formosa of a case where State benefits are preventing local people finding work.
Mr Formosa has highlighted the plight of a Rockwell Green supermarket owner whose staff have been leaving because they find they are financially better off on benefits than in work.
The shocking case illustrates the need for the kind of welfare system reform which Mr Duncan Smith has been proposing in his role within the coalition Government.
Mr Duncan Smith wants to end what he calls an ‘absurd situation’ whereby some of the poorest people in society face a financial penalty if they try to move off benefits and into work.
He wants a welfare system where people are better off working than if they receive state benefits.
Now, Mark Formosa has written to Mr Duncan Smith to detail the example of Simon Brock, who was a police officer in Wellington until he left the force 10 years ago to open Brocks supermarket, in Rockwell Green.
Mark Formosa said: “In the past two years Mr Brock has lost three members of staff who have all told him they were advised by the benefits service that financially it was not in their best interests to work.
“Putting it bluntly, these people are saying they can get more from welfare than they can from work – and I find that a deplorable situation.
“I am therefore asking the Secretary of State if he has any advice to help Mr Brock overcome this problem.”
Mr Brock, whose store pays national minimum wage rates and is currently advertising for shift workers, said the high level of benefits was making staff recruitment and retention more difficult.
He said: “It is a situation that needs to be remedied. The benefits system has to be addressed so that it is no longer a luxurious comfort zone and instead people need to work to maintain their standard of living. We need to be supporting lower-paid people to get back into work.”
Mr Brock said employers were also being hit in the pocket by an increase in staff holiday entitlement from four to 5.6 weeks per year, and the new 20 per cent VAT rate which was due to begin in January.
Our photographs show 1) Mark Formosa (left) with Brocks supermarket owner Simon Brock outside his Rockwell Green store; 2) A job recruitment advertisement outside Brocks supermarket.
ENDS
23rd May 2010
Conservative Prime Minister
At last, after 13 years, we have a Conservative Prime 
Minister again. Unfortunately for many of us this also means we have a Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister. While they both seem to be doing all that they can to ensure that the arrangement lasts as long as is practicable, and debates over five year parliaments will have to wait, it may be rash to assume that this can last a full term.
Conservatives in Wellington are pleased with the local efforts made by members and supporters over the course of General Election compaign but we know we can do better and now is the time to boost our efforts. In an ever changing political landscape we should prepare for our next challenge sooner rather than later and so ask all our supporters to continue with the great work we did over the general election campaign.
13th May 2010
Leadership Changes in Taunton Deane
Taunton Deane Borough Council returns to a Conservative administration as councillors voted in favour of a new leader today. John Williams once again becomes leader of the council deposing Liberal Democrate leader Ross Henley in a close vote. Rumours of division within Liberal Democrat ranks recently saw Vivianne Stock-Williams of Wellington turn independent forcing a change in the balance of candidates for the two main parties.