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5.58 pm
Mr. Marsha Singh (Bradford, West): Mr. Deputy Speaker, I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to make my maiden speech. I freely confess that accounts are not one of my strong points, even though I began my professional career in banking. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) who, with his enthusiasm for this topic, almost persuaded me that it was exciting. Scrutiny of accounts is essential for good and prudent government. We must never forget that we are merely the custodians of the people's money.
Before I come to the main body of my speech, I should like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Max Madden, who served Bradford, West from 1983. He will be remembered as a hard-working and conscientious Member of Parliament. I am proud to have been the chair of his constituency party for many years. Max had a distinguished parliamentary career, which included service on the Front Bench. He will be remembered as a man of principle: a man who was not afraid to speak his mind, and a man who stuck to his guns. Max was not a man who courted popularity at the expense of principle, and although he did not seek unpopularity he never shirked difficult issues. It is an honour and a privilege to follow in his footsteps.
I feel that it is also appropriate to pay tribute to another past Member of Parliament for Bradford, West. I refer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson), who represented the constituency in the early 1970s. He is still well remembered and respected for his services to my constituency.
It gladdens my heart to see the strong connection between the House and Bradford, not only on Government Benches but on the Opposition Benches. I refer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), a former leader of Bradford city council. I thank him for the warm welcome that he gave to me on my arrival in the House.
Before talking about my constituency, I should like to refer to the identity crisis that I am undergoing. None other than The Times referred to me as the first Asian woman Member of Parliament. I was even invited to the first meeting of the parliamentary Labour party women's
group, which I found delightful. I have also been congratulated on my success by women's groups throughout the country, for which I am grateful.
I must tell hon. Members the truth: I am not the first Asian woman to enter the House. I am not even a woman Member of Parliament. I am not one of Blair's babes--although I hope that that is not too much of a disadvantage at the outset of my parliamentary career. I also hope, Mr. Deputy Speaker, not to make the mistake that others have made in addressing you as Madam Speaker.
Other sections of the media have sought to pigeonhole me as an Asian Member of Parliament, an Indian Member of Parliament or a black Member of Parliament. I do not seek to deny my Asian background--I am proud of my cultural heritage--but I state emphatically that I am a Labour Member of Parliament, a Bradford Member of Parliament, a Yorkshire Member of Parliament and a British Member of Parliament, and I will represent all my constituents irrespective of colour, creed or religion.
I am a product not only of my parents' culture, but of Britain's many cultures. In today's multicultural Britain, I and others like me are the presagers of the truly multicultural person. I believe that that will be a positive strength not only for my city, but for my country.
I have lived in Bradford all my life, and I have lived in my constituency for well over 20 years. I was educated at Midland Road nursery school and at Green Lane primary school--which, incidentally, was the first school in the country to introduce school meals, and one of whose headmasters was the father of J. B. Priestley. I then went to Frizinghall junior high school and to Belle Vue boys' school. Belle Vue had the distinction of having taught J. B. Priestley himself.
One of the great things about Britain is that although privilege bestows advantages--as we know--a lack of privilege is not necessarily a bar to progress and ambition. If I am proud of anything, it is precisely that--the fact that, from the streets of inner-city Manningham, a working-class lad can reach the House of Commons. If I have a message for youngsters in Bradford schools today, it is this: with education, hard work and commitment, the only limits on their ambition will be the limits of their own imagination.
My constituency comprises the wards of Heaton, Toller, Little Horton, University, Thornton and Clayton, and Fairweather Green, the ward in which I live. There is a mixed population, with a large community of Asian origin. The constituency contains some of the poorest areas of Bradford, as well as some of the best residential neighbourhoods in the city--but its problems are all too real. Nearly a third of the population of working age are unemployed, and the constituency ranks 14th in England and Wales in that regard. Overcrowding is three times the national average, and Bradford, West ranks as number eight in that table of shame. More than 43 per cent. of households lack central heating.
I give the House those few statistics only to highlight the problems faced by my constituents. Unemployment, overcrowding and poverty have led to increased levels of crime. I am particularly concerned about the problem of drugs, especially heroin. I know that my constituency is not alone in that regard, and I know that the House will agree with me that the peddlers of heroin are particularly loathsome and evil. First they kill their victims' will, then they poison their character, and finally they destroy
their lives. The police cannot tackle that evil alone; the courage, commitment and vigilance of communities themselves, in partnership with the police, are required to stamp out that evil and wickedness.
I am also concerned about educational achievement. I praise the efforts of teachers in my constituency who often work with insufficient resources, in poor buildings and in difficult circumstances. I believe that we must have the highest possible expectation of every child, and that no child should be allowed to see school as a soft option. The primacy and mastery of English is paramount. English is the essential currency of our society, and without a high degree of literacy and numeracy school leavers will be left behind in the competitive world of the modern job market.
A considerable percentage of my constituents are of Kashmiri origin. I share their concern, distress and anger at the continued human rights abuses in Indian-held Kashmir. That dispute is the historical legacy of partition and British rule and I hope that the House shares my sense of responsibility for the present situation. The dispute continues to destabilise the region and frequently threatens to cause the outbreak of a disastrous war. A continuing military build-up and an arms race between India and Pakistan are not in the interests of either the Indian or the Pakistani people, and certainly not in the interests of the Kashmiri people.
I am sure that the money that is spent on arms would be better spent on education, health, jobs and homes. Internal repression cannot be a solution, short, medium or long term. Repression cannot be a substitute for dialogue and conflict resolution. Self-determination is not a privilege: it is a right, and I will continue to support the aspirations of my Kashmiri constituents for self-determination in Kashmir.
I love Bradford. Bradford is the most tolerant city in the world, and Bradford people are the best people in the world. However, love should never blind us to unpalatable truths. The American author Bill Bryson visited Bradford three years ago and wrote in his book "Notes from a Small Island":
So what went wrong? Recessions were largely to blame, but no one took Bradford by the scruff of its neck. I lay part of the blame at the door of Bradford's leading organisation, the local authority, which has in the past lacked collective leadership and long-term vision. There is no doubt in my mind that many fiddled while Bradford declined.
I genuinely believe, however, that Bradford has turned the corner. We now have a chance to grow. My message to the city's fathers and mothers is that this is not a time for political machinations--it is a time for vision and dynamic leadership, but we need real achievements and not pipe dreams. I well remember the 3D development project, which was meant to be a spectacular regeneration
of Bradford's west end. The council was led by the nose for more than a decade, but nothing happened--so please let us have no more pipe dreams.
There is much to be optimistic about, however. I welcome the council's new regeneration committee, which should be a flagship committee. I welcome the economic strategy for Bradford and district which has been produced by the Bradford congress. I welcome the new commitment to co-ordination, partnership and leadership. But we need to do more. We need to involve Bradford's entrepreneurs and captains of industry far more than we ever have. We need to tap into the imagination, energy and experience of entrepreneurs such as the late Jonathan Silver who single-handedly transformed Salts mill into a gallery containing the world's largest collection of David Hockney paintings and a high-tech factory containing Pace Electronics. That is a shining example of what regeneration is all about. We also need the Government's help, which is why a regional development agency is so important for Bradford.
Bradford has much to offer. It has an excellent communications network with access to the M1, M6, M62 and the A1. Leeds-Bradford airport is only half an hour away and Manchester international airport is a mere hour away. Bradford has a growing, young and vibrant work force. My constituency contains Bradford university and Bradford and Ilkley community college--two well-respected institutions with nearly 9,000 full-time students and providing employment for 4,000 people.
Grattons plc, Morrisons, Yorkshire Co-operative and Provident Financial are all key employers in my constituency, which also contains thriving businesses set up by Asian entrepreneurs, including Kashmir Crown bakeries, Mumtaz Paanhouse, Empire Electronics and Nirmal Razai mart.
My constituency also boasts the Alhambra theatre and the national museum of film and photography with the world's largest Imax cinerama screen.
Bradford is the gateway to Bronte country and the spectacular scenery of the dales. It also boasts the rugby league champions: the Bradford Bulls--the best rugby league team in the country. I congratulate the Bulls.
"Bradford seems steeped in a perilous and irreversible decline. Nearly everything suffers from well intentioned but misguided meddling by planners. You would never guess that Bradford had ever known greatness."
A natural Bradford reaction would be to tell him to shove off, but every Bradfordian knows the truth of his words, and the effects of what has happened to our city in the past 20 years.
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