Outside In

Growing up as the son of courageous anti-apartheid South Africans, Peter Hain was first in the public eye in aged fifteen, reading at the funeral of an anti-apartheid friend hanged in Pretoria. Living in exile in Britain during his late teens, he led campaigns to disrupt whites-only South African sports tours. His political notoriety led to two extraordinary Old Bailey trials and a letter bomb.

Featuring Iraq, Mugabe, Europe, Gibraltar, blood diamonds, working with MI5 and MI6, delivering justice for workers robbed of their pensions and compensation for sick miners, Hain gives a fascinating insight into life near the top of the Blair and Brown governments.

Outside is newly published and available in bookshops or Amazon.

Government Cuts To Feed-In Tariffs Legally Flawed; Neath Company Benefits

25 January 2012
Neath MP Peter Hain has welcomed the Appeal Court’s decision to uphold the High Court’s ruling which found that Government cuts to solar tariff payments were legally flawed.

Mr Hain said, “This is an important decision by the Appeal Court to uphold the ruling. If the cuts had gone through it would have been bad for the solar industry, bad for jobs and growth and bad for families, community groups, hospitals and schools who can cut their energy bills by installing solar power.”

Urging Local Pupils To Speak Up Speak Out

25 January 2012
On a visit to Gnoll Primary School, Neath, local MP Peter Hain urged youngsters to ‘speak up, speak out.’ Mr Hain was invited along to the school with his parents Adelaine and Walter to talk about their experiences living in Apartheid South Africa and the Anti-Apartheid struggle as part of the schools ‘Speak Up Speak Out’ campaign, part of the National Holocaust Memorial Day 2012.

Mr Hain spoke to pupils on the difficulties growing up under Apartheid but that the political struggle his parents and he undertook was the right thing to do and he encouraged the youngsters to speak out when they hear or see something they believe to be wrong.

Property Blight As Banks Refuse Mortgages Over Japanese Knotweed

24 January 2012
Growing numbers of properties are becoming unsellable as banks refuse to lend mortgages on properties where Japanese Knotweed is found leading to property blight claims local MP Peter Hain.

Banks are refusing to lend money to buyers on properties which are free of knotweed but adjacent land has the invasive weed growing which Mr Hain believes is undermining the property market across the area.

The Neath MP said, “The impact this is having on the local property market is devastating creating whole areas where people cannot sell their house and those that want to buy the property are forced to go elsewhere because they cannot get a mortgage.

Shaw Trust

21 January 2012
Opening the Shaw Trust's new drop-in shop in Neath Peter Hain said,

“The Shaw Trust are doing fantastic work supporting disabled and severely disabled people into work and helping them acquire the necessary skills to work if they can find a job. The dedicated staff give hope and opportunity for disabled people despite the grim cuts being imposed on disability benefits from the UK Government. It is really good news that the Shaw Trust has opened a drop in centre in the heart of Neath right next to Morrisons.”

Rock The House Competition

19 January 2012
Local MP Peter Hain is urging budding young musicians to enter the 2012 Rock the House competition. The competition celebrates the very best of up-and-coming unsigned British artists and the live music venues that support them.

Mr Hain said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to discover new talent and for local groups and artists to raise their profile and compete in a national competition.”