Champion of Kashmir, Friend of Muslims

Denis MacShane has consistently spoken out on Kashmir and against anti-Muslim prejudice.

As MP for Rotherham he has helped thousands of constituents on marriage and visit issues.

He has visited Mirpur and Islamabad and is in regular touch with the British High Commission to help with visit and charity work by Rotherham friends.

As UK delegate to the Council of Europe he has authored declarations attacking anti-Muslim prejudice.

As a UK member of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly he has involved Pakistani MPs so that their views on Kashmir are heard.

Denis works closely with Lord Nazir Ahmed on Kashmiri issues. He visits mosques in Rotherham regularly and cooperate closely with the Rotherham Council of Mosques.

He has constantly written to expose racist prejudice including anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish extremism. He is targeted by the BNP and has received death threats from the fascist organisation. He is also targeted by anti-Jewish groups which regularly print lies about him on the web and in leaflets.

Denis will continue to work for Muslim in Rotherham and for the rights of Kashmir. He will defy the BNP and other intolerant organisation which want to silence his voice and work against racism, Islamaphobia and anti-semitism.

Denis MacShane Speaks on Kashmir and Muslim Issues in the House of Commons:

Denis Attacks Anti-Muslim Prejudice in Europe

1^st December 2009

Mr. Denis MacShane (Rotherham) (Lab): But is not the political situation worsened by the propaganda that argues that the west is fundamentally anti-Muslim? That was not helped by the Swiss referendum result on Sunday or the unfortunate intervention by the Leader of the Opposition last week, for which he graciously apologised. Can my right hon. Friend find an opportunity to make a speech insisting that Britain is not an anti-Muslim nation? We have to keep stressing that in order to make it clear.

Denis Says Time to Stop Confrontation and Collateral Damage in Afghanistan

22 February 2010

Mr. Denis MacShane (Rotherham) (Lab The Dutch Government have simply collapsed on account of Afghanistan. Does that not send out a  warning
signal that we perhaps need a little less military confrontation, with all its collateral damage that does so much harm to our good name in Afghanistan, and much more political and diplomatic containment?

14 January 2010

Mr. Denis MacShane (Rotherham) Lab.There will be no solution in Pakistan until India changes its strategic approach in the area. According to a report Le Monde on 8 January, The Times of India reported a secret conclave of the Indian general staff at Simla in December, at which they discussed the double-front strategy-an assault on both China and Pakistan. General Kapoor, the Indian chief of staff, has talked about a limited military attack on Pakistan, but it is beyond belief that a fellow Commonwealth country and nuclear-armed power-and a democracy to boot-can be talking about a military assault or invasion on Pakistan, when we need Pakistan to focus on Afghanistan.

In 1989 democracy was suspended in Kashmir, and 500,000 Indian troops moved in. Since then, between 50,000 and 70,000 people have been killed in probably the biggest bloodbath of Muslims in recent times under the Indian army occupation.

India refuses to talk or to find a political and peaceful solution. I am utterly appalled at the ugly, invented acronym, “Afpak”, that Richard Holbrooke used at the Munich security conference last year, as though Afghanistan and Pakistan are one combined problem. It is a racist, unpleasant acronym, and I am glad to say that I know, from recent visits to Washington and from talking to senior officials from both the State and Defence Departments, that they do not use it any more. We need to involve India more in finding a regional solution.

Labour approach to planning concerns in Rotherham

This is a joint statement on our Labour approach to planning concerns in Rotherham issued by myself and fellow Labour Parliamentary candidates

We want Rotherham to be a successful, thriving town.

We want to see more jobs and businesses, better places to visit and more homes so young local families can set up or buy their own home, and others have the local housing they need.

If Rotherham is to be successful in future, we must plan for this now. This means we can’t duck decisions on the most suitable areas for the new jobs, transport, recreation and housing we need. And Rotherham Council has a legal duty to lead this planning.

Every week Rotherham families come to us as MPs or councillors desperate to live locally in their community, and that means we have to build new homes for the next generation otherwise we deny our children and grandchildren the right to live in Rotherham. Building Rotherham means work for local employers and jobs for Rotherham workers.

We believe the first choice for development should be land that’s been used before, so called “brownfield” areas. But we also know that open areas or “greenfield” land will be needed, just as it has been in the past, and in some places this may have to be land designated as “greenbelt”.

We will work to make sure Rotherham Council provides clear information on all the options, and consults people fully on their views. As part of its work on Rotherham’s long-term plan we want the Council to take a fresh look at the number of new homes our area needs over the next 15 years and whenever it’s necessary to consider using open land in “greenbelt” areas for new homes, businesses or public parks this is kept to an absolute minimum.

Talking to Pensioners

Joining pensioners for a coffee and there was a very clear view that the Labour Government had done very well by them!  We had a very interesting discussion as to whether pensioners should actually pay a modest fare instead of completely free bus travel. Several felt that younger people have to pay very high levels of fares and they wondered if these could come down if pensioners made a modest contribution. Very interesting discussion – rarely anyone wants to pay for something which was previously free!

Pensioners pleased with Labour

Campaigning in Herringthorpe with pensioners telling me how much Labour has done for them!

One gentleman was sitting outside on quite a cool afternoon – why? Because he had the oven on cooking his dinner and, as his council bungalow has just been refurbished and re-insulated, it’s just too hot to be inside!!

Out campaigning with our youngest member!

Omar is just 18 and will be voting Labour for the first time on 6th May. A student of politics at TRC he’s very clear on his political reasons for supporting Labour and is also a very keen campaigner!!

My Declaration of Interests as a parliamentary candidate

The Committee for Standards in Public Life has recommended that candidates at parliamentary elections should publish a declaration of interests. Consideration is being given to whether this should be a statutory requirement at future elections.

For the 2010 General Election the Ministry of Justice has been required to produce guidance for the VOLUNTARY publication of such a declaration.

As a Labour Party candidate I fully support the decision of the Labour Party to make the publication of such a declaration a REQUIREMENT of all of  its candidates.

I am publishing this declaration on my election website in order that electors in my Rotherham constituency have access to this information.

The address of my website is included in every piece of my campaign literature and during this campaign I estimate over 100,000 pieces of my campaign literature will be in circulation.

Declaration of Interests form
Name of candidate	DENIS MACSHANE
Constituency:	ROTHERHAM
Political party:	THE LABOUR PARTY
Date of publication:	14TH APRIL 2010
CATEGORY	RELEVANT INTERESTS
(a)        Other paid jobs and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected	None
(b)        positions of responsibility in some types of organisation, even if unpaid, and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected.	Member of Council of Royal Institute of International Affairs and Fabian Society. Parton of various Rotherham Charities and Voluntary organisations. I receive no financial benefit from these voluntary positions
(c)(i)    Directorships, and whether I intend to continue to hold them, if elected.	None
(c)(ii)   Clients, and whether I intend to continue to advise them, if elected.	None
(c)(iii) Land and property, and whether I intend to continue to hold this, if elected.	Apart from my homes in Rotherham and London, on which I have outstanding mortgages, I have no property or land interests.
(c)(iv) Shareholdings, and whether I intend to continue to hold these, if elected.	None
(d)        Tax matters	As an MP I am on PAYE and pay tax as a domiciled UK tax payer on any earnings as declared to the Register of Parliamentary Interests
(e)        Any other interests which I consider relevant.	None

There’s a good mood out there!

Out this morning campaigning with Rose McNeely, Labour’s candidate in Boston Castle Ward and what a beautiful Sunday morning. Talking to voters and there was a very good mood! Spoke to just over 100 voters in quite a middle class area and 50% will be voting Labour. And for those still not sure how to vote – no mention of Tories or Lib Dems. Peter on Broom Rd, a lifelong Tory voter,  stopped me to say he’s be voting Labour for the first time – ‘Labour is the only party talking sensibly about immigration’.

I know how I’ll vote on the day

An interesting letter published in the Sheffield and Rotherham Star on 09 April 2010.

“Readers should be aware that Denis MacShane, MP for Rotherham, has made a very important point at the recent Prime Ministers Questions session in which he highlighted that the current Conservative position in Europe is to move further and further to the right.

This means less and less equality for those unable to speak out for themselves.

This smacks of the same old Tories. Time and time again we see their mask slipping, day by day, they are exposed for being homophobic, racist and prejudiced against equal rights.

Giving them power would be a dangerous thing to do.

I know where I will vote on polling day”

My thanks got to P J Cawkwell, for his observations.

Labour’s election line up in Rotherham

Here with Local Election candidates

Rose McNeely – Boston Castle

Alan Buckley – Brinsworth and Catcliffe

Colin Barron – Keppel

Shaukat Ali – Rotherham East

Jahangir Akhtar – Rotherham West

Dave Pickering – Valley

Keith Goulty – Wingfield

Standing up for creative workers rights

Speaking in the closing stages of the Digital Economy bill I said that journalists, musicians and creative workers should not have their work stolen from them to be handed out free on the internet. As a former president of the National Union of Journalist, I was critical of Lib-Dem and Labour MPs who were seeking to deny to creative workers a fair share of their added value by allowing free access to what they produce.

I share the concern that this bill was rushed through without full consideration and the issue will certainly have to be revisited after the election but the core principal that the labourer is worthy of his or her hire is now in law and I welcome that.

Since then there have been blog attacks on me including one blogger who accused me of “standing up for the great unwashed masses of broadsheet journalists”. I have defended journalists and media freedom all my life. I am saddened that there is so little understanding of the need to stop the theft of intellectual property rights. I support the widest access to the web but there needs to be some balance and both sides in this debate need to cool down the rhetoric and work on rules that can help everyone.

My intervention as recorded in Hansard

Mr. Denis MacShane (Rotherham) (Lab): I rise as a former president of the National Union of Journalists to humbly suggest to the Committee that the labourer is worthy of his hire. If someone puts his intellectual effort into writing an article, making some music or creating something, it should not be stolen from him and handed out free through the power of the internet.
As a parent, I have to say that it may not be the most unwelcome thing in the world for a father or mother to tell their child, “Actually, you can’t spend all evening on the internet.”

I understand why the Liberal Democrats-representing big capitalism-generally oppose the measure, but as a socialist I am astonished that some of my hon. Friends are telling my journalist colleagues and others that they do not have the right to protect that which they have created, and to have some modest share of the value they add to our economy, because that would represent problems for wi-fi providers, internet café owners or hotels.
That is not something I am happy with, and that is why, in the last, dying hours of a Labour Government, I am doing something that may be difficult for colleagues, which is to support a Labour Government. I do so not from Labour loyalty, but because I profoundly believe that the explosion of the net-of information provision-which I welcome, must not deny those who add value to it their chance to have some share of that which they produce.
Mr. Foster: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Mr. MacShane: A Liberal Democrat asks me to give way. We are in the last dying hours of this Parliament. That party has always stood up for the rich and the privileged against the rights of journalists and trade unionists. I will not give way. If he wants to make another speech, he can do so.