Karl McCartney MP: The problem is not too many privately-educated Olympians - it's the lack of competitive sport in state schools

Karl McCartney is the Member of Parliament for Lincoln. Follow Karl on Twitter.

The former Chairman of the British Olympic Association, Lord Moynihan, recently sought to initiate a debate about the background and education of our medal winners in the 2012 London Olympics. However his suggestion that the current situation is “wholly unacceptable” fails to take into account the diverse make up of all Team GB members or indeed some of the steps that this Government is taking to increase an active presence of sport in all levels of schools.

We do not need to look too far to find gold-medal winning athletes who have been fully state-educated. Athleticism is a state of mind and application and needs to be nurtured by family, friends, and our teachers at whichever schools we are learning at. Take for example Jessica Ennis, who has become the poster girl for Team GB and was raised in Sheffield, attending a local comprehensive school (King Ecgbert School). Alternatively, consider Bradley Wiggins who also attended a state secondary school, he became the first British winner of the Tour de France and went on to win a gold medal at the Olympics in 2012 and is, it seems, an extremely well grounded, sensible and witty individual with a keen sense of fun. Indeed, when you consider that 70% of our gold medallists attended a state secondary school, it becomes difficult to accept at all Lord Moynihan's, and those of his ilk's, divisive politicised comments.

Whilst I accept that privately educated athletes were disproportionately represented in winning medals at the Olympics for Team GB, what is the problem in that? Their parents were most probably competitive, as their offspring themselves have been to reach where they are now - competition does not seem to have harmed them. Perhaps they have also made sacrifices financially or otherwise for their children to have better education, chances and hence opportunities, be they academic or athletic. Indeed, if you take a look at some of the newspaper publications which featured headlines supporting Lord Moynihan’s comments - you might be surprised at how many of these journalists went to public schools or enjoyed private education themselves, whether through a fully paid for route, the assisted places scheme or its replacements, bursaries, scholarships or the like.

Karl McCartney MP: Network Rail is too complex, unaccountable and untouchable - it must change

Karl McCartney is the Member of Parliament for Lincoln.

Hearing the news that bosses of Network Rail have been ‘persuaded’ to hand their bonuses to charity made me, and I am sure the rest of the people of Lincoln, jump for joy. I hope that will mean that, after nigh on two decades of procrastination, Network Rail might finally decide to improve the safety of the level crossings traversing our high street in the centre of our city.  This is especially important as Network Rail recently announced that the level crossings, some of the busiest for non-rail traffic in the country, are to be closed for over 40 minutes in every daylight hour to allow freight trains diverted from the East Coast line to travel through the centre of our vibrant city.  The additional fillip for me was the Secretary of State, Justine Greening’s announcement that there soon will be a Rail Review looking at reforming Network Rail's governance structures including a board member representing, and giving a platform at board level to, the taxpayer. 'About time too' many will say.

For far too long Network Rail have been unaccountable and untouchable.  And that view is one held by many, including rail industry insiders as well as rail passengers and Members of Parliament like me.  Unlike the last Labour Government, this Government has shown the steel to stop turning a blind eye to this supposedly public corporation.  However, once the proposed reforms are published, I hope to see further changes to ensure better public interest accountability and a visible improvement for all of us who wish to see a thriving 21^st century railway system in our country.

The fact that the directors of Network Rail were to receive a bonus for declining performance shows where the current arrangement had become untenable.  This gravy train has hit the proverbial buffers.  And whatever the arguments about Stephen Hester’s bonus (and I think his contract should have been honoured), at least he is operating in a competitive environment.  At Network Rail, there is no competition -it is a monopoly.  So why should such a bonus structure exist at all when improving the train network should be a normal part of the day-to-day duties of directors and therefore taken into account in their basic salaries? This story is a variant of crony capitalism outlined by my colleague Jesse Norman, where performance bears little relation to pay, and this time, it is at a public corporation - with no competition!

Karl McCartney MP: We need to apply fair play and justice to Britain's roads by properly punishing uninsured drivers

Karl McCartney is the Member of Parliament for Lincoln.

A sense of fair play, and a sense that those who do not abide by the rules will be dealt with, is very much part of the way we do things in Britain. Anything that undermines this undermines the society we live in, and undermines our confidence in it. And it does not have to be the big issues, it can be in the scheme of the things, the smaller and more personal issues that have the biggest effect.

One of these issues is the problem of uninsured drivers, and those drivers (who are often the same) who deliberately cause small crashes and then scam people by claiming exorbitant amounts by lying about the damage that had been inflicted. The latter is not helped by insurance companies and some in the legal industry who are happy to play along with it. It is an issue that was discussed in Parliament in the last week and I am determined the issue should not sit on the shelf.

How can it be right and fair that with insurance increasing by 13% over the past year and a 40% rise the year before, average fines for people caught driving while uninsured have actually gone down?

Karl McCartney MP: Lincoln’s Community Larder and the Big Society

Karl McCartney was elected MP for Lincoln last year.

It is still less than a year since I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Lincoln and it always strikes me how easily you could become used to the trappings of Parliament and the Westminster routine. That is why ensuring you remain a hardworking and interested local Member of Parliament is invaluable -  it ensures you remain honest and humble making sure you never forget the people you represent and should stand up for.

Over the past eight months I have been heartened many times by the work that the voluntary sector does in Lincoln: from the street pastors, The Healthy Hub, CAB, Relate, the Nomad Trust and many others.  This is despite the fact that I have been a volunteer all my life.  But the work that some of the local voluntary groups carry out has been the most troubling when placed in the context of the amount of money spent on our welfare state and the need for good neighbourliness and family networks.

At the end of last year, I visited both the Birchwood Action Centre’s larder and Lincoln’s Community Larder which is open two days a week in an annex of the local YMCA.  Opened in 1989, it provides emergency food parcels to people at times of immediate crisis such as redundancy, delays in benefit payments, loan sharks confiscating payment books/bank cards and those where the main breadwinner is now in prison.

Those seeking help bring vouchers provided to them via local agencies who have assessed their needs which they can then exchange for three days’ worth of food provided for them by local people.  This Christmas, after a local newspaper appeal, one person even donated 24 Christmas puddings.

What I found troubling is that we have a situation where community larders like this are needed, irrelevant of the tough economic times we are currently in. When Labour left office, after 13 years of a Labour Government, we were spending £87 billion per year on welfare benefits but still the safety net was not working.  Partly this was through its inflexibility to deal with situations that some individuals and families face temporarily. Also it has undermined a culture of responsibility where people try and keep a little aside so they can cope if they find themselves in a really tight spot for a few weeks.

Karl McCartney MP: It is time for a serious crackdown on uninsured drivers

Karl McCartney is MP for Lincoln and a former magistrate.

Sometimes it can be the issues that never make the front pages or receive little, if any, scrutiny or discussion in Parliament that prove to be the most irksome to both my, and most other MP’s, constituents. They can undermine and shake people’s belief in the rule of law and a responsible society. Many of these issues "wind me up" as well, it’s perhaps one of the reasons I wanted to be a MP – to try and do something about those things that are a constant irritant.

One issue that I and many others fume over and needs further attention is that of dealing with uninsured drivers.  The problem is so symptomatic and prevalent in our society that one insurer now offers a policy that pays out as a fully comprehensive claim if you are hit by an uninsured driver! What does that say about our society and our police and court systems?

There is nothing more galling to have been in a road accident even if it’s a bump, or a prang, where you are the victim but the driver who has caused it is uninsured.  Often, they will also give false details (often many are involved in other types of crime as well) leaving you to fume further as you fill out the Motor Insurance Bureau forms. This, on top of dealing with the inconvenience of the accident, having to pay for repairs yourself, possibly to then claim back and then finding out you may lose your no claims bonus as well.

It makes every law-abiding driver’s blood boil and undermines the rule of law and people’s belief that playing by the rules is right.  Police need to respond with a more caring and businesslike approach to such incidences, my own, and many others’, experience falls desperately short of such positive action.  Using their extensive data systems, and presuming the number plate registration was not false, they should make every effort to track down these illegal drivers.  Most often those without insurance have a triple whammy of being untaxed and un-MOT’d too.  All too often as a magistrate it is the expected list of misdemeanours and we aren’t usually surprised by such an assumption.

Karl McCartney MP: People should not have to rely on their MP to prod the state to get them the support or services which they should be getting anyway

Karl McCartney was elected MP for Lincoln at the General Election.

The summer recess will have given all new MPs a little time to reflect after an exhausting, often in many cases very long, campaign and first session, and it certainly gave me the chance to spend some of that elusive quality time with my ever-forgiving lovely wife and children.

During those first 100+ days, there has been the thrill of turning up to the House for the first time, making your Maiden and being there for the Queen’s Speech and Budget.  This, however, contrasts with the ridiculous delay in being able to secure an office, ‘phone, working printer etc. and dealing with IPSA of course, and their ‘particular’ rules…

However, whilst I was preparing my speech for the AGM of the Lincolnshire and District Citizens Advice Bureau a few weeks ago, it became even clearer what the biggest frustration has been for me and, I suspect, most new MPs.

It actually started the day after polling day when the first few emails started to filter through my inbox, the first within five hours of Lincoln’s result being declared. (Although I had found that as a PPC a small number of people had contacted me in that role, for assistance).  People in Lincoln were however in such need of help that they were already contacting me asking for support with various issues and problems they had, and the numbers kept rising - over 200 live enquiries by the end of May from constituents, as well hundreds of other letters, emails and ‘phone calls.