Suffolk Agricultural Association and the Sea Eagles

I had a really enjoyable Monday afternoon at the SAA Spring Conference with some really knowledgeable speakers. Michael Bunbury introduced me to a lot of people and then we heard contributions on Europe, the economy and from the NFU, speaking on "Campaign for the Farmed Environment" - a coordinated response acting to prevent more government regulation.

One aspect of this was the protection and encourage of specialist and farmland birds.
I couldn't help asking a question on whether an assessment of the impact of the introduction of sea eagles into East Suffolk had been undertaken. Someone from the RSPB suggested that it had and more was being done, but this was countered elsewhere.
From then on, it was sea eagles all the way - causing quite a flap!

Later on Monday, I attended a reception at the House of Commons hosted by the All Party Environmental Group (and sponsored by the Mark Group) which was open to all PPCs. It was good to meet some people, including the Government Affairs Director of the RSPB who I tackled on this subject. She was surprised that there was still so much hostility to the idea but there certainly is and I won't let the matter rest.

Fabulous Felixstowe (visit to the Port)

Thanks to Paul Davey who showed me around the port of Felixstowe - how fortunate we are to have such a super port in Suffolk Coastal, providing excellent facilities for our country as its premier gateway for freight and really good employment and apprenticeship opportunities for local workers.
The new developments look promising and, if elected, I will be working hard to ensure that the port is still the most premier in Britain.

SOS Blue Cross Felixstowe

About three hundred hardy souls braved the elements and turned out with many canine friends to walk from Spa Pavilion to beyond Charlie Mannings in support of the campaign to stop the closure of Blue Cross Animal Shelter at Felixstowe. Well done to Tom Crowley and his trusty helpers who organised the superb march.

Rizzo, Clare and I were somewhat like drowned rats at the end but it was great supporting this. I had the delight of chatting to a young lady who has 2 Staffies, including the lovely Luna? Lula?

Photos to follow.

The Future!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the Suffolk candidates. I hope we will all be elected and be a great force for Suffolk alongside Tim Yeo and David Ruffley.

L to R: Ben Gummer (Ipswich), Matt Hancock (West Suffolk), Peter Aldous (Waveney), TC (SC), Dan Poulter (Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)

After that, I went on to see Liz Truss in Thetford with her daughters.

Thankyou to young Rosie who took our picture in Sainsbury's Cafe.

Oliver Letwin MP in Stratford St Andrew

Oliver Letwin MP came to speak to the Ladies (and gentlemen) of Suffolk Coastal at Stratford St Andrew, as part of a trip to Suffolk. He set out our approach to government - www.conservatives.com - which was about protecting and improving frontline services while improving the productivity and reducing the cost of the back office. It was a tour de force from Oliver including answering questions on tackling broken families.

Happy Birthday Evening Star

Happy Birthday Evening Star. As it was Ash Wednesday, I couldn't indulge in the cake on offer from the bakery at Martlesham Heath but I toasted them appropriately.

Vote for... Suffolk Coastal and Southwold!

I spent the weekend in the constituency, staying at the Ship in Dunwich, before moving into near Saxmundham. A great place to stay - especially if you have a dog (Rizzo was made very welcome). We drove round a lot of places, went to church in Southwold and had a late lunch at the Maybush in Waldringfield.

Anyway - Southwold has a chance to be crowned Best Foodie St by Google.
There is a lot of competition (including a village very close to where I used to live which is also good) so lend Southwold your vote!
http://www.google.com/landing/beststreetsuk/voting.html

Blue Cross update II

It seems a similar idea was raised on transfer of the property and it has developed. I now need to contact the volunteers to see if I can lend some help to this important cause.

Moving in...

Moved into near Saxmundham last night and awoke to snow!
So, I kept my pledge and looking forward to spending many happy years in Suffolk Coastal.

As it was Valentine's Day, I thought this graphic may be appropriate...

Blue Cross update

The first blog I made in my short campaign concerning closure of the Felixstowe Walton shelter. I spoke with the Blue Cross yesterday to find out more about whyWalton and not elsewhere. I am still disappointed but have sent an email to find out if the facility could be transferred to a different group or if the site is to be sold. If it can be transferred then perhaps I can encourage a new local group to form and take on this vital element of animal welfare. I will let you know more when I get a response.

Local Government Review kicked into long touch - hallelujah!

Good news today that the Local Government review (LGR) has been booted into touch. The Government proposes a convention but local leaders are already making steps.

I have seen close at hand how trying to make large rural counties into a unitary body and/or hiving off cities has just not been helpful to constituents - democracy is further away and costs have tended to go up, not down.

Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils already cooperate significantly, including having a joint chief executive. This is good practice and should be driven locally, not forced top down.

So I am sure one or two councillors are actually toasting Labour today for their "bottling" it and I raised a cheer too. Farce over.

Why is Elliot Morley still a Committee Chairman?

Given that Elliot Morley has been suspended from the Labour whip, has had his leaving payment suspended till the charges are lifted - why is he still earning £14k a year more as a committee chairman?

 

I think Mr Speaker should act.

UPDATE: I got it wrong - he doesn't earn the extra 14k a year and informally he no longer chairs meetings but he is still officially Chairman - so action still required.

Woodbridge Town Council

I popped in to meet Woodbridge Town Councillors last night and had my photo with Mr Mayor Cllr Les Binns.

A local resident Roger Hopson (Hobson?) rightly raised the topic of graffiti in the town. Good news from the local police that one of the tags had been recognised. I don't agree with Cllr Barratt's view that there should be a graffiti wall **. Cleaning up graffiti within 24 hours is the best way to stamp it out. I hope they can find a solution and not become entangled in red tape.
**UPDATE: Of course - that is for Woodbridge Town Council to decide, not the Parliamentary Candidate!

 

Earlier, I had popped in for a swift half at The Old Mariner - lovely pub, tasty beer and a nice barman (Andy). I am sure I will be back soon.

Working on the campaign already and cheque en route to RNLI c/o ComRes

Well, I made it to Woodbridge late in the afternoon and was able to discuss diary and initial campaign literature with my agent Terry Eastman. I met Michael Rowland for the first time who spent time in Wrexham and Chester (which I know well) as well as seeing Naneen and Trevor Hawkins again.

 

It was lovely to see Suffolk Coastal again so quickly and I am looking forward to moving in.

 

Com Res sent me a questionnaire which I filled in, including my support for the British pub. I am a member of CAMRA and intend to get round not only those in the Good Beer Guide but others as well as I tour the constituency.

The £50 donation for filling in the questionnaire should wing its way towards RNLI Southwold.

I understand that these are a regular feature so I will be choosing other worthy causes in the future.

 

And we're off...

What a weekend it has been. I have received so many messages from new friends and old. I have made contact with other Suffolk PPCs and will be speaking to John Gummer again tomorrow.

I also did my first interview on BBC Radio Suffolk live on drivetime (just after 5pm for listen again fans) and even managed a namecheck for our PPCs from Waveney and Ipswich.
Off to the constituency tomorrow to meet my Agent and hopefully a spot of canvassing later on - it will be good to meet the voters.

What a Day!

I am tempted to sing out loud Take That's tremendous song, "Today, this could be, the greatest day of our lives!"

Liverpool beat Everton, England beat Wales (sorry Mike and Linda!) and, last not but not least, I was thrilled to be chosen by the members of Suffolk Coastal Conservative Association as their prospective parliamentary candidate.

Words cannot describe how I feel but Rizzo was happy to see me!
Life is going to change.
Politics needs a change.
This is the year of change.


Thanks to everyone for their phone calls, emails, Facebook posts, texts, ... you name it.. and especially thanks to my lovely new constituency. I cannot wait to get started!

Expenses and Lobbyists

Yet more on MPs' expenses today with the publication of the Legge Report
I don't like the yah-boo going on with fingers pointing across.
Humble pie needs to be eaten, money repaid where appropriate and a fresh start. This election cannot come quickly enough.

I see that the meeting room bookings in the House have now been shared - could make for some interesting reading. If selected and elected, I have said that I will place on public record all the meetings that I will have with lobbyists.

NHS

Those 3 letters are at the forefront of our party.

Our health service is one of only two areas that we are committed to increase spending and, boy, in Suffolk,that is desperately needed. I haven't met anyone yet who has had a nice word to say about the leadership of Suffolk PCT. Whether it is the out of hours care, proposed reduction in services at Ipswich hospital and what is seen as the managed decline of Felixstowe and Aldeburgh hospitals.

We certainly cannot go on like this.
£350k p.a. to keep heart services or £750k for a new car park?

Speaking to people in the Waveney part of the patch, they seem more content with their PCT but the message is clear everywhere, Suffolk needs a bigger share of the pot but with spending in the hands of healthcare professionals.

Referendum at last? Oh.. not on Lisbon but AV

Gordon Brown offered the prospect of a referendum yesterday but not on the one matter which really deserved a referendum - the Lisbon Treaty/European Constitution.

This cheap, shabby move should come as no surprise as Labour is looking into an abyss and promising any measure to cling onto power, reaching out to potential LD swingers.

This will take up Parliament time next week unnecessarily in my view and actually, I hope that our Conservative MPs will during the debate not only put AV out to grass but also remind the British people that both Labour and Liberals stopped the British people having their referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

So why should AV be put out to grass?

1. Because first past the post is better, it's simple and does produce the most popular winner.
There have been quite a few anodyne similes to X Factor and so on..what complete rubbish. X Factor is first past the post every week - simples! You don't get a gold medal because others want you to - it is the first person who wins.. even if the favourite stumbles..

2. AV encourages negative voting..under AV, I vote for who I want and then I effectively vote against who I don't want. Choosing a government is too important to be hedging your bets but about stating who you want.

3. AV will not in itself increase voter turnout - every vote counts now.. the reason why I think voter turnout is falling is that voters recognise that in this centralised, quango state that we have become, the impact that elected politicians can have has fallen away. This is the key issue - localise, return powers and responsibility to local councils and the people - then we will see voter turnout increase.

Remember that more people voted for John Major to be PM than ever voted for Tony Blair. People will turnout in droves when it really matters to them. The British public will see through this move and add it to the list why 2010 is the Year for Change.

Sizing up Sizewell - it has to be part of our energy future

Nuclear energy definitely should play a full part in our energy provision for the medium future. Other new technologies have a role but we should not be slavish to them and we should continue to invest in technology innovation as we seek to increase the proportion of self-generated energy as well as reducing the amount of energy we need to consume.

It is vital for our energy security that we invest in this, so we are not over-dependent on Russian gas or Middle East oil. Nuclear is part of that answer - always on, ready to meet demand, .. not waiting for a gust of wind or the tide to turn!

I organised an international seminar for Mars on investment in innovation and natural resources (including water and energy) was a key focus. As an MIT professor illustrated it, you could put a wind turbine every mile from Harvard (Boston) to Stanford (California) and it would still not generate as much as energy as a standard nuclear plant - puts it in context nicely, I think.

All candidates have been invited to a tour of Sizewell on Friday. This won't be the first time I have had a tour (memories of a holiday here) but of course, a different angle this time - what is their view on intermediate waste in the UK? how do they want to leave a legacy post-construction?

There are genuine concerns about how Sizewell is constructed and about its waste.
I think it is right that the government makes the significant decisions on locations of power stations - but it is critical that a local public inquiry is held to take account of local concerns, to put forward objections and mitigating safeguards and address the real issues that matter locally. That should be done democratically and not by this new quango that can override democracy on the say so of a single inspector. On waste - well, only Cumbrian councils have volunteered to have Intermediate Waste permanently stored - I think that's right, but I will find out more and report back.

Suffolk on a Sunday

Enjoyed my Sunday in Suffolk Coastal, meeting some people, going to church (Rizzo has some new fans - especially one little girl in the porch who wanted to do the sign of peace with her "doggie peace, doggie peace" - Rizzo obliged though had to be rewarded with a biscuit) and then finishing off in Aldeburgh.

 

This is a big constituency (like my own) with many different issues - can't wait to get started, if the members will have me!

 

Headed home - I have to be in work for a couple of days but will be back up.

Looking forward to the trip to Sizewell - I just about remember going there many years ago.. let's see what's changed.