Out And About In The April Showers!

I do enjoy Fridays as I get to spend the day in the constituency visiting local businesses, schools, museums and other local attractions that are kind enough to invite me. I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of my visits last Friday.

My first visit was to open the newly refurbished Snowdrop Bereavement Room at the Barratt Maternity Home in Northampton Hospital. The funding of the refurbishment was paid for by 'Sands' which stands for 'Stillbirth and Neo Natal Death'. This wonderful Charity offers support to bereaved parents whose baby has died before or during birth. It was a great honour to be asked to attend, and perform the official opening.

I then made my way to Hardingstone Primary School in torrential rain to plant an oak tree in the grounds of the school. The story which led to the planting of this tree is an interesting one. Back in 2004 a number of acorns were taken from an oak tree that was planted at Much Wenlock, the original site of planning for the modern day Olympics. These acorns were planted at Kew Gardens; the idea being that should Britain be successful in its bid to host the 2012 Olympics, oak trees from the birthplace of the modern Olympics could be planted around the UK.

Fast forward eight years and Britain is on the cusp of hosting the thirtieth Olympiad this summer in London and we are all looking forward to the spectacular show and the moral and financial boost the games will give to the country. The acorns planted in 2004 now stand as 7 foot oak saplings ready for planting. I am delighted that Hardingstone School was chosen as a site for one of these trees and privileged to be asked to plant the tree. It was an old fashioned English tree planting during an old fashioned English spring downpour! It was a great event and two Olympic ambassadors from the school will travel to the Olympic stadium in a couple of months to watch the final tree planted ahead of the start of the games.

During the afternoon I held an advice surgery in Towcester and then at 5.30pm it was time to go to Silverstone Circuit for a sponsored bike ride in aid of NORPIP and the Nene Valley Care Trust. The rain had not let up; if anything it had got stronger and was now accompanied by a very strong wind! However, the weather didn't dampen our spirits and I was delighted by the number of people who turned up to take part. Cycling clubs from around the country came to enjoy cycling round our iconic Silverstone Circuit. I managed one circuit with my husband and eight year old daughter as the driving wind and rain was a little too much for us! However I look forward to hearing how much money we raised.

If anyone would like me to attend an event or would like to show me round their business or would just like to discuss an issue or two with me on a Friday, please get in touch with my office on 020 7219 7149 or email me at andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk and I would be delighted to come and see you on a Friday.

(Pictures show Andrea at Northampton Sands, Hardingstone School and at the charity bike ride)

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HS2 Compensation And Mitigation Forum – Second Meeting

Last week the second meeting of the HS2 Compensation and Mitigation Forum took place in Westminster. Hilary Wharf from HS2 Action Alliance and Tom Barrow from Knight Frank attended to discuss the problems faced by those looking to sell their homes but who do not qualify for the current compensation scheme.

Tom Barrow is a member of the Estate Valuations team at Knight Frank which has been specifically set up to deal with HS2 cases and deals exclusively with property owners rather than also acting on behalf of HS2 Ltd.

He explained that one of the big problems that those affected by HS2 face is the uncertainty surrounding the compensation scheme. He explained that the 'Land Compensation Act 1973' states that if you do not have land compulsorily purchased, you can submit a claim for compensation one year after the project opens for business. Clearly this is unacceptable for those suffering the blight of HS2 now and I am determined that no one should wait 15 years before receiving any kind of compensation! Tom believes no one is going to buy property at this time with the prospect of being affected by HS2. Therefore we clearly need to come up with fair compensation now.

Hilary Wharf stressed that a 'property bond' would be her preference for compensation. She explained that the 'property bond' is also popular with other groups such as the NFU, National Association of Estate Agents and the Council of Mortgage Lenders to name a few. 98% of those that responded to the question in last year's consultation also supported the idea of implementing a property bond. Hilary also explained that a 'property bond' would have a minimal cost to the Government, would provide cost free protection to individuals and would inject confidence into the property market.

It is clear from the forum meetings and the conversations I have with constituents that some residents are experiencing problems with communication with HS2 Ltd, with the EHS and with the blight that means some have tried unsuccessfully for over a year to sell their home. This is a great concern to me and I am meeting the Prime Minister soon to discuss compensation as a matter of urgency. I will keep you all up to date with how this progresses.

I am very encouraged by the first two meetings of the forum which have been well attended and very informative. Whilst there still remain more questions than answers I am hopeful that we are going to have some excellent proposals for a robust submission to the consultations on blight and compensation that will be opening soon.

I am working hard to make sure representatives from the Department for Transport, including the Secretary of State, attend future meetings to start providing answers to some of our questions. I will keep you updated with how these meetings progress.

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A Tale Of Two Breweries

During the Easter recess I had the pleasure of visiting two very different breweries in our area.

Firstly Hoggleys Brewery in Litchborough which is a small, family operation run by Julie Hogg and Roy Crutchley. Hoggleys has been brewing since 2003, starting off in the garden shed! Roy and Julie explained the process of producing their beer and no two barrels are ever the same. Hoggleys beers can be found in pubs and shops across Northamptonshire and even via Virgin Beer Clubs, and at lots of beer festivals.

I am hoping that in the Autumn, the House of Commons might stock Hoggleys for a while. The Strangers Bar always has a 'guest ale' which can be nominated by a Member of Parliament.

Later in the week I visited one of the world's greatest breweries, Carlsberg. Carlsberg is a big employer in our area and produces beer on a vast scale, supplying the whole of the needs of the UK market from the Northampton site. Unlike Hoggleys, all their beer has to be exactly the same to supply pubs, clubs and shops in every corner of the country. It is an impressive process, and I was interested to discover that their yeast goes to making Marmite!

Carlsberg did raise a concern about the alcohol duty escalator and I do have a certain amount of sympathy with this point. Whilst the excessive consumption of alcohol is a real growing problem in Britain, I do want to see British pubs thrive as they bring communities together and are part of our culture and way of life.

I was pleased to learn that Carlsberg take their corporate responsibility role very seriously. Julie and Roy at Hoggleys told me that, whilst being a competitor, Carlsberg have been very helpful in providing support and assisting them and other local breweries.

I would be delighted to visit other businesses in our area so if you would like me to visit or if your business has an issue you would like to raise with me, please do get in touch with my office on 020 7219 7149.

(Pictures show Andrea with Julie Hogg at Hoggleys Brewery and at Carlsberg)

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HS2 Public Meeting Report

On Tuesday 10 April I held a public meeting in Brackley to discuss the current position of the HS2 project. Even though I remain hopeful that the Government will think again regarding this project, I want to prioritise compensation and mitigation to ensure all those affected receive a fair deal.

As you may know, I have established the Compensation and Mitigation Forum in Parliament to give affected MPs the chance to have an input during this consultation period. At the last meeting we made it clear to Alison Munro, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd. that we will be looking for full compensation for all affected.

At the meeting in Brackley, Martin Tett from 51M and Hilary Wharf from HS2 Action Alliance informed residents of the 'Judicial Review' that each group is launching. These reviews will challenge the process that led up to the Government's decision to give HS2 the go ahead. A decision on whether there is a case to answer will be made by an independent Judge, within the next few months.

Penny Gaines from Stop HS2 explained what members of the public can do to continue the opposition to HS2. Peter Deeley also attended representing SNAG.

It was clear that many residents are experiencing problems with communication with HS2 Ltd; with the EHS and with the blight that means that some have tried for over a year to sell their home to no avail. This is a great concern to me and I am writing to the Prime Minister to ask for a private meeting to discuss compensation as a matter of urgency. I will keep you all up to date with how this progresses.

An Environmental Impact Assessment is underway and consultations on blight, safeguarding and the environment will begin in May and last until the summer with conclusions announced in the Autumn. I intend to take a full part in these consultations.

The next meeting of the HS2 Compensation and Mitigation Forum takes place this week and I will write again with an update after that meeting.

With best wishes

Andrea

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New 101 Non Emergency Police Number

I was delighted to meet Chief Inspector Dave Spencer last week who has just become the new

District Commander for Daventry and South Northamptonshire and I was really encouraged by what he had to say.

One of the greatest problems in our area is the presumption of a lack of police presence. Chief Inspector Spencer told me he will make it his aim to increase the visibility of police officers in our villages and towns which will allow people to feel safer and will at the same time act as a deterrent to criminals.

He also told me about the new national 101 non emergency number that has just been launched. Dialling 101 will connect you with the nearest local police. If you are near to the border of two Forces, you will be offered a choice so if, for example. you are calling from near Brackley you would be asked if you wished to speak to Northamptonshire Police or Thames Valley Police. All calls cost 15p, irrespective of length or if they are from a mobile or a landline. For more information please visit www.police.uk/101

So if it is an emergency make sure you dial 999 straight away but if it's not an emergency but you need to get in touch with your local police, keep in mind the number 101.

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Meeting Of The HS2 Compensation And Mitigation Forum

On Tuesday the first full meeting of the HS2 Compensation and Mitigation Forum took place in Westminster. Alison Munro, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, Ralph Smith, Senior Transport Campaigner from the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Matt Ware, Senior Parliamentary Advisor and Ivan Moss, Chief Planning Advisor from the NFU were the speakers.

The meeting was very well attended with many MPs attending or sending researchers to ask questions and to listen to what our speakers had to say regarding compensation and mitigation.

Alison Munro gave a presentation on the next stages of the project. HS2 Ltd is now working on refining the design and mitigation, and Alison stressed that HS2 Ltd are keen to work with communities to get this right. They are establishing National Environment Forums, Community Forums and Local Authority Planning Forums.

An Environmental Impact Assessment is underway and consultations on blight, safeguarding and the environment will begin in May and last until the summer with conclusions announced in the Autumn. I intend to take a full part in these consultations.

The options for the Y route will go to the Secretary of State this month and she will announce her preferred route later this year before a consultation begins early in 2014. I made a strong request that HS2 Ltd. and the Department for Transport encourage MPs on the 'likely' route of the Y to engage with the consultation on compensation as otherwise it will have been decided entirely without their input.

Ivan Moss from the NFU raised their concerns over the ability of blighted farms to make plans, and explained that they are working closely with HS2 Ltd. to ensure compensation is fair. Ivan explained that land agents working on behalf of HS2 Ltd. should have a duty of care towards all land and property owners. The NFU are also raising issues over replacing lost buildings, access for farmers to their land, water and electricity.

Lastly, Ralph Smyth from the CPRE explained that the CPRE are focussing on the Environmental Impact Assessment and want to work with HS2 Ltd. to improve the design of structures to reduce noise, protect tranquil areas and conserve the countryside. He called for joined up thinking when considering a wider transport and planning policy. Alison Munro confirmed that HS2 Ltd. would be considering placing cabling and water mains, for example, underneath the track when it is laid, which could replace pylons that are currently above ground.

There is a long way to go in this project, and it was clear there are more questions than answers at present. If HS2 goes ahead, I'm determined to make sure none of my constituents lose out financially.

I look forward to being able to update you on future meetings in due course.

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Share The Warmth In South Northamptonshire!

The cost of living has gone up over recent years, and faster than what earnings have. In this economic environment it's hard for families to make ends meet. One of the areas that people can face difficulty is energy. However, with energy prices rising people don't need to face higher bills. Through energy efficiency people can save money. Insulating a home by filling a cavity, or a loft, can save a household around £175 a year. Most energy companies will offer their customers free insulation; you just need to call them.

But there are those people that need that bit more help. The really vulnerable. Not only do they struggle with their bills, but they are also the least likely to come forward to get help. Help that is readily available. This is when communities can come into their own. If you have a friend, or a relative, or just an elderly neighbour, why don't you see if they are getting their homes made warmer?

British Gas recently announced their "Share the Warmth" offer. If you find someone that meets their criteria for insulation, they'll give you £50 for your troubles. They'll also insulate the house of the vulnerable customer, and then give them £50 as well. Neither of you even needs to be a British Gas customer. All you need do is get your friend or relative to call 0800 975 1195, let them know you referenced them, and the get paid.

This is a great opportunity for our community to come together and help those that need help. I hope you'll be able to find some who can access this programme. To find out more about visit www.sharethewarmth.co.uk.

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Treasury Select Committee Visit - China

Utterly amazing, is what I think of China........

From the visible lack of personal freedom (and the astonishing lack of concern about it, even from those who live with it) to the remarkable growth story and the vast economic ambition, all cloaked in an aspiration of 'harmony', China is like nowhere else.

Last time I came with a rucksack 20 years ago, and I remember the extreme poverty, the way we foreigners were literally touched and poked as if we came from another planet, and how everything was so dirty and run down. And the cockroaches...

Now, visiting Shanghai and Beijing as part of the Treasury Select Committee delegation, it was like entering a new world. The purpose of our visit was to look into the issue of Global Imbalances (i.e. the massive trade surpluses in the East - plus Germany- versus the massive trade deficits of the West). What role have global imbalances played in the financial crisis? How can a rebalancing take place? What will happen if it doesn't? What lessons can Britain learn from the way the Chinese government handled the crisis? What will Chinese economic reforms mean for Britain?

Huge questions, and my mind is still buzzing with the vast amount of information we gleaned from 5 days of nonstop meetings with Chinese officials, economists, business people and bankers and from the pretty inspiring visits to:

1. Yu Wu commodities market - the biggest under cover 'buyers market' in the world with over 60,000 shops under one roof and where you can buy literally every basic product under the sun. Buyers fly in from around the world to put in their orders. Apparently at one point 95% of the world's button supply came from this one market!

2. The astonishing TEDA - Tianjin Economic Development Area. Once barren salt flats, in 1984 (notice how long ago the concept was conceived...right at the start of the 'de-communising' of China) the Chinese Government granted to the Tianjin Municipal government the infrastructure (electricity, drainage, roads, trains, water etc) to build an economic zone here. It is one of many now sprung up across China. We took the high speed train from Beijing (30 mins) to Tianjin, 6th biggest city in China (population of 12 million). TEDA has 6 specialisations: electronics and telecommunications, automobile, biopharmaceutical, aerospace, new energy and new material. It's year on year growth is between 20 and 30%. It has new housing set around a lake with shopping malls, a golf course and brand new schools. Population is 550,000 people, referred to by the Vice Mayor of Tianjin as a 'village'. It is truly impressive.

Other visits were to a Tesco 'green' distribution centre and to a Chinese hosiery factory where we got a tiny insight into life for the workers. It's not glamorous even bearing in mind we were probably shown the best of it. Many workers come from rural areas, live in dormitories and send their pay home to their families. However conditions in both places looked reasonably good and most parts of China have a minimum wage that (from a low start) has risen each year by well over inflation. All part of the growth story, and probably the reason why there is little social unrest.

We held countless meetings, usually in the formal Chinese style where the two senior people (Andrew Tyrie on our side, as Chairman of the TSC) would sit side by side in large armchairs with a beautiful floral display on a table between them, with interpreters sat behind and the Committee members in armchairs lining the left hand side of the room and their own staff lining the right hand side. Tea would be poured, consisting of loose leaves in a mug of hot water and many polite speeches would be made before we got down to serious questions.

We learnt an incredible amount, not just about the facts of China's amazing growth, but also about the urgent need for greater economic and financial reform in China if they are to continue on their current trajectory. The 'elephant in the room' was always that of democratic reform. The closest we got to an answer on what their plans are, is that the Communist Party are bending over backwards to ensure greater accountability within a one party system. They believe (not surprisingly) that with a population of 1.3bn, a multi party system could not have achieved the recent dramatic improvement in quality of life. One official told us that now, in the 12th '5 Year Plan', there is recognition that economic growth is an insufficient target. Instead the target should be improved quality of life at all levels. In other words, there is a sense that provided growth continues at 8% or better year on year, and this translates into a real improvement in living standards across the board, then social harmony will be maintained.

So can China continue to grow at 8% year on year or better? Without exception the answer from the Chinese was 'yes'. Chinese productivity is rising fast; average income is rising 15-20% p/a from a low base; the response to the financial crisis of a massive increase in public sector infrastructure investment has created capacity for growth. Investment now accounts for 50% of GDP, both from public and private investment, the latter mainly in creating more capacity for export.

The big problems for China that most Government officials focus on are their 'internal' imbalances: per capita income is more than three times greater in the urban and East Coast areas than in rural regions leading to rapid urbanisation with both Shanghai and Beijing now over 20m population; domestic consumption rates are only about 30% (vs 65% in the US) - this is because there is no meaningful welfare net, healthcare or State pension as yet. The Government is moving to change this, now offering a pension of 120RMB (£12 a month) against an average p/c income of RMB 30,000 p/a, some subsidised housing etc.

Savings are a high proportion of income partly because government controlled deposit rates offer a negative net return - therefore people 'oversave' and there is also a tendency toward asset bubbles (housing, the stock market, even alcohol).

A key focus for Government must be to increase domestic demand and reduce reliance on exports. We went there thinking the Chinese should be as worried as we are about global imbalances, but the truth is that their perspective is a China- centric one: with the Eurozone turmoil reducing overseas demand, with the 6% appreciation of the RMB and with the growing cost base as domestic wages increase, they recognise exporting their way to success is not the ultimate answer.

So to grow domestic demand means real reform, and this is where it all became hazy......the local economists and bankers told us what needs to happen: enforceable land and property rights; market pricing for energy; ability for foreigners to list on Shanghai stock exchange; market interest rates etc etc, but it was unclear what will actually happen in this current 5 Year Plan. On the question of tax rates, where consumption taxes are around 60% (so another reason for low consumption) the Vice Head of the Financial Committee (sort of Andrew Tyrie's equivalent) said that tax reform is too difficult to tackle right now and must wait for future plans.

We also asked lots of questions on Chinese debt, around 18% of GDP until you add in 'local' debt, believed to increase the debt total to 80% of GDP. The local debt is due to the infrastructure investment. This is another hugely 'growth dependent' issue - if the economy grows the loans should be ok, but if growth stalls or there is a global 'shock' e.g. from a Euro breakup, then the government would have to stand behind the loans, and the Beijing IMF Rep suggested China would need another fiscal stimulus of around 3% of GDP.

It was all a very circular debate, pointing to the vital need for economic and fiscal reform leading to increased domestic demand and a lower reliance on export markets. I was left with the sense that growth is the only answer, but long term growth requires reform, and that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The change of leadership at the top of the Party due in 2012 is another reason why reform will be slower than needed.

China offers huge growth potential to the UK - particularly in the traditional financial services areas such as pensions, insurance, savings and mortgages, where only a tiny proportion of the vast population have access to such products. In TEDA, one of the great success stories we were told about is a joint venture between Standard Life and a local Chinese company that now has 80% of the Tianjin market for life products.

Another big area of potential is in 'brands'. It really struck us how smitten the wealthy Chinese are with designer brands, whether it's cars, clothes or electronics. They have no major brands yet themselves, and we should be seizing the opportunity for taking a share of the fast growing luxury market. It's no surprise that Bicester Shopping Village is so popular with Chinese visitors to Britain!

We tried very hard to get a strong feel for Chinese views on the global picture. What did come across is that we certainly can't rely on China continuing its policy of slow appreciation of the RMB; we also got no sense of the timing of any planned deregulation of the currency. It was clear that China is focused on enhancing domestic growth but is not afraid of a continued high trade surplus. We had one interesting comment that China believes the world must save the Euro to avert global economic disaster, and that the Chinese will contribute via the IMF rather than the EFSF. They expect their role at G20, IMF and World Bank to continue to grow as they become an ever more important global player.

My overall impression is of a vast and largely untapped economic powerhouse. The hotels we stayed in were at the cheaper end, but with world class facilities and service - they have clearly got the hang of 'customer service' and the infrastructure (train stations, airports) is also world class. On the other hand, when you go onto wi-fi there is a slightly sinister message telling you that the police may monitor your internet usage and when footage came up on the BBC TV channel about Tibet, the programme shut down for a minute.

The trip probably raised more questions than it answered, but was a fascinating insight into what will soon be the world's biggest economy.

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Towcester By-Elections

By-elections for the District Council and County Council took place in Towcester last week following the sad death of Councillor Di Dallyn and the resignation of Councillor Rosemary Bromwich.

I would like to congratulate Councillor Chris Lofts who took the seat on the County Councillor and Councillor Lisa Samiotis who gained the Town Councillor seat, both for the Liberal Democrats. I look forward to working with them for the benefit of the town.

I think both Councillor Ian McCord and John Gasking, the Conservative candidates deserve congratulating for a well fought and positive campaign. Ian is a well respected Yardley Gobion District Councillor and I know he would have been a strong voice for Towcester on the Council. John Gasking has also been a strong voice for Towcester and I wish him a speedy recovery from his recent illness.

Finally, congratulations to all those that turned out to vote in the by-election on a bitterly cold and snowy February Thursday! The 29% turnout was not bad considering the weather...

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Treasury Select Committee Visit - Singapore

Singapore - the best place in the world to do business! That's according to the World Bank's 'Doing Business' Report.

I am on a Treasury Select Committee visit to Singapore and China and I see our job as 1. Promoting British business; 2. Understanding how financial services are regulated and what Britain can learn from them; 3. Working out whether Singapore is a 'threat' or an 'opportunity' for British financial services; 4. Understanding China's policy toward opening up her economy.

When we arrived we could immediately see why Singapore has such a high business rating. A huge, modern airport, no queuing for passport control or luggage. In fact they target no more than a 12 minute wait........Heathrow could learn something from Changi. And if there was one consistent message right through our visit, it was that efficiency, ease of doing business and openness to trade is key to Singapore's success.

We had a briefing from the High Commissioner, and then formal meetings with Standard Chartered, the Financial Scrutiny Committee of Singapore's Parliament, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) plus Temasek and GIC, the two fund managers who between them manage Singapore's enormous reserves.

Standard Chartered almost immediately allayed any concerns about regulatory arbitrage opportunities between the City and Singapore - their capital and liquidity requirements remain well above Basel III so even with retail ring fencing in the UK, it's hard to see why any bank would want to move to Singapore. It was also clear from MAS that they are cautious about the size of banks compared to Singapore's GDP...... In fact foreign banks (with the exception of US banks) are only permitted a maximum of 25 outlets (including branches and even ATMs) in Singapore. I was left with the impression that the hints given by bankers who appear in front of the TSC that they might leave London are pretty unfounded at least where Singapore is concerned.....

At the Chamber of Commerce we had a fascinating presentation on China vs Europe and the US. It brought home to us what a vast potential market China offers. With average per capita income of $4,000 per year, the Chinese spend only one third of it, versus the US with $47,000 and spending 65% of it! In the US there are 700 cars per 1,000 of population; in China only 10.

There was a highly unforgiving perspective given to us on the Eurozone. The good news is that Britain is not tarred with the Eurozone brush, and there is consistent and vociferous support for our austerity measures - keep going, they urge! However, Germany is considered to have seriously failed in its duty to shore up the Euro. The argument goes like this.....Germany and China are the two 'problem' economies in terms of global imbalances. (global imbalances meaning the huge trade surpluses of Asia and Germany vs the huge trade deficits of the US and the rest of Europe).

China's policy response to the imbalance has been to permit a slow appreciation of the Renminbi over the last decade (with a notable and unhelpful halt during the financial crisis). This has made Chinese exports gradually more expensive and imports relatively cheaper, therefore encouraging a slow rebalancing of trade.

Germany, on the other hand, has been locked into a relatively suppressed currency (the Euro) versus where the Deutsch Mark might have been. This has boosted their exports outside the EU at the same time as the Single Market has given them unfettered access to the whole of the EU. So Germany took the good times, but her response to the bad times is to force austerity on her neighbours rather than take the real financial hit herself. I don't recall any of those we met believing the Euro can continue without Germany's underwriting it.

GIC and Temasek have undisclosed funds under management, believed to total up to Sing$ 400 billion between them. GIC has a big office in London and bases their infrastructure investment team there. As Britain gets our massive infrastructure programme underway, I hope we will be working hard to attract external funding to relieve the burden on the taxpayer.

Our meetings with Standard Chartered, with Parliament and with MAS were a great advertisement for Statist intervention! All gave the strong impression of Singapore as a huge corporation, where private and public sector decide together on a strategy and then make it happen. The example of shipping finance was given, where decisions were taken to develop an expertise, so while Standard Charter and others recruited the experts, fast track visas were provided and infrastructure to promote shipping was put in place. The tiny local population (5 million, of whom one third are immigrants) means that domestic consumption is tiny relative to international trading volumes. Singapore is a true barometer for the world economy - shipping freight, oil transportation and financial services all mean that Singapore is the first to take the hit in a downturn, and the first to recover afterwards.

My reservation about Singapore's governance is the degree of consensus in their thinking. The MAS is staffed with seriously intelligent people, but they are accountable to the Minister for Finance and then he is accountable to the parliamentary scrutiny committee. It's a far cry from our hearings in Britain where the Treasury Committee directly holds the Governor and the FSA to account, openly challenging their analysis. In Singapore, it's not clear who or how challenge is made. Even their Parliament is almost all one party and there is no effective Opposition. It's fine whilst they continue to get things right, but 'group think' is one of the biggest dangers in any endeavour. On the other hand, it's not Singapore that just suffered a massive financial crisis...

So the answer to the questions: 1. There is huge goodwill towards Britain (apparently even spurred on by our visit) and business opportunities will only get better as the EU free trade agreement is finalised, hopefully this year. 2. Financial Services in Singapore are on an even tighter rein than in the UK.....worth remembering when UK banks complain about regulatory change. 3. In financial services, I saw no evidence that Singapore threatens London's position. However, partnership with the Asian and European time zones is a fantastic opportunity as Asia's economies become ever larger and more globally important.

Next stop Shanghai. We've barely had any sleep yet due to time differences and no rest at all due to nonstop meetings! Still, utterly fascinating and can't wait to get to China. The last time I went was 20 years ago backpacking with my Mum and sister and all I remember was cockroaches everywhere! I'm told it's changed........

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Early Attachment Adjournment Debate

On Tuesday I secured the Adjournment debate in the House of Commons. The debate was called 'Public disorder of August 2011 and the case for Early Intervention.' 'Mob Rule' and 'Flaming Morons' were headlines we saw back in August as a minority of mindless thugs spread fear and intimidation through our society. There can be no justification or excuse for the actions of this minority; it was simply selfish opportunism which can have no place in our society.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to our police officers up and down the country who worked so hard to restore order in such difficult circumstances. I am pleased that strong action was taken against the rioters and that subsequently tough punishments have been handed out. No one made them loot and pillage, no one dragged them out onto the streets to take part. We have to get back to a Society where responsibilities are taken in equal measure to rights.

I am not seeking to justify or excuse the actions of the rioters in August but I would like to explore how we can prevent these scenes from ever being witnessed again. Early Attachment is the ultimate in prevention and I believe that prevention is not only far kinder, but far cheaper, than cure.

I put forward the case that the way to prevent the social breakdown we saw so vividly last August is by early years intervention from conception to age two. This means providing psychotherapeutic support for families struggling with the earliest relationship with their baby. I explained how secure attachment or 'parental love' literally hard wires the baby's brain. 'Loved' babies go on to become emotionally secure adults, able to hold down a job, make friends and keep a partner. Babies who are neglected or abused are likely to become the bullies, the victims, the mentally ill and the criminals - emotional damage done while the baby's brain is still developing has far reaching effects on our society.

It was a great pleasure to discuss the work of the Early Intervention charities OXPIP and NORPIP, who work to support families who may be struggling to bond with their babies. Helping parents to build the strongest possible relationships with their babies during the first two years produces huge benefits for that child as he / she grows up - and society also reaps huge dividends.

I was pleased to be given the opportunity to explain Early Intervention and highlight the impressive, vital and essential work that Parent Infant Projects are doing and can do more of in the future. I'm convinced that Parent Infant Projects can offer a massive contribution to mending our broken society and preventing scenes like the ones we saw on our streets in August.

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New Anti HS2 Group Established

After the Secretary of State's announcement earlier this month to proceed with HS2, I decided to meet with colleagues to discuss how best to go forward with the campaign.

First and foremost I am against this project and will continue to be so because it is a waste of taxpayer's money, will not bring the benefits to the north that are claimed it will, is not environmentally friendly and will take far too long to deliver. I believe there are much better solutions to narrowing the North South and relieving capacity on our railway lines that can be delivered quicker, cheaper and in a more environmentally friendly way.

However, just because I am against this project does not mean that it is not sensible to discuss mitigation and compensation with the Government and HS2 Ltd if they are determined to go ahead with this project. If HS2 does go ahead then many communities are going to be affected but I do not want to see communities destroyed because of unforeseen consequences such as subsidence or social housing being placed in the wrong areas or houses in small communities becoming cut off and isolated.

I want compensation to be fair. If people want to move and can't sell their house then they need to receive compensation regardless of whether they officially qualify for the compensation schemes or not. If the route changes again we need to know what will happen to those homes who have already received a compulsory purchase order and I do not want to see people waiting decades before they see any kind of compensation. A lot of the talk surrounding compensation is regarding homes although we also have to ask questions about what will happen to businesses.

These are questions that were raised at a meeting with MP colleagues today and we urgently need answers to these questions very soon. I will be sending a letter to Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Transport that will be jointly signed by other MPs very shortly asking her these questions.

It was also agreed to establish a new group of MPs who are sceptical about this project. The new group will be known as the 'HS2 Compensation and Mitigation Forum' and will meet on a regular basis to discuss campaign ideas and share information. The Secretary of State for Transport, officials from HS2 Ltd and experts who have worked on similar projects will be invited to address the group to answer questions and offer advice.

It is vitally important that we keep up the pressure on the Government and colleagues and I are determined to scrutinise this project closely in every aspect and I hope that this new group will allow us to achieve this.

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Dangerous and Reckless Cycling (Offences) Bill

In March last year I introduced a 10 Minute Rule Bill, 'Dangerous and Reckless Cycling (Offences) Bill'. 10 Minute Rule Bills do not usually make it onto the Statute book, simply because there is not enough time to see them all the way through the legislative process but they are a great way of raising an important issue with the Government.

The Second Reading of my Bill is scheduled to take place on Friday 20 January 2012, however it is number 27 on the Order Paper and usually only two or three Bills get read therefore I do not expect my Bill to be reached! I have produced a Bill text which has been published and can be read below:

Dangerous and Reckless Cycling (Offences) Bill  

I have also written to the Department for Transport to ask the Minister's opinion of the Bill and to encourage him to use it as a template for future road safety legislation.

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HS2 Announcement

The Government have announced today their intention to proceed with the HS2 project. I wanted to provide you with all the information that the Government have produced today. You can view the relevant documents by clicking here.

The Secretary of State's Written Ministerial Statement is now on my website and can be viewed here.

The Secretary of State has announced that changes to the original route proposed have been made along the whole route in response to the consultation. In South Northamptonshire a longer green tunnel has been proposed past Chipping Warden and Aston le Walls and the route will curve to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgecote. These aim to provide additional mitigation for Aston le Walls, reduce setting impact on Grade I listed Edgecote House, avoid a scheduled momument (the Roman Villa site) and the possible location of the historic Edgecote Moor battlefield.

The alignment has been lowered and a green tunnel introduced past Greatworth, and a short green tunnel at Turweston. These changes aim to help mitigate landscape, noise and visual impacts as well as remove the need for a viaduct. Maps of the revised line of route can be found here.

As you know, I strongly support the need for better transport infrastructure but I continue to believe the existing HS2 project is not the right project and is not good value for taxpayers. I will continue to fight this proposal as strongly as I have before and will continue to try to convince the Government that there are better alternatives available.

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The Day I Took a Year Five Lesson

I visited Yardley Gobion Primary School on Friday 9th December 2011.

Attending the school assembly I had the opportunity to talk to the whole school who were well informed about the role of MPs and Parliament.

During the assembly the school was presented with the International School Award for outstanding development of the International dimension in the curriculum by the British Council and not for the first time but for the third!

I also took the opportunity to take a lesson with Year 5 pupils. It was a wonderful experience to engage with the Year 5 children. It is one of the highlights of being an MP, and I took the opportunity to invite them to visit the Houses of Parliament which I really hope they will take up.

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Value For Your Money

In an effort to be transparent about my work, I thought you might be interested to see an update of my parliamentary expenses so far this financial year (April 2011 to October 2011).

I do not claim expenses for accommodation either in Westminster or in Northamptonshire, nor do I claim expenses for any of my own travel costs on parliamentary business.

I run my office on a tight budget but with a view to making sure we can deal with the workload efficiently - I am conscious of the need to be very careful with taxpayers money. I have spent £10,500 on office costs (rent, printing, stationary, training for my staff etc) in the 7 months since April 2011. This is less than half the annual budget allowed by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) of £21,500, so we are well ahead of budget. My staffing costs for the 7 months since April are £55,900, which is again well within the annual budget of £115,000 provided by IPSA. Finally, my staff have claimed £1,260 in travel between Westminster and South Northamptonshire, in conducting 38 out of an allowed 96 single journeys.

Since election in May 2010, I have written over 5,700 letters in response to enquiries from more than 2,600 constituents. In the last year, I have spoken in 73 debates in the House of Commons, and have received answers to 77 written questions. Both of these are above average amongst MPs. I have voted in 84.33% of votes in this Parliament, which again is above average amongst MPs. If you would like more information on the work that I do, you can sign up for alerts at www.theyworkforyou.com.

I will continue to work hard to provide the best service and value for money that I can for South Northamptonshire.

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The Prime Minister Was Right To Use The Veto

I agree entirely with the Prime Minister's approach at the European Council meeting last week. Stability in the Eurozone is clearly in the UK's national interest, as are protecting access to the single market and defending the financial services industry in the UK. The PM sought to achieve all these objectives and was forced to use his veto when it became apparent that other EU leaders were not prepared to allow Britain's own national interest to be taken into account.

The financial services industry employs nearly two million people in Britain, accounts for 10% of GDP, and generates over £50 billion in tax receipts annually in the UK. It is a vital national interest that must be protected. The UK is a gateway to the EU for financial services, but it is important that we also look to the faster growing markets of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and others around the world. We must not get tied down by EU legislation that would prevent our businesses accessing these markets.

Up until the credit crunch of 2008, EU policy on financial services was generally helpful to the City of London, expanding market access and liberalising financial markets across Europe. London was rightly seen by EU policy makers as a leader in the field and an asset to Europe. Since the crisis, the response from UK and EU policy makers has been markedly different. EU policy is generally to restrict activity of financial markets—the default reaction appears to be if you don't like it, ban it. UK policy, on the other hand, is to radically improve regulation and supervision, going further in some cases, such as the Vickers report on banking, than currently allowed under EU law.

There are currently nearly 50 proposals under consideration by the European Union which threaten UK financial services. Some of the most damaging include a Financial Transactions Tax, a ban on some short-selling, and a proposal that transactions on euro-denominated financial products are cleared only in the eurozone.

While having a significant interest in Financial Services, the UK may well be out-voted on matters in the EU. From 2014, the UK will have only 12 per cent of the votes in the Council of Ministers and 10 per cent in the European Parliament, yet it accounts for 36 per cent of the EU's wholesale finance industry and enjoys a 61 per cent share of the EU's net exports of international transactions in financial services.

Over the last two weeks, I have hosted meetings of the cross party group for European Reform and the Fresh Start Project where we discussed the issue of Financial Services. One idea that we have put forward is to negotiate for the UK an 'emergency brake' on EU financial services legislation. This could take the form of a 1 clause, UK specific legal safeguard which would give the UK the ability to block the effects of potentially harmful EU legislation.

Eurozone leaders continue to want to involve all 27 EU members in the treaty change required for closer fiscal union in the eurozone, and to use the institutions of the EU to implement this fiscal union. I don't think it is practical for a new treaty without Britain to be implemented and I suspect we will see other EU member states coming to the same conclusion pretty soon. There is a long way to go, not just in this particular treaty negotiation, but also to stabilise the euro—the crisis is far from over. With this backdrop, the PM is absolutely right to be negotiating in Britain's best interests.

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Is A Two Speed Europe Back On The Agenda?

The eurozone crisis is reaching end of the beginning. For too long we have limped on with a pretence from European leaders that Greece can somehow survive in the Eurozone. The reality is that Greece is now completely uncompetitive and has been fiscally irresponsible. Greece does not have the infrastructure to collect taxes properly; the Greek pensionable age is far too young; the public sector is far too powerful, and the riots on the streets show clearly that the public is deeply resistant to the level of austerity that is necessary if they are to pull through within the Eurozone terms.

Even with the change of government, I think it is inevitable that Greece will default. It needs to do what it should have done eighteen months ago: leave the euro and renegotiate its debt. The markets can cope with an orderly sovereign debt default; they cannot cope with complete uncertainty and a lack of transparency.

The question is now 'What will the markets do next?' Mrs Thatcher once said 'You can't buck the markets.' This contrasts strikingly with Angela Merkel's view that 'Politics cannot and will not simply follow the markets.' Undoubtedly, politicians will have to follow the markets in the end - unless we are prepared to change entirely our capitalist, wealth-generating system. Of course we are not and we should not – but drastic action of a different kind is needed.

The alternatives are:

1. Fiscal union between all eurozone countries, effectively giving Germany control over tax rates, interest rates and the pensionable age. Will the European public wear this? I would say absolutely not...
2. A massive bailout by Germany in return for nothing. Will the German people wear that? I would say absolutely not...
3. Germany leaving the euro. This is ironically an increasingly attractive solution - if Germany was to leave, its currency would revalue dramatically and the euro would be left to devalue to the point where the rest of the eurozone could become competitive. Opinion polls in Germany suggest the idea has some merit.
4. A disorderly break up of the euro. Whilst still at the moment an unthinkable outcome, without a comprehensive political solution it becomes an inevitable endgame.

In the end, what could force the hand of European leaders is another banking crisis, not about who owns what in asset-securitised loans but about who owns what in sovereign debt. Banks are not required to mark to market their holdings in government debt, so the uncertainty around who owns what is creating extra problems. If we end up with another banking crisis where banks will not lend to one another because of uncertainty, we will be rightly accused of having learned nothing from the crisis in 2008.

Britain is certainly not immune to the crisis - almost half our exports go to the eurozone and the crisis we are currently witnessing could well push us back into recession. We have to come up with a serious new agenda for growth. One of the biggest hindrances for growth is the bureaucracy of the European Union.

Regulation and red tape is stifling business and acting as a disincentive to entrepreneurialism. It is the single biggest problem of being a member of the EU, and gives a big focus for renegotiation when the time comes, as we know it must and will.

The contemporary reality presents us with a major opportunity. There is no doubt that while markets are instantaneous, treaties take years and Britain needs to be ready to renegotiate a better deal for our citizens as a result of this complete chaos. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for European Reform, which I chair with Thomas Docherty MP (Labour, Dunfermline and West Fife), met for the first time in early November. We will be offering the government a considered piece of research about which areas they should focus on when they come to renegotiate our relationship with the EU in the best interests of Britain. I am delighted that the Foreign Secretary has indicated his support for the group and that he has offered the support of Government advisors to contribute to our meetings.

The outcome of the crisis in the eurozone and the future of the European Union are both uncertain, yet one thing we can be sure of is that the EU is going to change fundamentally - and that this is provides a huge chance for us to negotiate a new relationship that is in the best interests of Britain.

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Time To Stop The Bonuses!

The Financial Stability Report, to be published twice a year by the new Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England, has come out today with a very clear recommendation to the Banks: "given the current exceptionally threatening environment, the Committee recommends that, if earnings are insufficient to build capital levels further, banks should limit distributions and give serious consideration to raising external capital in the coming months".

I sincerely hope this means the current proposals for another round of huge bankers' bonuses will be shelved. We are at a point in the Eurozone crisis where the banking system could again collapse with even worse consequences than in 2008. Bank Chief Executives, with pressure from shareholders, need to see the writing on the wall for bonuses.

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Lobby Day On Sex And Relationship Education In Primary Schools

On Thursday 1 December I presented a petition of over 45,000 signatures to the Department for Education of parents who are against explicit sex education in primary schools. This followed a Lobby Day I sponsored in Parliament on Thursday 24 November to discuss this issue.

The meeting was addressed by a range of speakers, including Antonia Tully, leader of a campaign 'Safe at School' which advises parents and teachers who are concerned about the explicit nature of sex education in schools. There were also a number of parents from Northamptonshire and other parts of England who addressed the meeting and spoke of their experiences with their own children and finding out about the material that was being shown to them at school.

I have been contacted by a number of local parents expressing their concerns. It is, of course, a very difficult issue for many parents to raise, and there is always the delicate balance between expressing concern for what your children are seeing and not being seen to rock the boat or wishing to alienate them among their school friends.

A number of MPs and Lords attended the meeting and I think the whole room was shocked by seeing some of the material that is being used to teach young children about sex. The Department for Education is currently drafting new guidelines for schools on sex and relationship education (SRE) and I would like to see a form of independent classification of the material used. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has been rating films for 99 years and seems to be well placed to assess material, and I am sure that this would give worried parents some peace of mind in knowing what their children were seeing.

To see some of the images being shown to very young children in our primary schools was genuinely shocking. We are not asking the Government to start implementing legislation on SRE material but we are saying we think the status quo is quite wrong and we want to work with the Department and parents to make sure there is good guidance over what materials are used in schools.

I met with Nick Gibb MP, the Schools Minister yesterday with some of the parents from Northamptonshire to discuss the meeting and the issues which were raised. I know the Minister takes this matter very seriously and I hope he will take on board my idea of allowing the BBFC to age rate material.

(Picture shows Andrea presenting the petition to the Department for Education)

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High Speed Rail Lobby Day 2011

On Monday 28 November I chaired the High Speed Rail Lobby Day which took place in the Grand Committee Room in Parliament.

Many MPs whose constituencies are affected and many that are not attended the meeting to listen to the arguments. I was pleased to see a number of Members of the House of Lords attend as well as members of Action Groups who continue to work tirelessly to change the Government's mind on this project and make sure that people around the country know and understand the facts.

Jerry Marshall spoke about the alternatives to HS2 and the Transport Select Committee's report into HS2 which, whilst supporting the concept of high speed rail, raises serious concerns about this project in its current form. Steve Rodrick then spoke about the environmental impact of HS2. There was then a chance for questions and I was pleased to see so many activists, MPs and Lords take part.

The Government is expected to make an announcement regarding the project before Christmas. The rumour is that an announcement could be made on Tuesday 20 December which is the date that Parliament breaks up for Christmas recess. I continue to urge as many of you as possible to write to your MP and to the Secretary of State for Transport to raise your concerns and insist that she looks again at this project. Even more importantly, I suggest you try to get as many of your family, friends, work colleagues and acquaintances from all corners of the country to write to their own MPs and the Secretary of State raising their concerns over the project.

In my view this project makes no economic sense, will not narrow the North South divide, will provide little in the way of regeneration and job creation, is not environmentally friendly and will not deliver the necessary capacity relief on the West Coast Main Line until at least 2026. We must spread this message as far and wide as we can and make sure that as many people as possible also know these facts, share our concerns and urge the Government to look again at this white elephant.

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Wind Farm Meeting At Sponne School

I organised a meeting on Monday 7 November to discuss onshore wind farms with Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy and a dozen other MP Colleagues. The issues I wanted to raise were:

1. Localism – how do wind farms being approved on appeal fit with our Localism agenda?
2. Technology – what realistic contribution can wind farms make to meeting our energy needs?
3. Fuel poverty – how are we going to deal with the problem of more and more people falling into fuel poverty as energy bills keep on rising?

It was a constructive meeting with the Minister answering a number of questions and later in the week he wrote to me. You can read the letter here. Since then I have held a meeting in the constituency with representatives of the 92 parish councils in the district.

I was able to give them some positive news:

1. The Government have confirmed that developers will be encouraged to build wind farms in genuinely wind areas! As South Northamptonshire is one of the least windy places in the country this is good news.
2. The Minister for Energy also told me that the subsidy for wind farms will be cut by 10% in 2013. The Government believes that this may make South Northamptonshire even more unattractive for developers when combined with low wind speeds. The viability of an application is now a material planning consideration.
3. We also discussed the Localism Bill which has now received Royal Assent. The Bill will amongst other things abolish regional renewables targets and introduces the right for communities to come together and produce neighbourhood plans to shape their environment. It is intended that local councils will provide help and assistance in producing them.

The focus of planning will now be to give the power to local people and key to this was the introduction of Neighbourhood Development. Top down targets are being abolished.

Yardley Gobion was selected to be a pilot village earlier this year to produce a NDP and having worked with South Northamptonshire District Council they have produced an excellent plan. I hope that this could be used as a template for other villages. Some villages and communities may be too small to produce their own plan but several villages could come together to produce a plan and share some of the burden. The NDPs are a 'right' not an 'obligation' and if communities don't produce one the local plan adopted by the district council will apply.

The Minister also spoke about looking at other types of renewable energy such as biomass, photovoltaic, offshore wind and tidal technology. He stressed that in order to meet our energy security needs a mix of renewable energy sources are needed. This also must include nuclear energy.

There were a number of concerns raised such as the cut in subsidy of solar photovoltaic and the 'grey area' that exists from now until the Localism Bill is law and communities have had an opportunity to come up with Neighbourhood Development Plans. The issue of minimum distances being set for wind turbines was also discussed. However, the Minister explained that the problem with setting minimum distances is that this can quite often have unintended consequences. If there was a minimum distance this might rule out a wind turbine being built in an industrial area which might be quite suitable and could mean that wind farms could only ever be built in the countryside.

I have written to the Minister following the meeting to raise a number of the concerns which were discussed and further updates will follow. You can read the letter here.

(Picture shows Andrea at the meeting at Sponne School)

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Visit To Barclaycard

On Friday 11 November I visited Barclaycard in Northampton. They are our largest private sector employer and I was interested to hear about the new technology they are working on, how they are dealing with the growing problem of fraud and the work they do in the community.

Technology is progressing very fast. We have only just got the hang of chip and pin cards but advances in technology will soon see contactless technology become the norm. There is also talk of payments being made using our mobile phones. Advances in technology, like these are aimed at helping small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) with faster, easier and more efficient transactions. Of course, the danger of advances in technology, especially in financial services is the inevitable rise in fraud, but it was interesting to hear how Barclaycard are dealing with it.

In order to deal with fraud they need to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters – which is extremely difficult to do. For a long time a lot of fraud was carried out at cash machines with cards being scanned and cameras recording your pin number. By creating awareness banks feel that we are getting to grips with this problem. However, in recent years as we have moved more and more to online banking so have the fraudsters. Financial services like Barclaycard deal with this by analysing transaction patterns and alerting customers of any unusual activity as soon as possible. Barclaycard estimate that they manage to save many millions of pounds each year by detecting and preventing fraud.

I was also pleased to hear of the good work that Barclaycard do in the community. I was told about 'Easy Street' where Barclaycard brought together local SMEs and provided a market place for them to advertise and trade with some fantastic results. They hope to do these events regularly in future. Barclaycard have also set up a 'Blue Pages' which is a directory of local SMEs.

I also heard about their excellent in-house charity work. This year the company took part in JOGLE which was a journey for charity from John O'Groats to Lands End! Barclaycard employees were encouraged to complete any distance they chose whether it was 1 mile or 100 miles by whatever means they wanted whether it was to swim, run or cycle. It sounded like great fun and a great way of getting all employees from around the country involved. Amazingly Barclaycard exceeded their £50,000 target and raised £105,000 for ABF The Soldier's Charity, so many congratulations to all who took part!

I was delighted to have some good news stories to tell about one of our big banks ...

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Launch of the APPG on European Reform

I greatly welcome the publication by Open Europe of their paper on repatriating EU Social Policy. You can view the report here. It is of fundamental importance to the jobs and growth agenda in the UK, and is unique in that it quantifies the cost to the UK economy of complying with EU Social Policy at £8.6bn per year. While there are clear benefits to some social and employment law, Open Europe calculate that cutting EU regulation in this area by 50% would create 140,000 jobs in the UK. This is hugely significant at a time when economic growth remains slow.

What is also clear is that even though there is disagreement among politicians about the desirable extent of Social and Employment legislation, there is a growing consensus that decisions are better taken at a national, rather than European, level. The left may increasingly come to the view that EU legislation is not only failing to provide improved worker protection, it is in some ways undermining it, as the austerity agenda caused by the Eurozone crisis will force governments to liberalise their labour markets. The right and business leaders continue to complain about the cost of complying with EU laws.

National governments are better able to create Social Policy that suits the specific needs of their economies and citizens. And making this policy in Westminster brings politics closer to the citizens that it affects.

For these reasons, I am excited about the launch of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on European Reform, and its inaugural meeting which is to be held on 10 November. We will be discussing the issue of Employment and Social Policy and will draw on the opinions of members from all political parties, along with peers, MEPs, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and other leading think tanks. I have put myself forward as Co-Chair, with Thomas Docherty MP, from the Labour intake of 2010. Other MPs who have put themselves forward as officers include Frank Field MP, Gisela Stuart MP, Mark Garnier MP, David Ruffley MP, Margot James MP, Harriett Baldwin MP, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, George Eustice MP, Karen Lumley MP, Anne-Marie Morris MP, Priti Patel MP, and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne.

Following the launch of the APPG, I plan to work with Conservative Colleagues through the Fresh Start Project to develop specific policy proposals on the repatriation of powers.

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Update: Total Correspondence

Our records indicate that we have dealt with 2573 individual enquiries since I was elected, receiving 5840 items of correspondence, and sending 7183 items in reply.

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Why I Voted For A Referendum

On Monday 24 October a debate was held in the House of Commons on whether to allow the British public a referendum on our membership of the European Union. The Government had told all their MPs that they should vote against the motion and not vote for a referendum. Whilst I believe the Government are doing an excellent job in Europe, for example keeping us out of further bailouts of Greece and putting in place the EU referendum lock, nevertheless I decided I must support the motion for the sake of our democracy. For too long, voters have been denied the chance to have their say on ever closer EU integration, and so, whilst it was a very difficult decision, I concluded that I had to support the principle of a referendum.

Let me be clear, I did not think that the motion put forward by backbench colleagues was the right motion. What was proposed was that the Government should bring in a Bill to allow the public a referendum on our membership of the EU and the options put forward would be:

Remain a member of the European Union on the current terms;Leave the European Union; orRenegotiate the terms of its membership in order to create a new relationship based on trade and co-operation.

There are a number of problems with this motion. The first is that it does not explain what is meant by 'leaving the EU'. It is not as simple as just walking away, there are benefits to our membership and advantages that we do not want to lose. The single market is critical to British trade.

The second problem with the motion is that if this was put to the British public, the vote might well be split three ways. 40% might vote to stay in the EU, 30% to leave and 30% to renegotiate. What would a result like that tell us? Absolutely nothing! Technically the pro Europe vote would have won and yet 60% of the public would have voted for some kind of change in our relationship.

I tabled an amendment with other MPs that called on the Government to produce a White Paper looking in to what powers should be repatriated followed by a renegotiation and then a ratifying referendum. Unfortunately the amendment was not selected for debate by the Speaker.

Successive Governments over decades have denied us a right to have our say on the EU, that has sucked so many powers away from the United Kingdom with precious little democratic legitimacy. I was not able to vote the last time we had a national referendum on our relationship with Europe. The Europe we have today bears little resemblance to the Europe we voted for in 1975 – it is high time the British public had another say.

Therefore in spite of the Whips in Parliament telling me now was not the right time to call for a referendum, with a heavy heart I joined the group of 81 Conservative MPs that voted for a referendum. I hope I have your support.

I would like to inform you of a new EU reform project, sponsored by George Eustice MP, Chris Heaton-Harris MP and myself that aims to research and build cross party support for a new relationship between the UK and EU, culminating in a draft White Paper that we will produce by July 2012.

Working closely with Open Europe and other think tanks, we will produce detailed research on each policy area affected by the EU (social and employment law, financial services, Structural funds, CAP etc) and we will then consult with MPs, MEP's, interest groups and constitutional experts on the substance of each area. We will publish a policy paper on each issue, and the first research paper, on Social and Employment Law, is due to be published in the second week of November.

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Debate on Sex and Relationship Education in Primary Schools

On Tuesday 25 October I led a debate in Parliament to discuss sex and relationship education (SRE) in primary schools. There is no doubt that sex and relationship education is important and needs to be taught to our children as we try to deal with issues such as teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, however, there is also no doubt that some of the material being used in some schools is completely inappropriate for the ages of the pupils.

I am confident that every school is teaching SRE with the best of intentions; however a lot of the material is unlicensed and supplied by private companies without guidance to schools. A number of head teachers have said to me that they would appreciate far more guidance on what is age appropriate and suitable for children of different age groups.

In my speech in Parliament I made four points. Firstly I suggested that an independent body such as the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) which has been age rating our films and DVDs since it was set up in 1912, could extend their remit to cover SRE material to provide guidance for schools.

Secondly, I would like to see appropriate material being taught in every school. SRE is about sex and relationships. We should not be teaching our children solely about the physical act of sex but we should also be teaching about relationships, explaining that sex can lead to lots of emotions being felt, explaining certain consequences and emphasising love and commitment.

Thirdly, I called for schools to be helped to make informed decisions over what is being taught. I would like to see teachers, head teachers and governors all taking an active interest in the material being used in SRE lessons and making sensible decisions, with better guidance.

Finally, I stressed how important a parent's involvement in this issue is. Parents often assume that a school knows best – which is no bad thing – but on such a sensitive issue parents must be supplied with all the information. I also believe that rather than being able to 'opt out' of SRE lessons in primary schools, parents should be allowed to 'opt in' after considering all the information. What could be acceptable for one seven year old may not be acceptable for another seven year old and only a parent can make this decision.

The debate was well attended and was very good natured with some interesting and constructive speeches and comments being made. Away from the Punch and Judy style politics of Prime Ministers Questions and the big debates in the Chamber of the House of Commons, which the media tend to focus on, it is often the smaller debates that receive less attention that are the most constructive, informative and productive.

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HS2 Debate, Opening Speech

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HS2 Debate in the House of Commons

After many months of trying Dan Byles MP, Geoffrey Robinson MP and I finally secured a debate in the main chamber of the House of Commons to discuss HS2. The debate took place on Thursday 13 October and was very well attended.

Members from all Parties and all sides of the argument attended what was a fiercely argued debate. In total 16 MPs spoke, in addition to the 19 MPs that spoke in the Westminster Hall debate in Parliament earlier in the year. Like that debate, many MPs wanted to speak but were not called to do so as time ran out.

The amount of interest in these two debates shows just how important the issue is to the whole country. I was particularly pleased to see that MPs from across the country including the North West and Birmingham raised their concerns about the project.

In my speech I made clear that I entirely support the need to improve capacity on our railways but that this particular project is neither environmentally friendly nor will it narrow the North South divide, it is, in fact, an enormous waste of taxpayers' money. I argued that there are many measures we can take now to deal with the capacity issue. These measures will go much further in solving the North South divide and can be delivered far quicker so that commuters on the West Coast Mainline do not have to wait until 2026 at the earliest for relief to the overcrowding.

Since the debate we now have a new Secretary of State for Transport. Philip Hammond has moved to the Ministry of Defence and Justine Greening, previously the Economic Secretary, has been promoted to Secretary of State for Transport. Justine has done a fantastic job at the Treasury and has certainly proved her ability as an economic thinker. My main argument has always been that this project is not good value for taxpayers' money and I have written to Justine to ask if she will meet with me to discuss the proposal.

I am hopeful that with two well attended debates behind us, growing opposition to this project from all Parties and MPs across the country and a new Transport Secretary, the Government may reconsider this project and opt for a more sensible choice that would deal with our capacity problems, go further in solving the North South divide and be much better value for money.

I would like to thank the thousands of constituents who are constantly writing letters, attending meetings and giving up their own time to oppose this project – keep up the hard work. The battle continues!

(picture shows Andrea speaking in the HS2 debate)

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European Reform

The political and economic crisis threatening to engulf the Eurozone could spell big problems for Britain's economic recovery. At a feisty Treasury Select Committee meeting on the crisis this week academics and market practitioners who gave evidence believe the Eurocrats will keep on fudging it until the markets force a Greek default. My own worry is that even when Greece does default it will be partial and inadequate. The markets might short term let them get away with this but if traders turn their sights seriously on a big economy like Spain or Italy there will be bitter regret that the contagion was not prevented by radical action on Greece. I fear we could limp on like this for a while yet, with no clear end in sight.

I think national regulators should be forcing banks to disclose all their exposure to euro sovereign debt, and then fully mark to market. Transparency, provisioning and then recapitalisation of the banks is the only way to avoid a Lehman-style meltdown, as bank counterparties progressively lose faith in the published numbers

Last week Chris Heaton Harris MP, George Eustice MP and I arranged a meeting for Colleagues to discuss a new project with a single goal - to build a new relationship for Britain within the EU.

Over 100 Conservative MPs from across the spectrum of opinion came along with a shared determination to support reform in the interests of Britain and the EU. We explained that this new project will:

1. Do the heavy lifting in researching on a policy by policy basis how Britain's interests could be better served. Working closely with think tanks including Open Europe we will develop a blueprint for a reordered EU-UK relationship, as well as taking advice from constitutional lawyers on how to implement reform.

2. Through the parliamentary European Research Group and its new Associate Group we will consult with Colleagues and pull together the best ideas. We will also produce a draft White Paper.

3. We will establish an All Party Parliamentary Group to engage views across Parties.

What we want to achieve is a considered and intelligent view that supports the Government when the opportunity arises, as I am sure it will, to renegotiate in the best interests of Britain.

The challenge of our project, I believe, is to be ready to meet the day when the eventual 'wrap up' treaty comes along. I think this is a once in a generation opportunity to achieve a better relationship with Europe and a better deal for Britain – a deal, too, that can only benefit the other member states by restoring reality to a debate long dominated by dogma.

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HS2 To Be Debated In The House Of Commons

I have secured a debate on High Speed Two to be held in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 13 October. The debate will be a general debate which will cover all aspects of this project.

Following a previous debate in Parliament earlier this year, the Backbench Business Committee have agreed to allocate time in the Chamber to discuss this topical issue, which is of national significance, due to the overwhelming number of MPs who wish to speak and the wide spectrum of opinion on this issue.

I am delighted that, with support from many colleagues across all Parties, we have managed to secure this debate. The consultation on HS2 has now closed and the Government will be presenting their findings by the end of the year. It is extremely important that a project of such national significance, that will cost every household in the country £1,000, is debated and scrutinised closely.

I will be arguing that, whilst agreeing with the urgent need to improve our rail capacity, HS2 is not the right choice. This project will deliver no relief to struggling commuters on the West Coast Mainline until 2026 at the earliest and once completed I fear that local commuter services from places such as Rugby, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Northampton will actually suffer as a result. The project will be, at best, carbon neutral and I do not believe that this project will achieve the regeneration of Northern cities and towns, that is predicted.

At a time when households around the country are being asked to make savings, it is right that we ensure we are achieving good value for taxpayer's money. The Institute for Economic Affairs, the Taxpayer's Alliance and The Economist, to name a few, have all called into question the value of this project. At £32 billion I believe that this money can be better spent on projects such as Rail Package 2, investment in existing rail services, reopening local rail lines and investment in high speed broadband which will improve connections across the country and can be delivered far quicker than HS2.

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Independent Commission on Banking Report

I'm relieved rather than delighted at the Independent Commission on Banking's proposals for two reasons - first, the ring fence is 'narrowly defined'. A broad definition that included all commercial banking would, I think, be impossible to enforce. As it is there are still plenty of questions to answer: will designating 'systemically important' banks only make their stranglehold on the Personal Current Account and Small and Medium-sized Enterprise markets stronger? (ie will we all prefer to bank with them, as they are less likely to be allowed to fail?); what happens to new banking entrants?

And that brings me on to the second 'relief' in the ICB proposals - the emphasis on competition. As part of the Treasury Select Committee, we have been urging Ministers to focus on better competition and reducing the barriers to entry. The personal current account and SME markets are highly concentrated and inertia in 'switching' bank accounts is high. I welcome the ICB's determination to force banks to improve the switching process, but would like the Government to go even further by breaking up the state owned banks, selling off parts of their businesses to the likes of Tesco Bank, M&S Financial Services and other diversified British businesses. A diversified and competitive banking sector would offer a major boost to the UK economy.

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NORPIP

NORPIP, The Northamptonshire Parent Infant Project, is now officially up and running! My dream of building parent infant projects across the country is getting underway at last.

NORPIP, like its sister charity, OXPIP, will tackle some of Society's most challenging issues. We know from the shocking rioting and looting on our streets in August that there is a desperate need to address the broken elements within our society. Young people who cannot control their impulses, who are violent and who have no moral compass, are like that for a reason....

It all boils down to the earliest relationships. The experiences of a new baby are literally hard wired into his or her brain by the age of two. Where a baby is loved and nurtured, he will grow up with the expectation that the world is generally a good place and people are generally kind. The baby who is abused, neglected or totally ignored, however, will literally fail to develop a healthy brain – the frontal cortex (the bit that enables us to empathise with others and to form relationships) will not grow properly. This is because this part of the brain has its peak period of growth between 6 and 18 months of age, and growth is dependent on the stimulation of a loving relationship with a primary carer.

A baby that does not achieve a secure bond with his primary carer (usually his Mum) means he is unlikely to grow into an emotionally balanced adult. Instead he is likely to be predisposed to a life of crime, self harm, drug abuse and aggression. His brain has not been taught the human traits of empathy, responsibility and love. Before the age of 2 the brain is sponge like in its capacity to soak up the stimulation it receives but deprived of the right sort of attention, the emotional part, the frontal cortex, fails to develop adequately. Our prisons, our psychiatric hospitals and our homeless hostels are full of the evidence of poor early relationships. And worse still, poor early relationships are passed from one generation to another creating a cycle of misery that costs our society dearly.

NORPIP will offer intensive therapeutic counseling to parents and their babies in Northamptonshire. We will support families by working with parent and baby together to build a positive relationship that will meet the needs of the baby. The work of OXPIP in Oxfordshire over the past 12 years shows that our methods work – potentially disastrous relationships between baby and those responsible for his development have been completely turned around in a highly cost effective way. Prevention is not just kinder, but it is also much cheaper than cure.

NORPIP will initially be operating from Victoria House in Towcester and Vanessa Bird is our Office Manager. Please contact me NOW on my website if you have any enquiries for NORPIP – if you would like to access our services, if you would like to volunteer to help us, or if you would like to learn more, please get in touch.

I'm convinced that Parent Infant Projects can offer a massive contribution to mending our broken society.

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Keeping Society Safe

The mindless violence and criminality we saw on our streets last week has no justification or excuse. The selfish opportunism from a minority of hooligans can have no place in our Society. We owe a debt to Police Forces up and down the country and to those courageous police who tried to restore order in such difficult circumstances.

The Prime Minister was right to recall Parliament. As I write, we have just spent nearly 3 hours in the Chamber discussing what can be done against the thuggery of a minority spreading fear and intimidation on our streets. MPs of all parties robustly condemned the violence and destruction.

There was no woolly minded hand wringing for once. As the PM said - these people are all 'volunteers' - no one made them loot and pillage, no one dragged them out onto the streets to take part. We have to get back to a Society where responsibilities are taken in equal measure to rights.

I raised with the Prime Minister the possibility of spraying rioters with chemical dye so that they can easily be picked up by the Police the next day and he confirmed that the Police will look at all means to stop the violence. Criminal behaviour will be met with tough measures.

We also, though, have to look at the root causes of this social breakdown and try to figure out why a minority of young people behave so aggressively towards other people and property without the restraint of any moral compass.

I know from my work over the last 10 years with a charity OXPIP and now with NORPIP in Northamptonshire that some of these young thugs literally lack a properly developed 'human' part of their brain - they lack the brain capacity to restrain their anger and to feel empathy for others.

It's an astounding fact but proven by brain science that when babies are born, their brains are undeveloped and, in particular, the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that allows empathy and all 'human' qualities, is not yet there at all. This part of the brain puts on a huge growth spurt when a baby is 6-18 months old, stimulated by the loving attention of a primary carer (usually Mum). Babies whose parents ignore them, abuse them, neglect them and deprive them of loving attention commit their baby to a life long sentence of being 'less than human'. Violent criminality, self harming, drug abuse, depression, homelessness - all of these are life sentences handed down by parents when baby was too young to do anything but cry himself into an exhausted sleep.

It's my view that our society is paying the price of a cycle of misery passed down the generations - the baby girl that was neglected becomes the teenage Mum. Why? Because she is looking for someone who at last will love her. But when baby arrives, Mum can't cope and does the same to her baby as her Mum did to her. And so it goes on....

OXPIP and NORPIP intervene early to help families that are struggling to form a secure bond with their babies. The results for the baby are quite simply life changing. Helping parents to form a secure bond with baby during the earliest weeks and months of his life will solve so much of the misery and social breakdown we have seen on our streets over recent days.

It may be too late for this generation but let's call a halt to it now and ensure the next generation get a better start with a full functioning brain. My ambition during my parliamentary career is to see a parent infant project established in every county across this once great country.

Prevention is so much kinder, and cheaper, than dealing with the devastating consequences of poor early relationships.

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IEA Launches New Report on HS2

Another leading economic think-tank has launched a new report rubbishing the current plans for High Speed Rail.

The Institute of Economic Affairs has launched a new report entitled 'High Speed 2: the next government project disaster?' which raises serious questions over the business case and the value for money of the project to the taxpayer. I was delighted to have the opportunity to chair the launch which took place on Tuesday 19 July in Parliament.

Dr Richard Wellings, Deputy Editorial Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs and co-author of the new report presented his findings. Dan Byles, Conservative MP for North Warwickshire, Geoffrey Robinson, Labour MP for Coventry North West, and Iain Stewart, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes South and Member of the Transport Select Committee made comments on the report's findings.

The panel then took questions and comments from the audience. The meeting was extremely well attended with journalists and MPs, both in favour and against the project, as well as many others attending. An excellent debate was had, that raised questions about not just the business case but also the social impact of this project.

I do not believe the business case for HS2 stacks up, it is not value for taxpayers money. Having support for these arguments from well respected think-tanks such as the IEA gives great weight to our argument against HS2 and proves that the only reason that the pro HS2 campaign accuses us of being NIMBYs is simply because they do not have a valid argument of their own.

You can read the full  report here. http://www.iea.org.uk/publications/research/high-speed-2-the-next-government-project-disaster

Andrea with Dan Byles MP and the new IEA report

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PFI Westminster Hall Debate

On Thursday 23 June I spoke in a debate in Parliament on the Private Finance Initiative. The debate was on a campaign to encourage PFI providers to give a voluntary 'rebate' to the taxpayer. Why on earth would they do this, you might ask! Well, there are huge public infrastructure projects needed – offshore wind and marine, nuclear power etc, and fellow campaigners and I believe only those who acknowledge the 'excessive' profitability of some PFI deals, and who are willing to renegotiate a fairer deal for the taxpayer, should be able to bid for future deals.

PFI projects are where private companies are commissioned by public sector bodies to provide new hospitals, school buildings and other infrastructure projects with funding from banks, and then recoup the money over many years from the public body concerned. The advantage of PFI projects is that they provide infrastructure without direct Government funding. They are therefore 'off balance sheet' in terms of our national debt. All the risk in the project is theoretically borne by the PFI provider and therefore if the project is not delivered the private company loses out, rather than the taxpayer.

The problem, however, is that some PFI contracts have proved to be highly expensive as well as highly inflexible. The financing and the project specification are inextricably linked together and therefore any changes to the project also require a recalculation of the funding, often leading to exorbitant extra charges. The only way to avoid this is by having the exact specification for a 25 year contract laid out in advance which is, in the case of a school or hospital for example, impossible to do. The second problem is the cost of providing the loan. At the moment Government bonds can be issued at an interest rate of 3% to 4% whereas bank debt is closer to 6%, plus a further 2% to 3% profit margin. The net cost to the taxpayer of PFI now works out therefore at 8% or 9% versus Government funding at 3% to 4%.

There are only a handful of serious PFI providers in this country – far too little competition! For many years, in funding new infrastructure projects, PFI has been the 'only game in town'. In my speech in Parliament I suggested an alternative, which is to take a radical approach to the establishment of the Government's Green Investment Bank. I explained:

"the green investment bank should be a bank in its own right. It should be listed on the London stock exchange and the Government should have perhaps a 10% shareholding in it. The UK high street banks should have the opportunity to purchase up to a 15% shareholding each, and the final 15% to 20% shareholding should be offered at a highly discounted rate to the British taxpayer. We would therefore have a bank with an undoubted triple A credit rating that would be able to fund itself extraordinarily cheaply—somewhere between Government gilts and triple A bank finance—and access the international capital markets, including very long-term funding."

I think that the GIB could be a real alternative to PFI. It would immediately inject more competition into the market. It could also be a significant competitor to the UK banks in the small and medium sized business market, in the low carbon industries Britain desperately needs to develop.

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Our Energy Security

This week Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy at the Department for Energy and Climate Change gave a briefing on our energy security needs. I am not in the habit of making party political points just for the sake of it but behind leaving our economy in a complete mess, failing to secure our long term energy needs is Labour's second worst legacy they have left this country.

The Minister explained that at this present time we are able to cope with demand, however, by the second half of this decade we are going to face a problem as energy demand could increase by 50% to 100%. Sixteen of our power stations will close by 2018 due to stricter air quality standards and nuclear stations reaching the end of their operating lives.

We have to take some serious decisions now in order to secure our energy security by the end of the decade or the lights will literally go out. A big challenge will also be to keep energy prices stable but I am confident that by using a mix of energy sources including many types of renewable energy, nuclear power and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage facilities as well as installing 'smart metering' and helping consumers manage their own demand, we can not only avoid disaster but we can keep energy bill prices stable.

I am not convinced that onshore wind energy has a part to play in securing our energy security needs as it is ineffective, unreliable and the energy produced cannot be stored to be used when demand is high. I am in the process of seeking a meeting with Charles Hendry to discuss onshore wind energy further.

At the recent briefing Charles explained that it was the Government's position that onshore wind farms needed to play a substantial role in hitting our 2020 targets to reduce carbon emissions by 20% and have renewable energy contribute 20% of our energy needs. He explained that the Government had removed the regional renewable energy quotas and will be making sure that wind farms are only built in areas that are windy! There will also be an incentive for communities who do host wind farms to benefit from the business rates that may be generated and he explained that the Government were looking into ways that energy bill prices could be cheaper for those living closer to wind farm developments.

I do appreciate the Government's desire to work with communities with wind farms, however I'm still sceptical of the need to proceed with such an inefficient form of energy production simply to meet our 2020 targets. Many countries in Europe are turning away from wind energy and I think it would be far more sensible to invest in efficient renewable energy infrastructure to provide greater energy security for the long term. I am determined not to see this Government make the same mistakes as the last Government and I will keep you informed of how my meeting with the Minister progresses!

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Greatworth Roadshow and Sulgrave Public Meeting

Greatworth Roadshow

The first HS2 roadshow took place on Tuesday (17 May) in Greatworth at the Sports and Social Club. I was there for a couple of hours in the afternoon and will be attending all the other roadshows as they come through South Northamptonshire. The roadshow was well attended all day.

Members of SNAG and Parish Councillors were also there and collected many names for a petition which I hope to present in the House of Commons at some point soon. I managed to hear the personal stories many residents also spoke with the HS2 staff that were on hand to provide information.

I met with Andrew McNaughton, HS2's Chief Engineer and whilst I was encouraged that he wants to see an open and wide ranging consultation and believes that there are good opportunities for mitigation for villages like Greatworth, should the current route go ahead, I am even more sure than ever, after speaking with him, that this project is going to be a waste of taxpayer's money. We discussed HS1 and Mr McNaughton told me he thought HS1 was a victory of political will over economic sense – exactly what I fear HS2 will be! He also said that as a commuter himself in Kent he knows that he pays more for his service so that others can get a better service – again exactly what I fear will be the experience of commuters in Milton Keynes, Northampton and along the HS2 line.

I am pleased that these roadshows are taking place and I do think it is important that as many people as possible take the opportunity to go along to a roadshow, ask some questions, sign the petitions, take part in the consultation and have their views heard. The remaining roadshows will take place:

· Chipping Warden - 24 May 2011 - Village Hall Car Park, Culworth Road, Chipping Warden, Banbury OX17 1LB;

· Upper Boddington - 25 May 2011 - Boddington Village Hall Car Park, Warwick Road, Upper Boddington NN11 6DH;

· Brackley - 27-28 May 2011 - Brackley Leisure Centre, Springfield Way, Brackley NN13 6JJ.

Do come and have a chat with me if you see me at one of the roadshows. Look forward to seeing you there.

Sulgrave Manor Public Meeting on HS2

On Thursday evening around 120 gathered at Sulgrave to hear from activists against HS2 on how to fill out the forms for the Government consultation that is taking place until 29 July.

Forms are on the Department for Transport website at http://highspeedrail.dft.gov.uk/ and I do urge everyone to respond.

I then gave my own update on HS2. The key points I wanted to make are:

There is a growing number of MPs who are challenging the business case for HS2 and I take every opportunity to raise the issue.

The Transport Select Committee is now holding its own inquiry into the business case. This will be very influential.

Highly regarded organisations such as the Taxpayers Alliance have already come out against HS2 on the grounds of the business case.

The consultation is an open one, and I believe that everyone who is against HS2 should have their say. Views will be listened to by the Government, and I urge residents not to be despondent.

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Big Week In South Northamptonshire

It has been a big week for South Northamptonshire Council and Northampton Borough Council as voters went to the polls in the local elections and also to vote in the first nationwide referendum for 35 years. It was great news to hear that David Cardoza, the Chairman of Northampton Town Football Club announced he was backing the Conservative Party.

On polling day I made a big tour of polling stations chatting with people casting their vote and thanking the presiding officers and polling station staff for their hard work. I also enjoyed joining the candidates and campaign teams knocking on doors, reminding people to vote and also reminding people about the referendum. At one doorstep I met a lady who was under the impression that AV meant we could use electronic voting and at another I spoke with a man that said he wouldn't be voting in the referendum because he didn't like AV! I hurriedly explained to him that if he didn't like AV it was important he voted 'No'!

I recently visited a meeting of the University of Northampton Court which is a meeting of everyone who has an interest in the University and heard many good stories as well hearing about some of the fantastic courses on offer. I was pleased to hear that the University is very optimistic about the future. I encouraged the University to make clear the plans for tuition fees and explain to prospective students the facts, such as students will only begin paying back money once they are earning £21,000. I enjoy visiting schools and explaining to students the facts and I encourage the University to do the same.

I then made a dash across the campus to the Health and Well Being Research Facility to discuss with the department my plans for NORPIP. With the help of Northamptonshire County Council I would like to set up NORPIP in 2011 to help families bond with their new born babies. In time I hope this is a project that can be rolled out across the country with the help of children's centres.

In Upton the Elgar Community Centre opened this week. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the opening but had the pleasure of calling in on polling day. I was completely taken aback by the absolutely stunning building and the potential that the centre has. It can accommodate activities for all ages, whether in one of the spacious function rooms or outside on a sports pitch, if you are thinking of where to have your next event, I would urge you to consider the Elgar Centre. It is a fantastic example of what a community can do by working together.

In South Northamptonshire I have had the pleasure of visiting a number of projects that have been full of hope and optimism. Deanshanger Primary School invited me to their art exhibition at the Milton Keynes Gallery. The artwork, based on the theme of the rainforest, was truly amazing. Once the exhibition has finished in Milton Keynes the work will go on display at the Saatchi Gallery in London, this is a fantastic achievement and I congratulate all teachers, parents and young artists involved.

This week also marks my first anniversary as the MP for South Northamptonshire. It has been an eventful first year with many ups and downs and it has certainly been a steep learning curve! However, I have enjoyed every minute of it and, as ever, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and proud to be your MP. I look forward to many more years serving South Northamptonshire and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever be of help.

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Vote NO to AV!

On May 5 this year the first UK wide referendum since the European Communities membership referendum in 1975 will take place on whether to change our voting system. The choice on offer is 1. to keep our current system of one person one vote with the winning candidate simply needing a majority, or 2. to change to a different electoral system - the Alternative Vote (AV).I would like to encourage you to vote 'No' to AV. Let me be clear that I do not believe or pretend that our current system is perfect, far from it, but as Winston Churchill said, 'democracy is the worst form of Government except all those other forms that have been tried,' I think the same can be said for our electoral system!

The problem with the AV system is that nobody wants it! The Liberal Democrats and many groups that have campaigned for a change in our voting system over the years have campaigned for a system of proportional representation. AV is not a proportional system. All the AV system does is find a way of forcing one candidate in an election over the 50% threshold whether they originally came first, second, third or even lower. The reality could be that the candidate with the third most votes in an election could end up being the winner. You can liken this to any sporting event, such as horse racing, football, or athletics – image if the horse/team/person that came third actually ended up winning the race! The system is simply unfair.

AV is also complex and costly. The cost of implementing AV would cost around £250 million. Local councils would have to waste money on costly electronic vote counting machines and expensive voter education campaigns to explain the complicated system. With ordinary families facing tough times can we really afford to spend a quarter of a billion pounds of taxpayer's money bringing in a new voting system?

AV is a weak system. Sometimes coalitions of two parties are necessary but they shouldn't be the norm. AV would produce hung Parliaments at most elections. Coalitions of 2, 3 or more parties would be needed which would lead to deals done behind closed doors and could lead to weak Governments being formed. Smaller parties would hold the balance of power despite receiving relatively few votes and more extremist parties would also be represented. Voters would not choose the Government, politicians would.

Worst of all is that the system is unfair to the voter. At the moment everyone has one vote that is worth the same, under AV some people would only have one vote that would count whereas others would have 2, 3 or maybe 4 votes that would be taken into account as second, third and fourth preferences are counted. I don't think there is anything fair about this.

I believe our current system is a much better system than AV:

· It creates strong, accountable and stable Governments;

· It is fair; it keeps the principle of 'one person, one vote', therefore everyone's vote has equal value;

· It is simple; everyone votes for the candidate they want and the one with the most votes wins;

· It makes it harder for extremist parties to gain representation; the BNP have never been able to gather enough support in any constituency to achieve representation;

· It is a widely used, tried and tested system; it is used more than any other system with 2.4 billion people using it in countries such as Canada, India and the USA. By contrast AV is used by only 3 countries, Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

A change to AV will not restore the public's faith in politicians. The electoral system was not to blame for the expenses scandal and the AV system would not have prevented it. At a time when we are struggling to convince the electorate to vote in General, local, regional and European elections, do we really think a change to a more complicated electoral system is the answer? A change to an unfair system is certainly not the answer, AV would give some more votes than others and I think it is bizarre that you can equate the value of someone's first choice with the value of someone else's fourth choice.

I believe we need to stick with a system that is strong, simple, fair and understood and I hope you will vote NO to AV on May 5.

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Hope For The Future

There can be few of us who were not touched and uplifted by the sight of two young people clearly in love declaring their commitment to a lifetime together providing each other with comfort and support. We enjoyed the pomp and circumstance, the fashion show and an extra bank holiday! The sun shone and we partied. But at the centre of Friday's royal wedding was the serious business of the promises exchanged and the belief in a future together. These were extraordinary circumstances but any public commitment requires courage and determination to succeed when the going gets tough.

The country has visibly relaxed in the happy combination of two long bank holiday weekends and marvelous Spring weather. This week it is business as usual with the local elections on Thursday and the referendum on the Alternative Vote. Once again we will hear public promises made and hopes for the future expressed. It is important to exercise our right to vote in the local elections and in the referendum based on the facts presented and the arguments made to ensure that our voice is heard.

There is no doubt that the honeymoon period for the Coalition Government is over. But equally there is absolutely no doubt that commitment to the public promises made a year ago is solid and unwavering. Much has been achieved in twelve months on the road to putting this country back on a secure financial footing as well as putting into practice policies to promote a Big Society that will benefit us all.

Looking forward, we know that there is the commitment for the long haul with balanced and measured steps to bring increased prosperity with help and support for the most vulnerable. Determination to see the job through, courage to stick to the promised policies and energetic leadership will succeed. I hope that we are all able to harness some of the excitement and joy we have experienced over the past few weeks to bring a force for positive hope and optimism in our own lives. We can do it!

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High Speed Rail Debate

On Thursday 31 March I sponsored a debate in Parliament on High Speed Rail. I secured this debate along with Dan Byles MP, (North Warwickshire) and Geoffrey Robinson MP, (North West Coventry) through the Backbench Business Committee. I believe now is a very good time to talk about this issue as the consultation is now a month old and the roadshows, taking place along the length of the line, are now underway.

The debate was very well attended. The room was packed from start to finish. Over 50 MPs attended at one point or another, 19 made speeches with many more making interventions. Not all MPs who wanted to speak were able to and the Chairman tried to impose a limit on speeches so that as many people as possible had the opportunity to make a contribution. It was certainly a feisty debate with MPs on both sides of the political divide speaking for and against the current proposals for High Speed Rail.

I spoke about the flaws in the business case, economic case and environmental case as well as discussing the lack of consideration of the alternatives to HS2 such as Rail Package 2. I called on the Government to carry out an independent assessment into the options for increasing rail capacity and to seriously consider the legitimate concerns of many. You can read the full debate including my speech here. I believe now is the time for a grown up debate on High Speed Rail. The Department for Transport have not proved the case for this project or the justification for spending such a vast amount of money.

Kelvin Hopkins, Dan Byles, Geoffrey Robinson and Frank Dobson continued the speeches and made clear their opposition to the project. Dan Byles also stressed how important an independent assessment of the project was.

Iain Stewart made a welcome contribution as a member of the Transport Select Committee, he was very clear that he had an open mind on the project and was looking forward to the Transport Select Committee's enquiry into HS2. Tony Baldry also welcomed the Select Committee's enquiry.

Some Members on both sides of the House spoke in favour of the project, including a number from Manchester and Yorkshire who believe the project will benefit their area and reduce the North South divide.

Andrew Gwynne responded to the debate for Labour and gave a very non committal speech, where he seemed to welcome the Government's plans and yet did not make a commitment to HS2! Theresa Villiers then responded for the Government and again stressed that the North South divide would be reduced and claimed that no one had made a convincing case for the alternative. However, she insisted that the Department for Transport would continue to listen and welcomed ideas for mitigation.

Following the debate I believe supporters can no longer pass off opposition as NIMBYISM. Many are now questioning the business case including the TaxPayer's Alliance, the Adam Smith Institute, the Institute of Economic Affairs, Friends of the Earth, the Sustainable Development Commission, rail experts and the Countryside Alliance. As the debate was clearly so popular I am going to urge the Backbench Business Committee for more time in the House of Commons Chamber to continue this debate. I will keep you informed of developments!

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Dangerous and Reckless Cycling 10 Minute Rule Bill

Yesterday I presented a 10 Minute Rule Bill in the House of Commons called 'Dangerous and Reckless Cycling (Offences)' Bill. A 10 Minute Rule Bill gives backbench MPs an opportunity to introduce a piece of legislation that the Government may not have time to introduce itself. 10 Minute Rule Bills do not usually make it onto the Statute book, simply because there is not enough time to see them all the way through the legislative process but they are a great way of raising an important issue with the Government.

As the title suggests a 10 Minute Rule Bill allows an MP to make a 10 minute speech introducing the Bill, someone can make a 10 minute speech opposing the Bill if they so wish and then the Speaker calls a vote on whether the Bill should pass to Second Reading. On most occasions the Bills pass to Second Reading unopposed.

On seeing the title of my Bill some people, including MPs, thought I was anti cyclists and seeking to make criminals out of them. Nothing could be further from the truth! I am a keen cyclist myself, I take advantage of many excellent initiatives such as the cycle hire scheme in London and commend people for swapping their cars for their bike to get to school and work. It is brilliant exercise and very green as well!

The aim of my Bill is to update the law and to make sure that all road users are equally protected and take responsibility for their actions. The vast majority of people killed or seriously injured on our roads are pedestrians and cyclists hit by motorists and the penalties for dangerous or careless driving are severe and rightly so. However, very occasionally it is a cyclist that causes death or serious injury to a pedestrian and yet in this case sufficient punishment does not follow.

In 2007 Rhiannon Bennett was walking with friends on a pavement when a cyclist approached at speed yelling, 'Move because I'm not stopping!' He hit Rhiannon who fell and smashed her head on the kerb. She was rushed to hospital but died 6 days later. The cyclist was found guilty of the crime of 'Dangerous Cycling'. This charge carries a maximum penalty of £2,500 but no prison sentence. There are other charges including the 'Offences Against the Persons Act 1861,' but this charge was designed to deal with horse drawn carriages and carts and therefore, for obvious reasons, it is rarely used, so the cyclist who killed Rhiannon was given a £2,200 fine but did not go to prison.

I have not met anyone who considers a fine of £2,200 to be sufficient punishment for taking the life of a young girl. If Rhiannon had been killed by a car which had mounted the pavement, the driver would have faced a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. If he had only received a fine there would have been a national outcry. The aim of my Bill is to update the law and to make sure that in the few cases where a cyclist kills or seriously injures a pedestrian, families like Rhiannon's can receive justice.

Yesterday in the Chamber Members on all sides of the House listened respectfully as I told Rhiannon's story and the Bill was passed without opposition. Afterwards the Transport Minister, Mike Penning MP, who had listened to my speech, briefly met with me and Mr and Mrs Bennett, Rhiannon's parents who had watched from the gallery. Mike promised to do all he could to help and suggested that in legislation that is due to be brought in next year, he may be able to include provisions to update the law so that this situation could not arise again. He offered to meet with us soon to discuss this further.

Often the public only see the bad side of politics, shouting across the Chamber, political point scoring, MPs expenses but often a real difference can be made. Yesterday there was no party politics or point scoring just the desire of all involved to right a wrong. If, for a moment, I have ever forgotten why I wanted to be an MP, I was reminded yesterday.

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Why I Support The UN Resolution On A No Fly Zone

1. Bombing civilians is both illegal and appalling to anyone with a conscience. If we can't intervene to protect the innocent, then where is the point in having international law?

2. The UN voted 10 in favour, none against and 5 abstentions for the No Fly Zone. Lebanon gave a powerful speech about the need to defend civilians. The support of Arab Nations is critical and must ensure this is not seen as a 'Western' intervention in an Arab problem.

3. There is genuine and widespread opposition to Gadaffi for all to see (much more so than in either Iraq or Afghanistan), and the rebels have been clamouring for help from the UN.

4. Gadaffi has lost any lingering legitimacy he might have once had as a Leader. In February 2011 he was even barred from the Arab League after hundreds were killed in an anti-government uprising. His grasp of reality appears increasingly thin, and whatever the outcome of the rebellion, his days as Leader must surely be over. He will be pursued for crimes against humanity with the consequence that he will feel he has 'nothing to lose'. This has terrifying implications for those that oppose him.

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Who Is Accountable For The Bank Of England?

Today Sir David Lees, the Chairman of the Court of the Bank of England gave evidence to the Treasury Select Committee enquiry into accountability of the Bank of England. Some of his responses were extraordinary!

He confirmed that in future, the Court will be required to ensure the Bank meets the financial stability objectives of the FPC. But that it will only be responsible for overseeing the policies and processes of the MPC. I asked him what the Court will do if, in its view, the FPC is not meeting its stability objective because of monetary policy. He had no answer other than 'it will make for an interesting debate.' Sir David confirmed that the Court has not contributed at all to the Government's major ongoing consultation on Financial Regulation. When pressed, he agreed that he should give it consideration.

On this and many other issues, there is a long way to go before the Court can claim to be truly accountable for the actions of the Bank of England. With its role, and that of the Bank itself, about to be significantly enhanced, the Country had better hope Sir David gives early consideration to how he can improve the quality and depth of oversight.

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The Value Of A Sure Start

Last week I spoke in the Sure Start Centre debate in Parliament. There was cross party consensus on the value of early intervention and the future importance of supporting Children's Centres. The discussion was well informed and wide ranging.

However, since the debate I have been disgusted to see in the press attempts to lay blame at the Government's door for the possible closing of some Sure Start Centres. No Centres have to close – the Early Intervention Grant from central Government has allowed for Sure Start funding to be maintained. It is the responsibility of Local Authorities to allocate the funding to ensure their Centres remain open.

I wholeheartedly support the Localism agenda and the Localism Bill with its objective to bring decision making for local issues back to local people who are best placed to make informed judgements for local people in the places that they live. Government has now removed the 'ring fencing' of funds that so hampered Local Authorities under the last government from having the discretion to meet the needs of their local communities.

However, now the ring fencing is removed, Councils have to look closely at their consciences to ensure that Sure Start Centres are given the top priority they undoubtedly deserve. Sadly too many councils are treating Sure Starts as an 'easy' target for cuts, and then blaming the government.....

Sure Starts are certainly not above criticism. Many have not proven their value in their local community, and the results of their efforts have been variable. There is much room to focus more on ensuring they are at the heart of the community, reaching out to all young families and providing the support they need.

As a current trustee and for nine years the Chairman of a charity, OXPIP – the Oxford Parent Infant Project - I have seen at first hand the benefits of early intervention when a family is struggling to cope with their new baby. OXPIP is co-located with the Rose Hill Sure Start children's centre in Oxford. They do a fantastic job, and they recognise the value of the work done by OXPIP in helping families to build a secure bond with their baby.

The security of the relationship between a baby and his or her carer is fundamental to the lifelong mental health for that baby and everything we can do to help carers provide a stable environment is critical.

I am now planning to set up a Parent Infant Project in my constituency of South Northamptonshire – NORPIP. We have secured funding and will be based in a local Sure Start children's centre, with the plan to open satellites in other Sure Starts around the County. I hope that NORPIP will pave the way for establishing a network of Parent Infant Projects co-located with Sure Starts throughout the UK providing therapy to promote secure early attachment in vulnerable families.

The debate in Parliament recognised that we all need to understand the fundamental need for support for vulnerable. It is up to Local Authorities to ensure that this can continue to happen through the Sure Start children's centres.

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The Human Tragedy Of Libya

The human cost to the people of Libya in their fight for freedom is now all too apparent. For us living in a democracy, whatever its faults and challenges, it is difficult to understand the chaos and brutality of the Gadaffi regime and the lengths to which this dictator will go to hold onto power. I suspect that his propaganda machine means what we are seeing on our television screens is only the tip of the iceberg. Bombing of his own people, a complete breakdown in law and order and constant fear are the reality.

It is a dangerously fine line that foreign governments must tread in their efforts to try to help the Libyans. Whether to impose a no fly zone and whether to help arm Libyan rebels are matters of complex and difficult judgment. Providing humanitarian aid and helping foreigners trapped in Libya to get home are a priority.

Governments are busy collecting and evaluating intelligence on which future immediate and long term decisions will be based. Meanwhile from a human perspective, we watch with horror as lives are destroyed. Sitting in Parliament it makes me really appreciate the democratic processes that we enjoy and take for granted. Freedom of speech and association are cornerstones of our society and it is amazing to see the bravery and determination of the people of Libya to achieve their own freedom.

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Brackley Master Plan Consultation

On Friday I went to the public exhibition held by Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey about the proposed development at Radstone Fields and the Brackley Master Plan.

I have been very critical of planners and developers who fail to take into account the views and considerations of local communities. I am very keen to see local communities have a greater say over how their area looks.

I was delighted, therefore, to see that in this case a good consultation has taken place. The thoughts, views and aspirations of the local community have been taken into account and it seems that developers and planners are listening to the local community.

The Localism Bill going through Parliament will ensure that in future, all planning must take account of local views, and it's great to see that in the Brackley Master Plan we have a good example of best practice in planning.

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Wind Farm Debate

Thursday 10 February was an important day for the thousands of people fighting to protect their community from poorly sited onshore wind farms. The backbench business committee allocated me a 3 hour debate to discuss onshore wind farms and their impact on Britain's landscape.

The debate about onshore wind farms goes to the very heart of the battle between 'localism' and the 'national interest'. There are real issues of national interest that must be taken into account - the failure of the last Government to plan to meet our future energy needs is second only to their catastrophic economic legacy. The shocking fact is that between now and 2020, some 35% of British power generating capability through nuclear and conventional power stations will be retired due to old age with nothing yet ready to replace them. The Department for Energy and Climate Change is working flat out to plug the energy gap but it's a tall order.

The second challenge where national need is battling against local need is energy security and our dwindling North Sea gas reserves. We are now a net importer of gas and will increasingly rely on potentially unreliable sources for imports, so there is a great need to rebuild our own generating capability. The third issue comes from the binding EU target that Labour signed us up to, requiring that we achieve 15% of our total energy from renewable by 2015. It's not clear that this is achievable even with the massive 'race for onshore wind' begun by Labour. A more realistic option would be to measure 'net' carbon emissions thereby taking into account measures to insulate and otherwise reduce energy usage.

At present Britain has around 350 operational wind farms, 260 either under construction or awaiting construction and 250 at the planning stage. That means that there are already 3,000 turbines in the country, with another 6,500 either awaiting construction or planning permission. To meet the 10,000 turbines needed to ensure that we hit our 15% renewable target by 2020, the rush over the last decade has been for onshore wind.

The scepticism of whether wind energy can meet these challenges is not confined to the UK. Denmark has led the way on onshore wind. It now has more than 6,000 wind turbines for a population of just over 5 million people. In theory, wind turbines could provide for one fifth of Denmark's energy needs, but its national power company has stopped supporting new onshore wind turbines, for three reasons. The first is the enormous public backlash. Communities have just had enough. Secondly, electricity prices in Denmark are the highest in Europe. Since 2005, subsidies paid by businesses and consumers to wind farm developers have totalled some £620 million. However, the key reason why Denmark is putting a stop to onshore wind farms is its effectiveness. Electricity generated in Denmark could provide for 20% of its total needs, but not much of it is used in Denmark. When the wind blows there is no storage facility, so the country sells much of its surplus energy to Norway, Sweden and Germany, often at a substantial loss.

Another issue for Denmark is that the Danes have failed to close a single conventional power station whilst they have developed wind energy. Wind turbines only produce electricity when the wind blows. The Danish found that a back up supply of power was always needed for when the wind was not blowing. Therefore, no power plants have been turned off and furthermore, the Danes have found that it is not practical for large baseload plants to be turned on and off as the wind dies and rises, in fact the quick ramping up and down of these plants would actually increase their output of pollution and carbon dioxide.

What does that mean for the UK? First, we know that wind farms are unreliable. The intermittency causes a problem for the grid. Too much wind means that the turbines have to be turned off. No wind means that they are useless. Wind cannot be stored, and in the UK the average production from wind turbines is about 30%. That means that the theoretical capacity of 100% is only achieved to the tune of 30% on average because of the intermittency of wind. We therefore have to keep all our power plants going to provide a back-up source and we will have to build new power plants anyway.

Secondly, last December, when temperatures dropped to an average of minus 0.7° and demand for heat rose by 7%, there was no wind. Wind power did not contribute at all to meeting a 7% increase in demand for heat.

Thirdly, we have to consider the costs. It is difficult to establish the relative costs because energy prices move all the time, but roughly speaking, wind energy costs about two and a half times the price of nuclear energy and twice the cost of traditional fuel sources. However, it is not just the fuel itself. There is also the cost of building the turbines. The costs of the raw materials for that are increasing, and as the demand for wind turbines increases, so does the cost of building them.

Finally, there is the cost of upgrading the grid to deal with the enormous amount of new connectivity that will be needed by 2020 if we are to have a total of 10,000 onshore wind turbines. The cost has been put at around £5 billion.

In 2008, the Centre for Policy Studies predicted that meeting the 2020 renewable target would require a taxpayer subsidy of between £4 billion and £5 billion a year. That would add £3,000 to the total fuel bills of every household, this figure excludes the cost of updating infrastructure and it takes no account of the fact that, in 2009, 4 million households were already in fuel poverty.

I am delighted that the Government have announced that they intend to share the financial benefit of onshore wind farms with communities. That is important because there is no doubt that taxpayers are already paying a huge price through increased energy bills to pay for the Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

The greatest cost of wind farms that is also hardest to quantify is the impact on communities. Hundreds of campaigners are fighting against having wind farms in their areas. Their concerns are wide-ranging. They include visual problems: many of the new wind turbines are bigger than Big Ben and taller than the London Eye; they are said to intimidate villages and ruin areas of outstanding natural beauty, the flicker caused by rotating blades in the sun is disturbing to many and there is much disturbance while they are being built.

Turbines are also audible at a great distance - potentially, as far as two miles with the sound being constant 'white noise' that never goes away and is often noisiest at night. The impact on wildlife is substantial. A survey estimates that each turbine kills between 20 and 40 birds a year and larger animals, such as horses, find them frightening. Another key concern cited by communities is interference with television and radio. Emergency services are concerned about the impact on their frequencies and the Ministry of Defence has expressed concern about interference with radar.

Only one in three wind farms are approved by democratically elected local authority planners with many applications being approved on appeal. Perhaps the most frustrating planning point is that developers don't have to justify that their proposed site is windy!

Whilst I accept that onshore wind has its part to play in generating renewable energy, I conclude that the benefits of onshore wind have been hugely exaggerated by the developers who stand to make huge sums from the taxpayer incentives. In addition, we are genuinely adding to fuel poverty in this country and costing consumers and businesses billions of pounds because of this battle to develop onshore wind. We need to look much more closely at other sources of renewable energy. Ground source heat pumps have been described as, 'the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean and cost-effective space-conditioning systems available'. There are also tidal and marine technologies, which are more predictable and reliable than wind, and they are cheap to maintain once they are established. Hydroelectric power is even more reliable than tidal power, because it allows water to be stored to meet peak demand.

After my own speech a further 12 colleagues spoke in a good natured and good humoured debate. Colleagues represented their constituents well and a wide range of points were debated. Interestingly, no one spoke in favour of onshore wind, but all spoke strongly in favour of greater local democracy in decision making! Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change responded for the Government. He stressed the need for a balance of technologies which should include nuclear, clean coal and a 'broad mix' of renewable. Whilst he didn't give any firm guarantees regarding onshore wind farms, I was delighted that during the day he had announced that the Government was committed to listening to the wishes of local communities and that it would be an obligation of the developer to only site wind farms in windy places!

It used to be the case that criticising onshore wind energy led to being denounced as a 'climate change denier'. I sincerely hope those days are over and that a sensible and productive debate on how to deal with our energy gap, our energy security and looking after the interests of our communities can now be had.

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Westminster Hall Debate on Local Planning

On Wednesday I held a Westminster Hall Debate to discuss the Government's plans for local planning.

I raised 4 specific issues: Firstly, the St Crispin development in Northampton where I urged the Secretary of State to call in the application; Secondly, I talked about the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation and I asked the Minister to transfer planning back to local Councils asap; Third, I pointed out to the Minister that before the Localism Bill becomes law there is a planning vacuum which is causing frustration and confusion for Councillors and residents and urged him to give guidance on how to deal with planning in the short term; Finally, I talked about wind farms and I asked for confirmation that wind farms are included in the Localism Bill so that local communities have a greater say on where are sited.

I thought you might be interested to read a transcript of the debate and this can be found here.

The debate was well attended and many colleagues were very supportive and made helpful interventions.

As I am sure you are aware, the Localism Bill was presented to Parliament before Christmas and will have its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Monday and I do intend to speak. I know how important planning issues are in Northamptonshire and the Localism Bill is a very important piece of legislation that will abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and top-down housing targets and return planning powers back to local authorities. I do, however, want to make sure that this is not a missed opportunity and the Localism Bill fulfils its potential.

I am working very hard on the Localism Bill to make sure that important issues to South Northamptonshire such as planning and wind farms are dealt with by the Bill.

I will do my best to keep you up to date with developments and all information will be posted on my website.

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Wind Farm Public Meeting

On Thursday 9 December I attended a public meeting at Greatworth Primary School to discuss the recent application from Broadview to build a wind farm between the small rural villages of Sulgrave, Greatworth and Helmdon in South Northamptonshire.

The application would see 5 turbines erected each at 125 metres high which is taller than the London Eye. Each turbine would have blades of 45 metres in length. The project would take 12 months to complete and would substantially impact the countryside and the scenic views in the local area as well as affecting local roads during construction. Therefore the local concern and anger at this proposal is understandable.

I have always said that whilst renewable energy has an important part to play in providing energy for our 21st century needs we have got to stop building insensitive and intrusive wind farms on top of local communities. I am also concerned that onshore wind power still needs to be proven as a valuable contribution to our energy security needs. It was suggested at the meeting that the turbines would only be a maximum of 19% efficient and therefore the benefits would be tiny and yet local communities have to deal with the environmental damage regardless of how effective the turbines are.

Some of the turbines will be less than 1km away from properties and some will be as close as 700 metres, Broadview accept that local residents will be affected. Some residents will be affected by noise, footpaths and bridleways will be destroyed, television signals affected and signals for the emergency services communications could also be affected. Safety is also a big concern for local residents.

I have the greatest admiration for Helmdon, Stuchbury and Greatworth Wind Farm Action Group and the work they do and I took the opportunity to explain to the meeting about what is happening in Parliament regarding this issue. Chris Heaton-Harris, the MP for Daventry, recently secured a 10 Minute Rule Bill on the subject of wind farms and specifically setting a minimum distance from properties. I was pleased to sign the Bill and look forward to speaking in the debate when the Bill reaches Second Reading sometime next year. I have also had meetings with Bob Neill MP and Greg Clark MP, both Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government regarding wind farms and the Localism Bill.

The Localism Bill was presented to Parliament on Monday 13 December and sets out provisions for returning planning powers back to local authorities and giving communities a greater say over their local area. I am keen to make sure that the Bill includes applications for wind farms which is why I plan to table an amendment at the Second Reading of the Bill to make sure wind farms are included. I will be looking for support from MPs to raise as much awareness as possible of this issue. When applications are put forward in the future and in all existing cases, I want to see a proper consultation process and the opportunity for communities to say no.

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Transport Select Committee

On Tuesday 30 November the Transport Select Committee took evidence from HS2 Ltd. and StopHS2 as they discussed the issues of 'Transport and the Economy'. Representatives from Transport for London, The Northern Way, The Campaign for Better Transport and the Transport Planning Society as well as Alison Munro, the Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd. and Joe Rukin of StopHS2 attended and answered the committee's questions in a meeting that lasted over two and a half hours. Many aspects of transport, transport infrastructure and investment were discussed but the issue of HS2 dominated the questions from the cross-party committee.

Many who gave evidence did speak in support of the HS2 project as they saw it as one of the solutions to the overcrowding on the West Coast Main Line, however they also warned that this was not a 'silver bullet', the lessons from HS1 must be learnt, other solutions to improving the UKs transport infrastructure must be looked at and HS2 should connect with HS1.

Steve Baker the MP for Wycombe, who is also a member of the Transport Select Committee asked Alison Munro about the business case for HS2 and who will carry the cost of this project that could potentially cost around £34 billion. Ms Munro replied that the project would be largely funded by the taxpayer but a final decision was yet to be made. She also defended the business case stressing that the future predictions for rail travel were believable and reasonable but did stress that there is uncertainty in predicting future figures.

Iain Stewart MP another member of the Committee and the Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South, asked Ms Munro about the estimates for HS1 and the possibility of intermediate stops along the route, similarly to the TGV in France. Again, Ms Munro defended HS2's position stressing that the passenger figures for HS1 could not be compared to HS2 and having looked into the possibility of intermediate stops between London and Birmingham, found that there was no strong case for it. Alison Munro continued by explaining that HS2 would benefit travel from city centre to city centre which in turn would benefit those travelling on existing lines as it would ease congestion.

In the last section of the meeting, Joe Rukin from StopHS2 was called to give evidence. Stephen Joseph from the Campaign for Better Transport, Keith Buchan from the Transport Planning Society and Adrian Davis, Director of Public Health for the West of England were also called and argued that smaller investments should not be overlooked and could bring benefits at a cheaper cost and far sooner. Stephen Joseph suggested that high speed broadband in rural areas was important investment which should not be ignored.

Under rigorous questioning from the Committee and in particular from the Chair, Labour MP Louise Ellman, Joe Rukin argued that this project was not value for money, the passenger figures were wildly optimistic and the environmental benefits were unproven at best.

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HS2 Westminster Hall Debate

On Tuesday 23 November a debate took place in Westminster Hall regarding High Speed 2. The debate was secured by Steve Baker MP, the Member of Parliament for Wycombe and was very well attended by many MPs from all Parties who, in a lively and informative debate, argued for and against the proposals for High Speed Rail. Mike Weir MP chaired the debate and Andrew Gwynne MP, responded for the Opposition before Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP, Minister of State for Transport spoke for the Government.

There was a great deal of interest in this debate and many Members contributed during the one and a half hours available. I made two interventions: I began by asking Andrew Gwynne MP, Shadow Transport Minister whether he agreed that a better project would be one that benefitted those whose communities are affected by the route, by for example spurs off the main track allowing interim station stops. He did agree with this point. I then had the opportunity to intervene during Theresa Villier's speech and asked her whether she agreed that a better route would be one that followed existing transport corridors. Theresa replied that this was the aim but stated that it was not always possible. Theresa explained that the Secretary of State had asked HS2 to reconsider their proposed route and that the guidelines for consultation would be produced shortly and would take into account this issue.

Steve Baker MP began the sitting by stressing this was a very contentious issue. He spoke on behalf of many of the Buckinghamshire MPs and argued three points; why should the route run through Buckinghamshire against the wishes of local residents, why should the route run through any part of the country which does not want it and if resources such as land and money are scarce, what should be done? During his speech he made the points that there is no benefit to local communities who are forced to accept this scheme, the environmental case has not yet been established and HS2 have been slow to publish their findings. Mr Baker also went on to suggest there had not been proper consideration of alternative proposals which could be cheaper, less intrusive and delivered sooner.

To prove this is a contentious issue amongst all Parties, Frank Dobson, the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras, spoke about how confused he was that HS2 would not connect with HS1, the Heathrow Express or the newly constructed Cross Rail project. He called the scheme, 'badly thought out' and stressed that a more cost effective solution could be found.

Many other MPs also spoke against the scheme including Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby, Dan Byles, MP for North Warwickshire and Chris Pitcher, MP for Tamworth. Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South and Member of the Transport Select Committee explained that he agreed with the need to improve our transport infrastructure and indeed that a High Speed Rail link could be the right idea, however, Iain explained he was far from convinced that HS2 was the right plan and said it could be a costly error.

However, there were also many who spoke in favour of the project. David Mowat, MP for Warrington South spoke of how the forecasts were that 29,000 to 40,000 jobs could be created, Mike Whittaker, MP for Calder Valley made clear that the project would be to the benefit of Yorkshire and Jo Swinson MP and Mark Lazarowicz MP spoke about how they hoped it would be to the benefit of Scotland.

Theresa Villiers MP concluded the debate by setting out the Government's position. She said she believed there was support for this project across the House and indeed across the country. She gave assurance that the environmental impacts would be assessed and she said she was, 'confident' careful mitigation measures could limit the damage of intrusive infrastructure and cited HS1 in Kent as an example of this. Theresa continued by explaining that it was important the economic benefits were considered against the project being fair for local communities. Theresa stressed that the project was necessary to deal with the overcrowding problems on the existing network and would form part of our low carbon economy. Again, she explained that the consultation would be 'conclusive, wide ranging and comprehensive,' and would last 5 months longer than the statutory requirement, she also made clear that any measures to address blight would also be above the statutory requirement.

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High Speed Rail Lobby Day

After much preparation the High Speed Rail Lobby Day went ahead on Monday 25 October in the Attlee Suite in Portcullis House in Westminster. The Attlee Suite is the largest function room on the Parliamentary estate and was full to capacity for the meeting. MPs along the affected route and representatives of the 52 action groups attended to challenge the plans for High Speed Rail. Importantly, many other MPs attended as well as representatives from HS2, members of the Transport Select Committee, Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers MP, Minister of State for Transport and Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport who got to hear, some for the first time, the arguments against the plans.

Over 150 people attended in total and heard the Government case, the case against the plans and had an opportunity to pose their own questions. Sir Paul Hayter, Chairman of the Northamptonshire Campaign to Protect Rural England chaired the meeting. To begin with Theresa Villiers outlined the Governments position on their support for a High Speed Rail project. Theresa assured the room that there would be a long consultation period and that representations made during the consultation period would allow people to make a real difference to the project.

Chris Stokes, former Director of the Strategic Rail Authority, argued against the supposed business case for High Speed Rail. Chris argued that the       Rt. Hon. Theresa Villiers Speaking at the Lobby Day      growth forecasts for Rail travel of 133% were unsubstantiated. He showed that for example the actual growth for the channel tunnel rail was only 37% of what was forecasted. He argued that the business case for HS2 is not yet proven, and at best marginal.

Professor Mike Geddes, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Warwick, then spoke on the wider economic impacts of High Speed Rail. He asked whether the case was deceiving the regions as many expert studies have suggested. In general the larger the local economy, the more it will benefit. So-called 'agglomeration benefits' flow primarily to the most economically powerful existing agglomerations i.e. London rather than the regions. He felt the damage to the regions would far outweigh any economic benefit outside London.

Mark Sullivan, the Technical Director of CPRE Warwickshire who previously worked on HS1 in Kent and Joe Rukin, a convenor of StopHS2, then spoke on the HS1 Experience and 'Speed is not Green' respectively. Click here to view the slides from the Lobby Day.

Philip Hammond joined the meeting for the Question and Answer session and took questions from both MPs and constituents. A number of MPs spoke out against HS2 asking whether it really was financially viable. Philip Hammond once more assured everyone that compensation would be available for anyone affected by the final route.

I am really pleased that people got the chance to air their views to a number of members of Parliament and Minsters. There were some excellent points made in the presentations which raise significant questions about HS2. Britain is too small and congested an island to accommodate such an insensitive project.

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Conservative Party Conference HS2 Update

At this year's Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, the issue of High Speed Rail was discussed at length both on and off the conference platform. Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport made a key announcement that the Government will support plans for a Y shaped High Speed Rail line north of Birmingham which will continue the line connecting London and Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. I was in the Conference Hall for the announcement on Monday morning and I must report that the announcement was warmly received by many in the audience. High Speed Rail was also mentioned by David Cameron in his own main speech.

I think there is a lot of momentum towards High Speed Rail but nevertheless I believe there is still a good chance we will be able to persuade the Government to think again about how to achieve the goal of dramatically improved transport infrastructure.

My researcher, Marc attended a roundtable discussion on Monday entitled, ‘Beyond High Speed 1 - Delivering A Value For Money Network.' Several senior transport industry figures were there including the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Siemens Europe, Nigel Harris, Managing Director of Rail Magazine, many Chief Executives and Directors of rail companies including London First and MPs and elected representatives from the affected areas. The general feeling at the meeting was that HS2 is an exciting new project which will be beneficial for the whole country, however, when challenged about the proposed route, all were in agreement that it was imperative that a sensible route was found and they could see no reason why existing transport corridors should not be used. Further information that came from the meeting was that after the experience of HS1 it was widely agreed that good communication with residents in affected areas was of paramount importance and that whatever route was decided on the case for it must be made very clearly.

There was a demonstration outside the Conference centre on Monday after Philip Hammond's speech which did gain some good press coverage. Our next opportunity to lobby Government regarding HS2 will be at the National Lobby Day I am holding in Westminster on October 25th at 2.30pm. Chaired by Sir Paul Hayter, Chairman of CPRE Northamptonshire, it will offer an opportunity to challenge and discuss the business and environmental case for and against HSR.

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Meeting with Secretary of State Philip Hammond MP

Yesterday Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, visited constituencies up and down the proposed route for High Speed Rail in order to see sensitive parts of the proposed route for himself. He came to Brackley at 3.30pm to meet with me, Tony Baldry MP and a number of local Councillors and members of the S Northants Action Group (SNAG).

We asked him a number of questions including:

- Whether he believes 250 mph is essential for HS2 or whether it would still be viable at slower speeds that would enable better mitigation. He told us that he intends HS2 to travel at the highest possible speeds in order to 'future proof' the network as technology improves;

- Whether he has considered the proposal by Arup Ltd for a different project that uses an existing travel corridor instead of ploughing through untouched countryside. He told us that trains along, for example, a motorway corridor would require a significant amount of tunnelling and bridges to avoid junctions and settlements and would not be feasible;

- Whether he agrees with the principle that those whose property/business values suffer as a result of proximity to the proposed line should be fully compensated. He did agree, and said that he will look to extend the statutory blight compensation arrangements;

- What the plans are for consultation through to delivery of the project. He confirmed that a decision on the route to be consulted upon will be made before Christmas; broad public consultation will take place throughout 2011 with a decision on the final route expected to be taken at the end of 2011; design of the detailed construction would then take place throughout 2012 and a hybrid bill would be put to Parliament in the Spring of 2013; it is planned that work on the line would begin in 2015;

During the meeting, there was a demonstration in Brackley town centre by up to 300 local residents waving banners rejecting HS2. Philip Hammond came outside after the meeting to speak with protesters and to was interviewed by local and national TV and radio.

I then held a public meeting in Brackley Town Hall to update protesters on the meeting. Local Councillors and members of SNAG joined me in expressing our disappointment that Philip Hammond seemed to have rejected the idea of slightly slower trains using a more environmentally sensitive route.

There were many questions from the audience about why we need High Speed Rail. Many people seemed to accept that we need more train/road capacity, but feel that the cost in money and environmental terms of this particular proposal is too great and has not been properly justified as being in the national interest. There is also a great deal of anger about the poor communication, particularly following the latest route changes.

I will certainly keep fighting against the proposed route and I know residents will do the same. The next opportunity to put the strength of feeling to politicians will be at a National Lobby Day I am sponsoring in Westminster on October 25. SNAG and other action groups are bringing together speakers to challenge the business and environmental impact of HS2 and I hope to have in attendance members of the Transport Select Committee, the Transport Department and all MPs whose constituencies are affected.

 Click here to read Andrea's press release.

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*** High Speed Rail Update ***

In advance of Philip Hammond MP (Sec of State for Transport) visiting S Northants constituency this week, I wanted to update residents on my campaign so far to protect our beautiful environment, and to explain clearly what my position is on the latest changes to the route proposed by HS2 Ltd.
Firstly the campaign so far:

1. Since May 7 I have written and forwarded around 700 letters to/from constituents and to/from Dept of Transport and HS2 Ltd. The subjects covered in these letters range from objections to High Speed Rail, challenges to the business and environmental case, opposition to the current proposed route and questions/concerns about both the Exceptional Hardship Scheme and statutory blight provisions. I encourage every resident to keep writing letters to the Sec of State, copying me each time!

2. I have held four public meetings on High Speed Rail to update residents on the facts around the Coalition plans as they emerge. I helped to establish the South Northants Action Group (SNAG) to represent local residents.

3. I have met both formally and informally with Theresa Villiers MP and Philip Hammond MP numerous times to try and press the concerns of this constituency, and have submitted parliamentary questions on specific issues raised by constituents. Both Philip and Theresa have been very willing to talk to me and are very aware of our concerns in regard to the project, the route and the compensation.

4. I have been pressing Philip Hammond to visit the constituency to hold a public meeting. The meeting this week in Brackley is the result of my requests. The meeting will also be attended by Tony Baldry, MP for Banbury whose constituency is also affected. Cllrs Mary Clarke and Ken Melling will also attend, along with the Chairman of SNAG. Philip intends separately to walk parts of the route with HS2 engineers. Philip will speak to local press following the meeting but has declined my request for a public meeting.

5. PLEASE NOTE: I have therefore booked Brackley Town Hall's upstairs room for one hour on Wednesday 22 September from 5pm and will be there to give an update to local campaigners on what took place at the meeting. Please note that there is limited space in this room.

6. The strength of local feeling has persuaded HS2 Ltd to review their proposed route as it crosses through 3 constituencies - S Northants, Tamworth and Kenilworth and Southam. I was invited to meet with HS2 Ltd on September 8 to see their proposals, and sent out an email to my entire 'HS2 email distribution list' on that same day. If you would like to add your email address to this distribution list then please let me know on andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk.

7. I have met with senior staff at Arup Ltd to review their proposal for an alternative High Speed Rail. This proposal in my opinion fits much more closely with our existing transport network and infrastructure and uses an existing travel corridor. I have asked both Philip Hammond and Theresa Villiers if they will look at this alternative.

8. Last weekend I took part in SNAG's 'Walk the route' campaign with residents of Aston le Walls and Lower Boddington, and had the chance to talk at length with residents about how they can get their views heard.

9. I am pressing the district and county councils to form a 'coordination' group with SNAG and myself to better represent the views of local people and to present a coherent strategy for fighting the proposals.

10. I am arranging a 'National Lobby Day' in Westminster on October 25 to enable Action Groups up and down the line to challenge High Speed Rail. The Sec of State has provisionally agreed to attend, together with many affected MPs and members of the Transport Select Committee.

As you would expect I am in constant and regular contact with local press and with the South Northants Action Group on the subject of HS2.

Secondly, I want to be clear about my position on HS2:

a) I do not support the current route, even in its changed guise.
b) I strongly question whether 250mph is realistic in our small, crowded island.
c) I do not believe the business case is sound - in particular I challenge the economic value ascribed to each minute of journey time saved.
d) I believe that new train infrastructure is vital - anyone getting on a train from MK to London, or travelling on our motorways regularly can see that congestion is getting worse. Freight movement onto the railways and off the roads is critical.
e) I believe that any new train infrastructure needs to fit clearly within our existing train network, with the possibility of additional 'spurs' that allow trains to switch from the high speed to the normal network.

My 3 top priorities in Parliament since May 7 have been to defend our constituency from:

1. The damage of High Speed Rail
2. Insensitively located Wind Farms
3. Housing that is not welcomed by local residents

If you have any specific suggestions or ideas then please do write or email me. Likewise, if you are wondering what I am doing/thinking about a specific issue then please get in touch!

To try and keep in better contact with residents I am planning to write a weekly blog of what I have been doing, both in and out of Parliament. I will always welcome comments.

Best
Andrea

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Update Letter on High Speed Rail

Dear All

I thought this would be a good time to update you on the ongoing debate over the proposed high-speed rail link. Since I was elected in May I have taken every opportunity to ask questions regarding the proposed plans and gather as much information as possible.

In June I took part in a Westminster debate that sought to establish the Government's level of commitment to HSR, given the dire state of our economy and I issued a press release following the debate, which you can read here:

Since the Westminster Hall debate I have written several times to Rt. Hon. Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport, asking him for up to date information on the Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) and on the impact of considering moving the terminus for HS2 to Heathrow.

On Tuesday 13 July I had a meeting with Minister of Transport, Theresa Villiers MP together with Chris Pincher (MP for Tamworth) and Dan Byles (MP for North Warwickshire). We held the meeting in order to get an update from Theresa on the proposed route.

In summary Theresa Villiers made several important comments:

• The Government will take all realistic measures to mitigate the damage caused to the environment and communities along the route. This will include using slower speeds and tunnelling in order to minimise the impact on sensitive areas.

• On the exceptional hardship scheme, the Secretary of State will make an announcement soon on the shape of the scheme. Any compensation paid to homeowners under the EHS would be at 100% of pre-blight levels.

• Theresa also undertook to look into when the Secretary of State may be able to visit South Northamptonshire to walk part of the route and to meet with local residents and see at first hand the impact of Route 3 on their lives. I am hoping that this will be in September.

Two weeks ago I attended a public meeting in Brackley that was arranged by Liz Williams, Chairman of SNAG. The purpose was to update residents on the plans for High Speed Rail. I made clear at the meeting that I believe it highly likely that a high speed rail project will go ahead. There will be a thorough consultation beginning in 2011 and every resident affected will be able to submit their own views. The work of SNAG as an official stakeholder, representing the interests of those affected will be very important. I believe that there is a chance the route may change, but importantly I am increasingly confident that the speed of the train and hence the possibility for good mitigation is negotiable.

Having said that, the publication of the Mahwhinney Report on Wednesday 21 July was not good news for local residents. Lord Mahwhinney has stated that changing the route to run via Heathrow, ‘should not be pursued.' However, I am reassured by the Secretary of State's announcement that he will, ‘carefully consider Lord Mawhinney's recommendations alongside further work by High Speed 2 and will announce our conclusions later this year.'

I have also had a meeting with ARUP who are working with HS2 but who have also put forward their own alternative proposal for a route which would see the line link up with Heathrow and would follow a different route to Birmingham. I was impressed with the case they put forward and I am very keen that the Secetary of State considers their proposal.

On behalf of the many HS2 action groups up and down the line, I am sponsoring a Lobby Day in October around the time of the Spending Review. I hope to be allocated an extremely large Committee Room in the ballot that takes place next week! More information will follow.

As ever, I will do all I can to keep you up to date with any new developments as we get closer to a decision being made regarding the route and all information will be posted on my website.

With best wishes

Andrea Leadsom MP

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The Brackley Masterplan

I want to remind as many of you as possible to get down to the exhibition at the Library in Burgess Square where the Brackley Masterplan is being explained. The exhibition will remain there until August 7 2010.

The Brackley Masterplan will shape development Brackley for the next 15 years. It includes plans for the developments at Brackley Sawmills with the new Health Centre, the Housing on Radstone Fields and developments on both sides of Turweston Road.

However there are other interesting ideas for consideration, the main ones are:

• Putting Magdalen College School on one site by either condensing the school on either of the two existing sites or moving to a third site on the edge of town along the Banbury Road. However, one of these ideas involves building on the St John's Site which are the fields where the Carnival and other community events take place.

• Realigning the High Street so it runs down the slip road in front of Brackley Photographic, the Kitchen Shop and the old hotel. The top part of the High Street would be grassed over and a new Library or Community Building with the remaining space used as car parking or for outdoor community events.

• Housing, sports fields and possibly Magdalen College School being built along the North West edge of town. This is the land running parallel to Humphries Drive backing onto roads Johnson Avenue, Brewin Close, Rose Drive and the ‘Birds' Estate including Heron Drive.

The Masterplan includes many other ideas as well and there are many suggestions for the public to comment on. At the moment, nothing is set in stone, but it is important that everyone has a say so we get the right outcome for Brackley.

 
Please can you make sure you get down to the exhibition or download the plan here and have your say. Make sure you also tell friends, family and neighbours about the plan. This is our opportunity to help decide how it happens and what kind of development we have in Brackley.

Thanks and best wishes

Andrea

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Election to the Treasury Select Committee

Last Thursday, 24 June 2010, the election to the Treasury Select Committee took place and I was absolutely delighted to win a place on it.

The Treasury Select Committee is elected by Members of the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs and the associated public bodies such as the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

At this crucial time for the British economy, the Committee has an extremely important job to do, and its reports are recognized by many financial institutions, as well as the Treasury. Andrew Tyrie MP was elected as the Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 9 June and has said, ‘A big job lies ahead of the Committee in the coming weeks and months. It has a crucial role to play in Parliament and more widely at a difficult time for the economy.'

I have been working hard to secure the votes of my colleagues and to convince them that my financial background and experience meant that I was the right person for the job. Those also elected along with me were Michael Fallon MP, Jesse Norman MP and David Rutley MP.

I am thrilled with the result and although I will be a lot busier, I am looking forward to making a real difference to the Committee's work and I can't wait to get started!

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Maiden Speech During Budget Debate

On Tuesday I was able to deliver my Maiden Speech to the House of Commons during the crucial Budget debate.  

I took the opportunity to call for the Government to give powers and responsibility back to the Bank of England and to change the culture of our financial sector.

At 12.30pm the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon. George Osborne MP, delivered his first budget and Rt Hon. Harriett Harman MP, the Acting Leader of the Labour Party responded for the Opposition. The debate on the eagerly anticipated emergency Budget then began with many Members looking to catch the Speaker's eye.

I had to wait until about ten past five before the Speaker finally called me to speak.  I have made plenty of speeches over the last 10 years but nothing has ever been quite as intimidating as standing up to speak for the first time in the Chamber......It was a great honour but I'm relieved it's over and I can now start to contribute fully in debates.

I think the budget is tough but fair, with the wealthiest bearing the highest burden, but with a sensible balance achieved on Capital Gains Tax, which will see CGT frozen for basic rate taxpayers and rising for higher earners from 18% to 28% - it was critical not to raise further and risk discouraging entrepreneurs.  The right decision was also taken to protect the elderly, by linking pensions to the higher of prices, earnings or 2.5%.

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Westminster Hall Debate on High Speed Rail

Last week I attended a debate in Westminster Hall on the proposals for High Speed Rail.

The debate was called by Mark Lazarowicz, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith and the main attendees were MPs from constituencies that would be directly affected by the High Speed Rail network. Mark Lazarowicz spoke out strongly in favour of HSR claiming it would bring great economic benefit to Scotland.

Other MPs then contributed, including Tony Baldry, Member of Parliament for Banbury, who spoke for both of us (I was unable to speak as I have not yet made my Maiden Speech in the House).  Tony pointed out that ‘everyone wants the stations, but no one wants the track' and he explained very clearly how damaging the current preferred route would be to residents of his and my constituencies, as well as those of the Speaker, John Bercow MP.

Tony called for clarification from the Minister, Theresa Villiers MP, on the process of a timetable for consultation. He also questioned whether slower speeds for HSR would be considered in order that the route could curve, enabling better mitigation of the environmental impact. He finally asked how the Minister plans to engage with local communities and whether alternative routes will be considered.

Willie Bain MP spoke for the Opposition and made clear that the Labour Party were in support of a High Speed Rail Link.

When Mr Bain had concluded his remarks, Theresa Villiers MP, the Minister of State for Transport and the former Shadow Secretary of State for Transport began her response on behalf of the new Government to the issues and concerns that had been raised.

From the debate I drew the following points:

• All political parties are in support of a High Speed Rail network in principle;
• Work on the new High Speed Rail network is intended to begin by 2015;
• A Hybrid Bill on the new network will be brought before the House within this current Parliament, essentially meaning within the next 18 months;
• The Government will take very seriously the issue of blight to local communities;
• There will be a detailed consultation before an exact route is decided on;
• Concerns arising from the Exceptional Hardship Scheme will be carefully considered when the scheme closes;
• Philip Hammond MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, will be making a full statement to the House as soon as possible.

I remain committed to protecting the interests of South Northamptonshire and will continue to consult with the Government on the proposed High Speed Rail network.

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First week in Parliament

Anyone who has read the Harry Potter books will appreciate that Parliament has the same features as Hogwarts School - you think you've found the Commons Chamber or even the ladies loo.....but next time you try to go there it's not where you left it.... 

The 'Principal Door Keeper' is a wonderful man called Milburn who always seems to find me when I'm lost.  I'm thinking of leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.  

It's been an amazing week - overwhelmingly busy on the admin front but also with the excitement of forming a new coalition government, the controversial vote on the membership of the 1922 Committee, and also (the highlight of my week) a drinks reception at 10 Downing Street at the invitation of David Cameron.

Here is a link to a short film done by BBC Look East on my first few days.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8690058.stm

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Thank you!

Thank you so much South Northamptonshire! I am completely delighted and honoured to be the first MP for South Northamptonshire, and aim to prove that politics is an honourable profession. Thank you for the opportunity to represent you.

The Results:

Name Party Votes % +/-
Andrea Leadsom Conservative 33,081 55.2 +3.7
Scott Collins Liberal Democrat 12,603 21.0 +3.9
Matthew May Labour 10,380 17.3 -11.4
Barry Mahoney UK Independence Party   2,406 4.0 +1.4
Tony Tappy English Democrats      735 1.2 +1.2
Marcus Rock Green      685 1.1 +1.1

Majority 20,478 34.2
Turnout 59,890 73.0 +5.4

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My Campaign

As the day of the Election approaches and electioneering draws to an end, I am beginning to think about what I will miss on the campaign trail. From the moment the Election was announced we have been working tirelessly to address the issues which concern the residents of South Northamptonshire. We have had fun in an exhausting sort of way! There have been some light hearted moments as well as serious problems to consider. I have certainly benefited from the experience of many local residents who have been extremely informative and helpful in the discussions we have had. I hope to harness that pot of accumulated experience and use it to represent the constituency in Westminster.

Campaigning is undoubtedly hard work. Being out and about meeting people and talking about what matters to them is important and very much part of the job I enjoy. But in addition I have been receiving over 100 emails and letters a day. I decided early on that constituents who took the trouble to write to me deserved an immediate and considered response so I have spent most mornings dealing with correspondence. That too has increased my awareness of the problems that concern local people.

 So all in all, this campaign has been a very valuable and worthwhile experience. As a result I know the people of South Northamptonshire even better and I am grateful to everyone for their support and kindness.

I suspect though, whether potential voter or candidate, we all feel that we would rather not have to repeat the campaigning experience in the near future - I urge you to make that a certainty by voting Conservative on 6 May!

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No more Cleggmania!

Another Thursday evening approaches. Another Election debate on the horizon. As I knock on doors around the constituency it feels to me that there is a huge disconnect between the media frenzy being played out on television and in the papers and the reality of what is happening in normal people's lives.

As a young mum answered the door with a baby in her arms and a toddler at her feet, she apologized for not having given the Election much thought yet. She was too preoccupied with managing everyday life to have the energy to consider the voting issues that preoccupy the media and political insiders. She did intend to vote though.

I think there is a danger that in this age of reality television voting decisions become another victim of presentation over substance. The election campaign is at risk of being relegated to the realms of The X Factor - where image counts for everything and the Country only discovers after 6 May what lies behind the façade.

Policy matters. It is policy that will decide the future for our country when all the noise has subsided. It is policy that will get us out of the mess Labour has put us in. Only the Conservatives have the policies to turn this country around and put the Great back into Britain.

The opinion polls tell us many of us are enjoying a 'holiday romance' with Nick Clegg.  His image has proved attractive but will we wake up in the cold light of day and wonder what on earth we saw in him?  Do we really want the policies that lurk behind the rhetoric?

Is Britain really ready to relinquish its sovereignty and join the EURO.....to be at the mercy of a European Union where many have already shown themselves to be fair weather friends of Greece when it is trouble? Do we really want to offer an amnesty to illegal immigrants when the experience of other countries shows that it will result in a huge increase in the illegal immigration? Do we really want to scrap Council Tax in favour of a local income tax creating real hardship for young adults living with their parents? At a time of unprecedented international instability do we really want to put the defence of this country at risk by not renewing trident as Nick Clegg has proposed? At the age of 13 when I decided I wanted to be an MP it was precisely the fear of a nuclear war that made me determined to make the world a better place.  Giving up our own deterrent is simply to bury our heads in the sand in an increasingly dangerous world. 

A week before the most important General Election of a generation the policy issues we face are far too important to be jeopardised by a flirtation with a completely unknown quantity.  Yes, Labour has failed us, but it is now time to put our dalliance with Nick Clegg at an end and move on to the election of a solid Government with the firm policies to turn this country around. Only the Conservatives have the policies to put the Great back into Britain.

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Meeting at Boddington to discuss High Speed Rail

On Wednesday night I went to a meeting arranged by Peter Deeley, Parish Chairman of Upper Boddington, for the residents of Upper and Lower Boddington to discuss the Government's HS2 rail proposals.

I was on a panel with Liz Williams and Berry King who, with other local residents, have created the South Northants Action Group (SNAG) to lead the protest against the proposals. Also part of the panel were County Cllr Ken Melling, District Cllr Rosie Herring and Scott Collins the Liberal Democrat candidate. Matthew May the Labour candidate was unable to attend due to a function at the school where he is a teacher.

There was a briefing about the proposals, the impact on the local area and the need to respond urgently to the Government's consultation on ‘Exceptional Hardship'. The briefing and the advice from SNAG and debate that followed were extremely informative for the packed hall of residents. It was very clear to me how deep are the feelings of fear and anger, and how determined residents are to fight the proposal.

The timing of the Government's announcement has left people's lives and plans in limbo. The issue of blight has instantly become a very real problem for all those living close to the preferred route. There will be 2 urgent questions needing to be asked of whoever forms the next Government. Firstly, in the current economic climate, when we know cuts will need to be made in public spending, will the huge financial cost be affordable? Secondly, on the cost/benefit for Britain - do the national economic benefits of the link outweigh the destruction of the valuable countryside, historic villages and ancient monuments of this small island? We do not have the luxury of vast unpopulated spaces which, for example, the people of France are able to utilize for their high speed transport system.

I am committed to protecting and promoting the interests of the people of South Northamptonshire and will do everything I can to help SNAG defend the interests of residents.

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Meeting to discuss planning madness in Northampton

I was invited by Cogenhoe Parish Council along with the 2 other main party candidates to meet residents of all the local villages on Tuesday evening to discuss the proposals to build 22 000 houses on green belt countryside.

Not surprisingly, there was extremely tough questioning from the floor. Did the candidates support the proposals? No. Then, what would each one do to ensure the development did not happen? I made it clear that the Conservatives are the only party with the policies to ensure that planning is put back into the hands of local people.

Conservatives would abolish the Regional Spatial Strategy under which housing targets are imposed centrally with no consultation with local communities. Conservatives would disband Labour's unelected quangos putting planning responsibility firmly back into the hands of locally elected representatives where it belongs.

Conservatives would create a new duty for councils to create a ‘Local Plan' in consultation with residents ensuring that any development meets with local approval. There will be a ‘carrot' to encourage new house building, where government would ‘match' new council receipts for the first six years after new homes are built. That way, if a community decides to accept new housing, there will be a financial reward for doing so.

The Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates were not able to point to how their parties would prevent the current planning madness. Since neither had attended any of the previous parish meetings to discuss the threatened development nor taken part in any of the demonstrations to protest against it I would question how determined they really are about protecting the interests of local people.

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Shadow Housing Minister visits Great Houghton

Grant Shapps, Shadow Housing, gave a great speech at my public meeting at Gt Houghton village hall last Friday.  

He explained the Conservative vision for new house building which is to put local communities back in control of where houses are built, and in what numbers.  

Under Labour, fewer houses have been built than at any other time, in spite of the Government's top down growth agenda that has seen a monstrous plan to build 22,000 on the green fields to the SE of Northampton, concreting over communities that have existed since the Domesday Book.

A Conservative Government will require Councils to create a 'Local Plan' in consultation with local communities.  Where there is a local desire for new house building, in addition to receiving council tax receipts, central Government will 'match' those receipts for the first six years, thereby increasing the revenues to the Council as an incentive to encourage more new homes.  

Quangos will be scrapped under the Conservatives, and one of the first actions of a Conservative Housing Team will be to get rid of the housing targets under the Regional Spatial Strategy in order to put decision making about the right numbers of new homes back into the hands of locally elected planning authorities in consultation with local communities.

A Conservative Government would enable us to 'see off' the WNJPU's proposals - they are badly thought through, undemocratic and completely unacceptable.

If I am elected to a Conservative Government I will be working closely with Grant Shapps to make sure that right across South Northants, whether in the Borough Wards, in Towcester, Brackley or our rural villages, we will get back the right for communities to decide on new housing.

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Conservative Manifesto Launch

The Manifesto is everything I hoped it would be!

A really positive and optimistic plan for giving people more say over their own lives and a greater ability to control what happens around them.

So many people are telling me they are utterly sick of politics - being controlled from the centre by a bunch of people who have been shown to be moral cowards. It's not easy to listen to it, but it makes me all the more determined that politics has to be brought back into the realms of real accountability.

Our manifesto offers exactly that......giving power back to local communities in every area of life from deciding if and when new houses should be built, to letting parents take control of their children's education to allowing residents to determine the focus for their police force.

The Conservative Home website has posted all the main newspaper headlines and it's interesting to see how every single one appreciates the possibility of a reduction in top-down, heavy and dictatorial government in favour of more power to the people.......

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Election Campaign begins at last

It is almost 4 years since I was selected as the Conservative candidate for South Northants, and it is a huge relief that at last the General election has been announced and campaigning for a change of Government can get underway.

I am convinced that the Conservatives are the only party that can turn this country around with the policies to make Britain great once more. After 13 years of Labour rule we desperately need a new direction and focus to mend the damage which Gordon Brown has inflicted on us all.

I have organized a series of hustings throughout South Northamptonshire when the six parliamentary candidates will answer questions from the floor. Hustings are Thursday 8 April in Wootton Memorial Hall at 7.30pm; Friday 9 April in Brackley Town Hall at 7.30pm and Friday 16 April in Deanshanger Community Centre at 7pm. Towcester Churches have arranged another hustings for Monday 19 April in Towcester Town Hall at 7.30pm.

The hustings will give local people a real opportunity to quiz the candidates on every topic. Under Labour we have seen far too much central Government control to the detriment of South Northamptonshire on issues ranging from house building to wind farms to, most recently, Labour's announcement on high speed rail.

I am looking forward to meeting as many people as possible over the next four weeks and welcome the opportunity to convince them that I am the best person to represent their views in Parliament. I promise that I will do everything that I can to protect and promote the interests of the people of South Northamptonshire.

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Launch of Brackley Job Club

The Town Hall in Brackley is a great venue for the new job club. Just enough room for nine different businesses, agencies and colleges around the outside with a large table in the middle for coffees, teas, biscuits and good conversation.

We estimate around 30 job seekers came to the launch and the feedback was excellent. All the tables were busy with short queues forming to speak to some.

I was delighted that Nick Fry, CEO of Mercedes GP in Brackley came along to formally launch the Club, to wish us luck and to take a look at what's going on. All the local press were there, and we also had several representatives of 'Brackley Means Business' there to meet job seekers.

The Club will meet during April every Thursday 10 am to 12 noon at Brackley Town Hall. From May onwards, the Club will meet every other Thursday, alternating with the Towcester Job Club that meets on Tuesdays at Towcester Town Hall

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Guest Blog from Brian Gallen, resident of South Northants

Brian emailed me his thoughts on MPs behaviour in the House of Commons and I do agree with some of what he says. I don't know whether total silence is the answer, but would be interested to hear what other residents think......

Guest Blog from Brian Gallen:

"The behaviour of MPs in parliament during prime ministers question time is a national disgrace. MPs behave in a manner that no civilised person would condone in their own home, their village hall, their golf club, their business or their chuch parish council. It is almost impossible to believe that despite the nation facing the most extreme crisis since the beginning of World War Two that MPs are shouting and screaming at each other in a totally uncivilised manner. And what's worse, the bear bating achieves absolutely nothing other than to demonstrate, if demonstration were needed, that the country is run by a bunch of fools.

So here's the suggestion. Please give it some thought.

Could you please ask Mr Cameron to instruct his colleagues to cease this appalling behaviour? And I mean the entire party. I cannot think of a better signal to the electorate that the Conservatives are going to change things starting with their very own behaviour in the House of Commons.

Here's the really interesing bit of this message..............How do you think the Labour Party will react to our silence during question time?

They will have two choices, either they keep on behaving like barbarians and look really stupid OR they get the message and they too start behaving with some dignity. And who will have made them do that? Yes, the Conservative Party."

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Protecting our countryside from wrong thinking

I have received dozens of emails from people whose homes and communities are now blighted by the government's High Speed Rail proposals. It is nothing short of a tragedy, not just for those whose hopes and dreams are shattered by the prospect of 250mph trains thundering past 18 times an hour, but for all of us who care about the English countryside.

I believe that in principle High Speed Rail linking key cities in Great Britain to the main transport hubs would make sense for our economy. However, there are two key questions that need to be answered, and I've seen nothing yet to convince me on either point:

1. What is the financial case for HSR:

Will the revenues cover the costs? Over what timescale? How will it be financed? Private or public money? No major infrastructure project of this scale can be justified unless there is a clear project financing package in place. In our present dire economic situation, can we afford HSR? Is this blight being introduced needlessly with little chance of the rail track being built even within 10 years because it is just too expensive?

2. What is the environmental case for HSR:

What value do we place on our dwindling countryside? What value green belt, ancient communities and thriving market towns? What cost will there be to our area of this proposal? Will anyone want to live along the route of HSR? What about the carbon footprint of HSR versus roads and conventional rail? Why not choose the obvious alternative of an existing transport corridor as the least damaging route?

Only when all the questions are answered should the government be putting a specific route into the public domain. And what about compensation? The government's exceptional hardship consultation is defined very narrowly. Wherever the route goes, there needs to be fair compensation for innocent homeowners who decide they want to move - not only in 'exceptional' cases.

Tim Boswell is seeing Lord Adonis, and I'm seeing Theresa Villiers this week to try and get more detail. We will be putting to them the questions raised at the Public Meeting that we were not able to answer

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High Speed Rail Link, Public Meeting

About 450 people turned up to Brackley Town Hall to discuss the Government's proposal for High Speed Rail.

On a show of hands, roughly 80% were against HSR in principle, and almost 100% said their home or business would be harmed by the proposed route.

A note of the questions asked and the action points agreed will be emailed out to all those who left their email address.

A key purpose of the meeting was to establish how much interest there would be in setting up a South Northants Action Group. It was almost unanimously agreed to do this and many of those attending put their names forward to join an Action Group Committee with various objectives, including challenging the business case for HSR as well as putting together a rejection of the existing proposed route.

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High Speed Rail Link

A high speed rail link could ease the pressures on the South East of England as the ‘economic powerhouse' of Britain. It could also enable huge regeneration of the Northern cities and bring new economic opportunities all along the route.

I believe however, as does the Conservative Party, that the proposals don't go far enough.....the railway should link Heathrow to Scotland. A link from London to Birmingham saving only 20 minutes would be a pointless waste of money (money that we certainly don't have). If the ambition is so small, then why not simply upgrade the existing railway line?

So I'm a fan of the concept but extremely wary of the route and the lack of ambition. If the plan goes ahead, at the very least South Northants should get a new train station so that our area can benefit from a high speed link to London.

As to the route, my first instinct is to favour the train route following the M1 with tunnelling under populated areas. Either right next to the existing line, or even an upgrade to the existing line. We have to take the costs seriously...... our national economy is all but bankrupt.

And finally what about the technology? How about a train 'floating' above a magnetic line? I understand the technology already exists: without friction the speeds can be even greater, and of course it is almost noise free....

Yesterday's news on the route was out of the blue. There had not previously been any information available, and I've already received emails from several residents shocked to find that it proposes to go straight through their home or community.

We have to bear in mind, however, that the current proposals for the route are a Consultation Document only. People have a great deal of time to calmly consider these proposals and respond to them. There is a great deal to think about, and as ever with a huge infrastructure project like this, there are winners and losers who will need fair compensation.

It is rather a mystery why the Government has decided to make this announcement so near to a General Election. I wonder if it's because most of the beneficiaries of their proposals would be in Labour constituencies, whereas the route would wreck some of the most beautiful villages in Conservative constituencies.....

Clearly no decision of any kind is going to be made this side of the Election and there is going to need to be a considerable period of time for people to be able to reflect and respond.

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Violent Crime HAS risen under Labour

A survey I recently did of households in South Northants showed that the greatest concern of local people is crime and anti-social behaviour. And yet Labour have consistently argued that crime, particularly violent crime, is falling across the country.
Well, new figures out yesterday following research carried out by the House of Commons library (who are independent of politicians) suggest that violent crime against the person has risen 44 per cent since between 1998-99 and today. The figures demonstrate how Labour have failed Britain in this key area of all our lives - our personal safety - and that the question of the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour should be one of the central issues at the next General Election.
There's no doubt local police do a fantastic job in South Northants. But even so, people worry about becoming a victim of crime and they also worry about increasing anti-social behaviour. A Conservative government would cut back on the red tape that keeps front line police off the beat. We would also make sure crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots would be ‘mapped' on line so that residents have clear facts on criminal activity instead of government spin.

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Six Nations Rugby

Ben and I went to see England v Wales at Twickenham on Saturday. What a great start to the season! Felt very proud that the Northampton Saints had two players in the side...

I thought the first try was the best - the crowd was on its feet for most of the match after that!

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Caroline Chisholm School and Roade School taking an interest in Politics

Last week CCS held a hustings for the all the South Northamptonshire parliamentary candidates. We were really impressed at the intensity of questioning by the sixth form students, who came well prepared not just to ask questions but also to challenge the answers! Questions ranged from the economy to Afghanistan to abortion to MPs expenses....

Sixth former Alasdair Lawrence chaired the panel of (R-L) Scott Collins, LD, Myself, Conservative, Alasdair, Chairman, Matt May, Lab and Barry Mahoney, UKIP.

This morning I went over to Roade School to meet the Year 13s. Again it was a feisty question and answer session on national political issues. Several raised the issue of the cost of education - whether tuition fees for further education or transport costs for those staying on after GCSEs. I certainly didn't have all the answers but it was great to hear their views.

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What future for our economy?

The financial system should still be on ‘red alert'. The £180 billion of monetary expansion through the Quantitative Easing programme hasn't done what it was supposed to do in oiling the wheels of commerce - far too many (particularly SME companies) are still facing a credit squeeze.

The monetary expansion may account though for some of the astonishing performance of the FTSE 100 and the S&P500 since the financial crisis - both stock markets rose by more than 20% during 2009. Another bubble paid for by the cheap money provided by Governments?
Regulators and Government only two years ago failed to think the unthinkable in not contemplating the possibility of a complete seizure of the interbank lending market. But now everyone is relaxing again - plenty of anger; talk of stopping big bonuses; talk of better protection for depositors; even talk of increasing capital requirements and hiving off proprietary trading activities.

And after all the big speeches from the bankers at Davos, there is also much talk of why the banks should be left to carry on regardless. But the fundamental problem is that many banks are simply still "Too big to fail". That's where the problem lies - and it's not about the different activities of proprietary trading versus bank deposits. It was Lehman's failure that was arguably the final straw that sparked the financial crisis - Lehmans was not a big deposit taker and yet it was, most certainly, ‘too big to fail'. No reasonable capital requirement would have saved Lehmans. No split between proprietary trading and deposit taking would have saved them. No cap on bonuses would have saved them.
Taxpayers cannot afford another bailout of the banks - it would cause economic meltdown. Breakup of the ‘too big to fail' financial institutions has to be seriously considered.

There are three enormous risks to financial stability right now. All three point to higher interest rates and difficult times ahead for companies, which will hurt our prospects for economic recovery.

First, the Monetary Expansion via the Quantitative Easing (QE) programme. The idea was to stimulate the economy by effectively printing money and it does appear to have at least eased the pain in the short term. But there are huge risks with it quite apart from the almost total lack of parliamentary scrutiny over what is a massive experiment:
The way QE has worked in Britain is that the Bank of England set up the BEAPFF- effectively a tax payer owned company set up to buy British government debt (gilts) from the market.
It has bought so many billions of £s worth of gilts that QE has been effectively suppressing the yield curve, holding down interest rates due to the increased money supply. However, now that QE is suspended, the BEAPFF is sitting on billions of pounds worth of gilts and interest rates may have to rise in order to persuade investors to take up the slack and continue funding our huge national deficit.
The taxpayer could suffer a massive loss on this huge gilt portfolio, as well as enduring the pain of rising interest rates and its impact on employment.
Second, the markets are now anticipating inflation - rising commodity prices and stock markets, together with the effect of QE itself make inflation more likely. Gold prices are around an all time high sparking some commentators to suggest there might be a gold ‘crash' soon. Our own latest CPI indicator showed inflation at 2.9 % in December up from 1.9% in November. The increase in the CPI annual rate of 1% is the largest ever increase in the annual rate between two months.

Third, Britain's credit rating. The UK's sovereign debt is rated by the major independent ratings agencies. International investors rely heavily on ratings and the UK's huge and growing debt problem leaves us with a genuine risk of a rating downgrade. Again, if that happens, the cost of borrowing will increase and there will be huge losses on the Gilts being held for the taxpayer by the BEAPFF.
The position we are in right now is serious. The Conservative Party's determination to start reducing our vast debt burden and to take a tough stance with the banks is essential if we are to avoid sleepwalking into another financial disaster.

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On-shore Wind Farms

South Northamptonshire has recently seen a number of planning applications to build wind farms in rural areas and on the doorstep of historic villages.

There is no doubt we need to find new sources of energy, and wind power will form part of any government's strategy. However, there are big questions being asked by local action groups in Northants villages such as Sulgrave and Alderton about the technology as well as the noise levels. Research into noise pollution and its effect on humans and animals is a decade out of date. Turbines are now being built up to 350 feet high - the visual and noise impact is vastly different from the early turbines.

The current Government aims to see 3000 more onshore wind turbines across Britain and wind companies have been quick to approach landowners offering £10 -20,000 a year per turbine, sometimes more than they can make from their own farming businesses. It is clearly a tempting offer....

But there is a lot to consider here. The Government subsidy scheme rewards the turbine owners who can make more money in one year than a farmer will make over 25 years. Yet last year the 2000 turbines already built produced less electricity than a single gas fired power station - we have to ask if the taxpayer is getting value for money bearing in mind electricity bills are increasing by up to 14% to pay for the renewable obligations.

Also, there were reports that the recent very cold weather was accompanied by high pressure and a lack of wind, which meant that only 0.2pc of a possible 5pc of the UK's energy was generated by wind turbines during a time of greatest demand.

Residents are not being ‘nimby' about wind power. In fact most of those I've spoken to support the idea of wind turbines, provided they are efficient, modern and are a suitable distance from residential areas so as to minimise visual and noise impact.   At the moment, the subsidies offered to developers are clouding the cost/benefit analysis, and the lack of local consultation is putting the backs up of communities who want to protect their area.

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Why I think parental choice in education must be key

 With three children of our own, I know that one of the greatest priorities for Ben and me is to give them the best education we possibly can.

 The basic things you learn at school - whether it's your times tables, how to spell, social skills, sport, IT - can stand you in good stead throughout your life. And in my opinion, parents are best placed to decide how and where their children should be educated.

 Of course choice is limited each year by existing resources - but I think the Conservative policy of allowing popular schools to expand and encouraging parent/teacher/voluntary groups to set up good new schools is going to help improve our education system overall.

The ongoing discussion about catchment areas at Caroline Chisholm, Roade and Abbeyfield Schools is a good example of where parental choice is being limited by the current system. I can see very well why it's important to keep the number of pupils in each school close to capacity. However, issues like closeness to home, siblings, road safety, quality of facilities, community are all important factors that parents should be allowed to evaluate.

 I hope that Northants County Council will listen carefully to the views of parents before deciding how to resolve the present difficulties with pupil numbers.

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Just a thought...

 Wouldn't it be a good idea if there was a website that you could sign up to if you own a 4x4 and are willing to help others who are stuck, e.g. shopping for those who can't get out/meals on wheels etc? We never expect the snow, but when it comes there are plenty of people keen to help out... (mind you, by the time the CRB checks are complete, it would be Spring!)

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Fingerprinting our children - the rise of the snooping state

 Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of students from Sponne and Campion Schools to the Houses of Parliament. We spent the morning learning about the history and present practice of one of the oldest democracies in the world.
But over our sandwiches afterwards, sitting on a wall in the drizzle of a cold Monday in Westminster, one of the students raised an issue with me that I found truly shocking.

 He wanted to know if I thought that fingerprinting/iris scanning of children in schools might breach their Human Rights under EU legislation. I was surprised by the question as, until he explained further, I was unaware that millions of our children are right now being required by their schools to have fingerprints or iris scans done in order to borrow a library book or buy their lunch.

 How would you feel if the government suddenly passed a law that every adult had to be fingerprinted at their local police station? Yet schools, it would appear, have accumulated fingerprint or iris data on millions of children, some as young as three. And apparently often without their parents consent.

 My student friend told me that a member of his family working in security systems believes that with a few hundred pounds of ‘hacking' equipment, it would be possible to sit in a car outside the school gates and collect all that data. The lifelong permanently distinguishing data of children at risk of being lost or stolen, and for what?

 I really fear for the direction this country is headed in. There are so many examples of data being lost or stolen - collecting this permanent record of a human being should only be done for extreme reasons and certainly not for the purpose of identifying whose library book is due back.

 We risk the next generation growing up with an acceptance of cradle-to-grave state snooping and control, with all the errors and potential for identity theft that will ensue. What's more, millions of pounds of tax payers money must be being wasted on installing fingerprint/iris readers in schools.

 I looked at a website www.leavethemkidsalone.com and saw that Liverpool Council has rejected this recording of children. I will be writing to Northants County Council in the hope that they will do likewise.

 If this issue concerns you as much as it does me, this article makes for interesting reading. 

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Bank bonuses fiasco

 After 25 years in finance, I am astonished to hear Alastair Darling's decision to tax banks to the value of 50% of any bonus they pay out above £25,000.

 This shows what a lack of understanding the government has of our financial services industry. We are all furious that banks that were so recently bailed out by tax payers are now planning to pay huge bonuses as if nothing had happened, but the Chancellor is mad to be taxing bank profits on every bonus they pay.

 What will happen is that the banks will feel they have to pay the bonuses anyway (through fear of losing key staff if they don't), but because of the new tax the cost to the banks of paying bonuses will rise dramatically, which in turn will compromise the rebuilding of their balance sheets.

 This will cost us all dearly. If the banks don't recover their capital strength, the economy will fail to recover.

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British GP returns to Silverstone!

 Such wonderful news about Silverstone! To hear that the British Grand Prix is back, not just for 2010, but potentially for the next 17 years is fantastic!

 It's been a long and slow negotiation between the BRDC and Bernie Ecclestone. What a shame that it couldn't have been agreed earlier, before Donnington Park's hopes were raised and then dashed.

 It is a superb result for local people, for F1, and for Britain. I can't wait to hear those helicopters buzzing over my house again...

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Copenhagen - Great Aspirations

 The UN Climate Conference takes place in Copenhagen this week amid allegations in this country that a small group of British and American scientists have been discussing ways to manipulate their findings, to make the threat of global warming seem worse than the evidence suggests.

 Closer to home, in my constituency of South Northants, local people are deeply concerned about the effect planning proposals for a wind farm in Sulgrave and a bio mass incinerator in Alderton will have on their villages and their communities. They see the development of alternative energy sources in these locations as a direct threat to their environment.

 But on the other hand, in the Northampton village of Upton the effects of flooding and the very real threat to the residents of newly built homes on the edge of a flood plain have become all too apparent. One has to ask why planning permission to build there was granted in the first place but it is undeniable that we are seeing extreme weather more often in this country and all over the world.

 The UN Climate chief, Yvo de Boer, optimistically hopes the Conference will reach agreement on three political essentials:

1) How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?

2) How much will major developing countries such as China and India do to limit the growth of their emissions?

3) How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?

 In my view, there is no alternative than to take the threat posed to our planet by the activities of a modern society seriously. The question is how international agreement and a willingness of all countries to participate in measures to limit it can be achieved. For the sake of each of our local landscapes and the welfare of continuing generations, we must hope the Conference succeeds in securing the basis of a new Climate Treaty.

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My visit to Brackley Cottage Hospital

 I went on a visit to Brackley Cottage Hospital yesterday. What a friendly and welcoming place it is! The 5 residents and 9 patients are well cared for and told me how the food is always freshly cooked and completely delicious... just how a hospital should be. Alison Smith, the manager, told me that they pride themselves on making patients comfortable - often an elderly person will arrive in a weakened state, but after some good food, friendly company, and first rate personal care, they go home feeling years younger.

 Within a matter of days, the question over where the hospital can move to should be settled - there's no doubt the current building is not good enough. I hope the decision makers at the PCT realise what a gem we have in this community hospital.

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What to do with the banks...

 I wrote this a week ago in response to Vince Cable proposing a 10% windfall tax on bankers' profits.

 In my opinion, banks should be paying compensation to taxpayers for the enormous financial support they received last year - without which the entire banking industry would have been on its knees... and certainly not back in profit one year later...

 It should not be a windfall tax - that would only serve to drive our lucrative financial industry overseas - but rather a straightforward, one-off compensation to the taxpayer.

 My view is pretty controversial, as you will see if you look at the link and read some of the comments!

 http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2009/11/andrea-leadsom-why-vince-cables-vengeful-tax-on-bank-profits-would-benefit-nobody.html#comments

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Parliamentary delegation at Silverstone today - we must save the British Grand Prix!

 The delegation is visiting the Silverstone Circuit to meet Damon Hill and members of the British Racing Drivers' Club.

 Everyone agrees that keeping the Grand Prix at Silverstone is vital for the local economy, as well as for Britain. In June of this year a record 310,000 people attended the event over 3 days, and the local motorsport and related industries here employ over 40,000 people.

 Not having a Grand Prix at Silverstone would be like not holding the FA Cup Final at Wembley!

 Silverstone is the oldest event on Formula One's calendar - there is overwhelming support for a Grand Prix at Silverstone from fans, drivers, and teams.

 The FIA confirmed last month that it is promoting research into sustainability, providing information, and guidance on best environmental practices, procedures and technologies that can be applied to motor sport.

 Motorsport is going green, and Max Mosley has always said he wants to see Formula One take the lead in developing green technology which he sees as absolutely fundamental to its survival.

 Keeping the British Grand Prix at Silverstone will help to save fuel and save energy by minimising the need for the many locally based teams and their cars to travel. From every perspective, the argument for retaining the Grand Prix at Silverstone is overwhelming and I hope that today's delegation will influence Bernie Ecclestone to reach the right decision for Great Britain, and for Northamptonshire.

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Brackley celebrates with Brawn GP champions

 Ross Brawn and most of the Brawn GP team were out in Brackley yesterday to celebrate with local residents their impressive victory in the Constructor's and Driver's championships.

 Ross Brawn told the crowd that he was grateful to Brackley for the support shown when he took over the business from Honda. He said he was proud of the efforts of the team, and planned to be back celebrating another win at next year's Grand Prix...

 He, like all of us, hopes that the British Grand Prix will be held at Silverstone in 2010 and beyond.

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A vision for Afghanistan has never been more important

 What a heartbreaking day it has been for the hundreds of people touched by the deaths of five soldiers at the hands of someone they saw as an ally.

 Each death is a tragedy that can't ever be undone and it is a desperate responsibility for politicians who continue to order this operation.

 It has never been more important for a clear vision to be set out for the mission in Afghanistan.

 It's not just for those of us watching at home, but it's for all those risking their lives out in Afghanistan, who need to know once and for all what we are trying to achieve, what the steps are in the mission, and how we will measure success.

 Issues around decent equipment should be high on the agenda for every Cabinet meeting - the Defence Minister should not be the lowly member of the frontbench that he appears to be.

 When a country is taking part in such a dangerous project, we all need to be clear about the objectives. At the moment, I think we are far from clarity.

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Europe

 Unbelievable. How can it be that the Czechs have today delivered Britain into the hands of an undemocratic and technocratic Euro federalist government?

 How can our ancient democracy have come to this? How can Gordon Brown, unelected as he is, pretend that the Lisbon Treaty is anything other than a sell out of Great Britain?

 I'm in favour of a European free trade area. I'm NOT in favour of a massive, costly bureaucracy where Britain is merely a provincial centre.

 How dare we allow this to happen to our children and grandchildren, and without our explicit agreement?

 History will not forget this day. I just hope it is not too late to be undone.

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People power in Northampton

 At the West Northants Development Corporation meeting last night in Towcester, the head of the Joint Planning Unit (JPU) told us that they have so far logged 6,023 individual letters of objection to the housing proposals in the Emergent Core Strategy. Fantastic effort!

 The sheer volume of objections has massively increased the workload for the JPU, who have to log each letter and acknowledge its receipt to the sender. They will then have to go through every single letter to absorb the specific objections, and will then publish a report on the overall findings. Needless to say this is going to mean a big delay in the progress of the Strategy. By Christmas the JPU hope to have a new and revised timetable. Previously they intended to have a revised Strategy document ready by November!

 The meeting acknowledged that there is a risk developers will not wait for the Strategy, but will apply for new building in the expectation that they could win approval at Appeal due to the lack of an agreed Strategy.

 I think getting the Strategy right is critical. We have to believe that we can defend against unacceptable levels of development. Until there is evidence of infrastructure in advance of houses, and until the issues of flooding and 'sustainable' communities are dealt with, we have no choice but to continue to fight against the JPU's plans.

 If a Conservative government is elected next year, the top down control over house building will be swept away, and we can start to talk sensibly about what additional housing Northampton, Brackley, and Towcester can really take.

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Congratulations Brawn GP!

 Great news that a superb local company, Brawn GP, have triumphed in this year's Grand Prix. Based in Brackley, Brawn GP was previously Honda's F1 home. When Honda pulled out of F1, Ross Brawn picked up the pieces, and he must right now be deleriously happy!

 It's a great news story for South Northamptonshire, as well as for Britain. Huge congratulations to Jenson Button for some awesome driving, and a well deserved win in the driver's championship, but I really take my hat off to Ross Brawn for such an enormous achievement against the odds.

 Come on Bernie... let's keep the British Grand Prix at Silverstone...

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Party Conference - Inundated by lobbyists

 A big feature of the Conference was the number of lobbyists present. Every subject under the sun, from the banks to charities, from tobacco companies to relationship advisors. All were there and trying hard to get the ear of parliamentary candidates and MPs.

Before the conference, I spent a good part of the prior two weeks responding to about 100 invitations to meetings! In the end, the ones I accepted were with financial lobbyists to discuss the future for Britain's financial sector, Relate to hear about their work with young children, the Royal British Legion (see earlier blog), and a few other charitable organisations to do with my projects in South Northamptonshire.

 Whilst there, I was chatting to Cathy Newman, Political Editor of Channel 4 news about the lobbyists. She decided to do a piece on the subject, and I (and my Mum!) agreed to be interviewed. To have a look at the news story, click on the link below:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=44135175001

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Europe and the British banks...

 The European Commission is due to publish proposals later this month for a Directive dealing with the capital requirements in the banking system.

 You may ask what this has to do with our everyday lives in this country. Well the answer is, quite a lot. A directive is a legislative act of the European Union, which requires member states to achieve a particular result, and is binding as to the result to be achieved, but leaves to national authorities the choice of form and methods. Basically, the European commission will tell us what to do, and we will have to decide how to do it.

 In particular, the Commission is likely to issue proposals on expected loss provision by financial institutions, and cites the system currently used in Spain as the best example of how this should be done.

 The Commission has already called for the removal of national options and discretions in the banking sector, recommending that a core set of standards be developed and applied throughout the Member States, and proposing a ‘rolling' plan to deliver a 'single rule book.' Maximum harmonisation in technical areas of capital requirements is its objective.

 The United Kingdom will then have its hands tied by the Commission to a significant degree in how it deals with its banking sector and management of the national debt. We must wait to see what concrete proposals the Commission makes before we can begin to decide what to do within the constraints it seeks to impose. My own suspicion is that a European wide initiative will not offer the flexibility we need to deal with our own banking and debt problems.

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Party Conference - Supporting our Armed Forces

 I met with the Royal British Legion, and was presented with their manifesto for the next General Election. They want to see a better deal for our service people - decent housing for their families, the right equipment for battle, and support for their mental health when they return from the horrors of battle. It certainly seems the least we can do...

 David Cameron made clear in his speech that under a Conservative Government, the continued military action in Afghanistan would be given far greater focus in the Cabinet, and that support for forces would be improved, along with an increase in the operational allowance for service people.

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Party Conference update

 It was the serious conference we were all hoping for... none of the rock and roll excitement of the last few years, but instead, very serious proposals of what a Conservative government would mean.

 Let's focus on George Osborne's speech on the economy. Although George was teased mercilessly in the media for not smiling once during his speech, he gave a clear message that if we are to fix our massive debt burden (£175 billion and rising) then we have to take steps NOW. The key steps he proposes are:

 - a pay freeze for public sector workers on more than £18,000 per year. This is for one year and will save 100,000 public sector jobs.

 - bringing forward Labour's plans to raise the official retirement age for men and women to 66 (from 65 and 63 currently).

 - keeping Labour's planned top rate of tax for those on more than £150,000 at 50%, freezing the pay of all MPs, cutting Ministers' salaries by 5% and capping public sector pensions to a maximum of £50,000 per year. New MPs will lose their final salary pension scheme.

 He also warned financial institutions that he will legislate on bonuses if they pay out rather than strengthen their balance sheets.

 I thought it was a fair spread of policies, demonstrating that 'we are all in it together'. The public sector has grown exponentially under Labour, and while cutting jobs is a last resort, there's no way we can support a vast public sector with shrinking business and private sector revenues. A pay freeze is fair and reflects what has been happening in the private sector for more than 12 months now.

 I fear that the top rate of 50% will inevitably drive some people toward offshore or tax minimisation schemes, so may generate far less revenue than hoped. Even so, for a limited period I think it's good to share the pain.

 As for MPs and Ministers, I heartily agree with the proposals. It's hard to overestimate the disgust people feel with what has happened to our politics. In some way, these proposals would make reparations for damage done - a small beginning.

 As for bringing forward the raising of the pension age... I'm all for it. At the Job Club I run in Towcester, the most common problem I have seen is people looking for work in their late 50's and early 60's. They struggle to be considered, and there is a real suspicion of 'ageism'. Someone in their 60's and in good health should, and often wants, to keep working. It's a way to be wealthier and healthier, even if only part time. It's cause for celebration that we all live longer!

 The one question that remains with me, however, is whether the proposals George made go far enough to get our horrendous debt under control.

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NEETS - The new entrepreneurs?

 I believe young people should be encouraged and supported to start their own businesses - whether it's cleaning, gardening, carpentry, engineering, catering, window cleaning, technology, or whatever... there is plenty of demand to be found for good workers, even in a recession.

 There is a massive problem for young people who are 'Not in Employment, Education or Training' (NEETS). It's estimated that one million young people will find themselves in this position during 2009/10.

 At my weekly Job Club meeting I have learned how hard it is to find jobs that pay enough to make it worth coming off benefits. I am ashamed that our benefits system is actually discouraging people from getting themselves into work...

 I wrote a proposal to support young people who want to become NEET Entrepreneurs, and it has been published today on Conservative Home. Click on the link below to read it;

 http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2009/10/andrea-leadsom-we-must-focus-on-encouraging-neets-into-selfemployment.html

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Labour's quangos must go

 I wrote this for the Conservative Party blogsite:

 http://blog.conservatives.com/index.php/2009/10/02/we-must-sweet-away-labours-quango-society/

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A fairer, greener, and more democratic society?

 That's what Gordon Brown says he wants.

 Today, however, the huge march to deliver protest letters against the housing plans for Northamptonshire showed how desperately wrong footed the Government is.

 Building 20,000 new houses on prime agricultural land is not 'green', and certainly not fair to those residents who live in the beautiful villages that will be concreted over. The worst bit of all is the lack of democracy. We are told by the government quango in charge of the plans that 'saying no' to them is not an option...

 If Brown really meant what he says, he should be scrapping the growth proposals and going back to a local, accountable, and democratic process for planning.

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The world is not enough...

 Peter Mandelson's stellar talents would be wasted on a Conservative Government... although we should no doubt be grateful for his magnanimous offer...

 I think we need to find something much bigger for him, something intergalactic - perhaps a new Death Star? He could even change his name to Darth Vader!

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Bob Neill visiting Northampton - to talk about housing plans...

 Bob Neill, Shadow Housing and Communities Minister, is coming to Northampton on Thursday the 17th of September, (tomorrow!) to answer questions about the proposed 40,000 new houses.

 There will be a public meeting at Great Houghton at 11am and all local residents are invited to come along and have their say.

 If a Conservative Government wins the next General Election, I don't think the growth agenda will any longer be forced upon us... this is our chance to seek confirmation from Bob.

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Success at the Job Club

 Monday's Job Club was the best yet! Around 45 visitors came in for a drink and to get advice ranging from how to update their CV, to where the jobs are, how to get benefits, and what career changes might be on offer...

 There was a real buzz of conversation; not just with the organisations represented, but also between the visitors. We are beginning to get 'regulars' who come along to see what's on offer, and to have a friendly chat with other people who are also looking for work. It was a real pleasure to be the 'tea lady' this week!

 We've had some success in helping people back to work too. So far, we think 5 people have found jobs through visiting the Job Club - ranging from part time work in the Co-op, to working for the Council and cleaning work. We also have a number of our regular visitors waiting to hear the results of job interviews. All our fingers are crossed for them...

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Thoughts on banking regulation...

 I wrote this for Conservative Home Platform, about what lessons can be learned from the collapse of Barings in the mid 1990's.

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/

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I don't think legislation to cap bonuses is good for Britain...

 City bonuses, particularly when so many people are losing their jobs due to the bank induced recession, seem pretty obscene. It is hard to justify why certain individuals get millions when so many are on the bread line, but what is completely unacceptable is that staff in banks that are now majority owned by the taxpayer, are receiving 'business as usual' bonuses.

 It is unbelievable that the Government, who have most of the voting rights at these banks, is not preventing the payment of huge bonuses at the direct expense of the taxpayer. There is nothing stopping them from doing so... If the staff of Lloyds or HSBC had worked instead at Woolworths, they would be out of a job right now, no matter how brilliant they are... but that is an entirely different matter from the financial services industry as a whole.

 The Chancellor was today talking about legislating to prevent ALL banks paying large sums in bonuses. That is entirely to misunderstand how our economy works. Once you start legislating on bonuses, you are utterly undermining the free market economy. Not only that, but it is inevitable that legislation will open up 'loopholes', where key executives will be paid in other ways or in other jurisdictions - not evasion, but clever accounting.

 Head offices will move easily to more benign locations - lots of the high earners are foreign nationals. They enjoy London with all it has to offer, but they will not sit around to be legislated against by our Chancellor. It is just naive to try and cap bonuses, and where do you draw the line? What about an entrepreneur in, say, mortgages, who builds a successful business and creates hundreds of new jobs? Will this person not be able to earn a large bonus? If not, why will he/she bother to work the 24/7 commitment necessary for real success?

 We make ourselves uncompetitive against our neighbours at our peril. I should think the Finance Ministers of France, Germany and Switzerland (to name but three!) will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of London's financial services pre-eminence being scuppered in one move.

 No, bonus capping is not the answer. However much you resent the sums of money being paid out, you have to hold your nose and tell yourself that at least the Exchequer is receiving more than half of these bonuses by way of taxes... and with the size of the national debt, we desperately need to keep that revenue coming in!

 I think the way to curb excessive payments is to regulate on bonus schemes themselves. When I was employed by Invesco Perpetual, a key part of my job was to run the bonus scheme for the Fund Managers. I did this for ten years, and learned by trial and error that the way to achieve a meritocracy (ie. ensuring the bonuses paid were in direct proportion to the fund performance achieved for the client), was by tracking performance over a longer period of time and by linking a significant part of the bonus to the performance of the overall business. 

I cannot say it was easy to come up with the right formulae, but the principle of paying a bonus that is linked to the short and long term performance of the individual and the team, together with a proportion linked to the overall business success, is now well established at Invesco, and could easily be adapted to meet the needs of most trading situations.

 Big populist gestures like the one now proposed by the Chancellor will not solve the problem. A practical and effective bonus scheme would.

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Say no to the destruction of our communities!

 Residents of Northampton and the surrounding villages protested on Saturday against the proposal to build thousands of new houses on green fields, and on the 'buffer' between existing villages and the town.

 The plans are completely unrealistic, for four reasons; 

 The first is that the existing infrastructure in every area, from schools to healthcare to roads, is creaking already. New communities like St. Crispins are still unfinished, with the developers trying to scale back on promised works. The roads in the town are frequently gridlocked already, and the town itself is in need of major redevelopment and improvement. More new house building and yet more traffic is going to do nothing to solve the existing problems. The new proposal offers nothing by way of serious additional infrastructure to cope with such a massive influx of people.

 Second, there are significant flooding issues in Northampton, and the proposal to add up to 20,000 more houses close to and even on the flood plain is ridiculous.

 Thirdly, what will the residents of all those new homes do for a living? Tens of thousands of them will be working, and Northampton already suffers from far too much 'out-commuting' to Milton Keynes, Birmingham and London. All those extra cars on the roads, and the threat of a 'dormitory' town on land around Great and Little Houghton the size of Daventry!

 Finally, what ever happened to the government's recent demand that Britain should become self sufficient in producing our own food? It is madness to build on some of the best farmland in Northamptonshire.

 Residents have had enough of being a dumping ground for the government's new housing plans!

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Job Club is launched in Towcester

 The Job Club was officially launched by Spencer Canning, Development Director at Silverstone. He pointed out that unemployment in the area is up by 300% in 8 months, and wished us luck in the goal of helping local residents back to work, training, or starting up a business.

 Around 50 jobseekers visited the launch, and it was great that some of them left with specific job opportunities to apply for when they arrived home. Advice was given by a wide range of advisors including the Towcester Business Club, CAB, Job Centre Plus, Northampton College and University, Moulton College, Towcester Retailers, Ethos Recruitment, and Park Street Personnel.

 The club will meet every Monday at 10am in the Chantry House in Towcester. Local jobseekers are invited to drop in for a drink, and for free expert advice on CVs, interviews, retraining, and setting up a business.

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Open primaries are a fantastic idea!

 Getting selected is the stuff of nightmares... I think I applied to around 150 constituencies, was interviewed in around 20 of them, and reached the final in 7. As you might expect, I got better at it as time went by!

 First was Wantage. Oh, how confident I was! For a start I lived and worked there, and for another, I was a happily married mother with a successful career behind me. I had many friends there, but my performance in front of those friends was disastrous and I was knocked out in the second round. I wasn't just devastated - I was absolutely astonished...

 I soon learned that the three rounds of interviews were different to anything I had ever done before. It was impossible to predict what the interviewers were looking for, so I often tried to deal with their objections (e.g. do you think you will have time for us bearing in mind your children are so young?) before they arose.

The highlight of these (unsuccessful) years was the Open Primary I attended in Reading East. Here at last was a chance to be interviewed by local people, not necessarily party members or even Conservatives. My only challenge was being 9 months pregnant at the semi-final... The local press were taking great interest in the selection process and there was a chance of a large turnout at the final. Again, I was a local candidate living a couple of miles outside the constituency.

 The day of the final was a joyful blur...Charlotte was born at home at 2.30am with my husband, mother, and a midwife in attendance. We spent a glorious day with her and my two sons and then, at 7pm, all set off to the final selection together. I don't remember what I said in my speech, but it must have been rubbish as I didn't win! Just as well, in hindsight...

The point is, though, that the result felt fair and democratic. It felt as though local voters had their say (even though not many turned up), and that the right man won.

 Five years after I started going to interviews, thousands of pounds spent on presentations skills training, endless tears, 4 years as a District Councillor, one General Election fought in Merseyside later, I was selected for South Northamptonshire, the best constituency in England. It's where my family originally came from, and it's where I plan to spend the rest of my life.

 Many put my selection down to luck... ha ha ha. Rather like a good sportsman, the more I practised, the luckier I got!

 Open primaries are a great solution. You take away the 'randomness' of being selected by a small group of activists, each with their own preferences and prejudices, and you have the legitimacy of being the free choice of the many, not just the few.

 Quite possibly, I also beleive that open primaries will favour local candidates, which I believe is more important than is often recognised.

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Why Labour's quangos have to go!

 I am appalled at the WNJPU proposal to put up to 60,000 new houses around Northampton, ruining some spectacularly beautiful and ancient countryside, with many well established villages set to be buried under vast new housing estates.

 The only reason we are now forced to fight what will be a real battle against this dreadful proposal, is because this Labour government decided not only to impose top down housing targets on Northamptonshire, but also to take any democratic planning accountability away from the Borough and District councils and give it to their unelected quango - the West Northants Development Corporation.

 The elected local authorities were left with the remit of deciding where to put the houses, but were given no opportunity to challenge either the wisdom of putting them here, or the certainty of provision of infrastructure needed to support such massive growth.

 What we've ended up with is a poorly written proposal, that provides no clarity on employment, schools, roads, or healthcare, but plenty of ideas on house building in places that will destroy long established communities.

 I will fight this proposal, and will look to the next (Conservative) government to get rid of the WNDC as soon as we possibly can.

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Speed Awareness

 I confess I went to a speed awareness course today... the sort you are offered as an alternative to 3 points on your driving licence for being caught by a speed camera (provided you were not exceeding the speed limit by very much).

 It wasn't a hard decision to go on the course, rather than take the points!

 However, after I got over the initial irritation at wasting 4 hours sitting in a boiling hot room with 20 other speeders plus 3 people from the Highways Agency there to observe (I had to hold myself back from complaining to them about the lack of Towcester bypass...) it was actually really interesting, and very useful.

 At one point we were asked what action to take if you witness a road accident. We all agreed, "dial 999" immediately. But not so... apparently, if you dial 112 on your mobile instead, then the national emergency services can immediately pinpoint your location using GPS tracking to your phone. One of the biggest challenges with car accidents on open roads is, of course, locating the scene of the crash. Makes you wonder why this number isn't more widely advertised!

 The course was an interesting case study in the ever growing 'health and safety' epidemic. There was loads of evidence to show that keeping to 30mph, rather than, say, 35mph, saves lives. It follows that not driving at all would mean zero car crashes! What is harder to pinpoint, however, is what the right balance is between freedom to enjoy motoring, versus ever greater restrictions to avoid accidents.

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Social Action - the new politics

 Today I was asked to make a presentation at the Conservative Social Action Conference about my Uganda/UK Schools Twinning project. The project is now in its third year, and has expanded enormously from the humble pilot of 2007.

 I was able to point out how those students taking part, both Ugandan and British, have been transformed by the experience of a shared week in Uganda, sleeping in dormitories, eating and laughing together, and debating issues like HIV/AIDS, the rights of women, and the importance of the environment versus development. In particular, the UK students came home truly valuing the opportunities, the freedom, and the democracy that we enjoy.

 David Cameron gave a keynote speech at the conference, about how our 'new politics' calls for politicians to help and engage their communities through social action in all kinds of positive ways - whether through international projects like mine, regeneration projects, and setting up job clubs and youth clubs - instead of the 'old ways' of too much talk and too little action.

 In particular, David pointed out that social action is one way to engage younger people in politics - they will fund raise to go and meet Ugandan sixth formers, or to build a youth club, but wouldn't want to go pounding the streets delivering leaflets for a political party!

 David also believes social action is a good way for politicians to answer the criticism that says, "you are all the same and you never achieve any real change". Social action can make a real difference to people's lives. There are now more than 150 social action projects being run across the UK by Conservative candidates and MPs.

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A Job Club for South Northamptonshire

 I'm planning to launch a Job Club at Towcester Town Hall on Tuesday 11 August at 10 am.

 The Club will then meet every Monday at the Chantry House in Towcester between 10 am and 12 noon.

The purpose of the Club is to help local people back into work - I've been amazed and impressed at the number and range of generous offers of help from private businesses, colleges, and statutory agencies. The problem of unemployment is growing fast, and it is heartwarming to see the enthusiasm there is to help solve it.

 People looking for work can drop into the Club, enjoy a drink, and gain free advice from local professionals on anything from writing a CV, interview technique, starting a new business, retraining, further education, managing debt, or mortgage problems.

 The Job Club has nothing to do with politics, but everything to do with helping our community. I'm hoping it will make a real difference.

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Leonard Cheshire coffee morning

 The coffee morning raised nearly £300! Not bad for for a Monday morning. Thank you to everyone who came to it and were so generous.

 Thanks also to James Rudd for publishing a photo...

 http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/site/content.asp?area=295&story=133954

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Congratulations Northamptonshire!

 A fantastic result for the Northants County Council! In South Northants, all our Councillors were re-elected, so for the next four years we will continue to have some of the hardest working Councillors I have ever met. It's not surprising that many of the Cabinet for NCC are drawn from among the South Northants group.

 Well done to all of them for an excellent campaign! I'm particularly pleased about West Hunsbury and Towcester. David Hugheston-Roberts (W Hunsbury) and his campaign manager, Brian Oldham, did an unbelievable amount of work in a campaign that was overshadowed by some unpleasant accusations by the Lib Dems. We were completely delighted to see that local residents chose to re-elect David, and by a majority that was doubled!

 In Towcester, Rosemary Bromwich, and Diana Dallyn also worked their socks off. Rosemary is Cabinet Member with responsibility, amongst other things, for adult social care. She has been totally committed to improving the lives of local residents, particularly the elderly, and her excellent result (also with an increased majority) shows that people have noticed.

 Congratulations to:

 Andre Gonzalez de Savage (E Hunsbury)

 Phil Larratt (Nene Valley)

 David Hugheston-Roberts (W Hunsbury)

 Michael Clarke (Hackleton)

 Bunny Ingram (Roade)

 Ben Smith (Greens Norton)

 Ken Melling (Middleton Cheney)

 Andrew Grant (Brackley East)

 Ron Sawbridge (Brackley West)

 Allen Walker (Deanshanger)

 Rosemary Bromwich (Towcester)

 During the campaign week, I was asked by Conservative Home to keep a 'Week in the Life of a PPC' diary. It was published shortly after the election results, and here it is:

http://www.conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2009/06/diary-of-a-ppc-andrea-leadsom-south-northamptonshire.html

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Why we should all be voting Conservative on Thursday...

 We need to have a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty now more than ever. The D-Day celebrations in France highlight to me why European integration will simply never happen...

 How can France be hosting the 65th anniversary of the Normandy landings with Sarkozy and Obama (neither of them a twinkle in their father's eye in 1945) in attendance, and yet the Queen of Britain, Canada, and Australia (who was not only alive, but who also served in the war) was not invited until two weeks ago?

 Could it possibly be that M. Sarkozy wants to bask in the warmth of Mr Obama's attention, without such an awesome and globally admired woman as Queen Elizabeth stealing the limelight? Or could it be that France wants to gloss over the sacrifices made by her close EU partner, Britain, in case some sort of public display of gratitude be required?

 Either way, it's clear that political union of the sort favoured by France, Germany, and others, will only ever be achieved once there is already a sense of cultural unity. This episode highlights how far even those who seek a 'United States of Europe' are from achieving it.

 Voting Conservative on Thursday is voting to keep Britain as a strong sovereign state. It is also our best chance of making sure the British people get a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty... if the Treaty goes through without the authority of British voters, then we will end up with a European Constitution by the back door, creating an EU President. If this happens, the odds are on that the first President will be, yes, you guessed it, Mr Blair...

 VOTE CONSERVATIVE on Thursday!

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Tea for ability - Supporting Leonard Cheshire

 The work of the Leonard Cheshire Disability has been on-going for over 60 years, and has been a valuable source of support to the needs of disabled people throughout the UK and worldwide.

 Its aims are to provide services that allow disabled people to live a life as they choose, in their way and to have the support network and provisions to do this.

 Some of the services provided for are care homes, day centres, respite care, rehabilitation, training, and assistance in seeking for work.

 Over 21.000 people are currently being assisted by Leonard Cheshire Disability and the work must continue.

 I will be hosting a coffee morning to show support and to raise funds for this amazing organisation.

 Please come along to Slapton House, Slapton, Northants, NN12 8PE, on Monday 15th June 2009, between 9.30am and 12 noon.

 There will be an entrance fee of £3.00, and a bring and buy stall.

 All proceeds will go to Leonard Cheshire Disability.

 So come along, bring a friend, meet new friends, enjoy a chat and a cuppa, maybe bring some thing to sell and maybe buy some thing new.

 In return, you will have given a few pounds, a few moments of your time and supported this wonderful charity.

 For more information of Leonard Cheshire Disability, please call 0845 552195

 Or

 Visit the website: www.lcdisability.org

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As to my own expenses...

 I was selected as the candidate for the Conservatives in South Northants in June 2006. As a candidate, there is no such thing as 'allowances' (and certainly no salary...), but there have been plenty of expenses over the past three years!

 I have carried on working in order to pay for the huge privilege of being the candidate - lots of petrol, the cost of newsletters, postage, stationery, fundraising events, etc, plus the major cost of childcare. All my own choice, and I continue to feel honoured to have been chosen to be the candidate here.

 I only mention this because I've had plenty of local residents vent their own rage at me in the last few weeks, as I've been canvassing for the County and European elections. Believe me, I share their anger at the system that has allowed - even encouraged - MPs to boost their income with expenses paid for by us taxpayers, and I am as disgusted as any other taxpayer at the antics of some MPs who have now been caught out abusing their generous allowances.

 If I am elected as the Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire, I will:

i) publish my expenses on the internet each month.

ii) minimise my use of taxpayer funded allowances.

iii) never claim for groceries or other expenses that are not justifiably incurred in doing my job.

 These pledges are not the result of the scandal that has engulfed politics in the last few weeks - they are just common sense, and are no different to how I viewed my expenses during my 25 years working in business and in the charity sector.

 Any FTSE company could provide guidance to the House of Commons on expenses policy - it's really not difficult, and there is no excuse for dithering over getting it sorted.

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Seriously bad news for Britain if Government debt loses AAA status

 It looks as though Standard and Poors rating agency are on the cusp of downgrading our sovereign debt from AAA (the highest possible rating). Ratings reflect creditworthiness, and AAA means that the rating agency considers it extremely unlikely Britain would default on its long term debt.

 A downgrade means two things:

 First, a respected ratings agency believes the likelihood of Britain defaulting on its long term debt has increased;

 Second, the cost of government borrowing will increase significantly (which means servicing the massive debts of this Labour Government will cost even more).

 If a downgrade happens, it is a huge blow for our economy, and will potentially set us back several years in repaying our debts, and returning our finances to health.

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National Nurses Day today

 In the midst of all the unbelievable news about abuse of MP's expenses, it is National Nurses Day today...

 My Mother trained as a nurse, and I know a few people in the profession, including one lovely lady who trained as a school leaver, nursed all her career, and is now a retired theatre sister.

 I think nurses deserve great recognition for the amazing job they do. There is good and bad in every group of workers, but when you are ill, or if someone you love is ill, a good nurse makes all the difference.

 Thanks!

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Setting the record straight...

 The Times published some astonishingly negative articles about women in the Conservative Party yesterday, saying that they were being excluded, and that David Cameron's pledge to encourage women had fallen by the wayside.

 Well, that is absolute rubbish! The Conservative Party has bent over backwards to provide support and encouragement (and yes, an even playing field) for women candidates, without once resorting to the 'all women shortlists' of the Labour Party.

 The result so far is that we have a fantastic group of women candidates, many in highly winnable or 'held' seats. I have met some amazing women from all different walks of life who are campaigning hard to get their place on the green benches.

 There is no doubt that the encouragement and support has come straight from the top. It is bizarre that the media could even attempt to criticise David Cameron over the issue of women. My own experience is completely the opposite.

 Whilst we're on the subject of misrepresentation, I was presented as having been selected for South Northamptonshire on the day my daughter was born. Well, that's not true. In fact, I attended the final selection meeting for Reading East in 2003, on the day my daughter was born, and Rob Wilson MP was selected on that night. My wonderful prize of a baby girl was all I could think about...

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Help for savers and pensioners

 The recession has meant interest rates dropping to an all time low. For pensioners on a fixed income, and with a bit of savings, it has caused real hardship. They, and all savers in Britain, are being penalised for the over-borrowing of others and the sudden drop in interest rates.

 It is totally unfair that those who have done the right thing by saving, whether it's for their retirement or for a rainy day, should now be faced with the loss of interest income which, for many, makes the difference between comfort and relative poverty.

 We held a campaign day in Towcester, Brackley and Northampton to petition the government to do something for pensioners and savers. Conservative proposals are that the age related tax free allowance be raised by £2,000, meaning that pensioners would keep up to £400 a year more of their money. We are also proposing that the basic rate tax payers should receive income tax free. We want to encourage saving, not penalise it.

 Hundreds of people signed our petition, asking the government to adopt our policies.

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Spring Conference with home truths, but also some real hope for change...

 There's an old saying that politicians will always do the right thing... once they have exhausted all other possibilities.

 Well, that gives me a perverse sense of hope - surely Labour has now 'exhausted all other possibilities', and it's time for a Conservative government to begin to sort out the mess?

 David Cameron was completely clear about his intentions in Cheltenham today - if we win the next General Election, we will begin a new 'age of austerity' where government will get its house in order. Ministers will be rewarded for 'achieving more with less' and for overspends, they will be fired!

 There was a mood of determination and a sense of complete unity.

 It wasn't just about cutting costs, however. David was also clear that our plans to rebuild communities, strengthen families, and improve local democracy are as important as ever, as success in these areas will help us to achieve savings from the public purse.

 The goal of changing Britain's culture of spending and borrowing into one of saving and investing remains key, as is the goal of broadening our business base, to create new 'green' jobs and to rebuild our manufacturing base, lessening over time our dependence on the financial services industry.

 All in all, a fantastic Spring Conference, with great speeches from William Hague, Boris Johnson, Daniel Hannan, and George Osborne. A brilliant team, and a real inspiration for the campaigning months ahead!

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A budget that reminds me so much of the seventies...

 As a 13 year old, I remember the 'Supertax' on the self employed, the Winter of Discontent, Britain going into the IMF...

 It was these issues that made me determined, from that age, to become an MP. It was a determination not to let politics ruin our lives again, and now there is a weird sense of deja vu in the air.

 £175 billion of borrowing this year, and £173 billion the next - what fiscal discipline! All very well for Darling to talk about 'investing' our way out of recession, but the problem is that we just do not have the capacity to survive this level of debt. Labour's borrowing has left us in the worst financial position of any developed economy in the world.

 The Government has mentioned in the small print of the budget that it will raise £220 billion through the gilt edged market this year. Unbelievable! It's entirely possible that Britain's credit rating could be downgraded from AAA. If that happens, the cost of borrowing would soar, making repayment of debt even more unattainable.

 Yet Darling predicts positive growth in 2010, and 3.5% growth in 2011! Where we are right now, that could be wildly optimistic, and if it is, then our debt will simply balloon even further. A local Councillor and I worked out just now that £175 billion borrowed over one year is about £20 million borrowed each hour. That means that whilst Darling was delivering his Budget, the Treasury borrowed £20 million...

 Darling announced some 'punishment' for those earning over £150,000 per annum. They will be taxed 50% top rate of tax with effect from next April. OK, so some people might think the wealthy deserve to pay the price of the Government's incompetence. The top rate might even catch a few of the 200 or so bankers who really are personally to blame for the credit crisis. Truly, however, it is only about 200 bankers who could have known about and influenced the profligate lending. Surely, a better way to seek retribution would be through the courts, not through the tax system...

 So, the rage felt quite rightly towards those few individual bankers is going to be spread widely among many others who may well be tempted to take steps to 'avoid' the new rates, and anyway, the new rate of tax will raise peanuts in comparison to the debt mountain we are buried beneath.

 I still fear, though, that one undesirable consequence of this new 'punishment tax' will be to slow down the recovery of the City as it will be obvious to 'high flyers' that the UK is no longer a benign place for entrepreneurs.

 If anyone is in doubt about the need for the City to recover should bear in mind that until the credit crunch, Financial Services accounted for more than a quarter of the tax take. Without a recovery in the City it will take even more years before we can begin to sort out this mess.

 What makes me feel really sick is that this economic disaster is going to fall on the shoulders of my children and all the children in this country. The Government have borrowed from our childrens' future to pay for their incompetence and profligate spending.

 Finally, to cap it all off, their 'political' strategy is clear... tax the rich to buy favours with the less well off. Hope for the bottom of the economic cycle to occur before June 2010 (the last possible date for a General Election). I don't think voters will fall for it even for a minute, but it is despicable that a Government desperate to stay in power is willing to leave our finances in such dire and perilous state, because they dare not take the strong measures now needed to sort out our economy.

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Why would anyone want to be an MP now?

 It's quite daunting right now to be one of those hoping to become an MP at the next general election...

 First, the expenses row, which has done unbelievable damage to the reputation of politicians. It's hard to imagine why anyone would think it was reasonable to claim expenses for groceries and utility bills, even harder to imagine why it is not necessary to produce receipts. In business, if you buy so much as a first class stamp, you need to produce a receipt to claim the money back!

 On the other hand, I have always thought it was reasonable to claim a housing allowance for a London home if the only reason you were there was for work. It would be difficult to pay for two properties out of an MP's salary. In business, if you travel on company time, they pay your hotel costs...

 But now the row over 'smears' against shadow MPs takes politicians' reputations to a new low. People I speak to in South Northants don't feel particularly sorry for the victims, who are themselves MPs... they just see it as yet more evidence of the lack of morals and decency of politicians in Britain.

 I think one of the biggest challenges for the Conservatives at the next election will be to convince voters that we can rebuild their faith in politics. It must be at rock bottom right now.

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David Cameron visit to South Northamptonshire!

 On an amazingly spring-like day last Friday, David Cameron came to the Great Barn at Aynho to thank Tim Boswell for his many years of service as MP for Daventry. He also wished good luck to me and Chris Heaton-Harris (Candidate for Daventry) as the Conservative candidates to succeed Tim at the next General Election. Well over 300 local Conservative supporters came along to hear David speak, and to ask questions of him.

 Tim's wife, Helen, and three daughters, Victoria, Emily, and Caroline, were all there to see David and Tim cut a cake with the Conservative tree in icing on the top!

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What about Gordon Brown's pension?

 If Fred the Shred doesn't deserve a pension because he has presided over a total failure of a bank...

 ...does Gordon Brown deserve a pension because he has presided over a total failure of an economy?

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Why doing nothing is actually quite appealing...

 Ever since the credit crisis began, there has been an overwhelming sense of a government that hasn't a clue what to do about it. With Northern Rock they have presided over the first run on a British bank in 150 years. Nationalising it has already cost taxpayers billions. They promised staff bonuses if they reduced the loan book, and now they are demanding big increases in lending.

 Gordon Brown decided to, "save the world, oops, the banks", by giving them billions of tax payers' money. That money went into a big black hole as the share prices of the banks collapsed. Did they learn nothing about financial markets in 12 years of government? Margaret Thatcher's, "you can't buck the markets"... remember that? It's cost us billions to prove the ongoing truth of that statement.

 They have fiddled about with promises of funding to keep business afloat; they have threatened banks who dare to pay bonuses; they have preached about the evils of protectionism; they have demanded banks get lending again but have demanded a ridiculously high return on the capital they have injected.

 It's all gobbledigook... no wonder banks aren't lending, companies can't fund their activities, and there are massive redundancies. The taxpayer is going to have to pay in telephone numbers to sort this mess out.

 Right now, doing nothing would be a good idea. Why? Because interest rates are at all time lows. That means anyone in work with a mortgage and/or credit card debts is now significantly better off in cashflow terms. Prices are coming down as retailers feel the pinch. So individuals, if they keep their jobs (which most will), will start to spend money again once they feel a little confidence in the economy.

 While the government keeps messing about with different initiatives, however, and the confidence in their ability to help continues to ebb away, people will sit tight on their cash. Then we get a negative spiral - bad government policy, bad press, no confidence, no spending, and in the end... a possible depression?

 Allowing a bit of time and space, letting banks recover slightly from the traumas of the last 2 years and sort out their lending policies without government interference, letting businesses adapt to meet the changed environment, giving individuals some breathing space to rebuild their own confidence in their finances... these things just might be better than the constant barrage of new policies that are simply not helping!

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Senior bankers MUST be held accountable

 I watched the ex-Chiefs of HBoS and RBS today as they were interviewed by MPs about their part in the collapse of our banking system, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Sir Fred Goodwin and Sir Tom McKillop (Ex CEO and Chairman of RBS, respectively) were squirming as they tried to explain why they completed the deal to purchase ABN, even after the collapse of Lehmans and the massive increase in systemic risk.

 The worst part was that neither seemed to have a real grasp of the financial exposure they allowed RBS to take on. I didn't get the impression they even understood the precise terms of the acquisition. They just talked about the fact that the Board had devised a 'plan', and that it was the markets' fault that they couldn't implement it...

 The ex HBoS chiefs, Andy Hornby and Lord Stevenson, had no sensible explanation of why they allowed the bank to become so over exposed to the bubble in housing and commercial property, even against the advice of their own Risk department.

 Having worked in banking and finance for 25 years, it particularly annoyed me that Andy Hornby talked about all his own bonuses going into shares in HBoS... most City firms provide generous incentives (including tax incentives) to staff to hold their bonuses in shares. I understood that Andy Hornby 'opted' for shares - that means he made a commercial choice, and he should not therefore have been claiming 'virtue' as a shareholder.

 If the Government has any courage, it will punish those at the top of failed banks. Accountability is critical in every area of human endeavour - there has to be a penalty for failure otherwise it's only a matter of time before the economic pain our banks have caused to so many innocent businesses and home owners is forgotten.

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Business reception with Oliver Letwin MP at Silverstone circuit

 Around 70 local business people came to the British Racing Drivers Club at Silverstone last week, to talk with Oliver Letwin MP about how the recession is affecting their businesses.

 Oliver Letwin is Chairman of the wide-ranging Conservative Party Policy Review. He talked about Conservative ideas for a £50bn loan guarantee scheme to help get banks lending to businesses again, as well as a VAT payment holiday for businesses struggling with cash flow, and NI relief for new employment.

 He was asked questions on everything from how to solve the 'black hole' in public sector pensions, to how Conservatives will create a low carbon economy.

 As a follow up, I have put together an E Survey for local businesses. The link is here, and if you manage a business in Northamptonshire, your contribution would be welcome!

 www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Nvl9coOYOGPTUulLrSdewg_3d_3d

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A sense of 'right and wrong' is never more important...

 One of the great problems we face in Britain today is the 'moral relativism' that seems to run in the veins of our media and public services.

 What I mean by that is the way in which decisions are made based on the relative rights of those affected, rather than turning to our natural understanding of 'good and bad', and 'right and wrong'...

 It's this moral relativism, I believe, that has led to the BBC refusing to broadcast the DEC appeal for Gaza. They are so worried about the risk of appearing to be taking sides that they have completely lost sight of what is right and what is wrong. A child whose leg has been blown off in Gaza, or who has seen his whole family killed, isn't any more or less a victim than a child who gets caught up in an earthquake.

 The terrible things that happen to innocent victims are just wrong, regardless of why and how they happened. And that's why the BBC have made a mistake in not broadcasting the appeal.

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What has gone wrong with our adoption policies?

 There's a truly unbelievable story in the paper today, that a young brother and sister, whose mother is a heroin addict, have been turned down for adoption by their own grandparents, because they are deemed too old, even though neither has yet turned 60.

 If that weren't enough, the siblings are now to be adopted by two complete strangers against the wishes of the grandparents. Following adoption, they will then be 'allowed' 2 visits to their grandchildren each year.

 And as if that weren't enough, the two strangers are a gay couple, who have been selected ahead of several heterosexual couples.

 And as if that weren't enough, the Grandparents have been told that if they object to the choice of adoptive parents, then their right to see their own flesh and blood twice a year will be denied them.

 Adoption should be all about what is best for the children. I just cannot for the life of me see how this takes any account of their needs. It is an utter tragedy for that whole family.

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A good start to 2009

 A belated Happy New Year! I wanted to write something really positive to get the 2009 blogging going... so it's not going to be about the economy!

 We had a day long visit from Mark Simmonds MP last week. He is Shadow Health Minister, and came to South Northants to meet local GPs and patients to hear what they have to say about Government legislation. The good news is that there is a reprieve (at least temporarily) from recent Government proposals in the 'Pharmacy White Paper' to stop GPs from dispensing medicines in their surgeries.

 In December, after consultation, it was announced that the Government would 'make no change to the current arrangements for GP dispensing'. This is, we believe, in response to the huge protest from patients and GPs, including many in South Northants.

 The Government is looking at giving pharmacies a greater role in diagnosing 'minor' ailments and in managing long term conditions such as diabetes. In return for this, the White Paper proposes that Pharmacies could have the exclusive right to dispense medicines to patients.

 There's no doubt there are opportunities for Pharmacists to do more for our health, but patients and GPs have been united in their determination to keep GP dispensaries. Particularly in South Northants, we have a number of dispensing surgeries where a large part of the income of the practice is from dispensing medicines. No dispensing could mean cutting back on GPs, clinics, nurses, and even the closure of smaller dispensing practices.

 Even where the practice could afford the drop in income, it would mean patients in villages such as Greens Norton and Blisworth having to travel to Towcester to pick up a prescription. For those who do not have easy access to a car, this would be a huge blow.

 So the campaign we launched last summer to save our dispensing practices appears to have borne fruit! See www.conservativehome.com 'Platform', and look under 'Andrea Leadsom', to see a full report on the issue.

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Uganda 2008 - the Schools Twinning Project goes from strength to strength

 October 2008 saw the second Jinja International Youth Meeting at the Discovery Centre, Jinja, Uganda.

 Richard Johnson (Trustee of Discovery Centre and retired teacher from Campion School) and I arranged the conference with a group of students from Campion, Roade, Chenderit, and William Parker Schools, plus a teacher from each.

 Altogether, there were eight British students, ten Ugandan students, plus 9 British and Ugandan teachers attending the Conference, which took place over 2 days at the Discovery Centre. The topics were fascinating, mainly because the students had done a great deal of research and were well informed, as well as passionate in their views... we covered subjects like conflict resolution, human rights, and sustainable development.

 Whilst there, the students visited the Source of the Nile, and also Bujagali Falls, the site of a huge hydro-electric plant. We also held a football match between two of the Ugandan Schools to celebrate the donation of 250 footballs that we took with us as a gift from British donors... so much appreciated by the local children as well as the school teams!

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Unfunded tax cuts in Britain will be absolute madness!

 I can't believe Labour are really planning a massive tax giveaway in an economy where the value of sterling and British Government debt has been falling like a stone, and the credit spreads on UK Government debt already widening (versus Germany and France). That means it is more expensive for us to borrow than it is for our big European neighbours. Sterling has dropped dramatically - the collapse is effectively the foreign investors' 'vote' on our economic potential. They don't want to hold sterling because they don't believe we will thrive economically for the forseeable future.

 Labour don't seem to get it...you cannot borrow your way out of recession when you are already in a situation of excessive debt. There is nothing to prevent an even greater collapse of sterling if foreign investors remain jittery about Britain's medium term outlook. The Government borrowed through the boom years, and we are now in the most over borrowed state of any EU member, with perhaps the exceptions of Ireland and Hungary!

 Next year, Government borrowing will exceed £100 billion. Just servicing the debt, even with low interest rates, will cost each family hundreds of pounds in their taxes, and we have to pay it off... how are we going to do that when the public sector is so vastly inflated, with a massive pension liability that must be borne by the private sector?

 The Government should be doing three urgent things in my opinion:

 First, cutting public sector costs as sharply and brutally as the cuts that are now taking place in the private sector, including a freeze on hiring;

 Second, immediately introducing a policy to do away with final salary pensions for future newly employed public sector workers;

 Third, targetting tax cuts to small businesses, who after all employ half the workers in Britain. If they go bankrupt in droves, then unemployment will go well beyond 3 million.

 The Bank of England must also further cut interest rates urgently.

 I have never felt more concerned about our economy and the future for Britain in the world. Labour are taking us into uncharted territory with what looks to me to be a pre-election tax giveaway, that is going to severly harm our chances of recovery, and will set us back a decade or more in terms of our currency and economic strength.

 I desperately hope that the British voters will not fall for it.

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Marriage IS KEY to the safety of our society - what is the media playing at?

 The last couple of days' headlines are typical liberal media prejudice from journalists, who can't bear the 'awful truth' that marriage between two adults is the best way to raise children and defend our society. Even the Telegraph headline yesterday was, 'Tories will make divorce harder'...

 When will the media stop belittling those who are trying to save the desperate lives of some of our most vulnerable children, and in doing so, defend the safety of our society from children who grow up so dehumanised by their experiences that they in turn destroy everything around them.

 Jill Kirby's excellent recent article on 'looked after' children, talks about how adoption into a loving family is so much better a solution than the care system for those children where staying with their natural family is impossible. She writes;

 "A generation is paying the price for the authorities' tolerance of drugs and alcohol on our streets and our culture of acceptance of casual relationships. Rectifying this should be a priority for any Government serious about improving the lives of our most vulnerable children".

 It's only when the media get behind the importance of solid, enduring adult relationships supported by the law that we can begin to rectify the damage being done to thousands of childrens' lives in this country. Why else did UNICEF find that British children are the least happy of all children in the 21 most developed nations?

 The self indulgence and carelessness of non-committed adult relationships is, as we've just seen in the extreme case of Baby P, proving fatal to the next generation.

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We need more than just words to save British jobs

 It is now official. The International Monetary Fund has confirmed what we all know: Labour had left Britain the worst prepared country in the G7 for the coming recession. In 1997, Labour inherited a budget surplus of around £16bn; it's already predicted to be a £60bn deficit by the end of this year, and as much as a £100bn deficit by the end of 2009.

 Right now, our economy desperately needs tax cuts targetted to small businesses in order for them to survive. Those countries around the world who achieved budget surplus in the good years will be able to give cash back to consumers and businesses, in the hope they will spend money and boost their economy. In Britain, however, where we have a high budget deficit and falling tax revenues, tax cuts will be barely affordable.

 Why is that? Because far from being 'prudent', Labour spent and spent over the last ten years of economic growth, leaving us in a position where our national debt is already so high that we will struggle to increase it further, even to help families and small businesses to survive the recession. Furthermore, if we do cut taxes, which I think we inevitably must do, it will leave us with the biggest financial burden we have ever faced... money that has to be paid back, and where each year the interest costs alone will eat into the future growth in our economy.

 Sadly it's going to be our children who will have to pay for a decade of excess, where Labour borrowed and spent like there was no tomorrow, and Gordon Brown pretended he had abolished boom and bust.

 On top of all this, we must not forget whom the real villains are here: Labour's new Financial Regulators who busied themselves building an empire of excessive regulation (at vast expense to the tax-payer) but forgot to notice a credit bubble that grew on the back of unprecedented cheap money, combined with ineffective risk control within the banks.

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A great day for democracy

 What a fantastic spectacle the US Presidential election has been... unbelievable amounts of money and glitz backing the most remarkable candidates in a generation.

 For me, the right man won. The leader of the free world is going to be young, in touch with the world of global communication, a hands-on dad, super intelligent, and a man of mixed race. What an inspiring mix to be leading the only world superpower. It is exactly what I want for my kids and my country.

 In fact, I think and hope that he and David Cameron will be a perfect complement to one another in world affairs. Britain may have nothing like the financial muscle of the USA, but we punch well above our weight in influence. I think the relationship between the leaders of our two countries is what has determined so many of the great changes in the world - Thatcher and Reagan achieved the end of the Cold War, whilst Churchill and Roosevelt won WW2.

 Let's hope that Obama, with the support of Cameron as Prime Minister, have their chance to make as great a contribution to world justice and peace.

 The American dream is alive and well!

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Will the financial crisis save Labour?

 I hope not. It's astonishing that our Prime Minister seems so happy and confident in the face of this complete financial disaster. In a way I can understand it - he has a fire to fight and he can forget about all his day to day problems and focus on 'saving us'. The trouble is, he should actually be apologising profusely to the taxpayer for his part in creating this mess.

 I freely admit that right now the British bail out plan makes sense. There's no point any longer trying to stick plasters on the banks - they need open heart surgery, and that's what they are getting at vast potential expense to the tax payer.

 A few weeks ago, the prospect of part nationalising two of our biggest banking groups (RBS and Lloyds/HBOS) would have been unthinkable, but all bets are off, and my biggest worry now is that Barclays and others who have refused Government capital injections are going to fail in their attempts to raise it from the markets.

 There can be no doubt in my mind, that Brown as Chancellor has played a huge role in getting us to the state we are in because of the failure of the regulatory system he introduced in 1997.

 Bank of England independence, Brown's 'Big Idea' in 1997, was widely hailed as brilliant. Yet the Monetary Policy Committee that sets interest rates failed to take account of the massive asset bubble - particularly in property - over the last 10 years. Why? Because their task is to look at the Government's inflation measure, which excludes property prices. In hindsight, interest rates at 2% higher over the last 3 years would have taken the edge of the property boom that caused the crisis...

 Brown's other 'big idea' in 1997 was to split banking supervision from the monitoring of liquidity (cash circulation) in the banking system. Labour's massive new quango, the Financial Services Authority, was made responsible for ensuring the viability of individual banks and building societies whilst the Bank of England kept the responsibility for making sure enough cash was being lent between banks to keep the system going.

 This was a fundamental mistake, and it showed Labour's lack of understanding of financial markets.

 In the 1990's, I was a Financial Institutions Director of Barclays, with responsibility for Investment Banks. So when Barings collapsed, Eddie George (then Governor of the Bank of England) called us and over the weekend Barclays worked with the Bank of England to try and save Barings, but more importantly, to prevent a run on British banks.

 I believe the success in handling that crisis was simply because Eddie George knew the buck stopped with him, he knew Barings well as it was supervised by his staff, and he was able to quickly coordinate events. By contrast, Northern Rock was a masterclass in dithering - the FSA, the Bank of England, the Treasury - who was in charge? In the end it was Alastair Darling who had to face up to the press and take the decision to nationalise... I am certain it need not have happened. Don't forget, it has already required a £3billion capital injection from us taxpayers...

 And what of Bradford and Bingley? Lots of City people were talking about the worrying weakness of the business - it was obvious for months that it was at risk. Why didn't the Government act earlier to stop it becoming yet another millstone around the taxpayer's neck?

 Yup, it really is amazing that Gordon Brown has never looked happier. I sincerely hope that voters are not fooled.

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OXPIP turns 10 years old!

 A week ago, we celebrated OXPIP's 10th birthday with a dinner at the Cherwell Boathouse in Oxford. In spite of the appalling weather, we had a fantastic evening with live music and an entertaining auction. The dancing kept us warm!

 I was particularly delighted on the eve of the party to receive an email from Benjamin Fry of the Early Years Commission (set up by the Centre for Social Justice). He told me that OXPIP had been an 'inspiration' to the EYC in its investigation into the problems facing the very youngest in our society. They want to use OXPIP in their future work as an example of how to provide support for families who are struggling to cope with the emotional stress of a new baby.

 The generosity of our guests raised over £5,000 during the evening - badly needed funds for this wonderful charity that literally saves hundreds of lives each year.

 I have just written an article for 'Conservative Home' website explaining why early attachment is the key to mending our broken society:

http://www.conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/andrea_leadsom/index.html

 Please do have a look at it, and then please let me know what you think, either leaving your comments there, or on this page.

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Today I met the President of Uganda

 President Museveni came to Leicester to meet Khalid Sheikh, the Chairman of Clifton Packaging, a Ugandan Asian whose family was kicked out of Uganda by Idi Amin in the early '70's.

 Khalid persuaded the President to come with the startling promise of turning around Uganda's fortunes.

 Khalid came to the UK from Uganda aged 14 with his 3 younger brothers and his sister. Their Mother had died the previous year and is buried in Jinja, their home town. They arrived with nothing but a determination to succeed. He cleaned floors until he had the money to buy a printing press from a scrap yard. The business went from strength to strength until he now has a highly successful packaging company, and a board room whose walls are literally covered in awards for innovation and business, as well as photos of him and his family with senior politicians and members of the Royal Family.

 A real rags to riches story, but the beauty of it is that Khalid is now resolved to teach Ugandans how to process and package their own produce - bananas, mangoes, pineapples, coffee - and create for themselves the 'added value' that at the moment is exclusively enjoyed by the West.

 He explained that now, Ugandan farmers receive £1,000 for a tonne of pineapples. However, dried and packaged attractively, it becomes worth £10,000. At the moment, if Uganda has a good harvest, fruit literally rots on the trees - the ability to process and preserve then package has enormous potential for wealth creation in Africa.

 The President was clearly impressed - hard to believe that one man can achieve what Khalid is proposing, but it's a good start, and Khalid is a very compelling speaker. He's off to the United Nations tomorrow to talk about his ideas under the strap line of "BABA" which stands for "Buy African Build Africa". Good luck to him!

 He invited me along because of my Schools Twinning Project. Northamptonshire Schools (Roade, Chenderit, Campion and William Parker) are twinning with 7 schools in Uganda. We will be taking a group of 17 year old students from each of the 11 schools to the Discovery Centre in Jinja during October. There they will hold a conference on "What it means to be a Global Citizen"

 The Discovery Centre is a charity that owns a beautiful residential centre on the shores of Lake Victoria. As well as being the venue for my schools project, they also take children from the local area for HIV/AIDS and primary healthcare training, and for football, dance and other activities. Each month they bring down a large group of children and health workers from the 'displaced peoples' camps' in the North of Uganda. These often traumatised children get the opportunity to be children for a week, and to take part in activities and training. Likewise, health workers receive up to date training, which they so badly lack.

 It's a wonderful charity, and Khalid intends to support it from the profits of his nascent Ugandan processing and packaging businesses.

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Giscard d'Estaing and the future for Britain in Europe

 I went to a conference last week, where the keynote speaker was the ex-President of France, Giscard d'Estaing, but more famous now as the author of the EU Constitution that recently metamorphosed into the Lisbon Treaty...

 Gordon take note: he explicitly agreed that the EU Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty are one and the same thing. So WHERE IS OUR REFERENDUM?

 What was surreal about his address is that he was accusing Britain of being two-faced. He said that successive British governments have been willing and eager to negotiate each EU Treaty, but that when it comes to the point of committing ourselves to it, we have tried to create opt-outs for ourselves. He felt that this was a nonsense - by virtue of engaging in the process, we ought to be signing up whatever the result.

 Engaging and articulate as he was, it showed a fundamental lack of appreciation of democracy. He even admitted that though there was not perfect democracy, when you consider how much has been achieved, it can be excused!

 It seemed to me like a perfect 'benevolent dictatorship' - we may have lost our freedom and right to self-determination, but look at how we've been given a wonderful new currency, and lots of health and safety legislation to go with our delightfully protectionist farming industry. The fact that ordinary people do not want it seems to be utterly irrelevant.

 Looking on the bright side, M. le President is obviously getting impatient with, 'les Anglais'. He at last is talking about a 'Special Arrangement' for Britain, where we might be able to pick and choose which EU Treaties, and even which parts of EU Treaties, we want to sign up for. He doesn't countenance us pulling out of previously ratified Treaties, but going forward, acknowledges that our reluctance to become a United States of Europe is unlikely to change.

 In my view, the chance to forge our own terms with our European colleagues would be fantastic. We signed up for a 'Common Market' and the rest has cost us dearly, and the benefit has never yet been shown in a neat balance sheet.

 Matthew Elliot of the TaxPayers Alliance tells me that he is about to do a cost benefit analysis of our membership of the EU - perhaps that will help us find the courage to start re-negotiating.

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Why the taxpayer should never underwrite mortgages...

 Giving some sort of state guarantee to homeowner loans is the ultimate in 'moral hazard'.

 Our benefits system already provides a perverse incentive to 'give up' if you are working your socks off and struggling to pay a mortgage. Rather than easing the pressure for low earners who are just about keeping their heads above water, the housing and benefits system favours those in most immediate need - so there is a point at which you might be financially better off stopping work and making yourself homeless in order to jump to the top of the queue.

 What the government is reportedly considering, however - underwriting part mortgages for those close to default or with negative equity - is complete madness. It would be rewarding those who have over-borrowed, and even worse, rewarding those mortgage lenders who over-lent.

 The plan would apparently be that by the use of state guarantees, it would be possible to shore up the property market... but there are two key problems with this:

 1. The Government cannot force lenders to bring back the supply of cheap loans to home owners. In fact, banks could easily use the guaranteed portion of their mortgage book to assist in their re-capitalisation by selling off the debt. In other words, it is very unlikely that raising a mortgage would be any easier as a result.

 2. The experience in the US only a few weeks ago with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (two vast mortgage lenders backed by government support), showed categorically that government cannot get involved in partial or implied guarantees of mortgages. In the US, both lenders came close to failing because the market decided to test how strong the government guarantee really is.

 There's no doubt that the property market is in dire straits now, but if I was in government I would be focussing on the provision of good financial advice to people who are struggling, through an expansion of the capacity of CABs. I would also be working with the banking sector, to find ways to assist homeowners to manage over the next couple of years. It is not in the banking sector's interest to face massive defaults - they will be as keen as government and homeowners to manage their way through this crisis.

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Northern Rock - did someone say taxpayers' money was safe?

 Really annoyed, I blogged when Alastair Darling announced that the taxpayer would be footing the bill for Northern Rock's losses - a £3billion injection of new equity from you and me, the generous new owners.

 Of course, unlike with HSBC's rights issue, we didn't get the chance to decide whether or not we wanted to provide new capital to shore up past lousy business decisions.

 Even more annoyingly, my computer screen froze and I lost the blog, so it never went live on my blog site......

 I'm not going to go on about the cash injection now, as it's a bit out of date, but it's been bugging me so much so I just wanted to make the point - shall we believe you next time you promise something, Darling?

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God bless America!

 For all the criticism of the USA, they are amazingly flexible - real survivors...

 I was listening to a 76 year old Texan oil rancher, who sounded like JR Ewing's Dad on Radio 4. He was talking about how the dry, dusty wind of Texas has been sweeping across the land throughout the 60 years he has been drilling for oil.

 Well, for the last couple of years, he has been harnessing that same wind and turning his hand to renewable energy as the 'black gold' dries up. To him it's no big deal - the oil is gone, the future is in 'renewables', so he just turns his whole career on its head and, aged 76, launches a new business.

 Whoever said America has had its day?

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Everything crossed for Zimbabwe

 The cynical bit of me thinks that the proposed 'power sharing talks' are just yet another ploy by Mugabe to stay in power and out of jail.

 The situation in Zimbabwe cannot get any worse though. It is so desperate that the ends would justify the means. If Morgan Tsvangirai can negotiate a peaceful power sharing arrangement then there is a chance for Zimbabwe's people - it surely couldn't get any worse?

 During the run up to the Zimbabwe election, I tried to raise money to support a free and fair election, and the only way forward seemed to be through the ballot box. I was really disappointed when Tsvangirai pulled out at the eleventh hour - it seemed like a betrayal of all the MDC supporters had been through so far.

 But on the other hand, it seems the violence there was far worse than the press have reported. It may be that a negotiated agreement is the only way to help Zimbabwe, even at the price of letting Mugabe and his supporters off the hook.

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No-one loves the banks any more

 Having spent 10 years of my career at Barclays, I still own some shares... and so I've experienced at first hand the old saying, "what goes up must come down".

 The HBOS rights issue was, however, a real disaster for the banking sector. To issue rights at a huge discount to the already low share price, and then to see the share price fall below the discount so that less than 10% of the rights were taken up is appalling.

 So now they face a double whammy, where access to interbank lending is tight, and the rights issue market has dried up for banks. Where are they to go next?

 I suspect this is the next big investment opportunity - buying banks' asset books at knock down prices. It is hard to imagine any other way the banks are going to raise enough capital to put themselves back on the front foot.

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Obscure, and downright bizarre...

 That's how Matthew Elliott, Chief Executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, describes the West Northants Development Corporation in the Daily Mail 'City and Finance' pages today.

 He is talking about Government waste - a massive topic these days - and in particular, the world of quangos. Amazingly, when the Government refused to say how many quangos are now operating in Britain, the TPA did their own calculation that there are 1,162 quangos, spending £64bn of taxpayers' money, and employing 700,000 people!

 Quangos are given enormous responsibility (from job centres to the Financial Services Authority to the WNDC), and are not accountable to voters...

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Problems at Bradford and Bingley mark a shift in the economy

 Bradford & Bingley's recent profit warning and rights issue has not been blamed on the credit crisis... instead it has been blamed on the buy to let market weakening, and bad debts mounting as a result.

 This is a worrying trend. It shows that it's not just hard to raise money any longer, it's now also hard to pay back debt, and the housing market is starting to seriously feel the pressure.

 I'm sick and tired of hearing Labour politicians congratulating themselves on how strong our economy has been, and how we will quickly recover after a downward blip. It's high time they started to put in place plans to address a serious downturn in our economy. Putting your fingers in your ears and closing your eyes is no longer an option!

 I think mortgage lenders can and should help homeowners and buy to let businesses as a matter of urgency, because it is in no-one's interests if homeowners cannot keep up with their repayments. Families lose their homes and lenders lose their capital if mortgages are not repaid. If this happens in a big way, the economy will quickly fall into recession and unemployment will rise fast. Responsible lenders recognise this, and are taking action to ease the burden on hard-pressed borrowers, but they could and should do a lot more to reduce the risk of financial distress in the coming months:

 First, Lenders should contact mortgage holders who are within 6 months of the end of their fixed rate period, explaining to them where renewal rates are likely to be.

 Second, where borrowers are struggling to cope with a big jump in their mortgage repayments, lenders should help them to manage the transition to higher interest rates. They could do this by, for example, providing a gradual increase in mortgage repayments instead of imposing a sudden hike.

 It is surely in everyone's interests to protect our property market from the crash that is still happening in the States.

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Inaugural annual dinner for South Northants Conservatives

 The Pavillion at Whittlebury kindly hosted our first Annual Dinner for the new South Northamptonshire constituency on Saturday evening.

 Theresa May MP, and Roger Helmer MEP came along to celebrate with us and, Theresa gave an upbeat speech following the Crewe and Nantwich by-election success. She also sympathised with us about how hard it is to build a new constituency (her own seat of Maidenhead was established for the 1997 GE, and she is its first MP), and how important it is to expand the base of active supporters.

 Thank you so much to all those who came to the dinner, and particularly for the generous bids at auction! A particular thank you to James Shepherd-Cross, our Chairman, for his enormous commitment and hard work in bringing the new association together.

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Flip flops and lollipops...

 I heard a couple of weeks ago about a brilliant volunteering initiative about to kick off in Northampton.

 Teams of volunteers are being trained to work out on the streets late at night with young people who are drunk and causing trouble.

 Their job is to be like kindly uncles and aunts... they try and talk to the young people and offer them lollipops to soak up the alcohol (but also because it's hard to pick a fight when you are sucking on a lollipop!).

 The first thing drunken girls lose is their shoes! So plenty get lacerations of the feet from broken glass and stones on the ground. So the volunteers offer them flip flops.

 The amazing thing about this initiative is that apparently it has cut late night incidents down by 70% in places where these volunteers are working.

 All goes to show that the best ideas are often the simple ones.

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GPs under threat again...

 Labour has come up with a new plan that will pull the rug from under your local doctor. Their White Paper deviously entitled "Pharmacy in England" in fact proposes dramatic and far reaching changes to the way GP services are currently run in England.

 The plan, put simply, is to stop GPs dispensing medicines from their surgeries. This will force pharmacies to assume control over dispensing medicines, in return for which the Government wants them to start offering a wider range of services, including diagnosing minor ailments and managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma. On the face of it, this might appear positive from the point of view of patient choice and accessibility, but there are two fundamental problems with stopping doctors dispensing.

 The first is obvious. The 3.5 million dispensing patients in England will no longer be able to pick up a prescription from their local surgery. Patients will have to go to their nearest chemist which (because of the ‘distance' rules on dispensing - a GP can only dispense to a patient who lives more than 1.6 miles from the nearest chemist) will certainly be more than 1.6 miles from their home.

 The second problem is more subtle. Between a quarter and a half of total income of a dispensing practice comes from dispensing medicines. This income enables a practice to have more GPs than they could otherwise afford, and in many cases, subsidises the cost of running branch surgeries, particularly in rural areas.

 In total there are over 5,500 dispensing Doctors in England, working from 1,135 dispensing practices. The loss of income from dispensing would mean inevitable closures of hundreds of surgeries across England and a reduction in the number of GPs in many of the dispensing practices that stay open.

 With fellow Northants PPCs and Tim Boswell MP, I met with a group of GPs on Saturday from a Dispensing Doctors Advisory Panel (DISPEX). A lady GP told us that she had recently recruited a new partner for her GP practice. He had only been working for one week when the White Paper was issued. When he saw it, he resigned his new job with immediate effect. His view was that there would not be a job for him in one year's time if the dispensary was to go, and therefore it would be better to pursue his career elsewhere. This lady GP told us his analysis of the surgery's financial position was quite correct...

 In South Northamptonshire, our rural communities would stand to lose out in a big way. Most villages do not have a chemist. Our dispensing practices tend to have branch surgeries in smaller villages that are paid for by the income from the dispensary. In as short a time as one year, local doctors could be faced with a huge loss of income, and the prospect of closing down services to the local community. This is not the only effect of the Government's White Paper: the second part of their plan is to have pharmacists diagnosing and treating so called ‘minor' ailments. 

 
 What happens when you take your child to the chemist because she has a cold and is running a fever? The professional pharmacist will do one of two things: either tell you it's a cold and to give her paracetamol and an early night, or, if it appears to be something worse than a cold, tell you to go to your GP for medical advice.

 In the case of the latter, you've now got to get to the surgery, which you may as well have done first time round... you will also be feeling anxious that it may be something serious, because the pharmacist had no choice but to express his concern.

 In the case of the former, all is fine if it IS just a cold, but what about the rare occasions when what appears to be a cold in fact is early stage meningitis? Many pharmacists fear that they will be pressured to undertake new tasks that are outside their comfort zone and training. They are being put in an invidious position. As one GP at the DISPEX meeting put it to me, 29 out of 30 patients in a GP's waiting room are the ‘worried well'; the other one patient has a serious health problem, and it is experience and years of training that enable the GP to identify which is which.

 The fear of the GPs and Pharmacists is that we will end up with a new and worse version of what they have nicknamed ‘NHS Re-Direct'. In other words, NHS Direct has been a waste of money because it has ended up re-directing so many patients to their GP. If Pharmacists take on a complimentary professional role, they too will be forced to re-direct the majority of queries to a GP, because they do not have the medico-legal insurance cover (costing up to £6,000 per annum), of their GP colleagues.  

 The workload of a GP will end up remaining the same while the income stream to pay for it will no longer be there.

 The loser will be patient care and patient choice.

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The shortage of midwives will damage a generation

 The first two years of a baby's life determine his/her mental health and stability for the rest of their life. Put simply, if as a baby, you do not 'bond' properly with a caring adult, you will suffer for it for the rest of your life.

 Research shows that the brain of a baby who is not securely bonded or 'attached' to a caring adult will fail to develop properly... the social part of the brain, the bit that enables the baby to form sound relationships throughout his life, will fail to grow as it should.

 The implications for society are profound. Babies who are loved and well cared for by an attentive parent will grow up with a brain literally 'hardwired' to believe that the world is basically a good place. Those babies will grow up able to form strong attachments to other adults, and of course, to their own children.

 We learn our lifelong emotional responses at the hands of our carers before we can even walk. The baby who is not securely attached will struggle to form relationships, may have problems with self esteem and even depression. It is this group who are most likely to be bullies or the victims of bullies at school, and to turn to drugs or alcohol later in life.

 Shockingly, those who will be abusing children, committing crimes and turning to drugs in 15 years time are right now themselves being abused and ill treated by those who should protect them.

 And what is the first line of defence for the innocent baby? The Midwife of course. But Midwives are there for so much more than just spotting cases of potential abuse. They are there to help all Mothers come to terms with the enormity of having a child, both physically and mentally.

 A Mother who experiences a frightening delivery, or who is so tired she can barely stand, needs support for herself as well as for her relationship with her baby. A caring professional Midwife can provide advice on things like breastfeeding that, when successful, make a huge difference to the quality of attachment.

 In 21st century Britain, there is far too little support for the very youngest - the breakdown of first the extended family, and now marriage, adds pressure on mothers to try and do everything on their own.

 We are making a big mistake if we also take away the professional care that has been so valuable for so many years.

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Is red tape and high tax finally driving business away?

 Scary news that two big British companies, Shire (a phamaceutical firm) and United Business Media (a publishing one) are going to relocate their headquarters to Ireland for tax reasons.

 For several years, the CBI and big business have been arguing that the Government's love of ever greater red tape and ever higher taxes would make the UK uncompetitive. In a global economy, with profits coming from many different countries, there is little to keep you in your country of origin. Nowadays it's an easy choice to move your headquarters, thereby paying mainstream tax in a more favourable jurisdiction with no change to your business activities.

 It seems that Alistair Darling's determination to pursue a new anti-avoidance regime that will pursue companies who divert overseas profits to low tax jurisdictions is going to have the result of losing not just the overseas tax revenue, but also the onshore tax revenue. In other words, we have reached a 'tipping point'. A survey carried out recently for the Institute of Directors found that more than half the Directors surveyed think the UK economy will become even less competitive over the next decade. Not surprisingly, their key three areas of greatest concern are red tape, regulation and tax!

 My fear is that the big accountancy firms and law firms will be looking closely at the first companies to move offshore, and will soon be offering packages to help others to do the same thing.

 One thing is for sure - our economy cannot afford to lose business tax revenues right now. Tax revenues from the City are likely to be decimated this year, there is pressure to cut taxes from hard pressed motorists and families...

 Just who is going to service Labour's massive burden of debt? We now have one of the highest budget deficits in Europe from being in surplus in 1997.

 Tax simplification and introducing a 'budget' for regulation will, I'm certain, be key strands of Conservative policy at the next election - it can't come soon enough.

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The tragedy of Zimbabwe

 It is unimaginable that the average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 34 years. How can a country that was once a jewel in the crown of Africa be reduced to this by its own Government?

 Inflation at levels that make any form of economic management impossible, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that is totally out of control. With the experience of Iraq so painful, it's hard to think how the international community could intervene militarily for the sake of the people of Zimbabwe, but it is a horrendous blight on all of us that we are standing by and watching it happen.

 I wonder how Thabo Mbeki sleeps at night, after claiming that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe? Of all the options, intervention by African leaders must be the most plausible and effective route to take to resolving the disputed election.

 And, more importantly, what will the rest of the world do if Mugabe, as seems highly likely, claims victory in the Presidential election?

 Of course, there is no easy answer, but constant unremitting pressure from the international community, coupled with intervention by African leaders, must be the only route to achieving peaceful progress. We are tragically a long way from realising it.

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Labour are finally realising what a mess we are in...

 I've been a miserable 'doom monger' about our economy for a few months now. It's unusual for me to be so blatantly pessimistic - I'm normally someone whose cup is half full rather than half empty...

 Since the Northern Rock debacle, however, I can't help but feel that Labour's dislocation of City regulators has left the world's largest financial centre so vulnerable... it has felt almost inevitable that this was just the foretaste of the crisis to come.

 The interbank lending market is the oil in the engine of the financial services markets. The oil completely dried up last year - that doesn't mean a slow down or a temporary blip... when the oil in my car's engine dried up once, it meant my 'big end' blew off, and the financial equivalent of a big end blow out is what's happening to the financial markets right now.

 The good news is that belatedly, Labour have realised that this is a serious crisis of almost unprecedented proportions. Today's action to provide government security to back interbank lending is vital to kick starting the interbank market again. Without it, it is only a matter of time before a serious bank goes to the wall - and I don't think even this Government could contemplate further nationalisations...

 Whatever else, jobs in the City are already being drastically cut. I've heard rumours of job cuts in the region of 5,000 in the last quarter alone. That has inevitable consequences for London's economy, and I fear will push the barometer of sentiment downwards, which is bad news for property prices, retailers, restaurateurs, and so on.

 Coupled with growing inflation, and massive levels of government borrowing, I feel a bit like that bloke in Dad's Army, running around saying, "we're all doomed!"

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Good news on the Boundary Review!

 Last year my family moved into the heart of the new South Northants constituency, where I hope to soon become the prospective MP. Within a couple of months, the Boundary Commission decided to consolidate all the parishes in Blakesley and Cote Ward (where I live) into the new Daventry seat!

 Bad news for me, but also bad news for the 2,500 voters who live in South Northants. These people look to Towcester as their nearest town, and have their local services provided by South Northants District Council.

 As of last week, however, it seems common sense has prevailed, thanks to the hard work of campaigners determined to bring all of Blakesley and Cote Ward into the South Northants constituency.

 A petition by residents of the 9 parishes affected, a unanimous vote by the Councillors of SNDC, and various representations from individual residents and politicians led to a public enquiry being called just before Christmas. We spent the entire morning in the council office with the Assistant Commissioner, providing evidence to support the case for keeping Blakesley and Cote in South Northants, and I am SO glad to say that he listened and took heed of the strength of local opinion. As a result, the new proposal from the Boundary Commission is to move all 9 parishes of Blakesley and Cote into South Northants.

 So much is criticised (often deservedly) about our democracy. But for once this is a perfect example of how local action can truly lead to the right result for local people.

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A lottery for school places is a disaster for education

 I just can't believe we are now allocating school places by random selection. Who could dream up a system to make things 'fairer' by ensuring that the maximum number of families are disappointed?

 Instead of having the great majority of children placed in their first choice of school, Labour's new lottery system ensures that now only just over half manage to go to the school they want. What about friendships? What about journey time? What about bus routes and sharing school runs?

 When asked, the Labour Minister explained that it was perfectly OK that more people are disappointed, because at least it means that the 'middle classes' won't be able to 'colonise' the best schools. He wants hard working, middle class families to send their children to poorly performing schools, because he wants the parents to provide the energy and commitment to improving those schools.

 I've heard this argument so many times. In my view, it's typical of left wing animosity towards parents who want to do the best for their children, and it misses out on certain crucial facts. Firstly, that parents love their children and will do their best for them, however they can. They will find a way around this latest onslaught. Secondly, forcing parents into their second or third choice of school is not going to improve the enormous number of poorly performing schools as long as  Labour continues to mismanage our education system. They should be sorting out the discipline problems, recruiting high quality head teachers, and cutting out the bureaucracy that pervades teaching...

 In fact, the lottery system has already backfired. In Brighton, where this experiment took place, the local (first rate) independent school has seen a 42% increase in enquiries. It seems you just can't defeat a loving parent! So many families are having to make real financial sacrifices for the sake of a good education, and it is a disgrace that they can't get that education through the system we have all paid for in our taxes.

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Still very worried about Northern Rock...

 So we now have a state-owned bank in the UK competing with publicly owned banks and mortgage companies. Whatever happened to Labour's belief in free markets?

 I have always understood that the point about free and competitive markets, is that unsuccessful companies MUST be allowed to fail... even the EU rejects the concept of the state underpinning failure.

 When I worked for Barclays in the early 1990's, I recall very well the collapse of Barings due to a rogue trader. We were their main banker. We were summoned to the Bank of England where urgent funding was agreed to keep them afloat pending a sale. If my memory serves me right, the whole transaction was sorted out within a couple of months. I also recall that all the senior executives in Barings whose job it was to oversee the Treasury activity lost their jobs.

 Northern Rock is a bit different, because its collapse was due to a business model that was highly dependent on interbank funding. When interbank lending dried up, it ran out of cash. Yet its senior executives (those who wrote the business model) stayed on for months, supposedly to sort it out! And it appears as if there was no attempt made to find a quick solution - I suspect because the Bank of England no longer has the same relationship with bankers that it had pre-1997 when Labour split banking regulation between the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority.

 To my mind this is the biggest single mess up that Labour have made since 1997, and I don't think it's over, either. I know politicians cannot be doom mongers, but it worries me that as a party, we aren't making it clear how fragile our economy is right now. What will the Government do if another bank gets into difficulty with its liquidity? Another taxpayer bailout?

 And what about our fundamental belief in free enterprise as the best way to create a successful economy? Ten years of New Labour seems to have left us as brainwashed as so many of our schoolchildren... convinced that there must never be any losers. Unfortunately in this case, not dealing with Northern Rock in a swift and conclusive way (as Barings) means that once again it is us, the poor old taxpayers, who will lose.

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Uganda Schools Twinning Project is a finalist!

 Richard Johnson and I went to the Conservative Party annual awards evening, as our twinning project was chosen from 90 others as a finalist in the 'Social Action' category.

 The winner was Robert Halfon, the Conservative PPC for Harlow. He has established a homeless hostel that has made a real contribution to some of the worst off in his constituency.

 Richard and I were delighted, however, that the hard work of the students was recognised by making it to the final!

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Great party in Battersea last night!

 It was the Conservatives' Annual fund raiser, the Black and White Party, and I'm writing this feeling totally exhausted after a very late night and an early start this morning.

 Still, it was well worth the effort... I was invited by Michael Hintze, an old friend who is also a generous donor to the Party. The venue was a series of gardens with different themes... yes, with real grass underfoot, and no, not easy on the stiletto heels!

 We had a lively table with David Trimble, Patrick McLoughln, Gillian Tett from the FT and her partner Michael, Dorothy Hintze, my good friend Margot James, and the lovely Mark and Lorraine Fullbrook. We were adjacent to David Cameron who, as usual, barely had the chance to sit, or eat a thing.

 No big auction this year, but a silent auction instead, where several prizes were bid at well over £50,000. It is a great sight when over 1,000 guests are competing to hand over cash to fund the Conservatives back into power. The most impressive sight of all, however, was the youthfulness of the 1000 guests! Anyone who thought the Conservative Party was full of wealthy old folk would have changed their views last night.

 David spent his evening visiting many of the tables, and letting candidates like me take snapshots with him... my youngest son Harry took one look at the photo this morning, and said, "mum, you look as if you are holding hands with him - don't show dad!"

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Fabulous irony!

 This article is on the website of RISK.net... Soc Gen is 'Equity Derivatives House of the Year'...
 

Risk Awards 2008
Equity Derivatives House of the Year - Société Générale

 Newspaper headlines in August were dominated by the credit markets - the rise in US sub-prime mortgage delinquencies, the nasty losses reported by banks, hedge funds and structured investment vehicles, and the sharp squeeze in liquidity. However, the equity markets also had a rough ride. Most notable was the plight of quantitative hedge fund strategies, many of which racked up sizeable mark-to-market losses in just a few days in early August. But the sharp rise in correlation and volatility also caused some pain for dealers.

 With one of the largest exotics books on the Street, one would imagine that Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking (SG CIB) would be licking its wounds and coping with hundreds of millions of euros in losses. There was some impact, but the losses have been relatively minor and entirely manageable, says Christophe Mianne, SG CIB's head of market activities, covering equity, derivatives, fixed income, currency and commodities in Paris.

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Northern Rock - Don't let envy overtake the public interest

 Northern Rock had a bad business model. No bank should be lending long term, but financing the loans by borrowing short term... there were plenty of financial commentators talking about the dangers of a liquidity shortage for at least a year before the credit crunch happened.

 The US sub-prime mortgage problems were also no surprise... I remember reading about house prices in certain areas in the US dropping by up to a third - a horrendous thing for anyone borrowing a large percentage of their house value

 There's no doubt in my mind that the FSA should have done more to force Northern Rock to sort out its balance sheet. And there's also no doubt that the division of banking regulation (now done by the FSA) and responsibility for market liquidity (now the Bank of England) contributed to the lack of pre-emptive action by the regulators.

 Let us not forget that it was Gordon Brown who made these changes! He hailed them as a fabulous advance for the prosperity of this country! No more politicians interfering with financial markets and interest rate setting. Yet when disaster happens, it is the Government pulling all the strings, deciding how and when to bail out Northern Rock at the taxpayers' expense.

 It is doubtless a monumental mess.

 BUT, now that we are in this mess, and taxpayers are supporting Northern Rock to the tune of £27 billion, we have got to find a way out of it. Northern Rock issuing government backed bonds is one way, but of course that means city traders will make a profit from trading them, and any would be purchaser of Northern Rock will have the benefit of guaranteed medium term funding to give their takeover a fabulous head start over the competition.

 There are, however, not many choices out there at this point, and the risk of further damaging confidence in the financial system is enormous. So I think it is madness for journalists to be already condemning those corporates and banks who are taking a serious look at a bid for Northern Rock. If a takeover happens, its success should be measured on whether the taxpayer escapes without a massive loss!

 It is barmy to let envy of the potential profit generated by entrepreneurial success stand in the way of getting this hugely expensive problem resolved.

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Why personal data should be treated like cash

 The stories of lost personal data are now almost funny... why don't we all just hand out our pin numbers and passports to passing strangers?

 The Information Commissioner (a jobsworth name for a surprisingly necessary job) has been warning the government and big corporations for years that they're not taking the security of personal data seriously enough.

 Yet in spite of the untold damage that can be wrought on unsuspecting people by fraudulent use of their personal data, it's blatantly obvious that there is no 'culture' of data protection... it's less well protected than the list of parents' names and numbers at my kids' school.

 Why not treat it like cash? If a Government employee took £600,000 out of the safe and left it on the back seat of a car, there would be hell to pay if it were stolen... but intimate personal and financial information on 600,000 members of the public is just treated as a momentary lapse - to be immediately forgiven by a public who have become used to being treated as irrelevant.

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Depressing honesty from Ambassador John Bolton

 I went to a talk given by John Bolton on the forthcoming US Presidential Elections, and the implications for US foreign policy. He was the US Ambassador to the UN (2005 - 2006), and has been closely involved with the US Presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George Bush Senior, and now George W. Bush.

 He offered no particular insight into who might win the nominations, but did suggest that an Obama nomination for the Democrats might well result in a Republican President, because when the big day comes, US voters would be wary of a candidate with no obvious foreign policy experience.

 What was depressing, however, was his astonishingly 'America-centric' views on just about everything. He said that American sovereignty is key to foreign policy, and that they are, "guilty as charged", when accused of having much less respect for other nations' sovereignty.

 He argued that the only real solution to the nuclear ambitions of Iran is regime change, and that the actions of Bush in Iraq were justifiable as a pre-emptive strike against a Dictator (Saddam Hussein), simply because of his ambitions for weapons of mass destruction.

 On Europe, he claimed that most Americans know nothing about the EU, and that this would be a concern, except that most Europeans know nothing about it either! Worryingly, when he was Ambassador to the UN, he said that Europe suffers from the worst of all worlds - neither being properly represented by an empowered EU spokesman, nor properly represented as individual sovereign states.

 He more or less agreed with a member of the audience who put it to him that Israel can never negotiate a lasting settlement over Palestine whilst organisations like Hamas are committed to the destruction of Israel, and that Bush's current visit is only a publicity exercise...

 On Zimbabwe, he said that the US views it as a purely British problem.

 Only one man's view, I know, but although fascinating, it was not a talk designed to fill anyone with idealistic fervour!

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What's the point of petitions?

 Two Saturdays ago, literally hundreds of people in Brackley, Towcester and Northampton signed our petition demanding a referendum on the EU Treaty before Brown signs it on behalf of Britain.

 People out shopping, taking one look at us with our balloons and placards, made as if to cross the street... we've all done it when faced with a group of strangers. It's amazing though, how many, when they saw and heard what we were doing, came back and signed, some of them even queuing for the privelege!

 As we saw last week, however, Gordon Brown was not interested in our petitions. He does not agree that such a fundamental change in the power given to Europe is worth an open debate in this country. I think this will be a matter of great regret later on. Even if Britain were to vote in favour of the Treaty in a referendum, it would still have meant the chance for a proper evaluation and public debate of the benefits to our own country of signing.

 There is still a point to that freezing cold Saturday though... at least all those people who signed our petition can feel that they did their bit in trying to influence the future of this country.

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Home buyers beware!

 Looking back at my blog on the 17th of September, 'The MPC is Facing a Tough Test', I have that sinking feeling...

 When the Chancellor was finally forced to face up to the crisis sparked by two years of ignoring the US sub-prime problems, and turning a blind eye to soaring UK consumer debt, he told us that there would be no cost to the taxpayer of his decision to tell the Bank of England to lend £23billion of taxpayers' money to Northern Rock.

 Now, we face having to extend those £23 billion of loans beyond next spring. How will the Chancellor account for this in our national balance sheet, and, what will the EU say about the British government supporting a privately owned business?

 If a sale of Northern Rock goes through, how long will it take for taxpayers to recoup the loan plus the interest on the loan? Will it ever be fully repaid, or will there be a quiet 'debt rescheduling' in a few years time that writes off millions of our cash?

 In reality, none of the above are the real disaster, however. What worries me most stems from the biggest decision Brown ever made, in 1997, when he gave so called 'independence' to the Bank of England. This ill thought through move separated the role of the banking regulator, (now the FSA) from the role of lender of last resort (the Bank of England).

 Indirectly, I think it was this separation that led to the failure of both the Bank of England and the FSA to detect that the problems of Northern Rock's balance sheet structure would be hit by the credit squeeze coming from the US subprime problems. The FSA was regulating the Rock, while the Bank of England was considering the wider impact of a credit squeeze...

 I'm afraid that the real pain resulting from what is now a global credit squeeze will be in the pockets and quality of life of those people looking to buy a home, and those seeking a re-mortgage. Finding a loan at an affordable rate of interest is going to get harder and harder over the next year or two as banks are struggling to finance their own balance sheets.

 So my best piece of financial advice to friends and family is don't over borrow! Even 3 times annual income as a mortgage could be impossible to repay if short term interest rates rise by 50%. And regardless of what the MPC does with interest rates, if the international banking system remains fearful, short term rates will certainly rise.

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Why our village post offices should be preserved

 So many of the post offices in South Northamptonshire also serve as the village shop and the village meeting place. They are, quite simply, the 'heart' of the village.

 In closing down a post office, even though there may be another one in a neighbouring village, there is a high risk that the village shop will not survive the drop in income. This doesn't just mean inconvenience to those who collect their pension or buy stamps locally. It also means the loss of a local food store, newsagent, meeting place, and even a loss of companionship for many elderly.

 When will this Government realise that villages really need the few facilities they have?

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Uganda Conference Report - Development vs Environment

 Big differences between us on this subject... the Ugandan student presenting told us that there is an 80% illiteracy rate in Uganda - education about climate change and the need to protect the environment is sadly lacking. Rubbish, particularly in rural areas, is thrown everywhere. Plastic bags are a real danger, but the provision of bins or facilities for recycling are few.

 Likewise, whilst there is plenty of sunshine, there is little solar energy technology being used. Uganda survives on subsistence farming - producing only enough food to meet current needs. There is little processing or packaging capability.

 So the environment, whilst beautiful, is being sacrificed for the sake of the urgent need for development. Clearing forests and wetlands for agriculture and building is commonplace.

 All the delegates had visited Bujagali Falls together earlier that day....there a massive hydro-electricity plant is planned, that will destroy a lovely natural habitat, home to many people and animals.

 A number of the Ugandan delegates worry about who will get the benefit of both the power generation and the income from the new plant. We were told that much of Uganda's electricity supplies from existing hydro-electric plants is exported to Kenya. They wondered whether the tourism income raised at Bujagali now would be greater than the likely income from the new plant.

The British students, on the other hand, felt that Britain is making progress towards better recycling, awareness of the importance of the environment, and balancing the need for development... with the big exception of building on flood plains that they, as well as the rest of us, just cannot understand!

 The students were asked what they could do in their schools to improve the environment - there were some great ideas, like creating a collage from sweet wrappers collected in the school grounds! We were told that some 'street boys' in the towns are paid by the bag to pick up litter from the roads.

 Overall, the Ugandans felt there needs to be much tighter legislation to protect the beautiful Ugandan countryside.

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War brings out the best and the worst in us...

 Hot on the heels of Remembrance Sunday, when we think with love and gratitude of the brave men and women who have risked and lost their lives in battle for our way of life, we were thinking yesterday about the truly innocent victims of war...

 It was the Annual Conservative Women's Organisation conference, and we were talking about how women uniquely suffer during war. Most specifically, we were hearing how rape is increasingly used as a 'weapon' in conflict areas. In many war torn parts of Africa, such as the Congo and Sudan, rape of women and girls is used to humiliate and subjugate the enemy. Culturally, rape brings shame upon a woman and can leave her alienated in her own community. There are the twin threats of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy.

 Appallingly, we also heard how a small minority of aid workers and so called 'peacekeeping forces' will trade aid for sexual favours, and will themselves prey on the women and children they are supposed to be protecting. Finding answers to this isn't easy, but the UN is making efforts to increase the number of women in its peacekeeping envoys. No longer is it acceptable to have every single Special Envoy a man!

 Other initiatives, such as recruiting more women into peacekeeping forces (there are very few right now) and creating special 'women only' peacekeeping groups are also being tried with good success.

 Women will always be at risk from evil men, but the way to minimise the risk in the long run has to be by achieving greater rights for women in society, in work, and in government...

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Uganda Conference Report - Climate Change

 A small group of Ugandan and British students introduced the session by describing the causes of climate change. They highlighted two areas: in the developing world, deforestation and industrialisation; in the developed world, pollution from industry and traffic.

There was a good deal of discussion about the flooding that hit Uganda leaving thousands homeless, shortly after the floods in Britain that also destroyed so many homes.

One of the Ugandan delegates made the interesting observation that here, unusually, is a problem that is shared by the whole world. In the face of changing climates, we are all united by our powerlessness as individuals. It's only by working together that we will be able to deal with the challenge.

We were told that the Ugandan climate has changed radically in recent years - Uganda has become used to two rainy seasons per year: March to May and again in September to October. The summer months have been dry and hot. But now the seasons have merged into each other with unpredictable rains.

The result has been terrible for farmers who have planted in expectation of rainfall that has not come. As an economy that is mainly subsistence farming with very little man-made irrigation and no means of storage or preservation, prices of food in Uganda have been extremely volatile.

This has been exacerbated by the fact that Uganda feeds many of its African neighbours who have also suffered poor harvests.

We asked the question "If you were Minister for the Environment, how would you deal with climate change?"

Interestingly, both the Ugandan and British students were unanimous: DON'T BUILD ON FLOOD PLAINS!

In Uganda, swamps are being cleared for wetland rice, which reduces the ability of the land to act as a catchment area for floodwaters. This needs to be re-thought.

The Ugandans are also concerned that they receive 'cast offs' from the developed world of items like cars and computers and industrial machinery. These are usually high polluters and very inefficient. They are also concerned that rubbish is dumped everywhere in Uganda, and there are few alternatives for safe disposal.

In Britain, the students were fairly positive about the move towards recycling and minimising landfill. There were strong views about the need to source locally produced food to reduce the air miles used to stock our supermarkets. The need for fewer cars per family was highlighted!

Education is seen as key in both countries, as the students all felt there was too much ignorance about how we humans are adversely affecting the planet.

We talked a bit about Britain's ability to 'lead the way' in meeting the challenge of climate change. The Ugandans see Britain as a major influence on all Commonwealth countries, and the Queen is an important figurehead. If the Queen approves of something, then it will most certainly happen....

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Greyhound pub in Milton Malsor tries for the Guiness Book of World Records!

 The Landlord at the Greyhound, and local Milton Malsor residents, raised more than £500 for the Northamptonshire Air Ambulance by their record bid today. They wanted to get into the Guiness Book of World Records for the biggest simultaneous release of balloons in the world! A group of around 150 pubs took part, and I went along with two of my children to see what it was all about...

 It's certainly a great way to raise money and publicity for a good cause...

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Uganda Conference Report - Children's Rights

 In this session we set out to create a 'Children's Charter of Rights and Responsibilities'.

 Three students presented some background to the rights of children in Britain and Uganda. The law in both countries is broadly similar, although Uganda seemed to take an even stronger line than Britain in some areas - for example Uganda in theory requires schooling until 18; also no child may work until 18.

 The difference between the two countries is in the implementation of the law. In Uganda the birth rate is very high, with 5 or more children in a family being normal. Many children do not attend school at all because at a minimum parents must afford school uniform, and in most places they must also pay fees. Child labour is also common. Access to free healthcare and immunisation is also very limited in Uganda.

 Generally it was agreed that chilrens' rights are 'what children should have by virtue of being children'. It was also agreed that you remain a child until the age of 18, and that as a child, there are some responsibilities that go with the rights. It is on leaving home that a young person finally becomes an adult, so it is possible, even after age 18, that some rights and responsibilities of childhood are retained.

 The first question put to the conference was "Is corporal punishment good or bad?" The British students felt that it has been banned in school for so long in the UK that it would be hard to envisage any positives from corporal punishment, and that any attemt to introduce it would wreck the trust between school and pupil.

 It has also been banned in Ugandan schools for 4 years, and the Ugandan students, some of whom had been on the receiving end in the past felt that it created bad feeling, rather than enabling a school to 'correct' a pupil.

 It was agreed that the existence of caning as a tool of discipline could be a useful deterrent to bad behaviour, but overall that violence is not a good way to get a message across.

 The second question asked was "What age should people be able to vote". 18 was generally agreed to be the right age as it's old enough to have the knowledge/maturity to make a sensible political judgement. It also made sense to be 18 as this is the age of adulthood. One student felt it is possible to be sufficiently mature at a younger age to vote (ie around 15) but acknowledged that this wouldn't be true for all.

 There was wide agreement that children's rights are talked about all the time (often by children themselves!) and that not enough thought goes into their responsibilities.......so we set out to create the 'Childrens' Charter' with every right having an equal responsibility as follows:

CHILDREN HAVE A RIGHT TO:                                               CHILDREN HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO:

 1. Life                                                                                  1. Value own lives and have self discipline

 2. Security                                                                           2. Not endanger self and/or others

 3. Expression/be listened to                                               3. Listen to others and respect them

 4. Be healthy                                                                      4. Not abuse own health

 5. Education                                                                       5. Learn/take part and put in effort

 6. Social Interaction/play                                                   6. Look after toys and possessions

 7. Be loved                                                                        7. Love, obey and trust your parents

 8. Develop as an individual                                               8. Respect and accept others' opinions

 9. Have an identity                                                           9. As above

10. Shelter                                                                       10. Appreciate and contribute to family life

 This session was so interesting, because in spite of the cultural and other differences among the students, there was wide agreement and satisfaction with the Children's Charter as reflecting the right balance within families and society.

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Uganda Conference Report - HIV/AIDS

 The session was introduced by the students again, and the focus was mainly on the crisis in Uganda, where 6.4% of the adult population and 0.7% of the child population have HIV. HIV, (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) which can eventually lead to AIDS, is spread mainly through unprotected sex. It can also be through infected blood transfusions, and from mother to baby in the uterus.

 Many people in Uganda remain ignorant of how HIV is passed on, and in some cases, the fear of pregnancy is greater than the fear of HIV...

 HIV/AIDS creates enormous hardship in Uganda because of the way it makes the body susceptible to every disease. It is common for a worker to be sacked for absence due to the regular illnesses common to AIDS sufferers. In addition, retroviral drugs are expensive, and must be paid for privately.

 The poverty that is widespread among AIDS sufferers also impacts on their families as education must be paid for, so the children will often have to be withdrawn from school. Worse still, there are thousands of families headed by children where both parents have died of AIDS.

 A Ugandan delegate told us of a visit they made to a badly affected area. They had met with two grandparents, who are between them raising the 35 children that belonged to their own 9 offspring - all dead from AIDS. They don't know how many of the 35 themselves are HIV positive, and they only manage to keep going with the help of World Vision. The problem with this support is that it is only provided for 2 years to each family...

The first question we addressed, was how to prevent the future spread of HIV/AIDS. Four solutions were proposed:

 - Education: Knowledge of how HIV/AIDS is spread and how to avoid it is critical

 - Condoms: Most people cannot afford condoms. To provide them freely could prevent a worsening of the problem

 - Abstension: Christianity is strong in Uganda, and there are many people who advocate no sex before marriage.

- Charities: Many voluntary organisations continue to make a great contribution to both the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS sufferers.

 We talked about what the Youth of Uganda can do. It was agreed that learning about it at school is key, and many schools have established clubs to discuss the issues around HIV/AIDS. It was felt that the Ugandans themselves have a very negative attitude to AIDS sufferers, where those without the virus feel 'superior' to those who have it and avoid any contact with them.

 It was agreed that a conscious effort to treat AIDS sufferers as normal, and to give them emotional support, would vastly improve their lives. AIDS does not mean death! It was also felt that celebrities can help to make AIDS sufferers more welcome in society by expressing their public support.

 Finally, we talked about the issue of sex before marriage in Uganda. There are many pressures on young people to have sex - peer pressure, secular music/pornography, lack of self esteem leading to 'looking for love', and also their own personal desires.

 Talking about sex to children in Uganda is considered inappropriate, and parents find it very difficult to do so. The Ugandan delegates concluded that many of their generation are more independent and educated than their parents, and that for those who want to abstain, the determination to do so should come from within.

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Uganda Conference Report - The Commonwealth and CHOGM

 This was the first session of the conference, and to begin with, it was possibly the one that interested the British delegates the least, and the Ugandans the most! In the end, however, it was one of the most engaging and informative of the week...

 Each session was introduced by one British and two Ugandan students, and chaired by one of the teachers.

 It was explained that there are currently 53 members of the Commonwealth, and that the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meet every two years. The next meeting will take place in Kampala in November 2007, and our own conference is intended to be a 'mini-CHOGM'.

 The first question we tackled was: "When Queen Elizabeth II dies, who should become Head of the Commonwealth?" Most thought that since the common thread among members of the Conservatives is their ties to Britain, through common language and democratic values, the Head should remain the British monarchy. For example, it was felt that few would relate to having the Prime Minister of Australia as Head of Commonwealth.

 The concept of a rotating Head of Commonwealth was considered, where the host of CHOGM would take over for the following two years, but this was felt to be unstable as different Heads would each want to make their mark...

 We then asked the question: "If you (personally) became the Head of the Commonwealth, what would your priorities be?" There were two key ideas:

 i) 'Even out' the economies within the member states - help the developing countries to build their health and education services

 ii) Achieve political stability in all member states. Wars are the worst fate to befall a developing country

 The Ugandan delegates were asked "How does CHOGM in Kampala affect you?" There were varied responses. The meeting in Kampala is felt to help Heads of Government to understand what life is like here. The UK group believe we should be taught more about the Commonwealth at home, and that the benefits to us are less as we are a net giver, not receiver.

 There was some frustration from the Ugandans about the amount of money being spent on doing up the airport and road/hotel building to accomodate CHOGM. This would not benefit local people, and in particular, there was anger that some state schools had been knocked down to provide sites for new hotels. The only perceived local benefit was in the upgrading of a major Kampala hospital.

 Overall, it was agreed that knowing more about the Commonwealth is a benefit to all!

 The final question was, "what do you think of the Queen?" One of the Ugandan teachers thought that she is a great role model for Ugandan women, who are too often seen as a source of labour and are not educated. The arrival of the Queen in Kampala will be a great boost to women's rights and aspirations, as was the case when she last visited in 1954.

 The UK students tended to feel we take her for granted as she has 'been there so long'. They were amazed at the concept of her first British PM being Winston Churchill.

 It was put to us that in Uganda, each tribe has a 'Culture Leader'. The Queen is seen as the Culture Leader of the Commonwealth.

 It was a fantastic start to our conference and I hope this brief summary shows some of the ideas the students came up with... There was never any doubt that we would have plenty to say to each other after that!

 The next session was on the subject of HIV/AIDS, and this will be the subject of my next blog.

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Well done to all the students at the Jinja International Youth Meeting!

 Kirsty, Jason, Navi, Lizzie, Helen, and Hannah were the six Northants students who visited Uganda along with me and 3 teachers from their schools.

 It was a fascinating trip that has given us all a great deal to think about. The Ugandan students who joined us for the 3 day conference were impressive in so many ways - each were studying for 4 A-Levels, enjoying class sizes of up to 125, managing with very few facilities... but it was their huge enthusiasm for our visit, and their delight at being invited to take part in the conference that I found very moving.

 An education is a highly valued prize in Uganda. Although there is universal 'free' education available, at the least parents have to pay for the obligatory school uniform in order for their children to attend, and in most cases there are also school fees to be paid. We visited one primary school that had been built from what looked like parts of packing cases. It had 3 'classrooms' which were teaching around 50 children in each. Schools like this are in dire need of income simply to pay for teaching materials.

 During our week long stay, we visited the Source of the Nile, and later the Bujagali Falls, soon to be drowned by the building of a new dam to power a massive hydro-electric plant. The benefits of development versus environment is a sensitive one for Uganda, and there was a feeling that little thought has gone into the needs of those who have lost their homes as a result of government plans for development.

 A highlight of the trip was on the last night of our conference when we had a campfire. The group of 16 students, 8 teachers, and I sat around the fire cooking pieces of goat on skewers... the Ugandans brought out some African drums and some of the girls began dancing to the drum beat. Before we knew it, we too were doing our best to get into the rythm (they made it look too easy...). The laughter and the dancing went on all evening, getting wilder by the hour, and we ended up teaching our friends the 'hokey kokey' with great hilarity!

 The next day, Florence, who is a teacher at the Kampala girls school, used the experience of the campfire to describe Ugandan society...

 The Ugandan home is seen as the first school, and the fireplace as the first classroom. The fire brings the extended family together, relaxing together in the darkness.

 The Elders watch the Young, and give their guidance and wisdom during the cooking preparation - the Young tend to put their meat into the flames to make it cook faster - the Elders teach them patience, self control and respect - at the end, the food is all the better for being slowly and well cooked. The dancing and drumming by firelight teaches a shared understanding of culture, as well as giving the young the confidence to take part in the solo that is a part of the dance.

 They have a saying in Uganda, that "too much fire is no fire at all", and it was noticeable that there was genuine respect between the Ugandan students and teachers, as well as genuine friendship. There is a lot we could learn from this respectful and community minded society.

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Uganda trip begins tomorrow

 Six students from Caroline Chisholm School and Campion School will be setting off tomorrow for Uganda, with 3 teachers and myself.

 We will be staying in Jinja, about 50 miles from Kampala, at 'The Discovery Centre', which is a residential centre set up as a charity to teach young Ugandan children about HIV/Aids prevention, and primary healthcare.

 We are going to visit several different primary and secondary schools, and will also host a 'Youth Conference' which will be attended by 10 Ugandan students from each of 5 schools in the area. The agenda for the conference has been determined by the students themselves, and will include subjects like fair trade, climate change, HIV/Aids, and the role of women.

 I think it's going to be fascinating to hear what these 17 year olds from two such different continents have to say to each other. What do they think my generation of politicians should be doing? What will they want to do in their own lifetime? Do they feel hope for the future?

 One of the amazing things about this trip is the generosity of people. The students who have worked so hard to organise fund raising events, local donors who have contributed to the cost of the trip, the teachers who are giving not just their time, but are also paying their own way, and last of all, many of my work colleagues at Invesco Perpetual who have bombarded me with cash so that we can give 'Direct Aid' to schools and hospitals whilst we are there.

 When we get back, we plan to hold an exhibition comparing life and attitudes of the young people in Britain and Uganda. It will be timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala on November the 24th, where one of the topics will be 'Youth in the Commonwealth'.

 One of my personal ambitions is to see young people voting again... so few of them bother because they don't think politics has any relevance to their lives. This Project is all about showing what individuals can do to help each other, and to give this group of students the chance to think about some fundamentally important 'political' subjects.

 If we are successful, I can see our project expanding over many years, and making a strong contribution to the curriculum in those schools that take part.

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Britain should not be borrowing yet more money

 In his speech yesterday, Alastair Darling proposed to borrow another £16 billion to balance the books.

 To me, this looks like a rash strategy. After 15 years of a benign economic environment, Britain is about to hit some much harder times. We are more heavily borrowed, with greater personal debt than most other European countries, and interest rates are rising. That alone is bound to hurt the property market. With some mortgages at up to six times earnings, it will not take long for repayment problems to kick in. Already buy to let properties are 'sticking' according to estate agents.

 On the other hand, the City of London that has been a fantastic source of revenue for the Treasury over the last decade, is also hitting a tough period. Northern Rock was just the most obvious victim of the decreasing margins for mortgage lenders. Rising rates in the interbank market and credit concerns between banks is hitting the profitability of City firms. The consequence is that the tax taken by the Treasury is only going to get smaller.

 The Government has had 10 years in which to do the 'prudent' thing and save for a rainy day. I think that rainy day is coming sooner than they realise, and the economy will suffer as a result of Labour's failure to build budget surpluses during the good years. Going into a downturn with a large Government borrowing requirement is a very bad way to manage the books.

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Bad show Mr Brown

 So, the Prime Minister has bottled out at the last minute...

 Having primed the country for a General Election that he doesn't need for at least another 20 months, he has looked closely at the opinion polls in the marginal seats, and decided to declare there will be no election this year or next.

 The photo shoot with Margaret Thatcher at No. 10, the appointments of Conservative MPs as Advisors to the Government, the appeal to Tory voters at the Labour Conference, the manipulated trip to Iraq, the early announcement of Cross Rail... all the briefing by senior Labour colleagues. Just some more spin. Who says Gordon Brown is a fresh face now?

 The good news for the Conservatives is that we have spent the last month getting ready for that elusive General Election. We candidates have written our election addresses, we have built our campaign teams, we have raised money and ordered literature. We are in great shape to fight an election.

 Better than all this, David Cameron has shared his vision for the future of Britain, and it seems that many voters agree with it. We are living in a new world and need a fresh approach to politics. People want to take responsibility for their own lives - politicians don't have all the answers.  What we want is less regulation binding up our lives and more choice in our health services and in education. We want less political correctness and more fairness in dealing with issues like welfare and immigration, and we also want to see greater support for families - the cornerstone of our society.

 I'm disappointed there wont be an election for a while. It would have been an uphill battle for us Conservatives, but the energy and determination was palpable at our Conference last week, and I think we might just have won... presumably Mr Brown feared the same.

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Where has Gordon been for the last 10 years?

 To hear him speak yesterday, you would think that Gordon Brown had been a humble back bencher for the last 10 years...

 So he thinks we need tough sentences for gun toting teenagers? And British jobs for British people? Oh, and goodness, we need personal choice and quality service in both our NHS and in our childrens' education?

 Can this possibly be the same Gordon Brown who for 10 years would not allow prison capacity to expand, so that now dangerous criminals are being let loose early? The man who has stood by silently while Britain has undergone the biggest influx of immigration in her history, causing enormous pressures on communities and local services?

 Is this new Gordon Brown, who wants matrons back in hospital - is he the same man whose period in office has seen literally thousands of people die as a result of hospital acquired infections?

 To cap it all, can this be the same man whose massive and admirable investment of taxpayers money in improving British schools has been almost entirely wasted because of his equally massive centralised interference and bureacracy, that has stifled teaching and disempowered teachers?

 The truth is that all the failings of the last 10 years are as much Gordon Brown's as they are Tony Blairs.

 To see Brown standing there and pretending that this is a new era would be funny if it wasn't so outrageous.

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Health and safety gone mad

 Reading about the poor little boy who drowned while two PCSOs stood by makes me despair of what this country has become, but to then hear that the Senior Officer in charge of the two PCSOs thought they had acted 'correctly' just makes me livid.

 Then follows a whole story about how PCSOs are specifically taught not to jump in and rescue people who are drowning because they are not formally trained for 'water rescue'...

... Whatever happened to their role as human beings, living on this earth with hearts, and courage, and sympathy? Has the Health and Safety Executive taken over our lives to such an extent that there is no longer room for action as human beings? Adults seeing a child drowning should always try and rescue them. It may not be the 'safe' thing to do, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that it is the 'right' thing to do.

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The MPC is facing a tough test...

 The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee needs to tread a fine line: in effectively underwriting a bank that has left itself reliant on money markets to finance its mortgage portfolio, they can only be encouraging more risk taking by lenders in the future. On the other hand, a key duty of any Central Bank is to maintain liquidity in the markets to keep the financial system going. It's a real moral hazard.

 I think the problem for central bankers is principally the same as it was when Barings collapsed in the 1990s. It is that central bankers tend to be 'traditional' bankers who are not as knowledgeable as they should be about the vast array of derivatives, collateralised loans and asset swaps that are such a major part of the investment banking world.

 The Government and the Bank of England have known about the sub-prime Mortgage problems in the US for well over a year, so why didn't they anticipate the knock on effect of US sub-prime mortgage lenders struggling to finance failing mortgage portfolios in a global market? When any one sector gets into significant difficulty, it's a well known fact that lenders put the price of loans up and they get into worse problems. The trouble with global financial markets is that lenders start second guessing who might be next, and before you know it, banks stop lending to any but the best counterparts.

 As a result of not anticipating what might happen, and not doing their own 'forensic examination' of which London institutions might be affected, the Government and the Bank of England are now really on the back foot. Alastair Darling was forced by the end of today to explicitly guarantee all the current deposits of savers with Northern Rock. It all sounds very statesmanlike and calm. If this unprecedented run on a bank continues, however, and spreads to other banks, it will be disastrous for our economy and for all our house prices. Darling knows this... hence the guarantee.

 So who is to blame? Certainly the lenders themselves, who have got carried away with short term profits over prudential balance sheet management, but I also think the Government and the MPC will shoulder the blame for failing to predict the potential consequences of a massive increase in personal debt over the last 10 years, and, I suspect, for failing to keep up to date with the bewildering array of financial instruments that are making complex financial transactions ever more opaque.

 One thing is certain - the answer is not more regulation. The Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority have got to work with the financial institutions better, understanding what they are trying to do, instead of legislating on what is often irrelevant.

 In addition, there needs to be better information for investors on credit ratings. I've been suggesting for months now to friends and family to put their savings with AA or AAA rated institutions, but on my own tiny straw poll, not one of them knew what on earth I was talking about...(although they certainly do now!)

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Gordon Brown has been lucky so far...

 Every new leader has a 'bounce' in the opinion polls. Brown has had an olympic trampolinist bounce thanks to recent events.

 Take the foot and mouth outbreak. Brown quite rightly came straight back from holiday to handle the crisis. Luckily for him, it seems to be under control, and there has been surprisingly little adverse media, even though the government's own environment department may have been partly responsible.

 So, as a result, Brown looks as though he has saved British farming from a terrible disaster... but lets look at the reality.

 Farmers in South Northamptonshire and all over Britain are having their businesses destroyed by a combination of the first foot and mouth outbreak, the cheap and poorly regulated imports being allowed into Britain and sold as 'British' because of an appalling loophole in the law, and then the Single Farm Payments fiasco which for many is still ongoing.

 Labour have shown time and time again that they care nothing for the countryside and the future of British produced food, and yet with climate change making the distance our imported food travels looking increasingly unsustainable, surely now is the time to be promoting and supporting British farmers?

 Even in the British Dairy industry, we are only self sufficient in fresh milk. Much of the milk products are imported from Europe. Free markets are important... I would not want to see an artificial propping up of uncompetitive businesses. What farmers really need however, (and haven't had under Labour) is a level playing field with overseas producers.

 Regulation and government incompetence are driving British farmers out of business. This is something we will live to regret, unless we do something now.

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Technology is great, when it works...

 I can't believe it has taken a month to get internet and blog access since we moved to Northamptonshire!

 First, the blog site locked me out, and of course the help desk will only deal with customers on-line... not easy via Blackberry.

 Then, BT cheerfully announced they were cutting off our telephone line and giving us a new phone number... after we had given out the old one to all key contacts. It took 5 days and 3 visits from a BT engineer to get the new phone line to work, and then another 2 weeks to get the internet access.

 Not easy to blog when technology packs up on you...

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The Uganda Twinning Project Begins...

 On Tuesday evening, around 20 students (aged 15-17) from Campion School and Caroline Chisholm School got together to kick off the Uganda Twinning project.

 The idea is to spend between now and the rest of 2007 introducing Uganda into the curriculum of Campion and Caroline Chisholm, forging links with 5 Uganda schools and organising a Youth International Forum in Jinja, Uganda, that will take place in October. Six students will be selected to take part in the actual trip, but all 20 will be involved in setting up the conference, fund raising, and bringing the project into the life of their own school.

 The Northampton Chronicle and Echo have offered to cover the project on a monthly diary basis, and there have been offers from the Northants volunteering association to provide training, and from others to provide media and presentation skills training.

 It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm of the students for the project... they held a 'brainstorm' to come up with a plan of action - I was highly impressed by their creativity.

 There is a huge amount to get done before October. The reason we have set ourselves a challenge to arrange the trip by then is because the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meet in Kampala, Uganda, in November to discuss Youth in the Commonwealth. We want to beat them to it!

 Immediately after the trip, the students plan to put together a DVD of the conference, of life for young people in Uganda, and life for young people in Northamptonshire.

 I think the project will be a great success, and a massive learning experience for all the students involved.

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OXPIP wins a prize from the Centre for Social Justice!

 Last night, OXPIP was one of the award winners at the Annual Centre for Social Justice 'Oscars'. The awards were given to 5 small charities around the country, for their work in alleviating poverty and promoting social justice.

 Each of the five charities was different in its approach and its mission to all the others, but there was a common thread - that of trying to help families stay together.

 I feel passionately that OXPIP should be far more widely available to give babies a chance at a better start in life.

 The £5,000 prize money will be spent expanding our satellite in Witney, where demand from families since we opened earlier this year has far exceeded our budget.

 If you would like to know more about OXPIP, have a look at our website on www.oxpip.org

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Gardeners and climate change

 On Sunday, the family and I went off to a 'Gardeners Lunch' held by Brackley Conservatives. Lunch was a fantastic curry prepared by Councillor Ash Patel's wife, Gaia, with about 20,000 calories worth of delicious puddings, hosted by Councillor Rachel Halvorsen in her beautiful garden.

 The Weekend FT journalist and Oxford Professor, Robin Lane Fox, talked to us on the subject of gardening and climate change. He was highly entertaining, but his views were quite clear on one subject, which is that global warming is "nonsense", and that those who speak up against the idea of global warming are being silenced. He argues that the government are on a band wagon that will cost businesses dearly, damaging the economy.

 He thinks the wet weather and hot summers are a 'blip' that may only last a few years, but that they offer an opportunity to gardeners to try out new flowers that thrive on hotter, wetter climates...

 He was also scathing about all things organic. He believes gardens are not, "natural", and that gardeners should accept the fact that, left to nature, all you would have is a mess of nettles, weeds and meadows! Gardening is about making something beautiful to look at via artificial means.

 Well, as someone who loves a beautiful garden but prefers to sit in a chair sipping a gin and tonic while someone else does the digging, I can agree with his last sentiment! What I don't agree with, are Robin's views on climate change... and since I didn't have the chance to speak out at the lunch, I will do it here instead...

 First off, the world cannot afford to ignore the evidence of climate change. In the best possible scenario, Robin is right - the strange weather we are having is just a temporary blip. Even if this does prove to be the case, there are still two very strong reasons for finding renewable sources of energy:

1. Fossil fuels won't last for ever. We have to reduce our dependency on them and find alternatives.

2. The increasing threat from international terrorism, and the instability of some oil producing states puts at risk our access to oil imports. At the first sign of terrorist activity, oil prices go through the roof. If this carries on, it will undermine the stability of our economy unless we can move away from dependence on oil for our economy to function.

 Furthermore, I don't agree that legislation on climate change will damage our economy... as in any new industry, a level playing field is important - that's why G8 and the EU need to agree common targets, and bring China and India into the fold.

 The 'green' industry is a new industry like any other - it's a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs; it gives the City of London another way to show its pre-eminence in world markets (with emissions trading), and it offers an opportunity for progress that, for once, has a 'good' moral purpose.

 I was surprised Robin saw this as a 'threat' to our economy. The last new industry to take the world by storm was surely that of the internet... and of course Robin's own daughter, Martha, was an incredible success story with LastMinute.com. Next to green industry, the internet, for all its benefits, offers so much risk - identity theft, fraud, pornography, terrorism, etc. - surely, being a little greener seems harmless in comparison.

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Well, it has finally happened!

 With no fanfare, no publicity, and no excitement, the boundary changes became 'official' at midnight last night.

 So the constituency of South Northamptonshire at last comes into existence! It's almost a year to the day since I was selected to become the Conservatives' candidate, and promised to move as soon as possible to live in the constituency. I must admit I've spent hours over the last year worrying that Labour would call an election on the 'old' boundaries, and that I would not have a seat to fight.

 It's a great relief to me personally - it would have been so frustrating to miss the chance of becoming part of government during David Cameron's first term of office.

 I'm not worried about the latest opinion polls. I've met David a number of times, and he is a genuine, warm-hearted, and intelligent man. He is not the publicity seeker he is made out to be. I hope he holds his nerve and continues to remain in control of when Conservative policy is made public - we need to prepare for the reality of life in government by thoroughly researching the solutions to the challenges faced by this country. We cannot afford to be pushed into chasing headlines with poorly thought through ideas.

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Out with the old and in with the new

 It is always exciting when there is a change of Prime Minister... it is a heady combination of high expectations, with an anticipation of some new, positive change to come.

 Sadly, with Gordon Brown's arrival, I fear the excitement will be very short lived. For 10 years Brown has virtually ruled over domestic policy in Britain:

 It is Brown who has been behind the 'target' culture that has done such damage to both NHS productivity and the ability of head teachers to run our schools;

 It is Brown who has a been behind the massive growth in welfare dependency that his tax credits have created;

 It is Brown who has withheld the money for new prison building leading to a crisis in our ability to lock up dangerous criminals;

 ...and of course, it is Brown who has increased our tax burden year in, year out, with so little to show for it.

 I am hoping he will be encouraged by Harriet Harman to recognise and support hard-working families... I fear he will continue to punish them, allowing them to bear the brunt of the tax burden in favour of his high-spending, centralising policies.

 I am hoping he will start giving power back to local councils, local NHS Trusts and local schools, but I fear he cannot change his personality at this late stage - he is a man who needs to be in control.

 I think there may be just two areas where Brown could have a good impact, where previously he had little involvement: First is in support for the developing world, and second is in the area of climate change. I believe Brown is genuinely determined to improve the fate of the world's poorest, as well as taking a leading role in addressing our impact on the environment.

 For the sake of Britain's future, I wish Brown well. I also hope he calls an early General Election because there are enormous problems in Britain, and I think it is only David Cameron's Conservatives that are going to address them.

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Momentous day for the Leadsoms!

 Today was the huge double excitement of buying our new house near Towcester, and the childrens' trial day at their new school!

 Thankfully, the rain held off while we unloaded furniture, and even more thankfully, school is a major success - the weeks of preparation and all the worry about how it would work out seem like centuries ago...

 It's not for nothing that moving house is said to be one of the 'most stressful' experiences, but, so far so good...

 The boundary changes that seal the new constituency of South Northamptonshire will be finalised on June 27, exactly one week after our move. A truly momentous day for us!

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David Cameron Grilled at the Savoy by Danny Finkelstein

 A fascinating lunch today. It was the Conservative Friends of Israel's annual business lunch and the star attraction was David Cameron being interviewed in front of an audience of around 200 Jewish business people and 100 MPs and Parliamentary candidates.

 Danny Finkelstein was his usual feisty self, asking David questions like, "are you a Zionist?", and "do you think there will be early peace in the West Bank?" He also challenged David for what was seen by many as strong criticism of Israel over the recent conflict with Lebanon.

 I thought David made it clear he is fully supportive of Israel as an independent democratic state with its own borders, and also to the need for Israel to protect its own people and to retaliate when attacked.

 The Conservative leader also made it clear, however, that he wants to be a 'candid' friend to Israel, and that means saying when he believes Israel's reaction is disproportionate, as was the case with some aspects of the Lebanese conflict.

 From speaking with some of the organisers, it seems the CFI feel Tony Blair has been a true friend to Israel, and they want to know that David Cameron will continue to defend their right to self determination. In particular, there is concern about the proposed academic boycott of Israeli universities, and the reported rise in anti-semitic attacks in this country.

 I think the Conservatives must tread a fine line. There is no doubt we must continue to defend Israel's right to existence, and we must reject the refusal of Hamas and other organisations to recognise Israel.

 On the other hand, we still cannot accept Israel's domination of Palestine. There can be no peaceful co-existence for Israel and Palestine unless both recognise the other's need for independence.

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The ultimate irony

 This really takes the biscuit...

 Scotland already receives about £1,500 more each year per annum from the public purse than us poor English. And what are they planning to do now under the SNP minority government? To abolish tuition fees for University students in Scotland, using the tax revenues that are so heavily subsidised by the English.

 Free university tuition will apparently be available to all Scottish and EU students by 2009, with the exception of English and Welsh students, who will have to continue to pay...

 Oh, and by the way, the reason we have tuition fees in England was because Labour drummed up the support of the Scottish MPs to force the bill through parliament... yes, those whose own children will not have to pay in future.

 Well, that's another nail in the coffin of the Union...

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Stem cell breakthrough

 What wonderful news to hear of the possibility of generating stem cells from normal adult skin cells.

 If this is successful, it might take away the need to use embryonic stem cells for researching into cures for so many life threatening illnesses.

 This would also mean that many people, like me, would be able to whole heartedly back this vital research without the constant niggling worry that we have stepped over a fundamental ethical line by using human embryos.

 It also goes to show how amazingly creative we humans are. If not for the challenge to the ethics of using human embryos, then the brilliant brains of medical research may never have bothered to look for this more acceptable source of stem cells.

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The aggressive language has to stop

 Why is the war of words between Russia and the West being allowed to escalate? Surely we don't need yet more conflict, this time where both sides have clear, equal blame...

 If the US is serious about establishing missile defence systems in Eastern Europe to defend against the potential threat of a nuclear Iran, then the administration must surely accept that Russia, in recent years an ally, should be involved in the debate? It is entirely understandable that Russia will be suspicious that this is as much a Western attempt to 'neutralise' Russia's strength in nuclear arms as to defend against an uncertain future in the Middle East.

 To hear Pauline Neville-Jones last night saying that she has not heard such language from Russia since the Cold War years should be sending shivers down the spines of the Western allies.

 It is certainly not in Russia's interest to reawaken old animosity - the speed of growth of the Russian economy and their dependence on the West's demand for oil gives them an incentive to calm down.

 On the other hand, however, Putin may see this as an opportunity to stir up Russian nationalism - and help his own popularity along the way.

 The G8 meeting offers an opportunity to build some bridges. I hope that we make the most of it.

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A New Office for South Northamptonshire Conservatives

 The constituency office move to Blisworth from Daventry is almost complete! The plan is that Northampton North, Daventry, and South Northamptonshire Conservatives will all share one campaign headquarters at the new site in Blisworth, to be called 'Boswell House' after Tim Boswell MP.

 Michael Ellis, Chris Heaton-Harris and I are the Conservative Spokesmen for those constituencies respectively, and are looking forward to working more closely together.

 We already have a shared project underway, to establish a schools 'twinning' arrangement between Ugandan and Northants schools. We have also worked together on the campaign to 'Stop Brown's NHS Cuts' in our area, and to promote the awareness of climate change through the 'Green Action Day' we ran earlier in the year.

 A joint campaign centre is a huge step forward - shared costs means we can focus our resources outwards, on the important issues in Northamptonshire. It will keep our overhead costs down, and will give us some good companionship in the years ahead! Being a candidate can be a lonely business at times...

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Selection in schools

 I am one of the lucky minority who went to a Girls Grammar School - one that still exists today, and is still providing a superb free education.

 Like so many other parents in this country, I would get my children into a grammar school if I possibly could. It's not selfish to want to the best education for your children, and of course that is why so many of the children who go to grammars these days have relatively well-off parents - they are willing and able to move into the inflated house price catchment areas of the few grammar schools that remain.

 Ironically, the reason only 2% of grammar school children today are on 'free school dinners' versus 13% nationally is because there are so few grammar schools! If there were more of them around the country, then house prices in their near vicinity would not be so inflated that only the better off can afford to live there.

 So I don't accept the argument that building new grammar schools would do nothing for poor children.

 On the other hand, I'm not convinced we need to spend the billions it would take to reintroduce the grammar nationally.

 We could instead achieve a 'grammar' stream in each comprehensive to stretch the brightest children. This would mean an extension of existing streaming in schools to cover all subject areas, something that is already common practice in the independent schools sector.

 That way, transition between streams for early and late developers would be relatively easy, and the children would continue to share all other school facilities.

 As a side point, another idea I would like to borrow from the independent schools sector is the longer school day... sport, clubs, and yes, even homework, could all be done every day at school. A longer day at a more relaxed pace with plenty of time for exercise during school hours could make a huge difference to the happiness of school life.

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Has Blair changed the political landscape forever in Britain?

 Lots of debate today about Blair's impact on Britain... his 'legacy'.

 Yes, of course he has changed Britain forever. He has:

- Destroyed the 'independent thinking' of the House of Lords;

- Risked the break-up of the Union through ill thought-through devolution;

- Created a culture of 'dependency' in Britain that has undermined whole communities;

- Unleashed a historic social experiment in Britain through his 'open borders' policy;

- Made catastrophic errors in the Iraq project;

- Yet further undermined our faith in politicians, and;

- Introduced our fastest growing new industry - bureaucracy and red tape.

 I want to be fair to his legacy but I struggle to find any aspect of the last 10 years that has genuinely added to the wellbeing of people in Britain.

 - The minimum wage? No evidence that it has achieved a significant reduction in poverty.

 - Independence of the Bank of England to set interest rates? I'm not convinced (see earlier blog).

 - Power sharing in Northern Ireland? Yes, I think this is a fantastic and life-changing achievement for the people of Northern Ireland, and I hope there will be no turning back.

 - Education? No - for all the money spent, for all the new buildings, we still have one in five 11 year olds unable to read and write properly. We also have a crisis in school discipline.

 - The NHS? No way - the stories of waste and mismanagement beggar belief... for the money poured in, the return to the patients (and the staff) has been sadly lacking.

 - Law and Order? I have spoken to several beat officers in recent weeks who confirm the appalling statistic that only 1 in 54 officers are actually on the beat at any time. They AVOID making arrests unless essential because it takes them off patrol for up to 5 hours.

 I think there is a lesson here for all would-be politicians... Tony Blair seems, from his speeches today, to genuinely believe that his 'achievements' are unanimously accepted - he truly is out of touch with a vast swathe of public opinion. As an MP, you just cannot shut yourself away from the views of the people who live in this country. You ignore their views at your peril.

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Postal voting fiasco

 To me, the postal voting mess sums up what is wrong with Labour. They decide to try something new such as extended postal voting, spend far too long writing the long and bureaucratic rules, then leave local councils with insufficient time to source providers of postal voting solutions.

 In South Oxfordshire, it was like Fawlty Towers... we had a daily update from the Chief Executive on the latest set of disasters. The companies trying to provide a service were reduced to making it up as they went along.

 If I have any influence over a Conservative government in years to come, I will be urging decent management... don't over-promise, keep policy changes simple, and carry them out effectively! Far better to make good but modest changes that actually work, than to promise complicated, radical change that falls flat on its face.

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A Fabulous night in South Northamptonshire!

 Many congratulations to all the new Conservative Councillors in South Northamptonshire!

 The hard work over the last few weeks really paid off, and we won or retained almost all the seats we were hoping for.

 In particular, I am delighted that we won 3 seats in Brackley. I think Rachel, Ash and Geoffrey will be great assets for the town.

 Also, really well done to Mike in Kings Sutton for running such a good campaign against strong opposition.

 Finally, my best wishes and commiserations to those Councillors who were defeated by Conservatives this time round. It is an enormous amount of work to run a local election campaign, and I wish you well.

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Last blog for the day

 I seem to have gone blogging mad today... it is often a real effort to put on new posts. It's not the easiest job being a parliamentary candidate, much as I love doing it. I feel like this is the 'calm before the storm' with regard to local elections... the enormous effort we have all put in both to win seats for our Councillors, but also to send a clear message to Labour that WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

 Anyway... this blog is about wonderful OXPIP (Oxford Parent Infant Project). We have been shortlisted for the Annual Awards from the Centre for Social Justice, which is an incredible boost to the whole team. We are down to the final 10 applicants, (from 150) and there will be 5 winners...

 Please, if you are reading this, click on www.oxpip.org and you will see what life changing work OXPIP does for families in desperate need.

 Did you know that the greatest risk of violent death is when you are less than a year old? And for those that survive, the damage that is done to the developing brain patterns of tiny babies by neglect and abuse from their own families is to blame for much of the crime and anti-social behaviour in Britain?

 I'm going to write a major blog to explain this better, but more than ever, I'm determined to bring awareness of the vital importance of the earliest bond between parents and babies into mainstream politics...

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Guess who said this, and when it was?

 "If spending money like water was the answer to our country's problems, we would have no problems now. If ever a nation has spent, spent and spent again, ours has. Today that dream is over. All that money has got us nowhere, but it still has to come from somewhere".

 This might well be what David Cameron will say when the Conservatives form the next Government.

 It was actually said by Margaret Thatcher though, at the party conference in Bournemouth in October 1980, a year and a half after the Conservatives came to power, and the pain of years of overspend were starting to bite hard.

 History is about to repeat itself...

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Why on earth would the Scots want to break up the Union?

 The unification of Scotland and England in 1707 was definitely about 'vested interests' among the nobility and gentry, rather than the wellbeing of the ordinary Scot. At the time, it was hugely unpopular among our northern friends.

 The current relationship, however, vastly favours them over the English and Welsh...

 The Scottish Executive report (Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland) says that Scottish public spending in 2004-5 amounted to 51% of Scotland's GDP - one of the highest levels in the OECD, and well above the UK average.

 This is all thanks to the Barnett formula, set up around 30 years ago, to guarantee Scotland a far higher level of public spending per head than in England and Wales.

 The SNP claims that with North Sea Oil (which is all in Scottish waters), Scotland would have a surplus budget, but the same Scottish Executive report shows that if you take all the Scottish tax revenues, plus all the revenues from the North Sea fields, it will still leave a deficit of around 5% of GDP at current spending levels.

 Scotland enjoys free personal care for the elderly, and there are no 'top up fees' for university tuition. Some would say a better deal than in England...

 The most unbelievable perk in this democratic Union of ours, though, is that Scotland enjoys its own parliament, with its own (enormously costly) layers of government, and yet Scotland's Westminster MPs continue to vote on all parliamentary decisions, even when they only affect England.

 All this ignores, of course, that in Tony Blair's own words, "it's highly probable that the next Prime Minister of the UK will be a Scot".

 Yes. It's very hard to understand why Scotland would want to break up the Union...

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Independence for the Bank of England...

 Why is it that the media and politicians of all parties unequivocally praise Labour for creating an independent Monetary Policy Committee?

 It is as though the sheer act of taking interest rate setting out of the hands of politicians has created an infallible organisation, incapable of misjudging the economy.

 Well, we are about to experience the first real test of how infallible the MPC really is... With the RPI rising and inflation rearing its head, consumer debt in Britain at record levels, house prices continuing to boom, China and India facing rising costs of production leading to possible increases in import prices, and with the uncertainty of global oil prices... we could well be facing tough times ahead.

 If that proves true, then history will judge that the MPC did not raise interest rates far enough, or early enough in this economic cycle, and, on this occasion, the Government will (unfairly) be able to walk away from taking any blame.

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Prince Harry to go to Iraq?

 I've come to the conclusion that I don't think he should go...

 Quite apart from the build-up the media have given this, making it almost a matter of honour that every insurgent in Iraq will be wanting to kill him, there is also the matter of what happens 10 or 15 years from now, when we will be looking at a very different relationship between Britain and Iraq.

 It may prove very uncomfortable that the brother of our future King was in action in Iraq, even if he survives the experience...

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I'm joining the call for a weekly waste collection

 Last week was peak canvassing week for the May 3rd local elections. I knocked on hundreds of doors, and smelt some pretty unpleasant bins...

 In a quiet street of semi-detached houses, a father of three told me how they have seen rats scuttling about in the early evening. As he was speaking, I could smell the two wheely bins that were parked at the side of the house. One of them was covered in blue-bottle flies. He said that the 'black sack' bin was already full - this was on Thursday, with collection not due until the following Tuesday.

 I know we need to recycle much more... British householders account for about 18 million tonnes of landfill every year, with EU targets requiring us to lift our current 25% recycling target to 40% by 2015.

 Fortnightly collections of rubbish, however, (or 'alternate weekly collections' of green and black bins) will do nothing to encourage people to recycle. It is only through better education, and making recycling easier by providing clear information and kerbside collection of recyclables, that will encourage better recycling rates.

 It seems that the fortnightly collection that more and more councils are moving to is about the cost of rubbish collection, not about reducing landfill.

 As I come to the end of my time as a District Councillor, it strikes me that the main role of local district councils is in supporting the quality of the local environment. Whether it's cutting grass, collecting rubbish, or giving planning permission for new buildings, the council should be trying to ensure a pleasant and clean environment. We are certainly paying enough for it!

 So streets stinking of rubbish with rats running about sounds to me more like the days of the Elizabethans, rather than the environmentally aware twenty first century...

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Not for the faint-hearted...

 Ben and I have rented out the flat we recently bought in Westminster, and having only just completed the furnishing, the tenants have asked for it unfurnished!

 So, on Friday, my children and I set off to rent a lorry and spend the day as furniture removal people. It all sounded like an adventure until we got into our 7 tonne lorry...

 It was massive! The driver's seat was well above my head, and the lorry was 12 feet high and 25 feet long.

 What amazed me is that I was allowed to walk in off the street with two small children, and for £99 I could drive off with absolutely no training whatsoever.

 We drove from Didcot to Westminster, took two hours to load up, then drove back to Oxford to drop off the furniture and finally back to Didcot. We finally got home in one piece at 8pm and I collapsed into the bath totally exhausted.

 Although I have been driving for over 20 years, it ranks as one of the most challenging (and frightening) experiences of my life. Country lanes seemed too narrow, and London's streets even more chaotic than usual. The two Czech boys who helped unload in Oxford told me it would be illegal for me to drive such a lorry in their country without a special licence.

 It seems odd to me that Britain is a country with so many seemingly pointless regulations, yet here is a glaring ommission!

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What has happened to democracy?

 I spent all day yesterday canvassing for the local elections in Towcester, Brackley and Northampton. As usual, lots of people were out, and plenty more didn't want to talk.

 Among those who did want to talk about politics, however, more than half told me, rather nervously, that they are worried about immigration. Nervously, because in this country, even to mention the 'I' word risks being called racist. Every single person I spoke to went to great lengths to explain that they were not racist, but were worried about the scale and/or speed of immigration to this country.

 I think they are right to be worried, about both the current level of immigration, and the politically correct taboo that means you cannot speak of it.

 Britain has seen a greater influx of people to this country than ever before in our history. Local councils in some areas are overwhelmed by the need for housing, healthcare and schooling for children who speak little or no English.

 Labour still insists that we 'need' this level of immigration, and that it can only benefit our economy. Well, there is an outside chance they may be proven right, but only time will tell, and in the meantime, we are in the midst of a massive social experiment.

 But that's not really the point...

 We live in a democracy, literally translated as 'rule by the people'. Since it's not possible for everyone to vote on every issue, Britain's solution has been a 'representatative democracy', where MP's represent the interests of their constituents.

 So why is it, that when the issue of immigration is so high on the list of worries of people in this country, the Government chooses to forge ahead with its own 'open borders' policy, and even worse, to suggest that to be against immigration is to be racist? Surely, when it is so clear that so many of the people of this country are unhappy at the speed and scale of immigration, then their representatives must in the end take action to get it under control.

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Remember MRSA?

 All the trillions of pounds that have been spent on the NHS - what's the cost of a little hygiene?

 A friend of mine recently tore a tendon playing rugby. He went into our local hospital where it needed to be sewn up. Within a few days, he contracted MRSA.

 He was taken into hospital for 10 days, had four operations, and Vancomeisin by IV drip to beat off the infection. In the end, however, he lost the tendon and a chunk of his bicep, and acquired two drill holes in his bone.

 At what cost to the taxpayer, I wonder? And that at a hospital that is massively in the red and having to close wards. What should have been a simple and relatively cheap fix has cost my friend, only in his early 40's, much of his strength in that arm, and has only added to the burden of cost in the NHS.

 LABOUR - ARE YOU LISTENING? YOUR TARGETS ARE DESTROYING ALL COMMON SENSE IN OUR PUBLIC SERVICES.

 It's a totally hopeless situation under this Government - the NHS doesn't need more of our hard earned money... it needs decent management that is trusted to get on with the job. If we don't sort out the management of our hospitals, then we will just continue to pour more and more of our taxes into a bottomless pit.

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Diplomacy with Iran

 Since my last post, the stories of the captivity of the 15 prisoners in Iran have come out. It seems they were subjected to terrifying treatment, and must have felt their lives were in danger for much of the time they were imprisoned.

 For their families and friends, the huge relief must now have turned to fury - and quite rightly too - but that doesn't change the fact that for those 15, there has been a happy ending, unlike those who were killed in Iraq in recent days. There are plenty of examples of prisoners, in Iran and elsewhere, who lost years of their lives before they were finally released. In particular for Faye Turney, with a 3 year old daughter, what a huge relief to be back with her after such a short period of time.

 So I don't think it's naive to feel gratitude to the Iranian regime for deciding to release these 15 people. Whatever the motive, there is a precedent set that just might be able to be repeated in future.

 The media is now once again reporting that Iran is unreliable, inconsistent, untrustworthy, and there are plenty of stories calling on the Government to take some action against Iran.

 The question must be asked, though - is it the job of Government to take revenge on behalf of individuals? What would it solve? The Government's job is surely to find effective and diplomatic means of living peacefully alongside other nations.

 Where there is a strong religious faith in another nation, such as in Iran, I think our British religious leaders are doing themselves a disservice by not taking a greater role in building bridges. One of Ahmadinejad's favourite criticisms is of our, "loose western morality", and yet he claims to have freed our service people to mark the 'passing of Jesus Christ' as well as the birth of Mohammad.

 In Britain we live in a largely secular society, and our diplomats negotiate on non-religious terms. But ironically, I wonder whether we might build a better understanding with Iran if we encouraged and facilitated more communication between religious leaders through the language of two of the world's oldest and greatest religions?

 One thing is for certain: what we are doing now is clearly not enough, and the threat of Iran gaining nuclear weapons is something that should keep us all awake at night.

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Let's take the freeing of our people at face value

 I'm sure millions of people felt the enormous surge of happiness that I did last night on hearing that our 15 service people were being freed.

 Does it really matter why Iran decided to do this? Does it matter if they were trying to avoid further international sanctions? Does it matter if they were trying to manipulate us?

 What Ahmadinejad said is that freeing these people is a 'gift' to the British people on the eve of Muhammad's birthday and the passing of Christ. Whatever you think of him, or of Iran's 'real' objectives, this is a fantastic thing to say, and a wonderful time to do it.

 I am determined to take it at face value - Iran respecting both their own religion and Christianity; making a 'gift' with no strings attached; making literally millions of British people that bit happier as they go into their Easter holiday.

 If I were Margaret Beckett, I would see this as a sign of peace from Iran. I would be looking to build on it as a possible new beginning. I would be thanking Iran's people with warmth from the bottom of my heart.

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Home Births for Everyone!

 What a welcome piece of news! The Government has decided that the NHS must offer every woman the opportunity to have a home birth within 3 years from now.

 I had my second and third children at home, and both were wonderful experiences...

I would list the benefits as:

1. You can eat and drink during labour without begging overstretched hospital staff.

2. You can climb in and out of a beautifully clean bath as often as you like.

3. You can make lots of noise or be very quiet and not worry about anyone else.

4. You feel safe and secure in the familiar comfort of home.

5. The rate of 'intervention' in home births is much lower than in hospital... this is an obvious statistic as there are no facilities to intervene at home - however, it does suggest to me that where there are lots of machines and equipment around in hospital, staff will be much more tempted to use them, rather than to help the mother to deliver naturally.

6. When the baby is born, you can bring them straight into the family, with none of the separation from your other children that is a by-product of the hospital birth.

 In fact, unless there are medical issues, I can't think of any reason for a delivery anywhere other than at home... Mothers just need to be helped to have the confidence to deliver naturally - some positive media stories would be welcome!

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NHYes Day in Brackley, Towcester and Northampton

 Teams of Conservatives took part in the NHYes day on Saturday!

 Once again, we had residents queuing up to sign our petition, calling on Brown to stop mismanaging the NHS, and to give local professionals the freedom to manage the priorities for our healthcare. It was a bitterly cold day, so signing was a brave affair - taking off the mittens! But our straw poll tells us people have well and truly had enough of Labour's centralised government.

 Iain Duncan Smith met up with us in Northampton, and spoke with several local residents about the problems they are experiencing - the shortage of NHS dentists, cuts in services at Northampton General, and a number of health service workers worried about their jobs.

 Last Friday, Tim Boswell and I visited Brackley Cottage Hospital, to hear how the latest restructuring of the local NHS organisations has affected their ability to get on with providing the best patient care. These costly reorganisations have GOT TO STOP!

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Racism - The Real Legacy of Slavery?

 A few months after the General Election of 2005, a black teenager, Anthony Walker, was killed with an axe in a racist attack. The attack took place in Huyton in the constituency of Knowsley South, where I had been the Conservative's candidate.

 I was deeply shocked by this tragedy. During my campaign, I had come across a small number of (mostly) young men, who had strongly racist views. They told me they would only vote for a party that was willing to get rid of black and coloured people from this country.

 What struck me as strange is that they weren't bothered about the thousands of white Europeans arriving from Central and Eastern Europe, but were only concerned about those with different coloured skin.

 I think teaching British history to school children is essential to their understanding of where we are now, but we should also be emphasising teaching with a balanced perspective on the 'good' and the 'bad' in British history.

 African British and Afro-Caribbean British children need to know what happened to their ancestors, and white British children need to understand it too: not to divide them, but to give them a shared past, and a chance of mutual understanding.

 The abolition of the slave trade was without doubt a great achievement that could not have been done without the commitment of Parliament and the Royal Navy, but Britain was responsible for building this terrible trade in the first place, and in this commemorative year, we should re-double our efforts to stamp out racism by improving understanding between school children.

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Conservative Spring Forum 2007

 The best bit about the Spring Forum was being in Nottingham. It's a town with a real buzz, and even in the (not very good) TGI Friday's restaurant, the staff were amazingly friendly, our 20 year old waitress calling both my mum and I, "darling"...

 George Osborne gave a good speech, with a very funny line about, "the hand of history on Tony Blair's shoulder, edging towards his collar..."

 William Hague's speech was brilliant as ever, talking about the inspiring team work going on within the Shadow Cabinet, and showing some astonishing footage of David Cameron talking to the NHS doctors' demonstration in London on Saturday, with them roaring approval at everything he said about wanting to free the NHS from target setting.

 The six Policy Groups were represented at a 'Question Time' hosted by Oliver Letwin. It was good to hear how their work is split into subject areas, but they had been explicitly forbidden to talk about policy direction.

 Altogether, it was rather a low key day. Sunday might have been better, with more detail on our ideas for Public Services, and a speech from David Cameron. More importantly, it was Mother's Day, and for me, like most of the women candidates, it was important to be at home on Sunday morning, to open the lovely handmade cards, drink very milky lukewarm coffee made by the kids, and get toast crumbs all over the bed...

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Green Action Day in East Hunsbury

 It started off as a good family day out in the new constituency... go to East Hunsbury, plant a tree to commemorate Green Action Day, and then take the kids out for lunch.

 We met up with local activists - Phil Larratt, Shuresh Patel, Matthew Golby and Brian Oldham - and County Councillor Andre Gonzalez. Brian Binley MP (Northampton South) and Michael Ellis PPC (Northampton North) were also there, and it was a beautiful day! All we needed was the press to turn up...

 ...half an hour later we got a call to say the photographer couldn't make it, so all seemed lost... until we discovered one of our group had a load of litter picking equipment in his car. It turned into a really satisfying job - what had been a piece of public green space full of litter, became a green landscape with a new tree to celebrate!

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Worthy opposition at last!

 It's great to see the outrage at the Conservative proposals for taxes on airlines... it's not very long ago that nobody was interested in our policies!

 When I was young, my mum used to tell me that my motto should be, "love me, hate me, but don't ignore me"! I think that's true of politics. Democracy is best served by lots of people being interested and involved in an issue.

 Of course it's better if the majority agree with you - but what seems to sell newspapers are the stories that claim politicians are talking rubbish...

 What is really exciting to me, is that the Conservatives are at last looking like a worthy opposition - with alternative proposals to the Government that voters are interested enough to shout about.

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A sad day for the House of Lords

 I think if I had been there, I would have voted for a fully elected House of Lords too... but that's because the damage has already been done by this destructive Labour Government.

 OK, maybe the hereditary peers were an outdated tradition, maybe they were the privileged few and maybe they weren't altogether deserving. One thing they did have, however, was a genuinely independent perspective, and they couldn't be 'bought and sold'.

 What we've seen since Labour got rid of most of the hereditary peers has been a situation where political favour has become a far bigger feature of the Lords - and the cash for honours scandal is no surprise at all. Those with lots of money will always, in the end, want the things that 'money can't buy' and those who need money, like political parties, will always be tempted to give honours to those who have supported them financially. I think the only way to change that would be to appoint peers via a lottery.

 So, a fully elected Upper House is the best way left open to us.

 But it's not without drawbacks.

 If elected, members of the Upper House may well refuse to put aside their own views in favour of the views of the House of Commons... after all, why should they if they, too, have the support of voters? There could arise intense competition between the two Houses for power and authority. Governing Britain could become a much more complex job if opposing political parties hold power, one in the Lords, and one in the Commons.

 The one big question right now, though, is whether turkeys ever vote for Christmas? Will the Peers vote to self destruct? That might turn out to be the biggest battle ever between the Lords and the Commons.

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Slavery has never been abolished...

 On the eve of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, when there are many talks and commemorative services for those who lived and died with no human rights at all, it is tragic to think that in truth, slavery has still not been abolished...

 The UN estimates that there around 27 million people, mainly women and children, in slavery today around the world. This dwarfs the number of slaves at the height of the trans-atlantic slave trade in centuries past. The industry is valued at around £9bn a year.

 It's a sign of the times. The globalisation of business, easy and cheap transportation, the break up of families, those in poor countries being attracted to the perceived riches of the developed world. It all plays into the hands of human trafficking gangs.

 Unbelievably, there are in the region of 8,000 women living in slavery as prostitutes in this country alone. Their pimps charge around £15 a 'session' for these women, who have been trafficked here from countries all over the world. They are used by up to 40 men a day.

 I hope that the 200th anniversary will spark a renewed energy to deal with the modern day slave trade.

 In Britain, there is much we could do to prevent slavery - re-introduce immigration controls, publicise helplines for people who are held against their will or who believe someone they know is being held against their will, and change the legislation to enable people who are by definition 'illegal immigrants' to be given a chance to recover in safety from their ordeal, before a decision is taken whether or not to send them home.

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Freezing in South Oxfordshire!

 No, not the weather, which has been so warm (and so wet) over the last few weeks...

 The Conservatives at South Oxfordshire District Council are delighted to announce that for the second year in a row, we are freezing your council taxes!

 We have not reduced services to be able to do this. In fact we have invested millions in providing CCTV cameras in the local towns, and Community Support Officers to cut crime and the fear of crime. We have refurbished local sports centres to the tune of many more millions. We have invested in our growth town of Didcot, and look forward to the openings of the new Cinema and Arts Centre there.

 We have put enormous effort and resources into building new affordable homes. The limitations here have been availability of land, rather than the money to pay for it. Recycling has increased, and your satisfaction with our performance in the area of litter picking and waste collection has also increased.

 I think Ann Ducker has led the Conservative Group extremely well, and congratulate all of her Cabinet colleagues on the significant improvements they have overseen.

 At our latest Performance Assessment, we were categorised as a 'Good' Council; we are working hard towards being an 'Excellent' Council and I hope that you will give the Conservative group a second shot at building on the work we have started.

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Does Britain need its own farming industry?

 I went to a fascinating seminar today on the prospects for the British farming industry. Chaired by Ruth Lea of the Centre for Policy Studies, the guest list was impressive, including some of our most influential farmers, a number of peers, and many members of parliament.

 What was most fascinating though is that there was not a single representative of the Government.

 British farming is in decline, with most notably the pig industry down 40% since Labour came to power, in spite of no change in the amount of pork consumed in Britain. Farming incomes have been dropping since the 1970s, now with huge disparity between the successful and the failing farms. Capital investment in British farming is in decline.

 All this is against a backdrop of some big changes taking place:

 - the 'politics' of food is changing: we are now more conscious than ever of what we eat in terms of quality as well as 'food miles';

 - health and welfare standards are increasingly higher in Britain, but not necessarily matched elsewhere in the world, even in the EU - therefore the cost of food production in Britain can be comparativly high;

 - climate change means water shortages and floods threaten some of those countries who now export to Britain;

 - globally, the increasing demand for bio fuels will compete with the use of land for food production.

 I think these changes offer a great opportunity for a revival of British farming... in recent years the work of the Soil Association in promoting organic food has been impressive, and I would like to see British farmers emulate that success.

 What do I mean by that? Well, how about seize the initiative and start to promote 'British produce' aisles in supermarkets?

 How about promoting school trips to working farms? I heard recently of a group of 10 year olds who thought you had to kill a cow in order to milk it! Kids talking about British farming is a sure way to influence where the weekly housekeeping money gets spent.

 How about farmers launching a campaign on healthy British food? Perhaps promote a 'Mark' that all 'Healthy British Food' carries on the label. That would surely get round the confusion over 'country of origin' labels.

 Finally, the government has to help too... Labour seems only to want British farmers to keep the hedgerows tidy, and ensure that there are butterflies and frogs around for their annual nostalgic trips to the countryside.

 The fact is, British farming will cease to exist if it is forced to become merely an extended form of landscape gardening.

 How government must help is by providing a level playing field. Imported food must meet the same stringent health and animal welfare standards of British food. Subsidies must be abolished. The trade descriptions legislation that enables Country of Origin to be shown as the last country in which food was 'processed' must be changed.

 As a final point, to go back to my blog of a few days ago... peripheral activities within the sphere of farming, such as hunting, must be protected as a justifiable element of the whole.

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Grafton Hunt Ball 2007

 What a great evening! The party was held at Whittlebury Hall, and I should think about 250 people were there.

 The men wore black tie or red hunting coats, with the ladies in anything from trousers to mini dresses to ball gowns. In addition, the atmosphere was fantastic - everyone out to have a good time, with a live band and a casino, as well as flowing wine...

 Hunting is alive and well, and so it should be. A few honest Labour MPs have admitted that the hunting ban was all about 'revenge for the mine closures' in the Thatcher years. When you look at the diverse range of people whose livelihood and/or social life revolve around hunting, there is already a case for considering repealing the Hunting Act. When you look at the research into how best to manage vermin, even from the Government's own Burns Inquiry, the case for repealing the Hunting Act is, in my opinion, proven.

 I strongly support David Cameron's pledge to give Parliamentary time to a fresh vote on this issue when the Conservatives win power. If I am elected to Parliament in South Northamptonshire, then I will certainly be voting for the Act to be repealed.

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Childhood

 I think it is tragic that UNICEF finds Britain's children the least happy of the 21 most developed countries.

 It is so hard to be a parent these days. There is no doubt that almost every parent wants the absolute best for their children... but what does that mean?

 To me, it means first and foremost giving children 'security', and children, in my view, get their security from knowing where the boundaries lie. They feel safe when they know that their 'loving adults' are in charge.

 Sadly for us parents, children will always push the boundaries. That's how they build their own sense of security. If we give in at the first sign of an argument - whether it's over bedtime, TV, or what's for dinner - then it's a slippery slope that taken to extremes ends up with children going off the rails.

 I think the key to a happy childhood is to have parents who are not afraid to say no to their children...a simple old fashioned idea that would radically change lives for the better...

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Do we still need snow to ski?

 Ben and I just took the children to Austria for a week skiing. The weather was fantastic, but we had that all too frequent nervous feeling that it was too warm... climate change was being felt across the area.

 It had snowed only 3 times since December, and was unseasonably warm, but on a positive note, hardly changed the skiing at all. The resort has mountain top reservoirs, and pipes have been laid across the area, leading to snow machines that look like street lamps on both sides of each ski slope.

 So all day long the sun shone, then all night long man-made snow fell so that the we woke up to freshly laid ski slopes.

 We had to admit, sun and snow is a great combination!

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Still thinking about the Catholic adoption agencies...

 I've really struggled with this one. We have to allow people to live according to their own conscience... after all, doctors are not forced to give abortions if it is against their conscience.

 Adoption, however, is about CHILDREN, not about the adults making the decisions on their behalf. When you look at the statistics, the Catholic adoption agencies have been very successful in placing children, and this may be to do with the fact that many of the children have been placed with a woman and a man who are in a strong marriage.

 So, there may be a statistically strong case for preferring a married man and woman as potential adopters, and I would be in favour of a 'points' system for potential adopters, that took into account the statistical success rate of their particular profile (e.g. married, divorced, single, gay etc).

 The problem is that we all know that statistics only tell half the story. I certainly know of a gay couple, who, if they had a child, would be wonderfully loving and kind parents. If we are serious about putting the children first, rather than wringing our hands over the perceived rights of adults, then we should not rule out any type of family for any reason other than their individual and specific suitability as adoptive parents. The rights of gay adults to adopt, and the rights of Catholics to refuse to consider them, should not come into this.

 Therefore, in the end, I think the Government is right - we should not be letting Catholic adoption agencies be exempt from the anti-discrimination laws.

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Campion school helping Ugandan children

 Richard Johnson, a teacher at Campion, explained yesterday how he believes children both here and in Uganda have had enormous benefit through a project he helps to run in Uganda.

 Andrew Mitchell, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, was visiting Northamptonshire for the day, so Michael Ellis (PPC for Northampton North) and I took him along to Campion School near Kislingbury.

 Richard told us about the Discovery Centre, an outreach project in Jinja, Uganda, that provides health and HIV/AIDS prevention education to around 5,000 children each year. They have 40 beds at the centre and as well as providing education and a 'holiday' for local schoolchildren, whilst also doing a lot of work with children from refugee camps in the north, whose lives have been shattered by violence.

 At Campion, younger children link up by email to the Centre (now on broadband) and have built up friendships with local Ugandan children. As part of the Campion curriculum, children will design and make clothes which are then taken to Uganda, and photographed being worn by their new owners!

 Richard's advice was that, to start up a project of this sort, the essential requirement is trustworthy and reliable staff to run the Centre. The Centre has been running for many years, costing only around £25,000 per year, and Richard and his fellow Trustees are ambitious to branch into primary health care.

 If any reader would like to donate time or money to this project, their website is http://www.discoverycentres.org.uk

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Tercentenary of the Union

 It's a shame Gordon Brown didn't speak up for the Union when Labour put in place their plans for devolved government in Scotland and Wales...

 The willingness (according to polls) of more than half the adult population of England to see the Union taken apart has a great deal to do with the blatant unfairness of the so-called 'West Lothian' question. Since devolution, Scottish MPs can vote in Parliament on matters that only concern England, even though they were elected only by Scottish voters in Scottish constituencies.

 I, personally, am strongly in favour of the Union, but I had to laugh at the sheer hypocrisy of Gordon Brown professing to support it too.

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Tactical nuclear bombs?

 I was horrified to see the front pages of yesterday's press talking of proposals for a 'tactical' nuclear bombing of Iran's underground bunkers by Israel. The article talked of the need to penetrate the concrete covering the bunkers, and claimed that the bombs would be small compared to those dropped on Hiroshima, and that the radiation would all spread underground.

 It sounded like an almost casual report, but the amount of detail implies inside knowledge. To be thinking and openly discussing the merits of tactical nuclear bombing is a massive shift in the Middle East debate, and one that should be rejected by all.

 Nuclear proliferation is an enormous threat, but I do not believe that Western papers carrying stories that appear to be 'floating' an idea is the way to avoid aggression. If I were living in Iran, I would be both afraid and furious of the casual way that this proposal has emerged.

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Bernie Grant said it all...

 I think Ruth Kelly is right to make the best decision she can, as a mother, for her children's education.

 The dilemma she faces sums up the dilemma for Labour... I remember reading a newspaper article a few years ago written by Bernie Grant, where he bravely admitted that he felt the biggest mistake of his career was to send his children to the inadequate local school for 'political' reasons. He regretted sacrificing his own children's education on the altar of his political beliefs.

 The day Labour accepts the principle that 'charity begins at home', is the day they will stop pretending that government can force people to act against the interests of those they love in the interests of the 'common good'.

 In every area of life, I believe it is through opportunity and aspiration that people do better - not through holding back those with talent lest they get ahead of their peers. Sending her child to a school that she does not believe will be in the best interests of the child would be a bad decision for a mother to make, if she has other, better options. This is surely something that any loving parent will agree?

 Ruth Kelly's problem is that, even when she had the chance as Education Minister, she did not fight for those same opportunities for every other child because of Labour's obsession with not allowing any child to get ahead of any other.

 I sincerely hope that the belated move from Labour to provide extra coaching for bright children is the beginning of an acceptance that children are not sausages in a sausage factory. Let's hope that they extend this realisation to the need to save the remaining Special Needs schools.

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Winning Seats in the Labour heartlands

 When I fought the Merseyside constituency of Knowsley South last year, I knew it was the 2nd safest Labour seat in England.

 My goals were mainly to fly the flag for the Conservatives and get a good swing in our favour, whilst helping Mark Bigley win in the target seat of Southport (which sadly we failed to do.)

 When I arrived, it was to find that there was one Conservative activist in the whole constituency, and about 40 party members! There was no money available and no infrastructure.

 Thankfully, Gary, the activist (with help from his two kids) was awesome in his efforts for the Party. I was never left on my own - they delivered leaflets with me every day, worked out with me the priority areas, advised me on how to 'advertise' locally, and how to approach the various hustings. Gary, a bus driver by training, also took my family and the 8 other Merseyside candidates, all round our constituencies on a double decker bus, with my boys shouting, "vote Conservative", through a megaphone.

 We achieved a decent swing, in spite of me being frequently accused of 'parachuting in' from posh Oxfordshire...

 My point is that people like Gary, not people like me, should be the candidates in the Labour heartlands... as a Party, we desperately need people like him, well known and liked locally as he is, to raise our profile not just at General Elections, but also at local elections. Gary has stood at every local election for years - always at his own expense in time and money. He hasn't made it onto Knowsley Borough Council yet, but give him time...

 The Lib Dems have employed this approach successfully in Knowsley - they have a steadily increasing number of Councillors, one of whom stood last year for the third time as the Parliamentary Candidate, increasing significantly the LD's share of the vote.

 Winning there would be a tall order, but putting in a good showing is possible over time if we back those locals who might not make the National List, but would be good in their own local area.

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South Northamptonshire now on the political map

 On December 22, 2006, we held a Special General Meeting of the 'Shadow' Executive of South Northamptonshire constituency.

 The purpose of the meeting was to formally agree the establishment of the new constituency, to take effect from the 1st of January 2007. That means we now officially exist in organisational and administrative terms.

 We still await, however, the Act Of Parliament that will formalise the boundary changes. It's only then that I can be formally adopted as the candidate for South Northamptonshire. It feels rather like the last few weeks of pregnancy - longing for the day that turns this 'potential being' into life!

 Still, the good news is that we now have a fully established Executive Committee, and a bank account - we can start to make some decisions on campaigning and fund raising.

 Roll on the day we can print out an official map of the South Northamptonshire constituency!

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Happy New Year!

 What a great few weeks it's been. Since Christmas, Ben, the children and I have had a two week tour of England and Scotland, visiting friends, walking in beautiful countryside (mostly in the pouring rain!), and spending some fantastic time together. Nothing - business, politics, or even charity work - matters when we are spending an evening reading Harry Potter aloud, playing Hungry Hippos, or taking turns with the new remote control cars...

 So, I've been really out of touch, but loved every minute. In the Highlands where we stayed near Fort William, there was no mobile signal, and the same when we were in the Yorkshire Dales. It's a relief to be able to catch up a bit now, but it was great to have that 'desert island' feeling, where you can't make so much as phone call, let alone catch up on emails.

 Ben and I have a busy year ahead - fund raising for the Northamptonshire Group of Constituencies, moving house, moving our childrens' schools, supporting the South Northants Conservatives at the local elections in May... not to mention keeping up with both our 'paid' jobs, and continuing to Chair OXPIP. Oh, and helping my successor in South Oxfordshire get elected against some likely fierce opposition...

 Still, we've got off to a relaxing start. I wish anyone reading this blog a very happy, healthy and successful 2007!

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It's about time we had a National Security Council in Britain

 The review of the security situation in the UK that was set up by the Conservatives has now made some concrete proposals about where we go from here.

 The Review group was led by Dame Pauline Neville-Jones, one time head of the Joint Intelligence Committee. One of the key proposals is to change the way government deals with the threat of terror by establishing a National Security Council in Britain, as well as a new Minister for Security. I welcome the focus that this would bring on protecting Britain, but also coordinating the efforts to combat terror - not just on policing, but also on education.

 I also welcome the suggestion that our foreign policy should move away from a 'slavish' following of American foreign policy, and more towards the relationship of 'old' friends, where honesty - even to the point of constructive criticism - is a core feature.

 The proposal to widen the debate on Afghanistan, Iraq and the Israel-Palestine conflict to include many of the regional powers must be considered at this stage. It is a nonsense to suggest that the war in Iraq has not impacted on the spread of Islamic fundamentalism. It is hard enough as a British Christian to read every day about the slaughter going on in Iraq since the fall of Saddam and not to feel intensely frustrated. How much more so if these are people from your own community, your own religion?

 I believe the time has come where we cannot rule out any new approach if it might stand a chance of easing the conflicts that are destroying so many lives.

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Trial by media

 I can't quite believe the story on the 10 o'clock news this evening. It was covering the arrest of a man over the murder of the five women in Suffolk. The newspapers are also full of the story, as well as photos of the man who supposedly befriended these women. The News even interviewed his supposed 'best friend'...

 Whatever happened to the 'due process' of an investigation? How can this man ever have a fair trial after the trial by media that is taking place today?

 If he is guilty, surely he will simply point to the media coverage and claim that a fair trial will be impossible. How then will justice be done?

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At last, we are admitting the family DOES matter!

 Iain Duncan Smith's report on family breakdown, poverty, and the impact of both on the breakdown of society, is highlighting probably the most important issue that faces Britain.

 The fact that a married couple has an 8% likelihood of divorcing by the time their first child is 5, versus a cohabiting couple with a 50% likelihood, is a stark enough fact. When you add to it the fact that the child of a single parent family is 70% more likely (than the child of a two parent family), to have problems at school, and even to become a drug addict or a criminal, you have a situation that cannot be ignored.

 The Conservatives have been criticised in the past for 'Victorian' values, but this is not about being old fashioned: it's about assessing what is a real and deteriorating situation in our country, and seeking some open and honest debate. At the moment, the papers are full of anecdotal stories about how Labour's taxes and benefits system encourage couples to live apart, and penalise those who marry. The first thing that must happen is to put in place policies that encourage long term relationships - with particular emphasis on marriage (whether it's a civil partnership or traditional).

 This is not about telling people how to live their lives. It's about considering what is best, in the short and the long term, for a sustainable, healthy and happy community.

 For most people, raising children is a significant part of their life's activity - it takes at least 16 years per child, and often up to 25! For most people, raising children is also one of the most important things they ever do in their life, and they want to get it right.

 Most of us want our children to get a decent education, to have opportunities for a fulfilling and happy life. We don't want our kids to take drugs, have children before they have grown up themselves, or spend their youth in prison...

 So let's get stuck into this debate about the family and marriage - aware that we are treading on very sensitive ground, but with the confidence that comes from knowing this is a genuine attempt to tackle a very real problem.

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Boundary Changes

 I can't wait until the boundary changes go through Parliament! Everywhere I go in South Northamptonshire, people ask me what is happening to their constituency.

 It is not helpful to have the uncertainty dragging on, particularly when 'engaging' voters is already such a challenge.

 Surely it must be in the interests of ALL political parties to have this issue resolved as soon as possible?

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Conservative Women's Conference

 On the agenda for yesterday's 75th conference was the subject of human trafficking.

 Unbelievably, there are in the region of 8,000 women living in slavery as prostitutes in this country alone. Their pimps charge around £15 a 'session' for these women, who have been trafficked here from countries all over the world. They are used by up to 40 men a day.

 William Hague told the conference that the UN estimates there around 27 million people - mainly women and children - in slavery today. This dwarfs the number of slaves at the height of the trans-atlantic slave trade in centuries past. The industry is valued at around £9bn a year.

 It's a sign of the times. The globalisation of business, easy and cheap transportation, the break up of families, those in poor countries being attracted to the perceived riches of the developed world - it all plays into the hands of human trafficking gangs.

 Mr. Hague gave, as usual, an awesome presentation, bringing the subject alive and leaving the audience with a clear message about what government must do: disrupt supply through better information about trafficking available with visas and through schools; disrupt demand by urging those who use prostitutes to report it if they believe a woman is being held against her will; support those who are the victims of trafficking by providing trauma therapy as well as an opportunity for a fresh start; and of course, more focus from the police on tracking down and identifying the gang leaders, in close cooperation with police from the source countries.

 It all sounded logical and fantastically sensible. What I couldn't understand is, why is this not happening now? Surely if the shadow foreign office team were proposing this strategy to government, it would be willingly adopted?

 I worry that this goes back to my big concern about politics... the ideas are there, but the implementation is too often lacking. If I was William, I would give a member of my team the sole job of making this plan bear fruit...

 There is so much to be done just to make a tiny dent in some of the big problems we face. This ought to be a 'quick win' where we could really make a difference.

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First anniversary of Women2Win

 Anne Jenkin and her team are doing a great job in supporting women who want to get into politics, whether as a volunteer, a councillor, or as an MP.

 Last week, W2W held a 1st birthday party at Millbank Tower to celebrate, and David Cameron came along to join in!

 One year on, a combination of the 'selectors' determination to change, David's determination to improve diversity on the front benches, and the warm hearted encouragement of W2W, has meant over 30% of seats to have selected so far have chosen women. Against a backdrop of only 9% Conservative women MPs, that is pretty good. Even better, of the so called 'safe' seats, more than 50% have selected a woman.

 There's no doubt it's tough on a number of excellent male candidates who are waiting to get onto the Priority List. They should not forget though, that in the past, it has been tough on a number of excellent female candidates who waited in vain to be interviewed for seats!

 Over 65% of seats are still selecting a male candidate - and that's bearing in mind that the Priority List is 50% women. So we are still a way off achieving parity.

 I hope and believe I was selected on merit and 'for being the best on the night'. A few Northamptonshire folk who were at my selection have since told me they weren't keen on having a woman candidate, but now having met me properly, they are pleased with the choice.

 There are many hurdles for women going into politics - even an experienced City banker (like me) found selection much tougher than any interview ever before. The rejection when you don't win in a final is brutal. The cost involved is a huge burden, and it doesn't help when Conservative Home is full of comments from men about how inferior the female candidates are.

 W2W is doing a great job keeping up the morale... thanks!

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Tony Blairs 'super nannies'

 I agree with Labour that Britain needs help for families who can't cope with their children 'going off the rails'. The tiny amount of funding provided, however, and the way it's been presented as 'forcing parents to attend parenting skills classes', rather like speeding motorists are forced to attend driving classes, is not going to help at all.

 I think that the breakdown of society and community owes a lot to the 1960's era. My parents' generation had children in an atmosphere of 'free love' and few boundaries. Those children are now having children of their own. It's true to say that parenting comes naturally to each and every one of us - but unfortunately, the 'natural' instinct is to be the same sort of parent to your children as your parents were to you.

 The upshot is that the 'bad habits', the lack of boundaries, the poor quality of attachment between parent and baby - all these things are passed down the generations, getting worse with each one. Parenting skills are in an increasingly short supply, and the only way to solve this is going to be by expensive intervention to help families who are struggling to know what to do with a child that is drinking, doing drugs or causing trouble.

 At OXPIP, a charity that provides therapeutic counselling for families who are struggling to cope with a new baby, the intervention is at the very earliest stage of the baby's life, when there are clearly signs that the 'bonding' that needs to take place between baby and principal carer is not happening. The baby's experiences in its first two years of life will determine the child's, and later adult's, natural reaction to emotional situations. Science shows that you can predict two thirds of future chronic criminals by behaviour seen in two year olds!!

 Our prisons, our streets, and our psychiatric hospitals are full of the evidence of poor attachment.

 Tony Blair's proposal to create an army of Super Nannies is too little, too late, but at least it is recognising that the problem will only get worse if we do nothing.

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How can wearing a cross be unacceptable?

 On the Radio 4 show, 'PM', this evening, Nadia Eweida's comments on why she wants to be allowed to wear a cross to work at BA were reported. She said that God's love deserves to be celebrated, and that she feels she must wear her cross to demonstrate her faith.

 To Nadia then, a cross is not a piece of fashion jewellery - it's more akin to the religious dress of Muslim and Sikh colleagues. It seems to me bizarre and completely unacceptable that the expression of non-Christian faiths is tolerated, whilst  hers is seen as an inappropriate desire to wear a piece of jewellery, contrary to company policy.

 If BA management have any sense, they will review this policy with great urgency.

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Good management is crucial to good government

 The job of any government is to improve the lives of its citizens.

 There are two critical factors for success; the first is ideas, and the second effective implementation.

 Labour has had plenty of ideas - hundreds of them, in fact. How many, however, have gone on to improve lives? Most have achieved nothing more than a headline in a newspaper, and then a quiet journey to the scrap heap.

 David Cameron is right to be renewing the Conservative Party's agenda. The policy reviews that are underway are taking a radical look at all policy areas. The Tax Reform Commission that I was involved with is chock full of new ideas on tax simplification and, yes, tax cutting proposals.

 I am confident we will be the Party with the fresh ideas, but we also need to focus our efforts on 'management'. The Cameron idea of 'trusting people', and 'social responsibility' is exactly right. Government has become far too big under Labour. It controls far too much and is wholly inefficient.

 With delegating power to local communities comes an enormous management challenge, lest delegation dissolve into 'abdication'.  We need expert management skills at the top of Government Departments. The story of Estelle Morris, ex-Education Minister, is a perfect example of how NOT to run a country. She was loudly hailed as 'ideal' for the job because she had been a teacher. Within a short space of time she resigned, and had the courage to admit that she did not possess the skills for the job. It was a management role, not a teaching role.

 It's a bit like me taking a ride on a train, and as a result claiming competence to manage First Great Western.

 I hope that some time before the next General Election, David Cameron will research the skills and experience of all his Parliamentary Candidates.

 I think we will win the next General Election, and at that point our ideas will count for nothing unless we have the management skills to make things happen!

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Why local government should be left alone

 English local government is a structural mess. We have too many different versions of local government and too many layers. There are also, frankly, too many paid local Councillors.

 For example,it's frustrating that waste collection is carried out by South Oxon District Council, with disposal the responsibility of Oxford County Council. It also doesn't always make sense that planning is carried out by District Council, when responsibility for most roads and infrastructure to support the development is the responsibility of County.

 Government should think long and hard before going down the road of a restructure that could cost billions across the country, and put local government in turmoil at a time when they are aready struggling to meet the ever increasing pressure to meet central government targets.

 It must be tempting when in government to look around for things to 'fix' all the time. Indeed, there are plenty of things to criticise about existing arrangements. The problem is that every major public service has undergone massive reform since 1997, and there is no evidence to show value for the billions that have been spent.

 Surely it makes more sense to provide incentives (the carrot and the stick perhaps) for district and county councils to work more closely together on service delivery, perhaps building over a 5 - 10 year period to a full review of the potential for a Unitary Authority?

 Revolutionary change in local government might look good politically, but I believe it would harm the quality and level of public services during the years it would take to integrate. It would also cost the public purse billions in yet more wasted restructuring.

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Stand up for Britain!

 Along with so many 'normal' people in this country, I'm sick and tired of political correctness:

 - I don't want to be called the 'Chair' of OXPIP, nor the 'Spokesperson' for South Northamptonshire. What's wrong with Chairman and Spokesman?

 - I don't want my sons to grow up thinking it's OK to sit in a train seat while a pregnant lady stands nearby. What's wrong with compassion and good manners?

 - I don't want my daughter to be taught by a woman with a veil covering her face. What's wrong with wanting to communicate face to face?

 - I don't want my mother to live in fear of teenagers who can't be 'touched' by the police. What's wrong with insisting on discipline?

 I want to live in a Britain whose residents are determined to speak English. I want to live in a Britain where there is a shared belief in freedom and democracy, and equal rights for men and women. I want to live in a Britain with a sense of humour - where there are no groups whose life choices are 'above' criticism.

 But most of all, I want to live in a Britain that accepts responsibilities as well as rights; where people don't turn a blind eye to the community around them.

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The most effective way to deal with climate change

 There's no use bleating about how Britain only accounts for 2% of the world's carbon emissions. In terms of world influence, we can 'punch above our weight'. We have the historical connections and good communication links with many of those countries whose developing industrial base will in future account for much of the growth in carbon emissions.

 If we are to lead the way, however, in protecting the world from climate change, we have to first of all set our own house in order. The best way to do that is by looking at a solution that draws on what we traditionally do best - free markets.

 Setting up a Global International Market in Carbon Emissions Trading (that will significantly expand the 'baby' market already trading in the City), will allow the market place to set the price for carbon emissions. Participating governments will need to fix a firm annual ceiling on carbon emissions, and then the market will determine the price. If climate change takes a turn for the worse, then the price will rise and there will be an incentive for individuals and companies to look for alternative 'greener' solutions. If climate change fears ease, the price will reduce.

 The City of London has led the world for centuries in setting the price of capital for companies who want to expand. There are tried and tested methods already in place for trading all manner of commodities and financial instruments. Carbon Emissions Trading should become the newest and most 'ethical' product ever for the undoubted talents of our investment bankers.

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The Silverstone pudding evening

 What a great idea! 80 people sitting down to a small plate of ploughman's followed by a huge choice of about 35 delicious puddings - hot and cold, and all home-made by residents of Silverstone...

 It was in fact the annual Conservative Party fund raiser by the Silverstone branch. I'm not sure Jamie Oliver would approve, but it was definitely the sort of meal my kids dream of!

 We had a quiz laid on by the Branch Chairman who obviously has a lot more general knowledge than I do...

 What is so fantastic about these branch events that I have been to - last weekend there was one in Eydon and another in Moreton Pinkney - is how generous the local branch members are in putting together such welcoming and enjoyable events.

 The communities that we live in are so critical to our quality of life. A strong community, where people look out for each other, is what Politicians should be promoting and supporting above all else.

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Kingsbrook school in Deanshanger

 Thank you to the Sixth Formers at Kingsbrook for taking part in the Q&A session with me today, arranged kindly by Councillor Allen Walker.

 Particular thanks to Tom, the Head Boy, who gave us a guided tour of the school.

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Stop Gordon Brown's NHS Cuts!

 We had a highly successful campaigning day on Saturday. My family, and lots of local activists from Brackley and Towcester, organised petitions against the NHS cuts.

 We set up a stand outside Brackley Town Hall on Saturday morning and outside Waitrose in Towcester in the afternoon.

 Passers by were literally queueing up to sign our petition! There are some great photos on the Web album of us in our white coats, with a wheelchair and lots of 'save the NHS' balloons. As someone pointed out to me, it was a far cry from the old 'Save the Pound' campaigns we ran in past years - residents really do care about their health services...

 One thing is clear: the NHS holds a very special place in the heart of us all, and we Conservatives will, I hope, always remember that.

 With threatened cuts at the Horton, and the uncertain future for Brackley Cottage Hospital, healthcare is one of the biggest local issues, and we need to constantly highlight the importance of keeping local services, to meet the needs of our largely rural communities.

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Mad bureaucracy...

 I'm not particularly a Madonna fan, and certainly wouldn't want her for my mum...

 ...however, this business over adopting a Malawian baby is ridiculous!

 On PM this evening (Radio 4), there was an interview with a journalist who had been staking out the hotel where the baby was staying following the 'temporary' adoption approval. He was reporting that the baby had been moved by airplane, travelling with a nanny and Madonna's bodyguard.

 This is, apparently, perfectly legal under the terms of the adoption arrangements, but the Human Rights groups have moved in on this, trying to stop the adoption, sniffing out some evil plot to destroy this poor baby's life. Until now, his life has not been ideal; his mother died a week after giving birth to him, his father was too scared to hang on to him because he had already lost two babies to illness, and his family was too poor to support them. With David left in a Malawian orphanage, we can all imagine the extent of luxury and attention lavished on him there...

 Now here is this evil western woman - determined to have her way and 'short-circuit' the precious adoption process.

 This adoption process will check out Madonna's financial and family standing, and it will 'teach' her about the commitment involved in adoption. This will take about 14 months.

 By that time, poor little David will be nearly two years old.

 What on earth is wrong with these people? Why can't they see it from this poor baby's point of view?

 It's not just our mad bureaucracy - it's also our appalling politics of envy where the bureaucrats just cannot bear it if someone manages to be wealthy enough and smart enough to get around the system.

 And who will pay the price? Little David.

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Prison overcrowding

 Competence in governing Britain has not been a highlight of the last nine years. Prison overcrowding is, however,  possibly the worst example of the lack of management skills shown by this Labour government.

 The media has been talking for years about how close to capacity our prisons are. We ourselves have known for years that our re-offending rates are amongst the highest in Europe. We have also known for years that many prison inmates suffer from depression and psychological illness that prison can only make worse. As if that weren't enough, we have also known for years that drug dependence leads to crime, to feed the habit. Whilst all this goes on, the prison population just keeps on growing, demonstrating the total lack of success in tackling the causes of crime...

 So why hasn't Labour built new prisons? Why hasn't Labour created effective drug rehabilitation programmes? Why hasn't Labour addressed the problem of mental health among prison inmates? Why hasn't Labour done more to ensure prison leavers can at least read and write, and have been given at least an opportunity to develop skills to enable them to take up honest work?

 I have said this before, and I honestly believe it, that Labour means to do well for Britain, and that individual Ministers work hard to do a good job, but I think the prison situation highlights the desperate need for managerial competence in government. At the moment this is sadly lacking.

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My days as a journalist...

 I was the Health Correspondent for Tim Montgomerie's ConservativeHome website during the conference.

 Tim wanted to challenge the supremacy of the newspapers in providing timely coverage of the main debates, and if I learnt anything from the experience, it is that I now have a lot of sympathy for journos and their deadlines.

 It might be harder because it's all on-line, but there was no casual wandering around the fringe meetings looking for the best free sandwiches... I had to plan my lunch and early evening around the 'health fringe'.

 I did a wonderful blog about a fringe entitled ' Has this been the best year ever for the NHS?' Just finished typing it, and pressed 'save' when the internet server went down, and I lost the entire article... for ever...

 Tim, on the other hand, has had amazing press coverage of his blogsite, and I think his efforts this week have truly put political blogging on the map - congratulations Tim!

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Osborne and Little...

 George Osborne gave an awesome speech on the economy... it seemed to have been written around half a dozen newspaper headlines, and had the effect of revitalising the whole conference.

 I think that until that point, there were some bemused faces around the conference hall, trying to keep up with this new Conservative agenda; struggling to understand the changes.

 George was completely clear that he believes in a low tax economy, and that he would like to see taxes cut from the current levels. He aligned himself to Mrs. Thatcher's view, quoting with approval from a letter she wrote in office, saying she would never cut taxes unless the economy was in a sound position.

 He used the term 'sound money' many times, to mean low interest rates and inflation (with an echo of Gordon Brown's 'prudence' sound bite).

 He told the tax cutting obsessors that writing a budget for 2009 in 2006 is not something he is willing to do.

 I was an advisor to the Tax Reform Commission, due to report its findings fairly soon. The work we did was heavily focussed on achieving a fairer, simpler tax structure. That alone is a prize worth achieving.

 We cannot promise tax cuts 3, or even 4 years ahead of the day when we can implement them.

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The future is in cyberspace!

 Fantastic speech from the Chief Executive of Google yesterday. His key message was, "don't bet against the internet".

 He was basically saying that the ability of anyone - be it a government, company or private individual - to withhold information has gone. It's all out there, and available for anyone with the internet and a search engine.

 He also said that half of the 30,000 bloggers out there have only one regular reader - the author!

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Party Conference 2006

 It's the early hours of Tuesday morning, and it's been a great day at Conference. Ben, my husband, is here for the first time, and I feel weirdly proud to be showing him round and introducing him to old friends from previous conferences.

 David Cameron shone out with his message of 'social responsibility' yesterday. It's a hard concept to understand at first, but it means empowering individuals, families, professionals, and companies to take responsibility for society, alongside the state. It's an explicit recognition of the fact that the state is not able to manage and control all aspects of our lives, and indeed, it shouldn't. Labour, of course, see things differently.

 Today the highlight for me was hearing Camilla of the Kids Company talking about one of the biggest challenges for society today - dealing with those children who have been 'left behind'. I had the opportunity to speak for a couple of minutes on the conference platform about OXPIP, and the need to support struggling parents.

 I've seen lots of candidates, and been to various Women2Win events. I spoke alongside Eleanor Laing and Melissa Kite yesterday at a fringe meeting on equality. Melissa was fascinating on the challenges of working in a male dominated world in the political lobby. The event was run in parallel with Girl Guiding UK - amazingly, they have 700,000 members in the UK, making them the biggest womens' voluntary organisation.

 This evening James Shepherd-Cross, Chairman of South Northamptonshire, hosted a Chinese meal for the constituency members at the Conference. Tim and Helen Boswell, and Chris Heaton-Harris were there, amongst others.

 Too tired to write any more now - note to self to stop drinking so much terrible free red wine...

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Babies are the key...

 Have you ever wondered why it feels like our society is going down the pan? Why children have no respect? Why anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, street violence, and drunkenness are all rising?

 You could put it down to media coverage, or 'I must be getting old'...

 In fact, you would be right to worry about these things, and to feel that they are getting worse.

 There is a mass of research that shows it is the first year of life that has the most profound effect on the later behaviour and instincts of a child. It's all about the bond between the main carer (usually mum), and the baby. If the baby is soothed and his needs are met, his brain will literally 'learn' that the world is a nice place, and his emotions are manageable.

 Where the baby is neglected, abused or treated inconsistently, that baby will learn the instinctive reactions of 'fight or flight' that will affect their responses throughout life. A baby that is 'insecurely attached' to his main carer may manage to cope if nothing else goes wrong, but when another problem such as parental separation takes place, often removing one of the key people in the baby's life, the stress for the baby piles up. This too might just be manageable.

 It is when there is yet another 'stress factor', however, such as putting the baby into insensitive day care, that it becomes too much for the baby's attachment systems. 'Insensitive' is where the baby is not provided with a single 'special person' or 'key worker' who is their principal carer.

 The baby might react by being terribly upset, and crying for long periods of time. Or he might be withdrawn, not making eye contact and 'switching off'. These are the aforementioned 'fight or flight' symptoms as seen in a baby.

 There is a great deal of evidence to show that these babies go on to become distressed, depressed, or aggressive children and it is the beginning of a slippery slope to such later problems as violence, depression, drug misuse, self-harming, and crime.

 OXPIP has been highly successful in working with families to improve the quality of attachment between a baby and it's carer. We also have many ideas about how daycare could easily be more focussed on the attachment needs of the under one's.

 I have applied to speak at the Conservative Party Conference 'Dragon's Den' about policies for the under one's. If I don't get the chance to speak there, I will try to contribute some ideas during one of the other main conference topics.

 This is so important, and every day that passes by, more and more babies are having their life chances reduced by preventable reasons.

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Is Tony Blair living in a parallel universe?

 Much as I have hated what Labour has done to this country, I always did believe that Tony Blair has been genuine in his desire to improve Britain, but his speech yesterday was so far from the truth of the last ten years that I wonder if he is looking at his time as Prime Minister from a parallel universe;

 - He talked about economic growth, claiming the longest period of sustained growth under Labour - except of course that it actually began in 1992.

 - He talked about the threat of global terror, in the context of Iraq and Al Quaeda; implying all over again that there is a connection between the two that somehow justified our action in Iraq.

 - He talked about being brave enough to take tough decisions - does he mean like the retirement age for public sector workers?

 - He talked about the need for careful regulation of immigration to control who comes here, leaves here and has a right to stay. About 10 years too late, Tony.

 - He talked about having the best educated children in our history.....so how come roughly 1 in 3 eleven year olds can't read and write properly? And why do we have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe?

 What is so weird about Tony is that when he is speaking, it's almost hypnotic - you start to just accept what he is saying, and like Mowgli when he was being hypnotised by Kaa the python in Jungle Book, you have to kick yourself out of it.

 What shook me out of my trance was when Blair said that the only legacy he ever wanted was for Labour to win a 4th term... so I suppose the cat is out of the bag. It was not about the good of the country, but rather about laying to rest the ghost of Labour's unelectable past.

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The Big Tea Party!

 A tea party is a wonderful meal - appealing to young and old alike. Shame it's so bad for the waistline...

 We had a fabulous tea this afternoon at the Orangery in Whittlebury Park - it was my husband Ben's and I's invitation to the Conservative Party members in South Northamptonshire - to say thank you for selecting me, and to have the chance to meet some more local people.

 Jeff and Carol Sargeant very kindly hosted the party, and we made some serious inroads into the piles of cakes and sandwiches... a real Party Tea!

 Tim and Helen Boswell were there with their daughter Emily. There were guests from all over the new constituency, and they made us, and our three children, feel very much at home.

 If you were there, do have a look at the South Northamptonshire photo album, and you might see some familiar faces!

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Brackley Cottage Hospital under threat

 Today I met a group of Helmdon residents who, as Trustees of the Brackley Cottage Hospital, gave me their perspective on what is happening there.

 The proposal to move the hospital to a new site, increase the services by a modest amount, and build a new care home, has been put on hold as a result of the new Northamptonshire PCT being created.

 Years ago, the maternity services at Brackley were cut because, 'the Horton is just down the road'. Now the Horton is being cut back to save on costs, which means many more people travelling to Oxford.

 The proposal for Brackley is very worthwhile, and the residents in Brackley and the surrounding villages know that it's worth fighting for. I hope the new Chief Executive of the PCT, being appointed today, will urgently take the decision to go ahead with the new hospital, avoiding yet more cuts that will be to the detriment of local people.

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A Tory mum's recipe for a perfect British society

 Take one cup of Anglo Saxon determination;

 Mix with a jugful of Muslim respect for the family;

 Stir in a pinch of traditional Asian modesty;

 Whisk with two tablespoonsful of military respect for authority;

 Serve on a bed of East European work ethic;

 And enjoy with a full glass of British belief in the freedom of the individual!

 There is a serious point here - we in the so called 'Western civilisations' have so much to learn from other cultures, and they would stand to gain so much by learning from ours. We don't have all the answers - far from it... but nor do any other culture or religion. It's only by mutual respect, a willingness to learn and the courage to live together that we will build a better life for our children.

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We must help the Sudanese in Darfur

 If the Sudanese government will not let us send UN troops to ensure security in Darfur, then UN governments must pay for the African Council troops to stay there beyond the end of September.

 It is unthinkable to stand by and watch yet another massacre take place that could be avoided. Nothing is more important. It's easy to gloss over the story because it doesn't make happy reading, but 200,000 human beings have already been murdered.

 Imagine that happening here... Imagine if that was your family...

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Wounded soldiers

 I couldn't believe it when I read yesterday that soldiers who have been wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq are being brought home for treatment in mixed NHS wards.

 Not only are they not getting enough equipment for battle, but when injured they are not getting the respect and privacy they deserve in hospital.

 Labour has presided over a massive so-called 'investment' in the NHS. It is bad enough that the basic courtesy of caring for men and women in single sex wards has not yet been achieved. Soldiers who are fighting for their country should be in military wards that enable them to receive care for both physical and mental injury in a sympathetic environment.

 Where has all our hard earned money gone?

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Boundary changes

 Apparently, Ed Balls wants a judicial review over the boundary changes that eliminate his constituency...

 I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the Conservatives stand to gain over 17 constituencies as a result of boundary changes? As someone who has been selected for a fantastic 'new' seat being created by the boundary changes, I cannot help but worry that Labour, desperate to cling to power at any cost, will delay the changes to the last moment.

 My worst nightmare is that Blair gets kicked out sooner than planned and the new PM decides to seek a fresh mandate next May before Parliamentary approval is given to the boundary changes. I may be cynical, but it would make sense of what Ed Balls is trying to do.

 I'm counting on two things:

i) Labour is even more in the red than the NHS. They can't afford a General Election!

ii) If Gordon gets the job, he doesn't strike me as the kind of man to gamble on something he has spent 10 years waiting for. If anything, he is more likely to hang on until 2010!

 I think I'll take up knitting...

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Rowan Williams on children

 Archbishop Williams writes in today's Sunday Times about 'Infant Adults'.

 He is making the point that adults who have failed to grow up properly themselves go on to become parents that have no idea how to nurture their own children, nor the ability to build adequate boundaries for them to live by. It is not hard to see how a vicious circle can quickly develop.

 OXPIP (the Oxford Parent Infant Project) is working with many families that are unable to cope with their babies for exactly that reason. They were never given the nurturing themselves when they were small that would enable them to learn the skills of forming a secure bond with their own babies.

 It is this bond that fundamentally affects the way a baby's brain develops, and enables the baby to go on to become a secure, well attached adult, able to form sound emotional relationships.

 Where the bond is not secure, such as when the parents are affected by either their own miserable upbringing, post-natal depression, drugs, domestic violence, or a host of other problems, the baby will be the one that suffers. Some research in the US has suggested that you can predict two thirds of future chronic criminals by behaviour being seen in two year olds! It's the experiences of the very earliest years that will largely determine the baby's life chances.

 OXPIP is helping families to improve the bond with their babies, and changing the lives of hundreds of people in Oxfordshire every year. We should be providing this type of help across the country. Our society is at crisis point - if we are serious about wanting to sort it out, we have to support families in those first critical years.

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A hidden cost of New Labour

 We all now recognise that raising taxes doesn't guarantee better public services. In fact, Labour's obsession with confiscating more and more of our hard earned money each year has achieved precious little since 1997.

 What is less often talked about, however, is Labour's other obsession - regulation. There is now a vast layer within our economy of people employed to fill out forms so that other people can compile endless reports for government.

 In my own industry - funds management - we spend millions of pounds on reports that nobody wants in order to meet regulatory requirements. We have teams of people whose job it is to read hundreds of pages of regulatory proposals put forward by the government each year.

 In my local Council, I'm told that up to 30% of Officers' time is spent collating information for reports to government. The same is true in our hospitals, in our schools, and in the police force. Billions of 'dead' hours spent filling out forms. There are no checks and balances on government officials as to how much they regulate, and once a new regulation is in place, it potentially stays there for ever!

 I believe the next Conservative Government should introduce a 'budget' for regulation. That way, regulating in one area would require cutting regulation somewhere else. I also believe that every regulation should have a 'sunset clause' so that it expires after about 3 years unless it is renewed.

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A special day

 Today I had the huge pleasure of attending a lunch party with Margaret Thatcher as the guest of honour!

 It was at the London home of Anne Jenkin, Founder of Women2Win, and was to raise money to help train women candidates. There were ten of us, and the conversation ranged from Lady Thatcher's own experience of combining motherhood with her role as an MP, her current involvement with the Lords, and the 'tipping point' where the tax and red tape burden becomes too much for an economy to bear.

 Lady Thatcher is still an inspirational figure, even though she is now frail and occasionally wanders off the subject.

 On the way home, I couldn't stop myself grinning like a Cheshire Cat. Meeting my lifelong political heroine at such an intimate gathering was amazing - something I will never forget.

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Women in the professions in Guernsey

 I'm in Guernsey with my family on a short break, staying with my sister.

 She asked me if I would go along to a meeting of her networking group, 'Women in the Professions' (WIP), for a quick lunch and to talk a bit about politics.

 It was fascinating for me. Here was a group of 17 senior women, including Guernsey politicians, the MD of the stock exchange, senior bankers, lawyers, and accountants. We talked about Guernsey's relationship with the UK, and the struggle they have to be seen as anything other than an awkward 'extra' in our dealings with Europe. We talked about taxes, work-life balance, the economy, childcare, poverty, and the environment, to name but a few.

 I came away from that lunch more than ever determined to support David Cameron's effort to get more women into Parliament. It isn't about political correctness, it's about getting the best people for the job.

 Guernsey is blessed with some first rate women - and no doubt some first rate men too. It is this powerful combination that keeps them ahead of Gordon Brown's new politics of envy.

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Home Office cloud cuckoo land

 I can't believe the Home Office report on immigration today...

 Who do they think they are kidding? They talk about all the wonderful young professionals arriving here to teach our children, care for our elderly, and drive our buses, as if somehow this was Toy Town and Noddy has just introduced his friends, the Pixies.

 We are facing a massive crisis as a result of the recent immigration to this country. It's not the numbers, scary as they are, but rather the speed of immigration that is totally unmanageable.

 I wouldn't want to be a Head Teacher faced with trying to keep up the quality of education in each class, while at the same time trying to integrate several new children at a time who barely speak English, or for that matter, a Council Leader trying to provide housing for hundreds of new arrivals who have little English, little money, and no knowledge of how things work in Britain.

 When will this Government finally understand the old saying, "improper preparation makes for p*** poor performance"?

 Labour's incompetence is not doing anyone any favours - least of all the hopeful Eastern Europeans who came here looking for work and a better life, but who are now sleeping rough in London's parks.

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Good on you, David Cameron!

 David Cameron is as good as his word on getting broader representation within the Conservative Party. His determination to have more women and more people from different ethnic backgrounds will mean that when we win the next General Election, our government will be stronger and fairer than ever before.

 It's not about political correctness... it's about having a team with a wide range of experience and a wide range of skills. It's about having insight into different lifestyles and perspectives. Those people who bang on about needing the 'best' candidates should try and define what they mean by 'best'.

 Who is 'best' to represent a town like Slough or Reading, with many young professionals, many new immigrants, but also large Sikh and Muslim populations? Is it a white, male, highly educated barrister? Or is it a 3rd generation Asian businessman who has lived there all his life? Or is it possibly a local teacher who is sick and tired of fighting to discipline her pupils all day long and wants to do something about it?

 The priority list is giving all sorts of people from different backgrounds the chance to be a Conservative candidate. Sure, they were able to apply for seats in the past, but sadly, the evidence is that if selected at all, it was for 'unwinnable' seats.

 We have to change. Not because of political correctness, but to make sure that when we take over the Government of Britain, we have all the knowledge and experience to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

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Skateboarding menace!

 I took two 8 year olds and a 10 year old skateboarding in Reading today. They were outside, in a deserted corner of the Oracle Centre, where there is a flat paved area, and no people. Padded up, they were having a wonderful time skateboarding at less than walking pace, and practising stunts. After almost an hour, two security guards came over and told them that skateboards were not allowed.

 I very politely pointed out that this enclosed area was deserted, and that they were only little boys. The security guards, however, informed me that the rule was in place because of teenagers who do stunts and cause mayhem in the town. Just because these three were small children was no reason to be lenient in their eyes.

 Its situations like this that remind you why this country is such a miserable place so much of the time. Innocent and harmless fun is thwarted by the rules put in place to prevent the bad behaviour of a minority. No doubt if my kids had been those badly behaved teenagers, they would have put two fingers up and carried on doing just as they like.

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Two member wards

 Whose idea was it to create two member wards in local councils?

 It's already difficult to find good people willing to stand as Councillors, but when you give them double the number of voters, and therefore double the number of parish meetings to attend, and double the amount of mail from local people - it ends up being a duplication of effort that is a complete waste of time.

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Funding for charities

 A recent think tank report suggests that the amount of goverrnment vs private funding for charities is dangerously high, leading to dependency.

 Well, in OXPIP's case, so much of the work we do OUGHT to be funded by public money, and yet isn't. Referrals from GPs, health visitors and so on, are usually not funded by them.

 I think sensible funding from the public purse is essential for charities to survive. I don't believe it makes us any less able to direct our work to where it is needed.

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West Northamptonshire Development Corporation

 After spending the day meeting Councillors and activists in the villages around Northampton, I have learnt about the incredible 'West Northamptonshire Development Corporation'.

 This rather harmless sounding organisation is actually an unelected body, established by the Government, who have authority to make decisions on all new developments greater than 50 houses.

 Local Councillors have quite rightly resisted Prescott's plans for massive new development around Northampton. They are concerned about flooding risks that are not yet answered, as well as the lack of infrastructure to cope with growth. Labour's answer to resistance? Appoint this body to take decisions away from elected representatives.

 On a side-note, yes, WNDC members are paid, and yes, the Chairman was appointed by Labour...

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At dinner last night

 I had a great evening with a London MP, and a friend who is a public speaking expert (both male, incidentally). They were saying that the Conservative Party needs 'good people' rather than 'diverse people'.

 It got me thinking - the point about diversity is that it enriches the experience and knowledge base of Parliament. Who is best able to speak about how it feels in a war zone? A soldier, of course. So who is best able to speak about the awful decision of whether to go back to work after childbirth? A mother, of course. This applies across the whole political sphere - that's why we need diversity. Diversity creates a vast library of information and understanding of the hundreds of issues that affect our daily life.

 In my opinion, diversity amongst our MPs can only lead to a more effective government.

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Stop criticising the priority list!

 The Priority List of Conservative candidates is all about achieving a greater diversity of candidates, who will in turn be able to better represent the British people as a whole - not just the white, middle class males of a certain age...

Well, so far so good! 30% of the Priority Listers selected for winnable seats are women, and 10% are from ethnic minority backgrounds. That's a better proportion than Labour have achieved after more than a decade of positive discrimination through women only shortlists.

 The media should stop carping on about how unsuccessful the strategy is, and start celebrating what is a genuine move towards broader representation.

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Conservative Party logo idea

 Labour's logo is a red rose... so how about a can of weed killer?

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Life for a new parliamentary candidate...

 It occurs to me that the reason I haven´t blogged much (actually not at all) since my selection for South Northamptonshire, is that I am so aware that everything I say and do is likely to be taken and used against me at a future time...

 Like any new candidate, I so want to do a good job, representing the people who live in the new constituency, and improving their lives. Also, like any new candidate I want to make a difference to the country we live in, to change the world to become a better place. It´s a tall order, and made much more difficult when it seems that expressing any view means you will be held to it by the media, even if circumstances change.

 I will have to take the plunge soon, and start blogging on political subjects. The `first night´ nerves are passing, but I live in hope that politicians will, in the future, be allowed, like normal people, to change their minds when the circumstances change.

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Isnīt Portugal in the EU too?

 I'm on a family holiday in Portugal, and took my kids to a Marine Park yesterday. My eldest son gets migraines and I didn´t have any ibuprofen on me, so of course, as soon as we got there he complained that his head was starting to ache.

 I went straight to the first aid room, expecting, like in England, to be turned away because health and safety regulations meant that they couldn´t actually give me any medicine, or even a sticking plaster, in case of allergies. Imagine my amazement when the helpful first aider took my son´s name, and then gave me 2x200g of ibuprofen and a glass of water. She actually trusted that Mum knew best.

 Portugal joined the EU more than 20 years ago - how come they manage to keep some common sense, when all over England, our theme park staff are not allowed to trust parents to take care of their own children?

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Thank you to South Northamptonshire!

 Last night I had the great honour and pleasure of being selected as the 'shadow' Conservative Candidate for the new constituency of South Northamptonshire. Around 120 Conservative members attended the special general meeting at Whittlebury Hall, and Tim Boswell, MP for Daventry, was also there.

 It takes me a step closer to fulfilling the ambition I have held since my school days; that of becoming a Conservative Member of Parliament, contributing to a new era of hope and optimism for the people of Britain, under a Conservative Government.

 To be selected in Northamptonshire is, for me, coming home. My grandparents lived here, my mother grew up in Ashton, and my father went to Magdalen College School in Brackley. Most of my childhood summer holidays were spent on the Grand Union canal, on a long boat!

 I would like to sincerely thank the Association members for voting for me last night. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks and months, meeting local people, finding my way around, and introducing my family to our new life. I am particularly grateful to Tim Boswell for his warm welcome, and to the many members and officers who have offered help and support.

 Finally, I would like to wish Damian and Andrew, the other candidates yesterday, the best of luck in their next interviews. In spite of the inevitable tension of the selection process, we took the opportunity to get to know one another, and I feel sure they will both be successful in finding a good constituency in the near future.

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Grand house clearance sale on June 3rd

 Geraldine Peers of BBC South will be opening the Grand House Clearance Sale in aid of OXPIP this Saturday, June 3rd, at 10am. The sale will take place at 5 Victoria Road, Summertown, the home of the late Sir John and Lady Johnstone.

 Expect to see amazing bargains on antiques, memorabilia, books, and crockery.

 Please come and support OXPIP.

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Women Speakers Club

 Soon to be launched... the 'Women 2 Win' Speakers Club! The plan is to invite constituencies that are looking for a speaker to register on the 'W2W' website. They will then be introduced to one or more women from the candidates list who are able to give a speech on the chosen subject.

 If you are a woman candidate and want to get involved then log onto www.women2win.com for more information.

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Seminar on Childcare Bill

 The Conservative Party invited over 50 councillors from all over England to Westminster, to hear about how the Childcare Bill will affect the responsibilities of local councils.

 One of the speakers was Jill Kirby, who has written a booklet on the 'nationalisation' of childhood. She's quite right - it's terrifying how this government is trying to stand between parents and their children in so many areas. You only have to look at the educational and social outcomes for 'looked after children' to get a feel for how bad the State is as a surrogate parent.

 The Childcare Bill itself puts a duty on councils to provide childcare for all pre-school children. Furthermore, the definition of childcare in the bill excludes care by parents, grandparents and friends! Just to top it all off, there will not be any extra money available to pay for this enormous new responsibility.

 Several councillors observed that in going for a 'one size fits all' policy to childcare, the most vulnerable children are often the ones that get left out. As Conservatives, we should leave it up to parents to get on with the job of bringing up their children, and instead focus our efforts and resources on the minority of children who truly need state intervention to give them an equal chance in life.

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Raising money for OXPIP!

 Thank you to the many people who sponsored the Goring 10km run that my husband Ben, my friend Maria and I did for OXPIP. In the end we raised over £8,000! The money will go directly to funding counselling treatment for parents who are struggling with their babies. If you want to know more about OXPIP, please use the link from this weblog to their website.

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Wheelie bins

 You can now get a wheelie bin for green waste from SODC. It costs £29 a year to subscribe, and in return the bin is delivered to you, and emptied every other week, alongside your normal waste collection.

 A number of people have asked me why we have gone down this route, rather than the old eco sacks and skips. Of course it's all about cost. The old methods of collecting green waste were costing up to four times the cost of wheelie bins. Keeping council taxes down means looking at how to improve services as well as reduce costs. The reason for the annual charge is to make sure those in flats and houses with small or no gardens are not having to subsidise those with a large garden.

 I would be really pleased to hear your comments on how the service is working for you.

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Fair Mile development, Cholsey

 I went to visit the old Fair Mile Hospital in Cholsey, at the invitation of English Partnership. They wanted to explain their plans for redevelopment to the local Councillors.

 The old buildings look derelict now, and the place had a sad feel to it. It's hard to imagine how it can be brought back to life for the hundreds of new families who will be living there in the future. The plans are ambitious - to knock down all the ugly, utilitarian bits, and to restore the original main buildings to their (Victorian?) splendour.

 English Partnership want the new development to house a similar number of residents to Moulsford (roughly 450), whilst also being totally 'green'. Building materials will be recycled if possible and all sourced from the local area. Although it does sound like a fascinating scheme, there are worries that it could be controversial for local people.

 The big worry is the infrastructure - with Cholsey Primary School at capacity, and the GP surgery closed down, it will be a challenge to accomodate possibly hundreds of new families.

 What do you think? We certainly need the new homes in the area, particularly 'affordable' ones, and the site needs urgent attention if it's to be saved.

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