I don’t believe that leaving the EU altogether presents the best option for the UK. I think we should seek fundamental reform at EU level, something that is now possible because of the eurozone crisis that has made the status quo an unrealistic option for all EU members...... only if we are unsuccessful in our reform efforts should we consider leaving. The process of leaving, potentially taking up to 3 years to negotiate out of the complex web of agreements and treaties would have, I believe, a terrible impact on our economy. The opportunity cost of leaving is also high – the UK is the biggest EU recipient of foreign direct investment – we are attractive to investors because we speak English, we have good contract law, and above all, we are a stop off point to a market of 300m people. I do completely appreciate the concerns you raise regarding the freedom of movement across Europe and the strain on our resources that this allows. Reform is needed urgently. As you point out, mass migration from Romania and Bulgaria could create a huge added strain on our deficit reduction plan not to mention our National Health Service and welfare system alike and this is why I am pleased to see that the Ministerial Cabinet committee, chaired by the Immigration Minister Mark Harper, is assessing the rules on legal and illegal migrants’ access to public services and benefits. It is assessing the ‘pull factors’ which attract low-skilled immigration to the UK as well as examining the entitlements to benefits and NHS treatment which EU citizens who come to Britain without a job have. As Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for European Reform, I have recently presided over an enquiry into this issue and plan to produce a series of recommendations for the Government in the next couple of weeks. The papers will be posted onto the www.eufreshstart.org website, along with all the other reform proposals we have made. Lastly, regarding the ever-growing threat of UKIP, I agree that the Conservative Party need to recognise the dissatisfaction of the general public with our current relationship with the EU but I do not believe that we should be scare mongered into leaving the EU prematurely because of the electoral threat of UKIP. The Conservative Party need to act in the best interest of the County, not the Party, and I wholeheartedly believe that serious reform to our relationship with the EU offers us the best prospects.
- Andrea

I remember the news about the cycle way down the A5. No sane person would attempt to cycle down the A5 in traffic. Holland has the best policy for cycles with seperate cycle tracks by the side of roads with a verge in between the track and road (not just a white line as down the A5). Every generation in Holland cycles in great numbers. It is very safe to cycle there. In the UK idiot car and lorry drivers makes cycling a lottery and downright dangerous.
- kevin pullan

Angela, DFT figures released today show a 8% rise in cyclist casualties in Q3 2012, are you going to ask questions on these or even sit in on the latter two sessions of the get britain cycling enquiry, your views I am sure would be welcome.
- Harry Klondite

As you requested I tabled a question to the Department for Transport regarding the disheartening figures you brought to my attention. Please find below the response I received from Norman Lamb and hope that you will be pleased to see that the Department do take the safety of cyclist very seriously and have recently invested heavily to improve cycling infrastructure. I hope that you find this information helpful and I would like to assure you that I too believe the safety of cyclists is paramount and am pleased to see the Government taking prominent action to improve the current trend. If you would like me to send you the paper copy of the response please feel free to contact my office. QUESTION: 141N To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the rise in cyclist casualties in the third quarter of 2013 compared to the same period in 2011; and what plans he has to address that issue. [146245] ANSWER: Norman Baker We take cycle safety very seriously and we are working hard to reduce the number of cyclist casualties. The rise in the number of cyclists seriously injured may be at least in part due to the increase in cycling we have seen in recent years and we will continue to progress initiatives to improve cycle safety. We have announced £107 million additional investment in cycling infrastructure over the last year including £35 million to tackle dangerous junctions for cyclists across the country. We launched a THINK! Cycle safety last September and have also made it simpler for councils to out in lace 20mph zones and limits and install Trixi mirrors to improve the visibility of cyclists at junctions.
- A Leadsom MP

Angela, well done for asking the question, I am sure you have noted Norman Baker's response to the question of how many direct conversations he has had with the Prime Minister over this subject when asked at the Enquiry. I can assure you it was the same number I have had. Could you make sure you lobby on this right to the top of your party. The £107m is a good step in the right direction however, the average cost of a motorway is £151m a mile so you can see this figure is but a drop in the ocean.
- Gary McDibble

Angela, you will be aware of the report having come out this week. Do you support it's recomendations? I would hate to think you are happy to stick with the dreadful status quo.
- Richard harpington

I totally agree. We pensioners with savings are subsidising the Banks and Building societies Which created the mess we are in and also all home buyers with mortgages. We should gang together and bombard our politicians with letters and emails to let them know what we really think of their incompetence Jack Swainston
- Jack Swainston

26 years ago this route was log jammed and today it still every time the M1 is blocked. I believe that Lord Hesketh over 20 years ago offered to build a by pass in return for planning permission. Towcester is still one of the worst towns to try and get through when traffic is heavy. Luckily locals know many ways of sidestepping the main high streets. Perhaps instead of adding to the traffic by developing the Moat Area and locating the remnants of the SNDC there the money would have in most people's eyes been better spend on a by-pass that really is needed.
- Kevin Pullan

In the future everything is going to cost a whole lot more as Quantitative Easing causes rampant inflation. I don't know how pensioners are going to be able to buy food and pay bills when electricity, gas and a loaf of bread cost 300% more.
- Doug

Additional to this I fail to see how building housing can kick start the economy when the people cannot afford to buy them and so called affordable housing is only affordable for the first buyer. I do feel that there are a number of people in goverment including the prime minister and the chancellor, who consider that the lower and middle class electorate, quite a few of whom voted them into power consider us as though we do not count.. At least that is the impression that I get.
- John Bird

I commute to work from Hunsbury to St Albans in Hertfordshire, which means I spend around two hours a day on the M1. I'd say the speed limit is largely ignored by the majority of motorway users and agree that the 70mph limit only serves to distract those that drive at faster speeds. I feel that there is something more important to be done about motorway driving, in any case. Drivers need to be educated as to how to behave on a motorway. The biggest cause of congestion are slower drivers taking up the lanes other than the left one. There seems to be a stigma about driving in the left lane (perceived as the "slow lane") and this is what causes so many problems. I'm a relatively new driver, and I wasn't taught about the etiquette of motorways at all - indeed, it's illegal for learners to even enter them. I can't help but feel that all the money being poured into opening new lanes and extensions would be better spent educating road users to make proper use of the lanes. Opening new lanes does nothing for congestion. All I've noticed is that cars get into this temporary new lane, only to cause congestion further on when they have to get out of the new lane. The mind boggles. "Stay in left lane unless overtaking" - how difficult is that slogan to absorb?
- Nicola Jarvis

I got into University just in time before the fees were increased. I graduated in 2008 and of course, there was no job for me to go to. I now work full-time as a library assistant for the council on very low pay that has nothing to do with my degree. Four years later, I haven't paid a penny back of my tuition fees because I do not earn enough and my fees are simply increasing with every statement that comes through. What confuses me is that there are less jobs than ever for graduates, and yet they increase the fees, which means an increase in the amount of money the government is paying out. The majority of graduates won't get a job in this current climate and therefore not pay the money back. I fail to see where the investment pays off for the government or the country as a whole? I think a change in conditions will be necessary in due course in order for this to ever make sense. I don't have an answer to your query, of course; just general anger that the fees were increased to such extortionate amounts. I thought my generation had it bad enough (I'm 27) but I see it's not getting any easier for those who come after me. Here I am with a debt, scraping by on a public sector wage with not a penny saved to buy my own home as it all goes on private rent. My partner and I have been emotionally ready to get married and start a family for years, but we can't gain the financial stability to give us the confidence to do so. It's depressing.
- Nicola Jarvis

Every student signing up to a loan has accepted that at any time in the future any aspect of their repayment terms may be changed. All present gaurentees of fairness are worthless! Scottish and Welsh students subsidised by the English taxpayer will owe nothing. One United Kingdom with educational apartheid. I estimate my daughter will owe over £100000 within 7 years of graduating yet every student guide does not give the true figures. Most teachers for example will never earn over £40000 never mind £50k plus
- Kevin Pullan

Hi Andrew, Andrea would be delighted to attend and will do her best to be there. Could you get in touch with us directly either by giving us a call or dropping us an email to arrange the details? You can find Andrea's contact details in the 'Contacts' section. Kind regards, Marc
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

Hi Alasdair,I fully accept that suicide, assisting or encouraging suicide, assisted dying and euthanasia are all subjects on which it is entirely possible for people to hold widely different but defensible opinions. This is why the substance of the law in this area is not a matter of party politics but of conscience and if the law were to be altered there would be a free vote. There has been a debate recently in Parliament regarding this issue but specifically on the Director of Public Prosecutions policy on whether it is in the public interest to prosecute those that assist or encourage dying. The DPP’s guidelines are primarily concerned with advising CPS prosecutors about the factors which they need to consider when deciding whether it is in the public interest to prosecute a person for assisting or encouraging another to commit suicide. In the Commons debate, the DPP’s guidelines were commended as being a compassionate and measured way of dealing with one of the most emotionally-charged crimes in the statute book. They do not change the law; assisting or encouraging suicide has not been decriminalised. What they do is offer guidance to CPS prosecutors about how, in any given case, the criminal law should be applied. It also has to be remembered that by law only the DPP can authorise a prosecution under Section 2 of the Suicide Act. In the debate, the House of Commons unanimously endorsed the DPP’s guidelines without a vote. This is the first time that it has ever taken such a position in respect of choices at the end of life. I agree with the public interest factors contained in the DPP’s policy. The act of assisting another to commit suicide can include a range of motivations from, for example, malicious encouragement of suicide for financial gain to the compassionate assistance to a loved one who expressly and genuinely wants to die but can only do so with another’s help. The application of the law should be flexible enough to distinguish the facts and circumstances of one case from another and, to this end, the DPP’s policy offers important and sensitive guidance. Inevitably there will be constituents who share and others who disagree with my views; the subject does not comfortably accommodate compromise. Nevertheless, I am sure there is some common ground. Coping with terminal illness is distressing and difficult both for the patient and their families. Everyone would agree that terminally ill patients should receive the highest quality palliative support and end-of-life care, and that they and their families should be certain that their end-of-life care will meet all of their needs. With that in mind I welcome the Department of Health’s End of Life Care Strategy which is intended to improve access to good quality palliative care and encourage the Government further to develop specialist palliative care and hospice provision. With best wishes, Andrea
- Andrea

The cost of using a bicycle hasn't gone up a penny, perhaps use one of these instead?
- Angela

What an interesting and constructive reply. Clearly you have put time and effort into my issue and as a sixteen year old interested in politics you have truly set a great example on how to show your representative public that you really care about our issues. Sarcastic, witty comments only lose you votes, they do not gain public confidence for yourself or your party. Perhaps you should cycle one of the journeys I highlighted in my previous comment to experience just how easy and quick they are? Then you could walk around one of the areas for a further few hours whilst doing some shopping or socializing? After this I recommend that you cycle back and see whether you can actually make it back before nightfall and whether you fall off your bike into the road due to exhaustion? Thankyou for your precious time.
- Brett

Hi Brett, can I just be sure that you are aware that the comment in response to your original post was posted by someone called 'Angela' and not Andrea Leadsom? Andrea has not commented on your original post. We will, of course, be happy to respond to your points but, as is mentioned at the top of the page, it would be best to contact Andrea directly by using the details found in the 'Contacts' section. Many thanks, Marc
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

Ah I apologise, I shall contact her directly
- Brett

What ever happened before Ofsted I wonder?
- kevin pullan

I think childminders do a superb job, and particularly for under twos, I think they are much better than nurseries in that they are closer to a family setting. I know the government wants to take steps to encourage childminders and parents to expand this area, and I would be happy to hear your ideas on it. best wishes Andrea
- andrea

An update to my own post if I may... A member of an online forum that I frequent has posted an appeal/petition very similar but going further than the one I linked to. Here's the thread. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/general-10/uk-residents-937312/
- Richard Clinker

Thanks Richard. Very interesting comments.
- Andrea

I don't know the answer to that, but will write a parliamentary question to DEFRA for their comments
- Andrea

Many thanks I look forward to seeing what DEFRA have to say.
- John Bird

Hi John, we have now received an answer to your question regarding water desalination plants. I hope it is helpful. - Andrea Leadsom (South Northamptonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered use of sea water desalination plants in order to alleviate the drought affecting parts of the UK. - Richard Benyon: All water companies have drought plans that set out the actions they will take to manage drought and are following these. They are also planning ahead to consider actions that may be needed to manage a prolonged drought. Water companies plan through their water resources plans to balance supply and demand over the long term and condsider all option through an appraisal process to identify a preferred programme. Large scale infrastructure projects such as sea water desalination plants can have a long lead in time and desalination is expensive in energy and green house gas emissions compared to other options. One company, Thames Water, has an operational desalination plant, which treats brackish water drawn from the Thames, and has the capacity to produce sufficient potable water for one million people. No other companies have identified desalination plants as a preferred option for balancing supply and demand.
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

Thankyou. I will not comment further as my views on privatised companies are perhaps negative.
- John Bird

thanks so much Geoffrey. Great to hear from you, and particularly that all is not so dismal as the press reports each day!
- andrea

Dear Linda, I'm so sorry to hear that. I know how proud you are of your son, and I really do hope that you can find a way to keep him at training. I have wondered how you are, and it's a shame you can't work any longer. I do hope things improve, and let me know if there is anything you think I could do to help. How about sports sponsorship from SNC or the County? x
- Andrea

Thank you Andrea we are keeping our heads above water at moment but have just received another very large blow I have sent another post re: Employment and support allowance :-(
- Andrea

I certainly support the Times Campaign.
- Andrea

You are quite right that HS2 will use far more fuel than classic rail....this is clear from the DfT's own assessments. I also agree with you that the calculations of future profitability of the line is impossible to predict. You will see plenty of evidence of my own views on HS2 on my website.
- Andrea

Dear Wendy, I am sorry to hear of the problems you have been experiencing. You are more than welcome to come and see Andrea and she will be happy to look into this matter for you. If you click on the 'contacts' section at the top of this website you will find a list of Andrea's upcoming advice surgeries and drop-in surgeries. No appointment is needed for the drop-in surgeries and the constituency office can make you an appointment at the next advice surgery if you give them a call on 01604 859721. Alternatively you are welcome to write to Andrea by letter to Andrea Leadsom MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA or email andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk or use the contact us section under 'contacts'. I hope this is helpful. Kind regards Marc
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

Please do contact my office (01604 859721) if you would like to meet and discuss your situation with me. I will be happy to try and help in any way I can.
- Andrea

Perhaps you would like to consider the experience of the people in this news story - they feared the worse when a wind farm was proposed, but now even the strongest opponents have admitted they were wrong. http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/wrong-turbine-noise-admit-protesters/story-13713002-detail/story.html
- Helen

Helen, thanks for your message. The information regarding Northamptonshire not being a windy county comes from the Office of National Statistics which found between 2004 and 2009, on average, Northamptonshire was the second least windiest county in the country.
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

Many thanks for your answer Marc, I really appreciate the fact that you took time to answer my question. However, I'm still struggling to find the relevant information - please could point me in the direction of the specific information relating to this on the ONS website? Thank you.
- Helen

Dear Helen, sorry for the delay in replying to you. The information was used around a year ago for a speech Andrea did in Parliament. I am also now having trouble finding the actual report where the figures came from; however, I will find it and forward it to you. Do please bear with me.
- Marc Pooler (Parliamentary Researcher)

I agree Martin, Simon Burns' remarks were loutish. But on the other hand he's demonstrated that for all this government's talk of listening to public opinion and ePetitions and the like, they hold the electorate in contempt and and unwilling to listen to their views.
- Helen

I did vote for an EU Referendum...please have a look at my news page on this website for more information.
- Andrea

Thank you for your comments. I'm keen that as many as possible write/email me at andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk or at House of Commons, London SW1A OAA to make their views clear, so that I can pass this onto the Department for Transport.
- Andrea

Northamptonshire CC has successfully bid for Government funding for the rolling out of Superfast Broadband in the County and I am in contact with them seeking some of that money to be sent towards rural S Northants. I agree with you that it is a key issue if we are to get our economy going again.
- Andrea

yes we need faster broadband in silverstone sometimes mine is so slow i cannot watch videos for my OU degree course .I am guessing the circuit here in silverstoen has its own fast internet.
- jane

I agree with you Richard, and I think the fact that offenders have gone to prison shows that they have not been dealt with any more lightly than other thieves. Parliament should not get any special treatment.
- Andrea

I agree.
- Annie

I was a keen supporter of the Northampton Enterprise Zone - delighted to hear that we have won the tender, as it will bring big advantages to the town, including the Saints prospects for development. I'm also supporting Tresham College's bid to build a University Technical College at Silverstone Circuit that will train 14-19 year olds in Motorsport and Hospitality....another potentially enormous boost to local economy. Sorry if the website doesn't cover everything I do - pls look at 'Andrea's News' as it tends to be a summary of all the many campaigns. The Wind Farm, HS2 and Planning tabs are there because they are without doubt the 3 biggest problems for this area.....
- Andrea

I too find your negative attitude very disappointing. You give yourself away by using the word 'problem'. Why not 'issue'? You may see these things as 'problems', but not everyone does. I'm sure that the proposed University Technical College will be an enormous boost to the local economy - but will it be an enormous boost to local 14-19 year olds when you factor in higher tuition fees and the loss of the EMA?
- Helen

I completely agree Steve!!
- Andrew Lewis

Absolutely. I have a 'drop in' surgery on Friday 5 September at Towcester Farmer's market if you want to have a chat about it.
- Andrea

As this is a 'private' issue, please would you email me at andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk ? Thank you
- Andrea

The planned increase to the state pension is a total disgrace in that many pensioners like myself and my wife have paid in full for our state pensions. My wife even paid for extra years to make sure she received the full state pension. This new scheme is '' giving'' the new pension to people who will only have to pay NI for 30 years. It will create a new second class pensioner group and should be re-considered immediately. I will fight tooth and nail to have this decision reversed. It is also age discrimination which is illegal in the UK!
- Harry Robinson

It is incredibly difficult to bring in reforms, and impossible to bring them in if it means backdating for all those who have already retired. I have had several letters on this subject and am very sympathetic, but the cost of trying to include all existing pensioners would be prohibitive.
- Andrea

Personally, and having a 15 year old son myself, I don't think 16 year olds (with some notable exceptions) have enough experience of life or maturity to have the vote. Interestingly, I went to a debate at Magdalen College secondary school at Brackley where the top two years (ages 16-18) held a debate on precisely that issue and voted overwhelmingly against reducing the voting age to 16!
- Andrea

I would like to know how the bus service is now? I've written to NCC numerous times on different bus services, and I think their planned taxi buses are a good option that could work well in rural areas. I'm not sure what has happened specifically in Hartwell and so do let me know if I can help at all
- Andrea

Would you be able to email me separately about this please, with more details including the name of the Street? I can then take it up with NCC on your behalf.
- Andrea

I am well aware of the dreadful problems Tiffield has with roads, and also the access to the A43. I have recently written again to Highways Authority on the matter.
- Andrea

It is already a travesty that children in Towcester and the surrounding villages have to travel crazy distances to school (Towcester to Paulerspury and Silverstone to Roade) due to local schools already being over subscribed. How can these guys even consider building new homes when to be honest we don’t need any? I think this type of development should be binned until our current issues are resolved.
- James

I heard about this on the radio. What a nonsense. I have to suffer the traffic issues every morning and has anybody tried to get a doctors appointment on the day that they are ill? We don't have any jobs in the area; doctors and dentists are full; the roads are a nightmare and now we have more hosues being built. I thought all this type of development was being canned by the conservatives!!! Am I alone in thinking this is madness?
- Mike - Towcester

I'm delighted that the decision has been deferred. Please let me know if I can help when it comes back to committee.
- Andrea Leadsom

What action will YOU as our MP be taking to support the residents of south Northants in this proposal to build 1000 homes betwen Brackmills and Wootton.
- Peter Barley

I agree with you, but how long will it take for the decision makers to see sense? In these times of cut backs, would we mind having the lights turned off for a while? No not really!
- Sean

Allelujah! I thought it was only I who thought this. The A5 roundabout at Stony Stratford (hope that's in our MP's patch?!) is the classic - drives me nuts sitting there waiting to drive onto an empty roundabout in the early mornings or late evenings! Costs fuel too!
- Nij

The nature of shopping in small towns like Brackley has changed for good. People with busy lives are not prepared to visit four of five shops to get their everyday food and electrical shopping etc., preferring the "one stop" supermarket. Their shopping habits have changed the face of our town centres for good. However, towns like Brackley are learning to re adjust to this reality and whist the town is very different to a number of years ago it is still alive in a new way. We moved to Brackley just over a year ago. Since moving in a total of 9 new shops have opened in Brackley. I think this is a very positive sign that Brackley is alive and well, but people will need to use these shops if we are to ensure they stay open and more come on stream.
- Mike

When Andrea was on her walkabout before the elections I asked her what she thought about Brackley 'dying'. She assured me that plans were in place to improve the town. I cannot see any improvements since they got in and I believe it has got worse. I dread to think what visiters to the area think.
- Chris

People parking on your grass, get a wheel clamp.
- Dave

Although there is little one can do about people parking outside ones house (as this is the public highway and not private land) I understand the frustration of your situation...not least the disappointment at just how inconsiderate people can be. I have recently been looking into ways to stop people parking on privately owned land at the rear of my property only to discover that the Protection of Freedoms Bill, currently being read by parliament, will render me even more powerless as I will not even be able to contract a reputable clamping company to deter rogue parkers. If this Bill is passed, clamping and towing away of vehicles on private land will be outlawed.
- Jones

I have used homeopathy, and have a good friend who is a trained homeopath. As to its funding in the NHS, I think for taxpayers' money to be spent, there needs to be evidence of its usefulness. I am not sure what the status is of research into homeopathy, but would be grateful for your advice.
- Andrea Leadsom

Evidence suggests that homeopathic remedies work no better than placebo. However, the placebo effect is very real, especially when the remedy is taken after a consultation with a sympathetic homeopath who had more time to listen and ask questions than your average over-stretched GP. Perhaps rather than spend money on what are effectively sugar-pills, the NHS should put more resource into GP services. For more info on the scientific evidence, read the relevant chapter in Ben Goldacre's highly readable 'Bad Science'
- Kate

There are two arguments here. First, the economic one. Homeopathy costs the NHS (ie us) about £4m per year, which is about what the NHS spends on wigs for cancer patients. These wigs have undoubted value to cancer patients, as does homeopathic treatment - even in the event that it is just a placebo. Take away the homeopathy and the UK drugs bill will soar (and it is the drugs companies that fuel the anti-homeopathy faction). Second, the research argument that claims that homeopathy is no better than a placebo. My wife is being treated for systemic sclerosis with a combination of immuno-suppressants and steroids. The large scale studies carried out in UK and USA conclude that there is no statistically-significant difference between the treatment and a placebo, yet it is the NHS treatment of choice. Why? Because some people get major benefits from it - just like homeopathy - just not enough to make it 'proveable'. I am not a proponent of Homeopathy, but I do wish that its detractors would come up with a more reasoned argument, instead of the hysterical nonsense spouted by its detractors.
- Andrew Barnes

What are the facts? Do we know how many illegal immigrants are in the South Northamptonshire area? Do we know what effects immigration has had on the area, good or bad?
- Richard

What makes you think they are illegal? Immigrants may be from the EU or the rest of the world
- Concerned

Conservative policy is to introduce a quota and a points system for non - EU immigrants. The quota would be set in the tens of thousands and the points system would ensure only those with skills we need in Britain would be allowed entry. We would also introduce 24/7 border control to stop illegal immigration, and would scrap the 'multiculturalism' policies of the last decade - immigrants wanting to settle here would need to learn English and to adapt to our history and culture.
- Andrea Leadsom

With millions out of work, and with more to suffer that fate. Why do we need any immigrants, with the recent flood from eastern europe at least we are now allowed to talk about immingration without being called racists. The UK is one of the most over populated counties on the planet enough is enough. Please stop the ever increasing population before it its to late. Regards Paul P.S It may all ready be to late.
- Paul

Good comments all round but...please Andrea, just when will the Gov't get round to doing this? I might add that my concerns extend to 'legal' immigration too; the country is over-populated for such a small island, farming land is being gobbled up at a rate that will see it not only become an eyesore but fail to produce adequate produce in times of need...and I am beginning to tire of seeing our own native culture, language and beliefs effectively diluted. This is no longer the country I vowed to defend 20 years ago on taking the Queen's Shilling, but as I continue proudly to serve (assuming we have an Army rather than a defence force in 4 years Andrea?), I will wonder more and more for whom and why I and my colleagues take risk. It may be that this govt will need to make itself desperately unpopular in certain quarters to achieve this but it seems to be coping so far with the teddy-throwing bleatings of that element!
- Nij

No your wrong Andrea, you are weak on quotas, policy and any sort of control over immigration. You are out of touch a bit. Basically you just have to roll up and state your life is in dnager if customs & immigration try to send you back. I watched one border control television program where a Nigerian gentleman in his early 40's claimed he was only 13 - clearly not the case. But immigration control had to send him off to a childrens home so that his age could be assesed - gues what hapeen next - bye bye - never to be seen again. There is no amount of spin you can but on things that would convince UK citizens that you have control over immigration.
- Neville Brown

Sorry but this thread is the most ill informed I have come across. Our region and our country is not one of the most over populated by a long long way. Maybe you need to stop reading the daily mail. You have lost a vote here. Also on the subject why have I seen any evidence of canvassing in Brackley, UKIP are the only party making an effort unfortunately and you will probably lose Brackley as your area.
- Craig Sanders

There are not enough NHS dentists. Towcester recently got a new NHS dentist, and Brackley needs the same. A Conservative Government will seek reform of the EU, rather than to leave it altogether. The 300 million people in the EU are a valuable market for our own businesses and we don't believe it is in our interests to simply walk away. However, reform is essential. Please have a look at the EU 'tab' on this website.
- Andrea Leadsom