Blair to undergo heart treatment

"If I am elected I would serve a full third term. I do not want to serve a fourth term."

How long before he is seen as a lame duck Prime Minister? I wish him good health tomorrow but the fight for his succession starts now. When he loses at the next election the Labour party will implode and who knows what will happen to the party then as the choice becomes between a right of centre party and two left of centre parties.

The Postage Police

I see there has been quite a bit of a fuss about the Post Offices in Norfolk that are going to be allowed to handle crime complaints over their counters - basically acting as a reporting point.

I actually can see some sense in this. In my own ward where they are trying to close Post Offices because of the decline in over the counter trade. I can't help thinking that if some of this joined up thinking had been applied earlier then perhaps we would not be in such a mess. I do think you would need to seriously consider what function the Post Office should then retain and also find what things the Council could equally provide through the Post Office network.

I see my own party is arguing that whilst this is fine it should not be seen as a replacement for police officers on the beat. I gather that David Blunkett has today announced he wants to recruit more community support officers. I have said this before but community support officers are great for a small and clearly defined set of priorities. They are good at building police/community relations and as a day time presence for kids to interact with. However, PCSO's do not operate at night. Some go into the evening but all are finished by midnight. They also have no powers of arrest.

Why is Blunkett increasing the numbers of PCSO's and not real officers? Probably because of the cost as they are considerably cheaper. My view is that we should not have cheap policing but good policing and visible policing. That means paying for more police officers; the Conservatives estimate we need another 40,000 police officers to really begin to tackle crime and start increasing the arrest rates.

....and when we have arrested them apparently David Blunkett says today that he wants to have weekend only prisons and part time sentences. Sorry, that is not good enough. Criminals need to be punished and no array of liberal nonsense will change my view of that. For too long we have been worried about the criminal and what we can do to help them. I am not saying we should not do what we can to rehabilitate prisoners but under this Government we seem to have forgotten about the ordinary, law abiding, citizen who has to put up with the anti social behaviour, burglary and violent crime.

Straw justifies Mugabe handshake

What is it that makes our politicians get to Westminster and then find it so hard to say "Sorry" I got that wrong?

Chocolate Bars

Ok, I know I have mentioned this particular subject before but really this nanny state that Labour has created is going too far. Now they have it in for chocolate bars as they apparently make large size bars and they are not good for us.

What annoys me is that people are entitled to make this decision for themselves rather than have Nanny Blair go around telling us what we can and cannot do. In the past month we have had an attack on sugar, salt, smoking, drinking, chocolate and now chocolate bars. If people choose to eat chocolate and get fat, or even zits, then that is a choice for them. (Zits - yuk - sorry about that!)

Are we now to deprive everyone of any pleasure in life of which the Government does not approve? Are we treat everyone as idiots? Are we now to say that pubs can refuse to serve you beer on the basis that you have had a pint and the next one would push you over what they determione to be the maximum number of calories you are allowed?

Had back to back meetings today and tomorrow looks no better although have a meeting tomorrow evening with Michael Howard at the Campaign for Social Juctice.

The Surrey Comet

The local newspaper, Surrey Comet, is currently celebrating it's 150th year. I have had quite a history with the paper.

I can clearly remember it when the offices were in Church Street, Kingston. You could see the presses from the window although I am sure they never actually worked. Somewhere in the Surrey Comet archives must still be pictures of me from around the late 70's or early 80's when I was Oliver at Wimbledon Theatre with what was known as the New Malden Operatic Society (NEMCOM). No idea whether they are still around. They were fun days with some fun people and really started off my fascination with music and theatre.

Never knew where the nickname came from but the Comet became colloquially known as the "Vomet" but where or who started that I have no idea.

As papers go it has changed a fair bit but still has that local edge. In fact there has been some good stuff I have helped with over the last couple of weeks. Helping bring the issue of affordable housing to the fore when approached by some nurses at Kingston hospital was one. Another has been the issue over the actions of our militaristic parking wardens, good to see others have picked up the fight as well. I was told by the Councillor responsible that there was nothing wrong; well that's not the perception!

Another busy day ended with a reception and a dinner for some Council visitors from Oldenburg, Germany. Links have been forged with them over a number of years and it would be good to see it move beyond the rather informal position we have now.

Busy day tomorrow with delivering in the morning.

Lib Dem Claims

What a dull conference the Lib Dems have had. As befits a small third party they have had little coverage having been forced off the news a number of times by events around the world.

One thing puzzles me though?

In 1996 the Lib Dems controlled 55 Councils across the country. Today they control 30! I know they are told by their campaign handbook to exagerate but are they so out of touch with reality that they believe their own press when they say the party is making advances? So for the record:

The Conservatives control 152 Councils compared with Labour's 92 and the Liberal Democrat's 30. In addition, the Conservatives have 8052 councillors, Labour has 6680, and the Liberal Democrats 4695.

In the European elections the Lib Dems came fourth and in the June local elections they lost control of more Councils than they gained. Yes, they may win Parliamentary by elections but let's have that in perspective as a couple of elections fought on the single issue of Iraq does not make a Goevernment.

What the elections in June told us was that as the Labour Government becomes unpopular the Lib Dems are beginning to lose their way in the Conservative South. The Councils where they lost control in the main they lost to Conservatives.

The Lib Dems are a protest party and if you really want to rid this country of the Labour Government then voting Lib Dem is a waste of a vote.

What would you do?

I have included this link but there are a number of different links that tell the story of Ken Bigley.

This story is that of the Mother's plea. In the last days we have heard the son, the brother, the wife and Ken's pleas himself.

During the course of this I, like many, have been distressed by the public beheading of the two Americans and the awful anxious wait of Ken's family. During the course of the day I have tried to imagine myself in their position were it my son, my father or my wife in this awful position. The simple fact is that it is unimaginable.

And what of the position of Blair? This is very difficult. As leader of this country, whatever the rights or the wrongs of the war, he cannot give in to the threat of terrorism, even if he had the power to do so. Like me he probably imagines the awful position he would be in were it his family in that position. It is the weight of office and not the weight of the decision to go to war.

It has been a bit of a sombre day as I have thought of this situation and it has played on my mind. I get the feeling that all in the UK's thoughts are turned to the Bigley's and Iraq. Even those of no faith are I hope praying tonight.

Welfare Society not Welfare State

I support this idea.

I have been following the establishment of the Centre for Social Justice with some interest. Working in the Charity Sector I see some of the real damage done by social security hand outs as well as the very real benefits they can bring.

The poorest will always need supporting but their needs to be a conversation as to whether that is done by central Government, the expensive way, or by the voluntary sector, the less expensive way. Indeed it may be that what IDS's think tank is suggesting is a return to the delivery, properly funded, of social care by the same bodies who started the whole social care movement pre Beveridge.

Still there is a long debate to be had on this subject and it is something I will return to at some point. However, I do like the phrase "Welfare society not welfare state!".

Finished off the day with an interview for Radio Jackie. My eldest daughter was typically scathing as to why a pop music station listener would want to listen to a boring politician!!

The truth about the Lib Dems!

OK, I know this is going to get a stream of Lib Dems complaining under their 'anonymous' non de plume. But, I would be failing in my duty as a Conservative candidate were I not to report a mass market newspapers view of the Lib Dems.

Click on the title for the editorial or click here for the "snake" article.

Have fun reading!!

The truth on affordable housing

It is emerging that my fears on affordable housing are being found to be true.

If you recall I was contacted by some nurses who were finding they could not afford the newly built "affordable housing for key workers" because the prices were too high to start with. New flats in Kingston are now apparently costing £230k. Even with 50% shared equity schemes nurses and teachers cannot afford the mortgage of £115k on a salary of £25k. I raised the midwives concerns at a Council meeting and lo and behold two days later the Council officers consult legal Counsel on their position and instruct the developer and Housing Association to stop selling until they could determine what was an 'affordable house'. To make it worse the rumour is that city lawyers are buying the reserved key worker housing because the allocation gets released when no 'real' key workers come forward.

The Council appears on the surface to have made an awful mistake but we shall have to work through what can be done. Were it found that the Council had not determined what was meant by affordable housing then it really does cast into doubt the whole handling of this issue. As I have said elsewhere this Council has really got no policy to encourage keyworker housing. I am not even convinced that Government has yet sorted out what they mean by the definition.

We all need these people to live, work and stay in Kingston. Kingston is an expensive place to live. We know that to live here the cheapest accommodation needs a salary in excess of £55k per annum to gain a mortgage. I will not even start on the issue of the damage of Lib Dem local income tax on any house with a joint income over £35k!!

Busy day today. Long group meeting with some important items. It is starting to be an interesting Autumn. I look forward with hope.

Lib Dem lies on free personal care

Cannot believe they are at it again.

Charles Kennedy has put out another press release saying they will have free personal care when they in power. They will never be in power at Westminster but they are in Kingston.

What do they do here? - introduce 1000% increases in charges and means test. They not only now say one thing on one door step and another on the next door step but they even allow their Leader to make claims they know they have already betrayed.

Sugar, Spice and the Nanny state

It has been a busy few days what with Association meetings, deliveries and good news at work on future contracts.

However the most startling news has been the growth in people coming back to us from the Lib Dems. The reception on door steps has been good but the returns on surveying against how people pledged at the last election has shown a marked increase in those happy to declare they will vote Conservative.

I am fed up with this nanny state Government. Means tests, form filling, telling us to do this and to do that, the monitoring, the evaluation, the target setting etc etc etc. But now it has reached a point of no return.

Last week the Government told us we were all eating too much salt. This week they are launching a campaign to stop us eating sugar. One almost wonders what the point of being alive is if there are pleasures that we can no longer enjoy.

I do not smoke, and I never have. But there is something idiotic about trying to ban smoking in public places. I have been in the US where smoking is banned in roof top retaurants and where one side of the street is for smokers and the other non smokers. The reality is that this suppression, like that of hunters, should not be what Government is about. But it is the contradictions that are the most striking. Whilst some talk of banning smoking the Government encourages drinking by extending opening hours; is there a difference between smokers lung and drinkers livers? Someone, not sure whom, said that 'all actions have a consequence' and I am afraid that sometimes Government would be wise to heed this advice. For every decision to give up one habit there is always the human desire to start another. Habits are comforting and sometimes people need a comfort zone. So 'leave our sweet teeth alone!'

Still, one thing did make me laugh. The Lib Dem spokesman on health claimed that the Government was ignoring binge drinking that was damaging health and fuelling violence and saying that the Government needs to do something about it. What was the Lib Dem solution? - "Clear labelling with numbers of units should be mandatory." What are they talking about? If they have nothing to say it would be better to say nothing!

The Westminster Hunt

Today we had the ban on hunting with hounds forced through the commons. There are two aspects to this issue and I object to both of them.

The first is that a Government with a huge majority are forcing through a ban on an issue for which there is no public interest and all the while the public services are not improving and we are being taxed to the hilt. The Countryside Alliance will argue this is urban MP's forcing through a ban on the country; they may be right. But actually the urban dweller does not care less about the issue. No one I have spoken to in Kingston & Surbiton in the past few months has raised with me their passion to have hunting banned. Instead this is a desperate Blair offering slops to the backbenchers of his party. But it gets worse...Blair then complains that the House of Lords might overturn it and he will have to force it through using the Parliament Act. Well excuse me but who made a complete mess of the House of Lords by half reforming it? If he had done what the Conservatives had argued for, a fully elected Lord's, then their objections would have been legitimatised.

But what of the real issue? I am against a ban on hunting. The simple reality is that destroying the way of life of our countryside when not understanding the delicate balance that exists is ridiculous. I am an urbanite. I visit the countryside but would not have the knowledge to know what is best for it. I am also prepared to accept the advice that a ban on hunting will lead to much more cruel and slower deaths for the foxes through poisoning, gassing, snaring and shooting where death can be slow. Those who believe that the fox will no longer be killed are deluding themselves because they are vermin.

But this subject will divide parties. The two major parties did not have 100% support either way and the smaller parties such as the Lib Dems were split down the middle, although being cynical you needed to look at where their seats were as that may well have determined the way they voted!

Lib Dem Utopia

The Lib Dems annouced their pre, early, draft manifesto. Being cynical I wonder whether they rushed it out to try and clear up the confusion of some of the more junior MP's declaring they wanted to privatise the health service.

In any case my slamming of their policies would be construed as political so instead I will take you to a national daily newspaper that tells it as it clearly is:

"All that was missing was a promise that under Charles Kennedy's benign rule, chocolate truffles would sprout from every tree, and elves and fairies would bring us our breakfast in bed."

Ticket the elderly

Had a busy day today.

Early morning photocall at the Post Office in Chiltern Drive and then lots of catch up on post during the course of the day. Constant stream of letters from residents with all nature of issues.

Meetings in the afternoon and then a meeting of one of the Conservative Group think tanks at the Council. This was followed with a ward meeting in Old Malden looking at action days and events over the next few weeks. Great enthusiasm for really getting things moving, inspired by good results at the June elections.

In an earlier blog I talked about traffic wardens being too rigid in the issuance of tickets and that some flexibility needed to be built into the system. Lo and behold I find that the Evening Standard have run a story that says a Kingston traffic warden was sacked because he refused to give a ticket to an elderly couple who he allowed to park on a double yellow line whilst the disabled husband got out of the car! If this is true it is absolute nonsense and the Council should be questioning whether it should be connected with such a lack of compassion.

Post Offices

Busy few days. Saturday had an Association lunch (60 people) and today had a family lunch with my parents-in-law. I also sing in the choir of Kingston Parish Church and this was our first Sunday back after the Summer hols.

The bad news is the proposed closure of three post offices in Kingston & Surbiton; one in Old Malden and two in Berrylands (Chiltern Drive and Berrylands Road). The really crazy closures are those of Old Malden and Berrylands Road, which both serve the elderly communities around them.

We will of course fight this closure as it is clearly mad. Given these campaigns are sometimes(though rarely) won it does make me think though that maybe the solution should be to make other provision, maybe from the Council, as a service to their residents. Stamps can now be purchased anywhere but what of the community feeling for the elderly pensioner who does not want their pension paid into a bank account?

One would hope that this type of campaign could be cross party, as no one agrees with the closure, but I suppose that will not happen. Interestingly the Lib Dems policy on the Post Office is to privatise it; something neither the Thatcher or Major Governments attempted. Trouble with the Lib Dem policy is that the reason they are closing thse Post Offices is they are losing money. Do the Lib Dems believe that privatising them will make them less likely to close non profitable Post Offices?

I believe that we need to find a new way of providing community services that are truly local and local authorities need to be given the power to innovate and attempt a birth of a new type of lcoal delivery of services.

Housing and crack dens

I heard today that a Kingston crack den that had been closed for three months under new legislation has reopened because the Council did not evict the tenants. I hope to God this is not true because the Police have invested a good deal of time telling residents around the den that the occupants would not be returning. Given the council Leaders stance on this it appears that he will have a good deal to answer for should this prove to be true.

Investigations continue and I will let you know what happens.

Eastminsters

You really could not make this up Blair soap opera stuff up! Clearly the very thought of Gordon Brown taken over made Blair break into a sweat and hardened his determination until someone other than Brown could be lined up to take over.

It's funny but my childhood recollections of when Margaret Thatcher reshuffled were that she really went for large scale changes. Again, it may be rose tinted spectacles but I am sure we never had only one Chancellor and two Foreign Secretaries in Thatcher's first two terms. But there we go, suppose it is the price of making deals in restaurants! (Of course having checked my facts I note thee Conservative Chancellors were in post for approx four years, with the exception of Nigel Lawson who was longer. As for Foreign Secretaries there were 6, including the short time John Major had the job)

Long day at work today. Had three meetings to attend; Conservative association, Citizen's Advice Bureau and Surbiton Neighbourhood meeting. The Neighbourhood meeting went on interminably. There must be something that can be done to speed these things up. If the length of meeting was commensurate with the amount of power we have then that would be fine but our power is pretty limited.

The minister for families and parking in Kingston

Having lost one member of your cabinet because they want to "spend more time with their family" is it not odd that you bring back another who only a short while ago resigned to "spend more time with his family". The people of this country are not stupid. What they see is a divided and confused Government more concerned with their own internal rows than running the country.

Tonight we had a council meeting debating car parking in Kington. The Lib Dems would have us agree to their being no new parking spaces in Kingston despite them signing up with a developer who wants to add 20% extra shops in Kingston. Madness, do we really want to kill retail in Kingston? The most complaints I get from Kingston residents is that shopping in Kingston is a nightmare because you cannot park. Facts and figures are one thing but a reputation is another!!

Good day but far too late to bed because catching up with correspondance.

Pensions Crisis or Taxation Grabbing?

I am fairly young - just - on the cusp - as it were!!

I put away money in a pension every month like a large number of people do. But the political agenda that appears to be emerging at the moment is around the punishment of those who took the sensible approach of saving all their lives.

Pensions have been hit massively by the changes Gordon Brown brought in; raiding pension funds by £5bn. As if to make matters worse they also then means test so that those who have saved and paid taxes in their working lives get hit again in their retirement lives. Is there anything more demeaning to a proud elderly person than having their affairs raked over through means testing?

Then look at what the Lib Dems did last week. Not only charge higher amounts to those with savings but also means test to check what they claim they have as income.

But what is at the root of all these claims is taxation. The simple fact is that Gordon Brown would not have needed to raid pensions if he had been honest on taxation and told us that all his extra spending would need taxation through income tax. So he charges pensioners for his spending.

The Lib Dems in Kingston would not need to create a new tax through charging if they were not spending on other things such as their local comic - Livin' Kingston. All the while the Lib Dems go on about a Local Income Tax. But a discusson on local income tax would not have begun if taxes were lower and Council tax had not been fraudulently abused by this Government. By arguing Local Income Tax you hide the penalising level of taxation we are having to pay generally. But then the Lib Dems are a party of high taxation and high spending, as we have seen in Kingston.

Do not get me wrong, I believe there is a strong argument for the ability to pay to be taken into account in Council Tax, but a Local Income Tax is not the answer. I have given my position on this before which you can follow through this link. I also gather that the Lib Dems want to give pensioners over 75 an extra £25 a week. This is not properly costed, rushed out a soon as they heard the Secretary of State for Pensions was resigning and amounts to an electoral bribe that they know they will never have to deliver. Most of all it does not end the pain of means testing for all pensioners.

Whatever else the link between inflation and pensions needs to be re established and a long hard look needs to be made at what encouragement can be given to help people save. I know there has been some discussion about schemes where the Government puts in a pound for every pound you put in. Maybe that is the way forward, but whatever scheme it is what we all want is certainty in retirement. As yet I am not sure we have that; young or old.

Back to work

I am back!

Great weeks break with some good weather. Children had a great time before they return to school tomorrow.

Also have had an eventful and action packed weekend. In amongst some delivering also visited a Chariot festival in Chessington - brightly coloured festival organised by the youth of a new Hindu temple in Hook.

On Sunday afternoon I acted as the civic representative at the induction of a new priest at St. John's Church in Grove ward. Good size congregation and Bishops there to welcome a new priest and family into Grove. The church in Grove really is at the heart of its community.

Saturday evening was at a supper party held by one of our Councillors on Kingston Council. They have served some 21 years as a councillor in Kingston. Being a councillor is reqarding but hard work and it is remarkable that someone should give this much of their lives to serve the community in which they live.

I noticed that another Government Minister has resigned to spend more time with his family.

I am not going to make the obvious point about him going before being pushed. However the more serious aspect is why it is that he needs to spend more time with his family - like a procession of Ministers going back 15 years have seemed to want to do. Are we suggesting that politics is for single people only? If we are then I fear for this country because we do need a mixture of people in Government who understand the pressures and demands of modern life and have bought up families and used schools, or had elderly or ill relatives who have needed hospital care. Only with those experiences can Government policy respond to the real needs of real people - and not career politicians who have only ever 'done' politics and only ever had responsibility for themselves.