The Bay of Bengal disaster

I am a great admirer of India. It is a nation that I have travelled in and done business with for a number of years. Their only problem is bureaucracy, which believe it or not, is worse than ours. I suppose they did get it from us after all. I once remember being on a train where I had bought the right ticket but had not paid my cancellation fee, even though I did not cancel the ticket. The attendant then proceeded to fill out a form as long as my arm that asked for questions such as my Mother’s maiden name; all for 30 rps (about 50p).

So, it is with great sadness that I hear of the devastation around the Bay of Bengal, especially near Chennai (Madras). I had a warehouse and office at Parrys Corner just across the road from the beach and have no idea whether it has been flattened or whether those I know have perished.

There is however an indomitable spirit about those who live in Asia. Despite glaring poverty there is obvious wealth and as the world’s fifth richest nation I know India will survive and take little aid to do so.

But what was Blair thinking of? I have heard Jack Straw trying to defend his decision to stay in Egypt and not return home. The excuse went something like he is in constant contact and there is no need for him to return. The problem is this is not about whether the Government can run with or without him? This is about showing solidarity with the nation he leads who at the time of him sunning himself was embarrassingly outbidding his Government in the amount of aid that they are giving to what is such a worthwhile cause.

I think 2004 has demonstrated, if nothing else, that like all Prime Ministers, Blair is slowly losing touch with reality and the people he serves.

Blogger down

Merry Christmas to all. apologies for my tardiness in not blogging for the last few days. This is partly due to Christmas (good excuse) and the fact that I went down with tonsilitis Boxing day evening and only just emerged (probably not that good an excuse).

Great Christmas with the children. Went to a crib service Christmas eve at All Saint's Kingston. Lots of young angels, Shepherds and Kings. Sang midnight mass that evening and then got to bed eventually at about 2. Santa works fast as there was no sign of him, even at that time of night.

Chidren were up at about 7.15. I probably woke them attempting to stuff a turkey; never the greatest job in life. 9.30 we were all back at All Saint's for Christmas morning mass and what a beautiful sunny, but chilly, morning it was.

Christmas day was with parents and in laws in Berrylands. Long lunch, attempt to listen to the Queen and then even more vain attempt at a snooze.

Boxing day at my parents with brothers and nieces (2 of ) and my four children. Started to deteriorate that evening and by Monday morning felt like death with swollen tonsils. Collapsed and spent two days on sofas/bed watching classic black and white movies including some great Pink Panther films!!

On the mend now and preparing for New Year.

Will write shortly on the Asian disaster. An area I know well at the front of the troubles there but difficult to find out details. More later........

Heard today of a dreadful accident on Christmas Day when a driver wrapped themselves around these silly new traffic calming measures the Council has installed in King Charles Road. Think a combination of traffic calming and blindingly low winter Sun were a dangerous mix. What a way for them to spend Christmas Day; dragged from their car wreck with blood all over! All courtesy of Kingston Council traffic calming measures.

Lib Dems and ID cards

Would you believe it!

They rattle on about integrity and have a go at Howard over his backing for ID cards but at least he has been consistently for them. Seems the only reason they changed their minds was because it was not their idea. We need some honesty in politics and you cannot always go around chasing votes and be serious at the same time.

Howard preferred ridicule to being thought soft on terror

I have had a few comments on my blog about the ID cards issue and I thought that that those who had not seen this alternative view from the Telegraph might find it interesting. I hope that the link works because sometimes the Telegraph needs you to log in to see archived material!

ID cards in perspective

There are times when politicians can get things out of perspective and I think this may well be one of those times.

It is clear the public want these cards (80% approval rating apparently!) and the Government is determined to give them. I accept that having cards will never make it impossible for terrorists to strike but it will act as another barrier they would have to pass through. But there are other aspects of this policy that many of us already use. All teenagers, when reaching sixteen, are issued with a plastric ID card that bears their National Insurance number. It is not an enormous step away from that to a full ID card.

However, more importantly, I believe that a large number of people believe that it is right that you should have a card to present when you want to access public services, such as health and benefits. People I speak to on door steps tell me they are fed up with hearing about people who gain benefits when they are not entitled to residency or are the supposed "health tourists" coming here for emergency treatement because it is free. I do not know whether these tales are true or not but I guess an ID card will give them some security that it is being made a lot more difficult.

But there is the problem? The card is being used for two purposes; security and access to services. Each of the uses probably gets a different response from different people.

Still, how much a step away from "chip and pin" credit cards, and all their apprent problems. will an ID card be?

Richmond Park Friends

Had a very interesting and constructive meeting with members of the Friends of Richmond Park. We had a useful debate about the future of Richmond Park after the decision whether to make the closure of Robin Hood Gate, amongst other changes, is made permanent. They also raised some interesting issues around what the local Councils responsibility is to not use the park as an escape valve for traffic problems in the vicinity. I have also asked soem wuestions of Council Officers as to what duty we have to consult when we have large developments planned for Kingston that will inevitably have an influence on Richmond Park traffic flows.

Clearly the Royal Parks Agency handled the original consultation badly and I shall be discussing with coleagues on the Council what form of debate we now want to have about the park and what form of a relationship we wish to develop with the RPA and the Friends.

He's Gone

How long does it take for a politician to resign? Well I sometimes wonder whether it takes as long as it takes for the press to get the stories that may, or may not, be true.

I am not one to preach that any human being, let alone a politician, is perfect. But when you start abusing your position to give some advantage over others as a means of impressing those who you want impress then I think there is an issue. I could not care less who a Home Secretary sleeps with but a politician runs into difficulty when he seeks advantage for either a member of his family or another. In reality what is the differnece betwen an MP who pursues a visa case for a constutuent and what Blunkett has done; probably not much except that not all MP's are Home Secretary!

Should a politician be entitled to a private life? Maybe his family is entitled to it but should those who choose to put themselves in the public eye complain when it goes wrong?

Council debate on charging for domicilliary care

What a bunch of mad fools the Lib Dems looked tonight. In a Council debate they spent an hour trying, feebly, to justify their evil means testing and charging.

No one can understand why they are doing it but the people on the streets are moving away from them fast. All for the sake of £250k the funding of which we found in a single afternoon with no cuts to front line services. They are foolish as this could be the beginning of a bigger campaigning unless they pull back during the preparation for next year's budget.

No politics in this actually. Just simple to understand that this is unnecessary. The Lib Dem MP? He stands on the sides and does nothing and when I ask for a private meeting to discuss how we help these vulnerable people he plays silly games. Trouble is that Lib Dems do not understand that not everything is about politics. There comes a time when you need to do things for people and this Lib Dem MP and council is failing in that simple priority.

Another busy weekend and Christmas preparations

Friday we held a Christmas dinner for the officers of the Conservative Association. A really good event.

On Saturday morning we were out again, this time in Kingston, helping Kingston Centre for Independent Living collect signatures for their petition against Davey's Council Lib Dem policy of massively increasing charges and introducing means testing for domicilliary care. No one understand why these Lib Dems are attacking the most vulnerable in Kingston when there is not a budget pressue to do so. Finding savings in the budget should be a walk in the park considering since 2000 they have presided over a rise in staff numbers of 22%. Yes - can you believe their incompetence - 22%!!! We wonder why they have stuck up Council tax so much.

The rest of the weekend was a little quieter although Sunday was spent putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. Bit of a family tradition to have carols at full volume when doing this! Also putting out this weeks In Touch leaflet in Berrylands.

Today had a big business meeting working on how we can reform the provision of IT in schools which to date has been poor and unsustainable. Spent the day in a data centre in Docklands.

We have both sets of parents coming to us for Christmas so better get on with planning the menu over the Christmas weekend.

The internet and elections

This article has some very interesting perpspectives on the role of the internet in elections. It will never win an election for you but increasingly voters are becoming "webbed" and the time will come when it will be a major medium for politicians to communicate.

Brave and cold souls

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Brave souls on New Malden High Street. Members of the Kingston Centre for Independent Living with syampathetic Conservative Councillors protesting at the Lib Dem Councils charges for personal care and the introduction of means testing.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

The blog system has been a bit blocked over the last few days so things tended not to get posted that quickly. The system seems back to status quo so hopefully you will see more of these as I write them.

Anyway, thought this was an interesting piece from the Director at Wave Network.

Cold New Malden on a Saturday

Out on the streets of New Malden helping collect signatures for the petition against domiciliary care charges organised by Kingston Centre for Independent Living. He public are horrified by all this. Surprisingly some even argue they would rather pay a little more than see this nasty and punitive tax on elderly and disability be implemented.

The Conservative group on Kingston Council submitted a motion to Council on the 14th December attempting to get them to change the Lib Dems to change their minds. This is now all beyond simple politics and is about the simple rights or wrongs of the policy. It is clearly wrong!

Also had a team out delivering in New Malden during the course of the day. Quite a lot of work going on.

Was at home this evening which is the first Saturday without some function for quite some time.

Still time for a drink

Last night, before the neighbourhood meeting, I had a meeting with members of the campaign trying to get the administration to overturn the punitive Lib Dem domiciliary care charges. They are very angry with this and many of them are Lib Dem supporters.

This evening was spent with my team working on image and press as well as helping restart activities around central Surbiton. Very good meeting and a list of activities now taking place to raise profile and get more press interest in the campaign.

Had a drink this evening at the White Hart in Hampton Wick. Good pub actually although it is attached to a hotel; one of the best we have near Kingston.

King Charles road traffic calming and Council Tax

Finally I got a chance to have a meeting with traffic engineers to discuss a ludicrous traffic planning scheme they have installed in King Charles Road, Surbiton. The scheme is full of chicanes placed at awkward places to the junctions. A real mess. They even managed to plant a new tree in a kerb build out, directly under the canopy of another mature tree. We will see where it leads and what the Council officers decide to do this time.

Another Council neighbourhood meeting this evening with very little on the agenda apart from some planning issues and concerns from residents about speeding cars down Villiers Road, Kingston.

The Government announced the grant awarded to Kingston for this year’s Council Tax. The Lib Dems have predicted a 9.5% rise in April and this grant does little to convince it will be much less unless the Lib Dems take some serious action. This all comes on a day when figures I have gained from the Council demonstrate that Kingston Council has increased the number of staff it employs by 22% since 2000. This is ridiculous. Some will be teachers and some will be grant given directly to fund the post, but no one could possible believe this accounts for all the increases. And whilst staff numbers rise we see the Lib Dems forcing means testing and increased charges for the most vulnerable elderly and disabled of Kingston. I heard from some of the protesters that even the Lib Dem MP refuses to argue their case for them, even though he apparently agrees with them!!