Tea, Scones and Conservative Cream

It said on the news today that we were experiencing a perfectly normal English Summer and that it was only the fact that we had a seen a couple of year's of exceptionally fine weather that had lead us to believe that this Summer was truly awful - something about 'rose tinted spectacles'.

Trouble with English Summers is that this makes outdoor events somewhat of a gamble. Today, however, was a day for tea, scone, jam and cream. A truly English, and very Conservative, constituency event. It is when you attend events such as these that you realise that this consitutency that I am fighting really is Conservative. In fact what has been quite remarkable is the way that the sitting Lib Dem MP has been able to paint himself as a Conservative despite his parties overt left wing stance on taxation and Europe - still such is life and I suppose my job is to convince the many that voted for him that true Conservatism can only be found here!

Back to the tea - weather held off and much chat about the weeks by-elections. In fact there was plenty of optimism that the significant Kingston and Surbiton victories at the June elections and the Lib Dems proving their vote is declining in the South and rising in the Labour heartlands will mean a good victory in this part of London.

The party on the ground is actually in good heart ( although too much cream might create bad hearts!) and this is what will be important in Kingston and Surbiton come the General Election.

So they call that representation?

Had a meeting this evening with some residents in Tolworth who back on to the allotments behind Ladywood Road. They have a legitimate complaint that the allotments are an absolute mess. But the problem is worse than that!

A short while ago they got a letter from their Lib Dem Councillors telling them they were arranging a neighbourhood action day to clean up the allotments. The Councillors, Council officers and local residents all turned up on a Saturday morning and started their clean up. The Lib Dem Councillors, always keen for a photo opportunity, all had their photos taken with the residents etc etc. But they then went away. Now, some months later, the allotments are worse than ever and the same Councillors are washing their hands of it.

No wonder politicians get a bad name when this type of nonsense goes on.

Not surprisingly the residents are hopping mad and want something done. The Lib Dem Councillors have apparently written back and claimed that they cannot do anything because the Council does not own the small strip of land between the allotments and the houses. They also claim that the photos were taken as a "personal memento" of the event and not for publicity purposes - yeah!

Putting aside the problem of the cynicism of the Councillors undertaking something they never intended to repeat it does raise another important issue. In today's changed world do residents really want the Council to keep saying "it is nothing to do with the Council"? I had experience of this before with localised flooding and the Council and water board passing the responsibility back and forth. Maybe Councils should start now preparing to be the "One Stop Shop" for local services and advice rather than undertaking the limited roles, with limited powers, that they currently do.

Back to the allotments...... Why is it that the Council can't undertake a simple weedspraying and cutting back - the cost is not going to be that high and the residents are paying some of the highest council Tax in England? In any case what hope have they of offering allotments to new allotment growers when they look such a damn mess?

I'll let you know what happens!