Mark Pawsey

Making History in Wolvey

2010-05-04T12:05:00.004Z

In 1910 a General Election took place and one of the candidates had his photo taken in Wolvey with local villagers who came out to meet him. One hundred years on we have recreated the event in the same location. It's fantastic to be playing a part in making history & hope something similar may take place a hundred years from now!

Canvassing in Bilton

2010-05-04T11:51:00.002Z

We had a rather different canvassing team out on Saturday supporting Rugby Borough Council candidate, Lisa Parker.
It was great to be accompanied by a touch of glamour on this occasion!

Ballot Papers

2010-05-02T18:11:00.002Z

I discovered a consequence of the leaders debates the other day when a resident told me that they had received their postal votes. The ballot paper for the local election was included, as the one for Rugby's MP with my name amongst those on it. However, the resident wanted to know why there wasnt one with Mr Brown, Mr Cameron & Mr Cleggs name on it.

BBC CWR Interview

2010-05-02T18:04:00.002Z

Our local BBC radio station, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire visited Rugby to talk about progress in the campaign and issues being raised locally. It was quite appropriate that Sue Curtis and I spoke about Rugby's development on the steps of the Library opposite the new Asda development. This includes a number of shop units which came on to the market at just the wrong time. While we have fewer vancacies than many similat towns, our plans to get the economy moving and the new housing that Rugby will be accomodating in the next few years will hopefully provide an incentive for new retailers to come into out town centre.

Admirals canvassing

2010-05-02T17:58:00.002Z

A really impressive feature of our 2010 campaign in Rugby is the number of people out on the doorsteps with us. This photo is pretty typical of the team out in Admirals last week, aiming to secure re-election for Mike Stokes as the local Rugby Borough Councillor in addition to victory in the Parliamentary election.

Meeting the Motocycle Lobby

2010-05-02T17:52:00.002Z

During an election campaign, candidates receive an approach from lots of groups who are keen to get their message across. Last week I met Riders are voters who told me about their concerns over the new test regime to aquire a license, the state & design of roads and the rights of motorcyclists to use bus lanes. It was a good idea to meet at a local motorcycle retailer and put the candidate on a bike in a suitable colour!

Grant Shapps in Rugby

2010-04-24T12:31:00.002Z

On Thursday, Conservative Spokesman on Housing, Grant Shapps was in Rugby to look at the implications of the huge housing development that Rugby is expected to take over the next 20 years. This is an issue raised regularly on the doorstep throughout the campaign with the greater part allocated to the Mast site at Hillmorton. Grant was shown over the site from a vantage point on the Clifton to Lilbourne road. The big challenge here is to ensure that the appropriate infrastucture is put in place that will enable Rugby as a whole to benefit from these proposals.

Football Shirts for Rwanda

2010-04-22T13:36:00.002Z

I held a further appeal in Rugby Town Centre on Tuesday for additional football shirts that I can send to the children of Rwanda. This was as part of the Conservative Party's National Social Action Project, and I feel it was a fitting addition to my appeal. We spoke to many people in Rugby about the project, and I would like to thank everyone who has been able to make a donation.

Candidate Debates

2010-04-22T13:21:00.002Z

One of the things that has surprised me most about this election campaign is the amount of public participation in it. In this election I have so far taken part in two debates at local schools, two organised by local community groups and a further three organised by the business community-and there are still more happening! These events have been extremely positive for me, and I have enjoyed hearing the concerns of the people of rugby during this campaign. The Chair of New Bilton Community Association is doing her best to keep me to time!

Wearing out shoe leather

2010-04-22T13:13:00.003Z

In an election campaign every candidate makes claims about the numbers of miles walked canvassing and delivering leaflets. I dropped two pairs of shoes in to Claire at JS Cobblers in Rugby town centre this week having been worn out already in just the first two weeks!

Shadow Justice Minister in Rugby.

2010-04-22T13:00:00.003Z

Last week I was able to welcome our Shadow Justice Minister, Dominic Grieve to Rugby. We visited the Brownsover area and spoke to business owners where a scheme is in place aimed at tackling anti social behaviour and helping young people to put their lives back on track. This kind of community work is what the Big Society is all about, and I am glad to see Rugby taking the lead on this issue.

Delivery team in Wolvey

2010-04-11T19:38:00.003Z

This is a fairly rare picture for this blog in that I'm not in it (apart from on the poster) ...........and for the good reason that I wan't there! Throughout the past few days we have had teams of volunteers out delivering election leaflets throughout the length and breath of the constituency from Bilton to Bulkington and from Wolston to Wolvey. I really appreciate the hard work that is being put in by so many people to make sure we get our message out, and playing their part to make sure that David Cameron is the next occupant of No 10.

Andrew Mitchell in Rugby

2010-04-11T19:20:00.003Z

Our first Shadow Cabinet Minister to join us in Rugby was Andrew Mitchell who has responsibility for overseas development. I got to know Andrew during the two visits that I made to Rwanda when he led our party. It was logical to ask Andrew to help publicise a further appeal that I am making for additional football shirts to send over. A number of shirts have arrived over the past few weeks and we are looking for more to make up a batch for use by both children and organised teams. We will have a stall in Rugby town centre on Tuesday 20th April from 3pm to 4.30pm so that they may be donated after school so if anyone has a shirt they have grown out of or where the sponsor has changed & the shirt is no longer wearable here we know how to put it to good use. Our Association Chariman, Mike Stokes who is holding the Brazil shirt and I will be pleased to recieve them. We though it was a good move to give Andrew the bllue one!

Visiting Bulkington Residents

2010-04-08T08:47:00.002Z

We had a great team out yesterday meeting people in Bulkington. I have blogged before about the special nature of Bulkington within the new Rugby Constituency and it was great to be there early in the campaign. Good reception on the doorsteps with a real mood for change within the country. Long day yesterday, since we started off by meeting commuters at the Railway station 7.00am but it's good to have got off to a start after waiting so long for the election to be called.

The campaign has started!

2010-04-06T20:26:00.002Z

Today we launched our campaign with a rally beside the Webb Ellis statue followed by full canvassing sessions in two areas of the town. Lots more full days ahead!

The calm before the storm

2010-04-05T09:30:00.002Z

The past couple of days have been an opportunity to catch up with a few jobs around the house and garden, and generally chill out since the next few weeks are likely to be fairly busy. Just about every commentator expects the election to be called tomorrow in which case I will start on a mapped out campaign of canvassing, delivering, meeting with voters and debates with other candidates which will run until election day on May 6th. So it's been good to take stock and do some of the things that there wont be time for over the coming weeks! I''ve just found some comfort trawling through the on lone editions of the newspapers in a new interactive site the Times has set up for the election showing here an encouraging prediction of the likely result in Rugby.

Rugby Myton Hospice

2010-03-31T08:23:00.003Z

Yesterday I was shown around Rugby Myton Hospice where I met one of the nurses there, Ros. The Hospice was opened in 2002 after a greal deal of hard work to raise funds and provides a high level of care on a day patient basis. I was shown around the facilities on site and saw the various activities that take place. I even joined in breifly with a quiz that was taking place. I left with a sense of a tranqil place where people are given a sense of ease at a very difficult time of their life.

Overslade Canvassing Team

2010-03-31T08:15:00.002Z

Last week we had a great team out visiting residents in Overslade ward. We met plenty of people and received a positive response on the doorstep

McDonalds visit

2010-03-24T21:25:00.002Z

Today I joined Franchise Holder, Glyn Pashley at his Rugby town centre store where I learnt about his business. This is a sector I am already familiar with as when I was in business we supplied to the independent catering sector. I have also been a fairly regular customer as someone often in a hurry and taking my children when young for a treat. This was however my first "behind the scenes" and I saw the production of burgers during a busy lunchtime, met the staff and was shown the training courses they receive. I have always been impressed by the professionalism of the McDonalds operation and the influence they have on the labour market with so many young people gaining their first experience of work with them.

The Internet Election?

2010-03-21T21:29:00.005Z

Much has been made about the new campaigning techniques facilitated by the internet, used extensively by Obama in 2008 and being taken up by the parties here. I have been runnig this blog for a good while and have recently revamped my website. However, I've long felt that there is no real alternative to meeting potential voters face to face and so I was interested to read this article by Andrew Rawnsley in today's Observer in which he concludes "success will belong to those who...pound the pavements, knock on doors and get among voters in the real (world)." As a candidate for three and a quarter years, with twice weekly phone or doorstep canvassing sessions, out on doorsteps every Saturday, making visits to local businesses and organisations, and with a regular town centre stall, I reckon to have made contact with around 15,000 of the voters in Rugby constituency - an average of 90 voters a week over 165 weeks. Over that time I've spoken with people about a huge variety of issues both local and national and I've seen attitudes change as the news agenda has changed. I believe this contact with people individually has given me a good understanding of people's priorities and what they expect from their next MP.

Overslade Community Centre Grand Opening

2010-03-21T19:49:00.002Z

On Saturday afternoon I joined Rugby Borough Council candidate Mathew Francis at the opening of the extended and refurbished Community Centre on Overslade Estate. This is an excellent facility for an area of Rugby which will benefit greatly from these facilities and many people worked incredibly hard to secure the funding to get it in place. I look forward to visiting again soon.

Pavillions Estate Canvass

2010-03-21T19:20:00.004Z

On Saturday morning our canvassing team led by County Councillor Claire Watson was on the Pavillions Estate, part of New Bilton Ward. This is recently completed housing and I was keen to visit for two reasons. The first is that there are a large number of new voters there, recently added to the electoral roll who we may not have previously seen. The second was a front page headline in the Rugby Advertiser a month ago "Living in Fear" and giving an account of "gangs of nuisance youths...who run wild" on this Estate. The matter was discussed at the Commity Forum I attended on Wednesday and I wanted to see whether local residents thought that this description of their area was a fair one. I spoke to many people, all of whom said that that there had been the occasional instance of youths making a noise and riding motorcycles, but nothing untoward. I met one lady whose husband had given an account of the area to the Advertiser which was printed on page 8 this week stating that the portrayal of the estate was wrong and that in two years they had never experienced any trouble. It seems most residents agree. So was the paper being sensational and has their report caused the area to be given a wrong reputation? If so, it's not the only area of Rugby where that has happened recently. An arson attack on the mobility scooters of two elderly residents in sheleted housing in Bilton led to their death, and was rightly a serious matter for the Police who have apprehended two teenagers. This reasonably made headline news in national newspapers, but the Daily Mail painted a picture of Rugby that nobody who lives here would recognise. If we are not to see areas "talked down" in this way, it is important that those reporting such instances ensure that there is a sense of balance.

Mill Green Residential Care Home Visit

2010-03-16T16:29:00.003Z

Today I visited Mill Green Residential Care Home in Newbold, where I was able to chat both with residents and Manager Lyn Mills and her staff. Mill Green provides personal care and support for people with physical disabilities across a wide age range. We had a wide ranging discussion, including MPs expenses, and the broader issues of funding social care and the recent disagreements between the parties. The home is spacious with accommodation on the ground floor and well laid out grounds. One of the residents described it to me a a real "home from home". I have visited a number of care homes over recent weeks and have built up a good understanding of the sector and the challenges it faces over coming years.

Bulkington House Meeting

2010-03-16T16:01:00.003Z

Throughout my time as a candidate, I have been meeting groups of residents in someone's home to hear views and answer questions. Yesterday James who is spending a couple of weeks with my campaign as part of his work experience, and I met residents in Bulkington. We covered a huge range of topics starting with the issues relating to illegal traveller encampments which has been a feature of the village in recent years. MPs expenses is a topic I am regularly questioned about and that together with proposals for dealing with the deficit took up a large part of our discussion. I learnt a great deal from those present who told me how very clearly they see things. I was most encouraged at the end when I was asked by one person if they could join in our campaign to win the seat and look forward to being out on the doorsteps there soon!

Binley Woods Memorial

2010-03-11T22:08:00.003Z

I spent this morning meeting residents in Binley Woods, the village where I grew up. We visted the occupants of houses on the site where I went to primary school and where there is a new memorial to the 6 servicemen from Binley Woods who lost their lives in WW2 and had not previously been honoured. More details from the villages excellent website here.

Rugby Credit Union AGM

2010-03-11T08:30:00.002Z

I am now in my fourth year as a candidate and find I am attending many annual events in the Constituency for the second and third time. Yesterday I attended my second AGM of Rugby Credit Union and I was pleased to be there to support the work they are doing to provide affordable loans to people who would otherwise be forced to use exhorbitantly expensive sub prime lenders. There was a stimulating discussion about the providers that many people are forced to use and how the Credit Union can can ensure that the help it offers is more widely known about. Those running the organisation, who are all volunteers giving up their free time, deserve our thanks for making an alternative available.

National Campaign in Rugby

2010-03-11T08:22:00.003Z

It's pretty clear that the General Election date will be 6 May and locally we have been planning for that date for some time. The national campaign is also gearing up and we have benefitted from the party nationally taking billboard poster sites with two in sucession along Corporation St. The theme is demonstrating how many people will be first time Conservative voters and the policies that attract them which is consistent with what people are saying to our team out on the doorsteps.

Male Teachers in Primaries

2010-03-05T09:10:00.005Z

I am interested in the BBC news item here that, as a consequence of the recession, there has been a 50% rise in applications by men to become primary school teachers. I beleive that men in primary schools are important role models for boys, where a significant proportion are now being brought up by their mothers alone. I hope larger numbers of men in the classroom will help provide a better balance to our youngsters in their formative years.

Question Time 2, 3, 4, 5, ...

2010-03-04T16:51:00.003Z

Already I have taken part in two local question time events with other candidates as well as appearing together on the local BBC Politics Show. The most recent event was earlier this week and organised by a new business breakfast group "Rugby does Breakfast" when we were once again put through our paces by an informed audience. Already there are 3 other such events in my diary between now & the expected election date and I know of a couple of others still to fix a date. As a candidate in 2005 elsewhere, I debated with my opponents only twice during the entire campaign and on each occasion the candidate from one of the parties failed to show at all! Does this mean that there will be increased interest in this years election? I hope so, although I am finding that the proportion of electors saying that they won't vote is as high as previously. I do think that those intending to vote are more interested in calling to account those who seek to respresent them, with more detailed questioning. Looks like a lively few weeks ahead.

Getting ready

2010-03-04T16:44:00.004Z

The window for a General Election on 26 March has now passsed and it is likely that it will be held on 6th May, the same day as local elections to Rugby Borough Council. 6 May is just 6 weeks away and our preparations are starting to be put in place. One includes signing up my car and I hope people now won't be able to miss me as I make my way around the constituency!

Working Party

2010-02-28T17:54:00.002Z

This morning I joined a team of Rugby Councillors clearing overgrown brambles from the Great Central Walk in Brownsover. I had no idea they could take such a hold and had begun to cause real problems for a resident living nearby. Many hands make light work and we made a real difference over a coulpe of hours, followed up with some fantastic bacon butties courtesy of Carolyn.

Question Time

2010-02-28T17:35:00.002Z

Earlier this week I took part on a "Question Time style" debate with other politicians at Ashlawn School where arounf 100 students from three of Rugby's secondary schools put the questions. Quite reasonably several questions were about issues that affect the students themselves - EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) and the unfairness of some 16-18 year olds getting financial support while others don't; the unfairness of tuition fees being charged to University students in England but not in Scotland; the implications of raising the school leaving age to 18 by 2013; the difficulties faced by students by the late payments of grants this year. We also covered more general issues suuch as whether MPs understand the seriousness of the expenses scandal (they do!) & why people are motivated to persue a career in Parliament and how to deal with the current economic situation. The questions were well prepared with each questioner giving their point of view as well as comments from the floor. It was interesting to take part and I enjoyed being put through my paces. Thanks & congratulations to Keith Bradbury, Head of Sixth Form for organbising it and getting in first. I already have three more such events in my diary as we approach the election date!

Party Chairman in Rugby

2010-02-21T22:02:00.002Z

Party Chairman, Eric Pickles MP, joined us in Rugby last week for a get together with activists as we prepare for the coming General Election. Eric gave us a stirring call to action, reminding us how close the election date now is and setting out just how important it will be for us to succeed in Rugby if we are to succeed in the country. We had time for lunch at La Casa Loco Restaurant where Eric pronounced the meal as good as any Mexican food he had tasted!

Our Annual Dinner

2010-02-21T21:21:00.003Z

Our Guest of Honour at our Dinner on Friday was Edwina Currie. Edwina is one of few MPs who have left the House to develop an even more sucessful career elsewhere. In Edwina's case this has been as as an author and TV personality with characteristcally strong opinions. Both careers have provided her with some excellent stories and she was a most entertaining after dinner speaker. Edwina was kind enough to make part of her speech "advice to a candidate & aspiring MP" and I particularly enjoyed learning that I should carefully listen to advice and then "ignore it"! Edwina was most generous in offering a very attractive raffle prize which added to the success of the evening. It's great to receive such help & support.

A night at the Theatre

2010-02-19T11:47:00.002Z

Tracy, Sara and I enjoyed a splendid evening at Rugby Theatre yesterday evening watching HMS Pinafore, made all the more interesting by two friends, Richard Jones & Stuart Esworthy in the lead male roles. Both cast and audience were thoroughly enjoying themselves and despite the snow, the theatre was almost full. It was good to reminded of another great facility the town has to offer.

A modern stylish building

2010-02-19T11:22:00.004Z

This week I was shown around what I believe is one of Rugby's most stylish commercial properties, 11 Arches House on Leicester Rd, by the proud owner, Ivan Lewis of ECL Contracts. Ivan business supplies modern building cladding materials and their offices are a showcase for their products. We held a very interesting conversation about the structure of the industry, current business prospects, and the decline in new constuction projects generally. The property is named after the adjacent viaduct which is a key feature of the approach to Rugby from the M6 motorway.

Today's economic news

2010-02-19T10:32:00.003Z

When last weekend I was involved in a discussion on the BBC Politics Show West Midlands and spoke about the economic difficulties the country faces, I was accused by my Labour opponent of "talking Britain down". Today the Times covers here the country's January borrowing of £4 billion at a time when records have always shown a surplus, and the Government itself budgeted for a positive £2.8 billion. In addition BBC News reports here about the biggest fall in retail sales between two months, December and January, for a year and a half. The survey that we are doing this month on the doorsteps and on the phone demonstrates that there are still some people who don't fully appreciate the severity of the problems we face, but the majority know that things will have to change. I was astonished that there was a tiny amount of growth recorded in quarter 3 of last year, as all of the evidence seemed to show a continunig decline. It is only recognising reality to suggest that the first quarter of this year will be bad. No organisation, whether a household, business or country can carry on with a mismatch between income and expenditure as big and long as we have experienced without serious consequences. The task facing an incoming Government is increasing all the time. The sooner we make a start the better.

Damian Green MP in Rugby

2010-02-08T15:13:00.001Z

On Friday our guest in Rugby was the Conservative Spokesman on Immigration, Damian Green. Damian spoke at a reception when about 50 people came to hear about both our policy on this issue. Damian also spoke about the campaign he is heading calling for the DNA taken from innocent people to be returned, details of which are on my website. Immigration is always a sensitive issue and it was good to hear about our ordered and consistent approach from the person who has had a major role in the development of our ideas. There were many questions for Damian, indicating the level of concern on this issue, and I was pleased that he was able to provide reassurance on how immigration will be handled more effectively under a Conservative Government.

England v Wales

2010-02-08T11:32:00.002Z

I was lucky enough to have a ticket for the game on Saturday and was delighted with an England victory after several recent visits. I sat right at the top of the new South stand and had a great view of the play unfolding even if the players were so far away that it was difficult to tell who was who! The game celebrated the 100th anniversary of Twickenham as a stadium and a DVD of great matches there came with the souvenir programme. I was reminded of the 1980 game (30 years ago!) which I was also lucky to be at, when Bill Beaumont’s team won 9-8 with Dusty Hare’s penalty kick in the last minute giving England their first victory after dominance by the Welsh throughout the 70’s. Although not covered by the DVD, the match was also famous for a certain scantily clad lady making her way onto the pitch to the delight of the crowd and the consternation of Beaumont who was giving his half time talk – being men they didn’t retreat to the changing room but remained on the pitch. I love the line from scrum half Steve Smith, who at the time said to his captain “Don’t look now Bill, but a girl has just run on to the pitch with your backside on her chest!”

More development in Rugby

2010-02-08T11:27:00.002Z

Last year I spent a couple of days at the design inquiry for the mast site which is at the eastern side of Rugby’s urban area. On Friday I attended an exhibition of proposals for development of what is known as the “Gateway” site which is to the west of the Leicester road and up to the M6 Motorway. This is a large site where the proposals are for 1300 houses and 36 hectares of employment land with an anticipated 2400 jobs. In many ways this is a more obvious site for development than the mast site but many of the concerns are the same. It will be important that infrastructure is in place before much of the development takes place and there is anxiety about the capacity of the Leicester road which although a dual carriageway will take all of the traffic from the Western Relief Rd when it opens later this year. It will be important that new residents are able to easily access the town centre in order to keep their spend here in Rugby and there is already a great deal of pressure on the Avon Mill roundabout. In addition links to the existing community of Coton Park on the other side of the Leicester road will need to be considered closely. All in all done well this can be a benefit to Rugby, but there is much detail still to be looked at. You can see a short film of my remarks about these development proposals here.

Actual records or a survey?

2010-02-05T11:52:00.000Z

Chris Grayling Shadow Home Secretary today said that he will continue to judge crime statistics on police records rather than an opinion survey. There is a disagreement between the Government and the Conservatives over which set of crime figures to use. Labour prefer the British Crime Survey - which shows a fall in crime - but which is based on an opinion survey rather than real records and fails to take account of hundreds of thousands of offences including murder, manslaughter, crimes against commercial premises and crimes against under-16s. We have consistently argued in favour of using recorded crime figures as collated by the police in police stations. When it comes to decisions making in Business or in Government and given a choice between a survey and recorded data, I know which I would rather rely on.

On the doorstep in Hillmorton

2010-01-31T17:25:00.003Z

After the town centre stall on Saturday morning I spent the afternoon with Councillors Sewell, Allen and Kathryn Lawrence. We knocked on doors with our survey and people were pleased to see us. Not so many years ago there wasn't a single Conservative Councillor in this ward. However with Bill winning first seat, by working hard and earning a reputation for getting things done all three ward Councillors are now Conservatives. It was good to hear residents tell me how effective their local Councillors are and this really is the Conservative localism agenda in practice.

Town centre survey

2010-01-31T17:15:00.003Z

Saturday was a busy day for campaigning starting off with a street stall in the town centre. Despite a bitterly cold day we had a great team out asking questions and handing out leaflets. Even more impressive was that many people wanted to stop and chat with their thoughts on who will get their vote in May. With the messages we are putting out it's great when people tell me that we cant go on like this and that its time for a change in the county. Our survey is also on line where we're picking up a clear idea of how people feel here in Rugby.

Teaching Cooking

2010-01-27T21:13:00.004Z

My daughter, who is in Year 7, has been given at school a recipe book to bring home which complements her cookery lessons. Nothing wrong with that, but it contains a foreward by Rt Hon Ed Balls MP including his photo, without anywhere referring to his position in Government, and containing the quote ".....with millions of pounds invested in building and revamping teaching kitchens in schools etc". Is this a reasonable teaching aid or the political targeting of pupils at an early age and their parents? Should the Minister's photo and comments appear in such a document? Should his remarks triumph the Government's expenditure in this area? Is it what we should expect from a politician such as Ed Balls? Or am I being too sensitive?

Holocaust Memorial Day

2010-01-25T21:16:00.002Z

On Sunday Tracy and I attended a Holocaust Memorial Day Service at St Andrew's Church. This is celebrated internationally on 27 January, being the date on which the largest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. We heard a very moving account from Susi Bechhofer, a resident of Rugby for many years who told us about how she found out that she was a survivor of the Holocaust. At the age of three with her twin sister, Susi was transported to Britain under a scheme known as Kindertransport when 10,000 Jewish children were sent to relative safety around the world in 1938 and 1939 as people started to become aware of Nazi intentions. Susi only learnt about her background later in life when she sat an exam and her birth name was revealed. This prompted her to find out about her past and unsurprisingly many of her relatives were killed in the concentration camps. In his remarks, Rev Mark Beach referred to more recent genocides, including Rwanda and my mind was taken back to my visits there over the past two summers. The capital of Rwanda, Kigali has its own Memorial centre, where I look this photo of those who were killed during the attrocities of 1994.

Alstom's impact in Rugby

2010-01-21T16:37:00.004Z

Continuing my visits to industry in Rugby, earlier this week I met Steve Houldcroft and Stephen Burgin at Alstom's Newbold Road site. This is one of our biggest employers although numbers at the site have reduced in recent years. I learnt a great deal about power generation and concerns that we are facing a shortage of capacity as old nuclear and coal fired plants are de-commissioned before new, mostly gas powered, plants come on line. I was shown the massive turbines that are used in the generation of electricity and was hugely impressed by the skill that goes into their manufacture. Here is a sector which has undergone big changes in recent years and it is important that we provide the environment and support which will ensure that this type of industry is retained both in Rugby and within the UK.

Better Teaching

2010-01-18T17:29:00.002Z

I was pleased to see an emphasis on improving teaching standards within the draft education manifesto the Conservatives launched to today. Attracting the best quaility graduates into the teaching profesion by raising the status of teachers is the right thing to do but it's also important to remember that just because someone is good at a subject or skill they will make a good teacher. Most people will remember from their schooldays who the best teachers were and they weren't always the ones with the best degrees. Passing on enthusiasm for a subject and an ability to understand people is often just as important. This can often be seen in sport where the best players don't make the best coaches or managers, and where good managers often weren't the best players. Alex Ferguson of Manchester United is perhaps the best example of the latter. In my own career I worked for someone who was great as at getting the business in, but lousy at handling people and so I moved to an organisation where my line manger was by no means the best salesman I met, but always had time for, and a knack of getting the best out of people. As we work to improve the opportunities for our young people in our education system it will be increasingly important to look out for this skill and ensure that those who have it are motivated to join the teaching profession.

Developing Sure Start

2010-01-13T09:47:00.003Z

Last year I visited the Sure Start centre in Brownsover and saw the work they do in supporting parents with young children. As a parent myself I know that nothing prepares you for having children of your own, how life changes completely and how difficult the early years are, particularly when other children come along. The support that pre school children centres provide is invaluable, particularly as in many cases support which in the past might have been provided by the family, often isn't available. Labour said we would axe them and they were wrong. I was pleased when David Cameron earlier this week announced the Conservative's commitment to Sure Start but with a renewed emphasis on intervention to help the most disadvantaged familes and the opportunity for independent organisations to run them. There is more about David's speech (where interestingly he was accompanied by Labour MP Frank Field) here.

Meeting Eric

2010-01-12T09:18:00.003Z

Yesterday I joined candidates and helpers at the opening of a new telephone campaigning facility for use during the coming General Election campaign. Honours were provided by Party Chairman, Eric Pickes who gave a stirring speech to get us all fired up. As someone who ran a business based on telephone sales, I am very aware of the opportunities provided by using the phone, particularly at a time of weather such as that at the moment when it is difficult to contact people on the doorstep.

Lessons from Obama

2010-01-11T18:04:00.002Z

I enjoyed Saturday nights fly on the wall documentary which followed Obama's campaign from when he was running well behind Hilary Clinton for the Democratic nomination right to his success on election night . It showed how different the US process is from our own and how much more pushy and upfront their style is. However there were some lessons to be learnt for a campaign such as my own, not least the appreciation of volunteers. The slogan written in large type on the wall of a campaign office "We love our volunteers" hit home as did Obama's message: "A change of Government won't come if you wait for someone else to do it"! In other words, sign up for www.myconservatives.com now!

Support for manufacturing

2010-01-11T17:49:00.002Z

As a parliamentary candidate I recieve a fair few invitations to meet with various groups and organisations. I am always keen to understand their relevance to Rugby and so when The West Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service wanted to speak about the service they offer I asked if we could do so at the site of a local company they are working with. Last week Technoset MD, Kevan Kane, showed me around his buisiness with Simon Griffiths and Cliff Johnson of MAS. I saw a well organised manufacturer of high precision machined compenents which has clearly benefitted from the input of experienced professionals. Manufacturing is a tough business to be in at the best of times and today's climate is particularly difficult. As a country we need a strong manufacturing base to generate the wealth that enable Governments to do all of the good things we want them to do. I am pleased that there is an organisation such as MAS to provide the back up and support that businesses such as Kevan's need.

Return my DNA

2010-01-05T20:10:00.005Z

I had an interesting conversation at the week-end about the retention of DNA on a national database by the police as an aid to sloving crime. It was put to me that more crimes would be solved if the police retain DNA of people who are arrested but are subsequently not charged in addition to those who are found guilty. My sense of freedom of the individual led me to disagree. I believe that there is no right for the state to hold such data on people who are innocent of any crime. It seems that the benefits to the police of such data are in any event over stated with todays Telegraph having an article here about the statement from a senior police officer that DNA solves just one in 150 crimes. Following Damian Green MP's high profile arrest last he campaigned successfully for his own DNA to be released. The Conservatives have now taken up this issue as a campaign which you can support here.

Back to work

2010-01-05T09:18:00.003Z

I joined the rest of the country back at work yesterday after the Christmas and New Year break. I am regularly reminded that there are no more than 150 days to the General Election and there is plenty to be done. Loke others I have been very impressed by way our front bench and David Cameron in particular have made the early running in what looks likely to be a long campaign.
I met Craig Humphrey, Council Leader at Rugby Town Hall to talk about recent successes in the running of the Council since the Conservatives took full control and some of the plans for the future. Showing the good work that has been done in running local government will be a good way of indicating to voters the approach we will take if we are succesful at the General Election.

Trees 1 year on

2009-12-22T17:16:00.005Z

It's almost exactly one year since we planted the trees. This time last year it was wet with soft ground which made the planting easy; our current cold snap would have caused us to put it off. The trees did well until the very dry spell in October when it appeared that several had died, with one or two sitting in cracks in the heavy clay unable to find moisture as the roots had barely formed. However, we are hoping that some of the ones I thought might have died will show shoots in the spring and so we have left them in place. I intend to take an anual photo so that we can monitor progress over the years.

Only G20 country still in recession

2009-12-22T17:01:00.003Z

The Times carries a report here that the UK remains the country still in recession despite Alistair Darling's contention that our economy would be back in growth by the end of the year. So much for us being better prepared to weather the storm. The economy has shrunk by 6% since the recession began in Quarter 2 of 2008. One of the commentors draws attention to the fact that the public sector has not (yet) reduced in size and so therefore the decline in the private sector has been significantly greater. It is sometimes easy to forget that it is the weath created by the private sector which provides the resources for the public sector to provide the services we all need. So it is vital that we get the incentives in place to encourage that sector to thrive once again,and generate income. Increasing National Insurance contributions by both employers and staff (as set out in the pre budget report) wont help with that and is a step in the wrong direction.

Pailton Mulled Wine & Mince Pies

2009-12-22T16:45:00.003Z

It's Christmas Party season & last weekend Tracy and I joined Pailton branch at their annual Christmas event. I was asked to say the usual few words which were followed by a discussion about our prospects at the coming General Election. As the election gets closer more detail will be available as the manifesto takes shape and this will be eagerly awaited by both our supporters and the country as a whole. The new year will see our campaign hotting up locally and nationally and so I'm looking forward to a few days with our family over the Christmas period.

Vetting & Barring Scheme

2009-12-14T19:36:00.004Z

A couple of months ago our regular monthly survey was on the Governments Vetting and Barring scheme where we asked local residents their views about the proposals for adults to be vetted before they give lifts to childrens friends or visit a school. A large majority felt that this would be reversing the presumption of innocence and many felt that volunteers would simply stop helping out. It was clear that while we must ensure the safety of our children at all times much of what was proposed was going too far. Now it seems that Ed Balls, Children's Secretary agrees. The Times reports here that he has promised a U turn. I used to be chairman of a local Twinning Association and we arranged for many youngsters over the years to get a taste of family life in France and improve their language skills as well as forming friendships that for many have lasted. I am pleased that these visit will remain as private arrangements and that registration won't be necessary.

Scam Mail

2009-12-10T11:50:00.002Z

As a candidate I get to learn about issues about which I had previously little knowledge. I recently met a family where an elderly reliative has become a victim of scam mail. Prior to the meeting I had no idea of the extent or seriousness of this where often vulnerable people are tricked into sending off money through the post. The sums involved can amount to tens of thousands of pounds. There is a really useful website at www.thinkjessica.com which gives details of how the scams work, instances of how people have been affected and some useful advice on how to avoid them and support those who have been drawn in. We hear a great deal about internet scams but less about those through the post. Most of us enjoy receiving post and here criminals are preying often on the elderly who live alone and look forward to the contact through letters delivered by the postman.

Ron Ravenhall

2009-12-08T08:25:00.003Z

I am sad to hear of the death at the weekend of Councillor Ron Ravenhall. Ron and I served together as Councillors in a three member ward with Bill Shields for Dunchurch & Knightlow at Rugby Borough Council between 2002 and 2007. Ron started off his political life as a Conservative and joined the Liberal Democrats in the 1980s. Despite different political allegiances I always found Ron supportive and helpful while I was looking to establish my political career. I recall his contributions on Planning Committee where he spoke with great authority. My fondest memories of our work together revolve around the campaign, led by Gordon Collett, to oppose Government plans for an International Airport at Church Lawford. Ron was keen to ensure that I played a full role and often insisted that I spoke early in the various meetings we held in churches around the affected area. He had a big impact in both the Council Chamber in Rugby and in the community more widely and he will be missed.

More Government Waste

2009-12-07T16:12:00.002Z

So Gordon Brown has found a further £3 billion of savings to add to the £9 billion already identified, according to The Times here. Who authorised this expenditure in the first place? Stable doors and horses?

Shadow Health Secretary in Rugby

2009-12-07T15:49:00.004Z

Last week I joined Andrew Lansley on a visit to our local hospital, St Cross. Our commitment to the NHS will be fundamental to our campaign at the coming General Election, and I was keen to ensure that our Health Team are fully aware of the range of facilities and services here in Rugby. We met the trust Chief Executive, Malcom Stamp and were shown over the site by Hospital Manager, Carl Holland, Modern Matron, Judith Lewis and Non-Executive Director, Nick Stokes. Rugby Observer photographer, Jamie Gray, has kindly provided a photo of Judith making a point to Andrew just after we had been shown new and aditional toilets and bathrooms installed to improve patient dignity. Andrew raced off after the visit to get down to the BBC in London in time for the recording of "Question Time" which went out later that evening.

Town Centre Campaigning

2009-11-30T09:34:00.003Z

On Saturday we had great team out in the town centre with our campaign to protect front line NHS services. People are depending on us to support the NHS with the funding it needs and making sure that the money goes to doctors and nurses on the front line. With a survey asking abour peoples experiences of local health services, we heard about how much our local hospital, St Cross is appreciated, but also the occasional account of what happens when things go wrong. I will be visiting St Cross later this week with Andrew Lansley, Shadow Health Minister when I will pass on the information we gathered. The local children loved the balloons!

Defence matters

2009-11-30T09:15:00.003Z

On Thursday evening I attended a social event where the guest speaker was Liam Fox, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence. At a time when rightly our concentration is on our troops on active sevice in Afghanistan, Liam reminded us about the threats and challeges in other parts of the world. Liam has been in his current role for four years and has built up great knowledge of defence matters which contrasts with his Ministerial opposite who is the most recent in a long line. I enjoyed meeting up again with Liam who I found to be an excellent Party Chairman when I was a candidate in the 2005 General Election.

House Meeting Brownsover

2009-11-26T11:27:00.003Z

Continuing my series of meetings in the homes of people who are kind enough to act as host, I joined a small group in Brownsover for a discussion of topical issues. If time passing quickly is a measure of the effectiveness of a meeting then we did well, since after starting at 7.30 and covering a broad range of issues I looked at my watch to find it was 10pm! I was challenged about my reasons for wanting to become an MP which led to a long discussion about expenses; two strong characters in the room felt that we are not being strong enough about the seriousness of the country's financial position and laying the blame for this on Labour's actions in Government while another person was put off by the adversarial nature of politics - which shows how difficult it is to get the message just right. We spoke at length about the trends that are causing some people to think about supporting the peripheral parties; and the opportunity that we will offer to Parilament of a free vote on the repeal of the Hunting Act. We spent more time on national issues than at previous house meetings and I enjoyed our discussion. Many thanks to Alma for making her house available to us.

The All Blacks at Twickenham

2009-11-22T20:36:00.004Z

With more happening on Saturday morning as the election approaches I've been able to go down for just one game in the Autumn International series and though the New Zealand match woulds be the pick of the three. England did better than in the previous two games and against pretty ordinary opposition apart from McCaw, but with only one try from 3 games there is plenty of work to do before the six nations.

Citizenship

2009-11-22T20:20:00.004Z

I was very pleased to join Cllr Tom Day at Binley Woods Primary School on Friday morning and not just because over 40 years ago I was a pupil at the school albeit in now demolished premises. Tom was leading the year 6 class in citizenship and spoke about the different level of Government, with my contribution being my aspirations to represent Rugby in Westminster. Tom arranged for house teams within the class to form a political party and prersent their aspirations for how Binley Woods could be made better. We heard some ambitious ideas including more shops with a local Marks & Spencer (!) and a fishing lake together with some practical ones based around the local environment. All groups referred to the prize asset the village has, which is access to the woods, where I remember spending much of my time when I was growing up. The manifestos were voted on and the wining group will have the chance to present their ideas to the Parish Council. I was impressed by the constructive ideas of the children and how well they got them down on paper and the confidence with which they presented them. I'm sure I met some of the politicians of the future. Thanks to Mrs Watts of the School for the photos and Tom for a well planned and organised morning. The children dont usually have such wacky hairstyles - the school was holding a mad hair day to raise money for Children in Need.

Football Shirts Project

2009-11-19T20:52:00.003Z

Since I returned from Rwanda, the soccer shirts have continued to roll in. Today I visited St James School in Bulkington to pick up several bags full. These have been brought in by the children and Headteacher, Paul Ison introduced me to soccer enthusiast Todd Loveitt who had contributed several of them. I shall send off a consignment to Rwanda for distribution to children there pretty soon & will be pleased

to accept any other that are no longer wanted and which people are willing to donate. I have been speaking to Paul about his wish for children at his school to make contact with a school in Rwanda and I'm very much hoping that this will happen. I know youngsters in Rwanda will be interested to hear from their counterparts here and there is much that can be learnt from one another.

Preparing for Government

2009-11-19T10:05:00.003Z

The General Election counter shows less than 200 days to the election. The polls are largely in our favour with a good prospect of a Conservative victory and so many people are considering the process of handover between Governments. In the past 30 years there has only been one such handover which took place in 1997 after the Labour victory that year. Prior to that the last change from Labour to Conservative was in 1979 so there isn't a great deal of experience in the process. A further complication is that a new Prime Minister takes office the day the election result is announced which contrasts with the position in the US where a new President has a two month handover. Much of the process and preparation is covered in a report by The Institute of Government "Transitions: Preparing for Changes of Government" which is available here.

Voters switching from Labour

2009-11-16T10:03:00.003Z

Today's Times has an interesting story here about Labour's cash shortage & that they are concentrating their activity in the run up to the election on seats where their majority is more than 3,000. No mention of Rugby where the notional Labour majority is arounf 2,500 according to Rallings & Thresher, but the article does go on to identify the 4 groups that are most likely to switch from Labour as being:

Thirtysomething homemakers who voted Labour in 1997 but are burdened with debt as they start a family — they may turn to the Conservatives;
low-skilled, largely unemployed households who will either not vote or turn to far-right parties;
those in former manufacturing communities who no longer have strong union and Labour Party ties — they are also vulnerable to extremist lobbying;
people approaching retirement in some of the nicer council estates who exercised the right to buy — they may also turn to the Conservatives.

From the time I have spent on the doorsteps across the constituency over the past three years I would say that is pretty accurate and would add to it a small but significant group of young voters from Labour families who will take the trouble to vote, voting Conservative for the first time they vote.

Creating New Apprenticeships

2009-11-13T17:09:00.002Z

I have just returned from a presentation in Birmingham where George Osborne and David Willets were talking to student and members of the local business community about the economy in general and our plans to increase the number of new apprenticeships for young people. David spoke about the difficulty that apprentices face if they loose their job before their training is complete, how this would be completely unacceptable in any other area of education. Well informed and questions were posed about tuition fees, climate change, support for manufacturing, overseas aid, the effect of uncertainty in the postal service on business, the extent of tax avoidance and Govenment cuts to the College building programme. What was interesting was that most questions were posed on the basis that we will be in power after May and it fell to George to remind people that our assumption remains an "if" rather than a "when".

Dunchurch Coffee Morning

2009-11-13T17:04:00.002Z

My first elected position was Councillor for Dunchurch & Knightlow in 2002 and so I was delighted to meet up with old friends and helpers at Dunchuch Conservatives Coffee morning this week. I was reminded by one or two people of the first campaign I look part in as a Councillor when we opposed the Government's proposals for an International Airport at Chuch Lawford. It all seem laughable now but at the time was a real threat to the environment and way of like here.

11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

2009-11-11T13:51:00.003Z

I have just returned from the firing of the maroons (rockets) on Whitehall Rec at the beginning and end of the two minute silence to commemorate Armistice Day. While there I took the opportunity to look at the many wreaths which were fixed to the gates at the ceremony on Sunday.

Unemployment & Ericcson

2009-11-11T13:26:00.003Z

The unemployment figures announced today are horrible but especially bad for our area with the news that Ericcson have announced that they will be pulling out of the Ansty Park employment area leading to 700 redundancies. This is within Rugby Consituency although most of the staff there live in Coventry. Details from the Coventry Telegraph here and it falls to Guido Fawkes on his blog here to draw attention to the consequence of the Prime Minister's visit to the site earlier in February this year.

Remembrance Day Service

2009-11-09T10:42:00.003Z

I have attended the Remembrance Day Service at the Memorial Gates at Whitehall Recreation Ground every year since I was elected a Councillor in 2002. This year during the march past there was spontaneous applause for both those currently in active service and veterans, and I believe this was the first time that happened. Coverage of the war in Afghanistan through modern media brings to life the sacrifices that both present and past servicemen have to make and has led to a greater appreciation among the public. I was please to be there on Sunday to pay my respects.

Even more spending?

2009-11-01T20:59:00.004Z

The story to catch my eye in today's papers is here in the Sunday Times concerning Browns plans to increase spending in the run up to the election. Apparently this is not an attempt to bribe the electorate with jam today, but an even bigger stimulus to try to pull the country out of recession. It is as if the massive current deficit is not signifiant, nor that the the debt and interest payments we will be passing on to future generations don't matter. People sometimes say on the doorsteps that there is little difference between the parties. On the economy there will be bigger differences than for many years with according to the article Treasury officials fearing that increased spending will upset financial markets making it harder to service the national debt. The game is up - people know we can't carry on as we are and living beyond our means.

On the doorsteps in Bilton

2009-11-01T20:45:00.002Z

We had one of our biggest teams ever out with our survey yesterday when Chris Heaton-Harris, candidate in Daventry brought a few of his supporters out to join us. We were asking people their thoughts about the Government's treatment of our Armed Services and you can take part through my website. I have found a survey a great way of finding out what Rugby people think about a topic and this gives me a good understanding of what people will expect to hear about from us in the coming General Election and what our priorities should be if we form the next Government..

Rugby's Fire Serice Consultation Meeting

2009-10-29T15:58:00.002Z

Yesterday it was Rugby's turn for a local meeting concerning the proposals to reorganise Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service. I have previously attended meetings in Bedworth & Brinklow and Rugby's was a lower key affair since there is no plan to close the local Fire Station. However Rugby will be affected as when Rugby's appliances are out of the station attending a call, which can often be on the Motorway with the M1 & M6 passing round the town, cover is currently provided by Southam and Brinklow. There are a couple more consultation meetings across the county and the consultation period finishing soon. I have voiced my opposition and I know many others have also done so.

Diwali

2009-10-25T19:54:00.002Z

I had a great evening on Saturday when I joined Kieth Ranu and about 250 others for the Diwali celebrations at Rugby Workers Club. Again several people wanted to talk about the Question Time programme but as the evening wore on there was more interest in dancing, entertainment and chatting with friends.

Canvassing Eastlands

2009-10-25T19:34:00.003Z

Out with our survey on Saturday the main topic people wanted to talk about was Question Time on TV on Thursday. There was a degree of sympathy for the leader of the BNP who found himself under pressure from other panel members, the audience and the chairman in a programme almost entirely focussed on him and his party's followers. I felt that he had a right to be heard given the BNP success at the recent Euro elections but it was wrong for the format and questions to be devoted to one issue. It has caused people to consider the issue of immigration and community relations with a real feeling that the Govenment have failed to get a grip of this issue. Nowhere was this more apparent than in Jack Straws performance on the programme when he refused to acknowledge any responsibility for the miscalcuation of the numbers of people intending to come to the UK from the EU acession countries.

Tougher Scrutiny for Home Loans

2009-10-19T18:18:00.002Z

When I was running my business, from time to time I would receive a letter from a Building Society advising that a member of staff was applying for a mortgage. The letter would ask for confirmation of employment details such as job title and how long employed. Up until about 10 years ago the letter would ask for confirmation of salary but about then that question stopped. This was because many mortgages were now "self-certified" where the lender relied on the borrowers statement alone about income, which is of course related to ability to pay. It was no surprise to me that this change accompanied the fastest rate of growth in house prices the country has ever seen. In hindsight this was an example of the reckless lending that led to the financial problems just over a year ago and of the lack of control of the FSA in regulating the mortgage market. So I was pleased to read todays announcement of plans for borrowers to once again face a mortgage affordability test and self certification mortages will be banned. Some times appropriate regulation can be the right course since soaring house prices are in no-ones interest in the long term. Read more here.

House meeting Hillmorton

2009-10-15T14:24:00.002Z

Continuing my series of meetings at peoples homes across the consituency, yesterday I was invited to the house of Eleanor Thorneycroft where I met number of her friends and neighbours. I explained that I was there to answer questions and listen to points of view and inevitably with the focus again on MP's expenses following Sir Thomas Legg's audit that was an early topic for discussion. I explained that by the time of the next Parliamentary intake there will almost certainly be new rules in place and if I am succesful in Rugby, I will clearly abide by them. Having run my own business for 25 year I am quite used to preparing accounts for submision to the authorities and will continue to do so in any future role. We moved on to a very wide ranging discussion covering international issues such as our approach to terrorism; national issues including border controls and illegal immigration, family breakdown and the downward movement of decision making within government; and local issues such as the mast site development proposals and new charges for renting an allotment in Rugby. All in all I was put through my paces by a well informed group. If you know anyone who would like me to join them for a similar discussion, please let me know and I will be glad to come along.

Saving Brinklow Fire Station

2009-10-13T14:54:00.006Z

Last week I attended a consultation meeting in Bedworth concerning proposals to close the Fire Station there and yesterday a similar meeting took place in Monks Kirby in relation to Brinklow. The new Chief Fire Officer presented the proposals which were drawn up by his predecessor and members of the public were invited to make points and ask questions. Brinklow is a smaller Fire Station, serving a rural community but many of the same points arose and, of course response times and the quality of cover the service will be able to provide in the future were the key issues. Despite a bias in the questionnaire that accompanies the consultation, there are many good points in the document such as increased emphasis on training, on fire prevention and reducing arson; and reducing Firefighter sickness levels. However it seems to me that these do not necessarily have to be linked to reducing the number of Fire Stations across the County from 19 to 12. Almost everyone in the room was of like mind and I know that there will be many responses urging that the closure proposals in the consultation are not implimented.

Brownsover Saturday

2009-10-12T10:29:00.003Z

After the focus on national policy at conference last week it was refreshing to be out talking about more local issues in Brownsover South on Saturday morning. Matters people raised included inconsiderate parking by rail users close to the station and the price increase in the new multi storey car park; the success of the new recycling arrangements; and the local impact of anti-social behaviour. It was great to have newly elected County Councillor, Carolyn Robbins with me who is actively involved with all of these.

Conference Final Day

2009-10-10T07:31:00.002Z

MP Alistair Burt's thoughts about this week's conference

Defending Fire Stations

2009-10-08T08:31:00.004Z

After a morning at Conference, I drove down to Bedworth with North Warwickshire Candidate, Dan Byles to attend a meeting to discuss proposals to make changes to Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. There is a number of ways in which it is proposed to improve the service residents receieve but unsurprisingly, the one to get the most attention is the one to reduce the number of Fire Stations across the County. A consultation document has been issued which includes the option of closing Nuneaton and Bedworth Fire Stations and replacing them with one new station between the two towns. This is of concern to me as Bulkington and villages to the north of Rugby constituency are covered from Bedworth. I felt that the consultation had it weaknesses but was prepared to hear what the Deputy Fire Officer had to say in support of this idea. The longer the meeting went on, the more clear it became to me that this particular part of the proposal hasn't been properly thought through and they strike me as too loose, too vague and too one sided. I will be attending a further meeting in Brinklow this coming Monday, Oct 12 when residents will be able to have their say on proposals to close the Fire Station there.

Dragons Den

2009-10-08T08:19:00.002Z

Yesterday I took part in a fringe event organised by the European Information Alliance. 3 speakers competed for my vote & that of others with presentations on the management of the IT processs in Government; governance of the internet; & the role of IT in the UK economy. We covered how to improve IT procurement in the public sector, a matter of interest to many of us given recent failures an cost, delivery time & security; how to ensure safe use of the internet, particularly by children; how to ensure IT jobs stay in here by ongoing training and innovation.; the vaiability of broadband across the country, an issue of concern to me as I live in a village where speeds are often frustratingly low.

Porkie Pies

2009-10-06T16:03:00.002Z

One of the many stands in the Conference, this one offering a product "endorsed" by Gordon Brown!

Conference Day 2

2009-10-06T15:37:00.003Z

Speeches from George Osbourne & Ken Clarke.

Conference Day 1

2009-10-06T06:57:00.004Z

Great atmosphere at the Conference; looking forward to some interesting discussion and announcement over the next couple of days.

Listening to Young People

2009-10-05T13:50:00.003Z

On Friday I joined a class of 17-18 year olds studying citizenship at the Rugby site of Warwickshire College, many of whom are hoping to take up careers in the uniformed services. I spoke about the role of a Parliamentary Candidate and the selection process, before being asked questions. I later took part in a Question Time type debate when some of the students joined me on the panel. I was asked about my motivation in seeking to become an MP which led to a lively debate about expenses. No surpise to find that the students feel the same way an most people about some of the items that were claimed for! We moved on to many of the matters that would be raised by a wider audience, with emphasis on local matters including road congestion in the town centre and safety late at night. It reaffirmed my view that there are very few issues that are exclusive to young people and that they are just as concerned about the things that matter to the country as a whole. Great to see some friendly faces in the audience in the form of some of my son's team mates from Rugby Lions, who came up with some good questions and thoughtful contributions.

The Sun's change of allegiance

2009-10-01T10:35:00.002Z

In my business career I quickly learnt that if a contract didn't go your way, or if you lost a customer, you don't 1. abuse the decision maker (Mandelson) 2. show your anger & frustration at the decision (Brown) or 3. denigrate the customer or his product publicly (Tony Woodley). Who's the nasty party now?

Rugby Town Juniors Football Club

2009-10-01T10:22:00.002Z

I was reminded recently that I hadn't been to see my nephew & Godson, Harry Pawsey, playing for his new team, Rugby Town Juniors Under 15s, so I promised Tony Potter, team coach that I would go along on Sunday. It enabled me to visit the fantastic set up that the club have at Kilsby Lane and I was able to see the team win 2-1 with a fantastic winning goal from Harry in the last ten minutes. Great team performance & a number of lads with real talent enjoying themselves. I expect more of the same on my next visit!

Old Laurentians Vice-Presidents Lunch

2009-10-01T10:14:00.002Z

I had some great years playing Rugby in Rugby for the Old Laurentians Rugby club and was really pleased to be invited to be a Vice-President a few years ago. Actually it's not that great an honour as there are over 100 of us, but it's a great way of keeping an involvement with the club while being relieved of some cash. On Saturday many of us met up for a lunch before the first XV game againt Earlsdon which OLs won 36-23. Photos are taken from Ray Todds's gallery on the clubs website here: http://www.oldlaurentianrfc.co.uk/2008/Home.html

MacMillan Coffee Morning

2009-09-25T10:27:00.002Z

Today I joined the worlds biggest coffee morning raising money for MacMillan Cancer support when I joined Emma Russell and her helpers at Cawston Grange Primary School. The idea of lots of events all taking place at the same time is a great one and I know just how much support MacMillan provide. My mum used to be active in the organisation in Rugby and both my parents have benefitted from the back up they provide. Lots of people at the event I visited, and with I understand another half dozen in Rugby and thousands across the country I hope a good sum has been raised.

Business Feedback

2009-09-25T10:06:00.002Z

Yesterday I joined many former colleagues in the foodservice packaging industry at their annual lunch at the House of Commons. The location and my current regular activity are a coincidence!It is regular date and somewhere the member enjoy attending. I was interested to learn how people were finding the current market and the consenus is that things are difficult. With little new investment in the catering sector, few new restaurant openings and a contraction in the workplace as unemployment increases, the only way for a muanufacturer or distributor to increase sales is at the expense of competitors which is leading to huge pressure on price & margins. This in turn is leading to either business failure or consolidation between companies. Once again I picked up the message of how essential it is that we quickly get business moving again and return to a more orderly market.

Rugby Rail Users Group

2009-09-25T09:37:00.002Z

On Wednesday evening I attended a meeting of RRUG when Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Trains spoke. Virgin operate the London to Scotland service which passes through Rugby on the West Coast Main Line which has just been the subject of massive public investment leading to a revised service . Communcations are vital to Rugby's prosperity and so it was interesting to be involved in a discussion on recent changes among regular and knowledgeable users of the service. The service to London has settled down as much improved both on reliability and journey time as I know from my own experience of fairly infrequent jouneys down to Westminster. More contentious has been the reduced frequency from Rugby to the north west which has arisen from the political imperative to shorten journey times between London and the major connurbations of Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. The easy way to do this is for the train to stop less frequently and so there are now fewer stops at Rugby and places like Lichfield and Crewe. Again I have had my own experience of this and have decided that it will probably be better for me to travel to party conference in Manchester by car rather than wait to change at Birmingham New Street. It will be important to continue to lobby people like Chris to ensure that the needs of all of Rugby's travellers are taken into account in any future changes.
I learnt a great deal about the structure and operation of the railway industry including the nature of the franchises offered to operators and the tender process; the intensity of use on the West Coast Mail Line and the challenges of meeting all the demands placed on it; the time for a station stop within a timetable (5 minutes) and the minimum time gap necessary between trains (7 minutes); the nature of the Christmas 2007 disruption; the problems caused by the rising price of copper leading to cable theft; the complexities of different IT systems running the ticket booking process; concerns about travelling with cycles; and the challenges of developing a new and separate High Speed Service and the possible implications of that for Rugby.
I hope to take a closer look at the impact of all of these in the near future.

Coldplay at Wembley

2009-09-21T11:01:00.002Z

On Friday Tracy & I were at Wembley for the Coldplay concert. I had expected the audience to be mainly older and was surprised by the age range and the number of families. Coldplay were superb, put on a really good show of old favourites and all of their latest album, Viva la Vida. This was my first visit to the new stadium and I was very impressed by all the facilities including the link to the Tube station where we were easily able to get into central London afterwards.

The deteriorating economic position

2009-09-19T16:07:00.003Z

During the County Council election campaign in May, Philip Hammond Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury came to Rugby and spoke to local business owners & managers. Philip out the state of the Governments finances in perspective by telling the audience that the country was borrowing £1 for every £4 it was spending. In today's Times leader column headed "fainting by numbers - new figures on goverment debt show the landscape is rockier than we imagined" there are more scary numbers: national debt at over £800 billion or £25,000 per family; debt increasing at £6000 per second; every day £83 million having to be found to pay the interest and by 2013/14 accounting for £63 billion a year or more than we will spend on transport & defence combined. Surely now no-one can be in any doubt of the magnitude of the task facing an incoming Government.

Leading on NHS policy

2009-09-18T08:38:00.004Z

ConservativeHome has covered today's Times article here setting out the results of a poll asking which party would do the best on a series of issues. The headline is about NHS reform and the lead across the country is consistent with what Rugby voters have been telling us on this months survey. We have so far been on the doorstep in Admirals, Wolvey, Paddox, Benn & Newbold and in addion have been speaking to people across the constituency on the phone. I have heard many accounts of peoples experience of the NHS when the staff in the service receive much praise but where people find the system at fault and see huge waste and inefficiency. There is a real understanding that much needs to be changed, a point acknowledged by Andy Burnham, Health Secretary in his speech a couple of days ago. The shame is that it has taken the biggest recession for a generation which has led to huge pressure on spending for Labour to consider changes that should have been made years ago. Iain Dale blogged about Browns "cuts" speech "What was most intriguing was the moment when Brown said Labour would spend less on unnecessary things and low priorities. Which rather begs the question as to why any money was being spent in the first place on unnecessary things..." Just what have the Government been doing over the past 12 years, how much money has been wasted and how much better should our services be?

Canvassing in Wolvey

2009-09-14T07:35:00.004Z

We had a great team out in Wolvey meeting residents with our survey on Saturday morning. Unfortunately our team photo obliterated the fantastic "Inspector Morse" Jag that was parked in the square!