Another Government U Turn

I have spent some time working through the consequences of the Government announcement that it would seize 5% of all unspent schools' budgets every year for the next three years. I was particularly interested in the effect locally and have been looking at the consequences for schools in Rugby. I have noted that biggest looser was likely to be Harris School, having the largest revenue balance, and others that would be hit hard are Bilton School and Newbold Riverside Primary. I was about to comment how inherently unfair this would be by creating a perverse incentive for schools to spend any surpluses by the end of the financial year, which would undermine effective planning and lead to waste. Now I see on the BBC website here that ministers have dropped the plan. Anything to do with how David Cameron ran rings round Gordon Brown on this issue at Prime Ministers questions last week?

Theresa May MP in Rugby

Adding to the list of high profile front benchers visiting Rugby, Theresa May joined me at a meeting with RoSA last week. RoSA provides support to surviors of rape and sexual abuse and with a base in Rugby currently faces a funding crisis as a consequence of a decision by the Home Office not to award a grant this year. Theresa and l learnt about the work of RoSA's volunteers and the effect of this change. I hope that there may be a change in policy or an alternative source of funding to enable their valuable work to continue.

Andrew Mitchell MP in Rugby

We have been fortunate in having several high profile visitors to Rugby in recent weeks. Last week Andrew Mitchell, who the the Shadow Minister for Overseas Development was here and he and I visited Practical Action in Bourton on Dunsmore. Their Chief Executive, Simon Trace, was able to tell us about the work they are doing in developing countries, aiming to improve people's daily lives by introducing new technologies, often very simple in nature. We were shown a simple clay stove which by burning wood more efficiently, means that African women spend less time collecting wood for cooking enabling them to spend more time with their children and reduces the build up of smoke in their houses which can reduce respiratory problems. I was familar with some of these principles from my daughter Victoria who spent her gap year in Tanzania, and it was good to learn about the work that is being done to support these communities from Rugby's doorstep.

In front of the TV cameras

Over the past couple of months we've been carrying out a survey changing the subject each month. Our local ITV channel heard that our current survey is seeking Rugby peoples views on our call for a referendum on the EU Treaty and that is the topic of their The Lobby programme for next week. So a crew joined us on Friday morning as we asked questions on the doorsteps on Friday morning. The programme goes out this coming Thursday evening at 11.30pm on Central ITV. Take a look & see what people said when asked what they think about a referendum, how they would vote & what they will think if Gordon Brown denies the people their say on this important issue.

Coton Park Campaign

Last Saturday I joined others in publicising a petition by residents of Coton Park in Rugby against the development of a new pet food factory on an industrial estate in that part of the town. A strong case has been made against this proposal on the basis of the impact on the local quality of life as a consequence of a potentially unneighbourly process operating 24 hours a day. A particular difficulty is that this industrial estate is sited immediately adjacent to a large residential area and the residents are naturally concerned about noise, traffic, emissions and odours and the visual impact of the completed development. As a former member of Rugby Borough Council’s planning committee I understand fully the wide ranging considerations that will have to be taken into account and hope that the wishes of local residents will be fully considered. It’s not a planning matter & therefore can't be taken into account when considering the application, but I’m sure that a more appropriate location could be found for this particular development

Brown bottles

What a weekend. Not just the Rugby! I watched the game on Saturday afternoon with friends and marvelled at the transformation of England as they and Sheridan in particular put the Aussies away. We wandered home and I started some work when Tracy came in to tell me of a news flash on the radio and then the phone started ringing with people telling me about Brown’s announcement that there would not be an election.

Various thoughts. Interesting that it was the poll of marginal constituencies in the News of the World that is said to lead to Brown’s decision. I don’t often buy NoW but did so on Sunday. Their poll shows a six point Conservative lead and was held in the 49 most marginal constituencies notionally held by Labour and the 34 most marginal held Conservative constituencies. Whether you take Rallings & Thresher’s or UK Polling Report’s numbers this poll must have included Rugby. Good news. The threat of an election concentrates mind wonderfully (witness the Blackpool conference!) and it enabled us to put in place quickly many of the plans for fighting an election locally which would have usually taken much more time. Once it’s done it’s done and there will be far less preparation to do when the election finally takes place. That gives us more time to get out on the doorstep now and whenever it is called. When selected earlier this year, I always though that the election would be in May 2009, at the same time as the County Council elections, as happened in 2005, and we’re back working to that agenda. Finally, on a personal note, while I would have been very happy starting off our election campaign today, because we would have most definitely won, I’m pleased that the uncertainty of the past few weeks is at an end. Back to plan A.

Cameron's speech

I drove back to Rugby yesterday evening. If we’re going to be fighting an election this time next week, there are still preparations to be made and I’ve taken the view that my time is better spent here.

I’ve just watched David Cameron’s conference speech in my office on the BBC website which wasn’t as good as being there but enabled me to take some notes as he spoke. I liked the tributes to his colleagues – it’s important to show the breadth of thinking in our party; the attacks on Gordon Brown and Labour hit home and I enjoyed his remark that “we’ve got to be better than that”. A large chunk was about education and how we need to raise standards & give head teachers proper control. I too met someone on a doorstep recently who told me how much better off she and her partner were when they lived apart. On each issue he set out how we will do things differently; it not enough just to oppose and blame Labour, we need to show how we will solve the problems Britain faces. Good understanding and support for our troops in Afghanistan contrasts with Brown’s opportunism yesterday. I liked the support for families. He brought the speech to a strong conclusion which obviously received huge support in the hall.

As a candidate in a marginal seat approaching an election, I was encouraged by what I saw and heard and I am sure that those people in the country who just saw and heard Cameron will be too. Most people, however, will react to the accounts given by the media and the edited versions on tv. It will be very interesting to see the comentators take on the speech. This will lead to opinion polls at the weekend and it will be the polls that will steer Brown as to whether he calls an election or not. For my part I’m ready and confident & very happy about the prospect of starting my election campaign next week.

Rugby at the Conference

I'm in Blackpool at the Conservative Party Conference with what I am sure is the largest group from Rugby ever to attend with, at the last count 15 of us here. We did well to get an unlucky 13 together in one place & the photo was taken in the foyer of the Winter Gardens Given my level of IT skill, I think I have done magnificently to get it posted within an hour of it being taken!
Today is day 3 and I sense people here getting more upbeat as the conference progresses with the tax proposals launched by George Osbourne yesterday being the key. I attended two events where David Cameron spoke; he was entusiastic and positive at each and knows that he has to be on really good form tomorrow to deliver the second speech of his life. I am confident he will and we will all leave raring to go, whether or not we find ourselves fighting a General Election this time next week. With this fantastic Rugby team all fired up, the people of Rugby can expect the Conservatives to be busy and working hard across the entire constituency.