We held a follow up event yesterday when Philip Hammond, Shadow Secretary to the Treasury joined us. Philip was visiting Warwickshire to support our County Council campaign and having left London early in the moring by train had been at a similar event in Leamington before joining us; after meeting with Rugby businessmen, he and I visited a local manufacturing company supplying the motor industry before joining Clare Watson, our candidate in Lawford & New Bilton on the doorsteps. I then drove Philip over to Nuneaton where he joined their canvassing team before taking the train back to London. At 11 0'clock Philip was on Newsnight debating with Stephen Timms, his opposite number in Government about the downgrading by Standard & Poor of its rating for UK Government debt. I relate this because in the current climate, when MPs as a group are being rightly criticised, many people either are unaware of, or have forgotten, just how much work and commitment is given to their cause by politicians of all parties. Whenever I see the timetable that politicians work to, I am reminded that the role involves long hours and hard work, something that is not always apreciated!Our seminar was again well attended with people from a variety of local businesses able to put their questions and get answers from a menber of our front bench team. We again spent a fair proportion of out time talking about the banks, the money that has been provided to them by Government and how a more responsive attitude from them would be of great assistence to business during this difficult period.
