We had a rather different canvassing team out on Saturday supporting Rugby Borough Council candidate, Lisa Parker.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
