Admirals canvassing

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

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!

Visiting Bulkington Residents

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!

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

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.

Overslade Canvassing Team

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

Overslade Community Centre Grand Opening

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.