Better Teaching

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.