Robert Buckland Weblog

The date of the General Election remains a secret known only to the Prime Minister.   The smart money is still on May 6th, but there remains a chance of a March election, which is why the national campaigns began before the last Christmas decorations were taken down.  These weeks and months require unusual stamina from Parliamentary candidates, and here in South Swindon my team is working hard to secure as much support as possible.

There is no doubt that people’s trust in politicians and the entire process has been eroded by the expenses scandal.   The wish for change is almost tangible.   Memories of the flawed decision-making process that led to the war in Iraq are being stirred by the Chilcot Inquiry, and the emergence from the shadows of Gordon Brown will be an event even more interesting than the evidence of his predecessor.

I spoke to a number of local residents today who had never voted before.  It may not be the best time to encourage people to participate, but is it lack of participation that has got us into this mess?   Opinion is divided as to whether turnout will go up or down at the General Election.   My hunch is that turnout will increase.  Anger at politicians does not necessarily mean abstention.  I believe that the best way to register concern about the mess that Parliament has got itself into is to vote for a fresh start.

There have been many moments in our history when our Parliament has fallen short of the standards expected of it.  Equally, there have been many moments when Parliament has risen to the challenge and led the way.   The only way to go from this situation is up, surely?

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has published its report on the procurement of Legal Aid in England and Wales by the Legal Services Commission.   It does not make for pleasant reading if you are a senior official in the LSC.   You may be expecting me to launch into a diatribe about the fate of criminal barristers;  the Report expresses the concern of the PAC that the long term future of the junior criminal bar is under threat.  I am very worried about the future of the criminal bar, but there are some more fundamental problems with the LSC itself.

A brief recital of some facts and figures gives immediate cause for concern.  2.1 billion pounds is spent by the LSC on civil and criminal legal aid.  A further 125 million pounds is spent on administration. The Ministry of Justice spends more than 2 million pounds per year on legal aid policy matters  and overseeing the LSC.   The LSC’s accounts for 2008-09 were qualified because of an estimated overpayment by the LSC to solicitors of 25m.  In short, this is an organisation that has weak internal controls and is not on top of its financial management.   Whilst the LSC has been working to a budget at the level reached in 2006, there are inadequate means of checking the ways in which the money is being spent.

The much vaunted Very High Cost Case system, introduced in 2001 and involving a plethora of civil servants ”managing” cases and authorising work done by barristers and solicitors, remains a mystery when it comes to value for money.  The LSC have no idea whether this bureaucratic and often Kafkaesque system is better value than paying a graduated fee for a particular case. 

There is also confusion between the Ministry of Justice and the LSC that is leading to duplication of work, notes the committee.    I was particularly concerned to read about the 1.5 million pound cost of  changes to senior management in the LSC.   The LSC has now abandoned the lamentable Best Value Tendering Scheme.  It knows that further savings will have to be made but does not know where these could come from.  My advice to them is: Physician, heal thyself.

A freezing but bright Saturday morning made for brisk door knocking in the Lawns today.  I was out and about with local ward Councillors Brian Mattock and Fionuala Foley and a team of helpers that allowed us to talk with a large number of local residents.   We also bumped in to Alan Nix, Chair of the Lawn Residents Association who invited us in to speak to local residents at a reception in the Community Centre.   Alan and his team have worked very hard to improve facilities at the Centre, and thanks to Lottery funding and sheer willpower, new rooms and facilities have been added.  We recently held a meeting of the Swindon SEN Network in one of those new rooms, which had formerly been a store area but which is now ideal for group meetings such as ours.

A number of residents were talking with me today about Tony Blair and his evidence to the Iraq Inquiry.  I was surprised and disappointed that he did not express regret for the lives of servicemen and others that were lost during the war and its aftermath, even if he asserted that he believed that he made the right decision.

I had forgotten how self-righteous and evangelical Mr. Blair can sound at times when justifying himself.  This style may have worked with many people in the late 1990s, but it is utterly out of kilter with modern politics.  The expenses scandal may have accelerated the rise of cynicism with all politicians, but Tony Blair did much to damage relations between the political class and the public.   A war that was not in Britain’s national interest was entered into upon a false prospectus.   Try as he might, his premiership will be defined by this act of folly.

Today’s news has the UK economy finally, but only by the narrowest of margins, emerging from the longest recession on record.  Whether the figure of 0.1% growth, which is based upon an analysis of only 40% of the available economic data, is in fact the true figure is something that will not be revealed for some time.  Whatever the margin of error, it may well be the case that we are experiencing some form of recovery, but the fact remains that the economy has shrunk by nearly 5% over the last year or so.  In short,  we have a lot of ground to make up and are at risk of being left behind by our major competitors. 

There seem to be lots of crime stories in the Swindon Advertiser at the moment.  I often hear complaints that the local newspaper concentrates too much on crime and not enough on the positive aspects of life in Swindon.  It is a tough call, but the public needs to have information about local incidents because very often an investigation can be helped by an appeal in the local paper.  The problem with extensive crime coverage comes in the form of an increase in the fear of crime amongst readers.  It is very often the case that the most serious crimes occur for a specific reason, rather than being the result of random targeting.  The exceptions are house burglary and street robbery, which are oftent he product of opportunism and mischance.  

There is no doubt, however, that fear of crime has affected the lives of thousands of residents, which is why reassurance in the form of visible and responsive policing is essential.  Visible policing isn’t merely a question of making people feel safer – it is also about crime prevention, which to my mind is the best cure.   Crime prevention has to involve all of us too – it requires vigilance and an awareness that there is much we can do to protect ourselves and our property.   Swindon remains a relatively safe place to live, but it is everyone’s responsibility to help keep it that way.

The Swindon MS Therapy Centre was welcoming guests on Friday at the official opening of its new premises at Westmead Drive, Westlea.  The Centre, which is moving from smaller and inferior premises in Cheney Manor,  is funded entirely by charitable donations and is staffed by dedicated volunteers.  It offers support and oxygen therapy to MS sufferers in the local area.  The use of oxygen, adiministered to clients in large decompression tanks, has been found to be of real benefit to many people with MS.  It can also be of help for a range of other conditions, including autism.    The Therapy Centre is a charitable trust run by a team of dedicated trustees including Dave and Jackie Wray, who have worked incredibly hard to raise the funds needed to make the move.

I was delighted to be one of the guests at Friday’s opening, and enjoyed a guided tour of the gym facilities, consultation rooms and the oxygen chambers themselves.  We also heard from several clients with MS, who told us how much they valued the Centre and its services.

It was wonderful to see the results of the hard work of fundraising, which included the efforts of me, Justin Tomlinson and a team of other local residents on the Midnight Walk from Avebury to Bishopstone last June.

For more information, please go to http://www.msswindon.org.uk/

The makers of the popular children’s programme “Peppa Pig” have conceded that Peppa ought to have worn a seat belt when being driven by her father during the first two series of the programme.  The concession came after it was revealed that one five year old girl has been refusing to wear a seat belt because Peppa didn’t.   Neither I nor my two children had noticed this, which speaks volumes for our powers of observation.  The programme’s makers will correct this omission in all future episodes.   Is this an example of the principle of “nudge” at work? It sounds like it.   This approach works very well with children; for example,  parents who refrain from smoking in front of their children makes them less likely to want to copy the behaviour.   Does it have the same effect on adults, though?

Driving habits are an indication of the success or otherwise of “nudge”.  Electronic speed warning signs that remind the driver of excessive speed or the actual speed they have reached seem to be working well and are much less resented than fixed speed cameras on dual carriageways, for example.  The long running public health campaign about the dangers of smoking has been matched with a steady decline in the proportion of the population that smokes.  The increases in tobacco duty that make smoking a rather expensive habit is another example of “nudge”.

This Government, however, likes to take things much further.  The blanket ban on smoking in enclosed places is more “shove” than “nudge”, I think.   The civil liberties implications of  the “shove” approach have never been taken seriously by this Government.  In very many respects, the ban on smoking in enclosed places is welcome.   I have always harboured doubts about the ban when it applies to private clubs and have never seen the problem with having designated smoking rooms in pubs.

The debate about the sale of alcohol is another example of the “nudge” versus “shove” approach.   The Government would argue that the imposition of minimum prices is a “nudge” in the right direction.  My problem with it is that it looks like an incorrectly aimed shove.

Wines and real ales are not the problem here, but the widespread availability of cheap lagers and alcopops.  Off licences and supermarkets are the source of the vast majority of these drinks that are then consumed to an excessive degree by people, many of whom are young.

Sweet but strong alcopops, which were unknown before the mid 1990s,  are all too popular with teenagers and young women.   I see the baleful results of this on CCTV footage of town and city centres and in cases of domestic violence.  If you are going to use cost as a “nudge” mechanism, then it should be focused on those types of drinks, coupled with a massive public health campaign.

Would this be more of a shove than a nudge, however?  Sometimes, a good shove, carefully and correctly aimed, can achieve significant results.  The drink driving legislation is one of the best examples of this.   Where the consequences of a person’s actions are less clear cut, however, then the Government should remember that we are not all children and that people respond much better to encouragement rather than barked orders.

Perhaps the real debate should not be “nudge versus shove” but one about effectiveness of approach.  In other words,  is the blunderbuss better than the rapier?

Another snowy week has brought much disruption to our family life.   I must admit that sailing down the hill on a tea tray near to our house in Wroughton yesterday afternoon was a moment of stolen pleasure that caused much hilarity in the Buckland household, but our obsession with health and safety has meant that there were a number of wholly unnecessary school closures.   This culture of fear has spread to our own homes, where people have been reluctant to clear paths and pavements just in case someone tried to sue them.  Nonsense, I say.  I did clear and salt my path and the pavement in front of the house and have survived the threat of litigation so far.

Its all part of a thought process that is making everyone far too cautious.  The ability of public officials to make decisions seems to diminish day by day.  I am not just talking about the “death of discretion”, which I see most visibly in Court as the hands of our Judges become increasingly tied, but about the reluctance of public servants to get on with decision-making.  I was speaking with a group of local surveyors in Swindon yesterday, who made the concerning point that there is often a lot of delay and confusion in the planning process caused by junior officials not wanting to make decisions.

Everything we do has a consequence.  Some of them are good, and some of them may turn out to be less than good.  None of us is blessed with the gift of complete clairvoyance,  so we have to make the best of what we have.   A reasoned decision based upon the best available evidence (no dodgy dossiers, please) is the most we can hope for.  Anyting more is a counsel of perfection.

David Tennant’s luxury on Desert Island Discs recently was a solar powered DVD and the entire boxed set of “The West Wing”.  Sound choice.

That’s it.  It is now official.  Harold Wilson’s adage about a week being a long time in politics is no longer true.  Half a day, or even half an hour is a long time, especially if you are the Prime Minisiter.  A satisfactory performance at Prime Minister’s Questions was followed by the public bombshell of the Hewitt/Hoon letter.  My Labour opponent in South Swindon was so incensed that she interrupted a TV interview with Mr Hoon in the Lobby to describe his actions as disgraceful.  I am sure that she and her boss feel very wounded indeed by this and previous attempts to remove him from office. 

The spectacle of Cabinet Ministers nervously eyeing ech other to see who is prepared to take the plunge only added to the farce.  That Labour is divided is no longer a matter of opinion; it is a clear sstatement of fact.  As Eric Pickles said, there needs to be a secret ballot but this time of the entire country.  If Labour MPs can’t support their leader, why on earth should we?  If Labour MPs can’t organise themselves to remove a leader,  what hope for the Labour Party? 

I was sad to note the departure of my friend Cllr Steve Wakefield from the Conservative Group to sit as an Independent on Swindon Council.  Steve has worked hard for Swindon and for the residents of Toothill and Westlea and I know that he will continue in that vein.  My thanks and best wishes to him, Deb and the family.  Steve was a very popular Mayor of the Borough in 2008/09 and his contributions to the Adver about the history of the GWR in Swindon are always an interesting read.  Steve’s support for the Blunsdon and Cricklade Railway is well known.  Although he is a native of St. Helen’s,  the railway heritage of Swindon makes it the perfect place for him.

Swindon Borough Council Conservative Group’s decision to look again at the budget proposals to reduce funding for the local DIal-A-Ride service is something that I warmly welcome.  Voluntary organisations such as Dial-a-Ride have an invaluable role to play in the local community.   I look forward to both the Council and Dial-a-Ride working together to safeguard and improve the service that is provided to vulnerable people who cannot get about wihtout such help. 

Meanwhile the snow has provided my two with a lot of action instead of school.  All Swindon’s schools bar two were close yesterday, and with more snow forecast there may be more problems next week.

The proposal by a previously obscure Islamist group to hold an anti-war march in Wootton Bassett given them some publicity.  My initial instinct was one of indignation and anger.  I still feel very strongly that they should not be using the town as the backdrop for a political statement, but I must say that I agree with those who have said that the best thing to do is to reject the proposal by ignoring it.  In that way, the oxygen of publicity becomes that much thinner.

The most fundamental point to be made about the repatriation ceremonies is that they are not in any way a commentary about the merits of the war in Afghanistan itself.  This is a town that wishes to show some solidarity and empathy with the soliders and their families.  It is a feeling that sustained us through two terrible world wars and which still runs strongly within us.  Don’t give this misguided group the satisfaction of a reaction.   If their “plans” fpor a march become more than just talk, however,  the notion that it should take place in Wootton Bassett is too much to stomach.

Christmas and New Year rushed past in a blur – children, family, presents, visits.  Lydiard Park in the frost;  a drink or two at various parties in Swindon; building Lego and Hotwheels sets with Geroge;  outings to the Cotswolds.

My first post of the New Year allows me to explain the new and exciting format of the Blog.   My thanks to Tim Almond for having updated the Blog with a temporary picture of the Golden Gate Bridge in all its misty glory.  I have neither the inclination nor the resources  to be contesting a Congressional seat in California, so we thought it better to replace that photo with a panomrama covering a large part of  South Swindon.  My apologies to the Eastern villages and to West Swindon, but most of the other wards are contained within the vista, which was taken by Tim only a few days ago.

We have come to it; the year of hoped-for and long-awaited change.

Whilst appreciating that weather and climate are not the same thing, the freezing temperatures and snowy landscape that greeted me this morning in Swindon make debate and discussion about global warming seem rather academic, when in fact it is becoming more and more urgent. The chaos of Copenhagen has looked rather like a modern Tower of Babel; lots of noise and chatter but no real understanding or co-operation achieved.  I have to say, however, that had there been a neat tie-up at the end of the conference, with world leaders gathering for a photograph after having signed a binding treaty, would all of this have been too good to be true? In other words, would a Copenhagen Treaty have amounted to very much?

What Copenhagen did reveal was that the balance of power in the world is altering.  It was obvious that those countries  that have the greatest carbon emissions were going to play a significant  role so when President Obama arrived,  the important negotations were conducted with China, Brazil, India and South Africa, rather than the old  G8 or EU nations.  Their increasing economic power  will place them more and more at the top table of international politics.  The  G20 is a reflection of this reality.

The events at Copenhagen do not mean that in all respects, the balance of power has moved away from the  traditional nations.   The pivotal role of China may mean that we have now left the era of the USA as the world’s only superpower.

On an organisational level, it struck me that negotiations via international circuses of inordinate length such as this one are not the way to make progress.  Whilst it may have been useful to bring people together, the grandstanding and posturing adopted by many got in the way of hard negotiation.   This modern Tower of Babel has left a huge carbon footprint as well which must not be repeated.

All this snow is putting me in the mood for Christmas.  Once again, I had the pleasure of playing the role of Father Christmas at the Queen’s Park Christmas Carol service held in the open air of the park in sub zero temperatures  on Saturday evening.  Thanks to members of the local Community Council who organise the event, we were kept warm with mince pies and mulled wine.