Robert Buckland Weblog

I am wearing my walking boots around the house as a precaution against disaster on the Wakely Midnight Walk, which I will be doing on the night of 13th and 14th June.  Starting at Midnight from The Red Lion in Avebury, I will be walking twenty miles along the Ridgeway Path to the True Heart Inn at Bishopstone, with an estimated arrival time of about 5am.  Joining me will be Justin Tomlinson and a group of other friends.  We will be raising money for the Swindon Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre.   I have set up a JustGiving website and have set myself a target of £250.  So far, I have raised £120 plus £60 in other donations.  Thanks to everyone who has been so generous.

One of my fellow Governors at The Ridgeway School, Eddie Sims, who will be taking part, has given me some handy tips to prepare my feet for the test.   If you would like to donate online, please go to my fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/robertbuckland

I was greatly encouraged by David Cameron’s article in today’s Guardian.  There is no doubt that the public will welcome Members of Parliament who are able to voice independent thoughts and who are not in constant thrall to the whips.   A gradual shift of power to the Whips over many years has been followed by New Labour control freakery, which transferred massive power to special advisers and other shadowy figures in Number Ten and the Treasury.   Our system may have looked democratic from the outside, but in reality it became a form of dictatorship.  The expenses scandal has been the last straw for many people.  We have not seen rioting in the streets, but how close to it have we come, I wonder?