Robert Buckland Weblog

A long and tiring trip to Staffordshire Probation Service HQ to continue judicial training was the culmination of a hectic few days that should have continued with my trip to Rwanda.  With much regret, however, I have had to bow out of Project Umubano for this year, bearing in mind the continued illness of Sian’s mother and the pressure that this is putting upon her.   My thanks to the Cardiff Crown Court Library for putting together 26 kilograms of old law books that I am sending on for use in Rwanda.  The country, which is about to join the Commonwealth, is adopting English Common Law so the more texts, such as Archbold and Stone’s Justices Manual, they receive the better.  Over one hundred Conservative members have now arrived in Kigali, and are working on a range of projects that are designed to meet the requirements of local people, rather than a “we know better” approach.

The unsettled weather allowed England to notch up a tremendous and truly historic win over Australia at Lords.  I was glad to see some footage of the 1934 Series, and in particular the devastating spin bowling of Yorkshire’s Hedley Verity that ensured our only win at HQ in that century.  Verity, who later died of his wounds whilst on active service in Italy in 1943, was a bowler who won the respect of Sir Donald Bradman, amongst others.  Moving on seventy-five years and spin, in the form of Graham Swann, played some part in Australia’s undoing.  However, it was the brute force and sheer willpower of Andrew Flintoff who finished the wearers of the Baggy Green off this time.  To think we have three more matches to come this Summer!  Test Cricket, and Ashes Cricket in particular, is the greatest spectator sport of all.

The weather put paid to many hopes about Sunday’s Big Lunches that were held in Swindon and the country.  The Liden event proved to be a very damp squib, with only a few of us in attendance.  I was very glad to hear that there has been something of a lull in anti-social behaviour in and around the Liden Centre recently, and that the Community PCSO has responsibility purely for Eldene and Liden as opposed to a larger area.  The regular patrolling of smaller areas by police officers and PCSOs of long tenure is the best way to reduce crime.

I hear that East Walcot and Parks residents who had gathered at Buckhurst Field were given a warm welcome at the Walcot Dome.  I went over to the Broadgreen Community Centre, where local residents were holding a successful and enjoyable lunchtime event.  I was able to excel as quiz master in Trivial Pursuit, although many of the questions were well beyond me.  As ever, the Broad Street Area Community Council came up trumps.

I broke my journey to Stafford at the home of Chris Pincher, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Tamworth.  Chris, who lives in his constituency, has been a tireless local campaigner for over five years.  He just missed winning the seat in 2005, and I am sure that at the next election, he will secure a thoroughly deserved victory.  In South Swindon, the work of getting our message out goes on; Saturday saw me out and about in Okus.

I was very pleased that Swindon Council, despite opposition from Labour councillors, passed a motion at their Meeting on Thursday expressing concerns about the Eastern Development Area and support for the Conservative policy of scrapping the Regional Spatial Strategy and the housing targets that are at the heart of unsuitable and unsustainable development proposals such as this.  I am delighted that my concerns about the situation are being heeded.  This is also a real boost to the efforts of local campaigners, who are asking searching questions about the current system and its flaws.   Labour’s top down planning regime has failed local people; its time for a system that allows and encourages local development that is sustainable and in line with actual need, as opposed to outdated figures that bear no relation to current economic reality.