A Weekend in Liverpool
May 5th, 2008Yet again, I am experiencing that rather empty post-election feeling that comes around most years at this time. Another May Day Bank Holiday Weekend which involved much travel, this time to the great city of Liverpool. We managed to visit both Cathedrals. George and I agree that the Anglican Cathedral is the better of the two, although I must say that the Catholic Cathedral has grown on me considerably since my youth, when I positively detested it. The story of the construction of the Anglican Cathedral is a fascinating one, involving every monarch since Edward VII, two World Wars and lasting for seventy-four years. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, designer of the red telephone box and a Roman Catholic to boot, was the Cathedral’s architect. It is vast without being monstrous and dark without being oppressive. I have now visited nearly every Cathedral in England; a boyhood ambition is slowly being realised.
A journey on the Yellow Duckmarine, which is a wartime amphibious landing craft, took us through the heart of the city and into the docks. I was as excited as Millie and George. We had gone to Liverpool because George’s godmother was getting married. George had ring bearing duties to perform. He was entrusted with an important looking box, and managed to carry it down the aisle without incident. The box contained a ring; it was thought safer not to entrust the ring to little fingers, but nonetheless the spectacle was marvellous.
If you like loved and unloved old buildings, then Liverpool is the place for you. So much of its Georgian past has escaped unharmed. Its Victorian splendour largely survived the War, and it was spared the wholesale redevelopment of the late 20th Century that disfigured so many other cities. Sadly, many of the projects that should have been ready for this year, which marks Liverpool as the European City of Culture, have not been completed. There is much finger-pointing at the LibDem Council, which just managed to retain power on the weekend when an independent (ex-Labour) Councillor defected to them. Where the LibDems are in office, the story is often not a happy one, it seems. Its easy to hold yourself out as different or morally superior when in opposition, but much more difficult to live up to those claims when in office.
Cameron in Swindon
April 28th, 2008This blog is always a bit of a casualty at local election time, so please forgive the slight delay in posting about David Cameron’s visit to Swindon last Friday afternoon. David arrived at the Civic Offices at about 5pm, and after a brief meeting with me, Justin, Cllr Rod Bluh and a small group of activists, strolled over to see the continuing work on the new Central Library. He was able to meet a few members of the public; the lack of stage management meant that one individual who was not well-disposed to us tried to hog the limelight somewhat!
I try not to use this blog as a running commentary about current opinion polls and media mood swings. Having been an active Tory for much of the past twenty years, I have seen the swing of the pendulum. What I am very glad to see from DC is a complete lack of triumphalism or the need to turn everything into a vote-getting exercise.
I well remember how New Labour promised everything to everyone before 1997, only to let people down when in Government. It wasn’t just because the delivery mechanisms were simply not in place or the money wasn’t there. It was that New Labour was really the vehicle for one man, aided and abetted by the current occupant of Downing Street. The aim then was to get elected at all costs and worry about the reality later.
The huge let-down that was New Labour has caused much of the cynicism that exists about modern politics in Britain. One of our helpers in West Swindon was a New Labour voter in 1997. To hear him describe his sheer dismay at being so badly let down by a party that promised so much is very instructive.
Time’s up.
Swindon wards to watch on Thursday night: Western and Parks. Traditional Labour strongholds whose fall would make it the best set of local elections for the Conservatives since the year of my birth!! No predictions from RB, but two keenly-fought contests.
Swindon Council Elections
April 21st, 2008The blogosphere is ever-changing; I note that some of my fellow political bloggers have chucked the habit. My aim was never to post on a daily basis, but to make a contribution every week or so. I am up to my neck in local elections at the moment. Its only ten days or so to this year’s Local Elections, and South Swindon is a hive of Tory activity, I am glad to say. The most interesting contest comes in the Parks Ward, which for years has been a Labour stronghold. Not any more. Last year, we were only 160 or so votes behind Labour, and our challenge this year is a strong one. No predictions, but it is a hard-fought campaign.
Whatever the result, it is very important for local residents, so often forgotten and taken for granted in the past by Labour, to be listened to and for their concerns to be acted upon. The regeneration of Cavendish Square, the area’s shopping and commercial centre, is an excellent initiative which the Conservative Council got off the ground, after years of inaction under Labour. I hope that this is just the start of what we can achieve in Park North and Park South.
So far, we have been supported by Shadow Universities Secretary David Willetts MP, who visited Cavendish Square and Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP, who visited Stepping Forward, a nursery for youngsters in the Parks area and then went to meet local residents at the Walcot Dome in East Walcot.
I am acting as Agent for all the South Swindon Council Candidates this year, which keeps me rather busy to say the least. My best wishes and thanks to all of them for their continued hard work.
Justice for Henry
April 13th, 2008It has taken over three months, but the last of the verdicts in the two trials at Bristol Crown Court that arose from the dreadful events of January 11th 2007 at The Ridgeway School has now been delivered. Sentences will be passed within the next few weeks. The investigation by Wiltshire Police has been thorough and wide-ranging. Hundreds of witnesses were interviewed. DC Wilkinson and his team are to be thanked and praised for the success of Operation Dakota. I know that the end of the criminal trials has been a relief for Henry and his family, who have endured events with dignity and courage. Henry’s decision to give evidence in open Court rather than via the TV Link, which is his right, was a brave one indeed.
The media interest in the aftermath of the Trial has been considerable. The investigation that I conducted following a complaint from Mrs. Webster will now be re-convened at the earliest convenient opportunity. Governors are keen to conduct their own, wide-ranging review of events, now that we have the benefit of a wealth of evidence given in the criminal trial.
It is likely that civil proceedings will now follow. I think it is beneficial for all of us to try to put ourselves in the shoes of Henry and his family. By doing this, we gain a greater understanding of their situation. It is right to note that the School has made significant changes that are yielding improvements in behaviour and a more structured school day. As parents, we all want and expect our youngsters to be safe in school; at the same time, we don’t want to create a prison-like environment for them. The maintenance of this balance will not be easy, as the recent incursion by an Adver reporter has already shown.
The events of that day fifteen months ago were life-changing for Henry Webster. It is to be hoped that those responsible for his serious injuries will be punished appropriately. As Governors, it is up to us to ensure that the School’s place in the community is maintained and enhanced, and that all necessary changes will be made in order to further reduce the risk of another incident.
Having Your Cake and Eating It
April 6th, 2008The start of a new financial year finally brings the baleful effects of the 2007 Budget into force. Gordon Brown’s final flourish as Chancellor was one of the most dishonest moments of his career to date. After ten years spent in complicating the tax system, he dared to declare himself as the great simplifier. He would leave us with just two bands: 20% and 40%, shaving 2% off the lower rate at a stroke. How they cheered him on the Government benches! Members who continue to sit on those same benches are now telling us that they are concerned that the ending of the 10% band is causing direct, immediate and real hardship to people on low incomes.
We are told that Mr. Brown wants to review the situation, although what he can do short of reversing a major plank of his own Finance Act is difficult to envisage. After the minister responsible for the pub trade told us that he disapproved of this year’s duty hikes but then back-tracked in the most bizarre way, none of us should be in any doubt about the finality of financial measures. That is the case with every Government.
Mr. Brown’s sympathetic noises are yet another manifestation of the way in which members of this Government, unlike any of its predecessors, seem to think that they can disassociate themselves from unpopular measures. Perhaps Lord West and Lord Jones (he wants to be called Digby, Lord Jones, but he is no Alfred Tennyson) can be forgiven because they are new to party politics, but for Ministers and PPS’s to campaign to retain local post offices whilst supporting the Government’s closure plan and opposing Tory attempts to suspend the current closure progamme is sheer hypocrisy. Does Collective Responsibility mean nothing any more?
Don’t kid around, Mr. Brown; you knew perfectly well what the effects of the abolition of the 10p band would be. Please don’t indulge in this charade - get on with the job of making decisions and accepting the unpopularity that will accompany some of what you are doing.
I have been out and about in the opening days of this local election campaign. It is clear that residents are worried about the cost of living and that many still fear crime. The message from my meetings this weekend is that so-called “petty crimes” of drunken disorder and criminal damage are not petty to the victims. Each incident that goes undetected or unpunished edges us a little closer to a society where people’s fears will have eroded their quality of life so drastically that the streets will be “lost” to us.
I am particularly proud of this year’s batch of Conservative candidates in Swindon. We will be fighting a positive campaign, and I do hope there is no repetition this year of the unpleasant and slanderous literature generated by the Labour Party. Lies and slander didn’t get them anywhere last year; even less so, this year, I suggest.
Swindon Special Educational Needs Network
March 30th, 2008Our fifth meeting was held on Tuesday 18th March at the Parish Hall in Wroughton. We were joined by Sue Wald, Manager of the Strategic Partnership for Children and Young People in Swindon. We were given an insight into the arrangements for education and health, with the Borough working hand in hand with the Primary Care Trust. All this is part of the Government’s Every Child Matters Agenda. Frankly, it is a welcome approach because it helps avoid the situation that I and many other parents have experienced in having to explain our child’s situation over and over again to differing bodies. I call it “having to re-invent the wheel”. It is tiring and grinds you down, I can tell you. Now, parents will be able to access services at one point and there will be an integrated approach to dealing with their child’s educational and health needs.
The main obstacle to real improvement remains funding, however. The problem is particularly acute in Swindon, which is one of the worst funded local authorities in England and Wales. This lack of Government support is having a real effect on the educational futures of many children. I am the SEN Link Governor at The Ridgeway School, where pressure on the budget is forcing the school to reduce its SEN provision. Teachers and children are going through a trying time.
The current “free school dinners entitlement” formula may well be relevant in areas where there are large numbers of families on benefits. In Swindon, however, where there is near full employment but many working families on low incomes, this formula is positively unhelpful in schools like The Ridgeway.
Earth Hour
March 29th, 2008For one hour tonight, people are being encouraged to turn off all their lights across the world. Cities as far apart as Sydney and Vancouver have been or are going to dim the lights on their public buildings. Individuals too have been taking part. What’s the point in a meaningless gesture such as this, you might well ask. I think that sometimes, even symbolic gestures such as this do have a function, which in this case is to help more and more people learn about the consequences of conspicuous and heavy use of energy. I accept the evidence about climate change. But, as John McCain has said, even if we are wrong about the science, showing respect for the environment will bequeath a better planet for future generations. Failing to turn off unnecessary lights at home or wasting water have never been acceptable habits in my book. Initiatives such as Earth Hour are not really new at all.
As someone who instinctively recoils from new-fangled gimmicks, I will participate tonight.
For Queen and Country
March 16th, 2008Prior to all that Grand Slam fever, I was delighted to be a guest speaker at a Support for Veterans Meeting, held at the Campanile Hotel in Westlea on Saturday. The event was organised by former RAF Community Psychiatric Nurse Dick Hilling, who lives in West Swindon, and Andy Hack, a former serviceman living in Middleleaze who has set up an organisation called S.M.U.G.S - an acronym meaning Stress Management User Groups. The event was attended by a number of guests, including Deputy Mayor Cllr Steve Wakefield and Anne Snelgrove MP. I was at the meeting from 10am up to 12.15pm.
The aim of the meeting, which lasted the best part of the day, was to explore ways in which support for veterans in the community could be increased. The format was relaxed and friendly, allowing all participants to ask questions and have a real dialogue with speakers. I first met Dick Hilling back in 2005. His story is too long to tell here, but he opened my eyes to the long-lasting physiological and psychological effects of service in a theatre of war, namely the Gulf in 1991.
There was much discussion about medical services available for veterans. Andy Hack’s story was one of much struggle followed by private expenditure in order to obtain the services of the well-known and much respected psychiatrist and PTSD expert, Professor Gordon Turnbull. Anne and I were able to agree about many things - the fact there was a consensus about the importance of veterans in our society was a huge advantage, I said. The question now is: how do we deliver decent support for those people who were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country? By treating them as professionals with much to offer and by bringing together provision into one overarching structure. This would cover not only health issues, but employment and re-training issues as well.
I reminded delegates about the recently-formed Military Covenant Commission of the Conservative Party, chaired by Frederick Forsyth, whose panel includes the Falklands War veteran Simon Weston. Part of their remit concerns veteran affairs. I am keen to hear from veterans and their families about their experiences, and will pass on information to the Commission - please get in touch with your views.
Andy’s organisation is not solely aimed at ex-service personnel. It deals with the issues of depression, stress and anxiety that can affect all of us. It aims to dispel that sense of isolation that so often accompanies these problems. Andy has been running the website for several years now. I am so impressed with his work that I am going to set up a link from the blog. For more information about S.M.U.G.S, please visit their website at www.smugs.org.uk
As next year’s Mayor of Swindon, Steve Wakefield has organised events for Veterans Week, in late June. Steve has been committed to this issue for some considerable time, and I am sure that Swindon, with its strong service connections and large number of resident veterans, will respond to his enthusiasm in kind.
I Was There!
March 16th, 2008There are many times that great sporting occasions fail to live up to the media hype that surrounds them. The FA Cup Final with two Premiership teams stuffed full of the best and most expensive players available that fails to deliver a goal before full time. The Test Match that is largely rained off. The Grand Prix that is determined by mechanical failure rather than driving prowess. The Classic race that is not supported by many of the most important owners and trainers. Yesterday’s Rugby Union RBS Six Nations Championship decider at Cardiff was not one of those occasions. As Max Boyce once said, “I was there”.
Before the construction of the Millennium Stadium, this Grand Slam game would have been played in a veritable downpour - a muddy tussle by the Taff would have ensued. Mercifully, it was agreed by both Wales and France that the roof should be closed for the match. The pitch remained in excellent condition throughout. I had been concerned about the number of flamethrowing devices that were deployed immediately prior to the arrival of Wales on the field of play. I was delighted to see the late Ray Gravell’s daughters lead Wales (together with Iain Gough, achieving his fiftieth cap) out.
After the emotion of the anthems came the game itself. It was not an anti-climax. Wales got better and better, to the point where they were able to push France off their own ball in a scrum close to the Welsh five metre line. Wales’s defence was superb, and unlike France they almost always looked threatening in attack.
When the first try came at about sixty minutes, the whole place erupted. Shane Williams had set a new record and the Grand Slam was coming into view. Martin Williams’s try came after the most wonderful burst of the Championship, made by Mark Jones of Llanelli Scarlets. I was glad to see that one or two Scarlets were able to make a great contribution to this Osprey dominated side. Despite the appalling weather outside, Cardiff was in festival mood after this truly great game.
The arrival of Warren Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley has, without doubt, helped to instill a new ethos of discipline and order within this Welsh squad. This is Wales’s Tenth Grand Slam. The first was won 100 years ago almost to the day. Thirty years ago, Wales beat France in Cardiff to win their eighth Slam. That team were coming to the end of a wonderful era. This team is far from that. To adapt Winston Churchill’s observation about Alamein: “This is not the end. This is not the beginning of the end. This is the end of the beginning”.
Rugby, Wets and Post Offices
March 9th, 2008I have been trying to think of a way to link Wales’s Triple Crown triumph, the death of Lord Pym and the coming Local Election campaign. Whilst I continue to ponder, I thought it only right to tell you about how much I have been enjoying wallowing in the reflected glory of a superb effort by Wales against Ireland yesterday. Some readers may not be aware that the Irish Rugby Union have been allowed to use Croke Park for a few international seasons whilst Lansdowne Road is being rebuilt. The notion that the game of the British imperialist oppressors could ever have been played at such a venue would have appeared fanciful only a few seasons ago. I am sure that the change in stance has much to do with Ireland’s economic and political progress - in short, its emergence as a self-confident nation that no longer has the need to assert itself in a way that some perceived as “chippy” or as part of an inferiority complex. Croke Park was of course the scene of violence during the Troubles in the early 1920s. What a delight to see it now as a huge, modern stadium welcoming players and supporters of a game (unlike football) that has always been played by a united Ireland team. The fact that Wales won yesterday made the occasion all the more splendid, if rather nerve-racking for me.
I shall be going to the Wales v France game next Saturday evening, and will post a report.
 |
The death of Lord Pym at 86 has robbed British politics of another of a generation that fought in the last War and went on to serve their country with great distinction. Francis Pym (a descendant of the famous seventeenth century Parliamentarian John Pym) was briefly Foreign Secretary until he was sacked by Mrs. Thatcher after the 1983 landslide. He is remembered latterly for having warned against the perils of landslide majorities. I agree wholeheartedly with this. Mrs. Thatcher memorably responded with the comment that her errant Cabinet Minister was expressing “Chief Whip’s caution”. Her reference to one of his previous roles was an nod towards the most significant part of his career, namely his time as Chief Whip in the Heath Government and his work in shepherding through the European Communities Bill.
Francis Pym was with the Eighth Army at Alamein and won the MC during the Italian campaign. Why people like him who had fought the Nazis and who then showed proper concern for those affected by radical change were later described as “Wets” has always struck me as rather absurd. He was a sound Tory whose contribution will not be forgotten.
Onward to the Local Elections, and our campaigning activities in Swindon continue at a frenetic pace. I am particularly interested in the initiative taken by Essex County Council and my old friend Cllr Steven Castle in providing support for the retention of post office services in council facilities. Having seen a sham consultation process resulting in the closure of two further post offices in South Swindon, I am going to learn more about Essex’s approach. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do this locally?
