Zehra Zaidi

Poll on having a Champions League Play-Off Spot

2010-02-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

Poll: Would You Support a Move to Award a Champions League Spot Via a Play-Off?

This system would be difficult to implement. I simply don't see how the extra 3 or 4 games can be fitted into an already packed schedule at the end of a long and tough season, with players also committed to international games. People might complain about the dominance of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool but as a Liverpool fan, one cannot say we have ended in the top 4 of the Premier League by virtue of having the largest squad or the most financial clout. We got there on merit, playing our socks off - and whilst I believe we can come third or fourth this year, we have an almighty battle on our hands.

After a long season, for any club to rank in the top 4 has a lot of kudos. This year might see any of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Man City break into that, with a very competitive top ten (currently, Birmingham, Everton and Fulham occupy the remaining top 10 spots). The Premier League has opened up, games are harder to predict. We don't need to inject a system to create more competition at the top end. Even Everton's manager David Moyles, whose team might benefit from any change to Champion's League play-off spots, had this to say: "You should be judged on where you are at the end of 38 games" and "If you finish fourth, you would be saying that you are the team who have done this over the season and asking why you are going into a play-off [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11671_5952270,00.html]."

Salisbury and Stonehenge Interview

2010-01-30T05:16:00.000-08:00

Matt Penny of Salisbury and Stonehenge provided each of us 6 candidates a robust set of questions in advance of tomorrow's open primary. Here are my answers:

Q&A with Zehra Zaidi – candidate for Salisbury Conservative nomination

I’m pleased that all of the candidates for the Conservative nomination to be Salisbury’s next Member of Parliament have agreed to do answer a set of questions for this website.

The fourth candidate to do so is Zehra Zaidi. Zehra’s introduction on the party website says:

Every generation of my family has served in the armed forces and I would fight for local jobs and businesses, good public services and striking the right balance with redevelopment projects. I have worked as a corporate lawyer and in the charitable and voluntary sector from engaging young people to setting up an education charity.

Why do you want to represent Salisbury?

I believe that any candidate wishing to represent a constituency has to have a genuine affinity with it. I know this area personally but got to know the issues faced by the people of Salisbury and South Wiltshire when I was a European Parliamentary Candidate in June of last year. I hope that shows a commitment to stand up for the people of this area.

Much of my own background and experience also strikes a personal chord with Salisbury and I hope that as a result, I understand the needs of this constituency and would be able to best represent this great cathedral city and rural environs:

I come from a military family and have an understanding of local defence issues, as well as security matters on the international stage;
I’ve lived in rural heartlands all my life and stood up for the farming and countryside community during the Euro campaign;
I’ve worked in the voluntary and charitable sector for 21 years and would like to support the great work that goes on locally; and
I have a true passion for the Arts (working at the Warwick Arts Centre throughout my time at university) and have long admired the cultural and artistic fabric of Salisbury.

What would you most like to change in Salisbury?

To be honest, I see my job more as fighting to retain what is good about Salisbury than to specifically to change things. We need to retain the jobs we have, particularly in the public sector and bring more jobs in. We need to maintain the rich cultural, historical and Christian heritage of this area. We need to maintain the excellent schools in Salisbury and help others to improve. We need to ensure that Salisbury District Hospital continues to provide excellent services.

However, one aspect that I am concerned about is improving the transport bottlenecks and that any new housing and commercial developments are supported by adequate infrastructure.

How would you encourage more business and jobs into the area?

Salisbury Vision – particularly the plans for the Maltings and Central Car Park and Churchfields Industrial Estate – should help encourage business and jobs into the area. Having worked as a lawyer with businesses of every size, I understand the needs of the business community and would make protecting the local economy one of my political priorities.

There are also specialist industries in the area: defence, tourism and insurance. These need to be supported and with the forward thinking of many people in these sectors that I have met, these can continue to develop and flourish.

Business is also stifled business by over-regulation and taxation. We need to encourage enterprise by reducing these two significant burdens.

What do you think of the plans for the Market Place?

I do support some improvements as long as the tradition of the market place – which I have long attended myself – can be ensured. It is a focal point, the heart of the city centre and natural place for locals to congregate so we must ensure that any enhancements are properly managed with wide public consultation.

And the plans for Stonehenge?

I support the plans for the new visitor centre for the World Heritage Site. Finally, we seem to have come up with a viable solution that should work. I would like to see Amesbury and Salisbury also benefit from the development at Stonehenge.

How could the transport links in and out of the city be improved? What should take priority – road or rail?

The priority has to be improving the transport bottlenecks on the roads in and around Salisbury. If funding could be found, the ideal solution would be a by-pass to remove the through traffic of cars and lorries that come through the city. Sadly Labour cancelled the by-pass plans in ’97 – it should have happened then. Worse still, the Government has left the country in such a dire economic situation and with such a huge public deficit, that I fear that there will not be surplus sums to spend on large transport projects. As a former European Parliamentary candidate, I would however like to explore the funding available at the European level for transport schemes.

I support localised transport improvements – we can certainly improve some of the main roads and have better joined up thinking on our public transport network as a whole.

Which previous Conservative leader do you most admire? Why?

Margaret Thatcher. She was a great Prime Minister. As a comprehensive school kid who progressed under the Thatcher years, I certainly look up to the great lady.

My first political memory is of a summit between Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Their partnership was central in fighting the Cold War. Today, we face constant threats – none more so than the danger of extremism both at home and abroad and it is essential that we have an equally resolute approach in protecting our country against such threats.

What’s been the worst failure of the Labour government?

Without doubt, Labour’s handling of the economy. We have had the worst recession of any industrialised country and the state of public finances is deplorable. I am saddened not only by the levels of public debt but the wastage of public money on schemes like the £12 billion white elephant NHS IT scheme – wastage that is paid for by you and I. Moreover, taxpayers’ money has been spent on creating tick-box targets and layers and layers of bureaucracy.

Our children and grandchildren will be saddled with unprecedented levels of debt. In order to get the £178 billion annual deficit under control, some tough choices will have to be made.

What has been the most significant achievement by the Labour government?

Sure Start centres.

The Conservative Party is committed to keeping Sure Start, but we will seek to improve it by taking it back to its original purpose – namely early intervention, increasing its focus on those who need its help most and better involving organisations with a proven track record in parenting interventions.

Should we have a referendum ‘about Europe’? When? What question should be asked?

We should have had a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty but Labour and the Liberal Democrats combined to thwart that, even though both parties promised a referendum at the last election. Sadly, a referendum is no longer possible as the Lisbon Treaty has now been enacted and become law. If we did, it would have no effect and would be futile gesture politics – that is not how one restores trust in politics.

To prevent the fiasco over Lisbon to ever happen again, a Conservative Government will amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any future EU Treaty that transfers powers from the United Kingdom to the European Union would be subject to a referendum of the British people.

Given that the general election is round the corner, each party should set out their policy on Europe in their manifestos – the points can then be debated and ultimately, the voters will have their say.

Would you maintain the minimum wage?

Yes.

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of ‘Open Primaries’?

An open primary is a fantastic way to engage the public and let them (and not a small group of party members) determine who could be Salisbury’s next Conservative Parliamentary Candidate and if elected, its’ next MP. The process of each candidate campaigning allows people to get to know the candidates better, as well as their political priorities and what they feel about a wide range of issues.

I think one obvious downside is the length of time that the open primary meeting will take. 4-5 hours is a big slice of people’s Sunday afternoon and it might make it difficult for people with young families to attend. However, I do believe that it is this worthwhile process ensures that a sizeable proportion of Salisbury residents can and will attend and vote – this can only be a good thing.

Would you support Proportional Representation?

No. It results in weak government and poor decision making as the process of compromises and negotiation leads to a situation where nobody is fully happy with the final outcome.

The first past the post system is not perfect but it is the best system we have – it allows people to vote on parties’ election manifestos and then judge the Government on its record of delivery at the next general election.

Under PR however, instead of voters choosing their government on the basis of the manifestos put before them in an election, party managers would choose a government on the basis of secret backroom deals. We need to make Parliament more transparent, not less!

Is ‘big business’ spoiling football? Should the government be more involved?

I do not believe that Government should start meddling in football. I think the nanny state extends far enough.

Of course, some of the transfer fees and salaries paid to footballers are ridiculously high but that is something that football as an industry needs to decide upon vis-a-vis long-term viability and the important grassroots aspect of the game.

What is your favourite:

- piece of music – Royksopp’s What else is there (the video is also one of my favourites)

- film – too many to list but the last to leave a lasting impression was Crash. I love one quote from the film: “We’re always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.”

- book – Siri Hustvedt’s “What I Loved” set in the arts world

- view of the Cathedral – the East End view where you can see the cathedral in all its mathematical glory with each of its main sections (aisle, chapter house, cloister garth, spire) set in full perspective against each other – I almost studied architecture and the cathedral is truly one of the finest buildings in England.

Executive Meeting in Salisbury today

2010-01-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've just got back from a meeting before key members of Salisbury Conservative Association. All 6 candidates were made to feel very welcome indeed. We each gave a short speech followed by a robust set of questions covering everything from local government issues to defence matters, cutting the public deficit and our relationship with Europe.

I have quite a lot of work to do tonight arranging meetings via email and answering questions that have been put to me by members of the public. I'm really enjoying this process and I hope to meet many local residents over the course of the next two weeks.

Salisbury Selection

2010-01-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to have been shortlisted as one of the six Conservative prospective parliamentary candidates for the wonderful cathedral city of Salisbury. The shortlist was announced this morning. Robert Key MP has been a wonderful MP and is someone I look up to. He will be a hard act to follow but I am ready to serve!

Salisbury Conservative Association will be holding an Open Primary on Sunday, 31 January 2010 at the Salisbury Playhouse to select its new Parliamentary Candidate. Any resident who is on the electoral register for the new Salisbury constituency may attend the Open Primary and listen to each of the 6 candidates and vote. But you must pre-register via the association website at http://www.salisburyconservatives.com/.

In 2009, I represented the city and the region as one of the Conservative MEP candidates - I bring a fresh outlook to an area I know very well. Being based on the Forest of Dean and Gloucester border, I understand the needs of a rural constituency and the culture of a cathedral city. Every generation of my family has served in the armed forces, I have a longstanding interest in foreign affairs and would be honoured to represent Salisbury with its military links.

I would fight for local jobs and businesses, good public services and transport links and striking the right balance with redevelopment projects. Being the daughter of a doctor, the NHS matters immensely to me - we need good, accessible services and an NHS set free from the bureaucracy under this Government. Having set up an education charity in 2005, I would want to ensure that every child in Salisbury has access to a first class education, with training opportunities for our young people.

I am lucky to have had a varied professional career. I have experience of working as a corporate lawyer, in international development and in politics. I have had a wonderful rounded upbringing and have friends from all walks of life. I am an avid arts and sports supporter and if selected, I can guarantee that I will be a regular at all cultural events and a champion of local charities.

My interest in politics really kicked into gear after Sept 11 and seeing the horror of religious extremism. As the daughter of immigrants, I wanted to stand up for British values, traditions and culture. I cannot say I am perfect - who is? - but I hope I can be a role model to show that Britain offers much to those who come here but that we have a duty as well as an honour to become part of British life. I am British and proud and I want to make a difference.

I'm not a career politician and for many years thought that I would contribute to society through my international development, charitable and voluntary work. But I feel politics needs new people to take us forward and renew the public's interest in politics. I have worked overseas on promoting good governance and democracy and in the UK on getting young people engaged in politics and their community. I hope I can bring my energy and passion in this area to Westminster. I believe in being transparent, honest and straightforward with people. Do get in touch and ask me any questions on any issue.

Life is not without its challenges and today I found myself snowed in. When I ventured out, I got stranded in the snow (our rural Forest of Dean is beautiful but steep with windy rural roads) and didn't get back home until 7pm and then after trying to get warm, found my Internet connection wasn't working! But the campaign begins and I am excited and ready! Snow permitting, I will be based in Salisbury from Friday. If selected, I will move immediately and make Salisbury my permanent family home. Tomorrow is going to be devoted to speaking to local residents and organisations by phone, answering their questions and setting up meetings over the weekend and next week.

New blog

2009-12-02T07:55:00.000-08:00

Dear all,

As you may be aware, I have been posting less and less on this blog. Zehra in Gloucestershire really got underway during the European election campaign in the South West and related very much to my time as European candidate.

Whilst I will keep this blog up and running, I have decided to add a blogging section to my website, http://www.zehrazaidi.org.uk/. The revamped website is almost ready to go online. Watch this space as they say!

My candidacy for Devizes

2009-10-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Euro Extravaganza, Devizes (Nov 2008)

I'm thrilled and honoured to announce that I've reached the final stage of the Selection Procedure to be the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Devizes Conservative Constituency Association. The successful candidate will be replacing the great Michael Ancram, who retires at the next General Election and who has held the Devizes seat since 1992.

So why Devizes?

I am a firm believer that anyone applying to be a political candidate needs to have an affinity with the place they seek to represent. Until June of this year, I was one of the Conservative European Parliamentary Candidates for the region, with special responsibility for Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. I believe that I am already in a strong position to represent the best interests of the constituents of Devizes.

My time visiting the area over a two and half year period, supporting councillors and local candidates standing in the 2009 unitary elections, knocking on doors and meeting many residents and organisations face to face and attending local events, has given me a great many insights into the concerns that local people have about many issues.

People will have seen me out and about in the constituency and in neighbouring constituencies over a two and half year period, or received European campaign literature with my face on it or seen my name listed as one of the candidates on the ballot papers in every polling station in every ward in the Devizes constituency - I think that matters too. It matters for building public trust in today's age of political apathy and to show, yes, you do care and have stood up for local interests. As a Euro candidate, I stood up for farmers and spoke up for British sovereignty. I spoke at the Ladies Luncheon Club in 2008 and attended an event to raise money for the local village hall in Burbage, a November 2008 Euro Extravaganza held at a local school and spoke at the public hustings for the European elections organised by the Marlborough Brandt Group (picture below).

Euro hustings, Spring 2009 - organised by the Marlborough Brandt Group

I already know and care about constituency and I have a good working relationship with people in neighbouring constituencies.

I understand the needs of a rural constituency like Devizes because they mirror those where I live. The Forest of Dean is a community of villages, market towns and breathtaking landscapes, with farmers, small businesses and commuters to Bristol, Swindon, Cardiff and London and home to the 1st Battalion The Rifles at Beachley Barracks.

I’m not going to pretend I am an expert on everything local, because that would be preposterous. But I know I can represent the interests of this constituency well. I believe I can relate to local residents.

My pledge to the people of Devizes

I will move to the constituency - this is a wonderful place to live and I can see myself raising a family here;
I will work hard. I will be accessible, listen to the needs of local residents, follow up matters and be visible within the constituency;
I will have regular face to face contact with local residents and will support local events throughout the constituency;
I will use the internet and new media to build up links with voters;
I will promise transparency and accountability. Part of my integrity pledge will be to publish all my expenses online, as well as an annual report of my activities and a monthly newsletter;
I will not shirk away from addressing the tough issues;
I will never promise what I cannot hope to deliver;
Once elected, my priorities would be my constituents first and my party second;
I would hold weekly surgeries throughout the constituency and will try and reach as many residents as possible by having regular 'street stalls';
I will guarantee that all letters and emails are acknowledged and answered promptly.

Having been one of the regional Euro candidates, I am campaign ready. My first 3 priorities if selected will be to:

Move to Devizes as soon as possible;
Draw up a campaign strategy on a ward by ward, working closely with local councillors and association members;
Within the first month of being selected, I want to have: (a) knocked on doorsteps across the entire constituency; and (b) met representatives from local schools and colleges, farmers, businesses, charities, health professionals and other key stakeholders.

My vision for Devizes

My key policy priorities if selected would be:

Local economy and a growth agenda - Working with local businesses, the Council, schools and colleges and voluntary groups to see how we can pull through this recession together and secure future livelihoods. Given my expertise in youth matters and education, I want to look at how we can ensure the best quality education, training and employment services for our young people;
Campaigning for a fair deal for rural communities - this includes all the issues faced by a rural constituency: standing up for farming and countryside issues, helping small businesses, securing good public services (improved transport infrastructure, securing affordable housing without damaging our physical landscape and character of local towns and villages and ensuring the survival of local shops, pubs and post offices);
Health - we do need a minor injuries unit or urgent care centre in the constituency and I will be fight for improved access to dentists and better maternity services and palliative care;
Armed forces - I will be a champion of the armed forces and I will push to have elements of the Royal British Legion manifesto made into law;
The Elderly - we need a holistic look at different policy areas and see if they are meeting the needs of this ever increasing segment of the population. I will produce a Dignity Charter for the Elderly based on respect, dignity and recognising the contribution they have made to society and to get it adopted nationally;
Addressing the tough issues - given my background and experience in the voluntary sector, I will not shirk away from addressing the tough issues (e.g. social inequality, welfare dependency, Europe, immigration and the protection of British values and traditions).

I have very clear views on what I would do as a prospective MP in Devizes. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by leaving your comments in the comments section of this article or contacting me via my website at http://www.zehrazaidi.org.uk/.

A Cutie?

2009-10-28T11:53:00.001-07:00

Imagine this. I get a call from a friend saying I'm in the Mail on Sunday. You what? Surely some mistake?

Then the texts and phonecalls start. The facebook inbox gets swamped. Finally around lunchtime, I see what they're talking about....

THERE IT IS: CAMERON'S CUTIES - a double page spread with me listed in the bottom right hand corner. I almost dropped my cuppa!

All I can say is, don't believe everything you read in the papers!

Afghanistan

2009-10-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Here's an article I wrote on Afghanistan a few weeks ago. Do feel free to leave comments.

Afghanistan: beyond the military quagmire

The number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 has crept well past the 200 mark. Every announcement of a fatality is met with sadness as well as frustration. Our troops are severely under-resourced and the Government‘s disastrous handling of the war has left sections of the public wondering why our troops continue to be deployed in a seemingly unwinnable war.

Surely, if the goal of going into Afghanistan was to prevent the country slipping once again into breeding ground for terrorists and to ensure against attacks on British soil, then a military strategy alone cannot stabilise Afghanistan. Without working, legitimate machines of government and civil society, without enforcement of the rule of law, without sustained development, Afghanistan will disintegrate once more and worse still, destabilise neighbouring Pakistan, triggering a regional crisis.

In 2005, Afghanistan ranked 117 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Now the country flounders at 176, with only Iraq, Haiti, Myanmar and Somalia worse off. The Government has been marred by allegations of corruption. Huge wealth has been amassed by the Karzai family, especially the President’s brothers, Mahmoud Karzai and Ahmed Wali Karzai (who is Chairman of the provincial council in Kandahar and is blamed for the much of the corruption). The political elite are dominated by warlords who in the nineties were responsible for the violence, human rights abuses and lack of order that culminated in the rise of the Taliban. They cannot be the long term solution for the country, nor will ordinary Afghans have much faith in the system whilst their grip on power remains.

The Afghan Government has done little to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans who continue to suffer from lack of education and healthcare, poor public services and infrastructure, inequality and lack of security. The low turnout in the presidential elections can be attributed as much to despair at the Afghan Government as Taliban led fear and intimidation. The international community has remained neutral vis-à-vis choice of candidate hoping to ensure that the election is seen as independent from foreign interference. However, once the outcome of presidential elections is determined, the West must do more to exert influence on the Afghan Government to curb corruption and cronyism, improve on its delivery and integrate the disillusioned Pashtuns.

Afghanistan is made up of a patchwork of different ethnic groups: Turkoman, Uzbek, Tajik, Nuristani, Farsswa, Aimaq, Hazara and Pashtun tribes. The Tajiks represent 25% of the population and they dominated the Northern Alliance. When the Taliban were toppled, the Tajiks were given the most important ministries and continue to dominate key posts. However, the largest ethnic group are the Pashtuns who constitute 40% of Afghans, living in the south and east, but also spread across the border into northwest Pakistan. Despite being Pashtun himself, Karzai has alienated the Pashtun tribes, who feel increasing support for the resurgent Taliban. If the Pashtun tribes can be fairly accommodated and given a legitimate voice within Afghan politics, it would add legitimacy to the institutions of Government and pull the rug of support from under the Taliban and stem the rise of extremism.

The argument has recently been made that in order to marginalise the extremists, the international community may need to negotiate with the so-called “moderate” Taliban movement i.e. those marginalised groups who do not share the extremist ideology but have sided with the Taliban as they feel aggrieved for losing power in recent years or are frustrated by the lack of development bad governance and sense of unjust persecution in their areas. However, such a strategy should be tread very carefully indeed. There can be no accommodation with extreme elements that are ready to kill our troops and committed to returning Afghanistan to an Islamist state.

The Afghan economy has grown since the fall of the Taliban regime, fuelled by development aid especially for construction and power generation. An August 2009 Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the US Senate, stated the scale of the development problem in Afghanistan: “Unlike Iraq, Afghanistan is not a reconstruction project—it is a construction project”.

Agricultural and rural development has to remain a priority for donor countries in the years ahead. Over 75% of the Afghan people live in rural areas where agriculture is the primary activity and contributes to 50% of the GDP (if one excludes opium production). However growth of the agricultural sector is curtailed by the deterioration of technology, infrastructure, roads, rural institutions, education, natural resources such as forests and rangeland, irrigation and water supply as a result of conflict, drought, exploitation and lack of maintenance. Access to finance needs to be improved. The setting up marketing infrastructure and a regulatory environment that limits post-harvest losses may help galvanise private sector investment. The country’s potential for exports in commodities such as dried fruit, nuts, grapes, and other orchard crops needs to be enhanced - prior to the years of conflict, Afghanistan was the leading exporter of pistachios and supplied 20% of the total global market for raisins.

Then there is the issue of poppy production. Afghanistan produces 90% of the world’s opiates, and drugs account for half of the country’s real GDP. There has been success this year in reducing dependency, with a 33% reduction in poppy growing in Helmand province and a 22% reduction across the rest of the country. This has been due to a number of factors: governor leadership; a more aggressive counter-narcotics offensive; sustainable alternatives and terms of trade more favourable to legal crops and the successful introduction of food zones to promote legal farming.

Finally, the development of the natural gas sector in Afghanistan can be an important source of future revenue with nearly 50 billion cubic meters of proven natural gas reserves in the country.

Conclusion

We should have a proper exit strategy in Afghanistan. We need to be clear as to our objectives and what will then be considered a success in Afghanistan. Of course the training of the Afghan army and police must be intensified so that they are able to take over the security of the country. The war effort has to be reinforced with swift deployment of correct equipment and sufficient personnel to Helmand province. However, a military strategy alone will not secure the future of Afghanistan. Its government must have legitimacy, civil society has to be able to prosper, and the economy must develop to a level of self-sufficiency.

Our troops must not have died in vain. Our mission in Afghanistan needs to have laid the foundations for peace, development and long-term stability. There is still time to turn things around.

David Brooks acknowledges the UK's reality moment

2009-10-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

David Brooks is an American columnist with the New York Times who has long admired the direction being taken by David Cameron. Earlier this year he contrasted Cameron's style with that of Obama and the GOP:

"we now have two models. We have the Obama model, which is technocratic, sending teams of experts to solve problems. Very centralized, actually. And then if you want the alternate model -- the Republicans in this country unfortunately have no model because they haven’t thought about it, or they haven’t thought productively about it.

But there is another model. And that is David Cameron, the British conservative leader in Britain. And he says if you’re going to be the centralized state, I’m going to be society. Capitalism is not good enough. It needs to be embedded in institutions. And you’re going to champion the technocrats in government; I’m going to champion every other institution in society, whether it’s family, career associations, every other -- the church -- every other association you can think of. I’m going to be the society party and going to make you the state party"

Today, he writes about the reality moment i.e. "That which can’t continue doesn’t. A nation can spend and spend, pile debt upon debt, but eventually there comes a reality moment when some leader emerges to say enough is enough and when decent people, looking around at themselves and their own best nature, respond by demanding a return to responsibility." Britain has reached its reality moment he says, and he praises George Osborne for a sensible and honest conference speech, setting out a series of austere measures to deal with the country's huge public debt. He also notes that the Conservative Party has "treated British voters as adults for a year now, with a string of serious economic positions".

"The key is that Osborne is not merely offering pain, but a different economic vision — different from Labour and different from the Thatcherism that was designed to meet the problems of the 1980s.

In the U.S., the economic crisis has caused many to question capitalism. But Britain has discredited the center-left agenda with its unrelenting public spending, its public development agencies and disappointing public-private investment partnerships.

Osborne and David Cameron, the party leader, argue that Labour’s decision to centralize power has undermined personal and social responsibility. They are offering a responsibility agenda from top to bottom. Decentralize power so local elected bodies have responsibility. Structure social support to encourage responsible behavior and responsible spending.

If any Republican is looking for a way forward, start by doing what they’re doing across the Atlantic."

We live in difficult economic times where the future of my generation will be determined in part by how effectively we manage to balance our public finances. In Osborne and Cameron, we have credible, incisive and strong leadership at the very top who have a vision for this country and who did not shirk during Manchester's conference from telling the British public the harsh truth about just how bad it has got and the tough measures needed ahead to bring our economy and country back into shape. It's very easy to tell people what they'd like to hear. Leadership is what I witnessed in Manchester: informing people about they need to hear and co-opting them to be full participants through the responsibility agenda.

Conference in Manchester - roll on the general election

2009-10-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Another year, another conference. But this really was the conference not to miss as in six months time (or less), the country will go to the polls. Delegates were looking forward to a possible Conservative victory at the next general election - indeed one of the best and well attended fringes I attended was on "What the first 100 days of a Conservative Government should look like" - but there was a real seriousness running through the entire four days. Everybody, simply everyone you spoke to or listened to, was aware of the immense challenges that an incoming Conservative Government would face:

Rebuilding our broken economy, tackling unemployment and restoring the public finances;
Restoring public trust in our broken political system gravely damaged by the expenses scandal; and
Mending our broken society (anti-social behaviour to the cycle of welfare dependency).

Last year, many of the fringes I went to and was involved in related to Europe (as I was standing as a Euro Candidate) and I chose to feed some of my specific political passions: supporting the rural community, freeing up business from red tape and promoting enterprise and foreign affairs and defence issues. This year, I continued to support the European delegation - their reception on Monday was brimming with people, some former candidates and friends, and I was honoured to be introduced to Michał Kamiński, the Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Grouping in the European Parliament. However, this time I didn't go for any particular themes as such. That said, looking at my well thumbed and annotated Conference Guide, I feel I got a lot out of the fringe nonetheless. Some of the most interesting and informative events I attended were:

The First 100 days discussion as mentioned above;

An excellent panel discussion organised by the Conservative Middle East Council on how a Conservative Government should approach the Middle East;

A deeply moving and informative session run by the National Council on Palliative Care on raising public awareness about death, dying and bereavement; and

A panel discussion relating to the "Every Disabled Child Matters" campaign to ensure that services meet the additional needs of disabled children and their families. The panel of disabled young people were joined by my own MP Mark Harper who is the Shadow Minister for Disabled People and Tim Loughton MP, Shadow Minister for Children; and

A rather, fun interactive session on "Lucky Number 10" where Julia Clark from Ipsos MORI and Mike Smithson from http://www.politicalbetting.com/, Guido Fawkes and Eleanor Laing MP debated possible outcomes at the next general election, voting trends and the key issues for voters.

Now, I dare say that I've saved the best for last. You see, like last year, I was involved in a few fringe events. For the second year running, Simon Richards and his team at the Freedom Association have put on the fringe of fringes - the Freedom Zone - and this year it was even bigger (involving the Taxpayers Alliance, Conservative Way Forward and Conservative Home) with a very varied programme. There is a real feeling of camaraderie within the Freedom Zone, you hear a wide spectrum of views in very open debate and the additional pluses of a Feeding Zone, a Blogging Zone and an array of stallholders to visit, make the time spent there immensely worthwhile. On Monday and Tuesday, I chaired two discussions on the future of the BBC. The discussions were lively as one can imagine and we had fantastic contributions from the likes of John Whittingdale MP, the Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the House of Commons; Alan Wright, the Conservative Candidate in Hartlepool and a former BBC journalist, founding member of the Advisory Committee for England for Ofcom who now runs his own media strategy consultancy; Debi Jones, the Conservative Candidate in Sefton Central who is a successful broadcaster and presenter; Tory Bear and Alex Deane, a barrister and Director of Big Brother Watch.

From left to right: Alan Wright, me, John Whittingdale MP and Debi Jones

Another aspect of the Conference was the socialising and networking. Monday in particular was packed with some fab receptions. I particularly enjoyed catching up with friends and Conservative from around West Country at our regional reception.

Conference finished with a superb speech by David Cameron. It was quite simply prime ministerial. He set out his vision for the country and what he believed in - family, community and country. I'm so glad I made the cut off of queuers to hear the speech in the main hall! There were more than a few standing ovations - none more so than the attack on Labour's record on poverty. But one key promise for the British people stuck in my mind:

"I can look you in the eye and tell you that in a Conservative Britain: If you put in the effort to bring in a wage, you will be better off. If you save money your whole life, you’ll be rewarded. If you start your own business, we’ll be right behind you. If you want to raise a family, we’ll support you. If you’re frightened, we’ll protect you.If you risk your safety to stop a crime, we’ll stand by you. If you risk your life to fight for your country, we will honour you. Ask me what a Conservative government stands for and the answer is this, we will reward those who take responsibility, and care for those who can’t."

Post-conference and good news - an ICM poll giving the Conservative Party a 19% lead, producing a Commons majority of 170. Not a bad week at all. Nope, call that an excellent week!

Mutual Aid in Worcester

2009-08-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today I spent the morning in Hallow, near Worcester, canvassing votes with Harriett Baldwin, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for West Worcestershire, and her team. A by-election is being held on September 3rd as a result of a resignation in Hallow Ward on the Malvern Hills District Council.

The Conservative Party has a great local candidate in Nancy Doyle. I really enjoyed myself today and plan to return once more closer to the date of the by-election.

The Centre for Social Justice does it again

2009-07-02T01:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended the annual Centre for Social Justice awards ceremony in London, which rewards innovative and effective British poverty fighters. It was inspiring and in the words of Amanda Platell who presented one award, very humbling.

The work being undertaken by these organisations is truly remarkable: fighting drug and alcohol addiction, getting young people who have fallen out of the education system back into work, rehabilitating ex-offenders into the workforce, addressing behaviour problems in children and young people (who are at risk of developing anti-social or criminal offending behaviour later in life), combating gang culture and running courses for young mums and dads to be (and this is just the work covered by those organisations that won awards on the night!).

Information on the charities that were recognised can be found at http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/client/downloads/CSJAwards%202009%20Brochure%20FINAL%20LOW%20RES.pdf.

A weekend in Stourbridge

2009-06-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

When the European campaign ended, I like (many candidates) took some time off from campaigning to focus back on work, family and social life. Those of us involved in politics do so because we want to bring change for the better for our community and the country. Given the fact that the general election is now less than a year away, all across the country over the coming summer months, Conservative activists will be delivering leaflets, canvassing and supporting local community and Conservative events.

Last Saturday, I returned to Stourbridge to help Margot James and her incredible team in one of her Saturday campaigning sessions. The canvassing session went really well and it was lovely to catch up with the old team over a drink at the excellent Crabmill Pub on Hagley Road. I laughed a lot. With so many local councillors in attendance, we talked about numerous issues affecting local residents. It was also good to hear about Margot's many campaigns and events. She really is such a superb lady, really committed and very compassionate - I have learnt so much watching her in action over the last two years.

Then on Sunday, I joined thousands of people at Himley Hall to commemorate Armed Forces Day. A whole range of activities had been planned - I enjoyed the military vehicle display, the exhibition of wartime history and the concert by the Mercian Band immensely. It was also very touching to see the award of badges to war veterans by the Mayor of Dudley, Pat Martin. I felt really proud of those men and women. We owe them a huge debt.

I'll be back in Stourbridge in a few weeks time to help again.

A bad day at the office

2009-06-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

I tuned into Sky for a live broadcast from Westminster where Mervyn King was speaking before the Treasury Select Committee. The Governor of the Bank of England said: "The scale of the public deficit is extraordinary at 12.5% of GDP which is a reflection of the scale of the global downturn but also that when we came into the recession, we were on a fiscal policy path that wasn't sustainable." He continued that Alastair Darling's plans to cut the national debt were not ambitious enough. Indeed, OECD figures released today showed that the UK economy is in "sharp recession" and will shrink by its fastest pace of decline since World War II. Moreover, the UK fiscal deficit is expected to rise to 14% of economic output in 2010, compared with an average of 8.75% across the group's 30 members.

Earlier in the day at Prime Minister's Question Time, David Cameron took Gordon Brown to task over his claims that capital expenditure will continue to rise until 2012. This claim is completely contradicted by figures contained in the 2009 Budget. The Government needs to be open and transparent about the true scale of the economic mire we face and how its own spending plans will be affected.

In the words of George Osborne: "This is the demolition day for Gordon Brown's tax and spending policies."

David Jones MP covers Brown's "really bad day", here.

The joys of vocational training

2009-06-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

It is National Vocational Training Day today. I have just got back from an awards ceremony organised by JHP Training’ for its 2007 Young Apprentices. The 26 young people had successfully attained a NVQ Level 1 in either Business Administration or Retail Operations. The room was packed with over 70 learners, parents, local employers and teachers. I spoke for a short while before an excellent speech by Amanda Gaunt, whose son was one of the recipient’s of the Young Apprentice Certificate

The promotion of vocational skills training, particularly for our young people, is a subject on which I feel very strongly. The young people I met had learnt excellent skills and were confident and excited about their future paths.

A great evening and thanks to the staff at JHP Training, including Regional Manager Denise Northedge and Employment Broker Eyvonne Dight, who did such a wonderful job of putting the event together.

A real breakthrough - welcome to the European Conservatives and Reformists

2009-06-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today a new group was formed within the European Parliament called the European Conservatives and Reformists, comprising of 56 MEPs from 9 countries. So much for those who said it would never happen! Now that the group has been formed others will certainly join, leaving the EPP-ED with the security that there is a mainstream, centre-right and viable alternative to go to (one MEP joined in the afternoon after the morning announcement no less!). This is a real breakthrough - there is finally a bloc opposed to federalism and the idea of an 'ever closer union', and committed to reforming Europe so that it does less, is better value for money and is more transparent and accountable.

The 56 MEPs comprise of:

26 British Conservative MEPs;
15 Polish MEPs from the Law and Justice Party;
9 Czech MEPs from the Civic Democratic Party;
1 MEP from Belgium's Lijst Dedecker - Derk Jan Eppink, a Dutchman who is a former senior European Commission official;
1 MEP from Finland's Centre Party, Keskusta is joining the new group (the other Keskusta MEPs sit within the Liberal (ALDE) group);
1 MEP from the Hungarian Democratic Forum - Lajos Bokros, a former finance minister; and
1 MEP from the Latvian National Independence Movement - Roberts Zile, a former finance and transport minister;
1 MEP from the Dutch Christian Union; and
1 MEP from the Lithuanian Electoral Action of Poles.

They have all signed up to the Prague Declaration which adheres to the following principles:

Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity.
Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security.
The importance of the family as the bedrock of society.
The sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity.
The overriding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe.
Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures.
Efficient and modern public services and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities.
An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
Respect and equitable treatment for all EU countries, new and old, large and small.

Huge credit has to go to William Hague, Mark Francois MP, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, the Leader of the Conservatives in Europe and Geoffrey Van Orden MEP. The Conservatives have delivered on David Cameron's pledge to leave the federalist EPP-ED Grouping. For a group to be constituted in the European Parliament, it must consist of a minimum of 25 MEPs from at least 7 of the 27 EU member states. With 56 MEPs, the new group is sizeable (the fourth largest) and this will have a positive impact on its influence and standing within the European Parliament in terms of resources and positions within committees and the parliament itself.

Documenting the Last Week of the Campaign

2009-06-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

Here are three articles published during the last week of the Euro and local campaign:

A Candidate's Diary on Conservative Home - http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2009/06/zehra-zaidi-records-an-exhausting-final-week-on-the-euroelection-campaign-trail.html;
A post on the Conservatives' Blue Blog why you must vote - http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/Dont_waste_your_vote.aspx; and
A post on the Blue Blog talking about the Devon County Show and agricultural policy - http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/Labour_have_let_our_farmers_down.aspx.

Feel free to comment!

And so it ends...

2009-06-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

15 months of intense campaigning culminated at the Euro count at the Civic Centre in Poole. We won 3 seats – my colleagues Giles Chichester, Julie Girling and Ashley Fox. As the number of seats in the region was set to go down by one, the Conservative Party actually gained one seat from Labour. After abysmal local election results, Labour lost their only MEP in the West Country and polled fifth overall behind the Green Party (and in Cornwall, Labour came sixth).

This has been a wonderful campaign to be involved with. It was a real team effort from local and Euro candidates, association officers and members, agents, the regional team and supportive family members and friends who all played their part. I learnt a lot and had fun along the way. Thanks to all those involved and here's seeing you on the campaign trail as we push for success across the South West at the general election, whenever it is called.

Local election success

2009-06-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

Source: Sky News (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Interactive-Graphics/Locals2009)

The Conservative Party did exceptionally well in the local elections across the South West. We made gains against both the Liberal Democrats and Labour - the former having a disastrous day in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The Conservative Party seized control in Devon (winning 41 seats to the Liberal Democrats 14) and Somerset (winning 35 seats to the Liberal Democrats 21, gaining 11) and became Cornwall's biggest party (winning 50 seats to the Liberal Democrats 38 - crucially Cornwall does not have a single Labour Councillor).

Whilst the Liberal Democrats might have won control of Bristol (from no overall control), the Conservatives made 4 gains (the Liberal Democrats also made 4 gains) and are now the official opposition in the Council. In constituencies like Bristol North West, Conservatives lead on the overall vote share which bodes well for the general election.

In the new Wiltshire Unitary Council, the Conservative Party won 62 seats (63.3% of the vote). In Dorset, the Conservative Party won 28 seats (or 62.22% of the vote share).

In Gloucestershire, where I campaigned on polling day and stayed for the verification and count, the Tories won 42 seats (29 more than any other single party). In my home constituency of the Forest of Dean, we also made gains (including Brooksdean where the incumbent - who is also the Labour Parliamentary Candidate - fell to third).

Nationally, Labour suffered humiliation, losing control of its four remaining county councils in England – Derbyshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire. With Cabinet resignation after resignation, the Labour Party is in complete disarray and Gordon Brown has lost all political authority. The Labour Party is still clinging to its leader, just. To quote Jon Cruddas, to "simply chuck Gordon overboard would be madness" as they know it would in all likelihood trigger a general election and inevitable defeat.

Attention now turns to the European Parliamentary election results tonight. Labour is predicted to come fourth – a record low. Tomorrow, Labour rebels are planning to publish a list of MPs who want Mr Brown to go. 71 signatures will be enough to trigger a leadership contest.

Watch this space.

It's Polling Day...

2009-06-04T02:03:00.000-07:00

...for the European Parliamentary and local elections.

VOTE
CONSERVATIVE!

Bringing change in Europe and at home.....

2009-05-24T11:38:00.001-07:00

I've written an article for the Conservative Party's Blue Blog on the national Euro campaign launch in Lancashire earlier this week, campaigning in the South West and the need for an immediate general election. You can read it here: http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/Bringing_change_to_Europe.aspx. The Web Cameron video of the launch is available at: http://www.conservatives.com/Video/Webcameron.aspx?id=98db905f-1140-43c2-ba05-93672a71b5f1.

Spring Forum comes to Cheltenham

2009-04-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

We've just had an excellent Conservative annual Spring Forum in Cheltenham. I've written about my experience, looking forward to the European Parliamentary election campaign ahead, for the Conservative Party's Blue Blog: http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/All_systems_go_on_the_European_Campaign.aspx. Here I am outside the Centaur with Gloucestershire County Councillors Steve McMillan and Will Windsor Clive.

Criss-crossing the South West and....

2009-04-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

What a busy last few weeks! The campaign in the South West is going full steam ahead. All of us - candidates and activists - are working incredibly hard.

I have spent alot of time on the road, travelling across the South West. February and March comprised of alot of speaking engagements, including attending some of the Conservative Association AGMs across the region. I also took part in the Convention on Modern Liberty on February 28th and a great college question time, attended a parliamentary reception organised by OBV, met with regional businessmen and local community groups, continued with my youth engagement activities, had a number of articles to write (which I hope to post here once they are published) and continued with the bread and butter that makes up a candidate's time - campaigining. Now of course it's all about campaigning.

Latest article....

2009-02-24T13:40:00.001-08:00

.... tackles the issue of the Working Time Directive and was published today on Conservative Home: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2009/02/zehra-zaidi-an.html.

Stourbridge Super Saturday

2009-02-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I joined Margot James, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate in Stourbridge for a morning of campaigning. In addition to local association members, there was extra help in the form of neighbouring associations. Julie Kirkbride, the Conservative MP for Bromsgrove and James Morris, our candidate in Halesowen and Rowley Regis, both brought several people over. The turnout was great and we managed to achieve a great deal in a few hours. With so many people, we had alot of fun.

Most of us then had a hearty lunch at the excellent Crabmill Pub on Hagley Road. It was good to catch up with some old friends and compare notes on how our respective campaigns were going. But we were really there to support Margot, whose business experience and record of community service will be a huge asset in Parliament.

An end to boom and bust?

2009-01-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

This chart of the FTSE 100 Index (hat-tip Guido) is quite self-explanatory:

Council Tax Campaign

2009-01-28T16:53:00.001-08:00

The West Somerset Post has covered a campaign of local Conservatives that I have supported to freeze the county’s council tax: http://wspostnews.blogspot.com/2009/01/conservatives-call-for-county-to-freeze.html.

I am pictured above with the Conservative group leader, Councillor Ken Maddock and the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Somerton and Frome, Annunziata Rees-Mogg.

Speaking out on rural issues

2009-01-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

Nick Herbert MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has written an excellent article in the Western Morning News about how rural areas are feeling the effects of the recession:
http://www.nickherbert.com/Breaking_point_for_rural_communities.aspx?ArticleID=2845&PageID=64&RefPageID=43.

Bournemouth and the Great Ann Widdecombe

2009-01-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

With Conor Burns at the Town Hall

For a few weeks now, I've been trying to head down to Bournemouth. Saturday kicked off at the Town Hall to meet Borough Councillors to talk about local issues as well as the European campaign. The morning was extremely constructive. It was especially good as I also got to chat at length to the Tory MPs for Bournemouth East and West, Tobias Ellwood and Sir John Butterfill, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Bournemouth West, Conor Burns and the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Nick King (who is also a Bournemouth Councillor).

The Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe MP was spending two days in Bournemouth and had supported a number of constituency events. I must say, she really is an inspiration to me - a 'tell it like it is' politician who exudes tremendous warmth. Parliament will certainly miss her invaluable contributions when she retires at the next general election. I joined Conor Burns and Ann Widdecombe at Kinson Conservative Club. The club has great facilities and a thriving membership. We took part in a panel discussion with Conor handling local issues, myself all things European and Ann, well everything else.

We then headed to the venue for a dinner hosted by Bournemouth West Conservatives at the Marsham Court Hotel in East Cliff. Ann was guest speaker and her speech on winning the next general election did not disappoint. She interspersed some extremely serious points (on the economy in particular) with some quite amusing anecdotes. You don't hear speeches like that everyday. She was marvellous. I was given the responsibility of organising the raffle. The prizes were some of the best I've seen - including Margaret Thatcher's autobiography (to be signed for the winner) and a signed copy of one of Ann's bestsellers.

The day was a great success as far as I was concerned. I spent quality time in the area, updated myself on local issues, informed people about our Euro campaign and left with a few extra dates pencilled in the old diary. I'm looking forward to revisiting the area soon. A huge thanks has to go out to Conor and the local Conservatives for arranging such a worthwhile visit.

The EU Pesticides Directive

2009-01-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

Today, an article of mine on the impact of the EU Pesticides Directive was published on Conservative Home: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2009/01/zehra-zaidi-the.html. Feel free to comment!

Local by-election success

2009-01-18T03:17:00.000-08:00

In the Forest of Dean constituency, we have been campaigning hard to get Len Lawton elected as District Councillor in a Newent by-election (pictured here with Len and to his right, our Association's Deputy Chair (Political)).

On Thursday, he successfully won just under half the votes cast, almost double those of his nearest rival. The Labour candidate received only 15.4% of votes cast. This was a real team effort and those who campaigned late into the day on polling day were simply thrilled that our efforts paid off. Len is going to be a great addition to the Conservative team.

A proposal that is long overdue

2009-01-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

In an FT interview today, David Cameron has stated that an incoming Conservative Government would, as a first term priority, reduce the number of MPs by approximately 60. These measures will entail huge public savings (quite sound in the current economic climate and given people's concerns about MP expenses and the like). He believed “the House of Commons could do the job that it does with 10 per cent fewer MPs without any trouble at all.”

The Tories would push for an urgent boundary review proposing seats of the same size across the UK. The electoral map would be redrawn with seats being abolished in Wales (currently over-represented at Westminster) and inner cities.

The bottom line is that the current system creates a substantial imbalance: as Conservative Home have noted, a 10% poll lead (as today for the Conservatives) translates into a Tory majority of 34 but for Labour, it would instead amount to 136. Labour may say this is gerrymandering but the current system needs to be fair and also reflect the shift in population over the years from urban areas to the suburbs and countryside.

Tories launch a powerful debt campaign

2009-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Today, the Conservatives launched a Debt Campaign to highlight the immense borrowing under Labour that will saddle my generation and future generations with debt for years to come. The billboard poster and associated videos (here and here) have a simple and incredibly powerful message: every baby born in Britain will start off with £17,000 in debt. The accompanying paper, Labour's Debt Crisis sets out in detail just how bad things have become.

Fraser Nelson at the Spectator has written an article praising the campaign for making debt a real human issue. It is.

The EU in 2009?

2009-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

Open Europe has published a brief on what it sees as key European developments in 2009: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/eu2009.pdf. It is worth a read.

Suffice it to say that 2009 will be a very important year and the June elections are immensely important.

Brits at the Golden Globes

2009-01-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

I'm staying up as long as I can tonight to watch the Globes. If Kate Winslet, Sally Hawkins and Slum Dog Millionnaire don't win anything, I will be distraught!

UPDATE: I'm happy. The Brits did superbly! Oscars, here we come. Kate and Slumdog have to be odds on.

So thrilled that Slumdog did so well! Highly recommend the soundtrack which features MIA's Paper Planes (also used for Pineapple Express) and the music for the great dance sequence (was tempted to post Youtube links but I don't want to spoil the movie for those who haven't it).

Out of all the movies shown last night, I can't wait to see The Wrestler. I'm also going to check out Waltz with Bashir, which like Persepolis before it, manages to use breathtaking animation to tackle a very difficult subject indeed.

Less is More on Europe

2009-01-11T15:58:00.001-08:00

A You Gov poll carried out by The Taxpayers' Alliance and Global Vision and released to the Sunday Telegraph has revealed that 48% of Britons want a looser relationship with Europe and 64% were against joining the Eurozone.

A damaging verdict on the Government

2008-12-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Five senior figures from Church of England have lambasted the Government's record on debt, family breakdown and the growing gap between rich and poor in a series of recent interviews. Cranmer covers the story on his blog. The Bishop of Manchester labelled Labour as “morally corrupt”. The Bishop of Durham on the other hand criticised the Government for not doing enough to help the poor since it came to power. "Labour made a lot of promises, but a lot of them have vanished into thin air. We have not seen a raising of aspirations in the last 13 years, but instead there is a sense of hopelessness". I don't think that the Church should be getting involved in party politics but it is indicative of the state we're in that such an astonishing attack has been made.

There has been less Christmas cheer this year. People are worried about their livelihoods and insecure about the future. The situation we are in cannot be brushed off by this Government simply as a symptom of the global economic crisis. Yet that is the policy being pursued as Brown responded to the criticism by invoking Winston Churchill and calling for a blitz spirit to overcome the current financial woes. The sad thing is that we have reached wartime levels of public debt. A level that my own and future generations will pay for in years to come.

Merry Xmas from Brussels

2008-12-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

Dan Hannan MEP has posted a video message from the fab group of Conservative MEP Assistants in Brussels on his blog.

Great singing/miming from the guys on the EP's 14th Floor: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ExXJrgCQC-k&eurl=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2008/12/27/wouldnt_it_be_nice_if_meps_got_on_this_well#.
But I wonder when they had a chance to record this?

Tis the season to be careful

2008-12-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Your Government is working hard for you at Xmas. Proof is in the pudding or in this case, the leaflet produced - Advent calendar style - by Ed Ball's Department for Children, Schools and Families called "Tis the Season to be Careful". More than 150,000 leaflets have been distributed through shopping centres, children's centres, housing associations and local fire and rescue services over the Christmas period. If people weren't worried enough by the economic downturn, they should also beware of the perils lurking in every household during the festive season.

Measures must be taken to avoid the following accidents:

Parents stabbing themselves with scissors they have grabbed instead of screwdrivers to assemble toys;
People cutting themselves with knives they are using to open presents too quickly;
Children falling off rocking horses (?) or smashing new bikes into walls;
Tipsy party guests toppling down stairs or crashing to the floor when they miss their seat at the dinner table; and
In the kitchen where most people love to gather during Christmas, gravy exploding in microwave ovens, burns and scolds from cooking the turkey and cuts from chopping vegetables.

We have also been advised to make sure that presents are suitable for a child’s age, avoid hanging decorations from lights and heaters as they can burn easily, keep batteries away from babies and toddlers as they can choke on small things and empty out glasses as small amounts of alcohol can poison young children.

I haven't received a leaflet, so I enter Christmas having to rely on my own judgement around my own home. So far so good. No accidents to report. Though I did feel like reporting using taxpayers' money to produce glossy leaflets that simply to state the obvious.

Campaigning in the rain!

2008-12-15T06:20:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, I was out in nearby Newent delivering leaflets. Dressed up warmly and wearing my beanie to ward off the rain, I had fun spending some time with fellow local Conservative association members. We were quite lucky in that the rain did stop for a while and we got alot done. Many houses were decked out in Christmas regalia and whilst walking around, the odd Christmas tune did pop into our heads. I can't wait for Christmas!

"We won't take no for an answer"

2008-12-12T05:34:00.001-08:00

At least that was my initial reaction reading an article on the BBC's website noting that Ireland is ready to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in the Autumn of 2009 if given certain guarantees by the EU. The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering has said that dialogue with Irish citizens before the first vote in June had not been "serious enough".

To force a second Irish referendum is simply undemocratic. The Irish people have already provided their verdict on the treaty. William Hague has rightly said that "the EU is in danger of being seen as 'increasingly unaccountable and out of touch' if it doesn't listen to what people are saying".

Not Flash...just Gordon

2008-12-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

In PMQs today, Brown boasted that the Government had saved the world.

One word in response. Pleeease!

UPDATE 11 Dec 2008: Politicians don't live in comic books. They aren't super heroes. Ann Treneman writing in The Times noted that "Gordon Brown, master of immodesty, has revealed what he thinks about himself".

The "save the world" comment may have been a slip of the tongue but Labour MPs should know better when their defence of the PM reduces the level of parliamentary debate to this (taken from the BBC website):

"Commons leader Harriet Harman responded to Tory MPs in the Commons she would 'rather have Superman as our leader than their leader who is The Joker'. Labour MP Anne Moffat immediately intervened to say 'Wonder Woman does it again'."

In the words of The Telegraph's David Hughes, what are these people on?

4 counties, 4 great groups of people

2008-12-08T04:42:00.001-08:00

I was at a dinner recently and the subject of blogging came up. The issue was, when you are busy on the campaign trail, do you narrate everywhere you've been or will it make for a rather dull posting as it will appear to simply be listing people and places. My answer is try and make the blog an accurate description of what you are doing. As it would happen, I have spent every weekend for the last few weeks/months attending a couple of lunches and dinners, giving the odd speech and finding out about what people think on local and European issues. I have had the best time and in terms of the European campaign, it has been incredibly productive. I owe it to people to say what I've been up to so forgive me now if I appear to list!

On Thursday, I attended Bath University Conservative Association's Christmas dinner at Green Park Brasserie. I'm incredibly fond of the people at Bath Conservative Association but had not, until that point, had proper interaction with Bath CF members (it was a case of you meet a few at a general association event or on the campaign trail but not altogether). They had just come back from a study trip to Brussels so it was good to exchange a few notes on our experiences and views on the City and the EU institutional set up. I enjoyed the conversation - many of us were on completely the same wavelength on European issues so the chat was vibrant. Florian Bay seems to be doing a great job as Chair. Dinner went quite fast and I wanted to continue our political discussions at a nearby pub but my train to Gloucester awaited (and a packed Friday schedule).

Friday was a full day on the road. I started off in Salisbury for a Christmas lunch hosted by Sue Key and the Salisbury Conservative Ladies at the White Hart Hotel. Some of you may be aware that Salisbury MP (and her husband), Robert Key, continues the tradition of the victorious parliamentary candidate singing ‘The Vly be on the Turmut’ (the marching song of the Wiltshire Regiment) from the balcony of the hotel! I love such glorious traditions and is just another aspect of what makes Salisbury so unique. Festive mood was in full swing and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I then headed to The Brownsword Hall in Poundbury in Dorchester for a simply fabulous Sparkling Reception hosted by the West Dorset Women's Organisation. The exquisite hall was packed and at least half of us then made our way to a nearby cafe for dinner. There is simply too much to recount here - suffice to say, the company was excellent, the members knowledgeable about European issues, the political discussion in full flow (not suprisingly agriculture came to the fore as a topic, as well as issues that people are truly concerned about such as the EU Budget) and the food spectacular.

Saturday was spent in beautiful Devon speaking at a lunch in Exmouth. I was very lucky with the weather and had a stroll along the seafront. It was a joy to meet some of the East Devon Conservative Association - a few of whom I had met during the Euro selection period. Moreover the Q&A session after my speech was fantastic - subjects came up that hadn't in my most recent outings like the Euro and fisheries. Once again, I left the event excited about our local and European campaigns as the people on the ground are some of the best there can be (I was very impressed with the commitment, knowledge and dynamism of the local councillors I met).

All in all a very worthwhile weekend.

Who are these people that matter?

2008-12-04T04:41:00.001-08:00

Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission has indicated to French radio that the UK is "closer than ever before" to joining the euro as a result of the fallout from the global economic crisis. He noted that "I don't mean this will happen tomorrow, I know that the majority are still opposed, but there is a period of consideration underway and the people who matter in Britain are currently thinking about it."

Who are these people that matter? Brown and Mendelson? Just because this Government's record on the economy is far from stellar, it does not mean that we should join the Euro zone. The same arguments are being put forward for joining the Euro zone as were stated for going into the Exchange Rate Mechanism and we all know how that turned out. If the UK had been subject to the interest rates of the eurozone, we would probably have had a far worse boom and bust. The best article by the way that I have read on this is by the excellent Dan Hannan MEP (see http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2008/11/16/joining_the_euro_would_be_the_worst_possible_response_to_the_sterling_crisis). I want us to retain our independence in setting fiscal and monetary policy. As Dan Hannan notes, the weak pound is an indictment on more than a decade of Labour economic mismanagement. In any event, William Hague has quite rightly stated that "Britain's budget deficit and national debt will soon be outside the euro's entry criteria".

The Government needs to come clean as to its policy in this area. Instead, we have reports of a Treasury Department, the Euro Preparations Unit, spending millions of pounds on preparing to join the Euro. In this economic climate, all the talk of joining the Euro can be destabilising. As Neil Parish MEP noted recently, the Government should back the Pound.

Another busy weekend

2008-12-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I attended a regional Conservative conference in Taunton. It went very well and it was great to meet officers, candidates and activists from across the South West, all under one roof. We had some extremely informative panel discussions and group sessions.

We are about to enter an intense period of campaigning in the six months leading up to next year's local and European elections. I have been trying to attend as many association events as possible (hence my lighter than usual blogging) so that I can network with activists and local councillors and candidates and allow members an opportunity to hear how our Euro campaign is going and to ask me about topical European issues. After the Taunton Conference, I headed down to Torquay to speak at a Political Dinner and the next morning, made my way back to Taunton to attend a delicious Curry Lunch.

Taunton Curry Lunch

It has been a very worthwhile few days where I have met some wonderful people, learnt alot and got even more motivated by our various campaigns in the region.

Docklands training, a Euro Extravaganza and Christmas Shopping

2008-11-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

Very early on Saturday morning, I travelled to the University of East London's Docklands campus to take part in another training session run by the Young Foundation's Uprising Programme - this time on how to structure a community campaign. I really enjoyed my one-to-one sessions with two young participants whose community campaigns were simply inspiring.

At around 4pm, I then shuttled down the M25 and M4 to attend an evening "Euro Extravaganza" back in the South West organised by Devizes Conservative Association to give people the opportunity to meet prospective MEP candidates. The event was compered by Mike Reed, Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical director, who used to live in the nearby village of Worton. What made the night so special was that each table in the hall was themed around one European country where we could sample delicious food (together with fellow Euro Candidates Julie Girling and Mike Dolley, I am pictured below with the ladies from the French table). The turnout was wonderful - all six MEP candidates and two of our South West MEPs, Giles Chichester and Caroline Jackson were in attendance, as well as a packed room of members from around Devizes. I enjoyed chatting to some of the local councillors with whom I plan to campaign vigorously in the run up to the unitary authority elections next year.

The next day involved some shopping. Members of the North Wiltshire Conservative Association had told me of Church Farm in Kington Langley, Chippenham, which opens its doors to visitors at Christmas, selling Christmas cards, luxury soaps from Belgium, antiques, some truly exquisite jewellery and paintings and pottery from well known local artists. I bought some packs of unusual Christmas cards, as well as some decorative Belgian soap.

What a fun and packed weekend!

Edinburgh, Edinburgh

2008-11-22T18:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay in posting for a while. I've been working round the clock and it caught up with me.

I spent last weekend in Edinburgh, invited by The Women of the World Society at the University of Edinburgh to speak on social activism and international development. The Politics Society had also got involved - so I was looking forward to the discussion broadening out to other topics.

The 14 hour coach ride - getting into the city at 7am on Saturday - was worth it. The majestic city looked wonderful - the weather was quite mild and the sun was shining. I made my way to my hotel, The Terrace Hotel on the Royal Terrace, which was only a short walk from the bus station. I picked it primarily because of its ideal location to the centre of Edinburgh and because when I phoned up, the owners sounded extremely warm and inviting. However, I was stunned by what awaited me - one of the prettiest family run hotels you will find (and inexpensive to boot). I was fed, left my luggage and walked around the city for a while (the service throughout was superb and I would recommend the hotel to anyone).

By the early afternoon, I headed to the Robert Adam designed Old College and was made to feel most welcome by the organising committee of the Women of the World Society. The turnout was great. As Scotland kicked off against South Africa in the rugby, I spoke at length on the set topics. The question and answer session was hugely enjoyable for me. The audience was well informed (there were more than a few political stars) and challenged me on one or two issues where my political beliefs differed to theirs - in particular, I am wary of positive discrimination in Westminster selections and prefer greater training and mentoring opportunities to certain disadvantaged groups. But I loved the debate we had on the subject. When you attend a political society event, you hope for debate where all views can be represented and ideas vigourously discussed.

Afterwards, we moved to a post-event drinks and reflections at Native State. It was fun and a bit more informal. The discussion included the European elections, Obama's victory, student exchanges and study visits (the US was the No. 1 destination) and juggling studying, working part-time and taking an active role in student societies.

I left Edinburgh on the Sunday morning coach. I wish I had had more time but I had full set of commitments on Monday. A big thanks has to go out to Sara Darcy of the Women of the World Society for making my trip up to Edinburgh so engaging and worthwhile. I always make every effort to support student societies and this was a lovely visit.

Coming Home

2008-11-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

The Conservative Spring Forum will be held in Cheltenham at The Centaur in the last weekend of April next year (http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2008/11/spring-forum-20.html).

As a Gloucestershire Conservative I cannot be happier. This is great news as it will surely boost the local economy - the 2008 Spring Forum was held in Newcastle-Gateshead and injected an estimated £1 million into the local economy by attracting 2,000 extra visitors to the region.

I am sure that visiting Conservatives, journalists and the like will be made to feel very welcome indeed.

X factor

2008-11-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of X Factor. My two favorites (and for many others) have been Laura White and Diana Vickers for being such original talents. So you can imagine that I was gutted to see Laura get voted off so soon into the show. I didn't think Mariah week was her strongest performance but she was nowhere near the bottom two as she brought it home in the end. For someone to have sung "Cry me a river" (during the Judges House week) or "Falling" on Week 1 the way she did and to fail to make the Top 5 is a mistake if this is indeed a purely singing competition (it isn't - screen time in the early stages and hype, likeability, variety and versatility shown in performances, a singer showing emotion and connecting to the viewing public and momentum going a singer's way all play a part).

Who ends up in the bottom 2 is down to the public and whilst the judges may be criticised for voting off a great talent (tactical perhaps as Cheryl stated but then Ruth Lorenzo's performance of Knocking on Heaven's Door was simply fabulous), that is the downside of reality shows. Some cynics would say that such shows always need one shock departure as part of the narrative over the course of the season.

It turns out though that I wasn't the only one bemoaning last week's results. Newspapers and online media have been full of "Laura was robbed" headlines. There is even a petition to have Laura reinstated (http://www.petitiononline.com/lwrein/petition.html), stating that ITV should run the next show with all last week's contenders (including Laura and Diana - who couldn't take part in the show due to a severe throat infection) and vote 2 acts off to stay on schedule.

Pop and politics are not immediate bedfellows so it was interesting to see Culture Secretary Andy Burnham mention Laura's departure during oral questions for Culture, Media and Sport. During a discussion on the comments made by Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross on BBC Radio 2, he apparently noted that MPs "should resist that temptation to comment on editorial matters" but that "the temptation is great in my case, having seen the wonderful and talented Laura White very harshly voted off X Factor on Saturday."

I guess we will all have to tune in to the show next week to see if the frenzy surrounding Laura's departure has any effect. For me, the effect it should have is to be another indication of just how good Laura White is and she should be signed by a record company. Then she needs supportive management, time to write a great album which incorporates her unique musicality, the right song to release as a first single and a good stylist (I did feel that her styling could have been more Duffy-esque (cue the yellow, white and purple flower dress she auditioned in and which makes an appearance in some of her previous photo shoots)).

For those Laura fans out there, a few of her own songs have been posted on You Tube. The song She in particular is amazing.

In remembrance

2008-11-09T11:20:00.001-08:00

When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create

No trouble, no trouble in thy breast

Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate

Remember me, but ah! forget my fate

Dido's Lament from the opera Dido and Æneas by Henry Purcell

Ninety years ago, at the 11th hour in the 11th month, World War I hostilities ended. Today, up and down the country, people remembered the brave soldiers who have suffered and given their lives for the peace and liberty we enjoy today, the generations who fought for our country during both world wars and those who continue to serve our country. We are forever in their debt.

Political fora aren't just talking shops!!!!

2008-11-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

In political associations, we spend alot of time campaigning and fundraising for the Party and the social events hosted are often some of the highlights of the year. However, I must talk about the benefits of holding discussions now and again on particular policies (e.g. getting groups of members together to discuss the latest initiative from the Conservative Policy Forum or Stand Up Speak Up) and political lunches/suppers where guest speakers are invited to talk to members about a particular topic. It is a chance for grassroots to hear what the party is doing in different policy areas and to learn about issues in greater detail. For the party and the speakers involved, it is a chance to hear what the grassroots membership have to say, to disseminate information and to build a coalition of support for ideas and campaigns.

As we in Britain review the US election campaign and examine how Obama in particular managed to galvanise support from across the electoral spectrum and all ages and groups, we should think about how to energise our own membership base and the general public to go out and vote. Political discussions certainly have a role to play.

Since the Euro campaign started, I have spoken to political fora, women's luncheon clubs and groups interested in European issues such as the European Union of Women. Earlier tonight, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the most knowledgeable members that I have met at the Totnes Conservative Association Political Forum‏. The questions that were posed after my speech were challenging and the level of understanding about the minutiae of how Europe works was amazing. I really appreciated the question from David Hurford-Jones concerning the audit of EU accounts which explored the issue in some detail. We also discussed issues of sovereignty, the need for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty and how to reform the EU so that it is brought closer to the citizen. A big message of thanks has to go to Ken Holmes, the Chairman of the forum, for running a very smooth discussion and being the perfect chair with his overall understanding of national and European politics.

I always benefit hugely from such events. Firstly as a candidate, I want to learn what activists have to say about European issues. Secondly as someone starting out in politics, I want to learn from senior activists and association officers who - for want of a better phrase - have "seen it all". The wealth of knowledge that we have within associations is incredible. It is an honour to be able to speak before such individuals. I am always blown away by the hospitality, the food (tonight's Shepherd's Pie was delicious!) and the effort people make to come out to hear what you have to say.

It is more than six months since I got selected as a Euro candidate and time seems to have flown by. Events like last night make this campaign hugely enjoyable and rewarding.

President-elect Obama

2008-11-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

In an historic night, America has elected Barack Obama as its next President. Both presidential nominees were inspirational candidates and John McCain's gracious concession speech was typical of the character of the man. I wish the GOP well and hope they bounce back with renewed vigour and chart a course that it both sound on policy and electorally bankable.

Of course Obama will be the first Black President of the United States but the election should not just be seen through prism of race. It’s about how you can reinvigorate politics, engage people from all walks of life and offer people a positive message of hope and opportunity.

The result in America is equally as important for us and the rest of the world. We need American leadership to take us through these difficult economic times and where global security concerns affect us as never before.

One final point. The huge swell of support for Obama, almost hysterical adoration at times, could lend itself to one mightly fall if Obama cannot deliver on his change agenda. I hope he adopts a big tent approach to his administration and includes as wide a range of politicians and public servants as possible in his Cabinet. After all, even Joe Biden warned that an Obama administration would face an international challenge in its first six months. Added to the economic woes and challenges like reform of the health system, he will need the best that he can get.

Young Ideas on Europe

2008-11-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Today I spent an extended lunch-hour at the Upper School of Skinners School in Stamford Hill, London. I took part in a programme called Young Ideas for Europe run by the Citizenship Foundation to inform young people about the European Union. The theme of our session was EU family friendly policies and how the approach of UK political parties differ - although I also provided an overview of how the EU works. The Conservative Party is of course strong on family-friendly policies, but we think they need to be tailored at UK level, not imposed in a harmonised form by the EU.

I made the session as interactive as possible and I must say, by the end of the session, I was pleased that many of the young students stayed back to ask a whole raft of detailed questions about politics in general, how the European elections work and issues like international development policy.

Young Minds, Fresh Thinking

2008-11-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

I believe strongly in getting young people more engaged in politics and I've undertaken some work with schools, communities and organisations to achieve that end.

The Young Foundation has developed a wonderful one year pilot programme called UpRising to engage the 19-25 age group bracket more involved in politics and public decision making. in its own words, the programme has been set up "to address what the Young Foundation calls ‘channel blockage' - the lack of routes for many talented young people, particularly from white working class and minority communities, into positions of power".

The one year programme includes:

Monthly evening training sessions on issues such as understanding and influencing power, leading and managing teams, working with the media and conflict resolution;
The opportunity to develop and apply learning through leading a campaign aimed at influencing change to help solve a problem affecting the local community;
Learning visits to a range of public institutions (Parliament, police authorities, police authorities, etc.) to see how decisions are made and to meet and question those who are in power;
Networking events with leaders in politics, business, government, voluntary sector organisations and the media;
One to one mentoring for the duration of the 12 month programme;
Opportunities to shadow a public leader for the day, seeing first hand what public leadership involves;
The opportunity to attend a two-day leadership residential workshop;
Work shadowing placements.

Yesterday, I co-led a training on how to plan a community campaign with Simon Jones the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Dagenham and Rainham. We discussed the various project planning tools available and the types of issues that may arise. The participants asked some extremely incisive questions and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the interactive session. I really did feel as I was meeting some of the leaders of tomorrow and I sensed that each of them felt that they were part of something quite special - many mentioned how beneficial it had been for them to link up with like-minded young people who wanted to make a difference in their community and took a keen interest in politics.

It is great to hear what young people have to say on today's issues. However, as politicians and activists, we still don't do enough to engage young people.

I'm looking forward to attending a networking session tomorrow where a speech will be given by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor at Harvard University and one of the world's leading thinkers on leadership in business, government and civil society. The lecture will be followed by a reception with Ed Vaizey MP, Tony Wright MP and Trevor Phillips to officially launch the Young Foundation's UpRising Leadership Programme.

A packed agenda......

2008-10-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today, Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action visited Gloucester. I joined Richard Graham, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Gloucester and Baroness Warsi in Barton and Tredworth. She visited a number of community organisations and spent a great deal of time talking to local residents and community workers. The dedication of everyone in Barton & Tredworth was plain to see. These are the everyday heroes who believe in their community, in what individuals can do and what the community can achieve by working together.
Later in the evening, I attended the annual awards ceremony for Gloucestershire College’s EMAGINE Project (Ethnic Minorities Achieving Goals in Education). In addition to the awards themselves, a few prominent guests were asked to give speeches and we also had dance and musical performances from some of the best young talent in Gloucestershire. I later spoke to the students and told them to believe in themselves, work hard and follow their dreams.

Growing up, I was inspired by certain role models to work hard and try and achieve in life. I remembered the words of Martin Luther King who six months before he was assassinated, spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967. He said: “I want to ask you a question, and that is: What is your life's blueprint?” In other words work out what you want to achieve in life.

He continued, “And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it….don't just set out to do a good job…….Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”

Will Euro Membership return to the Agenda?

2008-10-29T06:30:00.001-07:00

The Independent's Steve Richards raised that possibility in a recent column in light of the current economic meltdown:

"If the arrangements aimed at stabilising the currency are now a source of turbulence, and a return to the old system would cause even more storms, there is no obvious alternative option. That great sleeping issue, Britain's membership of the euro, will be waking soon".

A survey at Politics Home found that 59% saw such an outcome unlikely. However, Greg Hands MP at Conservative Home does not rule it out, stating that the Conservatives need to be ready for any debate that might ensue on the subject. I agree. He notes that "any forthcoming UK recession will likely be worse than that experienced in the Eurozone - mainly due to our greater indebtedness, our larger budget deficit, our greater dependence on financial services for our GDP and our high levels of public spending. Sterling is already at an all-time low against the Euro (the equivalent, by the way of 2.52 against the old Deutschmark, versus our old ERM central rate of 2.95)".

Planning takes Planning

2008-10-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

Nick Webb, South West Conservative activist and former CF Regional Chair for Bristol and Gloucestershire, has written a great article in Conservative Home on planning issues: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2008/10/more-houses-in.html.

A Commissioner for the wrong reasons?

2008-10-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Baroness Ashton has been confirmed as the new EU Trade Commissioner. The European Parliament approved her appointment on 22 October with 538 to 40 votes, and 63 abstentions.

According to the Centre for European Politics blog, "Her appointment is driven by the anxiety of Gordon Brown to avoid another by-election defeat, which would have happened if he had nominated an MP, rather than concern that the Commission should have a well-known politician for the Trade portfolio. The Trade Commissioner negotiates all external trade deals for an EU of 490 million inhabitants and is one of the most powerful jobs in Brussels." Daniel Hannan MEP has also noted that Ashton "has no background in trade issues at a time when the EU is engaged in critical negotiations with Canada, Korea and the WTO".

So why such an emphatic vote in her favour by the European Parliament? Much has been said of the discussions during her confirmation hearing. Labour blogger Jon Worth noted her 'boredom strategy': "Ashton took the sensible, yet rather dull, approach of being pleasant and kind to the EP [i.e. European Parliament], and going out of the way to say that she would listen to the Committee, and listen to MEPs that she acknowledged had more experience in the field than she has." Perhaps more importantly however, she got a round of applause when she stated that "I spent 76 hours of my life getting the Lisbon Treaty though the House of Lords. I would very much like to see it come into force" (much to Bruno Waterfield's annoyance). If that wasn't enough, she also seems to have played the gender card: "I am the first female British Trade Commissioner, the first female trade commissioner and about time too!".

There was however one stumbling block to her appointment. You see, under Article 213(2) of the EC Treaty:

"The Members of the Commission shall, in the general interest of the Community, be completely independent in the performance of their duties.

In the performance of these duties, they shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or from any other body. They shall refrain from any action incompatible with their duties. Each Member State undertakes to respect this principle and not to seek to influence the Members of the Commission in the performance of their tasks.

The Members of the Commission may not, during their term of office, engage in any other occupation, whether gainful or not".

So in order to take up the post, Ashton has invoked the procedural device used for Lord Cockfield (the Single Market Commissioner from 1985 to 1989) and has taken a leave of absence from the House of Lords, retaining the peerage but not the position.

Given the Conservative commitment to free trade, I have no doubt in my mind that our MEPs will work with the new EU Trade Commissioner to deliver British interests. However, for such an important portfolio, Ashton's appointment has unfortunately not been without its detractors.

To double up or not?

2008-10-26T04:40:00.000-07:00

As a candidate, your commitments stretch far and wide and some events end up falling on the same day, especially Friday and Saturday. So how do you decide?

Obviously, you have a responsibility to make the event that you first agreed to do (as a rule of thumb, never cancel events - you will be letting down your local association and members of the public). In terms of the additional request that you may have just declined, offer to make another event in the short to medium term. Always RSVP promptly and let people know that were it not for a clash in the diary, you would have been there. It is more than just a simple courtesy - the association may have had you in mind as a main speaker and they will have to get someone else if you can't make it.

What about events on the same day but at different times? See how your diary looks and take into account travelling time and the time you would need to wind down from one event and be ready for another. Can you give proper time to both? A candidate must be both visible in the constituency, accessible and give quality time to people and his or her commitments. Ask yourself, will you be able to campaign and get around as much of a ward as possible? Will you be present at a speaking event or networking drinks/coffee function for a long enough duration (if not its entirety) so that as many activists and members of the public can speak to you?

If the additional event is extremely important e.g. a critical campaigning session, I always try and make it. It means increased tiredness but it is worth it. But do make sure that people are aware that you are coming from somewhere else and that you may be late (it may be obvious to you but let people know so that they don't wait for you to start a campaigning session or a lunch).

I managed to make two events on Friday, one in Devon, the other Gloucestershire. I got up bright and early at 5am to head to North Devon for a campaigning session in South Molton with Philip Milton, our wonderful local Conservative candidate.

Campaigning in South Molton, North Devon - pictured (left to right) with Sir Richard Peek (back row next to me), Kerry Drew, Philip Milton and Roger Pratt

The literature produced was brilliant. One was an In Touch magazine detailing policy announcements during Conference and recent Tory Party initiatives. I also liked the small leaflet where Philip set out his recent work in the constituency, as well as a bit of biographical information on him (he was born in Barnstaple, a true local boy). People responded to us well on the doorstep. There is clear anger at the Government and anxiety about the worsening economic climate. Philip was amazing on the doorstep. I know Philip well and he really is one of nicest people that I have met in politics. As an MP, he would work extremely hard for his constituency, his home.

I then left at 11am to speak at the AGM of the Forest Voluntary Action Forum (FVAF) back in Gloucestershire. The AGM went well. I knew most people in the room and my speech (on engaging young people in voluntary and charitable work and diversity issues arising in the sector) was well received.

All in all a worthwhile day.

A brief but important chat

2008-10-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

At a dinner in London last week, I spoke to David Cameron about the Euro 2009 campaign and regional issues in the South West.

He has spent alot of time in the region and was - as you would expect - well versed in local issues. We are all aware of how important next year's local and Euro elections will be and he was keen to learn about how our campaign has been progressing.

Baroness Ashton's confirmation hearing

2008-10-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hat tip to Daniel Hamilton writing in Centre Right who notes that Baroness Ashton's hearing to become the new European Commissioner for External Trade is currently underway before 3 committees of the European Parliament (International Trade, Foreign Affairs and Development). Syed Kamall MEP and Robert Sturdy MEP are leading the questioning on behalf of the Conservative Party.

It can viewed live here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu//wps-europarl-internet/faces/live/live-video.jsp?wantedCanal=2.

Another busy week or two

2008-10-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Lunch at The Kingshead in Wimborne

In Chippenham with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

At the Welsh Assembly with Angela Burns AM and Nick Bourne AM, Leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly

Since I have become a candidate, blogging can sometimes be light. I apologise - it generally means I am busy with the business of being a candidate.

On 9th October, I spent the evening in Chippenham, meeting our Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, together with officers from the local Conservative association. We have a marvellous candidate who will be a great addition to the green benches. I plan to campaign hard to ensure that he is elected. We also have unitary elections in Wiltshire next year so I expect to be hitting a few doors canvassing and leafleting very soon. I'm looking forward to heading back to the constituency in a couple of days time to see a play - nothing to do with politics but it is a chance to support local cultural activities.

I partly grew up in Carmarthen in Wales. I do believe in keeping in touch with your roots and last week, I took the opportunity to meet Angela Burns, Welsh Assembly Member for Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire, in Cardiff. We talked about Welsh politics and the economy (given her finance portfolio). It was good to see the inside workings of the Welsh Assembly. I had the chance to talk to some of our Conservative team, led of course by Nick Bourne. They say it is a small world and as I left the wonderfully designed building of the Senedd, I met a Deputy Chairman from my own association in the Forest of Dean, who was visiting the Senedd with an old colleague. The latter happened to be from Carmarthen and had attended the same primary school as me!

A few days later, I spoke on at a lunch organised by the Mid Poole and North Dorset Conservative Association. A shout of thanks has to go out to the Chairman David Packer and Mike Bartlett who organised the lunch, as well as other members of the Executive. I enjoyed catching up with Margaret Roebuck and Nick King, the local Conservative parliamentary candidate, who have been very supportive. The hospitality was great, the conversation stellar and the food was possibly the best I've eaten for a while (all my favorites were on the menu - which helps!).

So a busy two weeks. I also was quite active with all my charitable projects and writing. Here is my latest article, which was published in the Guardian's Comment is Free: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/14/young-muslim-advisory-group.

Euro/County elections doubled up?

2008-10-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

....story covered by Peter Waugh of the Evening Standard: http://waugh.standard.co.uk/2008/10/gordon-postpone.html.

The Government plans to hold both the 2009 European and English local elections on 4 June. The change must be sanctioned by Parliament by 7 November if it is to take place. To quote from the article: "Although Mr Healey [Local Government Minister] talks manfully about the need to boost turnout and cut costs, I'm told the real reason is to avoid two potentially huge nationwide defeats within four weeks of each other."

Another Saturday Night Live Debate

2008-10-05T19:16:00.001-07:00

The US election race reaches its final leg. No signs of let-up from the folks at Saturday Night Live.

Conference Quote of Week

2008-10-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Shaun Bailey, PPC for Hammersmith talking during the Welfare Debate in the main hall about "the sex, drugs and rock and roll" culture available to kids today without much parental support in some families:

"We give our kids adult access without adult stability and then we get Lord of the Flies".

Can we make Manchester better?

2008-10-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

The Tory Conference in Birmingham has been a resounding success. Forward planning is needed however to ensure that Manchester is even better. Many fellow bloggers have already touched upon this subject (e.g. Nadine Dorries MP and Dizzy).

The ICC and fringe

The ICC as a Conference venue was on the whole stellar - modern, bright and big. The sheer size of place made some halls initially difficult to find (more signs would help) but staff were incredibly helpful. There were plenty of eating areas and places to hang out and chat (though perhaps more tea and coffee points or dare I say, coffee vending machines may be useful). Delegates' (or should I say representatives'!) lives in terms of running about and travel time were made much easier by having the majority of fringe events under one roof. The capacity of the conference rooms was generally good. Of course some fringe events ended up being heavily oversubscribed and the rooms suddenly appeared tiny (!) but even the best of pre-planning (the old RSPV!) cannot always account for the number of actual delegates who would attend.

Those fringe events being held elsewhere were close by (the Hyatt Regency next door with an ajoining corridor, City Inn, Jury's Inn, Novotel, Copthorne Hotel and Austin Court). A special shout of thanks has to go to the organisers of the Freedom Zone in Austin Court. Just outside the conference security zone, it was the biggest fringe event this year with a varied and packed programme (Roger Helmer MEP has blogged about it here) - oh and a hearty Big Bad Breakfast and bustling coffee lounge! I took part in two fringe events there and attended a third and by the end of it, those organising, participating and attending had become a family. It also hosted a good old fashioned book-signing of The Plan by two men I admire greatly - Daniel Hannan MEP and Douglas Carswell MP. The fact that Iain Dale, Donal Blaney and others have called for it to become a permanent conference feature is testament to its roaring success.

With around 10,500 delegates at Conference, the main hall and indeed Symphony Hall where Cameron gave his closing speech only housed a fraction that number. I managed to sneak (just!) into Symphony Hall and so couldn't check out the overflow areas. However, on three occasions, the main hall was full and I had to make alternative arrangements. There were some TV screens - I noticed many folks gathered near the European Stall in Hall 3's Exhibition Area - but unlike Blackpool, there were no BIG screens near an eating or bar area for folks to congregate around throughout conference.

At times, the Conference agenda (for very good reasons) changed but ordinary delegates were unaware of the amendment. Information could also be provided of the wonderful additional speakers lined up in the main hall (the speeches from the foreign delegates during Wednesday's International Session were simply superb). There are many ways to address this: one big information screen (and manned desk) in Manchester or a link on the new and swanky Conservative website to the Conference schedule that is regularly updated.

We need to ensure there is easy disabled access in Manchester. One lady I know found the trek from the edge of the security zone to the ICC too much to handle and felt restricted by her dependence on the lifts (stairs were everywhere it seemed) and having to wait for walkways to be cleared. It is something we should all be mindful of. Even with the most resilient of spirits, it can spoil your conference.

Exhibition Stands and Bloggers

I thought the Exhibition Areas offered ample space to stop, chat and mingle. There was a good selection of stallholders. The Think Tank Zone was a great idea. However, a case must be made for allowing exhibitor discounts for those organisations that are part of the wider Conservative movement. I have it on good authority that the smallest stand size available (2mx2m) cost £4500+VAT (on top of having to also pay for all the material on the stand). Those smaller, sometimes specialist groups, all form part of the links to the chain that is the Conservative movement. We need more of them around - if only to pick up information on their latest activities, reports and campaigns during those few days of Conference.

We also need to accommodate the growing blogsphere - a larger internet/computer area (perhaps with a drinks machine nearby) or free wi-fi would be a start. As a blogging candidate, I felt that I was neglecting my blog a little. I believe Guido has already made a case for reducing the media passes for bloggers, who are largely independent and without any organisation backing them.

Contribute Now/Stand Up Speak Up

Given time constraints, only a select few will be able to ask questions during sessions in the main hall (I didn't get called to ask a question in Birmingham!). For wannabe and selected candidates this offers a rare venue to raise important issues and yes let's be frank, one's profile within the wider party. However, we must ensure that at least one contribution per session is made from ordinary party members and activists, as well as an expert in the field being discussed (bringing experts into the party's policy fold and spotting fresh new ideas). That said, it is incredibly hard for the conference organisers to choose one person out of the scores that hand in requests. To make it easier to differentiate between contributors, let's have one section on the contribution card asking the individual why (in 20-30 words) they would like to contribute (e.g. due to a burning longstanding passion, their background or professional experience).

I would urge candidates to seek to ask questions during fringe events - you may not be accessing as wide an audience but you can hone your arguments (often in greater detail) before a knowledgeable and influential panel. We should consider televising some key fringes e.g. on the BBC Parliament Channel, internally within a section of the hall (e.g. on one BIG SCREEN) or live streaming on http://www.conservatives.com/. This may reduce the demand to contribute during the main session.

Return to the seaside?

I must say, I quite liked seeing the amount of young people at Conference this year. It shows how well our party's message has translated. This conference was slick and corporate. The frontpage headline of the current edition of Public Affairs noted the obvious: "Lobbyists flock to Birmingham as industry plans for Tory rule". But where were the activists of old who you saw at places like Blackpool and Bournemouth? The accommodation prices deterred many from attending. These members provide the backbone to any association (whether it be supporting events, delivering leaflets or the catering skills of the Ladies Luncheon Clubs). And yet it's more than that. I personally gain a great deal from just listening to the old-timers who were movers and shakers when our party was last in power. Let's get them back! Let's have their input! When you are spending that much money attending conference, why not make a mini-break of it by the sea? It is of course important to show our support for cities and show off their vibrancy but let's have conferences alternate between an urban and seaside venue.

Day Passes

Yes. Yes. Yes. A cheaper day pass would help those who can't take time off work or want to economise. Security considerations accepted, we must look into this.

Social Networking

Most of the time I knew where some key people would be e.g. the European stall was a meeting point for us Euro candidates, the Think Tank Zone (well isn't it obvious?), etc. Other coffee and chats I had pre-arranged. Let's use new media (the Conservative website, facebook, etc) to form groups for Councillors, campaigners on certain issues, those thinking about going forward for their PAB, etc.) to register and begin networking before the conference. If meetings are arranged during conference, let's have them publicised within group portals on the Conservative website/facebook and on a conference information screen.

Apart from hearing about policy announcements and campaigning strategy, conference season is all about networking. So let's have places certain people can congregate and know in advance who will be where.

Conservatives Vox Box, YouTube Stall

Finally for me, the Vox Box where delegates could record video clips for the wall on http://www.conservatives.com/ and the presence of a You Tube stall where one could almost immediately have a clip posted onto the web, were an amazing addition to Conference. All delegates had a chance to record their conference experience. It is all about making politics as inclusive as possible and giving everyone, especially at grassroots, a say. Bravo. Something similar should be available in Manchester.

Bizarre Cabinet reshuffle....

2008-10-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

...sees Caroline Flint take over from Jim Murphy as Europe Minister.

Morevoer, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, the Leader of the Lords, is to replace Peter Mandelson as the UK's EU Commissioner. This is someone who helped push the Lisbon Treaty through Parliament (http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/over-to-eu.html).

A full list of the reshuffled posts is available at http://www.politicshome.com/Landing.aspx?Blog=3503&perma=link.

William Hague's take on the reshuffle says it all: http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2008/10/Bizarre_reshuffle_makes_Government_even_more_dysfunctional.aspx.

Goodbye Birmingham!!!

2008-10-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Chatting to Andrew Lansley MP just after my interview with BBC News 24 and before his!

Symphony Hall

The view of the Symphony Hall stage from my balcony seat

The International session in the main hall lived up to its billing. Foreign affairs, security, international development and Europe are policy areas I love and so I sat through the speeches and discussions listening intently. I didn't manage to ask my question on Iran but speaking to Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones afterwards, I got my answer!

After that debate, most people were in a bind. We knew Cameron's speech in Symphony Hall would be packed and it would be hard to get a seat. So there were lots of discussion on the merits of a quick lunch, attending a last fringe event or just starting to queue for Cameron. As I act as an advisor and researcher to Andrew Mitchell MP, I already knew what I'd be doing. I helped his Westminster team hand out a pamphlet on the Conservative Social Action Project in Rwanda. I then took my takeaway sandwiches and stood in the queue. Would you believe, they closed the queue about ten people after me!!! Phew!

It took a while to move into the hall. But those in the queue chatted away. We were directed to to the top floors and I gasped as I saw how beautiful the Symphony Hall was. It was clear that this would make a wonderful closing speech backdrop. I ended up sitting in the balconies to the right of the stage.

Looking at the build-up to the Big Speech, I liked the idea of having PPCs on stage with the Shadow Cabinet - it certainly showed a snapshot of what a Conservative Government and the next batch of Tory MPs would look like. We had short speeches from Baroness Warsi on the Welsh House Farm Social Action Project and Liam Fox MP on our armed forces (it was incredibly moving). Then 5 candidates (including three friends of mine, Shaun Bailey, Louise Bagshawe and Adeela Shafi) added a few words. They didn't disappoint.

And then the main man. His speech was simply superb. To be honest, I preferred it to last year's speech (I never thought I would say that as I didn't think the Blackpool speech could be topped). As I said on BBC News 24 afterwards, Cameron showed gravitas and answered the question of inexperience that Brown had tried to pose a week earlier by advocating the need for change:

"...what matters more than experience is character and judgment, and what you really believe needs to happen to make things right."

"Experience means you're implicated in the old system that's failed. You can't admit that change is needed, because that would mean admitting you'd got it wrong."

"Experience is the excuse of the incumbent over the ages. Experience is what they always say when they try to stop change. In 1979, James Callaghan had been Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor before he became Prime Minister. He had plenty of experience. Just think about it: if we listened to this argument about experience, we'd never change a government, ever. We'd have Gordon Brown as Prime Minister - for ever."

The speech set out his Conservative vision and provided meat in a number of policy areas. I liked the enunciation of traditional Tory values against "modern" concepts like environmentalism and fixing our broken society:

"Progressive ends; Conservative means. That is a big argument about the future. That is a big change. And it is because we had the courage to change that we are able to make it. We changed because knew we had to make ourselves relevant to the twenty-first century. You didn’t pick more women candidates to try and look good you did it so we wouldn’t lock out talent and fail to come up with the policies that modern families need. You didn’t champion green politics as greenwash but because climate change is devastating our environment because the energy gap is a real and growing threat to our security and because $100-a-barrel oil is hitting families every time they fill up their car and pay their heating bills.

You didn’t take international development seriously because it was fashionable but because it is a true reflection of the country we live in, a Britain that is outward-looking, internationalist and generous and because this Party that has always believed in one nation must in this century be a Party of one world. This is who we are today and those who say the Tories haven’t changed totally underestimate the capacity this Party has always had to pick itself up, turn itself around and make itself relevant to the challenges of the hour.Those who say we haven’t changed just show how little they have changed."

The response from the audience was rapturous. As several of us discussed in the lobby earlier, we are ready for Government and Cameron is definately ready to be PM. The man truly inspires.

Sleep Deprivation....Yes it's Day 3 of the Conference

2008-09-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

With John Howell MP for Henley and Matthew Groves, PPC for Plymouth Moorview at the International Office Reception

With Edward Garnier MP, Shadow Minister for Justice at the Middle East Council Reception

With Steve Crabb MP and Hannah Foster, PPC for Exeter at the Middle East Council Reception

At the Countryside Reception with Dr. Stuart Burgess, Chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities, Simon Hart of the Countryside Alliance and fellow Euro Candidate Julie Girling

Despite sleep deprivation really kicking in (an overly hectic schedule 3 weeks prior to Conference didn't help! Sometimes, life gets that crazy), I got up bright and early to head to Jury's Inn for a breakfast discussion hosted by Policy Exchange and PWC on "Preparing for Power: How can Government be made fit for purpose" with a host of speakers including Francis Maude MP, Shadow Cabinet Office minister (and entrusted with the task by Cameron). As Francis said, it was not presumptuous to make detailed preparations ahead of the next general election. But in fact, it would be to assume that if your party comes to power, you can take over the reins of Government without planning. For a breakfast meeting on Day 3 of Conference it was heavily over-subscribed. The discussion was riveting and the room was brimming with think tank personnel, MPs and PPCs.

We then shuttled off to the ICC. First, Iain Duncan Smith gave a passionate speech about our broken society. We then heard one of the conference highlights: the education debate. Michael Gove MP (whom I really admire), gave a speech full of reforms to improve our education system, including creating independent state schools. I talked to him later about education and must say he is one of the nicest people in politics.

David Cameron then came onto the stage with a 15 minute announcement on the economic policy. It was the right thing to do as the economy had been on everyone's minds since the news from the US Congress (I understand that the Shadow Cabinet had had an emergency meeting late last night). It was a solid speech hitting all the right notes, agreeing to work with the Government in the short term to secure the stability of the UK financial system and making three specific action points (the full speech can be read at http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/files/CameronStatement.pdf. I would also recommend reading the Conservative Party's recent publication on the economy available at http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Economy.aspx).

A few hours were spent milling in the ground floor lobby areas meeting South West activists and office holders. I must say, the South West contingent - by its sheer numbers and buckets of enthusiasm - has been a force to be reckoned with. I then headed back to the hotel for a quick power nap but my phone went off quite urgently back at the hotel and that was that!

I returned to the ICC in time for the Countryside Reception hosted by Countryside Alliance, the Commission for Rural Communities and the Conservative Rural Action Group. Some excellent speeches were given, followed by jokes that had the audience in stitches. I knew many people in the room and I had a chance to chat to Dr. Stuart Burgess, Chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities and Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance about rural issues in the South West and nationally.

I then zipped off to Tories Got Talent, where I was taking part! The panel of judges who would put us through our paces were Iain Dale, Nadine Dorries MP and Jonathan Isaby. This event was so much fun and has to be made a regular of the conference schedule. It was the perfect 'last night of the Conference' fringe event. I wish I had had had time to prepare even notes of what I might say but I did my bit (on extremism and Britishness). A few speakers were mind blowingly good. 5 of us were called onto stage and we stood chatting away and laughing whilst audience cheers would determine who was the winner. As they moved down us five, I felt odd hearing my name called fourth and the audience reaction! But there was a clear winner. To cheers and I must say howls of support from the audience, my fellow Euro candidate Rupert Matthews was declared the winner. His speech on "Shhhh - Don't mention Europe - I did - But I think I got away with it" was simply superb.

Iain Dale (http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/09/conference-diary-tuesday-6.html), Nadine Dorries (http://blog.dorries.org/Blogs/2008/Oct/01#01) and Simon Clark (http://takingliberties.squarespace.com/taking-liberties/2008/10/2/the-freedom-zone-day-2.html) have all blogged on the event. Bravo Freedom Zone for putting on such a varied schedule of events and a venue and atmosphere where many new friends were made (many of whom my fellow contestants from Tories Got Talent).

As I passed through the ICC and Hyatt for a quick hello to colleagues at the Conservative Middle East Council Reception and the International Reception, I remember thinking how great this conference had been. I returned shortly thereafter to the hotel, packed, caught up with Conservative Home and speeches in the main conference hall that I had missed and looked forward to Cameron's closing speech!!!

Manic Monday

2008-09-29T17:39:00.000-07:00

Chatting to Heseltine after he sets out his vision at the TRG Cities Debate

Our Euro fringe event

Snapped with David Davis as he came off the stage - what a man!

The biggest fringe event during conference was the Freedom Zone set up by the Freedom Association and others. Its organisers (a shout of thanks has to go out to Simon Richards, Vicki Stevens and Simon Clark) put together a packed schedule of varied and thought provoking discussions. I hope this event is repeated next year.

On Monday morning, I took part in a panel discussion on "What should go into the European 2009 Manifesto" chaired by the wonderful Roger Helmer MEP with an all star cast of Stuart Wheeler and 5 Euro candidates from different regions - John Flack (Eastern England), JP Floru (London), Therese Coffey (South East), Rupert Matthews (East Midlands) and myself. We had some excellent suggestions from the floor. Roger has covered the session in his blog: http://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/what-conservatives-want-in-their-euro-manifesto/.

I stayed on at the Freedom Zone to hear David Davis in Conversation with Iain Dale. As two members of the audience noted in questions afterwards, it is rare these days to come across a politician like David who is willing to take such a principled stand. He spoke eloquently about the issues and I felt inspired. I spoke to David afterwards about the need to place the defence of our civil liberties at the heart of the 'Britishness' debate. Our traditions are far more powerful traits of this great nation than any gimmick Gordon Brown can come up with. He also cleared up one issue - yes, Bob Geldof really did write that jaw-dropping speech against 42 days during the last few days of David's election campaign.

I then had a series of meetings with colleagues and friends involved in policy issues that I care about (simply too many to list here). My No 1 priority these days is the European campaign but the Conference was the perfect opportunity to catch up with colleagues from across the UK and keep up to date with other campaigns and policy briefs.

Then it was off to possibly "the" event that I had been eagerly waiting for ever since the Conference schedule had been finalised: the South West reception. I may be biased but from conversations afterwards, it was clearly one of the most packed and fun receptions of the entire conference. I certainly remember laughing alot. We also talked of the forthcoming campaign. With MPs, Chairmen, association officers, councillors, activists and the Euro candidates under one roof, I managed to arrange a number of additional campaigning events in various constituencies.

The next port of call was the Future of Cities debate with Lord Heseltine, Steven Norris, Tony Hawkhead (Groundwork UK) and Birmingham Council Leader Mike Whitby (http://toryreformgroup.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/the-future-of-britains-cities/). Nick Webb and I took a while to find our way to the venue. In Nick's words:

"How many people do you need to ask directions to get from the ICC to Colmore row? Answer: 3 police officers, one taxi driver and one pedestrian" (http://nicolaswebb.blogspot.com/2008/09/seb-wales-north-and-south-west-getting.html).

The Cities Debate was a meaty discussion with a great panel and informed audience. Lord Heseltine has called for a massive transfer of power to local government and stated that control of the £11bn that the government spends each year on regeneration should be handed from unelected quangos to elected leaders serving a four-year fixed term and paid a salary commensurate with the level of responsibility. On a purely personal note, I grew up in Wales very close to Heseltine's old house so it was lovely to meet the great man afterwards. During the debate however, news came of the collapse of the US financial bailout. People were decidedly worried and by the time I returned to the ICC, the Shadow Cabinet were already in an emergency session.

The night was rounded off at the Chairman's Reception and the Small Business Reception. I particularly enjoyed the latter. Small businesses are the foundation of many local economies such as mine in the Forest of Dean and I felt compelled to show solidarity in this difficult economic climate. I had fun spending some quality time with friends from Dorset and enjoyed chatting to Colin Jamieson, Regional Organiser for Federation of Small Businesses for the Wessex Region. As we left the ICC, we were almost tempted into a number of receptions and bars all along the route to the taxi stand. But it was already late and Tuesday was a very early start. However, we couldn't resist taking a picture outside the Reflex Bar (I think that was its name!) which had posters of Margaret Thatcher plastered all over its front.

It's big....it's the ICC...it's the 2008 Tory Party Conference

2008-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

The ICC - a venue and a half

Chatting to Willaim Hague about Conservative foreign policy at the Candidates Reception

Hague speaks at the Gibraltar Reception

Called to the stage at the European reception

I could not believe the sheer number of delegates (10,500) attending this year. The ICC was bustling with excitement (I happened to be interviewed by the Daily Politics on the HUGE buzz!).

Well I didn't make the main conference hall all day. After some serious networking with folks from the West Country and on the European stand, I was on duty at the Conservatives Vox Box. This was of course the photo booth (or tardis as one person called it) where delegates could record messages as to what makes them Conservative. My job was to prep them before recording what may end up going on the new Conservative Wall on http://www.conservatives.com/. I must say, it was a great way to meet delegates and talk to stall holders who came to inspect!!!

Then it was back to Candidates' duties. The first stop was the always fabulous Gibraltar reception. The entire South West European team spoke to Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Albert Poggio, the UK Representative of the Government of Gibraltar at length. We had passionate speeches from William Hague and Peter Caruana and I must say, I felt proud and privileged to be part of the European team for a region including Gibraltar.

The European Reception was exciting. Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament invited all MEPs and candidates on stage. Neil Parish MEP and I had a good chat and giggle and it was great to catch up with my friends from the West Midlands, including Euro candidate Dan Dalton.

It was then off to the Candidates Reception. I've been honoured to have been asked to join the Advisory Board of the Conservative Candidates Network and it was great to hear the Party's positive approach to ensuring that all candidates - selected or otherwise - get opportunities to network and develop. I also spoke at length to William Hague on Conservative foreign policy - which was great.

What a first day of Conference! I cannot wait for Day 2.

Blog Regulation Proposals rejected by MEPs

2008-09-26T04:13:00.000-07:00

The full story can be found here: http://euobserver.com/9/26813/?rk=1.

Campaigning update

2008-09-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

I do believe in trying to cover as much of the region that I can as a South West Euro candidate. Now is the time to meet activists and locals and hear their views on issues. The last two weeks have been incredibly busy. I have been in Somerset (Butleigh and Ilminster), Dorset (Shaftsbury) and Wiltshire (Dauntsey, Burbage and Devizes).

A Drinks Party with Euro Candidates, James Gray MP and Neil Parish MEP in Dauntsey

A Wells, Somerton and Frome CF meeting with David Heathcoat-Amory MP in Butleigh

A garden party in Burbage (pictured with Cllr Stuart Wheeler)

A traditional hog roast in Shaftsbury

Speaking at the South West CWO Conference in Ilminster (pictured with Regional Chairman,Veronica Horman)
Speaking at the Ladies Luncheon Club in Devizes

Conference Dates

2008-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

The fun (and alot of serious discussion) starts in Birmingham on Sunday 28th September at the Conservative Party Conference. No doubt there will be lots going on in the main hall and at the fringe.

Here are three Sunday and Monday slots for your diary:

SUNDAY

Government of Gibraltar Reception (the entire Euro team will be in attendance)

Hyatt Regency (Sonata Room), 5.45pm

MONDAY

South West Reception (the entire Euro team will be in attendance)

Hall 8a, Birmingham International Conference Centre (ICC)
5.45 to 7.00pm
Tickets £10.00 per head (admission by ticket together with a Conference Pass)

.....AND I'LL BE SPEAKING AT THE FOLLOWING PANEL DISCUSSION

"What should be in the Conservative European Manifesto 2009"
A panel discussion with Dan Hannan MEP, Roger Helmer MEP, Douglas Carswell MP, Stuart Wheeler and MEP Candidates, JP Floru (London), Therese Coffey (South East), John Flack (Eastern), Rupert Matthews (East Midlands) and myself representing the South West of course!

The Freedom Zone, Kingston Theatre, Austin Court Conference Centre, 80 Cambridge Street (4 minutes walk from the ICC). A map of how to get to the venue (and details of other Freedom Zone events) is available at http://www.thefreedomzone.info/venue.php
11:15am - 12:15pm

A plan to renew Britain

2008-09-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Wednesday sees the launch of "The Plan: Twelve Months to Renew Britain" by Douglas Carswell MP and Daniel Hannan MEP. It proposes a legislative programme for the first session of a new government, based on localism and direct democracy with the aim of restoring purpose to the ballot box, dignity to Parliament and freedom to the citizen. Michael Gove MP is to speak at the London launch.

The book can be ordered or downloaded for £5 here: http://stores.lulu.com/renewbritain.

Power to the people.

The Solution to the "Irish Problem"

2008-09-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

According to Open Europe (http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/bulletin.aspx?bulletinid=78), in an internal briefing paper entitled 'The Solution to the Irish Problem', an EU official has called for Ireland to be pressurised into holding a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Autumn 2009. Ireland will be guaranteed that it will not lose its EU Commissioner and there will be "declarations" setting out Ireland's right to set its own policies on neutrality, abortion and taxation. An alternative course of action being discussed is to allow a 'limited referendum' on those elements of the Treaty that raise constitutional elements, ratifying the rest of the text through the Irish Parliament.

Ireland is expected to come under intense pressure at the forthcoming summit of EU leaders in Brussels in October.

Let's make the case for the roof caving in permanently on Strasbourg!

2008-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

The EU Observer has reported that the European Parliament has directly saved between €3 and 4 million by temporarily holding two plenary sessions in Brussels, after the ceiling in Strasbourg collapsed over the summer: http://euobserver.com/843/26755. This surely adds weight to the campaign to have only one seat for the European Parliament in Brussels.

Jagger adds another string to his guitar

2008-09-17T11:04:00.001-07:00

Rolling Stone Mick Jagger has been invited to take part in an "Online Commerce Round Table" at the European Commission. His expertise will be used to try to resolve problems involving downloads and music copyright. The full story is at http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080917/ten-sir-mick-adds-expertise-to-eu-forum-5f8abb3.html.

Here's a bit of rather silly info. This is not the first time the Rolling Stones have crossed into European affairs. Their CD, "Shattered in Europe (LIVE)" contains some quite memorable tracks (http://music.aol.com/album/shattered-in-europe/470172 and http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Europe-Live-Rolling-Stones/dp/B0018P4P66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1221691449&sr=8-2). Brown Sugar and Honky Tonk Woman were the big hits but hidden away in that album were also "Shattered", "Neighbours" and "Just my Imagination (running away with me)".

Tories on 52%

2008-09-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

Mike Smithson at Political Betting (http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2008/09/17/ipsos-mori-figures-corroborated/) reveals this quite unbelievable poll by Ipsos MORI:

This piles the pressure on Brown. As Smithson says, Labour MPs may feel they now have nothing to lose. As for Clegg - who advised the LibDem Conference delegates to "prepare for Government" - on 12%, that ain't happening anytime soon.

EuroParlTV

2008-09-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

The European Parliament (EP) is launching its own TV station this week, at a cost of £7 million a year. The aim is to make the parliament “as transparent and understandable as possible to European citizens”. There will be four channels, with one devoted solely to live coverage of the chamber in Brussels or Strasbourg. The EP's Vice-President for information and communication policy Alejo Vidal-Quadras expects 20-40 million viewers to tune in online "for hot debates that directly affect Europeans" (http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1221659222.62).

On the one hand, I quite like the idea of televising the debates that go on the EP. Televising the debates in the our Parliament have certainly brought transparency and accessibility. However, I do not share Vidal-Quadras' upwards estimate of 40 millions viewers in the short to medium term at least! Those that follow the goings on in Brussels, like the aficionados of Westminster, are a select bunch indeed.

That said, more than a third of the budget will be taken up by translation costs (voice-overs and subtitles) into more than 20 languages (see http://www.europarltv.europa.eu/). Some will say that making the debates and other programmes available in every language spoken in Brussels is the only way to reach the public in all member states. Others will bemoan the cost involve.

Whatever you views, one thing is clear. When such a substantial percentage of the budget goes on translation overheads, logically speaking less money will be available for quality programming e.g. general interest programmes, policy overviews and interviews with MEPs and key opinion formers. In my opinion, that is the only way to achieve the second objective of making the EP more understandable to a layman. I have sat in many an EP debate and without having some background to the policy discussion unfolding before me, I would have found it hard to fully comprehend the course of events. That is why programmes like the BBC's Record Europe – with its weekly overview of Brussels activity – perform such a crucial role.

Palin and Clinton on Saturday Night Live

2008-09-15T03:35:00.001-07:00

On a day of bad news, this video is quite amusing and a bit of a distraction. I haven't tended to post video send ups of the US election but I couldn't resist this one.

In the eye of the banking storm

2008-09-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

This story is just breaking on Sky News and the BBC: the possible collapse of Lehman Brothers, one of world's largest and oldest investment banks. I was horrified by this news. It really could be catastrophic for the banking sector.

Another casualty of the credit crunch and the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgage market, last week Lehmans announced losses of approximately £2.2bn in the last quarter and the cut of 1,500 jobs. Barclays Bank had apparently pulled out of the bidding to take over the struggling bank (and a Bank of America led consortium abandoned plans to buy parts of Lehman). Peter Morici of the University of Maryland has said that "No other large firm should buy Lehman whole - its toxic real estate and securities are too difficult to value".

An outright sale to another bank now looks unlikely. The so-called good bank/bad bank option that would divide Lehman into separate entities is also a fading option. The only viable option that remains would involve helping Lehman unwind its derivatives trades in an orderly fashion in order to fend off problems at companies that do business with the firm. However, that would not be the end of the matter. The knock-on effect of the bank's collapse could be truly mammoth - its distressed assets such as commercial real estate could suddenly be sold on Wall Street. Share prices could nose dive and possibly force other dealers to mark down the value of their own holdings. It could take months to work through all of Lehman's complex transactions and obligations to other banks.

Confidence in the banking industry would be blown to the ground. The former Head of the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, has said that: "First of all, let's recognise that this [the financial crisis] is a once-in-a-half-century, probably once-in-a-century type of event... There's no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I've seen, and it still is not resolved and it still has a way to go".

If no new financing is found before Wall Street opens tomorrow, Lehman will start bankruptcy proceedings. The US Treasury is reluctant to pour taxpayers' money into the failing bank. Only last week, mortgage banks Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken under Goverment control.

I'm listening to Dennis Berman, a Wall Street journalist, on Sky News. He made an important point on how the face of the US banking market may alter fundamentally over a 48 hour period. As well as Lehman, Merrill Lynch is also in trouble - with the Bank of America in "advanced talks" to buy it for more than $38bn. That means that out of the 4 or 5 major US investment banks, two may now have gone. Wall Street is teetering. AIG, the insurance giant (and Man U sponsor), is due to announce a restructuring shake-up tomorrow with the sale of a number of assets, including its aircraft leasing business. The Independent carries the chilling headline "Scramble to save Wall Street" (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/scramble-to-save-wall-street-929659.html). Shocking and sad.

I worked in the City for a number of years, often dealing with the big US investment banks. One of my closest and oldest friends works for Lehmans. You could never have predicted this day at the start of the credit crunch.

UPDATE: Lehman has filed for bankruptcy. Robert Preston, the BBC's Business Editor, has been blogging useful updates to this growing crisis (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/).

14 and counting

2008-09-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

The EU Audit Commissioner has told MEPs that the EU's accounts will not be signed off for the fourteenth year running (http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=146470). This situation is an absolute disgrace.

At the same time, we have the European Parliament about to promote greater use of EU symbols - a flag, motto (United in Diversity) and an anthem (Ode to Joy from Beethoven's 9th Symphony) - to help people identify with the EU (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/2823052/EU-flag-and-anthem-revived-by-MEPs.html). The fact that the Lisbon Treaty had omitted references to the EU symbols of nascent statehood was one reason why the Lisbon Treaty was stated by its supporters to be somehow different to the old Constitution. And yet they are back.

Am I missing something? As a citizen of an EU member state, symbols don't matter half as much as knowing that the EU house is in order. At the moment, without major issues such as the signing off of accounts being dealt with, I'm afraid that I (like most) am going to see such symbols as the gimmicks that they are. The house that Jacques built is being continuously extended on rather shaky foundations and yet the rot at the very base (e.g. the accounts, waste, lack of democratic legitimacy or transparency, etc.) is not being sufficiently addressed.

Lost in Austen

2008-09-10T13:45:00.001-07:00

I love Jane Austen and have watched different versions of Pride and Prejudice a few times over (at least). So I was a bit sceptical of the new ITV1 production, Lost in Austen. As a puritan, I wondered how anyone could mess with that most revered of novels?

Lost in Austen is a bit frothy and a bit silly but oh so very funny. Much of that is down to the obvious culture clash but the rest due to Jemima Roope's portrayal of Amanda Price - the Pride and Prejudice obsessed bookworm who dreams of Regency style romance and not marriage proposals over a game of footy. The rest of the cast is good. I quite like the grit that Alex Kingston brings to Mrs. Bennett (laying down goalposts of behaviour for Amanda so as not to interfere with her daughters path to marriage). To see Mr. Wickham (Tom Riley) snuff out Amanda as a bit of a fraud was also highly amusing. Elliot Cowan as Mr. Darcy is yet to get going for me (but let's be fair, Colin Firth has made it impossible for any woman to like any Darcy but his). However, Cowan's delivery of one line in particular gave me hope: "Miss Bennett is the instrument of Miss Price and Miss Price is the instrument of Satan".

So I will now be watching the show. But I do so putting the book to one side as whenever I think of the original plot, what unfolds before my TV screen is a bit hard to swallow - such as Jane marrying Mr. Collins.

One thing though. When part of a series' appeal is the culture clash, where is Elizabeth Bennett (who has swapped worlds with Amanda) in all of this? It was a bit odd to see the new Bond girl Gemma Arterton (who plays Elizabeth) standing in a bathtub in a flat in Hammersmith but what has become of her in the modern world? I'd love to know.

UPDATE: I tuned into the third episode last week. To be honest, from being a novelty, this time the plot twists were too much to take. It's not Austin!

Britain could have a special status in Europe says Giscard d’Estaing

2008-09-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Monsieur Le President

J P Floru, Stuart Wheeler and myself

I have just returned from a conference at Parliament on “What next for Britain and Europe?” hosted by Global Vision (http://www.global-vision.net/) and the Daily Telegraph.

The big draw – and whose speech produced the most debate afterwards - was without doubt former French president Giscard d'Estaing and principal author of the EU Constitution. He spoke with great poise, interjected with moments of humour as first his mobile went off with some chirpy French pop tune and then when he realised that us Brits were not laughing on cue thanks to a momentary delay in the translation.

Giscard began by putting Britain’s unique relationship with the EU in its historical context, seemingly adhering to Confucius’ lesson to first study the past in order to divine the future. But then the business end of his speech began. At times, his candour (before this audience in particular) was surprising. I immediately turned to my Euro colleague JP Floru as Giscard confirmed that the Lisbon Treaty was the same text as the Constitution but simply rendered illegible by its draftsmen. Later on, he even stated that the EU was not particularly democratic.

His zeal for the European project unabated, Giscard emphasised that integration could continue and yet allow for Britain’s participation by conferring a special status on our country through a series of opt-outs and exemptions. Listening to the former French president, it would seem that any such opt-outs were envisaged to be from future treaties and not previous ones. Moreover, he unequivocally stated that the UK’s special status could not result in a two speed Europe which would ‘arbitrarily separate the good from the bad, the strong from the weak’ and ultimately cut Europe in two. However, I fail to see how a two speed Europe could ultimately be avoided if any country achieved demonstrable opt-outs.

So it seems that the die has been cast and that even such an ardent supporter of the Lisbon Treaty felt compelled to offer the UK some concessions. Interestingly, the first country to enjoy such special status may not be Britain but the Republic of Ireland. Giscard hinted that in the case of Ireland, it could proceed by abandoning the Constitutional elements of the Lisbon Treaty.

I may not agree with Giscard’s enthusiasm for European economic and political integration but I appreciated his readiness to speak before a rather sceptic crowd. There is much that divides us but perhaps today was a slight rapprochement. The challenge will be of course to push the envelope further still, accepting the potential overtures from our European partners on securing a special status and using the opportunity to make a bold, forceful and successful defence of our own position and Britain's interests.

Launch of GAIN

2008-09-06T09:27:00.001-07:00

Last night I attended the launch of "Gain" 2008/9, a London based board development programme aimed at enhancing the diversity of arts, heritage and sporting organisations. The evening at London's Living Room in City Hall was full of incredible individuals from all three worlds (participants and sponsoring organisations alike), there was a real buzz about the place and alot of chat about how this project has gone from strength to strength. The continued success of this project will make London's cultural and sporting institutions all the richer, especially with London 2012 now round the corner.

UKIP in dire straits

2008-09-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Independent carries a remarkable article on pandemonium at the UKIP Conference underway in Bournemouth and internal wrangling and fall outs at the highest level (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rumours-plotting-even-a-bnp-link--is-the-party-over-for-ukip-920824.html):

"But as hundreds of delegates gather for their annual conference in a rain-swept Bournemouth this weekend the party finds itself riven with furious – and quite extraordinary – infighting. Its leader, Nigel Farage, is facing an attempted coup to unseat him by several factions of the party, including one with links to the far-right British National Party (BNP) and another still loyal to his predecessor."

The article also states that the party's press officer, Annabelle Fuller, has resigned after receiving threatening phone threats.

Is UKIP about to implode?

Since UKIP's gains in the 2004 Euro elections, it has lost a quarter of its MEPs (the latest being Tom Wise after his arrest in connection with alleged expenses fraud), only a handful of its MEPs will actually be standing for re-election, it has lost over 30% of its members and is struggling for funds. Perusing the blogsphere, UKIP Watch questions whether UKIP is a busted flush and may in fact lose most of its seats next year (http://ukipwatch.org/2008/07/ukips-class-of-2009.html). I feel compelled to agree.

Habeas Corpus under threat

2008-09-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

The European Parliament has adopted proposals under which British citizens could be convicted by foreign courts in their absence for traffic, credit card or other criminal offences. Extradition would be automatic under fast-track procedures at the behest of another European Union country on the basis of a decision by one of its courts. The proposals now go before the Council of Ministers.

Philip Bradbourn MEP, the Conservative justice and home affairs spokesman in the European Parliament, has condemned the proposals, stating that: “This initiative would enable courts to pass judgments in absentia. It goes against one of the most fundamental corner-stones of British justice – that the accused has a right to defend himself at trial. If other EU countries want to go ahead with this proposal that’s their choice, but the British Government should have no part [of it].”

A research paper produced by Open Europe (http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/tia.pdf) notes that:

"In the UK there were no trials in absentia until 2001, and they are still not usually permitted. They can only be allowed under very strict circumstances. But the conditions which need to be fulfilled to hand over someone to another member state after they have been tried in their absence would be very weak. Crucially, under the proposal, it is no longer up to the executing country to decide whether the conditions are met. The country issuing the arrest warrant simply fills in the relevant section of the form. If the right box is ticked, the person must be handed over."

Make no bones about it, our civil liberties are being slowly diminished. We must take a principled stand as fairness and the protection of our civil liberties are the essence of what this country stands for. Let us not turn our legal system inside out with such a distortion of one of the most basic principles of English Law.

Thou shalt blog the EU way?

2008-09-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament has published a report on concentration and pluralism in the media in the European Union: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/712/712320/712320en.pdf. For simple folk like me, that means regulating blogs.

A dissection of the report - which as a lawyer I can be forgiven for doing (I hope) - pretty much sums up alot about what goes on in the EU that I don't like:

To quote a few of the recommendations on page 5:

"2. Suggests in this respect the creation of independent media ombudsmen in the Member States" - more duplication and EU created bureaucracy?

"7. Proposes the introduction of fees commensurate with the commercial value of the usergenerated content as well as ethical codes and terms of usage for user-generated content in
commercial publications" - fees, more regulation?

"9. Suggests clarifying the status, legal or otherwise, of weblogs and encourages their voluntary labelling according to the professional and financial responsibilities and interests of their authors and publishers" - is anything every truly voluntary? But don't take my word for it. Iain Dale writes, "We all know that 'voluntary' soon becomes 'compulsory'. My label is the title of my blog. That is quite sufficient, and I don't need some faceless Eurocrat to tell me otherwise."

"10. Recommends the inclusion of media literacy among the 9 basic competences and supports the development of the European core curriculum for media literacy" - more EU policy intrusion?

The reasons behind such recommendations become apparent when you read the Explantory Statement on pages 7 and 8:

"In this context the report points out that the undetermined and unindicated status of authors and publishers of weblogs causes uncertainties regarding impartiality, reliability, source protection, applicability of ethical codes and the assignment of liability in the event of lawsuits."

The EU doesn't like blogs because it cannot control the content. I found it tragic that the Explanatory Statement began by saying that it welcomed all initiatives aimed at safeguarding democracy and that the media remained an influential political tool. New media has a role to play alongside mainstream journalism in safeguarding democracy and our freedom of speech. It provides an instant source of information in an intimate and often interactive format (through comments) between writer and reader. When I needed information about crises in Georgia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, blogs were a great source of uncensored, unfiltered and raw information for me.

So why the need for control here? Because eurosceptic blogland is thriving. Dan Hannan MEP (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2008/09/04/how_the_eu_plans_to_regulate_blogs) notes that "Bruno Waterfield (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/bruno_waterfield/blog/2008/09/02/brussels_admits_defeat_in_eu_blog_wars) recently reported on a secret Commission report about the danger posed by online libertarians: "Apart from official websites, the internet has largely been a space left to anti-European feeling. Given the ability to reach an audience at a much lower cost, and given the simplicity of the No campaign messages, it has proven to be easily malleable during the campaign and pre-campaign period."

In the context of the Irish referendum no vote, Bruno Waterfield notes that: "Blogging is also seen as an anti-establishment activity. Few Yes campaigners came out with forceful counter arguments or were inspired to do so. Because of the many different sources of No campaigners on the internet, classic rebuttals is [sic] made impossible". Ah. So there you have it. You had to read it to believe it.

I'm not going to get into how difficult it would be to try and control and then enforce the blogsphere but that issue is there.

So ultimately, it comes down to The Blog Wars? As Bruno lays down: "The next battle between them and us, establishment and anti-establishment, official and unofficial is only a matter of time. What are they going to do about it? Is the EU ready? Are you ready?" Again, I had to read it to believe it.

Keeping Whaddon Green

2008-09-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

Not blessed by the weather, today I was out delivering leaflets regarding the proposed housing development on green belt land at Whaddon (on the outskirts of Tuffley, Gloucester). Under the terms of the Proposed Changes to the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), prepared by the Government Office for the South West, 1500 new homes will be constructed for the Stroud District. However Developers Hallam Land Management have already followed up with a proposal that the site could accommodate 2500 dwellings.

The Consultation Period ends on 17th October so it is important that we are active now and that the public, who wish to do so, voice their concerns so that the proposal is removed from the RSS before it becomes Government Policy later this year.

Why the fuss you may ask? Surely we need more housing some would say?

Well, it is an attractive green space for one. But perhaps more importantly for an area barely over the floods of 2007, rainwater running off the proposed area for development has already caused the Whaddon and Wyman brooks to overflow and flood homes in Tuffley and Grange. Flood waters will obviously be worse if the entire area is concreted under the development. Furthermore, there is simply inadequate local infrastructure to meet the increased traffic and the needs of new residents for public services. It also seems the the Government's policies are in a state of flux in this area and so it would be hasty to rush through through developments like the one envisaged at Whaddon.

Palin hits it out of the park

2008-09-04T01:06:00.001-07:00

I stayed up to watch Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican National Convention last night. After her surprise entry into the Veep field, after the media onslaught and revelations into her personal life, this was the speech that would either confirm her credentials or ensure that the Democrat bounce after their convention continued.

She fired up the crowd and brought passion and vigour to the Republican campaign You see, for all that McCain has put forward, the fresh "change" ticket is the Obama one. Palin does not represent the Establishment but at the same time, she should kick into gear the huge GOP base who were not gunghoe McCain fans but in Palin they have a poster girl for old fashioned Republican values.

Palin had Bush's speechwriter at her disposal but her delivery was credible, fiery and full of humour.She took on her critics and reinforced the arguments of the McCain camp against Obama ("I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities" and "Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change"). The full text of her speech can be found at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4671886.ece. It is worth a read.

Reading some of the reviews today, the vast majority were praiseworthy but some dismissed the speech as employing cheap shots. I stopped in my tracks when I heard, "But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away, when the stadium lights go out, and those styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?" The GOP has to be very careful about how far it goes in mocking its opponent. Obama could claim the moral high ground, especially after (when questioned about the revelations into Palin's family life) he noted that Palin's personal life was out of bounds. Punch and Judy politics are all very well but I suspect that the GOP would benefit more from pursuing a line of substance over Obama's perceived style by setting forth policy arguments, than laying into him quite so ferociously.

But in this make or break speech, Palin had to come out fighting. One of the roles of the VP Candidate is to be the attack dog. Well, she did exactly that, except that - as noted in her speech - the only difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog is lipstick.

In this thrilling and unexpected Presidential contest, it will be interesting to see how Obama responds.

Blimey - No 67

2008-09-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me today if I had moved.

"You what?" I replied.

"No 67 Baby No 67"

AGAIN - "You What?"

Turns out this blog was voted No 67 in Iain Dale's Top 100 Right of Centre Blogs (see http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com/) to be published in the Guide to Political Blogging in the UK 2008 - 2009.

"Hold on" my mate said, "It says you are now 'Zehra in Oxfordshire'."

[Damon Lord (No 98), http://saiminu.blogspot.com/, also informed me of my apparent change of address].

"Nope. I'm still blogging from the Forest".

"GL not OX Baby" my friend replied.

"Er...Ehm....yes...."

So NO CHANGE OF ADDRESS (though when you place the mouse over my blog title, it clearly links to http://www.zehraingloucestershire.blogspot.com/). The wonderful Mr. Dale has been alerted.

Suffice to say I am chuffed. Thanks to everyone who voted for me!!!! And I guess thanks to Iain Dale for taking the effort to compile such a list.

This blog began before I was a candidate as I felt passionately about a number of issues. I now cover alot of Euro and other campaigning in this blog (and people tell me, perhaps too much sport at times!!!) but then that's where I am at right now. At times, things get busy and I don't blog quite so regularly. However, I hope to keep up with the pace and never let the fire that got me started in the first place die down.

UPDATE: Iain has kindly amended the title so no more calls or emails asking if I have moved! I have not!

UPDATE 2: I've made a grand 191 on the Total Politics List of Top UK Political Blogs (irrespective of politcal affiliation). The Top 100 is published tonight at midnight.

UPDATE 3: This blog has made 35 on the list of Conservative blogs (https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6214838&postID=7028819944997698620&pli=1).

All Hail Team EU? Not a chance

2008-08-26T04:34:00.000-07:00

A study by Young European Federalists (YEF) has shown that the 27 member states of the EU as a collective topped the Beijing Games medals table with 87 gold medals (280 medals in total) compared to China's 51 (100 in total) and the US tally of 36 (110 in all).

Hurrah declared the federalists. French president Nicolas Sarkozy hailed that "The European Union therefore takes the leading position. It's a victory for sport and for the fundamental and common values of the people of the union".

It turns out that an open letter was written by the YEF on 8 July to Sarkozy asking for his support for an EU Olympic Team to pacify European nationalist sentiments. What will be next? Team EU for the World Cup (the issue at home is still whether we can even get together a Team GB for London 2012!)? The European All Stars in the Rugby World Cup?

Ludicrous.

The website of the YEF has a link to the Team EU project: http://www.euolympics.eu/. It states their case:

"The Olympic Games are an unique occasion to promote the European values of peace, freedom and solidarity. If you feel European: show it to the world!!!

The European nations are not capable independently of challenging (sport) super powers like China, Russia, India or in the USA.

When Europeans gather their efforts, they are much more efficient."

Do these EU federalists not realise that part of the desire to excel in sports is friendly competition between nations? Turning a sporting event into an adjunct of the European Project would simply kill off the game. The letter included on the YEF's website even carries the headline "Spread the European dimension and values during the Olympic Games"! That goes to show that despite what the federalists say in terms of a common European identity, it actually needs to be developed via citizenship programmes and vehicles like a common EU Olympic team.

Moreover, what about the exhileration of having the Olympics staged in your home country (country - not "anywhere in the EU") and the subsequent pride and passion of athletes to do well in front of the home crowd (Beijing now, London in 2012)? It may not be entirely fair but seeing how well home athletes rise to the challenge is part of the excitement of the Olympic Games. London 2012 has already started planning and that goal is motivating our athletes. All that is before you add into the equation the logistics and costs involved of trying to put together a collective EU Team. As for the YEF's contention that European nations cannot independently challenge sporting super powers like China, Russia or the USA, well Team GB did just that and lay in third for alot of the Games until Russia overtook us at the end.

Mark Francois MP, Shadow Minister for Europe, called the idea "bonkers" and requested that the funding sources for the YEF be revealed. We certainly know that Brussels provides funding for projects that promote the objectives of the EU. There has been speculation that the YEF receives up to 50% of its funding from the Commission (http://nff.moodia.com/newsarchives/display.aspx?n=541). If this is true, it demonstrates how wasteful funding can be in the EU and is an area that certainly needs to be tightened.

Finally, the YEF website is running a poll as to whether there should be a Team EU at London 2012. It was little surprise to me that the majority in its poll voted in favour of a collective European Team. What is very telling is that even on a federalist website, 42.9% were against. Somehow, I don't think this idea is going to garner much support.

Out & About in the South West

2008-08-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

I've had a busy week. Last Saturday, I helped canvass in Midsomer Norton in North East Somerset for a by-election to Norton Radstock Town Council. I joined Jacob Rees-Mogg, the PPC for North East Somerset, our excellent candidate Michael Evans, Councillor Kate Simmons and other local activists and the Chairman of the Bath Conservatives, Councillor Tony Clarke.

From left to right: me, Robert Walter MP, Neil Parish MEP and Cllr Jackie Stayt

Then on Wednesday, I went to the wonderful Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show at the Motcombe showground and enjoyed spending time at the North Dorset Conservatives stall. The show was well attended and it was great to see my fellow Euro candidate Julie Girling at the show (I had just missed Mike Dolley who also attended earlier). The week of campaigning was finished on Friday in Dunkeswell, Devon. I was invited to speak to Tiverton and Honiton Conservatives and was simply bowled over by the hospitality.

You can't always fit in events across the South West - mid-week in particular - and often your diary has already filled up when a key event or campaign drive comes up. I've learnt the art of juggling during this campaign! I feel that it is important to do as much as you can and also a balance of activities.

"Ping Pong is Coming Home"

2008-08-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Beijing Olympics have drawn to a close and our athletes performed out of their trainers. Today I watched the welcome home they got and seeing all the medallists congregate on the steps and at the foot of the BA plane for a group shot, it really struck me just how well Team GB had done. How proud we all feel.

It's now all about London 2012. On that note, I have to share with you this video of London Mayor, Boris Johnson - dubbed by one news reel I saw as "Ping Pong is coming home". In it, he contrasts the differences between Britain and the rest of the world and in true Boris style, states that the French looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity to have dinner, the Brits looked at a dining table and saw an opportunity for ping pong: http://playpolitical.typepad.com/london_mayor/2008/08/boris-the-frenc.html. Classic.

We won't be able to outdo Beijing on the amount of money spent on the Games or the sheer scale of things but what will, I am sure, set London 2012 apart from Beijing is a wonderfully vibrant Capital, British humour and hospitality and a two week celebration of sport and party atmosphere as the whole of London opens its doors to the rest of the world. I can't wait. In the meantime, I plan to be at the Welcome Parade for our Olympians in London on Thursday 16 October.

Go Dan!!!!!

2008-08-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Gloucestershire man Dan Robinson is the last Brit to compete in Beijing in the marathon (it just got underway). He was a 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and finished 11th in the 2007 World Championships. A medal hope, what is remarkable is the fact that he only started running in 1998 when, after four years at university, he decided to lose a bit of weight. Then, in the 2000 London Marathon, his first competitive race, he ran 2:37:56.

Here's an interview he gave for BBC Gloucestershire: http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2008/07/31/dan_robinson_spotlight_feature.shtml.

Oh my word

2008-08-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Christine Ohuruogu has just won the Olympic 400m final in dramatic fashion, adding to the gold fest of today (3 golds earlier) and the weekend. Team GB now has 16 gold medals overall (alongside 9 silver and 8 bronze medals), solidified its hold on third place in the medals table and posted Britain's best Olympic performance for a century.

UNBELIEVABLE!

More is yet to come.

Update: Don't you just love football managers for sharing their pearls of wisdom with the world? After having Rafa's statement - that he is blamed for everything from rising petrol prices to global warming - thrown at me a few times, here's a snippet from Arsene Wenger who was surprised by Great Britain's gold rush:

"I didn't know the English were good at swimming," said the Arsenal manager. "I have been in this country for 12 years and I haven't seen a swimming pool." (The Times) "

Update 2: As Nick Webb says (see comments), no reference to football managers' comments can exclude a link to the classic interview given with a dodgy, fake Dutch accent by our former national head coach Steve McClaren : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg_xa-c9hHY

Musharraf goes but will the forces of democracy do much better?

2008-08-18T15:57:00.001-07:00

That is the question I am asking myself today.

In all this, spare a thought for the ordinary citizens of Pakistan who, at the moment, suffer from spiralling prices, intermittent water and electricity supply and a constant feeling of uncertainty as to what the future holds. Opposition to Musharraf was the glue that bound the present ruling coalition together. Policies took a back seat to the venom unleashed by the rule of Musharraf and the ongoing saga with the Chief Justice. The new leaders - who blamed the lack of democracy in Pakistan as the cause of much of its ills - will now be scrutinised and ultimately judged.

Over the next coming days and weeks I will be monitoring the situation. Today the South Asian writers fora Chowk published a series of articles on President Musharraf's sudden and quite unexpected departure, as well as the aftermath of his presidency: http://chowk.com/articles/aftermath-of-musharrafs-departure-saeed-qureshi.htm.

Georgia on my mind

2008-08-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Despite what Graham Watson MEP stated in the Guardian recently (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/18/georgia.russia), lambasting Russia over its continued presence in Georgia (and here I'm talking about not just South Ossetia but Georgia proper) is not spouting general "anti-Russian rhetoric" but upholding the territorial sovereignty of a country and condemning the level of undue force being exerted by one country on its neighbour.

David Cameron's intervention in the matter was timely and refreshing and at least seemed to spur Brown & Co. into action. As he noted in Tbilisi, it was important that Britain, one of the world's oldest democracies, stood up for the newer democracy of Georgia.

The Government has been shockingly silent over this issue. And the Labour civil war is not solely to blame. The Government has been happy to cede diplomacy in The Caucasus over to the EU. However, our interests and relationships in the region are not identical to our European partners. Britain has a long history in the region and watching French President Nicolas Sarkozy lead high level meetings to force a resolution of the situation, does make me wonder whether this Government has already accepted a common European foreign policy irrespective of the outcome of the Lisbon process across the EU.

This time PX is off the mark

2008-08-14T02:48:00.000-07:00

Much has been said about "Cities Unlimited - Making Urban Regeneration Work", the recent report of Policy Exchange: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/libimages/413.pdf). It was a report that baffled as well as annoyed. It claimed that the current policy of regenerating the North has simply failed. There were a few good suggestions in the report - in particular calling for great localisation of regeneration spending. However, what caused such huge consternation was the suggestion for a mass migration of Northerners from cities like Liverpool, Sunderland and Bradford down to the prosperous South East.

What I didn't like about the report was the sense of defeatism. If regeneration policies aren't working properly, why not? The answer is to look into what can be done about it and improved in the North of England - not build 3 million new homes in London, Oxford and Cambridge. What about the huge strides Northern cities have made in recent years in terms of development? Also, the report ignores personal preferences and historical and family ties. In this respect, the report is naive to say the least. People are immensely proud of where they live and would not follow the money and move South just like that. The report, I fear, also adds fire to the debate about the North-South divide by concluding that the South is the best place to live.

By all means, let's have some bold policies on redevelopment. But fleeing the cities of the North is a ludicrous concept.