Looking Forward : My diary for February & March

Gateshead and Blaydon association meeting Monday 1st February 7.30pm at the Lindman club Gateshead. Glen Hall, candidate for Blaydon and I, will be reporting back on our campaign progress and how you can help. Do come along if you are free. I would love to meet you there.

Ward survey- My team and I will be pacing some of the streets to survey a ward and see what we can help you with. I will blog the progress report here.

Springwell Precision Engineering- I have been invited to visit this small company employing seventeen people within the Gateshead constituency supplying the defence industry. I hope to arrange a visit at the beginning of February. This will enable me to see how Gateshead, business and defence are mutually linked. I am sure it will bring into focus broader issues including the war in Afghanistan and how it connects into Gateshead.

Visiting the Oasis centre youth project, (see my earlier posting) a NECA initiative helping those with alcohol, drugs and gambling addictions. I will be visiting their youth project as one of the outcomes of my last visit was the need for politicians to understand the importance of supporting youth groups to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. Prevention is better than cure!

Making contact with leaders of Gateshead’s faith communities and relevant secular bodies is one of my priorities for the month of February. I would like to hear first hand how different communities are co-existing and interacting in Gateshead and discuss all other relevant issues including the rise of the BNP .

Contacting Tesco’s and the council – will they talk to me about the city redevelopment? I will let you know!

Arranging to attend the street association set up at Claremont Place, Bensham, to see how residents are changing their own street together!

Visiting and helping Wendy Morton in Tynemouth, a fellow Conservative candidate standing in the general election. She has been running an outstanding campaign, working hard for residents and drawing in both private enterprise and public services to assess their work and needs. I am keen to learn everything I can.

Unemployment figures up by 7000 in the North East

Everyone has been surprised by the announcement that national unemployment figures went down last week . Sadly for the North East we saw a dramatic rise of seven thousand. It is the same old story of the north south divide. For all the government has stimulated the economy, it is frustrating the area has been let down yet again.
Are those in power doing enough for us? I will let the facts speak for themselves.

The Newcastle- Gateshead Debate

This week on Look North’s political correspondent Mark Denten looked at how the branding of Gateshead has slipped into the term Newcastle- Gateshead , depriving Gateshead of an individual identity. The Gateshead locals interviewed were less than happy with this scenario!

It is true Gateshead shares transport links and services with Newcastle creating a diverse area to live in. Obviously there has been an effort to raise the profile of Gateshead by placing the Sage and the Baltic south of the Tyne. Yet I wonder to what extent the redevelopment of the town centre in Gateshead has been pushed down the list of priorities because of the argument that all the facilities of Newcastle are yours.

The constituency boundaries have been redrawn for this next election so that all of Gateshead is represented by only one MP. Gateshead has historically been independent and there is little evidence I have come across to suggest that locals want to change this. I believe Gateshead does have a distinct identity all of its own. Newcastle on this occasion can stay out of this one

Haiti

‘Mummy I want to go and fix the buildings’ said my two year old son after catching images of the piles of rubble in Haiti on the six o clock news. Hopefully the generosity of the British public in the appeal may help fix a few among other things. The financial appeal is a few weeks old now but the need continues .If you are still on line after reading this blog and would still like to give you can on the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) website.

New Labour Candidate for Gateshead

The announcement that present candidate David Celland is to retire was somewhat of a surprise. I look forward to meeting the new candidate in the future.

Gateshead’s ‘non politician’ – What I Stand For.

If you want to be popular in 2010 do not become a banker or a politician

I have not been an MP yet therefore I am not caught up in the expenses scandal. My career choices to date of teacher, political think tank researcher and mother don't really display a love of gold digging. Not that I have a problem with people earning lots of money; it is just not top of my agenda. I do not get paid as a political candidate. My campaign will be fuelled by hard work, some raised sponsorship and the help of volunteers - not piles of private cash.

I am convinced the British public will give more credit to a party focused on solving the issues rather than demonising Gordon Brown. All of us in the political system – and that includes the media- could re-instil some confidence in our society if we abandon the name calling of playground politics and use energy to solve the problem instead of sensationalising stories, winning arguments and focusing merely on the voting figures. British politics has sunk into a murky quagmire. Please put my name at the top of the list for the long awaited revolution.

A new language is needed in British politics. I believe in the value of dialogue on common ground, acknowledging the good ideas of another party and the hard work of an opposing politician. That does not make me soft nor does it mean I will not challenge the problem or the person. I simply understand the value of consensus and the positive effect of credit to be given to the other side in building up support to solve a problem.

After all, winning is not measured in the polling stations or the debating floor but by the change we see in our nation. I’m a Conservative because I believe they want your vote for real change.

Three reasons why the people of Gateshead should vote for me.

1. I wish to put the regeneration in Gateshead, physically, economically, socially and emotionally at the centre of my campaign. Everyone has a self interest and mine is I’d like a better world in which to bring up our kids.

2. I am politics without the glossy finish. Hopefully you will like the slightly more plausible matt version. I am not into creating illusions of grandeur about myself. You will find a transparent approach to my blog and the way I work during my campaign.

3. Many people cast protest votes in the local elections last year because they were so fed up with British politics. Don’t waste your protest on obscurity–vote for me instead.

Three reasons why the people of Gateshead should vote Conservative

The Conservative party want to see a change:

Fixing our broken society- Conservatives are not the party which only look after the rich. This is a handy myth a lot of opposing parties like to perpetuate. Conservatives have focused their policy making initiatives on lifting the poorest 20% out of poverty in the last few years. The poverty gap under this labour government has become wider. Their ideas are not working.

Fixing our broken economy- It is a myth the Tories do not care about the North East. They understand the need to support local communities in a time of recession and to temper the traditional north/south divide. On a national level they will take firm action on Labour’s huge deficit bill to bring it under control. They have been honest about the cuts that need to be made.

Fixing our broken politics- Everyone is fed up with British politics. The Conservatives are already demonstrating they want to do things differently, such as the open primaries they have held which give all constituents a vote to choose the candidate of their choice. The Conservatives will work with the electorate to get it right.

Why stand as a Conservative in Gateshead?

There are easier places to stand as a Conservative than Gateshead. The hangover of memories from Margret Thatcher and the miners in the north east are yet to disappear. I spoke at a residents meeting in Bensham four years ago and one lady approached me at the end to tell me she agreed with everything I said but her family had always voted Labour and she would continue to follow in their foot steps.

I am not a glory supporter. I have resisted the attraction of applying for a seat with a more natural Conservative base because I have roots in Gateshead. Wanting to fix the problems I saw on my doorstep led me into politics in the first place. You can read my first posting in October for a full biography. If I loose the battle (the seat) but win the war by creating debate, challenging political inertia and highlighting issues ignored by dominant labour representation at both council and parliamentary level then we might see some change around here.

People in Gateshead still find it hard to trust the Conservatives even though the party has seen a great transformation under David Cameron. As a candidate I hope to be that new face of the party working hard for you to change your mind.

A vote for me is not wasted. Be part of the next potential Conservative Government. Together we can fight for change in Gateshead.

What is the issue on your street I can help you with?

As the big freeze turns into the big thaw I have plans to take the Gateshead Conservative Association to you to find out what your local issues are. We won’t be able to knock on every door, but please get in touch if there is anything on your street I can help you with.

January - Snow in Gateshead

It is early January and a friend with three children phoned me up and described amongst other things how her street- Osborne terrace had not been gritted , seriously restricting her movement around town with three children under five in tow.

The inability of many councils to grit side roads during the ‘big freeze ‘was a common occurrence. Get in touch if you had a particularly bad experience on your road and I will speak with the Gateshead council on your behalf. Winter is not over yet and it could happen again!

December - NHS! NHS! NHS!

The big Tory promise to save the NHS from spending cuts always seemed like a good idea to me. Then at ten days old my baby son developed a life threatening condition which severely affected his breathing. His oxygen saturation levels were dangerously low and he fingers and toes were turning blue in the doctor’s surgery. Three GP’s bought him back from the edge with oxygen therapy there and then. We were whisked to hospital in an ambulance. We spent a worrying ten days under an intensive care team and children’s ward doctors, whilst he was pumped with intravenous antibiotics, oxygen and covered in wires and monitors before we were finally given the all clear to go home.

When this happened we were down in Cambridge visiting my father in law who had just had five minor stokes. He too had been treated by the NHS. I marvelled at this amazing service. We were not even at home and we could rock up at a hospital when it was needed most and we did not need to bankrupt our selves to do it.

I could tell you what is wrong with the NHS. We could sit and talk over coffee about the lack of continuity in care, the gaps in nursing training and the severe shortage of medical staff. All of this I observed from my sons experience. However, this is also the truth: today fire burns brightly in my son’s eyes. They saved his life.

I think I am going to vote for the party of the NHS this year.

Micro Politics – Residents Association at Claremont Place, Bensham.

I was having coffee with friends to discover that they and other residents in Claremont Place, Bensham have set up their own street residents group and bid for funding from the council to change their local environment.

I was very impressed by the level of dedication to where they live and the sense of community and responsibility they are developing.

I have asked for an invitation in 2010 to one of their meetings to catch up on their progress. Let me know if you are involved in similar activities or would like some advice on setting up your own residents group.

It is not just the political people who can change your area. You are better at it than we are!

Get Carter, Get a Move On!

It’s coming up to Christmas and as I am doing my shopping in Tesco in Gateshead, I have some questions. I have not got the answers yet. Maybe you can help?!

‘What is that multi-storey car park in the centre of Gateshead still doing there? ‘

‘It’s coming down!’ I hear you cry.

‘Well not fast enough’, is my response.

We have had ten years of growth in this country before the recession. Still we have not made great progress on the development on the city centre of Gateshead. Let us be frank here, it does need some serious rehabilitation to attract business, investment and visitors.

I am well aware of the progress in residential areas that has been made and that is to be commended. However, I do believe there is a real question as to why the council has not been able to work effectively with a big business such as Tesco to move the central redevelopment on. It is essential for Gateshead. In the new year I hope to gain a clearer understanding of this delay for the sake of the constituents. Do get in touch if you can help!

A Focus on Drugs and Alcohol:Visiting the Oasis Centre in Gateshead

After being selected I was keen to research growing concerns within our area that we hear little about from current MP’s in the area. The truth is Gateshead saw a huge rise in drugs related crime between April – August 2009 according to Northumbria Police figures, the greatest increase seen in the area of Low Fell. Sadly, it is also the case Gateshead appears in the top ten for areas of the UK for problems of Alcohol dependence. I do not need to describe to you, the local residents, the social problems this causes.

Having worked for Iain Duncan Smith’s Social Justice Policy Group which formulated recommendations for policy solutions to these growing problems, I am well acquainted with the role the government can have on tacking the issues. I am convinced the next MP for Gateshead needs to get along side all those who are working hard in local organisations to reach out to those who have fallen into addiction.

In November I visited Oasis Gateshead NECA centre on the high street. The service is open to anyone over the age of 18 who is experiencing problems with drugs, alcohol and gambling. I met with regional director Jackie Wales and project manager Stuart Hann to look at their work and offer them support politically in the challenging work they are engaged with.

Jackie and Stuart knew what they were talking about, working on the front line here for a number of years. They described how easily available drugs were. Jackie said you could buy them from the local ice cream van outside school. However, most people walking through Oasis doors had issues relating to alcohol abuse. Alcohol dependence in their opinion was fuelled by the wide availability and particularly the low cost in supermarkets.

There were four conclusions we drew from the discussion which I want to highlight in my campaign.

1. Their funding will in affect be cut by 4% per service user a year for the next three years under this Labour Government.

2. Government drugs policy stops short at helping people fully recover from drug addiction. Instead methadone use is wide spread. The effect of this prescribed tranquiliser drug user may lower drugs crime figures but it does not leave the user in a fit state to engage in normal life.

3. The price of alcohol in their opinion influenced the level of alcohol dependence.

4. Oasis has yet to be visited by a local MP. The question I ask is: surely the kind of work this organisation delivers to the people of Gateshead should be a priority of inquiry for anyone in office given the huge issues Gateshead has with addiction?

I imagine if this is your constituency you may not want to highlight the darker side of Gateshead life that this present government has not solved. However there is message here for David Cameron in policy making too. We all know we are facing massive spending cuts. Yet if NHS spending is to be protected – a Conservative election promise, it is paramount any incoming Government is not short sighted in how it reduces demand for NHS services in the first place. Given alcohol abuse is a big drain on hospital budgets, cutting any level of support to rehabilitation services needs some serious cost/benefit analysis.

I have been invited back to Oasis to visit their youth work. I will keep you posted!

October – the Conservative Party Conference

In October I attended the Conservative party conference, channelling the majority of my time into events focusing on the North East.

The pressing concern of the economy and an analysis of our areas performance in the context of the rest of the UK were key areas of discussion. There was general consensus that government decisions such as the route of the planned high speed rail network would massively affect our regions capacity to win business and investment in the future. It was excellent to have input from a range of sources including large organisations such as Northumbria Water, public sector employers including the NHS (the largest employer in the N.E at 70,000 on the payroll) as well as feedback from smaller enterprises and business think tanks.

I also had the privilege of attending Martin Callahan’s (MEP for the north east) evening event and listening to a lively discussion on our place in Europe. David Cameron nicely rounded off my agenda as I sat in the main hall to hear his vision of governance of the UK. It was surprisingly emotional hearing the whole speech from start to finish, and far more coherent in thought than the snippets we are fed on news.

An admission of bad blogging

I received my election pack and read it over Christmas taking in advice from the party as the best way to run a parliamentary campaign. The advice on blogs was update it regularly or it would reflect badly. They have a point.

I was hoping to start this blog in October. Then chaos loomed in November and December – the usual life dramas that tend to happen all at once. We moved house. I was heavily pregnant. My father in law had 5 minor stokes. I had a baby. My baby developed a life threatening condition and we spent too many days and nights in hospital willing him to get better. I know, it reads like a script from Eastenders.

I am starting this blog today in the new year with numerous short postings to update you about our campaign in Gateshead , my thoughts on recent political events and why it might be a good idea to vote Conservative in the coming general election. I hope its contents will be transparent and informative and I look forward to hearing from you!

Juggling work and the election campaign

All candidates have a day job. I am learning to balance an election campaign with mine- that of full time motherhood where the hours are 24 /7. My stamina is improving for writing blog posts at midnight when our two up two down is finally quiet or phoning the world at 2pm in the afternoon when my toddler is allowed to watch some telly  and the baby has dosed off. Door to door campaigning will happen in the evening or at weekends when voters are at home and my husband can look after the children. One thing is for sure, my kids are not suffering for the sake of the campaign but I am resigned to the fact I may be in the running for the award for the most chronically sleep deprived political candidate by the time the election comes about!