Europe - and a new home!

In 1975, politicians of all parties urged the UK electorate during the referendum campaign to support the continuing membership of the "Common Market" which stood explicitly for "free and undistorted competition". It now seems likely that the misleadingly titled "reform treaty", more accurately and honestly described as "the EU Constitution", will drop any reference whatsoever to free and undistorted competition. If that happens, it would be high time for the electorate of this country to to be given another opportunity through a referendum to decide whether or not they wished our membership of the European Union, which is now very different from what it was in 1975, to continue or not. Food for more than a little thought.

This is rather a late Blog entry....it has been chaotic! I exchanged and completed on my house purchase last Friday, the 15th! But at last I am the proud owner of Templer House in Sandford Orleigh overlooking the new hospital development in Newton Abbot. I feel very privileged to be somewhere of such local historical significance. Built in the 1830's by George Templer, the man responsible for building the granite tramway that brought granite from the quarries at Hay Tor on Dartmoor to the Stover Canal, it was later the residence of Samuel and Florence Baker, English explorers in Africa. Some of you may remember the building as a school before it was finally restored to its former glory and converted into five houses some six years ago. As exchange and completion were simultaneous, phone lines, utilities, removals all had to be organised very much at the last minute!

Notwithstanding all that, it was a pretty busy week across the constituency. Canvassing across Dawlish on Monday I was delighted to meet so many people and hear about the problems and frustrations - the bins are still full of maggots and only being emptied fortnightly and of course the housing issues - chronic and ongoing! I am delighted so many of the old traditions remain - including beating the bounds - again - this time on Tuesday in Kingsteignton. On Wednesday I visited a constituent in Bishopsteignton to hear about the problems the elderly are having finding and paying for care in community homes. The red tape is unbelievable leaving surviving relatives with huge bills for health and social care. Very small savings deny many any contribution to bills of some £2,000 a month. Worse, to save money it would seem, the Devon Primary Care Trust has downgraded the level of care they will fund by regrading downwards the level of care needed by individuals in local homes. The homes themselves are then clawing back the lost income from the state by increasing their charges for care to these residents.

No one knows it all. Over the weekend we had a training day for my campaign team across the constituency. Politics is changing and if we really want to make a difference we have to deserve being voted in. That means we need to demonstrate what life would be like if you voted for me and for the Conservatives...and actions speak louder than words. We had enormous fun and then rounded the day off by christening Templer House with a few bottles of champagne! Sunday was a great day - the Dawlish horse show in Starcross at Blackforest Farm was brilliant. The horse and hound competition saw many a young rider thwarted not by the skills of their ponies over the jumps - but their Spaniels and Jack Russels who refused to jump over or crawl under but had to be carried over!