Monday 27 August 2007

An Autumn of promise?

Well my last blog created a great deal of interest! The bypass is a critical issue - and clearly not so much of a done deal as its advocates would have us believe if an item on my blog can undo "cross-party" support for it - or so the Herald Express would have us believe. The Herald Express has long been an advocate for the bypass and the coverage is therefore by no means surprising. But no, I have not been deluged by fellow MPs asking me to "fall into line in favour of the bypass". No, David Cameron is not unequivocally in favour of the bypass and has put in writing that he will not support any road development until and unless it has been properly costed. And no, I have not been seeking any short term political advantage, but rather a long term sustainable result which best serves our community.

My position on the bypass is based on fact and on a view that this bypass is about housing more than it is about traffic congestion - and this has not been openly and honestly discussed. I am concerned about both housing and traffic congestion- we need a well thought out solution to both issues following proper consultation. Will Devon County Council or the Herald Express allow a proper debate on the real options to solve the traffic congestion problems of which the bypass is only one - and many times the most expensive, as a matter of urgency? Will Devon County Council and Teignbridge Council allow a proper debate on their housing strategy, with all the options properly costed and put in the context of a housing needs analysis, particularly given the adverse views the Northern Option proposal has received from the inspector? Will Richard Younger Ross tell us what his views on these issues are and why he holds them?

We are at an interesting juncture in political history - will Mr Brown go to the country this Autumn or not? The polls are willing him to do so but I suspect common sense is saying to him - not yet. If I were Mr Brown I would be extremely worried about the current economic health of the country - and my part in it. We are one of the most heavily taxed countries in Europe and our "street cred" as a strong economy has plummeted under Brown as Chancellor. The FTSE is fluctuating unpredictably, interest rate rises have still not stabilised inflation and yet the mortgage pain for borrowers is reaching breaking point. Mr Brown is coming under increasing pressure - and rightly so -to have a referendum on Europe from his own party! We are paying a huge price for membership of something which has changed beyond all recognition - and is not what we signed up to! And the Lib Dems are as committed to staying in Europe as Mr Brown according to their leader - so who is breaking ranks with his leader now I wonder - Mr Younger-Ross! Are you really a Eurosceptic Richard or is this just a short term political tactic given the predicted Autumn election? Tell us where you stand.

As we move into the party political conference season, we will see some very interesting developments - not least more from David Cameron on how we can begin to mend our broken society. The more shootings, stabbings and muggings we read about the clearer it is that something has to be done to restore a sense of the family and the community, a sense of belonging and being valued and valuing others. Tony Blair tried to tell us how to live our lives because he thought he knew best - he got it wrong, and badly wrong at that. Let parents be parents and teachers be teachers, don't tie their hands behind their backs. Discipline is a good thing and it is part of growing up. If there are no signposts setting out what is right and wrong should we be surprised at the society we have today. Parents should not live in fear of being reported to Childline by their own children, teachers should not fear for their very lives in the classroom. Rules and regulations to stop the abusers have done just the opposite - they have made the list of possible abusers so wide, it's hard to spot the real ones! Clearly child abuse must be stopped, but this plethora of legislation is making things worse not better. And lets have real policemen, properly trained, on the street solving real crimes - not paper crimes which just help the statistics rather than making the country safer.

Bring on an election - we are ready!

Wednesday 15 August 2007

A summer of discontent

So we had the floods - now we have foot and mouth. Thankfully not in the West country but the very fact that there has been a new outbreak has seriously impacted our local farmers, butchers, market traders and others. Walking through the market in Newton Abbot and speaking to local farmers, the picture is bleak. One farmer who specialises in sausages told me he had just two days left before he would have to stop trading - fresh meat supplies require freshly slaughtered meat which in turn requires animal movement. Pork supplies have been particularly hard hit. While Gordon Brown executed a master media coup, breaking his holiday to return to sort the crisis - it isn't yet sorted. Indeed how much progress has been made on the real issue, to vaccinate or not. The argument centres on the impact vaccination would have on our export market - I think I am more concerned about our own domestic market which vaccination would help not hinder.



Summer always brings with it traffic chaos as holiday makers and the rest of us struggle to get north and south on the A380. Devon County Council decided to take the initiative and push forward its plans to build a bypass through Kingskerswell. Among other things it sought to gain compulsory purchase orders over the sites required for the development. All the media coverage seemed to indicate that this was a good thing - rubbish! I am as eager as the next pedestrian and motorist to sort out the traffic problems but this bypass is not the answer. First it will cost £130million to built - is that a sensible use of funds - indeed if it had been it would have been built years ago at a significantly lower cost. Second will concreting over more than 100 acres of Devon countryside, almost the size of Kingskerswell solve the traffic problem - the evidence so far is that it will not. Third there are many cheaper and therefore more achievable solutions which will solve the traffic problem and preserve our countryside - a flyover at Penn Inn, a pedestrian bridge over the A380 at Kingskerswell, filter lanes on key junctions and a third "tidal flow" lane would improve traffic flow in months rather than years at a fraction of the cost. But the thing which annoys me most is that this is not really about traffic flow but about housing. If Devon County Council want to open up land for development, please will they be honest and say so - green field development is a very different issue.



My daily case load grows with more individuals coming to me or being referred to me for help. Someone once said to me: " why would they come to you? - you have no voice or position of authority" . The reason is very simple I understand the system and can get through the red tape and with my Conservative councillor colleagues get a result. We are a good team and are persistent and creative in looking at ways of solving problems. You won't read much about what I am doing in the press - no-one wants to be used as a political football - what people want is a result. I have one lady who is facing extreme difficulties trying to exchange her housing association accomodation which is now innappropriate given her deteriorating health - I am working with the housing association and the local councillors to find a solution. There are inevitably a number of planning related matters - Mile End Road development plans and the annex to the existing Holcombe village hall being just two. The local Liberal Democrat councillors have not been prepared to help resolve the former and I am working with the local action group to see what we can do. While Richard Younger Ross has spoken up in the media in support of the Holcombe annex which I welcome, he has not been able to secure any change in the revenue's position - something I am working with the residents to achieve. The revenue wish to charge VAT on the building work despite compliance with all the conditions in their booklet on the part of the parish which should result in a zero rate of tax.

Maybe we can still look forward to an Indian summer, some sun - and some good news!